The Times-Picayune 03-22-2025

Entergy’s power plans draw fight

Coalition argues against utility’s market control

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Entergy Louisiana’s plans to procure billions of dollars worth of new gas-fired power is setting up a pivotal fight over the utility’s control over the electric market, with an unlikely coalition of opponents arguing that the company is set to heap huge costs on residents.

Entergy is planning to deacti-

vate a host of aging power plants built in the 1960s and 1970s in the coming years. At the same time, the company is courting powerhungry data centers that require new infrastructure to be built. And the state’s energy-intensive petrochemical sector is looking for new power sources, particularly renewables that make their products more attractive overseas. Those converging forces are cre-

ating what the Alliance for Affordable Energy a consumer advocacy group, calls an “unprecedented inflection point” for the future of energy in Louisiana. And it’s creating strange bedfellows, with climate advocates aligned with the petrochemical industry in taking on Entergy, the state’s dominant utility

“What is being put into their pipeline is stunning,” said Logan Burke, executive director of the

Alliance. “There’s just no other word for it.” Now, a yearslong debate over whether industrial customers should be able to break out of Entergy’s control over the power sector is coming to a head. Entergy wants to buy 2 gigawatts of gas power to replace power stations that will be deactivated in the coming years. It is also asking for regulatory approval to build 2.4 gigawatts of natural gas-fired power stations to service Meta’s massive data center planned for

MEETING THEIR MATCH

Students

Medical students secure their futures at Match Day 2025

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

If things had gone as planned, Hailey Phillips would have finished medical school last year and already be deep into her first year of residency

In 2019, she had put school on hold to care for her mother, who got sick from complications after back surgery It became a hands-on lesson in patient care.

“She changed my IV bags, my dressings, all of it,” said her mom,

Rachelle Phillips, one of 17 siblings from Lafayette, who raised Hailey as a single mom. “She is everything a daughter and a doctor should be.”

Years later, that detour brought her to this moment. At exactly 10:55 a.m. on Friday, Phillips and the rest of Tulane University School of Medicine’s Class of 2025 stood in front of tables lined with white envelopes at Champions Square in New Orleans. The envelopes held the answers to where they would spend the next several years of their lives as they continued their training as residents.

After a countdown to 11 a.m., they and future doctors across the coun-

ä See MATCH, page 7A

Richland Parish. A 1-gigawatt power plant can power about 876,000 homes per year, according to the Carbon Collective, an investment adviser

Those investments, along with other proposals by Entergy to build new infrastructure, will cost billions. And a group of petrochemical plants who are fighting to inject more competition into the market expect that ratepayers will see bills skyrocket if Entergy

ä See ENTERGY, page 7A

N.O.

inspector stripped of license

Man charged last year with bribing Cantrell

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

A building inspector charged in federal court with bribing New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was stripped of his state contracting license Thursday under a deal that allowed him to avoid sanctions over a separate alleged scheme in Jefferson Parish.

Randy Farrell, who was charged Sept. 27 with bribing Cantrell as part of what prosecutors described as a sweeping plot to profit from hundreds of fraudulent inspection permits around New Orleans, agreed Thursday to step down as head of his electrical firm, Global Technical Solutions, under the deal with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors.

Farrell relinquished his contracting license and pleaded “no contest” to noncriminal allegations by the board that he falsified permits in the alleged scheme in Jefferson Parish, his attorneys said. They described the deal as a way to avoid distraction, including media attention, as Farrell battles the separate federal charges.

“There is no admission of criminal wrongdoing as this is an administrative matter” before the state board, his attorney, Rick Simmons, said in a statement.

Farrell was accused in the September federal indictment of

Federal report urges Louisiana to assess safety of eight bridges

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

The National Transportation Safety Board is urging Louisiana to assess the safety of eight of its bridges, including almost all of those crossing the Mississippi River in the state, in a new report following last year’s collapse in Baltimore.

The Crescent City Connection in New Orleans, the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville and the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge

were among those flagged in the report released Thursday Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, whose collapse after being struck by a container ship in March 2024 killed six people, was riskier than acceptable under the guidelines of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation, according to the report.

The NTSB, responsible for investigating infrastructure incidents, listed 68 waterway bridges across the country that have not gone through an assessment based

on recent ship traffic and “therefore have an unknown level of risk of collapse from a potential vessel collision.”

These are the eight Louisiana bridges identified in the report:

n Greater New Orleans Bridge (New Orleans) n Crescent City Connection Bridge (New Orleans)

n Huey P. Long Bridge (Jefferson Parish) n Hale Boggs Bridge (Luling)

The Crescent City Connection bridge is one of eight spans that

Farrell

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

wait for the moment they can receive their Match Day letters during Match Day 2025 for Tulane University School of Medicine on Friday.

Hailey Phillips smiles after revealing to her family and friends she matched with Tulane during Match Day 2025 on Friday.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Woman accused of drowning dog at airport

ORLANDO Fla. A woman drowned her dog in a Florida airport bathroom and then boarded her international flight after she was prevented from bringing the white miniature schnauzer with her because of a paperwork issue, authorities said.

The woman was arrested in Lake County on Wednesday on a charge of aggravated animal abuse, a third-degree felony She was released on $5,000 bail.

“This act was intentional and resulted in a cruel and unnecessary death of the animal,” said an arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department.

Online court records showed no attorney listed for the woman from Kenner

The investigation into the death of the 9-year-old schnauzer named Tywinn started in December when a janitor found the dog in a trash bag in a bathroom stall at Orlando International Airport.

The janitor earlier had seen the woman in the stall cleaning up water and dog food from the stall’s floor. The janitor was pulled away for a cleanup emergency and returned to the bathroom 20 minutes later where she found Tywinn in the trash container, along with a companion vest, collar, rabies tag, a dog travel bag and a bone-shaped dog tag with the woman’s name and phone number investigators said.

Airport surveillance cameras captured the woman speaking for 15 minutes to a Latam Airlines agent with the dog in tow, walking into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog and exiting the bathroom without Tywinn less than 20 minutes later The woman then went outside the terminal building, reentered a short time later, passed through security and boarded the Colombia-bound plane, the report said.

Texas measles outbreak expected to last months

As measles cases in West Texas are still on the rise two months after the outbreak began, local public health officials say they expect the virus to keep spreading for at least several more months and that the official case number is likely an undercount. But there’s a silver lining, officials say: More people have received a measles, mumps and rubella vaccination this year in Texas and New Mexico, which also has an outbreak, compared to last year even if it’s not as high as they would like. And pharmacies across the U.S., especially in Texas, are seeing more demand for MMR shots.

As of Friday the outbreak in Texas was up to 309 cases and one measles-related death, while New Mexico’s case count was up to 42 and also one measles-related death Forty-two people have been hospitalized across the two states. Texas’ outbreak, which has largely spread in undervaccinated Mennonite communities, could last a year based on studies of how measles previously spread in Amish communities in the U.S.

4 swallowed diamond earrings recovered ORLANDO, Fla. — Detectives have recovered four diamond earrings from a suspected thief two weeks after he gulped the Tiffany & Co. jewelry worth nearly $770,000 during his arrest on the side of a highway in the Florida Panhandle authorities said Friday

The last of the four earrings stolen from the Tiffany store in Orlando was recovered from the suspect last week, the Orlando Police Department said Friday

Three of the earrings were recovered two days before that, along with two other unidentified diamond earrings. The suspect was transferred from a jail to a hospital while detectives waited to collect the evidence, police officials said in a statement.

The four stolen earrings matched the serial numbers from the jewelry taken from the Tiffany store last month, detectives said. After the jewelry was recovered, the Texas man was taken to the Orange County Jail where he faces charges of robbery with a mask and first-degree grand theft.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG

nearby electrical substation has caused a closure of Europe’s busiest airport.

London’s Heathrow resumes flights

Fire

cut

power to one of world’s busiest airports

BY BRIAN MELLEY, DANICA KIRKA and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

LONDON A fire at an electrical substation knocked out power to Heathrow Airport for most of Friday, forcing Europe’s busiest hub to shut down for roughly 18 hours, causing widespread cancellations and rerouting headaches, and stranding roughly 200,000 passengers.

The blaze started just before midnight on Thursday at a substation about 2 miles from the airport and took firefighters around seven hours to bring under control. Authorities said they found no evidence that it was suspicious, and the London Fire Brigade said its investigation would focus on the electrical distribution equipment at the substation.

The fire knocked out power to Heathrow and thousands of homes in the area. It affected at least 1,350 flights to and from the airport, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar 24, and the impact was expected to last several days, as passengers try to reschedule their trips and airlines work to reposition their planes and crews

After power was restored, a British Airways jet touched down just before sunset on Friday after Heathrow lifted its closure order Further arrivals followed, including a short flight from Manchester in northwest England.

A British Airways flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia departed from Heathrow just before 9 p.m. British Airways says it will run eight long-haul flights on Friday night.

The airport plans to operate full schedule on Saturday Residents in west London described hearing a large explosion, followed by a fireball and clouds of smoke, when the blaze ripped through the substation.

About 120 flights were in the air when the closure was announced. Some turned

around and others were diverted to Gatwick Airport outside London, Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris or Ireland’s Shannon Airport, tracking services showed.

Lawrence Hayes was most of the way to London from New York when Virgin Atlantic announced the plane was being diverted to Glasgow

“It was a red-eye flight and I’d already had a full day, so I don’t even know how long I’ve been up for,” Hayes told the BBC as he was getting off the plane in Scotland.

“Luckily I managed to get hold of my wife and she’s kindly booked me a train ticket to get back to Euston (station in London), but it’s going to be an incredibly long day.”

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airports for international travel, and saw 83.9 million passengers last year

Friday’s disruption was one of the most serious since the 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, which spewed clouds of ash into the atmosphere and shut Europe’s airspace for days.

It’s too early to know for sure what sparked the blaze, but the Metropolitan Police force said counterterrorism detectives were leading the investigation because of their ability to find the cause quickly and because of the location of the electrical substation fire and its impact on critical national infrastructure.

The force said that “after initial assessment, we are not treating this incident as suspicious.”

Heathrow said its backup power supply designed for emergencies worked as expected, but it wasn’t enough to run the whole airport It said it had no choice but to close the airport for most of the day.

The airport’s CEO, Thomas Woldbye, rejected suggestions that Heathrow didn’t have adequate contingency plans, saying the incident was “unprecedented.

“Contingencies of certain sizes we cannot guard ourselves against 100% and this is one of them,” he said.

Nevertheless, the fallout from the fire led to criticism that Britain is ill-prepared to deal with disasters.

Trump outlines plan to move Education Department programs

SBA will take over student loans; HHS will handle special education

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday began sketching a road map for dismantling the Education Department, with other agencies taking over responsibility for federal student loans and programs serving students with disabilities.

The executive order Trump signed Thursday to do away with the department did not offer a timeline or instructions, but his administration appears poised to carve away all but the department’s most vital operations

The Republican president said during a White House event that student loans will be handled by the Small Business Administration, and “it will be serviced much better than it has in the past.” He also said programs involving students with disabilities would be shifted to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The decisions drew blowback from advocacy groups that fear disruptions will be inevitable. The Small Business Association announced Friday it will cut its staff by 43%, raising questions about its ability to take on the Education Department’s $1.6 trillion loan portfolio

“This can only result in borrowers experiencing erratic and inconsistent management of their federal student loans,” said

Jessica Thompson, senior vice president of the Institute of College Access and Success. “Errors will prove costly to borrowers and ultimately, to taxpayers.”

Trump’s executive order said the student loan portfolio is too big for the Education Department to manage. After the SBA cuts, however, it will be left with fewer than 4,000 employees — about the size of the Education Department before it was cut in half by the Trump administration.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she is preparing to relocate the department’s core operations to other agencies and roll back federal regulations. In an opinion piece published Friday by Fox News Channel, she said abolishing the department “will not happen tomorrow,” but she plans to pave the way

“We will systematically unwind unnecessary regulations and prepare to reassign the department’s other functions to the states or other agencies,” McMahon wrote.

The functions to be reassigned include the distribution of federal money to support low-income students and students with disabilities, the department’s management of student financial aid, civil rights enforcement and data collection, she wrote.

Some parent groups fear the reorganization could result in weaker protections for children with disabilities. The National Parents Union said families are anxious HHS might treat students’ learning disabilities as medical issues and make them subject to insurance claims.

Trump says Musk shouldn’t be briefed on China war plans

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday that war plans should not be shared with his adviser Elon Musk because of his business interests, a rare suggestion that the billionaire entrepreneur’s expansive role in the administration will face limits.

Trump made the comments during an Oval Office meeting on developing a new fighter jet, and he rejected reports that Musk would be briefed on how the United States would fight a hypothetical war with China.

“Elon has businesses in China,” the Republican president said. “And he would be susceptible, perhaps, to that.”

Trump praised Musk as a patriot. However, the

reference to his businesses — which include Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer trying to expand sales and production in China is an unusual acknowledgment of concerns about Musk balancing his corporate and government responsibilities.

Trump had previously brushed off questions about Musk’s potential conflicts of interest, simply saying that he would steer clear when necessary The president said that Musk visited the Pentagon on Friday morning to discuss reducing costs, which he’s been working on through the Department of Government Efficiency Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Musk was there “to talk about efficiencies, to talk about innovations.”

Russian drones strike Ukrainian city of Odesa

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russian drones pummeled the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, injuring three people and sparking massive fires, officials said Friday, an attack that underlined Moscow’s intention to pursue aerial strikes even as it agreed to temporarily halt strikes on energy facilities. The head of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said the city suffered “local emergency power outages” in three of its districts, an indication that the energy infrastructure of the city could have been damaged.

Reacting to the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “joint pressure on Russia, strengthening sanctions and defense support for our state is the way to stop such terror and Russia’s prolongation of the war.”

“We expect real pressure on Russia from the U.S., Europe and all our partners,” Zelenskyy said in a state-

ment on Telegram. “This is what will allow diplomacy to work.” Russia, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of blowing up a gas facility in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces have launched an incursion, in violation of the ceasefire deal. Ukraine denies the accusations. The strike came shortly before Czech Republic President Petr Pavel visited Odesa on Friday morning, meeting with the city’s leaders and officials from other southern regions.

“This is another reminder to the whole world: the war continues and Ukraine continues to fight,” Kiper said in a statement. He said there were blazes at least three locations after the attack late Thursday “Civilian infrastructure, commercial facilities are on fire, cars damaged,” Kiper said. Over 70 people and 20 fire engines were involved in extinguishing what the emergency services called “massive fires.”

People watch a British Airways plane land Friday at Heathrow Airport in London as authorities announced a partial resumption of flights after a fire at a

Israel destroys Gaza’s only cancer hospital

Israeli forces push deeper into Gaza

Strip

BY IBRAHIM HAZBOUN, SAM MEDNICK and DAVID RISING Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israeli forces advanced deeper into the Gaza Strip on Friday and blew up the only specialized cancer hospital in the wartorn territory, as Israeli leaders vowed to capture more land until Hamas releases its remaining hostages.

The hospital was located in the Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two and was controlled by Israeli troops for most of the 17-month-long war Israel moved to retake the corridor this week shortly after breaking the ceasefire with Hamas. The truce delivered relative calm to Gaza since late January and facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages.

The Israeli military said it struck the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, which was inaccessible to doctors and patients during the war, because Hamas militants were operating in the site. Turkey, which helped build and fund the hospital,

and other items, move Friday between southern and northern Gaza along a beach road away from the areas where the Israeli army is operating after Israel’s renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip, in the outskirts of Gaza City.

said Israeli troops at one point used it as a base.

Dr Zaki Al-Zaqzouq, head of the hospital’s oncology department, said a medical team visited the facility during the ceasefire and found that, while it had suffered damage, some facilities remained in good condition.

“I cannot fathom what could be gained from bombing a hospital that served as a lifeline for so many patients,” he said in a statement issued by the aid group Medical Aid for Palestinians.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the hospital’s destruction and accused Israel of deliberately “rendering Gaza uninhabitable and forcibly displacing the Palestinian people.”

Hospitals can lose their protected status under international law if they are used for military purposes, but any operations against them must be proportional. Human rights groups and U.N.backed experts have accused Israel of systematically destroying Gaza’s health care

system.

Israel’s renewed military offensive in the Gaza Strip threatens to be even deadlier and more destructive than the last, as it pursues wider aims with far fewer constraints.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday that his country would carry out operations in Gaza “with increasing intensity” until Hamas frees the 59 hostages it holds 24 of whom are believed alive.

“The more Hamas contin-

ues its refusal to release the kidnapped, the more territory it will lose to Israel,” Katz said.

The Israeli military said Friday its forces were planning fresh assaults into three neighborhoods west of Gaza City, and issued warnings on social media for Palestinians to evacuate the areas.

The warnings came shortly after the military said it intercepted two rockets fired from northern Gaza that set off sirens in the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon Hamas had also fired three rockets the previous day in its first attack since Israel ended the ceasefire.

A long-range missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels set off air raid sirens over Jerusalem and central Israel for the fourth day in a row Friday, with the military saying it was intercepted.

Israeli troops had moved Thursday toward the northern town of Beit Lahiya and the southern border city of Rafah, and resumed blocking Palestinians from entering northern Gaza, including Gaza City

Displaced Palestinians fled northern Gaza along a coastal road Friday carrying their belongings, firewood and other items on horse-drawn carts.

A strike east of Gaza City on Friday killed a couple and their two children, plus two additional children who weren’t related to them, according to witnesses and a hospital The Israeli army said it struck a militant in a Gaza City building and took steps to minimize civilian harm. It was not immediately clear if the army was referring to the same strike. And in the southern city of Rafah, Palestinian municipal officials said Israeli bombardments forced residents to move outdoors in rainy weather deepening their suffering.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s push to fire the country’s domestic security chief has deepened a power struggle focused largely over who bears responsibility for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza. It also could set the stage for a crisis over the country’s division of powers. Hours after Netanyahu’s Cabinet unanimously approved the firing Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet security service the Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt to his dismissal until an appeal can be heard no later than April 8. Netanyahu’s office had said Bar’s dismissal was effective April 10, but that it could come earlier

Sudan says it has retaken Khartoum’s Republican Palace

BY SAMY MAGDY and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

CAIRO Sudan ’s military on Friday retook the Republican Palace in Khartoum, the last heavily guarded bastion of rival paramilitary forces in the capital, after nearly two years of fighting.

The seizure of the Republican Palace, surrounded by government ministries, was a major symbolic victory for Sudan’s military against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces — though

it likely doesn’t mean the end of the war as the RSF holds territory in Sudan’s western Darfur region and elsewhere.

Social media videos showed Sudanese soldiers inside the palace, giving the date as the 21st day of Ramadan, the holy Muslim fasting month, which corresponds to Friday A Sudanese military officer wearing a captain’s epaulettes made the announcement in the video and confirmed the troops were inside the compound.

The palace appeared to be

in ruins, with soldiers’ stepping on broken tiles. Troops carrying assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers chanted: “God is the greatest!”

Khaled al-Aiser Sudan’s information minister, said the military had retaken the palace in a post on the social platform X.

“Today the flag is raised, the palace is back and the journey continues until victory is complete,” he wrote.

Later, curious residents wandered through the palace. Walls stood pockmarked by rifle rounds.

Smears of blood led to dead bodies, covered haphazardly with blankets

The fall of the Republican Palace — a compound along the Nile River that was the seat of government before the war erupted and is immortalized on Sudanese bank notes and postage stamps — marks another battlefield gain for Sudan’s military, which has made steady advances in recent months under army chief

By The Associated Press

ISTANBUL Tens of thousands of people rallied at Istanbul’s city hall for a third day Friday to protest the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor and top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite the Turkish leader’s stern warning that street protests would not be tolerated. The rally remained peaceful. However, some 500 yards away, police used pepper spray and tear gas to push back hundreds of protesters who tried to break through a barricade in front of the city’s historic aqueduct and threw flares and other objects at them. Water cannons were used to break up demonstrations in Ankara, the capital, as

well as in the Aegean coastal city of Izmir Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested in a dawn raid on his residence on Wednesday over alleged corruption and terror links, escalating a crackdown on opposition figures and dissenting voices. Several other prominent figures, including two district mayors, were also detained. Many view the arrest as a politically driven attempt to remove a popular opposition figure and key challenger to Erdogan in the next presidential race, currently scheduled for 2028. Government officials reject accusations that legal actions against opposition figures are politically motivated and insist that Turkey’s courts operate independently

Imamoglu was questioned by police for four hours over corruption accusations, during which he denied all the charges, the Cumhuriyet newspaper and other media reported. He was expected to be transferred to a courthouse Saturday evening for questioning by prosecutors. His arrest has sparked the largest protests since 2013, when Turkey was rocked by mass anti-government demonstrations that left eight people dead.

On Friday the leader of Turkey’s main opposition party, Ozgur Ozel, renewed a call on supporters to take to the streets for peaceful demonstrations, while authorities widened a ban on protests and criticized the appeal as irresponsible.

Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. It also means that the rival RSF fighters, under Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have been mostly expelled from the capital, Khartoum. Sporadic gunfire could be heard throughout the capital Friday, though it wasn’t clear if it involved fighting or was celebratory

Brig. Gen. Nabil Abdullah, a spokesperson for the Sudanese military, said its troops are holding the palace, sur-

rounding ministry buildings and the Arab Market to the south of the complex. Khartoum International Airport, only some 1.5 miles southeast of the palace, has been held by the RSF since the start of the war in April 2023.

Suleiman Sandal, a politician associated with the RSF acknowledged the military took the palace and called it part of “the ups and downs” of history

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Top DEQ lawyer departs

Executive leaves for federal position

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

The top lawyer for the state Department of Environmental Quality has left for a federal government position, creating another opening in the agency’s leadership circle.

W. Noah Hoggatt is the latest in a string of top executives who were tapped by Secretary Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto only to leave within a year’s time. Hoggatt became DEQ’s executive counsel last April.

approach while protecting the environment.

In an email sent to staff March 10, Hoggatt wrote that he was resigning “in order to move into a federal position” and that it was “an honor and a pleasure” to work with the agency’s “talented and dedicated legal” and Criminal Investigation Division staff.

Some of those executives have left with criticisms of Giacometto’s leadership style, while others have said they were simply moving to different spots in Gov Jeff Landry’s administration Giacometto and Landry have defended her leadership, saying she is seeking to create a more business-friendly

“Throughout my time at LDEQ, I’ve been consistently impressed with your wide breadth of knowledge, professionalism, and dedication. I wish you all nothing but the best in your continued service and future endeavors,” he wrote. The resignation formally took effect March 11, according to state civil service officials.

Hoggatt didn’t say in the email what federal position he was taking and didn’t respond to requests for comment Wednesday DEQ officials also hadn’t immediately responded to a request for comment.

Rumored for several weeks, Hoggatt’s departure means the loss of an official

who oversees the many legal matters raised by DEQ’s regulation and enforcement of environmental laws.

He also was often at Giacometto’s side last year in public settings at the State Capitol.

During unplanned interactions with the media in those settings, he would on occasion step in to try to end interviews with Giacometto if they strayed off script.

His loss also came a little more than a week after a state workplace audit and employee survey was made public Feb. 28 and turned up mixed views of the agency

While majorities liked their direct managers and jobs, near majorities had far less positive views for executive leadership.

More than three-fourths reported low morale, and about one-third also reported working in a toxic environment.

A small percentage reported being asked to do things that they believed were procedurally or legally improper

Though the audit was driven by workplace concerns that have arisen during Giacometto’s tenure, it doesn’t

indicate that employees were asked directly in the survey about her leadership individually

Despite the concerns emanating from DEQ under Giacometto, civil service data shows the agency’s turnover rate was below the state average in the 2024 fiscal year, which included the first six months of the secretary’s tenure.

The state average voluntary turnover rate is 14.3%; DEQ’s voluntary rate was 10.2%, according to an annual report.

Like some others of Giacometto’s departing executives, Hoggatt is a military veteran.

He served in the Marine Corps with two combat deployments in Iraq, according to his agency biography

He previously worked for the Louisiana Public Service Commission and, in his private sector work worked as an in-house counsel for an oil and gas company and later handled energy disputes and negotiations for clients.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Under threat, Columbia agrees to policy changes

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK Under threat from the Trump administration, Columbia University agreed to implement a suite of policy changes Friday, including overhauling its rules for protests and conducting an immediate review of its Middle Eastern studies department.

The changes, detailed in a letter sent by interim president, Katrina Armstrong, came one week after the Trump administration ordered the Ivy League school to implement those and other changes in order to continue receiving federal funding, an ultimatum widely criticized in academia as an attack on academic freedom.

In her letter, Armstrong said the university would immediately appoint a senior vice provost to conduct a thorough review of the portfolio of its regional studies programs, “starting immediately with the

Middle East.” Columbia will also bar protests inside academic buildings and the wearing of face masks on campus “for the purposes of concealing one’s identity.” An exception would be made for people wearing them for health reasons. The Trump administration pulled $400 million in research grants and other federal funding, and had threatened to cut more, over the university’s handling of protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. The White House has labeled the protests antisemitic, a label rejected by those who participated in the student-led demonstrations.

As a “precondition” for restoring funding, federal officials demanded that the university to place its Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies Department under “academic receivership for a minimum of five years.”

Detained student activist appears in immigration case

BY SARA CLINE Associated Press

Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil appeared briefly Friday in immigration court at a remote Louisiana det enti o n center as his lawyers fight in multiple venues to try to free him. Khalil, 30, a legal U.S. resident with no criminal record, sat alone next to an empty chair through a brief court session that dealt only with scheduling. His lawyer participated via video. Khalil swayed back and forth in his chair as he waited for the proceeding to begin in a windowless courtroom inside an isolated, low-slung Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention complex. Ringed by two rows of tall barbed-wire fences and surrounded by pine forests, the facility is near Jena.

the case should be moved to a New Jersey federal court

The Columbia University graduate student was detained by federal immigration agents on March 8 as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on what he calls antisemitic and “antiAmerican” campus protests. Khalil served as a spokesperson and negotiator last year for pro-Palestinian demonstrators who opposed Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Protesters, some of them Jewish, say it’s not antisemitic or anti-American to criti-

cize Israeli military actions and advocate for Palestinian human rights and territorial claims.

However, some Jewish students have said the demonstrations didn’t just criticize Israel’s government but launched into rhetoric and behavior that made Jews feel unwelcome or outright unsafe on the Ivy League campus. A Columbia task force on antisemitism found “serious and pervasive” problems at the university White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has as-

serted that Khalil organized disruptive protests that harassed Jewish students and “distributed pro-Hamas propaganda.” Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza and attacked Israel in October 2023, is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. The U.S. government is seeking to deport Khalil under a rarely used statute that allows for removing noncitizens who pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Khalil smiled at two observers as they came into the room, where just 13 people ultimately gathered, including the judge, attorneys and court staff Two journalists and a total of four other observers attended. By video, lawyer Marc Van Der Hout said he’d just started representing Khalil and needed more time to speak to him, get records and delve

into the case. An immigration judge set a fuller hearing for April 8.

Khalil’s lawyers also have gone to federal court to challenge his detention and potential deportation, which looms as his wife, a U.S. citizen, is expecting their first child. A federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that Khalil can contest the legality of his detention but that

BY MIKE STOBBE Associated Press

NEW YORK Tuberculosis continued to rise again in the U.S. last year reaching its highest levels in more than a dozen years. More than 10,300 cases were reported last year, an 8% increase from 2023 and the highest since 2011, according to preliminary data posted this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Both the number of cases and the rate of infections rose Rates were up among all age groups, and 34 states reported an increase. CDC officials say the rise is the mainly due to international travel and migration. The vast majority of U.S. TB cases are diagnosed in people born in other countries. Other illnesses that

weaken the immune system and allow latent TB infections to emerge may also be at play

Outbreaks in several states have contributed to recent TB trends, including a recent one in the Kansas City, Kansas area. The Kansas TB rate jumped 148% last year, according to the new CDC data. Alaska and Hawaii continue to have the highest case rates.

Hoggatt

JENA Detained

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHEN SMITH

Detained Columbia University student activist Mahmoud Khalil is being held at the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE detention facility in Jena.

Khalil

Trump announces Boeing wins contract for jet

BY TARA COPP Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced Friday that Boeing will build the Air Force’s future fighter jet, which the Pentagon says will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed those of its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China.

Known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, the manned jet will serve as quarterback to a fleet of future drone aircraft designed to be able to penetrate the air defenses of China and any other potential foes. The initial contract to proceed with production on a version for the Air Force is worth an estimated $20 billion

The 47th president, who announced the award at the White House with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force leadership, said with a grin that the new fighter would be named the F-47.

Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, said, “We’re going to write the next generation of modern

aerial warfare with this.” And Hegseth said the future fleet “sends a very clear, direct message to our allies that we’re not going anywhere.”

Critics have questioned the cost and the necessity of the program as the Pentagon is still struggling to fully produce its current most advanced jet, the F-35, which is expected to cost taxpayers more than $1.7 trillion over its life span. In addition, the Pentagon’s future stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider, will have many of the same cutting edge technologies in advanced materials, AI, propulsion and stealth. More than 1,100 F-35s have already been built for the U.S. and multiple international partners

A fleet of about 100 future B-21 stealth bombers at an estimated total cost of at least $130 billion is also planned The first B-21 aircraft are now in test flights. With evolving drone and space warfare likely to be the center of any fight with China, Dan Grazier, a military procurement analyst

RENDERING PROVIDED By THE U.S. AIR FORCE

A rendering shows the Next Generation Air Dominance Platform, the F-47. On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that the Air Force had selected Boeing to produce the next generation fighter jet.

questions whether “another exquisite manned fighter jet really is the right platform going forward.” Grazier, director of the national security reform program at the Stimson Center, said $20 billion is “just seed money The total costs coming down the road will be hundreds of bil-

Judge vows to determine if feds ignored order blocking flights

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge examining the Trump administration’s use of an 18th-century wartime law to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador vowed Friday to “get to the bottom” of whether the government defied his order to turn the planes around.

Chief Judge James Boasberg is trying to determine if the administration ignored his turnaround order last weekend when at least two planeloads of immigrants were still in flight.

“I will get to the bottom of whether they violated my order who ordered this and what the consequences will be,” Boasberg said during a hearing for a lawsuit challenging the deportations.

Earlier Friday the Justice Department informed the judge that top leaders in President Donald Trump’s administration are debating whether to invoke a “state secrets privilege” in response

to the district judge’s questions about the deportation flights.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a court filing that there are “ongoing Cabinet-level discussions” about Boasberg’s demand for more information. Boasberg ordered the Trump administration to either provide more details about the flights or assert a claim that disclosing the information would harm “state secrets.”

