The Times-Picayune 04-26-2025

FRIDAY @ JAZZ FEST

HEATINGUP

Musgraves, Knight,Cheap Trickhighlight hotFriday

Country trio Chapel Hart romped through acrowd-pleasing coverof Dolly Parton’sclassic “9 to 5” on the 2025 New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival’smain stageFriday afternoon.

“I had to see if Icould get you warmed up for later,” exclaimed singer Danica Hart. “Y’all are warmed!”

Yes, we were.

On opening day,clouds andsteady breeze kept the heat at bay. Mother Naturedid not deploy nearly as many clouds, nor as much breeze, for most of Friday Senegal-like sunshine bore down on the metallic baby blue garments of Senegalese star Youssou N’Dour at the Congo Square Stage. His intricate style of Afro-pop involved intertwining multiple percussionists, two guitarists, adrummer,a prominently featured bassist,aflutist/ saxophonist and aguy who performed exuberant tumbling exercises and a handstand.

The primarily English-speaking audience may not haveunderstood N’Dour’svocals, but themusic’s richnesswas unmistakable.

Andrew Duhon’ssongswere equally rich, if hailing from an entirely differenttradition. The New Orleans-based singer-songwriter constructs meticulousAmericana songsthatevoke specific places and scenes, such as the “Two Dogs” observed during awalk on Magazine Street.

He concluded at the Sheraton Fais Do-Do Stage with “Slow Down,” framed by abowed uprightbass, alap steel, accordion andDuhon’selectric guitar.Hemade slowingdown seem like agreat idea.

Meters guitarist Leo Nocentelli fronted alarge bandatthe Gentilly

CheapTrick performs on the Shell Gentilly Stage at JazzFest on Friday.

Jazz &HeritageFestival.

Stage withabevyofbacking vocalists. Comingout of adrum solo by Jamal Batiste, they swung into theMeters’ “Cissy Strut”—only for thesound system to shut down.

ä See HEATING, page 4A INSIDE @ JAZZ FEST

ä 102-year-old festival fan makes hishome in the Jazz Tent Page 1B

ä Saturday’s cubes Page 1D

Neighborhood transforms duringJazzFest

Quietstreets become marketplaces,parties

BYJENNA ROSS Staff writer

By 9a.m., the preparationshad begun

James Gonczi, owner of Liuzza’s by the Track, swept up leaves and cigarettebutts, readying his restaurant for thefirst Fridayof the New Orleans Jazz and HeritageFestival. Brothers Pedro and JuanRivera settled into foldout chairs at the shadycorner of Sauvage and Ponce de Leon streets where, forthe past two decades, they’d sold bottledwater tofestivalgoerswalking by

And, in the kitchen of hisDeSoto Street home, Bill Dalton had put abig, silverpot of chicken and sausagejambalaya on the stove. For two weekendseach year,Jazz Fest arrives in this quiet neighborhoodnear the

ä See TRANSFORMS, page 5A

during and after Jazz

Landry orders end to remote work

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Many employees whowork in Louisiana state government will be requiredtowork from an office, not from home, beginning July 1under an executive order issued by Gov.Jeff Landry this week.

“No later than June 30, 2025, all state departments, agencies, boards and commissions under the governor’sauthority shall require their employees to perform their duties at adesignated physical office or facility,” the order states.

Landry’scommissioner of administration,TaylorBarras,isalso required to create new policies by May 15 to help government agencies to implement thedirective The commissionerisalso allowedtoapprove exceptions to the remote-work ban. The directive also says other state agencies that don’tfall within the governor’s authority “are strongly encouraged” to follow any new return-to-office policies set up by the administration.

“Whenpeople remote work, theydon’t getanopportunity to work inside the work environment with their other colleagues,” Landry said in asocial media video announcing the change. “It’stimefor people to comeback to workbecause they are moreproductive.”

Landry said letting employees work remotely was“one of the biggest negative effects” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ä See REMOTE, page 5A

Student visas restored ICEreverses

BY JANIE HAR and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

SANFRANCISCO

The U.S. government is reversing thetermination of legal statusfor international students around the country after manyfiled court challenges against theTrump administrationcrackdown, federal officials said Friday The records in afederal student database maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been terminated in recent weeks. Judges across the U.S. hadalreadyissued orders temporarily restoringstudents’records in dozens of lawsuits challenging the terminations. More than 1,200 students nationwide suddenly lost theirlegal status or had visas revoked, leaving them at risk for deportation. Many said they had only minor infractions on their record or did not know why they were targeted. Some left thecountry while othershavegoneinto hiding or stopped going to class.

In Louisiana, more than adozen international students have hadtheir visas revoked, according to university officials.

ä See VISAS, page 4A

Nocentelli and company kept playing alittle longer,before giving up. After acouple minutes, the sound

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD Festivalgoersand others gather FridayoutsideLiuzza’s by the Track, apopular spot before,

Fest.

STAFF PHOTOSBySOPHIA GERMER KaceyMusgravesperforms on the Festival StageFridayduring the second dayof theNew Orleans

Keith Spera

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.N. food agency: Food stocks in Gaza depleted

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip The World Food Program says its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out under Israel’s nearly 8-week-old blockade, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the territory.

The WFP said in a statement that it delivered the last of its stocks to charity kitchens that it supports around Gaza. It said those kitchens are expected to run out of food in the coming days.

Some 80% of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million relies primarily on charity kitchens for food, because other sources have shut down under Israel’s blockade, according to the U.N.

The WFP has been supporting 47 kitchens that distribute 644,000 hot meals a day, WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa told The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear how many kitchens would still be operating in Gaza if those shut down. But Etefa said the WFPbacked kitchens are the major ones in Gaza. Israel cut off entry of all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza on March 2 and then resumed its bombardment and ground offensives two weeks later, shattering a two-month ceasefire with Hamas.

U.S. reports nearly 900 measles cases

With one-fifth of states seeing active measles outbreaks, the U.S. is nearing 900 cases, according to figures posted Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC’s confirmed measles cases count is 884, triple the amount seen in all of 2024. The vast majority 646 are in Texas, where an outbreak in the western part of the state that’s approaching the three-month mark.

Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.

Other states with active outbreaks defined as three or more cases — include Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee Bear spotted playing on family’s backyard slide

SIMSBURY, Conn. — Sarah Loving had just returned home from lunch last Saturday with her husband and two young children when she looked out the window and spotted two bears walking across her backyard in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Her wildlife visitors didn’t really surprise her In recent years, bears have been pretty common in Simsbury, a suburban community of 24,500, located about 12 miles northwest of Hartford, where overturned garbage cans are often found along the road on “trash day” after a bear has searched inside for a snack. But when one of the bears stopped at her family’s wooden playset and began climbing up the stairs, Loving started filming. What came next, took her by surprise.

“He made it to the landing and then went down the slide, like he had done it before,” she said. In the video, the bear nonchalantly slides head first, its front paws breaking its fall in a pile of soft sand at the bottom. The bear then lays there for a few seconds, calmly looking around. Loving said the pair hung out for a few more minutes before moving on to her neighbor’s yard. Their appearance lasted about 10 minutes.

An article in Friday’s edition about proposed changes to Louisiana’s ethics laws incorrectly said that a bill would allow judges to order the end of an investigation by the Board of Ethics. The bill would allow judges to block all or part of a subpoena, not the entire investigation The Advocate | The Times-Picayune regrets the error CORRECTION

Trump wants high-level Ukraine, Russia talks

President says ‘Crimea will stay with Russia,’ wants mineral deal signed

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV, CHRIS MEGERIAN and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

ROME President Donald Trump on Friday called for Ukraine and Russia to meet for “very high-level talks,” saying they are “very close to a deal” on ending the bloody three-year war

Trump posted on his Truth Social site shortly after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral that it was a “good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine.” His envoy, Steve Witkoff, had made a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, “They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,’” Trump wrote “Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”

Trump’s announcement followed him saying in an interview published Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” the latest example of how he has been pressuring Ukraine to make concessions to end the war while the country remains under siege

He also earlier demanded on social media that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “IMMEDIATELY” sign a longdelayed agreement giving the United States access to his nation’s mineral resources.

Progress on ending the war has seemed elusive in the months since Trump returned to the White House, and his previous claims of imminent breakthroughs have failed to come to fruition. Russia continued its bombardment of Ukraine on Friday, killing three people with a drone strike on an apartment building in a southeastern city

Despite a rare admonishment of Putin this week, Trump’s focus has largely been on urging Zelenskyy to cut a deal that would involve ceding territory to Ukraine’s invader In an interview with Time magazine, Trump described Crimea as a place where Russia has “had their submarines” and “the people speak largely Russian.”

“Crimea will stay with Russia,” Trump

said. “And Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”

When asked by reporters, Zelenskyy said he didn’t want to comment on Trump’s statement but repeated, as he has many times during the war, that recognizing occupied Ukrainian territory as Russian is a red line for his country

Crimea is a strategic peninsula along the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. It was seized by Russia in 2014, while President Barack Obama was in office, years before Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022.

Trump has been accusing Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by resisting negotiations with Putin. Western European leaders, however, have accused Putin of dragging his feet in the negotiations and seeking to grab more Ukrainian land while his army has battlefield momentum.

The war could be approaching a pivotal moment as the Trump administration weighs its options Senior U.S. officials had warned that the administration could soon give up attempts to stop the war if the two sides did not come to a settlement. That could potentially mean a halt of crucial U.S. military aid for Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters Friday as he left the White House to attend the pope’s funeral, Trump said there was no deadline for the conclusion of peace talks.

“I just want to do it as fast as possible,” Trump said. Negotiators are “pretty close” to a deal, he said.

He promised to meet with foreign leaders while in Rome, and said it was “possible” he could meet with Zelenskyy Zelenskyy said late Friday however that he was not sure he would make it to Rome in time for the funeral.

Witkoff’s meeting with Putin on Friday was their second this month and the fourth since February Witkoff’s trip coincided with the death of a senior Russian military officer in a car bomb near Moscow

The Kremlin released a short video of Putin and Witkoff greeting each other “How are you, Mr President?” Witkoff could be heard saying. “Fine, just fine, thank you,” Putin responded in rare remarks in English, as the two shook hands.

Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who attended the talks, said the meeting lasted three hours and was “constructive” and “useful.” Further talks are expected, he said.

India says troops exchanged fire with Pakistani soldiers

BY AIJAZ HUSSAIN and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

SRINAGAR,India Indian and Pakistani sol-

diers briefly exchanged fire along their highly militarized frontier in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, Indian officials said Friday, as tensions soared between the nuclear-armed rivals following a deadly attack on tourists.

India has described the massacre in which gunmen killed 26 people, most of them Indian, as a “terror attack” and accused Pakistan of backing it. Pakistan denied any connection to the attack near the resort town of Pahalgam in Indiacontrolled Kashmir It was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance.

With the region on edge, three Indian army officials said that Pakistani soldiers fired at an Indian position in Kashmir late Thursday The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with departmental policy, said Indian soldiers retaliated and no casualties were reported.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on the report.

Tuesday’s attack in Kashmir was the worst assault in years targeting civilians in the restive region. Since then, tensions have risen dangerously between India and Pakistan, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is

split between them and claimed by both in its entirety.

On Wednesday, India suspended a crucial water-sharing treaty that has withstood two wars between the countries and closed their only functional land border crossing. A day later, India revoked all visas issued to Pakistani nationals with effect from Sunday Pakistan responded angrily that it has nothing to do with the attack, and canceled visas issued to Indian nationals, closed its airspace for all Indian-owned or Indian-operated airlines and suspended all trade with India. Nationals from both sides began heading back to their home countries through the Wagah border near Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Friday

Islamabad also warned that any Indian attempt to stop or divert the flow of water would be considered an “act of war.” The suspension of the water treaty could lead to water shortages at a time when parts of Pakistan are already struggling with drought and declining rainfall.

Pakistan has also warned it could suspend the Simla Agreement in what would be a major and worrying step. The peace treaty signed after the 1971 India-Pakistan war established the Line of Control, a highly militarized de facto border that divides Kashmir between the acountries.

Ex-U.S. Rep. Santos sentenced to over 7 years in prison

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he learned his punishment for the crimes that led to his expulsion from Congress.

Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy In a federal court a short drive from his old congressional district, he said through tears that he was “humbled” and “chastised” and realized he had betrayed his constituents’ trust.

“I offer my deepest apologies,” he said, adding: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.”

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert evidently wasn’t convinced.

“Where is your remorse?

Where do I see it?” she asked as she sentenced him to 87 months behind bars. “It’s always someone else’s fault.” The New York Republican served in Congress less than a year before becoming just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by colleagues. Santos admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to fund his winning campaign. His plea deal included agreeing to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties.

“From the moment he declared his candidacy for Congress, Santos leveraged his campaign for his own enrichment and financial benefit,” U.S. Attorney John Durham, whose office prosecuted the case, said outside court. Santos, 36, is due to report to prison July 25.

Man pleads not guilty in insurance CEO’s killing

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEWYORK Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty Friday to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty and the judge warned the Justice Department to stop making public comments that could spoil the case.

Mangione, 26, stood with his lawyers as he entered the plea, leaning forward toward a microphone on the defense table as U.S District Judge Margaret Garnett asked him if understood the indictment, which charges him with stalking and shooting Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel last December Mangione said, “yes.”

Asked how he wished to plead, he said simply “not guilty” and sat down. A cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, Mangione’s arraignment attracted several dozen people to the Manhattan federal courthouse, including former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served prison time for stealing classified diplomatic cables.

Mangione, held in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest, arrived to court in a mustard-colored jail suit and chatted with one of his lawyers, death penalty counsel Avi Moskowitz, as they waited for the arraignment to begin.

Late Thursday night, federal prosecutors filed a required notice of their intent to seek the death penalty

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy

A police officer passes by the remains of cars on Friday that were damaged in a Russian missile attack that struck homes Thursday in Kyiv, Ukraine, killing 12 and injuring 87.

FBIarrests judge in Milwaukee

Official accused of helping man evadeimmigration authorities

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, DEVI SHASTRI and SCOTT BAUER Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

The FBI on Friday arrested aMilwaukee judge accusedofhelping aman evade immigration authorities, escalating aclash between the Trump administration and local authoritiesover the Republican president’ssweeping immigration crackdown.

ing to herchambers.It says she and anotherjudge later approached members of thearrest teaminside thecourthouse, displaying what witnesses described as a“confrontational, angry demeanor.”

Afteraback-and-forth with officers over the warrant for the man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, she demanded that the arrest team speak with thechief judge and led them away from thecourtroom,the affidavit says.

About250Ksay goodbyetopope

3daysofpublicviewing of Francisconcludes

BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Morethan 250,000 people paid their last respectstoPope Francis over threedays of public viewing by ordinarymourners, church andpolitical leadersthat ended Friday,when his coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral in St.Peter’s Square and burial in abasilica outside the Vatican’swalls Worldleaders, including U.S.President DonaldTrump andArgentine President Javier Milei, along with royalty,converged on Rome for the funeral. But thegroup of marginalized peoplewho will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are morein keeping with Francis’ humblepersona and disdain for pomp.

Dugan

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Duganisaccused of escortingthe man and his lawyerout of her courtroom through the jury door last week after learning that immigration authorities were seeking his arrest. The man wastaken intocustody outside the courthouse after agents chased him on foot.

President Donald Trump’s administration has accused state and localofficials of interfering with his immigration enforcement priorities. Thearrestalsocomesamid agrowing battle between the administration and the federal judiciary over the president’sexecutive actions over deportations and other matters. Dugan was taken into custody by the FBI on Friday morning on the courthouse grounds, according to U.S. Marshals Service spokesperson Brady McCarron. She appeared briefly in federalcourt in Milwaukee later Friday before being releasedfrom custody.She faces charges of “concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest” and obstructing or impeding aproceeding.

“Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety,” her attorney,Craig Mastantuono, said during the hearing. He declined to comment to an Associated Press reporter following her court appearance.

Democratic Wisconsin Gov.Tony Evers, in astatement, accused the Trump administration of repeatedly using “dangerous rhetoric to attack andattempt to undermine our judiciary at every level.” Court papers suggest Dugan was alerted to the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the courthouseby her clerk, who was informed by an attorney that they appeared to be in the hallway.

The FBI affidavit describes Dugan as “visibly angry” over the arrival of immigration agents in the courthouse and says that she pronounced the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and retreat-

After directing the arrest team to thechief judge’s office, investigators say,Dugan returned to the courtroom and was heard sayingwordstothe effect of “wait, comewith me”beforeushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer through ajury door into a nonpublic area of thecourthouse. The action was unusual, the affidavitsays, because “onlydeputies, juries, court staff, and in-custody defendants being escorted by deputiesusedthe back jury door. Defense attorneys and defendantswho were notin custody never used the jury door.

Asign that remained posted on Dugan’scourtroom doorFriday advised that if any attorney or other court official“knows or believes that apersonfeels unsafe coming tothe courthouse to courtroom 615,”they should notifythe clerk andrequest an appearance viaZoom. Flores-Ruiz, 30, was inDugan’scourt for ahearingafter beingcharged with three counts of misdemeanor domestic battery.Confronted by aroommate for playing loud musiconMarch 12, Flores-Ruiz allegedlyfought with him in the kitchen and struck awoman who tried to break them up, according to thepolice affidavit in the case

Another womanwho tried to break up the fight and called police allegedly gotelbowedinthe arm by Flores-Ruiz.

Flores-Ruiz faces up to nine months in prisonand a$10,000 fine on each count if convicted.His public defender,Alexander Kostal did not immediately return aphone message Friday seekingcomment.

Afederal judge, the same one Dugan would appear before aday later,had ordered Thursday that FloresRuiz remain jailed pending trial. Flores-Ruiz had been in the U.S. since re-entering the countryafterhewas deportedin2013,accordingto court documents

Attorney General Pam Bondi said victims were sitting in the courtroom with state prosecutors when the judgehelpedhim escape immigration arrest.

“The rule of law is very simple,” shesaid in avideo posted onX.“It doesn’tmatter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law,we will follow the facts and we will prosecute you.”

The Vatican said that164 delegations are confirmed, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns. French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also attend thefuneral, was among those who made it in timetopay last respectstothe pope.

Tens of thousands of mourners waited hours in lineover three days to bid farewell to Francis,who died Monday after suffering astroke at the age of 88. A higher-than-expected turnoutprompted the Vatican to extend the basilica’s opening hoursovernight Angele Bilegue, anun, was amongthe lastmourners. It was herthird time to pay her respects, including once inside the Vatican at his residenceinthe Santa Marta Domus, where she saidshe spent six hours praying at his coffin.

“He wasmyfriend, so Iwent one lasttime to say goodbye,” shesaid. “I cried.”

Achanging of theguards at Francis’ open coffin signaled theend of the viewing period of the pontiff, who was laid out in red robes, abishop’spointed miterand arosaryentwined in his hands. He was being buriedwith his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe—emblematic of thesimple life he espoused.

CardinalKevin Farrell presidedover theclosingand sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator.According to photos released by the Vatican, awhite cloth was placed over the pope’s face, and a bagcontainingcoins mintedduring his papacy was put in the coffin alongwitha one-page writtenaccount of his papacy

The account, called arogito, summarized his whole life’sstory,from his childhood in Argentina as the sonof parents withItalian heritage through his priesthood and promotions eventually to archbishop andcardinal in BuenosAires —and then pope. It highlighted his “defense of innocents,” his encyclicals and also his illnesses.

“He was asimpleand much loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus,” read the textofthe document, recounting his life as archbishop. “He livedin an apartment and he prepareddinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person.”

Roman neighborsand retired flight attendants Aurelia Ballarini andFrancesca Codato came to pay respects to Francis on Friday with very different motivations. Ballarini, 72, was coming to termswithher grief, and Codato,78, was seeking forgiveness.

For Ballarini, the pope’sdeath leaves

aholeinher life.While only 16 years youngerthanFrancis, she considered him agrandfather figure. Every morning, she would logontoFacebook for his daily greeting, and respond “with a couple of words.”

“He gave everything, gave all of himself, up to the end,”saidBallarini. “I spent thelasttwo days crying. Iwas not well after his passing —Ican’teven say the word. For me he flew away.One day, we will see each other again.”

Codato said thatshe feelstremendous guilttowardFrancis,havingforsaken him out of devotion to one of his predecessors, St. John Paul II. When Francis became pope “he was an outsider to me.”

“I feel guilty,because throughvideos Ihave seen in these days, Ihave understood he was aman of enormous humanity,close to the simple people,” she said. “So Icametoask forgiveness, because Ifeel guilty towards him, like aworm.”

The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’tstart until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning. Cardinalshavebeenarrivingin Rome, with 149 meeting on Friday morning to discuss churchbusiness They won’tmeet again until next week, meaning aconclavedate is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.

JudgeblocksTrump’s collective bargaining order

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Afederal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from implementing an executive order that alabor union says would cancel collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees

U.S.District Judge Paul Friedman ruled that akey part of President Donald Trump’sMarch 27 order can’t be enforced at roughly three dozen agencies and departments where employees are represented by theNational Treasury Employees Union.

The union, which representsnearly 160,000 federal government employees workers, suedtochallenge Trump’sorder.The union said it would lose more than half of itsrevenue and over two-thirds of its membership if the judge deniedits request for apreliminary injunction.

Friedman said he would issue an opinion in several days to explain his two-page order.The rulingisn’t thefinalword in the lawsuit.He gave the attorneys until May 2tosubmit aproposal for how thecase should proceed.

Some agencies, including the FBI, are exempt from a lawrequiring federal agencies to bargain with labor

organizations over employmentmatters. Presidents can applythe exemption to agencies that have a“pri-

maryfunction” of

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByANDREWMEDICHINI People line up Fridaytopay theirrespects to Pope Francis lying in state inside St. Peter’sBasilica at the Vatican.

was restored. His voice amplified once again, Nocentelli’sfirst order of business was to endorse the Krewe sunglasses he wore. But instead of restarting “Cissy Strut,”hedetoured into “Say Na Hey,” asong he predicted would oneday be an omnipresentNew Orleans anthem. Maybe one day it will be,but it isn’tyet.

The New Orleans band Jand the Causeways travelsa similar sonic road as St. Paul &the Broken Bones and Nathaniel Rateliff &the Night Sweats. Vocalist/keyboardist Jordan Anderson andhis bandmates first came together at theMapleLeaf Bar over ashared affection for horn-heavy soul and R&Bmusic;they just putout an album called “Motions.”

On the main Festival Stage, a beefed-up version of the Causewaysincluded afour-piece horn section, vocalist Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph of Galactic and percussionist Aurelien Barnes, son of blues and zydeco bandleader Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes. Anderson, in ashimmering, sequined jacket, sang with his trademark grit from behind his keyboard. At one point, he turned the keys over to AndriuYanovski

“Somebody said Ihad to get out from the safety blanket,” Anderson said.“So let’ssee how it goes.” It went fine. The horn arrangement of “Supernatural,”a Causeways song from 2019, gave it more than enough punch for thefestival’sbiggest stage.They concluded with afaithfultake on David Bowie’s50-year-old anthem “Young Americans.”

“By golly if David Bowie didn’t say it better than anybody else,” Anderson said, beforedoing a pretty good job himself. Before he took on the falsetto of the climatic “break downand cry” line, he paused, pushed up his sun-

VISAS

Continued from page1A

In response to the restoration, U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, confirmed that anumber of international Southern University students had their visas restored.

“While I’m glad this situation is gettingresolved, these sudden and unfounded decisions by the Trump administration continueto cause unnecessary confusion and hardshipfor students, schools, and families,” Fields said in astatement.

“I look forward to working with this Congress andthis administration to continue fighting for students in my district and throughout this country.”

In one of the lawsuits, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Kurlanread a statement in federal court in Oakland,California, saying ICE was restoring the student status for people whose records were terminated in recent weeks. A similarstatement was read by agovernment attorney in aseparatecaseinWashington, said lawyer Brian Green, who represents the plaintiff in that case. Green provided The Associated Press with acopy of the statementthat the government lawyer emailed to him.

It says:“ICE is developing apolicy that will provide a framework for SEVIS record terminations. Until such apolicy is issued,the SEVIS records for plaintiff(s) in this case (and other similarly situated plaintiffs) will remain Active or shall be reacti-

glasses, smiled and then hit the high notes Cheap Trick hasbeen playingFats Domino’s“Ain’t That A Shame”atleast as far back as 1978’s“At Budokan” live album. On Friday,the bandplayed it on theGentilly Stageright below the rendering of agrinning Fats Domino that decorates the stage peak. At 80 years young, Gladys

vatedif not currently active andICE will notmodifythe record solely basedonthe NCIC finding that resulted in the recent SEVISrecord termination.”

SEVIS is the Student and ExchangeVisitorInformation Systems database that tracksinternational students’ compliance with theirvisastatus. NCIC is theNational CrimeInformation Center,adatabase of criminal justiceinformation maintained by the FBI.

Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant Homeland Security secretary, said ICE had not reversed course on any visa revocations but did“restore SEVIS accessfor people whohad not had their visa revoked.”

Greg Chen, with the AmericanImmigration Lawyers Association, said some uncertainty remained: “Itisstill unclear whether ICE will restore status to everyoneithas targeted andwhether theStateDepartment will help students whose visaswere wrongly revoked.”

Green, who is involved in lawsuits on behalf of several dozen students, said hiscases only soughtrestorationof thestudent status and that he would be withdrawing them as aresult of thestatementFridayfromICE

Butlawyers in the Oakland caseare seeking anationwide order from the court prohibitingthe government from arresting or incarcerating students, transferring them to places outsidetheir district or preventing themfromcontinuing work or studies.

PamJohann, agovernment lawyer,saiditwas premature to consideranything

Knight is still thepicture of professionalism and class. In front of alarge crowd at the Congo Square Stage, she looked sharp in ablue jacket with tails as she fronted her polished big band. A trio of backing vocalists contributed generously,but thesunny Knight sounded strong. She and the band chugged through “I’ve Got toUse My Imagination,” initially recorded

like that giventhatICE was in the process of reactivating recordsand developing apolicy.“We should take a pause whileICE is implementing this change that plaintiffsare seeking right now,onits own,” she said.

But U.S.DistrictJudge Jeffrey S. Whiteaskedher to humor the court.

“It seems likewith this administration, there’sa new world order every single day,”hesaid. “It’slike whack-a-mole.”

He ordered the government to clarify the new policy

Last month, Secretary of StateMarco Rubio said his departmentwas revokingvisas held by people acting countertonational interests, including some who protested Israel’s war in Gazaand thosewho face criminal charges.But many students whose status was terminated said they did not fall under those categories.

AsurveybyThe Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs research found thateven thevisa revocations for students who participated in pro-Palestinian protestsare moreunpopular than popular

About half of U.S.adults oppose this policy,and only 3 in 10 areinsupport. Among collegeeducatedadults, 6 in 10 strongly oppose, compared with 4in10who aren’t college graduates.

In lawsuits, students argued they were denied due process. Manywere told that their statuswas terminatedasa result of acriminal records check or that their visa had been revoked. International students and their schools were

with her Pips in 1973, and “Save theOvertime (for Me),” which she initially recorded adecade later.Asiftomatch Knight’s breezy vibes, thesky turned overcast and abreeze blew in, making for amild finish to the day Kacey Musgraves gave the Festival Stage its mostdramatic transformation since KatyPerry in 2019. Agarden’sworth of foliage

caught off guard by theterminations of thestudents’ records. Many of theterminationswere discovered when school officials were doing routine checksofthe internationalstudent database.

CharlesKuck, whofiled acase in Atlantaonbehalf of 133 students acrossthe country,saidICE’sreversal can’tundo the distress and hardship they have faced in recent weeks.

“I’ve gotkids who lost their jobs, who might not get them back,” he said. “I’ve got kids

sprouted across the front of the stage and along alower riser for her headlining set Friday.She installed side spotlights on stands wrapped in even moregreenery And during “Slow Burn” and elsewhere, an especially productive fogmachine generated athick carpet of mist that billowed off the stage. For the last 30 minutes of her set, she madethat garden stage entirely her own. Her understated, cool charisma wasonfull display during her solo acoustic “The Architect.” Her full band fleshed out “Slow Burn,” which featured aprominently placed banjo. “Space Cowboy” was its own sort of slow burn. She trotted out her up-tempo reboot of the Brooks &Dunn song “Neon Moon” before climbing aboard her “High Horse,” acountry song with aclub beat. “I hope you feel like your wells have been nice and deepened,” she said by way of introduction of her final “Deeper Well.” By then, they had been.

Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

who lost school opportunities whomight not get them back. We’ve got kids who missed finals, missed graduation. How do you get any of that stuff back?”

Jodie Ferise, ahigher education attorney in Indiana, said some students at schools her lawfirm works with have already leftthe country after receiving instructions to self-deport.

“This unprecedented treatment of student status had caused tremendous fear among international students,” Ferise said. “Someof

them were too frightened to wait and hope for theadministration to change course.” At least 1,220 students at 187 colleges, universities and university systems have had theirvisas revoked, theirlegal statusterminated or both, since late March, according to an Associated Press review of university statements, correspondencewithschool officials andcourt records. The AP has been working to confirm reports of hundreds more studentswho are caughtup in the crackdown.

Fair Grounds.And as they welcome ticket holders and people-watchersfrom all over the city and the country,residents and business owners transform it. For weeks ahead of thefestival, homeowners clip their shrubs, water their gardens and paint their porches. A neighborhood tavern becomes anoisy walk-up bar, quiet streets become bustling marketplaces, and front porcheshostsemipublic parties.

“The neighborhood looks the best during Jazz Fest than it does all year long,” said Richard Millet, 62, as he emerged from his garage with ashovel, ready to help Goncziclear thedebris.

Barefoot, but with coffee in hand, Lehan Wilson ambled over from his home across the street.

Each year,heinvites bands to perform on his porch, with the Liuzza’scrowd as abig, boisterous audience. “Weshow bands whereto plug in, and by the time we come back” from attendingJazzFestthemselves, “there’saband playing on our porch.”

He, like many of his neighbors,bought the house after partying on this block, so he knew what he was getting into. His kids, now 12, 10 and 8years old, “cansleep through anything.”

And they’ve experienceda camaraderie that envelopes the area each April.

The Rivera brothers started selling bottled water when they lived nearby Now,the money theyearn goes to their grandkids,including a14-year-oldwho travels to swim meets and camps, which can be pricey

As they sat waiting for the first festivalgoers,the ice settling with asoft crash in their coolers,aneighbor came by with acoveted purple parking pass that Pedro Rivera tucked into the front window of his SUV

“Welook out for them,” he said, “and they look out for

REMOTE

Continued from page1A

Thechange of course was expected after the governor briefly previewed the policy last month at aluncheon address in Covington, saying “It’stime to get back to work.” Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly on Fridaysaid the executive order does not apply to Louisiana’s public higher education institutions, but said “we encourage them to adopt similar policies.”

