The Times-Picayune 04-28-2025 by The Advocate

Teefor two

TeammatesBen Griffinand Andrew Novak

winthe PGAZurichClassic

golf tournament

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALDHERBERT

Ben Griffin, left, and AndrewNovak hold up theirtrophy on Sunday after they won the PGAZurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Novak and Griffin shota 1-under71inalternate-shot play to become first-time PGATour winners —byone stroke.The North Carolina duo credited their friendship with helping them stay composed through the 90-minute weather delay and playwell offofone another during the tense final holes. For the reigning Zurichchampions, Shane Lowry and Masters winnerRory McIlroy,it was astrong title defense, but they couldn’tget thingsgoing in the final round.

ä See complete coverageofthe PGA Zurich Classic golf tournament. PAGE 1C

Doctor’s push to raisesmoking taxesendsinmixed bag

StephenKantrow wants to keep vapes, cigarettes away from kids

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Dr.Stephen Kantrow remained in his seataseveryone elsegot up.

The House Ways and Means Committee had just completed ahearing on Tuesday where it narrowly approved atax increase on vaping and rejected atax hike on cigarettes. Kantrow,apulmonologist, had cometo the State Capitolfrom New Orleans to offer his perspectivefrom treating smokersfor 30 years, includingthose in their dying days.

ForKantrow, vapes presentamajor problem because nearly one-third of highschool students in Louisiana use

them. Buttohim, cigarettes represent the bigger public health threat —and the bigger opportunity for the public good.

Yetmany of theRepublican committee members doubted his view that the tax increases would reduce tobacco usage, save lives andreducestate spending on tobacco-related costs.

As he drove to Baton Rouge on Tuesday morning, he was thinking that he’d like to be aresource to lawmakers and betterunderstandhow they make decisions.

Butit turnsout that, even before he arrived, Kantrow would be facing tough odds. Thetobacco industry wasworking with convenience store owners to get Republican legislators to kill the cigarette tax increase.

Meanwhile, thevapetax increase stood agood chance of passagebecause it had the support of Gov.Jeff Landry,and it was less objectionable to thetobacco compa-

nies and convenience store owners. Theyhad already begun discussions withlawmakers about wateringdown thebill if it hadto be passed.

Landrybacked the bill, lobbyists said, because the first $22 million collected by thevape tax would raise salaries for state troopers and the next $6 million would go to theDepartment of Wildlife andFisheries,the OfficeofState Fire Marshal and the State Public Defender Compensation Fund. Targeting vapers to pay state troopers more would mean Landry could achievethatgoal withouthavingtofind the money elsewhere. Mostofthe people who testified for or against the bills represented one group or another.But Kantrow,62, took aday of leave as aprofessor at LSU’smedical school anddrove to Baton Rouge by him-

ä See SMOKING, page 3A

On April 18, the Nigerian star Burna Boy becamethe ﬁrst Afro-pop artist to sell out the 80,000-capacity Stade de France in Paris. Nine days later,hebrought his stadium-sized ensemble —ifnot quite astadium-sized crowd —toclose the Congo Square Stage on the 2025 New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival’sﬁrst Sunday

More than 20 performers four dancers, four horn players, three “talking” drum players, twoother mobile drummers, keyboardists, aguitarist, abassist, etc. —were onstage at times, moving in waves to join him on a runway But it wasBurna Boy’scharisma, along with abrace of up-tempo songs that were not sung in English but nonetheless translated into adance party, that carried the show After twounusually slow days, Jazz Fest’sfirst weekend finished strong with huge crowds on Saturday and Sunday.The audience forthe DaveMatthews Band’sfirst

ä See JAZZ FEST, page 4A

BY SOPHIEKASAKOVEand JEFF ADELSON Staff writers

Like many residents of her tight-knit Fairgroundsneighborhood,Cynthia Fransencan rattle off the names of her neighbors, their children, and how long they’ve lived on her block of Crete Street.

And days before the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival kicked into gear just afew blocks from Fransen’steal, terracotta-roofed home, she also pointed to all the homes on her block that typically host short-term rental guests during festival time.

Kantrow

STAFFPHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

The Dave Matthews Band performs on the FestivalStageduring the NewOrleans Jazz& HeritageFestival on Sunday

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Officials: 51 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip Hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the remains of 51 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, the local Health Ministry said Sunday, bringing the Palestinian death toll from the 18-month-old Israel-Hamas war to 52,243.

Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas by launching a surprise bombardment on March 18, and has been carrying out daily waves of strikes Ground forces have expanded a buffer zone and encircled the southern city of Rafah, and now control around 50% of the territory

Israel has also sealed off Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, for nearly 60 days Aid groups say supplies will soon run out and that thousands of children are malnourished

The overall death toll includes nearly 700 bodies for which the documentation process was recently completed, the ministry said in its latest update. The daily toll includes bodies retrieved from the rubble after earlier strikes.

Israeli strikes killed another 23 people after the ministry’s update.

Eight of them, including three children and two women, were killed in a strike on a tent in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital.

A strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah killed four people, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, and another on a tent there killed four children and a man, the hospital said. A strike hit a coffee shop near the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least six people, according to alAwda and al-Aqsa hospitals.

Trump floats tax cut to ease tariffs’ bite

President Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his sweeping tariffs would help him reduce income taxes for people making less than $200,000 a year as public anxiety rises over his economic agenda.

Trump has previously argued that tariff revenue could replace income taxes, though economists have questioned those claims.

“When Tariffs cut in, many people’s Income Taxes will be substantially reduced maybe even completely eliminated. Focus will be on people making less than $200,000 a year,” he said Sunday on his Truth Social network.

Trump’s tariff stances have roiled markets, led to fears of higher prices for Americans, prompted recession warnings and sparked bouts of concern about the U.S.’s haven status — a fear that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent questioned in a Sunday interview

“I don’t think that this is necessarily losing conﬁdence,” Bessent said on ABC’s This Week.

“Anything that happens over a two-week, one-month window can be either statistical noise or market noise.”

Suspect arrested in theft of Noem’s purse

WASHINGTON A suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft last week of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse as she ate at a Washington, D.C., restaurant, ofﬁcials said Sunday Noem’s purse was nabbed on Easter Sunday and reportedly contained about $3,000 in cash, her keys, driver’s license, passport and Homeland Security badge. The Homeland Security Department said Noem had cash in her purse to pay for gifts, dinner and other activities for her family on Easter

A suspect was taken into custody without incident in Washington after an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and the Metropolitan Police Department, according to Secret Service Washington Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool. The suspect was arrested Saturday, the police department said.

Interim District of Columbia

U.S. Attorney Ed Martin told NBC News the suspect was in the country illegally.

11 killed at festival in Vancouver

Vehicle plows into crowd; charges filed against suspect

BY JIM MORRIS and ROB GILLIES Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia Murder charges were ﬁled Sunday against a suspect in a weekend car ramming attack that killed 11 people between the ages of 5 and 65 at a Filipino heritage festival in the city of Vancouver, a tragedy that shook Canada on the eve of a federal election.

The British Columbia Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second degree murder and said more charges were possible. Investigators ruled out terrorism and said Lo had a history of mental health issues.

Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said. An attorney for Lo wasn’t listed in online court documents and The Associated Press wasn’t im-

mediately able to reach an attorney representing him Dozens of people were injured some critically Authorities had not released victims’ names by Sunday evening.

A man driving a black Audi SUV entered the street just after 8 p.m. Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival. He was arrested at the scene.

“It is the darkest day in

More than 100 immigrants arrested in Colo.

Authorities raid illegal after-hours nightclub

BY JOHN RABY Associated Press

More than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the United States illegally were taken into custody early Sunday following a federal raid at an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado, authorities said.

Video posted online by the Drug Enforcement Administration showed agents announcing their presence outside the building and ordering patrons to leave with their hands up. Other videos showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window Later, dozens of suspects were shown in handcuffs standing on a sidewalk waiting to be transported.

During his second stint as U.S. president, Donald Trump‘s unprecedented campaign of immigration enforcement has pushed the limits of executive power, and he has clashed with federal judges trying to restrain him. The

crackdown has included detaining more than 1,000 international college students, some of whom have seen their legal status restored, at least temporarily The policies have slowed immigration at the southern border to a relative trickle.

On Sunday in Colorado, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the club-going immigrants into custody, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division.

“Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today,” he said.

The city, Colorado’s second largest, lies about 70 miles south of Denver

More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies responded to the nightclub, which had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafﬁcking, prostitution and “crimes of violence,” Pullen said at a news conference.

Cocaine was among the drugs found, he said.

“When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the ﬂoor,” Pullen said.

An undisclosed number of guns were seized, he said.

Vancouver’s history,” Police Interim Chief Steve Rai told a news conference. Investigators ruled out terrorism.

“The person we have in custody does have a signiﬁcant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health,” he said. Video of the aftermath shows the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the

driver’s SUV is smashed in.

Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle enter past the barricade slowly before the driver slammed on the gas in an area that was packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind.

“He sideswiped someone on his right side and I was

like, ‘Oh, yo yo.’ And then he slammed on the gas,” he said. “And the sound of the acceleration, it sounds like an F1 car about to start a race.

“He slammed on the gas, barreled through the crowd. And all I can remember is seeing bodies flying up in the air higher than the food trucks themselves and landing on the ground and people yelling and screaming. It looked like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins and all the pins are ﬂying into the air.”

Pangilinan said that it would be hard to believe “that someone has some malice against the Filipino people.”

Suspect was detained by bystanders before the police arrived A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene. Rai said that the man was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.

Video circulating on social media shows a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.

Faithful pay tribute as pope’s tomb opens to public in Rome

BY VANESSA GERA and SILVIA STELLACCI Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Roman Catholic faithful began visiting the tomb of Pope Francis on Sunday, filing past the simple white tomb in St. Mary Major Basilica a day after he was bade farewell by the powerful of the world and a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

A single white rose was placed on the tomb that said “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin. A light cast its warm glow over the tomb and a reproduction of the late pontiff’s pectoral cross on the wall above it.

Rosario Correale, from Salerno, Italy, said that he experienced “great emotion” at witnessing Francis’ ﬁnal resting place.

“I see all the people are truly moved,” Correale said. “He has truly left a mark on us.”

People filed past, many crossing themselves or snapping photos with their phones. Ushers urged them to keep moving to accommodate the thousands who flocked to the Rome basilica to see the tomb, forming a long line outside.

Later in the day, a group of cardinals arrived in buses and entered through the church doors to pay homage to Francis at his tomb, and for an evening vespers service.

The tomb was opened on the second of nine days of

Russia launches nearly 150 drones against Ukraine

BY VOLODYMYR YURCHUK and ELISE MORTON Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russia launched a sweeping drone assault and airstrikes across Ukraine early Sunday, killing at least four people ofﬁcials said, after President Donald Trump cast doubt over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war

Three people died and four were wounded in airstrikes on Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the regional prosecutor’s ofﬁce

said. Another person died and a 14-year-old girl was wounded in a drone attack on the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which was hit for the third consecutive night, Gov Serhii Lysak said.

The attacks came hours after Russia claimed to have regained control over the remaining parts of the Kursk region that Ukrainian forces seized in a surprise incursion in August 2024. Ukrainian ofﬁcials said the ﬁghting in Kursk was still ongoing. Trump said Saturday he doubts Putin wants to end the more than 3-year-old

war, expressing new skepticism a peace deal can be reached soon. Only a day earlier, Trump had said Ukraine and Russia were “ very close to a deal.”

“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump wrote in a social media post as he ﬂew back to the U.S. after attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, where he met briefly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Trump also hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

“Pope

said Elias Caravalhal. Caravalhal lives in Rome,

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Sarah Edmilao, a member of the Filipino community who says friends had attended earlier in the day, views flowers at a growing memorial on Sunday near a site the day after a driver killed 11 people during a Filipino festival in Vancouver, Canada.

ofﬁcial mourning for Francis, after which a conclave will be held to elect the next pope.

Francis for me was an inspiration, a guide,”

but was unable to pay his respects to Francis when the body was lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica after his death on Easter Monday at the age of 88. He said that he visited the tomb “to thank him for what he has done.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDREW MEDICHINI Cardinals visit the tomb of the late Pope Francis on Sunday inside St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.

SupremeCourt to hear lawsuitagainst FBI

Agency

BY SUDHIN THANAWALAand

LINDSAYWHITEHURST Associated Press

ATLANTA— Before dawn on Oct.18, 2017, FBI agents broke down the front door of Trina Martin’sAtlanta home, stormedinto her bedroom andpointed guns at her and her then-boyfriend as her 7-year-old son screamed for his mom fromanother room.

Martin, blocked from comforting her son, coweredindisbelief for what she said felt likeaneternity. Butwithinminutes,the ordealwas over.The agents realizedthey had the wrong house.

On Tuesday,anattorney forMartin will go before the U.S. Supreme Court to ask the justices to reinstate her 2019 lawsuit againstthe U.S. government accusing the agents of

SMOKING

Continued from page1A

self,hoping to help legislators preventkidsfrom vaping or smokingcigarettes —and ultimately have to be treated by doctors like him.

Kantrow also went to Baton Rouge as afather: One of his daughtersvapedfor ﬁve years, while the other remains addicted.

At LSU, Kantrow oversees the training program for allthe doctorscoming through the medical school in pulmonary and critical care medicine. He also takes care of patients with ALS, including former Saints player Steve Gleason.

But how the Legislature carries out its business?

That’sanother world for Kantrow

“I’m processing it all,” he said as he stood up, looking shellshocked, as people beganﬁling outofthe committee room after the two votesand the doubts he faced.

“I think Idid more harm than good today,” he added, concerned he had expressed his views too passionately,although others thought he spoke quietly and matter-of-factly.

“It’safunny beast,” he said of the legislative process.

Opposing cigarettes

Kantrowhad appeared at the Capitol only once before,inMay 2015,when then-stateRep. Harold Ritchie, D-Bogalusa, in his final year in office, sponsored a$1.18-per-pack increase in the cigarettetax.

Ritchie’smove wonnotice because he had been smoking for 50 years and was suffering fromemphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“If we can help you stop smoking today,then in the next couple of days, your risk of heart attackisgo-

assault and battery,false arrest and other violations.

Afederal judge in Atlanta dismissed the suit in 2022 and the 11th U.S. CircuitCourt of Appeals upheld that decision last year. TheSupreme Court agreed in January to take up the matter.

The key issue before the justices is under what circumstances people can sue thefederal government in an effort to hold law enforcement accountable. Martin’s attorneys say Congress clearlyallowedfor those lawsuits in 1974, after apair of law enforcement raids on wrong houses made headlines,and blocking them would leave little recourse for familieslike her.

FBI Atlanta spokesperson Tony Thomassaid in an email the agency can’tcommentonpending litigation.

wrong place. The FBI was looking for asuspected gangmember afew houses away Martin, 46, saidshe,her then-boyfriend, ToiCliatt, andher sonwere left traumatized.

“We’ll never be thesame, mentally,emotionally,psychologically,” she said Friday at theneat, stucco home that was raided. “Mentally, you can suppressit, but you can’treally get over it.”

galstandards that only thenation’s highest court can resolve, they say Public-interest groups across the ideological spectrumhaveurged the Supreme Court to overturn the 11th Circuit ruling.

After breaking down the door to the house, amember of the FBI SWAT team dragged Cliatt out of the closet andput him in handcuffs

Butlawyers for the government arguedinMartin’scase that courts shouldn’tbe“second-guessing” law enforcement decisions. TheFBI agentsdid advance workand tried to ﬁnd therighthouse, making this raid fundamentally different from the no-knock, warrantless raids that led Congress to act in the 1970s, the Justice Departmentsaidincourt ﬁlings starting underthe Bidenadministration.

ing to start going down,” Kantrow told Ritchie and theother committee members thatday.“By (two years), you’ll be close to nothaving really smoked at all in terms of yourrisk of cardiovascular disease. That is themost dramatic andearly improvement when you stop smoking.”

Five months later, Ritchie said in atext, “I quit smoking on August11 cold turkey,not patches, no nicotinereplacement.”

Buthelater resumed smokingand recently had aquadruple bypass.

TheLegislatureended up approving a50-cent per pack tax increase in cigarettes in 2015 and another 22-cent increase in 2016. As part of adeal with thenGov.John Bel Edwards in 2016, the tobacco lobby agreed to accept the second increaseinreturnfor Edwards’promisethat he would not seek another one while in ofﬁce.

Edwards kept his word, and Louisiana’s$1.08-perpack rateisnow 38thhighest in the country, Claudia Rodas,director of thesouthernregion for the Campaign forTobaccoFree Kids, told the Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday. Thenationalaverageis$1.97, she added.

Vaping bill passes

On Tuesday,Rep. Ken Brass, D- Va cherie, brought the vapeexcise tax increase to the committee. His House Bill 517 would raise thetax from 15 cents per milliliter of consumableliquid to 33% of thevape’swholesaleprice.

“I bring it asahealth initiative,” Brass told the committee members, “primarily forour youth.”He noted that 30% of high schoolers vaped in 2023 while the rate was nearly 20% for middle schoolers.

“Most youth start smokingat12or13,” Brass added.

Erica Williamsofthe AmericanHeart Associa-

In dismissing Martin’s case,the 11th Circuitlargely agreed with that argument,saying courts can’t second-guess policeofficers who make “honest mistakes” in searches. The agentwho ledthe raid said his personalGPS ledhim to the

Cliatt initially thought the raid was aburglary attempt, so he ran towardthe closet,where he kept a shotgun. Martin said her son still expresses fear that she could have died had she confrontedthe agents while armed “Ifthe Federal Tort ClaimsAct provides acause of action foranything, it’sa wrong-house raid like theone the FBI conducted here,” Martin’slawyers wrote in abrief to theSupreme Court.

OtherU.S. appealscourts have interpreted thelaw morefavorably forvictims of mistaken law enforcement raids, creatingconﬂicting le-

But one of the agents noticed he did not have the suspect’stattoos, according to court documents. He asked forCliatt’sname and address. Neither matched thoseofthe suspect. The room went quietasagents realizedtheyhad raidedthe wrong house. They uncuffed Cliatt andleft for the correct house, where they executedthe warrant andarrestedthe man they were after The agent leading the raid returned later to apologize andleave abusiness card with asupervisor’s name. Butthe family received no compensation from the government, noteven forthe damage to thehouse, Cliatt said.

tionwas the ﬁrst to speak from oneofthe anti-tobacco groups. She said the tax would deter youth from beginning to vape

“We’re seeing pricesensitivityincreases withthe use,” she said.

Several minutes later, Rep. Beth Billings,RDestrehan, became the ﬁrst legislatortoexpress concern aboutBrass’ HB517.

Billings said her constituents are“underpressure from increased taxes, increased insurance.”

Rep. RogerWilder, RDenhamSprings, followed ashort time later

“I agree with the intent, but Iwonderifitwill turn into atrue deterrent,” Wildersaid.

Rep. Jay Galle, R-Mandeville,was next.

“I think it’sahorrible addiction, andI wish it didn’t exist,”Galle said. “But it is an addiction, and addictionsare rarely deterred by an increase in price.”

Several minutes later, Galle noted that lawmakersraised the state sales tax by 1centinNovember while cutting personal income taxes.

“I see this as anothertax increase,” he said.

Rep.Mandie Landry,DNew Orleans, jumped in a bit later

“What we’reseeing is real simple,” shesaid.

“The tax goes up, smoking use goes down, health outcomes go up.”

Eric Weinzettlewith the American Lung Association providedthe numbers, saying studies show that every10% increase in pricereduces vaping by 13% to 22%

About 45 minutesinto the hearing on Brass’ HB517, Kantrow left his seat in thefront row of the committee room and satatthe witness table

He immediately told them that his children have been addicted to vaping.

“Toany parent in this

room, you have no idea whetheryourchildren are vaping,” Kantrow said.

“There’snoway to know Youcan’tsmell it.You can’t detect it. They can hide it. They can do it at school. Youwill neversmell it. If theysmoke onecigarette, everysingleone of us would knowit. It’strue it’s ahiddenaddiction.”

Kantrowadded that he is an expert on thesubject after studying it foryears.

“I can’t help my children stop,” he said.

Galle spoke up again.

“Doctor,I sympathize withyou. Ihave twosmall children,”hesaid. “Weare assuming thata price increase will deter the youth from using it. Idon’t know if that’strue.”

Galle then complained that Brass’billdirected none of thetax revenue for stronger enforcement or anti-tobacco programs.

“Ofall thechoices in frontofus, it’sthe onethat

actually makes the most sense,” Kantrow replied.

The committeeapproved the bill, 9-6, with legislators saying privately afterward that Gov.Landry’s support spelled the difference. Thebill, however, needs atwo-thirds majority in both the House and theSenate to become law.

Smokingbill fails

The committeethen took up House Bill 390 by Rep. Landry.Itwould raise the cigarette tax by 33 cents per pack.

AliceKline, with the American CancerSociety Cancer Action Network, said raising cigarette taxes would save the state money in the form of reduced Medicaid payments.

Kantrow thenreturnedto the witness table.

“We’re at aunique moment in this whole tobacco story,” he said. “Currently, in the United States, if you areahigh school senior,

there’sabout 1-2% chance that you’re adailysmoker It was 20% in 2000. It had been 20% for generations.” Kantrowsaidthatabout 550,000 people smokein Louisiana. The tax, he added, “will have 30,000 to 50,000 peoplestopsmoking, just with this move We’ll be one step closer to the end of the epidemic that has lasted acentury.” By now,the committee members were barely paying attentiontoKantrow. None asked questions. They rejected HB390 on a4-7 vote, withDemocrats in support andRepublicans opposed. “I wassurprised by the lack of engagement andenthusiasm forthe taxaround cigarettes,” Kantrowsaid afterward. “Vaping is abig problem. Cigarettes dwarf that problem.”

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com

Trina Martin, left, and ToiCliatt said the FBI mistakenly raided their Atlanta home in 2017.

show of 2025 was large.

Maybe not Lil Wayne large, but big.

Thunderstorms passed near the Fair Grounds throughout the weekend, with one barely brushing up against the grounds Sunday afternoon. But overall, sunny weather dominated Dave Matthews certainly noticed the heat. When the sun brieﬂy dipped behind a passing cloud, he remarked, “I do wish that cloud was little bit bigger.”

Continuing with the theme, he acknowledged that, “It’s not quite as sunny where I am, but it’s still darn hot.” He later added, “It’s nice of you to stick around in the heat.”

Dave Matthews Band songs are either especially melodic, or especially not Matthews and company dispensed with the melodic “Ants Marching” and “So Much To Say” early on (as well as a cover of Cameo’s “Word Up”).

The midsection of the band’s two-hour set mostly focused on songs that weren’t as melodic, even as the musicians bore down Case in point: “Madman’s Eyes,” with Jeff Coffin’s soprano sax ushering in the intense song’s Middle Eastern flavor A flaring trumpet and quick detour into a bit of “Louie Louie” gave “Warehouse” a tropical feel before they took a stab at David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”

The day had more than its share of shared moments.

Such as Jake Shimabukuro, the Hawaiian ukulele master, picking a pitchperfect instrumental “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the Cultural Exchange Pavilion with the crowd ﬁlling in the vocals.

Or Dumpstaphunk keyboardist Ivan Neville and Tank and the Bangas vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball joining the Revivalists for the conclusion of the band’s main stage set. Or the three sisters of HAIM reuniting with their parents onstage at the Gentilly Stage to brieﬂy reprise their family cover band

Big Freedia is best known as New Orleans’ queen of booty-shaking bounce music. But Freedia spent several years in the 1990s in the Gospel Soul Children, the choir that was founded in 1971. And this summer, Freedia plans to release a gospel album; its ﬁrst two singles are already out.

After performing on the main stage Saturday, Freedia was the special guest of the Gospel Soul Children on Sunday Not surprisingly, the Gospel Tent was ﬁlled to overﬂowing. Onlookers included gospel star Vickie Winans, New Orleans keyboardist and singer Davell Crawford and Jazz Fest producer/director Quint Davis.

The 30 or so Gospel Soul Children wore matching red polo shirts; Freedia sported a red, diaphanous cloak over jeans and a black sleeveless shirt

A former choir director Freedia directed the Soul Children with gusto on the opening “Come Thou Almighty King ”

“I was a young boy growing up in this choir and it brought me more joy than anything in the world,” Freedia said before directing and singing “Revival,” from the forthcoming album.

Freedia then spent a few songs in the wings working either a fan or a tambourine as the Soul Children raised their collective voice on “We Are The World.” They concluded with a doubletime romp through “Running Up the King’s Highway” with Harrison Nedd, the choir’s president for the past eight years and a choir member for 27, singing as the energetic lead After the Gospel Tent, Davis made his way next door to the Blues Tent to introduce a tribute to the late Luther Kent. That tribute includes the portrait of Kent, a powerhouse blues and soul belter who inhabited south Louisiana clubs and festivals for decades, that now hangs in the Blues Tent.

After Davis’ remarks, Kent’s old band, Trick Bag, cranked up with guitarist and singer Jonathon “Boogie Long” — who served nearly 20 years in Trick

pad to trigger synthesized sounds that augmented his drums. Lumar — who connected with People Museum via Phipps when they were both in Solange Knowles’ band pumped like a piston and twirled in a circle with his tuba on the ﬁnal two songs, “Saturn Rings” and “Bible Belt.”

Theirs is the kind of music that translates well from dimly lit nightclubs to wideopen spaces.

Burna Boy’s enormous popularity overseas is steadily encroaching on American shores; he’s headlined New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Bag and is now a bandleader in his own right — out front. Kent liked lots of horns; the six horns in Trick Bag on Sunday were absolutely airtight, functioning as a single unit. Long and the band did Kent proud. Earlier on the Gentilly Stage, People Museum represented a new generation of New Orleans music. Claire Givens’ ethereal vocals ﬂoated above the

the

brass and rhythm of drummer Aaron Boudreaux, trombonist Jeremy Phipps, bassist/tuba player Charles Lumar, trumpeter Emily Mikesell and saxophonist Meg Dwyer Boudreaux used a drum

The show he put on in the face of a hot sun at Congo Square demonstrated he is more than ready for the big stages. Five drummers formed a drum circle around him out on the ramp for “Tshwala Bam.” Six jumbo sparklers erupted

during the exuberant singalong of “It’s Plenty.” A sample of Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit “Back To Life” ushered in Burna Boy’s 2025 single “Update.” Through it all, he was in constant motion. But he saved the best for last, or more precisely “Last Last.” The opening notes of that 2022 Afrobeats smash sent a surge of energy through the audience, which included New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. Fans danced and sang along to the “shy-o” refrain of “Last Last,” which Burna Boy morphed, conveniently, into “I have to say bye-byeo.” That served as his farewell. But we’ll likely hear much more from Burna Boy

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

Burna Boy performs on

Congo Square Stage during

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Sunday.

Sisters Alana Haim, left, and Danielle Haim of HAIM perform on the Shell Gentilly Stage during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Sunday.

The Dave Matthews Band performs on the

Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press

WASHINGTON ElonMusk spent years building cachet as abusiness titan and tech visionary,brushing aside critics and skeptics to become the richest person on the planet. But as Musk gained power in Washington in recent months, his popularity has waned, according to apollfrom The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Just 33% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Musk, thechainsaw-wielding, late-night-posting, campaign-hat-wearing public face of President DonaldTrump’s efforts to downsize and overhaul the federal government. That shareis down from 41% in December “It was ashame that he crashed

RENTALS

Continued from page1A

“There, there, there, next to that, next to that,” Fransen said, pointing to homes up and down the block while tending her garden on Tuesday Ayear after sweeping newregulations on shortterm rentals went into effect across New Orleans, Jazz Fest and other large springtime events are putting the city’s newenforcement regime to the test, with neighbors and short-term rental operators sayingthey’ve seen mixed results in recent months.

The new regulations restrict short-term rentals to one per square block in residential areas. An exception process opened the door for two more permits to be awarded in the same area, but the council voted to stop granting exceptionsinFebruary Still, the long fought-for regulations don’tappear to have had an impact on the totalnumber of listings citywide.Between 5,400 and 5,700 units are listed on any given day, almostexactly the same as it was at this point last year, according to AirDNA, aﬁrm that tracks and analyzes short-term rentals nationwide.

Of those, only about 2,600 are legally permitted to operate. Cityofﬁcials say they have ramped up enforcement in recent months.

According to Leatrice Dupre, aspokesperson for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, over 5,200 short-termrental listings have been removed from online platforms since the regulations went into effect. Thecityhas held 134 hearings to review complaints about short-term rentals and issued over $685,000 in judgments Another 159hearings are scheduled and another 884

andburned his reputation,” said ErnestPereira, 27, aDemocrat who works as alab technician in North Carolina. “He bought into hisown hype.”

The poll found thatabout twothirds of adults believeMuskhas held too much influence over the federal government during the past fewmonths— although that inﬂuence may be coming to an end. Thebillionaire entrepreneur is expected to leavehis administration job in the coming weeks.

Musk is noticeably less popularthanthe overall effort to pare back the government workforce, which Trump has described as bloated and corrupt. About half of U.S. adults believe the Republican president hasgone too far on reducing the size ofthe federal workforce, whileroughly3in10think he is on target and 14%want him to go even further

don’tthink he knows what he’s doing.”

Wolf, who is not registered with a political party, said Musk’sprivate sector successdoes not translateto Washington.

“He thinks you run agovernment like yourun abusiness. And you don’tdothat,” she said. “One is for the benefit of the people, and the other is for the beneﬁt of the corporation.”

Much of the downsizing hasbeen done through socalled the Department of Government Efﬁciency, or DOGE, which was Musk’s brainchild duringlastyear’s campaign. Thousands of federal employees have been ﬁred or pushedtoquit, contracts have been canceled and entire agencies have been brought to astandstill.

its progress. He is expected to startdedicating more time to Tesla, his electricautomakerthathas suffered plummeting revenue while he was workingfor Trump. Musk told investors on arecentconference call that “now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efﬁciencyisdone,” he expects to spend just “a day or two per week on government matters.”

Musk, in hiswork forthe administration, hascontinued apolitical evolutiontowardthe right.

In addition, while about 7in10independents andabout 9in10Democratsbelieve Musk hastoo much inﬂuence, onlyabout 4in10Republicansfeel that way Mark Collins, 67, awarehouse manager from Michigan who has leaned Republican in recent years, said Musk “runs anice,tight ship”at his companies, “and the government deﬁnitelyneeds tightening up.

RetireeSusan Wolf, 75, of Pennsylvania, believes the federalgovernment is toobig but Musk has “made amess of everything.”

“I don’ttrust him,”she said.“I

Musk hassucceeded in providing adoseofshock therapytothe federal government,but he has fallen short of other goals. After talking about cutting spending by $1 trillion, he has set amuch lower target of $150 billion. Even reaching that amount could provechallenging andDOGEhas regularlyoverstated

cases open, Dupre saidon Monday By July,the councilwill impose yetanotherset of restrictions on the industry, one that requires Airbnb, VRBO andothershort-term rental platforms toverify thatthose who post listings on their websites are eligible to do so, under thecity’s rules.

