Across:
   1. Around river paces out distance for travelling light (6)
   5. Bother to get laptop on initial schedule (2 2 4)
   9. Friend may be satisfied with top two-thirds of plant (8)
  10. Raise designs for new besoms (6)
  11. Do awards fall haphazardly into dish? (7 5)
  13. Now mother’s first with spice (4)
  14. Statesmen redesign soda tank (8)
  17. Series of notes disrupts opera gig! (8)
  18. The French get to top right-hand corner by road (4)
  20. Those at top table sound fed-up with proper mixed gin (5 7)
  23. It turns out scholar in news is a heartless chap (3 3)
  24. Trustworthy and responsible after Bible study (8)
  25. Tom and Emil run around a burn (8)
  26. Range of herpes distribution (6)
Down:
   2. Attila granted all southern leaders military titles (4)
   3. Home sewer runs out at another place (9)
   4. Tom let out beasts (6)
   5. New route to go to bed holding ring is unlikely (3 4 2 2 4)
   6. Main sporting body kept half of AI-generated image (8)
   7. After one second, artist left first sign (5)
   8. Being supportive of you and me returning to dyeing (10)
  12. Loyalty shown by three people putting out evil spam over time (10)
  15. Help Greta change transmitter (9)
  16. Arrogance of expedition leader to leave fellow on back road! (8)
  19. Areas for groups of competitors (6)
  21. Ladies’ man is more confused at roundabout (5)
  22. Make dim trainee have back massage outside (4)
Solution:
PARSEC=TODOLIST
=O=O=A=O=E=I=U=
PALMETTO=EMBOSS
=S=E=T=G=P=R=T=
===WALDORFSALAD
=P=H=E=O=A===I=
MACE===DAKOTANS
=T=R=E=T=E=E=I=
ARPEGGIO===LANE
=I===O=B=F=E=G=
BOARDMEETING===
=T=O=A=T=E=R=B=
TINMAN=RELIABLE
=S=E=I=U=D=P=U=
IMMOLATE=SPHERE
Name: Puzzle 444
Author: by Steve Townsend