Aspokesperson for Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barrasalso said the order does not apply to the fourpublichigher education systems. Those include the LouisianaCommunity and Technical Colleges System, LSUSystem, Southern University System and University of Louisiana System. But some higher education leaders said the order could

magicaltimeofyear’

The walk into the festival Friday morning wasquieter than the walk out the night before. By 6:30 p.m. Thurs-

day,asthe crowds inside theFair Grounds thinned, the streetsoutside were bustling. Abrass band performed on astreet corner,before acardboard boxmarked

“tips.”Awoman beneath arainbow-hued umbrella hawked bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Aman holding apuppetthatworea matching white suit coat offered jokes for $1 apiece.

“Want to decorate acookie?”asked Andressa Feldman, 8, standing before a smallbooth with amix of offerings: sugarcookies andflower crowns, bracelet making and picture coloring.

Jeanie Donovan paused, her 2- and 4-year-olds at her heels, to check out the colorful, hand-scrawled signs.

“Oh, wow.Socool,” Donovan said. “How much for the flower crowns?”

“$3.99” Feldman said.

“Want totry one on?” Donovan asked herdaughter, who nodded. She crouched down, placing one atop her head. “That looks really good on you,” Feldman said The 2-year-old gave Feldmana shysmile,thenhid again behind her mother’s legs.

“It’s just amagical time of year,” Donovan said, “one of those rare times when everyone is happy.”

Most of the neighbors in thestreets and on their porches were embracing the atmosphere. Vivian Cahn is amongthem. “I like to party,” she said with a shrug. Cahn welcomes the festival to her neighborhood each year,knowing that it will makeher DeSoto Street home, withits wide, porches, into “Grand Central Station.”OnFriday, friends stopbytopark, to plan, to sip oneofher husband’sstiff bloody marys.

“Everything in theareais totallytransformed,” Cahn said. “I would say with Jazz Fest, unlike life, no matter which path you take it really works out.”

But she acknowledged: “Not everybody’shappy about it.”

The fest brings an influx of people,cars andtrash, and signsaround theneighborhood hint at the discord.

“No bikes locked to railing,” one warned. “Don’t even THINK aboutparking here,” another admonished. “Happy Jazz Fest!!!” began another, tucked under acar’s windshield wiper.“Pleasedo us asolid andmove back a

couple of feet. It will be mucheasier to get in and outofmydriveway.THANK YOU.”

‘See youlater!’

The parking signs came in handy by Friday morning, when across theneighborhood,folks hadblocked off street spots with orange cones andgarbage cans, folding chairs and feather boas. Many front porches flew Jazz Festflags.One homesported an “It’salmost Jazzfest” banner,using blue tape to crossout the “almost.”

“You guys have agreat day,” Daltoncalled to a handful of people stepping down the steep blue stairs of his bright yellow home. “We will hopefully see you later.” Bill and Missy Dalton live “exactly one beer’sdistance” from the festival’s SauvageStreetgate. They first sawthe house,built in the 1870s, on their own walk to Jazz Fest, remarking on itsbeauty.Three months later,itcame on the market. Sincethen,ithas become an epic home base. “Most people, they have 12 months ayear,” Dalton said. “I only have 11 months ayear, because Ispend agood week, twoweeks preparing forthe twoweeksofJazz Fest, and the next weekrecovering.” Visitors to their home Fridayconsidered Jell-O shots in sophisticatedflavors, including“Tipitina’s,” ayellow pudding shot. They perused ahandcrafted board with thefestivallineups. The askedabout the day’ssuggested food and music pairing —smoky bacon greens and Leo Nocentelli of the Meters. The friends had come from Lafayette, from Vancouver Island, from down the block. One was about to experience her first Jazz Fest, another her 36th. On theporch,asthe air grew warm and thick, they discussed whethertoattend Kasey Musgraves —or Gladys Knight. They traded tickets. Theyappliedsunscreen. Thentheyheaded offto the festival, beers in hand.

require them to take similar action

LSUspokesperson Todd Woodward initially said the order appliestoLSU. When told the governor’soffice saiditdid not, he deferred to Kelly’sstatement;hedid not immediately respondto an additional questions.

Astatementfrom the UL System said, “The Universityof Louisiana System is aware of Governor Landry’s Executive Order regardingthe returnofstate employeestoin-personwork. We are currentlyawaiting additional clarification and guidancefromthe Division of Administration.”

The state’scommunitycollege systemhas beenexpectinganexecutive order from thegovernor’soffice ending remote work arrangements, said LCTCS Vice President of EducationChandler LeBoeuf.Inlight of the order,itisnow assessing“operational practicalities” and

intends to voluntarily comply and align with the order whenever and wherever possible.

TheSouthern University System did not respond to an emailed request for commentFriday afternoon.

as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care Simply put— without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

Bill Dalton stirsachicken and sausagejambalaya on the stove for JazzFest goers whostop by

Bobbie

Forecast

BYSUSAN MONTOYABRYAN Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Thousands of people aregathering in New Mexico for acelebration showcasing Native American and Indigenous dancers, musicians andartisans from around the world.

Billed by organizers as the largest powwow in North America, the annual Gathering of Nations festival kicked off Friday with acolorful procession of dancers spiraling into the center of an arena at the New Mexico state fairgrounds.

Participants wear elaborate regalia —some with jingling bells and others withfeathers. They dance to the tempo of rhythmic drumming, each coming to thegathering fortheirown reasons.

“It’snot justfor show,” said Deshava Apache, who is Mescalero Apache and Navajo. “It’sfor healing, it’s for strength, it’sfor reconnecting.”

The event also features the crowning of Miss Indian World, as well as horse parades in whichriders are judgedonthe craftsmanship of their intricatelybeaded adornments or feathered headdresses and how well they work with their horses. Powwows are arelatively modern phenomenonthat emerged in the 1800s as the U.S. government seized land from tribes throughout the Northern and Southern Plains. Forced migrations and upheaval during this period resulted in intertribal solidarity among Plains people and those from the southern prairies of Canada.

ThousandstraveltoN.M. forGathering of Nations

By SUSAN MONTOyABRyAN Native Americanand Indigenous dancers takepartina grand entryprocession on Fridayatthe annual Gathering of Nations powwow in Albuquerque, NewMexico.

Alliances were formed, giving way to the exchange of songs and dances during gatherings between differenttribes. In thedecades that followed, powwows were advertisedto pioneers heading westward as “authentic” Native American dance shows. For some, it was an exploitation of their cultures.

The wordpowwow was derived from pau wau,an Algonquian Narrtick word for“medicine man,” according to theSmithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Scholars say English settlers misused the word torefer to the meetings of medicine men and later to anykind of NativeAmerican gathering.

Today,some of the large powwows like the Gathering of Nations have become morecommercialized events that use dancingand drumming competitions, with prize money at stake, to provide aglimpse into Indigenouscultures At ceremonial dances, participantswear traditional regaliaspecificto theirtribe,whereaspowwow attire often is more contemporary and flashy with sequinsand sparkles It is about dressing to impress the judges, said Warren Queton,a Kiowa Tribe legislator and adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma whohas participated in community dancing and cultural events since he was aboy Queton, who served as the head gourd dancer at the university’srecent spring powwow,said ceremonial dances are deeply rooted in community, identityand

cultural values. It is astruggle to keep traditional cultural practices andcommercial powwows from being lumped into the same category,hesaid. Powwow waysand ceremonialtraditions have different meanings in Native American andIndigenous cultures.

Therehas been afocusonpromoting smaller powwows held in tribal communities. Queton said these gatheringsserveas away for people who live elsewhere to return home and reconnect with their families andthe land, and to share traditions with younger generations.

“Knowing where you come from, your land, your oral traditions,your language, but alsovalues and traits—that can only be learned from acommunity,” he said. “That’swhy those smaller dances are so important because people learn those community values. They’reall apartofour identity.”

There still are elements of tradition woven in to modern powwows. Competitorswear feathered bustles, buckskin dresses, fringed shawls and beaded head and hair pieces. Some of the elaborate outfits are hand-stitched designs that cantakemonthstocomplete.

BY MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

Forecasterswarnoffirerisk as Pine Barrensblaze burns

19-year-old manfrom the area with starting the blaze thatled to the wildfire

Forecasters on Friday warned low humidityand gusty wind increased the risk that fire could develop across parts of New Jersey Philadelphia andits suburbs and Delawareasfirefighters continued to battle avastwildfire in thePine Barrens.

The National Weather Service discouraged any outdoor burning with low humidity,temperatures reaching near 80 degrees andsoutherlywinds that could gust up to 20 mph across aswath of theMidAtlantic. There’sachance of rainover theweekend in the region,where officials said firesalsoburneduncontainedinPennsylvania on Friday

In its most recent update, theNew Jersey Forest Fire Servicesaidabout 60% of the fire spreadover nearly 24 square miles in the southern part of the state was contained. No injuries or deaths have been reported, but buildings have burned along withcars.

Officials have chargeda

BY HOLLYRAMER Associated Press

CONCORD,N.H. Nineteen statesthat refused to comply with aTrump administration directiveaimed at eliminating diversity,equityand inclusion programs in public schools went astep further Friday,filinga federal lawsuit challenging what they consider an illegal threat to cut federal funding.

Thelawsuit filedinMassachusetts by Democratic attorneysgeneral seeks to block theDepartment of Education from withholding

ProsecutorsonThursday said Joseph Kling,19, from Waretown, New Jersey, was arrested and charged witharsonand aggravated arson, sayinghelit wooden pallets on fire and left the area before theywere fully put out.

Apublic defender representing him during the hearing said shehad “nothing further” whenasked by ajudge

“The New Jersey Office of the Public Defendercannot comment on pending cases at this early stage of the legal process, other than to remind everyone thatindividuals are presumed innocentuntil provenotherwise in acourt of law,”said Cristina LiBassi aspokesperson with the Officeofthe Public Defender in an email Friday.

Attempts to reach Kling by phone were notsuccessful.

Authorities first spotted the blaze Tuesday morning fromafire tower when asmoke column appeared amid thepines.Law en-

forcement said they used aGPS to plotthe origin of thefire anddetermined the cause was abonfire that hadn’tbeen put out. Speaking Thursday afternoon at anews conference, Ocean CountyProsecutor BradleyD.Billhimersaid “wecan confidently say that we think the fire was set intentionally.” He declined further comment on why authorities believe the man they arrested was responsible and other matters related to the investigation sinceitremains ongoing. It’s forest fireseason in the pinelands, awilderness that encompasses more than 1million acres —an area roughly as large as the Grand Canyon. Firefighters arecontending with low humidity andthe aftermath of amonthslong drought in the region. New Jersey is the nation’s most densely populated state and officials have warnedthe fire could threaten developments nearby,although parts of the Pine Barrens are uninhabited. The fire hadgrown to morethan 23.8 square miles on Thursday

money based on its April 3 directive ordering states to certify theircompliance with civilrightslaws, including the rejection of what the federal government calls “illegalDEI practices.” States also weretold to gather signaturesfromlocal school systemscertifying their compliance by April 24. Instead, theplaintiffsinformed the government that they stand by their prior certificationsofcompliance with the law but refuse to abandon policies that promoteequal access to education.

“Diversity,equity,and inclusion initiatives are legal efforts that help students feel safe, supported andrespected.The Trump administration’sthreats to withholdcriticaleducation funding due to theuse of these initiatives are not only unlawful, butharmful to our children, families, andschools,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. The new lawsuit comes aday after judges in three states ruled againstthe Trumpadministration in separate but related cases.

La. could repeal compensation law

Lawmakers weigh wrongful conviction process

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana lawmakers are debating whether to amend or do away with a law that allows people who were wrongfully convicted to seek compensation from the state.

The attorney general is responsible for defending the state in those cases, and the state has a fund from which to pay out compensation.

In its original form, House Bill 101, by state Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, would have

A state law passed in 2005 gives people whose sentences were vacated or reversed the chance to prove their innocence before a judge and earn compensation, which is capped at $480,000 and depends on how long a person was incarcerated

N.O. council tightens travel rules

Ordinance takes aim at Cantrell policies

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

New Orleans municipal employees must prove there is “a professional benefit” to their taxpayerfunded travel, under rules the City Council passed this week that are largely aimed at Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Council members on Thursday also directed Cantrell’s administration to study its policies on cityfunded trips and to recommend changes by the end of the year that “ensure fiscal responsibility, transparency, and public accountability.”

The ordinance, which was approved unanimously, comes as the council has repeatedly criticized Cantrell for spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on travel to conferences and forums during her second term. It also comes after the council’s effort to institute a temporary ban on most city-funded travel was blocked in March by Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Sidney Cates, who ruled the ban violates the city charter

“We are simply trying to collect data, both past and future and present, on how much money the city is spending on travel and how we can better have best practices to govern how we do travel,” said Council President JP Morrell, who has emerged as one of Cantrell’s fiercest foes in her second term.

A Cantrell administration spokesperson said Friday that the new ordinance “effectively revived elements of the already invalidated ‘Travel Ban’ ordinance. Leatrice Dupre also said that the ordinance requires employees to send in “information already required for submission to the Chief Administrative Officer as part of the existing travel approval process.”

Current city policy requires employees to obtain the lowest rates possible and document the purpose of their travel. It also mandates that the travel must be directly related to the employees’ city responsibilities, though it does not explicitly use the terms “professional benefit.”

The fight over travel is only the latest skirmish between an increasingly combative council and a mayor touched by controversy that is nearing the end of her tenure in office. All but one of the council members is either running for reelection or, in the cases of Helena Moreno and Oliver Thomas, gunning for Cantrell’s job next year Joe Giarrusso is the exception. The council’s ban on all

eliminated that fund and shifted responsibility for handling such cases and paying out compensation to local parishes The bill also would have made it more difficult to apply for compensation.

Attorney General Liz Murrill backed that proposal, saying an influx of wrongful conviction compensation cases out of Orleans Parish is a problem for her office and for state taxpayers.

However on Wednesday, during a House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee meeting, state Rep. Debbie Villio successfully introduced a new version of the bill one that would repeal the wrongful conviction compensation statute entirely

The committee, which Villio chairs, voted 7-4 to send her version of HB101 to the full House

The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats opposed to the bill and Republicans in favor of it.

“I believe that Section 1983 is the

appropriate remedy for wrongful convictions involving misconduct and support the repeal of the state statute,” Villio said in a statement, referring to Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, which allows individuals to sue government officials for civil rights violations.

Proponents of the bill, including Murrill, presented Section 1983 a federal law as a viable alternative to seeking compensation through Louisiana’s statute. But

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Tom Brown’s Jazz Fest plan was simple. He was going to find a roost in the WWOZ Jazz Tent and listen. He didn’t study the cubes or any such thing. He knows what he likes, and what he likes takes place in the Jazz Tent every day during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Asked if he ever listened to new music, Brown confessed that he does not. Jazz was the new music of his youth, and it will remain so forever Brown is 102 years old.

Brown, who lives in Richmond, Vir-

ginia, can’t recall exactly how many times he’s attended the Jazz Fest. He said his first was 1992, and he was a regular until Hurricane Katrina. But Brown came back as soon as possible. He’s seen something like 10 fests since then.

Brown arrived at the Gentilly entrance of the Fair Grounds accompanied by his 66-year-old son Mike, a former firefighter Brown, who used to be a real estate broker — among other professions — looked dapper in a chocolatecolored polo shirt, cream-colored cap and shades. He was greeted with glee by Jazz Fest workers who recognized him from past years.

Jacks and jazz

Brown said that he grew up one of six boys. But upstairs lived a family with a

will ensure the area remains a place for kids to hang out.

“This gives them access to the bayou in a healthy, wholesome, safe way,” he said. The 25-acre,

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

At a wooded enclosure not far from where he used to jump into the bayou from a cypress tree as a kid, Joe Impastato, now a St. Tammany Parish Council member joined parish officials on Friday in announcing a new 25-acre park along Bayou Lacombe that will be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists via the Tammany Trace bike trail. The new park, Impastato said,

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

FRIDAY @ JAZZ FEST

solitary daughter, with whom he played jacks. Sure, he said, jacks was supposed to be for girls and marbles for boys, but he played with her anyway Her dad was a musician. Here, young Tom Brown first heard jazz. This would have been, like, 1930.

Segregation didn’t really “tick him off” until he went in the Army during World War II Brown said Before that he thought it was just a Southern thing. But in the service he found out prejudice was pretty much everywhere. He was lucky to be stationed at Fort Dix, near Trenton, New Jersey, 90 minutes from New York City and some legendary jazz shows. “I saw Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday Duke Ellington, all the jazz artists, you know?” he said.

See JAZZ, page 2B

The two front seat passengers were both wearing seat belts, it said. The announcement received significant reaction on Facebook. The family has 25,000 followers on Facebook, 151,000 on Instagram and 251,000 followers on TikTok, with

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tom Brown, 102, listens to music in the WWOZ Jazz Tent during the second day of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Friday.

Man found guilty in Terrytown duct tape killing

Financial slight led to murder, officials say

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Six years after Mohamed Mezlini was attacked and smothered to death by duct tape wrapped around his head, a Jefferson Parish jury has convicted his accused killer of manslaughter, according to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office. Saleh Omar, 47, had been charged with second-degree murder, but jurors found him guilty Thursday on the lesser charge following eight hours of deliberation.

Omar had been accused of killing the Terrytown 29-year-old known as “Mo” over a business dispute, according to authorities

Mezlini, who’d once worked at Omar’s cellphone store, Wireless Hub, left to open his own business, leaving his former boss feeling financially slighted, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

On Sept. 8, 2018, Omar convinced his then-17-year-old stepbrother, Yazan Omar, to call Mezlini and lure him to a vacant jewelry store located next door to Wireless Hub on Terry Parkway authorities said.

Mezlini, who left his parked car running, entered the suite, of which the windows were papered over Saleh Omar grabbed Mezlini from behind, putting him in a chokehold, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Mezlini managed to break free and bloody Saleh Omar’s mouth with a punch, the District Attorney’s Office said. But Omar, armed with a gun and knife, quickly quelled any resistance Omar had Yazan Omar help secure Mezlini with duct tape, wrapping it tightly around his chest, arms and head, according to authorities. Yazan Omar then left the suite, testifying that the duct tape around Mezlini’s head was not covering the man’s nose when he departed, according to the district attorney’s office.

Leaving his stepbrother and Mezlini in the vacant store, Yazan Omar returned to Wireless Hub where he told employees what had happened,

JAZZ

Continued from page 1B

Brown was a payroll clerk in the Army and served in Germany before the fall of the Nazis in 1945. He expected to be sent to the Pacific theater Happily, the Japanese surrendered first. Brown said he and Mike were going to visit the New Orleans’ National World War II Museum on Saturday Brown had a daughter and two sons. Sadly his oldest son who also used to come to Jazz Fest — has passed away, and Brown’s wife has passed away as well.

Veteran likes New Orleans Talking to Brown can feel like a time warp. One minute you’re conversing about buying a $13 Rolex watch in Switzerland in the aftermath of World War II, the next you’re discussing his recent discovery that rice flour makes an excellent fried chicken crust.

Asked what his favorite New Orleans food was, he answered “anything they cook.” Once, he said, he

CONVICTION

Continued from page 1B

critics say the federal law would not cover all wrongfully convicted people, and that it is very difficult to succeed in such federal lawsuits.

Muscarello said the earlier version of the bill was scrapped because shifting the compensation case burden to local entities wasn’t viable, as parishes couldn’t afford to pay out judgments. But he thinks there is still work to do on the latest version, to ensure people who were wrongfully convicted can get compensation by some means.

“It’s my opinion that people who are wrongfully convicted should be compensated,” he said. “If the state messes up, we need to pay them for our mistakes.”

Thirty-nine states have wrongful conviction compensation statutes, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, which is run by the University of Michigan Law School, Michigan State University College of Law and the University of California, Irvine Newkirk Center for Science and Society

Reason for the bill

HB101 came about because the state saw an influx of wrongful conviction compensation cases, according to Muscarello.

though no one took it seriously enough to call 911 at the time, the District Attorney’s Office said. However, the employees became concerned when they saw Saleh Omar leave the suite with blood on his face. Realizing that Mezlini had never exited the vacant store, the employees used a screwdriver to open the locked suite and discovered Mezlini bound and unconscious inside, authorities said.

Mezlini had duct tape wrapped completely around his head, from the top of the bridge of his nose to his chin, according to Sheriff’s Office investigators.

Mezlini was taken to a hospital in critical condition but died the following day An autopsy determined he died of asphyxia by strangulation and smothering, authorities said. He also had injuries indicating he’d been beaten, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Yazan Omar was arrested on the day of the attack. He was later charged with second-degree murder for his alleged role in assisting his stepbrother, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Jazz Festival worker Marie Brousseau greets 102-year-old jazz fan Tom Brown at the Fair Grounds on Friday. Behind them at left are Brown’s son, Mike Brown, and Glen Brousseau. Tom Brown has been to the Jazz Festival 10 times in the past 20 years, always to visit the Jazz Tent.

STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

was served a fried soft-shell crab bigger than his hand. He took a picture of it. Last night he and Mike ate at some sort of Italian place called, maybe, Mandina’s.

Near the Gentilly entrance, Brown seated himself in a wheelchair to more easily get around the grounds. No exploration was necessary, of course Mike pushed his father directly to the Jazz Tent, found a spot a few rows from the front and settled in. Mike said he liked the blues too, but you know Dad.

Here’s a great thing about New Orleans The people are convivial, and never more so than at the Fest. As singer Phillip Manuel did a sound check, the lady in front of Tom and Mike chatted them up about all things jazz. Jazz seemed to be her jam too. They were in their happy bubble. There wasn’t much need for anything else at the moment. Or maybe ever Asked how long he planned to stay at the Jazz Tent, Brown said “I’ll be here until it closes.”

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Murrill, when presenting the bill to the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, attributed that influx to Orleans Parish.

In recent years, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams has made deals that shortened or overturned hundreds of prisoners’ sentences through a process known as post-conviction relief. His office often justified those deals by citing shoddy police work or suspect tactics by prosecutors.

Murrill and Republican state lawmakers have criticized Williams over those deals, arguing his office gave prisoners far too many breaks. Murrill told the House criminal justice panel that they have caused the spike in wrongful conviction compensation claims — and that she does not believe all those claims are legitimate.

“Orleans, right now, I think we have over 20 cases pending, and that is in my opinion not because they have necessarily valid cases to make those claims, but it’s because of the high volume of relief that was granted by the district attorney, and now that has prompted more lawsuits under this statute,” Murrill said.

Murrill said her office is being forced to defend “cases that I had nothing to do with.”

She argued that the parish where a wrongful conviction occurred should be responsible for handling

But the charge was dropped, and he pleaded guilty in 2021 to false imprisonment while armed with a weapon and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, authorities said. Saleh Omar fled the country after Mezlini’s attack. He was arrested Sept. 26, 2018, in Panama City, Panama. Omar had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His defense attorneys argued that Mezlini was alive when Omar left the locked suite, according to the District Attorney’s Office. They also argued that Omar had been defending himself.

“He leaves with the only key that can save Mo,” Assistant District Attorney Kristen Landrieu told jurors.

“And he doesn’t look back. Not once. He made it out of the country He duct-taped (Mezlini’s) mouth and nose shut. What do you think is going to happen?”

Jurors deliberated for two days before finding Omar guilty of the lesser charge. Manslaughter is punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 14.

PARK

Continued from page 1B

As Louisiana’s first rails-to-trail conversion, the 31-mile Tammany Trace traverses much of the parish from Covington to Slidell and sees about 300,000 runners, walkers and cyclists annually, parish officials say Based on community input, the parish decided to make the park only accessible via the Tammany Trace or the bayou, Cooper said. The nearby Bayou Lacombe boat launch off Main Street will remain accessible via car

“This property celebrates the rich history of Lacombe and offers passive recreational activities, while preserving the surrounding natural environment,” said Parish President Mike Cooper at the groundbreaking.

The area was long home to Choctaw Indians, Hamauei said. Later, in the mid-20th century, the area was industrial. Barges carrying shells from Lake Pontchartrain would travel up the bayou to the park for building material, said Hamauei.

the corresponding compensation case, adding that state taxpayers from Monroe should not be paying for wrongdoing in New Orleans.

Some former prisoners are also seeking money both through state statute and the federal Civil Rights Act, Murrill said.

Bill draws criticism

Jee Park, executive director of the Innocence Project New Orleans, an organization focused on freeing innocent prisoners, said she was “shocked” that the state is considering repealing its wrongful conviction compensation statute.

“Most of our clients are on Medicaid and Medicare. They’re on food stamps. They’re barely able to make their ends meet, you know, and so giving them a little bit of something to help them pay for rent, to help them pay for their transportation, for their insurance, goes a long way,” she said. “And it’s something the state should do they did take away their life for decades. It’s years they will never get back.”

As for the possibility of winning damages through a federal lawsuit, Park said it is “incredibly challenging” to succeed in such lawsuits because government officials have immunity

And not all exonerees qualify to file Section 1983 claims because not all their cases involve govern-

CRASH

evening, saying Preston was properly restrained. He spoke from Lakeview Hospital, where his son-in-law, Jaelan Ordone, and daughter Katelynn Ordone, are recovering from their injuries. He said the couple was on their way home from a doctor’s appointment with Preston when the crash occurred. The couples’ daughter, Paisley was at school, he said. Norris said he spoke with a witness who was behind the truck when it wrecked and who removed Preston from the vehicle. He said the witness told him Preston was properly restrained in a car seat.

Norris said he was feeling numb after his grandson’s death, but added that he was also very angry about the state police’s post which he said was “hurtful and painful.”

Trooper Marc Gremillion said in a phone call on Friday evening the news release was accurate based on the information the state currently has. He declined to speak further because there is an ongoing investigation.

In a pinned comment on the Facebook post announcing the crash, the Louisiana State Police said “our goal is never to add to the pain, but rather to fulfill our responsibility in this age of information.”

The reasons for the crash are currently under investigation, State Police said. The post also said they want to “raise awareness about actions that could potentially save lives in the future Our hope is to reach those who may not have considered the far-reaching consequences of certain behaviors.”

Norris said “it’s a long road ahead” for his family’s recovery His daughter has multiple broken bones and his son-in-law shattered his leg, he said.

To recall its industrial past, the new park will have an Industrial Discovery Zone, as well as three other themed areas, Cooper said. Impastato said he helped secure a deal for the parish to buy the new park’s property from the previous owner in the early 2000s, when he first served as a council member Then Al Hamauei, who was the District 7 council member after Impastato between 2006 and 2012, helped acquire a grant to purchase the property

But it was not until about two years ago that the parish found the money to build the park. Another District 7 council member, Jimmy Davis, who served between 2021 and 2024, said he helped acquire a State Parks matching grant. Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser, who was not at the event, was also involved in acquiring the grant, Davis said. Now, with $1.1 million in state and federal grants and $1 million in parish dollars in hand, parish officials say the park will take only about a year to construct.

Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.

ment wrongdoing, she said.

Park cited Malcolm Alexander’s story as an example of one case where it would not be possible to file a federal civil rights lawsuit.

In the 1980s, Alexander was convicted of rape. In 2013, hair evidence recovered from a crime lab that showed he could not have committed the crime, according to the Innocence Project, which says he spent 38 years behind bars. Alexander won wrongful conviction compensation from the state last year Park said.

Muscarello said he understands such concerns and is working on an amendment to HB101 so that it would keep the wrongful compensation statute intact for people whose wrongful convictions did not involve government wrongdoing but would not cover those who are eligible to file Section 1983 claims.

But if Muscarello can’t get the amendment right, he won’t move the bill forward, he said.

“Am I man enough to say the bill needs work? Absolutely,” he said.

“My goal is to do the right thing for the state of Louisiana and for my constituents, and specifically for people that are wrongfully convicted.”

Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.

TRAVEL

Continued from page 1B

nonessential travel, which it approved in February, came following Cantrell’s decision to back out of a settlement that would have delivered millions of dollars to New Orleans schools. Council members said the travel ban was not intended as punishment but an effort to curtail unnecessary spending as the Cantrell administration raised concerns about the city’s financial stability Cantrell sued the council over the ban in March. Cates ruled in her favor Though the ban remains paused by the judge’s order, Thursday’s ordinance also extends the period of the ban — which was set to expire at the end of this month — until the end of December

Extending the ban allows the council to appeal the judge’s ruling, Morrell said Thursday According to the ordinance, “professional benefits” are defined as specific information on skills, relationships or knowledge employees hope to obtain or develop. Before travel may be approved, they must also say why that information is important to their job duties. The administration’s study per the ordinance, must include a “full accounting of travel expenses incurred by each city employee” over the last three years, including the amount spent on each trip divided into several categories and the purpose of the travel

Email Sophie Kasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY THURSDAY,APRIL

STAFF PHOTO By WILLIE SWETT

Past and present Parish Council members joined Parish President Mike Cooper at Friday’s groundbreaking on the new 25-acre nature park in Lacombe.

Driver pleads notguilty in deadly crash

Grandparents of Bourbon Street attack victim died

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office formally filed charges against the man accused of drunkenly crashing into several vehicles on aGretna street andkilling the grandparents of a man who had died weeks earlier in theBourbon Street attack.

Stephan Juarez, 34, of Baton Rouge, pleaded not guilty April 15 to two counts of vehicular homicide,accordingto Jefferson Parish court records

He is accused in the deaths of Hubert Gauthreaux Sr., 75, and Gauthreaux’swife, Victoria Gauthreaux, 72.

Friends and family say that when thecouple died on the night of Feb. 15, they were still mourning the loss of their grandson, 21-year-old Hubert Gauthreaux III.

The younger Gauthreaux was one of the 14 victims killed when a manintentionally drove atruck through the crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter on Jan. 1ina suspected act of terrorism.

Theelder Gauthreauxs were with their daughter on the evening of Feb. 15 and hadjust parked on Fourth Street in Gretna when Juarez came hurtling toward them at 50 to 70 mph, according to Gretna police.

Juarez, driving apickup east, ran stop signs at the intersection with HueyP.Long Avenue before crashing into aGMC Yukon and injuring two of the three people inside, authorities said.

The first hitdislodged a tire on Juarez’struck. He then crossed the centerline on Fourth Street and smashedintoanempty Honda Pilotthat was parked on the side of the road, Gretna policesaid. Juarez then slammed head-on into the Gauthreaux’sparked Volvo XC9. Hubert Gauthreaux Sr.was standing outside whenthe vehiclewas hit. Victoria Gauthreaux was sitting insidethe car Bothsufferedfatal injuries, authorities said. Their daughter was not injured. The truck finallyhalted in anearby parking lot. Officers foundJuarez facedown on the floorboard of the passenger side, injured by suspected impact with his windshield, authorities said.