In astatement Thursday, Monet Brignac-Sullivan, spokespersonfor council President JP Morrell, said that the measure “will significantly cut back on thenumber of listings, as platforms will now havetoverify with the city thevalidityofa license before facilitatinga booking.”

While the citywide numberoflistings has remained steady, the number of short term rentals has decreased by roughly 8% sincelast yearinthe neighborhood surrounding the Fair Grounds,which hosts Jazz Fest,according to AirDNA. The reason for the change is unclear Fransen and othershortterm rental critics in the neighborhood say that decrease hasn’tbeen noticeable on the ground and that they have seen little evidence of enforcementofthe newrestrictions. In addition

to the new restrictions in residentialareas,the city halted granting newpermits in commercial areas in 2023, pending theapproval of new permanent rules.

“Ifyou can’t do it, don’t promise it,” Fransen said aboutthe city’s enforcement efforts.“The city has lost a lot of credibility.”

Others saythat theyare seeing the impacts of enforcement.

Travis Barbaralearned the hard way thatthe city is indeed cracking down on some operators when his listing for the rental he operates out of the top floor of his CanalStreet home was removed from Airbnb’s website earlier this year without notice.

Barbara, whose home is located in acommercially zoned area, hadlet hisregistration lapsethe previous year.When he tried to reapply after the listing was removed, he learned thatthe city had halted issuing permits during thetemporary banoncommercial shorttermrentals.

Barbara, an artist, said he is struggling to makeupfor the lostincome, especially during festival season.

“I’moverall scrambling right now,” saidBarbara, who on Tuesday was busy

Although the South African-born entrepreneur was nevereasyto categorize ideologically,hechampioned the fight against climate change and often supported Democratic candidates. Now he criticizes “the wokemind virus”and warnsofthe collapse of Western civilization from the threats of illegal migration and excessgovernment spending.

Musk’sincreasingly conservative politics are reﬂected in the polling. Only about 2in10independents andabout 1in10Democrats view Musk favorably,compared with about 7in10Republicans.

spray-painting amuralof asea turtlewearing an astronauthelmet on the gate of his friend’sFortinStreet home in exchange for free JazzFesttickets, as crews prepared the Fair Grounds for festivalgoersacross the street Barbara believes that the number of short-term rentalsshould be limited and bad actors kept in check, but that localslike him should be given moreleniency

“It’stough as alocal now, trying to ﬁgure out what I’m going to do.Property taxes go up nonstop,” saidBarbara.

Jordan Jacobs,founder of Marigny Management, whichoperatesshort-term rentals, said that he has seen thecitycrack down on problem owners in recent months.

Jacobs said that has meant more stability for people

“He’s cleaning up allthe trash,”he said. “I love what he’s doing.” Republicansare much less likely than Democrats to be worried about being affected by recent cuts to federal government agencies, services or grants. Just 11%said they are “extremely” or “very” concerned that they or someonetheyknowwill be affected, while about two-thirds of Democrats and 44% of independentshavethose fears.

The AP-NORC pollof1,260 adults was conducted April 17-21, using a sample drawn from NORC’sprobability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, whichisdesignedtoberepresentative of theU.S.population. The margin of samplingerror foradults overallisplusorminus 3.9 percentagepoints.

whohavegonethroughthe process to get apermit by the book.

“Right nowisthe ﬁrst time where Ifeel like one year to the next year has been consistent in terms of laws and regulations and enforcement, which is in away relieving to knowwhattoexpect,” said Jacobs. At thesametime, there are signs that demand forrooms —whether in short-term rentalsortraditional hotels —has been softening. As of last week, there hadbeen about13.6% fewer short termrental bookings during Jazz Fest than there werebythe sametime last year,according to AirDNA. Tourism groups are expectinga drop-off in hotel staysaswell. NewOrleans and Co. is expecting hotel occupancy to be between 72% and 89% each night during Jazz Fest this year,

basedona surveyofhotels that collectively have about 26,000 rooms in and around downtown and the French Quarter.Last year,the occupancyrates werebetween about 84% and 95%. Hotel bookingswere up during MardiGras, when occupancy reached 95%.But at the same time, short-term rental units were booked forabout 8.5% fewernights, according to AirDNA The reason for the declines are not clear.International tourism nationwide hasfallen in recent months following tariffs by President Donald Trump. The NewOrleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation said it would notrelease information about ticket sales until after the festival.

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

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER People on bicycles ride past arow of Governor Nicholls Street homes with short-termrental licenses in the Treme neighborhood

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Corps pulls Mid-Barataria diversion permit

Officials cite uncertainty, ‘withheld’ information

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has suspended a permit for the stalled Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, citing the uncertainty surrounding the plan and claiming Louisiana ofﬁcials “delib-

Landrieu looking to working class

Former N.O. mayor hopes to reverse Democrats’ losses

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Republican President Donald Trump walloped Democrats in working-class voter districts last fall. Mitch Landrieu wants to be the one to reverse the party’s failures.

The former New Orleans mayor has embarked on a nationwide listening tour of sorts, focusing on districts composed of working-class voters in 21 states — especially in “the South and the Heartland” — that incurred some of Democrats’ worst losses in the November presidential election.

Through the new initiative he’s calling The Working Class Project, Landrieu eventually hopes to craft a strategy that helps Democrats reverse those losses, he explained in an essay on the newsletter platform Substack.

But for now, he plans to gather feedback, grievances and direction from voters who turned away from Democrats and toward the Republican presidential candidate in historic numbers.

“We think we have to properly diagnose the illness before we can begin treatment,” Landrieu wrote.

“And that means telling it like it is about what we’re hearing, even when it’s unpleasant.”

Democrats have engaged in much hand-wringing since the November election, often struggling to build cohesive messaging and opposition strategy in the face of Trump’s blitz of executive orders, challenges to judicial authority and gutting of the federal workforce.

Trump’s actions present Democrats ample political fodder with which to mount opposition efforts, Landrieu said. But they have failed to seize on those opportunities.

“On the whole, we’re still trying to work our way out of a wet paper bag,” Landrieu said.

Landrieu’s proposed response: what he calls “the biggest investment in listening to the working class this year in the Democratic Party.” His initiative will conduct focus groups, roundtable discussions and “in-depth interviews.” It will study working class voters’ media habits, and gauge those voters’ shifting views on Trump and his policies and his presidency progresses.

Landrieu was mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018 after serving as lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 2004 to 2010.

After launching a nonprofit focused on racial equity, he later worked in Joe Biden’s White House as the Democratic former president’s infrastructure czar, vetting and overseeing state and local applications for projects paid for by the $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

He went on to co-chair Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid. As Democrats regrouped in the fallout of the presidential election, in which Trump won all seven swing states, Landrieu was discussed as a potential future chair of the national

ä See LANDRIEU,

erately withheld” information during the project’s initial evaluation process.

In a letter sent Friday to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Corps ofﬁcials said the withheld information and other factors require a reevaluation of the permit for the massive project, a

centerpiece of the state’s $50 billion Coastal Master Plan.

The Corps has ordered any work authorized by the permit to cease within 10 days. The state had already issued a 90-day pause on work related to the project on April 4 to prevent a further escalation in cost as Gov Jeff Landry’s administration

seeks an alternative plan.

Corps ofﬁcials stated in a previous letter to the state obtained by The Times-Picayune that it should have previously had information from a 2022 engineering report but that the contents would have no effect on the permit. Corps ofﬁcials now say that information and several other issues caused the Corps to reassess.

Landry on Saturday criticized his predecessor John Bel Edwards

ä See CORPS, page 2B

“This suspension is based on the state’s actions (including failures to act or to obtain compromise), its public statements and positions, the new information and potentially changed circumstances since permit issuance,” Corps Col. Cullen Jones wrote in the latest letter, addressed to CPRA Chair Gordon Dove.

Signs oppose Sheriff Hutson’s millage renewal

N.O. tax has been in place since 2014

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

Mysterious campaign signs have cropped up around New Orleans that falsely attack a tax renewal from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce, leaving Sheriff Susan Hutson scrambling to correct the record before the referendum goes to a vote Saturday “No New Taxes,” the signs, which don’t disclose who made them, read in all capital letters. “Vote No on Sheriff’s 10 year millage (Election Date: May 3rd).”

The tax that Hutson wants voters to renew is, in fact, not new:

It has helped fund a signiﬁcant chunk of the Sheriff’s Office’s budget since 2014, and renewing

it wouldn’t cause anyone’s tax bills to go up.

“This is a lie, and it’s dangerous,” Hutson said. Hutson’s ofﬁce projects the tax would continue collecting around $13.1 million a year, or roughly 20% of the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce’s operating budget.

“Signs like these don’t just mislead they threaten the core funding that keeps our jail operational.”

Hutson has been campaigning in favor of her tax renewal for weeks, hosting community meetings, building a website and leading a media tour of the jail’s conditions. In recent days, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce has planted its own, “Not a New Tax!” signs around the city Those signs cost taxpayers around $10,000, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said. The tax, known as the Law En-

Louisiana targets maternal overdoses with new plan

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

It’s common for pregnant patients to check into labor and delivery with family in tow. But when a nurse noticed something was off during an intake at WillisKnighton Bossier Health Center in north Louisiana, she offered to help the expectant mother into a gown in the bathroom. Once they were alone, the nurse asked about substance use — a question she’d

been newly trained to pose discreetly

“She got a positive screen,” recalled Traci Latiolais, a patient care coordinator at the hospital. That kind of intervention is becoming more common as hospitals adopt new protocols to address a growing public health concern: opioid overdoses in expectant mothers, now the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in the state. Of Louisiana’s 82 pregnancy-

associated deaths in 2020, 28 were due to accidental overdose, according to the state’s latest Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review

To provide more focus on the issue, the Louisiana Department of Health recently announced a new statewide initiative dubbed Project MOM (Maternal Overdose Mortality), which aims to reduce overdose deaths during pregnancy and the postpartum period by 80% over the next three years, an

effort that could save the lives of 65 mothers each year

The new initiative will scale current efforts by the Louisiana Perinatal Quality Collaborative, a network of birthing facilities. Through a program called Improving Care for the SubstanceExposed Dyad, the collaborative has pushed hospitals to adopt routine screening for substance use during pregnancy It also has

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson is trying to set the record straight in her bid to renew

tax funding around 20%

the Sheriff’s Office’s operating budget.

STAFF PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Amy Hernandez, of Miami, is moved to her feet as the New Orleans Gospel Soul Children choir performs Sunday in the steamy Gospel Tent during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds.

Amtrak line to Mobile has festive name

Mardi Gras Service to start in summer

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

An Amtrak route that stretched between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, in 1996 is returning in June after a near 30-year hiatus, but under a new identity that nods to a centuries-old holiday Amtrak Mardi Gras Service is the name of the upcoming route along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a title that “will reﬂect the region’s distinctive culture,” the railroad company’s president, Roger Harris, said in a news release.

When deciding names for its trains, Amtrak has a tendency to choose ones that are regionally focused, as proven by the titles of its two other services, City of New Orleans and Crescent. Gulf Coast Limited was the name of the last passenger train service to run daily between New Orleans and Mobile.

“Our goal is to have some of that festive Mardi Gras feeling on every trip, sharing the culture of the Gulf Coast region while connecting with the rest of the Amtrak network,” Harris said.

Starting this summer two trains — one in New Orleans and the other in Mobile — will depart with four stops in Mississippi:

CORPS

Continued from page 1B

whose administration handled the initial permit process when it was issued in 2022.

“They failed to tell the public that the Mid-Barataria project would have cost taxpayers over $50 million a year in dredging, increased the hypoxia-destroying our ﬁshing around our great jewel of Grand Isle, and impact the drinking water of Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and Orleans parishes,” Landry said on X. Edwards in turn defended his administration, calling Landry’s accusations “flat out wrong.” Edwards noted the letter lists several other reasons for halting work on the diversion project, “most notably that the Landry administration stopped work on it and refused to handle the operations required.”

“Gov Landry’s attempt to scapegoat is exactly why partisan politics has no place in Louisiana’s coastal restoration work, but he can’t help himself,” Edwards said in a statement.

MATERNAL

Continued from page 1B

worked to increase the coordination of care between obstetric and addiction treatment providers, who can prescribe buprenorphine a life-saving medication that blunts cravings and prevents withdrawal. As of 2023, universal verbal screening for substance use increased from 70% to 92% across 11 participating hospitals. Referrals to recovery services for patients who screened positive rose from 36% to 57%. The program has also led to changes in care for newborns. Rooming-in for infants at risk of withdrawal rose from 76% to 85% during hospitalization, and from 62% to 77% after discharge, allowing mothers to stay close to their babies even after their care had ended.

Project MOM aims to bring those practices to all 47 Louisiana birthing facilities and emergency departments. The funding is not yet settled. But the Health Department is looking into adjusting how it pays or rewards medical providers and Medicaid managed care organizations, which provide health insurance for about 62% of Louisiana births, to encourage better outcomes That could look like tying payments to screening or including overdose prevention as part of the quality metrics MCOs are required to meet. “Those are big ﬁnancial levers for the department, and all of those are on the table,”

Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. By late afternoon or evening, the trains will travel back to its city’s depot, according to Kay Kell, the Mississippi commissioner of Southern Rail Commission.

The service is expected to boost local economies along the Gulf Coast, unlike the previous service in 1996, which was discontinued within nine months due to funding issues, despite $185,000 in contributions from the three states, Amtrak funds and federal dollars Kell said ultimately, the service failed due to lack of stops.

But when Gulf Coast Limited was in operation, ridership was at about 75% during the summer months, and occupancy increased each week, Mobile tourism ofﬁcial Eva Golson said at the time.

The train service was a revival of a similar route that operated along the Gulf Coast during the 1984 World Fair Amtrak hoped it would attract workers who commuted to New Orleans from Mississippi. But the service turned out to be especially popular among state residents who wanted to rebel against modern travel for a day and experience the allure of old-fashioned transportation.

“It’s a unique perspective you don’t see riding in your car on the I-10,” one rider said in a 1996

Among the issues detailed by the Corps are unresolved negotiations between the state and Plaquemines Parish, where the project broke ground in 2023, and Landry’s decision earlier this month to halt construction.

The diversion project as originally planned would funnel up to 75,000 cubic feet per second of water and sediment from the Mississippi River into the Barataria Basin to rebuild lost wetlands. It was projected to build 21 square miles of land over 50 years and was issued a permit for construction by the Corps after an exhaustive environmental study

But Landry’s administration has argued that the $3 billion plan is too expensive, including the dredging maintenance that would be required to achieve the project’s goal of building new land

Despite Landry’s decision, a small amount of work was allowed to continue, including relocating a pipeline in the area and site maintenance. But those activities have been put on hold with the permit’s suspension.

Officials have discussed studying a smaller-scale di-

said Health Department Deputy Secretary Dr Pete Croughan. “It’s not going to work without the money.”

The program also hopes to tap into some of Louisiana’s opioid settlement money The state is set receive at least $600 million over the next 18 years While 80% of the state’s settlement dollars go to local governments and 20% to sheriff’s ofﬁces, Croughan said many parishes are unsure how to use them.

Croughan, who sees patients weekly at clinics in Crowley and Lafayette, said the decision to launch Project MOM came from data and treating pregnant patients struggling to find medical care, even when they’re not also dealing with addiction.

“It just shouldn’t be that difﬁcult for them to navigate the system,” Croughan said.

Croughan also noted that better data is critical moving forward. The current system relies on deeply detailed but delayed case reviews that lag by about three years One of the initiative’s 90-day goals is improving real-time data sharing between hospitals and the state, including reporting overdoses at emergency departments.

Dr Benjamin Springgate, an addiction medicine specialist at LSU Health New Orleans, said OB-GYNs are often the ﬁrst point of contact for pregnant women with substance use disorders, but many providers aren’t trained to respond.

“A lot of women who are pregnant don’t necessarily immediately seek addiction services,” Springgate said. “They will go to obstetricians to get the usual care, and that

interview with The Times-Picayune. “I’ve ridden the bus there before,” another rider, who was traveling from New Orleans to Mississippi, said. “But the train is much better I enjoy seeing all the vegetation and birds and swamp.”

State officials, city tourism groups and local business owners are expecting the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service to have a successful outcome in both ridership and local economies A study by the University of Southern Mississippi found that linking New Orleans to Mobile could annually generate between $24 million and $485 million in beneﬁt to Mississippi’s economy The Depot District in Bay St. Louis is one entertainment hub in particular that is anticipating a spike in foot traffic, with its packed row of restaurants, local shops and vacation rentals just a few steps from the train stop.

In February, Kell said Southern Rail Commission was meeting with every city, including Bay St. Louis, to see where they could help. The fares, schedule and ofﬁcial start date for the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service have yet to be announced.

Email Poet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com

version, an idea that has also been championed by commercial shrimpers and oyster growers in the area who would have been forced to move their operations or ﬁnd work elsewhere under the original plan.

Coastal advocates, however, have criticized efforts to delay the project and salvage what’s left of Louisiana’s shrinking coast.

“Our coastal program has always successfully prioritized science and the public good over politics,” ofﬁcials with Restore the Mississippi River Delta said in a statement. “We cannot afford to play political games with the future of Louisiana.”

The permit suspension follows CRPA’s approved $2 billion annual spending plan, which included $573 million for the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project, and $2.92 billion in funding related to the BP oil spill has been approved for the project. CRPA ofﬁcials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Staff writers Mike Smith and Kasey Bubnash contributed to this report.

is the best entry point for many of them.”

A 2023 Health Department survey of OB-GYNs found that only 20% were comfortable treating patients with opioid use disorder, and only 7% prescribed medication for the condition, said Croughan.

That’s because many OBs feel uncertain about what to do when a patient screens positive, he said. They’re usually not trained in addiction medicine. As a result, some avoid screening altogether Partnerships with physicians comfortable prescribing buprenorphine could help.

Springgate pointed to programs in Bogalusa, where OB-GYNs and family medicine doctors provide integrated care for pregnant patients with substance use disorders.

Still, stigma remains a major barrier “It’s hard to ﬁnd another group more harshly judged in society than pregnant women who use drugs,” he said. “That creates so many opportunities for mistreatment and missed care.”

At Willis-Knighton Bossier, Latiolais said staff have focused on reducing stigma in small but meaningful ways using the term “substance use” rather than “drug abuse,” for example. What resonated most, she said, was hearing directly from women in recovery

“When you meet someone who’s been through that and hear the struggles that they have gone through, it will pull at your heartstrings,” she said “We’re in the business of helping people, wherever they are in their journey.”

LANDRIEU

Continued from page 1B

Democratic Party He decided he wasn’t interested. Though Trump won over voters with promises of economic pros-

perity in that election, he has failed to deliver on that pledge, Landrieu wrote in the essay launching his new effort

“The kitchen-table economic and cost-cutting promises of his campaign have not trickled down to his governing priority list,” he said. “In fact, he’s doing the opposite.”

SIGNS

Continued from page 1B

forcement District of Orleans Parish millage, expires at the end of this year Hutson is asking permission from voters to renew it another decade.

Who is behind the signs opposing the millage is a mystery

The signs don’t say and no one within New Orleans political circles, including Hutson’s opponents in her 2025 reelection campaign, has taken credit for them.

The independent Bureau of Governmental Research, which often weighs in on ballot questions before voters head to the polls, came out in favor of the tax.

Absorbing the hit Louisiana campaign laws prohibit people from publishing campaign materials that they know or should know make a “false statement about a candidate” or “a proposition to be submitted to the voters.”

Knowingly spreading false political information is a felony in Louisiana. The law was recently invoked for the ﬁrst time in decades in the arrest of a Lafayettebased political consultant, though courts have previously declared the law unconstitutional.

Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said the millage is particularly critical because of Hutson’s otherwise limited abilities to increase the jail’s funding.

She’s been trying to raise more money for the overcrowded and badly understaffed jail since she took ofﬁce in 2022, efforts that

have largely been blocked by the New Orleans City Council.

“The city has an obligation to fund the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce,” Goyeneche said. “If it doesn’t come from this, it has to come from the operating budget of the city, which means everything is going to absorb the hit, because this is fundamental and necessary.”

“It just means there’s less to go around for all of the needed and worthy projects and agencies that the city operates,” he added.

‘Not us’

Nearing the end of a rocky first term, Hutson faces a round of early challengers to her reelection. They include former New Orleans police Officer Michelle Woodfork, former Criminal District Court Judge Julian Parker and Edwin Shorty, constable for the 2nd City Court in Algiers.

Each of them, however, have publicly supported the millage renewal, and each of their campaigns denied planting the signs.

“It’s not us and we would disclose it if we were,” said Tyronne Walker, Woodfork’s campaign manager In 2023, when Hutson did ask voters to approve a tax increase, a batch of “No New Taxes” signs also popped up around the city ahead of the election. That proposed tax would have nearly doubled a separate millage for the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

The New Orleans political action committee behind those signs, Keep New Orleans Moving Forward, also distributed at least one anti-millage mailer during the campaign. Campaign ﬁnance reports show the group is funded by the Business Council of New

Orleans, a public policy group of local and regional business executives. Hutson’s measure ultimately was defeated by an enormous margin — 91% of the vote.

In an interview, Bruce Gallassero, chair of Keep New Orleans Moving Forward, denied that his group was the source of the latest round of signs opposing Hutson’s millage.

“No, we’re deﬁnitely not,” Gallassero said.

One prominent local group that has come out against Hutson’s millage is the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, a group of roughly 100 mostly Black New Orleans ministers. That group’s president, Willie Gable, Jr., of the Progressive Baptist Church in Central City, called Hutson’s proposal “vague” and said she hasn’t presented a detailed enough plan for what she’d do with the money The ballot question asks voters to approve the renewal of the tax “for the purpose of providing additional funding for the operation, maintenance and upkeep of jails and related facilities.”

Gable’s group didn’t plant the signs, however, he said.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Mitch Landrieu, left, former mayor of New Orleans and co-chair of Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, plans to gather feedback, grievances and direction from voters who turned away from Democrats in November in historic numbers.

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Deutch,Philip

Deutch, Philip Ivan

The Glorious Days of Philip Deutch: In early November 1941 Philips' smile and attentive ears came into the world. At the age of 83, surrounded by the ones he loved, he would pass on this mortal existence and Into the great beyond. The eldest child of Sidney Deutch and Leah Offner Deutch, he was one of three siblings and grew up in New Orleans. Hisfamily always remained active in the Jewish community. Philip would spend most of his life here; both uptown, the lakefront and eventually settling in the home he would live in for 46 years in Algiers. After graduating from Fortier High Schoolin 1959, he briefly pursued an associates degree before joining the Air Force in 1960. He would spend his entire deployment stationed in Germany. After receiving amedical discharge,Philip returned home and turned his attention towards the family business. Philipis the grandson of Harry Offner, better known to New Orleanians as "Harry's Ace". In 1910, Harry started asmall hardware store on North Rampart street. After years of service to adiverse community, Harry's son-inlaws moved the store to 3535 Magazine street, where its main office remained for 54 years. Philip, like all of the members of his family and children alike, began working at the store at ayoungage. He started with stocking shelves, helped customers and moved up the chain to become CEO. Under Philips stewardship, the company grew to 6stores and served the greater New Orleans area to becomea householdname continuing the legacy his grandfather started over 111 years ago. Along with his sisters and cousins, Philipran Harry's successfullyuntil his retirement at the ageof 70. Anybody that knew Philip, knewRoberta. The twomet shortly afterhis return from the Air Force One evening, at alocal bowling alley, Philip spotted asmileacross the room. With his humor and charm, he lit her cigarette andshe turned to her friendand professed;"I think I'm goingtomarry that guy".The two wed in June 1967 and remained at each others side until her passing in 2020. Their marriage stood the testament of time. For 53 years, Philip and Roberta formed a bond that withstood so many difficulties., afeat rarely seenanymore. When Roberta became ill, he was always at her side,

alwaysattentive,always loving and caring with the compassion of an angel. The lovingcouplewould adopt two childrenand take on the care of two of their grandchildren additionally. Papa,asPhilip became known, was the most joyfuland charismaticof any grandfather. He would do anything for his grandchildrenand becamethe best friend two kids could ever have and arole model for allhis children. Philip touchedsomanysouls with his smile, hislaugh, his devotionand hisunwaveringability to find the goodinany situation. His patience,understanding and calm demeanorwas as legendaryashis humor and pronouncedlaugh. Thatsame empathy led him to join the Kiwanis club, wherefor 40 yearshe servedthe community Philip is survived by his sisters, Carole Katzand Maureen Shellist, His daughter,son Charles, and his beloved grandchildren Karaand Sophia. He joins Roberta in the journey beyond. He leavesbehind a legacy of love and devotion that willalwaysinspire generations to come.

ElmerJ.KellarJr.,of NewOrleans,LA, passed away peacefully on April 12th, 2025, leavingbehinda legacy of love,strength, andquiet resilience.He wasbornonJanuary 11, 1954, to ElmerJ.Kellarand Marion LaPorteKellar. He wasa proudgraduateof St.Augustine High School in 1971 where he wasa gifted trumpetplayerwith thebandwhose personal‐ityallowed himtoforge lifelong friendships. Elmer wasknown forbeing un‐apologetically himself–confident,sincere,and deeply rooted in who he was. Agiftedmusicianand atruejackofall trades,he couldturnhis handstojust aboutanythingand often didsowithremarkable skilland creativity.His presence wassteady, his wordshonest, andhis spirit unwavering.Though he hasdepartedfromthis life,the impact of hislife andmemoriesheleaves behind continue to echo in theheartsof thosewho lovedhim.Elmer is sur‐vivedbyhis children:David L. Kellar,AudreaK.Jackson (Joshua),Elmer J. Kellar III, andtheir mother,SheralC Kellar;and Brianna Nicole Kellar andher mother, DeborahBush. He wasthe proudgrandfather to eight grandchildren, who broughthim greatjoy and filledhis life with laughter, love andpride.Heis also survived by hissiblings: Lynne Kellar Smith(Mor‐ris),FerronC.Kellar (Betty), LeopoldP.Kellar (Otovwe) andKeriDevane (Patrick). He will be deeply missedbyhis familyand allwho knew him. Family andfriends areinvited to attend theMemorialSer‐vice on Tuesday, April29, 2025, for10:00 a.m. at The Boyd Family FuneralHome, 5001 Chef MenteurHwy, NewOrleans, LA 70126. Vis‐itationwillbegin at 9:30 a.m. Pastor MichaelRay‐mond with ShilohChristian Fellowship,officiating. In‐termentisprivate.Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com (504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd

RachelL.Durall

HERE: 4/28/1987 |GONE: 4/18/2014

Foralltime, MERVIN ANDANGELLE

With sadnessweshare thepassing of KevinJe‐hosafat Madrid,onApril 19, 2025. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtoview serviceinformation,sign online guestbook,send ﬂowersand sharecondo‐lences

Moore, ArizonaLouisa ArizonaLouisaMoore, August 31, 1937 -April 16, 2025. ArizonaLouisaMoore departed from this earth on Wednesday, April16, 2025 at 1:15 p.m. Shewas theyoungestdaughterof parent Isaac andMargaret of Mississippi.The family movedtoNew Orleans with herthree siblings GeorgiaGrant,Harriet Cor‐raland LeoMoore. Arizona preceded herparents,sis‐ters andbrother in death. Arizonataughtschool at Warren Easton High School for40years.Her teaching profession obtainsa fully certiﬁed teacherinBiol‐ogy,Math, GeneralScience andPhysicalScience.This profession included a highly successful 34 years of background teaching ju‐niorsand high school stu‐dentsinOrleans Parish Shewas highly involved for 10 yearswithcivic and church fund raisingactivi‐ties,bereavement commit‐tees,parishcounsel events,and Eucharistic Ministry.Arizona Moore will be missedbymembers of St.JoanofArc Church, parishioners,friends, neighbors, students,coworkers, andchurchcom‐mittees.Asthe Executive Director of EldercareSup‐port Services andFamily Ministry,I have worked with ArizonaMoorefor 10 yearsormore, andher brother,Leo Moore. Ipro‐videdvarious religious counseling andsocialser‐vicesfor both sheand her brother. Iwillmissthem dearly.May they rest in Godlovinghandofmercy Relativesand friendsofthe family, also priest and parishioners of Blessed Sacramentand St.Joanof ArcCatholicChurch arein‐

Ofstad,Kristine Redmon Jr., Harry Smith

Ofstad,KristineMary

KristineMaryOfstad died peacefully on April18, 2025, at theage of 67. She wasprecededindeath by herparents,JohnOfstad andCorneliaBellaartOfs‐tad, andher siblings,Arie Birger Ofstad,JohnHenry Ofstad,and Cornelia Ofs‐tadD’Amico (Francis). She is survived by hersister, SoﬁeOfstadLundgren;sis‐ter-in-law KarenPerer Ofs‐tad; andmanynieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, andcousins who lovedand adored her. Kristinewas born in NewOrleans,LA, on De‐cember 11, 1957. Sheat‐tended St.Michael Special School,StriveCenter, ARC, andMagnoliaCommunity Services,where shemade many friendsand spread herinfectiousand uncon‐ditional love andjoy forlife to others.She wasa ﬁerce competitor in theLouisianaSpecial Olympics swimming and bowling events anda long-time member of theHappy Bowlersand Special RollersBowling Clubs. Kris‐tine lovedeveryoneshe metand took greatinter‐estintheir children and pets.Her love of music, es‐pecially K. C. andthe Sun‐shineBand, will bringjoy to familyand friendsfor‐ever.Kristinewillbedearly missed by allofthose who knew andloved her. The familywould like to thank the nursesand staff of Metairie Healthcare Cen‐ter, who provided residen‐

Harry S. Redmon Jr passedawayonApril 23, 2025. Born March24, 1934, he wasthe son of Harry S. Redmon Sr.and Mary Redmon,and thehusband of JaneC.Redmon. One son, Harry Redmon III,precededhim in death

He is survived by ason Marshall Redmon (Missy); fourstepchildren, Steve Victory(Lanie), Leigh Moss (Robby), LaneMosby (Billy) and DerekVictory (Ashley); and eleven grandchildren, Jordan Redmon,Melissa Redmon Slaughter (Matthew), Hunter Redmon,Jane and Thomas Victory, Hartson andMaddox Moss, Taylor and CheneyMosby,and John andTatumVictory.

After graduating from St.Martin'sEpiscopal School, he attended Louisiana State University, whereheearned degrees in microscopic paleontology andlaw.Thereafter,he served in theJudge Advocate General Corpsof theUnited States AirForce attaining therankofcaptain. Upon hishonorable discharge, he joined the law firmthennamed Phelps Dunbar Marks Claverie andSims, ultimately serving tenyears as itsmanagingpartner. He wasa member of several bar associations andsocieties,including theAmerican Collegeof Trial Lawyers. Adevoted LSUalumnus, upon hisretirement in 1996, aprofessorship was

endowed in hisname at thelaw school. Hiscivic activitiesincluded service on theboard of theLSU HealthFoundation, on whichhebecame president andchief endowment officer. He also served on theboards of WYES and Bridge House. He wasamember of social organizations includingthe NewOrleans CountryClub, thePass Christian Yacht Club, The Boston Club, Stratford Club andThe RexOrganization. Special thanks to Mary JaneMcAlister, VeAnn Bourgeoisand Dr. Kenneth Smith for theircompanionship, care,and comfort. Amemorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at St Martin'sEpiscopal Church Metairie, Louisiana. Areception willfollow at the NewOrleans Country Club. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to the LSULaw School.