The Republican administration has largely resisted the judge’s request, calling it an “unnecessary judicial fishing” expedition. Boasberg dismissed its response as “woefully insufficient,” increasing the possibility that he may hold administration officials in contempt of court

The Trump administration has transferred hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador under the 18th century law Flights were in the air last Saturday when Boasberg, orally from the bench, issued an order temporarily barring the deportations and ordered planes to return to

the U.S.

The Justice Department has said that the judge’s oral directions did not count, that only his written order needed to be followed and that it couldn’t apply to flights that had already left the U.S. Trump and some Republican allies have called for impeaching Boasberg, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. In a rare statement earlier this week, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

During Friday’s hearing, Boasberg said the Trump administration’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan immigrants carries “incredibly troublesome” policy ramifications.

The act allows noncitizens to be deported without the opportunity to go before an immigration or federal court judge. Trump’s Saturday proclamation called the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force.

advisers say he’ll recover, ‘new stage’ is opening for

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

ROME Pope Francis is recovering well from pneumonia and a “new stage” in his pontificate is opening, two of his closest advisers said Friday offering notes of optimism as the 88-year-old pontiff hit the five-week mark in his hospitalization.

Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra told The Associated Press that he had found Francis in good humor and serene during the three times he has visited the pope at the Gemelli hospital in Rome.

Peña Parra, who is the Vatican chief of staff, visited Francis on Feb. 24 March 2 and March 9 along with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the lone Vatican officials who have called on him aside from his personal secretaries.

“The pope will recover,” Peña Parra said on the sidelines of a book launch. “The pope is recovering well. The doctors say that he needs some time, but it’s going well progressively.”

“I found him well, serene, in good humor, and — just like him — tough with the desire to go forward,” he said.

The Vatican press office reported Friday that Francis’ overall condition remained stable, with slight improvements as he continues respiratory and physical physio-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIO BORGIA

therapy. He was continuing to reduce his reliance on high-flow supplemental oxygen he has needed to breathe during the day and no longer needs the mechanical ventilation mask at night. In other comments Friday, another top friend and ally of the pope, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, said that “a new stage” was opening in Francis’ 12-year pontificate and that he expects some surprises from the pontiff when he’s released. Fernández, the Argentine theologian who Francis brought in as the Vatican’s doctrine chief, said that he had been in touch with Francis since his Feb. 14 hospitalization and was heartened that he had stabilized. He provided no time frame on when Francis might be re-

leased, but ruled out any thought that he might resign.

He said that he understood that Francis was responding well to treatment, but that doctors were keeping him at the hospital “to be 100%.” He said that Francis needed rehabilitation therapy to help him regain strength to speak after so many weeks on noninvasive mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen. Fernández revealed that Francis had resisted going to the hospital when his bronchitis worsened, and only agreed to go after people close to him threatened to quit if he didn’t.

“I don’t know what swear words they used (to tell him) you have to go there, otherwise we go home and end our relationship here,” he said.

lions of dollars.”

Few details of what the new NGAD fighter would look like have been public, although Trump said early versions have been conducting test flights for the last five years. Renderings by both Lockheed Martin and Boeing have highlighted a

flat, tail-less aircraft with a sharp nose.

The selection of Boeing, which has faced intense pressure from Trump over cost overruns and program delays on Air Force One, came after an independent analysis by the Air Force, an official said on the condition

of anonymity to provide additional details on the selection. The Boeing offer was still determined to be the “best overall value to the government,” the official said.

The Air Force has not specified how many aircraft will be produced. In a statement, however, Allvin said there would be more F-47s produced than F-22s, the advanced fighter jet it’s replacing. There are now about 180 F-22 fighter jets in service. The Air Force later issued a statement saying the number 47 was chosen for a number of reasons: “It honors the legacy of the P-47, whose contributions to air superiority during World War II remain historic. Additionally, the number pays tribute to the founding year of the Air Force, while also recognizing the 47th President’s pivotal support for the development of the world’s first sixth-generation fighter.” A separate Navy contract for its version of the NGAD fighter is still under competition between Northrop Grumman and Boeing.

Feds revoke temporary status for 532K Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans targeted

BY GISELA SALOMON Associated Press

MIAMI The Department of Homeland Security said Friday that it will revoke legal protections for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans, setting them up for potential deportation in about a month.

The order applies to about 532,000 people from the four

countries who came to the United States since October 2022. They arrived with financial sponsors and were given two-year permits to live and work in the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they will lose their legal status on April 24, or 30 days after the publication of the notice in the Federal Register

The new policy impacts people who are already in the U.S. and who came under the humanitarian parole program It follows an earlier Trump administration decision to end what it called the “broad abuse” of the humanitarian parole, a long-standing legal tool presidents have used to al-

low people from countries where there’s war or political instability to enter and temporarily live in the U.S.

During his campaign President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of people who are in the U.S. illegally, and as president he has been also ending legal pathways for immigrants to come to the U.S. and to stay DHS said parolees without a lawful basis to stay in the U.S. “must depart” before their parole termination date.

“Parole is inherently temporary and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status,” DHS said.

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1 That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meanttocover everything. Thatmeans if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance. Early detection canprevent small problems from becomingexpensive ones. The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventivecare. The

Continued from page 1A

try tore into the envelopes to find out their fates, a nationwide event known as Match Day

At Tulane, 157 students matched with programs in 25 states, with 28 doctors — the largest share of the school’s match — staying in Louisiana for the next step of their education.

At LSU Health New Orleans, 188 students matched, with nearly 50% of those staying in the state.

At UQ-Ochsner Clinical School, 65 students matched to institutions across 21 states with 22% remaining in Louisiana for residency Medical students found out on Monday if they matched with a program, but had to wait until Friday to learn the specifics of where they’ll train. Some hoped to return to where their families are rooted; others were looking to head to new parts of the country to pursue specific specialties.

“It’s kind of like the NFL draft,” said Dr Ben Rothwell, an assistant professor of medicine at Tulane.

“It’s a big deal.”

Where students match for residency can shape where they eventually practice. Many physicians build careers in the same communities where they complete their training, making Match Day a key

BRIDGES

Continued from page 1A

n Sunshine Bridge (Donaldsonville)

n Veterans Memorial Bridge (Gramercy)

n Mississippi River Bridge/I-10 Bridge (Baton Rouge, officially named Horace Wilkinson Bridge)

n Israel LaFleur Bridge (Lake Charles).

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says it has conducted a vulnerability assessment on all of the bridges flagged in the memo, a representa-

LICENSE

Continued from page 1A

working with Fouad Zeton — a colorful local restaurateur and political actor close to Cantrell to funnel bribes to the mayor in exchange for her firing of a city official. The official, Jenn Cecil, had begun investigating another firm Farrell owns, IECI. Farrell has pleaded not guilty to those charges. A trial is set for October 20. Cantrell, who sources have described as a focus of a federal investigation at least two years old, has not been charged in the alleged scheme and has denied wrongdoing.

The settlement reached Thursday underscores the depth of legal and professional troubles facing Farrell, whose firms became increasingly influential in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

ENTERGY

Continued from page 1A

moves forward with its plans.

The Louisiana Energy Users Group, in a letter filed with the state regulator recently forecast rates will rise by nearly 90% by 2030 compared with 2018 costs. The prospect of huge rate hikes comes at a time when customers are reeling from high costs everywhere, from utility bills to property insurance premiums.

The group, composed of big petrochemical companies such as Chevron and ExxonMobil, is seeking permission for those companies to build or buy their own power without going through Entergy Those plans have heightened a long-simmering argument between industry and Entergy. Petrochemical companies say having their own power supplies would save residential customers money, but Entergy argues it would cost residential customers more in the long run.

The industrial customers want to instead be allowed to find other developers to produce 1,500 megawatts of renewable power and another 2,000 megawatts of “cogeneration” power, using heat to produce power more efficiently than traditional gas-fired power

The group wrote in a letter to regulators last month that continued delay with no action on the Louisiana Energy Users Group proposal “benefits Entergy at the expense of all ratepayers.”

The decision now rests in the

factor in building up the physician workforce. Rothwell went to Tulane for medical school, then came back in 2008 after his medical residency

“I could have gotten a job somewhere and just gone to work every day, but it felt like there was something bigger here,” he said. Chelsea Matzko, the only stu-

dent in her class to give birth during medical school, comforted her 5-month-old ahead of the ceremony. She matched at a general surgery program in Philadelphia.

A table of friends from church erupted in cheers when Van Pierre Mandin, who came to Tulane from California, opened his envelope. He matched in family medicine at a program in North Carolina, his first choice, and the group chanted his name as he held up the letter

Phillips, 28, opened her letter in front of a table of relatives, who she credits as getting her to that very moment. She was hoping to stay nearby for residency to be near family Her mom’s experience inspired her hoped-for specialty when a kind anesthesiologist offered reassurance amid a flurry of paperwork.

“That was the first time I saw her take a real breath,” said Phillips. “To be that last face that they see, to be able to reassure family members and the patient I feel like that is a gift.”

As she took it all in, a photographer stopped her for a photo. She smiled, then paused amid the noise of classmates hugging and cheering around her “Mom,” she called. “Mom!” Rachelle Phillips stood up, walking to her daughter with a cane They both smiled as Hailey Phillips held up the sign, which she had filled out in careful block letters. She matched in anesthesiology at Tulane.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

tive for the agency said, and plans to respond within 30 days.

“DOTD stands by the statement that if a bridge is open, it is safe to drive over,” said Daniel Gitlin, a public information officer for the department.

The Louisiana agency noted that the national report does not suggest that the 68 bridges are “certain to collapse,” but rather that bridge owners, like DOTD, should evaluate how vulnerable they are to collapse.

But the report also stresses that the owners of the 68 waterway bridges “are likely unaware of their bridges’ risk of catastrophic collapse from a vessel collision.”

— and, by extension, Cantrell, who was described in the September indictment as accepting football game tickets, a lunch and an iPhone from Farrell, through Zeton, in exchange for firing Cecil. Documents obtained through a public records request show similarities between that scheme and the one in Jefferson Parish at the center of the allegations that cost Farrell his contracting license.

The state licensing board appeared poised to accuse Farrell of using the name of another licensed electrician, Keith Lassalle, to secure permits for thousands of inspections performed in Jefferson Parish between 2016 and 2021, the documents show. About 400 of those jobs were in fact performed by other people, Lassalle’s attorney, John Venezia, wrote in a July 2021 memo. Lassalle said he did not know Farrell was performing the work in his name and the state board has not hit Lassalle with any sanctions.

hands of the Public Service Commission, which regulates Entergy and has debated for years about whether to allow more competition into the market But Entergy is asking the commission to end the debate over the so-called “customer centered options” docket and allow it to move forward with building or buying gas-fired power plants.

The commission could take up Entergy’s request as soon as March 26.

Entergy called the projections from the Louisiana Energy Users Group, LEUG, of rate increases a “misleading ploy.” Spokesperson Brandon Scardigli said Entergy’s low rates for industrial users are a big reason companies choose to set up shop here.

“Louisiana has some of the lowest electric rates in the U.S. according to published data from the Energy Information Administration and expects that to continue when the legacy units are deactivated and replaced with highly efficient units,” Scardigli said.

He said the proposal from LEUG would not address problems with aging legacy units in areas where there are not enough transmission lines to get power in from other areas. If the Public Service Commission approves their proposal, he predicted it would shift “hundreds of millions of dollars a year to residential customers in Louisiana.”

Louisiana does have lower electric rates than the national average. But that doesn’t tell the whole story A state audit released in January found Louisiana residents

Had the Maryland Transportation Authority assessed the Key Bridge using the standards outlined in the report, the state agency would have known of the risks and could have strategized to prevent the deadly collapse, it says.

After conducting vulnerability assessments, the transportation safety board wants state agencies to develop risk reduction plans that include short and long-term strategies and consider vessel safety in waterways, according to the report.

All of the potentially risky bridges noted in the report were constructed before the national highway and transportation association

Farrell later used his other firm, IECI & Associates, which is the focus of the feds’ charges against him, to inspect the work, according to the documents.

Simmons said Farrell would cease working at both IECI and Global Technical Solutions under the terms of the settlement as he prepares for October’s criminal trial.

Cantrell’s press staff did not respond to a request for comment on the settlement Thursday

The mayor publicly hit back at the way she was described in Farrell’s indictment days after federal prosecutors filed those charges, saying at an October City Council hearing, “How I came in seems to be how I’m going out: accusation after accusation after accusation.”

Farrell’s indictment marked the second set of federal charges in which the mayor was mentioned in the span of just over two months.

In July, prosecutors charged Jef-

have paid increasingly more on average, for electricity over the past decade while experiencing increasingly less reliable service.

That’s because residents use far more power than other states, utilities rely heavily on natural gasfired power plants and state regulators are understaffed, among other problems, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor found.

Louisiana has long struggled with high energy usage because of hot summers and homes that are not energy efficient.

Proponents of the effort to inject more competition into Louisiana’s power sector have long argued it would help address some of the state’s chronic problems.

Entergy asked the PSC in January to end that debate and allow it to move forward buying and building new power plants.

In response, LEUG and the Alliance for Affordable Energy have hit back, arguing regulators should evaluate whether big chemical plants can save everyone money by finding their own power

Both sides argue the other would raise rates on customers.

“If they get all this approval for this new generation and it hits the ratepayer, we know that rates are going to skyrocket,” said Jay Connaughton, spokesperson for Amplify Louisiana, which represents several large power providers allied with LEUG.

He said it would be a “huge win” if they could keep the increases from hitting customers.

Whether residents would ultimately save money relies on a complex question of who is on the

— representing state departments across the country released its guidance in 1991. The Louisiana bridges in the report were built between 1936 and 1989.

“DOTD currently has mitigation measures in place to reduce the risk of incidents, as does the Coast Guard and the ports,” a department spokesperson said.

Some of these measures include vessel tracking systems, advanced warning protocol and helping large tankers while docking.

Among the 19 states named in the report, Louisiana trailed behind only New York for the number of potentially risky bridges. Texas and California each had sev-

frey Vappie, Cantrell’s former New Orleans Police Department bodyguard, on counts of wire fraud and false statements over allegations that he falsified timesheets in a bid to conceal a romantic relationship with Cantrell.

Vappie and Cantrell both denied they were having an affair

After Farrell’s indictment, legal and political observers viewed an indictment of Cantrell as imminent. They called it highly unusual for federal prosecutors to mention a sitting mayor in two separate charging documents without concrete plans to charge her, too.

Months later, and amid changes sweeping the U.S. Department of Justice following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, an indictment of the mayor has yet to materialize. Some legal observers believed prosecutors were aiming to charge the mayor after the Super Bowl in early February but the game came and went without

hook to pay for fixed costs already incurred by Entergy The Alliance for Affordable Energy suggests the commission could look at industrial customers paying an “exit fee” to offset those costs.

Connaughton said his group is supportive of the Meta plant and other data centers eyeing Louisiana. And he argues the state could be better-positioned to get new data centers if more power providers are allowed in.

Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, straining the grid at a time when many states and utilities — including Entergy — say they are working to move away from carbon-emitting resources. The crush of new data centers being built to power AI projects are causing a supply chain crunch for parts needed to build gas plants, driving up costs. Entergy said in a statement it has been able to secure enough equipment to build the new power Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, a Republican who often sides with Entergy, said he doesn’t see any reason to move away from the current system, where Entergy handles power for customers. Skrmetta said he believes President Donald Trump’s administration will fix supply chain issues, and took issue with LEUG’s forecast about rates climbing. He argued in favor of the current system, saying if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“Nothing stops these companies from building what they want for themselves on their property They don’t want that,” he said. “I see them trying to game the sys-

en bridges in need of assessment.

At least one of the bridges named in the report has been in the spotlight due to its potential vulnerability

The Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville has already been the subject of a federal investigation after a crane barge crash in 2018.

A DOTD engineer citing computer modeling, said the crash should have caused the bridge to collapse, and state officials said that the Sunshine Bridge is seen by the agency as one of its “fracture critical” bridges.

Email Josie Abugov at josie. abugov@theadvocate.com.

an indictment. “Prosecutors may be pursuing additional evidence or witnesses from additional schemes thought to involve the mayor,” said Matt Coman, a civil lawyer and former assistant U.S. attorney who led the corruption prosecution of ex-Mayor Ray Nagin.

Farrell’s criminal trial delayed until October as prosecutors and defense lawyers comb through evidence, according to court filings — could form another deadline, Coman said, in the event prosecutors hope to extract more information from Farrell regarding Cantrell.

Cantrell has cast the federal investigation as racially motivated. A Justice Department spokesperson responded to an inquiry about the status of the investigation of Cantrell by reiterating the agency’s policy against confirming or denying the existence of an investigation.

tem to the disadvantage of the residential and commercial ratepayers of the state.”

Skrmetta is also working to curtail the state’s energy efficiency program, designed to fund projects to reduce the amount of energy customers use, calling the program “inflationary.”

Commissioner Davante Lewis, one of two Democrats on the panel, said the commission must grapple with who is going to bear the cost of the growth in power needs from data centers and industrial growth.

“Why should residential and small commercial users have to share some of these costs when if industry is the reason that we need more generation, shouldn’t they just pay for it?” he said.

Burke, of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said Entergy is trying to build new gas plants because that’s what they know best, and because they’ve backed themselves into a corner by underbuilding the transmission system.

Renewable developers have long argued that Entergy’s lack of investment in transmission — longrange, high-voltage power lines — has stifled their ability to create more alternative energy sources. Burke said the commission should take time to evaluate how to best handle the onslaught of new power needs without burdening residents And, she argued, the status quo is untenable, with people already struggling to pay their bills.

“How do we do this without bankrupting families who already can’t afford to keep the lights on?” she asked.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Friends celebrate with Van Pierre Mandin during Match Day 2025 for students at Tulane University School of Medicine on Friday.

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Superintendent search narrows to 3

Semifinalists vie to lead New Orleans schools

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

New Orleans is one step closer to having a new superintendent of schools.

On Thursday evening, Orleans Parish School Board members voted for three semifinalist candidates to move forward to the first round of interviews. The candidates are interim Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools Fateama Fulmore; Sharon Clark, a longtime charter school leader and state board of education member; and Dedrick Sims, CEO of a nonprofit that aims to help young men of color

DEQ touts tech help with tires

No easy solutions exist, official says

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Louisiana’s chronic problem with waste tires has long bedeviled local communities and no easy solutions exist, the state’s top environmental official says, but technologies not yet common here could eventually help. Those technologies include a process called pyrolysis, which turns waste tires into a high-heat fuel — and could provide an economic incentive for them not to be dumped in neighborhoods.

Aurelia Skipwith Giacometto, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Quality, told a state House panel this week that waste tires are like aluminum soft drink cans in the years before they could be cashed in for money

No one wanted to pick them up off the streets until they were worth something, she explained. She said the solution for waste tires may be similar, turning what’s seen as waste into a soughtafter feedstock or fuel.

“To make that shift will really help communities, will really help the state. It will help the communities. It will help the businesses,” Giacometto told the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee at the State Capitol. “And this is something that is not a solution that is going to occur overnight.”

She described pyrolysis as a clean-burning technology that is used in cement production, but trade promotional papers indicate such a facility would still have some emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen sulfide and fine particulates, all regulated pollutants

The secretary offered her comments nearly two weeks after her department issued an overview report on waste tires following a series of town hall meetings she had last year along with visits to dump sites and an out-of-state facility that uses pyrolysis.

The report detailed the state’s efforts to track and subsidize the recycling of tires with user fees and the illegal dumping that has continued anyway. Other state officials and those in the recycling business have previously cited the need to find a market for waste tires. But past attempts to use tires for road surfacing, fuel and other methods have failed to take hold or have petered out over cost, safety and other reasons. Many recent state-financed recycling efforts have involved finding ways to keep them out of landfills by using chopped-up tires as a form of base material in the ground or on slopes.

“The current process that we use today is taking a waste tire. You cut it up, and you put it somewhere

See TIRES, page 3B

The search for a new district leader comes after Avis Williams, who was hired as schools chief in 2022 following a national search, stepped down abruptly in Novem-

ber amid a district financial crisis. Fulmore, who was Williams’ deputy, was appointed as interim superintendent. Under state law, the school board must select a permanent replacement within six months.

NOLA Public Schools started the superintendent search in January Candidates had until March 16 to submit applications. More than 20 people applied.

Board members considered applications anonymously, with the candidates’ names and contact information redacted. Up to seven candidates could have been selected as semifinalists if they got votes from a majority of the board. Sims had votes from five board members and Latten-Clark and Fulmore had votes from all seven.

Notably, the list of semifinalists did not include Ashonta Wyatt, an education consultant and former principal of Edgar P Harney Spirit of Excellence Academy In recent

weeks some community members have floated her name for superintendent. Wyatt received votes from two board members.

Orleans Parish School Board President Katie Baudouin said in a statement that each semifinalist brings “a rich blend of experience and a profound dedication to education.”

At a special board meeting Tuesday, the board will conduct the first round interviews and select final-

HANGING ON

TOP: A cooked crawfish gets stuck in the basket apart from its peers at Today’s Ketch Seafood during the 50th Louisiana Crawfish Festival at the Frederick Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette on Friday

LEFT: Thrill seekers go for a ride on the Fire Ball.

Archdiocese, abuse survivors work toward deal

Mediator reappointed in settlement negotiations

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The federal judge overseeing the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ long-running bankruptcy case has extended the appointment of one of three mediators, after attorneys signaled that negotiations are progressing before a series of high-stakes settlement talks set for next month. At a hearing Thursday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill extended Baton Rouge-based mediator John Perry’s yearlong

appointment, which was set to expire at the end of March, for another 60 days. Earlier this year, Grabill reupped the appointment of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Gregg Zive, who has been overseeing settlement talks in the case since 2021, and added a third mediator to the team, Judge Christopher Sontchi, a former chief justice for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware and an international mediation expert. Together, the three mediators have been coordinating and presiding over closed-door sessions, both in person and online, with the archdiocese, creditors, survivors of sexual abuse and other parties in the case as they try to forge a settlement and resolve the case.

The latest developments come as the case nears what many participants see as a critical juncture.

On May 1, it will be five years since Archbishop Gregory Aymond placed the nation’s secondoldest Roman Catholic diocese under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid a growing number of lawsuits alleging decadesold incidents of sex abuse by local clergy and others associated with the church. The case is the longest-running of the 40 or so church bankruptcy cases that have been filed over the past two decades and is the second-most expensive. Legal and professional fees alone topped $43 million at the end of February, according to court documents. Having three mediators on the

case has added to the tab, which is paid almost entirely by the archdiocese. Perry is paid $750 an hour, plus expenses. Sontchi is paid $1,500 an hour, plus expenses. Zive is not being paid because he is still an active judge in the U.S. Central District of California and is mediating the local case for free. Despite the expense attorneys for the committee of abuse survivors and for the archdiocese have told Grabill the mediators are helpful to the process. Sontchi is leading talks between the survivors committee and the church, with Zive assisting. Perry is focused on negotiating with the four church insurance companies,

ä See SURVIVORS, page 2B

STAFF PHOTOS By SCOTT THRELKELD

ä See SCHOOLS, page 3B

OMV computer woes continue

Emergency declared amid weekend hours, no late fees

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisianans who are more than 10 days late in renewing expired Class E licenses the kind most regular drivers have — won’t have to pay the $15 late fee due to ongoing technology system outages that have disrupted services at Office of Motor Vehicles sites across the state, Gov Jeff Landry’s office announced in a release Friday Landry has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency due to the outages, which have plagued the state since last month, frustrating residents.

The order lasts for 30 days.

Officials have yet to identify the cause of the outages, according to Landry’s release.

In a news conference, OMV commissioner Dan Casey said he hoped that, by notifying everyone of the extension, the executive order would help people seeking to buy alcohol in state with expired licenses, as well as those who need to show their licenses to law enforcement.

Louisianans will still need up-todate licenses to board airplanes.

Having fewer people using the system to renew driver’s licenses should also free up space in the OMV database and lessen outages, Casey said.

“The idea is to keep the Class E drivers away which will free up the system and allow us to serve everyone else,” he said.

Heavy traffic in the database, including from other states seeking information about drivers, appears to be contributing to system disruptions, he said.

Because the out-of-state database traffic is quieter on weekends, the OMV is opening eight offices Saturday for those in need of services.

Offices in Baton Rouge, Bossier Monroe, Reserve, Shreveport and Winnsboro will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to an OMV post on X. So, too, will New Orleans’ Veterans Boulevard and Westbank’s Oakwood Center locations.

The OMV encouraged people to renew their driver’s licenses online when possible. It also urged Louisianans not to wait until the last minute to do so Driver’s licenses may be renewed up to 180 days before their expiration.

The OMV’s antiquated, 50-yearold software system is contributing to the outages. The agency is on the brink of picking a new system, which will take two and a half years to fully install, Casey said Landry’s executive order will allow the OMV to skip a six- to ninemonth procurement process for selecting the new system, Casey said.

SURVIVORS

Continued from page 1B

which will be asked to contribute to whatever settlement is ultimately agreed upon. At Thursday’s hearing, Grabill suggested, as she has for several months, that the case needs to come to an end soon, one way or the other

“Any further expenditures will be on a very short-term basis, frankly,” she said, referring to Perry’s reappointment. “That is where we are at. Everybody knows that.” Last fall, the archdiocese filed a reorganization plan that would pay survivors $62 million and clear the way for them to sue insurers directly for additional compensation. Survivors filed a competing plan, asking for nearly $1 billion, with insurers directly contributing about $777 million, a figure the companies have not agreed to. It’s not clear how much progress the various parties have made trying to close that gap, though upcoming hearings are intended to address it.

Sontchi has scheduled a threeday in-person mediation starting April 1 in New Orleans with representatives from the church and abuse survivors. Additional talks involving the insurance companies are scheduled for later in April.

DINNER AND A SHOW

Sheriff: Teacher paid for explicit photos

Tammany educator arrested, has left school system

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

A former high school teacher in St. Tammany Parish has been arrested and accused of paying students to send him sexually explicit photographs, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office said.

In a news release Wednesday night, the Sheriff’s Office said Jarvis Harry paid students to send

him photographs of their feet and had also obtained other sexually explicit videos and pictures of students.

A spokesperson for the St. Tammany Parish school district said Harry, a speech therapist, had worked at Mandeville High School and “is no longer with the school system.”

Meredith Mendez, the school district spokesperson, said Harry had been on leave since Sept. 30, 2024, when the investigation began. She said a student alerted an administrator at the school about the photos, and that law enforcement authorities were then

brought in. The Sheriff’s Office said its investigation began in October 2024 and included combing through social media accounts, obtaining phone records and conducting numerous interviews. A warrant was issued for Harry’s arrest and he was taken into custody on March 13 in neighboring Tangipahoa Parish, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Harry was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on Monday on one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile, 142 counts of pornography involving juveniles, 60 counts of

computer-aided solicitation of a minor, and 102 counts of prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student.

Bail was set at $150,000, St. Tammany Correctional Center records show Some of the students in the photos have been identified, the Sheriff’s Office said. But detectives are still working to identify others.

Anyone who believe they or their child may be a victim of Harry is asked to contact the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office by calling (985) 898-2338 as this is an ongoing investigation.

Bogalusa paper mill fined $500K over sulfur releases

International Paper also agrees to training, improvements

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

A Bogalusa paper mill known for chronic odor problems has accepted a $500,000 fine from federal regulators over alleged monitoring breakdowns and elevated air releases of sulfur compounds that can produce a rotten egg smell.

International Paper, the owner of the mill, also agreed to operational and inspection changes, employee training and record-keeping improvements and potential upgrades of a key incineration furnace that was the focus of regulators’ concerns, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency settlement.

Known as a “consent agreement and final order,” the deal caps nearly four years of consultation between EPA and International Paper over alleged U.S. Clean Air Act and state environmental violations from the paper mill dating from 2017 and 2018.

International Paper, which did not respond to requests for comment is a publicly traded worldwide company with a market value of nearly $28 billion and net earnings of $557 million in 2024, despite flat sales in its North American industrial packaging business. Under the deal, signed Feb. 20, the company did not admit to the violations alleged in the settlement nor in earlier notices of violation that led to the agreement.

In operation for more than a century the pulp mill and related corrugated box plant are a mainstay of Washington Parish’s lumber industry and was the parish’s thirdlargest employer in 2024, with 650 workers according to parish School Board audit figures.

The mill recently survived a round of closures by International Paper that will shutter the Red River containerboard mill in Campti by April, according to state economic

problems, has accepted a $500,000 fine from federal regulators over alleged monitoring breakdowns and elevated air releases of sulfur compounds that can produce a rotten egg smell

officials.

Environmental groups, however, have criticized the EPA for not doing enough to control all hazardous emissions from the mill and others like it. The Bogalusa pulp mill also operates, in part, under older and now replaced federal hazardous air rules that allow the plant to exclude air exceedances due to startups, shutdowns and malfunctions.

Rotten egg smells have been a source of regular complaints to state regulators, according to agency records.

The Bogalusa mill uses the kraft chemical recovery process to make pulp from wood and manufacture paper products. It also uses a chemical from the wood, known as lignin, to help power its operations in addition to natural gas.

However, the mixture of chemicals used to break down the wood is well known to produce a smell, what one paper from a forestry trade research association calls “kraft odor.” The sulfur-based chemicals typically released are hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide. EPA notices of violation dating from 2021 and 2023 that led to the settlement zeroed in on a series of emissions exceedances of those sulfur-based hazardous air pollutants, but also alleged a failure to report a gap in the monitoring of nitrogen oxides when continuous monitors were down for 187 hours.

The final settlement only dealt with alleged violations related to emissions of “total reduced sulfur,” monitoring rules for that category of sulfur-based chemicals, and measures to prevent unrecorded air releases and leaks.

Nitrogen oxides contribute to particulate pollution and groundlevel ozone that can enter the bloodstream and, with long-term exposure, can worsen respiratory conditions, like asthma, and cardiovascular problems, according to the EPA.

Hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur compounds can cause headaches, vertigo, fatigue and neurological problems with long-term exposure, according to the EPA.

In two instances cited in the settlement, for example, the mill exceeded the air standard for total reduced sulfur on Aug. 14, 2017, and again on Sept. 27, 2017, on average over 12-hour periods those days. State regulators sometimes just missed catching them.

On the August 2017 date, TRS emissions were 75% higher than the 12-hour standard, the settlement alleges, citing the company’s own reporting to regulators.