Officers said Juarez smelled of alcohol, had trouble standing and bloodshot eyes. His blood alcohol content was 0.09%, just over the 0.08% legal limit, authorities said.

Blood tests were conducted to determine whetherJuarez had ingested anyother substances, but they results have not been released.

Juarez was being held without bail Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@ theadvocate.com

Albarado, Vivian

Chachere, Ernest Davis, Hazel Derbes,Elyse Falgoust, John Guyllette,Traci

Hotard,Susan Lacour,Gerald Lanaux, Mary

LA.Visitationwillbeheld from12:00 pm to 1:30 pm, and thefuneral servicewill begin at 1:30 pm.Interment toimmediatelyfollowat WestlawnMemorialPark, 1225 WhitneyAve Gretna LA. In lieu of flowers, pleaseconsidera donation toWoman's NewLife Clinic. Thefamilykindlyin‐vites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatwww.MotheFunera ls.com. MotheFuneral Homehas been entrusted withfuneral arrangements

Chachere,ErnestG

DW Rhodes

Chachere, Ernest Parker,Angel

Gertrude Geddes

With sadnessweshare the passingofErnestG Chachere, on March31, 2025. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences. Parker,Angel Redmon Jr., Harry Richards,Mayson ScottJr.,Henry Stokes, Herbert Walker,Darren

Davis, Hazel Stokes, Herbert

Greenwood

Hotard,Susan

Heritage Funeral

Richards,Mayson

Lake Lawn Metairie

Derbes,Elyse Falgoust, John

EJ Fielding

DavisMortuary

Walker,Darren

Mothe

Albarado, Vivian

Obituaries

Albarado,Vivian AnnHanson

geoustrailsofNorthern California, live music (especiallyatJazzfest), photography, art exhibits, dance performances, and theNew Orleans Saints. An avid traveler,Elyse circumnavigatedthe globe many times over. Her bags were always packed,and she was readytojoinany adventure. Elyse was preceded in death by her parentsand her brother CharlesJoseph Derbes III. She is survivedbyfivesiblings: Sheryl Derbes Brown, LewisJoseph Derbes (Sheila), Jean Derbes Ratte (Geoffrey), Denice Derbes (Michael Vales), and Janis Derbes deVerges(Paul); her twelvenieces and nephews: Charles Brown (Paula),Bryan Brown (Donna), LewisDerbes Jr (Sheri), Megan Derbes McCarthy (Dennis), Kathryn Derbes Ratte, Emily Ratte Pidot (Philip), John Ratte (Antonella Montagna), Hanlon deVerges (Rebecca), Douglas deVerges (Ashley), Courtney deVerges Connick (Lorcan), AndrewVales and Christian Vales; and seventeengreat-nieces and great-nephews: Lewis III, Molly, Garrettand ElliottDerbes; Elisabeth, Andrewand Audrey Brown; Colleen, Mairin, Elisabeth and Delaney McCarthy;Charles, George and HenryPidot; Paul and Parker deVerges; and Brooks deVerges. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend acelebration of Elyse'slife to be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA on Monday, April28, 2025. Visitation willbegin at 10:00 AM with afuneralMass to follow at 11:30 AM celebrated by Father Cassian Derbes, O.P. Interment willbeprivate. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Project Open Hand of San Francisco (openhand.org) or the charity of your choice. The family invites youtoshare memories and condolences online at www.lakelawnmetairie.co m.

Guyllette, TraciG

service will follow Mass at MetairieCemetery in All SaintsMausoleum. In lieu of flowers, please consider donationstoSt. Jude Children'sResearch Hospital. To view andsign theonline Guestbook, please visit www.lakelawn metairie.com by herhusband,Clarence “Ray” Hotard,Jr.,her son and daughter-in-law, Matthew RayHotardand TamiTranHotard, their children, Julianna A. Ho‐tardand MicahH.Hotard, and hersisters,Polly Flem‐ing Buller andSally Dunlap Fleming (Laurie),and her nieces, EllenFrances Buller (Keller),and Anna Buller Dykes (Nick).Susan is re‐memberedfor herpassion for art, hergenerosityasa teacher,and herability to find beauty in theworld She leaves behind apro‐found impact on theart communities shecher‐ished.Susan loved flowers for theuplifting beauty and scentand any arrangementswould be cherished.Relatives and friends areinvited to visit Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70124, on Satur‐day,April 26, 2025, starting at10:30 a.m. Anglican Ser‐vices will follow thevisita‐tionat1:00p.m.The burial willbeinGreenwood Cemetery. We also invite you to shareyour thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Susan’s lifeand keep hermemory alive

Traci "TT" Guyllette, belovedsister,aunt, friend, anddevoted catwhisperer,passed away peacefully at home on April 17. Whethershe was rescuing strays or doting on her ownspoiled felines,her home wasa sanctuary. Traci'slaughterand warm presence willbemissed more than wordscan say.

Hotard,Susan Fleming

HazelRogers Daviswas bornAugust17, 1933, in St Joseph, Louisiana. Shede‐partedher earthlyhomeon April 21, 2025, at theage of 91. Hazelwas aretired nursing assistantatBelle Chasse StateSchool.She was alifelongmemberof the Shiloh MissionaryBap‐tistChurch where shewas activeinthe Senior Choir, Prayerline, Sunday School and BibleStudy ministries She leaves to cherishher memories, herchildren: Larry (Gwendolyn)Rogers, Nathaniel Rogers,Cynthia Davis,Karl(Diedre)Davis Srand siblings:WillieMae Davis,Alexander Rogers, GladysTigler, Edward Rogers.Hazel is also sur‐vived by 8grandchildren, 13great-grandchildren and a host of nieces,nephews, cousins,relatives and friends.Hazel waspre‐ceded in deathbyher hus‐bandEsauDavis,her par‐entsMajor Rogers Sr.and CarrieRogers,her children, AlbertLouis Rogers and Karen A. Davis, herbroth‐ers Albert andMajor Rogers;and hersisters, Rosetta Hammond and RubyRogers.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Services on Saturday, April26, 2025, at ShilohMissionaryBaptist Church,1419 Fourth Street Westwego, LA 70072 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation from 9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. Serviceswillbeofficiated byPastorWoodrowHay‐den.Interment Restlawn ParkCemetery. Youmay signthe guestbook on www.gertrudegeddeswilli s.com. Gertrude Geddes Willis FuneralHomeInc in charge(504) 522-2525.

Lacour,Gerald Jervis Gerald "Jerry"Jervis Lacour passedaway peacefully on April 19, 2025, surroundedbyloved ones. Acelebrationof Jerry's life will be held on Sunday, April 27, 2025, at the Lago Vista High School PerformingArtsCenter, 5158 Lohmans Ford Rd, Lago Vista, TX 78645. Visitation at 2:30 p.m.,service at 3:00 p.m.,with a gathering immediatelyfollowing at the familyhome: 3607 Lohmans Ford Rd Lago Vista, TX 78645. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Baylor University at https://www. baylor.edu/forms/index.ph p?id=988775 or https://bbi s.baylor.edu/give?id=4983 7&a=3&f=0344387&scode= 25_MT_JLACOUR

Vivian AnnHansonAl‐baradoage 84, of Belle Chasse,LA, passedaway peacefullyonMonday, April 21, 2025. Shewas bornonSeptember 13,1940 in NewOrleans,LA, to GeorgeEwell Hanson and Sarah CollinsHanson. She issurvivedbyher children LisaAlbaradoLasseigne of Lafayette,LA, Brenda Al‐baradoVogt (Tony) of Slidell, LA,and Paul Clifford Albarado, Jr.ofNew Or‐leans,LA. She wasthe beloved "Grammy" of Rod‐ney Joseph LasseigneJr., and Anna Claire Vogt.She isalsosurvivedbyher brother,GeorgeEwell Han‐son,Jr. (Martha),her sis‐ter,Ellen Hanson Kimble, and ahostofniecesand nephews.Vivianwillbe deeply missed andforever loved.Vivianwas preceded indeath by herparents Georgeand SarahHanson, and hergrandson, Spencer Lloyd Vogt.Vivianspent her childhood andmostof her earlyadulthood in Port Sulphur,LA, where sheen‐joyed raisingher children playing bridge,and volun‐teering. Shewas an active memberofthe St.Patrick Altar Societyand also playedthe organand sang inthe choiratthe St Patrick Catholic Church She latermoved to Belle Chasse,LAwhere shewas a parishionerofthe St.Cle‐tus Catholic Church in Gretna, LA andwas alongtimeemployee of the Plaquemines Parish School Board.Inher retirement years,she enjoyedreading, playing cards, watching Hallmarkmovies, and drinkinga good glassof wine. Shewas an avid sportsfan of LSUsports, the NewOrleans Saints, and especially theNew Or‐leans Pelicans.Her funeral serviceswillbeheldon Tuesday,April 29 at Mothe FuneralHome, 2100 West‐bank Expressway,Harvey,

Elyse Derbes passed away peacefully on Monday, April 21, 2025, at theage of 81 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Born on March 16, 1944, in Los Angeles, California to the late CharlesJoseph Derbes, Jr. and Marie Cronvich Derbes, Elyse was agraduateofthe Academy of theSacred Heart (Class of 1962) and Tulane University (Class of 1966). She moved to San Francisco in 1978 and built abeautiful life with countless wonderful friends. Elyse lovedhiking thegor-

John Robert Falgoust, 82, passed away peacefully on April22, 2025, surrounded by his loving family aftera briefillness. He is survivedbyhis belovedwife of nearly 61 years, Margaret Trapani Falgoust; his twochildren, John Robert Falgoust,Jr. (Nancy)and Anne Falgoust OttJohnson; and hischerishedgrandchildren, Caroline KellyFalgoust and John Robert Falgoust,III ("Jack"),who lovingly called him "Papa" and "Pops." John was born on October 13, 1942, in Mayfield,Pennsylvania, wherehespent hisearly years until his family moved to NewOrleans to be closer to family.He graduated from Alcée Fortier High School in 1960 and LouisianaState University in NewOrleans in 1964 with abachelor's degree in accounting.John beganhis careerasa CPA at Peat Marwick Mitchell and Price Waterhouse, and served in theU.S.Army NationalGuard.His career evolvedfrom accounting to managementconsulting,and he went on to executiveroles in thefinancial services industry. In 1989 he joinedNew York Life where he guidedhis clients with integrity and compassion.Johnwas a man of principal and deep faith and served as a Eucharistic Minister, lector, and adorer formany years at St. Catherine of SienaChurch. He was an avid golfer, who shot his age, and was afixture at his grandchildren's school and sporting events. Above all, John lovedspending time with his family -he was never readyfor family gatherings to end and was always sad when it was time to say goodbye.He livedlifetothe fullest up until he became illfor the last twomonths of his life. Visitationand afuneral Mass willbeheldon Monday, April 28, 2025, at St.Catherine of Siena Church, 105 BonnabelBlvd, Metairie,LA70005, with visitationstartingat10:30 a.m. and thefuneral Mass at noon.A privateburial

SusanFleming Hotard passedawaypeacefullyin her sleep andmet theLord onApril 17, 2025. Susan was theeldestdaughterof WilliamA.Fleming,an artistand business owner, and DianaDunlapFleming, ownerofthe Wick andTal‐low Candle Shop in Shreve‐port, Louisiana. Susanwas bornOctober 14, 1953, in Oak Park,Illinois. Herpar‐entsmoved to Shreveport in1956. From theage of 4, Susan wasenthralledwith drawing andpainting, exe‐cutingher firstpaidcom‐mission in 1966 fora wealthy Shreveport patron ofthe arts.In1975, Susan earnedher B.F.A.,inInte‐riorDesignfromLouisiana TechUniversityhavingen‐joyed additional studiesat Louisiana Tech’s Rome, Italycampus. In 1999 Susan beganstudyingat The NewOrleans Academy ofFineArtswithAuseklis Ozols andDel Wellerand withthe ArtStudents LeagueinNew York City under thetutelageofRay Kinstler. Beginningin2003, Susan taught portraiture and stilllifeworkshops acrossTexas and Louisiana,her knowledge enriching thevibrant art communities of NewOr‐leans andHouston.Susan moved to NewOrleans in the mid-1970s. Shemet her futurehusband of 45 years, Ray Hotard,in1978, while working as an interior de‐signer. AfterHurricane Kat‐rina, Susanand Raymoved toThe Woodlands, Texas, where Susanengaged the regionalartscommunity, mademanyfriends,and in‐fluenced herfellowartists through herworkand workshops.Susan’s career was marked by numerous accoladesincluding First Place in theOil Painters of America (OPA)2020 Signa‐tureFallOnlineShow, aSil‐ver Medalinthe OPA2020 Salon Show,and multiple awardsfromthe National Oil andAcrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS), such as BestPaintingofSignature Members in 2021. Herwork was celebrated in presti‐gious exhibitionsincluding the OPANationalShow, AmericanImpressionist Society,and Audubon Artists at theSalmagundi ClubinNew York City where sheearnedthe Gold Medal of Honorin2012. Her art graced thecover of AmericanArtistmagazine in2005 andwas featured in Southwest Artand TheEn‐cyclopediaofOil Tech‐niques. Adedicated mem‐ber of theOil Painters of America,NOAPS,and the AmericanImpressionist Society,Susan’s legacy in‐cludessoloexhibitions suchasher 2015 show at the NewOrleans Academy ofFineArtsand recogni‐tionsuchasbeing named partofthe Select Fifty Award from thePortraitSo‐ciety of Americain2019 Her work,characterized by technical masteryand emotional depth, will con‐tinue to resonate with col‐lectors andadmirers. Susan waspredeceased by her belovedgrandmother, Francis Birdwell Dunlap, her mother,Diana Dunlap Fleming,her father, WilliamA.Fleming,and her brother,William Dunlap Fleming. Susanissurvived

Mary SueCairnsLanaux, age 84, of AbitaSprings and formerly of Mandev‐ille, passedawayonApril 24, 2025. Shewas born De‐cember17, 1940 in Alexan‐dria, LA.Beloved wife & bestfriendof63years to MichelEmile Lanaux,Sr. Her parentswereDr. AdrianBennett Sr.& Mary Adeline Cairns.Motherof Susan ElizabethSnyderof Des Moines,Iowa, Michel Emile Lanaux Jr.ofAbita Springs,LA, andThomas Baldwin Lanaux of Austin Texas.She wasthe sister ofthe late Dr.AdrianBen‐nettCairns, Jr,ThomasE Cairnsand thelateRobert F.Cairns. Shewas Grand‐motherof8-Elizabeth Fretz,Christopher Snyder & FinnSnyder(Charles& Susan E. Snyder), Michael and NathanaelLanaux (Michel E. Jr.& Brenda Lanaux) andMadelynn, Adrian, andAiden Lanaux (Thomas B. &Monica Lanaux).She wasGreat Grandmother of 3- Jack Fretz,DeanFretz andJune Snyder. Mary Suewas a graduateofSt. Martin’s Episcopal School andat‐tendedOle Miss University Whilethere shewas a memberofKappa Kappa Gamma sorority.She loved gardening,Bridge, biking, playing Scrabble andgood movies. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe memorial services atE.J.FieldingFuneral Home, 2260 W. 21st Avenue, Covington LA 70433 on Thursday,May 1, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation onThursdaybeginning at 9:00a.m.Interment will be private.E.J.FieldingFu‐neral Home hasbeen en‐trusted with funeral arrangements. TheLanaux familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatE.J.FieldingFuneral HomeGuest Book at www ejfieldingfh.com

Davis, HazelRogers

Lanaux,MarySue Cairns

Lanaux, Mary

Falgoust, John Robert

AngelLaBeaud Parker’s journeybegan December 27, 1972, in NewOrleans, LA.Itiswithprofound sad‐ness that we announceher peaceful passingonFriday, April18, 2025, at theage of 52. Shewas adevoted wife, mother,daughter, andsis‐terwho loveddeeply. Angel’slegacywillbecar‐ried forwardbythe union of herhusband,Terry L Parker,Srand herchildren who shetreasured deeply, Dominique Parker,David Gillette,BrittneyParker, Terry L. Parker,Jr.,and Ju‐nius Parker.Her grandchil‐dren whomshe cherished, Mariah,Angel,Demi, David Jr La’BellaRose,Camila Gillette,and A’niyah Parker.Angel wasbornto theunion of herparents JoAnnLaBeaud andthe late andgreat Larry R. LaBeaud, Sr.She was lov‐inglyraisedbyher grand‐mother,GloriaPeters. She wasthe belovedsisterto LurlineLaBeaud Duncan (Orrin),RachelLaBeaud, thelateLarry R. LaBeaud, Jr andBryan JLaBeaud Angelloved hersiblings just as sheloved herown children.Inall herearthly days shewas aprofound protectorofher family, and sheshareddevoted and unconditionallovefor each of them.Familywas acor‐nerstone of Angel’slifein which shecreated count‐less memories andun‐breakable bonds. Angel’s life wasa testamenttothe powerofloveand family. Shelefta mark on this earthand in ourhearts. Relativesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend aMassofChristian Burial honoring thelifeand legacy of AngelLaBeaud Parker at St.Leo theGreat Catholic Church,2916 Paris Ave, NewOrleans,LA70119 on Friday,April 25, 2025, at 11:00 am.Visitationat9:00 am.Interment: Mt.Olivet Cemetery,4000 Norman MayerAvenue,New Or‐leans, LA 70122. Please sign theonlineguestbook at www.rhodesfuneral.com Arrangements entrustedto Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Washington Ave, NewOr‐leans, LA

Redmon Jr., Harry Smith

Harry S. Redmon Jr passed away on April 23, 2025. Born March 24, 1934,he was the son of Harry S. Redmon Sr. and Mary Redmon, and the husband of Jane C. Redmon. One son,Harry Redmon III, preceded him in death. He is survived by ason, Marshall Redmon (Missy); four stepchildren, Steve Victory (Lanie), Leigh Moss (Robby), Lane Mosby (Billy)and Derek Victory (Ashley); andeleven grandchildren, Jordan Redmon, Melissa Redmon Slaughter (Matthew), Hunter Redmon, Jane and Thomas Victory,Hartson and Maddox Moss, Taylor and Cheney Mosby, and John and Tatum Victory. After graduating from St. Martin's Episcopal School, he attended Louisiana State University, where he earned degrees in microscopic paleontology and law. Thereafter, he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the United States Air Force, attaining the rank of captain. Upon his honorable discharge, he joined the law firm then named Phelps Dunbar Marks Claverie and Sims, ultimately serving ten years as its managing partner He was amember of several bar associations and societies, including the American College of Trial Lawyers. Adevoted LSU alumnus, upon his retirement in 1996, aprofessorship was endowed in his nameat the law school. His civic activities included service on the board of the LSU Health Foundation,on which he became president and chief endowment officer. He also served on the boards of WYES and Bridge House.

He was amemberofsocial organizationsincluding the New Orleans Country Club,the Pass Christian Yacht Club, The Boston Club, Stratford Club and The RexOrganization. Special thanks to Mary JaneMcAlister, VeAnn Bourgeois and Dr. Kenneth Smith for their companionship, care,and comfort Amemorial servicewill be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday,April 29, at St. Martin'sEpiscopal Church, Metairie, Louisiana.A receptionwillfollowatthe NewOrleansCountry Club. Inlieu of flowers, donations may be made to the LSU Law School

Richards, Mayson

Mayson Kia Richards was native of New Orleans born to Hasaniik(China) Brasan Richards and Brian Mc KinneyonJanuary 21, 2019. He wasa KindergartenStudent at KIPP Leadership. He departedthis life on April10, 2025atthe ageof6.He was the beloved grandson of BrandyRichards and the late Hasan Simms (maternal)and the late Carla Lynette Noel and Brian McKinney (Paternal)He willbecherishedbyhis Uncles Hasan Mosleyand Brenan Richards (Maternal) Bobby Noel and his Aunt Natalie Noel (Paternal). He is survived by ahost of cousins, great cousins, great unclesand aunts,great greataunts and uncles, and cousins. He is preceded in deathby his Grand Parents Hasan Simms (Maternal)and Carla Lynette Noel (Paternal)Great Grand Parents JoyceAnn Claiborne Simms and Owens James Davillier Sr (Maternal)Lizzie Maeand Josh Austin(Paternal). He willbecherishedbyhis KIPP Leadershipfriends, teachers,and staff. Relatives, Friends,and Family are invited to attend the funeral services on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 10:00a.m. at Greater MorningStarChurch of Algiers, 1242Valletta St., NewOrleans, LA., 70114. Visitation willbeat9:00 a.m.until the hour ofservice. Interment: Providence Memorial Park CemeteryMetairie,LA. Arrangements are entrusted to HeritageFuneral Directors, 4101St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, LA 70117.

Scott Jr., Henry 'Buddy'

HenryScott, Jr., born February5,1925in Frogmore, Louisiana and a resident of New Orleans for 80 years, passed peacefully at home in his sleep, Wednesday,April2,2025at the ageof100.Henry, a World WarIINavy Veteran, was an employeeofthe Dixie Brewing Company from 1961until hisretirement at the ageof63. Henryispreceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Deane Candiff Scott, his parents, Henry Scott Sr.and Stella Watkins Scott,two brothers, Emmanueland NoahScott, threesisters, Mary Scott Williams, Stella (babysister) Scott andBeulah Scott Schiele and grandson Emmanuel Polete. He is survived by two daughters, Claudette ScottPolete (Alfred) and Althea Scott Cooper(Joseph), Granddaughters Ahyana Polete Brooks,Imani Polete,Nia Cooper Wright(Darius), Aaliyah and AltheaCooper, two grandsons, Johar and Joseph Cooper III, three great grandsons, Jovan White,Jr.,NasirBrooksand Jabari Polete, foursisters, Lillie Scott Green, Hattie Scott,MableScott McKinney, LillianScottand brotherJoseph Scottas well as ahost of cousins, niecesand nephews. Relatives, friends of the family,priestsand parishioners of St. Josephine Bakhita CatholicChurch

are invitedtoattenda MemorialMass at St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic Church, 3501 NMiro Street on Saturday, April26, 2025 at 11:00 a. m.

Stokes,Herbert Lee

HerbertLee Stokes,age 83, wasbornonNovember 16, 1943, in Dalton,Al‐abamaentered theHeav‐enly KingdomofSaints with familybyhis side on Saturday,April 12,2025. Herbertwas raised in Headland,Alabama before he joined theArmed forces of theUnitedStateswhere he received an honorable dischargein1975. Through hisself-employmenthe wasabletotouch thelives of many who have come to know andlovehim.He leaves to cherishhis mem‐ory, hislovingwife, Shar‐lene Stokes,fourstep‐daughters, CrystalBrown, YolandaBrown, June Williams (Kevin), Sharonda Fusilier (Derrick). Hebert is survived andmissedbyhis stepmother,Mildred Stokes,fourbrothers, Ter‐ries Stokes (Asmia), Gary Stokes (Louise),Folzia Whatleyand RavinWhat‐ley(Linda),six sisters, Dar‐leen Jenkins(Larry), Michelle Maize, Juanita Jenkins(Vincent),Mattie Wilborn(Willie), Mae James(Danny),and PrinceeWhatley.Herbert wasthe grandfatherof12 grandchildren, twogreatgrandchildrenand ahost of nieces,nephews andrel‐atives.Hewas preceded in deathbyhis parents, Robert Stokes andCharlie Bell Whatley, twosisters, oneniece andone brotherin-law.Relatives and friendsofthefamilyare in‐vitedtojoininthe Celebra‐tion of Life ServiceonMon‐day, April28, 2025, at Gertrude Geddes Willis-Ter‐rebonne FuneralHome, 617 Bond Street,Houma LA 70360 11:00a.m.Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. IntermentGardenof Memories Cemetery,3658 W. Main St., Gray,LA70359. Youcan sign guestbook on www.gertrudegeddeswilli s.com. Gertrude Geddes Willis-Terrebonne Funeral Home,Inc.incharge, (985) 872-6934.

Walker,DarrenValex

Darren ValexWalker, age39, passed away unex‐pectedly on Thursday,April 10, 2024, while on abrief visittoMedellín,Colombia. He wasthere searchingfor asecondhomefor hisfam‐ily; he hadfound theper‐fect spot andwas headed home theday of hispass‐ing. Aproud native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Darren livedbetween both cities in recent years—butNew Orleanswas always home Theyoungestofsix sib‐lings—andthe only one planned—Darren entered theworld with purpose. He came prepared to make his mark,but first, he needed capital. At just sixyears old, he launchedhis first business—by quietlytak‐inghis brotherDavid’s drawings andselling them to hisclassmates. When students begancoming home starving because they’d used theirlunch moneyonartwork,upset parentsandteachers quicklylearned theculprit:

Darren wasrunning a thriving artdealershipout of hisbackpack. It wasthe firstofmanyventures. The onethatstill makesus laugh: he sold $2,000 vacu‐umsdoor to door—some‐howconvincingpeople with hardwood floorsthey needed one. Darren could sell anything—evensalt‐wateratthe beach. He had no interest in atypical 9to-5 life,and that fire burned bright from the start. In high school,he went againstthe grain. Whilemostofhis class‐matesworebaggy jeans andsneakers, Darren dressedinslacks, buttondown shirts,and dress shoes. He wassocommit‐tedtolookingdistin‐guishedthatJean, afamily friend,oncetook himshop‐ping forschool clothes. Darren desperatelywanted apairofKenneth Cole shoes—butthe only ones available were twosizes toosmall.Hewas asize10, butheboughtthe size 8s anyway.Hestuffedhis feet in andstruttedthrough campus until thepain caught up with him. A classmatecalledout,“Red, yougot baby feet!” Darren wasconvinced he’d per‐manently damagedhis toes.His familyloved laughing at that storyfor years. He wasa natural leader—sharp,thoughtful, magnetic.Hetook asmall Christianclubofjusta few students andturneditinto somethingsolarge they hadtomovemeetings into thegymnasium.Word spread aboutthisyoung manatJohnEhret High School who couldpreach like aseasonedminister. Soon,hewas speaking at youthgroupsand even at adultservices. Oneof thoseserviceswas at his grandfather’schurch where he methis future wife,LucyBarrera Walker Shepreached first. Darren wasscheduled to follow As Lucy listened,she re‐membersthinking: “That’s thekindofman Iwantto marry.” As they prayed over theyouth together at theend of theservice,Dar‐renremembers thinking: “Thisfeelslikea married couple.Snapout of it,Dar‐ren—we’resupposedtobe praying!”Theycrossed pathsagain after thepass‐ingofDarren’sgrandfa‐ther.That first month, they talked for10,000minutes while Darren wasattend‐ingRhema BibleCollege He kept thephone bill.It wasproof of howinlove they alreadywere. Darren wassentimental like that He believed love should be shown—andremembered. Boldly.Beforemarrying Lucy,Darren’sfather-inlawtoldhim he’d need to buya house first. So at just 20 yearsold,Darrenbe‐came ahomeownerand landlord. Aftermarrying, he andLucyworkedto‐gether at ReggieGlass’ StateFarmagency. But Darren still hada dreamof breaking free from the9to-5 world. Hisbrother Dannyintroducedhim to properties damagedin HurricaneKatrina,and Dar‐rengot to work.For two years, he rose earlyand stayed up late,buyingand renovating blighted homes. Eventually,hebuilt areal estate portfoliolarge enough to setbothheand Lucy free from traditional jobs.Hedid it allwhile car‐ryinga senseofurgency that definedhis life—mov‐ingasthoughheknew time wasshort.Lucycalled him“TheOracle.”He’dfeel apullinhis spirit,makea bigdecisionquickly,and yearslater they’d realize: he wasright.Ithad to hap‐penthen. In oneofthe boldestactsoffaith and adventure, Darrenand Lucy decidedtolive abroad fora year.Thatone year turned into threein Medellín,Colombia. Darren threwhimself into learning Spanish—andsoon he was having deep,tearful con‐versations in anotherlan‐guage. He’d hopintoa taxi andsomehow leavewith thedriver’slifestory.That wasDarren. He sawpeople fully.His vulnerabilitygave others thecourage to be vulnerable too. He made lifelong friendsinColom‐biaand found healing, peace, andclarity in its mountains. Whetherin Medellín or NewOrleans people were drawntohim He wasmagnetic, grounded,and real.Hewas

asafe place. Darren was also wildly generous.He’d oftenask Lucy,“What do youwant? Iwanttogiveit alltoyou.” He loved fine jewelry—notfor status,but formeaning.Whenhesaw Lucy wearingplastic roseshaped earrings,hetook them to ajeweler andhad them recreatedin18-karat gold, adding amatching necklace engraved with “4 years.”Itwas theirfourth anniversary. Detailsmat‐teredtohim.Darrenlived life fully. He traveled the world—Morocco,Spain, Ecuador, Peru,Mexico, Canada,Colombia, Panama,China,and be‐yond—and conqueredhis fear of heightsbyparaglid‐inghighabove theColom‐bian mountainsfor Lucy's birthday,and he even went parasailinginSan Andres, Colombia,for Lucy’s Mother’s Day—grinning throughthe nerves be‐causeitmadeher happy. He lovedturning Lucy’s de‐siresintoreality,evenifit meantfacinghis fears. In somethingasmundane as guttinga property,he’d find away to laugh. He’d stop to pointout birdsor admire flowers. He re‐minded us that nature was agift—andlife, even in struggle,could be beauti‐ful. Darren’s greatest mis‐sion—and deepestjoy wasbeing afather. He adored hisdaughters,De‐sireeAnalida Walker and LivFeWalker. Amosquito bite became anational emergency. Theirpainwas hispain. Theirjoy washis joy. Forthe littlethings, he made them feel seen.For thebig things,he’dsit and hold them forhours,talk‐ingthrough whateverthey were facing. He wasthe “safety police,” always thinking five stepsahead to protectthemphysically andemotionally.The girls knew—without adoubt that Daddy wasfor them Desireeand Livare Dar‐ren’slegacy—themost beautifulparts of himlive on in them.Desiinherited hisextraordinary empathy. Like herdad,she’s some‐oneyou cancry with and feel trulyunderstood by someonewho celebrates your wins as if they were herown. LivsharesDar‐ren’sdrive andpolished waywithwords.Bothcap‐tivating andconfident,she speaks with thesame presence andcharismaher father wasknown for. And just like him, shelives by thepower of agood list crossing offgoals with purposeand style. Darren gave hisgirls an extraordi‐nary,forever kind of love He broughtthemout of the ordinary andintoa life of adventure, deep connec‐tion,and joy. Darren left behind atreasuretrove of poems, notes, andvoice messages—fragments of hisheart.His finalwritings, were love letterstoDesiree andLiv,reflecting on their uniquebeauty, strength, andspirit. Lucy found let‐ters he hadn’t even shared yet. In thedaysafter,Lucy andLiv were able to grieve privatelyinColombiabe‐fore returninghometo NewOrleans,where family

awaited. It wasn’t sup‐posedtoend this way. Thereweremorechapters to write. ButDarrenoften said:“I’ll find you—no mat‐terwhere or whatdimen‐sion I’min.”Darren changedthe world—not just in howhelived,but in howheloved.Atthe time of hispassing,Darrenwas an ownerof“Zoey’s Fresh QuesoDip,” abeloved snackfound in grocery stores across Louisiana–onethatfamilies across thestate have grownto love,and oneweregularly fought over at familygath‐erings forthe last bite.He wasalsoa partnerand ownerof“3Wrkz,”a com‐pany developing innova‐tive AI solutionsdesigned to help businesseswork smarterwiththeir data.He leaves behind hisbeloved wife,Lucy;his daughters, Desireeand Liv; hisfather, DavidWalker; hismother, Veronica Walker;his sib‐lings: Deltrice (Michael) Davis, Dionne (Jide) Os‐ifekun, David(Erika) Walker II, Derek(Tammy) Walker,and Daniel (Lisa) Walker;his auntsand un‐cles,niecesand nephews, extended family, and countless friendsaround theworld who were trans‐formed by hislife. Darren ValexWalkerlived like he knew time was short. And he used everyminutewell. Psalm90:12 –“So teachus to numberour days,that we mayapplyour hearts untowisdom.”Relatives andfriends of thefamily, also pastors, officers,and membersofWhole Family Church,TrueHopeMin‐istries, TheHopeofGlory Church,and allneighbor‐ingchurches areinvited to attend theHomegoing Cel‐ebration at GreaterMount CalvaryInternationalWor‐ship Center,1600 West‐wood Drive, Marrero, LA on Saturday,April 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Min. James Welch, officiating; Apostle Terry Gullage, host pastor Visitation will beginat9:00 a.m. until servicetimeat thechurch.Interment: Westlawn CemeteryGretna,LA. Arrangements by DavisMortuaryService 230 Monroe St., Gretna,LA. To view andsignthe guest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com Face masksare recom‐mended

Reporting

Parker,Angel LaBeaud

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

BRIEFS FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Big Tech carries Wall Street in wild week

Big Tech stocks carried Wall Street Friday to the close of a winning, roller-coaster week, one that saw markets swing fromfear to relief andback to caution because of President Donald Trump’strade war

The S&P 500 rose to add some more to abig three-day rally, and it’sback within 10.1% of its record setearlier this year Spurts for influential tech stocks sent theNasdaqcomposite up. But they masked amixed dayoftrading on Wall Street, wheremore stocks fell within the S&P 500 than rose, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose marginally Alphabet climbed 1.7% in its first trading after Google’s parent company reported late Thursday that itsprofit soared 50% in the beginning of 2025 from ayearearlier,more than analysts expected. Alphabet is one of thebiggest companies on Wall Street in terms of size, and thatgives its stock’smovements extra influence on the S&P 500 and other indexes.Another market heavyweight,Nvidia,was also amajorforcepushingthe S&P 500 index upward after thechip companyrose 4.3%.