Redmon Jr., Harry

KellarJr.,Elmer J.

Lake Lawn Metairie

More services for families dealing with Alzheimer’s needed

Caring for aloved one living withdementia takes atoll on families.

Louisiana has more than 95,000 individuals with dementia and 168,000 loved ones serving as caregivers, providing256 million hours of unpaid care.

Iamanadvocate for theAlzheimer’sAssociation. Iadvocate for assistance with caregiving. My mother was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2013. Up to that time, Ihad never heard of this illness. Iwatched her mind andbody both slip away.She was conﬁned to awheelchair,unable todo simple daily tasks. She had few people that she recognized, and sheoften hallucinated.

After her diagnosis, the doctors gave us no assistance, and we were determined to keep her home where she would be loved and cared for.Mybrother and I paid caregivers out of ourown pockets to watch her while we worked. In the evening, Iwould rush home to sit with her.Whenshe ﬁnally passed away,wehad expended alot of personal money, but my mother was worthit. Hospice said she lived as long as she did due to the extraordinary care provided by us. We had to navigatethese services and her disease alone with no support.

Iamadvocating for the Alzheimer’sAssociation Louisiana Chapter’spush to establish aDementia Care Specialists program. Families facing adementia diagnosis for aloved one face isolation and alack of coordinated support systems. Currently,overwhelmed caregivers must somehow ﬁnd the timeand energy to navigate afragmented system entirely on their own researching services, seeking educational resources and desperatelysearching for support while simultaneously providing round-the-clock care. ADementia Care Specialists Program is vital to support our caregivers and connect loved ones tocommunity resources.

TERESA MOREL Covington

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Anationthatdoesn’t confront itshistory cannever be great

Iamreading about Donald Trump’sexecutive order titled “Restoring Truthand Sanity to American History,” which declares that the Smithsonian, once “a symbol of American excellence, has in recent years come underthe inﬂuence of adivisive, race-centered ideology.” It further states, “This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful andoppressive.” Ihad alot of thoughts. Our history has been through somereally uglytimes. Instead of recognizing thisand using it to build abetter future for us all, this administration wants to pretend these realities never happened,while at the sametime, it is determined to repeat them.

Iamleft to wonder if America was great when we massacred Native Americans, forced their survivors onto “reservations.” Or when we brought Africanshere by force to be slaves. Or went to war amongourselves because halfofuswanted to continue to

“own” people, finally “freeing” people yet declaring them to only be three-fifths of a person and continued tooppress them. Or deprived women and minorities of theright to vote, along withdenying other rights. Or separated our country by race, not nearly as long ago as you think. (My husband wasonly allowed to sit in theback pew of St. Gabriel Catholic church as achild, and lived in the first neighborhood in New Orleans where Black people were allowed to own homes.) Is it great when we treat those not like us with fear and loathing?

Is this the“great”people are looking for again?

America should be great. Andithas been a great country in many respects. But it needs to be greater than it has ever been. Lookingback is for learning, not forreturning.

ANGELE GIVENS NewOrleans

Getmoney outofpoliticsand hold politiciansaccountable

This country was founded with the intent that the government would be one of the people, by the people and for the people. We have allowed ourselves to be manipulated anddivided.

We must getback to the root of democracy and hold our politicians accountable to theelectorate. We have allowed politicianstorun on false promises and not be held responsible. The current election and campaignﬁnance laws are at theheart of the problem; thelack of control over how much one person or company can give to acandidate has left us in dangerous territory

outcomes beneficial to them andthem alone. It is imperative that we do something to takeback our country.The time is now.In order to get back to what this country’sgovernment is supposed to be, we must eliminatefraud, wasteand abuse. Ican think of no better place to start than with lobbyists. Government must go back to allowing for fair competition in themarketplace. Currently,those withmoney have entirely too much accessand influence to government officials, causing elected officials to work only in favor of those lining their pockets.

TimTemple inspires trust as he seeksto lowerautorates

“Landry,insurance chief at odds over legislation” wasthe title of an article by Alyse Pfeil in arecent edition. Here we go again: Louisiana will try again to eliminate its status as the highest paying state forautomobile insurance in the nation. (Yes, the highest! Let that sink in! Our rates are almost double other states.)

Recently,after the citizens rejected the four amendments to our constitution, Gov. Jeff Landry said, “Although we are disappointed in tonight’sresults, we do not see this as afailure. We realize how hard positive change can be to implementinastate that is conditioned forfailure.”

Louisiana is alitigious state with ahigher-than-average number of car insurance lawsuits. Ijust heard an advertisement on television this morning that said trial lawyers help put our legislators in ofﬁce. I’ll be 90 next year,somore than likely,I won’t have the chance to vote again forgovernor of our state, but if Ido, I’ll vote forour Insurance Commissioner TimTemple. Ibet we get somerelief then forour children and grandchildren.

Environmental protections necessaryto supportlife

We are all stewards of the land. Whether we farm it, walkitorsimply live upon it, we bear responsibility forwhat happens next. In recent months, critical environmental protections have been dismantled. Support forsustainable agriculture has been slashed. And the bees —the very pollinators that makefood possible —are dying off in record numbers. Without them crops fail. Ecosystemscollapse. Lifeunravels.

This is not about politics. It is about survival.

We cannot sit quietly while protections forpollinators, clean water,healthy soil and regenerative farming vanish under the weight of short-term proﬁt and willful ignorance.

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Allowing those with money to freely pay for politicians of their choice to work for them aloneisnot what democracy stands for and is adisgrace to the American people. These ludicrous policies are what have allowed for the likes of George Soros and Elon Musk to be in aposition to buy politicians andelections, thus personally orchestrating

As aﬁrst step, elected ofﬁcialsatevery level of government should have to submit adetailed quarterly report informing constituentshow they voted on the legislative agenda for that quarter.Wemust do our jobs as citizens and become informed in order to takeback control of our government.

KENNETH

HAYES NewOrleans

Once again,the Democratsare spreading lies and half-truths to the American people, as evidenced by U.S. Rep.Troy Carter’sletter on April 2. Nobodyfrom the Trumpadministration hasadvocated cuttingveterans’ beneﬁts, Social Security or Medicaid. He “turned the White House intoapersonal marketplace” to show supportfor Elon Musk because no Democrat hasthe guts to call out, condemn and ask for their constituents to stop the ﬁre bombs and vehicle attacksonTesla owners. Imposingthe tariffs has led manycompanies to invest in America to have their productsassembled in America to save on thetariffs.

AndifCarter would do his dadgum job, DOGE would not be needed. Youhave to ask yourself how politicians who makeless than $200,000 ayear in Congress can become multimillionaires while in ofﬁce. Probably from kickbacks from themoney DOGEis trying to save. Andany Democrat whowants to talk about saving democracy is the biggest hypocrite. This is coming fromthe party that hid Joe Biden from thecountry,knowing his mental decline and subvertingdemocracy by installing Kamala Harris as their standardbearer

JIM MUNN Zachary

We must insist —urgently and without delay —that lawmakers reinstate environmental safeguards and reestablish support foragriculture that honors the balance of life. There is still timetoact. But time is running out.

HEIDI HEYNS NewOrleans

ICEfacilities holding detaineesinLa. making moneyfor someone

So this is how we’re diversifying our economy —private jail facilities in Jena, Basile and wherever else to hold illegally detained and arrested people? Who owns these facilities? Who runs them?Why are they one of the state’snew economic development tools?

MARYANN STERNBERG Baton Rouge

CYNTHIA LITZ Baton Rouge

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO

COMMENTARY

WALT’S CAPTION CONTEST

FEST TIME!

Nice! We received 626 entriesinthisweek’sCartoon Caption Contest.This was atricky one, but we still gotabunch of very funnypunchlines sent in.Our winner hit justthe right notewith his.Wellplayed, everyone!

As always, when we have duplicate entries, and we always do,wepick the earliestsent in HappyFesting, folks!—Walt

Phyllis Glazer,Baton Rouge: “you gotthe brain-freeze blues.”

Lynn Wismar,Kenner: “Psst….Toomuch matchy-matchyif youask me!!”

Christopher Mills, Metairie: “So THAT’S howyour jazz sounds so sweet!

Bob Ussery, New Orleans: “Notify the media. It’sthe biggest scoop they’ll ever get.

Michael Goodman, Mandeville: “Dude, you’re going from cool jazz to frozen fusion!”

Dottie Anklam, Baton Rouge: “yep I should have studiedthe saxophone.”

Martha Starnes, Kenner:“Guess we’re skipping the warm-up today…” Angus Lind, New Orleans: “your sax trumps my trumpet.”

Jim Williamson, Mandeville: “I feel bad forthe folks sitting in thefront row!!”

Sheri Lindsey,Baton Rouge: “Slow down,the bathroom lines are long!”

MarianoHinojosa, Baton Rouge: “That’s enough togiveall the boys in the band a brain freeze.”

BryanRuiz (Grade 4), Phillis Wheatley Community School, New Orleans: “I guess thissnowballSUITSus!

Richard Schega,Mandeville: “Now I knowwhy youswitchedfrom an alto to a baritonesax….

Ralph Stephens,Baton Rouge: “Betweenthese suits and that sno cone, we should be playing at the K&B tent!!!”

Frank Vicidomina, Metairie: “Gonna playthe ‘purples’ this year instead of the ‘blues’.”

Jeff Hartzheim,Fuquay-Varina, N.C: “I betyou’re glad youdon’tplaythe piccolo.”

David Delgado, New Orleans: “Theants will love you!”

Michele Starnes, Kenner: “Great, now every time youhit ahighnote, it’sgoing to hail!”

Charles Smith, St. Rose: “Weshould really ice this next session.”

RorySteen, Denver: “Way to add some local flavor to your sound.”

Bonnie Faucheux Losee, Lafayette: “Is that an LSU cone?”

Erin Rednour-Burnette, River Ridge: “Jake and Elwood have nothin’ on us –‘ThePurple Brothers’.

Harold Geiger,Metairie: “That’snot what theymeant by ‘cool jazz’.

D. Sabrio, Metairie: “Look on the bright side! It ain’t gonna stainyour suit!”

John Weger, BatonRouge: “It’s fitting we added ‘Purple Rain’ to our playlist.”

BarryLemoine,Arabi: “I told youthe brass pass had some big advantages!”

Don Randon, Gretna: “I’ll bet she thinks youknowhow to playthat thing.”

JasonAmato,Lutcher: “What aSWEET time to be in NewOrleans!

Puzzling question raised at Smithsonian

President Donald Trump hassigned an executive order that directs Vice President JD Vance to eliminate “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology” from Smithsonianmuseums, educational and research centers and the National Zoo

My immediate reaction? Surely,you jest, sir.There maynot be any area of American discourse that is more divisive or conﬂictridden than the arena of race

As Ihavewitnessed many timesinthe past, race as atopicofconversation is a lot like sex: Everybody thinks they are an expert at it, yet we Americans can be painfully reluctant to talk about it in mixed companyorinfront of ourchildren. Which might explain why Trump’s executive order immediately handed the hypersensitive task of inspecting museum exhibits for ideology to his vice president. And who determines what ideology is “proper?” Isuspect that George Orwell would be dismayed by this development. In Trump”s executive orderlast month, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” he denounced what he described as a“revisionist movement” across the country,one that “seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principlesand historical milestones in anegative light.” Trump’sorder criticized the Smithsonian’sNational Museum of African American History and Culture for a graphic posted online in May2020 that, Iagree, should not have beenposted. It referred to “hard work,” “individualism” and “the nuclear family” as part of “white culture.”

The graphic, which has drawncondemnation before, was swiftly removed after Lonnie Bunch, whosince 2005has

beenfounding director of the African Americanmuseum,agreed it was inappropriate. So did I. Youdidn’thave to be aconservative to be deeply offended by thatill-inspired excuse for satire.But, heck, we’re talking about history,right? No country’shistory is perfect, or even consistent in its leaders’ espoused beliefs. Some of us still argue about what Thomas Jefferson, aVirginia slave owner,meant by saying, “All men are created equal.”

That’sthe beautyofthe First Amendment,inmyview.Weneed to talk these conﬂictingbeliefs out, not tear ourselves apartinanew civil war everyfew years

In hisexecutive order,Trump called for reshaping the Smithsonianinto a “symbol of inspiration and American greatness.”

Ithought it already was. Yet, as Trump’sjumbled drive for “government efficiency” has shown us, just because some governmententityisn’tbroke doesn’tmean Trump won’ttry to fix it anyway By singling out the Smithsonian’sAfrican American history museum,Trump fueled speculation that it could become acasualty ofthe administration’swider war on DEI, critical race theoryand other academic pointsofview that critics find easier to denounce than understand. Frankly,I think Trump should feel relievedthat the museum’s manyexhibits do not highlight his own settlement of a 1973 racialdiscrimination case against his fatherand himself, brought by the JusticeDepartment for the Trumps’ allegedrefusal to rent apartmentsin predominantlywhite buildings to black tenants. Testimony showed thatthe applications filed by black apartment seekers were marked with a“C” for “colored,”

Democratsneeda newmessage; themessenger comeslater

Who speaks for the Democratic Party?

Is it Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Bill or Hillary Clinton? Alexandria OcasioCortez, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, NancyPelosi or Hakeem Jeffries? Is it an ambitious governor,senator or House member? Or,perhaps, it’sthe party’sactual chair,Ken Martin?

atrickthat was hardly unique in those days, as federal antidiscrimination laws weregetting off the ground. Asettlement that ended the lawsuit did not require the Trumps to explicitly acknowledge thatdiscrimination hadoccurred—but the government’sdescriptionofthe settlement said Trump and his father had “failed and neglected” to comply withthe Fair Housing Act. Now it is Bunchwho finds himself on the hot seat of what might well be one moreepisode of Trumpian retribution. Bunchwas an excellent choice, in my not-so-humble opinion. I’ve covered the New Jerseynative off and on sincehe became president and director of the Chicago History Museum. In 2019, he became the first historian and first African American to lead the Smithsonian in its 173-year history.

Besideshis scholarship, Iwas impressed by how effectively he worked withbothparties,despite the historical issues as slavery,the Civil Warand Jim Crow remain fraught and contested. I recall what an avid Civil Warre-enactor once told me when Imentioned howthe conﬂict he called “The WarBetweenthe States” ended in 1865.

“Hell, that wasn’tthe end,” he said. “Thatwas justanintermission.”

So, no, there’s nothing intrinsically radical about the “Blacksonian,” as some of my Black Washington friends respectfully call theNational Museum of African American Historyand Culture.

I, for one, celebrate themuseum as another big step in our never-ending march to pursue theideals that, as Trump’sorder states, “continue to inspire millions around the globe.”

That’sa proper enough ideology to me. Email Clarence Page at clarence47@ pagegmail.com

Ron Faucheux

The answer,ofcourse, is all of the above. They all speak for the party —and that upsets alot of Democrats. They want one voice to take the ﬁght to Donald Trump. But, realistically,that won’thappen until the summer of 2028, when they nominate a presidential candidate. Parties out of power rarely have leaders who can represent them wholly and authoritatively.Democrats faced that reality during Ronald Reagan’stwo terms, the three Bush terms and Trump’sﬁrst term. Republicans faced it during the Clinton and Obama administrations.

Former presidents won’tﬁll the void. They can give great convention speeches —as Obama and Clinton have done. But toomuch attention on an ex-president risks conﬁning a party’sfuture to its past.

An exception, of course, has been Trump. He’sthe undeniable voice and leader of the Republican Party and has been since 2016. He’s dictated just about everything the party has done and fights all its fights, even when outof office.

Trump is unique. Even Lyndon Johnson, a domineering politician who loved the exercise of power,didn’tcontrol every fragment of the Democratic Party.Remember whenSenate Democrats ﬁercely opposed his Vietnampolicies?

Ronald Reagan was belovedbyhis party.Republican candidates happily identiﬁedwith his sunny conservativism for 35 years. But he never tried to rule his party as if it were personal property or to speak for it on every issue

For now,Democrats need to focus on their message and agenda, not who will sell it. They mayget by for awhile as the anti-Trump party, but that’sashaky foundation on whichtobuild an enduring governing majority.Theyneed to stand for something that appeals to the full electorate, and not just targeted constituencies.

This column, you mayrecall, recommended that Democrats should take apage from formerBritish Prime Minister Tony Blair’splaybook and move their party to the center.That strategy worked for Blair; his New Labour Party wonthree straight national elections. Democratic presidential prospects for 2028 have made afew moves in this direction, notably California Gov.Gavin Newsom, who has made comments about spooling back progressive rhetoric, especially on divisive social issues. But reshaping the party into alessedgy and more centrist force has yet to be embraced by its major power centers.

Moving in the opposite direction was the recent “Fighting Oligarchy” tour thatfeatured Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. These two “democratic socialists” drew big crowds and raised big bucks. Merchandise sold on the tour’swebsite brandished slogans such as “Green New Dealfor the future,” “Cancelall student debt,” “Tax the rich,” “Build the union movement” and “Fight the power.” Paradoxically,the limits of progressive politics were also in evidence on the tour’swebsite Merchandise included baseball cards featuring Chicago’sprogressive mayor BrandonJohnson —who won with Sanders’ endorsementand now,onthe job, has adismal 7% approval rating in his city Democrats and Republicans have aright to ﬁght for whatthey believe. But they also have aneed to win nationalelections and the chance to govern. They can’tfall into ideological traps that push away voters they need.

The recent Harvard CAPS-Harris poll demonstrates this reality.Itﬁnds that 74%ofvoters favor deporting illegal immigrants who have committedcrimes; 70% want to close the border and strengthen security; 69% favor a full-scale effort to root out fraud and waste from government; 65% don’twant maleswho have undergone procedures to become women participating in girls’ sports; and 57% want to freeze foreign aid.

Many Democrats say they agree, at least partly,with some of these poll-tested policies. But do you think the national electorate associates these policies with the Democratic Party? Ididn’tthink so.

Yousee, there are more important things for Democrats to fret about than who will speak for them on CNN tonight.

Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana. He authored Running for Ofﬁce and publishes LunchtimePolitics.com, anational newsletter on polls.

WINNER: Michael Riemer,Jefferson

Clarence Page

NewOrleans Forecast

SPORTS

‘JUST PERFECT’

Curiel sparks explosive victory

LSU wins rubber match, takes series over Tennessee

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Derek Curiel’s 43-game on-base streak ended on Saturday

It was a footnote on an otherwise rough night at the park for LSU. Curiel had three groundouts and a strikeout, not reaching base for the ﬁrst time in his collegiate career

“Obviously, I knew about it,” Curiel said. “My teammates told me about it.”

But on Sunday afternoon, in the rubber match of LSU’s three-game series with Tennessee, Curiel played as if he was determined to start another streak.

The freshman went 4 for 4 with a home run, two doubles, a walk and ﬁve RBIs. His big day led the Tigers past Tennessee 12-2 in eight innings to clinch the series victory

“I struggled the past two games,” Curiel said. “Great team, obviously, great pitchers on the other side, but I’m always in control of my at-bats, and I felt like I let that get away from me a little bit.”

After scoring in just three of the first 18 innings in the series, Curiel got LSU (36-9, 14-7 SEC) on the scoreboard in the first by blasting a leadoff solo home run to right field that cut LSU’s deficit to 2-1. The homer was his fifth of the season.

“He has put on about 15 pounds or so, 17 pounds,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said “I believe he looks better stronger than when he showed up here And then just that mental and emotional stability has allowed him to transition that talent into skill on the biggest stage in college.

“There’s nobody we want to play more

See

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Andrew Novak ﬁnally got over the hump.

After coming painfully close to scoring his first PGA Tour victory in his past two tournaments, Novak and playing partner Ben Griffin finally found themselves on the winning side of a tight finish

The North Carolina natives carded a 28-under-par score of 260 to edge Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard by one stroke and win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

The title was the ﬁrst for both Novak and Grifﬁn in a combined 190 career Tour events. They each earned $1,329,400 and 400 FedExCup points with the win.

“You never know when you’re going to get your ﬁrst one,” Novak said

“It’s exciting to get our ﬁrst win together It seems like a movie script.

It’s just perfect how it all came together

The win, which came in Novak’s 100th career event, was particularly sweet for Novak, who lost a sudden death playoff to Justin Thomas at the

RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C. a week ago. Two weeks before that, the 30-year-old Raleigh, N.C. native tied for third at the Texas Valero Open after a disappointing score of 4-over 76 in the ﬁnal round.

“I’ve done a pretty good job of not getting overly frustrated with the close shaves,” Novak said “Yeah, it’s frustrating, but it’s also nice going into a tournament knowing you’re playing well.”

The win was just as gratifying for Griffin, a 28-year-old Chapel Hill, N.C., who entered the Zurich with 12 top-10 placings, including runner-up ﬁnishes at the 2024 RBC Canadian Open and the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Things got so bad for Grifﬁn four years ago, he put his golf career on

ä See ZURICH, page 4C

BY ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football writer

Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft bafﬂed fans, analysts and some general managers and coaches.

Sanders was considered a top-five overall pick after finishing his career at Colorado, but he wasn’t even among the first five quarterbacks selected. He slipped all the way to the fifth round without any obvious explanation leaving everyone to speculate about his shortcomings and question whether Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders somehow scared teams away

Shedeur Sanders was never involved in any off-field incidents, yet his character was criticized by various media outlets who cited unidentiﬁed sources in the weeks leading up the draft The Cleveland Browns ended up taking Sanders with the 144th pick after they were

MORE INSIDE n Complete NFL draft selections,

thought to be considering him at No. 2 overall. The Browns even selected Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round at No. 94 but then moved up in the draft to snag Sanders one pick before the Philadelphia Eagles were on the clock.

Though the Eagles have a franchise QB in Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Browns general manager Andrew Berry worked in Philadelphia with GM Howie Roseman and knows he’s not afraid to take the best available player on the board.

That’s how Hurts ended up on the Eagles in 2020 when Carson Wentz was already there. That doesn’t mean Philly was targeting Sanders, but Cleveland had waited

long enough.

“We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position,” Berry said. “We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it’s a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot.

“I think, obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing’s been promised. Nothing will be given.”

Sanders, who played for his father in college, said all the right things after he was ﬁnally selected.

“Nothing really affected me the last couple of days, just really pushed having faith, understanding God really had me,” Sanders said. “I’m blessed. Besides that, it’s not really anything that changes The

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU left fielder Derek Curiel celebrates after a double against Tennessee in the second inning of their game on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium. LSU won 12-2

LSU, page 5C

Novak, Griffin finally

AP FILE PHOTO By DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders takes part in passing drills during Colorado’s

Above: Ben Griffin, left walks off the 18th green with teammate Andrew Novak, after they won the Zurich Classic on Sunday at TPC Louisiana in Avondale. Top: Ben Griffin hits off the 18th tee during the final round of the Zurich Classic on Sunday. AP PHOTOS By GERALD HERBERT

Knicks beat Pistons to take 3-1 lead

BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter

DETROIT New York’s dynamic duo put Detroit on the brink of elimination — with an assist from the ofﬁcials

Karl-Anthony Towns made a goahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and ﬁnished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and the Knicks beat the Pistons 94-93 on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in their ﬁrst-round playoff series.

Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and drew some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul at the end of a physical game with few whistles.

David Guthrie, the crew chief for the game, said afterward that the ofﬁcials made a mistake.

“After postgame review, we observed that Hart makes body contact that is more than marginal to Hardaway Jr and a foul should have been called,” Guthrie said. Had the foul been called, Hardaway would have gone to the foul line for three free throws that could have given Detroit the lead Instead, the Knicks held on to win after rallying from an 11-point deﬁcit in the fourth quarter Towns, a 7-foot center, made a turnaround fadeaway near the baseline with 1:29 left before connecting on a shot from about 27 feet.

“He has amazing touch,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He shoots the ball like a guard and he has unlimited range.”

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his ﬁrst playoff tripledouble and the third in franchise history, but he missed two shots and turned the ball over in the ﬁnal 1:07

“He has to carry us on the offensive end,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That’s

a heavy burden on him but he has come through so many times.”

Game 5 is Tuesday night in New York.

The Pistons have lost nine straight home playoff games since 2008, equaling an NBA record set by Philadelphia from 1968 to 1971.

The Knicks expected Detroit’s best punch, then came out swinging and had enough fight in the end to win

New York led by as much as 16 points in the first half before the Pistons went on an 11-0 run to help them pull within seven at halftime. Detroit outscored the Knicks 28-14 in the third to take a seven-point lead thanks to Cunningham. He had 12 points — making 6 of 7 shots — five assists, five rebounds and three blocks in the quarter Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is the only other player to have a

triple-double for the Pistons in a playoff game The two-time NBA champion, who had a front-row seat for the game, pulled off the feat in 1986 and 1989.

The Knicks had a scare late in the third when Brunson limped off the court and toward the locker room with an apparent right knee injury, but he returned.

“Moments like that you have to take a breath and relax,” Brunson said

Timberwolves push Lakers to edge of elimination

BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP sportswriter

MINNEAPOLIS — Jaden McDaniels

converted a three-point play with 39.5 seconds left for the lead and stole the ensuing inbounds pass from LeBron James, leading a rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 116-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that put them up 3-1 in the ﬁrst-round series on Sunday Anthony Edwards, who had 43 points to lead Minnesota in scoring for the ﬁrst time in this edition of the NBA playoffs, drew a foul on James during a drive to the lane with 10 seconds left and hit both free throws. With Luka Doncic and James well-defensed along the arc, the ball went to Austin Reaves in the corner for the tying attempt that rimmed out and was rebounded by McDaniels at the buzzer Julius Randle added 25 points and McDaniels had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter Doncic bounced back from a bad stomach bug with 38 points on

13-for-28 shooting, but the Lakers were headed home for a win-or-beeliminated Game 5 on Wednesday Doncic, after fighting the illness and finishing with only 17 points in Game 3, was clearly feeling better after a full day to rest. But he went 1 for 6 in the fourth quarter from the floor James had 27 points and 12 rebounds for his 144th career double-double in the playoffs, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for the third-most in history behind Tim Duncan (164) and Magic Johnson (157). James went 15 for 18 from the free-throw line, determined to get to the rim in what was the best game by the Lakers offense in the series, but he was scoreless in the fourth.

Reaves and Dorian FinneySmith hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lakers back in front with 1:29 left, but the Wolves took it from there. With the arena quieted while the fans ﬁled back into their seats from the break, the Lakers started the third quarter with a 14-0 run.

Reaves, who went scoreless in the ﬁrst half while in foul trouble, got hot. Hachimura did, too, and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards celebrates after a shot made by forward Julius Randle during the first half of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in Minneapolis.

coach J.J. Redick rode with the same lineup for the entire quarter

The Wolves picked up two technical fouls during that period, the ﬁrst on Rudy Gobert for elbowing James in the back of the head dur-

ing a scrap for a rebound. But for the second straight game, the home team dominated down the stretch after a pattern of ﬂops in the clutch during the regular season.

Liberty opens up camp ready to defend its ﬁrst title

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

NEW YORK Breanna Stewart and her New York Liberty teammates are focused on the present and that includes defending the WNBA championship.

The Liberty opened camp Sunday along with the other 12 teams in the league. Stewart knows exactly how hard it is to repeat as champion, having won two titles in Seattle and failing to repeat each time. The only repeat champion in the past two decades in the WNBA was the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023.

“The mentality is turning the page,” she said. “Knowing what we did last year, we had a lot of

time to celebrate it and now it’s, building to be better You know we talked about, being consistently great night in and night out. And that starts with building great habits in training camp and keeping them sustainable throughout the entire season.”

The Liberty have most of the core back from last season’s title run that was the ﬁrst in franchise history They also added Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison.

“I thought it was a great start. And like, I always said, you can’t bring back the same when you win and we have a real good, nice freshness about us,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said.

“We’ve got some players that were really going to help us. Obviously,

you know, no one greater than Natasha Cloud,” Brondello wasn’t concerned that Stewart is working her way back from offseason meniscus surgery last month. Stewart took part in the early part of practice Sunday and said she’s “feeling great”. She will integrate more fully into live practice next week.

Stewart said she felt she did something to it in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals last year and waited until after the inaugural season of Unrivaled was over to take care of it. “I just needed to kind of clean up things in there and clean up the meniscus,” she said. “And, it was just a little bit uncomfortable to be dealing with. And I want to when

I’m on the ﬂoor, I want to be playing and, free ﬂowing and not really thinking about other things.”

While Stewart will be back before the regular season begins, the Liberty are going to be missing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for a few months as she recovers from her own knee injury

“We’re deﬁnitely gonna miss her a lot this season,” Stewart said. “I think, you know, with her being out, it gives people opportunities You know, Leonie (Fiebich) will have a bigger role. Marina (Johannes’) coming here. ...It’s just going to be like next woman up mentality and knowing that they’re not going to take her place. But they’re going to be the best version of themselves.”

Williams out as Yankees closer; Weaver gets a shot

Devin Williams lost his job as Yankees closer after stumbling repeatedly during his ﬁrst 10 games with New York.

Manager Aaron Boone made the announcement before Sunday’s doubleheader against Toronto, two days after the two-time All-Star wasted a ninth-inning lead in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays.

Luke Weaver who took over as closer last September when Clay Holmes faltered, will get most of the opportunities to finish tight games with leads Williams will appear in lower leverage situations.

Acquired from Milwaukee in December, Williams is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA and four saves in ﬁve chances. He was booed just 18 pitches into his Yankees career when he allowed the Brewers to load the bases with no outs before preserving a 4-2 opening day win.

Duke freshman Maluach headed to NBA draft

Duke freshman big man Khaman Maluach is jumping to the NBA. The program announced Sunday in a social media post that the 7-foot-2, 250-pound Maluach would go the one-and-done route after helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four Maluach’s move was ﬁrst reported late Saturday, and underclassmen had until 11:59 p.m. that night to meet the NBA deadline to declare themselves as eligible for the draft.

Notably, Maluach is an elite rimrunner who used his length to ﬁnish off lobs for easy scores or to block shots at the center of a defense that ranked among the nation’s best in KenPom’s efﬁciency metrics, including with his ability to defend on the perimeter with Duke’s switching defense.

Streaking Journalism is Kentucky Derby favorite LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Red-hot Streaking Journalism is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the 151st Kentucky Derby with a favorable No. 8 post position that has tied for the secondmost victories in horse racing’s marquee event.

Sovereignty is the 5-1 second choice in the 20-horse ﬁeld for the May 3 race and will break from the No. 18 post outside Sandman, who drew the 17th spot on Saturday night and is the 6-1 third choice for the $5 million Derby at Churchill Downs. Journalism brings a four-race winning streak into the Derby, including both starts this year along with a fourth in his debut last fall at Santa Anita.