The day before the alleged sulfur emissions exceedances on the afternoon of Sept. 27, 2017, a member of the public complained to the EPA, saying that “’you can really see and smell the smoke (coming from the mill),” according to state a Depart-

ment of Environmental Quality report.

A state inspector first showed up the next day on Sept. 28, 2017, and made subsequent visits and inspections through mid-October but only detected a mild odor during visits in early October A records check found no emissions exceedances or process upsets on Sept. 26, 2017, and the 10 days beforehand, according to the DEQ report. A few weeks later, in a required quarterly submission, International Paper ended up reporting to DEQ and EPA exceedances of sulfur emissions on Sept. 27, 2017.

In two other cases, in February 2018 and May 2018, International Paper was accused of failing to report exceedances of sulfur emissions to regulators. EPA inspectors later found them in backup data from the plant’s required continuous monitoring system for sulfur, the settlement alleges.

In another alleged violation, International Paper left six bypass valves without a seal or other way to know whether they had been opened and were releasing hazardous air emissions. Since International Paper bought the paper mill from Temple-Inland in 2012, the company has spent close to $490 million on upgrades. International Paper is planning another upgrade to replace equipment that ties into a furnace that was the main source of alleged emissions violations in the EPA settlement in hopes of improving operational efficiency according to a proposed state air permit. The upgrades are expected to lead to newer federal air rules applying to the plant that further limit exclusions for air exceedances, though in other cases older rules will remain in effect, according to permit records.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

The International Paper Mill in Bogalusa, known for chronic odor

STAFF PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Karen Waldrup performs during the 50th Louisiana Crawfish Festival at the Frederick Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette on Friday

else, so that’s not getting rid of the tire. That’s just transforming its size and shape and placing it somewhere else in the state,” Giacometto said.

It’s unclear how the state is going to find a new path toward economic viability and simultaneously slow dumping. The state report offered no specific legal or policy changes. Giacometto said state officials are still working on them.

“I know that right now we’re still looking at our regulatory authorities and what we can do within that realm,” she said in an interview “At this point, (we’re) still working through the process.” The state has also gotten interest from a European company, Life for Tyres Group Limited, for recycling. A year ago, it announced plans for a $46 million plant in St. John the Baptist Parish that would convert waste tires into biofuel feedstock, carbon black and scrap steel, according to state economic officials. In the meantime, she told the committee that DEQ will set aside $1.3 million in grant money to help local governments handle illegally dumped tires. The program is expected to be rolled out by the summer “One of the things that I consis-

SCHOOLS

Continued from page 1B

ists.

Members of the public can hear directly from the candidates at a district town hall at 6 p.m. April 1 at Walter L. Cohen High School. There, attendees will be split among several classrooms, and candidates will rotate through for 30-minute sessions to introduce themselves and answer questions.

The board will conduct a final round of interviews and elect the superintendent on April 2. The board plans to vote on a contract for the next superintendent at the April 17 board meeting.

“This marks a crucial turning point for NOLA Public Schools,” Baudouin said, “and we are confident that this selection process will guide us to a leader who will inspire and advance our district.”

None of the candidates responded to interview requests

Fateama Fulmore Fulmore was hired in 2022 as

fund is continuing to add money from tire user fees. Last fall, Giacometto requested the ability to use her discretionary budget authority of up to 10% to address waste tires locally She received it in Gov Jeff Landry’s $156.2 million budget proposed for the agency in fiscal 2025-26.

The tire problem is widespread and relentless. An estimated 4.5 million new waste tires are generated each year in Louisiana, one new waste tire for roughly every person in the state.

The biggest piles pose fire and environmental risks, such as a defunct tire recycling center in Cottonport that caught fire in 2022, burned for days and forced a state prison evacuation, or a huge tire dump found a few years ago in New Orleans East.

Dumping also presents an enforcement problem, both for local law enforcement and DEQ.

had questions about how dumping rules have been enforced by past administrations.

State Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City questioned how a purported tire warehouse in Caddo Parish was able to accumulate 200,000 tires under DEQ’s watch while small companies in the area were being dinged for not covering a handful of tires.

The collection of tires is within a few miles of small towns and a local bayou and right along a road. McCormick said a local fire official told him the tires are the No. 1 fire hazard in the area.

Walkers: 2mi Joggers: 2mi Runners: 5mi

Walkers: 2mi Joggers: 2mi Runners: 5mi

Walkers: 2mi Joggers: 2mi Runners: 5mi 16

deputy superintendent under Williams. A Brooklyn, New York, native, Fulmore began her education career in North Carolina as a career and technical education teacher where she also held stints as a middle and high school assistant principal, and high school principal.

Before moving to New Orleans, Fulmore was chief of accountability and school improvement for Omaha Public Schools, the largest school district in Nebraska. She was also a district administrator in Philadelphia, which has a mix of traditional and charter public schools.

As deputy superintendent, Fulmore’s responsibilities included oversight of daily operations, as well as assisting with development of the five-year strategic plan and managing enrollment. Since taking over as interim superintendent, Fulmore was tasked with helping the district remedy a nearly $50 million financial crisis that came to light in October On Thursday the board approved her plan to pull from district savings and operations budget surplus to ensure schools won’t take a hit in

tently heard during the waste tire town hall is that the municipalities, the parishes, they’re all experiencing it in different ways,” Giacometto said.

The money will come from a $7.6 million trust fund set aside for tire recycling projects DEQ officials told legislators that the

payments this year

Fulmore holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Appalachian State University, a master’s degree in school administration from GardnerWebb University, an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Grand Canyon University and a doctorate degree in leadership of Pre-K-12 schools and school districts from Gwynedd Mercy University

Sharon Latten-Clark

Latten-Clark, a New Orleans native who graduated from Xavier College Prep, got her start in education as a paraeducator and English teacher in Houston. She later taught English at Frederick Douglass High School in New Orleans and was an assistant principal in Phoenix before returning to New Orleans in 2001 to lead Sophie B Wright, then a struggling middle school.

In her nearly quarter century as head of school, Latten-Clark shepherded Sophie B. Wright which later added a high school program — through its transition into a charter school just before

Giacometto told the panel her agency can’t go on private property to remove waste tires, while local agencies often have higher priority cases to pursue.

Legislators on the panel welcomed Giacometto’s report but wanted more on solutions and

Hurricane Katrina struck while part of the Recovery School District.

Sophie B. Wright Institute in Excellence earned a “B” letter grade from the state for the 202324 school year

Last year, Latten-Clark began a four-year term as a member of the state board of education, on which she chairs the state’s attendance task force.

She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Xavier University and a doctorate degree in educational leadership from University of New Orleans.

Dedrick Sims Sims, the only semifinalist candidate from out of town, heads the Denver-based Sims-Fayola Foundation, a nonprofit that offers professional training for educators on single-gender learning, youth programs and other initiatives that aim to improve outcomes for young men of color

Sims started his career in education as a high school substitute teacher and has held classroom roles including high school biology and alternative schoolteacher

“One summer somebody drives by and throws out a cigarette, within a matter of time, it’s going to be a massive fire,” he said. He said he was looking to DEQ to recommend legislative solutions. Giacometto said DEQ enforcement officials were able to track the owner to Texas and bring the person to court but suggested stronger and more flexible enforcement laws would help.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

He has been principal of traditional and charter schools, according to a biography on his foundation’s website.

Sims founded the Sims-Fayola International Academy-Denver, an all-boys charter school that was open from 2012-15, according to Chalkbeat Colorado, as well as Southeast Arkansas Preparatory High School, a now-shuttered open enrollment charter school in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, according to an application submitted to the Arkansas State Department of Education in 2018.

Sims said on that application he was principal of Miller McCoy Academy of Mathematics and Science in New Orleans, an all-boys charter school that was open from 2008-15. According to his LinkedIn profile, Sims was principal of KIPP: McDonogh 15 Middle School for a year in 2009.

Sims holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and master’s and doctoral degrees in Instructional Design and Development from the University of South Alabama.

3mi

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Illegally dumped tires line the road along Interstate 10 in New Orleans.

Curtis,Arnell

Dickenson, Mary

Eugene, Joyce George, Melvin James, Jesse Mandella Jr., Paul

Molison, Ella Patterson,Angela Sawyer, Doris

Garden of Memories

Curtis,Arnell

New Orleans

Charbonnet

Eugene, Joyce

James, Jesse

Patterson,Angela

DW Rhodes

George, Melvin

Lake Lawn Metairie

Mandella Jr., Paul

Professional

Sawyer, Doris

St Tammany

EJ Fielding

Dickenson, Mary West Bank

Davis Mortuary

Wilson, Rita

Obituaries

Curtis, Arnell Kinstler

Arnell Kinstler Curtis age 80, lifetime resident of Chalmette LA entered into eternal resting on March 18, 2025, surrounded by her loving family She was born on May 13, 1944 to the late William and Joise Kinstler Arnell graduated from Chalmette High School in 1962 and worked at South‐ern Saving and Homestead and Chase Bank. Remain‐ing to cherish Arnell s memory are her children: Kerilyn Gallardo (Christo‐pher), Kristi Kaczorowski (Scott) and William Curtis (Laura); grandchildren: CJ Gallardo Maleri Schubert (Curtis), Bryce Kac‐zorowski, Kelli Alvarez (Gallardo) Meaghen Curtis and Camden Gallardo; great-grandchild Kaz Al‐varez; and nieces, Michelle Martin (Wilson) and Lisa Lee (Wilson). Preceding Ar‐nell in death were her par‐ents, William Kinstler and Josie Kinstler; sister Sharon Wilson; and niece, Wendy Frenandez (Wilson) Arnell loved her family and friends and was an avid reader who went to the St Bernard Parish Library reg‐ularly and was on the board of the St Bernard Parish Library for numer‐ous years Relatives and friends are invited to the Funeral Services on Mon‐day, March 24, 2025 at Gar‐den of Memories Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70001. Family viewing will begin at 10:30 am with public visitation from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with Mass to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arnell’s mem‐ory may be dropped off or mailed to St Bernard Parish Library located at 2600 Palmisano Blvd., Chal‐mette LA 70043. Online condolences may be of‐fered at www gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

r ne e e, LA 70001. Family viewing will begin at 10:30 am with public visitation from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm with Mass to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in Arnell’s mem‐ory may be dropped off or mailed to St. Bernard Parish Library located at 2600 Palmisano Blvd., Chal‐mette LA 70043. Online condolences may be of‐fered at www gardeno fmemoriesmetairie com.

Dickenson, Mary A.

Mary A Dickenson, age 83, of Covington, Louisiana and Anoka Minnesota was born on May 12, 1941, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

She is survived by her chil‐dren, Catherine “Cat” Dick‐enson, James “J.D.” Dicken‐son (Maryetta), Matthew Matt” Dickenson (Kim) Julianna “Julie” Dickenson King (Vince), Ann-Marie “Annie” Waldhoff (Clint) Twin brother George “Duke” Carlson, 18 grand‐children and 23 greatgrandchildren Many nieces, nephews friends and extended family Mary attended Anoka High School where she met her husband, Ralph They en‐joyed life together on their farms in Ramsey, Pine City, and St. Francis Minnesota Together they raised 6 chil‐dren and many bonus chil‐dren. Ralph and Mary’s home was always open to all They had several busi‐ness adventures over the years together With their life being heavily blended with business and family adventures. Mary was defi‐antly the calm to the storm And the glue that somehow made it all work She also added a certain level of class and fashion to all occasions. This excit‐ing life allowed Mary to wear many hats in her life, usually all at the same time. Mary was a wife mother, daughter, sister, Aunty, friend, horseman party planner, personal chef, administrative man‐ager, counselor, Nanny, and Boss. Mary entered the arms of her Lord and Sav‐ior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. She was surrounded by family and friends in the comfort of her home as she wished. She is pre‐ceded in death by her par‐ents George and Betty Carlson, husband Ralph Dickenson sister Edith Playle, brother-in-law Bill Dickenson sisters-in-law Dorthy Carlson and Margie Dickenson, son Lance Dick‐enson, grandson Andrew Dickenson, great-grand‐daughter Kaylee Dearing and best friends Patty Becker and Sharon Niles Memorial services are as follows: Louisiana services are Monday, March 24, 2025 at New Zion Baptist Church, 17387 New Zion Church Road, Covington, Louisiana with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m , 11:00 funeral service and luncheon to follow at the church Minnesota ser‐vices will be held on Satur‐day April 12 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1601 S Fourth Ave. Anoka, MN with visitation at 1:00, fu‐neral service at 2:00, and a private interment at West Oak Grove Cemetery in Oak Grove Minnesota with din‐ner to follow at 5 pm at the St. Francis American Le‐gion, 3073 Bridge St. NW, St. Francis, MN 55070 In lieu of flowers, family asks memorials to be sent to New Zion Baptist Church in Covington LA or St Francis American Legion Post 622 in St Francis, MN in Mary’s honor E. J Fielding Funeral Home of Covington, Louisiana is honored to be entrusted with Mrs Dick‐enson’s funeral arrange‐ments Her family invites you to share thoughts memories, and condo‐lences by signing an online guestbook at www ejfield ingfh.com

Joyce George Eugene entered into eternal rest on March 15, 2025 at age 98. She leaves to cherish her memory three sons Michael (Shelia), Kerry (Michelle), and Mark. Nine grandchildren, one sisterin-law, Rhea Eugene, and a close cousin Marie New‐man, as well as a host of other relatives and friends

A Celebration of Life will be held Monday, March 24 2025 at St. John Divine Mis‐sionary Baptist Church 1763 N. Derbigny St., NOLA 70119, at 11 am Visitation begins at 10 am Interment: St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 New Orleans, LA.

Melvin T George age 87 of New Orleans, passed away Thursday evening, March 6 2025, at his home surrounded by loved ones Melvin is survived by his wife, Rose; his two sons, Eric and Errol; several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren; and many other family members and friends who will miss him dearly. He was known by friends and family for his kindness, patience laugh‐ter, mischief, boundless energy and love of life His journey on this earth will be remembered for the profound impact it had on the lives of those who had the pleasure of knowing him Funeral service and visitation will be on Mon‐day, March 24, 2025 at St Maria Goretti Church Visi‐tation and Rosary will begin at 9:30 am, followed by a U.S. Military Honor Guard at 10:25 am, and ser‐vice at 10:30 am, with Fa‐ther Daniel Green officiat‐ing Burial will follow at Southeast Louisiana Veter‐ans Cemetery in Slidell, LA Arrangements by D.W Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Avenue Please visit www rhodesf uneral com to sign the on‐line guestbook

Jesse James, a Veteran of the United States Army entered into eternal rest Sunday, March 2 2025 at age 81. He leaves to cher‐ish his memory his wife of 37 years Emma M Rhodes James; sons Ricky Lee (Henerree), Deighton Rhodes, William Rhodes (Jade); daughters Tanya James (Joseph), Alida Williams Aiesha Hutson and godson Tyree Harris Jesse is also survived by eleven siblings and a host of other relatives and friends Relatives and friends are invited to at‐tend a Celebration of Life honoring Mr Jesse James Jr. on Monday, March 24, 2025 at Oakland Baptist Church 825 Rev. Richard Wilson Drive, Kenner, LA 70062 at 10 am Visitation begins at 8:30 am in the church Interment: South‐east Louisiana Veterans Cemetery 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell, LA.

tains. Paul enjoyed going to Sicily and eating the food there. He loved raising chickens, and he especially loved to barbecue. Paul had awonderful sense of humor and made everyone laugh. He liked to play jokes on his friends and co-workers. He never hesitated to help anyone who asked for help.Paul was aloving husband and father who would do anything forthem. He also had deep faith in Jesus. Paul is survived by his devoted wife of 45 years, Mary DiGiovanni Mandella; his loving son, Paul Joseph Mandella, III; sisters, Fay "Midgie" Derbyand Judi Lee; and brother,Mike Mandella. He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Joseph Mandella Sr. and Hilda "Rita" Foret Mandella; nephew, Chris Lee; and niece, Kelly Lee. The family would like to give aspecial thankstoall theirfamily and friendsfor their countless prayers and encouragement during thisdifficult time. Family and friendsare invited to attend amemorial service held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, La on Monday, March 24, 2025 for 2:00pm. Avisitation will be from 12:00pmuntil theservice begins at 2:00pm. Inurnment will follow in All Saints Mausoleum. In Lieu of Flowers, the family asks you to consider adonation to the American Heart Association, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA 70005 or at heart.org

Bertha Molison passed March 12, 2025. Leaves behind son Harlin (Carol) Miller Sr. &brother Lawrence (Joann). Predeceased by husband James Molison; children Paulette McGowan & Aurelia Moore; parents Henry &Vernida Russ; & siblings Henry Rousell, & Henry, Bertran, Benjamin, Alex, Phillip Russ. Funeral March 22, 2025 Infant Jesus of Prague, 700 Maple, Harvey, LA 70058. Visitation 8AM. Service 10 AM. Interment Evening Star Cemetery #2,Harvey, 1017 Grefer, Harvey, LA 70058. FULL OBIThttps://www murrayhendersonfunera lhome.com/?fh_id=12624 Professional Arrangements Murray Henderson Funeral Home, 1209 Teche, NOLA 70114.

Angela Patterson of the 7th Ward, widely regarded as the “Mother Teresa” of New Orleans for her unwa‐vering love and advocacy for the city and its most vulnerable, passed away on Sunday, March 16, 2025

For 27 years, she dedicated her life to leading initia‐tives that provided housing and critical services to in‐dividuals experiencing homelessness. As the long‐time Deputy Director of UNITY of Greater New Or‐leans a collaborative of 50 organizations working to‐gether to house and sup‐port approximately 3,500 people at any given time, Angela played a pivotal role in transforming lives Previously, she worked with the Louisiana Public Health Institute, the MultiService Center for the Homeless and served as Director of Religious Edu‐cation and Social Services at Corpus Christi Catholic Church She held three Master’s Degree's in theol‐ogy, social work and pas‐toral counseling. Angela was deeply beloved, radi‐ating extraordinary com‐passion and inspiration to all who crossed her path She personally saved thou‐sands of lives by leading efforts to place individuals with deteriorating health into permanent housing with supportive services Angela’s selflessness shone brightest during Hurricane Katrina As the levees broke, she was in‐side the Superdome, hav‐ing volunteered to care for individuals with disabili‐ties Despite losing every‐thing in the flood, she never focused on her own losses. Instead, she pro‐

ees e was ‐side the Superdome, hav‐ing volunteered to care for individuals with disabili‐ties Despite losing every‐thing in the flood, she never focused on her own losses. Instead, she pro‐vided care to displaced Ka‐trina survivors in Houston and Jackson, MS. She later founded UNITY’s awardwinning Street Outreach Team, spearheading a hu‐manitarian initiative that successfully closed two massive homeless en‐campments at Duncan Plaza and Claiborne Av‐enue (2007-08), providing permanent housing for nearly 500 people. She also led the Abandoned Build‐ings Outreach Team, which spent more than six years post-Katrina searching thousands of abandoned buildings for unhoused in‐dividuals and placing them in permanent supportive housing. Angela was a fierce advocate before Congress, securing 3,000 Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers for the most vulnerable survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, establishing the na‐tion’s largest Permanent Supportive Housing Pro‐gram for people with dis‐abilities which continues today A gifted orator, she testified before Congress on homelessness issues and conducted national trainings on street out‐reach and staff care in high-stress environments Angela was the guiding light of the UNITY collabo‐rative, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of lives saved and a genera‐tion of inspired advocates dedicated to housing and supporting the most vul‐nerable individuals of our city. Angela is the daughter of James and Elizabeth Patterson (née Cummings) She was a devoted mother to Anaïs St John and Christopher Patterson; a loving grandmother to Elle St. John and Zoe St John; a cherished sister to Eliza‐beth Martin, Debra Quinn and Michelle Parker Her humor, warmth and deep commitment to education will live on in all who were fortunateenough to know her Beyond her tireless work as a community ad‐vocate, she was also a gifted academic who re‐ceived a Bachelors degree from Brandeis University and Masters Degrees from Loyola of New Orleans, Xavier University and Tu‐lane University Forever stylish, she effortlessly made every room she ever stepped into brighter. Her impact was immeasurable and her legacy will con‐tinue to shine in the city she so fiercely loved A Mass of Christian burial honoring the life and legacy of the late Angela Patterson will be held at Corpus Christi/ Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St Bernard Avenue New Or‐leans, LA on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 1 pm. In‐terment St Louis No 3 Cemetery Visitation 11:30 am in the church In lieu of flowers, please donate to either of the places closest to our mother's heart Unity of Greater New Or‐leans https://donatenow networkforgood org/UNI TYofGreaterNewOrl Corpus Christi - Epiphany Catholic Church https:// giving.parishsoft.com/ App/Giving/corp2022133 Please sign online guest‐book at www charbonnetf uneralhome.com Face mask and social distancing encouraged. Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors (504)581 4411.

She is preceded in eternal life by her parents, Victor W. Sawyer and Earther Cheatham; 2 brothers, Vic‐tor Jr and Gilbert Sawyer; and sister, Jenell Sawyer Melvin. Doris leaves to cherish her memories her daughter, Darlene Dapre‐mont (Erwin); 3 grandchil‐dren, Milene Norris,

ters, Catherine,

and Lisa Sawyer; and brother, Kevin Sawyer; and a

of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends Doris’s family celebrated her life and legacy

vately. Please visit www pfsneworleans.com to Sign Guestbook Services en‐trusted to Professional Fu‐neral Services “Celebrating Life”, 1449 N. Claiborne Ave New Orleans LA 70116, 504-948-7447.

entered

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Parish School System Beloved mother of Rhonda Smith Alisha Smith Cov‐ington, and Juanika Brooks Walker. Daughter of the late Albert Smith, Sr. and Juanita Smith Sister of Elaine Brignac, Rocky Smith Eric Smith Alex Smith, Sr., Albert Smith, Jr., the late Alvis Smith, Walter Smith, and Reginald Smith Mother-in-law of Samuel (Alisha) Covington and Jermaine (Juanika) Walker Sister-in-law of Ramona (Rocky) Smith, and Connie (Albert, Jr.) Smith, also sur‐vived by 10 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 1 great great-grandchild, and a host of nieces nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends. Rela‐tives and friends of the family also pastors, offi‐cers, and members of Rock of Ages Baptist Church, Holy Ground Sanctuary In‐ternational Ministries, and neighboring churches are invited to attend the Cele‐bration of Life at Rock of Ages Baptist Church, 6533 Acre Rd., Marrero, LA on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at 10:00 a.m Visitation will begin at 8:30 a.m at the above-named parlor Inter‐ment: Woodlawn Park Memorial Cemetery-West‐wego, LA. Arrangements by Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St Gretna LA To view and sign the guest‐book, please go to davis‐mortuaryservice.com Face masks are recommended

George, Melvin T.

Wilson, Rita E Jefferson

Wilson, Rita

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eternal rest

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BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

SBA to reorganize, cut about 2,700 jobs

The Small Business Administration said it will cut its workforce by 43%, or about 2,700 jobs, as part of a reorganization.

The SBA was established in 1953 to offer resources to small businesses and helps administer small-business and disaster recovery loans. It played a crucial role during the pandemic, helping distribute small-business aid. Now the goal is to return to pre-pandemic staffing levels and cut some programs started during the Biden administration, said the new head of the SBA, Kelly Loeffler

“By eliminating non-missioncritical positions and consolidating functions, we will revert to the staffing levels of the last Trump Administration,” Loeffler said Friday in a statement.

The SBA said its loan guarantee and disaster assistance programs, as well as its field and veteran operations, won’t be affected. The staffing reductions, which will cull 2,700 jobs from the agency’s workforce of 6,500, will be a combination of voluntary resignations, the expiration of COVID-era and other term appointments, and some job cuts.

Separately on Friday Trump announced student loans would be handled by the SBA as part of a plan to shift Education Department responsibilities to other federal agencies.

Skenes baseball card purchased for $1.11M

A one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card was purchased by Dick’s Sporting Goods for $1.11 million after a two-week auction

There was a total of 64 bids on Skenes’ debut patch card, which is autographed and contains a patch that was on the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher’s jersey for his heralded major league debut in May

The final price announced by Fanatics Collect late Thursday night included a 20% buyer’s premium Fanatics Collect plans to donate its proceeds from the sale to the LA Fire Relief Fund. Skenes, 22, was a key member of the LSU baseball team that won the College World Series in 2023. A combination of Skenes’ burgeoning stardom, the considerable reach of his girlfriend, LSU gymnast/influencer Livvy Dunne, and a head-turning offer the Pirates made in hopes of securing the card fueled the hype for the one-of-one collectible. Dick’s plans to display the card in a new collectors’ space at its House of Sport store at Ross Park in suburban Pittsburgh. Dick’s has its headquarters in Pittsburgh.

N. Mex. legislators OK increase on oil rates

The state Legislature has endorsed a bill that would raise royalty rates for new petroleum development on prime pieces of land in New Mexico, on one of the world’s most prolific oil production areas. The proposal would increase the top royalty rate for oil and gas development from 20% to 25% on New Mexico’s state trust lands with implications for the energy industry in the Permian Basin, which overlaps southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. The area accounted for 46% of U.S. oil production in 2023, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas

New Mexico deposits royalty payments from oil and gas development in a multibillion-dollar investment trust that benefits public schools, universities and hospitals.

Proponents say neighboring Texas already charges up to 25% on state trust land amid intense competition to drill in the Permian Basin. The royalty changes in neighboring New Mexico would not go into effect in Texas.

Opponents say the rate change threatens to penalize petroleum producers and public beneficiaries, noting that oil production is significantly taxed in other ways and hinges on volatile commodity prices.

New Mexico is the No. 2 state for oil production behind Texas.

Wall Street closes slightly higher

Stocks snap 4-week losing streak

BY DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP business writers

Stocks on Wall Street shook off a weak start and closed slightly higher Friday, snapping a four-week losing streak.

The S&P 500 edged up. The index finished with a 0.5% gain for the week It’s still down 4.8% so far this month

The Dow Jones Industrial Average eked out a gain, while the Nasdaq composite rose Technology stocks, which had been the heaviest weights on the

market in the early going, bounced back to offset a big share of the declines elsewhere in the S&P 500. The sector has been at the center of much of the market’s recent selloff in a reversal from their marketdriving gains throughout the previous year The stocks are among the most valuable on Wall Street and have outsized impacts on the whether the market gains or loses ground.

Apple rose about 2% and Microsoft added 1.1% Another Big Tech stock, Nvidia, fell 0.7%, while Micron Technology slid 8% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 stocks.

Stocks have been losing ground for weeks over uncertainty about the direction of the U.S economy A trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners threatens

to worsen inflation and hurt both consumers and businesses. Inflation remains stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s goal of 2%, and tariffs could hurt the central bank’s efforts to ease the rate of inflation.

President Donald Trump has set an April 2 deadline to impose more tariffs on trading partners. It follows a series of other deadlines that have been set for tariffs only to be postponed, sometimes at the last minute.

“Investors are confused, but there’s a lot less panic infusing the market,” said Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide.

Businesses have been warning investors about tariffs, inflation and growing uncertainty about the impact to

costs. Nike slumped 5.5% after it forecast a steep decline in revenue in the current quarter, blaming geopolitical dynamics, new tariffs by the Trump administration and a less confident consumer FedEx tumbled 6.4% after the package delivery company said it expects revenue to be flat to slightly down year-over-year and lowered its per-share profit guidance.

Homebuilder Lennar fell 4% after giving investors a weaker-thanexpected forecast for new orders and average sales prices for the current quarter It said high interest rates, inflation, and waning consumer confidence are weighing on an already tough housing market

J&J plans $55B in investments

Four new manufacturing plants set as part of four-year developments

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

Johnson & Johnson says it will invest more than $55 billion in the United States over the next four years, including four new manufacturing plants.

A number of companies have highlighted investments in the U.S. in recent months, a focus of the Trump administration J&J rival Eli Lilly and Co. announced in late February that it planned to build four new factories in the U.S Both Lilly and J&J cited tax cut legislation passed in 2017 as factors in their U.S. investments.

Johnson & Johnson said Friday that it is a 25% increase in investment compared with the prior four years and estimates the U.S. economic impact will be more than $100 billion a year

“Our increased U.S. investment begins with the ground-breaking of a high-tech facility in North Carolina that will not only add U.S.-based jobs but manufacture cutting edge medicines to treat patients in America and around the world,” Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato said in a statement.

The North Carolina plant is in Wilson, just east of Raleigh. The locations of the other three facilities were not disclosed.

Aside from building four new plants, Johnson & Johnson said that it will expand several existing sites. The company is also planning to make investments in research and development infrastructure and tech-

nology

Johnson & Johnson’s efforts are among several companies pledging to enhance their manufacturing in the U.S. Earlier this month chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said that it plans to invest $100 billion in the U.S., on top of $65 billion in investments the company had previously announced. In February Apple announced that it plans to invest more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, including plans to hire 20,000 people and build a new server factory in Texas. Apple outlined several concrete moves in its announcement, the most significant of which is the construction of a new factory in Houston — slated to open in 2026 — that will produce servers to power Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features.

Greater New Orleans Inc. details Super Bowl upgrades

Work will continue, chief says

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Greater New Orleans Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht told business and civic leaders Friday at his economic development group’s annual luncheon that the work helping coordinate street work and other infrastructure upgrades in the city’s preparations for Super Bowl LIX will continue.

During the gathering of more than 1,200 people at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans hotel, Hecht also touted his organization’s 2024 accomplishments and previewed priorities for the coming year

The annual event, which usually takes place in January, was delayed because Hecht was selected by Gov Jeff Landry last year to lead the city’s plan to complete a long list of improvements before hosting the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. That nine-month project led to more than 100 blocks of road repairs, over 200 drainage repairs

and more than 1,000 repaired streetlights in the French Quarter and along Interstate 10, Hecht said. He added that dozens of stakeholders who collaborated to get the work done will continue meeting regularly to check additional items off the to-do list.

“Everybody on the GNO Inc. board wants us to keep working with the city and state to make New Orleans as clean, safe and beautiful as it can be,” said Hecht during a meeting that rarely strayed from its gridiron extravaganza theme, complete with football references, and, near the end, indoor fireworks. “New Orleans is the brand and the heartbeat. Our next deadline is going to be Jazz Fest.”

The Super Bowl was sandwiched between two other events — the Taylor Swift concerts in October, and this year’s Carnival season that together captured the world’s attention and brought record numbers of visitors to New Orleans. Hecht said other economic wins last year include the planned $1.3 billion Woodland Biofuels project

in St. John Parish, UBE’s $500 million electric vehicle battery project in Jefferson Parish and the $46 million Agile Cold Storage project in St. Tammany He also pointed to the city’s drop

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

PHOTO By TED SHAFFREy

A person walks by the Johnson & Johnson headquarters in New Brunswick, N.J on Feb 8, 2024.