Consumer sentiment slides on inflation fears

U.S. consumer sentiment fell to one of the lowest readings on record and long-term inflation expectations climbed to the highest since 1991 on fears of the economic fallout from tariffs. The final April sentiment index fell to 52.2 from 57 amonth earlier,accordingtothe University of Michigan. While aslight improvement from the preliminary gauge of 50.8, the latest figureis the fourth-lowest in data back to the late 1970s.

Consumers anticipated inflation will rise at an annual rate of 4.4% over the next five to 10 years, thedata out Friday showed. They expect prices to rise at a6.5% pace over thenext year. While down from apreliminary reading of 6.7%, year-ahead price expectations are still the highest since 1981.

The survey began March 25 and concluded April21, aperiod that included President Donald Trump’sannouncement of a90day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of U.S. trading partners. In addition to stoking fears of higher inflation, the Trump administration’strade policies areelevating anxiety about the economy and labormarket. The university’s expectationsindex slumped to 47.3, the lowest since 2022, as 60%ofrespondentsoffered unsolicited comments about the hit from tariffs.

7-Eleven’snew chief confident about value

Thefirstforeigner tapped to head 7-Eleven expressed confidence Friday the Japanese convenience store chain willcontinue to attract thrifty customers, eveninaneconomic slowdown.

But Stephen Hayes Dacus, an American with aJapanese mother,declined to comment on the specifics of thevarious investment plans now being studied, includinganacquisitionproposal by Alimentation Couche-Tard of Canada.

Aspecial company committee, which he isn’tpart of, is charged with studying the options “totally objectively,” he said.

“The process is moving forward very constructively,” Dacus, who is currently adirector, told asmall group of reportersat the Tokyo headquarters of Seven &iHoldings Co., which operates 7-Eleven.

Fluent in Japanese and English, Dacus saidhewas determined to build aculture of leadershipthat he’slearned to admire from his experience working at Walmart, Uniqlo and other retailers.

“If you’renot humble, you’re not listening to your customers. You’re not learning. But if you’re not aggressive, you’re going to get beat by your competitors,” he said.

Callsfor cuts maynot help consumers

‘Threatening theFed doesn’tsoothemarkets it spooks them’

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

President Donald Trumpisbadgering the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, but even ifthe Fed gave intothe pressure, it wouldn’t necessarily lead to lower borrowing costsfor consumers.

In fact,economists say, Trump’s ongoing attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell andhis tariff policies could keep the longer-term interestrates that matter forconsumers and businesses higher than they otherwise would be. Alessindependent Fedcan lead, over time,to higher borrowing costs, as investors worry that inflation may spike in the future. As aresult they demandhigher yields to own Trea-

sury securities.

Trump has repeatedly urged Powell to cutthe short-term interestratethatthe central bank controls. TheFed typically reduces its rate during an economic downturn to encouragemore borrowingand spending, and raises it to cool the economy andfightinflation when prices rise.

Butlong-term ratesonthings like mortgages, auto loans, andcredit cards arelargelyset by market forces.And in recent weeks,fears that Trump’ssweeping tariffs could raiseinflation, alongwiththe administration’sthreats to the Fed’s independence, have led markets to push those longer-termrates higher.It’snot clear that the Fed can fully reverse those trends by itself.

“It’snot automatically true that even if the Fed were to cut rates, that youwould seea measured decline in long-term interest rates,” said Francesco Bianchi, an economist at Johns Hopkins University “This kind of pressure on the Fed might backfire …ifmarkets don’t believethe Fed has inflation under control.”

Trump renewed calls on Wednesday and Thursday for Powellto reduce theFed’sshort-termrate, telling reporters that the chairis “making amistake” by not doing so. And last week, Trump suggested he could fire Powell, while atop aide said that the White House was “studying” whether it could do so.

The threatstothe Fed’s independence unnerved Wall Street inves-

tors because they see aFed free from political pressure as critical to keeping inflation in check. An independent Fed can take unpopular steps, such as raising rates, to fight inflation.

“Threatening the Fed doesn’t soothemarkets —itspooks them,” said Lauren Goodwin, chief market strategist at New York LifeInvestments. “And theresult is often the oppositeofwhat any administration wants to see: higher rates, weaker confidence and more marketturmoil.”

SinceTrump beganimposing tariffsinearly March, when he slapped dutiesonCanada and Mexico, the 10-year Treasury yieldhas risenfrom4.15% to about4.3%. The yieldisa benchmark formortgage ratesand other borrowing. Mortgage rates,inturn, have increased duringthattime, from 6.6% to 6.8%

Bon Carrédatacentersold

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor

Adatacenter inside Bon Carré Technology Park hasbeensoldfor $9.4 million,more thanfour years after aSouth Carolina firm paid $8 million forthe 800,000-square-foot business center

DartPoints, aDallas-baseddata center operator,bought the nearly 90,000-square-foot data center in adeal that was filedThursday with the East Baton Rouge ClerkofCourt’s office. The seller was EdgePWR. EdgePWR of MountPleasant, SouthCarolina, bought BonCarré in December 2020. The company specializesindatacenters in second- and third-tier markets such as Charleston,South Carolina and Omaha, Nebraska.

BonCarré is located on FloridaBoulevard, at the former BonMarche Mall site. The mall closed in the1990s after it lost retail tenants to thenewer Cortana Mall and was rebranded as abusiness and technology park.

Bon Carré hasanoteworthymix of tenants that includes GMFS, Capital Area Human Services,the Louisiana Department of Health and the Baton Rouge PoliceDepartment .Italso housesthe Nexus Louisiana Tech Park business incubator.The former Montgomery Ward building is separately owned by Cox Communications.

Afew months after the deal closed, EdgePWR spent $10 million renovating Bon Carré, painting the property,replacing the roof and adding landscaping. It also brought in newtenants including theGovernor’sOffice of Homeland Security& Emergency Preparednessand TheVolunteers of America.

“We’ve had good luck leasing the office space,” said BenGrahamofStirling,who

along with Scott Macdonld, represented EdgePWR in the deal.

BonCarré’s location in themiddleofBaton Rouge,along withthe ample parking, makesita“good landing spot” for state agencies.

DartPoints has been in the local market since 2023 when it acquired Venyu, alocal data centeroperator andcloud service provider. Venyu operated two data centers in BonCarré

DartPoints officials said the growth of sectorssuchastelehealth, gaming andAI have pushed the demand for computerstoragethatisclosertoindividual clients. GrahamsaidDartPoints bought its property as part of an expansioneffort across the U.S. Grahamsaid he and Macdonald will continue leasing space in Bon Carré, looking for office tenants.

“We’velooked at some conversions for sports-orienteduses,” he said. “We’re open to anything.”

Automakers focusonthe global market

U.S. chided over tariffsat Shanghaishow

BY ELAINE KURTENBACH AP business writer

SHANGHAI Boothsofbig Chinese, German and Japaneseautomakers were bustling atShanghai’sauto showthisweek as the industry kept its focus on awider globalmarket notsubject to steep U.S.tariffs on importsofcars and auto parts.

Signs are that U.S. President Donald Trump’s25% tariffs on auto importsiscausingcompanies to recalibrate their strategies, andinsome cases find new opportunities. “When governments up above are at odds, it’sgoing to impact the busi-

nesses down below,” said Ma Lihua, general manager at Soling, aChinese maker of domain control units and otherelectronicsusedinsuch things as rearview camera displays. Soling,headquartered in Shanghai, counts Ford MotorCo.,Toyota Motor Corp. and many other top tier global and Chinese automakers among its customers. It’s also setting up amanufacturing base in Vietnam, whose local electric vehicle maker VinFast hasambitions to becomeSoutheast Asia’sleading automaker

Many of thedozens of auto parts and components companies exhibitingatthe Shanghai autoshow have operations spanning boththe Chinese and world markets.

Metal components maker Gestamp, asupplier of chassis, battery boxes and other key auto parts, has

suffered from aslowdown in the U.S.and western European marketsbut is expanding in Asia, Latin America andEastern Europe.

The tariffs are nowanaddedcomplication, as automakers watch to see what comes.

“In the past, supply chains usually wouldrun likeSwiss clockwork, but now it’sthe opposite,” ErnestoBarcelo, chief ESGofficer for Gestamp, said of the uncertainty nowdominating the market

“The lack of stability now, it’s somethingvery. fluffy,” Barcelo said.

Afundamental criteria for investing in any market is political stability,Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor Co., told reporters when asked about his company’splans to expand manufacturing overseas. That applies to countries likeHun-

gary,where the companyhas notyet decidedonwhether to builda factory,hesaid, but also to the United States underTrump.

“Ifa countryisnot politically stable, it’svery risky,”said Wei, who also goes by thename Jack Wey. With U.S.tariffs so high, Great Wall can focus elsewhere, such as on tradebetween Chinaand Europe, which is bound to grow,hesaid. He didn’taddress the tariffs of up 45.3% that theEUhas imposed on electric vehicles madeinChina Tianshu Xin, CEO of Leapmotor International,ajoint venture of Stellantis andChina’s Leapmotor, said the U.S. market wasn’tits firstfocus. Now, “wewant to monitor the regulatory environment, andalso customer preferences are slightly different compared with other markets,”Xin said.

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Aerialofthe Bon CarreCenter in Baton RougeonJuly 11, 2019. The Governor’sOffice of Homeland Security &Emergency Preparedness plans to move some of its operations into a70,000-square-foot space into Bon Carré, making it the largest tenant in the property

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

ARTISTS’ VIEWS ANOTHERVIEW

Ignoring realitywon’t help make schools better

It seems there is afull-scale effort to beat up public schoolsinlow-income areas. Here is the latest. Proposed legislation by stateRep. BarbaraFrieberg is agut punch to schools inlow-income areas.The Baton Rouge Republican wants thestate to give money to schools based on attendance data fromthe districts This is supposed to encourage higher attendanceat those schools. It would address absenteeism, she says. Sounds plausible until therealities of manychildren and families in low-incomecommunitiesare considered.

Nowlet me explain some realities that Ihave witnessedfirsthandasamember of groupthatgives Thanksgiving boxes and Christmas moneytostudents in need at my old high school.

These will be the students who maybeout for days at atimebecause the importance of theclassroom may not match up withthe realitiesof survival.

Edward Pratt

There were three youthsinthe family, but both parents were in jail. The older daughter,acollege student and parttimeworker,was trying to manage the family

She pushed her siblings to school, but sometimes one of them just found the situation overwhelming and didn’tattend every day

Another family of threelived in ahomelessshelter. The mother made surethey got to school. Acoupleof monthsago, she wasinthe hospital fora fewdays.The childrenleftthe homeless shelter and stayedatthe hospital withtheir mom. Luckily,school was not in session at thetime.But, given their love for their mom, they would havespent those days at the hospitalifso.

There was aHispanic student among agroup of six that Imentored at theschool for ayear. Shepointed out to me that several of her friendsand neighbors leave school to go to work. Some dropouts go to work and others might work for afew daysata time,then return to school. Imaginewhatadozen or so of those students will do to your school’sattendance report. Theseweresome of the cases we raninto. Iknow darn well those are not isolated. It would be beneficial if people who drawupthese plans would sit and talk withschool guidance counselors and community leaders who work in thetrenches with families to get some idea of what theyare planning.Ithink sometimestheydon’twant to do it because it might poke ahole in theblinders they are wearing.

Recently,one of my best friends and Iweretrying our best to help afamilynear him find ahomelessshelter or somewhere that would takeinafamily of nine. Several of the sevenchildren attendedpublic schools

As theyscrambled to find somewheretolive, Idon’t think school the next daywas apriority

Look legislators, if you wanttohelpstudentsattend school, find out some of therealitiesthatare keeping themaway.Granted, someparents andstudents may notview attendance like others.

But, what about finding ways to raisethe salariesof teachers in low-income schools because manyofthem leaveasquickly as they can? Getmuch-needed equipment into those classrooms.

Can’tdothat, you say? Well, youfound millions of dollarstopave the way forpublic school money to fill the coffers of private schools.

Find those students Ican findevery day who need familyassistance and providethatto them.SNAPis notthe sole solution.

Getprograms intothose schoolstiedtoschool attendance,where some businesses will be there to offer payingjobstoteenagers.

Venture out from your gated communitiesorupper and high-income neighborhoodstosee whatiscausing attendance problems. My friends andI do it allthe time, just trying to help some of them. Then maybe you’ll get abetterideaofthe reality of these families. Ipromise you will find some of those reasons for low attendance as aresult of situations you could never imagine.

Email Edward Pratt, aformer newspaperman,at epratt1972@yahoo.com.

SPORTS

Rookies maintain lead at Zurich

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Awild weekendbeckons at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans PGA Tour rookies Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo maintained their surprising lead Friday in the tightlycontested field at 17-under par after two rounds of play at the TPC of Louisiana.

But their precarious one-shot lead feels anything but safe. Behind them lurks an armyofcontenders, including the tandems of Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak at 16 under andthe Hojgaard twins —Nicolai and Rasmus —at15under

In all, 15 teams are within five shotsof thelead, including former LSUstandout Ben Taylorand fellow EnglishmanDavid Skinns, who are one of two tandems four shotsbackat13under. Aclusterofnine teamssit at 12 under,including the formidable tandems of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor,Sepp Straka andBrice Garnett, and Aaron Rai and Saheeth Theegala Butthey’re allchasingSalinda andVelo, who battled the hot, windy conditionsto card ascore of 69 during the alternate-shot format.

“I know best ball is obviously where you can take (the score) low,but Ilikeour chances in alternate shot versus anyone in

ä See ZURICH, page 3C

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The LSUwomen’s basketball team has landed one of the top players in the transfer portal. MiLaysiaFulwiley,adynamic guardwho spent the first two seasons of her career at South Carolina, took to social media on Fridaytoannouncethat shehad committed to coach Kim Mulkey and theTigers. “She’sbringing her incredible playmakingability to Baton Rouge,” Mulkey said in astatement, “standingout as one of the most electrifying talents in collegebasketball. Her ability to impact winning hasbeen clear throughout her career,and we can’t wait to seeher shine in purpleand gold at the PMAC soon.” Fulwiley will be ajunior next seasonand is one of the most coveted transfersofthe 2025 cycle. In two years with the Gamecocks, LSU’schief Southeastern Conference rival, she entered games off the bench and frequently changed their complexion, usually

ä See FULWILEY, page 3C

ARMED ANDREADY

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shoughruns adrill at the NFLscouting combine on March1inIndianapolis. Shough was draftedbythe NewOrleans Saints withthe No. 40 pickinthe second round of the NFLdraft on Friday.

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

When news broke in early April that Derek Carr’s2025 seasonmay be in jeopardy because of an injury to his shoulder,the New Orleans Saints suddenly became adestination for quarterback speculation.

The Saints put an end to theconversationabout their future at quarterback early Friday night when they selected Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough with the No.40pick.

Shoughwas thefirstofthree picks theSaints made Friday night,with theteam nabbing Texas defensive tackle VernonBroughtonand Virginia safetyJonas Sankerin thethird round.

Youdidn’tknow when.

Andyou didn’tknow which one.

Therewas some thoughtthatthe Saints may have to trade up to address the position, but they did not have to touch any of their current assets. Shough was the first quarterbackselected Friday night, and the third quarterback overall in the 2025 draft. New Orleans was on Shough throughout the process. He said Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien spent “about thewhole day” with himprior to hispro day, going over offensive concepts on awhite board before getting lunch and dinner.Shough also visited the Saints’ facility prior to the draft.

He’sexcited to join an organizationthathas several

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

Rod Walker

Butyou just knew theNew Orleans Saints had to draft aquarterback this year With all the uncertainty surrounding Derek Carr’sinjured right shoulder and the inconsistent play last year of backups Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener,quarterback was aneed like never before for theSaints. So on Friday night, theSaints did something they never had done before. They drafted a quarterback in the secondround, selecting Louisville’sTyler Shough (rhymes withluck) with the No. 40 overall pick. The 6-foot-5, 219-pound Shough is the second-highest drafted quarterback in Saints’ history.Only Archie Manning, drafted in the first round way back in 1971, was drafted sooner The only other quarterback the Saintsever have drafted in rounds 1-3 was Garrett Grayson in the third

The quarterback position in New Orleans hasn’tbeen stable since Drew Brees called it quits after the 2020 season.

“My goal is to come in there and compete and do everything Ican to makethe team better,” Shough said.

“That’smywhole goal. Just super fired up forthe opportunity.” It’s an opportunity that took awhile. Shough’scollege journey spanned seven seasons, three teams and several broken bones.

Shough, whoturns 26 in September,started his college career at Oregon in 2018 before transferring to Texas Tech and then Louisville. He’s been around so long that one of his teammates at Oregon wascurrent Saints tight end Juwan Johnson.

round. He never played in an NFL game. The Saints need Shough to play.If not this season, then in the very near future.

Shough’scollege career wasderailed by abroken collarbone, another shoulder injury and abroken leg. But he played every gamethis past season, his lone one at Louisville. “It’sonly mademestronger,” Shough said. “I’ve had the bone breaks. It hasn’taffected me

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Isaiah Salinda, left, and Kevin Velo, right, hug after finishingthe second round of the Zurich Classic on FridayatTPC Louisianain Avondale.

AP FILEPHOTO By JACOB KUPFERMAN Louisville quarterback TylerShough looks to makeapass against Clemsonduring their game on Nov. 2 in Clemson, S.C.

MICHAEL CONROy

7:55

9:30

2p.m. PBAElite League FS1

COLLEGE BASEBALL

11 a.m. Miami at Boston CollegeACCN Oklahoma at Georgia SECN

2p.m. Arkansas at Florida SECN

3p.m. Texas A&M at Texas ESPN2 Tulane at East CarolinaESPNU

5p.m. Vanderbilt at Ole Miss SECN

7p.m. Tennessee at LSU ESPNU

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

11 a.m. Maryland springgame BTN

1p.m.Rutgers spring game BTN

3p.m. Oregon spring game BTN COLLEGE SOFTBALL

11 a.m. Texas at Oklahoma ESPN2

1p.m. Florida at LSU ESPN2

5p.m. Nebraska at Washington BTN

6p.m. Clemson at Georgia Tech ACCN

8p.m. Missouri at Alabama SECN

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

COLLEGE TRACK ANDFIELD

12:30 p.m.Penn Relays CBSSN

2p.m. DrakeRelays CBSSN

WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

7p.m. Kansas at Nebraska BTN FISHING

7a.m. Bassmaster Elite Series FS1 GOLF

noon PGATour:Zurich ClassicGOLF

2p.m.

PGATour:Zurich ClassicCBS

PGATour Champions GOLF

LPGA: Chevron ChampionshipNBC

4p.m. LIV Golf FS1

HORSE RACING

noon America’sDay at the Races FS2

8p.m.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

UFC: Garryvs. Prates ESPN2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

noon* Baltimore at DetroitMLBN

3p.m. PhiladelphiaatChicagoCubsFOX

6p.m. Houston at Kansas City FS1

9p.m.* Miami at Seattle MLBN NBA PLAYOFFS

noon Cleveland at Miami TNT

2:30 p.m. Oklahoma City at Memphis TNT

5p.m. DenveratL.A.Clippers TNT

7:30 p.m. Houston at Golden State ABC

2025 NFLDraft: Rounds 4-7 NFLN

NHL

noon Tampa BayatFlorida TBS

3p.m.Vegas at MinnesotaTBS

6p.m.Toronto at Ottawa TBS

8:30 p.m.DallasatColorado TBS

MEN’S SOCCER

6:30 a.m. Burnley at Queens Park CBSSN Everton at Chelsea USA

9a.m.Sunderland at Oxford United CBSSN Ipswich Town at Newcastle U. USA

6p.m.MLS: Atlanta at Orlando City FOX

WOMEN’S SOCCER

noon NWSL: NJ/Ny at Washington CBS

6:30 p.m.NWSL: San DiegoatChicagoION

9p.m.NWSL: Seattle at BayION UFL

6p.m.Michigan at St.Louis ESPN

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

7p.m.Pro Volleyball Federation FS2

*Joinedinprogress IN BRIEF FROM

LSUmen’s hoopscheckingboxes

McMahon addressesneeds with transfers

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

This offseason has seen agood deal of turnover for LSU men’s basketball, which is enteringa fourth seasonunder coach Matt McMahon.

Seven players have transferred, and as of Friday,five players have been added to the roster from the transfer portal.

McMahon spoke to The Advocate regarding the offseason and how the 2025-26 team is taking shape. This conversation wasbefore Curtis Givens became the most recent player to enter the portal when it was reported on Wednesday.

McMahon said he is thrilled with his team’stransfer portal haul thus far as the program has been “very intentional” with the piecesithas acquired.

The Tigers set the tonewiththe acquisition of sophomore Dedan Thomas from UNLV, whoisrated as the No. 18 player in theportal, according to 247Sports. After subpar point guard play last season, McMahon saidheand hisstaff needed someone who could make an immediate impact.

“Just love his electricitythat he brings to theposition, hisability to create not only for himself, but for others,” McMahon said. “(They) always say the ultimate compliment of apoint guard is they make everyone else around them better and Ithink he certainlydoes that in many ways.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coachMattMcMahon has added five transfers during the offseason, and he said the Tigers are still considering‘players that fill important needs.

from Mississippi State and senior Marquel Sutton from Omaha. “Wewanted to addsize, physicality,defensive rebounding, rim protection, and we feellike we were able to check those boxes,” McMahon said.

With thesignings of seniors Rashad King and MaxMackinnon from Northeastern and Portland, respectively,McMahon was enamored with both having good size as 6-6 guards.

While everyone outside of Mackinnon is rated in the top 150 of 247Sports transfer portal rankings,the team isn’tfinished adding transfers to the team

“Wewant to continue to add players that fit, players thatfill important needs forus,”McMahon said. “So we’re definitely not complete at this point, but I’m really fired up aboutthe directionwe’re headed. And Ithink if we can add another piece or two, we’ll be really excited aboutour rostergoing into thesummer.”

When asked whether there is a preferred position to add depth at, he said theTigers are just searching for whoever is the “best fit.”

Outside of thetransfer portal, they have madeadditions to their staff. On April 17, LSU announced thehires of generalmanager Ronald Dupree and assistant coach Yasir Rosemond.

Poirier’sretirement match setfor UFC 318 in N.O Dustin Poirier announced Friday that his final UFCfight will take placeinhis home state of Louisiana.

On July 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Poirier will face BMF champion Max Holloway in theLafayettenative’s farewell fight at UFC318. “There’snot abetter guy Icould think to fight in my retirement fight,” Poirier said. “He’salegend, former (undisputed) champion, current BMF champion, so we’re going to put on another war.”

The BMF belt is an unofficial title awarded to the fighter whohas showntoughness,aggressionand willingness “to engage in war-like” contests, according to ufc.com. Poirier, 36, hasarecord of 30-9. Holloway,33, hasa 26-8 record.

LSU freshman DL Battle enterstransferportal

LSU freshman defensive tackle Dilan Battleentered thetransfer portal Friday,multiple sources confirmed to The Advocate. Battle was athree-star recruit in the 2025 class from Texas who enrolled early in January.Heparticipated in spring practice before entering the portal.

Battlewas thefirstLSU scholarship playertoenter in thespring transferportal window,which closed Fridaynight. Graduate students can enter the portal at any time.

LSUishosting SouthFlorida defensive linemanBernard Gooden until Saturday.Gooden,asenior, recorded 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 11/2 sacks while starting 11 games last season,and LSUhopes to secure his commitmenttoadd an experienced player to the defensive line.

Tulane, ex-LSU quarterback Finleyreturnstoportal

Well-traveled quarterback TJ Finley is in the transfer portal again.

Finley, aPonchatoula product who has started games for LSU, Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky,will not get that chance at Tulane. Having signedwiththe Green Wave in Januaryand participating in the first seven spring practices, he was suspended April 3after being arrested on campus and charged with being in possession of astolen Dodge Ram.Sources at the timeindicated he would not be allowedtoreturn regardless of the outcome of his case.

Thomas,who is 6-foot-1,185 pounds, averaged 15.6 points on 41.3% from the field and 35.3% fromthe 3-point line, 4.7 assists and 1.9 turnovers pergame. While thetwo-timeAll-Mountain West Conference player’s3-point percentage is solid, his3-point volume (2.6 attempts) was unexpectedly low for aplayer of his size andskill.

McMahonisn’t concernedand said he expectsThomas to shoot more from beyondthe arc.

“His catch-and-shoot 3s have been done at areally high percentage, and Ithink he’sanexcellent shooter from behind the arc,” McMahon said. “I thinkhe’ll be in good positiontohelpusstretch the floor,not only with his ability to shoot the 3, but just his craftiness and creativity off the dribble.”

In the frontcourt, LSU added bigs in sophomoreMichael Nwoko

McMahon described Dupree as a“perfectperson” forthe new position as aformer LSU star andexecutive in an NBA front office. On Rosemond, he said he’s agreat asset to the program with his coaching experience from Oregon, Alabama, Georgia and most recently Indiana.

“I’vealways been abig fanof Yasir,”McMahonsaid. “I think he’sfantastic in player development,relationships with players, and is one of the country’seliterecruiters, so really excited to add him to our staff.”

LSUfaces bigtests with national seed on line

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

Trying to snap out of alateseason slump usually results in athletes being encouraged to focus on the next game, butthe LSU softball team is well aware of the stakes.

TheNo. 10 Tigers havelost six of their last seven SEC games and return home at 1p.m. Saturday forathree-game seriesagainst No.8 Florida. Threedaysafter that series ends, the Tigers travel to Arkansas to meet the No. 9 Razorbacks for three in thefinal conference series. Becauseofthe qualityand quantity of SEC teams, its going to be amad scramblethrough the SEC Tournament to secure one of the eight national seeds and that allow ateam to stay at home until the Women’sCollege World Series.

LSU shortstop Avery Hodge said it’safact that can’tbeignored.

“It’sinthe back of allofour heads,” Hodge said. “Wejust need to focus on these next two weekends. Playing our game and playingstrongwillhelpusachieve those goals.”

Tigerscoach Beth Torinaisn’t trying to hide it from her players, and she likesher team’schances of responding positively

“They are resilient and have proven to be that throughout the

ä Florida at LSU, 1P.M. ESPN2

theimplications.”

LSU isn’tina badposition but was much better off before going 1-5 in aswing through Texas A&M and Texas. The Tigers’ RPI is No. 7and strength of schedule is No. 10, but that can improve after the next two weekends, particularly if they can capture both series.

Torina is hoping atweak of her lineup will help. Hodge was moved from the No. 9spot in thebatting order to No. 6. She’s fourthonthe team witha.356 average and has a .423 on-basepercentage. She also leads the team with 10 stolenbases in 12 attempts.

“She’ssucha great human on and off the field and apresence outthere.She provides so much peaceand comfortwhen I’min the circle. Ispeak forall thepitchers when Isay we knowshe has our back andissogreatatcommunication.”

Hodge said she adapted quickly after arriving at LSU.

“Ithappened formeinthe fall with everyone being so welcoming,” Hodge said. “Wegot to work right away and that was ahuge part.Making me feel comfortable andthe coaches pushing me hard is what Iwanted. Thetransition has been really easy

Finley,asixth-yearsenior, faces acourt date on June 1. He has thrown for 6,128 yards andwill look for somewhere else to finish his college career

Grizzlies guard Morant doubtful for Game 4

MEMPHIS,Tenn. Memphis guard Ja Morant is doubtful to play Saturday when theGrizzlies face elimination in Game 4of their Western Conference series against OklahomaCity because of abruised hip.