Top-seeds Sabalenka, Zverev advance in Madrid

MADRID — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka rallied to defeat former doubles partner Elise Mertens in three sets and advance to the last 16 of the Madrid Open on Sunday Top-seeded Alexander Zverev scraped past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after requiring tiebreakers in the ﬁnal two sets of their match, while reigning men’s champion Andrey Rublev lost in three sets to Alexander Bublik. Sabalenka got off to a poor start against the 26th-ranked Mertens, but picked up the pace to comfortably close out the match at the Caja Magica center court.

The two-time champion in Madrid won 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to keep alive her hopes of reaching the ﬁnal for the third straight time.

Zverev, seeking his third Madrid Open title, has won seven matches in a row and is coming off a title-run in Munich.

Penge returns from ban, wins first European title

HAINAN ISLAND,China Marco Penge of England closed with a 5-under 67 on Sunday for a three-shot victory in the Hainan Classic for his ﬁrst European tour title, coming just two months after he returned from a ban for betting on golf.

The win capped off a wild six months for Penge, which began with him narrowly keeping his European card and ended with him ﬁnishing third in the Asian Swing to earn a spot in the PGA Championship next month. The European tour gave Penge a three-month suspension for betting on golf, though it determined he never bet on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DUANE BURLESON

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham walks across the court as New york Knicks center Ariel Hukporti, third from right guard Josh Hart and center Karl-Anthony Towns celebrate after winning Game 4 of the firstround playoff series on Sunday in Detroit.

NFL DRAFT SELECTIONS

127. Indianapolis, Jalen Travis, ot, Iowa State.

128. Washington (from Houston), Jaylin Lane wr, Virginia Tech.

129. Baltimore, Teddye Buchanan, lb, California.

130. N.Y. Jets (from DET through DEN and PHI), Malachi Moore, s, Alabama.

131. New Orleans (from Washington), Quincy Riley cb, Louisville.

132. Chicago (from Buffalo), Ruben Hyppolite II, lb, Maryland.

133. Kansas City, Jalen Royals, wr, Utah State.

134. Denver (from PHI through DET and PHI), Que Robinson, de, Alabama.

Fifth Round

139. Minnesota (from Cleveland), Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, dt, Georgia.

140. Carolina (from N.Y. Giants), Cam Jackson, dt, Florida.

141. Baltimore (from Tennessee), Carson Vinson, ot, Alabama A&M.

142. Seattle (from JAX through HOU and MIN), Rylie Mills, dt, Notre Dame.

143. Miami (from Las Vegas), Jordan Phillips, dt, Maryland.

144. Cleveland (from NE through SEA), Shedeur Sanders, qb, Colorado.

145. Philadelphia (from N.Y. Jets), Mac McWilliams, cb, UCF.

146. New England (from Carolina), Bradyn Swinson, de, LSU

147. San Francisco (from NO through WAS), Jordan James, rb, Oregon.

148. L.A. Rams (from Chicago), Ty Hamilton, dt, Ohio State.

149. Dallas, Jaydon Blue, rb, Texas.

150. Miami, Jason Marshall Jr., cb, Florida.

151. Indianapolis, DJ Giddens, rb, Kansas State.

152. Dallas (from Arizona), Shemar James, lb, Florida.

153. Cincinnati, Jalen Rivers, g, Miami 154. N.Y. Giants (from Seattle), Marcus Mbow, g, Purdue.

155. Miami (from Denver), Dante Trader Jr., s, Maryland.

156. Kansas City (from Pittsburgh), Jeffrey Bassa, lb Oregon.

157. Tampa Bay, Elijah Roberts, de, SMU

158. L.A. Chargers, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, wr, Auburn.

159. Green Bay, Collin Oliver, lb, Oklahoma State.

160. San Francisco (from Minnesota), Marques Sigle, s, Kansas State.

161. Philadelphia (from Houston), Smael Mondon Jr lb, Georgia.

162. N.Y Jets (from LAR through PIT), Francisco Mauigoa, lb, Miami.

163. Carolina (from Baltimore), Mitchell Evans te, Notre Dame. 164. Pittsburgh (from DET through CLE, PHI and KC), Yahya Black, dt, Iowa 165. L.A. Chargers (from WAS through PHI), Oronde Gadsden II, te, Syracuse. 166. Seattle (from BUF through HOU and CLE), Tory Horton, wr, Colorado State. 167. Tennessee (from Kansas City), Jackson Slater, g, Sacramento State. 168. Philadelphia, Drew Kendall, c, Boston College. Sixth Round 177. Buffalo (from N.Y. Giants), Dorian Strong, cb, Virginia Tech.

178. Baltimore (from Tennessee), Bilhal Kone, cb, Western Michigan.

179. Miami (from CLE through HOU), Ollie Gordon II, rb, Oklahoma State.

180. Las Vegas, JJ Pegues, dt, Mississippi.

181. Philadelphia (from NE through LAC), Kyle McCord, qb, Syracuse. 182. New England (from JAX through DET), Andres Borregales, k, Miami. 183. Tennessee (from CAR through BAL), Marcus Harris, cb, California. 184. New Orleans (from NO through WAS), Devin Neal, rb, Kansas.

185. Pittsburgh (from CHI through SEA), Will Howard qb, Ohio State. 186. Baltimore (from N.Y. Jets), Tyler Loop, k, Arizona.

187. Houston (from SF through MIN), Jaylen Reed, s, Penn State.

188. Tennessee (from Dallas), Kalel Mullings, rb, Michigan.

189. Indianapolis, Riley Leonard, qb, Notre Dame.

190. Indianapolis (from ATL through LAR), Tim Smith, dt, Alabama.

191. Philadelphia (from ARI through DEN), Myles Hinton, ot, Michigan.

192. Seattle (from MIA through CHI and CLE), Bryce Cabeldue, g, Kansas.

193. Cincinnati, Tahj Brooks, rb, Texas Tech.

de, Arkansas

73. N.Y. Jets, Azareye’h Thomas, cb, Florida State

74. Denver (from Carolina), Pat Bryant, wr, Illinois.

75. San Francisco, Nick Martin, lb, Oklahoma State.

76. Dallas, Shavon Revel Jr.,

(from Indianapolis), Jarquez Hunter, rb, Auburn.

118. Atlanta, Billy Bowman Jr., s, Oklahoma.

119. Cincinnati, Barrett Carter, lb, Clemson.

120. Tennessee (from Seattle), Gunnar Helm, te, Texas

121. Tampa Bay, David Walker, de, Central Arkansas

122. Carolina (from Denver), Lathan Ransom, s, Ohio State.

123. Pittsburgh, Jack Sawyer, de, Ohio State.

124. Green Bay, Barryn Sorrell, de, Texas

125. L.A. Chargers, Kyle Kennard, de, South Carolina.

126. Cleveland (from MIN through JAX), Dylan Sampson, rb, Tennessee.

SANDERS

Continued from page 1C

love of the game is still the same. When you get on the ﬁeld, it wasn’t too much negativity being said. I know I’ve got to clean up some things in my game for me to be at my best, but that’s why I take each offseason one at a time and ﬁx it. So I think that was just outside of football getting in the way but therefore I have an opportunity now Then we’re about to get on grass really soon.”

Three team ofﬁcials told The Associated Press on Friday they had ﬁrst-round grades on Sanders. Another team executive said he gave him a second-round grade. All four had starting QBs. Broncos coach Sean Payton and Patriots personnel boss Eliot Wolf both said it was “surprising” to see Sanders drop that far Payton watched his pro day and said Sanders was “outstanding.” Titans general Mike Borgonzi praised him So did Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, though Pittsburgh kept passing him and wound up with Will Howard in the sixth round. So what caused Sanders’ unprecedented slide? The knocks against Sanders’ football skills

194. Jacksonville (from Seattle), Jalen McLeod, lb, Auburn.

195. Chicago (from PIT through LAR), Luke Newman, g, Michigan State.

196. Detroit (from Tampa Bay), Ahmed Hassanein, de, Boise State.

197. Houston (from Denver), Graham Mertz, qb, Florida.

198. Green Bay, Warren Brinson, dt, Georgia.

199. L.A. Chargers, Branson Taylor, ot, Pittsburgh.

200. Jacksonville (from MIN through CLE), Rayuan Lane III, s, Navy

201. Minnesota (from L.A. Rams), Kobe King, lb, Penn State.

202. Minnesota (from HOU through PIT CHI and LAR), Gavin Bartholomew, te, Pitt.

203. Baltimore, LaJohntay Wester, wr, Colorado.

204. Dallas (from DET through CLE and BUF), Ajani Cornelius, ot, Oregon.

205. Washington, Kain Medrano, lb, UCLA.

206. Buffalo, Chase Lundt, ot, UConn.

207. Philadelphia (from KC through NYJ), Cameron Williams, ot, Texas.

208. Carolina (from PHI through DEN), Jimmy Horn Jr., wr, Colorado. Seventh Round

217. Dallas (from TEN through NE), Jay Toia, dt, UCLA.

218. Atlanta (from CLE through LAC), Jack Nelson, ot, Wisconsin.

219. N.Y. Giants, Thomas Fidone II, te, Nebraska.

220. New England, Marcus Bryant, ot, Missouri.

221. Jacksonville, Jonah Monheim, c, Southern Cal.

222. Las Vegas, Cody Lindenberg, lb, Minnesota.

223. Seattle (from NO through PHI and PIT), Damien Martinez, rb, Miami.

224. Houston (from CHI through MIA), Kyonte Hamilton, dt, Rutgers.

225. Arizona (from NYJ through KC), Kitan Crawford, s, Nevada.

226. Pittsburgh (from CAR through KC), Carson Bruener lb, Washington.

227. San Francisco, Kurtis Rourke, qb, Indiana.

228. Kansas City (from DAL through DET and NE), Brashard Smith, rb, SMU

229. Pittsburgh (from ATL through PHI), Donte Kent, cb, Central Michigan.

230. Detroit (from ARI through CAR and DEN), Dan Jackson, s, Georgia.

231. Miami, Quinn Ewers, qb, Texas.

232. Indianapolis, Hunter Wohler, s, Wisconsin.

233. Chicago (from Cincinnati), Kyle Monangai, rb Rutgers.

234. Seattle, Mason Richman, ot, Iowa

235. Tampa Bay, Tez Johnson, wr, Oregon.

236. Jacksonville (from DEN via PHI, WAS and HOU), LeQuint Allen, rb, Syracuse.

237. Green Bay (from Pittsburgh), Micah Robinson, db, Tulane. 238. Seattle (from LAC through NE), Ricky White III, wr, UNLV 239. Dallas (from GB through TEN), Phil Mafah, rb Clemson.

240. Buffalo (from MIN through CLE and CHI), Kaden Prather, wr, Maryland. 241. Denver (from Houston), Caleb Lohner, te, Utah.

242. L.A. Rams (from LAR through ATL), Konata Mumpﬁeld, wr Pittsburgh 243. Baltimore, Garrett Dellinger, g, LSU 244. Detroit, Dominic Lovett, wr, Georgia. 245. Washington, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, rb, Arizona.

246. N.Y. Giants (from Buffalo), Korie Black, cb, Oklahoma State. 247. Dallas (from KC through CAR), Tommy Akingbesote, dt, Maryland. 248. New Orleans (from PHI thorugh WAS), Moliki Matavao, te, UCLA.

are that he takes too many sacks, isn’t athletic enough and doesn’t have great arm strength

Louis Riddick, an ESPN analyst who was a director of pro personnel with Philadelphia and Washington, called that “absurd.”

“It’s a personal discussion. It’s whether or not teams are comfortable with everything that comes along with Shedeur in terms of who he is as a person, all the people that are surrounding him in terms of his inner circle and whether or not teams deem that something they’re comfortable with,” Riddick said on Saturday’s broadcast. “Right or wrong, that’s the only conclusion you can come to at this point because, obviously, it’s a subjective argument as to what his actual physical skills are on the football ﬁeld

Sanders, like his “Prime Time” father, oozes conﬁdence that can be misconstrued as arrogance. He probably made more money off name, imagine and likeness deals in college than he will in his rookie contract. His ﬂash and style could rub some folks — maybe old-school assistant coaches the wrong way

But plenty of athletes are conﬁdent, bordering on cocky Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, turned to Tennessee’s coaching staff after an impressive throw at his pro day and said: “I’m solidifying it.”

Cindric gives Team Penske its ﬁrst win of the season

BY JENNA FRYER AP auto racing writer

TALLADEGA,Ala.— Austin Cindric celebrated his ﬁrst win of the season by wearing Talladega’s Superspeedway traditional victory wreath all around the track.

A wreath like he just won the Indianapolis 500. He thought so, too.

“Feels like I just won the Indy 500,” he said of Sunday’s NASCAR race. “I’m trying to walk on the plane with this.”

Cindric wasn’t even concerned how such a gesture might be received by Team Penske teammate Joey Logano, who raged on his radio after the second stage when Cindric didn’t push him and it allowed Bubba Wallace in a Toyota to win the segment and its valuable bonus points.

“Way to go Austin,” seethed Logano, who used multiple expletives in his anger over his Penske radio. “You just gave it to him. Gave a Toyota a stage win

Nice job. Way to go put that in the book.”

Cindric was unconcerned by the idea Logano might take issue with the wreath on the Penske plane.

“I think that would be very immature,” Cindrick said. “I don’t see him doing that. We’ll see.”

It was a celebratory day for Cindric, who gave Team Penske its ﬁrst NASCAR victory of the season by holding off a huge pack of challengers over the closing lap in a rare drama-free day at Talladega Superspeedway

“Rock on, guys,” Cindric said over his radio “Rock and roll. Let’s go!” Cindric was followed by Ryan Preece as Ford drivers went 1-2. Kyle Larson and William Byron finished third and fourth for Hendrick Motorsports, but the two Chevrolet drivers pushed Cindric and Preece from the second row rather than pull out of line on the ﬁnal lap and make a third lane in an attempt to win.

It was Larson’s best career finish at Talladega, where drafting and pack racing is required and neither suits his style. He said he wanted to make a move to try to take the win from Cindric but there was never any room.

“I wanted to take it but I felt like the gap was too big,” Larson said. “I was just stuck inside and just doing everything I could to advance our lane and maybe open it up to where I then could get to the outside. But we were all just pushing so equally that it kept the lanes jammed up.” Logano was ﬁfth and followed by Noah Gragson for two more Ford cars, while Hendrick driver Chase Elliott was seventh two spots ahead of teammate Alex Bowman, with Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports sandwiched in between at eighth. Wallace at 10th was the highest-ﬁnishing Toyota driver

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA The Atlanta Falcons said Sunday that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s son was responsible for a prank call made to NFL draft pick Shedeur Sanders.

The Falcons released a statement saying 21-yearold Jax Ulbrich “unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent’s home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call.”

Though Jax Ulbrich provided the number, he was sitting beside an unidentified friend who actually made the call to

Sanders. The Falcons said Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or the prank until after the fact. They offered “sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family” in their statement, and Jax Ulbrich also posted a public apology on social media.

Sanders, a standout quarterback from Colorado, is the son of Buffaloes coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who began his NFL career with the Falcons. Shedeur Sanders was perhaps the draft’s biggest story as he had to wait until the ﬁfth round on Saturday before being drafted by the Cleveland Browns. He received a prank call

on Friday night, the second day of the draft, while waiting. In the call, Jax Ulbrich’s friend identiﬁed himself as New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and told Sanders he had been drafted by the Saints before ending the call.

“It didn’t really have no impact on me because it was just like, OK. I don’t feed into negativity or I don’t feed into that stuff,” Sanders said Saturday after being drafted. “... This is what it is. I think, of course, it’s childish, of course I feel like it was a childish act, but everybody do childish things here and there.” Jax Ulbrich apologized to Sanders on Sunday for what he called “a tremendous mistake.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BUTCH DILL NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday in Talladega, Ala.

ZURICHCLASSIC

PHOTO By GERALDHERBERT

Novak, Griffinwrite their owngreat storyinwin

When Rory McIlroy won the Masters two weeks ago, everyone not related to Justin Rose was rooting for the man. For thestory

rich can carry the same or more weight for aNovak or aGrifﬁn.

Powerissuespullplug on earlyTVcoverage

BY JEFF DUNCAN and SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writers

If you thought you were watching the Zurich Classiclive early Sunday afternoon, onlytorealizethe telecastwas from2024, you’re not alone. TheCBS broadcast lost its signalfor acoupleofhours dueto “technical difﬁculties,” tournament officials said. Fore!Kids Foundation CEO Steve Worthy, thetournament director,saida breakdown of theon-sitegenerator caused the problem.

CBSshowed areplay of last year’sZurichClassicduring thepower outage, which overlappedwitha 90-minute weather delay. The problem wasﬁxed and the live broadcast restored when play resumed after the weather delay at 4:15 p.m

“It’s unfortunate, but things sometimes happen,” Worthy said. Bigcrowdsleadtorecordsales

More than 37,000 fans attended the third round of thetournamentSaturday,a single-day attendance record, Worthy said.

LSU’sEnglish Tiger

Former LSU golfer Ben Taylor got into the Zurich Classic on asponsor’sexemption, allowing him to pair up with friend and fellow Englishman David Skinns

The duo started the ﬁnal round in atie for14th, but acold round with the putter on awarm Sunday led to a1-over 73 and an eventual tie for26th at 19-under “Itwasn’tour day,” said Taylor, whoisprimarily competingon the KornFerry Tour this season. “But we hadmore fun than we’ve hadina golf tournamentina long time.”

This year marks the10th anniversary of the LSU men’sgolf team’s mostrecent NCAA championship. Taylor, now32, made the clinching putts forthe Tigers against Georgia in the semiﬁnal andagainst Southern California in the championship ﬁnal. Findingthe range

TheZurichClassic was the third of six PGATour events this season where players are being allowedtouse mechanical rangeﬁnders.

For history The great, sometimes tortured champion,capturing the one major victory missing from his Hall of Fame resume. The one that made him an ultra-legendin professional golf as the sixth man to complete thecareer grand slam. This week, McIlroy and fellow Irishman Shane Lowrycame back to New Orleans to defend their title in the Zurich Classic, something no one was certain the green-jacketed McIlroywould do.Considering the spotlightMcIlroy’sfirst post-Masters appearance put on the tournamentand NewOrleans, it would have been great for the event and the city if McIlroy and Lowrywon again If they would be sure to return again to play in 2026. But that wasn’ttruly thebest story this week. McIlroy and Lowry weren’tthe men who needed a victory most. There were names, eager,perhaps desperate names, up and down the leaderboard who needed thisone much more. Twoofthem belonged toAndrew Novak and Ben Griffin. Both tasted the gourmet delights of New Orleans this week, but neither had tasted aPGA Tour win. Novak, coming off asuddendeath playoff loss last week at the RBC Heritage,was 0-for-99 on Tour.Griffin was 0-for-89. Winning amajor like theMasters can be life changing and career altering for aMcIlroy. Winning atournament like theZu-

Victory gives both$1.329 million in prize money,400 FedEx Cup points toward theseason-long tourchampionship, put bothin next month’sPGA Championship andgranted them entrée into the tour’sremainingthree signature (or elevated)events. They’re also nowassured aplace on the PGA Tour through the2027 season. That means nomore worrying aboutwhether aslump or awater ball or amaddeningthree-putt will see them relegated off the Tour like the woeful Southampton Saintsinthe Premier League (ech).

Winning means status. Security. Confidence Novak had been taking definite steps toward the winner’spodium. Third the week before the Masters in the Texas Open. Second to Justin Thomas in that playoff at theHeritage. The key,hesaid, was not allowinghimselftobe upsetbynot quite getting across thefinish line.

“I’ve doneagood job not getting overly frustrated with theclose shaves,” he said. “I want to get better each time. It is frustrating, but nice knowing you’re playing well, Ben’s been playing good golf, andthisisthe perfect golf course forus.”

Griffin’sstory is Hollywood script material, or at least worthy of an episodeonNetflix’s“Full Swing.” He droppedout of professional golf several years ago. Professional golferspay their own expenses to travel the world chasingaball, and Griffin had become unwilling to endure the stress of just scratching out an existence on tourwhile his debts mounted. He became amortgage loan officer back homeinNorth

Carolina until his desire and love for thegame found him once more. Grifﬁn restarted his golf career in 2021.

“I knew he would bounce back,” Novak said.

Winning requires good fortune, and the Novak-Grifﬁn team certainly had some. Playing the alternateshot format Sunday,Novak’s iron shot approach on the par-4 16th nearly went in the greenside pond. Butitstayed dry,allowing them to escape with acritical par tied with playing partners Jake Knapp and Frankie Capan at 27-under par

The same pond menaces the left side of the par-3 17th green. Capan’stee shot found awatery grave there, while Novak’stee shot came to rest on the back of thegreen nearly 35 feet from thepin. Griffin stepped up and drained thebiggest putt of his life for birdie, giving them atwostroke edge going to 18 as Capan and Knapp made bogey “I’m super proud of Andrew’s execution on that tee shot,” said Griffin, who wears sunglasses when playing to counter the distracting “floaters” that hamper his vision (if you’re not old enough to have floaters yet, just wait). “You have to stay aggressive on the PGA Tour until that last putt is holed.”

Nicolai and RasmusHojgaard madebirdie ahead at the par-5 18th, meaning Novak and Grifﬁn had to at least make par to avoid a playoff. They did. The rest is career-altering history,astorywith ahappy ending for the winners.

In theend, isn’tthat really all that counts?

For more LSU sportsupdates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

The massive crowd helpedthe tournament set asingle-day record for concession sales on Saturday,aswell. Both numbers wouldhave been even larger,but the crowd thinned considerably after a 90-minute rain delay in the afternoon.

Attendance on the first two days of the tournamentwere also larger thana year ago, Worthy said. Friday’sattendance topped 29,000.

“Wecontinue to grow,” Worthy said. “We’vehad alot of people out this week –big crowds. We’ve converted what Ifeel like is now avery nice core audience. We appreciate the support and are very happy.”

The rules experimentstarted last week with the RBC Heritage in SouthCarolinaand theCorales PuntacanaChampionship in the Dominican Republic.Rangeﬁnders will also be allowed at the tour’snextthree events: theCJ Cup ByronNelson outside Dallas, the Truist Championship in Philadelphia and the ONEﬂight Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina The PGAChampionship, May1518 in Charlotte, North Carolina, already was going to allow them.

The experimentistosee if rangefinders, devices through which players can measure their distance to the hole, will help speed up play

hold to take ajob as aloan ofﬁcer in the mortgage industry.Hereturned to competition six months later,and eventually graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour,where he’sbeen aregular competitor for the last three years.

“For both Andrew and I, it felt like it was only amatter of time outhere,” Griffinsaid. “Just alot of hard work between bothofus, and for me personally,itmeansthe world to finally get it paid off or to finally get it done. Icouldn’tthink of abetterguy to getitdone with, right here with Andrew Griffin’s34-foot putt on the 183yard, par-3 No. 17 was essentially the clincher.The birdie came after Novak’stee shot flirted with the water along the back of the green before stopping justoff the green. Griffin’sputt slipped in the right side of the cup, giving Novak and Griffinatwo-stroke lead over Frankie CapanIII andJakeKnapp who bogeyed the hole when Capan’s tee shot landed in thelaketo the left of the green.

“Thattee shot is not easy with the wind off the right, after just seeing Frankie do what he did,”

Grifﬁnsaid. “It was awesome to see (Novak’stee shot) stay on land and was an awesome moment for both of us when Igot it down. That definitely changed themomentum.”

AddedNovak: “That’s really a hole where you’re just lookingto make 3and go to (holeNo.) 18,” Novak said. “But Ben had adifferent idea.”

In additiontothe contentious ﬁeld of 36 teams,Novak and Grifﬁn also hadtoovercome aweather delaythat interruptedplayfor 90 minutesmidway through the round. It neverrainedduring the break,and when playresumed at 4:15 p.m.,the greens hadbaked underthe unrelenting Louisiana sun, making them incredibly fast. “It almost really was adifferent

“For both Andrew and I, it felt likeitwas only amatter of time outhere. Just alot of hardwork between both of us, and for me personally,itmeans the world to finally getitpaid off or to finally getitdone. I couldn’tthink of abetterguy to getitdone with,right here with Andrew.”

BEN GRIFFIN, on winning the Zurich Classic

golf course when we went back out there,” Novak said. “A lot of ﬁrmer bounces basically.After the delay, pars were apretty good score. Thereprobably weren’taton of birdiesbeing made after we went back out ” TheHojgaards,a pair of Danish identical twins, earned $542,800 each for their second-place ﬁnish.

It was the secondrunner-up finishfor Nicolai in his nascent PGA Tour career Knapp and Capan, whowere tied for the lead formuchofthe ﬁnal round, settled forthird place at 26-under after the bog on No. 17.

“Itwas atough ﬁnish, but it was

agreat week,” Capan said. “Felt like Jake really played unbelievable.Itwas really fun to be by his side.”

It wasn’tLowryand McIlroy’s day.After charging into contention during Saturday’sbest-ball play, the Irishtandem neverreally got on track in theﬁnal round. They carded acouple of birdies on the front nine, but bogeyed Nos. 13, 15 and 17 to slip from contention down the stretch. Theyﬁnishedsix shots back at 22-under

“I’ve been enjoying myself too much, but it’snice,” Lowry said. “I think we playedall right to start today.Wedidn’tget anything to really happen for us. Everything that couldgowrong went wrong. But Ihad agreat week. I’m happymy man came here this week and we had agreat time.”

McIlroy said he plans to return to his home in Florida for aweek of practice before rejoining the tour at theTrust Championshipin Philadelphia May 8-11.

“It’sbeen afun week,”saidMcIlroy,who was making his ﬁrst appearance since winning the Masters on April 13. “I’ve got to take a little bit of time here, reset and try to getsome practicein. I’mlooking forward to getting back out there.”

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT AndrewNovak, left,walks up the 17th green with teammate Ben Griffin duringthe final round of the Zurich Classic on Sunday

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTOByGERALD HERBERT Ben Griffinhitsoff the fourthtee during the fi nal round of the PGA Zurich ClassicatTPC Louisiana in Avondale on Sunday

AndrewNovak,right, embracesteammate Ben Griffi nonthe 18thgreen after theywon the PGAZurichClassic at TPCLouisiana in Avondale on Sunday.

Scott Rabalais

Opportunistic Tulane wins series vs. ECU

Green Wave leadoff batters set table for 7-2 victory

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

With the wind blowing in from right ﬁeld rather than howling out as it was on the two previous days, Tulane and East Carolina played regular baseball rather than gorilla ball on Sunday Advantage, Green Wave, which was much better situationally than the Pirates in every facet of their rubber match at ClarkLeClair Stadium.

Five of the six leadoff batters who reached base scored and Tulane turned two unconventional double plays by throwing out overly aggressive runners at the plate, winning 7-2 while snapping a six-series losing streak at East Carolina since last taking one in 2012.

The Wave, (26-18, 10-8 American Athletic Conference), which pulled into a fourth-place with the Pirates (25-19, 10-8), has beaten the four-time reigning regularseason champions six times in seven meetings dating to the 2023 AAC tournament title game.

This was not a run-rule victory like the ones the teams traded on Friday and Saturday (Tulane won 20-5, then lost 15-5), but it was comprehensive nonetheless. The Wave left only two men on base while stranding nine Pirates runners.

Jason Wachs doubled to the right field corner on the game’s first pitch, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Connor Rasmussen’s sacrifice fly as Tulane set the tone immediately “We didn’t have the huge innings, but the guys kept extending the lead,” coach Jay Uhlman said. “We did everything the game

LSU

Continued from page 1C

than that guy right now.”

The Tigers then scored four runs in the second and another in the fourth to take a 6-2 lead.

All four runs in the second inning came with two outs. First, Curiel slapped a run-scoring double before an intentional walk to junior Jared Jones allowed sophomore Jake Brown to blast a three-run homer into the right ﬁeld seats.

The homer gave LSU a 5-2 lead and was Brown’s fourth blast of the year

“I think we’re just continually seeing a little bit of an ascent, and I would expect to see that,” Johnson said when asked about Brown. “So, like I said, one of the at-bats of the year for our team today.”

Curiel continued his hot streak by driving in the next three LSU runs. He ripped a run-scoring single in the fourth inning and a two-run double in the ﬁfth to hand the Tigers an 8-2 lead.

“I just felt like I got out of my plan, and I just wasn’t sticking to what I like to do (which) is hit the ball in the middle of the ﬁeld,” Curiel said. “I was kind of trying to pull my shoulder And there’s just some mechanic stuff and some mental things that I had to

required.”

Hugh Pinkney doubled to the almost exact same spot leading off the second and scored on a passed ball that skipped off East Carolina catcher Walker Barron’s glove despite sailing over the plate.

When the Pirates had similar situations, they failed miserably Dixon Williams broke home from third base even after Tulane shortstop Kaikea Harrison ﬁelded a one-out grounder and looked his way First baseman Matthias Haas threw him out comfortably with good plate protection from catcher Hugh Pinkney

With the Wave up 5-1 in the sixth, Williams tried to score again from third after Haas caught a foul ball against the wall. Same combination, same result. Haas threw a strike to Pinkney, who applied the tag in time again.

East Carolina coach Cliff Godwin challenged both calls but was unsuccessful — like almost everything else he and the Pirates tried.

Just about all of Tulane coach Jay Uhlman’s decisions worked.

Closer Michael Lombardi started, throwing a season-high 88 pitches while allowing only a line-drive homer in the fourth before leaving in the ﬁfth with a 3-1 lead.

“Michael pitched great,” Uhlman said. “That’s how we scripted it, but he went one more inning than we thought he was probably going to give us.”

Inheriting runners on ﬁrst and second with one out, senior reliever Carter Benbrook (2-0) coaxed an easy grounder and a routine ﬂy ball before throwing two more scoreless innings after being unavailable last weekend because of a lower-back issue.

“In an environment like this, the

two thumbs

after a home run against Tennessee in the ﬁrst inning of their game on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium.

ﬁx coming in today.”

LSU ﬁnished the afternoon with 13 hits, including nine for extra bases. Jones went 2 for 4 with a double, and senior Michael Braswell cracked his second solo home run in as many games in the seventh inning

The Tigers were able to end the game in eighth inning, via the 10run rule, after senior Luis Hernandez ripped a two-run double off the left ﬁeld wall.

“I thought we played what I would call our best character,” Johnson said. “Loose, free, conﬁ-

LSU capitalizes on bad-hop single to edge Florida

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

Sometimes all a struggling team needs is the smallest of breaks, a fortunate bounce. That’s what proved the difference for the No. 10 LSU softball team Sunday at Tiger Park.

Sierra Daniel drove in the winning run with a badhop single to second base to lift the Tigers to a 2-1 victory and even the series with No. 8 Florida.

The Tigers (38-11, 10-10 in SEC) by no means lucked out. They positioned themselves for the win with brilliant pitching, strong defense and a ﬁerce response to a 14-4 mercy rule loss the day before.

Sydney Berzon shackled the powerful Gators offense on two hits while Daniel and the defense came up with big plays for a team that had lost seven of its past eight conference games. Berzon herself rebounded from some rocky performances in a two-week swing through Texas.

other Tigers run, and Florida tied it with a run in the ﬁfth on Kendra Falby’s double.