STAFF PHOTO By RICH COLLINS

Greater New Orleans Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht delivers remarks at a meeting on Friday at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans hotel.

ANOTHER VIEW

A few questions for the next mayor

The field in the Oct. 11 New Orleans mayoral election is taking shape, which means it’s time to think about the issues voters will want the candidates to address With dissatisfaction over the operations of city government and concern for New Orleans’ future high, according to recent polls, the list of questions each candidate should be asked — and be prepared to answer — is long. Here in the interest of getting the ball rolling, are some of mine:

n More than 28,000 people left New Orleans for other places between 2020 and 2024. What can be done to retain existing residents and attract new ones?

n As mayor what would be your top three or four priorities? How would you measure the performance of each of your main initiatives?

n Do you think the next mayor should focus on improving the delivery of basic city services or on adding new social services?

n Can the city both improve basic services and expand social services without raising taxes?

n New Orleans’ operating budget grew from $537 million in 2015 to $1.8 billion in 2025. Are taxpayers getting their money’s worth?

n How would you improve the management of city government?

n What parts of the city budget would you cut? What would you increase?

n To remove bureaucratic bottlenecks, do you think the civil service system should be reformed? If so, how?

n Comparing last year to this year in New Orleans, crimes against persons have gone down 25% and property crimes have gone down 35%. What lessons are we learning?

n Will you reappoint Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick?

n The New Orleans Police Department has fewer than 900 officers How many should it have?

n Median police response time for all calls is 20.3 minutes. How can this be improved?

n The NOPD federal consent decree has cost the city more than $61 million, according to the state legislative auditor Has it been worth the money?

n Two years ago, city property taxes were increased to fund an early childhood education program. What metrics would you use to determine if this program is worth the cost to taxpayers?

n At least 2% of the city budget must now be used for housing programs. How should additional housing funds be spent? What metrics will you use to monitor the success of these programs?

n Do you favor raising the minimum wage in the city? At what level would a higher minimum wage hurt local businesses and job creation?

n Should city government sponsor a public website that tracks the daily progress of all the work being done by city agencies, from fixing potholes and cleaning catch basins to monitoring trash collection and permitting?

n Do you think nonprofit colleges, universities, hospitals and religious organizations that are now exempt from paying property taxes in Orleans Parish should continue to be exempt, or should they pay property taxes as do homeowners and commercial property owners?

n Do you think the Sewerage & Water Board needs major changes? If so, what are they?

n Would you support a new stormwater management fee to modernize outdated drainage equipment, pipes and turbines? How high of a fee would you support?

n Would you favor replacing property tax millages now dedicated to drainage with a stormwater management fee?

n Would you support a regional water purification system to serve Orleans and surrounding parishes?

n Will your chief administrative officer have the clear responsibility and authority to manage the operations of city government? How will you find and hire the right CAO?

n Will your city attorney work primarily for the mayor or have a clear ethical duty to work for all of city government?

n How would you eliminate delays in the completion of street, drainage and other infrastructure projects?

n The city has hired a Boston-based consultant to help manage FEMA-funded roadwork. Do you think this is a good idea? Will you continue it?

n What is your plan for a long-term capital outlay program?

n New Orleans is heavily dependent upon state and federal funding. How will you convince the Landry and Trump administrations to support city funding?

n How would you protect the city’s tree canopy?

n What would you do with the Municipal Auditorium?

n Would you support additional city funding for the Bayou Phoenix development in New Orleans East? If so, how much?

n Will you accept campaign contributions from city contactors? What contributions won’t you accept?

There you have it, my questions for the next mayor

As a citizen, it’s your job to make sure yours are asked too and answered.

Ron Faucheux is a nonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics. com, a nationwide newsletter on polls and public opinion.

Cuts by DOGE will be felt close to home

The spectacle at CPAC of unelected President Elon Musk brandishing a chainsaw as he bragged about and promised more job cuts was abhorrent. The snide gloating and cheering by elected President Donald Trump of those job cuts was nauseatingly demoralizing. This was reality TV at its worst. Each of those jobs represents a human being, a civil servant who has worked for the good of the country They have families, mortgages, health care needs and responsibilities that require stable employment Many will not be eligible for unemployment benefits because of how they were terminated. Many terminations were illegal actions taken by the president and his shadow We all across America have families friends and industries that will be impacted. National economic interests such as the stock market will be affected negatively The unemployment rate will go up. The quality of services across the country will deteriorate. Our national security is at grave risk.

These actions are already impacting our state of Louisiana. Where are Gov Jeff Landry and our elected representatives in protecting our citizens and way of life? USDA, USAID, NIH, USFWS, FEMA etc., all sound like big government acronyms that have nothing to do with our little state. But the funding and staff cuts coming at the direction of the president will impact many of the things we love and need such as crawfish, seafood, rice, recreational waterways and campgrounds, hunting camps, health care, medical research, and the institutions it supports like LSU, Tulane and Pennington Biomedical Research, hurricane preparation and recovery and many others not announced but yet to come. Parishes all over the state, many already suffering, are and will be impacted.

Contact your representatives in state and national office. Demand that they protect your personal and economic interests.

ROSE MARY WILLIAMS Baton

Rouge

‘A strong Peace Corps makes our nation stronger’

Having served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines (19781980), I am one of the nearly quarter-million Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who recently celebrated Peace Corps Week in conjunction with the March 1, 1961, signing of an executive order by President John Kennedy that established this iconic government agency which was formally authorized by Congress later that year

Most people know of the Peace Corps as a program through which citizens sacrifice two years of the comforts of home to work with counterparts in other countries — more than 60 countries at present and 140 countries since its founding — in the spirit of friendship, progress and mutual understanding. Often forgotten is that the experiences and skills learned in service come home with the volunteers to the tremendous benefit of our communities. Because of the Peace Corps, tens of thousands of RPCVs came home to become teachers, health care workers, entrepreneurs,

public servants and community leaders.

I am an example of this. Following my return to the U.S. from the Philippines, I spent decades of my professional career working to end the global persistence of hunger and to end hunger and homelessness in the U.S. Many RPCVs I know say regarding their time in service that they “got more than they gave.” The same can be said for our country For the cost of approximately 75 cents for every $10,000 of our federal spending, the Peace Corps remains one of our nation’s wisest investments, with a domestic returnon-investment that is incalculable. A strong Peace Corps makes our nation stronger A well-funded Peace Corps contributes to our nation’s prosperity It is my hope that Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter demonstrate their support of the Peace Corps and honor those who served.

JANINA M. FULLER St. Gabriel

There were two interesting articles on the front page of the newspaper on Feb. 25. “Budget bill stakes high for the state” notes that the current proposal would “increase the amounts the state must pay, wreaking havoc on Louisiana’s budget.” Immediately below it is the article, “Legislators eye tax exemption for NIL deals.”

Excuse the whiplash here, but during a revenue crisis, Louisiana lawmakers are considering state income tax exemptions as “a matter of attracting athletes to Louisiana?” Please help me understand how lawmakers can lament the loss of revenue that “pays for health care for pregnant women, children, elderly disabled and working adults who rely on the state-federal health care insurance” and at the same time provide tax exemptions on money earned through NIL deals, which already “attract players with millions of dollars on top of what they will be paid by the school.” Through the looking glass indeed.

People believed President Donald Trump would bring down the price of eggs. He couldn’t and hasn’t. Now in his firings and closings of federal agencies and programs, he is in effect breaking a lot of eggs, but not making any omelets.

FAYE LIEDER New Orleans

Ron Faucheux

MONICA MURPHY Baton Rouge

IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

LSU-Texas baseball game ended after this edition went to press. For complete coverage, visit nola.com

Chio’s focus ‘like flipping a switch’

‘Locked-in’ freshman leads LSU to SEC championships

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The first thing you notice about Kailin Chio, other than her amazing gymnastics skills, is her focus.

Seemingly an old soul beyond her 18 years, she has an innate ability to hone a laser-like focus on the next routine, the next move, tuning out all else

Amidst the mayhem, music, stick crowns and sequins that dazzle and overwhelm the senses at an LSU gymnastics meet, Chio is in her own bubble. Her own zone. Even though only a freshman, she doesn’t feel the pressure to pick up a teammate if they have

a wobbly routine in front of her because she is just someplace else.

“I don’t watch the person in front of me,” Chio said. “I don’t really watch anyone who goes before me. I might watch a little, like one skill, but other than that, I don’t really watch, I’m just in my head and thinking about my mental stuff and my mental process before I do my routine.

“So if someone hits, if someone doesn’t hit, I don’t really know.”

Kailin’s mother Sara, herself a former gymnast, saw that focus in her daughter from an even younger age, the competitive transformation she goes through.

“She gets very locked in,” Sara Chio said.

“It’s like flipping a switch. Even when she was younger, she started competing at 6 she was a goofy little kid on the sidelines, giggling and laughing and dancing. Then she’s salute and it was a flip of the switch, that competitive focus. Then she’d come off and be that same goofy kid.”

That “goofy kid” has emerged as not just one of the best freshman gymnasts in the country she won the Southeastern Conference freshman of the week award a record nine times but one of the best gymnasts in the nation, full stop. One who goes into the postseason ranked No. 1 nationally on vault and No. 5 in the all-around.

She gives the appearance of being low key, placid, almost

ä See CHIO, page 4C

You could see the thought cross Kim Mulkey’s mind. Then you could hear it The concern was important enough for the LSU coach to interrupt a postgame news conference, turn her head and whisper it to reserve guard Kailyn Gilbert.

“Hey KG,” Mulkey muttered. Gilbert was walking off the podium. It was Feb. 9, and she had just scored 23 points in a home win over Tennessee. She stopped for a brief second, flashing a puzzled look, then listened to Mulkey’s instructions. They were faint meant only for Gilbert, yet they still reached the microphone in front of her

“Don’t let Flau’jae come out there,” Mulkey said. “I’m talking about extra work. Because of her shin. Tell her you ‘gon call me.”

Mulkey had two things in mind then. Her more immediate worry was Flau’jae Johnson’s shin injury The more distant concern? That was, of course, the NCAA Tournament. That postseason action has now arrived, which means that only four do-or-die games separate the LSU women’s basketball team from a return trip to the Final Four The first, a Round-of-64 battle with No. 14 seed San Diego State, will tip off at 9:15 p.m.

See FLAU’JAE, page 4C

Moore commands room at coaching clinic

Saints coach provides glimpse into future

BY MATTHEW PARAS

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

The 112th running of the Louisiana Derby has a little bit of everything. Top entrants from powerhouse barns. Out-of-town invaders from Arkansas, Florida and Kentucky A hometown hero with local connections And a field of talented 3-year-old colts with varied running styles. It all adds up to one of the most intriguing Louisiana Derbies in years, as the field of 10 competes for a potential berth in the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May Post time for the 1 3/16ths Grade II stakes race is 5:42 p.m. “The Louisiana Derby is always tough, and this one looks like another very competitive race,” said trainer Wayne Catalano, who conditions Built, the field’s 4-1 second choice. “There’s a lot of talented horses with good speed in the race.” The $1 million Louisiana Derby will award 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers. The Louisiana Derby punctuates a closing weekend card that also features the $400,000 Grade II Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks, the $300,000 Grade II Muniz Memorial Classic and the $500,000 Grade II New Orleans Classic, which will feature the 4-year-old debut of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone. It’s a testament to the wide-open nature of the Louisiana Derby field that Sam F. Davis Stakes winner John Hancock is the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favorite. The speedy son of Constitution is one of two entrants from trainer Brad Cox’s powerhouse stable and will break from the rail under jockey Flavien Pratt. John Hancock’s stablemate, Instant Replay exits an impressive five-length

6:30

No Zion equals big problem for Pels

New Orleans blown out by Minnesota as Williamson misses game

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Any chance the New Orleans Pelicans had of getting their second win in three days over the Minnesota Timberwolves was probably gone about nine hours before Friday’s tip-off.

That’s when the Pelicans announced that Zion Williamson was unavailable because of a lower back contusion he suffered in Wednesday’s game against Minnesota. Without Williamson, the Pelicans didn’t have nearly enough firepower for the Timberwolves.

The results were a 134-93 loss at the Target Center

It was the Pelicans’ third loss by 40 or more points this season.

The Pelicans hung around early, trailing just 28-22 at the end of the first quarter But the Timberwolves stretched that lead to 6248 at halftime.

Two nights earlier, it was Wil-

liamson’s 29-point, eight-assist and five-rebound performance that gave the Pelicans arguably their best win of the season over these same Timberwolves.

“Zion’s tough,” Timberwolves’ guard Anthony Edwards said after that one. “He’s a tough cover.” With no Williamson to worry about, the Timberwolves had little trouble this time around.

The five starters the Pelicans used Friday night (Jose Alvarado, CJ McCollum, Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk and Yves Missi) are averaging a total of 55.3 points this season.

“It’ll definitely be more on CJ,” coach Willie Green said before the game. “He understands that and he’s capable. But collectively, we’ve got to attack as a team

CJ will get the ball more and get more touches, but he’ll also have the defense’s eyes on him more. So trusting each other offensively and making sure we’re sound on the defensive end.” It didn’t happen. McCollum scored 15 points to lead the Pelicans (19-52), who lost two of their three games against the Timberwolves (41-31) this season. Brown scored 14. Elfrid Payton, a Gretna native, made his return to the Pelicans after signing a 10-day contract

It’s the third stint with the Pelicans for Payton, who played with the team in the 2018-’19 season and again this season for seven games before being waived in December “Anytime I can put on this jersey, it feels good,” Payton said at Friday morning’s shootaround. Payton entered the game in the fourth quarter with the Pels trailing 97-72. He recorded an assist.

The Pelicans finish their 3-game road trip Sunday when they play the Detroit Pistons. Six days ago, the Pistons beat the Pelicans 12781 at Smoothie King Center The 46-point loss tied the record for worst regular season loss in franchise history

Saints reunite with veteran receiver Cooks

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

More than a decade after the New Orleans Saints selected Brandin Cooks with the No. 20 pick of the 2014 draft, the veteran receiver is back with the team.

The Saints announced Friday that they’d signed Cooks to a twoyear deal, addressing one of their soft spots on the roster by signing a veteran receiver to pair with young starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. He is coming to the Saints after spending the last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The 31-year-old Cooks recorded a pair of 1,000-yard seasons in his first three years with New Orleans,

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

in that position to be successful, we’ll have a heck of an opportunity.”

As a coach, Moore has drawn praise for his football acumen, his ability to adapt to personnel and the way he’s able to teach with precision. All three were on display Friday

In terms of the Xs and Os, Moore gave advice to the rising coaches in the room on how to name plays and the reasons behind them. He said he likes to use words that relate to a certain topic, so players can remember them easier Spacing concepts, for instance, used outer space terms like Saturn, Comet, Pluto and Orbit RPO plays have fishing terms because run-pass options “bait” the defense. (And Moore said he changes terminology at each of his stops, meaning there’s no guarantee that he was just giving away what he

but the Saints traded him to the New England Patriots prior to the 2017 NFL Draft — eventually using the draft pick they acquired to select offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

That was the first of several times Cooks has been part of an NFL trade

The Patriots traded him to the Los Angeles Rams, who traded him to the Houston Texans, who traded him to the Cowboys where he spent the last two years. This is the first time in Cooks’ 11-year career that he has signed a free agent contract.

Cooks fills a need for the Saints, who had little experienced depth beyond Olave and Shaheed. New Orleans was reportedly interested

planned to use with the Saints next season).

But as he taught, Moore used film to back up the examples. In going over spacing concepts, Moore pulled up clips from his stops with the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles and how those plays can be executed.

As for adapting, Moore also made clear he isn’t afraid to borrow from other coaches — including those he has, and hasn’t, studied under In borrowing from Chris Petersen, Moore’s coach at Boise State, the former quarterback said one of his sayings is that a coach’s No. 1 job is to build confidence in their players.

Those pearls of wisdom also extend to coaches in different sports. When going over his three core values together, joy and tough Moore said he was inspired by the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and coach Steve Kerr to include joy as one of the three.

“You’re going to fall in love with this one,” Moore said, “because there’s an element of joy that goes

in signing veteran free agent Cooper Kupp recently, but Kupp opted instead to sign with his hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks.

Though Cooks’ production has slowed some in the last few seasons — in his two years in Dallas, he recorded 80 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns — he has been one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL since the Saints drafted him in 2014.

From 2015-21, Cooks recorded six 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in seven chances a feat he accomplished with four different teams. Only DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper Travis Kelce and Mike Evans have more 1,000-yard receiving seasons since 2015.

Cooks played only 10 games last

Hackney in 18th place at Bassmaster Classic

FORT WORTH, Texas Two of south Louisiana’s three anglers in the Bassmaster Classic have a hill to climb in Saturday’s second day to push through to Sunday’s final day Gonzales veteran pro angler Greg Hackney is in contention to remain among Sunday’s final top 25 on Lake Ray Roberts. His Friday five-bass limit weighed 17 pounds, 6 ounces to put him in 18th place.

Raceland’s Tyler Rivet boated four keeper bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces for 35th place, and New Iberia’s Caleb Sumrall had two bass (5 pounds, 6 ounces) to rank 48th in the 56-angler field. Illinois’ Trey McKinney, 20, leads (26 pounds, 9 ounces) after Friday’s first round and holds a one-pound lead over Canadian angler Cory Johnson.

One-of-a-kind Skenes card purchased for $1.11M

A one-of-a-kind Paul Skenes baseball card was purchased by Dick’s Sporting Goods for $1.11 million after a two-week auction.

There was a total of 64 bids on Skenes’ debut patch card, which is autographed and contains a patch that was on the pitcher’s jersey for his heralded major league debut in May The final price announced by Fanatics Collect late Thursday night included a 20% buyer’s premium. Fanatics Collect plans to donate its proceeds from the sale to the LA Fire Relief Fund.

The 22-year-old Skenes is slated to make $875,000 while in the major leagues this year with the Pittsburgh Pirates Dick’s plans to display the card in a new collectors’ space at its House of Sport store. at Ross Park in suburban Pittsburgh.

Fewer than 1% of brackets remain perfect after day one Fewer than 1% of NCAA Tournament brackets were still perfect after Thursday’s 16-game slate, according to several services where fans attempt the all-but impossible task of predicting every March Madness game correctly or, barring that, win their office pools.

ESPN’s tracker listed 25,802 perfect brackets remaining out of more than 24 million filled out on its site following the final game of the day, Texas Tech’s win over UNC-Wilmington.

The NCAA said 0.0938% of more than 34 million brackets were still perfect.

The numbers were similar at CBS Sports, where 0.09% of brackets were unblemished following the first day of action.

season — matching a career-low after he had a knee infection following a surgical procedure in October of last year that forced him to miss seven games.

He finished the 2024 season with just 259 receiving yards on 26 catches, never posting more than 52 yards in a single game.

While he hasn’t posted a 1,000yard season since 2021, when he was with the Texans, New Orleans will almost certainly ask him to play a complementary role behind Olave and Shaheed.

He joins a receiver corps that also includes Cedrick Wilson, Bub Means, Mason Tipton, Kevin Austin and Dante Pettis.

Staff writer Matthew Paras contributed to this report.

Moore was the clinic’s featured speaker on an afternoon that also saw presentations from Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, LSU coach Brian Kelly and more. Nussmeier, in his hour addressing the group, focused on the importance of situational football and playing with tempo another key component of New Orleans’ offense next season.

After Moore’s presentation concluded, he fielded several questions from the crowd. Those topics included how many run plays he goes into a game plan with, the balance between player development and winning and adapting to injuries.

Curry to miss road trip from pelvic contusion

Golden State star Stephen Curry will miss at least the first game of the Warriors’ upcoming road trip because of a pelvic injury

Curry got hurt when he crashed to the floor in the third quarter of Thursday night’s 117-114 win over the Toronto Raptors.

An MRI on Friday found no structural damage and Curry was diagnosed with a pelvic contusion. Curry will not travel with the team for Saturday’s game at Atlanta and will be re-evaluated on Monday Golden State is heading out on a six-game road trip with the second game coming at Miami next Tuesday The Warriors entered the day in sixth place in the Western Conference and they are fighting to remain in the top six to avoid the play-in tournament.

into this game, guys. OK? One of the biggest aspects of us as we look for players is, do they love this game. Or do they love what comes with the game? It’s a huge, huge emphasis.”

Friday’s talk also appeared gratifying for Moore. He told the crowd that he grew up going to coaching clinics, adding he was “fired up” to be there now “Any time I get a chance to speak at one of these opportunities, this is big time,” Moore said, “because this is how I grew up.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Rodgers, Steelers meet; QB leaves without signing Aaron Rodgers might still want to play football. He might even do it in Pittsburgh. The four-time NFL MVP met with the Steelers on Friday, a person with knowledge of the visit told The Associated Press. Rodgers spent several hours in the team’s facility gathering information but left without signing a contract. Pittsburgh currently has an opening at quarterback. Justin Fields, who along with Russell Wilson led the Steelers to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth last season, signed with the Jets last week. Wilson is a free agent but does not appear to be part of Pittsburgh’s plans for

or

AP FILE PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON New Saints coach Kellen Moore speaks during his introductory news conference on Feb 13 at the team’s practice facility Moore spoke at an LSU coaching clinic on Friday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum shoots over Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels on Friday in Minneapolis.

LSU second baseman Daniel Dickinson, a transfer from Utah Valley, has six home runs and a 1.268 on-base plus slugging percentage in 23 games.

Johnson’s pitches helped bring in versatile transfers

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

As Jay Johnson walked around the forest, mosquitos kept munching on his leg.

But he couldn’t care less. LSU’s baseball coach was engrossed in a conversation with a potential transfer portal target.

“We literally talked for like 45 minutes,” Johnson said. “That’s not a normal recruiting conversation.”

That player was Daniel Dickinson. The rising junior from Utah Valley was coming off a season where he blasted 18 home runs and stole 32 bases, but it was his baseball acumen that stood out to Johnson more than anything else.

“I think it was the first conversation that we had,” Johnson said It didn’t take long for Dickinson to become a Tiger after their talk, becoming one of seven hitters LSU added out of the portal this past summer Along with Dickinson, LSU brought in Auburn center fielder Chris Stanfield, Incarnate Word outfielder/left-handed pitcher Dalton Beck, Indiana State catcher Luis Hernandez, Dayton catcher Eddie Yamin and junior college transfers Tanner Reaves and Blaise Priester Beck, Priester and Yamin haven’t made a major impact through 23 games, but Stanfield, Hernandez and Dickinson have become every-day starters. Reaves has also been in a platoon with former South Carolina infielder and senior Michael Braswell at third base.

Dickinson’s been one of LSU’s best hitters, providing protection behind junior slugger Jared Jones in the lineup. Heading into this weekend’s series against Texas, the LSU second baseman has six home runs and a 1.268 on-base plus slugging percentage.

“Our program needs Danny, like, right now,” Johnson said.

“And it’s not just his talent. He’s got great tools, obviously, but how he plays is what our team needed.” There were questions surrounding Dickinson as to whether his power would translate to the Southeastern Conference. And though LSU has only played four SEC games, the weight he’s added since arriving to campus, combined with his baseball IQ, has translated into him being second on the team in homers.

His big three-run homer in Frisco, Texas, against Kansas State was the perfect example of how he’s combined his physical abilities with his acumen for the game.

“He threw me a first-pitch slider And I see sliders pretty well, so I knew he wasn’t going to get me out with that,” Dickinson said.

“And then I knew that he was going to come with a heater at some point and inside. And so I just tried to stay inside the ball and drive it up the middle.”

LSU SOFTBALL

Staff report

ATHENS Ga. — Infielder Danieca

Coffey began a two-out, seventhinning rally with her second RBI double of the game to lead No. 3 LSU to a 5-3 victory over No. 13 Georgia in the first game of their Southeastern Conference series on Friday at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.

LSU improves to 28-1 and 4-0 in the SEC, and Georgia falls to 22-7 and 2-5.

In the top of the seventh with the score tied 3-3, infielder Sierra Daniel drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second base on a groundout. After Georgia recorded the second out, Coffey ripped a pitch down the right-field line for a double that scored Daniel and built a 4-3 lead.

Outfielder Jalia Lassiter singled up the middle, and Coffey scored to add some cushion heading to the bottom of the seventh.

Georgia go a single and had a base runner reach on an error with none out to start a final threat. However, pitcher Sydney Berzon struck out the next batter and got a groundout to the shortstop, followed by utility player Tori Edwards making the throw and catcher Maci Bergeron making the tag at the plate ended the game.

Coffey logged her third three-hit game of the season and 15th in her

career going 3 for 4, with two runs scored and two RBIs Daniel hit her second home run of the season and scored two runs, and Bergeron and Lassiter each had run-scoring singles to round out LSU’s scoring.

The best start to a season for an LSU pitcher continues as Berzon moves to 13-0. Berzon struck out four and allowed five hits, three walks and one earned run in her 12th complete game.

Bulldogs pitcher Randi Rolling (6-4) had four strikeouts and gave up seven hits, five runs and two walks in seven innings.

Daniel hit a two-out solo homer off the scoreboard in right field to put the Tigers on the board in the second inning, and LSU built a 3-0 lead thanks to Coffey’s first RBI double and a run-scoring single by Bergeron in the top of the third. Georgia answered in the bottom of the third with two runs on three hits and one LSU error to keep it a one-run game at 3-2 through three innings.

After a scoreless fourth for both teams, the Bulldogs scored a run in the fifth to tie the game 3-3. The Bulldogs retired the LSU batters in order in the sixth for the second consecutive inning but the Bulldogs were also retired in order in the bottom half of the sixth, bringing the game to the seventh tied, 3-3.

Game 2 of the LSU-Georgia series will be at 1 p.m. Saturday

Stanfield, despite batting ninth, has been very productive in his first month at LSU. Besides playing stellar defense in center field, he came into this weekend with a .328 batting average and an .875 OPS.

Johnson was familiar with Stanfield, since he spent his first two years in the SEC. He remembered Stanfield, as a freshman, getting two hits off of Paul Skenes.

“I saw two things,” Johnson said. “Obviously, he’s an electric player Like he has God-given ability that you cannot teach and that you don’t see in college baseball frequently When they’re that athletic, if they have any skill at all, pro baseball is usually eating those guys up out of high school.

“And then secondly, just a really good competitive nature And that stood out to me, you know, when he was across the field from us.”

After a solid freshman campaign, Stanfield didn’t take a step forward as a sophomore, posting a nearly identital batting average and on-base percentage.

But Johnson said he believed if there were any mechanical adjustments that LSU needed to make with Stanfield, they could do it

“I believe in myself and my staff that we can improve it,”

Johnson said Hernandez arrived in Baton Rouge as a potential power option for a lineup that lost Tommy White and Hayden Travinski. The former Sycamore blasted 23 homers a year ago.

But his contributions on offense have so far been modest He’s only hit two homers and Johnson said that he doesn’t expect Hernandez to hit as many home runs as he did a year ago.

That’s because LSU has to rely on Hernandez’s defense. After catching just three games last

season, he has taken the lead duties behind the plate since the Tigers’ trip to the Dallas area.

Hernandez said the opportunity to catch more was part of the appeal of transferring to LSU.

“I want to be a catcher and I want to win a national championship,” Hernandez said, “and that’s why I chose LSU.”

Reaves, a left-handed hitter, has carved out a role for himself against right-handed pitching. He started and tallied another hit in LSU’s win over UNO on Tuesday

Despite playing at a lower level, Johnson said he believed that Reaves’ standout bat speed would translate to the SEC. It has so far as he owned a 1.030 OPS heading into this weekend.

“Great parents, great work ethic, blue collar, and he’s got a good skill set,” Johnson said, “and he’s got a fast bat.”

For a lineup that returns six starters from last season, the hitters LSU have added out of the portal have provided depth and versatility to a lineup that lacked those things a year ago.

Reaves provides a left-handed option for the infield. Dickinson is a plug-and-play, top-of-the-order threat. Stanfield and Hernandez play critical defensive positions and help round out the lineup.

With Jones, sophomore Steven Milam and even freshman Derek Curiel, LSU already had the building blocks for a strong offense. The transfers have provided the finishing touches.

“Those are exactly the guys that you want in our locker room,” Johnson said on his radio show Monday “And I will tell you what’s been really cool about this new group of players that I’ve noticed a definite uptick in is their appreciation of getting an opportunity to play at LSU.”

BY DARRELL WILLIAMS Contributing writer

Hosting Rummel at home was was a big challenge for Chalmette on Friday It turned out to be a great opportunity Playing at home, the Owls scored four runs in the first inning and rode the pitching of junior Jace Zornes to take a 6-2 victory at Noel Suarez Stadium.

It was the biggest win of the season for Chalmette (12-10), members of District 7-5A who entered the game at No. 30 in the Division I nonselect power rankings. Rummel, which reached the semifinals of the Division I select playoffs last season, is No. 8 in the select power rankings.

“(The Chalmette players) are excited because we had a really rough beginning to the season,” said firstyear Owls coach Doug Faust, a 1985 graduate of Chalmette. “We have six new starters, a lot of guys who were not on varsity last year and some who were on varsity but didn’t start.

“They are starting to embrace the big moments. Early in the year, they tended to shy away from the big moments in the game This is huge for us. We play Hannan (Saturday), then we start play in a really tough district.”

It appeared facing Rummel (106) might not allow for big moments when the Raiders took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After the first two batters were hit by pitches, leadoff hitter Gavin Kennedy scored on a double play, and Gavin Nix scored on an error

Chalmette bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the inning. Shortstop Ayden Gebbia’s RBI single through the hole between shortstop and third cut the lead in half, and he tagged and scored from third on designated hitter Caden White’s one-out fly ball to left, tying the score.

“They are starting to embrace the big moments. Early in the year, they tended to shy away from the big moments in the game. This is huge for us.”

DOUG FAUST Chalmette coach

Then, with two out, first baseman

Bryce Wilson got a bases-loaded infield hit behind second base that scored Latrell Grant and courtesy runner Tyrell Demolle for a 4-2 lead.

Zornes took over from there

He allowed three hits and walked two the rest of the way, pitching five shutout innings before being relieved in the top of the seventh by left-hander Cooper McNamara. Zornes had three 1-2-3 innings, including a seven-pitch third and a five-pitch sixth.

“When we scored those four runs, it gave me confidence,” Zorns said.

“My two-seamer, my change-up and my slider were all working, but it was the defense the guys played behind that was the reason I was able to do well out there.