In Game 3, Morant wasona fast break with teammateScotty Pippenwhenhejumpedand was struck at the feet by astumbling Lu Dort. The contact led to Morant hitting the court without breaking his fall.

Despite reports that Morant would miss Game 4onSaturday, interim coach Tuomas Iisalo declined to confirm that. Later Friday, the Grizzlieslisted Morant as doubtful on their injury report for Game 4, meaning he is unlikely to play

season,” Torina said. “They still have everything they wanttoaccomplish right in front of them

It’sgoing to be tough getting into the topgroup becauseit’sso competitive with just SEC teams.

We’reout here trying to play the best versionofLSU softball we can, but everybody understands

Hodge doesn’tcarry much power with six extra-base hits among her 42, but she did connect for her first career homeragainst UL in March. More importantly,she’s been acapable replacementat shortstop for four-year starter Taylor Pleasants Ajuniortransfer fromnational champion Oklahoma,she’splaying shortstop full time for the first time and has 17 errors, but only one in the last 13 games.

“Knowing it wouldbeTaylor’s lastyear,wehad abig question mark as to whocould fill that spot,” LSUpitcher TatumClopton said. “It couldn’thave gone better for us.

“I’m comfortable leading. Leadership looks different in alot of ways. Some days it’sbyexample or sharing my thoughts.”

LSU hasits work cut out for it this weekend. Florida leads the SECinruns scored (391),homers(85)and hits (453). Taylor Shumaker and Mia Williams are in afour-way tie for third with 16 homers, which includes LSU first baseman Tori Edwards. Three other Gators have at least 10. Leadoff hitter Kendra Falby is batting .469 with a.538 on-base percentage and34steals.

“Their lineup is incredibly deep, no momentwhere you can catch your breath,”Torina said. “It’s probably the deepest lineup we’ve seen.

Butler’sstatus uncertain for game againstRockets SANFRANCISCO Warriors forward Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable forGame 3ofGolden State’s first-round playoffseriesagainst theHouston Rockets after he suffered apelvic contusion in a frightening fall during Game 2. Butler flewhome from Houston andunderwentanMRI exam Thursday in the Bay Area that revealed he injured his pelvis and has adeep gluteal muscle contusion. The team announced the update Friday,with the best-of-seven series tied at onegameapiece as it shifts to Chase Center in San Francisco forGame 3onSaturday night. Game 4isMonday Butler wentdown hard when fouled by Amen Thompson late in the first quarter and then missed the rest of Wednesday’sgame.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU shortstopAvery Hodge rounds firstafter getting ahit against AlabamaonApril 5at TigerPark.

ZURICHCLASSIC

FROM THEGALLERY:QUICK TAKESFROMTHE

WEATHER

Saturday in Avondale

Hit and hope: Partly cloudyearly, chance of showers late. High85.

ZURICH

Continued from page1C

the field,” said Salinda, 28, aSan Francisco native. “Tomorrow,we just keep playing how we’re playing, setourselves up forSunday andgive ourselves ashot.”

Salinda and Velo entered the day with aone-shot lead after carding acourse-record score of 14-under 58 in the four-ball (best-ball) formatonThursday.They started slowly with ascore of 37 on the back nine, then caught firewith consecutive birdies on Nos. 1, 2and 3to finish the front nine in 4-under 32.

“Wereally played to our strengths today,” said Velo, 27, aRedwoodCity,California, native. “Weboth missed acouple short ones that kind of led to our bogeys, but besides that, we played prettyflawless.”

The Hojgaard twins struggled to consistently score in the hot, windy afternoon conditions, but the duo managed to stay in contention by saving several pars. Their only bogey came on the par-3 No. 9. “It was quite tricky outthere,” Nicolai Hojgaard said.“Thewind was abit swirly.Very pleased with how we hung in there today and grinded it out. Ithink that’sthe most important thing when you’re playing alternate shot is the good pars you make. The saves are more important thanthe birdies to keep the momentum.”

LEADING/LURKING

Isaiah Salinda and KevinVelo followedtheir course-record 58 witha 3-under-par69toget to 17-under127. They’re one strokeuponAndrewNovak/Ben Griffin, and twoahead of Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark.

conditions. The tandem carded seven birdiesand just one bogey (No. 4) in their round. Their lead stoodfor mostof theday until Salinda and Velo overtook them late in the afternoon.

“There was alot of good golf shots today,” said Novak,a 30-year-old NorthCarolina native whohas three top-10 finishes this year.“…Our short games kind oftakecare of alot of missteps.But alot of good putting and seven birdies today That’sreally strong for alternate shot(play).”

“There wasa lot of good golf shots today. …Our short games kind of takecare of a lot of missteps. But alot of good putting and seven birdies today. That’s really strong for alternate shot (play).”

ANDREWNOVAK, golfer

Tournament favorites Rory McIlroyand Shane Lowry loom six shots back at 11 under, but it was adisappointingfinish for thereigning tournament champions. Playing in front of an enthusiastic gallery of about1,000 patrons, the duo made abold charge witha4-under 32 on thefront nine, including an eagle on the par-5, 548-yard No.2.Theybirdied five of the next nine holestopull within two strokes of thelead onlytoflounder down the stretch withthree bogeys in their final six holes

Among the headliners who failed to makethe cut were the Fitzpatrick brothers, Alex and Matt,who missed thecut by a stroke at 9under,and theteams of two top-20 players —Kurt Kitayamaand No. 4Collin Morikawa, and Taylor Moore and No. 17 Wyndham Clark— who were at 8under Saturday’sround of best-ball playbegins at 7:50 a.m. The leaders will tee off at 11:45 a.m.

Novak and Griffin took advantage of their early tee time to post around of 6-under 66 in therelatively calmmorning

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

FridayatTPC Louisiana inAvondale.

FULWILEY

Continued from page1C

sparking coach Dawn Staley’soffense with dazzling transition finishes.

Fulwiley now will bring that scoring touch to Baton Rouge, where she’ll share abackcourt with Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams.

The Tigers had aclear offseason need to add frontcourt contributors, butthey also lostboth of their lead ballhandlers. Shayeann DayWilson exhausted hereligibility, and Last-Tear Poa transferred to Arizona State.

Fulwiley,a5-foot-10 combo guard, is neithera traditional, pass-first point guard noraconsistent, efficient scoring threat. But she is agifted athlete, adangerous transition bucket-getter and aformer highly rated recruit who has served as akey piece on apair of teams that reached the national championship game.

The Columbia, South Carolina, native averaged 11.7 pointsper contest in both seasons of her career.Asafreshman, she shot

ZURICH CLASSICHEADING INTO SATURDAY’S THIRDROUND

WHERE’S RORY?

Masters champion/world No. 2RoryMcIlroyand Shane Lowry, the 2024 Zurich champions, gotto14under through 12 holes but bogeyed three of their last six to shoot 69 and slip into atie for16th at 11-under 133.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Two-man teamsplay the followingformat: Thursday:Four-ball (bestball) Friday:Foursomes (alternate shot) Saturday:Four-ball (bestball)

Sunday:Foursomes (alternate shot)

TICKETS/PARKING

Daily tournamenttickets are $45 each.Activemilitarymembers are admittedfree, as are children under15with apaying adult Public parking is at NOLA Motorsports Park, 11075 Nicolle Blvd., withanew course entrance near the third green

McIlroybringsinfans, even from 8,500miles away

Half aworld away from where

RoryMcIlroy was battling to win his first green jacket and the career Grand Slam,Ping-Yuan “Wilson” Chen was up in the middle of thenight at his home in Taiwan, following theMasters and living and dying with every stroke.

“Watching round four was like aroller coaster,” Chen said. “I got so nervous. It was almostlike Icouldn’t breathe.”

Fulwileyaveraged 13.3 points on 45% shooting and made6 of 13 tries from beyond the arcin three career games against LSU.She also tallied six steals. Her top showing vs. the Tigers wasa24-point outing inthe 2024 SEC Tournament title game

44% from the field and 34% from 3-point range. As asophomore,she converted 43% ofher field-goal tries and26% of her long-range attempts, with per-game averages of 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assistsand 1.5 steals.

In three career games against LSU, Fulwiley averaged 13.3 points on 45%shootingand drained6 of 13 triesfrom beyond the arc.She also tallied six steals Her top showing vs. the Tigers was a24-pointouting in the 2024 SECTournamenttitlegame, a matchup that South Carolina won 79-72.

Fulwiley hasscored at least 20 points only seven times, but she playedjust19minutes per game

Not long after McIlroy sank to his knees when he sank the winning putt in aplayoff against Justin Rose,Chen made adecision. The 27-year-old recently had quit his sales job for aluxury brand company to live out his dream of traveling the world. He wanted to visit the next place McIlroy was going to play on the PGA Tour afterthe Masters. He wanted to come to New Orleans.

Chen’sodyssey started when he reached out on Instagram to the ZurichClassic social-media team, inquiring about how to purchase tournament merchandise. It’s only sold on site,sothat started the conversationabout his decision to make the8,500-mile pilgrimage to theCrescent City.

Earlier this week, Chen hopped on an airliner fromTaiwan to Los Angeles, flew fromthere to Houston, then to save on costs he drove from Houston to New Orleans, arriving Thursday at TPC Louisiana during the middle of the Zurich Classic’s first round.

“I know it’s going tobescary, but Ijust decided I’m going to do this,” Chen said. He only had achance to catch aglimpse of McIlroy and fellow Irishman Shane Lowryon Thursday as they opened defense of their Zurich Classic title. On Friday,Chen was out beside the first tee as they set off just before 1p.m.

Sporting awhite Zurich Classic hatand blue Zurichshirtwhile clutching atournament replica pin flagalready fillingupwith autographs of players such as two-time major championCollin Morikawa, RyderCup captain Luke Donald and fellowTaiwannativeKevin Yu,heset out among the throngs of fans who surged throughout the course to chase down the tournament’smost dynamicduo

“My little brother asked me (Friday) morning how big Rory

is like in NBAterms, because he knows the NBAbetter,” Chen said. “So, Isay to him that Rory is like the LeBron James right now.Itold him the (career) Grand Slam is onlysix players. One of them is Tiger and the others, they are like very old now.”

Onlyaday or so afterhis arrival, Chen said he knew coming to New Orleans and the Zurich was agood move. Alifememory in the making.

“I’m glad Idid this,”hesaid.“It’s better than Ithought after being here. The people everywhere are so nice.”

It’sNew Orleans, so of course the food has been abig part of his experience. Tournament officials, upon learningofChen’svisit, hooked him up with many of the tasty treats beingoffered on property during the tournament. Among his favorites: afilet mignon sandwich and, of course, chargrilled oysters. Come to think of it, why wouldn’tyou travel 8,500 miles for food like that?

New Orleans is always bustling withevents and international tourists, but Chen arrived at a particularly busy time on the city’s social calendar. Notonly is it the week of the Zurich Classic and the NFL draft (Chen didn’tseem to be living and dying with the Saints’ draft machinations, muchtohis benefit), but it’salso the first week

2024, in Greenville,

game.

across thefirst two years of her career.Her per-40-minute scoring average last season was 24.9 ppg,one of the sixhighestrates

amongDivisionI sophomores and ahigher average than ones posted by other SEC stars in her class, such as Williams (21.9) and

of Jazz Fest. Chen said he wouldliketovisit theNational WWII Museum while in town, andpeople at hisdowntownhotel have advised himto catch an act or two at Jazz Fest Afterthe tournament, Chen’strip isn’tdone. He’s planning to retrace his steps, first to Houston thenback to LosAngeles, where his girlfriend is meeting him fromTaiwan to catch more sights out west.He’s been to the Grand Canyon before, and he would like to showittoher Thinking of seeing America’swonders through someone else’seyes, someone from so faraway,makes you trulythink about what an amazing country this can be.

“The other place in America I really wanttogosince Iwas child is Monument Valley,” Chen said. Ihaven’tbeen to Monument Valley,either.Thanks, Wilson, for reminding me to bumpitupmy bucket list.

When Chen’sfather,anorthopedist, retires from his practice, they want to do aroad trip across America. Chen wants to make coming back to New Orleans, perhaps even to the Zurich Classic, a priority

“I think being here in TPC Louisiana, it’slike awhole new world,” he said. “Maybe I’ll come for the Zurich Classic next year.I’d love to come back every year.”

Madison Booker of Texas (20.5).

LSU is replacing eight of the 13 scholarship players fromlast season’steam. It has only four returning contributors —Johnson, Williams, Kailyn Gilbert and Jada Richard— andthey’reall guards, just like three of the four recruits signed to its No. 1freshmanclass.

Those facts didn’tstop Mulkey from pursuing Fulwiley,then landing herinone of the most noteworthymoves of the 2025 offseason.

Fulwiley will be the third transfertosign with the Tigers this offseason. LSU already inked former Notre Dame forward Kate Koval and former East Carolina forward Amiya Joyner.Both are expected to play significant roles next season.

LSU also is still in the mix for former Wisconsin star Serah Williams, a6-4 forward also ranked as oneofthe 10 best transfers of 2025, per ESPN.She visited Baton Rouge on April 17-18.

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE RoryMcIlroylines up aputt on the first green duringthe second round of the Zurich Classic on

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOByCHRIS CARLSON

South Carolina guard MiLaysiaFulwileyshoots overLSU center Aalyah Del Rosario during the first half of the SEC Tournament final on March 10,

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Ping-yuan ‘Wilson’ Chen watches as RoryMcIlroyand Shane Lowry compete in the second round of the ZurichClassic at TPCLouisiana in Avondale on Friday

Scott Rabalais

NFL DRAFT

Taylor firstofthree LSU playersselectedFriday

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Tight end Mason Taylor,offensive tackle Emery Jones and defensive end Sai’vion Jones were three of LSU’sbest players last season, and now they are headed to the NFL. All three were selected Friday night in the 2025 NFL Draft.Taylor went No.42overall in the second round to the New York Jets; Emery Jones was picked 91st overall by theBaltimoreRavens; andSai’vion Jones went 101st overall to the Denver Broncos.

Taylor did not have to wait long as thesecond round began.He wasthe third tight end off the board after Michigan’sColston Loveland and Penn State’sTyler Warren weredraftedinthe first round. Taylor became the highestdrafted LSU tight endsince David LaFleur was picked in the first round in 1997.

Although Taylor spoke to the Jets at the combine, he did not visit the team before the draft, so the pick came as asurprise to him.

“I’ve kind of kept my head down this whole process, selling myself to the best of my ability,and being who Iamand honest withwho Iam, andperformingonthe big stages,” Taylor said. “I don’tthink there were any tells for sure, so it was definitely surprising and I’m excited, can’twait to get up there to New York.”

Athree-year starter,Taylorended his LSU career with the school records for most receptions (129) andyards (1,308) by atightend.He also caught six touchdowns andfamously grabbed a2-point conversion to beat Alabama in overtime as afreshman.

Taylor became the latest member of his family to reach theNFL His dad, Jason Taylor,was aHall of Fame defensiveend after recording 139 1/2 career sacks,primarily with the Miami Dolphins. Taylor’s uncle, Zach Thomas, also reached

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU tight end Mason Taylorsignals a first down after abig play against Alabama onNov.9 at TigerStadium.

the Hall of Fame as alinebacker

“My family’sreally supporting,” MasonTaylor said.“My dad’sabig supporter, so Imean Ihate to say it,but Ithink he’ll love theJets a lot morethan the Dolphins now.” Later,Emery Jonesheard his name called in thethird round. In highschool, Jones helped CatholicHigh in Baton Rouge win back-to-back Division Istate titles in 2020 and 2021. He turned intoa four-starrecruit ranked No. 110 overallinthe country,according to the 247Sports composite, and signed with his hometown school. Jones took over at right tackle early in his freshman year.Heappeared in 38 games during his LSU career with 36 starts at right tackle and became atwo-time secondteam All-SEC selection. LSUtried to convince himtoreturn forhis senior year, but Joneswas ready to start his professional career Joneslost his father,Emery JonesSr.,toaheart attack when he was5years old.Hebegan writing “Jones Proud”onhis eye black with across in the middle at thebeginning of his sophomore season,

honoring hisdad andthe way his mother raised him Jones’mother,Tanika,saidlast fall that shegot chills whenever she saw“EJones Jr.” on an LSU jersey.Her husband always predicted their son would play in TigerStadium, andnow he will carry thename he shares with his dad into NFL stadiums.

Denver traded for the 101st pick in order to draft Sai’vion Jones. It reunites him with former LSU defensive line coach Jamar Cain, who’sentering hissecondseason in thesame role with the Broncos.

Sai’vion Jones,aVacherie native, signed out of St.James High as a four-star recruit. He flashedasa sophomorebackupwith41/2 sacks, and after adisappointing junior season did not meet rising expectations, Jones put together his best season last fall.

As asenior,Jones recorded40 tackles, 71/2 tackles forloss, 41/2 sacksand eightquarterback hurries. He formed atandem with defensive endBradyn Swinson, who likely will be pickedSaturday on thefinal day of the draft

Sandersfalls outoffirstthree rounds

102picks and five quarterbacks selected aheadofColoradoQB

BY STEVE MEGARGEE

AP sportswriter

GREEN BAY, Wis. Shedeur Sanders is still waiting after three rounds of the NFL draft, 102 picks and five quarterbacks selected ahead of Coach Prime’sson.

The Colorado quarterback was widely consideredafirst-round talent, but his stunning slide continued Friday night when his name wasn’tcalled in the second or third round.

Sanders was arguably the most recognizable player in the country entering the draft —largelybecause of his father,Deion Sanders, the Pro FootballHallofFamer who brought an innovative approach to college coaching at Jackson State and then Colorado. Shedeur Sanders played for his dad at both schools and finished eighth in Heisman Trophyvoting last season as the pairrevitalized the Buffaloes program. NFL talent evaluators were apparently less impressed than draft analysts realized. Few if anymock

Continued from page 1C

physically,and it’sstrengthened me mentally.Ifeel so prepared to comeintoNew Orleans, continue to learn, continue to grow and compete.”

It’sunclear right now just who all Shough will be competing with. Carr could be sidelined for the season with the shoulder injury.Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday that the team is still seekingclarity on Carr’sissue. If not Carr,it’ll be Rattler.Shough and Rattler, who share the same birthday, grew up in Arizona cities just 22 miles apart. Rattler is from Phoenix.Shough from nearby Chandler “Weweren’tfriends,but we played against each otherinpee-

AP PHOTO By PHELANM.EBENHACK

Coloradoquarterback Shedeur

Sanders throws apass against Central Florida on Sept. 28.

drafts hadJaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe or Dillon Gabriel getting picked before Sanders, butthat’swhathappened. “Thankyou GODfor EVERYTHING,” Sanders posted on Xduringthe thirdround Wherever he ends up, Sanders will make millions of dollars less than he would haveifhe’d been selected in the first round. For example, ifhe’d gone to thequarterback-needy PittsburghSteelersat No.21overall, he’d be in line for an $18 million contract. Afourthroundpick can expect arookie

wee and goingintohigh school a little bit,” Shough saidofRattler “Sowewere always on thequarterback circuit and super fired up to be in the same room with him. He’ssuch agreat dude and obviously areally good player.” Shoughwon’tbejust competingwith the quarterbacks on the Saints’roster. Inevitably,his career also will be judged on how he doesincomparison to the other quarterbacks inthisyear’sdraft class. He was one of just three quarterbacks chosen through the first two rounds, alongwith No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward from the University of Miami (Tennessee Titans) and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart (New York Giants)

TheSaints had Shough as the second-highest quarterback on their draft board, behind only Ward.The Saints had him graded abovethe likes of Colorado’sShedeur Sanders (the highest-rated

WR Bech,taken at No.58, dedicates career to brother

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

AfterJack Bech was selected in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night, he dedicated the rest of his career to his brother Bech’solder brother,Tiger,was one of 14 people killed during the New Year’sterrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

Bech has vowed to keep his memory alive ever since, andhe was drafted No. 58 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.

“One of thebestmoments ever,” Bech said on the telecast. “Like I’vebeen saying, it’satwofor-onedeal. Not only do they get me, they get Tiger,too. It’s a dream come true. Everybody in this room are the people Ilove most, the people who got me here. Ican’twait to go put on for Raider Nation.”

Watching the draft from his hometown of Lafayette, Bech was surrounded by family and friends, including LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.Hehuggedhis parents after he got the call while the rest of the people at the draft party cheered and clapped. Bech’solder brother was on his mind, as he has been ever since his death.After Martin “Tiger” Bech died, Bech got two tattoos on the left side of his chest dedicated to him.

One reads“7toHeaven,” a nodtothe numberTigerwore at Princeton. The other,aseries of Roman numerals —I.XXVIII. MCMXCVII —I.I.MMXXV representsthe dayTigerwas born and the day he died.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

former NFLquarterbacksonits coaching staff, including head coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier

carries the ballonatouchdown runagainst Houston on Oct. 4 in Fort Worth,

“He’sgoing to keep bringing me further andfurtherand further,” Bech said, “and Idedicate my whole career to him.”

After going to St. Thomas More, Bech began his career at LSU, the same school where two of his uncles played football and where his parents went to school. He transferred to TCU after two seasons. Bech caught 62 passes for 1,034 yards and nine touchdownslastyearfor the Horned Frogs. He wasthen named the most valuable player of the Senior Bowl, helping further raise his draft stock.

Though Bech lost his brother in the midst of the draftprocess, he has kept Tiger at the forefront of his lifeand continued to worktoward the day he would begin his professional career

ability to push the ball downfield andmaketight-window throws, and Shough also has displayed a creative side withoff-platform throws—though he may need to dial someofthat back at the professional level.

deal worth between $4.9million and $5.3 million.

Sanders initially was rated by some draft analystsasa better QB prospect than Miami’sCam Ward, whoultimatelywentNo. 1overall to Tennessee. Butasthe draft drew closer,concerns began to emerge.

One issue: Sanders was sacked 94 times over his lasttwo college seasons. Therealsowereworries abouthis armstrength andquestions abouthow wellhewould adapt to playing for someone other than his dad. Andgiven his high profile,teams might be reluctant to pick himifthey view himasa backup.

For afew moments Thursday, it appeared Sanders’ waitmight be over when theNew York Giants traded up to the 25th pick, but the team opted for Dart out of Mississippi. The lone quarterback selection of Friday’s second roundcame when NewOrleans passed on Sanders in favor of Shough.

The Seattle Seahawks took Milroe out of Alabama in the third round withthe 92nd overall pick. Twopicks later,the Cleveland Browns selected Gabriel, who played at Oregon lastyear after stintsatCentral Florida and Oklahoma.

QB by ESPNdraft analyst Mel Kiper), Alabama’sJalen Milroe, Ohio State’sWill Howard, Texas’ QuinnEwers and Syracuse’sKyle McCord.

The Saints chose Shough, who celebrated the announcement with his wife Jordan, his dog Murphy,and friends and family.Murphy wore aSaints bandana after theselection.

Now his owner will be wearing aSaints helmet.

“I’ve always been confident in myself, and Ijust needed an opportunityatLouisville,”Shough said. “That’s my whole goal going into theNFL is just to have fun with it. You’ve got to be prepared, and you’ve got to makeeverythingcount.”

The Saints need to makesure their most important quarterback draft pick in years counts.

The franchise’sfuture is depending on it

“Everywhere coach Moore has been,it’sbeen greatness from the quarterback position,”Shough said. “He’sa guru when it comes to that. I’msoexcited to continue to workwith him.”

Shough is anontraditional rookie quarterback. He dealt withinjuries throughout his college career,which included stops at Oregon and Texas Tech, and he will enter his rookie season as a 26-year-old.

He doesn’tviewhis ageassomething that will hold him back.

“In aperfect scenario, I’d play 10, 12 yearsand I’m still (in my) mid-30s,” Shough said. “I think any team would ask for that. Coming into thissituation,I’ve already seen what can happen in the NFL, and I’ve already gone through thosechallenges in college, so I feel much more prepared now to come in and play free and have funand do everythingIcan to make theteam better.”

All three of the injuries Shough suffered in college —tohis shoulder,collarbone and leg —were season-ending,but none of them required extensive rehabilitation.While he recovered, Shough said he pored himself into studying game plans.

“It’sonly mademestronger,” Shough said. “I’vehad thebone breaks. It hasn’taffected me physically,and it’sstrengthened me mentally.I feel so prepared to come into New Orleans, continue to learn, continuetogrowand compete. At this point, I’mready for this opportunity.”

He stayed healthy in 2024 and enjoyed astrong season withLouisville, throwing for3,195 yardsand 26 touchdowns. Louisville coach Jeff Brohm saidthatwhile Shough was asolid athlete who couldmove, theCardinals purposely avoided situations that wouldput the ball in Shough’shands as arunnerto mitigatethe injury risk

“It was huge,” Shough saidof his final season. “Just to be in that style of offense under coach Brohm, you’re running pro-style concepts and having alot more control of everything, having afull season where you have to managethe ebbs and flows.”

In Shough, the Saints selected aquarterback with prototypical size (6-foot-5, 219 pounds) and an NFL-caliber arm. Talent evaluatorshave praised Shough forhis

He joins aSaintsquarterback roomthat includesCarr as well as 2024 fifth-rounderSpencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-rounderJake Haener.At40thoverall, Shough became thehighest-draftedquarterback by the Saints since they selected Archie Manning second overall in 1971. After selecting University of Texasoffensive tackle Kelvin Banks in the first round, the Saints weren’tdonemining the Longhorns roster forhelpinthe trenches.

With the No.71pick, the Saints selected Broughton, a6-5, 311-pound tackle with an 833/4inch wingspan.

Broughton was aone-year starter at Texas, waiting behind other highly touted prospects such as Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat. In his final season there, he recorded 39 tackles, two forced fumbles and four sacks.

“It was learning patience, but also knowing whenit’smytime and when it’s not,”Broughton said. “Themguys made it abrotherhood,soalthoughwewerecompeting foraspot every day,atthe sametimeitwas abrotherhood.” He believeshe’sa versatile player whocan play all along theline, andthatiswhathedid while he was with the Longhorns. Broughton said he played everywhere from nose tackle to the wide 9alignment, which puts himwide of the tight end’soutside shoulder

The Saints were plenty familiarwithwhatBroughton could do: His college position coach for twoseasons, Bo Davis, is now the Saints defensive line coach.

“That’smydog.Ilove that man” Broughton said of Davis. “... He treateduslikefamily,and that’s what Ireally loved about him.”

With their final Day 2pick, the Saints addressed the secondary The 6-foot, 206-pound Sanker ran a4.48-second 40-yard dash at thecombinetogoalong witha 36inch vertical leap. He started two yearsfor the Cavaliers, making morethan 200 tacklesinhis last twoseasons.

Sanker intercepted only two passes in his Virginia career,but last season he added afumble return for atouchdown, ablocked field goal and two sacks.

While the Saints have two veteran safeties already,Sankershould be astrongcandidate to make an early impact on special teams.

THE VARSITYZONE

Curtis’speedyslaphitters sparkwin

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

The two left-handed slaphitters at the top of the John Curtis softball lineupare athreattoget on base whenever the ball is put in play

That was especially evident as sophomore Leigha Carter and seniorMiley

Percle reached base six times and scored four runs as the fourth-seeded Patriots defeated No. 5Tioga10-0 in an LHSAA Division Iselectquarterfinal on Friday

Most notable among their six times reaching base were the

three infieldsingles they legged outthat ultimately led to runs.

“It does put alot of pressure on (the otherteam) because we do run it really well,” Curtis coach Jerry Godfrey said. “When they get out there,they’rea no-doubt hard combotoget out.”

Carter singled twice when she beat athrow to first on apair of grounders that ordinarily would have been outs.

Shesparked afour-runfirstwhen

she reached on an infield single, stolesecond and wenttothirdon

Percle’ssacrifice bunt

Then with runnersonthe corners, Gracey Hebert put down abunt that was fielded by the pitcher,who looked Carter back to

third base instead of getting an out afirst, which loaded the bases with one out.

Tworuns scoredonapair of walks, another on awild pitch and Karsyn Christoffer hit asacrifice fly that drove in arun.

“I feel like it does put pressure on them,” Percle said about when she and Carter reach base. “Atthe top of the lineup, that’swhat we’re supposed to do, put pressure on themand tell our teammates how thepitchersare and everything. Not only do we do good,but then the rest of theteam does good as well.”

Carterand Perclefactored in all four innings that Curtis (24-7) scored runs.

In the second,Carterdoubled and Percle walked, and after a groundoutput them on second and third, Hebert hita two-run single that made the score 6-0.

In the fourth, Carter and Percle each beat athrow to first forapair of infield singles, and KinsleyMcInnis bunted forasingle that loaded the bases —all before two runners scored on asingle wild pitch to makethe score 8-0.

In thefifth, Percle came to bat with runners on second and third and laced atwo-out double to left field thatsent home tworunsand thegame ended by the 10-run mercy rule.

“I was just trying to get on base,” Percle said aboutthe game-ending

BrotherMartin’sbatsbreak out

BY SPENCERURQUHART Staff writer

Brother Martin won eight straight games to closeout the regular season, and the Crusaders have carried that momentum into the postseason.

No. 3-seeded Brother Martin won by only three runs in Thursday’sopening game against No. 14 Pineville, but it broke outfor a 10-2 win Friday at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium to clinch the DivisionI select series.

Brother Martin senior Stan Wiltz led off with asingleinthe top of the first inning and scored the game’sfirst run on afielder’s choice. Pineville tied things up in the bottom of the first, but Brother Martin answered with threeruns in the top of the second.

“I think the biggestthing for us (Friday) was to get some really quality at-bats,” Brother Martin coach Jeff Lupo said.

“Offensively,wewere able to put alot of pressureupand down the lineup.”

Brother Martin broke the1-1 tie with an RBI single by senior Egan Prather,driving in seniorCody Kropp.

Bronson Leaumont then scored on awild pitch, and senior Ryan Darrah hit asacrifice fly to score sophomore Luca Catanzaro. Brother Martinsenior Reese Roussel delivered atwo-run dou-

ble to right in the top of the fifth inning to plate Darrah and sophomore BradyMcCluskey.Roussel scored on asingle by Kropp

Three more runs scored after Wiltz led off the top of the sixth inning with awalk. Senior Cole Navarro hit asacrifice fly to drive Wiltzin, andKropp’stwo-run singlesaw Darrah and McCluskey score.

“Wetook advantage of acouple walks, we got timely hits, andwe executed theshort game,” Lupo said.“We read balls in thedirt to take extra bases and steal 90 feet when we had to.” Wiltz andKropp led Brother

Martin withthree hitseach. Wiltz finished 3for 5onFriday with two runs scored and twostolen bases after going 2for 3onThursday “I just try to be gritty and do whatever Ican to get on base and help my guys out,” Wiltz said. “I feel like we do thatconsistently throughout thelineup.”