McKenzie Redoutey started the winning rally with a leadoff single and pinch runner McKaela Walker was sacriﬁced to second by Avery Hodge. Walker moved to third on a grounder by Maddox McKee, bringing Daniel, the No. 9 hitter, to the plate.

Daniel hit a routine grounder right to second baseman Mia Williams and the ball came up on her at the last minute, deﬂecting into the outﬁeld as Walker crossed the plate.

“Right before the at-bat, Danieca (Coffey) told me ‘Believe in yourself! Believe in yourself!’ ” said Daniel, who made a leaping catch of a line drive at second base to take a hit away from Jocelyn Erickson. “Having someone like that like that behind me meant everything in the world. I knew I could go up there and be free.

“Losses always sting. We just wanted to come out today and ﬂush it. Our motto today was ‘We’re one swing away from where we want to be.’ ”

older guys who have been through those feelings are well-versed in those,” Uhlman said. “You knew the moment wasn’t going to be too big for him.”

Tulane added a third run in the fifth in familiar fashion. James Agabedis led off with a single, chasing ECU starter Sean Jenkins (3-4), and scored on a wild pitch from reliever Jake Hunter to make it 3-1.

Freshman Tanner Chun sent a high fastball over the wall in left field for a two-run blast that padded the lead to 5-1 in the sixth His team-leading eighth homer was his lone hit of the weekend. Rasmussen, who transferred from East Carolina after 2023, provided more insurance with an opposite-field two-run homer in the eighth, capping off a triumphant return to his old park. He scored five runs and had five RBIs in three games.

Will Clements pitched the eighth for Tulane, getting a double-play grounder and an inning-inning strikeout with a nasty breaking ball. When a pair of hits put runners on second and third with no outs in the ninth, Tayler Montiel, who allowed six runs in the fourth inning on Saturday as the Wave lost an early lead, took the mound and ﬁnished off the Pirates.

Bouncing back from that rare bad outing, he had not trouble protecting a six-run lead this time, retiring three straight while a meaningless run scored.

“He wanted redemption,” Uhlman said. “He came up to me right before the game and said I’m available, put me on the list. It’s hard to tell a guy he’s not going to pitch when he wants the ball.”

dent, aggressive with a good plan.”

Earning his ﬁrst career start on Sunday for LSU was freshman right-hander Casan Evans. In six innings, the Texas native allowed six hits, recorded six strikeouts, walked nobody and allowed just two hitters to reach base after the ﬁrst. He also tossed a career-high 85 pitches.

“I knew I wasn’t going to go very high, like 100 or over but I felt great,” Evans said. “Honestly, I told coach Johnson that I wanted to go back out there for the seventh.”

The first inning was Evans’ only rocky one. He allowed three singles and a double as Tennessee (35-9, 13-8) took an early 2-0 lead.

“They had a pitch they knew was coming, the second RBI, and we got that ﬁxed,” Johnson said.

“It was a very odd situation, how that happened. We were able to get out of that with (just) a two was a big deal because there was two guys in scoring position.” Junior right-hander Zac Cowan replaced Evans in the seventh inning and tossed two scoreless innings to ﬁnish off the victory LSU faces Southeastern Louisiana in the ﬁnal game of its ninegame homestand on Tuesday First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+.

“I can’t say enough about Syd Berzon and her performance,” LSU coach Beth Torina said It felt like the Syd we have all come to know and appreciate. She’s worked really hard to get back to this spot. A lot of things that happen when the lights are off prepared her for this moment. She’s fought through a bunch of stuff, and she’s out there doing her best every time. It was an incredible performance by her, our defense and team as a whole.

“Our team has a never-quit factor in them. They’ve had guts all year There’s never been a time I felt this team was out of any ballgame, maybe yesterday for the ﬁrst time in a long time. They’re very tough. I wasn’t surprised to see them bounce back.”

Tori Edwards hit her 18th home run in the fourth inning for the

Berzon (16-5) gave up 18 runs in five appearances at Texas A&M and Texas while being saddled with three losses. She said she used the extra time because the series started on Saturday to make some minor adjustments. She struck out four and walked four while allowing only one runner past second base.

“My good pitches were working pretty well,” Berzon said. “I was working through some stuff, and we were able to capitalize on the time in the bullpen. It showed today (I made some) little tweaks, can’t make anything too major this late in the season.

“It was a fantastic response from yesterday to play for the seniors we’re honoring this weekend. It was awesome the way we ﬁnished the game.”

Arizona’s Suárez

becomes 19th player to hit 4 HRs in game

BY DAVID BRANDT AP baseball writer

PHOENIX Arizona Diamondbacks

slugger Eugenio Suárez has had an all-or-nothing type of season.

If’s safe to say that his performance Saturday night falls squarely into the “all” category

Suárez became the 19th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four homers in a single game, accomplishing the feat in an 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. The third baseman is the ﬁrst player in the big leagues to do it since J.D. Martinez — also for the D-backs — in 2017.

“What can I say obviously it’s awesome,” Suárez said. “I never thought in my life that I would be able to hit four homers in a game.”

Suárez came into the game batting .167 with six homers and 15 RBIs.

The 33-year-old Suárez hit a solo shot in the second, a two-run homer in the fourth and two more solo homers in the sixth and the ninth to ﬁnish with ﬁve RBIs. His fourth

homer off Braves closer Raisel Iglesias tied it at 7 as the home crowd of more than 43,000 at Chase Field roared in disbelief.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo admitted he couldn’t believe Suárez had done it again.

“I thought there’s no way he goes deep. When does that happen?” Lovullo said. “It’s like a fairy tale. When it happened, I just was shaking my head. I couldn’t believe it. He turned around a pretty good pitch. It’s one of those magical nights. It’s hard to describe.” The four baseballs traveled a combined 1,655 feet, with the longest being a 443-foot shot to center for his third homer The ﬁrst three homers came off Grant Holmes.

The Braves rallied in the 10th to win after Matt Olson scored on a wild pitch.

“Mixed feelings right now because we didn’t win the game,” Suarez said. “But this is baseball, that’s why this game is so special. I just want to glorify God with this for the game today It’s a gift and I don’t take it for granted.”

Gausman ejected after nightmare third inning

By The Associated Press

York Yankees — the most by any pitcher in an inning in three years — and getting just two outs, the exLSU standout delivered a message to plate umpire Chris Conroy

“As I was coming off the mound, I kind of let him know I was going to go watch his bad umpiring inside,” Gausman said following an 11-2 loss. “There was probably at least three pitches that inning that I know were strikes,” he said.

“The more frustrating thing was watching kind of what (Yankees pitcher Max) Freed was getting.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU left ﬁelder Derek Curiel gives his teammates

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Softball

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane’s Jason Wachs takes a swing against UNO on March 25 at Maesri Field. Wachs went 1 for 4 with a double in the Wave’s 7-2 road win over East Carolina on Sunday.

LIVING

What wasitlikeonthe Titanic? Virtual realityexhibit recreatesthe fatefultrip

VOYAGE INTO HISTORY

BY DOUGMacCASH Staff writer

After more than acentury, theTitanic tragedyremains amagnet for our imaginations.

On April 12, 1912, the reputedly unsinkable British ocean liner rammed aniceberg and sank on her maiden voyage. Thecatastrophe cost the lives of 1,500 of the ship’s2,200 passengers and crewmembers, who drowned in theicy waters of the northAtlantic.

New Orleanians canplay the role of passengersonthe doomed ship, as they experience the high-techattraction titled “Titanic:AnImmersive Voyage,” at the former Scottish Rite Temple on CarondeletStreet. In amarvelous emotional hook, visitorstothe attraction are randomly issued boardingpasses with the names of actual Titanic passengers. At theend ofthe multipart production,theyfindout if they survived or not.

During thedrama

The centerpiece of the experience is a360-degree video projection that takes place in the auditorium of the old meetinghall. Audience members watch the taleofthe Titanicunfold whileseated in au-

The‘Titanic: An ImmersiveVoyage’ includes relics related to the tragedy, including these ornamental metal signs that once marked an HMS Titanic lifeboat.

thentic lifeboats or ﬂoating debris.

The digitally animated presentation, whichlasts roughly30minutes, is adocumentary of theTitanic’sbrief history —plus ahaunting love storyinvolving Liam,a coal shoveler in the boilerroom, and an alluring female passenger,presented as asort of ballet. No, it is not arepeat of the steamy Leonardo DiCaprioand Kate Winsletromance in the1997 movie “Titanic.”

The animated sequences, including the building of the greatvessel, the ﬂooding of the engine room, and the eerily calm sinking, are enthralling. The experience lends newmeaning to the term immersive.Though the projection doesn’t

always perfectly match the architecture of the room

The wraparound projection is augmented with an exhibitofenlarged photos and actual artifacts relating to theTitanic. The elegant tableware, ornamental wooden carvings and other memorabilia illustrate the utter luxury afforded to bothﬁrst-class passengers and even the less-wealthy immigrant class seeking new lives in the United States. Perhaps themostchillingofthe historical relics areanantique photo of the iceberg thatdestroyed the great ship, and the ornamental metal signage from aTitaniclifeboat that, presumably,carried passengers to safety.

Goingdownwiththe ship In 1985, the wreck of the Titanic was found on the ocean floor,2.5 miles beneaththe surface. For an extra charge, “Titanic: An Immersive Voyage,” audiencemembers may donvirtualreality gogglestotakean eerie dive to adigital videoversion of the deeply submerged site. The virtual reality part of the attraction may be themost memorable. It tricksyour mindintobelievingthat youare descending.And

Publishers seesurging interest in U.S. Constitution

BY HILLELITALIE AP national writer

NEW YORK When Random

HousePublisher Andrew Ward

metrecently with staffeditors to discusspotential book projects, conversation inevitably turned to current events.

“It seemed obvious that we needed to look back to the country’score documents,” Ward said. “And that we wanted to get them out quickly.”

On Wednesday,Random

House announced that it would publish ahardcover book in July combining the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution,followed in November by ahardcover edition of the Federalist Papers. Both books include introductions by Pulitzer Prize-winning historianJon Meacham,who haswritten biographies of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson among others.

HowdoI managemyfeelingsover caring foraformerly abusive parent who nowhas Alzheimer’s?

Many children struggle with caregiving decisions regarding aparent or parents with whom they have had complicated relationships, especially if they were physically,emotionally or sexually abused.

Most families can claim some dysfunctionality as they have secrets, disagreements and struggles, but abusive environments should never be considered normal or irreverent. Longstanding wounds from childhood can carry over into adulthood, making relationships with parents tenuous at best and very uncomfortable. It is such an untenable position for achild to be placed in asituation in which they must manage the care, especially to join the arduous journey of Alzheimer’s disease with that parent.

According to astudy presented in the August 2015 volume of The Gerontologist by Jooyoung Kong, MSW and Sara M. Moorman, Ph.D., children who were abused are more vulnerable to depression whentending to their abusive parents. Hiding or ignoring memories and feelings —and the many physical, mental and emotional complications they can trigger and aggravate —can cause great stress, anxiety and depression.

The study also indicated that caregivers with ahistory of maltreatment should be aware

ä See ABUSE, page 2D

It’sbeen 50 years, but some people still don’t think it’s safe to go back in thewater

The blockbuster 1975 movie “Jaws,”about amonster greatwhite shark that terrorizes aNew England beach town, marks ahalf-century thissummer.yet for manypeople, the horror feelsasrecent as thelast time theynervouslystepped into the surf.

A1776 broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence is displayed at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphiain 2019. WHAT MEMORIES lurk beneath FORyOU,READER?

We’retaking alook at this cultural phenomenon, and we want to hear from you. For example, wherewereyou when you first saw“Jaws”? Howmanytimes have youseen it since?Did it changeyour life, and if so how? Whydoyou think “Jaws”has had such alasting effect on thepublic, including sequels, more attention to sharks and subsequent hitslike “Shark Week” and “Sharknado”? Email us at holidays@ theadvocate.com.We’ll include someresponses in astoryabout the movieand its long-lasting impact. Include your nameand town,and (not forpublication) a daytime phone number

STAFF PHOTOSByDOUGMacCASH

The audienceisseated in lifeboatsand atop floating debris during the newhigh-tech attraction ‘Titanic:An ImmersiveVoyage.

ä See TITANIC, page 2D

Melanoma highly treatablewhencaughtearly

Dear Doctors: My sister-in-law is 82 years old and was recently diagnosedwithmelanoma.She has an appointment for treatmentin acouple of weeks. Ithought this was aserious and deadly disease. Can apatient wait long periods of time before treatment? Iam surprised by the lack of alarm in this case. Dear reader: Youare correctthat melanoma, which is aformofskin cancer,ispotentiallydeadly.This is due to how quickly this cancer grows and how aggressively it can spread. Althoughmelanoma accounts for just 1% of all skin cancers,itcauses the majority of deaths from skin cancer.The good news is that, when it is caught early,melanoma is highly treatable

The data show that the ﬁve-year survival rate in people with local-

Dr.Elizabeth Ko

Dr.Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

ized disease, which has not spread to nearby lymph nodes, is 99%. Forthose who are not familiar,melanoma develops in cells known asmelanocytes. These are specialized cells that produce abrown pigment known as melanin. Melanocytes arefound in several areas throughout the body.Thisincludesthe skin, hair follicles and theiris of the eye, where they contribute to color-

ation. Melanocytes can also grow in clusters, forming moles that can appear anywhere on the body The majority of moles are benign. However,asmall percentage can develop cancerous cells. When melanoma is suspected, somethingknown as an excision biopsy is performed. This is the surgical removal of thecancerous area, along with amargin of surrounding tissue. It is possible, when alesion is too large or is poorly situated, that just aportion of the tissue will be removed. If it appears that the melanoma has begun to metastasize, or spread, atest of thecells in the nearby lymph nodes, known as ﬁne-needle aspiration, will also be performed. The tissues that have been collected are then sent to a lab to be examined by apatholo-

Usingbakingsodaonyourteeth

Dear Heloise: Awonderful way to clean stubborn coffee residue from pots, cups, and even your teeth is baking soda. Make apaste of baking soda and water,then rub it right off! Also, adding a little baking soda on your toothbrush will keep your teeth sparkling. The reason that this works is because coffee residue is acidic, while baking soda is alkaline and therefore

gist under amicroscope. To know if the speed at which your sister-in-law is being treated is appropriate, information about staging is needed. This is asystem used to identifythe severity of the disease. For melanoma, stages indicate thedepth to which the cancer has penetrated theskin, whether it has spread beyond the original site and, if so, how far it has spread. Staging begins with “melanoma in situ,” or Stage 0. This is cancer that is conﬁned to the topmost layer of theskin. It escalates to Stage 4, which is disease that has spread to distant areas of thebody For melanoma in situ, treatment consists of the excision biopsy used to diagnose the condition, which completely removes the diseased tissue. If the cancer has

penetrated deeper layers of skin, afollow-up excision, along with the removal and examination of nearby lymph nodes, is likely to be scheduled. With metastatic disease, radiation, chemotherapy or immunotherapy are typically recommended.

If you are concerned that your sister-in-law is not receiving speedy care, urge her to gather her medical records and seek out asecond opinion from adermatologist or oncologist with aspecialty in melanoma.

Sendyour questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla edu, or write: Ask theDoctors, c/oUCLA HealthSciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd.,Suite1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Hints from Heloise

neutralizes the stain. —J.H., in Helena, Montana J.H., baking soda has always been afavorite cleanser here at Heloise Central. It hasso many uses and is safe to useonanumber of surfaces. However, it can be abrasive on tooth enamel, so please do not use it on your teeth every day Maybe once every other month or even once every six months. Remember,your teeth need to last a

lifetime. —Heloise Pest reminder

Dear Readers: Flea andtick season is here already, and it can make your dog or cat feel miserable. Ask your vet what they recommendtokeep these tiny pestsaway from your pets in your yard and home. Remember that ticks can carry some very nasty diseases. —Heloise

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

The newhigh-tech attraction ‘Titanic:AnImmersive Voyage’isboth adocumentaryofthe iconic 1912 shipwreck and alove story.

TITANIC

Continued from page1D

when the animated deck of the ship suddenly shifts and cargo begins to slide, you instinctively tense your legs to regain your balance. Though, of course, you remain on solid ground.

The new Titanic attraction is presented by Exhibition Hub, the same company that presented immersive experiences devoted to the artists Vincent VanGogh and Claude Monet. Zaller said thatthe company’sprevious art-oriented attractions have beenwell received in New Orleans, and he hopes that “Titanic:

ABUSE

Continued from page1D

of the risk they are taking, in that they themselves may be prone to become the abuser who perpetuates atragic, damaging cycle. Setting clear boundaries, calling on others to help and recognizing when it is time to let someone elsebe the front-line caregiver,either temporarily or permanently,are all ways to stop the cycle of abuse It’simportant to get support and talk with others about personal feelings and what you are experiencing in caregiving. Morethan likely,accepting the past and getting over the hurt and resentment has been difﬁcult as you take on managing the day-to-day care of your parent. The wounded-child-turned-adult caregiver who is carrying

An ImmersiveVoyage” will also draw crowds.Hesaid he’d like to see the attraction continueinto the summer, butits durationwill be determined by its popularity. He predicts success, he said, because the fateofthe Titanic remains a“powerful, powerful story that continuestocapture us.”

ExhibitionHub Executive Producer John Zaller said there’s not much of aNew Orleans connection in the history of the Titanic.Anunscrupulouscard sharp who was on theship’smaiden voyage mayhave once been arrested in New Orleans, he said. But that’sabout it

Allaboard!

Based onthe “Titanic: An

guilt from notwanting to takecare of theabusive parent orwho faces additional distress fromrelivingpastexperiences may needtoconsider some professional counselingbefore assumingthe role of afulltime caregiver Some children of abusive parents are pressured into caregiving because of society’sexpectations that they are responsible for their parents’ care. Understand thatyou always have options,and that it is no shame to ﬁnd peace and step aside. Outsourcing the parent’s care may be an option to consider as there are numerous health care providers that are available for contracting. Appointinga legalguardian could be another possibility but keep in mind your parent would have to be legally proven incompetent for guardianship to be granted. All caregivers should prioritize self-care, so make

Immersive Voyage” website, Ticket prices vary with theday,from$27.90 to $31.90 foradults, with reduced prices for children, seniors, studentsand members of themilitary.VIP tickets are higher Admission timesare from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 7:30p.m.onweekends. The attraction is closed Tuesdays. The former Scottish Rite Temple is located at 619 Carondelet St. For timed tickets and details, visit the “Titanic: An Immersive Voyage” website. Tickets are available through June 2.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

sure you set aside timefor tending to your physical and mental health and wellbeing. Though past damage cannot be ﬁxed quickly,and somethings are simply unforgivable, perhaps you can makeyour way to forgiving your parent and move forward to ahealthier relationship. Beingaware that your parent is ahuman being with ﬂaws and imperfectionsdoesn’tnegate what he or she did by any means; however,itmight help you on the road to acceptance, healing and adeeper understanding of their personhood and history

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts“The Memory Whisperer.” Emailher at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

Today is Monday, April 28, the 118th day of 2025. There are 247 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 28, 2004, the world ﬁrst viewed images of prisoner abuse and torture by U.S. troops at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, via areport broadcast on the CBS television news program “60 Minutes II.”

On this date:

In 1789, mutineers led by Fletcher Christian took control of the ship HMS Bountythree weeks after departing Tahiti, setting theship’scaptain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and 18 other crew members adrift in the Paciﬁc Ocean.

In 1945, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress,Clara Petacci, were executed by Italian partisans after attempting to ﬂee thecountry

In 1947, asix-man expedition led by Norwegian

CONSTITUTION

Continuedfrom page1D

TheRandomHouse volumes,released through its ModernLibraryimprint, will join aproliﬁc market that has surged in recent months. According to Circana, which tracksaround 85% of the print retail market,editions of the DeclarationofIndependence, the Federalist Papers and the U.S.Constitution areselling at theirfastest pace since Circana began compiling numbers in 2004. Around 162,000 combined copieshavesoldthrough mid-April, compared to 58,000 during the same time period theyear before andaround33,000in2023. Sales were around 92,000 in theearly months of Trump’sﬁrst term, in 2017, more than double thepace of 2016.

Brenna Connor,abook industry analyst forCircana, said the jump “islikely in response to the recent change of administration”

Thor Heyerdahl set out from Peru aboard abalsa wood raftnamed the KonTiki on a101-day,4,300mile journey across the Paciﬁc Ocean to the Polynesian Islands.

In 1967, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali wasstripped of his WBA title after he refused to be inducted into the armed forces.

In 1994, former CIAofﬁcial Aldrich Ames, who had passed U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and then Russia, pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

In 2001, aRussian rocket lifted off from Central Asia carrying the ﬁrst space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and two cosmonauts on a journey to the International Space Station.

In 2011, convictedsex offender Phillip Garrido andhis wife,Nancy Garrido,pleaded guilty to

andcited increased interest in other books about democracy and government, among them Timothy Snyder’s“On Tyranny” and the Michael Lewis-edited “Who Is Government?” acollection of essays about civil servants by Dave Eggers, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowelland others.

“This pursual of political understanding is playing outina fewdifferentareas,” Connor added.

Meacham,during arecentphone interviewwith TheAssociatedPress, said that the founders had sought to makesense of arevolutionary era whether breaking with England or debating howto form afederal government with enough power to rule effectively, without giving it thekind of monarchical authority that enraged the colonies.

Reading the Declaration andother texts, he believes, can give today’spublic a similar sense of mission and guiding principles.

“It is atumultuous moment to putitkindly,”

kidnapping andraping a California girl, JayceeDugard, who wasabductedin 1991 at the ageof11and rescued18yearslater (Phillip Garrido was sentenced to 431 years to life in prison; NancyGarrido was sentencedto36years to life.)

Today’sbirthdays: Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III is 95. Actorsinger Ann-Margret is 84. Chef Alice Waters is 81. TV host-comedian Jay Leno is 75. Actor Mary McDonnell is 73. Musician KimGordon (Sonic Youth) is 72. SupremeCourt Justice Elena Kagan is 65. Baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin is 61. Golfer John Daly is 59. Rapper TooShort is 59. Actor Bridget Moynahan is 54. Actor Jorge Garcia is 52. Actor Penelope Cruz is 51. TV personalities Drew and Jonathan Scott are 47. Actor Jessica Alba is 44. Actor Harry Shum Jr is 43. Singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez is 30.

Meacham said. “One way to address the chaos of the present time,whatSaint Paul would call the ‘tribulations’ of the present time is to re-engage with the essential texts that are about creating asystem that is still worth defending.”

The Modern Library books will have manycompetitors. The 18th century documents allare in the public domain, can be read for free online andanyone can publishthem. According to Circana, popular editions have been released by Skyhorse, Penguin, Barnes &Noble and others.

“Wegenerally see increased sales of editions of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution every election cycle, but particularly this year,” said ShannonDeVito,Barnes & Noble’s senior director of book strategy.“This could be because next year marks the 250thanniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” she said, “or the fastand furious current political conversations and policy changes.”

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Keep your complaints to yourself and concentrate on maintaining an upbeat attitude. A creative outlet will help ease stress and give you time to consider unique ways to use your skills.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Live and learn. Keep your eyes open, observe and gather information to help you expand your goals to suit your financial and intellectual needs. Keep the momentum going.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be careful sharing information. Keep your secrets, intentions and goals to yourself. Map out a journey that turns your personal or professional dream into a reality.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Put your mind at ease by checking facts before deciding to change or invest in someone or something. Information is your best friend in a debate, so listen carefully.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Pay attention to what's unfolding to avoid unwanted surprises. Someone will offer you an exaggerated point of view, hoping you'll trust their judgment. Do things for yourself.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Opportunity is apparent. Explore the possibilities and consider what they will entail. Travel if it will help you get closer to your target or someone you want to get to know better.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Participate in something that pumps you up and stimulates you mentally, physically

and emotionally. An open mind will help you discover interesting outlets for your expertise and desires.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't expect everyone to be honest with you or to look out for your interests. Fend for yourself and rely on your intuition, and you won't be disappointed.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Make changes that add to your comfort and prompt you to be kinder to yourself. It's time to rejuvenate and reevaluate what's important to you. Search for ways to strike a balance between work and pleasure.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Pay attention. Someone will be eager to bait you into a no-win discussion or situation that leaves you anxious. Step away from negativity and concentrate on creative endeavors.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Avoid taking on too much. You'll find it difficult to meet demands if you overextend yourself financially or physically. Avoid indulgent behavior and bad influences.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) An innovative approach to finding solutions will put you in a good position to negotiate with others and persuade them to see things your way. Follow your heart.

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: L EQuALs y

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

bIG nAte

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Don Marquis, ajournalist and humorist whodied in 1937,said, “A pessimist is aperson who has had to listen to too many optimists.”

Not at thebridge table! Apessimist will do betterinthe long runand should rarelylisten to an optimist.

Thisdealisanexample.Southhasbarreled into four spades. West cashes two club tricks, thenguesseswellinshifting tothediamondjack.Easttakesdummy’s queen with his aceand returnsthe suit Howwould an optimist or apessimist continue?

North madea single raise withamaximum for the bid, having four trumps, aking-queen and adoubleton. South’s jumptofourspadeswasatadoptimistic, but he expected thegame to have play. Also,perhaps the opponent might misjudge,bid five clubs, and pay adoubled penalty.

Westwastemptedtoshifttohissingleton heart at trick three, hoping that his partner had amajor-suit ace. But he was not thatoptimistic.

Southsaw that he needed the heart finesse to succeed, so,whether an optimist or apessimist, assumed that it would.

Theoptimist, leaving it at that, would draw three rounds of trumps ending on theboard and runthe heart 10. The finessewould win, butwhendeclarer

wuzzles

repeated it,Westwould show outand the contract wouldfail.

The pessimist wouldanticipate the 1-4 heart break. He would play aheart to his queen at trick five. Then he woulddraw trumpsendingwithdummy’squeen,run the heart10, play aheart to hisjack, and claim.

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional

by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns,

or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD ALMost: OL-moste: Verynearly, but not exactly or entirely.

Average mark13words

Timelimit 20 minutes

Can you find 17 or morewords in ALMOST?

sAtuRDAy’s WoRD —sWInDLEs

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

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.

Saturday’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 GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

OFFI CIAL PROCEE DIN GS OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS REGULAR SESSION

CITY HALL: FEBRUARY27, 2025

The Council of the City of New Orleans met this day in Regular Session, at 10:14A.M., in the Council Chamber,City Hall, Council President, JP Morrell, presiding.

On callingthe roll, the following members answered to their names:

PRESENT: MORENO (VICE PRESIDENT) HARRIS KING GREEN THOMAS

ABSENT: MORRELL (PRESIDENT) (Arrived later in the meeting.)

GIARRUSSO (Arrived later in the meeting.)

SIX MEMBERSPRESENT,CONSTITUTING AQUORUM.

ROLL CALL

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

INVOCATION KRYSTAL JAMES, ALPHA BETA OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPAALPHA SORORITY,INC

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

OLIVER M. THOMAS, JR.

COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT“E” AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO. 34,708

BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS (BY REQUEST)

An amendment to change the notification timeframefor outlets reporting manager changes.

WITHDRAWN. AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL.NO. 34,869

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

An amendment to Ordinance Calendar Number 34,869 to provide for tentative permit approval under certain circumstances, third-party building plan review,increase in the plan review fee, atemporary certificate of occupancy for non-structural, interior tenant changes, atwo-year license renewal period for certain trades, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WITHDRAWN.

SUBSTITUTEAMENDMENT TO ORD.CAL. NO. 34,869

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

WITHDRAWN. AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO.34,872

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

An amendment to add a2-year sunset provision to the Code amendment effectuated by this ordinance.

WITHDRAWN. AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO.34,873 BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

An amendment to add a2-year sunset provision to the Code amendments effectuated by this ordinance.

WITHDRAWN AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO. 34,935 BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

An amendment to allow the Department of Safety and Permits to promulgate rules and regulations and to clarify deadlines related to permit approvals from certain city Boards and Commissions.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Moreno –1 AND THE AMENDMENT WASADOPTED.

AMENDMENT TO ORD. CAL. NO. 34,984

BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO AND HARRIS

An amendment to exclude from the definition of non-essential travel, travel thatispaid for in full from funds solely from afederal or state allocation.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 AND THE AMENDMENT WASADOPTED. ORDINANCES ON FINAL PASSAGE

CAL. NO. 34,708 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS KING AND THOMAS (BY

REQUEST)- An Ordinance to amend and reordain Sections 10-105, 10-122, and 10-128 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, relative to the requirement for amanager’spermit, manager’spermit fees, and the requirement for amanager’sidentification cardand personnel roster; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WITHDRAWN.

CAL. NO. 34,869 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERKING (BY REQUEST) -An Ordinance to amend and reordain Sections 26-14 through 26-19 and 2621 through 26-23 and amendments thereto; of the Code of the City of New Orleans, relative to the adoption and amendments of building codes, roofing inspections, technical amendments, and code year updates; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

WITHDRAWN.

CAL. NO. 34,935 –BY: COUNCILMEMBER KING -AnOrdinance to amend and reordain Sections 26-14 through 26-19 and 26-21 through 26-23 and amendments thereto; of the Code of the City of New Orleans, relative to the adoptionand amendments of building codes, roofing inspections, technical amendments, and code year updates; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:Moreno –1 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 34,980 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)-AnOrdinance to amend Ordinance No. 30139

M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate grant funds to the Office of Youth and Families for ajoint initiative between Children &NatureNetwork, National League of Cities and KABOOM to advance equitable access to natureeverywherechildren live, learn, and play; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 34,981 -BY:

COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST) -An Ordinance to amend Ordinance No. 30140

M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to appropriate grant funds to the Office of Youth and Families for ajoint initiative between Children &NatureNetwork, National League of Cities and KABOOM to advance equitable access to natureeverywherechildren live, learn, and play; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 AND THE ORDINANCE WASADOPTED.

CAL. NO. 34,983 -BY: COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST) -AnOrdinance to amend Ordinance No. 30140

M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2025”, to move funds within the Office of Inspector General from appropriation 200 -Other Operating to 100 -Personal Services to pay personnel expenses in FY 2025; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

ROLL CALL:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NO.M-25-42

WASADOPTED. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS (LYING OVER)

CITYHALL: January 30, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS

Approving the applicant’srequest for ZD 95/24.

WITHDRAWN NO.M-25-84

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

Denying the request of EBONYC.MERCADEL for the property located on Square621 and bearing municipal address 1407 Saint Anthony Street (the “Property”).