“I only struck out two batters. I threw change-ups to the lefties and high fastballs to the righties and let our defense work. (Rummel) got ground balls and fly outs.” Raiders longtime coach Frank Cazeaux credited Zorns for his performance and said Faust “has a good team over there that got big hits when they needed.”

However, he said his team’s performance on the mound was lacking, even though Rummel had good pitchers.

“When you walk nine batters and only get four hits, it’s tough to win,” Cazeaux said “Oh, we have the arms. We just didn’t do well tonight. But that’s baseball We’ll pick up and go from here.”

The Raiders face St. Augustine in a District 9-5A game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mike Miley Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU center fielder Chris Stanfield talks with assistant coach Josh Simpson as he celebrates a hit against North Dakota State on March 4 at Alex Box Stadium

LSU needs more than ‘Big 3’ for NCAA run

Any words about the LSU women’s basketball team on the eve of another NCAA Tournament have to start with the Tigers’ “Big Three.” How is Flau’jae Johnson’s shin injury? Is Aneesah Morrow’s foot sprain healed? Will Mikaylah Williams’ jump shot be filling up the nets? All important questions, particularly concerning Johnson, who has been on the shelf for three weeks since missing LSU’s last regular season game and the SEC tournament. The Tigers are a legitimate contender to win their second national championship in three seasons but only if all three of their All-Americans are at their best. If you’re a close observer of the game, however, you know that college basketball isn’t the 3-on-3 version of the sport. To survive, advance and ultimately thrive, the Tigers will need more than Johnson’s quick hands, Morrow’s relentless rebounding and Williams’ knack for scoring while playing multiple positions. At some point along the story arc of a six-game winning streak required to cut down nets, LSU will need its supporting cast to come through in a big way. The Tigers’ will need role players to play a starring role. The way they did in the run to the 2023 national title.

The regional semifinals against Utah. Forward LaDazhia Wil-

LSU

liams, playing the entire season in the shadows of her counterpart, All-American Angel Reese, dazzled with the game of her career She played 40 minutes, scored a team-high 24 points on 11 of 14 shooting and grabbed six rebounds as the Tigers survived the Utes 66-63. It turned out to be LSU’s closest game of the entire tournament, a game LSU didn’t win without Williams. The national championship game against Iowa. All eyes were on the Reese/Caitlin Clark showdown and rightly so. Reese would

LSU’s Johnson, Morrow set to play without limitations

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Both Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow are ready to dance.

At least that’s what the two LSU stars said Friday, a day before they’ll each return to the court in an NCAA Tournament game that’s set to tip off at 9:15 p.m. in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (ESPN). The No. 3 seeded Tigers are hosting No 14 seed San Diego State. Johnson (shin) said she is 100% healthy And Morrow (foot) said that the last two weeks have been “difficult,” although she has learned that “everything happens for a reason.”

“I’ve been getting my conditioning up,” Morrow said Friday, “Being in the weight room, strength and conditioning, getting as much treatment as I can. I’m ready.” Johnson has been battling shin inflammation for about a month. She last played in a Feb. 27 loss to Alabama, shortly before LSU decided to shut her down for its regular-season finale and the Southeastern Conference Tournament, buying her about three weeks of rest for the games that mattered most.

Initially, Morrow’s prognosis appeared to be more dire. In LSU’s conference tournament semifinal loss to Texas, she jumped and landed awkwardly on a drive to the rim, then grabbed her left foot in obvious pain. Trainers helped the senior up off the floor but she couldn’t put any weight on her left leg. So they brought Morrow directly into the LSU locker room, where she underwent an x-ray

Once those scans came back negative, coach Kim Mulkey said, Morrow even tried to re-enter the game. But because the Tigers had “bigger fish to fry,” they gave her a walking boot and kept her on the bench while the Longhorns pulled away for a win.

“Both of them have had some days to rehab and start feeling better,” Mulkey said, “and they’ve been practicing. So, there doesn’t seem to be limitations on how long they can play or anything like that. I haven’t been told that.”

LSU needs Johnson and Morrow to help it reach the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row To advance to that round, the Tigers must win two games, one against the Aztecs and another against the winner of Saturday’s first-round matchup between No 6 seed Florida State and No. 11 seed George Mason (6:45 p.m., ESPN2). Seminole guard Ta’Niya Latson

leads the nation in scoring.

LSU may ask Johnson to defend her, and now, all indications are that she’s healthy enough to take on that assignment.

Mulkey ‘family friend’ on George Mason Mulkey has an unlikely connection to a player on one of the teams assigned to play in the NCAA Tournament’s Baton Rouge regional.

The LSU coach is close friends with CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford, whose daughter, Page Greenburg is a junior guard on the George Mason women’s basketball team.

“We’re family friends,” Greenburg said. “She’s really involved in our family.”

Mulkey met Crawford when she sat down for an interview with her after the Tigers won the national championship in 2023. The two then struck up a friendship grounded in basketball, motherhood and their shared southern roots.

“They met,” Greenburg said on Friday, “and they just kind of hit it off.”

On March 11, Mulkey interviewed Crawford on LSU’s campus.

They discussed Crawford’s journalism career, her experiences covering the U.S. Supreme Court and the modern media landscape, then fielded questions from the audience.

Three of Crawford’s four children attended the discussion.

The fourth, Greenburg, was busy preparing for the NCAA Tournament with the No. 11 seed Patriots, unaware that the NCAA selection committee would later place them into the Spokane 1 region of the bracket and send them to Baton Rouge for a firstround matchup against Florida State.

Lagniappe A Mulkey-coached team hasn’t lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game since 2001, her first season as a head coach. Since then, she’s guided her Baylor and LSU squads to 21 consecutive Round-of-64 victories.

This tournament appearance is Mulkey’s 23rd. She’s led her teams past the first two rounds 17 times.

Four of the squads that made this NCAA Tournament have three players who average at least 15 points per game, and two of them are playing in the Baton Rouge regional.

One of them is LSU.

The other is No. 6 seed Florida State, which has not only the nation’s leading scorer in junior guard Latson (24.9 ppg), but also senior forward Makayla Timpson (17.6) and senior guard O’Mariah Gordon (16.2).

earn Final Four MVP honors after the Tigers’ historic 102-85 victory, but the honor could easily have gone to reserve guard Jasmine Carson. Carson simply had the game of her life on the women’s game’s biggest stage, pouring in a team-high 22 points on 5 of 6 3-point shooting in 22 fateful minutes.

Kailin Gilbert was home in Tampa, Florida, (which happens to be the site of this year’s Women’s Final Four) from her previous school, Arizona, watching Carson go off on the Hawkeyes

FLAU’JAE

Continued from page 1C

Saturday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (ESPN).

The No. 3 seeded Tigers drove a bumpy road to get here.

They were 25-1 when Mulkey encouraged Gilbert to alert her if Johnson tried to squeeze in a workout after the win over the Lady Vols. LSU had just won its third game in eight days, giving itself an opportunity to ride a five-game winning streak into a pivotal road matchup against Texas. A victory that day would’ve boosted the Tigers’ odds of drawing a No. 1 seed. But since then, LSU is 4-3. Johnson’s shin inflammation worsened. Star senior Aneesah Morrow even aggravated a foot sprain in an injury scare that diminished the Tigers’ chances of reaching the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game.

Now both stars are healthy and rested.

And by all accounts, they each appear to be ready for whatever this NCAA Tournament throws at them. A relief for an LSU team with national title hopes.

“I have my joy back,” Johnson said. “I learned to take care of my body I learned to be a better teammate I learned how to watch the game from a different perspective, so it taught me a lot of things.”

Johnson told The Advocate on March 7 that she began feeling pain in her shin around the time

CHIO

Continued from page 1C

detached as a performer But inside, LSU coach Jay Clark said, burns an intense fire to compete and win.

“I’m extremely confident in her,” Clark said. “She has proven she is just a great, great competitor

“I don’t tinker with something that works that well I stay out of her head and let her do her thing.”

On a roster dominated by 10 seniors, including reigning NCAA and SEC all-around champion Haleigh Bryant and 2024 Olympian Aleah Finnegan, Chio has emerged as LSU’s most consistently excellent gymnast. The only one who has performed on all four events as an all-arounder in every one of LSU’s 11 meets, Chio has won 20 individual titles including five all-around crowns and got her first career 10, on vault, this past Friday at Auburn.

If LSU is to win Saturday, to repeat as SEC meet champions with the Tigers’ sixth title overall and fifth since 2017, it will take a top performance from Chio. In Session II, at 7 p.m. in Birmingham, Alabama, on the SEC Network, the session in which the winner will almost certainly be crowned, the No. 2-ranked Tigers will have to overcome No. 1 and SEC newcomer Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida and No. 7 Missouri.

Given her on-the-floor demeanor, it isn’t surprising that Chio isn’t getting caught up in the intensity of the matchup with three other highly ranked teams.

“I was in complete awe,” Gilbert said. “To play like that in the biggest game of your life is any basketball player’s dream. She played a big role in the win.”

A role Gilbert, LSU’s top bench scorer with 9.7 points per game, may be called upon to play in this year’s tournament. A role she played this season already hitting the game-winner against Washington and going off for 25 points and the game-winner at Tennessee.

Maybe fate will point toward forward Sa’Myah Smith. This year’s version of Williams, playing in Morrow’s shadow, Smith has had a quieter season than Gilbert, again the way Williams did until March and April.

“I definitely think we’re ready,” Smith said. “Next man up.”

One thing LSU doesn’t possess is a player the caliber of Alexis Morris, 2023’s point guard, to run the offense and anchor the defense. It’s been point guard by committee with Shayeann DayWilson and Last-Tear Poa, the latter one of three key players still left from 2023 along with Johnson and Smith.

the Tigers were preparing to host Tennessee in early February. She played through it for five games, she said, and wanted to keep doing so. But by the time LSU lost to Alabama, the inflammation had sapped most of her leaping ability She and Mulkey then decided to play it safe and buy time for the pain to subside.

Over those three weeks, Johnson couldn’t work out or practice. Instead, she spent most of her time treating her inflammation. She received massages. Climbed into red-light therapy beds. Took pain medication. Slipped on compression calf sleeves and ambled around in walking boots. Johnson would even bring a chair onto the court, she said, so she could take shots without standing up. Johnson relayed that story on Friday while her left foot wore a bulky, futuristic shoe with flashing red and green lights. It’s a compression device, she explained, complete with heating components that activate her muscles before a practice or game.

“I’ve been doing more treatment than I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.

On March 13, Johnson resumed her individual workouts and began slowly ramping up her activity She got some shots up in the PMAC after it emptied on Selection Sunday, then crammed in some extra work with Gilbert on Thursday night in between LSU practices. On Friday, she moved fluidly through drills in the 15-minute window of practice

Five to watch Here are five top gymnasts to watch Saturday in the Southeastern Conference championships in Birmingham, Alabama Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Kentucky compete in Session I at 2:30 p.m., while LSU, Florida, Missouri and Oklahoma compete in Session II at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be live on the SEC Network. Kailin Chio • Fr. • LSU The presumptive SEC freshman of the year, Chio ranks fifth

There are plenty of new faces from just two years ago, as LSU has continued to go heavy into the transfer portal, but those faces like Gilbert and Day-Wilson and Mjracle Sheppard bring their own brand of experience, too.

Coach Kim Mulkey, who goes in pursuit of her fifth national title as a coach and her 22nd straight NCAA first-round victory, knows the formula quite well.

“You don’t win big games or even championships if you don’t have contributions from everyone,” Mulkey said. “Back two years ago in the national championship game, who were the three MVPs of that game? It wasn’t Angel Reese. It wasn’t Morris. It was Poa. It was Sa’Myah. And it was Carson. Those three came off the bench.”

Who can help the Tigers off the bench this year? Will someone have the Jasmin Carson game of their lives, the LaDazhia Williams’ clutch performance of a career?

At some point, the Tigers will need it. As Mulkey said, a team needs three things to win a title: being on the same page on offense and defense, staying away from injuries and one or two lucky plays.

Maybe make that a lucky player

“I’m more than ready,” Gilbert said. “There’s nothing more I want than the ring.”

open to the media.

“I think it was a smart decision to do what we did with Flau’jae,” Mulkey said. “She probably didn’t like it, but she didn’t fight me on it. You can’t go wrong when you err on the side of being conservative, and you have the ability to be conservative as a coach with injuries.”

That approach was intended to give Johnson a chance to play her best basketball of the season in the NCAA Tournament — just like she did last year In those four matchups, she averaged 20.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 58% from the field and 43% from beyond the arc. In a Sweet 16 clash with UCLA, Johnson scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked two shots. One of those rejections thwarted a field-goal attempt by Lauren Betts, the Bruins’ 6-foot-7 All-American center

LSU could find itself in a rematch with UCLA, now the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament field, as early as the Elite Eight. It will likely need Johnson’s full repertoire of skills to get both to that game and through it.

So Mulkey barred her from workouts and shelved her for games — a month-long process that will come to an end on Saturday once the Big Dance begins.

“It was a change for me,” Johnson said, “but it really did change my perspective, I think, for the better.”

“She’s always been like that,” Rice said. “If she feels prepared and relaxed, she’ll be good under pressure. That’s always been her thing.”

As with most gymnasts, however, there was a major setback for Chio to overcome. She injured her back in 2022, forcing her to take a year off from competition.

It was a year in which the lessons Chio learned from Rice, lessons that said don’t be completely consumed by gymnastics, led to a major shift in her career

“After my back was injured, I made the decision to drop back (from elite) down to Level 10,” Chio said, “because my back still wasn’t doing that great after six months. I was like, ‘You know what? Do what’s best for your body.’ As much as it hurt me to make that decision, I think it’s what was right.”

“I feel like nothing changes,” she said. “You don’t have to try any more, any less. It’s like just another meet.”

Like most college gymnasts, Chio can’t remember not doing her sport. Sara Chio started her in a “mommy and me” class at age 2 and she never stopped leaping and tumbling. Chio spent her entire youth gymnastics career training at a place called, perhaps appropriately Gymcats, in her hometown of Henderson, Nevada, a Las Vegas suburb. CassieRice,co-ownerofGymcats and Chio’s long-time coach, echoed what Sara Chio said about her daughter’s competitive demeanor

Despite her injury, LSU continued to pursue Chio. Assistant coach and lead LSU recruiter Garrett Griffeth recruited Chio since she was 13 or 14 when he was still at Utah, making her decision to come to LSU an easier one.

“I took my visit and I absolutely loved it,” Chio said. “I just loved the community, the coaches The facilities are absolutely beautiful, the girls just were always so welcoming when I first came here.

“There’s nothing like this place. I mean, there really isn’t. Every day I come into this facility, I’m just amazed at how much, money and how much time they put into it for us to have such a beautiful place to practice.”

The kind of place where Chio could flip the switch and be at her best.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

guard Kailyn Gilbert moves the ball against the defense during a practice session on Friday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

LSU NOTEBOOK

Scott Rabalais

Alabama survives scare and beat Robert Morris

The Associated Press

CLEVELAND All-America guard Mark Sears scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and second-seeded Alabama pulled away late to escape 15th-seeded Robert Morris 90-81 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

The Colonials gave the Crimson Tide (27-8) all they could handle and even took their first lead at 65-64 on a layup by Josh Omojafo to bring the Rocket Arena crowd to its feet.

Alabama responded behind Sears, who had seven points during an 11-2 surge that gave the Crimson Tide some breathing room against the Horizon League champions.

“(I) kept playing the right way, and then the game repaid me back,” said Sears, who also had five rebounds and 10 of Alabama’s 25 assists.

Robert Morris (26-9) came in as a 22-1/2 point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, yet spent most of the afternoon threatening to author the first true bracket-buster of the tournament after a relatively quiet opening day on Thursday Instead, the Crimson Tide gathered themselves to advance. Alabama will face Saint Mary’s in the second round on Sunday after the seventh-seeded Gaels rallied past 10th-seeded Vanderbilt.

“We’ve been here before,” said Crimson Tide sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds in 21 foul-plagued minutes.

“We’ve been in these positions all season and last year So we’ve been here before, so we’ve seen this before.” Cleveland native Amarion Dickerson led the Colonials with 25 points, including a spectacular sequence in the second half in which the 6-foot-7 junior put together a series of athletic buckets that helped erase a 10-point deficit. Dickerson added nine rebounds, and his six offensive boards were one more than the Crimson Tide had as a team.

“He seemed to be everywhere when we needed a play,” Robert Morris coach Andy Toole said of Dickerson. “We were down 10 He went on his little personal run there and got us back into that game, and I don’t think anybody that was associated with Robert Morris basketball is surprised by it

on Friday in Cleveland.

one bit.” BAYLOR 75, MISSISSIPPI ST 72: In Raleigh, North Carolina, NBA lottery prospect V.J. Edgecombe had just four points at halftime of Baylor’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against Mississippi State. That didn’t concern Bears coach Scott Drew The athletic Edgecombe responded with a big second half and finished with 16 points, including two clutch free throws down the stretch, to help the ninthseeded Bears hold off the eighth-seeded Bulldogs 7572 on Friday IOWA ST 82, LIPSCOMB 55: In Milwaukee,Milan Momcilovic scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, and third-seeded Iowa State routed Lipscomb in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday

Curtis Jones had 17 points as Iowa State bounced back nicely after dropping four of seven going into the tourney Joshua Jefferson finished with 10 points and eight assists. No. 1 DUKE 93, MOUNT ST MARY’S 49: In Raleigh, North Carolina, Tyrese Proctor had 19 points and freshman star Cooper Flagg returned from an ankle injury as No. 1 seed Duke beat Mount St. Mary’s in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday Flagg had 14 points and seven boards for the Blue Devils (32-3), the East bracket headliner opening a push for a sixth national title roughly a half-hour’s drive from its Durham campus. Duke jumped to a 13-2 lead in a dominant first half marked by clean execution on the way to a big lead No. 12 COLORADO ST 78, MEMPHIS 70: In Seattle, Kyan

Evans made a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead No. 12 seed

Colorado State past fifthseeded Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday

“Whatever Kyan was feeling tonight, I just want to feel that one time,” Colorado State coach Niko Medved said.

MARYLAND 81 GRAND CANYON

49: In Seattle, Julian Reese had 18 points and nine rebounds, and fourth-seeded Maryland pounded No 13 seed Grand Canyon on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 points for the Terrapins (26-8), who will play No. 12 Colorado State on Sunday in the second round of the West Region. The Rams beat fifthseeded Memphis.

UNC 71, OLE MISS 64: In Milwaukee, Sean Pedulla maintained his belief in himself and his team even as Mississippi let most of a 22-point lead slip from its grasp.

He responded by delivering a shot that helped send the Rebels to their first NCAA Tournament victory in a decade.

ST MARY’S 59, VANDERBILT 56:

In Cleveland, Saint Mary’s guard Jordan Ross keyed a second-half rally while star Augustas Marciulionis dealt with foul trouble, and the seventh-seeded Gaels fended off 10th-seeded Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday

The Commodores led by 12 points when Marciulionis the two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year — exited with his fourth foul early in the second half.

Racehorse named after local legend Scrim to debut at Derby

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Some of the biggest stars in thoroughbred racing will race at the Fair Grounds on Louisiana Derby Day among them Breeders Cup Classic champion Sierra Leone and Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer But the sentimental favorite among the 145 horses entered on Saturday will be a nondescript 3-year-old colt making his racing debut in Race 2. His name: Free Scrim. Scrim, of course, is New Orleans’ famous hairy Houdini, the rescued West Highland white terrier mix who became a national sensation because of his daring escapes and heroic life on the lam. He eluded captors on the streets of New Orleans for months before his ultimate rescue in February His saga has inspired tattoos, children’s books, bobblehead dolls, murals, Mardi Gras floats — and now a thoroughbred racehorse.

The fourth choice in a 12-horse field of Louisianabred maidens, Free Scrim will undoubtedly have plenty of support from fans, bettors

and curiosity seekers when he breaks from the gate for his maiden journey around the Gentilly oval. And if the equine athlete is as fast as his canine namesake, he just might reward his backers for their support.

“Free Scrim is a Louisianabred with an ordinary pedigree, just like Scrim,” said trainer Al Stall Jr., who conditions the handsome dark brown colt.

Free Scrim was born on April 21, 2022, and is coowned by Stall’s wife, Nicole, and Adele Dilschneider, one of the trainer’s longtime clients. The colt’s sire, Yockey’s Warrior, was an accomplished sprinter who won eight of 15 lifetime starts, including the Thanksgiving Handicap and Duncan F Kenner Stakes at the Fair Grounds. Stall said he named the colt just two weeks ago after he’d been rescued in February His first choice was “Scrim,” but it was already taken in the Jockey Club records, so he was forced to go with his backup selection. He said Dilschneider, an Alton, Illinois, native and longtime horse owner and breeder was unaware of the Scrim phenomenon but ful-

Edwards leads South Carolina to win over

By The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. Freshman

Joyce Edwards scored 22 points in her first women’s NCAA Tournament game as No. 1 seed South Carolina began its run at a second straight national title with a 108-48 victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday

The Gamecocks (31-3) improved to 17-1 in the past four women’s tournaments, winning in 2022 and 2024. The lone defeat came to Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national semifinals in 2023.

With Edwards, named to the all-Southeastern Conference first-team this season, leading the way, the top seeds of the Birmingham 2 Regional looked poised for another title in a few weeks.

The 6-foot-3 forward swears she’s always nervous before games and felt some jitters before stepping out for to start her NCAA Tournament career

But she looked and played as poised as she has all season for the Gamecocks.

“Everything comes at you, you don’t know what to expect,” Edwards said “Once you get your first rebound, the nerves settle down.”

Edwards had more points in her NCAA debut than Gamecocks national champ and WNBA No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, who went for 20 in a win over Mercer in the 2021 event.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said Edwards’ relentless approach has endeared her to her older teammates. Edwards rarely stops moving on the court and when she sees a layup go in, Staley thinks it opens the floodgates for her allSEC player

“The basket gets big,” Staley said.

South Carolina will face ninth-seeded Indiana on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16. The Hoosiers outlasted eighth-seeded Utah 76-68 earlier Friday

Edwards scored six straight points to open up the game as the Gamecocks went ahead 31-11. The Golden Eagles (26-6), champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, saw their 17-game win streak come to an end.

Taris Thornton led Tennessee Tech with 13 points.

MiLaysia Fulwiley added 15 points as all 12 Gamecocks who played scored baskets.

Tennessee Tech coach Kim Rosamond was impressed with the Gamecocks overall skill and discipline. South Carolina made 43 of 67 field goals.

“If they shoot the basketball like that the rest of the way, they’re going to be almost impossible to beat,” Rosamond said.

Iowa State to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines (23-10) will play on Sunday in South Bend, Ind., against the winner ofthe Notre Dame-Stephen F. Austin game for a shot at the Sweet 16. Olivia Olson scored 16 points The Wolverines’ freshman hit only one of her first nine shots, but connected on 4-of-6 shots down the stretch.

Georgia Amoore scored 34 points, including three free throws in the final 10 seconds for fourth-seeded Kentucky, which nearly blew a 17-point fourth-quarter lead but held on for a 7978 victory over 13th-seeded Liberty in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Friday The second-team AllAmerica guard made 6 of 10 3-pointers and added eight assists, two steals and two blocks. She scored 23 first-half points for the Wildcats (23-7), who led 6750 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter

KANSAS ST 85, FAIRFIELD 41: In Lexington, Kentucky, Ayoka Lee had 17 points and 10 rebounds in her return to the lineup, and fifthseeded Kansas State beat Fairfield in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament.

Lee went 7 for 10 from the field in her first game since she played just four minutes in a 90-60 victory over Kansas on Feb. 22. The 6-foot-6 center has been hampered by foot injuries. She played 15 minutes against the Stags before departing with 2:15 remaining in the third quarter INDIANA 76, UTAH 68: In Columbia, South Carolina, Yarden Garzon scored 17 points and Shay Ciezki added 16 as No. 9 seed Indiana won its opener for a sixth straight NCAA Tournament with a victory over eighthseeded Utah. The Hoosiers (20-12) reached 20 wins for a sixth consecutive season. Their reward is a likely matchup with the Birmingham 2 Regional’s top seed in South Carolina, who will play later Friday against No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech.

NOTRE DAME 106, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 54: In South Bend, Indiana, Olivia Miles departed Notre Dame’s victory over Stephen F. Austin in the NCAA Tournament because of a left knee injury, casting a shadow over the school’s dominant performance in the first round on Friday Miles fell to the court under the SFA basket with 8:44 left in the fourth quarter The senior guard limped off the court and headed to the team’s locker room. Miles, a first-team AllACC selection, finished with two points and eight assists She missed the 2023-2024 season because of a knee injury TCU 73 FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 51: In Fort Worth, Texas, Madison Conner had 23 points with four 3-pointers and Sedona Prince overcame two early fouls to have 16 points and 10 rebounds as second-seeded TCU won over Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday in the Horned Frogs’ first women’s NCAA Tournament game at home.

Hailey Van Lith added 13 points and seven assists for the Big 12 champion Horned Frogs (32-3), who made their first NCAA appearance in 15 years. They have won their last 11 games. Teneisia Brown had 18 points and Ava Renninger 12 for 15th-seeded FDU (29-4), the Northeast Conference champions who had won 22 games in a row and were in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. BAYLOR 73, GRAND CANYON 60: In Waco, Texas, Aaronette Vonleh had 25 points and 11 rebounds, leading fourthseeded Baylor to a victory over Grand Canyon in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

ly endorsed the name after reading of his exploits.

Like so many fellow New Orleanians, Stall said he was enthralled by Scrim’s hijinks over the past few months and followed his story intently He said Nicole and the couple’s two children, Albert and Greta, also are big fans of the crafty white-haired stray

“You can’t help but get caught up in his story,” Stall said of Scrim. “I mean, CNN and the New York Times did stories on him. He’s a cult hero.”

Free Scrim is one of six first-time starters in the six-furlong sprint race on Saturday In preparation for his debut, he schooled in the paddock on Wednesday and has had a series of workouts over the past two months. His last workout, a fourfurlong move in 47-3/5ths seconds, was the fastest of 89 workers on March 15. Jockey Erica Murray will be in the irons.

As is often the case with first-time starters, Stall isn’t sure what to expect from Free Scrim, who was gelded on March 11. But he’s excited to see him make his debut, along with stablemate Shot Gun Shack.

KENTUCKY 79, LIBERTY 78: In Lexington, Kentucky,

Ciezki had 11 of her 16 points in the final two quarters as Indiana used a 15-4 run in the third period to take control. The Utes (229) got within 72-68 on Gianna Kneepkens’ 3-pointer with 1:05 left, but could get no closer MICHIGAN 80, IOWA ST 74: In South Bend, Indiana, Jordan Hobbs scored 28 points to help No. 6 Michigan hold off 11th-seeded

Jada Walker scored 17 points as the host Bears (287) ended the Lopes’ nationleading winning streak at 30 games in Grand Canyon’s first NCAA appearance. Baylor will play the Mississippi-Ball State winner in the second round Sunday Baylor trailed most of the first half before going in front for good on a 9-0 run in the final 3:35 before the break. The No 13 seed Lopes (32-3) got back within three at halftime on Sydney Erikstrup’s 3-pointer at the buzzer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID RICHARD Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson dunks against Robert Morris in the second half of a first-round NCAA Tournament game

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Point yourself in a direction that offers rewards. Immerse yourself in learning something that could help you professionally. Look the part and market yourself for success.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Before altering your life, check that your paperwork is updated to avoid setbacks. Stick to a budget you can handle. Balance, integrity and living up to your promises will help you achieve your dreams.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Work behind the scenes to finish things on time and without interference. Put a plan in motion to address your concerns and ensure you maintain a strong financial position and peace of mind.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Build strength, gain support and do your best to advance. Pay attention to situations that are in dire need of an overhaul. Concentrate on results to make letting go of the past easier.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Learning will have an impact on how you press forward. Refuse to let others' choices disrupt your plans. Someone you connect with will offer a perspective that resonates with what you want to achieve.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) A change will lift your spirits and offer insight into something that interests you. Dig in and learn all you can. Be cautious of emotional situations involving money, contracts or health issues.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Problems will surface if you let emotions step in and

take the lead Do whatever it takes to keep the peace; you'll dodge a situation that could leave you struggling over what to do next.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stop procrastinating and start doing. If you need to pick up knowledge, get busy doing research. Reach out to experts and pick their brains. Give yourself a chance to be imaginative and playful.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Question everyone and everything. Get your facts straight and a budget in place. Self-improvement will boost your confidence and encourage you to let go of the past.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Revisit contracts and joint ventures. Keep an eye on what your partners or colleagues are doing. Refuse to let anyone bully or manipulate you with fast talk or charm.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Go over your expenses and see where you can cut corners. Refuse to let anyone talk you into a change that will inflate your budget. Explore new ways to use your skills to bring in extra cash.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Participate in something that brings you joy. Refuse to let anyone put a damper on your day. Say no to emotional chaos and personal affronts.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa, inc dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Groucho Marx said, “I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

That sounds like a good plan. Every time someone in your house turns on a television set, go into another room and reread this column!

Good bridge players do a lot of “reading” at the table. They read the bidding and the played cards, gaining information from them. A good reader would find this deal easy, but someone less literate would struggle.

How should South play in four hearts afterWestcashestwotopdiamonds(East playing jack-four, high-low, to show his doubleton), then shifts to a club?

Note South’s advance of his partner’s takeout double. Since South was an unpassed hand, his two-heart single jump showed some 9 to 11 points with four-plus hearts. (If South were a passed hand, he would have been promising a good seven to a poor 10 points.)

South has already conceded two tricks, so he can afford only one more loser. The black suits are safe, so he must handle trumps carefully.

Normally one would either cash the ace, cross to dummy and lead toward the queen;orimmediatelyfinessethequeen

However, can East have the heart king here?

Not if the bidding is to be believed. West surely needs that king. So, reading West for king-doubleton, the right line is to cash the heart ace, then to continue with a low heart, hoping that the king appears. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD = gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons:

toDAY’s

Average

Time

today’s thought “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

Well

Puzzle Answer

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe

Tell us about your spaces

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

The three-day New Orleans Home & Garden Show will be jam-packed with products and resources when it returns to the Caesars Superdome on Friday. What’s new?

There’s a lot of tech, from whole-house AI to invisible sound systems. The most visible addition, however, is the hot-air balloon rides, fine for both the adventuresome and the faint of heart: The balloon rises about 20 feet but stays tethered to the

floor. Jyl Benson offers lots of information on the show on Page 14.

There’s an easy way to pump up the flavors of your home cooking: Add a home herb garden. Dan Gill explains how on Page 8.

Karen Taylor Gist

Get a glimpse into the indooroutdoor lifestyle with Audubon Park as your yard in One in a Million, when Victor Andrews takes us inside a sunny, chic townhouse on Exposition Boulevard. That’s on Page 12.

The InsideOut home and garden section is published every Saturday by The Times-Picayune. Questions about InsideOut should be directed to the editor.

INSIDEOUT EDITOR: Karen Taylor Gist, kataylor@theadvocate.com

CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS:

Victor Andrews, Jyl Benson, Hannah Levitan, Dan Gill, John McCusker

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

COVER PHOTO: Provided photo TO BE FEATURED: Send information and photos to insideout@theadvocate. com

InsideOut’s mission is to give readers peeks inside the many different ways that people in the New Orleans area live. We profile spaces that are opulent, or just offbeat; sophisticated or simple; functional or light-hearted; historic or brand-spanking new And anything in between Please help us by sending information and JPEG photos of your home, or specific spaces inside it, to insideout@theadvocate.com. We love gardens and outdoor spaces, too. And we’re waiting to hear from you

BACKSTORY

A trad jazz legend with his own festival. PAGE 4

INSIDE INFO

Home and garden happenings. PAGE 6 IN DETAIL Roofs that get right to the point. PAGE 7

GREEN THUMB

Add zest to your cooking with an herb garden. PAGE 8

ONE IN A MILLION

A luxe townhouse adjoins with Audubon Park. PAGE 12

COVER STORY

Looking ahead to the home show in the Dome. PAGE 14

INSIDE STORY

Hummingbirds headed to Louisiana. PAGE 19

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metro area. PAGE 21

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BY JOHN McCUSKER Contributing writer

Music lovers are gathering through the weekend for the Danny Barker Banjo & Guitar Festival, a celebration honoring the life and contributions of the New Orleans jazz legend. As his legacy is remembered in music and words at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, a brass plaque at 1025-27 Chartres St quietly marks the two-story brick townhouse where his journey began.

Born in 1909, around the same time that trad jazz was emerging in New Orleans, Barker lived with his parents, Moses Barker and Rose

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

Danny Barker’s family lived in the outbuilding, at center, behind the 1025-27 Chartres St. frontage. The structure opened onto the patio. The building dates to 1846.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER Danny Barker in 1993. He died the following year

Barbarin Barker, along with his paternal grandparents, in the building on the back patio opposite the street frontage.

The fire maps of the day listed the entire compound as a tenement.

“It was thickly populated with Italians,” Barker wrote of the neighborhood in his trademark, colloquial style. “In 1916 when I was a small child it seemed like there were thousands of Italians. … The immigrants were arriving in droves.”

The 1910 census bears out his assessment of neighborhood demographics. At the time of his birth, the Barkers were the lone Black family living on that block of Chartres Street.

The plaque, placed on the two-story brick townhouse in 1995 at a ceremony with Danny Barker’s widow, “Blue” Lu Barker, in attendance, notes his career milestones — his work with Cab Calloway’s Orchestra, recordings with the Baby Dodds Trio and collaborations with jazz greats including Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong.

But a simple list of accomplishments doesn’t fully explain why, decades after his passing, he is celebrated annually.

BACKSTORY

More than a musician

He was a gifted musician from a deeply musical lineage his mother’s side of the family, the Barbarins, included musicians Isidore, Paul, Louis and Charles Barbarin. But Barker’s influence transcended his musical chops

Ellis Marsalis once described him as an “educator,” though he quickly clarified that he did

not mean in a traditional classroom setting. Instead, Barker educated by example.

To young musicians, his words carried weight. He shared wisdom earned from a lifetime in the business, offering mentorship not just in musicianship but in survival. Everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Kermit Ruffins can attest to Barker’s guidance, which came not in lectures, but in stories,

advice and presence.

A master storyteller

Barker was also a natural raconteur, weaving tales from his experiences among the city’s vibrant characters. He recounted the story of a hearse driver who boasted his mule cried at funerals — only for Barker to discover the trick involved holding a halved onion near the animal’s eyes.

While many of his contemporaries shunned interviews, Barker eagerly shared his knowledge, ensuring the stories of New Orleans jazz pioneers — Armstrong, Morton and King Oliver — remained relevant

In a 1992 visit to The TimesPicayune, he even turned a simple portrait session into a private concert, strumming his guitar and breaking into a spontaneous rendition of “Bourbon Street Parade.”

When people showed curiosity about this music, he always made time for a lesson.

Building the next generation

One of Barker’s most enduring contributions was the formation of the Fairview Baptist Church Brass Band, a youth ensemble that launched the

THE DANNY BARKER BANJO & GUITAR FESTIVAL

WHAT: Programs include student workshops, master classes, immersive clinics and performances from musicians including Charmaine Neville, Wendell Brunius, Steve Masakowski,The Pfister Sisters, Delfeayo Marsalis and Stephanie Jordan.

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. INFORMATION: dannybarkerfestival.com

careers of current-day musicians including Michael White and Greg Stafford. Through his leadership, he helped cultivate the next generation of New Orleans jazz.

Barker, who died in 1994, is remembered for all these reasons — his music, mentorship, humor and generosity. His effect on the local scene was not confined to his own success but extended to the countless musicians, writers and folklorists he inspired and informed.

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN MCCUSKER

Musician Danny Barker was born in the back outbuilding of the two-story brick townhouse at 1025-27 Chartres St., built in 1846.

INSIDEINFO

Herb Society plans spring plant sale

Herbs, native plants and pollinator plants will be on available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 29 during the Herb Society, New Orleans Unit’s annual spring sale at 2140 S. Carrollton Ave. next to Marsalis Harmony Park at Claiborne and South Carrollton avenues.

For information, visit the unit’s Facebook page.

Design advice offered at Longue Vue

Four featured speakers will look at how design and experiences combine in homes and environments at the annual Design Symposium on April 2-5 at Longue Vue House and Gardens, 7 Bamboo Road, in New Orleans.

In addition to lectures by architect Gil Schafer; Stella Chase Reese, of Dooky Chase Restaurant; Austen Barron Bailly, of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; and Tracee Dundas, of New Orleans Fashion Week, the event will host field trips for school groups and hold a community design day.

Tickets start at $250. For information, visit longuevue. com.

Tour a peek inside Quarter sanctums

The Patio Planters of the Vieux Carre will hold its annual peek into some of the French Quarter’s most secluded spaces April 6.

A minimum of five gardens and courtyards, not generally open to the public, will be open from noon to 4 p.m. for a selfguided walking tour through the historic district. (Only the outdoor spaces will be open, not the interiors.)

Locations of the gardens will be provided when participants receive their tickets, which start at $35 in advance and are limited.

Tickets will be available for pickup on the day of the event

The Louisiana Landmarks Society will present a discussion on the 225-year-old Pitot House on April 10 at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie.

at the Cabildo by Jackson Square.

For information, visit patioplanters.net.

Pitot House talk set for East Bank library

The historic Pitot House on Bayou St. John in New Orleans will be the subject of a talk by the executive director of the Louisiana Landmarks Society at 7 p.m. April 10 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., in Metairie.

Stacey Pfingsten will discuss the 225-year-old West Indiesstyle building that was home to the first U.S. mayor of the city, James Pitot, in 1810. It is the only colonial Creole country house in the city open to the public.

The discussion is free. For information, visit jefferson. lib.la.us.

Bonsai workshops set for area breweries

Bonsai Bar offers an introduction to the ancient Asian art of gardening while enjoying a beer at local breweries.

Instructors lead participants in lessons on the core concepts to pot, prune and design a bonsai tree.

Upcoming sessions in New Orleans include:

n Oak Street Brewery, 8201 Oak St.: 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. April 5

n Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St.: 6 p.m. Monday and 6 p.m. April 7

n Second Line Brewing, 433 N. Bernadotte St.: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Additional sessions are planned.

Cost starts at $85. For information, visit bonsaibar.com.

Volunteer projects abound at City Park

A variety of cleanup days and initiatives are on tap at City Park to improve and maintain the extensive urban green space. Those coming up include:

n Urban Forest Support Initiative: 9 a.m. Saturday. Volunteer Center, 1031 Harrison Ave.

n Litter Abatement Campaign: 9 a.m. Tuesday. Volunteer Center, 1031 Harrison Ave.

n Big Lake Native Plant Trail Restoration Project: 9 a.m. Friday. Big Lake Native Trail near 7 Friedrichs Ave.

Register for the programs and find out more about what to bring at friendsofcitypark. volunteerhub.com.

Have a home and garden event coming up? Send it to events@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

welltaken Point

From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, triangles carry the weight of the world. In architecture, they’re good for structural use because their shape is simple and rigid and won’t change even when under pressure. The ones shown here, though, from around New Orleans, also carry some pointed visual appeal

— Karen Taylor Gist

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN McCUSKER

GREENTHUMB

GARDEN TIPS

ONTHE LOOKOUT: Check your oak trees for masses of young, black, buck moth caterpillars, and consider having your tree sprayed if you see large numbers. Don’t wait until the caterpillars start crawling down the tree trunk or falling from the branches to spray.

CHECK DRAINAGE: After a heavy rain is an excellent time to evaluate drainage conditions in your landscape. Which areas did the water drain away from quickly? Where did water puddle in the yard? What areas still have standing water or are still very wet days after a rain? This information can be invaluable later on when considering what plants to locate in various areas

FEED ROSES: Fertilize roses now if you have not already done so. If you are growing types of roses highly susceptible to black spot (such as hybrid tea roses), a regular spray program should be started now for disease and insect problems For convenience, use a material that combines an insecticide and a fungicide in the same product.

LAWN CARE NOW: We fertilize lawns anytime from late March to early April, so now is the time. Mow the lawn just before fertilizer application, spread the fertilizer evenly and at the proper rate, and water thoroughly when you are finished. If weeds are an issue, you may use a weed and feed.

WHENTO PRUNE: Prune springflowering trees and shrubs any time after they finish flowering Have a specific purpose in mind before you begin pruning, and prune carefully to accomplish it.

Add the extra pop of homegrown herbs to your cooking

INT CONDITION

I love cooking with fresh herbs, and I think they are well worth the effort it takes to grow them. Fresh herbs add so much to the flavor of our cooking. When selecting which culinary herbs you want to grow, consider what you commonly cook with: Look at the ones in your kitchen cabinet and start off growing those.

Herbs are a highly varied group of useful plants that includes both annuals and perennials.

Annuals are plants that grow for a single season and then die; they are replanted each year. They are divided into cool-

ABOVE: It’s not too late to plant cilantro, a cool-season annual TOP: Mint, an herbaceous perennial, is handy for cocktails and may help keep mosquitoes away.

season annuals and warm-season annuals. Perennial herbs live for several or many years and may be herbaceous (mints, garlic

chives, lemon grass) or woody (trees and shrubs like bay leaf, rosemary and lavender).

ä See HERBS, page 10

FILE PHOTO By DOUG PARKER

Dan Gill GREEN THUMB

GREENTHUMB

5 ways to avoid a common rot problem with tomatoes

BY DAN GILL

Contributing writer

When do you start treating your tomato bushes for blossom-end rot? Thanks. — Sonny Blossom-end rot is a common and frustrating problem in tomatoes. There are a variety of home remedies you will see online that are of questionable effectiveness, like applying eggshells or antacids. Blossom-end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency in the developing fruit. While this may occur due to a lack of calcium in the soil, other factors can cause blossom-end rot even when there is adequate calcium in the soil. The soil in the south shore New Orleans area is rich in calcium, and blossom-end rot still occurs here.

To determine calcium levels, it is a good idea to get your garden soil tested through the local LSU AgCenter extension office. If calcium is low, lime may be incorporated into the soil to increase calcium levels. This should be done during bed preparation before planting. Some varieties are more prone to this condition than others. So, always plant several varieties in your garden to hedge your bets.

While blossom-end rot is most common in tomatoes, it may also be a problem on peppers, squash and watermelons. It is more common on fruit that is one-third to one-half grown, and it occurs on the lower, blossom end of the fruit. It begins as a small, watersoaked spot and develops into a dark brown, leathery area. The surface of the spot shrinks and becomes flat or sunken.

The uptake of calcium from the soil by the tomato plant can be reduced by fluctuations in soil moisture — either excessively wet soil or exces-

bed where you plant tomatoes is generously amended with organic matter.

2. Incorporate lime into the soil if a soil test indicates this is needed, or apply a rounded teaspoon of calcium nitrate about 6 inches from the stem when the plants set their first fruit, and again four weeks later.

3. Keep 2 to 3 inches of mulch around the plants to keep the soil evenly moist.

4. Water deeply and thoroughly as necessary. Avoid allowing the plants to wilt.

sively dry soil. Blossom-end rot can occur when sunny days follow a cloudy, wet period. The disease commonly occurs when plants are growing rapidly and luxuriantly early in the season and are then subjected to dry weather Blossom-end rot may be more serious on the windward side of a garden and on staked tomatoes rather than on caged plants.

To prevent or reduce blossom-end rot, the most important things to do are:

1. Make sure the soil in the

5. Fertilize moderately Excessive nitrogen can encourage blossom end rot.

These are the major things you can do to prevent blossomend rot in tomatoes. If you see it showing up anyway, you can try some of the blossom-end rot sprays available at nurseries. But the information above is more important and effective than the sprays.

I planted a climbing rose to grow along a low iron fence.After a whole year, it never bloomed. So, I cut it back drastically but still no flowers. Is there a way to make a climber bloom? — Sandy Most climbing roses bloom

only in the spring on growth they made the summer before. Newly purchased climbing roses of this type rarely bloom their first year because all of the previous season’s growth is pruned off for shipping purposes.

After a summer of growth, those new canes should bloom in spring and early summer the next year Unfortunately, when you cut the plant back hard you discouraged blooming by cutting off that growth. That caused the continued lack of flowering.

Do not severely prune your rose until next April, and you should see abundant flowers next year The best time to prune climbing roses is in midsummer after the main bloom season.

Dan Gill is a retired consumer horticulture specialist with the LSU AgCenter. He hosts the “Garden Show” on WWL-AM Saturdays at 9 a.m. Email gardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter.lsu. edu.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Blossom-end rot, which commonly occurs in tomatoes, targets plants growing rapidly and luxuriantly early in the season and are then subjected to dry weather.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT Climbing roses should be pruned in midsummer, after the bloom season.

GREENTHUMB

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High ceiling.Eachunithas its washer&Dryer! Back porch, terrace, andcourtyard.Totally renovated, fully furnished! 2Meters. Off street parking!

$1,295,000 •ALGIERS POINT

6Beds/5Baths /3,709 SqFt. Thehome hasbeentotally renovated with energy-saving, modern updates keeping allthe beautifulmolding, arches anddetails. AMustSee!

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Most adorable cottage on the block! 1streetoff Magazine

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Apremier investment opportunity includes6front and2backbuildings,a large courtyardwithanabove-ground pool,amusic stage,and parking.

Basil, a warm-season annual, should be planted now through early August.

HERBS

Continued from page 8

COOL-SEASON ANNUAL HERBS:

These prefer to grow in cool weather and can tolerate normal winter freezes. Seeds may be planted in late summer or fall, and transplants should be planted September through

February

You may still plant coolseason annual herbs now (and I do mean now) and expect to get acceptable harvests in May or early June. Excellent coolseason annual herbs include parsley, cilantro/coriander, chamomile, celery, dill, chicory, fennel, borage, arugula and chervil.

WARM-SEASON ANNUAL HERBS:

These herbs cannot tolerate freezes and thrive in the summer They include basil (in all its myriad forms and flavors), sesame, summer savory and perilla. They can be seeded in pots in February (greenhouse or under lights) and transplanted into the garden after danger of frost is past. Purchased transplants should be planted from late March through early August.

PERENNIAL HERBS: Some of the perennial herbs that we can grow here are mints, lemon verbena, lemon balm, rosemary, Mexican tarragon, burnet, sorrel, chives, society garlic, catmint, garlic chives, oregano, monarda, catmint, anise hyssop, mountain mint, bay leaf, pineapple sage and rue. Most of the perennial herbs are best planted from September through April using transplants available at local nurseries. Fall planting is generally best. This allows them to become established during the less stressful cool season. Mexican tarragon and lemon grass are not as cold hardy and should be planted from April

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Sesame plants, a warm-season annual, make grooved seedpods after the flowers develop. Each pod can contain more than 100 seeds.

PROVIDED PHOTO By WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

through August.

GREENTHUMB

Thyme, sage, catnip and lavender are perennial herbs that require excellent drainage to survive the summer. They tend to be short-lived and often succumb to root and stem rots in the hot, wet late summer season. These herbs may be more successful when grown in containers and placed in a location that gets some shade in the afternoon during the summer

French tarragon, feverfew and chamomile are perennials, but they cannot take the heat of our summers and typically die when it gets hot Plant these herbs in fall (October through early December) for best results.

General care for herbs

It’s generally best to start with transplants when planting herbs. Starting herbs from seeds is possible, but it’s generally not worth the trouble or the time it takes unless you need a lot of plants to grow a big crop.

For most of us, just one or a few plants of each type of herb are all that’s needed.

Herbs enjoy sun all day and need at least six hours of direct sun to produce high amounts of flavorful oils. Many herbs require excellent drainage. Raised beds are a good idea for herb gardens because they provide good drainage during periods of heavy rainfall.

Herbs also grow very well in containers Herbs thrive in gallon-size or larger containers (you may plant several herbs together in large containers). Use potting soil or potting mix.

Herbs should only be fertilized moderately to avoid stimulating lush growth that will be less flavorful. Generally, fertilize herbs with the same products you use for your other plants but at half strength.

Locate your culinary herb growing area as close to the kitchen as possible. They need to be convenient to harvest and use while you are cooking.

Flavor saver

When your herbs produce more than you can immediately use, you can preserve the extras to cook with later.

Drying and freezing herbs are the best ways to preserve your harvest. Bundle and hang herbs to dry, or dry them spread out on paper towels. They will be dry enough in 10 to 14 days to store in sealed containers.

To freeze herbs, chop them and put them in sealable

freezer bags. Lay the bag flat and press the herbs into a thin layer; remove most of the air and then put them in your freezer.

The Herb Society Spring Plant Sale is a great opportunity to purchase herbs and get herb gardening questions answered by the friendly members of the Herb Society of America New Orleans Unit. The sale is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 29 at 2140 S. Carrollton Ave. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted. For information, email herbsno@ gmail.com.

FILE PHOTO

The woody perennial rosemary can be planted into the summer garden.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The home at 609 Exposition Blvd. in Audubon Park is a window-filled townhouse with grand views and chic style.

A

luxe

townhouse on Audubon Park

is a chic slice of city life

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

The boulevard along Audubon Park gets its name from the 1884 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, which filled the park and brought global attention to the city.

Exposition Boulevard, one of the few reminders of that long-ago fair, is now a spot with some of the rare residences that have the park as a front or backyard.

For 609 Exposition Blvd., the park acts as a side yard. The townhouse has more than 3,300 square feet of space, with four bedrooms, three full baths and a price of just over $1.66 million.

Built in 1980, the three-story residence is a chic slice of city life with plentiful windows and vantage points to enjoy the park surroundings.

The courtyard is a statement-making scene with manicured foliage and a

ONEINAMILLION

The formal living room has a backdrop of windows on the park, exuding comfort and relaxation.

A water feature is crafted into the elegant linear space that leads to the home’s main entrance.

water feature that draws visitors to the formal front door.

The recessed side entrance, behind elegant iron gates and fencing, includes a leaded-glass door that echoes the elements of the fence.

A herringbone-patterned floor delineates the foyer, which leads directly to the home’s cozy dining room, with its textured ceilings and architectural

touches. Large openings lead into the living room and kitchen.

With a backdrop of the park through the wall of windows and doors, the living room is a roomy spot for entertaining. French doors allow for easy access to the covered porch that peers onto the verdant vistas of the park.

From the dining room, a butler’s pantry, brimming with storage and extra

Sophisticated style is evident in the primary bath, with a separate standing shower, soaking tub and double vanity.

service space, leads into the area occupied by the kitchen, breakfast nook and den — together, yet clearly delineated. Style and substance combine in the kitchen, with stainless appliances and granite counters, plus grand views of the living room area over the bar The breakfast nook, beside large windows, is handy to the kitchen and a prime post for morning coffee and breaking the fast.

The den is a relaxed yet stylish space that features a pair of doors for easy access to the garage and parking area of the home.

In the hall, a powder room is conveniently located near the stairs that lead up to the sleeping quarters.

The primary suite, located on the

Stainless appliances and a working island make the kitchen useful and stylish.

ONEINAMILLION

park end of the structure, echoes the configuration of the downstairs living room, with a balcony overlooking the park behind a wall of windows. A large walk-in closet provides storage, while the primary bath is a spalike configuration with a double vanity, separate tub and standing shower with stone seat.

A second bath and a laundry room are off the hall, as well as a prime spot for a home office space or a reading nook.

The second bedroom comes

with a spacious sitting room.

The walk-in closets also provide direct access to the hall bath, a two-chamber room with tub and toilet on one side and vanity on the other.

The third floor opens onto a reading nook wrapped by the stairs and illuminated by a large window A full hall bath sits between the third bedroom and a fourth room that can easily work as a bedroom or recreation space. It includes a wet bar, plenty of storage and a unique configu-

ration.

The garage, which contains additional storage, is paired with an additional off-street parking space.

Most of the furniture is also available.

The home is listed by Dawn O. Talbot, Trisha Faliveno and Shaun Talbot, of Talbot Realty Group, (504) 975-9763.

One in a Million is an occasional series featuring upscale homes for sale in the metro area.

A herringbone pattern in the flooring sets off the home’s foyer, with easy access to the dining room and living room.

A multipurpose room, which can be a fourth bedroom, craft center, home office or den, has a wet bar and clever nooks for carving out a plethora of space-saving solutions.

TECH. TRENDS. UPGRADES.

In a Dome chock-full of ideas and offerings, don’t miss these picks

INSIDE

ä Artificial intelligence to streamline your home routines.

Page 16

ä Declutter audio equipment.

Page 18

ä Booths featured around the Dome.

Pages 16-18

BY JYL BENSON Contributing writer

When the New Orleans Home & Garden Show launched in 1957, home trends reflected the burgeoning post-war American middle class with ranch-style homes, Cape Cods, soft pastel palettes and the debut of appliances like vacuum cleaners and toasters. Open floor plans were gaining popularity, too.

The midcentury modern aesthetic, emphasizing functionality and clean lines, gained traction with features like vertical paneling, exposed wooden ceiling beams, and plywood cabinetry.

ä See TRENDS, page 17

Attendees browse orchids during the 2022 New Orleans Home & Garden Show at the Caesars Superdome. The show is

SHOW HIGHLIGHT UP, UP AND AWAY, SORT OF

Thrill seeker and scaredy cat all at once?

This one’s for you For the first time, two hot air balloons will take riders up for a new way to elevate your experience in the Superdome and Home Show However, there is no chance of crashing into the Dome’s Skybox: The balloons will be tethered with ropes for the three-minute rides that will take participants about 20 feet in the air. The cost is $35 per person, $25 for each day’s first 100 people. Balloon ride tickets can only be purchased inside the event, near the balloon area. A portion of the proceeds will go to the nonprofit New Orleans Education League of the Construction Industry to repair low-income elderly homeowner’s properties in the New Orleans area.

ForeverLawn Gulf South will be at this year’s show with its naturallooking synthetic grass.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

back at the site after a two-year relocation because of Dome renovations.

ON THE COVER: A hot-air balloon rises toward the ceiling of the Caesars Superdome.

HIGHLIGHTS AT THE SHOW

BEHIND THE DOOR

Doors for Elegance, Booth 514

Does your front door announce something more akin to “haunted house” than “elegant home” or even “kickin’ crib?”

If it’s time to upgrade the first impression of your house, Doors of Elegance represents an extensive collection of beveled glass doors, wrought iron doors, elegant French doors and carved solid wood doors.

DOGGO DINING

The Pet’s Table, Booth 913

Our devotion to animal companions only seems to intensify in uncertain times; their love is something we can always rely on

The Pet’s Table, a new high-quality meal subscription service for pets from HelloFresh, will share the virtues of custom-crafted, home-delivered meals meant to keep your four-legged loved ones

Pemba, Booth 410

AI that learns your routines around the house

Like it or not, not only is artificial intelligence here to stay, but chances are it will also move in with you. According to Statista Research Department, by 2028, over 103 million homes will be considered “smart homes” using some form of home automation.

This goes beyond telling Alexa to “turn off the lights” or “set a timer.”

The Home Show will feature Josh.AI, the newest advanced home technology, at the Pemba (Professional Engineering Masters of Better Automation) Booth. This home automation system uses AI technology that, among other things, adapts to the user’s voice and behavior

For example, suppose your routine is to go into the kitchen first thing in the morning, turn on a specific light, raise a shade and flick on the coffee maker. In that case, Josh will begin to pick up on those behaviors and eventually do those tasks for you the minute you walk into the kitchen in the morning.

Josh anticipates your routine without you having to say anything. It is intuitive. It figures you out and gives you what you want before you even ask for it.

When Kim and Hung Nguyen built their dream home, they went all in with Josh AI.

“He went crazy,” Kim Nguyen said of her husband. “He automated everything. I tried to stop him, but then I just said, ‘You do you.’”

The Nguyens are electrical contractors. Hung Nguyen studied home automation years ago, so he had long desired an automated home.

Josh has advanced language processing, so one need only to speak naturally when asking Josh to do something. Users can have code words for multiple tasks — like saying, “Good

Kim and Hung Nguyen, below, built Josh.AI into their new Slidell home. ABOVE: The shades for the windows in the home are controlled by saying ‘Josh, window shades up.’ That function could also be incorporated into a single command designed to complete multiple function.

night, Josh,” and it will accomplish however many tasks you wish to happen before you go to bed — turn on/off lights, double check doors, play music in the bedroom, whatever you’ve programmed that command to do. Users can program Josh to accept voice commands, touch controls and commands through an app or text.

“I love it,” Kim Nguyen said. “Josh ain’t cheap, but I abso-

lutely love it. We both work a lot, constantly, so when we are home, Josh anticipates and does everything for us. We can relax. No more ‘Josh, turn on the lights’ because Josh knows when to do it If I say ‘bubble bath,’ Josh sets the lighting I like for a bubble bath.”

Patricia Smith founded Pemba in 1997. She specializes in the design and programming of lighting and automation. She worked with the Nguyens on the system for their home.

“For the Nguyen residence, they were building their forever home and wanted a way to control everything easily,” she said. “They didn’t want to learn a lot of systems, and they wanted current technology. They implemented Josh.AI so that Josh could respond to their voices in all rooms without needing to hold a remote or phone.

“Kim tells me she just loves

when Josh opens and closes her bedroom shades just because she asks. She loves that Josh appears to learn what lights she needs when she returns from the grocery with her hands loaded with bags. She loves that Josh can lower her shades but leave them open just enough for her orchids. We installed the Josh.AI mini microphones in each room so they do not need to lift a finger to talk to Josh.”

Josh also can interface with other systems such as smart TVs, or existing programmed lighting systems. If you upgrade to Josh.AI, it will intuitively take over and combine the tasks from the other smart devices you have in place. Only the system’s processor is hardwired in the home. Otherwise, it works with all smart devices via Wi-Fi or ethernet. Josh is also “cognizant” of homeowners’ privacy

“It does not listen and record constantly,” Smith said. “Users must activate it by saying ‘OK Josh’ or pressing a remote or phone app button. Users can also choose not to record or save interactions. Also, unlike many AI systems, Josh.AI does not sell user data. It has a builtin Open AI’s ChatGBT. This means that when you talk with Josh, you can also ask questions such as ‘what is the distance to the moon’ or ‘what are some casserole suggestions to bring to a pot-luck dinner?’ All while enjoying your privacy.

“The future I see for Josh. AI is to function as a home concierge. Current capabilities include analyzing camera feeds and providing descriptions like ‘A man with a red shirt, shorts and a white hat is at the door.’ Future updates may allow Josh.AI to take actions based on camera analysis.”

— Jyl Benson

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Recycled glass bottles turned into sand are sorted into different size grains at Glass

Half Full in New Orleans.

HIGHLIGHTS AT THE SHOW

PAINT PERFECTOR

RhinoShield, Booth 1012

Ready to make a long-term commitment to the exterior color of your house? RhinoShield MidSouth can minister this marriage for you. Its exterior coatings provide a longlasting, fade-proof solution for homes crafted of wood, brick, stucco, metal and vinyl backed with a 25-year warranty.

CATCH THE BUZZ

Simply Cannabis, Booth 710

Simply Cannabis, a New Orleansbased purveyor of hemp-derived, recreational THC and cannabis products, will be on hand to turn you on to their sodas and gummies, which are lab-tested, legal and registered with the Louisiana Department of Health, so you can chill out in your crib.

FEEL THE LOVE

Bark Park, Booth 122

The Bark Park will feature adoptable dogs and cats from animal rescue centers and resources for owners, including information on service animals and solutions for pet health needs. There will also be demonstrations and dog meet-and-greets.

NEW LIFE FOR OLD WOOD

The Olde Mill, Booth 1047

Using modern innovation, the Olde Mill handcrafts architectural beams, mantels, engineered flooring, cabinets, floating shelves, door headers, posts and custom wood products from reclaimed wood. The company sources structural timbers from salvaged antique longleaf pine, white oak and cypress, then re-mills them into hardwood sheets that are laminated onto sturdy engineered wood. The result is a product that prevents warping and twisting.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Gardening and Storm Prep Seminar Stage, Booth 134

A series of seminars will be offered on fortified roofing, wind mitigation, ways to lower insurance costs and other ways to prepare your home for the unexpected, which seems to be all anyone can expect these days.

GLASS HALF FULL

Glass Half Full, Booth 1015

Two college co-eds were killing a bottle of wine when the idea for Glass Half Full struck. Since then, they have recycled over 8 million pounds of glass collected from residences, commercial partners and special events. It’s processed into sand and used in coastal restoration projects, for flood mitigation and into other glass products for home and garden.

PLANT PERSON

Gardening and Storm Prep Seminar Stage, Booth 134

In keeping with the strong trends toward biophilic design, which incorporates elements like plants, sunlight and organic materials into the home to create a connection with nature, Theresa Thomas, “The Crazy Plant Bae,” will conduct a series of gardening seminars with guidance on keeping both indoor and outdoor foliage healthy.

NEW ORLEANS HOME & GARDEN SHOW

WHAT: The 68th annual show presents the latest in home and garden trends, technology, building and more.

WHERE: Caesars Superdome

WHEN: Noon to 7 p.m. March 28; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 29; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 30

TICKETS: Advance tickets available online, $8. $15 at the door, with children under 12 free. Military, veterans, first responders half-price at the door only

PARKING: Garage 6, 1500 Sugar Bowl Drive

MORE INFO: neworleanshomeshows.com

TRENDS

Continued from page 14

Sixty-eight years later, the home show continues to bear witness to the times, ever watchful as many of those design trends have returned, only to fade away again. This year’s show returns to the Caesars Superdome after an interim stint of two years at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center while the Dome was being renovated. It will focus on a blend of functionality, style and innovative technology.

Interior design trends will center on bringing natural elements into the home, such as earthy neutrals instead of stark whites and cool grays, and the resurgence of maximalism with an embrace of color, abundance, and personal expression. Homeowners are creating spaces that are rich in visual interest and personality through the use of sustainable materials and retro elements.

There also are other abundant resources, from caring for your pet or acquiring one to making your house a home.

STAFF PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

A fortified roof can save you money on your homeowner’s insurance.

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

HIGHLIGHTS AT THE SHOW

GREEN THUMB

Crazy Plant Bae, Booth 138

Crazy Plant Bae is a three-generation family-owned business of five plantcrazy women.

For over 40 years, this family has spread plant joy from its shop in the historic Treme neighborhood.

AIR WASHED

Ritello, Booth 918

The Ritello Home Purifier uses water to trap dust, dirt, germs and dust mites inside its water basin, ’cause wet dust can’t fly! The device also removes unpleasant odors through deodorizing and aromatherapy

NO MO’ MOWNG

ForeverLawn, Booth 101

Forget droughts, freezes, mowing and all the mess and stress by using ForeverLawn Gulf South’s natural-looking synthetic grass. It works for residential and commercial properties and comes in more than 20 varieties.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Crazy Plant Bae, a business in Treme, will be at the New Orleans Home and Garden Show at Caesars Superdome.

Dynamic Audio & Video, Booth 705

Creating sound systems that cut the clutter

Jamie Gannon founded Dynamic Audio Video in 2001 during the infancy of smart home automation. This year, his rapidly growing company’s presence at the home show will focus on hidden, or discreet, technology.

Sonance “Invisible” Speakers allow homeowners to hide speakers and subwoofers completely within a wall or ceiling while maintaining the pure sound of the speaker The technology merges high-fidelity audio into architecture and interior design, transforming the acoustics of any space while respecting its original aesthetic. Invisible speakers start at about $800 a pair, plus

installation.

Lutron lighting control and motorized shades allow homeowners to control all lights and shades in their homes from a single keypad instead of the wall clutter of multiple traditional light switches. The technology can be controlled through a mobile app, so the lights are on to welcome you no matter when you show up.

“A typical customer interested in one of these services tends to focus on aesthetics and convenience,” Gannon said. “They have carefully worked with interior designers and architects and do not want to disturb the home’s overall feel; they would rather

have their technology disappear.”

A basic lighting control system starts around $1,500, and motorized shading has an average of about $1,200 each.

“In this field, we have job security because technology is always evolving and progressing,” Gannon said. “Since most technology systems are app based, and not hardware based like in the earlier years, systems are easily upgradable. The hardware stays the same, but as technology grows, the manufacturers may offer improvements to functionality ... by releasing a simple software upgrade.

— Jyl Benson

INSIDESTORY

young ruby-throated hummingbird perches on a canna lily stalk.

BY HANNAH LEVITAN Staff writer

Trying to follow a hummingbird’s frenzied path might give you whiplash, but right now, Louisiana residents will have ample opportunity to spot the tiny, long-beaked birds as they make their annual migration from Mexico.

Louisiana is filled with bird enthusiasts, so the arrival of hummingbirds along the Gulf Coast is a nature lover’s ideal start to spring.

The most common hummingbird in Louisiana is the the ruby-throated hummingbird, which typically bears emerald and red feathers.

Airborne jewels

Introducing tubular flowers to your garden or setting up a hummingbird feeder are ways to see the shimmery creatures.

Hummingbird feeders usu-

ally use mixtures with onequarter cup of sugar per cup of water And while it’s not necessary to dye the mixture, most feeders are red, as hummingbirds are naturally drawn to the color. Feeders come in all different colors, though the Baton

Rouge Audubon Society suggests residents stay away from yellow feeders, as the color is a magnet for bees and wasps.

Additional tips for feeders

Just as you would with a water bowl for your pets, sugar water mixtures need to be replaced regularly, too.

If you are setting up a feeder, consider placing it away from predators, like cats, who may use the spot as their hunting ground.

Hanging the feeder in an area shielded from wind and direct sunlight will also preserve the nectar for longer Fun facts

The ruby-throated hummingbird flaps its wings 60 to 80 times per second, so it’s easy to mistake the bird for a large bee.

Weighing less than a nickel, the hummingbird is known to

nest on deciduous or coniferous tree branches, though some are used to human habitation and will nest on loops of chain, wire and extension cords.

Though they can fly up to

60 mph, these hummingbirds have extremely short legs and are unable to walk or hop. Instead, they shuffle. And to scratch its head or neck, the ruby-throated hummingbird raises a foot over its wing.

Themostsought-

A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

AI’s transformation of farmwork starting at vineyards

BY SARAH PARVINI AP technology writer

LOS ANGELES — When artificial intelligence-backed tractors became available to vineyards, Tom Gamble wanted to be an early adopter He knew there would be a learning curve, but Gamble decided the technology was worth figuring out.

The third-generation farmer bought one autonomous tractor He plans on deploying its self-driving feature this spring and is currently using the tractor’s AI sensor to map his Napa Valley vineyard. As it learns each row, the tractor will know where to go once it is used autonomously. The AI within the machine will then process the data it collects and help Gamble make betterinformed decisions about his crops — what he calls “precision farming.”

“It’s not going to completely replace the human element of putting your boot into the vineyard, and that’s one of my favorite things to do,” he said. “But it’s going to be able to allow you to work more smartly, more intelligently and in the end, make better decisions under less fatigue.”

Gamble said he anticipates using the tech as much as possible because of “economic, air quality and regulatory imperatives.” Autonomous tractors, he said, could help lower his fuel use and cut back on pollution.

As AI continues to grow, experts say that the wine industry is proof that businesses can integrate the technology efficiently to supplement labor without displacing a workforce. New agricultural tech like AI can help farmers to cut back on waste, and to run more efficient and sustainable vineyards by monitoring water use and helping determine when and where to use products like fertilizers or pest control. AI-backed tractors and irrigation systems, farmer say, can minimize water use by ana-

Tyler Klick is a partner and viticulturist at Redwood Empire Vineyard Management, which uses artificial intelligence technology to measure soil respiration, soil temperature and ambient temperature for chardonnay production at its vineyard in Geyserville, Calif.

lyzing soil or vines, while also helping farmers to manage acres of vineyards by providing more accurate data on the health of a crop or what a season’s yield will be.

Farmers, Gamble said, are always evolving. There were fears when the tractor replaced horses and mules pulling plows, but that technology “proved itself” just like AI farming tech will, he said, adding that adopting any new tech always takes time.

Companies like John Deere have started using the AI that wine farmers are beginning to adopt. The agricultural giant uses “Smart Apply” technology on tractors, for example, helping growers apply material for crop retention by using sensors and algorithms to sense foliage on grape canopies, said Sean Sundberg, business integration manager at John Deere.

The tractors that use that tech then only spray “where there are grapes or leaves

or whatnot so that it doesn’t spray material unnecessarily,” he said. Last year, the company announced a project with Sonoma County Winegrowers to use tech to help wine grape growers maximize their yield.

Angelo A. Camillo, a professor of wine business at Sonoma State University, said that despite excitement over AI in the wine industry, some smaller vineyards are more skeptical about their ability to use the technology. Small, family-owned operations, which Camillo said account for about 80% of the wine business in America, are slowly disappearing — many don’t have the money to invest in AI, he said A robotic arm that helps put together pallets of wine, for example, can cost as much as $150,000, he said.

“For small wineries, there’s a question mark, which is the investment. Then there’s the education. Who’s going to

Diseases or viruses can sneak up and destroy entire vineyards, Earles said, calling it an “elephant in the room” across the wine industry The process of replanting a vineyard and getting it to produce well takes at least five years, he said. AI can help growers determine which virus is affecting their plants, he said, and whether they should rip out some crops immediately to avoid losing their entire vineyard.

Earles, who is also cofounder of the AI-powered farm management platform Scout, said his company uses AI to process thousands of images in hours and extract data quickly — something that would be difficult by hand in large vineyards that span hundreds of acres. Scout’s AI platform then counts and measures the number of grape clusters as early as when a plant is beginning to flower in order to forecast what a yield will be.

work with all of these AI applications? Where is the training?” he said.

There are also potential challenges with scalability, Camillo added. Drones, for example, could be useful for smaller vineyards that could use AI to target specific crops that have a bug problem, he said — it would be much harder to operate 100 drones in a 1,000 acre vineyard while also employing the IT workers who understand the tech.

“I don’t think a person can manage 40 drones as a swarm of drones,” he said. “So there’s a constraint for the operators to adopt certain things.”

However, AI is particularly good at tracking a crop’s health — including how the plant itself is doing and whether it’s growing enough leaves — while also monitoring grapes to aid in yield projections, said Mason Earles, an assistant professor who leads the Plant AI and Biophysics Lab at UC Davis.

The sooner vintners know how much yield to expect, the better they can “dial in” their wine making process, he added.

“Predicting what yields you’re going to have at the end of the season, no one is that good at it right now,” he said. “But it’s really important because it determines how much labor contract you’re going to need and the supplies you’ll need for making wine.”

Earles doesn’t think the budding use of AI in vineyards is “freaking farmers out.” Rather, he anticipates that AI will be used more frequently to help with difficult field labor and to discern problems in vineyards that farmers need help with.

“They’ve seen people trying to sell them tech for decades. It’s hard to farm; it’s unpredictable compared to most other jobs,” he said. “The walking and counting, I think people would have said a long time ago, ‘I would happily let a machine take over.’”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

NEW ORLEANS

TRANSFERS ISSUED MARCH 11-15

DISTRICT 1

CLEVELAND AVE. 4130: $250,000, Foley Robb Santamaria to Ahmad Yousef Jabbar, Mosab Amjad Muhamad Hammoudeh, Said M. Mohammad, Shaden Yousef Murad and Shatha Yousef Murad.

CLEVELAND AVE. 4734-36:

$350,000, Viau Estates LLC to Jacob Graham Zola.

POYDRAS ST. 3, UNIT 14-F:

$3,150,000, Burrus 2016 intervivos trust to Debra Gardner Latham and Denny Latham.

PRYTANIA ST. 1512, UNIT 1512:

$225,000, Vanessa Mila Wagner to Margaux Carer Montoya.

S. LOPEZ ST. 312: $425,000, John L. D Dwyer to Caitlin Worley Sheehan and Patrick Darren Magee.

S. PETERS ST. 700: $565,000, Maria Jaisle Keefe and Thomas L. Keefe to Erin Wian Gilbert.

S. RENDON ST. 318-320: no value stated, Derek M. Mercer and Diana A. Mercer to Dam DMM LLC.

DISTRICT 2

CANAL BLVD. 5626-28: donation, no value stated, Gwenlyn Frisch Hinyup and Thomas E. Hinyup III to Wendi Hinyup Pomerleau.

CATINA ST. 6375-77: $445,000, Gia Rabito to Casey Beatrice Craighead.

CONTI ST. 3220: $130,000, Lisa Marie Brown to Oyster Ventures LLC.

DAUPHINE ST. 1226: $855,000, Alan C. Santos and Michael Kevin Buckley to Nancy Ann Blackwell Gilbertson and Todd Eric Gilbertson.

DUMAINE ST. 2646: $408,000, Sharissa Taylor to Jake G. Sharpless.

EMERALD ST. 714: $925,000, 714 Emerald LLC to Louise Segura Cook and Michael Watson Cook

ESPLANADE AVE. 812: $300,000, Curran M. Burke and Margaret Simone Mollere Burke to Amy L. Sinclair Morris and Scott P. Morris.

GOV. NICHOLLS ST. 2101, N. JOHNSON ST. 1201: $100 and other valuable consideration, Hanan Khaled Sheikha to Earth Odyssey LLC.

GOV. NICHOLLS ST. 2437: $190,000, Brandon Benion, Devon Watts, Duane Smith, Eric J. Smith

REALESTATETRANSFERS

and Matthew Smith III to Keith Michael Stripling and Robyn Scott Stripling.

MARAIS ST. 1024: $371,000, Braly Living Trust to Alexandra Elizabeth Williams

PARK ISLAND DRIVE 18: donation, no value stated, Kenneth C. Coignet to Coignet Family revocable living trust.

ST. LOUIS ST. 916: donation, no value stated, Aida S. Montano to Thomas S. Jordan.

ST. LOUIS ST. 933: $599,000, Alison Weir Nichols Mudd and William Anderson Mudd to Kenneth Valenti.

THRASHER ST. 40: $425,000, Mary Castro Costelloe and William H. Costelloe III to Natalia Balan Borta and Oleg Borta.

URSULINES 816-818, UNIT 818: donation, no value stated, William Randolph Hartwell to Brea K. Haigley and Sorte Sua Contenti irrevocable trust.

DISTRICT 3

ALABO ST. 1400: donation, no value stated, Gail Slack, Gary Slack, Jeannine Slack, Jimmie L. Slack Jr. and Ronnie Slack to Tameka Walker.

BACCICH ST. 5607: $190,000, Francine Peterson Marcelin to Daphne M. Spears.

BARKLEY PLACE 7502: $43,000, Suzette Valteau Dummett to Rosa Petronila Canelas Cruz.

BARTHOLOMEW ST. 2417: $6,000, New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to Vernice Simon.

BASINVIEW DRIVE 5148: $120,000, Ciecam Properties LLC to Do The Wright Thing LLC.

BUNDY ROAD 5230: $190,000, August J. Campanella Special Needs Trust, Gina K. Hansel Special Needs Trust and John B. Campanella Trust to Brian K. Gallaher and Kelly Mitchell Gallaher.

BURGUNDY ST. 1943 A: donation,

no value stated, Nash Family Realty Trust to Nash Family revocable trust of 2008.

CARDENAS ST. 4901: $60,000, Sunset Harbour LLC to Benjamin Nhat Dong Tran.

CHAGNARD DRIVE 4530: donation, no value stated, William Heath Martin to Christy Kay Cartaginese.

CHARTRES ST. 3431: donation, no value stated, Michael Krochak Bryzelak and Rande Bryzelak Krochak to Michael Krochak and Rande Bryzelak Joint revocable trust.

CLARIDGE COURT 7200: $50,000, Oleander Melancon Benton to LA Trading LLC.

CONNAUGHT COURT 6970:

$270,000, Lien Kim Nguyen and Nam Van Nguyen to Darryl Evans.

CROWDER BLVD. 4854: $62,000,

Shanna Schexnayder to Keldar Business Ventures LLC.

ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE. 2034: $310,000, Live Avant Garde LLC to John David Knower and Wendy Lee Williamson.

FELICIANA ST. 2308: $119,000, New Orleans Area Habitat For Humanity Inc. to Bartolomeu Cruz LLC.

FIELDSTON ROAD 7511: $50,000, Quelton D. Broussard and Raoul O. Broussard to Equality Home Buyers LLC.

FIELDSTON ROAD 7511: $80,000, Equality Home Buyers LLC to Benjamin Nhat Bong Tran.

FRANKLIN AVE. 1416-18: $75,000, Tia Marie Torres to DA Elite Investments Rentals LLC.

FRENCHMEN ST. 3120: $274,000, Etta N. Kelly to Ashley Netyra ä See ORLEANS, page 22

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued from page 21

Imbott and Deandrae Shawntale Banks.

GEORGE NICK CONNOR DRIVE 2429: donation, no value stated, Glenn Mercadal, Leslie McFadden and Michael Mercadal to Michelle Scales.

GLADIOLUS ST. 2756-56 1/2: $33,000, Eugene Smothers and Jane Marie Hooker Smothers to T Co. Realty LLC.

JEANNE MARIE PLACE 4516: $319,000, Morgan Daniels Stroter and Moses Stroter Gordon III to Justin Stanley Williams and Kassidy Ann Williams.

JOURDAN AVE. 2133: $8,500, 4600 Properties LLC to Zenobia Zeno.

KERLEREC ST. 2417: donation, no value stated, Dorth Rigdon to Dlane Rebecca Compton.

LAFON DRIVE 4732: $5,000, Ovedis Jonathan Escobar Rivas to Marvin Ovidio Chepio.

LAFRENIERE ST. 1525-1527:

$423,000, Piedmont Properties LLC to Kyle Burleigh.

LAKE FOREST BLVD. 10555:

$87,500, Nola Hard Money Services LLC to Heart Clinics of New Orleans LLC.

LAKE FOREST BLVD. 10555: donation, no value stated, Sylvia A. Rushing to Roderick L. Tate.

LEDA ST. 1519-21: $550,000, Jeno Frank Kalozdi and Monica Weil Kalozdi to David Eugene Kalozdi and Meredith Stanley Kalozdi.

LINDEN ST. 14061: $127,500, Wilshine Enterprises LLC to Tammy W. Morgan.

MAZANT ST. 1037-39: $260,000, New Deal LLC to DT Home &

Maintenance LLC.

MICHIGAN ST. 7823: $124,500, Angela Spears Brookiins and Guy Brookins to Clint A. Bergeron.

N. BROAD ST. 2130: $485,000, Aaron C. Anderson to Joseph F Harris III.

N. CLAIBORNE AVE. 3017: $7,500, Flag Boy Properties LLC to Jason David Ehlers.

N. DERBIGNY ST. 1426: $465,000, David Michael Berman to Mara Hahn.

N. DERBIGNY ST. 4327: $168,000, Wilbert M. Lewis III to Jeremey Nabors.

N. GALVEZ ST. 2342: $105,000, Providence Community Housing to Corie Hall.

N. ROMAN ST. 3024: $160,000, Stephen M. Stanley to Caroline Finck.

PARIS AVE. 4559: $400,000, Rasaan Holdings LLC to Lori M. Leduff.

PASTEUR BLVD. 5766: donation, no value stated, Alexina Medley and Jerome Medley to Aurora Alexina Comeaux revocable living trust.

PAUGER ST. 2138: $70,000, 3Boys Investments LLC to Masseys Properties LLC.

PAUGER ST. 3114: $155,750, Caitlin Worley Sheehan to Katherine McCusker.

PAUGER ST. 4503: $255,000, BMRC Properties LLC to Jayden N. Dufrene and Myles James Boudreaux.

PINEBROOK DRIVE 7121: $202,000, John Robertson and Sarah McKnight Robertson to Herman Louis Palmer and Margaret Ann Henry Palmer.

PRESSBURG ST. 2424: $210,000, Augustine Hui and Laura Hui to Liam John Joseph Trippi.

RAIL ST. 34: $486,000, Brandt J. Prat and Heather Meunier Prat to Elizabeth Ayo Pharis and Nick Sullivan Pharis.

SANDALWOOD ST. 4619: $60,000, 4619 Sandalwood LLC to Benjamin Nhat Dong Tran.

ST. MAURICE AVE. 1415: $22,000, New Beginning Ventures LLC to Tracy M. Domengeaux Luter

STEMWAY DRIVE 4818: $66,500, Main City Inc. to Tameka Collins Walker.

TREASURE ST. 2757: $4,000, New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to NC Cooper Construction LLC.

TUPELO ST. 1523: $197,000, Brenda Lucas Price and Brenda Lucas Winfield to Constance Spears.

WICKFIELD DRIVE 5172: $390,000, Erica A. Schmidt and Jason D. Schmidt to Toni L. Beamon Davis and Troy Davis.

DISTRICT 4

ANNUNCIATION ST. 2308-10: $552,204, Caralena Christina Peterson Howard and James Pike Howard to Edward R. Silverstein and Grace Santafemia Silverstein.

COLISEUM ST. 2411: $495,000, Stephanie Lynn Mariconda to 2411 Coliseum LLC.

ST. ANDREW ST. 1329: donation, no value stated, Alexandra Bruce Rychlak and Jamie Alexandra Bruce Rychlak to Alexandra Bruce Rychlak and Joseph Antone Rychlak.

ST. ANDREW ST. 1329: $312,500, Jamie Alexandra Bruce Rychlak and Joseph Antone Rychlak to Roderick Vincent Starkie.

ST. MARY ST. 1444: $265,000, Lisa Dubos Deville and Sterling Francis Deville to Gillian Anne Joseph

Wirth and Moritz Immanuel Wirth.

S. DERBIGNY ST. 2424-26: $236,160, Avesta Development Group LLC to GMTF Properties LLC.

THIRD ST. 1417: $1,450,000, Dennis P. Lauscha and Jennifer Malcolm Lauscha to Peter James Jolet and Ronnie Paul Babin.

DISTRICT 5

ANSON ST. 4642: $75,000, Craig M. Delaune to Bertucci Investment Group LLC.

BRIGHTON PLACE 5869: $283,740, Tracey L. Smith to Marcus Reine and Marquise Montague Reine.

GLEN ABBEY WAY 3: $540,000, Houssem Aouididi and Huda Kasim Aouididi to Rizwan Ahmed Dudekula.

KABEL DRIVE 3300-06: $405,000, GNO Portfolio LLC to Alexis N. Mena and Raul E. Mena.

LACOUR MONIQUE ST. 5100: $329,500, Red Door Firm LLC and TRT LLC to Alexis Deville and Russell Farris Jr.

OLIVIER ST. 347-349: $435,000, Kristin Gisleson Palmer and Robert L. Palmer Jr. to Jane Laurance Gruning.

SHEPARD COURT 9-9A: $215,000, Alexis Broussard Robinson and Virgil Robinson Jr. to Johnathan Hendricks and Lacrystal Teanna Trim.

SOMERSET DRIVE 3620: donation, no value stated, Dean Huynh Van Nguyen to David Dat Nguyen.

WHITE OAK AVE. 3541: $265,000, Jonathan C. Pannia to Christopher Batiste.

DISTRICT 6

BLOOMINGDALE COURT 3263-

3265: $60,000, Tyranni Elaine Navarre to 3263 Bloomingdale Court Industries LLC.

BROADWAY ST. 1404: $100, Broadway Real Estate Holdings LLC to Adnan Aydin and Muzeyyen Odabasi Aydin.

CADIZ ST. 818-20: $100, SA Longshore Studio Real Estate LLC to CTN Investments LLC.

CALHOUN ST. 3408-3410: donation, no value stated, Marilyn Mount Alexander to Gulfsouthministries LLC.

COLISEUM ST. 4122: $634,500, Lauren Mule Elliott and Michael S. Elliott Jr. to Catherine James. CONSTANCE ST. 3965: $600,000, Christine Mischler Keating to Lesley Airth.

CONSTANCE ST. 4106: $755,000, Erin Kathleen Oshea Harrell and Kevin Nicholas Harrell to Craig Allen Burley and Grace Becker Burley

CONSTANTINOPLE ST. 726-28281/2: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Steven Arroyo to August J. Propersi III. DRYADES ST. 3313: $310,000, Betty M. McGhee, Doris Ann Cook, Elijah Hearns, Eloise H. Morgan and Joan M. Condoll to Lagniappe Ethical Investments LLC.

FONTAINEBLEAU DRIVE 4402: $140,000, Nicholas Hansel to Sergio Edgardo Yibrin.

GEN. TAYLOR ST. 2012-14: $480,000, Helene Anderson Barnett and Kenneth Lydell Barnett to Jace T. Brittain and Rachel J. Zavecz Brittain.

GEN. TAYLOR 3733-35: donation, no value stated, Brett Sanders Sr. to Colleen A. Morton Sanders. MAGAZINE ST. 5926: $479,000, DHR Property LLC to Madtay LLC.

SONIAT ST. 2405-07: $405,000, Whitt B. Achord to Anastaja R. Ledet and Mark C. Ledet.

enhancementfor

Gorgeous Townhome,onprivategated cul desac.Imported wood floorsthroughout, porcelain tile,10’ ceilings1st floor,2nd floor 9’ ceilings, double crownmolding,granite counters,customwdglazedcabinets, ss appliances, separatelaundry upstairs& jacuzzi tubinprimary.

S. DUPRE ST. 1810: $172,500, Kevin P. Morris and Lisa Stanley Morris to Warehouse 90 LLC.

TCHOUPITOULAS ST. 4331: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Tchoup House Management LLC to Constance Street Properties LLC.

UPPERLINE ST. 2820-22: donation, no value stated, Patsy Jackson to Anthony Landry and Cynthia Landry.

VALENCE ST. 1107-7709: $1,050,000, 8731 LLC to Christie Ann Tarantino Dean and Douglas Scott Dean.

DISTRICT 7

10TH ST. 335-337: $422,000, Foret Land Corp. to Yayr Hernandez.

APPLE ST. 8424-26: $356,800, John Michael Johnson to Stephen Sullivan.

DUBLIN ST. 1515: $279,000, Justin Alexander Gregorie to David William Richards and Trevor James Simon.

EDINBURGH ST. 9127: $30,000, Rudy Evans Mills to Lidia Perez and Nelson Enrique Perez Jr.

EVELYN COURT 5627: $685,000, Joseph Moss Thornhill and Lisa Marie Bernhard Thornhill to Alexander D. Degenova and Maitland Frilot Degenova.

FLEUR DE LIS DRIVE 5858:

$540,000, Angela Smith Borey and Brian P. Borey to Lynn Stock and Stephen Stock.

FLEUR DE LIS DRIVE 6714: $100, Joseph Michael Gentry, Louis J. Gentry Jr. and succession of Louis J. Gentry Sr. to Amanda Adkins and Christopher Adkins.

GEN. OGDEN ST. 3329-31: $399,000, Lees Professional Properties LLC to Hasan Jamal Aquil.

JOLIET ST. 1010-1012: $240,000, Shane Rope to Lillian Frances Smith.

LAKE MARINA AVE. 318, UNIT 309: $160,000, Frances O. Taylor, Jerry Taylor and John R. Taylor to Michelle Stiaes.

MAPLE ST. 8218-8220, 8222-8224: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Charles Christopher Mangan and Sandra Sue Irby Mangan to Mangan Family Trust.

MONROE ST. 1226-1228: $95,000, Jawune Dillon, Rufus Dillon and Tyan Dillon to Hanley Homes Ltd

MONTICELLO AVE. 2533: $100, Re Ventures Inc. to Eastern Housing LLC.

OAK TREE DRIVE 102: $991,000, Chris M. Rittiner Jr. and Nicole Scontrino Rittiner to Ashley Serwan Ezell and Jordan Paul Ezell.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 7720: $528,000, Adrian Agnes Manson and April L. Watson to Dennis Ray Kiesewetter and Karen Manson Kiesewetter.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 7905: $1,200,000, Gustavo S. Mena and Magdalena Pacheco Mena to Christopher C. Harness Jr. and Madeline Jane Harness.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR MARCH 7-14

HARAHAN

GORDON AVE. 342: L Wall to Three Hundred Forty Two Gordon LLC, $170,000.

GORDON AVE. 624: First Horizon Bank to Jfc Investment Ventures LLC, $295,000.

JEFFERSON HIGHWAY 6485: Piazza 5. LLC to Lori H. Kanelos, $410,000.

KENMORE DRIVE 509: Gerald F Galliano to Jonathan Mathes, $165,000.

SEDGEFIELD DRIVE 179: Calamari Properties LLC to Arunava Roy, $455,000.

JEFFERSON

AUDUBON TRACE 1105: Sally A. Meyers to Lisa B. Martinez, $200,000

BROOKLYN ST. 171: Re Ventures Inc. to Eastern Housing LLC, $100.

DAVIS BLVD. 47: Moses South III to Coletha Tucker, donation, no value stated.

SAM LENOX ST. 2708: Solomon Campbell to Celso E. Hernandez, $74,000.

ST. GEORGE AVE. 335: Lauren Trigo to Patrick T. Mcneill, $335,000.

TERRACE ST. 624-26: Patrick J. Carlos Jr. to Maximum Investment LLC, $110,000.

KENNER

ALABAMA AVE. 4100: Oasis Trail Apts LLC to J & W Builders Group LLC, $440,000.

BEAUNE DRIVE 4212: Farhana A. Perveen to Yuriel Rios, $308,000.

E. LOYOLA DRIVE 4153: Matamoros Properties LLC to Matamoros Properties LLC, $144,000.

GEORGETOWN DRIVE 104: Ada E. Luminais to Ian Spinney, $230,000.

ILLINOIS AVE. 2218: Antoinette D. Willis to Choctaw American Insurance Inc., $165,000.

MAINE AVE. 2808: Margaret M. Cooney to Ana Sanchez, $195,001.

MCKINLEY ST. 83: Julie Held to Kirsten Held, donation, no value stated.

OHIO AVE. 3114: Yuri Wandique to Jeidy G. Castellanos, donation, no value stated.

OLE MISS DRIVE 4109: Joan B. Cancienne to Kristin K. Murphy, $65,000.

PRESIDENTIAL DRIVE 3247: Miriam M. Santos to Noel J. Z. Santos, donation, no value stated.

TOBY LANE 5024: Robert E. Brouillette to Brian L. Rappold, $432,500.

W. LOUISIANA STATE DRIVE 344: Shea A. Leger to Demis A. C. Cantillano, $219,000.

WOODLAKE BLVD. 73: Avril Perry to Lindsey Miller, $459,000.

WOODWARD DRIVE 445: Edward H. Crawford to Hae K. Jeung, $313,000.

METAIRIE

ACADEMY DRIVE 4508: Camp 1 Inc. to Joan W. Bass, $100.

ARIS AVE. 1245: Nick Tassin to Rcaf Acquistion Trust, $300,000.

AVRON BLVD. 4417: Julie Johnston to G Ortiz, $400,000.

AVRON BLVD. 4609: Elliott D. Sarpy to Elizabeth R. F. Riggin, $335,000.

BAUVAIS ST. 3630: Raul Delapaz to Michelle S. Delapaz, donation, no value stated.

CATHY AVE. 713: Sarah Guilbeau to Jeffrey E. Clay, $210,000.

CHURCH ST. 4720: Katie C. Kuchler to Bryan C. Dupont, donation, no value stated.

DAHLIA ST. 221: Yvonne L. Viguerie to Isabelle G. Viguerie, $250,000.

DALTON ST. 8118: Christian W Carroll to Zachary R. Glynn, $257,000.

EVANGELINE ST. 4833: Bertucci Property Development LLC to Elma F. Gil, $245,000.

FRANKEL AVE. 1616: Kevin Degrouttola to Gustavo A. Espinoza, $228,000.

GLENWOOD DRIVE 154: Brian M.

Helmstetter to Renick P. Webb Sr., $962,500.

GREEN ACRES ROAD 1414: Jenna C. J. Keller to Sophia B. Oconnor, $505,000.

HARING COURT 5009: Maria J. G. Waasdorp to Christen Denicholas, $420,000.

HELIOS AVE. 308: Ansley Baker to Kimberly A. Davidson, $1,300,000. HESPER AVE. 1345: Jonathan E. Henne to Laura M. Buttitta, $430,000.

HESSMER AVE. 2716: Lisa C. Marse to Tjl LLC, $100,000.

HOLLY DRIVE 110: W. R. Vonalmen II to Alton O. Smith, $850,000.

JOHNSON ST. 3815: Paul R. M. Dunn to Dunn Childrens Trust, donation, no value stated.

ä See EAST, page 24

EAST

Continued from page 23

LIME ST. 3509: Anthony J. Tamburo Jr. to Marisol Troya, $242,000.

METAIRIE COURT 2400: Cameron Budzius to B Ordes, $314,000.

METAIRIE HEIGHTS AVE. 3908: Empire Group LLC to Connor E. Cates, $430,000.

MISSISSIPPI AVE. 2628: Julie Krass to Deyvis V Espinoza, $110,000.

N. SIBLEY ST. 1404: Gayle M.

WEST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR MARCH 7-14 AVONDALE

BLANCHE DRIVE 168: Beyond Renovation LLC to Tremaine Thomas, $205,000.

HOMEPLACE DRIVE 4020: Dsld LLC to Anthony Dixon, $269,315

HOMEPLACE DRIVE 4032: Dsld LLC to Michelle S. Smith, $244,915.

MADEIRA DRIVE 160: Niki Dinh to Ravaughn J. J. Wallace, $179,000.

GRAND ISLE

BIRCH LANE 225: Double E. Rentals to Knot On Call LLC, $383,000.

GRETNA

11TH ST. 930: Arturo E. Lambourg to Arturo E. Lambourg, $100,000. CHILO ST. 908-10: Althea M. Vidal

REALESTATETRANSFERS

Clement to Kerrie Hollenberg, donation, no value stated.

OAK GROVE DRIVE 2804-06: David F. Sutton II to Jordan U. L. Perez, $247,000.

OLD METAIRIE PLACE 905: Darnel A. Aucoin to Blair S. Parrott Jr., $370,000.

PILGRIM ST. 6517: Dorothy A. F. Frosch to Jeanne M. M. Parr, $310,000.

REICH ST. 4720: Melissa M. Bean to Brenda C. Fields, $599,000.

RIVIERE AVE. 2009: Heather Fox to Lenox J. Reed, $262,500.

RUE ST. ANN 400: Frances D. T. Mccarthy to Linda R. Burns,

to Edward Stewart Jr., $40,000.

EVERGREEN DRIVE 1113: Michael J. Blanchard Jr. to Elaine M. M. Blanchard, donation, no value stated.

EVERGREEN DRIVE 716: Matthew J. Kirkland to Gregory M. Kirkland, donation, no value stated.

LAMAR AVE. 845: Cevera J. Breaux III to T Wright, $331,500.

NEW ENGLAND COURT 57: Carl Rooney to Naw Investments LLC, $83,000.

VAN TRUMP ST. 1014: E & D Legacy Investments LLC to Jada M. Pierre, $185,000.

VERMILLION DRIVE 205: Troy J Munson to Taha Construction & Development LLC, $150,000.

WILLOWBROOK DRIVE 740: Sherilyn Pharr to Danny T. Ly, $160,000.

WYNDHAM WEST 1305: Thi T. C. Huong to Huyen T. N. Tran, donation, no value stated.

HARVEY

CREPE MYRTLE LANE 1128:

$515,000.

SCOFIELD ST. 3757: Michelle J. Turnley to Katherine L. D. Hebert, $460,000.

SELLS ST. 2709: Robert S. Taylor to Tonell Burnett, $267,000.

SMITH AVE. 900: Norma A. Woods to John M. Mcmahon Jr., $265,000.

SMITH DRIVE 1025: Shirley B. Butler to Michael T. Butler, donation, no value stated.

S. MEADOW ST. 1334: Gail Tumblin to Bauta & Banos Properties LLC, $140,000.

STELLA ST. 208: Bancroft Property Investments LLC to Scott J.

Anthony Tran to Kenia L. G. A. Sanchez, $285,000.

DEERLICK LANE 2201: James A. Watts to Eva C. Harris, donation, no value stated.

DEERRUN LANE 3876: Elliott R. A. Preston to Margie L. Peterson, $199,000.

LAPALCO BLVD. 1525: Richard P. Mueller Jr. to Randa E. Ahmad, $100,000.

LAPALCO BLVD. 6540: Round Table Real Estate Investment Group LLC to Woodland Oaks LLC, $126,900.

REDWOOD DRIVE 1333: Aaa Properties Investment LLC to Manaiza L. K. Richardson, $220,000.

TALLOW TREE LANE 1120: Signature Properties Holdings LLC to Engy M. Shehata, $266,000.

WESTBANK EXPRESSWAY 3709: Khanh Inc. Dong to Khanh LLC Tan Dong, $700,000.

LAFITTE

JEAN LAFITTE BLVD. 4304: Four Thousand Three Hundred Four Jean Lafitte LLC to Gerard Aertker, $175,000.

MAIN ROAD 5146: Michael K. Arceneaux to Five Thousand One Hundred Forty Six Main Road LLC, $12,500.

MARRERO

ALEXIS DRIVE 4812: Hollie M. Eschette to Hannah C. Marque, $246,112.

AVE. C 419: Christopher Campagne to Brook M. Campagne, donation, no value stated.

GREENVILLE DRIVE 2617: Jbl Properties L.T.D. to Slade Hertz, $417,200.

KENTA DRIVE 3128: Lisa B. Nance to Melissa B. Flores, $165,000.

OAK ST. 944: Keith A. Licciardi to

Tolzien, $2,630,000.

TRIBUNE ST. 21: Charles A. Gantner to Lyle D. Drouant, $200,000.

ZENITH ST. 5224: John E. Carr III to Marina Saad, $249,000.

RIVER RIDGE

RIVERBEND DRIVE 148: Margaret G. Rodrigue to Don Nocentelli, $135,000.

ROSEDOWN PLACE 9101: Terri Galle to Kristine Drummond, $725,000.

ST. TAMMANy

TRANSFERS FROM FEB. 25 TO MARCH 3

ABITA SPRINGS

ABITA SPRINGS DRIVE 73144: Mark J. Stansbury to Bryan M. Bohnenstiehl and Stacey F. Bohnenstiehl, $103,500.

CROWN COUNTRY ESTATES, LOT 18: Succession of Nople Irene Smith to Richardson Tile & Plaster Inc., $270,000.

HAYNES AVE. 71399: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Mark Nance and Esther Nance, $185,000.

Stacey Armand, $115,000.

RANDOLPH ST. 5512: Raymond Lemieux to R & I Investments LLC, $123,660.

RIVER ROAD 4604: Tdrt Enterprises Inc. to Rd Riverside LLC, $450,000.

ROSEDOWN COURT 44: Edwina M. Jones to Mersi A. Thomas, $395,000.

WYOMING DRIVE 2504: Joann T. Wright to Rachel F. Picolo, donation, no value stated.

TERRYTOWN

DANIELS ROAD 2116-2118: Danna Properties LLC to Danna Properties LLC, $215,000.

HERITAGE AVE. 735: Arbor Place Apartments Partners L.T.D. to Arbor Place LLC, $7,610,000.

WESTWEGO

12TH ST. 160: Thuyan N. Thi to Turn Key Investments LLC, $62,000.

AVE. C 459: Joe A. D. Klinner to Mandy G. Vincent, $315,000.

AVE. G 664: Julie Valence to Curtis Dixon, $124,000.

AZALEA DRIVE 355: Alcide Clayton to Cam XI Trust, $83,334.

CHIPLEY ST. 533: Quick Start Grill Inc. to Carly Medina, $240,000.

DANDELION DRIVE 375: Tina P. Collins to Robert Guccione, $215,000.

EMILE AVE. 533: Peter Pham to Rac Development LLC, $82,000.

PRAIRIE VIEW COURT 141: Bebo Realty LLC to E. Jean Russ, $195,000.

RUTH DRIVE 480: Timothy Beasley to Richard Beasley, donation, no value stated.

HILLCREST COUNTRY CLUB ESTATES, LOT 20, SQUARE 2: Daniel E. Tonagel and Kim D. Tonagel to Shelby Ann Raquet, $13,000.

HILLCREST COUNTRY CLUB SUBDIVISION, LOT 9, SQUARE 13: Magee Financial LLC of Covington to Alex O. Zuniga Vargas and Marie E. Casiano, $50,526.

INDIAN TRAIL 22496: Armando D. Hernandez Palencia and Vilma E. Chavarria Garo to R.H.A. Construction LLC, $135,000.

NEAR ABITA SPRINGS, PORTION OF GROUND: Matthew J. Lange to Jennifer F. Lange, donation, no value stated.

QUIMET DRIVE, LOT 59, SQUARE 4E: Equity Trust Co. to Trux Air Conditioning Inc., $11,000.

SOUTH ABITA SPRINGS SUBDIVISION, LOTS 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, SQUARE 12: Stephen B. Stuart to All State Financial Co., $6,500. TEE ST. 73595: Carolyn Sue McAdams to 73595 LLC, $82,000.

VINEYARDS SUBDIVISION, PHASE 3, LOT 39: Brandon A. Charles Carrone and Rebecca A. Carrone to Morgan Foret, $250,000.

WEST ABITA SPRINGS SUBDIVISION, LOTS 5, 7, SQUARE 17: Habitat For Humanity St. Tammany West Inc. to Carl Celestine Sr., $8,300.

COVINGTON

BARRINGTON DRIVE 1211: DSLD Homes LLC to Victoria M. Goldstein, $318,145.

BEGONIA DRIVE 52: Juneaux LLC to Timothy Chad Herndon and Casey C. Herndon, $313,100.

CHRISTIE LANE 2017, UNIT 22: John L. Donahue III to Paula P. Seibert Specials Needs Trust, $241,500.

CLEVELAND ST. 1425: Succession of Gary T. Schoen and Jean W Schoen to Farrel P. Keahey and Mary G. Gitz Keahey, $649,999. CRYSTAL DRIVE 76052: Kayla M.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

Gottschalck and Ethan M. Gottschalck to Sidonie M. Middleton, $130,000.

CYPRESS POINT DRIVE 4264: Watercross Development LLC to Jaco Construction LLC, $78,000.

DIVISION OF NEW COVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOT 5, SQUARE 2703: Carolyn E. Burns Pedersen to 58221 Loblolly Lane, $100 and other valuable consideration.

E. THIRD AVE. 714: Richard P. Hart and Sylvia K. Hart to David M. Richardson Jr., $560,000.

GREENBRIAR DRIVE 28: Arby D. Wilson to Michael J. Lytell and Aungelle S Lytell, $795,000.

HOMEWOOD DRIVE 752: Succession of Lois Moody Carruth to Anthony F. Lagarrigue and Janine H. Lagarrigue, $280,000.

HORSE BRANCH ROAD 75180: Jack Price to Messick Realty Inc., $110,000.

LAKE RAMSEY ROAD 15010: Irma Bahm to Courtney Young, $147,000.

LAKE TAHOE DRIVE 14320: J Mendoza Homes LLC to Amanda Makar, $317,000.

LEE LANE 131: Justin D. Fontenoy and Stephanie C. Fontenoy to Patrick M. Welch and Kristen S. Welch, $1,480,000.

N. BUCHANAN ST. 1320: Johnnie M. Corkern to Charles A. Corkern, Virginia A. Corkern and Donald W. Corkern, donation, no value stated.

N. VERONA DRIVE 457: Mary C. Phillips to Janet Phillips Falgout, donation, no value stated.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Magee Financial of Slidell LLC to Latasha R. King and Herbert A. Richon Jr., $18,500.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Glenn J. Guttuso Sr. and Cheryl R. Guttuso to Sheri L. Simpson, $32,000.

NORTH ST. 71398: Gitsit Solutions LLC to Paul Dale and Melissa Dale, $240,500.

OIL ROW 74522: 74522 Oil Row LLC to Gage Co. South LLC, $1,175,000.

PLUME GRASS DRIVE 72805: Tommy L. Green and Bonita G. Green to Tammany North Properties, $242,000.

RIVER CLUB SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, LOT 12: Stoop Construction LLC to Ray J. Duplantier and Penny M. Smith Duplantier, $112,500.

RUE COURTNEY 732: Yar Construction Co. Inc. to Meredith C. Mendez, $529,900.

S. CORNICHE DU LAC 757: John M. Bowman and Karen D. Bowman to 757 S. Corniche Du Lac LLC,

$600,000.

SAVANNAH ST. 1428: Raymond G. Abide Jr., Judith A. Camp, Carol A. Lambert, Mark P. Abide and others to Louise L. Peabody, $380,000.

SHADOW BEND DRIVE 21366:

DSLD Homes LLC to Barry Marcades and Letitia Marcades, $354,490

SIXTH ST. 70508: Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West Inc. to Meghan V. Alexander, $220,900.

W. 21ST AVE. 918: Daniel Larocca and Gina M. Catalanotto Larocca to Jolee M. Von Aspern, $187,500.

FOLSOM

FACTORY ROAD 82052: Gary A. Martin to Griffin L. Deen Jr., $205,000

LACOMBE

E. JACKSON ST. 27008: Luke K. Cryer to Cory A. Gilford and Dominique Megan Gilford, $16,000.

ESQUINANCE DRIVE 24625: Sydney R. Johnson to Duncan A. Ferguson, $185,000.

JACKSON ST. 27337: Larry A. Newman to Troy Allen Bower, $35,000.

LACOMBE PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS 11, 12, SQUARE 57: Gadrel LLC to Brubaker Living Trust, $5,000.

MARKHAM DRIVE 66317: Mark & Kasey LLC to Charles T. Silas and Alexis C. Magee, $228,500.

OAKLAWN PARK BAYOU SITES, LOT 33, SQUARE 4: Angela C. Mertz Runions to Thomas A. Hutchinson and Andrew C. Hutchinson, $159,000.

PARADISE LANE 24520: Stephen Eckholdt and Leanne K. Eckholdt to John R. Forbes and Penny W. Forbes, $90,000.

TONIVANZANDT

504-913-8665 toni@reverealtors.com

1640PALMERAVENUE UPTOWN/AUDUBON

SUNSET OAK BLVD. 60396: DSLD Homes LLC to Philip Brozen and Barbara J. Brozen, $274,155.

TAMMANY FOREST SUBDIVISION, LOT 9, SQUARE 6: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Margueritte D. Jordan and Deanna J. Gregg, $240,000.

MADISONVILLE

AUDUBON PARKWAY 1312: Anthony F. Lagarrigue Sr. and Janine H. Lagarrigue to John Nagy and Barbie Hester Nagy, $375,000.

AUDUBON PARKWAY 1357: Ethan B. Whitehead and Abigail J. Ewell Whitehead to Spencer A. Miller and Demi M. Dantin, $300,000.

BEDICO CREEK SUBDIVISION, LOT 1014: Santa Maria Interests LLC to Evan Armentrout, $81,900.

BEDICOVE DRIVE 7157: J. P. Huff Construction LLC to Felipe Parente C. Dias, $599,900.

MADISONVILLE ON THE LAKE SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, LOT 49: 413 Investments LLC to Beverly Crews McQuaid, $38,000.

NEAR MADISONVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Mary Fontcuberta Revell to Paul M. Mastio and Katie B. Mastio, $267,500.

NEAR MADISONVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Briggs Ochsner Blvd. LLC to Peristyle Residences LLC, $457,380.

PERRILLOUX ROAD 545: Jules J. Ralph Jr. to Yrmaris Cirilo Ralph, donation, no value stated.

SWEET CLOVER WAY 1241: Louis S. Duracher and Lindsay R. Balicheski to Ursin K. Boudreaux and Darla M. Boudreaux, $496,000.

WHITE DOVE DRIVE 2081: KPM Construction LLC to Kristian ä See TAMMANY, page 26

4827PrytaniaSt., NOLA70115

504-300-0700

LicensedinLouisiana

$2,600,000

6Beds,5.5Baths, 6,751SqFt Theeleganceof classicalarchitecture combinedw/the conveniencesof moderncomforts

600PORTOFNEWORLEANS UNIT6F•ONERIVERPLACE/FRENCHQUARTER

$595,000 3Beds,2Baths, 1,727SqFt NestThermostat, energyefficient windows,pineflrs tanklesswaterheater &more.

Brought to for68 years by Broughttofor 68 yearsby PRESENTED BY

$2,500,000 Elegant2Bed 2.5Bath,2,639SqFt CornerUnitw/ BreathingPanoramic. ViewsofIconicFrQtr. &MississippiRiver

4937LISAANNDRIVE BARATARIA

$250,000

3Bed,4Bath,2,640SqFt

920POEYFARRESTREET

UNIT104•WAREHOUSEDISTRICT

$599,000

3Bed,2Bath,1,800SqFt

Continued from page 25

McHugh, $300,000.

WHITE HERON DRIVE 151: 151

White Heron Dr LLC to Matthew M. Rolling, $237,000

MANDEVILLE

ARMAND ST. 761: Jack A. Porobil III to Terry Bonin, $274,000.

BEAU CHENE DRIVE 642: Alvin J. Faucheux III to Christopher D. Conger and Alexis Conger, $460,000.

CANAAN PLACE 3006: Todd J. Sommers and Erica J. Sommers to Tiffany G. Hawkins, $278,100.

CEDAR DRIVE 70055: Raymond J. Audler and/or Terry M. Bauman revocable living trust and Raymond J. Audler to Joung Hyun Koo and Esther Koo, $380,000.

COLEWA COURT 943: Cory

Damian Fabre and Katherine Brooks Fabre to Patrick S. Barr and Paula F. Barr, $525,000.

DEVAL ESTATES SITES, LOT 48: Lisa L. Frugia and John J. Berg Jr. to Kenny Vo, $120,000.

DEVON DRIVE 281: Joan Sullivan Barron to Richard B. Weiskopf Jr., $290,000.

E. RICHLAND DRIVE 241: Kindell Living Trust, Gary J. Kindell and Victoria B. Kindell to Jonathan Ligori and Wendy D. Ligori, $399,000.

FOREST LOOP 531: Michelene Insalaco 2003 Living Trust to Sharon Jo Insalaco, $220,000.

FRENCHMEN DRIVE 101: Joy Leonard Jonson to Danie John Eckholdt, $345,000.

HARBOR VIEW VILLAGE CONDO-

REALESTATETRANSFERS

MINIUM, UNIT 38: Eddie L. Foster and Candace C. Foster to MacKenzie Anderson, $179,000.

KINGS FOREST SUBDIVISION, LOTS 1, 2, SQUARE 2: William A. Luke and Chandler Sistrunk Luke to Reese A. White and Montanna E. Bardales, $462,500.

LAFITTE ST. 690: P and L 690

Lafitte to Alfortish Contractors LLC, $865,600.

MARINA BLVD. 971A: Pont Properties LLC to Harry Longwell III and Tammy Longwell, $665,000.

MERGANSER DRIVE 112: Bradley

T. Henry and Erika A. Henry to Bryan M. Pulliam, $368,000.

MONTEREY SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, LOT 87: Andrew J. Lair and Andree C. Lair to Haley Gurievsky, $340,000.

ROSEDOWN WAY 340: Linda L. Miller to Alexander Stewart Vichinsky and Krystsina Kuzniatsova, $625,000

RUE ESPLANADE 221: John H. Powers IV to DC Man Investments LLC, $538,000.

SANCTUARY SUBDIVISION, PHASE 4C, LOT 428: Crosby Development Co. LLC to Lakeshore Homes LLC, $301,600.

SHOPS AT 1200 WEST CONDOMINIUM, UNIT B: Richards Collection Realty LLC to Rubio Group LLC, $3,000,000.

SOULT ST. 2368: Paul A. Olavarrieta and Norma B. Olavarrieta to Raquel A. Wood, $214,000.

TCHEFUNCTE OAKS TOWNHOMES CONDOMINIUM, UNIT 502: Donald D. Trexler to Wayne J. Henderson and Debra P. Henderson, $580,000.

PEARL RIVER

CECIL FLEMING ROAD 73484: Mat-

thew Troglia to Veda Jeanette Fleming, donation, no value stated.

CECIL FLEMING ROAD 73484: Pamela F. Melton to Veda Jeanette Fleming, donation, no value stated.

CECIL FLEMING ROAD 73484: John G. Fleming to Veda Jeanette Fleming, donation, no value stated.

CECIL FLEMING ROAD 73484: Joshua D. Troglia to Veda Jeanette Fleming, donation, no value stated.

CECIL FLEMING ROAD 73484: Teryn Troglia to Veda Jeanette Fleming, donation, no value stated.

HERMITAGE COURT 516: Cameron Asset Management LLC to Darren P. Landreneau and Meredith P. Landreneau, $308,800.

LA. 41 66024: BMRC Properties LLC to Duran W. Foster Jr., Lacey Dufrene and Courtney Sessions, $250,000.

NEAR PEARL RIVER, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Michael Lamoyne Slaughter and Sylvia B. Slaughter to Nungesser Industries LLC, $100,000.

NEAR PEARL RIVER, PORTION OF GROUND: Victor J. Kurzweg III to Robert T. Kurzweg and Susan M. Kurzweg, donation, no value stated.

ZEREDA COURT 39228: DSLD Homes LLC to Richmond Dalphone and Nuannapa Dalphone, $296,220.

SIXTH WARD

NEAR SIXTH WARD, LOT 34C: Arnold N. Fleming and Sheri Q. Fleming to Tyler E. Fleming, donation, no value stated.

NEAR SIXTH WARD, PORTION OF

GROUND: Veda J. Fleming and Kristin Faith Fleming to Shane Harrison Fleming and Rachel Pyke Fleming, $27,783.

SLIDELL

ARROWWOOD DRIVE 408: Jeremy T. Loew and Amy L. Simon to Alexis M. Molero, $218,500.

BELLWICK BAY DRIVE 3424: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Melvin Hamilton, $274,725.

BEVERLY HILLS SUBDIVISION, LOTS 23, 24, 47, 48, SQUARE 8: Succession of Wayne H. Jenevein to Roy P. Viola and Jeanene Frost Viola, $30,000.

BYPASS BREEZE DRIVE 5317: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Jaime Lynn Williams, $280,900.

CARA MAE ST. 40389: D. R. Horton Inc. to Terry I. Baillie and Eva L. Baillie, $249,900.

CYPRESS MEADOW LOOP 18: Rolando M. Garcia revocable living trust to Glad Electric LLC, $194,000.

DELTA RIDGE AVE. 6676: D. R. Horton Inc. Gulf Coast to Devin Leige, $402,900.

DWYER ST. 56746: Colin A. Normand to SS 56746 DST LLC, $136,000.

FIRST ST. 2112-14: MI Properties LLC to Mary Diem Vu and Huy Q. Phan, $170,000.

HARBOR DRIVE 1580, UNIT 322: Emerson P. Loga IV and Alexandra G. Loga to Donald Martin Shaw Living Trust, $83,000.

HOLLY DRIVE 58382: Bryce Nicaud and Alyssa N. Nicaud to Lisa Kelly Levis, $215,000.

INDEPENDENCE DRIVE 1332: Gerard Dufrene to Starc of Louisiana Inc., $268,000.

INTREPID DRIVE 111: Dinh N.

Trinh to Truc T. Trinh, donation, no value stated.

KINGS ROW DRIVE 1912: Chanell C. Clayton to Johnson Quality Construction LLC, $20,000.

LAKE VERMILLION COURT 815: Home Savers LLC to Jordyn A. Edwards and Emily Edwards, $263,500.

LAKESHORE ESTATES, PHASE 1A4, LOT 310: 3L Holdings LLC to Robert J. Blanchard and Kimberly D Holden Blanchard, $95,000.

LAKESHORE VILLAGE DRIVE 744: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Truson Realtors LLC, $142,500.

LAUREN DRIVE 6516: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC to 413 Investments LLC, $147,500.

MONTGOMERY BLVD. 1304: Dioigna Davila-Ortiz to Rafael Acevedo-Pena, donation, no value stated.

RUE LIMOGES 1100: Thomas T. Ellis and Suzanne L. Ellis to Shawn Gluege, $190,000.

S. PEARL ST. 100: Lisa Kelly Levis to Douglas P. Lemoine II and Kacy Heflin Lemoine, $320,000.

SALMEN ST. 36299: Gregory A. Faciane Sr. to Ona M. Faciane, donation, no value stated.

SPANISH COURT 130: Walter E. Ybos III and Shannon M. Ybos to SS 130 SCT LLC, donation, no value stated.

TIMBER RIDGE DRIVE 310: Glen D. Kuchler to Cecelia W. Kuchler, donation, no value stated. W. CHAMALE COVE 147, UNIT 147: Anthony Marino to John F. Caviness Jr. and Wayne J. Berggren, $68,500.

WEST OAKLAWN SUBDIVISION, PORTION OF GROUND: Melissa A. Maechling Lafosse to John R. Rihner III and Roxanna N. Rihner, $48,000.

SUN/BUSH

BUSH FOREST ESTATES, PHASE 1, PORTION OF GROUND: David J. Chelette Jr. to Jason Manuel and Jennifer D. Manuel, $34,500.

NEAR BUSH, PORTION OF GROUND: Dana N. Beaver Quabe to Terrell F. Stuard Jr. and Cherylin G. Stuard, $89,000.

OWEN SHARP ROAD 82400: Katey C. Bryan to Hunter A. Miller, donation, no value stated.

SHARP CHAPEL ROAD 22339: Austin Ware to David J. Juneau Jr., $237,000.

Let the big kids play sometimes, too

Dear Annie: My family lives in a close-knit neighborhood I’m good friends with two women in particular, “Leslie” and “Tara.” Leslie’s daughter “Ashley” and my son “Ben,” both in sixth grade, have been best friends since first grade. They love to play outside together on nice days. Our friend Tara’s son “Lyle” is in kindergarten and also loves to play outside with the “big kids.”

The issue is, Ashley and Ben are much older and are afforded a lot more freedom to roam

around the neighborhood than Lyle is. Leslie and I trust that they know their boundaries and our expectations of them.

Tara continually lets Lyle play outside without supervision despite the fact that he often leaves his yard without permission to see if Ben and Ashley can play and lies about it when he does this. He is also bossy and throws fits when the older kids don’t do exactly what he wants them to.

Ben and Ashley often feel responsible for Lyle’s safety and entertainment when they really just want to hang out with each other, not babysit.

I have explained to Ben that, while it’s kind to include Lyle occasionally, it is not his nor

Ashley’s responsibility to do so every time they want to play together. These kids are at very different life stages and shouldn’t be expected to entertain a kindergartener every time they want to get together It has gotten to the point that Lyle is knocking on our doors multiple times a week when the older kids have homework to do.

How do I kindly explain to Tara that sometimes Ben and Ashley just want to be able to do their big kid stuff without the responsibility of entertaining and looking after a little one?

We are very good friends, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. But Ashley and Ben

TODAY IN HISTORY

are getting frustrated, and as spring approaches, Leslie and I are afraid the problem will only get worse. — Big Kids Need a Break

Dear Big Kids: You’re absolutely right. Ashley and Ben, though older, are just kids, too; it’s important for them to be able to spend time together without the added expectations and responsibility that Lyle poses.

The next time you and Leslie speak to Tara, try something like, “Lyle is such a sweet kid, and I know Ben and Ashley like him, too. But sometimes, they need some space to hang out and do things for kids their own age.

Let’s plan a specific playdate soon for all three kids to get

together.” This way, you’re making it clear that while inclusion is nice and can be planned for, it will not be constant or expected.

You and Leslie should also extend boundaries to Lyle. If he knocks on the door looking to play at a bad time, it’s more than OK to let him know your kids can’t swing it that day All this may be hard for Tara to hear at first, but reassure her it’s nothing personal. At the end of the day, you have to listen to and honor your children, allowing them to be kids while they’re still kids, too.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com.

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, March 22, the 81st day of 2024. There are 284 days left in the year Today in history

On March 22, 1963, the Beatles’ debut album, “Please Please Me,” was released in the United Kingdom on the Parlophone record label.

On this date:

In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act to raise money from the American colonies, which fiercely resisted the tax. (The Stamp Act was repealed a year later.)

In 1894, ice hockey’s first Stanley Cup championship game was played, in which the Montreal Hockey Club defeated the Ottawa Hockey Club, 3-1.

In 1933, during the Prohibition Era, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Cullen-Harrison Act, which allowed the sale of beer and wine with an alcohol content of 3.2%. (Prohibition would be fully repealed nine months later with the ratification of the 21st Amendment.)

In 1941, the Grand Coulee hydroelectric dam in Washington state officially went into operation; it remains the

largest capacity power station in the United States.

In 1945, the Arab League was formed with the adoption of a charter in Cairo.

In 1972, in the Eisenstadt vs. Baird decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that unmarried people had the same right to possess and use contraception as did married people.

In 1978, Karl Wallenda, the 73-year-old patriarch of “The Flying Wallendas” high-wire act, fell to his death while

attempting to walk a cable strung between two hotel towers in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 1993, Intel Corp. unveiled the original Pentium computer chip.

In 2019, former President Jimmy Carter became the longest-living chief executive in American history; at 94 years and 172 days, he exceeded the life span of the late former President George H.W Bush. (Carter died at age 100 in December.)

In 2021, 10 people were

killed in a mass shooting at a King Soopers supermarket in Boulder, Colorado.

(The shooter, Ahmad Alissa, was sentenced to life in prison without parole in September.)

Today’s birthdays: Artist Yayoi Kusama is 96.

Actor William Shatner is 94. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins is 84. Musician George Benson is 82. Writer James Patterson is 78. TV journalist Wolf Blitzer

is 77. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is 77. Sportscaster Bob Costas is 73. Actor Lena Olin is 70. Singeractor Stephanie Mills is 68. Actor Matthew Modine is 66. Football Hall of Famer Jim Covert is 65. Actor-comedian Keegan-Michael Key is 54. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., is 52. Actor Reese Witherspoon is 49. Actor Constance Wu is 43. Former NFL defensive end J.J. Watt is 36.

Witherspoon

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