Senior left-hander Jude Tingstromstarted forBrother Martin on Friday.Heworked out of first-inning trouble to pitch 51/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Right-handers Nolan Amatoand Cole Heap entered thegame in re-

lief. They were the only Brother Martin relief pitchers to appear in theseries after Navarro threw a complete game Thursday “Jude was really lights out afterthat (first inning),” Lupo said. “Thatwas really big for us. The guys that came after himwere also extremely effective. The pitching depth showed.” BrotherMartin (27-6) will return to Kirsch-Rooney next week to play thewinner of No.6 Captain Shreve and No. 11 Ponchatoula in thequarterfinals.

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

double.“It wasamazingthatit worked out the way that it did and that Icould help theteam geta win.”

Sophomore Makayla Escude struckout five andwalkedone with two hits allowed against Tioga (20-9).

With the win Curtis advanced to thestate semifinals again after reaching the state final last season and losing to Chapelle.

Curtis will face either No. 1Pineville or No. 9Chapelle in the semifinal. Those teams will playtheir quarterfinal on Saturday The other semifinal will pit No. 2St. Thomas More against No. 6 Mount Carmel, an 11-9 winnerat No.3Alexandria on Friday

Martinez’s HR helpsCurtis topRummel

BY ANDREW VALENTI Contributing writer

It wasn’taneasy DivisionIselect regional round best-of-three series for No. 8John Curtis. The Patriots squeaked by ninthseeded Rummel on awalk-off base hit in Thursday’sGame1 Curtis then needed alate-inning home run off the bat of designated hitter KolstonMartineztogive the team the cushion it needed to put away theRaiders 4-2inGame 2Fridaynight at HarahanPlaygroundin acontest that wasdelayed by more than an hour because of lightning. Curtis(24-12) clungtoa2-0 lead headed into the sixth inning. Afterstarting pitcher Bryce Hebert ledoff the inning with abase hit to centerfield, Martinez crushed a 2-0 pitch over the left-field wall for atwo-run home run off Rummel starterOwen Nugent to give the Patriots a4-0 lead. Martinez,the starting pitcher in Thursday’sgame, scored two runs and picked up twoRBIsonthe night.

“Before that at-bat, my coach told me to visualizemysuccess,” Martinez said. “I really took that to heart. Itooktwo pitchesthatI didn’t like.I then got my fastball and hit it well. Rummel (21-14) gave itself a chance in the bottom of the seventh inning after it loaded the bases with two outs that chased Hebert. Relief pitcher Juan Washington camein and walked in arun and gave up a run-scoring base hit to Lenny Cline to inch the Raiders within 4-2. But Washington came right back andstruckout AidenGernard to end the game.

12-0. 2. PaxCannon, Jesuit 10-0.3.Myron Wilhike, Easton 9-0. 4. Vince Ippolio Jr., Rummel 8-6. Girls

Brandt Blanchard, Jesuit 6-0. Pole vault: 1. DanteAscani, Brother Martin

Team scores: 1. Mount Carmel 123points.2 Dominican 105. 3. Warren Easton 66.4.John Curtis 39. 5. Chapelle 33. 6. Edna Karr 26. Regional qualifiers 100: 1. Dai’jah Robertson, Easton 11.97. 2. Stella Zippert, Dominican 12.28. 3. Taylor Curtis, Easton 12.7. 4. Imari Ezeb, Karr 12.8. 200: 1. Dai’jah Robertson, Easton 24.7. 2. Stella Zippert, Dominican 25.52. 3. Sydney Sales, MountCarmel 25.67. 4. Jahanna McGinnis, JohnCurtis 25.96. 400: 1. JahannaMcGinnis,Curtis57.95. 2. Dai’jah Robertson,Easton 58.09.3.Olivia Bordes, Dominican 59.86. 4. Taylor Curtis, Easton 1:00.08. 800: 1. Anna Joubert, Mount Carmel 2:16.53. 2. Lucy Quintana, MountCarmel 2:22.59. 3. Carey Quigley,Dominican 2:34.21.4.Giselle Strassel, Dominican 2:35.19. 100 hurdles: 1. Addilyn Dufrene, Curtis 15:25. 2. Rylie Lawrence, Easton 15.64. 3. SimoneGuste, Mount Carmel 16.67. 4. Harper Griffin,Dominican 18.22 300 hurdles: 1. Rylie Lawrence, Easton 47.36 2. Addilyn Dufrene,Curtis48.46. 3. Simone Guste, MountCarmel 49.94.4.Harper Griffin, Dominican 50.29. 1,600: 1. CatalinaReichard, Mount Carmel 5:05.54. 2. Stella Junius, Mount Carmel 5:11.73. 3. GraceSchneider, Dominican 5:15.75. 4. Mia Duncan,Curtis 5:32.44. 3,200: 1. CatalinaReichard, Mount Carmel 11:08. 2. Stella Junius, Mount Carmel 11:20.24. 3. Grace Schneider, Dominican 11:22.85. 4. CaraThomas, Dominican 12:13.89. 4x100 relay: 1. Dominican 51.36. 2. Mount Carmel 52.23. 3. Edna Karr 52.42.4.Chapelle 54.29. 4x200 relay: 1. Dominican 1:48.4. 2. Mount Carmel 1:48.58. 3. Edna Karr 1:49.97.4 Chapelle 1:58.16. 4x400 relay: 1. MountCarmel 4:06.46. 2. Dominican 4:11.69. 3. EdnaKarr 4:22.76. 4. Chapelle 4:40.48. 4x800 relay: 1. MountCarmel 10:13.07. 2. Dominican 10:41.69. 3. Chapelle 11:34.56. 4. Edna Karr 11:55.58. Shot put: 1. Allie Mixon, Chapelle 31-8.2 Therese Hymel, Dominican 30-10.3.Kaylee Dublin, Chapelle 30-9. 4. Autumn Johnson, Dominican 30-4. Discus: 1. Autumn Johnson, Dominican 1206. 2. Kaylee Dublin, Chapelle 119-10. 3. Juliet Wax, Mount Carmel107-4. 4. Allie Mixon, Chapelle 96-2. Javelin: 1. Reagan Hayes, Mount Carmel 95-7. 2. Zoie Mitchell, Dominican 93-11. 3. Addilyn Dufrene,Curtis92-7.4.Destiny Davis, Easton 90-11. Long jump: 1. Audrey Johnson, Mount Carmel 15-8. 2. Taylor Curtis, Easton 15-1. 3. Emma Lirette, Dominican 14-8.4.Payton Earhart, MountCarmel 14-1.5. Triple jump: 1. Marli Hayes, Karr 33-5.2.Audrey Johnson, MountCarmel 33-1.3.Tamia Mcgee, Easton 32-10. 4. Mihley Clayton, Dominican 32-4. High jump: 1. Addilyn Dufrene, Curtis5-4 2. Stella Zippert, Dominican 5-0. 3. Mihley Clayton, Dominican 4-10.4.Lilly

Curtis (24-12) will travel to play top-seeded and reigning Division Iselect champion Catholic in the quarterfinals. The Bearsswept their regional round series against No. 16 Lafayette. The quarterfinals series will be a rematch of last year’s state championship game that Catholic won 5-0.

“Catholichas ended ourseason the last threeyears,” Patriotscoach JeffCurtis said. “They’re the gold standard, so we have to go up there and give it our best shot.”

Curtis scored two unearned runs in the fourth inning after athrowing error by Rummeland abase hit off the bat of Nate Alario that scored two runs. Nugent pitched 52 3 inningsand gave up four runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in the loss.

Hebertpicked up thewin and went 62 3 innings andgaveuptwo runs on three hitswiththree strikeouts and five walks.

Curtis hasrecentlygotten the better of Rummel in the playoffs. The Patriots won in extra innings in thesemifinals ayear agoinSulphur and posted a2-1 series victory against the Raiders in the 2022 quarterfinals.

The District9-5Arivals split their season series, with Curtis taking home a9-7 win and Rummel winning 10-0. Offense was at apremium in the playoff series, with the teams combining for seven hits and the Patriots winning Game 12-1. Rummelcould notget the bats going Thursday or Friday,asthe Raiders combined for three runs and eight hits.

“Wefought our butts off but didn’tget the big hits,” Rummel coach Frank Cazeaux said. “Tip your hattotheir pitchers.They kept us offbalance and did what they had to do. As acoaching staff, we’re very proud of their effort.”

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Brother Martin’sReece Roussel slaps handswith coach Jeff Lupo after hitting ahomerun against St. Augustine on April8.The Crusaders beat Pineville 10-2 in aDivision Iselect regional playoff game on Friday at Kirsch-RomneyStadium.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Clear up unfinished business and rework your space to suit your needs. Declutter, donate or sell what you don't use, and you'll make your life easier.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Connect and brainstorm with like-minded people, and you will bring about positive change in your community. Travel, research and communication are all favored.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Look within for solutions and concentrate on making a positive personal shift to accommodate your goals. Refuse to let negativity set in or take you in the wrong direction.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Push boundaries, initiate change and learn all you can to support your efforts. Discuss your intentions with someone you want to include in your journey. A passionate attitude is the key to gaining momentum.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Adopt a unique perspective and see where it leads. Dedication, thoroughness and finishing what you start will endear you to those you care about most.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Playing fair will encourage others to give you more leeway to do as you see fit. Put your energy into your relationships, and everything else will fall into place.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Avoid pressure tactics. You'll have much better luck if you are straightforward, pleasant and

accommodating. Road rage and toxic situations will escalate if you react aggressively.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Think before you act. Look for peaceful solutions and worthwhile ways to expel excess energy. Pay attention to investments, spending and bringing in additional cash.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your perception is off, so don't jump to conclusions. What you do and how you react will be important. Verify facts, and you'll gain insight into how best to proceed.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Follow your heart, not the crowd, and happiness will prevail. A social or networking event will encourage you to connect with someone who will contribute to your objective.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Set standards, a tight budget and boundaries regarding home improvements and joint ventures. Downsize, declutter or alter anything that suggests excess or indulgence.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Socialize and engage in activities that challenge and encourage you. Resurrecting your dreams, hopes and wishes will enable you to revamp your schedule.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: y EQUALS M

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Joey Adams, a comedian and author said, “It’s very easy to be witty tomorrow, after you get a chance to do some research and rehearse your ad libs.”

Itiseasytobeclevertomorrow—after a deal has finished. Experts, though, usually make the right plays before they get to trick 13.

In today’s deal, how should South play in five spades after West leads the diamond queen? North’s three-diamond cue-bid showed spade support and at least game-invitational values. East doubled to indicate diamond support. So West went on to five diamonds, hoping that if he went down, it would be a cheap sacrifice. And South, unsure who could make what, competed to five spades.

Note that five diamonds goes down only if North leads a spade. Otherwise, with hearts 3-3 and with several dummy entries in trumps, West can make the contract.

In five spades, declarer tried dummy’s diamond king, then ruffed East’s ace. South drew two rounds of trumps ending on the board, ruffed the last diamond to eliminate that suit, then played a club. West took his ace and would have done best to shift to a low heart, forcing declarer to decide what to do immediately. But West, thinking that he might get two heart tricks by force and worried that South might have the heart 10, exited with the club queen.

Declarer cashed dummy’s club tricks, crossed to hand with a trump, and led a low heart, West playing low smoothly. That was excellent defense, but since West was marked with at least one heart honor, South had to call for dummy’s jack. And when it held, he claimed. © 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: wuzzles

ToDAY’S WoRD — SWInDLES: SWIN-duls: Obtains money or property by fraud or deceit. Average

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.

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

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

WiShinG Well

Scrabble

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

Findingtheir happyplace

Chris Blum and Sarina Mohan wanted to keep theircenterhall cottage near the Fairgrounds simple, to make it acomfortable space for livingand entertaining. But that doesn’tmean they left it lacking in personality.Clever use of colorand pattern and ageneral joie de vivre make it aplace that draws friendsand family.Jyl Benson take us inside on Page 12. Bugs get abad rap, but some areactually beneficial for plants. That’sjust

oneofthe many reasons that garden columnist Dan Gill says you should neverspray insecticide without doing some analysis of your garden situation. See his column on Page4.

GREENTHUMB

Think beforeyou use insecticides. PAGE 4

INSIDE INFO

Home and garden happenings. PAGE 7

ONEINAMILLION

Tell us aboutyour spaces

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

Anew Uptown home has maturestyling.

PAGE 8

Karen Taylor Gist

It looks like avintage Uptownhome but it “lives”like a brand new one. Check out the Audubon area new construction filledwitharchitectural details that fit right in with historic neighborhood. It could be yours for $1.9 M.

That’sonPage 8.

The InsideOut home and gardensection is published every Saturday by TheTimes-Picayune Questions about InsideOut should be directed to the editor

COVERDESIGN: AndreaDaniel

COVER PHOTO: Jeff Strout

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Jyl Benson, Dan Gill, John McCusker

TO BE FEATURED: Send information and photos to insideout@theadvocate. com

BACKSTORY

Thespot with Satchmo’s musical roots.

PAGE 10

COVERSTORY

Nothing fussy here, just ahappyhome.

PAGE 12

IN DETAIL

Beauty tops off practicality. PAGE 16

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 17

InsideOut’smission is to give readers peeksinsidethe many differentways that people in theNew Orleansarea live.Weprofile spaces that are opulent, or just offbeat; sophisticated or simple; functional or light-hearted;historicor brand-spanking new. Andanything in between

Please help us by sending information andJPEGphotos of your home, or specific spaces inside it,toinsideout@ theadvocate.com. We love gardens and outdoor spaces, too. Andwe’re waiting to hear from you.

1225 ElysianFieldsAvenue• NewMarigny

$475,000

Charmingrenovated 3Bd,2BaCottage in PrimeLocation! 1-blockfromSt. Claude corridor &st-carline.Perfect blendofhistoriccharm &modernconvenience. MinutesfromFrQtr &CrescentPk. Hdwd flrs,13’ ceilgs &lotsofnat’l light. Spacious open-concept liv&din areas, 5exposed brickfrplcs, elegantcrmolding &stylish kit. Lrgbkyd, gated drvwyw/off-stprkg& side porch. AMustSee! MatthewLaRose•504-452-5282Sally Crawford •504-235-6113 Reve |Realtors504-300-0700

1633 Dufossat Street •Uptown

$2,395,000

Stunning 3-storyPrivate OasisinPrime Location!4Luxury En-suite Bdrms+ 5thBdrmcould be office/gym (5,575 sqft). Includes 4+ ParkingSpots,Pool &Apt/Guest Suitewithin gated compound near St CharlesAve.Easyaccess to N.O.’s finest restaurants, F.Q.,CBD &Audubon Park.Ideal formodernliving &entertaining,pluscombinessecurity w/ ultimatecomfort& elegance CharlotteDorion• 504-237-8615

ChrisDorion•504-451-4274 Berkshire HathawayHSPreferred,REALTORS504-799-1702

4421 RueDeLaHarbor Drive• Kenner

$775,000 Lookingfor agated communitylifestyle?Welcome to PlacePontchartrain’s newest gem, spacious 5-Bd,3.5-bath beauty that blends comfort, style & functionality.Cathedralceilings,elegantopenstairway,gleamingflrs&abundant nat’llight.Primary steonmain flr. X flood zone,nohistory of flooding. Rear yd access,detached2-car garage &covered patio, ideal forrelaxing or entertaining AprilGongora Brown504-606-0466 HospitalityRealty

2809 Prytania Street •GardenDistrict$2,475,000 Stunning Center Hall home,built in 2000,blendshistoriccharm w/ modern luxuryinNewOrleans’mostcovetedarea.Featuresornatecrownmolding,hdwd flrs &grand living spaces,chef’skitchen,den w/ frplc&gamerm. Expansive 4BD/5.5BAlayoutincllavishprimary suitew/balcony.Enjoy aserene private bkyd w/ pool,gated prkg &prime location to Magazine St,this araregem! Adrienne LaBauve504-344-0877 LaBauveGroup /BrokeredbyeXp Realty 504-513-3109 x165

8221 ZimpleStreet •Carrollton

$549,000

Welcome to TheZimpelLife— wherecreativity, culture, &community blendseamlessly.Thisclassic New Orleans 2-bdrm,2-bath shotgun home is locatedjusta blockoff OakStreetonthe belovedZimpel Street—home to thelegendaryZimpeltons& renowned forits warm, bohemian spirit.Come live TheZimpel Life,where everyday is unique. Team Right Side 504-233-2551 LATTER &BLUM|Compass• Historic District 504-948-3011

3439 OctaviaStreet• Uptown

$759,000 Beautiful4 BD,3.5 BA home w/ pool in aSuperbLocation!!Corner50’ x 120’ lotw/drivewayfor 2cars. Largelivingseparatedining, gourmeteat in kitchen w/ island &breakfast area overlookingthe pool,patio &gazebo! Largeden w/ wetbar,fullbathinthe rear also overlookingthe pool Greatoutdoor entertaining!Lotsofstorage space. Don’tmissthis beauty! CharlotteDorion•504-237-8615Chris Dorion •504-451-4274 BerkshireHathawayHSPreferred,REALTORS504-799-1702

657E.WilliamDavid Parkway•Metairie$338,000 Beautifulhome in primelocation. Renovatedw/refinishedoriginal wood floors,new kitchenthatcomesw/refrigerator, gasrange.New, plumbing underthe house, W&D+ roof.Nocarpet. Kitcheninmain househas breakfastbar that seats4 w/ remainingbar stools &tile. Nice guesthouse over 500sqftw/new kit, the3rd bath &W&D hkups! CarolynTalbert 504-330-0901 Keller Williams Realty Services 985-727-7000

GREENTHUMB

As theweather warms up, insect problemswill be on the increase. But while many gardeners thinkthat they immediately should get an insecticideand begin spraying when they see insectsin their plants, just seeing an insect is not reason enough to spray.The insect you see may not be harmful or may not cause enough damage to warrant control. It may even be beneficial. It is very important to approach the presence of insects in theright way The initial step in deciding whether to use an insecticide, whether organic or chemical, is to identify the insect and evaluate the damage it may be causing.

SOWING SEEDS: Save some seeds from your cool-season annuals to plant againinyour garden this fall.This time of year,collect seeds from sweet peas, violas, nicotiana, poppies, calendulas and cosmos. Makesure the seed pods or seed heads are mature before harvesting.

AVOIDING SEEDS:

After an amaryllis bulb finishes blooming,cut

Once identified, find out if there is away of controlling the pest without insecticides.

For help with this, contact your parish LSU AgCenter extension horticulturist. There is also information on insect problemsonornamentals and vegetables on LSU AgCenter websites.

GARDEN TIPS

FILEPHOTO

Save seeds from fading violas to plant in your garden this fall.

offthe flower stalk where it emerged from the foliage.Thiswill keep the plants looking neater

and preventthemfrom wasting energyproducing seeds that arenot needed.youshould also remove theseed pods fromLouisiana irisesafter they finishblooming.

MULCHING MENU:

Be suretomulch newly planted beds of shrubs or bedding plantswith a2-inch layerofleaves, pine straw, pine bark or othermaterials to controlweeds,conserve

moistureand keep the soil frompacking down.

FILL ’ER UP: If you intendtoput out fill soil this spring,remember that shade trees will not tolerate more than 2inchesof fill placed overtheir root systems Also, lawn grass will not grow through more than about 2inchesof fill. Avoid spillwaysand as it is more likelytocontain weeds.

STAFF FILE PHOTOBySOPHIA GERMER

Dan Gill GREEN THUMB

GREENTHUMB

Fuchsias can grow in our climate, just not for long

BY DAN GILL

Contributing writer

I saw the most gorgeous fuchsias when I lived in the San Francisco Bay area, but years ago, I was told that we couldn’t grow them here because it’s too hot. I just couldn’t resist buying one two days ago for a hanging basket. What should I expect?

Denise Fuchsias are incredibly beautiful when in bloom, and I’m not surprised you are enchanted by them. The main issue is that fuchsias do not do well in heat. As a result, we cannot grow them over the summer.

Once daytime highs start staying in the 80s, and certainly as they hit the 90s and nighttime lows stay in the 70s, the plants quickly lose steam and languish. Generally, they die sometime during the summer from various fungal infections.

They do, however, make attractive container plants or hanging basket plants from

However, many gardeners consider it well worth the investment to enjoy these incredibly beautiful plants for three months or so. The later in the season the plants are purchased, the less bang for your buck. So, buy them as soon as you see them in the nurseries in early spring. Place them in a location that gets shade most of the day, although morning sun is fine. They do not like to get too dry between waterings, so water whenever the soil surface begins to feel dry

My Louisiana irises are just about finished blooming When is the best time to dig and transplant plant them? Thanks. — Evans Dig and transplant Louisiana irises round August, September or early October when they are dormant.

it on the liriope, which limits the use of nonselective herbicides. If your problem is primarily grassy weeds, such as bermudagrass, use Fusilade, Over-the-Top, Vantage or other selective herbicides labeled to control grassy weeds in ornamental beds. Check the label carefully to make sure what you choose is safe to spray over liriope.

Sprayed on both the weeds and the liriope, these products will control the weeds without damaging the liriope If the weeds are mostly broadleaf weeds, such as dollarweed, or sedges, such as nutgrass, spray the liriope with Image Kills Nutsedge

This herbicide kills many

late winter/early spring to late spring/early summer So, you can enjoy them from the time they arrive at the nurseries in early spring all the way through late May/ early June. But that’s it

I have a planting of liriope growing along the sides of my driveway that has been invaded by weeds and grass. Can you recommend a product that would take out the weeds without damaging my liriope? — Jason Kirk It is very difficult to apply an herbicide without getting

GREENTHUMB

BUGS

Continued from page 4

Some words of caution

ACTIVE, OR NOT: If the damage was caused by insects that have already come and gone, spraying won’t do any good. If you continue to see additional damage, that means that insects are still actively feeding on the plant.

GOOD OR BAD BUGS?: Indiscriminate and unnecessary spraying can kill beneficial predatory insects that are eating the insect pests on your plants. There are lots of naturally occurring beneficial predatory insects, such as assassin bugs, wasps, lacewings and ladybug beetles.

The overuse of insecticides can damage or even wipe out populations of beneficial insects in your landscape. This can cause pest problems to develop or become worse. You will have wasted time and effort and destroyed not a pest, but quite possibly a friend.

TREAT FOR THE RIGHT PEST: Without proper identification, you may spray the wrong insecticide or use the right one the wrong way. Remember, no single insecticide will control all insects, and some can even make the problem worse. For instance, spider mites can become even more damaging if they are treated with the insecticide carbaryl (Sevin).

Properly diagnosing the problem allows you to select the right pesticide, such as an insecticide or fungicide. Maybe what you’re seeing is not even an insect problem. Some insects and the damage they cause may look like a fungus. Mealybugs and tea scale are examples of insects that may look like a fungal problem. But if a fungicide is applied, it will not help if insects are the problem.

Know your insecticides

Remember that insecticides are generally short-lived once mixed and applied. This re-

Don’t kill bugs like these if you spot them on your plants. The milkweed assassin is considered a beneficial predatory insect, because it kills other insects that damage plants.

duces the chance of environmental impact from residues. Most insecticides break down in a matter of days after application and offer no protection after that.

It often takes more than one application to control an insect pest. Plants especially prone to insect problems, like vegetables, will benefit from regular spraying to prevent problems and loss of yield.

LABEL INFO: When purchasing an insecticide, it is essential to read the label of the one you choose to be certain that it will control the pest. It will also tell you how much to use and how to mix and apply it and the safety precautions that must be taken, such as wearing protective clothing. Some pesticides have restrictions for use on certain plants and at certain temperatures that, if not followed, might cause the plants damage rather than helping them.

The label also will indicate the relative toxicity of the insecticide. Check the label of the insecticide container for one of three words. “Caution” denotes the least toxic category of pesticides, “Warning” appears on the label of the next most toxic category, and “Danger” is on the label of the

most toxic category of pesticides. Whenever possible, choose the effective active ingredient with a warning on the label. Avoid products with “danger” on the label.

WHICH TYPE?: In addition to the active ingredient, you must also choose the right formulation. Different types of pests are controlled better with different types of insecticide formulations. Common formulations include baits, sprays, drenches or granules. Some insecticide formulations are more effective on a particular pest than others, and you need to choose the right one. For instance, a granular formulation of an insecticide would be useful in controlling a ground-dwelling insect (like mole crickets or ants in lawns) but would not be appropriate to control insects that live on plants.

EXPIRATIONS: Insecticides lose potency over time. Most liquid insecticides begin to lose potency a year after opening. Dusts and wettable powders will last longer if kept dry. It’s a good idea to always buy the smallest available container of an insecticide so that you will use it up faster.

And before you purchase a new insecticide, check to see if something you already have on hand will do the job. Write what you have down on a piece of paper and have that handy when talking to a professional at the nursery or feed and seed. It’s better to use up what you have, if it will work, than to purchase another bottle of insecticide to sit on a shelf in your garage BUT WHERE?: The control method must be directed toward the pest. If the insect lives and feeds on the underside of the foliage, your spray should be directed there If it lives on the trunk and branches, a light spray on the foliage will not be effective. Only spray infested plants and those nearby of the same kind. Do not spray everything

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

INSIDEINFO

Tour Old Mandeville on Mother’s Day

The Old Mandeville Historic Association will host a Mother’s Day Home Tour from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 11.

The theme is “From Creole to Contemporary.” Seven private Old Mandeville homes will open their doors to the public, along with the historic Jean Baptiste Lang House museum, 605 Carroll St.

Tickets are available before and on the day of the tour at Lang House, starting at $15. Visit oldmandevillehistoricassociation.org.

Explore history inside Marigny homes

The Faubourg Marigny Improvement Association is hosting a Spring Home & Garden Tour of its eclectic neighborhood from noon to 4 p.m. May 18.

From meticulously restored classics to contemporary models, each home tells a story of preservation, innovation and the enduring charm of the Faubourg Marigny

See faubourgmarigny.org for tickets, which start at $25.

BUGS

Continued from page 6

in your landscape just because a few plants are infested.

Be wise in your use of insecticides. If you spray insecticides when they are unnecessary, you needlessly introduce toxic substances into the environment. Before you start spraying, be sure the insect is properly identified and use the right insecticide at the right rate with the proper applicator

Always apply the insecticide according to the label directions and in a manner that will give you the safest and most effective control.

The River Ridge Bromeliad Society will hold its annual show and sale May 23-25 under the skylight at Lakeside Shopping Center.

Bromeliad show, sale May 23 at Lakeside

The River Ridge Bromeliad Society will hold its annual show and sale May 23-25 under the skylight at Lakeside Shopping Center.

Several varieties of the plants will be available for purchase in a variety of price ranges. Local growers will also be on hand to answer questions.

Plants can be entered to be

ADVICE

Continued from page 5

broadleaf weeds and sedges but is not as effective against the grasses. Whichever product you choose, follow label directions carefully. It may take more than one application for control.

How can I control a tree’s roots that are rising out of the ground? Would it be possible to cut them without hurting the tree? — Jason

As trees age, surface roots are perfectly normal and nothing needs to be done about them, per se. First, do not cut any major surface roots as that could seriously damage the tree.

Trees need their roots to

judged.

The sale will be from noon to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday The show is from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday

For information, contact Nancy Lazarre at (504) 495-0371.

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 Graffiti Cleanup Krewe: 9 a.m. Thursday 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.

n Super Saturday: 9 a.m., May 3. Volunteer Center, 1031 Harrison 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.

absorb the water and mineral nutrients they need from the soil.

In addition, the large surface roots help hold the tree upright. Cutting them can weaken that support, making the tree more likely to blow over in high winds.

You may apply fill to cover the roots where they are growing above the soil surface. This will not hurt the tree.

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.

FILE PHOTO By PETER G FOREST

ONEINAMILLION

A new home near Audubon Park offers sophisticated styling for $1.9M

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

Historic ambiance is the spice of New Orleans’ architecture, with dwellings ranging from decades to centuries in age.

And while some cities fall prey to “contemporary” style that mars the veneer of vintage neighborhoods, Crescent City digs are often splendidly stitched into the fabric of their surroundings.

That’s the case with this extraordinary Uptown residence at 344 Audubon St., steps from Audubon Park and mere blocks to the universities and the Audubon Zoo. Only 5 years old, this two-story edifice with four bedrooms and more than 3,300 square feet of space is practically an infant but offers grown-up style, all for $1.875 million

Cross the threshold and step into an amalgamation of vintage style crafted for modern living. A courtyard-style front garden leads to the side-hall entry on an inviting porch trimmed in wrought-iron lacework. Inside, blonde-toned wood floors draw the visitor through the home, passing the stylish front formal dining room with 12foot ceilings and floor-length windows. Side windows bring in additional light. A butler’s pantry runs from the dining room to the kitchen, with ample storage for glassware, wine storage and a wet bar.

In the foyer, a full bathroom is tucked in a convenient spot, and just a few steps farther is the second side entry for the house, replete with storage units for sports shoes, school bags and more.

At the heart of the first floor, the kitchen has a vast central island that delineates the space and provides plenty of task area as well as seating for up to six. Stainless appliances provide professional caliber equipment for the home chef A large pantry nestled under the stairs provides storage

Flowing from the kitchen is the family room, a light-filled den with coffered ceilings, a pair of French doors with clear transoms and a stunning fireplace to anchor the space, providing warmth in the cooler

The living room opens from the kitchen and provides access to the backyard through double French doors A carved fireplace dominates the space, providing warmth in cooler temps and visual interest year-round

ABOVE: The formal dining room, a stately station for elegant meals and entertaining, has a prominent place at the front of the home. LEFT: A side entrance opens into a foyer filled with storage for the busy family on the go Off-street parking is behind a gated drive

PROVIDED PHOTOS

ONEINAMILLION

Outdoor entertainingisabreeze withthis extensiveoutdoor kitchen and seating space on the back porch of the home.

months and interesting detail year-round. The large space is easilysectionedintoconversation, reading and relaxing spaces for multiple groups.

The second floor holds the home’sfour bedroomsand baths,plus the laundryfacility with apet-washing tuband access to the finished section of the attic.

At the front of the home, with aprivate balcony,isthe primary suite, atreasure trove of private spaces dominated by the sleeping chamberwith afireplace and trio of floorlengthwindows lending Old World charmtothe new space. Included in the space are three closets, including alarge walkin closetwith dressingarea.

An oval soaking tub is the focal point of the marble-clad primary bath, with adouble vanity and glass-frontstanding shower.Aseparate water closet is also provided.

Three additional bedrooms complete the sleeping arrangements, one an en suite and two that share asizable Jack and Jillbath.

Up an additional flight of stairsisa finished sitting room with access to three sections of the attic for storage.