WITHDRAWN NO.M-25-85

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS

ANTHONYSTREET;NOW THEREFORE

BE IT MOVED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the Council,having reviewed the report and recommendation provided by the City Planning Commission staffpursuant to CZOSection 21.8.C.18.r does hereby GRANTEbony C. Mercadel,a special exception from the Section 21.8.C.18.m block limit on non-commercial short-term rentals for the parcel of property located in Square621 and bearing municipal address 1407 SAINTANTHONY STREET (the “Property”). This special exception is being made in accordance with, and subject to, Section 21.8.C.18.r of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

BE IT FURTHERMOVED, That if the applicant fails to obtain noncommercial short-term rental owner and operator permits for the Property within 30 days of the adoption of this Motion, or in the event the applicant’sowner or operator permit is revoked or the applicant transfers the property,the special exception granted herein shall be void.

BE IT FURTHERMOVED, That the Clerk of Council shall forwardcopies of this motion to the Executive Director of the City Planning Commission, the Department of Safetyand Permits, and the applicant. The Department of Safety and Permits is directed to advise the City Planning Commission and the Council if the applicant fails to securepermitswithin the period prescribed herein or if the applicant’sowner or operator permit is revoked.

FEBRUARY27, 2025 THEFOREGOING MOTION WASREAD IN FULL, THEROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Thomas -6

NAYS: 0

ABSENT: Morrell -1 RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE MOTION WASADOPTED.

NO.M-25-88

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

Denying the request of JONATHANBRUCE forthe property located on Square146 and bearing municipal address 822 Homer Street (the “Property”). WITHDRAWN NO.M-25-89

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

Granting the request of JONATHANBRUCE for the property located on Square146 and bearing municipal address 822 Homer Street (the “Property”). WITHDRAWN NO.M-25-92

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO

WHEREAS, Section 21.8.C.18.m of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (“CZO”) permitsthe issuance of only one non-commercial short-term rental permitwithin each city block, inclusive of all lots fronting any exterior boundary of saidblock and all interior lots; and WHEREAS, CZOSection 21.8.C.18.r authorizes the City Council to grant special exceptions to the one-permit-per-block cap imposed by Section 21.8.C.18.m and to allow for the issuance of up to two additional noncommercial short-term rentals in any given block; and WHEREAS, Kimberly Cutrer has applied for aspecial exception from the block limit on non-commercial short-term rentals for the property located in Square180 and bearing municipal address 1508 SAINT ANNSTREET; NOWTHEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THECOUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, That the Council,having reviewed the report and recommendation provided by the City Planning Commission staffpursuant to CZOSection 21.8.C.18.r, does hereby GRANTKimberly Cutrer,a special exception from the Section 21.8.C.18.m block limit on non-commercial short-term rentals for the parcel of property located in Square180 and bearing municipal address 1508 SAINTANN STREET (the “Property”). This special exception is being made in accordance with, and subject to, Section 21.8.C.18.r of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

BE IT FURTHERMOVED, That if the applicant fails to obtain noncommercial short-term rental owner and operator permits for the Property within 30 days of the adoptionofthis Motion, or in the event the applicant’sowner or operator permit is revoked or the applicant transfers the property,the special exception granted herein shall be void.

FEBRUARY27, 2025 THEFOREGOING MOTION WASREAD IN FULL, THEROLL WAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell,Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0 ANDTHE MOTION WASADOPTED.

NO.M-25-93

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

Denying the request of KIMBERLYCUTRER for the property located on Square180 and bearing municipal address 1508 Saint Ann Street (the “Property”). WITHDRAWN

NO.M-25-94

CITYHALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS

WHEREAS, Section 21.8.C.18.m of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (“CZO”) permitsthe issuance of only one non-commercial short-term rental permitwithin each city block, inclusive of all lots fronting any exterior boundary of saidblock and all interior lots; and WHEREAS, CZOSection 21.8.C.18.r authorizesthe City Council to grant special exceptions to the one-permit-per-block cap imposed by Section 21.8.C.18.m and to allow for the issuance of up to two additional noncommercial short-term rentals in any given block; and WHEREAS, Thomas Ben Hennington, III has applied for aspecial exception from the block limit on non-commercial short-term rentals for the property located in Square179 and bearing municipal address 1523 SAINTANN STREET;NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the Council,having reviewed the report and recommendation provided by the City Planning Commission staffpursuant to CZOSection 21.8.C.18.r, does hereby GRANT Thomas Ben Hennington, III, aspecial exception from the Section 21.8.C.18.m block limit on non-commercial short-term rentals for the parcel of property located in Square179 and bearing municipal address 1523 SAINTANN STREET (the “Property”). This special exception is being made in accordance with, and subject to, Section 21.8.C.18.r of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. BE IT FURTHERMOVED, That if the applicant fails

FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-95

CITY HALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER KING Denying the request of THOMAS BEN HENNINGTON, III for the property located on Square179 andbearing municipaladdress 1523 Saint Ann Street (the“Property”).

WITHDRAWN. NO. R-25-99

CITY HALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL Mourning the loss of Ms. Annette Tassin. WITHDRAWN. NO. R-25-100

CITY HALL: February 13, 2025

BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL

Mourning the loss of the indelible,vivacious, caring, andvibrant Pableaux Johnson. WITHDRAWN. MOTIONS/RESOLUTIONS

NO. M-25-110

BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS

BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission’s report andrecommendation of approval relatedtoZONING DOCKET 97/24, initiatedbyCouncil Motion No. M-24-493, requesting consideration of an amendment to Article 19 of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to createa newInterim Zoning District calledthe Non-CommercialShort-Term RentalSpecial Exception Interim Zoning District, the intent of whichistoprohibit the issuanceofany NonCommercial Short Term Rentalbyspecial exception as specified in Article 21, Section 21.8.C.18.R., is hereby APPROVED. BE IT FURTHER MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Clerk of Council is directed to forward copies of this motion to the LawDepartment, whichisdirected to prepareanordinance to effectuate this motion andisgranted flexibility to make anychanges necessary to achieve the will of the Council as set forth in this motion. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREAD IN FULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-111 BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the City Planning Commission’s report andrecommendation of approval relatedtoZONING DOCKET 96/24, initiatedbyCouncil Motion No. M-24492, requesting consideration of an amendment to the text of Article 21, Section 21.8.C.18.r of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance to remove special exceptions from block limitations.,ishereby APPROVED. BE IT FURTHER MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, That the Clerk of Council is directed to forward copies of this motion to the LawDepartment, whichisdirected to prepareanordinance to effectuate this motion andisgranted flexibility to make anychanges necessary to achieve the will of the Council as set forth in this motion. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREAD IN FULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-112 BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, MORRELL, GREEN AND THOMAS WHEREAS, at its meeting on February 3, 2025, the Civil Service Commission adopted the following amendment to the Classified Pay Plan (Mardi Gras Special Rateof Pay Amendment). In accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana this agency is submitting for Council approval, the following amendment to the Classified Pay Plan as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting of February 3, 2025 as outlined below: Amended Special RateofPay: Strikethroughs aredeleted. Additions are in bold.

SPECIAL RATE OF PAY –EXTENDED SPECIAL EVENTMARDIGRAS

1. Any non-exempt employee assigneddutiesperformingordirectly supportingMardi Gras fieldoperations may,atthe approvaloftheir Appointing Authority,receive ten(10) percentabove their normalrateof pay for allhours worked while directly engagedinsuchduties.

2. The ChiefAdministrative Officer or otherexecutive authority shall be responsible for maintaining policiesand procedures for documenting, evaluating, andapproving eligibility for this special rate of pay. 3. The application of this special rate of pay shall begin no earlierthan two weeks prior to Mardi Gras Day andshall endonMardi Gras Day Ash Wednesday.The specificstart date shall be designated each year by the ChiefAdministrative Officer or otherexecutive authority in accordance with the Mardi Gras schedule andshall be submitted in writing to the PersonnelDirector Following arequest from the ChiefAdministrative Officer,the Civil Service Commission approvedthe aforementionedpay plan amendment to change the enddatefor the existing MardiGras Special RateofPay from Mardi Gras Day to Ash Wednesday.Itisthe intent of this special rate of pay amendment to cover employees involvedincleanup andotherrelated activitiesthe day afterMardi Gras. We arerequesting for the effective date of the amendment to be the date of Civil Service Commission approval on February 3, 2025 so as to include the 2025 MardiGras season;and WHEREAS, the ChiefAdministrative Office hascertified thatfunds are available to implement the above proposed amendment to the Classified PayPlan; NOW THEREFORE

BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That in accordance with Article X, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana the amendment to the Classified PayPlanisapproved to be effective February 3, 2025. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Clerk of Council shall forward acert fied copy of this motion to the Director of the Civil Service Commission and the ChiefAdministrative Officer THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLEDONTHE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas- 7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-113 BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORENO

WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Motion No. M-25-09 on January 9, 2025, creating the Film Advisory Committee; and WHEREAS, the Council adopted Motion No. M-25-44 appointing nine members to serve on the Film Advisory Committee; and WHEREAS, the memberappointed to the NewOrleans-based Location Manager position can no longerserve on the committee; NOW THEREFORE

BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That Greg McNamara is hereby appointedasamember of the Film Advisory Committeetoserve in the NewOrleans-based Location Manager position, replacing the previous appointment of John Johnston. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Clerk of Council is directed to send acertified copy of this motion via electronic delivery to Mr.McNamara. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLED ON THE ADOPTION THEREOF,THE RESULT WASASFOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas-7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-114

BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORENO

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL

BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the reappointment of SusanGood, nomineeofthe Councilmember-AtLargeB,Division I, as amember of the Industrial Development Board, effective upon approvalbythe Council of the City of NewOrleans, for aterm thatwill expire on January 1, 2031, be, andthe same is hereby ratified, confirmed andapproved. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Clerk of Council shall immediately provide acertified copy of this motion to Susan Good, the Industrial Development Board, the LawDepartment, andthe Mayor’sOffice of IntergovernmentalAffairs. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLEDONTHE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas-7 NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0

the principal building. Consistency of design includes the use of the same palette of building materials as the principal building, trim,and colors.

8. The area surrounding the ice and propane storage machines shallbe kept free of any junk, debris, or other material 21.6.S.1 ICE MACHINES

Ice machines may be located on the exterior of astructureinaccordance with the section. Allother vending machines, except propane storage listed below,such as video rentals and change conversion machines, shall be located inside the principal building.

1. Ice machines arepermitted for commercial uses of two-thousand fivehundred (2,500) squarefeet or moreofgross floor area. However,inthe S-LB2 District ice and propane storage machines arepermitted only for commercial uses of five-thousand (5,000) squarefeet or moreofgross floor area.

2. Ice machines shall be placed against the exterior of the principal building and cannot encroach into any public right-of-way or required yard, unless permitted in Paragraph 3below

3. Freestanding ice machines arepermitted forcommercial uses in the following zoning districts: HMC-1, HMC-2, HM-MU, HU-B1A, HU-B1, HU-MU,S-B1, S-B2, S-LB1, S-LB2, S-LC, S-MU, S-LP,S-LM, C-1, C-2, C-3, MU-1, MU-2, EC,MC, MS,LS, LI, HI, MI, and BIP.Freestanding ice storage machines may be located in the required front yard, corner side, interior side, or rear yardbut shall be three (3) feet from any lotline. No freestanding ice storage machine may be located within arequired parking space.

4. The ice machines shallbeplaced so that customers accessing these units do not block the public right-of-way

5. Ice machines shall not exceed nine (9) feet in height, five (5) feet in width and six (6) feet in length.

6. The signage permitted is limited to the brand name, the word“ICE”, and instructional information.The permitted signage can not be in excess of 78 sqft for the whole structure.

7. The color of these units shall be unobtrusive. Ice storage machines placed against the exterior of the principal building may be steel gray or neutral tones only.Freestanding ice storage machines shallbeconsistent with the architectureand design of the principal building. Consistency of design includes the use of the same palette of building materials as the principal building, trim, and colors.

8. The area surrounding the ice machines shallbekept free of any junk, debris, or other material.

21.6.S.2 PROPANESTORAGEMACHINES

Propane storage machines may be located on the exterior of astructurein accordance with the section. Allother vending machines, such as rentals and change conversion machines, shall be located inside the principal building.

1. Propane storage machines arepermitted forcommercial uses of twothousand five hundred (2,500) squarefeet or moreofgross floor area. However,inthe S-LB2 District ice and propane storage machines are permitted only for commercial uses of five-thousand (5,000) squarefeet or moreofgross floor area.

2. Propane storage machines shall be placed against the exterior of the principal building and cannot encroach into any public right-of-way or required yard, unless permitted in Paragraph 3below

4. Propane storage machines shall be placed so that customers accessing these units do not block the public right-of-way

5. Propane storage machines shall not exceed nine (9) feet in height, five (5) feet in width and six (6) feet in length.

6. The only sign permitted is the word“PROPANE,” as applicable. The size of the sign is limited to one (1) squarefoot in area.

7. The color of these units shall be unobtrusive. Propane storage machines placed against the exterior of the principal building may be steel gray or neutral tones only.Consistency of design includes the use of the same palette of building materials as the principal building, trim,and colors.

offon

ORLEANS, That the Clerk of Council is directed to forwardcopiesofthis motion to the LawDepartment, whichisdirected to prepareanordinance to effectuate this

andisgranted flexibility to make anychanges necessary to

the will of the Council as set forth in this

YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, Morrell, Thomas -5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT: King, Moreno -2 ANDTHE MOTION WASADOPTED.

NO.M-25-132 BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS

SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO

BE IT MOVED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITYOFNEW ORLEANS, that the City Planning Commission’sreport and recommendation of approval, subject to one proviso, related to ZONING DOCKET 07/25, initiated by SankofaCommunityDevelopment Corporation, requesting consideration of aconditional use to permit an accessory parking lotinanHU-RD2 Historic Urban Two- Family ResidentialDistrict, on Square424, Lot 2, in the Third Municipal District, bounded by ForstallStreet, Marais Street, Reynes Street,

THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLEDONTHE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,King, Moreno, Thomas- 5 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:Harris, Morrell-2 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. M-25-133 BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER GREEN WHEREAS, Section 146-762 of the Code of the City of NewOrleans empowers the City Council to designate intersections within the city to honor persons andinstitutionswho have made significant contributions to the historical or culturallandscape of NewOrleans; and WHEREAS, NewOrleans’ own, Aireial “Blonka” Mack, is auniversal activist, world-renownedauthor,and founderofthe Blonka Movement NonprofitOrganization, whichuses classroom instruction andmentoring, among othermethods, to help students progress on real career paths; and WHEREAS, Ms. Blonka Mack, through herorganization, Blonka Movement, hascommittedtoempowering underserved communities through financialliteracy andeconomic advancement;and WHEREAS, inspired by Jay-Z’stransformative album “4:44”, Ms. Blonka Mack spearheaded the 4:44 FinancialLiteracy World Tour,demystifying financialconceptsfor students, making themaccessible andengaging; and WHEREAS, with her financialliteracy tour making stops across the countryand internationally,including the US Virgin Islands, Ms. Blonka Mack hasachieved remarkable milestonesasaresult of hersignificant contributionstothe historical andcultural landscape of NewOrleans; and WHEREAS, WWLTV notedMs. Blonka Mack as “New OrleansNative spreading the word of financialfreedomacross the world” andThe City of NewOrleanshonored herwith the Keytothe City,recognizing Ms. Blonka Mack’s14years of philanthropic service; and WHEREAS, Ms. Blonka Mack is an accomplished author.Her work, “Book of Keyz Part 1: The Blueprint Guide”, serves as acomprehensive resource, offeringinsights into financialliteracy andpersonaldevelopment; and WHEREAS, in recognition of the foregoing contributions, the Council desires to dedicate the intersection of RosemontPlace andPrentiss Avenue as the “Blonka Mack WayHonorary Intersection”and to direct the installation of appropriate signage reflecting same; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That the intersection of RosemontPlace andPrentiss Avenue be andhereby is designated as the “Blonka Mack WayHonorary Intersection”pursuant to Section 146-762 of the Code of the City of NewOrleans. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Department of Public Works is directed, within 120 days of the adoption of this Motion, to install distinct signage reflecting the foregoing honorary designation at one or more prominent locations within or adjacenttothe intersection described herein in amannerthandoesnot impair trafficorpedestriansafetyor createconfusion between the honorary dedication andthe namesofthe intersectingstreets. BE IT FURTHER MOVED, Thatthe Clerk of Council shall forward copies of this motion to the Director of the Department of Public Works. THE FOREGOING MOTION WASREADINFULL, THE ROLLWAS CALLEDONTHE ADOPTION THEREOF,AND RESULTED AS FOLLOWS: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas-7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 AND THE MOTION WASADOPTED. NO. R-25-134 BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL ARESOLUTION calling an election in the Castle Manor Improvement District for Saturday,October11, 2025. WHEREAS, the Louisiana State Legislatureadopted Act202 during the 2024 RegularSessiontocreatethe Castle Manor Improvement District (“District”), whichiscomprisedofthe area within the following boundaries: Cerise Avenue,the south side of ChefMenteur Highway,GawainDrive, andthe north side of Dwyer Road canal;and WHEREAS, Act202 (R.S. 33:9091.28) authorizedthe City Council of New Orleans to levy andcollect an annualparcel feeupon each parcel of land located within the District, not to exceed $100 per residential parcel for the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$125 for the next two years of collection, andnot to exceed $200 per commercialparcel for the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$225 for the next twoyears of collection, with the precise amount as requested by duly adopted board resolution, except aparcel whose ownerqualifies for special assessment pursuant to Article VII, Section 18(G)(1)ofthe Louisiana Constitution, for an initialterm of five years, if approvedbyavote of the people of the District; and WHEREAS, the BoardofCommissioners of the District met on February 13, 2025, andadopted aresolution requesting the City Council of New Orleans to levy an annualparcel feeupon each parcel of land located within the District, not to exceed $100 per residential parcel for the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$125 for the next twoyears of collection,and not to exceed $200 per commercialparcel for the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$225 for the next twoyears of collection,for aterm of five years, commencing on January 1, 2026 and ending December 31, 2030, subject to the question of the imposition of such feebeing approvedbya majority of the registeredvoters of the District voting on the question at the October11, 2025 election for the City of NewOrleans; NOW,THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, That SECTION 1. Election Call. Subject to the approvalofthe State Bond Commission andunderthe authority conferred by Act202 of the 2024 RegularSession, Article VI of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, the applicableprovisions of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutesof1950, as amended, andotherconstitutionaland statutory authority supplemental thereto, an election is hereby called, in accordance with Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutesof1950, as amended, for Saturday,October11, 2025 between the hours of seven o’clock(7:00) a.m.and eight o’clock(8:00) p.m. andatsaidelection the electorate of the Castle Manor Improvement District may approve or disapprove the levy of an annual flat feeoneach parcel within the Castle Manor Improvement District (“District”), as delineated by La.R.S. 33:9091.28(B), in an amount not to exceed $100 per residential parcelfor the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$125 for the next twoyears of collection, andnot to exceed $200 per commercialparcel for the first three years thatthe feeiscollected and$225 for the next two years of collection, with the precise amount as requested by duly adopted boardresolution, except a parcel whose ownerqualifies for special assessment pursuant to Article VII, Section 18(G)(1)ofthe Louisiana Constitution, for an initialterm of five years, beginning January 1, 2026 andending December 31, 2030, whichis estimatedtogenerateapproximately $65,000 annually.Any feelevied upon aparcel in the District shall be in addition to anyadvalorem taxaffecting real property,orany charge,(including, but not limitedto, asanitation charge), fee, license, permit or rate imposedorlevied pursuant to the regulatory authority of the City of NewOrleansinthe operation of the city its departments, agencies, boards andcommissions, whetherattached or unattached, including, but not limitedto, the Sewerage& WaterBoard The proceeds of anyfee collected shall be usedsolely andexclusively for the purpose of promoting andencouraging the beautification andsecurity of the District; however,the City of NewOrleansmay retain one percent of the amount collected as acollection fee. The affairs of the District shall be managed by the BoardofCommissioners of the District. The Board shall adopt an annualbudgetinaccordance with the Local Government Budget Act, R.S. 39:1301, et seq. The members of the Boardshall serve without compensation. The official ballot to be usedfor said election shall be printed andworded in the voting machines as follows: CASTLE MANOR IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PROPOSITION Shall the City of NewOrleanslevy an annualfee on each parcel within the Castle Manor Improvement District (“District”), as delineated by La.R.S. 33:9091.28(B), in an amount not to exceed $100 per residentially zoned parcel for the first threeyears thatthe feeiscollected and$125 for the next two years of collection,and not to exceed $200 per commercially zoned parcel for the first threeyears thatthe feeiscollected and$225 for the next two years of collection,except aparcel whose owner qualifies for special assessment pursuant to Article VII, Section 18(G)(1) of the Louisiana Constitution, with the precise amount as requested by duly adopted boardresolution, for aterm of five years, commencing on January 1, 2026

before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 910-27, 968-71 TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion Formoreinformation aboutthissourcing event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS”

May7,2025 PRE-BIDCONFERENCE: April23, 2025 Datesare subjectto changesvia an adden‐dumpostedbythe Bu‐reau of Purchasing on theCity’ssupplierportal. If this solicitation is fed‐erally funded,prospec‐tive

COMMODITY CODE(s): 910-27, 968-71

TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion Formoreinformation aboutthissourcing event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS” Once on theSupplierPor‐tal, search “Open Events.” Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesSimmons ChiefProcurement Ofﬁcer AdvertisingDates: April14,

None RELEASED ON: April14, 2025 DEADLINETORESPOND: May8,2025 @4:00P.M Datesare subjectto changesvia an adden‐dumpostedbythe Bu‐reau of Purchasing on theCity’ssupplierportal. If this solicitation is fed‐erally funded,prospec‐tive bidder/respondent must payparticularat‐tentiontoall applicable laws andregulations of theFederal government andthe Stateof Louisiana. TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodiﬁcationsvia addendum.Notethatyou wouldreceive thosenoti‐ﬁcationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s)beforethe re‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITYCODE(s): 885-74

NOCP

(b)City not liable. Nothing contained in this building code shall be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibility or liability of any person for injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from any defects of any natureinany work performed by said person or in any equipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him, nor

cer,agent or employee

the city or any of

incur,orbe held to assume,

by reason or in consequence of

permit, permission, certificate of inspection of [or] approval authorized therein, or issued or given as herein provided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any things done or acts performed pursuant to any provisions of this building code.

(c) Prior violations. All suitsatlaw or in equity and all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any building ordinances heretoforeineffect, which arenow pendinginany of the courts of this state,orofthe United States,shall notbeabated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this building code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the sameasif this building code has not beenadopted; and nothing in this building code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of building ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the building ordinance existing at the time such violations werecommitted shall apply and govern.

(e) Legal effect. The requirementsimposed by this buildingcode shall be in addition to any otherrequirements imposed by other any other applicable law.The morerestrictive requirements shall supersede the less restrictive requirements.

Sec. 26-15. –Same -Amendments.

That the following provisions of the International Building Code, 2021 Edition, shall be deleted intheir entirety and the following shall be substituted in lieu thereof:

SECTION 101 -GENERAL 101.1.1Definitions. Exceptasexpressly provided in this code, the following terms and their variant forms shall mean the following:

1. Departmentmeans the Department of Safety and Permits.

2. Director means the Director of the Department of Safety and Permits.

3. IBC means thecurrent version of theInternational Building Code as published by the International Code Council.

4. IRC means the current version of the International Residential Code as published by the International Code Council.

***

SECTION 103 -DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND PERMITS

103.1General. The Department of Safety and Permits headed by the Director is the agency responsible for administration and enforcement of this code. The Director has the authority to render interpretations of this code and to adopt policies and procedures in order to clarify the application of its provisions, as well as rules and regulations pursuant to Section 2-1000 of theCode of the City of New Orleans. The interpretations, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations shall be in compliance with the intent of this code. The policies, procedures, rules, and regulations shall not have the effect of waiving requirements specifically provided for in this code.

103.2.1 Determination of substantially improved or substantially damaged existing buildings and structures in flood hazardareas. For applications for reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair,alteration, addition or other improvement of existing buildings or structures located in flood hazard areas, the Director shall determine if the proposed work constitutes substantialimprovement or repair of substantial damage. Wherethe Director determines that the proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage, and whererequired by this code, the Director shall requirethe building to meet the requirements of Section 1612 of this code and Chapter 78 of the Code of the City of New Orleans.

SECTION 105 –PERMITS

105.2 Work Exempt from Permit. Exemptions from permit requirements of this Code shall not be deemedtogrant authorizationfor any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this Code or any other laws or ordinances of the City of New Orleans including Vieux Carré Commission and Historic District Landmarks Commission requirements. Abuilding permit shall not be required for the following, unless in the opinion of the Director it involves hazardous or complex conditions which requirepermitting and inspection:

1. Less than 50% per exterior wall removal andreplacement of deteriorated weather boards, aluminum, or vinyl siding. (Note: Sheathing replacement is not exempt from permitting requirements removal and replacement of deteriorated weather boards, aluminum, or vinyl siding. Plywood sheathing is considered to be astructural material for astructural permit, other materials that areused as asubstrate for finishes arenot considered structural).

2. Removal and replacement of deteriorated floorboards.

3. Removal and replacement of

4. Interiorpainting, papering and similar finish work.

5. Paving of yardwhen in compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

6. Retaining walls which arenot over three ft. in height.

7. Exteriorpainting when not requiring protective scaffolding over public

105.3.1 Action on Application. The Directorshall conduct an initial review of an application for apermits and amendmentsthereto within 15 business days after filing.Ifthe application is for astructural renovation, elevation, or new construction permit, the Director may extend the initial review period up to an additional 15 days, provided that the Director notifies the applicant in writing prior to the expiration of the initialreview period and identifies in such notice which aspects of the proposed work requirethe extended review period. If the application or the construction documents do not conform to the requirements of pertinent laws, the Director shall reject such application in writing, stating the reasons therefor.Ifthe Director is satisfied that the proposed work conforms to the requirements of this code and laws and ordinances applicable thereto, the Director shall issue apermittherefor as soon as practicable.

105.3.1.1 Action on Application by Other Departments. When an application for apermitrequires review by any department or agency other than the Department of Safetyand Permits, including, but not limited to,the Sewerage and Water Boardand Department of Public Works, “except for the City Planning Commission, Historic District Landmarks Commission, Central Business District Landmarks Commission, and Vieux CarreCommission,” and such review is not complete within15days of the filing of the application, the Director shall not delay issuance of apermit under this code but shall identify on the permit the other department or agency approval required but not received at the timeofissuance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the applicant shall not proceed with any part of the proposed work that is dependent on final approval of the other department or agency untilsuch approval is provided.

SECTION 107 -SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS

107.1 General. Submittal documents consisting of construction documents, statement of special inspections, geotechnical report and other data shall be submitted in two or moresets with each permit application. Submittal construction documents shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of aLouisiana Registered Architect or a Louisiana Registered Civil Engineer,within the purview of the Stateof Louisiana licensing law provisions and saidconstruction documents shall be imprinted with his/her seal designating him/her as the professional of record. Construction documents involving mechanical,gas and electrical installations except as follows, shall be prepared by or under the direct supervision of aLouisiana Registered Mechanical or Electrical Engineer as applicable, or by aLouisiana Registered Architect as permitted by Louisiana state law,within the purview of the StateofLouisiana licensing law provisions, and saiddrawings and specifications shall be imprinted with his/her seal designating, him/her as the professional of recordand further,saiddrawings aretobesubmitted at the timeofapplication for building permits. Wherespecial conditions exist, the Director is authorized to requireadditional construction documents to be prepared by a registered design professional. The Director may waive the requirements of construction documents, if he/she finds that the natureofthe work applied for is such that construction documents arenot necessary to obtaincompliance with the adopted codes.

Exceptions:

1. The submission of construction documents involving mechanical gas and electrical installations is not necessary when the electrical work does not exceed $35,000 or when the mechanical work does not exceed $35,000, in the opinion of the Director

2. The submission of construction documents involving mechanical,gas and electrical installations is not necessary for the construction and or the repair work for one and two familydwellings.

3. The submission of construction documents for accessory structures up to 200 sq. ft. in area and up to 30 in. high from grade.

4. The submission of construction documents for uncovered decks up to 600 sq. ft. in area and up to 30 in. high from grade.

The Director may also waive the submission of construction documents if he/she finds that the natureofthe work applied for is such that reviewing of construction is not necessary to obtain compliance with this Code. Wherethereare unusual conditions because of type of occupancy or type of construction, the Director may depart from the limitations set forth above and requiresubmission of construction documents.

107.3.3Phase Approval.Atthe discretion of the Director,the Department may issue alimited release to perform some limited, specified scope of work prior to the building permitbeing issued.

Thislimited release will state with specificity the limits of the work authorized to be performed thereunder.The Director will requireapplicants to submitrelated documentation, including but not limited to overall building plans, in order to receive alimited release to perform aportion of the work. Final construction documents must be provided for the scope of work requested to be released.

Aphase release to perform work is not abuilding permit. The recipient of alimited release must agree to indemnify and hold harmless the City of NewOrleans from any consequences resulting from performing any work prior to the issuance of a final building permit. Allbuilding permits and plan review fees aredue at the timeofthe issuance of the phase release to perform work. Acopy of the phase release to perform work must be displayed in accordance with Section 107.3.3herein.

*** 107.4 Third-Party Building Plan Review.Third-party building plan review service providers, as provided herein, may perform certain building plan reviews which may be accepted by the City of NewOrleans through the Director of the Department of Safetyand Permits, pursuant to La. R.S. 40:1730.24. The Director may accept reports of approved certified thirdparty plan review providers in accordance with the following regulations, provided that allplan reviews be in compliancewith allstate and local laws and rules, including but not limited to the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO): (1) Registration Required a. Any company or individual wishing to act as athird-party building plan review provider in the City of NewOrleans must first file aregistration application with the Department on aform provided for that purpose. The Director shall not accept third-party building plan review reports from any company or individual not first registered with the Department or that are in violation of any of the requirements contained herein. All companies providing plan review services and all individualsperforming plan reviews services, either independently or on behalf of aregistered company must register with the Department separately, and must comply with the following registration requirements:

i. Any company or individual must be registered with the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code Council, to be evidenced by State registration number at the timeofregistration and/or renewal

ii. Any company or individual may only be registered in the field(s) in which they arecertified by the International Code Council,tobeevidenced by submission of ICC certification at the timeofregistration and/or renewal.

iii. No company or individual may perform third-party building plan reviews on buildings or structures in which they have any direct or indirect financial or professional interest.Companies and individualsmust disclose all parties with alegal, financial,orbeneficial interest at the time of registration and/or renewal.

iv.Any company or individual must disclose any and all relationships, including but not limited to: direct or indirect financial interests, employer/ employee, sub-contractor,advisor,consultant, or referrals of any kind with any current City of NewOrleans employee. “City of NewOrleans employee” includes any cityofficer,full-time or part-time employee, department, agency,board, commission, and public benefitcorporation.

v. Any company or individual must hold avalid Occupational License or Registration from the Department of Finance, in compliance with Chapters 30 and 150 of the City Code, to be evidenced by submission of such license or registration at the time of registration and/or renewal

vi. Any company or individual must be insured and shall furnish proof of

including

andlabor, for whichthe

as electrical,

andpermanentsystems. The

acontract to

and/or

contractor

t. If,inthe opinion of the Director,the valuation is underestimated on the application, the permit shall be denied, unless the applicantcan show detailed estimatestomeet the approval of the Director.Finalbuilding permit valuation shall be set by the Director 109.5Related fees. The payment of the feefor the construction,alteration, removalordemolition for work done in connection with or concurrently with the workauthorized by abuilding permit shall not relieve the applicantorholder of the permit from the payment of other fees thatare prescribed by law.

109.6Schedule of Permit Fees. On allbuildings,structuresoralterations requiring abuilding permit, afee for each building permit shall be paid as required at the time of filing application, in accordance with the following schedule:

1. Permit fees for allwork requiring permits, except for removalor demolition. These fees include the certificateofuse andoccupancy (with or without plans). $60.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof of construction value.

2. When plans arerequired and filedwith an application for abuilding permit, the Department of Safety andPermits shall collect aplanchecking feeof$120.00 or one-tenth of 1% for the totalvaluation of allconstruction work, whichever is greater,beforeacceptance of the submitted application. Totalvaluation shall be the same as thatused in determining building permit fees. These fees arenonrefundable.

3. When plans aresubmittedfor are-review process, the Department of Safety andPermits shall collect are-review plan checking fee. The amount of the feeshall be determined as one-twentieth of one percentfor the total valuation of allconstruction work. The totalvaluation shall be the same as used in determining building permit fees. Thereshall be aminimum feeof $45.00 anda maximum of $5,000.00 per application for re-review

4. Permit fees for removalordemolition shall be as follows: a. $95.00 plus $5.00 for each $1,000.00 of demolition cost.

5. An extra inspection or wasted trip feeof$50.00 shall be incurred for each inspection calledfor by the owner or the owner’srepresentative when, in the opinion of the Director,the worktobeinspected is incomplete and/or not suitable for inspection.This charge is for anyand allextra inspections made necessary as aresult of blatantly incomplete work, inaccessibility to perform the inspection or for alterations to workpreviously accepted. This feeisinaddition to anyregularrequired permit fees.

6. Afee of $60.00 for each residential unit or phase and$125.00 for each commercialunit or phase shall be incurred to process the request for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.

7. On allbuildings, structures, or alterations whichfallwithin the Vieux Carré, as defined in Section 65-6 of the Code of the City of NewOrleans, andwhichrequire apermit from the VieuxCarréCommission in addition to requiring abuilding permit underthis Code,anadditional 50 percent surcharge is added to the permit feeand the plan checking feeas enumerated in subsections1,2 and3ofSection 108.6. above.

8. On allbuildings, structures, or alterationswhichfallwithin an officially designated Historic District, or anyofficially designated landmark, or whichotherwise mayrequireHistoric District Landmarks Commission staffreview,anadditional 50 percentsurcharge is added to the permit feeand the plan checking feeasenumerated in subsections1,2,and 3 of this Section.

9. Review Fee. The cost to implement the stormwater management plans should be includedinthe total valuation of allconstruction work, andthus would be includedinthe currentstructurefor calculating building permit fees.

SECTION 110 –INSPECTIONS

110.11 Roofing andReroofing Inspections. The submission of verified geotagged photographic documentation or video of allphases of roofing or re-roofing processes thatrequirea permit is allowable in lieuofaninperson inspection.

110.12 Inspection requests. It shall be the duty of the holder of the building permit or their duly authorized agenttonotify the Director whenwork is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the permit holdertoprovide access to andmeansfor inspection of such workfor anyinspectionsthat arerequiredbythis code.

110.13 Approvalrequired. Work shallnot be done beyond the point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the Director.The Director,upon notification,shall make the requested inspectionsand shall eitherindicatethe portion of the construction that is satisfactory as completed, or shall notify the permit holderoranagent of the permit holder wherein the same fails to comply with this code. Any portions thatdonot comply shall be correctedand such portion shall not be covered or concealed until authorized by the Director 110.14 Existing Building Inspections. Beforeissuing apermit the Director may examine or cause to be examinedany building for whichan application hasbeen received for apermit to enlarge, alter,repair, move demolish,orchange the occupancy.He/sheshall inspect allbuildings and structures, from time to time,during and upon completion of the work for whichapermit wasissued. He/sheshall make arecord of every such examination andinspection andofall violations of this Code SECTION 111 -CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY

111.4Temporary occupancy.The Director is authorized to issue a temporary certificateofoccupancy beforethe completion of the entire workcovered by the permit, provided thatsuchportion or portions shall be occupied safely.The Director shall set atime period during whichthe temporary certificateofoccupancy is valid.

111.4.1RapidTemporary Certificate of Occupancy (RTCO). The Director shall issue aRapidTemporary Certificate of Occupancy valid for aperiod not exceeding 60 days for work thatincludesonly interior non-structural modifications thatdonot impact the structural integrity of the building and do not involveachange of use, or otherwise violate this code or anyother laws or ordinances of the City of NewOrleans.

1. The Director retains the authority to revoke the RTCO if it is determined thatthe changes adverselyaffect safety or otherwise violate this code or anyotherlawsorordinances of the City of NewOrleans.

2. The workauthorized underanRTCO shall be subject to afollow-up inspection within 10 days of the occupancy commencement to ensure ongoing compliancewith safety standards.

3. The RTCO shall be automatically revoked if the completedwork is inconsistent with the details provided in the application.

then refer the same to the City Council for consideration and action. Amajority of the existing membership of aboardshall constitute aquorum. All actions taken by boards shall requirethe affirmative vote of the majority of the existing members thereof, provided that regulations may be adopted only uponthe affirmative vote of two-thirds of the existing members thereof.

113.9Rehearing. In cases when the Boardrules against an application, and the applicant subsequently elects to modify his/her original building plan and submit the modified plan to the Boardfor rehearing, the applicant must pay arehearing fee of $200.00 to the Department of Safety &Permits, which shall be deposited in the City’sGeneral Fund. *** SECTION 917 -HYDRANTS, WATERMAINS &FIRE LANES

917.2 Detail Requirements. All firefighting systems required by this Code shall comply in all respects with:

1. International FireCode, 2021 as amended by the City of New Orleans. 2. International Plumbing Code, 2021, as amended by the City of New Orleans.

3. Requirements of the Sewerage and Water Boardwhich include but are not limited to:

(a) Connection to the publicwater supply,all connections to be made with adetector check valve, furnished and installed by the Sewerage and Water Board, the cost of installation charged to the applicant. (b)Ifdomestic water is also taken offthe fire main,full-flow meters willbe installed in lieu of the detector check valve.

(c) Granted Servitudes as required by the Sewerage and Water Board for servicing of water mains and fire hydrants which aretobeinstalled according to the Sewerage and Water Board’sspecifications and the above code requirements.

CHAPTER 16

STRUCTURAL DESIGN

SECTION 16

1609.2 PROTECTION OF OPENINGS Level 3Renovations under the International ExistingBuilding Code must be in compliance with the International Building Code requirements for Protection of Openings.

SECTION 1811 -SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

1811.3.3 Temporary buildings (See Section 107) and buildings not exceeding one story in height and no morethan 500 sq. ft. in area or whichotherwise do not requirea permit under this code shall be exempt from these requirements.

***

1811.5.2.1 Pile Load Test Case. The pile load testing procedurefor a single pile shall be conducted in general accordance with ASTM D1143 underthe direction of aLouisiana Registered Civil Engineer.Itisrequired to notify the Director in writing prior to conducting pile load tests. The load-carrying capacity for asingle pile in compression shall be established by any of the following methods:

Method 1: When the total test load applied equals twice the proposed load capacity for asingle pile, it shall be left in place at least 48 hr the last 24 hr.ofwhich shall be free from settlement. If after deducting rebound following the total release of this load, the net settlement at the top of the pile does not exceed 0.01 in. per ton of total test load, the pile shallbe considered adequate to support the proposed load capacity for asingle pile.

Method 2: Wherethe pile is loaded to failure, the loading value where the load settlement curve begins to show an accelerated deviation from its previous trend may be considered the “yield point” for the given soil and pile. One-half of this value or one-half of the value at which the net settlement is estimated as ½in., whichever is smaller,shall be considered as the allowable load capacity for asingle pile.

Method 3: The failureload of apile, one-half of which shall be used as the allowable load capacity for asingle pile, shall be defined as that load which produces asettlement or movement of the tip equal to ¼inch. The movement of the tip can be determined by actual measurement or by either of the following two load distribution cases, both involving the measurement of the butt movement. In each case, the failureload shall be definedasthat load producing amovement of the butt equal to the elastic deformation of the pile under the failureload plus ¼inch.

CHAPTER 27 ELECTRICAL ***

2701.1 -Scope -This chapter governs the electrical components, equipment and systems used in buildings and structures covered by this code. Electrical components, equipment and systemsshall be designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 National Electrical Code, (NFPA-70). Wherethereisconflict between arequirement of Chapter 27 and arequirement of the National Electrical Code, the requirement of Chapter 27 shall govern. For low voltage installations refer to Section2735 (E) -BASICSTANDARDS of this Chapter

2712 -LICENSE FEES

License fees shall be made payable to “The City of New Orleans”. Payment shall be made prior to licenseissuance. Examination fees areestablished by and paid directly to the nationally recognized testing company under contract with the City of New Orleans. No examinationfees aretobe directedtothe Electrical Inspection Division or made payable to the “City of New Orleans.” Licenses mayberenewed for one or two years with annual fees due accordingly.Inthe case of two-year renewals, licensees arerequired to provide proof of insurance annually 2717 -ELECTRICIAN’S AND OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

(A) The Class “A” Electrical Contractor license holder shall keep on file with the Director,aletter designating which person, partnership, firm or corporation he/she represents. He/she shall notifythe Director within ten days of any status change. The Class “A” Electrical Contractor license holder shall represent only one person, partnership, firm or corporation. (B) Every Class “A” license holder certified in accordance with these regulations shall be responsible for any defects of constructioninstalled by him/heruntil such time as aCertificate of Approval has been issued by the Director.Also, any and all defects (discrepancies) that may have been concealed by such Class “A” Electrical Contractor and discovered after aCertificate Approval has been issued shall be the responsibility of and corrected by said Class “A” Electrical Contractor. At the discretion of the Director,inspections may be withheld until all outstanding discrepancies on the same installation, which arein violation of the Code, have been corrected by the Class “A” Electrical Contractor (C) AClass “C” Maintenance Electrician or aClass “A” Electrical Contractor with amaintenance contract

will no longer be utilized for the electrical installation at the listedjob; 2. Fileanew permit application for the entireelectrical installation; 3. Pay allfees, with the amount of the fees based upon the total required for the new application less the amount already paidbythe original Class “A” Electrical Contractor Whenever aClass “A” Electrical Contractor replaces another,he/she then becomes the Class “A” Electrical Contractor of recordfor the entireelectrical installation. All futurecorrespondence from the Electrical Inspection Division regarding that installation will be directed to the new Class “A” Electrical Contractor.Any deviation from the above due to extenuating circumstances must be coordinated in writing to and with the approval of the Director

2729 -PLENUM SPACES

If it is necessary to install electrical equipment in plenum spaces used for supply or returnair systems, see International Building Code, 2021 Edition and the 2020 National Electric Code, (NFPA-70), for requirements.

2732 -ELECTRICAL SIGNS

Beforeany electrically illuminated or electricallypowered sign may be erected or placed in position upon, above, or attached to the outside of any building, structureorpremises, an electrical permitshall be secured from the Director The sign erector shallalso secureabuilding permitprior to the erection of such sign as required by The International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as amended, Section 3107, signed by aClass “A” Electrical license holder,acknowledging intention to erect and notify the Director when the installation is completed. When an erector has been determined to be in violation of the Code and refuses to correct same, no further permits willbeissued to him/her.All sign contractors shall be properly registered pursuant to Chapter 134 of the City Code.

Written notice shall be given by the sign contractor and by the Class “A” license holder to the Director upon completion of the installations. The Director shall theninspect the sign and determine whether or not it is installed in conformitywith applicable ordinances.

Signs that areapproved and labeled and such signs of billboardtype, skeleton, ornamental, lettering and neon tubing inside and outside of buildings, which arewired in conformity with the National Electric Code, (NFPA-70) shall be considered as being in conformitywith the requirements of this Code. Electric service shall not be connected to any sign or billboarduntil all work on same is completed, and then onlywhen the Certificate of Approval is issued by the Director and the electricmeter authorization is issuedtothe Utility Company 2735 -BASICSTANDARDS

(A)Noelectrical work for light, heat or power shall be installed or placed in or on any building, structureorpremises, unless this work is in conformity with current approved methods of construction. Compliance with the regulationsinthe National Electric Code, (NFPA-70) shall be prima facie evidence of conformity with such approved methods. No electrical equipment shallbeinstalled below grade elevation, including service, switchboards and panel boards.

(B)All installed electrical wiring shallconform to the requirements of the International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as amended, the 2020 National ElectricCode, (NFPA-70) and such other applicable safety codes as enforced by the Department of Safetyand Permits.

(C) Allelectrical devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances shallbethose approved for the purpose for which they areused. Only such electrical devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances, that areconstructed in conformity with their listing or labeled by atesting laboratory acceptabletothe Director,shall be installed. The satisfactory listing or labelingofthese devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances shall be prima facie evidence of conformity with the requirements of this Code.

(D)The Director or hisdesignee is hereby authorized to seize, de-energize or cause to make inoperableany electrical apparatus deemed by him to be dangerous, hazardous or perilous, when such electrical apparatus is either being used in amanner for which it is not approved or being used for apurpose for which it does not conform electrically.Large or bulky electrical apparatus that is not capable of being moved or transported to alocation designated by the Chief Administrative Officer for storage shallbede-energized and “locked off” so as to be inoperableorincapable of being used. The seized electrical apparatus that is capableofbeing moved shall be transportedtoa location designated by the Chief Administrative Officer for storage. The custodian of the storage area shall maintainrecords of the impounded electrical apparatus and the date on which it was impounded and shall hold the apparatus in the storage area for aperiod of not morethan thirty days. Any electrical apparatus so held or “locked off” may be redeemed by the owner thereof upon the payment of afee to the City of NewOrleans through the custodian thereof, consisting of atotal of $150.00 plus $10.00 per day storage fee for each day the apparatus is stored. Any electrical apparatus impounded and stored or “locked off” and not redeemed by the owner thereof within thirty days may be transferred or assigned to the custody of the Department of Finance to be sold at public auction in the same manner as surplus property of the City. (E)Low voltage installation wiring shall:

1. be properly attached to structural components.

2. be removed if it is abandoned as aresult of anew low voltage installation.

3. be installed in aneat and workmanlike manner

4. be installed so as not to impair or degrade the fire rating or structural integrity of apenetrated wall ceiling in accordance with Article 300.21 of the NEC.

5. be properlylisted and labeled in accordance with Article 110.3 (B)of the NEC.

2736 -FIREPUMPS

Allwiring of fire pump installations shall be in accordance with the National ElectricCode, (NFPA-70), and Centrifugal FirePumps, (NFPA-20), (See Chapter 35 of the International Building Code, 2021 ed., as amended).

2738 -ALTERNATEMATERIALS ANDMETHODS

The provisions of this Code arenot intended to prevent the use of any material or method of construction not specifically prescribed by this Code, provided an alternate has been approved by the Director.The Director may approve an alternate, provided he finds that the alternate for the purpose intended is at least the equivalent of that prescribed in this Code in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety.The Director shall requirethat sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any claim made regarding the alternate. The Director may recommend an amendment to this Code in order to make permissible the use of the alternate. If, in the opinion of the Director,the evidence and proof are not sufficient to justify approval or recommendationfor an amendment,the applicant may refer the entire matter to the BoardofBuilding Standards and Appealsasspecified in Section 113 of the International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as amended.

CHAPTER 32

ENCROACHMENTS

SECTION 32

3202.3.2 Windows, balconies, architectural features and mechanical equipment. Wherethe vertical clearance above grade to projecting windows, balconies, architectural features, or mechanical equipment is morethan eight feet, one inch of encroachment is permitted for each additional one inch of clearance above eight feet. Encroachmentsinto the public Right of Waymust obtainapproval from the appropriate city department.

CHAPTER 36

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE The following Chapters of the International Building Code, (2021) as

their

Chapter

Administration

Chapter 26…General Plumbing Requirements

Chapter 27…Plumbing Fixtures

Chapter 28…Water Heaters

Chapter 29…Water Supply andDistribution

Chapter 30…Sanitary Drainage

Chapter 31…Vents

Chapter 32…Traps

Chapter 33…StormDrainage

Chapter 34…General Requirements

Chapter 35…Electrical Definitions

Chapter 36…Services

Chapter 37…Branch Circuit andFeeder Requirements

Chapter 38…Wiring Methods

Chapter 39…Power andLighting Distribution

Chapter 40…Devices andLuminaries

Chapter 41…Appliance Installation

Chapter 42…Swimming Pools

Chapter 43…Class 2Remote-Control Signaling andPower -Limited Circuits

All electrical workwith respect to one andtwo family dwellings shall be in accordance with the NationalElectrical Code,NFPA70(SeeChapter 35 of the InternationalBuilding Code). All mechanical andgas workwith respect to one andtwo family dwellings shall be in accordance with the InternationalMechanical Code and InternationalFuelGas Code,ifand whenthe IRC does not provide direction (See Section 104 of the InternationalBuilding Code).

APPENDIX AJ EXISTINGBUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES

SECTION AJ109.3 Extensive Alterations, Repairs or Renovations

Wherethe totalcost of allwork included, thatisenlarged, altered, raised, repaired, or built upon andexceeds 50 percentofthe fair market valueof the building (excluding the value of the site), the workshall be considered to be areconstruction andshall comply with the requirements of these provisions for reconstruction work. The Department of Safety andPermits will determine if the cost information provided is reasonable for the work proposed. Sec. 26-16. –InternationalMechanical Code -Adopted. (a) Code adopted. The InternationalMechanical Code,2021 Edition is hereby adopted except thatthe text of the code shall read as modified by the amendments set forth in section 26-17 andinthe eventofconflict the amendments shall supersede andtake priority over anyamended or unamendedsection. If an amendment is in conflictwith only part of a section, it shall be construedassupersedingonly the part of the section with whichitisinconflict. (b) City not liable. Nothing containedinthis InternationalMechanical Code shall be construedtorelieve or lessen the responsibility or liability of any person for injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from anydefectsofany natureinany workperformed by said person or in anyequipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him, nor shall the city,orany officer,agent or employee thereof incur,orbe held to assume,any liability by reasonorinconsequence of anypermit, permission, certificateofinspection or approval authorized therein, or issuedorgivenashereinprovided, or by anyreasonoforinconsequence of anythings done or actsperformed pursuant to anyprovisions of this InternationalMechanical Code

(c) Prior violations. All suits at laworinequity andall prosecutions resulting from the violation of anybuilding ordinances heretoforeineffect whichare now pending in anyofthe courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reasonofthe adoption of this InternationalMechanical Code,but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this InternationalMechanical Code hadnot been adopted; and nothing in this InternationalMechanical Code shall be so construedasto abandon, abate, or dismiss anylitigation or prosecution now pending, or whichmay have heretoforebeen institutedorprosecuted. (d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of mechanical ordinances committedbeforethe effective date of this ordinance, the mechanical ordinance existing at the time such violations were committedshall apply andgovern.

Sec. 26-17. –Same-Amendments.

Chapter 1ofthe InternationalMechanical Code,2021 Edition, shall be deleted in its entirety, andthe following shall be substituted in lieuthereof: CHAPTER 1 ADMINISTRATION

SECTION 101 -GENERAL 101.1- Title. These regulations shall be known as The International Mechanical Code,2021 Edition, as amended by the City of NewOrleans hereinafterreferred to as “this code.”

The Director of the Department of Safety andPermits, as the appointing authority of the Department, andall of its Divisions, is hereinafterreferred to in this code as “theDirector.”

SECTION 115 -LICENSE FEES ***

115.1- Payment Of Fees: Dates For Renewal Of Active Licenses. The registration feeshall be paid at the time the application is presentedfor the initialorrenewallicense issuance.

The Class “A” Air Conditioning andRefrigeration Contractor License shall expire on the applicant’sdateofbirth. The renewalregistration feefor the Class “A” Air Conditioning andRefrigeration Contractor is due and payable to the “City of NewOrleans” on the first regular day of business afterthe applicant’sdateofbirth. No license renewalshall be issued unless allwork specified on permit(s) filedmorethanthree months prior to the applicant’s date of birth hasbeen completed, or awritten reason, sufficienttothe Director,has been submitted andapproved, indicating why the job installation(s) remains incomplete Asingle license shall be issuedtoany contractor applicantsuccessfully satisfying allofthe requirements of the City for both of the trades of Class “A” Master Gasfitter andClass “A” Air Conditioning andRefrigeration Contractor.His issuedlicense shall be known as the “Dual Contractor License”. The “Dual Contractor License” shall also expire on the applicant’sdateofbirth. Application andrenewal fees for the “Dual Contractor License” shall be submitted to the Director prior to the first regular day of business afterthe applicant’sdateofbirth. Application andrenewal fees for the Air Conditioning andRefrigeration Contractor license shall be submitted to the Director prior to the applicant’sdateofbirth. License holders maychoose between one-year andtwo-year renewal periods.

1. The renewalfee for aone-yearrenewal shall be due annually on the first regular business day afterthe applicant’sdateofbirth.

2. The renewalfee for atwo-year renewalshall be due biennially on the first regular business day afterthe applicant’sdateofbirth.

Sec. 26-18. –InternationalFuelGas Code –Adopted. (a) Code adopted. The InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 Edition, and appendices, arehereby adopted, except thatthe text of the code shall be as modified by the amendments set forth in section 26-19, andinthe eventofconflict the amendments shall supersede andtake priority over anyamendedorunamendedsection. If an amendment is in conflictwith only part of asection, it shall be construedassupersedingonly the part of the section with whichitisinconflict.

(b) City not liable. Nothing containedinthis InternationalFuelGas Code, 2021 Edition, shall be construedtorelieve or lessen the responsibility or liability of anypersonfor injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from anydefectsofany natureinany workperformed by the person or in anyequipmentowned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him, nor shall the City of NewOrleans, or anyofficer,agent or employee thereof incur,orbeheldtoassume, anyliability by reason or in consequence of anypermit, permission, certificateofinspection or approval authorized therein, or issuedorgivenashereinprovided, or by anyreasonoforinconsequence of anythings done or actsperformed pursuant to anyprovisions of this InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 Edition.

(c) Prior violations. All suits at laworinequity andall prosecutions resulting from the violation of anygas ordinances heretoforeineffect, whichare now pending in anyofthe courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reasonofthe adoption of this InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 edition, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 Edition, hasnot been adopted. Nothing in this InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 Edition, shall be so construedastoabandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or whichmay have heretoforebeen institutedorprosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of gas ordinances committedbeforethe effective date of this section, the gas ordinance existing at the time the violations were committedshall applyand govern. Sec. 26-19. –Same– Amendments Chapter 1ofthe InternationalFuelGas Code,2021 Edition, shall be deleted in its entirety, andthe following shall be substituted in lieuthereof:

and appliances, which areconstructed in conformity with their listing or labeled by atesting laboratory acceptable to the Director shall be installed. The satisfactory listing or labeling of these gas devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances shall be the prima facie evidence of conformity with the requirements of this Code. Installed gas piping and appliances shall conform to therequirementsof the New OrleansAmendments to The International Fuel Gas Code, 2021 Edition, and The National Fuel Gas Code, (NFPA-54). 111.31 -Alternate Materials And Methods. Provisions of this code are not intended to prevent the use of material or methods of construction not specifically prescribed by this code, provided an alternate has been approved by the Director.The Director may approve an alternate, provided he finds that the alternate for the purpose intended is at least the equivalent of that prescribed in this

authorized therein, or issued or given as hereinprovided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any thingsdone or actsperformed pursuant to any provisions of this building code. (c) Priorviolations. Allsuits at law or in equity and all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any building ordinances heretoforeineffect, which arenow pending in any of the courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this building code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this building code has not been adopted; and nothing in this building code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted. (d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of building ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the building ordinance existing at the timesuch violations werecommitted shall apply and govern.

(e) Legal effect. The requirements imposed by this building code shall be in addition to any other requirements imposed by other any other applicable law. The morerestrictive requirements shall supersede the less restrictive requirements.

Sec. 26-15. –Same -Amendments. That the following provisions of the International Building Code, 2015 2021 Edition, shall be deleted in their entirety and the following shall be substituted in lieuthereof:

SECTION 101 -GENERAL

101.1.1 Definitions. Except as expresslyprovided in this code, the following termsand their variant forms shall mean the following:

1. Department means the Department of Safetyand Permits.

2. Director means the Director of the Department of Safety and Permits. 3. IBCmeans the current version of the International Building Code as published by the International Code Council

4. IRCmeans the current version of the International ResidentialCode as published by the International Code Council

SECTION 103 -DEPARTMENTOFSAFETY ANDPERMITS

renewal registration fee is due andpayable to the Mechanical Inspection Division on or before the first regular dayof business after the applicant’sbirth date. License holders may choose between one-year and two-year renewal periods.

1. The renewal fee for aone-year renewal shall be due

FireCode –Adopted.

(a) Code adopted. The International Fire Code, 2021 Edition, is hereby adopted as the FireCode of the City of New Orleans, except that the text of the code shall read as modified by the amendments set forth in section 26-22.Inthe event of conflict these amendments shall supersede and take priority over any amended or unamended section. If an amendment is in conflictwith only part of asection, it shall be construed as superseding only the part of the section with which it is in conflict.

(c) Prior violations. All suits at law or in equity and all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any fire ordinances heretoforeineffect, which arenow pending in anyofthe courtsofthis state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this code had not been adopted; and nothing in this code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of fire ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the fire ordinance existing at thetime such violations werecommitted shall apply and govern.

(e) Legal effect. The requirements imposed bythis code shall be in addition to any other requirements imposed by other any other applicable law.The morerestrictive requirements shall supersede the less restrictive requirements. Sec. 26-22. –International FireCode –Amendments That the following provisions of the International FireCode, 2021 Edition, shall be deleted in their entirety and the following shall be substituted in lieu thereof: CHAPTER 1 SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION SECTION 101 —SCOPE AND GENERAL PROVISIONS 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known and may be cited as the 2021FirePrevention Code of the City of New Orleans, hereinafter referred to as ‘this code.’ Sec. 26-23. –International Energy Conservation Code –Adopted (a) Code adopted. The International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Edition, is hereby adopted.

(b) City not liable. Nothing contained in this code shall be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibility or liability of any person for injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting fromany defects of any natureinany work performed by said person or in any equipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him/her,nor shall the cityorany officer,agent or employee thereof incur,orbeheld to assume, any liability by reason or in consequence of any permit, permission certificate of inspection or approval authorized therein, or issued or given as herein provided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any things done or acts performed pursuant to any provisions of this code. (c) Prior violations. All suits at law or in equity and all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any energyconservation ordinances heretoforein effect, which arenow pending in any of the courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this code had not been adopted; and nothing in this code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretofore been instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of energy conservation ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the energy conservation ordinance existing at the time such violations were committed shall apply and govern.

(e) Legal effect. The requirements imposed by this code shall be in addition to any other requirements imposed by any other applicable law.The more restrictive requirements shall supersede the less restrictive requirements. Secs. 26-23—26-35. Reserved.” ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

FEBRUARY27, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ONFEBRAURY28, 2025 APPROVED: MARCH 06, 2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ONMARCH 07, 2025 AT 12:00 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE:

YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Morrell, Thomas -6

103.2.1 Determination of substantiallyimproved or substantially damaged existing buildings and structures in flood hazardareas. For applications forreconstruction, rehabilitation, repair,alteration, addition or other improvement of existing buildings or structures located in flood hazard areas, the Director shall determining determine if the proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage. Wherethe Director determines that the proposed work constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage, and where required by this code, the Director shall require the building to meet the requirementsofSection 1612 of this code and Chapter 78 of the Code of the City of New Orleans.

SECTION 105 –PERMITS

105.2 Work Exempt from Permit.Exemptions from permit requirements of this Code shall not be deemed to grant authorization forany work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this Code or any other laws or ordinances of the City of New Orleans including Vieux Carré Commission and Historic District Landmarks Commission requirements. Abuilding permit shall not be required for the following, unless in the opinion of the Directorisitinvolves hazardous or complex conditions which requirepermitting and inspection:

1. Less than 50% per exterior wall removal and replacement of deteriorated weather boards, aluminum, or vinyl siding. (Note: Sheathing replacement is notexempt from permitting requirements removal and replacement of deteriorated weather boards, aluminum, or vinyl siding. Plywood sheathing is considered to be astructural material forastructural permit, other materialsthat areused as asubstrate for finishes arenot considered structural).

2. Removal and replacement of deteriorated floorboards.

3. Removal and replacement of unenclosed and uncovered deteriorated porches and steps that are five feet or less in height above grade -front and rear and sides, when not in conflictwith the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. Roofsover otherwise unenclosed porches along with their framing arenot exempt from permitting

4. Interior painting, papering and similar finish work.

5. Paving of yardwhen in compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

6. Retaining walls which arenot over threeft. in height.

7. Exterior painting when not requiring protective scaffolding over public property or lead-based paint removal

8. Repairs to stucco when not requiring protective scaffolding over public property

8. 9. Replacement of less than 50% of the roofing and/or gutter workwith respect to one and two familydwellings.

9. 10. Fences up to seven ft. in height, when in compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

11. Masonry walls up to three ft. in height from grade or structure, when used as afence and when in compliance with the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.

10. 12. Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-familydwellings.

11. 13. Tents with an area less than 150 sq. ft. and not located in a FireDistrict, pursuant to Section425 of this code and Section 3103 of the International Fire Code.

14. Uncovered decks, when part of aresidential use, that do not exceed 200 sq. ft. in area and 30 in. highfromgrade at any point, that arenot attached to adwelling unit, and that do not serve as an exitdoor

15. Replacement of cabinets and countertops when it does not also include replacement of plumbing fixtures or any fixed equipment. The above exemptions supersede the exemptions listed in the unamended Code and areinaddition to any works listed as exempt in the IRCorIBC unless deemed applicable by the Department of Safety and Permits. Exemption from permitrequirements does not imply thatthese itemsare exempt from code requirements and still may requirepermitting from the HDLC or VCC.

Electrical: Repairs and Maintenance: Minorrepairwork, including the replacement of lamps or the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanentlyinstalled receptacles.

Radioand TelevisionTransmitting Stations: The provisions of this code shall not apply to electrical equipment used for radio and television transmissions but do apply to equipment and wiring forpower supply and the installations of towers and antennas.

Temporary Testing Systems: Apermit shall not be required for the installation of any temporary system required for the

or apparatus.

hot or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment regulated by this code. 5. Replacement of any part which does not alter its approval or make it unsafe. 6. Portable evaporative cooler

7. Self-contained refrigeration system containing 10 pounds (5 kg)orless of refrigerant and actuated by motors of 1horsepower (746 W) or less.