Ease of living continues outside the home as well. Behind the living room, acovered patio is an inviting space for outdoor entertaining

Afull outdoor kitchen, com-

The stylish and well-appointed kitchen includes seating for up to six at the central island.

plete with dishwashers, stove and grills,isprotected from sun by awall of operable shutters to allow in only as much light as needed. Aspacious expanse of porch provides space for seating or dining

Down aflightofstairs, lined with wrought iron to matchthe front of the home, is tidy lawn

Asoaking tub,standing shower and double vanity are included in the primary bath.

space for additional entertaining or verdant relaxation.

The homeislisted by Erin Rotolo, of RE/MAX Affiliates, (504) 228-3085.

One in aMillionisan occasional series featuring upscale homes forsale in the metro area.

Storageisthe word in the side entrance of the home, with plenty of spacefor school bags,athletic gear,gardening accoutrements and foul-weather gear.

ChrisDorion

•Co-ownersof5offices •YourLocal andGlobal LuxuryREALTORS!

BACKSTORY

Satchmo’sneighborhood

Bluesand ragtimeruled in Back-of-Town on PerdidoStreet

BY JOHN McCUSKER

Contributing writer

Visitors will be rollicking at the Fair Grounds for the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival this weekend and next, but there’sasleepy stretch of Perdido Street where music once was just as important.

The area today offerslittle

hint of that former, vibrant past. Running beneath the looming shadow of high-rises, this strip of pavement —between South ClaiborneAvenueand South RampartStreet —isthe former heart of the Back-of-Town, aneighborhood whosecultureand char-

SHERRYL.OWEN CRS, GRI, SFR, ABR 228-760-2815 •228-822-9870 OWENSHERRYL@AOL.COM 2208 18TH ST,SUITE

acters helped shape young jazz great Louis Armstrong

Thestreet name,Perdido, is sadly appropriate; rootedinSpanish, it translates to “lost.”

1507 OLIVEAVE.& BEACH

$1,195,000 4Beds/ 2.5Baths 2,389SqFt/.27 acres

PanoramicGulfviews,high ceilings, open-concept,custom kitchen, primarysuite,outdoor kitchen, generator

But from 1905 to 1912, this was Armstrong’sworld. Muchofhis autobiography is rootedinthe memories born here, where he lived at 1303 Perdido St. with hismother,Mary Ann Albert Armstrong —known to him as Mayann—and his younger sister, Beatrice, whom he affectionately called Mama Lucy. Perhaps no neighborhood, with all its vices andvirtues, left a deeper mark on Armstrong’s music and soul.

Directly across thestreet from hishome stoodthe Fisk School, where Armstrong attended classes —though not regularly.His autobiography, in fact, devotes more space to rememberingthe saloons populating theneighborhood’s corners than it does to the classroom. Thesaloons—nearly three dozen in all—were fix-

$2,500,000 Elegant2Bed, 2.5Bath,2,639SqFt CornerUnitw/ BreathingPanoramic ViewsofIconicFrQtr. &MississippiRiver

tures in theneighborhood,most run by Sicilian immigrants.

Achurchthatrocked

At the other end of thesocial

NOLA70115 504-300-0700 LicensedinLouisiana

$2,500,000

6Beds,5.5Baths, 6,751SqFt. Theeleganceof classicalarchitecture combinedw/the conveniencesof moderncomforts

4937LISAANNDRIVE BARATARIA

$250,000 3Bed,4Bath,2,640SqFt 920POEYFARRESTREET UNIT104•WAREHOUSEDISTRICT

$599,000 3Bed,2Bath,1,800SqFt

spectrum stood Mount Zion Baptist Church. It washere that Armstrong’smother found spiritualrefuge underthe spellbinding sermons of ElderCozy. OneSundayinparticularstood outinArmstrong’smemory:

“I can still remember the night mama took me to this church. ElderCozystarted to getwarmed up andthenhe hit his stride.Itwas notlong before he hadthe whole church rocking. Mama gotsohappy andsoexcited that she knocked me offthe benchasshe shouted andswayed back andforth. She was astoutwoman and became so excited that it took six of thestrongest brothers to grabholdofher andpacify her.”

Perdido Street was also home to another institutionthat would leave alasting mark on thecity’sculturalidentity: theZulu Social Aidand Plea-

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

The same scene in NewOrleans shot in 2023.

PROVIDED PHOTOByNEW ORLEANS PUBLICLIBRARy

The 1300-1200 blockofPerdido Street, as seen in 1937.

sure Club. Founded at Johnny Metoyer’sBrown Bomber Lounge at 1125 Perdido, Zulu began as agathering place forworking-classBlack New Orleanians —from coal cart drivers and bartenders to waitersand tradesmen. Armstrong returned to reign as King Zulu in 1949.

Music was the lifeblood of Perdido Street. The air pulsed with the sound of blues and hot ragtime drifting from the neighborhood bars and honkytonks, played by pioneers like Frankie Duson, Kid Ory and King Oliver

Just next door to the Armstrong home stoodone of the most storied venuesinearly jazz history.Originally known as the UnionSons of Liberty Hall, and later Clay Hall, it earnedthe nickname Funky Butt Hall from the locals. It was here that Buddy Bolden —the first great hot cornetist —ignitedthe spark that would become jazz. His signature tune, “FunkyButt,” was so deeply woven into the neighborhood’sculture that it laterfound immortality in Jelly RollMorton’s“Buddy Bolden’s Blues”:

“I thought Iheard Buddy Bolden say, Funky-butt, stinky-butt, take it away…”

It is astriking piece of historical poetry that Armstrong, the most influential figure in early Americanmusic, grew up in the shadowofone of the first jazz halls. The sounds and characters of Perdido Street shaped his worldview,and their imprint can be heard in every note he played.

And maybe, just maybe, the giant lettering painted on one of the gasworks storagetanks at the end of Perdido Street in those days offered him the perfectlife lesson: “Cook with Gas.”

What’s therenow

Most of the Back-of-Town neighborhood met the wrecking ball in 1950.The three-story Eagle Saloon, at the corner of South Rampart Street, is the sole survivor of Armstrong’s

BACKSTORY

PerdidoStreet.The precise age of thestructure is in question, but it appearsonSanborn fire maps in the1880s. The building, which hassat empty for decades,has been owned by a nonprofitsince 2000.

The Eagle was the site of one of Armstrong’s happiest days andone of the toughest. It was herethat he was arrestedon New Year’s1913 for firing a

Louis Armstrong lived here at 1303 Perdido St. from 1905-1912.

gun at midnight.

After aresulting stint in the ColoredWaif’sHome, Armstrong returned to the same location but this time to visit the pawn shop of JakeItskovitch. He hadbeen instructed in musicatthe home and wanted acornet. His employers, the Karnofskyfamily,immigrant Lithuanian Jews, advanced him wages to do so

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

The Eagle Saloon at S. Rampart and Perdido streets.

PROVIDED PHOTO

By NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARy

‘Happy place’

This charming home is all about a simple but colorful lifestyle

BY JYL BENSON Contributing writer

An art and architecture buff, Sarina Mohan stumbled in spring of 2021 into a three-bay Craftsman-style center hall cottage with a deep front porch on an oversized lot.

She was charmed by the street, where mature oaks draped their boughs gently over the sidewalk and mature cypress and crape

Located at the back of Sarina Mohan and Chris Blum’s home, the family’s living room is painted Toucan Black from Benjamin Moore. The whimsical draperies are from Anthropologie. Mohan’s as a child. Mohan commissioned Mid-City artist Fried Scrimps to paint a family portrait for Blum’s 40th birthday. The image depicts three alligators representing father, mother

myrtle trees shaded the neutral ground. Tendrils of jasmine beset with tiny flowers wove through the iron fence and up a tall pillar in the front of the home, perfuming the air.

COVER STORy

“It was love at first sight,” Mohan said. “I have always dreamed of a center hall cottage, but they were always out of our reach — but this one.”

Within weeks, she and her husband, Chris Blum, a technology

consultant to the U.S. Navy, were packing up their 1,200-square-foot shotgun single, and their daughter, Frankie, and decamping to the 2,300-square-foot center hall a mile or so away. The home features three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a separate guest cottage they call The Clubhouse.

In decorating the home, Mohan was inspired by the midcentury modern style she favors. The colors

are bright, stimulating and friendly.

“We keep it casual and not fussy around here,” she said. “We entertain and host guests a lot, we love it! But we want it to be comfortable.”

For the next two weekends, most homes in the neighborhood will swell with guests for the 54th annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, just a short walk away at the Fair Grounds Race Course.

ä See COLORFUL, page 14

ABOVE: The hallway is a canvas for artwork by family and friends.

ABOVE LEFT: Blooming jasmine forms an arch over the home’s entryway, and a tower of the fragrant flowers stretches skyward to mingle with a mature oak tree.

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

The doll house in the center was her and child

Frankie, 7, sits on the porch with parents Chris Blum and Sarina Mohan.

COLORFUL

Continued from page 13

The Mohan and Blum home is central to the action.

“The entire neighborhood will be one big party for weeks,” Mohan said. “Both of my sisters and their husbands will be staying with us. My parents will be around ... Frankie’s friends and their parents. We all wear matching Bayou Wear shirts and head out as a group.”

Year round, the home is at the center of what has become a real community When they moved in, the family already had friends in the neighborhood.

Before long, Mohan’s best friend from her childhood in Ridgewood, New Jersey, was buying a house behind them, moving back to New Orleans from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

“We can walk to restaurants, shops, bars, Bayou Road and City Park, and we have excellent public transportation right outside our door,” said Mohan, senior development director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“We have all the perks and none of the pain,” said Blum.

Old-style quality

Built about 1912 for a relative of Robert Maestri, the city’s mayor from 1936 to 1946, the house had seen some action over the years.

During its not-so-long-ago tenure as Jazzy Kutz Salon, its large double parlors had been broken into stylists’ cubicles, but that had been rectified by the time Mohan saw it.

“What struck me about this house was that it had been touched in ways that elevated it — the electrical, some green features — without messing with the footprint. Walls had been added between what had been double parlors instead of going for a wide open floor plan, which we did not want. We did not want a renovated house.”

The immediate needs included a new roof and a new HVAC system. Otherwise, it was ready to go, she said

A previous homeowner opened the wall between the sunporch and the living room, resulting in a spacious opening dining room with access to both the living room and the kitchen. Mohan recently painted the walls Chic Lime with Everglades trim, both by Benjamin Moore. The casement windows open to the yard under metal awnings. ‘We love to sit here when it rains,’ said Sarina Mohan. ‘It feels like we are outside.’

Chris Blum’s parents own Louisiana Custom Closets.They designed these mirror-image built-in armoires for the couple’s primary bedroom, resulting in plenty of storage.The armoires also allowed the couple to eliminate an existing closet, which they folded into an adjacent laundry room, where extra space was needed.

“And none of the windows had been replaced. It is so important to us to have original windows, not just for aesthet-

ics, though that’s important also,” she added. “We are very passionate about old-growth wood. It is more resistant to

Mohan’s father immigrated to the U.S from India, and she collects the vibrant block-printed textiles the country is known for Here, one is pressed into service to turn an island into an impromptu dining table for guests in the family’s spacious kitchen.

water and termite issues, and we felt like even the windows that don’t work can always be

repaired over time. I love the old windows in every room of the house.”

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

painted Citron, the trim Dove White, both by Benjamin Moore.

Embracing imperfections

“When we moved in, we painted the TV room, the living room, our bedroom and Frankie’s room,” Mohan said “I recently painted the dining room. That’s it. That’s all we have really done. The kitchen is not great. It’s large, it’s not fussy. It’s fine.”

The Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi-sabi — a philosophy that embraces the beauty of imperfection, impermanence and the natural cycle of life — is a guiding principle in the home. It encourages appreciating existence’s simple, humble and flawed aspects, finding beauty in the worn, aged and understated

Mohan splurged on dramatic draperies from Anthropologie, but otherwise, “pretty much everything in the house was bought second-hand,” she said. “Honestly, except for socks and underwear, every item I have bought in the past two years has been purchased second-hand. I hate waste.

“Our dedication to embracing an anti-consumer lifestyle aligns with our love of old

houses. Use things as long as you can, even if they are imperfect. Love the imperfections because they show the life lived and, hopefully, lived well. It is good for the Earth, good for the community and good for your spirit.”

Finding joy at home

When Mohan and Blum were stricken with COVID-19 two years ago and needed to keep their young daughter occu-

pied, they told her she could paint on the white walls in the home’s center hall. “Now, when we get bored, we paint on the walls,” Mohan said.

The result is a whimsical, colorful, ever-evolving mural.

“If someone comes over and wants to draw on the walls, I will give them a marker,” Mohan said. “Nothing is permanent. Nothing can’t be undone.

“Nothing in the house feels static. This place is the em-

FQ/MARIGNY/CBD

bodiment of dopamine decor,”

LAKEVIEW/GENTILLY

WEST BANK/JEFFERSON

she said, referencing the design trend focused on creating spaces that evoke happiness and joy through vibrant colors, playful patterns and a focus on personal pleasure and mood enhancement.

“We want things that are meaningful to us that come together to make a happy place.

That’s all.”

Called ‘The Clubhouse,’ the guest house behind the home is frequently occupied by friends and family who come to visit. The room is painted Parsley Snips by Benjamin Moore.

In the family’s TV room, Sarina Mohan painted a textural pattern on the wall between two windows that are draped in a vibrant floral fabric from Anthropologie. The rug was acquired in India on a trip to visit Mohan’s extended family. The walls are

The couple’s primary bedroom is painted Dark Teal by Benjamin Moore. The dressers and the trunk are heirlooms from Chris Blum’s grandparents.

138N.CortezSt. NewOrleans,LA70119

Pr ac ti ca l

beauty

Brackets are designed to support weight. It’s not a glamorous job, but because humans are designed — once the basics of living are provided — to seek beauty, both imperatives can come together in creative and colorful ways. The result is a visual treat that’s so very, very New Orleanian

— Karen Taylor Gist

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN McCUSKER

REALESTATETRANSFERS

NEWORLEANS

TRANSFERS ISSUEDAPRIL 14-18

DISTRICT 1

BANKS ST.4317: $100, Christopher Dibenedetto, Kevin P. Dibenedetto and Mary Fabacher Dibenedetto to Jesuit HighSchoolof New Orleans Properties No.5Inc.

COLISEUM ST.1765, UNIT 208: $260,000, Mary A. Virtuosoto Leslie Roppolo and Stephen Roppolo.

MAGAZINE ST.700: $950,000, Christopher J. Cedotal to Carolyn Seale.

NOTRE DAME ST.425, UNIT 607: $1,200,000, CharlesS.Picciola to Ansley Baker Zehnder and Jeffrey S. Zehnder.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 1205: $137,000, TriCo. Investments LLCtoBilly EdwardDorsey andDeborah Louise Foutz Dorsey

S. GAYOSO ST.723: $120,000, New City Properties LLCtoBig City Properties LLC.

DISTRICT 2

CANAL BLVD.6123: $1,470,000, Sims Investments LLCtoLisa Nicole Higgins andMatthew J. Higgins.

CANAL ST.1201, UNIT 474, N. BASIN ST.231: $182,000,Succession of Reynold Minoli to Richard Allen Long.

CHARTRES ST.235-37: $100 and other goodand valuablecon-

sideration, Peirce Property-235 ChartresSt. LLCtoLata’s Family Investments LLC.

DAUPHINE ST.1009, UNIT A: $385,000,Jeffrey A. Nickerson and Kim M. Nickerson to Joseph FargoHulseyand Mary Ann Gorman Hulsey

LOUISVILLE ST.6628-30: $1,275,000, Brisbi &Bertucci Investments LLCtoLindsay Deanne Jones Sirmon and Peter Anton Sirmon.

N. JOHNSON ST.209-211: $215,000, Rima Marie MaatouktoSaltak HomesLLC.

N. LOPEZST. 510: $309,000, Margaret Virgina Glass Plummer and Peyton Brooks Plummer to Constance Denmond.

N. TONI ST.1206: $402,000, MBR

Real Estate HoldingsLLC to Raphael Joseph Rabalais and Sarah Duffy Rabalais.

ST.ANN ST.1609-1611: $315,000, Christine Franklin Drennon, Harold Wayne Drennon and Patrick Drennon to Donnie Covey Lamirande and Randel Richard Lamirande.

ST.LOUIS ST.831: $225,000, Scheherezade I. DaftarytoDavida BrantleyGrundmann.

TOPAZST. 822: $785,000, DavidL Wolf and Kirsten Robertson Wolf to EdwardHemard.

DISTRICT 3

CLAIBORNE AVE. 4525: $680,000, Wooddy Wilson Electric LLCto New Orleans Public Belt Railroad

CommissionFor ThePort of New Orleans.

COLUMBUS ST.1331: $365,000, Barbara Colvon BarretoMatthew J. Russell.

DESLONDE ST.1205-07: $125,000, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to KMR Design Group LLC.

DREUX AVE. 10115: $155,000, Reginald Kory MillertoJermyra Hayes.

GERVAIS ST.8921: $194,000, Darlene Mohr Bonis to Willie Michael Miller.

GORDON ST.2614: $6,430, City of New Orleans to CalinWilliam Visser

GRAND BAYOUDRIVE 5548: $130,000, ClaraWheeler Leeand Gerald David LeeSr. to Terrence Alexis.

INDUSTRYST. 1831: donation, no value stated, Brenda R. Warr, Josie Warr Pratt andLouis MurphyWarr Jr. to Gregory A. Warr.

KNIGHTDRIVE 4726: $164,800, Carolyn L. TaylortoNicholas Oneal Clausell and Paulette Clausell.

LAMANCHEST. 2036-2038: $115,000, Kim MarieJones Morgan to 1404-1406 Ptolemy Street LLC.

MACKENZIE ST.7818: $65,000, Janet Verrette Jensen, Jeanne Adele Jensen and RichardAnthonyJensen Sr.toNniki Guyton Wright.

MADRID ST.2347, MARIGNY ST. 5233: donation, no value stated, John D. Nguyen to Huynh Dinh Pham

MAJESTIC OAKS DRIVE 4608:

$15,000, Solid Rock Construction LLCtoCoastal Restoration Contractors &Environmental LLC.

MAJESTIC OAKS DRIVE 4826: $14,800, CityofNew Orleans to 2024 Maj LLC.

MARIGNYST. 1313: $90,000, Cheryl Dugue Smithers and Sade Martin to Michael Huffman.

MICHIGAN ST.8033: $64,000, Mi Group LLCtoCrescentHollywood Productions Inc.

N. CLAIBORNE AVE. 2411: $30,000, Seven LLCtoTori Michelle Howze. N. ROCHEBLAVE ST.1720:

$399,000, Nancy Becker Redmann and RobertEugene Redmann to Carlos Nistal

N. ROMAN ST.1454-56: $88,000, Floyd Gray Jr. and Henriette Gray to ABC InfrastructureInc.

N. ROMAN ST.5517: $14,000, Real InvestmentFirm LLCtoChad

Michael Rogers

ODIN ST.2251: donation, no value stated, John D. Nguyen to Phuong Thi Kim Ha.

ODIN ST.2258: donation, no value stated, HanhNguyen and John Nguyen to Huynh Dinh Pham

ODIN ST.2264: donation, no value stated, John D. Nguyen and John Nguyen to Hoang PhuQuy Tran.

PAUGERST. 2433: $260,000, TwomulmoreLLC to James Scott Twigg. ST.ANTHONY AVE. 5151: $12,000, Nicholas A. Lamonte and Terri L. Lamonte to NationwideCommunityRevitalization LLC.

SPAIN ST.520: $887,000, Fernanda ä See ORLEANS, page 18

to this luxuriousresidence whereelegance &comfort meet unparalleled craftsmanship. Theoutdoor oasis includes aheated, in-groundsaltwater pool &spa.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued frompage17

Burgel Sleightand Neil Colin Sleight to Elliot Jude Scott.

STEPHEN GIRARD ST.2076: $180,000, Allen G. Baquet Jr., succession of Audrey H. Baquet,JeremyBaquet and Karin B.Wallace to BrendaJ.Collins Spearman.

STILLWATER DRIVE 5470: $258,000, DarrellAnthony Gibson and Monique Patrice Gibson Cola to Erica Durousseau.

VENUS ST.4910: $105,000, Darryl A. Cook and SandraCrowley Cook to 4910 Venus LLC.

VIOLA ST.4772-74: $160,000, Alice Ann Powell Cooper to Jenell Angelina Norals

DISTRICT 4

FIRST ST.1408: $100, 1408 First Street LLCtoNolawood LLC.

FIRST ST.1530: $2,000,000, Elizabeth Ellen Riggs and TodRichard Chambers to Charles Carroll Bond III and Pamala Diane

EAST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FORAPRIL 11-16 HARAHAN

HICKORYAVE. 25: Powerline LLC to RichardD.Kittok, $125,000.

JEFFERSON

AUDUBON TRACE 3914: Terry L. Thompson to RichardD.Kiser, $238,000.

Griffith Bond.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 2100: $385,000, Team Morgan Investments Inc. to Sirrom LLC.

S. CHIPPEWAST. 2005: $465,000, Albert Cecil BufordIVtoBeverly Ann Lombardi andPieroAlejandroLombardi.

DISTRICT 5

BERKLEY DRIVE 212: $87,500, 212 Berkley DriveLLC to AyaInvestment Properties LLC.

DANNY DRIVE143: $165,000, Diamond Investment Properties LLCtoMichael J. Czosnek and Rebecca Czosnek.

EAGLEPOINTLANE 21: $140,000, Britni RicardtoNeveen Attamari

Odeh and Odeh Odeh.

FOREST OAKS DRIVE 195: $75,000, Bruce M. Wallace Jr. to Eugene E. Ridgley Sr.

HYMAN PLACE 2041: $220,000, Ana A. Henriquez and Ever A. Murcia to JanellRoyal.

PINEHURST DRIVE 128: $50,000, Kingdom RCGEvergreen Fund Series ILLC to Olga I. Calderon Mejia.

BETZ AVE. 509: Garrett Waxto Hannah N. Plaisance, $292,500.

DODGE AVE. 107: Jason E. Hoblit to Paul C. Hoblit,donation, no value stated.

KENNER

27TH ST.525: Llb Management Group LLCtoDalcy A. S. Santos, $275,000.

AIRLINE HIGHWAY 507: Four Thousand Four Hundred Thirty OneRendon LLCtoMiller 40 Nola

RUE MICHELLE 3520: $267,000, DanielEason St.Etienne to Austin Martinez and Makala Henry.

SILVER MAPLE COURT3501: $110,000, DonGene BilbreytoKJV Partners LLC.

SILVER MAPLE COURT3501: $140,000, KJV Partners LLCto H&MInvestment Partners.

DISTRICT 6

ANNUNCIATION ST.3958, 3968: $100 and other valuable consideration, Gernon Properties LLCto

SCREP II HC SPELLC

BROADWAYST. 1403: $470,000, Hermes O. Gonzalez and Maria Rosario Gonzalez to Stephanie Welch Carter and Zane Carter.

COLLEGE COURT3124: $135,000, DonCargo and Evelyn Clark to Javanti Coleman Alexander and Jeffery Alexander Jr.

DANNEEL ST.3515: $380,000, Canaan Properties LLCtoChristopher MichaelBalderrama.

DRYADES ST.5320: $2,050,000, Katherine St.Eve Koerner and Parker EarlKoerner to Alexis McCraw Armstrong and Walter Nolte ArmstrongJr.

WorldWide Investments LLC, $1,500,000.

HOLYCROSSPLACE 112: Kimberly Gales to Robert Herron, $146,000.

IOWA AVE. 3016: ZmmyLLC to MeghaA.Darji, $299,900.

JOHNS HOPKINS DRIVE510: Doris Y. S. Carrasco to Jacobi J. Mitchell, $270,000.

MAINEAVE.1113: Natalie O. Bonneval to One ThousandOne Hundred Thirteen Maine AveLLC, $130,000.

SAXONY LANE 660: Hiep C. Dang

FOUCHER ST.812-814: $450,000, Succession of CliffordPowelland Ethel Vigne Powell to Carmen Soriano.

JOSEPH ST.2009: $429,000, Marcia Bridge Cookeand William TheodoreCotton to Cassandra Damascus Patterson and Seth Patterson.

LA SALLE PLACE11: $4,700,000, John J. Rabalais to Jonathan J. Adelman Living Trust.

NAPOLEON AVE. 2435: $615,000, Marengo Investments LLCto AlpaPatel and JeetendraPatel.

OCTAVIA ST.1631: $100, Edward Douglas Johnson Jr. and Susan Read Johnson to Jonathan BushDeLaureal and Marceline Strumphler De Laureal.

PRITCHARD PLACE7217-19: $390,000, Cuong Phu Pham and Thinh P. Pham to Taylor Black.

S. CORTEZ ST.215-217: $460,000, GloriaAnne Neeb andMatthew Southerland Neeb to Lillian Margaret Mabel Laplace and Samuel Carter Karlin.

STATEST. 500: $475,000, Arthur EdwardKern Jr.,Craig Wroten and Diane Rauch Kern to Cres-

to MccoyV.Nguyen, $140,000.

ST.ELIZABETH DRIVE 4105: Mary L. B. AndrewstoStephen Icaza, $220,000.

STAHL DRIVE 2812: Ardoin Betty Revocable Living Trust to SuleimanHamdan,$400,000.

WOODLAKE BLVD.81: Lynn M.H. Bourgeois to Bertucci Property Development LLC, $240,000.

METAIRIE

16TH ST.3524, UNIT A, BUILDING

cent CityDevelopersLLC.

WALNUT ST.185: $195,000, Victoria S. McCune to Justin Dennis. W. KENILWORTHST. 43: $388,000, Mary L. ShepherdHodge to Adrian Andrew IllesSr. revocable living trust.

DISTRICT 7

AVE. A6441-43: $370,000, Gail BonuraKing to MiaTrupiano.

BELLAIRE DRIVE 136: $100, Marc H. Friedlander to Carol Teuton Benoit.

BREAKWATER DRIVE 7708, UNIT 6: $701,000, Thomas V. Keownto Joshua F. Williams III andPatricia Berlin Williams.

BREAKWATER DRIVE 7740, UNIT 21: $390,000, Corey J. Robicheaux to TimothyA.Duhe and Trudy Pontiff Duhe.

JOLIET ST.1708: $275,000, Kimtrang Nguyen to Scott E. Walker MARYLAND DRIVE 116: $470,000, BrittanyHaaga Rieraand Grant RieratoKatherine L. Deblanc.

SHORTST. 2711: $325,000, Matthew Viator to Ezgi Barcenas and Jared Michael Barcenas.

U: LydiaA.J.DeatontoRobertD. Roth II, $90,000.

40TH ST.3125: Katherine F. Schatzle to Cornerstone Select LLC, $175,000.

ACADEMY DRIVE 4008: Mindy Morel to Mt. LaurelProperties LLC, $146,600.

ATHERTON DRIVE 142: DorisB Mulhausen to Atherton Holdings LLC, $700,000.

CALUMETST. 4416: Beyond Renovation LLCtoMagdalena Marroquin, $260,000.

it allremarkablefeatures, unbeatable views, cargolift&the perfect setupfor entertaining, relaxing, or reelinginthe catch of theday Builtin2014, this beautifully designed two-storyhomeoffers 2spaciousbedrooms&2full bathsupstairs, w/ an openconcept

CLAY ST.4311: Felix A. Junda Jr. to BrittanyTeel,$150,000.

CLEARVIEWPARKWAY 417: Patricia T. Creel to Gary Traina, donation, no value stated.

CLEVELAND PLACE 3812: Bertucci InvestmentGroup LLCtoBrittanyBonura, $350,000.

CLIFFORD DRIVE 3421: Lori A. Berggren to Jonathan Nguyen, $215,000.

DAVID DRIVE 2005: Oikodome Inc. to Sonia R. A. Neves, $160,000. DAVID DRIVE 2005: Sonia R. N. Deaquino to Zelim A. F. Palada, $230,000.

FAIRLANEDRIVE 20: Karmon S. ShellabargertoLuz A. VAlabaddi,$187,000.

FLAMINGO ST.4414: Patricia T.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST

Continued frompage18

Creel to Gary Traina, donation, no valuestated.

FOLSE DRIVE4341: Sumie HoshikadotoFathi Jarushi, $515,000.

GIUFFRIAS AVE. 303: Garrett P. EdwardstoCarol P. Pond,$147,000.

HACKBERRYST. 1417: Umar Rashid to William Fury,$462,500.

HESPER AVE. 736: Bonnabel Prop-

WEST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FORAPRIL 11-16 AVONDALE

HOMEPLACE DRIVE 4024: Dsld LLCtoDanielle Payton, $255,325. GRANDISLE

COULONRIGAUDLANE 196: Renee Y. RoytoJennifer E. Johnson, $135,000.

LA. 11785: Angela A. Chousetto Vu A. Nguyen, $68,000.

LA. 1BUILDING A1851: Goa Rentals LLCtoFishin Critical LLC, $550,000.

NACCARI LANE154: Vu A. Nguyen to Amanda D. Duhe, $215,000. SANDYPOINT DRIVE 23: LauraB. Gros to Carrie Z. Verret,$867,000.

GRETNA

FRIED ST.900: Jawanna J. Davis to B&SWatson Investments LLC, $113,000.

HUNTERBROOK DRIVE 612: Maurice Relayson to Orenthal J. Adams Jr., donation, no value stated.

LOUISE COURT245: Merle T. Baer to GreenHomes RemLLC, $150,000.

RUE ST.MICHAEL 734: Erik Rodriguez Sr. to Vilma Ayala, donation, no value stated.

VANTRUMP ST.700: Tjt LLCtoTjt II LLC, $325,000.

HARVEY

COLOMBODRIVE 2120: Paul S. Vlosich to Paul L. Trahan, $245,000.

CURTIS ST.1561: Cameron Bruce to Carrington Mortgage Services LLC, $215,168.

DEERGLEN DRIVE 4009: Bernice Woods to Arthalia Johnson,

erties Inc. to AnhNguyen, $6,500.

HOUMABLVD. 321: PatriciaT Creel to Gary Traina, donation, no value stated.

LEFKOE ST.4428: Four Thousand Four Hundred TwentyEight Lefkoe Street LLCtoRon Geter, $261,300.

LEONARD AVE. 7716: Tyler Wilterding to Anthony Castillo, donation, no value stated.

MEADOWDALE ST.5032: Lekha SubaiyatoTaraSubaiya,donation, no value stated.

MERLE ST.6608: Quinlivan Homes

$210,000

DOGWOOD DRIVE 1633: Darlene M. Grundmeyer to Julia K. T. A. Ieong, $140,000.

ESTHER ST.1939: RichardA MooretoMarilyn J. Banks, $15,000.

GARDERE AVE. 436: Ian Nguyen to Aia Service LLC, $200,000.

GREENBRIAR LANE3820: Nelson R. A. RodrigueztoVictor J. Enamorado, $230,000.

MANHATTANBLVD. U161 2924: D. Mcgee to Rakhal Gable, $160,000.

ORCHID DRIVE 1425: Kieu Le to FreedomMortgage Corp., $120,000.

LAFITTE

CAMILLE COURT2120: Frederick J. Gros Jr. to Fe C. Owens, $340,000.

GLORIA ST.4956: DebraM.Autin to LandynL.Haas, $152,500.

JEAN LAFITTE BLVD.302: Felix Mills Farms LLCtoAmanda Gomez, $110,000.

LLCtoCaliM.Zeringue,$257,500.

MINNESOTA AVE. 2517: Kh Flip LLCtoKayleeG.Cash, $269,900.

N. CUMBERLAND ST.1528: Jefferson FinancialFederal Credit Union to CasaNola Investments LLC, $225,000.

ORION AVE. 615: Bonnabel Properties Inc. to SaraL.Joseph, $3,500.

PAPWORTH AVE. 1237: Steven B. Moser to LeeH.Crisler, $455,000.

RIDGEWAYDRIVE 2908: Ronald Williams to Shawn E. Williams, donation,novalue stated.

MARRERO

ANNETTE DRIVE 2746: Jasmine A. Steib to Lakeview Loan Servicing LLC, $133,334.

BARATARIA BLVD.3309: Three Thousand Three Hundred Nine Barataria LLCtoThree Thousand Three Hundred Nine Barataria LLC, $500,000.

BIRCHWOOD RD 2619: Kirsten E. Higgs to DarrenNguyen, $365,000.

BURNLEY DRIVE 1829: Lois A. B. Washington to Jose S. Amaya, $130,000.

COLLETTE DRIVE 2745: Joshua R. Liccardi to John S. Diamond, $162,500.

CYPRESSLAWNDRIVE 2616: Quang Nguyen to Nhi L. XD. Nguyen, $100,000.

FLAUBERTDRIVE 4008: EveR. Leblanc to Geoffrey Tasker, $350,000.

GAUDET DRIVE 1128: LeeA GuidrytoJesse Mangum, $128,500.

GRINELL DRIVE 3024: Seven

RIDGEWAYDRIVE 341: Rachel M. Lader to Jessica B. Bordelon, $410,000.

RIVERSIDE DRIVE U624 6200: YishuYangtoXiao M. Lin, donation,novalue stated.

THIRBAST. 401: Adriane B. Hall to La Bmmg 2024 LLC, $102,500.

THIRBAST. 401: La Bmmg 2024 LLCtoUniversalHome RestorationsLLC,$118,000.

TOBY LANE 4620: Denise M. D. Wetzel to Charvi C. K. Vance, $435,000.

TRUDEAU DRIVE 300: G. 1st Con-

Hundred SevenGrefer St LLCto Justyn Simoneaux, $222,000.

MAHARRYDRIVE 2045: Yvette Mairely to Raul A. C. Lopez,donation, no value stated.

struction &Renovation LLCto Cynthia D. Simmons, $390,000. W. MAPLE RIDGE DRIVE216: Martin J. BurasIII to Moras Enterprise LLC, $335,000.

RIVERRIDGE

ARNOLD AVE. 113: Patricia P. Wright to Nga Tran, $210,000.

ORMOND PLACE 9001: James A. Price to Stacey H. Montgomery, $1,050,000.

TUDOR AVE. 358: MarcusP Leblanc to Benjamin Leblanc, $306,000.

MT.RUSHMORE DRIVE 5121: Mary Odell to CarmenJ.C.Badillo, $132,000. ä See WEST, page 20

REALESTATETRANSFERS

WEST

Continued frompage19

OAKLEY DRIVE 27: RosemaryJ. Trahan to Candida P. Calante, $335,000.

PARK SHORE DRIVE 4404: Jwtc Louisiana LLCtoOjConstruction LLC, $41,000.

PARK SHORE DRIVE 4408: Jwtc Louisiana LLCtoOjConstruction LLC, $41,000.

SKIDMORE ST.2977: Mark A. RivereSr. to Laurie Lachute, donation, no value stated.

ST.JOHN AVE. 5829: James A. Fish Jr. to John A. Alonso Sr., $27,500.

TERRYTOWN

GIBSON ST.2160: Linh T. Do to Victoria B. Harkin, $267,500.

WESTWEGO

VICTORYDRIVE 605: Lynn Acosta to Nicholas J. Campagne, $120,000.

ST.TAMMANy

TRANSFERS FROM APRIL 1-7

ABITASPRINGS

BOSSIER CITY SUBDIVISION, LOTS

6A, 10A, 11, 12A, SQUARE 5: Mary D. Burns,Roy K. Burns Jr., James M. Burns andotherstoWayne T. Prats, $30,000.

HILLCRESTCOUNTRYCLUB

SUBDIVISION,LOT 10, SQUARE 70: RobertM.Parent toKenneth S. Rivera, $6,000.

MARIA AVE. 405: Jason Brown and AlisaBrown to Joshua Bullardand Rebekah Bullard, $257,800.

NEAR ABITASPRINGS,PORTION OF GROUND: Thomas Bohnenstiehland Rhonda P. BohnenstiehltoScottA.Bohnenstiehl and Jordan T. Bohnenstiehl, donation, no value stated.

PACKET PLACE 71192: Cynthia R. BrowntoRaymondJ.Devlin Jr. and RosemaryS.Devlin,$285,000.

ST.CHARLESCOURT144: Daniel LewtoPatricia H.Davis Lew revocable trust,donation, no value stated.

COVINGTON

CAMEODRIVE 76262: JoyS

Guidry to Dustin G. Breaux and Danielle R. Chimento, $120,000.

CARDINAL ROAD 5: William A. Michaelis III and Leslie S. Alkire Michaelis to CharlesS.Schumacher Jr. andCaroline B. Schumacher, $10,000.

CHANDLERDRIVE 20151: Edward T. RiecketoMarcella A. Merrill, $304,000.

CYPRESS POINT DRIVE 4189: Jeffrey S. Burley and BlakeL.Burley

to DavidG.Baker, $550,000.

DEL SOL COURT409: Nathan McClendonand Lynn McClendon to Farrel P. Fontenotand Annette R. Fontenot, $350,000.

EMERALD FOREST BLVD.350, UNIT 9103, PARKING SPACE

25: Rosa R. NegrontoCynthia Negron, Susan T. Cochran and RossyC.Marenco de Guevara, donation, no value stated.

FITZGERALDCHURCH ROAD

79479: Jamie F. Monlezun to Roger L. Monlezun Jr., donation, no value stated.

GABRIELDRIVE 2134: DSLD Homes LLCtoKyle Mikulik, $355,035.

GOTTSCHALK ROAD 10343: Norma F. Martin to Thomas J. Price and Susan M. Price, $10.

HST. 70396: Justin Duplantis to Gloria A. SanchezDeTorres, $214,000.

JASMINE DRIVE 95: Dawn E. Barberito to Susan J. Hardy, $233,000.

LA. 59 75222: Nicole Marullo to Chad MichaelFreyand Brianna M. Frey,$739,000.

LAKEVISTAESTATE, PHASE1, LOT118: Christian LegoriatoW. Jude Landry Jr. and Danielle K. Landry,$38,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Pleasantville LLCto Gary J. BettencourtII, $225,000.

OLD LANDING ROAD 912: Ronald A. Styron Jr. to Leslie Styron Arceneaux, $195,000.

PARMA CIRCLE 12524: Jerald Sonnierand Jennifer Sonnierto Jacqueline Woodrow,$305,000.

PENN MILL PLACESUBDIVISION, LOT21: Kaylan V. Simmonsto Gina M. Cain, $235,000.

PLEASANT LANE 72119: Pleasantville LLCtoJustin Nussbaum and

BaileyS.Nussbaum, $169,000.

RIVER GLEN ESTATES,PHASE 2, LOT48: Jacob A. Wilkinson and Lindsey F. Wilkinson to CalebN Alford, $88,000.

RIVERDALE DRIVE 82: Abigail B. Weidenhaft to DanielGuilbeau and Madison M. Guilbeau, $950,000.

S. FITZMORRIS ROAD 77063: LewDennis and Margaret Dennis revocable trust to Peter J. Dahlstrom and MindyDahlstrom, $494,300.

S. JAHNCKE AVE. 804: Charles S. Schumacher and Caroline B. SchumachertoMatthew Morvant and Ly Vo Morvant, $850,000.

SANDERS ROAD 24421: Justin D. MayettoBrent Sparkman, $311,500.

SHADYLAKE DRIVE 71077: Donald R. Jenkins Sr.and Beverly W. Jenkins to Dallas C. Wheat and Melody C. Wheat, $290,000.

TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE1A12, LOT75: JM Construction Group LLCtoGeorge Nasser and CynthiaHubbell Nasser,$685,000.

TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE1A13, LOTS 376, 380, 451, 447: TerraBella Group LLCto Centanni Construction Co. Inc., $465,000.

TERRA BELLA VILLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE1A13, LOT462: Terra Bella jGroupLLC to CharlesG. Foto and LindaW.Foto, $120,000.

VICTORIA DRIVE 75425: DSLD Homes LLCtoZachary Hagan, $262,395.

VICTORIA DRIVE 75432: DSLD Homes LLCtoZachary Loupe and Madeleine E. Abadie, $30,000.

W. 24TH AVE. 1008: Randall S.

Sanders to Christopher Arnoult, $269,900.

W. SIXTH AVE. 319: Sharon A. Richards to Jennifer H. Trew, donation, no value stated.

WOODSPRINGS COURT 875: RichardJ.Byron and Hillary W. ByrontoJohn Ellis and Kelli Ellis, $330,000.

FOLSOM

AUSTIN ST.82255: 16 Above of Folsom LLCtoFenchez LLC, $450,000.

BROADWAYST. 13180: Barber Construction IndustriesLLC to Kevin Edwardsand LindaEdwards, $225,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Brandon S. Sharp to DavenSharp and StormyL KohlerSharp,$330,000.

LACOMBE

CANE BAYOULANE 24379: AnthonyJ.Pumilia and CharlesA Pumilia to James Pratt and Kathy G. Pratt, $365,000.

E. SPRUCELANE 60410: Succession of Charline H. Wooleyto Jade A. Morgan and Breanna M. Morgan, $70,000.

FOREST GLEN SUBDIVISION,LOTS

27, 28, 29, 33, 34, SQUARE 39: Frank B. Wood Jr. Interests LLC, DebraG.Garrett Levis and others to Edgar I. M. Tejeda, $18,728.

MISTY CREEK DRIVE 104: Geoffrey L. GordontoKyle Francis and Elvie Francis, $306,500.

NEAR LACOMBE,PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Maria M. D’Antonio and CharlesJ. D’Antonio to McLivin Properties LLC, $65,000.

S. 15TH ST.60280: John A. Taylor to Pamela W. Taylor, donation, no value stated.

SAPPHIRE ST.60447: FatmaA.Rabee and Mustafa Rabee to Scott Delaughter and Sarah Delaughter,$230,000.

SYCAMORE ROAD,LOTS1,2,3, SQUARE 38: Louland LLCtoEdgar I. Macias Tejeda, $9,000.

MADISONVILLE

BOXELDERCOURT128: David C. Kent and Camille M. Kent to Mark M. FicarraJr. and Sarah R. Ficarra, $100,000.

FAIRFIELD OAKS DRIVE 113: Kelli S. Vedros to Derrick Horn and KatieE.Horn, $300,000.

MACK LANE222: Scott Taylor and Katherine Taylor to Justin Davis and Shelby Scharfenstein, $385,000.

NEAR MADISONVILLE,PORTION OF GROUND: Jill HaleHeinz to

Thad W. Devier and Katherine W. Devier, $335,400.

NEAR MADISONVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Ryan J. Stansbury and Shannon G. Stansbury to Thad W. Devier and Katherine W. Devier, $94,600.

OAK PARK ESTATES, LOT 13, SQUARE 6: Christopher L. Hughes and Jana S. Hughes to Brian M. Quarterman, $75,000.

SCOTT’S BAYOU LANE 5049: Layton K. Price to Brian J. Murphy and Caitlin R. Armitage Murphy, $402,000.

MANDEVILLE

BERG COURT 35: Zoya Romanenko and Arten Baranov to Michael W. Kirk and Rose T. Kirk, $580,000

BON TEMPS ROULE 201-03-0507: Mandico Co. to Refusal LLC, $450,000.

BRENTWOOD DRIVE 20134: Jared H. Freeman and Laura G. Freeman to William Chiang and Lauren M. Chiang, $770,000.

HEAVENS CHATEAU CONDOMINIUM, UNITS 1-5: Sally Lam Rentals LLC to Mandico Co. LLC, $941,000.

JOHN W. MOORE AVE. 3326: Usheeka W. Quinn Bent, Rhyshaneke A. Hills and others to Lillie C. Minger, donation, no value stated.

LAKESHORE DRIVE 1611: Richard James, Linda James, and Richard James and Linda James Living Trust to Sean T. Daly and Jennifer C. Daly, $425,000.

LAMARQUE ST. 324: Amy J. Ross Crane to CKG Exempt Trust, $760,000.

LIVE OAK ST. 194: Evelyn P Lapouble to Gerald Wicker, $220,000.

MANDEVILLE ANNEX SUBDIVISION, LOT 31A, SQUARE 9: Rachel B. Slaughter to Ethan P. Leger, $259,000.

N. LOTUS DRIVE 580, UNIT 8: Lauren Oglesby to Jamie F. Monlezun, $207,000.

NEAR MANDEVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Mighty One LLC to Aldis C. Nunez Bonilla and Yesenia P. Cruz De Nunez, $18,000.

S. STRAIN ROAD 68042: Courtney R. Chabreck to Scott A. Wandler and Lesley M. Wandler, $69,000.

SHAUNELL DRIVE 110: Marie C. Bishop to Noralyn P. Talley, $360,000.

SURGI DRIVE 1933: Succession of Henrytetta R. Waguespack, David F. Waguespack, Susan W. Knowlton and others to Surgi Flexspace LLC, $450,000.

TOWN OF MANDEVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Marilyn B. Klotz to Gordon F. Wadge

REALESTATETRANSFERS

and Brianne M. Bordes Wadge, $310,000

TRAILWOOD SUBDIVISION, LOT

81: Jamie Guy to Kristin Guy, donation, no value stated.

WESTWOOD DRIVE 409: Abigail M. Wischkaemper to Junius L. Castagnetta and Heidi A. Castagnetta, $358,000.

PEARL RIVER

BERKSHIRE DRIVE 1128: Kyle V. Francis and Elvie S. Alob Francis to Cameron Gaubert, $250,000.

EDGAR KENNEDY ROAD 34581: Wade A. Weber and Abigail R. McDaniel Weber to Mark A. Hales, $185,000.

NEAR PEARL RIVER, PORTION OF GROUND: Betty J. Howard to Blaine J. Hodgson Sr. and Valerie S. Hodgson, donation, no value stated.

ZEREDA COURT 39205: DSLD Homes LLC to Joseph Larocca Jr. and Kelli Larocca, $326,615.

SIXTH WARD

LA. 435 76126: Melisa V. Smelley to Russell Smelley, donation, no value stated.

LIVE OAK LANE 34117: Zachary L. Houvenaeghel to Roy L. Cathcrat IV, $220,000.

SLIDELL

10TH ST. 1410: Keith J. Brown and Marie W. Brown to John Edwards and Pamela Edwards, $489,999.

BEECH ST. 1524, BARBARY DRIVE 100: Luther E. McGehee Jr. and June G. McGehee revocable living trust to Lori M. Lenfant, Kerry McGehee and Criag McGehee, donation, no value stated.

CAMPANA LANE 34332: DSLD Homes LLC to Gilda Daniels, $259,395.

CAREY ST. 3030: Daryl W. Miller Jr. to Madison G. Harrison, $11,750.

CARR DRIVE 261: Succession of Victoria A. Magas and Allison King to Octave J. Tournillon IV and Elisabeth U. Tournillon, $227,000

CARR DRIVE 313: Matthew D. Toepfer and Debra A. Fernandez Toepfer to Christine M. Felder and William E. Felder III, $525,000.

CLABON STREET, LOT 3: Briana Garrett Lemos to Victorio Lemos, donation, no value stated.

CLEARPOINT DRIVE 5170: Carmen L. Peralta-Hernandez to Samuel Hernandez, donation, no value stated.

COIN DU LESTIN DRIVE 103: John S. Hrabley Sr. and Mandi J. Hrabley to Brent A. Smith and Angela

Smith, $230,000.

COIN DU LESTIN ESTATES, LOTS 42, 43, SQUARE 5: Willie J. Bautista to 3304 Desaix Blvd., $17,000.

CROSS GATES BLVD. 513: Christopher M. Carlton and Andrea R. Pizza Carlton to Joan Young Pennington, $341,885.

DARCY LANE 114: Paul X. Noel Jr. and Ethel R. Noel to Robert A. England and/or Tressie G. England revocable living trust, $360,000.

DELTA RIDGE AVE. 6824: Brett A. Grissom and Emerald M. Grissom to Kensington Real Property LLC, $322,408.

DEVEREAUX DRIVE 119: GMFS LLC to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, $10 and other good and valuable consideration.

HAMPSHIRE DRIVE 2043: Michael W. West Sr. and Andrea M. West to Christopher J. Carlton and Andrea R. Pizza Carlton, $515,000.

HEADWATERS DRIVE 2474: Marlene A. Himel to Gerard R. Schuler, and Penny A. Schuler, $225,000.

INLET COVE LOOP 26: Lloyd M. Dennis Jr. to Brett A. Grissom and Emerald M. Grissom, $360,000.

JAY ST. 2109: Kristi S. Williams to Andre J. Pate, $159,000.

KINGS ROW ST. 1900: Adair Holdings LLC to 9290 Morrison Road, $115,000.

KINGS ROW DRIVE 1418: David P. McClure to Jennifer T. Perry, $165,000.

LOUISIANA IRIS CIRCLE 241: Thomas J. Waguespack Jr. and Mildred H. Waguespack to Michael T. Lambert and Brittany C. Lambert, $318,000.

MARAIS RIVER DRIVE 4566: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Robin T Townsel, $259,900.

MARGON COURT 302: Allen J. Kilbert and Elaine M. Hebert to Nicholas R. Hartmann and Julie Hartmann, $269,000.

MASTERS POINT COURT 226: Troy J. Alexander and Amy M. Alexander to Myesha Cade, $580,000.

MOONRAKER DRIVE 118: Succession of Donald L. Greer to Brian R. Lester and Colleen C. Lester, $272,000.

MORGAN SUBDIVISION, LOTS 1-9, 48, SQUARE 15: Frank B. Wood Jr. Interests LLC, Debra G. Garrett Levis and Billie L. Garrett Semmes to Joel V. Hernandez and Elcira Y. Juarez Leon, $10,000. N. LAKE VERRET COURT 811: Hanenburg Family Trust to Rac’em Investments LLC, $221,450.

NEAR SLIDELL, LOT 1: Succession

of Genevieve Faciane Kennedy to Johnny T. Magee, $5,000.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: JVG Development LLC to Dunkin Slidell Propco, $570,244.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Genevieve F. Kennedy to Juan M. Sanchez, $15,000.

NORTHSHORE LANE 506: Walter E. Yvos III and Shannon M. Ybos to SS 506 NSL LLC, donation, no value stated.

NORTHSHORE LANE 530: Walter E. Ybos III and Shannon M. Ybos to SS 530 NSL LLC, donation, no value stated.

NOTTINGHAM DRIVE 116: Jeannine P. Alphonse to Allen Klibert, $208,000.

PALM DRIVE 2879, UNIT 8: Nathan Palencia to Shane J. Greene and Belinda Greene, $45,000.

ROBERT BLVD. 753: Garden Spot Plaza LLC to Hak De Spa LLC, $360,000.

SEAGULL CIRCLE 3885: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Reginald A. Howard Jr., $175,000.

SEAGULL CIRCLE 3870: D. R. Horton Inc. Gulf Coast to Sheila N. Hughes, $199,900.

STEELE ROAD 301: Alice Chambers Brady to Eminent Investment Group LLC, $194,500.

PELICAN ST. 2124: Regina Walker to Daniel Galatas, $154,500. PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 4810: Stocks Finder LLC to 7426 Belle Chasse Hwy LLC, $265,000.

SUBURBAN ACRES SUBDIVISION, LOT 9: Class Six Properties LLC to Propertydoc LLC, $420,000.

VALIANT LANE 200: B&B Tran LLC to Catherine Best Leach,

ä See TAMMANY, page 23

Announcing TheRendonCondominiums. GrandLivinginEsplanadeRidge -Now available forpurchase! An architectural jeweltwo blockstoBayou St John. Completely restoredin2019, this c. 1906 BeauxArtsschoolbuildingwas convertedtoa variety of 26 oneand twobedroom residences with onsite parkingand apool. Units offer thoughtfully designedliving spaces,soaring ceilings,oversized windows, reclaimed hardwood floors,and modern kitchens andbaths.Located in theheart of Mid-City, near theFairGrounds,Bayou St John, Esplanade Ave. Restaurantsand City Park. Ownapiece of NewOrleans History! From

Theweightofone day, carriedfor decades

Dear Annie: In 1962, Iwas 14.5 years old and in my first year of junior high. Feelingdesperate to be cool, I believed agirl from school when she told me that her brother,who was home on leave from the military, wanted to meet me.

Itold my mom and dad that Ihad ababysitting job,and Iwalked to aneighborhood drugstore where this guy picked me up.

We wenttoahouse where I saw awoman in the kitchen, who he said was his mom. He escorted me upstairs,and when he offered me aCoke, I accepted, thinking Iwas really cool. Soda was seldom allowed at my house and only on special occasions. That’spretty

much all Iremember,other than himontop of me and then nothing. ThenIrecall makingmyway downstairsagain where thewoman wasonher hands and knees scrubbing the carpet. Iwas then handed $5 anddropped off at the drugstore again where Ihad been picked up

Inow know I’d been drugged but knewnothing of such things atthe time. Ihad two loving parents andwas raised with foursiblings in astrong Christian family.Ihad told this guy that my parents thought Iwas babysitting, so Ithink the$5may have been “babysitting” money? Inever told anyone what happened, and since Ihad lied to my parents, Ifelt even worse. When Igot married, Imade up some story about aworkrelated injury when my husband asked about my virginity. Life went on,but then came

the#MeToo movement, and all of the old, ugly memories came with it. Now after over 50 years of marriage, do you thinkitwould serve any purpose at all totell my husband what happened that day? Ican picture thewhole thingasifit were yesterday,and although I don’tremember the girl from school or the guy who was supposedly her brother,Ifind myself hoping they are no longer on this Earth.

About six monthsago, Idid tell my younger sister about it, and she thought telling my husband now wouldn’tbea good idea. Rapewill always be rape, but Iwas too young to know any better or call it what it was! —Just aKid From Milwaukee Dear Just aKid: I’m immensely sorry for what happened to you that day,and for every day since that you’ve carried such aheavy and painful burden. Pleaseknow that none of

TODAYINHISTORY

this was your fault. Youwere, as you said, just akid, and one that was severely taken advantage of. Your strength and resilience areremarkable, and Ihope you know how brave you are.

The decision to tell your husband or not is entirelyyours. On one hand, it may bring a sense of safetyand relief.On theother,itcould be triggering, painful or confusing —for you, or for him.It’sOKtotake your time, too. If it doesn’tfeel right,you can always revisit your decision later on.

As you continue healing, you might consider seeing atherapist or joining asupport group to feel less alone with what you’ve been through. And remember,what happened that day does not define whoyou are, your worth, your marriage or your future.

Dear Annie: I’m writing to “Tired Mom”about the situ-

ation with her and her best friend’stoddler girls not getting along. As ateacher who worked with little ones for manyyears, Ifound that it works better when you correct with apositive instead of a negative.

Instead of saying, “Wedon’t hit,” say,“Hands are forhelping, not hurting.” Also, if possible, get the child involved —“Repeat after me, ‘Hands are forhelping, not hurting.’” Ihope this helps. —Pre-K Teacher Dear Pre-K Teacher: Thank you foryour letter! Ihope it resonates with others the wayit did with me. This is agreat reminder of how important our words are and that even the smallest shifts can go a long way—especially with our kiddos.

Send your questions for Annie Lanetodearannie@ creators.com.

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,April 26, the 116th day of 2025. There are 249 days left in theyear. Todayinhistory

On April 26, 1986, in the worst nuclear disaster in history,anexplosion andfire at

theChernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine caused radioactivefallouttobegin spewing into the atmosphere. Dozens of people were killed in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, while the long-term death toll from radiation poisoning is believed to number

in the thousands.

On this date:

In 1607, English colonists went ashore at present-day Cape Henry,Virginia, on an expedition to establish the first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

SouthAfrica’sfirst all-race elections, which resulted in victory for the African National Congress and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as president

In 2000, Vermont Gov.Howard Dean signed the nation’s first bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions.

but Pennsylvania’s highest court threwout the convictionand released him from prisoninJune 2021,ruling thatthe prosecutor in the case was bound by his predecessor’sagreementnot to charge Cosby.)

In 1865, John Wilkes Booth, theassassin of President Abraham Lincoln,was surrounded by federal troops near Port Royal, Virginia, and killed.

In 1913, Mary Phagan, a 13-year-old worker at aGeorgia pencil factory,was strangled; Leo Frank, thefactory superintendent,was convicted of her murder and sentenced to death. (Frank’sdeath sentence was commuted, but he was lynched by an antisemitic mob in 1915.)

In 1964, theAfrican nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form what is now known as Tanzania.

In 1977, thelegendary nightclub Studio 54 had its opening night in New York.

In 1994, voting began in

In 2012, former Liberian President CharlesTaylor became thefirst head of state since World WarIIto be convicted by an international war crimescourt as he was found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity,including murder,rapeand the useofchild soldiers. (Taylor was sentenced to 50 yearsin prison.)

In 2018, comedian Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Temple University employee Andrea ConstandatCosby’ssuburban Philadelphia mansionin2004. (Cosbywas later sentenced to three to 10 yearsinprison,

Today’sbirthdays: Actor-comedian CarolBurnett is 92. Composer-producer Giorgio Moroderis85. Olympic swimming gold medalist Donna de Varona is 78. Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 67. Actor Joan Chenis64. ActorJet Li is 62. Actor-comedian Kevin James is 60. Former U.S. Poet LaureateNatasha Trethewey is 59. ActorMarianne JeanBaptiste is 58. First lady Melania Trump is 55. Singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (TLC) is 55. Country musicianJay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) is 54. ActorTom Welling is 48. ActorPablo Schreiber is 47. ActorJordana Brewsteris45. ActorChanning Tatum is 45. New York Yankees outfielder AaronJudge is 33.

Annie Lane

DEAR ANNIE

Tackle weedsand fertilizeturfgrasses fora lush spring lawn

By now,you’ve probably had to crank up the lawnmower and give your lawn its first cut in awhile. Turfgrasses are emerging from their winter dormancy, turning green and growing once again —and so are warm-season weeds. As you get back into thehabit of lawn maintenance this spring, think about helping your grass along with adose of fertilizer sometime soon. Now is also the perfect opportunity to get ahandle on weeds while they are small and easier to control.

Youcan buy combination weed-and-feed products at garden centers and hardware stores.But Eric DeBoer,anassistant professor of turfgrass management with the LSU AgCenter,recommends handling the tasks of weedcontrol and fertilization with separate products.

Before you start, youneed to do afew things. First, get your hands on abroadcast spreader for applying granular fertilizers and herbicides. If youwant to

TAMMANY

Continued frompage21

$345,000.

VELA COVE 1645: JamarJ.HowardtoCharenyia C. Carmouche, donation, no value stated.

WAKE RESERVE ROAD 5536: D. R. Horton Inc. Gulf Coast to Johnson P. Burds and Wanda G. Burds, $370,800.

WAVERLYDRIVE 583: Angela S. Duthu to David M. Zaffuto Jr. and Brittney B. Zaffuto, $385,000.

WILLIAM DRIVE 1029: RandyK. LeBlanc and Michelle L. LeBlanc to Marcus Alcindor and Summer Alcindor, $210,000.

WIMBLEDON COURT 146: Joshua L. Rutledge and Nicole Rutledge to Morgan Creppel, $367,000.

SUN/BUSH

HOUSE CREEK ROAD 83249: Justin P. Davis and ShelbyL.Scharfenstein to Ryan J. Petit and Allison Petit, $424,000.

KATIE LANE 81410: OletaDavis

com/turfgrass for guides that can help you identify common lawn weeds and differentiate between popular turfgrass species such as St.Augustinegrass, centipedegrass, bermudagrass and zoysiagrass. These pages also provide suggested fertilizationrates for different grasses and cultural and chemical weed control strategies.

is labeled for,which grasses it can safely be used on andother critical details.

“A lot of herbicides will have directions saying nottospray if the ambient temperature is 85 Forwarmer,soyou have to pay attention to the outdoor temperature,” DeBoer said.

is important, too. Read the productlabel to see howmuch should be appliedtoyour yard andadjust the dialonyour spreader accordinglytoset the correct application rate.

use aherbicide that’smeant to be sprayed, you may need to locateasprayer; some of these products come in containers with built-in sprayers or can be connected to agarden hose.

Next, you should determine how big your yard is —you need to know how much prod

When it comes to controlling weeds, your focus right now should be treating newly germinated warm-season weeds with apost-emergence herbicide. Mature cool-season weeds like chickweed and annual bluegrass should be removed by hand pulling or mowing at this point. They will die back soon as temperaturescontinue to climb.

To prevent an infestationof warm-season weeds later on,

Also,bemindful of applicationinstructions. Herbicides comeinliquid and granular forms. If you’re using agranular product, the labellikely will direct you to apply it after you’ve irrigated theyard or following rain or heavydew

“The idea is that thegranules stick to the leaves to deliverthe herbicide,” DeBoer said.

On the fertilization front, carefully following directions

There are lots of formulations of fertilizer outthere. DeBoer suggests lookingfor something that is higher in nitrogen and lowerinother nutrients such as phosphorous.

“Nitrogen is themost importantnutrienttoget outinthe spring,”hesaid.

Keep up withregularmowing andirrigate as needed as spring andsummerwear on.Along withfertilization, these steps promote ahealthy,vigorously growing lawn that can outcompete unattractive weeds

PROVIDED PHOTO By LSU AGCENTER Nowisagood time to fertilize lawns and treat weeds.