105.3.1 ActiononApplication. The Director shall examine or cause to be examined applications for permits and amendments thereto within a reasonable timeafter filing The Director shall conduct an initial review of an application for apermitsand amendments thereto within 15 business days after filing.Ifthe application is for astructural renovation, elevation, or new construction permit, the Director may extend the initial review period up to an additional 15 days, provided that the Director notifies the applicant in writing prior to the expiration of the initialreview

and identifies in such notice which aspects of the proposed work requirethe extended review period. If the application or the construction documents do not conform to the requirements of pertinent laws, the Director

reject such application in writing,stating the reasons therefor. If the Director is satisfied that the proposed work conforms to the requirements of this code and laws and ordinances applicable thereto, the Director shall issue apermit therefor as soon as practicable.

105.3.1.1 ActiononApplicationbyOther Departments. When an application for apermit requires review by any department or agency other than the Department of Safetyand Permits, including,but not limited to the Sewerage and Water Boardand Department of Public Works, and such review is notcomplete within 15 days of the filing of the application, the Directorshall not delay issuance of apermit under this code but shall identify on the permit the other department or agency approval required but not received at the timeofissuance. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the applicant shall not proceed with any part of the proposed work that is dependent on final approval of the other department or agency until such approval is provided.

mechanical,gas andelectrical installations is not necessary when the electrical work does not exceed $20,000 $35,000 or whenthe mechanical workdoesnot exceed $20,000 $35,000, in the opinion of the Director

2. The submission of construction documents involving mechanical,gas andelectrical installations is not necessary for the construction andorthe repair workfor one andtwo family dwellings.

3. The submission of construction documents for accessorystructures up to 200 sq. ft. in area andupto30in. high from grade

4. The submission of construction documents for uncovereddecks up to

company or individualwishing to act as athird-party building plan review provider in the City of NewOrleansmust first file aregistration application with the Department on aform providedfor thatpurpose. The Director shall not accept third-party building plan review reports from any company or individualnot first registeredwith the Department or thatare in violation of anyofthe requirements containedherein. All companies providing plan review services andall individuals performingplanreviews services, eitherindependently or on behalf of aregisteredcompany must registerwith the Department separately,and must comply with the following registration

arenonrefundable

3. When plans aresubmitted for are-reviewprocess, theDepartment of Safety and Permits shall collect are-review plan checking fee. The amount of the fee shall be determined as one-twentieth of one percent for the total valuation of all construction work. The total valuation shall be the same as used in determining building permit fees. Thereshall be aminimum fee of $45.00 and amaximum of $5,000.00 per application for re-review.

4. Permit fees for removal or demolition shall be as follows: $95.00 plus $5.00 for each $1,000.00 of demolition cost.

5. An extra inspection or wasted trip fee of $50.00 shall be incurred for each inspection called for by the owner or the owner’srepresentative when, in the opinion of the Director,the work to be inspected is incomplete and/or not suitable for inspection. Thischarge is for any and all extra inspections made necessary as aresult of blatantly incomplete work, inaccessibility to perform the inspection or for alterations to work previously accepted. This fee is in addition to any regular required permit fees.

6. Afee of $60.00 for each residential unit or phase and $125.00 for each commercial unit or phase shall be incurred to process the request for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy

7. On all buildings, structures, or alterations which fall within the Vieux Carré, as defined in Section 65-6 Chapter 166 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, and which requirea permit fromthe Vieux CarréCommission in addition to requiring abuilding permit under this Code, an additional 50 percent surcharge is added to the permit fee and the plan checking fee as enumerated in subsections 1, 2and 3ofSection 108.6.above.

8. On all buildings, structures, or alterations which fall within an officially designated Historic District, or any officially designated landmark, or which otherwise may requireHistoric District Landmarks Commission staffreview,anadditional 50 percent surcharge is added to the permit fee and the plan checking fee as enumerated in subsections 1, 2, and 3 aboveof this Section.

9. Review Fee. The cost to implement the stormwater management plans should be included in the total valuation of all constructionwork, and thus would be included in the current structurefor calculating buildingpermit fees.

SECTION 110 –INSPECTIONS

110.11 Roofing and Reroofing Inspections. The submission of verified geotagged photographic documentation or video of all phases of roofing or re-roofing processes that requirea permit is allowable in lieu of an inperson inspection.

110.112Inspection requests. It shall be the duty of the holder of the building permit or their duly authorized agent to notify the Director when work is ready for inspection. It shall be the duty of the permit holder to provide access to and means for inspection of such work for any inspections that arerequired by this code.

110.123Approval required. Work shall notbedone beyondthe point indicated in each successive inspection without first obtaining the approval of the Director.The Director,upon notification, shall make the requested inspections and shall either indicate the portion of the constructionthat is satisfactory as completed, or shall notify the permit holder or an agent of the permit holder wherein the same fails to comply with this code. Any portions that do not comply shall be corrected and such portion shall not be covered or concealed until authorized by the Director

110.134Existing Building Inspections. Beforeissuing apermit the Director may examine or cause to be examined any building for which an application has been received for apermit to enlarge, alter,repair,move, demolish, or change the occupancy.He/she shall inspect all buildings and structures, from time to time, during and upon completion of the work for which apermit was issued. He/she shall make arecord of every such examination and inspection and of all violations of this Code. *** SECTION 111 -CERTIFICATE OFOCCUPANCY

111.2.1 Alterations. Any building or structurewhich is enlarged, altered, raised, repaired, or built upon to an extent exceeding an expenditureof 50% of the replacement value after alterations, shall be made to comply in its entirety with the requirements for anew building or structure. Where the expenditures

113.9

and the

when

modify his/her original building plan and submit the modified plan to the Boardfor rehearing, the applicant must pay arehearing fee of $200.00 to the Director Department of Safety &Permits, which shall be deposited by the Director in the City’sGeneral Fund of the City ***

SECTION 917 -HYDRANTS, WATER MAINS &FIRELANES

917.2 Detail Requirements. All firefighting systems required by this Code shall comply in allrespects with:

1. International Fire Code, 2015 2021 as amended by the City of New Orleans. 2. International Plumbing Code, 2015 2021, as amended by the City of New Orleans. 3. Requirements of the Sewerage and Water Boardwhich include but are not limited to:

(a) Connectiontothe public water supply,all connectionstobemade with adetector check valve, furnished and installed by the Sewerage and Water Board, the cost of installation charged to the applicant.

(b)Ifdomestic water is also taken offthe fire main, full-flow meters will be installed in lieu of the detector check valve.

CHAPTER 16

STRUCTURAL DESIGN

SECTION 16

1609.2 PROTECTION OF OPENINGS

Level 3Renovations under the International Existing Building Code must be in compliance with the International Building Code requirements for ProtectionofOpenings. *** SECTION 1811 -SPECIALPROVISIONSFOR THECITYOFNEW ORLEANS

1811.3.3 Temporary buildings(See Section107) and buildings not exceeding one story in height and no morethan 500 sq. ft. in area or which otherwise do not requireapermit under this code shall be exempt from these requirements.

1811.5.2.1 Pile Load Test Case. The pile load testing procedurefor a single pile shall be conducted in general accordance with ASTM D1143 under the direction of aLouisiana Registered Civil Engineer.Itisrequired to notify the Directorinwriting prior to conducting pile load tests. The load-carrying capacity fora single pile in compression shall be established by any of the following methods:

Method1:When the total test load applied equals twice the proposed load capacity fora single pile, it shall be left in place at least 48 hr the last 24 hr.ofwhich shall be free from settlement. If after deducting rebound following the total release of this load, the net settlement at the topofthe pile does not exceed 0.01 in. per tonoftotal test load, the pile shall be considered adequate to support the proposed load capacity forasingle pile.

Method2:Wherethe pile is loaded to failure,the loading value where the load settlement curve begins to show an accelerated deviation from its previous trend may be considered the “yield point” for the given soil and pile. One-half of this value or one-half of the value at which the net settlement is estimated as ½in., whichever is smaller,shall be considered as the allowable load capacity fora single pile.

Method3:The failure load of apile, one-halfofwhich shall be used as the allowable load capacity forasingle pile, shall be defined as that load which produces asettlement or movement of the tip equal to ¼inch. The movement of the tip can be determined by actual measurement or by either of the following two load distribution cases, both involving the measurement of the butt movement. In each case, the failure load shall be defined as that load producing amovement of the butt equal to the elastic deformation of the pile under the failureload plus ¼inch.

***

CHAPTER 27

ELECTRICAL

2701.1-Scope -This chapter governs the electrical components, equipment and systems used in buildingsand structures covered by this code. Electrical components, equipment and systems shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 National Electrical Code, (NFPA-70). Wherethereisconflictbetween arequirement of Chapter 27 and arequirement of the National Electrical Code, the requirement of Chapter 27 shall govern. For lowvoltageinstallations refer to Section2735 (E) -BASICSTANDARDS of this Chapter

2712 -LICENSEFEES

License fees shall be made payable to “The City of New Orleans”. Payment shall be made prior to license issuance. Examination fees areestablished by and paid directly to the nationallyrecognized testing company under contract with the City of New Orleans. No examination fees aretobe directed to the Electrical Inspection Division or made payabletothe “City of New Orleans.”Licenses may be renewed for one or two years, subject to the discretion of the Director with annual fees due accordingly.Inthe case of two-year renewals, licensees arerequired to provide proof of insurance annually.

2717 -ELECTRICIAN’S ANDOWNER’S RESPONSIBILITIES

(B) Every Class “A” license holder certified in accordance with these regulations shall be responsiblefor any defectsofconstruction installed by him/her until such timeasaCertificateofApproval has been issued by the Director.Also,any and all defects (discrepancies) that may have been concealed by such Class “A” Electrical Contractor and discovered after aCertificateApproval has been issued shall be the responsibilityofand corrected by said Class “A” Electrical Contractor

At the discretion of the Director,inspections may be withheld until all outstanding discrepancies on the same installation, which areinviolation of the Code, have been corrected by the Class “A” Electrical Contractor (C) AClass “C” Maintenance Electrician or aClass “A” Electrical Contractor with amaintenance contract shall be requiredinany building thatrequires an operating (stationary) engineer as defined in the amendments to the International Mechanical Code, 2015 2021 Edition. The Class “C” Maintenance Electrician or the Class “A” Electrical Contractor with the maintenance contract, shall file an annual inspection report with the Electrical InspectionDivision. Thisinspection report shall be to inspect the current electrical service or apparatus in the building designated within, or contracted as apart of, the maintenance responsibilities. If electrical discrepancies or new electrical installations arediscovered to exist as aresult of this inspection, notification of same will be provided to the owner of the building or the “on-site” representative of the person, firm or corporation utilizing the building. (D)All power and control wiring shall be installed by aClass “A” Electrical license holder Exception: Control wiring for HVAC appliances and electricwater heaters ONLY (120 volts or less) may be installed by anon-electrical contractor. The installing non-electrical contractor must be alicensed Class “A” Master Gasfitter,Master Plumber or aClass “A” AirConditioning and RefrigerationContractor. The Electrical InspectionDivisionshall inspect the

be connected to any sign or billboarduntil allwork on same is completed, andthenonly when the Certificate of Approvalisissued by the Director andthe electric meter authorization is issuedtothe Utility Company

2735 -BASIC STANDARDS

(A) No electrical workfor light, heat or powershall be installedorplaced in or on anybuilding, structureorpremises, unless this workisinconformity with currentapproved methods of construction.Compliancewith the regulations in the NationalElectric Code,(NFPA-70) shall be prima facie evidence of conformity with such approvedmethods. No electrical equipment shall be installedbelow grade elevation, including service, switchboards andpanel boards.

(B) All installedelectrical wiringshall conformtothe requirements of the InternationalBuilding Code,2015 2021 Edition, as amended, the 2020 NationalElectric Code,(NFPA-70) andsuchotherapplicable safety codes as enforced by the Department of Safety andPermits.

(C) All electrical devices, fittings, materials, equipment, andappliances shall be those approvedfor the purpose for whichtheyare used. Only such electrical devices, fittings, materials, equipment, andappliances, thatare constructedinconformity with their listing or labeled by atesting laboratory acceptabletothe Director,shall be installed. The satisfactory listing or labeling of these devices, fittings, materials, equipment andappliances shall be prima facieevidence of conformity with the requirements of this Code

(D) The Director or his designee is hereby authorized to seize, de-energize or cause to make inoperable anyelectrical apparatus deemed by him to be dangerous, hazardous or perilous, whensuchelectrical apparatus is eitherbeing usedinamannerfor whichitisnot approvedorbeing used for apurpose for whichitdoesnot conformelectrically.Large or bulky electrical apparatus thatisnot capableofbeing movedortransported to alocation designated by the ChiefAdministrative Officer for storage shall be de-energized and“locked off” so as to be inoperable or incapable of being used. The seized electrical apparatus thatiscapableofbeing moved shall be transportedtoalocation designated by the Chief Administrative Officer for storage. The custodian of the storage area shall maintain recordsofthe impoundedelectrical apparatus andthe date on whichitwas impoundedand shall hold the apparatus in the storage area for aperiod of not morethan30days.Any electrical apparatus so held or “locked off” mayberedeemed by the ownerthereof upon the payment of afee to the City of NewOrleansthrough the custodian thereof, consisting of atotalof$150.00 plus $10.00 per day storage feefor each day the apparatus is stored. Any electrical apparatus impoundedand stored or “locked off” andnot redeemed by the ownerthereof within 30 days may be transferred or assignedtothe custody of the Department of Finance to be sold at public auction in the same manner as surplus property of the City (E) Low voltage installation wiring shall:

1. be properly attached to structural components.

2. be removedifitisabandoned as aresult of anew low voltage installation.

3. be installedina neat andworkmanlikemanner.

4. be installedsoasnot to impair or degrade the fire ratingorstructural integrity of apenetrated wall ceiling in accordance with Article 300.21 of the NEC.

5. be properly listedand labeled in accordance with Article 110.3(B) of the NEC.

2736 -FIRE PUMPS

All wiring of fire pump installations shall be in accordance with the NationalElectric Code,(NFPA-70), andCentrifugalFirePumps, (NFPA20),(SeeChapter 35 of the InternationalBuilding Code,2015 2021 ed., as amended).

2738 -ALTERNATEMATERIALS AND METHODS

The provisions of this Code arenot intendedtoprevent the use of any material or method of construction not specifically prescribed by this Code,provided an alternatehas been approvedbythe Director.The Director mayapprove an alternate, provided he finds thatthe alternate for the purpose intendedisatleast the equivalent of thatprescribed in this Code in quality,strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability andsafety. The Director shall requirethatsufficientevidence or proof be submitted to substantiate anyclaim made regarding the alternate. The Director mayrecommend an amendment to this Code in ordertomake permissible the use of the alternate. If,inthe opinion of the Director,the evidence andproof arenot sufficienttojustify approvalorrecommendation for an amendment, the applicantmay referthe entiremattertothe Board of Building Standardsand Appealsasspecified in Section 113 of the InternationalBuilding Code,2015 2021 Edition, as amended.

CHAPTER32

ENCROACHMENTS

SECTION 32

3202.3.2Windows, balconies, architectural features andmechanical equipment. Wherethe vertical clearance above grade to projecting windows, balconies, architectural features, or mechanical equipment is morethan eight feet,one inchofencroachment is permitted for each additionalone inchofclearance above 8feet.Encroachments into the public Right of Waymust obtain approvalfromthe appropriate city department.

CHAPTER36 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE

The following Chapters of the InternationalBuilding Code,(2015 2021) as amended shall also be applicabletothe construction of anyone and twofamily dwelling whenthe structureisdesignedand constructedin accordance with the InternationalResidential Code,2015 2021. Chapter 1…Administration Chapter 18…Soils andFoundations (Whereapplicable to one andtwo family dwellings The following Chapters of InternationalResidential Code aredeleted in their entirety. Chapter 1…Administration Chapter 12…Mechanical Administration Chapter 13…General Mechanical SystemRequirements Chapter 14…Heating andCooling Equipment andAppliances Chapter 15…Exhaust System Chapter 16…DuctSystems Chapter 17…Combustion Air Chapter 18…Chimneys andVents Chapter 19…Special Appliances, Equipment andSystems Chapter 20…Boilers/Water Heaters Chapter 21…Hydronic Piping Chapter 22…Special Piping andStorage Systems Chapter 23…Thermal Energy Systems Chapter 24…FuelGas

or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from any defects of any natureinany work performed by said person or in any equipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him, nor shall the city,orany officer, agent or employee thereof incur,orbe held to assume, any liability by reason or in consequence of any permit, permission, certificate of inspection or approval authorized therein, or issued or given as herein provided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any things done or acts performed pursuant to any provisions of this International Mechanical Code.

(c) Prior violations. All suits at law or in equity and all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any building ordinances heretoforeineffect, which arenow pending in any of the courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this International Mechanical Code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this International Mechanical Code had not been adopted; and nothing in this International Mechanical Code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of mechanical ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the mechanical ordinance existing at the time such violations werecommitted shall apply and govern.

Sec. 26-17. –Same -Amendments

Chapter 1ofthe International Mechanical Code, 2015 2021 Edition, shall be deleted in its entirety,and the following shall be substituted in lieu thereof: CHAPTER 1 ADMINISTRATION

SECTION 101 -GENERAL 101.1 -Title. These regulations shall be known as The International Mechanical Code, 2015 2021 Edition, as amended by the City of New Orleans hereinafter referred to as “this code.” The Director of the Department of Safety and Permits, as the appointing authority of the Department, and all of its Divisions, is hereinafter referred to in this code as “the Director.” ***

SECTION 115 -LICENSE FEES

115.1 -Payment Of Fees: Dates For Renewal Of Active Licenses. The registration fee shall be paid at the timethe application is presented for the initial or renewal license issuance. The Class “A” Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License shall expireonthe applicant’sdate of birth. The renewal registration fee for the Class “A” Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor is due and payable to the “City of New Orleans” on the first regular day of business after the applicant’sdate of birth. No license renewal shall be issued unless all work specified on permit(s) filed morethan three months prior to the applicant’sdate of birth has been completed, or awritten reason, sufficient to the Director,has been submitted and approved, indicating why the job installation(s) remainsincomplete.

Asingle license shall be issued to any contractor applicant successfully satisfying all of the requirements of the City for both of the trades of Class “A” Master Gasfitter and Class “A” Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor.His issued license shall be known as the “Dual Contractor License”. The “Dual Contractor License” shall also expireonthe applicant’sdate of birth. Application and renewal fees for the “Dual Contractor License” shall be submitted to the Director prior to the first regular day of business after the applicant’sdate of birth. Application and renewal fees for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor license shall be submitted to the Director prior to the applicant’sdate of birth. License holders may choose between one-year and two-year renewal periods.

1. The renewal fee for aone-year renewal shall be due annually on the first regular business day after the applicant’s date of birth.

2. The renewal fee for atwo-year renewal shall be due biennially on the first regular business day after the applicant’sdate of birth. Sec. 26-18. –International Fuel Gas Code –Adopted. (a) Code adopted. The International Fuel Gas Code, 2015 2021 Edition, andappendices, arehereby adopted, except that the text of the code shall be as modified by the amendments set forth in section 26-19, and in the event of conflict the amendments shall supersede and take priority over any amended or unamended section. If an amendment is in conflict with only part of asection, it shall be construed as superseding only the part of the section with which it is in conflict.

(b) City not liable. Nothing contained in this International Fuel Gas Code, 2015 2021 Edition, shall be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibility or liability of any person for injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from any defects of any natureinany work performed by the person or in any equipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him, nor shall theCity of New Orleans, or any officer,agent or employee thereof incur,orbeheld to assume, any liability by reason or in consequence of any permit, permission,certificate of inspection or approval authorized therein, or issued or given as herein provided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any things done or acts performed pursuant to any provisions of this International Fuel Gas Code, 2015 2021 Edition.

or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted. (d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of gas ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this section, the gas ordinance existing at the time the violations werecommitted shall apply and govern. Sec. 26-19. –Same –Amendments.

facie evidence of conformity with approved methods. Gas devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances shall be those approved for the purpose for which they areused. Only gas devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances, which areconstructed in conformity with their listing or labeled by atesting laboratory acceptable to the Director shall be installed. The satisfactory listing or labelingof these gas devices, fittings, materials, equipment, and appliances shall be the prima facie evidence of conformity with the requirements of this Code. Installed gas piping and appliances shall conform to the requirements of the New Orleans AmendmentstoThe International Fuel Gas Code, 2015 2021 Edition, and The National Fuel Gas Code, (NFPA-54).

111.31 -Alternate Materials And Methods. Provisions of this code are not intended to prevent the use of material or methods of construction not specificallyprescribed by this code, provided an alternate has been approved by the Director.The Director may approve an alternate, provided he finds that the alternate for the purpose intended is at least the equivalent of that prescribed in this code in quality,strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durabilityand safety.The Director shall requirethat sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any claim made regarding the alternate. The Director may recommend an amendment to this Code in order to make permissible the use of the alternate. If in the opinion of the Director,the evidence and proof arenot sufficient to justify approval or recommendation for an amendment, the applicant may refer the entire matter to the BoardofBuilding Standards and Appealsasspecified in Article 113 of The International Building Code, 2015 2021 Edition as amended.

111.9 -License Fees.

111.10 -Payment Of Fees: Dates For Renewal Licenses. The initial Class “A” Master Gasfitter license fee and required documentation shall be presented to the Mechanical InspectionDivision when the application for the license registration is made.

The annual license renewal registration fee is due and payabletothe Mechanical InspectionDivision on or beforethe first regular day of business after the applicant’sbirth date. License holders may choose between one-year and two-year renewal periods.

1. The renewal fee for aone-year renewal shall be due annuallyonthe first regular business day after the applicant’sdate of birth. 2. The renewal fee for atwo-year renewal shall be due bienniallyonthe first regular business day after the applicant’sdate of birth.

Sec. 26-21. –International FireCode –Adopted.

(a) Code adopted. The International Fire Code, 2015 2021 Edition, is hereby adopted as the Fire Code of the City of New Orleans, except that the textofthe code shall read as modified by the amendments set forth in section 26-22. In the event of conflict these amendments shall supersede and take priority over any amended or unamended section. If an amendment is in conflictwith onlypart of asection,itshall be construed as superseding only the part of the section with which it is in conflict.

(c) Prior violations. Allsuits at law or in equityand all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any fire ordinances heretoforeineffect, which arenow pending in any of the courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this code had not been adopted; and nothing in this code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violationsof fire ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the fire ordinance existing at the timesuch violations werecommitted shall apply and govern.

CHAPTER 1

SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION

SECTION 101 —SCOPE AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known and may be cited as the 2015 2021 FirePreventionCode of the City of New Orleans, hereinafter referred to as ‘this code.’

Sec. 26-23. –International Energy Conservation Code –Adopted

(a) Code adopted. The International Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Edition, is hereby adopted. (b) City notliable. Nothing contained in this code shall be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibilityorliabilityofany person for injury or damage to persons or property caused by or resulting from any defects of any natureinany work performed by said person or in any equipment owned, controlled, installed, operated or used by him /her,nor shallthe city or any officer,agent or employee thereof incur,orbeheld to assume, any liabilitybyreason or in consequence of any permit, permission, certificate of inspectionorapproval authorized therein, or issued or given as herein provided, or by any reason of or in consequence of any things done or acts performed pursuant to any provisions of this code.

(c)Prior violations. Allsuits at law or in equityand all prosecutions resulting from the violation of any energy conservation ordinances heretoforein effect, which arenow pending in any of the courts of this state, or of the United States, shall not be abated or abandoned by reason of the adoption of this code, but shall be prosecuted to their finality the same as if this code had not been adopted; and nothing in this code shall be so construed as to abandon, abate, or dismiss any litigation or prosecution now pending, or which may have heretoforebeen justified instituted or prosecuted.

(d) Retroactive clause. In the case of violations of energy conservation ordinances committed beforethe effective date of this ordinance, the energy conservation ordinance existing at the timesuch violations were committed shall apply and govern.

Secs. 26-23—26-35. Reserved.”

ORDINANCE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: January 30, 2025

CALENDAR NO.34,980

NO.30236 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES

BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST)

AN ORDINANCE to amend Ordinance No.30139 M.C.S., as amended, entitled “An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for theCity of New Orleans forthe Year 2025”, to appropriate grant funds to the Office of Youth and Families for ajoint initiative between Children &NatureNetwork, National League of Cities and KABOOM to advance equitableaccess to natureeverywherechildren live, learn, and play; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITYOFNEW ORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, that Ordinance No.30139 M.C.S., as amended, be amended to authorizeand direct the Director of Finance, notwithstanding any provision therein contained to the contrary,totransfer funds allocated therein as follows:

FROM: INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES –FUND6699

Intergovernmental Revenues Grants, Contributions, and Fund Transfers $40,000

TOTAL $40,000 TO: LOCAL FOUNDATION GRANTS –FUND4900

Total Local Foundation Grants $40,000

TOTAL $40,000

ADOPTED BY THECOUNCIL OF THECITYOFNEW ORLEANS

FEBRUARY27, 2025

JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON FEBRUARY28, 2025

APPROVED: MARCH6,2025

LATOYACANTRELL MAYOR RETURNED BY THEMAYOR ON MARCH7,2025 AT 12:00 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLL CALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso,Green, Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas -7

NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 RECUSED: 0

ORDINANCE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

CITYHALL: January 30, 2025

CALENDAR

THOMAS (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled“An Ordinance Providing an OperatingBudgetofExpenditures for the City of NewOrleansfor the Year 2025”,toappropriate grant funds to the Office of Youth andFamiliesfor ajoint initiative between Children &NatureNetwork, NationalLeague of Citiesand KABOOM to advance equitable access to natureeverywherechildren live,learn, andplay; and otherwise to provide with respect thereto.

SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, thatOrdinanceNo. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, be amended to authorizeand direct the Director of Finance, notwithstanding any provision therein containedtothe contrary,totransferfunds allocated therein as follows: FROM: INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES- FUND 6699

INTERGOVERNMENTAL

600 –GRANTS, CONTR. AND FUND TRANSFERS $40,000

TOTAL $40,000 TO: PRIVATEGRANTS– FUND 4900

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR 100 –PERSONAL SERVICES $40,000

TOTAL $40,000

ADOPTED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS FEBRUARY27, 2025

JP MORRELL

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON FEBRUARY28, 2025

APPROVED: MARCH6,2025

LATOYACANTRELL

MAYOR

RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON MARCH7,2025 AT 12:00 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas-7 NAYS: 0

ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0

ORDINANCE (AS CORRECTED) CITY OF NEWORLEANS

CITY HALL: January 30, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 34,983

NO. 30238 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBERS GIARRUSSO, MORENO, GREEN AND THOMAS (BY REQUEST) AN ORDINANCE to amendOrdinanceNo. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, entitled“An

to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, thatOrdinanceNo. 30140 M.C.S., as amended, be amended to authorizeand direct the Director of Finance, notwithstanding any provision therein containedtothe

SERVICES $150,000

TOTAL $150,000 ADOPTED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS

FEBRUARY27, 2025 JP MORRELL

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON FEBRAURY 28, 2025 APPROVED: MARCH06, 2025 LATOYACANTRELL MAYOR RETURNED BY THE MAYOR ON MARCH07, 2025 AT 12;00 P.M.

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

ROLLCALL VOTE: YEAS: Giarrusso, Green,Harris, King, Moreno, Morrell, Thomas-7 NAYS: 0 ABSENT:0 RECUSED: 0

ORDINANCE (AS AMENDED) CITY OF NEWORLEANS

CITY HALL: February 11, 2025

CALENDAR NO. 34,984 NO. 30239 MAYOR COUNCIL SERIES BY:COUNCILMEMBER MORRELL

AN ORDINANCE to respond to the currentbudgetchallengesfacing the City of NewOrleansthrough atemporary prohibition on non-essential travel by City employees andofficialsand on certainnon-travel-related expenses, including newpassengervehicle leases; andotherwise to provide with respect thereto. SECTION 1. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSHEREBY ORDAINS, That, beginning on the date this ordinancebecomeseffective andcontinuing until April 30, 2025 (the“Travel Ban Period”), no public officer or employee of the City of NewOrleansmay engage in non-essential travel, incur anynon-essentialtravel-related expense or obligation, or be reimbursedbythe City of NewOrleansfor non-essential travel-related expenses, subject to the following: (a) For purposesofthis ordinance, the following terms shallhave the following meanings: (1) “Non-essential travel” means anytravel by acity employee or elected official thatispaidfor in whole or in part by the City,except for travel (i) thatisnecessary to comply with acourt orderorotherwise directly relatedtoalegal proceeding, such as ahearing or trial, (ii) thatisexpressly requiredbyanexisting contract,(iii) thatispaidfor in full from funds solely from afederal or state allocation,or(iv) thatwould, if not undertaken cause adirect andmaterial harm to the financialwell-being of the City Notwithstanding the foregoing, internationaltravel; travel to conventions, festivals, special events, andconferences; andtravel intendedtopursue economic-developmentopportunitiesshall be deemed “non-essential travel” in every case.

(2) “Non-essential travel-related expenses” means anycost incurredin connection with non-essential travel thatispaidfor,whetherinadvance or through reimbursement, by the City of NewOrleans, including without limitation, anyexpenses described in CAO PolicyMemorandum No. 9(R), Section VI.

(b) No person shall use acity-issuedcredit cardduring the Travel Ban Period to incur anon-essentialtravel-related expense.

(c) Even in cases where travel is authorized,noreimbursement shall be made for mealsoralcoholic beverages, providedthateach public officer andemployeeshall be entitledtoareasonable per diem reimbursement in accordance with existing policy

(d) Nothing in this ordinanceshall prohibit an employee or public officer from using annualleave to engage in privately fundedtravel or from engaging in purelypersonaltravel while offduty during the Travel Ban Period.

(e) Nothing herein shall prohibit reimbursement of valid travel expenses for travel occurring on or beforethe Travel

SECTION

and (b) Alcoholic beverages of anykind. (c) Employees of the NewOrleansAviation Board areexempted from the prohibition on reimbursement for non-travel-related expenses whenthe reimbursement for those expenses comesexclusively from the Aviation Board’sself-generated funding. An employee of the NewOrleansAviation Boardisdefinedasanindividualwhose salary for full-time employment is paid for by the Aviation Board.

SECTION 3. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSFURTHER ORDAINS, That the City shall not enterinto alease for anypassenger vehicle during the period beginning on the date this ordinancebecomes effective andcontinuing until April 30, 2025, including vehicles otherwise exempted from Chapter 2, Article IX, Division 3pursuant to City Code § 2-896.

SECTION 4. THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANSFURTHER ORDAINS, That the Clerk of Council shallprovide copies of this ordinance to the ChiefAdministrative Officer andthe Council ChiefofStaff for distribution to allcity departments. ADOPTED BY THE COUNCILOFTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS FEBRUARY27, 2025 JP MORRELL PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL DELIVERED TO THE MAYOR ON FEBRUARY28, 2025 APPROVED: DISAPPROVED: