The Times-Picayune 05-01-2025

Bill to inject health into food programs advances

Amassivecrowd fills the SenateHealthand Welfare Committee meetingroom during the discussion of SB14 by Sen. Patrick McMath,left, at the StateCapitol on Wednesday.The crowd waslargeenough to fill an overflow room upstairs.

Food dyes,sugarydrinkswould be restricted in plan

BY EMILYWOODRUFF |Staff writer

Abillthat proposestobring the Make America Healthy Again movement to Louisiana went before apackedSenate Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday,which ultimately advanced thebill out of committee and to the full Senate.

Theproposedlaw,SenateBill14, is part of anational effort to reshapefood policy led by Healthand Human Services

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.MAHA’s broad agenda includes regulatingsoda and candypurchases under social welfare programs, removing fluoride from public water systems, rolling back pharmaceutical interventions and removing

Sen.Patrick McMath, R-Covington, speaks while presenting SB14 during aSenate Health and Welfare Committee meetingat the StateCapitol on Wednesday

ultra-processed food from schools.

The end goals aretocurbobesity,reduce chronic illness and restore individual autonomyinhealthdecisions. Louisiana consistentlyranks near the bottom in national health metrics, including obesity, diabetes and child well-being.

Sen. Patrick McMath, aRepublican from Covington who authored the bill, said he workedwiththe Trumpadministrationand Kennedy to craft themeasure.

“This movementistaking place across the country,” said McMath, whosaid other states passing similar legislation have had it fast-tracked for federal approval.

ä See HEALTH, page 4A

Plan may be in works forPlaza Tower

Skyscraper could become senior affordable housing

BY ANTHONY McAULEY |Staff writer

The owners of Plaza Tower,which for decades has been one of NewOrleans’ mostvisibleeyesores, may finally have aviableplantobring the blighted skyscraper back into commercial use.

The executor of the estate of the late Joe Jaeger,who hadowned thebuildingsince 2014,saidWednesday that he is in talks with Lincoln Avenue Communities, aCalifornia-based affordable housing developer,totransform the 45-story tower into aresidential complex forqualified elderly tenants. The high-rise, which is located across from Amtrak’sUnion Passenger Terminal at the corner of Howard andLoyolaavenues,has been deteriorating sincethe last tenantsleftin 2002. In recent years, it has become ahazard, causing periodic street

STAFFPHOTO By CHRISGRANGER

The owners of PlazaTower,seen in the background, which fordecades has been one of NewOrleans’ most visible eyesores, may finally have aviable plan to bring the blighted skyscraper backinto commercial use.

Tulane students mayfaceconsequencesafter Marchprotest

Suspended student Rory MacDonald speaks in front of Tulane University on March 19 during anewsconference to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia, and oppose deportation of immigrants and Trump’sexecutive order against DEI programs.

By SOPHIA GERMER

Sevenatpeaceful demonstration investigated

BY MARIE FAZIO |Staff writer

The peaceful protest by studentsat TulaneUniversity in March resembled dozens of past demonstrationsthat occurred without incident —except this time some participants could face serious consequences.

About 40 students passed around a microphone and took turns speaking about Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University studentactivist whowas detained after participating in pro-Palestinian protests, while Tulane University police officers stood at the ready with metal barricades demarcating campus property. Thentheymarched peacefully on public sidewalks through campus and briefly rallied on St. Charles Avenue before disbanding.

12TH yEAR, NO.262

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

German center-left party approves coalition deal

BERLIN Germany ’s center-left Social Democrats have approved a deal to join a new coalition government, paving the way for parliament to elect conservative leader Friedrich Merz as the country’s new chancellor

The party of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholtz will join a coalition led by Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, which won Germany’s election in February with 28.5%.

The Social Democrats suffered their worst result since World War II, finishing third with just 16.4% of the vote. But the conservatives need their support to assemble a parliamentary majority without the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, which finished second.

The Social Democrats put a coalition agreement reached in early April to an online ballot of their 358,000-plus members, who voted over the last two weeks. The party’s youth wing had come out against the deal.

The party announced Wednesday that 56% of their members voted in the poll, of which 84.6% cast their ballots in favor

The deal gives the Social Democrats the crucial finance, justice and defense ministries, among others. The CDU and CSU previously approved the agreement.

Trump dismisses nominations for council

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has dismissed many of former President Joe Biden’s nominees to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, including Doug Emhoff, the husband of former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Emhoff who is Jewish and who led the Biden administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism, criticized Trump’s action, saying, “Let me be clear: Holocaust remembrance and education should never be politicized.”

He added, “To turn one of the worst atrocities in history into a wedge issue is dangerous — and it dishonors the memory of six million Jews murdered by Nazis that this museum was created to preserve.”

Others dismissed alongside Emhoff include former Biden chief of staff Ron Klain and former domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, who was the principal author of and the impetus behind the first-ever comprehensive National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism in 2023.

Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to former first lady Jill Biden, confirmed he was also dismissed. Since taking office in January Trump has moved to fire many Biden appointees across government — including ostensibly apolitical roles Biden, too, dismissed some Trump carryover appointees after he entered the White House in 2021, most notably 18 appointees named to U.S. military academy boards, but at a far smaller scale.

Iran says next talks with U.S. to be held in Rome

TEHRAN, Iran Iran said Wednesday the next round of negotiations over its rapidly advancing nuclear program it will have with the United States will be in Rome on Saturday Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made the comment on the sidelines of a Cabinet meeting, adding that Iran also anticipated having a meeting Friday with France, Germany and the United Kingdom to discuss the talks.

The talks with the U.S. again will be mediated by Oman. The sultanate has hosted two rounds of talks in Oman’s capital, Muscat, and one round at its embassy in Rome.

The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on the Islamic Republic closing in on a half-century of enmity U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.

Pakistan: India will attack within days

BY PRABHJOT GILL, SHEIKH SAALIQ and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

ATTARI, India Pakistan said Wednesday it had “credible intelligence” that India is planning to attack it within days, and vowed to respond “very strongly,” as soldiers exchanged gunfire along borders and Pakistanis heeded New Delhi’s orders to leave the country following last week’s deadly attack in Indian-controlled

Kashmir

India has moved to punish Pakistan after accusing it of backing the attack in Pahalgam, which Islamabad denies, driving tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to their highest point since 2019, when they came close to war after a suicide car bombing in Kashmir The region is split between India and Pakistan and claimed by both in its entirety.

Pakistan said the intelligence shows that India plans military action against it in the next 24 to 36 hours “on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement.”

There was no immediate comment from Indian officials. However, Indian government officials said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “given complete operational freedom to the armed forces to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the Pahalgam massacre.”

They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations.

Last week’s attack that killed 26, most of them Indian tourists, was claimed by a previously unknown militant group calling itself the Kashmir Resistance. New Delhi describes all militancy in Indian-controlled Kashmir as Pakistan-backed terrorism.

Pakistan denies this, and many Muslim

Kashmiris consider the militants to be part of a homegrown freedom struggle.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in separate calls with India and Pakistan, stressed the need to “avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences.”

U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and “emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia,” according to a Pakistan statement

Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told reporters that “I have made it very clear, on behalf of the government and the nation, that Pakistan will not be the first one to resort to any escalatory move. However in case of any escalatory move by the Indian side, we will respond very strongly.”

The army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, added, “If they think that aggression is the path forward, our message is only this: We are ready, don’t test it.”

Pakistan didn’t elaborate on the “credible intelligence” it cited.

The deadline for Pakistani citizens to leave India, with exceptions for those with medical visas, passed on Sunday, but many families were still scrambling to the border crossing in Attari town in northern Punjab state.

Some arrived on their own. Others were being deported by police.

“We have settled our families here. We request the government not to uproot our families,” said Sara Khan, a Pakistani who was ordered back without her husband, Aurangzeb Khan, who holds an Indian passport. She carried her 14-day-old child and said she had been living in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 2017.

Court tells Serbia to ‘prevent use of sonic weapons’ after protesters’ claims

BY JOVANA GEC Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia The European Court of Human Rights said on Wednesday that Serbia “should prevent the use of sonic weapons or similar devices” for crowd control following claims that a sound cannon was directed at protesters during a huge anti-government rally on March 15.

The court in Strasbourg, France, said its interim measure did not mean it had taken “any position as to whether use of such weapons had occurred” at the demonstration that was part of months-long anticorruption protests in the Balkan country.

Serbian authorities have repeatedly have denied claims by opposition parties and several experts that a sonic weapon broke a commemorative silence during the March protest causing people to suddenly run in panic while experiencing an array of symptoms and huge discomfort

The authorities initially said Serbian security agencies did not possess any sonic devices but later admitted they do own several

The European court said 47 Serbian nationals had filed complaints over the incident while up to 4,000 people reported their experiences in the application collected by a group of Serbian civil society groups. The court rejected

requests to investigate the incident or prevent legal proceedings against people who publicly alleged some kind of a device was used.

“Allegedly, the applicants experienced intense instinctive fear, panic, shock, accelerated heartbeat, trembling, hearing problems, vomiting, nausea, tachycardia, and similar symptoms,” a court statement said. “Some allegedly sustained physical injuries due to the panic.”

Footage from the rally show people standing peacefully before a sudden panic erupts and a brief stampede. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said people started scrambling for cover, leaving the middle of the downtown street almost empty as they started falling over each other

“The State should pre-

Trump says China will suffer more in trade war

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday acknowledged that his tariffs could result in fewer and costlier products in the United States, saying American kids might “have two dolls instead of 30 dolls,” but he insisted China will suffer more from his trade war

The Republican president has tried to reassure a nervous country that his tariffs will not provoke a recession, after a new government report showed the U.S. economy shrank during the first three months of the year

Trump was quick to blame his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, for any setbacks while telling his Cabinet that his tariffs meant China was “having tremendous difficulty because their factories are not doing business,” adding that the U.S. did not really need imports from the world’s dominant manufacturer

“You know somebody said, ‘Oh, the shelves are going to be open,’” Trump continued, offering a hypothetical. “Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls. So maybe the two dolls will cost a couple bucks more than they would normally.”

His remarks followed a defensive morning after the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3% during the first quarter Behind the decline was a surge in imports as companies tried to front-run the sweeping tariffs on autos, steel, aluminum and almost every country And even positive signs of increased domestic consumption indicated that purchases might be occurring before the import taxes lead to price increases.

Trump pointed his finger at Biden as the stock market fell Wednesday morning in response to the gross domestic product report.

“This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s,” the

Republican president, who took office in January, posted on his social media site. “Tariffs will soon start kicking in, and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden ‘Overhang.’ This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS.” But the GDP report gives Democrats ammunition to claim that Trump’s policies could shove the economy into a recession. Democrats’ statements after the GDP report noted how quickly the economy, which still has a healthy 4.2% unemployment rate, appears to lose momentum within weeks of Trump returning.

A top House Democrat, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state., said that “we’ve only seen the beginning of the dangerous impacts from Trump’s random policies.” She noted that U.S. manufacturers still depend on parts and components from China to assemble final goods and said Trump’s approach to trade reflected a misunderstanding of the investment and certainty that domestic companies need in order to construct more factories and create jobs.

“Chaos and dysfunction are not going to help build investment,” said DelBene, who leads the House Democrats’ congressional campaign efforts. “A strong economy needs stability and certainty We haven’t seen that.”

The GDP report landed as Trump is trying to put the focus on new corporate investments in the U.S as he spends the week celebrating his 100th day in office. He planned remarks later in the day on the subject. Trump’s economic message contains some clashing arguments and dismisses data that raises red flags. He wants credit for an aggressive first 100 days back in the White House that included mass layoffs of federal workers and the start of a trade war with 145% in new tariffs against China.

vent the use of sonic weapons or similar devices at future protests by the State and/or non-state actors,” the ECHR said. “Any use of sound devices for crowd control (other than for communication purposes) must be prevented in the future.”

The court “noted that use of such weapons for crowd control was unlawful in Serbia and, in particular, potentially serious health effects that could be caused to a large number of persons.”

Protests in Serbia started after a train station canopy collapsed in the northern city of Novi Sad, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy on alleged rampant government corruption that fueled disrespect of safety regulations and negligence during the station building renovation.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By K.M. CHAUDARy

A Pakistani paramilitary soldier searches a vehicle as another stands guard at a checkpoint in Wagah, a joint border crossing point on the Pakistan and India border, near Lahore, Pakistan, on Wednesday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC People attend an anti-corruption protest in the southwestern town of Novi Pazar, Serbia, on April 12.

HouseOKs carinsurance bill

Republicanssplit over measure pushed by Landry

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landrypowered over Republican opponents in the state House on Wednesday in ahigh-stakes battle that also pits him against Insurance Commissioner TimTemple and business lobbiesover how best to lower car insurance rates

The key vote camewhen theHouseapproved an amendmentsponsored by Rep. Brian Glorioso, RSlidell, who said the change would give Temple greater authority to reject rate increases that he deems“excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.”

“The commission er should have the authority to review everything that is submitted,” Glorioso told his colleagues, saying that under current law Temple can reject rate increases as

excessive onlywhen he deems thatthe insurance market is uncompetitive.

Th eG lo rio s o amendment passed on a67-33 vote. Significantly,only 36 Republicans supportedit, while33 opposed it. All 31 Democrats voted in favorofthe amendment

TheHouse then passed the amended measure, House Bill 148. It now headstothe Senate, where it will likely face an easier road in the less-conservative chamber Temple and Republicans opposed to thebill believe that Landry wants to usethe lawasacudgel to blame the insurance commissioner if car insurance rates don’tgo down.

No legislator said that publicly on Wednesday

But Glorioso faced tough questions and comments from fellow Republicans on whetherthe change will prove beneficial.

“Who determines what excessiveis?” asked Rep.Jay Galle, R-Mandeville. “That

can be very subjective.”

The commissioner does,Glorioso replied, adding that underhis amendment there will be “a process in place to makesureit’snot done in an arbitrary manner.”

Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, turned to making statementswhile asking questionsofGlorioso.

“We’re sending amessage to the industry that we’re an unstable place to do business,” said Davis, who worked for the Insurance Department for adecade. “I just don’tthink this is good policy.”

The governor has been facing aproblem in recent days because House Republicans had pointedly refused to back thebill when it was sponsored by aDemocrat, as theyendorsed all car insurance bills sponsored by Republicans Landry got Rep. Jeff Wiley,R-Gonzales, to allow Glorioso to add hisamendment to Wiley’sbill.

Wis. court suspends judgeaccused of helpingman evadeimmigration

BY TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. The WisconsinSupreme Court suspended ajudge accusedof helping aman evadeimmigrationauthorities, saying Tuesday that it is in the public interest to relieve her of her duties as she faces two federal charges.

The FBI took Milwaukee County CircuitJudgeHannah Dugan into custody Friday morning at the county courthouse. She has been charged with concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest and obstructing or impedinga proceeding.

In its two-page order,the court said it was actingto protect public confidence in Wisconsin courts during the criminal proceedings against Dugan.

The order noted thatthe court was acting on its own initiative and was not responding to arequest from anyone. Liberaljusticescontrol the court 4-3.

“It is ordered that Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah C. Dugan is temporarilyprohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the stateofWisconsin, effective the date of this order and until further order of the court,”the justices wrote.

In astatement, Dugan’s legal team said it was disappointed “thatthe Court acted in unilateral fashion. We continue to assert Judge Dugan’sinnocenceand look forward to her vindicationin court.”

Astate court spokesperson said that areserve judge began filling in for Dugan on Monday for an indefiniteperiod.

Dugan is accused of escorting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer from her court through the jury door last week after learning that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the buildingand seeking his arrest. FloresRuiz, who court documents say illegally reentered the U.S. after being deported in 2013, was taken into custody outside afterafoot chase.

Courtdocumentssuggest Dugan was alerted to

theagents’presence by her clerk,who wasinformed by anattorney that they appearedtobeinthe hallway

An FBI affidavit says Dugan was “visibly angry” over the agents’ arrival and called the situation “absurd” before leaving the bench and retreating to her chambers. It says she and another judgelater approached members of the arrestteam inside the courthousewith what witnesses described as a“confrontational,angry demeanor.”

After aback-and-forth with officers over the warrant forFlores-Ruiz,Dugan demanded they speak with thechief judge andled them away from the courtroom the affidavit says. Afterdirectingthe agents to thechief judge’soffice, investigators say,Dugan returnedtothe courtroom

and was heard saying words to theeffect of “wait, come with me” before ushering Flores-Ruiz and his lawyer throughthe jury door into a nonpublic area.

The action was unusual, the affidavit says, because “onlydeputies, juries, court staff, andin-custody defendantsbeing escorted by deputiesused the back jury door.Defense attorneys and defendants whowere not in custody never used thejury door.”

Dugan’sarrests has sparked outrage among Democrats, whohaveaccused the Trumpadministrationoftrying to chill the judiciary.Demonstrators gathered outside the FBI’s Milwaukeefieldoffice Saturday to protest her arrest She is set to appear in court for arraignment May 15.

HouseGOP wantstopumpbillions into deportations anddetentions

BY LISAMASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON As part of theirbig taxbill, Republicans in Congress are pumping billionsofdollars into President Donald Trump’s massdeportation and border securityplan with nearly 20,000 newofficers, stark new$1,000infees on migrants seeking asylum and$46.5 billion fora longsought border wall.

Tuesday launched the first of back-to-back public hearings as House Republicansroll outthe fineprint of what Trump calls his “big, beautiful bill ”—which is focused on $5 trillion in tax breaks andupto$2trillion in slashed domestic spending. Butitalsopours some $300 billion to beef up the Pentagon and border securityasthe Trumpadministration says it’srunning out of money for deportations.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,ispushing to have thebill wrapped up by Memorial Day and thensend it to the Senate, which is draftingits own version.

“Weare on track,” Johnson said at his weekly news conference.

This was always expected to be thehard part, where Republicans who have controlofthe House and Senate begin to fill in thedifficult details of what,until now, has simply been aframework for Trump’stax packageatthe cornerstone of the GOP’sdomestic agenda.

As Trumproundshis 100thday in office, the GOP’sstiff immigration provisions comeasAmericans areshowing unease withthe president’sapproach, with just half saying he’s focused on theright priorities. The White House is battlinghigh-profile court cases after it mistakenly deported aMaryland man to El Salvadorand, over theweekend, Trump’steam

roundedupcountless immigrants, including foreignborn parents who were deportedwiththeir American-born toddlers and small children in tow

Democrats are fighting back in the House and Senate, and the halls of public opinion, but as the minority party in Congress, they have littleabilitytostop the forward march of the package.

Instead, they used Tuesday’shearings to tryto shameRepublicans into rethinking their approach.

“Doalittle soul searching before you vote for this,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, at one point during the debate.

Building theborderwall

Centraltothe Homeland Committee’ssection of the legislation is $46.5 billion to revive construction of Trump’swallalong the U.S.-Mexico border,with some700 miles of “primary”wall, 900 miles of river barriers, and more.

There’salso $4 billion to hire an additional3,000 new BorderPatrolagents as well as 5,000 newcustoms officers, and $2.1 billion for signing and retention bonuses.

Democrats keptthe committee in session forhours, submitting somethree dozen amendments to change the package. They all failed.

Among the first Democratic amendments offered was from Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans to prohibit the use of funding to deport American children. Another from Rep. Seth Magaziner of Rhode Island would stop the money from being used to send Americans to foreign prisons.

For the first time, the U.S. under the legislation would imposea$1,000 feeonmigrants seeking asylum something thenation has never done.

Experts said the newfee on asylum seekerswould put the U.S. on parwith a few others, including Australia and Iran. And that’snot all. The Judiciary Committee is expected to meet Wednesday on its $110 billion section of the package. There would be newfees on various other legal paths to entry,includinga$3,500 fee for those sponsoring unaccompanied children to enter the U.S., a$2,500 penaltyifsponsors of unaccompaniedchildren skip court appearances anda $1,000 feefor individuals paroled into the U.S. Overall, theplanistoremove 1millionimmigrants annually andhouse 100,000 people in detention centers. It calls for10,000 moreImmigration and Customs Enforcement officers and investigators. Hegsethcomes under fire Meanwhile, the House Armed Services Committee starteddrilling down Tuesday into its section of the package, with some $100 billion in new spending, including some $5 billion for border security But the hearing became tangledbyquestions from Democratsoverfunding for Ukraine, Trump’splan for abig military parade and calls for Hegseth to be fired or resign.

“What world are we living in?” Magaziner asked. He said allowing Republicans to “keep trampling on rights, sooneveryone’s rights” will be under threat. Chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., as he gaveled the committeeopen, said, “It is critical that the Republican majority do what the people elected us to do.” The committeeapproved its bill on aparty line vote. GOP goals

Supporters of Judge Hannah Dugan hold arally in Milwaukee at the U.S. Courthouse on April 25.

Changes to Louisiana’s civil service weighed

State employees oppose proposal

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

For a second year in a row, a contested effort to change the constitution to give state lawmakers more power over Louisiana’s civil service system is underway

Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, is again championing a bill that would allow the Legislature to add additional unclassified positions to the state workforce.

Morris, during a hearing Wednesday, said the effort to “reform civil service” is aimed at creating a more efficient government that functions to some degree like a business.

“Civil service eliminates the ability to have a meritocracy, which is essential to a well-functioning organization,” he said. “The taxpayers of our state deserve an efficient government. And civil service in its current form prevents that.”

Morris contended that the current system is problematic in that it prioritizes seniority over performance, has rigid rules that make hiring difficult, and has burdensome disciplinary procedures that get in the way of firing employees

PLAZA

Continued from page 1A

closures because of falling debris, while various potential buyers and plans for redevelopment have come and gone

In January, City Hall was given approval by an Orleans Parish District Court judge to hire engineers to make the building safe before the Super Bowl and to devise a plan to demolish the structure later if a redevelopment plan couldn’t be found.

But Randy Waesche, executor of Jaeger’s estate, said a viable deal is in the works.

“We have engaged the city and multiple other interested parties, and they’ve all been cooperative in moving the process forward in the manner that we would like to develop the project,” Waesche said by phone.

He said the discussions are at an early stage and would require approval for federal state and local subsidies, similar to the complex financing package that has come together to make the rehabilitation of the former Naval Support Activity base in Bywater viable. That project, called NSA East Bank apartments, had also been led by Jaeger before he died last year in an automobile accident One of Jaeger’s partners, developer Brian Gibbs, took the lead in the project and secured in early April the final federal loan guarantee and city tax break needed so con-

HEALTH

Continued from page 1A

Under the MAHA banner, McMath, with the vocal support of Republican Gov Jeff Landry and Surgeon General Dr Ralph Abraham, is aiming to enact several nutrition-related reforms.

They include:

n Banning certain artificial ingredients and additives in school meals;

n Requiring physicians to receive continuing education in nutrition;

n Mandating QR codes on packaged food labels disclosing certain ingredients;

n Requiring restaurants to disclose use of seed oils on menus;

n Directing the state to apply for a federal waiver to restrict the purchase of sugary drinks with SNAP benefits.

While nearly all seven present senators on the committee expressed their support for the goals of the bill, the three Democratic members voiced concerns about the SNAP restriction, which would ban the purchase of any drink with over 5 grams of added sugar or containing any artificial sweetener Drinks that contain milk, milk substitutes, added electrolytes or added vitamins are exempt.

SNAP concerns

who need to be let go for poor performance

But current and former state employees showed up at the Capitol on Wednesday to share their opposition with lawmakers during a public hearing on the legislation.

More than 25 people lodged formal opposition to the measure, and several detractors spoke publicly

One of those was Doug Bordelon, an employee of the Department of Environmental Quality, who said he was speaking in a personal capacity

Democrats opposed.

Louisiana’s civil service system gives certain government employees protection against being fired and is meant to limit patronage and political retaliation.

Under the system set up in the state constitution, there are two groups of government workers: classified and unclassified.

Should the legislation pass, he said, “it may achieve the short-term goal of increasing administrative flexibility, but it would also likely be disastrous for public servants and for the public sector.”

“Dramatic change and too much change are detrimental to any organization. To put it bluntly dramatic change tanks morale,” said Bordelon, who said he has been a state employee for more than two decades, most of that time as a classified employee and human resources manager.

The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee approved Senate Bill 8 on a party-line 5-2 vote, with Republicans in support and

Classified employees — those meant to be shielded from political pressure — can only be disciplined or fired for cause, with proper documentation and after a chance to respond or take corrective action. They’re also barred from supporting political candidates or parties.

Unclassified employees are considered at-will and can be hired or fired at any time, and they face no restrictions on political activity.

By default, state government jobs are classified, but the constitution lists more than a dozen specific categories of state employees and officials that are unclassified positions. Among them: elected officials, members of boards and commissions, and staff in the Legislature, Governor’s Office and Attorney General’s Office, for example. The State Civil Service Com-

struction can begin later this year

The NSA East Bank partners also brought in Lincoln Avenue Communities to partner on that deal.

Lincoln Avenue Communities also acquired and led a $35 million rehabilitation of the Tivoli Place Apartments, which has 163 units available to seniors earning between 20% and 60% of area median income. That eight-story building on St. Charles Avenue, on the edge of the historic Tivoli Circle (now Harmony Circle), was

built in 1917 was originally the site of the Hotel Bienville.

David Garcia, LAC’s Auburn, Alabama-based regional chief, said they have been making good progress with the city’s head of economic development, Jeff Schwartz, on the various financial and permitting elements that will be needed to make the Plaza Tower project work.

“LAC is excited about the potential opportunity at Plaza Tower,” Garcia said via text. “We have begun meetings with city and state

dren treats for special occasions like birthdays or school field trips.

Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, DLafayette, objected to what he viewed as government overreach.

mission can also approve requests from state agencies for additional unclassified positions.

Morris’ proposal would empower the Legislature to create additional unclassified jobs as well.

“What’s the true intent?” said Dana LeBherz, a current state employee, speaking to lawmakers Wednesday “Given the scope of the changes proposed, it seems to me the ultimate aim may be to dismantle civil service.”

After the hearing, Morris said, “My intent is not to dismantle the entire system,” though he added that “a hybrid system” consisting of both classified and unclassified employees may work best.

Ricky Patterson, who previously worked at the Louisiana Housing Corporation for a decade, urged lawmakers to consider the “longterm impact” of the measure.

“As a state employee and as a classified employee, there were times that I received pressure from members of the Legislature,” he said.

He added: “We’re Louisiana. So we need to remember our history so we do not repeat it.”

Both Patterson and LeBherz told lawmakers that the civil service system has mechanisms to fire employees if need be.

stakeholders and are continuing to investigate the feasibility of this exciting project.”

City Hall didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Waesche said that while the current plan would focus on the senior affordable residential component, they are also keeping an open mind about developing parts of the huge complex for other uses.

He declined to comment about another buyer who has expressed interest in Plaza Tower, Miamibased developer Gagandeep Lakhmna, owner of Epic Real Estate Investments. Lakhmna has submitted a nonbinding “expression of interest” cash offer of $6.25 million for the building, according to documents seen by The TimesPicayune.

Epic Real Estate’s projects have included about a dozen current and completed apartment complexes in California, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, according to the company’s website. Lakhmna didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Stormy past

Plaza Tower was troubled almost from the beginning of construction in the mid-1960s, when its original developer, Sam Recile, ran out of money and its design was criticized as a jumble of modernist styles.

It functioned as a residential and office building for many years, but by the late 1990s, the building’s occupants, which included Louisiana Department of Health employees,

autonomy of recipients,” said Craig Gundersen, an economist who studies food assistance programs at Baylor University “They shop alongside neighbors and friends.”

Changing it to be more restrictive, said Gundersen, could make the program less effective because fewer people may participate.

“From a research perspective, this would be a disaster,” Gundersen said. “Programs that demean individuals people don’t like to participate in them.”

He pointed to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which is more restrictive, limiting meats, for example, to canned tuna. Despite serving a similar population, WIC’s participation rate in Louisiana is around 34%, far lower than SNAP’s.

Support across sectors

Some in attendance presented a more nuanced view of the bill.

“We support the idea of civil service reform. We think it’s a good idea,” said Barry Erwin, chief policy officer for Leaders for a Better Louisiana, an advocacy group that recently formed after a merger of Committee of 100, the state’s business roundtable, and Council for A Better Louisiana.

“We understand the desire that’s been expressed about trying to, you know, make our workforce more productive, more efficient, more private-sector-oriented,” he said.

But Erwin said the proposed constitutional amendment doesn’t present a clear roadmap for achieving and measuring reforms like modernizing hiring practices, creating performance evaluations and improving compensation structures.

He likened it to “putting the cart before the horse” a characterization that Morris took issue with.

“The cart is not before the horse. This is the horse,” Morris said, referring to the bill.

“It’s about time for us to reform our state, and we can’t do it if the constitution prevents us.”

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

had been complaining for years about health hazards, including leaks, broken elevators and toxic mold It was eventually abandoned in 2002.

Several other developers failed to revive the building before Jaeger, who had been close to a deal with UMusic Hotels. That firm, a unit of the Universal Music Group, had been interested in converting the building to one of their musicthemed lodgings with luxury residential on the upper floors before the COVID-19 pandemic threw the hospitality market into a tailspin. Before his death, Jaeger had engaged broker Len Wormser, senior vice president of Hospitality Real Estate Counselors, to find buyers who would be interested in developing the property as a mixture of hotel, high-end residential and retail space.

The marketing of the property featured its proximity to the $200 million South Market District development, which was developed by The Domain Companies and covers several blocks along Loyola Avenue. That project includes high-end residential complexes like The Odeon, where two-bedroom apartments rent for around $3,000 a month.

Another selling point for Plaza Tower has been the more than $60 million in historic rehabilitation and other tax credits that are potentially available for development.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Blue Shield Louisiana, described how high-sugar, high-fat meals contribute to Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and even anxiety and attention disorders in children.

“It all comes back to what the kids are taking in,” she said.

Industry opposition

Representatives from the Consumer Brands Association and the Louisiana Beverage Association spoke against the proposed legislation, saying there were challenges with labeling that would impact over 60,000 products and cost millions of dollars. They said that because Louisiana-specific labeling isn’t possible, the law could lead to higher costs for consumers. But both groups positioned themselves as willing collaborators and thanked McMath for working with them.

“They’re depending on giving their child something decent with their SNAP benefits,” Jackson-Andrews said.

Another Democrat on the panel, Sen. Jay Luneau from Alexandria, criticized what he viewed as a disproportionate focus on SNAP recipients rather than addressing the broader affordability of healthy food.

“The parents should decide what’s best for their kids,” Boudreaux said.

SNAP success

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program serves roughly 850,000 Louisianans — roughly 1 in 5 including nearly 390,000 children. More than 80% of eligible people are enrolled.

Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe, said she supports the bill’s broad goals, but opposes limiting what families on food assistance can buy She said many rely on SNAP to give their chil-

“If I go to a fast food place and I pull up there and order a combo meal, it’s $6, $7. If I get a salad, it’s $12,” Luneau said. “We have to do something about that if we’re going to propose this kind of stuff.”

SNAP has a long history of alleviating food insecurity, the leading indicator of well-being for children in the U.S. It’s a popular program because it’s easy, with participants using a preloaded debit card accepted nearly everywhere groceries are sold.

“It preserves the dignity and

Representatives from several organizations spoke broadly in support of the bill, including the Louisiana Hospital Organization, the Foundation for Government Accountability, Baton Rouge General, Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana, the American Sugar Cane League and Louisiana Citizen Advocacy Group, along with a wellness coach, pediatrician, dietitian, farmer and functional pharmacist.

“These dyes and chemicals are all risk and no possible benefit,” said Dr. Wyche T Coleman, deputy surgeon general at the Louisiana Department of Health, referring to the ingredients that would be banned from school meals. “They have no place in school lunchrooms.”

Dr Tracy Lemelle, a pediatrician and medical director of Blue Cross

Luneau, at one point holding up a red Gatorade and processed foods as examples, pointed out that hair dyes are potential carcinogens, but they are not vilified like food dyes. Louisiana’s chemical industry is also a major contributor to carcinogens in the air, yet that often escapes scrutiny, he said

“We tend to turn our back sometimes and let those things go,” he said. “We need to consider all of those things.” McMath acknowledged the broader environmental contributors to poor health but said food reform is the most direct, achievable step lawmakers can take right now

“While I would love to wave a magic wand and clean up air and water I think the lowest hanging fruit, if you will, is the food that we’re putting in our bodies,” he said.

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

Boudreaux

Luneau

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Dozens of people line up to make it into the Senate Health and Welfare Committee meeting at the State Capitol on Wednesday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Plaza Tower in New Orleans was troubled almost from the beginning of construction in the mid-1960s when its original developer Sam Recile, ran out of money and its design was criticized as a jumble of modernist styles.

Morris

Bill to crack down on homelessness advances

Critics say proposal lacks funding needed to get people off streets

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

A state Senate committee has advanced a bill that would make unauthorized camping illegal, a bid to tamp down on homeless encampments in Louisiana that drew impassioned criticism this week from advocates and New Orleans officials.

Under Senate Bill 196 — authored by state Sen. Robert Owen, R-Slidell — camping on public property would be a felony on the second conviction. But the bill would also allow judges to create court programs dedicated to homelessness cases, which could aim to put defendants through drug and mental health programs instead of sending them to prison.

The bill was approved 4-3 by the Senate’s Judiciary B Committee

STUDENTS

Continued from page 1A

But about a week later, the Office of Student Conduct informed seven of the students that they were under investigation. Five of the students face a “major matters” investigation, which could result in suspension or expulsion. Two others have since been ordered to complete 20 hours of community service and were given a year of probation

Tulane spokesperson Mike Strecker declined to comment on individual student conduct investigations, citing privacy laws. He said Tulane’s code of conduct allows student protest but prohibits “acts of misconduct, including but not limited to, unlawful or disruptive behavior, on or off campus.”

“We fundamentally respect the right of students to protest,” he said in a statement.

The investigations come as Tulane and other universities face intense pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters.

The university told some of the students they violated the conduct code by engaging with Tulane Students for a Democratic Society, a student group that was suspended last year after organizing pro-Palestinian protests and an encampment on Tulane’s campus.

The students maintain that the group that organized the protest in March, Together United Students for a Democratic Society, is different than the suspended one. They also argue that Tulane overstepped its purview by investigating what they say was an off-campus protest and an organization not affiliated with the university

The threat of harsh punishments after a peaceful protest has drawn an outcry from students and civil liberties groups who say that free speech is under attack

“People seem really disturbed by the university’s overreach,” said Atticus Pratt, a sophomore linguistics major who was among the seven students reprimanded by the university.

The five students facing more serious charges recently submitted written answers to questions from the university, including about their personal social media use. Now they’re waiting for Tulane administrators to decide their fates Protest crackdown

The investigations come a year after students and community members erected a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. At the time, Tulane faced pressure to swiftly clear the encampment.

“Many colleges across our country may allow this lawlessness, but Louisiana will NOT,” Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement after the encampment was cleared less than a day later. “This State will not tolerate those who seek to disturb the peace by

on Tuesday, with all three senators from New Orleans — home to the state’s largest homeless population — voting no. Owen and Christopher Walters, deputy executive counsel to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, said the bill was intended to address mental illness and drug addiction among homeless people.

“We’ve put a lot of these people in housing, but because of these problems — mental illness, drug addiction — a lot of times they don’t want to stay in these places because there’s rules there and they’re not in the right state of mind to follow any kinds of rules,” said Owen. But critics noted repeatedly on Tuesday that Owen’s proposal does not include any funding for additional mental health or drug treatment that could be required under homelessness court programs, or for housing. Others also said criminal convictions would make it more difficult for people to get off the streets and into housing or a job

means of criminality.

Now the university faces additional pressure, this time from Washington.

Earlier this year, Tulane was among 60 universities flagged by the Trump administration for complaints of alleged antisemitism and warned that inaction could result in losing federal funding The complaint in question was filed in December 2023 with the Office of Civil Rights by a Jewish Tulane student. Retaliatory complaints were also filed by Palestinian students who said they were harassed by students while protesting.

Last April, the university banned Tulane Students for a Democratic Society for its role in organizing the encampment. Its members formed the new group, Together United Students for a Democratic Society, which meets off campus and has organized protests, including the one held on March 11.

Students who attended that protest said in interviews that law enforcement did not tell them to disband. The gathering place on Freret Street, which bisects Tulane’s campus, is public property

“It’s a route we’ve done before many times,” said student Rory Macdonald, a senior who was suspended for their role in organizing last year’s encampment, and faces possible expulsion due to the March protest. “No one was angry, there was no indication from the police that what we were doing was illegal or that we were being told to disperse. It just felt safe.”

About a week after the protest disbanded, students were preparing to hold an-

“This law is criminalizing poverty — anybody can become homeless,” said David Larson, a member of UNITY of Greater New Orleans’ People’s Council, whose members have experienced homelessness. “Sending these people to jail is a travesty.”

SB196 is one of two bills this legislative session that propose to ban homeless encampments; the other is House Bill 619 from state Rep. Alonzo Knox, D-New Orleans. Both bills were introduced after Landry vowed that his office would work during the legislative session to “enact legislative reforms that should produce the framework necessary to properly move people from homelessness to housing.”

In the past year, Landry has marshaled state resources to first relocate homeless residents into a single encampment in downtown New Orleans and then from downtown camps into a state-run shelter, which opened in January and closed after three months. Both proposals also come after a

other news conference on St. Charles Avenue when they received emails from the Office of Student Conduct. Most of the students were accused of not complying with directions from university officials and engaging in disruptive conduct, according to disciplinary emails.

Tulane said the code of conduct applies to students both on and off campus and said the protests weren’t protected by the university’s freedom of expression policy because they were affiliated with a suspended student organization.

“I was confused,” said Cameron McLaren, a junior studying psychology and computer science who participated in the protest “I didn’t know I had participated in any wrongdoing.”

McLaren’s charges also included initiating or causing an emergency, which she believes stems from an incident last month when she left her backpack unattended at the campus student center She had attached a sign to the bag that read: “Tulane just got rid of DEI

If you have the means, please go elsewhere. It’s really bad.” Someone reported the bag and police evacuated the center McLaren was arrested but released without being charged.

The seven students under investigation opted to adjudicate their charges in writing.

The Office of Student Conduct sent each student 60 questions, which included probing inquiries about their personal social media handles and the time and location of off-campus organization meetings. Students said they were told they cannot have legal representa-

U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year allowed cities and states to enforce bans on people sleeping outside.

Walters also said the bill was aimed at “cleaning up our streets, providing public safety, ensuring public health is maintained.” A spokesperson for Landry did not respond to a request for comment.

Homeless services nonprofits throughout the state use millions of dollars in federal funds each year to move homeless people into subsidized housing and connect them with services, including mental health and addiction treatment.

New Orleans officials and service providers have acknowledged that available mental health treatment options are insufficient to keep some of the highest-need people stably housed. But they said Owen’s proposal isn’t a remedy for that problem.

Will Harrell, senior program monitor with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, said the bill would come with an “extraordinary cost” to New Orleans.

“There is no more room in the inn,” said Harrell, noting that the city’s jail is already over capacity

tion for the proceedings.

McLaren called the investigations “deeply troubling,” adding, “Tulane doesn’t have the right to police what I do off campus.”

Campus free speech

The investigations have raised questions about the extent of free speech protections for student activism at private institutions.

Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and University of Florida professor emeritus, said despite Tulane’s status as a private institution — which is not covered by the First Amendment — the university’s freeexpression policy appears to mirror First Amendment language and principles. He said it’s a problem if Tulane doesn’t adhere to those policies when students express controversial views.

“Where do people expect these people that we’re talking about to be?”

Walters said Landry’s office was “looking into all the various sources of funding that we can tap into.”

Sen. Royce Duplessis, Sen. Joseph Bouie and Sen. Jimmy Harris, all New Orleans Democrats, voted down the bill. They said they have received numerous calls and emails in opposition to the bill from constituents.

“My phone has been blowing up,” said Bouie.

Owen said he had fielded criticism, too, and acknowledged that the bill could use some work.

“Compassionate care obviously is one of the things that I think the bill needs a little more of, honestly,” said Owen, adding he intended for the bill to target only people who have declined services.

It is unclear when the bill will receive a vote by the full Senate. It would need to clear the House and then be signed by the governor to become law

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

“What we’re really seeing here is Tulane trying to punish students for off-campus free expression rights,” he said, “and that’s what’s really highly troubling.”

Jessie Appleby, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said the group doesn’t take issue with Tulane’s decision to suspend Tulane SDS last year but rather with the university’s attempt to regulate students’ association with the new, offcampus organization.

Restricting “students’ participation in local political causes” is like “telling students where to go to church, or whether they may join the campus chess club or Frisbee golf team,” FIRE wrote in a letter to Tulane President Michael Fitts.

In the disciplinary emails to students, Tulane said the March protest would not

be covered by the free expression policy but rather the code of conduct if, as alleged, the students were acting through a suspended organization.

Macdonald, the Tulane senior said they don’t dispute their role in organizing the protest and rallies. But they argue that Tulane is using the rules about unauthorized student organizations to police off-campus activities and, in effect, suppress free speech.

“If they can tell students that they can’t be a part of Students for a Democratic Society, then they can tell students that they can’t be a part of the Democratic Party, or that they can’t go to whatever church that they affiliate with,” Macdonald said. “If they’re allowed to own their students’ political affiliation, then there’s really no boundary.”

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street storms back from early losses

Ascary Wednesday for Wall Street found agentler ending as U.S. stocks stormed backfrom steep early losses to continue their manic swings amid uncertainty about what President Donald Trump’strade war will do to the economy

The S&P 500 rose slightly to extend its winning streaktoa seventh day.The DowJones IndustrialAverage was up; the Nasdaq composite edged down Stronger-than-expectedprofit reports from big U.S. companies have helped support the market, and Seagate Technologyjumped 11.6% for one of Wednesday’sbiggest gains afterthe maker of data storage joined the parade Gains for otherstoragemakers also helped to offset drops for stocks within the artificial intelligence industry,which have been pulling back on worries their prices shot too high in prior years.

Super Micro Computer warned that some customers delayed purchases in the latestquarter,which causedthe maker of servers used in AI and othercomputingtoslash its forecast for sales and profit. Its stock tumbled 11.5% for the largest lossinthe S&P 500. Inflation cools and spending accelerates

Aclosely watched inflation gauge cooled last month in a sign that priceswere steadily easing beforemost of President Donald Trump’stariffs were implemented. At the same time, consumersaccelerated their spending, particularly on cars, likely in an effort to get ahead of the duties. Wednesday’sreport from the Commerce Department showedthat consumer prices rose 2.3% in March froma year earlier,down from 2.7% in February.Excludingthe volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 2.6% compared with ayear ago, below February’s3%. Economists track coreprices because they typically provide abetter read on where inflation is headed

The slowdown in inflation could be atemporary respite until the widespread duties imposed by Trump begin to push up pricesinmany categories

Someeconomists expect inflation to start picking up in the comingmonths.

Visa wants to give AI ‘agents’ yourcredit card

Visa announced Wednesday it is partnering with agroup of leading AI chatbot developers —among them U.S. companies Anthropic, Microsoft,OpenAI and Perplexity,and France’s Mistral —toconnect their AI systems to Visa’spayments network. Visa is also working with IBM, online payment company Stripe and phone-maker Samsung on the initiative. Pilot projects begin Wednesday, ahead of more widespread usage expected next year

This could allow AI personal assistants to do such tasks as make weekly grocerypurchases and buyairline tickets.Customers would setabudgetand shoppingpreferences

“Wethink this could be really important,” said Jack Forestell,Visa’s chief product and strategy officer,inaninterview “Transformational, on the order of magnitude of the advent of e-commerce itself.” The San Francisco payment processing company is betting that what seems futuristic now could become aconvenient alternative to our most mundane shopping tasksinthe near future. For emerging AI companies, Visa’sbacking could also boost their chances of competing with tech giants Amazon and Google, which dominate digital commerce and are developing their own AI agents. Forestell said thatdoesn’t mean AI agents will take over the entire shoppingexperience, but it might be usefulfor errands that either bore some people or aretoo complicated

U.S. economyshrinks 0.3% in quarter

Reading is firstdrop in threeyears

BY PAUL WISEMAN and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writers

The U.S.economyshrank at a 0.3% annual pace from January through March, the first dropin three years, as President Donald Trump’strade wars disrupted business. First-quarter growth was slowed byasurge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bringinforeign goodsbefore Trump imposed massive tariffs.

TheJanuary-March drop in gross domesticproduct, the nation’soutput of goods and services, reversed a2.4% gain in the last three months of 2024. Imports grew at a41% pace,fastestsince 2020. Consumer

spending also slowedsharply— to 1.8% growth from 4% in OctoberDecember last year.Federal government spending plunged5.1% in the first quarter

Forecasterssurveyed by the datafirm FactSet had, on average, expected the economytoeke out 0.8% growth in the firstquarter, butmany expected GDP to fall. The surgeinimports,the fastestsince 1972 outside COVID-19 economic disruptions, is likely to reverse in the second quarter,removing aweight on GDP.For that reason, Paul Ashworth, of Capital Economics, forecaststhatAprilJune growth will rebound to a2% gain.

Trade deficitsreduce GDP.But that’smainly amatter of mathematics. GDP is supposed to count only what’sproduced domestically.Soimports —which the government countsasconsumer

spending in theGDP reportwhen youbuy,say,Swiss chocolates have to be subtracted to keep them from artificially inflating domestic production. Andother aspects of Wednesday’sGDP report suggested that the economy lookedsolid at the start of the year

Acategorywithin theGDP data thatmeasures the economy’sunderlying strengthrose at ahealthy 3% annual rate from Januarythrough March, up from 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024. This category includes consumer spending and private investment butexcludesvolatile items like exports, inventories and governmentspending.

Still, some economists say that Trump’smassive importtaxes —and theerratic wayhe’srolled them out —will hurt growth in the second halfofthe year and that re-

cession risks are rising.

“Wethink the downturn of the economy will get worse in the second half of this year,” wrote Carl Weinberg,chiefeconomist at High FrequencyEconomics.“Corrosive uncertainty and higher taxes tariffs are atax on imports —will drag GDP growth back into the red by the end of this year.”

Wednesday’sreport also showed an increase in prices likely to worry theFederal Reserve, which is still trying to cool inflationaftera severe pandemic run-up. The Fed’s favored inflation gauge —the personalconsumption expenditures priceindex—roseatanannual rate of 3.6%, up from 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PC inflation registered 3.5%, compared with2.6% from October-December.The central bank wants to see inflation at 2%.

Coffee market gettingcrushed

Climatechangesentprices up,and tariffslikelywill, too

BY

MAX CONWAY|Rochester Institute of Technology and CEDAR ATTANASIO|Associated Press

ROCHESTER, N.Y.— With her purple-and-pink hair swaying, Reneé Colón stands on astepladder in the rented corner of awarehouse, pouring Brazilian coffee beans intoher groaning old roasting machine.

Thebeansare preciousbecausethey survived severedrought in ayear when environmental conditions depressed coffee productionglobally,doubling theprice of raw beans in just months.

“Unfortunately,coffee is going to become more scarce,” said Colón, founder and roaster at Fuego Coffee Roasters. “Seeing that dramatic loss of the Brazilian crop is aperfect example.”

Losses from heat anddrought have cut production forecasts in Brazil and Vietnam, theworld’slargest coffeegrowers. Global productionisstill expected to increase, but not asmuch as commodity market investors hadexpected. That’s sent coffee pricesup,

largelybecause of continued high demand in Europe, the U.S.and China. Prices peaked in February buthaveremained high, forcingroasters like Colónto weigh how much of that costtoabsorb and how much to pass on toconsumers.

The beans Colón wasroastingcost her $5.50 per pound in early March, more than double what they cost in September.And that was for mixed, midrange beans. Specialty coffees —grownindelicateclimates to slow growthand add flavor —can cost even more.

President Donald Trump’scurrent 10% tariffs covermost coffee-producing countries, including Brazil, Ethiopia andColombia, andare expected to drive up costs forAmericans. Amidhis chaotictariff pronouncements —atone point, he threatened 46% tariffs on Vietnam imports and32% on Indonesiaimports beforepausing them —American coffee roasters are rethinking their supply chains.

“With all these changes in coffee maybe we should open our own damn farm,” Colón muses.

Rural New York isn’tanoption, of course.

The world’sbest coffee thrives near the

equator,where seasons are long, and in high altitudes, where slow growing allows beans to gather flavor.But Puerto Rico, where Colónand herhusband have roots, isn’ta serious option, either —labor costs are too high andshe worries aboutthe increasing risk of crop-damaging hurricanes.

In February,global coffee greenexports weredown 14.2% from ayear earlier,according to the InternationalCoffeeOrganization’smarket report. The shortage led to the highest priceeverfor rawcoffee in February,breaking the record set in 1977 when severe frost wiped out 70% of Brazil’s coffee plants.

Some of the recent rise in coffee prices maybefrom importers buying extra in anticipation of the tariffs. Colón believes prices will go still higherasimporttaxes begin being paid.And with consumer confidence hitting a12-year low,Colón could see adecrease in demand forher premium coffee.

“Itistough on ourend because it drives the price up, tough on the consumer end because they have to paymoreand tough on the farmers’ end because they maybeexperiencing really significant losses,” Colón said.

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Business editor

Afterbeing interimpresident andCEO for five months,David Politz is the new head of Associated Grocers, in time forits 75th anniversary Politz has been with Associated Grocers for 40 years, serving as senior vice president andchief information officer for the past five. He took over as

interimpresident in November, when Manard M. LagasseJr. stepped downtobecome chief operating officer for TopcoAssociates,aChicago-area grocery wholesaler.Lagasse had been president and CEO since 2019. Politz startedworking forAssociated Grocers part-time when he was astudent at LSU.

“I am honored to be able to continue to servethe independent retailers allalong the Gulf Coast with acompany that has meantso muchtomepersonally,” he said in astatement. Associated Grocers offers ser-

vices to more than 180 independent supermarkets. It provides storeswith food and products including refrigeration equipment, shelving andcustomized software It offers services such as payroll, accounting, marketing andadvertising support. The company hasannual sales of more than $800 million and more than600 employees, with most working in Baton Rouge. Associated Grocers hasshifted its leadership team withPolitz’s appointment. CarlMarks is now executive vice president and chief strategy

officer; Chris Kennedy is senior vice president and chief financial officer; Bobby Williams is senior vice president and chief operating officer; Gerry Bucklesissenior vicepresident andchief sales officer; Pete Tortorich is vice president of retail operations;Mike Bove is vice president of category management and procurement; William Holtman is vice president of wholesale operations; andStephen Acosta is vice president of information services.

Email TimothyBooneat tboone@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByMAX CONWAy

Renee Colon, left, co-owner of FuegoCoffee Roasters in Rochester,N.y., withemployeeClaire Terrelli, said she worries about the cost of coffee amid climate changes and tariffs.

Ukraineready to sign deal with U.S.

BY SAMYAKULLAB and HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Ukraineis ready to signanagreement that would give the U.S. access to its valuable rare minerals in the hopes of ensuring continuedAmerican support for Kyiv in its grinding war with Russia, senior Ukrainian officials said Wednesday. Ukraine’seconomy minister and deputy prime minister,Yulia Svyrydenko,flew to Washington on Wednesday to help finalize the deal,Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said duringanappearance on Ukrainiantelevision.Although the main part of the agreement had been settled, there were still hurdlesto overcome, said asenior Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because theofficial wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly

For Ukraine,the agreement is seen as key to ensuring its access to future U.S. military aid.

“Truly,this is astrategic deal for the creation ofan investment partner fund,” Shmyhal said. “This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restorationofUkraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine.”

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated in February that he wantedaccess to Ukraine’srare earth materials as acondition forcontinued U.S. support in the war, describing it as reimbursement for the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. has given to Kyiv.But talks stalled after atense Oval Office meeting of U.S. and Ukrainian leaders, and reaching an agreement since then has proven difficult and strained relations between Washington and Kyiv

TreasurySecretary Scott

Bessent said Wednesday during aCabinet meeting at the White House that the Trump administration was ready to

PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINIANPRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE

Ukraine’sPresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy,right, and President Donald Trump talk as theyattend the funeral of Pope Francis in VaticanCityonSaturday

sign off on adeal, butthat there was still work to do.

“The Ukrainiansdecided last night to make some last-minute changes,” Bessent saidwhen asked about reports that Ukrainewas ready to agree to the pact. “We’re sure that they will reconsider that. And we are ready to sign thisafternoon if they are.”

He didn’telaborateas to thelatechangeshesaid Ukrainemade.

TheU.S. is seeking access to more than 20 raw materialsdeemed strategically critical to itsinterests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas. Amongthem are Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, which is usedfor making aircraft wingsand other aerospace manufacturing,and uranium, which is usedfor nuclear power,medical equipment and weapons. Ukrainealso has lithium, graphite and manganese, whichare used in electric vehicle batteries.

After Kyiv felt the initial U.S. draft of the deal disproportionately favored Americaninterests,itintroduced new provisions aimedataddressing those concerns.

According to Shmyhal, thelatest version would establish an equal partnership betweenthe twocountries and last for10years. Financial contributionstoa joint fundwould be madeincash,

andonly newU.S.military aid would count toward the American share.Assistance providedbeforethe agreement was signedwould not be counted. Unlike an earlier draft, thedeal would not conflict with Ukraine’spath toward European Union membership —akey provisionfor Kyiv

The Ukrainian Cabinet was expected to approve theagreement’s textbefore it could be signed in Washington. The deal would then need to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament before it could take effect Putinwants answers

Thenegotiationscome amid rocky progress in Washington’spush to stop the war

Russian PresidentVladimir Putinbacks calls for a ceasefirebeforepeace negotiations, “but before it’sdone, it’snecessary to answer a few questions and sort out afew nuances,” Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov said. Putinisalso readyfor direct talks withUkraine without preconditions to seek apeace deal, he added.

“Werealizethat Washington wants to achievequick progress, but we hope for understanding that the Ukrainian crisis settlement is far toocomplex to be done quickly,” Peskov saidduring his daily conference call

with reporters. Trump has expressed frustration over theslow pace of progress in negotiations aimed at stopping the war. Western European leaders have accused Putinofstalling while his forces seek to grab more Ukrainian land. Russia hascaptured nearly afifth of Ukraine’sterritorysince Moscow’sforces launched afull-scale invasiononFeb. 24, 2022.

The American president has chided his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,for steps that he said were prolonging thekilling, and he has rebuked Putin for complicating negotiations with“very bad timing” in launchingdeadlystrikes on Kyiv

Trumphas long dismissed the war as awaste of lives andAmerican taxpayer money —acomplaint he repeated Wednesdayduring hisCabinet meeting. That could spell an end to crucial militaryhelpfor Ukraine and heavier economic sanctions on Russia

U.S. wantstospeed up

TheU.S. State DepartmentonTuesday tried again to push both sidestomove more quickly and warned thatthe U.S. could pull out of thenegotiations if there’sno progress.

“Weare now at atime where concrete proposals need to be delivered by the twopartiesonhow to end this conflict,” department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce quoted U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubioastelling her Russia has effectively rejected aU.S.proposal foran immediate and full30-day ceasefire,making it conditional on ahalttoUkraine’s mobilization effort andWesternarmssupplies to Kyiv Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed Wednesday thatUkraine had accepted an unconditional truce only because it was being pushed back on the battlefield, wherethe bigger Russian forces have theupper hand.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

Palestinianstudent released afterarrestat citizenshipinterview

BY AMANDASWINHART and HOLLYRAMER Associated Press

BURLINGTON, Vt. Ajudge on Wednesday released a Palestinian student at Columbia University who led protests against Israel’s warinGaza and wasarrested by immigration officials during an interview aboutfinalizing his U.S. citizenship. Immigration authorities have arrested and detained college students from around the country since the first days of the Trump administration, manyof whom participated in campus protests over the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 52,000 Palestinians.

Mohsen Mahdawiis among the first of those students to winhis freedom after challenging an arrest He walked out of aVermont courthouse Wednesdayand led hundreds of supporters in chants including “No fear” and “Free Palestine.” He said people must come together to defend both democracy and humanity

“Nevergive up on the ideathatjusticewill prevail,” he said.“We want to stand up for humanity,because therestofthe world —not only Palestine —is watching us.And what is going to happeninAmerica is going to affect the rest of the world.”

his presence and activities

BY MICHELLEL.PRICE and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration has told Congress that it intends to designate Haitian gangsas foreign terrorist organizations, people familiar with thenotificationtoldThe Associated Press. The State Department similarly labeled eight Latin American crime organizations in February as it ratcheted up pressure on cartels operating in the U.S. and anyoneassisting them. The new move indicates that the administration plans to put similar pressure on gangs from Haiti. The designation carries with it sanctions and penalties for anyone providing“material support” for the group.

It comes after aseriesof steps against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which wasdesignated aforeign terror organization and then dubbed an invading force under an 18th-century wartime law to justify the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to anotoriousEl Salvador prison under President Donald Trump’ssweeping immigration crackdown. That invocation of the Alien Enemies Act is significant because it gives the president wide powers to imprison and deport noncitizenswho otherwise would have the right to ask for asylum in the U.S. or have their cases heard in immigration courts.

Trump, at arallyinMichigan on Tuesday,touted his designation of the six Latin American crime groups as foreign terrorist organizations, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua.

“They’ve been designated thehighest level of terrorist, and that lets us do alot of things that you wouldn’t be able to do,” Trump said

NotifyingCongress

Accordingto thenotification senttocongressional committees on April 23, the Trump administrationsaidit intends to designate the Haitian gangs VivAnsanmand Gran Grifasforeign terroristorganizations, according to two people familiar with the message, who spokeon condition of anonymityto discussdetailsthat havenot yetbeen made public.

Athird person confirmed thatthe foreign relations committees in the House and Senate received the notification. The State Department and theWhiteHouse did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Thedesignation follows a Trumpadministration move in February to nix protections that shielded half a millionHaitians from deportation

Tens of thousands of Haitians came to the United Statesunder aBiden-era program permitting people from four countries including Haiti to stay for two years provided they had afinancial sponsor and bought their own planeticket. The Trump administration terminated that program andis seeking to revoke thestatus of those admitted under the Biden administration The foreignterrorist organization label hastypically been reserved for groups like al-Qaida or the Islamic Stategroup,but applying it to Haitian gangs means that theTrump White House is expandingthe longstanding U.S.definition of foreignterrorism.

AttacksinHaiti

VivAnsanm,which means “Living Together,” is apowerfulgang coalition that formed in September 2023 and is best knownfor launching aseries of attacks starting in February

2024 across Port-au-Prince and beyond that shuttered Haiti’s main international airport for nearly three months, freed hundreds of inmates from the country’s two biggest prisons and eventuallyforced former Prime MinisterAriel Henry to resign.

The coalition united more thanadozen gangs,includingtwo of Haiti’sbiggest ones:G-9 andG-Pèp,which were fierce rivals Gangs control at least 85% of Haiti’scapital, with VivAnsanm attacking once peaceful communities in recent weeksina bidtocontrol even more territory Gran Grif, also known as theSavien gang, forms part of the VivAnsanm coalition andisled by Luckson Elan best known as “General Luckson.” It is the biggest gang operatinginHaiti’s central Artibonite region with some 100 members.

It wasblamed foranattack in the town of PontSondé in October 2024 in whichmorethan70people were killedinone of thebiggest massacres in Haiti’srecent history

Gran Grif also was blamed for arecentattack in the Petite Riviere communityinwhich several people were killed, including an 11-year-old child.

Gran Grif was formed after Prophane Victor,anexmember of Haiti’sParliamentwho representedthe Petite Riviere community in Artibonite, began arming youngmen in theregion, accordingtoaU.N. report. Victor was arrested in January Canada sanctioned him in June 2023, as did theU.S. in September 2024, accusing him of supporting gangs “that have committed serious human rightsabuse.”

Gangs’ impact on Haiti

Morethan5,600 people

were killed across Haiti last year, with gang violence leaving morethan 1million homeless in the country of nearly 12 million people, according to the U.N. While much of the violence hasoccurred in Portau-Prince,gangsrecently struck the city of Mirebalais in Haiti’scentral region and freed more than 500 inmates from alocal prison. They alsoattacked the nearbytownofSaut d’Eau, considered sacred by the thousands of Haitians who travel there yearlyfor aVodou-Catholic pilgrimage.

Gangs also have seized more controlinPort-auPrince, killing morethan 260 people in Kenscoff andCarrefour earlier this year

Mahdawi, 34,has been alegal permanent resident for 10 years. He was in aVermont state prison since April 14. In his releaseorder,U.S.District Judge GeoffreyCrawford saidMahdawihas raised a “substantial claimthatthe government arrested him to stifle speech with which it disagrees.”

“Even if he were afirebrand, his conduct is protected by the First Amendment,” the judge wrote, adding that offending political opponents or alarming theState Department doesn’tmake himdangerous enough to justify detention.

The U.S. government argues they can remove Mahdawifrom the country under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

That’sbecause Secretary of StateMarco Rubiosays

“would have serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise acompelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” Alawyer for the government on Wednesday also saida 2015 FBI investigation showsMahdawi is a national securitythreat, but Crawford said the case had been closed and the accusations appeared to be fabricated. According to acourt filing, Mahdawiwas born in a refugeecamp in theIsraeli-occupied West Bank and moved to the United States in 2014. He organized campus protestsatColumbia until March 2024 and cofounded the school’sPalestinian Student Union withMahmoud Khalil, another Palestinian permanent resident of the U.S. andgraduatestudent whowas arrested in March. Khalil has been held for nearly eight weeks in a Louisiana detention center,missing the birth of his first child. An immigration judge ruled that Khalil can be forced out of the country as anational security risk. In another high-profile case, Rümeysa Öztürk, a TuftsUniversity student from Turkey,was detained in Marchoverwhather lawyers say is apparent retaliation for an op-ed piece she co-wrote in the student newspaper More than1,000 college students nationwide have had their visas revoked or their legal status terminated sincelateMarch, according to an Associated Press review.The federal government has since announced it will reverse the termination of legal status for international students after manyfiled court challenges, agovernment lawyer said Friday The U.S. attorney’soffice did not respond to messages seeking commenton whether it will appeal the release.

The judge referred to the Ozturk case and others like it in his ruling, saying such arrests arereminiscentof nationwide raids targeting suspected anarchists and communistsin1919 and 1920 and deportations during the McCarthy era of the 1950s.

PHOTOByAMANDASWINHART Palestinianstudent activist Mohsen Mahdawi speaks outside the courthouse in Burlington, Vt., after ajudge released himonWednesday.

Cardinals thank Becciu for stepping back from conclave

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Catholic

cardinals acknowledged Wednesday the definitive word is still out about the Vatican trial that convicted Cardinal Angelo Becciu of financial crimes, in the latest twist to a drama that has dominated conversations leading up to the May 7 conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor Becciu, 76, is the oncepowerful Italian cardinal who formally withdrew his participation in the conclave on Tuesday, after days of uncertainty about his status.

The Vatican’s criminal court convicted Becciu in 2023 of embezzlement and other finance-related charges at the end of the so-called “trial of the century.”

But the convictions are being appealed and there are lingering questions about the integrity of the

trial, which the College of Cardinals appeared to refer to in a statement Wednesday As in Italy, convictions in the Vatican criminal court are not considered definitive until all appeals are exhausted.

In the ir sta te ment Wednesday, the college thanked Becciu for withdrawing and for “contributing to the communion and serenity of the conclave.”

“The Congregation of Cardinals expresses its appreciation for the gesture he has made and hopes that the competent organs of justice will be able to definitively ascertain the facts,” said a statement from the cardinals who are meeting in pre-conclave discussions

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Monsignor Angelo Becciu presides over an eucharistic liturgy at the St. John in Lateran Basilica in Rome on Feb 9, 2017.

down Tuesday after being presented with letters from Francis, penned before his death, saying he couldn’t take part.

Questions around the trial

During the Vatican trial, which focused on the Vatican’s bungled 350 million euro investment in a London property, defense lawyers discovered that Francis had secretly issued four decrees during the investigation to benefit prosecutors, allowing them to conduct intercepts and detain suspects without a judge’s warrant.

tion’s prime witness against Becciu was coached, threatened and manipulated by outsiders to persuade him to turn on the cardinal.

tion against me: an investigation built on falsehoods, which five years ago unjustly devastated my life and exposed me to a pillory of worldwide proportions,” he said in a statement April 14, when the first chats were published.

The appeal is scheduled to begin in September.

Vatican finances a topic

The trial uncovered evidence of gross financial mismanagement that cost the Holy See tens of millions of euros at a time when the Vatican’s finances were precarious at best.

Becciu denied wrongdoing but said at the time that he wouldn’t be able to vote in a future conclave. After Francis died April 21, Becciu had asserted his right to participate. But he backed

Francis in 2020 forced Becciu’s resignation as head of the Vatican’s saint-making office and forced him to renounce the rights of the cardinalate after receiving allegations of financial misconduct against him. Those allegations were the basis of the subsequent trial.

Australian woman stands trial for murdering people with mushrooms

BY ROD MCGUIRK Associated Press

MELBOURNE The Australian host of a weekend family lunch is on trial charged with murdering her estranged husband’s parents and an aunt and attempting to murder an uncle with poisonous mushrooms.

Prosecutor Nanette Rogers opened her case on Wednesday against Erin Patterson, 50, in the Victoria state Supreme Court. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

She served meals of beef Wellington, mashed potato and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha on July 29, 2023. Her guests included her parentsin-law Gail and Don Patterson, both 70, Gail Patterson’s sister Heather Wilkinson, 66, and Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68.

All four guests were hospitalized the next day with poisoning from death cap mushrooms, also known as amanita phalloides, that were added to the beef and pastry dish. Ian Wilkinson survived after a liver transplant. Erin Patterson’s husband, Simon Patterson, 50, was also invited to the lunch but declined.

Charges dropped

The jury was told on Tuesday that prosecutors had dropped three charges that Erin Patterson had attempted to murder her husband whom she had been separated from since 2015.

Two weeks before the poisoning, Erin Patterson had invited her husband and his relatives to lunch while she was attending a Korumburra Baptist Church service where Ian Wilkinson was the pastor Simon Patterson initially accepted the invitation “She said the purpose of

the lunch was to discuss some medical issues that she had and to get advice about how to break it to the kids,” Rogers said

“The accused said that it was important that the children were not present for the lunch,” Rogers added.

The Wilkinsons were surprised by the invitation because they’d never been to Erin Patterson’s large fivebedroom house.

Lunch guest puzzled

When Heather Wilkinson was taken to the hospital the next morning, she told Simon Patterson she had been puzzled by Erin Patterson eating from a different plate than those served to the guests.

“I noticed that Erin put her food on a different plate to us. Her plate had colors on it I wondered why that was. I’ve puzzled about it since lunch,” said Heather Wilkinson, according to the prosecution.

Simon Patterson told his aunt that his wife might have run out of plates.

Rogers told the jury that Erin Patterson fabricated an ovarian cancer diagnosis to explain why her children didn’t attend the lunch

“After the lunch, the accused announced that she had cancer and asked for advice on whether to tell the children or to keep it from them,” Rogers said

“They had a discussion about it being best to be honest with the children. They prayed as a group for the accused’s health and wisdom in relation to telling the children,” Rogers added.

A ‘terrible accident’

Defense lawyer Colin Mandy told the jury his client never had cancer and that the guests had been poisoned by mushrooms she had served, but that the poisoning was accidental.

“The defense case is what happened was a tragedy A terrible accident,” Mandy said.

Rogers told the jurors that she she would not provide a motive for the poisonings.

“You might be wondering now why would the accused do this? What is the motive? You might still be wondering this at the end of this trial,” Rogers said. “You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was a motive.”

Two days after the lunch, Erin Patterson went to the hospital complaining of diarrhea and nausea. By then, medical staff had diagnosed her guests as suffering death cap poisoning.

Erin Patterson told authorities that she had cooked with a mixture of fresh mushrooms bought from a supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian food store.

Wild mushrooms

Mandy said his client had lied to police when she said she hadn’t foraged for wild mushrooms.

“She did forage for mushrooms. Just so that we make that clear, she denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms,” Mandy said.

Doctors insisted that Erin Patterson’s two children, then aged 9 and 14, be tested because their mother said they had eaten beef Wellington leftovers.

Erin Patterson said the children were safe because she had scraped the pastry and mushrooms from the steak. She explained the children didn’t like mushrooms.

Rogers said Erin Patterson had not eaten poisonous mushrooms and had not fed her children the lunch leftovers. Mandy said she had eaten the mushrooms but had become less sick than the others.

Defense lawyers argued such interference by an absolute monarch in a legal system where the pope exercises supreme legislative, executive and judicial power violated their clients’ fundamental rights and robbed them of a fair trial. Also during the trial, it emerged that the prosecu-

The tribunal rejected the defense objections at the time and the trial went ahead. But in recent weeks even more evidence has emerged about the outside manipulation of the witness and apparent collusion with Vatican prosecutors and gendarmes to target Becciu. The Domani newspaper has published previously redacted WhatsApp chats and an audio suggesting that Vatican gendarmes and prosecutors were involved indirectly in coaching the witness, Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, to turn on Becciu.

Becciu has responded to the reports with outrage, saying they prove that his prosecution was manipulated from the start.

“From the very first moment I spoke of a machina-

The Vatican hasn’t released a consolidated budget for over two years, but previous estimates have pointed to a structural deficit of more than 50 million euros and a pension fund that is so poorly resourced that Francis warned last year that it couldn’t guarantee its obligations in the medium term.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to restore $12 million that Congress appropriated for Radio Free Europe, a prodemocracy media outlet at risk of going dark for the first time in 75 years.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth also tucked a lesson on the three branches of government inside Tuesday’s ruling, cautioning that the system of checks and balances established by the U.S. Constitution must remain intact if the nation is going to continue to thrive.

Lamberth granted the temporary restraining order for the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disburse

money for April 2025 for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty pending the outcome of a lawsuit seeking to keep the station on the air. He said the Trump administration could not unilaterally revoke funding approved by Congress.

“In interviews, podcasts, and op-eds, people from both inside and outside government have variously accused the courts myself included of fomenting a constitutional crisis, usurping the Article II powers of the Presidency, undercutting the popular will, or dictating how Executive agencies can and should be run,” wrote Lamberth, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan. Those notions reflect a

“fundamental misunderstanding” of the role of the federal judiciary and of the Constitution itself, he said.

“Reasonable people can reach different conclusions in complicated legal disputes such as this,” Lamberth wrote, and that’s why the appellate courts exist. The administration could also ask Congress to pull back the funds, he noted. Attorneys for the media outlet say President Donald Trump’s administration has terminated nearly all of its contracts with freelance journalists, missed payments on leases and furloughed 122 employees. They warn that more employees will be furloughed and more contracts will be canceled on May 1 if funding isn’t restored.

La. AG pushing for changes at N.O. jail

Facility’s ‘sanctuary’ policy draws fire

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

In a hearing Wednesday on Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s push to eliminate “sanctuary” policies for immigrants in the New Orleans jail, a federal judge peppered a state lawyer with questions over what she at one point

called “insufficient” arguments for the attorney general to be allowed to intervene in the case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Janis van Meerveld didn’t rule Wednesday on Murrill’s request, filed earlier this year in a decade-old lawsuit brought by a former pair of inmates. They alleged years ago they were illegally held at the Orleans Parish lockup for months at the request of immigration agents. The case led to far tighter restrictions around immigration holds at the jail, under a policy

La. lawmakers eye Quarter trash pickup

Legislation could shift power to state-created board

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Wading into a raging political battle over who should keep New Orleans’ French Quarter clean, Louisiana lawmakers advanced legislation

The bill moved unanimously from the Senate’s Local and Municipal Affairs Committee

ä See TRASH, page 2B

Fontenelle’s sister takes witness stand

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

During an emotional third day of trial in the murder of 6-year-old Bella Fontenelle, her big sister, grandmother and former teachers took the witness stand Wednesday, recalling the anxiety that daily reduced the kindergartner to hysterical crying fits. Aria Fontenelle, 9, told jurors Wednesday that the defendant, Bunnak “Hannah” Landon, her father’s live-in girlfriend,

ä See TRIAL, page 2B

Landon

enacted in 2013 through a settlement agreement with then-Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s office. Now , with President Donald Trump vowing to deport some 20 million people from the U.S., conservatives in state governments are pressing the issue. With support from Gov Jeff Landry, Murrill argues that Orleans Parish Sheriff’s

Office policies should be erased, after a state law passed last year that effectively banned so-called “sanctuary cities” in Louisiana. The agreement for the New Orleans jail “now sits fundamentally at odds with state law,” Murrill argues. Sheriff Susan Hutson’s office said Wednesday the issue is headed to mediation. If successful

those talks could result in the Sheriff’s Office amending its policies voluntarily That would require agreement from attorneys for the former inmates with the National Immigration Law Center and the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. Van Meerveld, who was named to the federal bench in 2016, seemed to favor mediation as a next step. Hutson’s office said later Wednesday that it had retained the Stuart

IMAGE MAKER

BMIKE prints his own New Orleans Congo Square poster series

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

For 27 years, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival issued two official souvenir prints, the standard annual poster and the Congo Square poster that honored the continued African influence in New Orleans music. But after 2018, the Congo Square poster was discontinued.

Renowned muralist Brandan “BMIKE” Odums says he regrets the loss of the second poster “I always enjoyed the Congo Square poster,” he said on Sunday, “because that series featured artists who didn’t need to be mainstream or didn’t need to be world-famous.”

Starting this year Odums is producing his own series of posters featuring portraits of local artists called “New

Race focuses on spending in Gretna

Candidates eye Jefferson Parish money distribution

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Marrero. His opponent in Saturday’s runoff, newcomer An-

drea Manuel, who led in the March primary, disagrees, and wants to form a committee for discretionary spending. Kerner claimed ahead of the primary that 81% of district discretionary funds went to Gretna over the past three years, including millions of dollars for a parishowned brewpub. He claimed his previous rival, former Parish Council member Ricky Templet, was part of a political “machine” for the city’s elite. Even with Templet now out of the race, spending is still a centerpiece in the

See GRETNA, page 2B

Orleans, Where Flowers Grow.”

The first two, which were unveiled last weekend alongside the larger-thanlife-size original paintings, feature portraits of R&B keyboardist PJ Morton and poet Cleo Wade, rendered in his characteristic colorful style. He plans to unveil another pair of new designs this weekend at his Jazz Fest booth.

“We’re hoping that, God willing, our poster fills that gap,” he said.

Odums has a direct connection with the bygone Congo Square poster series. In 2017, he created the second-tolast poster — a portrait of musician Jon Batiste.

Sales of the new posters will benefit Odums’ Eternal Seeds arts education program. Odums explained that, metaphorically speaking, the seeds are the art students, while the mature artists represented on the posters are the flowers that have sprung from such seeds. Hence, the theme of the series.

“We feel like it’s important to celebrate the flowers that have grown,” he said.

Odums became a New Orleans art star when he led ExhibitBE, an enormous collaborative graffiti mural in an abandoned apartment complex on the West Bank in 2014. ExhibitBE, which combined Odums’ portraits of Civil Rights-era heroes with the works of dozens of skilled graffiti writers, arguably remains the most important New Orleans artwork of the 21st century In the decade since, Odums went on to paint several high-profile murals across New Orleans and elsewhere in the country He is certainly the most famous New Orleans “Flower” of the moment. The price of the “Flowers” posters begins at $30. Posters signed by both BMIKE and the featured artists are $400. The original paintings used to produce the posters cost $15,000. Look for BMIKE’s booth in the Bruce Brice Art Village, not far from the Fais DoDo stage. For more information, visit the StudioBE website. Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Abuse survivors ask judge to dismiss case

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy case, a group of 10 attorneys representing hundreds of survivors of clergy sex abuse have filed a motion asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill to dismiss the long-running case. Alleging years of “bad faith actions and gross mismanagement,” the attorneys argue that dismissing the case is in the best interest of not only their clients but of all 600 survivors that have filed claims against the nation’s second-oldest Roman Catholic diocese.

In the 50 pages that follow, the suit lays out nearly two dozen arguments for why the case should be dismissed, including: misinforming the Vatican about the cost of the bankruptcy and value of the

claims; appointing an unqualified volunteer to manage the case; spending nearly $50 million in legal fees without due diligence, stalling meaningful efforts to resolve the case; and bullying and acting disrespectfully toward survivors.

“The delay, cost, turmoil, and downright frustration of this bankruptcy is rooted in the Archdiocese’s failure to communicate, rabid secreting of documents and bullying tactics,” says the motion, filed by the attorneys, who, between them, represent around one-third of all claimants in the case. “If the Archdiocese is unable to recognize that it is the cause of ongoing estate losses and settlement failures after spending nearly $50 million over five years only to file a proposed plan that was dead-on-arrival, then it never will.”

ä See ABUSE, page 3B

STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH

Artist Brandan ‘BMIKE’ Odums stands by his portrait of keyboardist PJ Morton, who is shown on a poster series that Odums hopes will ‘fill the gap’ left when the Jazz Fest discontinued its Congo Square posters.

Murrill Hutson

Kerner Manuel

ä See JAIL, page 3B

B. Fontenelle

GRETNA

election, as Manuel says Kerner wants to cut funding to Gretna. JoeMarinoIII, the interim District 1council member said the entire district has been “well-represented”financially “This (the brewpub) is not aGretna project,” Marino said. “This is aJefferson Parishproject forlandthat they (the parish) own in the city of Gretna. …It’scheap andeasytosay,‘Look what Gretna is getting.’ Jefferson Parish owns that property. Jefferson Parishisgoing to get the benefit.” For his final council meeting Wednesday,Marino had proposed giving the Gretna FarmersMarket$750,000.

He later lowered thatto $350,000so the succeeding council member could decide where remaining funds go. The council approved another $250,000for Gretna Fest from District 1’sdiscretionary fund.

Thebreakdown

Each of the five district council members control discretionary accountswith millions of dollars from various revenue sources that they can spend from with few restrictions.

TRASH

Continued from page1B

Some ofthese revenue streams come from local taxes, lease agreements, lawsuit settlements andother sources, each with their own rules on where and how moneyis spent. The twoatlarge members, on the other hand, get$200,000tospend each year on economicdevelopment.

Theseaccounts received extraordinary boosts in 2023, when the American Rescue PlanAct broughtthe parish $84 million, and the council voted to divvy up the newfound cash. Each district councilmember received $12.5 million, while the two at-large each got $1 million fromthe generalfund.

ATimes-Picayune analysis of District 1discretionary spending found that from 2020-24, about 66% of all allotted expenditures went toward the cityofGretna, the GretnaPoliceDepartment, Gretna Fest or other projectslocatedinGretna. Overall, about $16.8 million out of $25.5 million in discretionary allocations went to those expenses.

Grand Isle and Jean Lafitte, the other two municipalities in thedistrict, also receive some discretionary funds, albeit on amuch smaller scale. For example, Jean Lafitte got $1 million through cash freed up by thelegislation, and Grand Isle gets$25,000 each year for its Tarpon Rodeo.

on Wednesday afternoon, advancing to the full Senate.

The state Legislature’sentry into the deepening contracting fightunderscoresthe tangle of interests that shape life in New Orleans’ signature neighborhood. The ongoing feud over who should keep the areaclean and tidy is one in aseries of spats between Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the council that have cast apall overCity Hall.

Harris drafted the legislation as astopgap to make surethe tourist hotspotdoesn’t go withoutgarbage pickup,street cleaning and other services after July 31, when the administration is setto terminate an emergency contract with IV Waste, the firm currently performing that work across thecity’s downtown.

Cantrell’sadministration has entered along-term contract with another firm, Henry Consulting,to take over on Aug. 1. But the ongoing legal battle the council, backed by French Quarter business interests, wants to keep IV Waste’scontract in place, while Cantrell is backing Henry Consulting —isunlikely to be resolved by then, Harris noted

TRIAL

Continued from page1B

treated her all right but was meantoher little sister for seemingly no reason. The girls’ maternal grandmother,Gladys Zeledon, 70, testified that Bella often spoke of her tension with Landon, thoughthe little girl haddifficultyexplaining why

“Bella told me, ‘She’sa mean lady.She don’tlove me. She hates me,’”Zeledon testified through tears. Landon, 45, is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of obstruction of justice in Bella’sdeath. Prosecutors allege Landon beat and strangledBella to death on the night of April 25, 2023, inside the Harahan home she shared with the girl’sfather Wednesday’stestimony culminated with acomprehensive slide presentation assembled by Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective Anthony Buttone and prosecutors using text messages, surveillance video and cellphone data to show what happened in the final hours of Bella’slife.

Crying fits Bella’sprekindergarten andkindergarten teachers at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic School in River Ridge testified about the anxietythe little girl suffered every day Bella and Aria’sparents, Michael Fontenelle and Jennifer Zeledon, were

Gretnahas about17,400 residents, while Jean Lafitte andGrand Isle have less than 2,000, according to U.S. census data.There are around 92,000 people in District 1.

Asignificantportion of money for Gretna comes from theinflux of cash made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, which was usedasthe local match to alargercapitaloutlay project to build a148-space parking garage, linear park andcommercial leasable space.

The parish will construct andown thecommercial space,operated by Port Orleans Brewery and Avo

That raises the smelly specterof theQuartergoing without cleanup services in the depths of Louisiana’ssweltering summer,hesaid.

“During COVID-19, rats were running around the French Quarter likeitwas Disneyland,” Harris said.“This is an attempt to (prevent that), to address something currentlyinthe courtsystemthat may not be rectified come July 31.”

Cantrell’s staffhas said thecity “has taken the necessary steps to maintain sanitation services” in theFrenchQuarter anddowntown, an apparentreference to its move to put Henry in place on Aug. 1.

Tangledinterests

The political battleover sanitation workstarted when Henry’s contract grew invalue after he secured the rights to the longterm,$73 milliondeallast summer through arequest-for-proposals process. The councilalso took issue withHenry swapping outa subcontractor,Richard’sDisposal.

The city inked the emergency deal with IV Wasteasthe infighting over Henry’scontract risked leaving the downtown without sanitation services duringthe Super Bowl and abusy festival season. With time, Henry Consulting’s owner, Troy Henry, patched up his feud with Richard’s. Last month, Henry started pressing the city to

no longertogether,after a contentious breakup. The children shuffled every two to three days betweentheir parents’ Harahan homes, located about block from one another

“Bella would react in a negative way on the days she hadto go home to dad’s house,” her prekindergarten teacher,Amy Frazier,told jurors.

She wouldtie her hair and dress in knots and sinkinto panicattacks, cryingand gasping for breath, Frazier said. By kindergarten,Bella was strugglingemotionally and academically,former teacher Kaitlin May said.

“She was avery sweet child,” May said.“But there was such an aura of sadness to her though. She was never angry,just sad.” Bella cried every day,May said, at either the thought of goingtoher father’s house on his custodydays or in anticipation of finally returningtoher mother’shome when they’d swap Bella told her teachers that her father’s girlfriend, “Ms. Hannah,” was mean, hurt her feelings, kept her stuffed animals away from herand didn’tlet her pick hersnacks

But she never showed nordisclosedany signs of physicalabuse by Landon thatwould have required herteachers or therapist to report the matter to authorities, they testified.

Timeline

On theday before Bella was killed,she finallyshared her feelings about Landon

Taco, on the site of aparishowned parking lot for up to $10.3 million.The statewill payfor theparking garage andlinear park, bringing the cost of the entire complex to about $25 million.

The rest of the funds were usedtorenovate an abandoned Gretna schoolhouse into acoworking space.

Withoutthe one-time pot of cash made possible through the act, the percentageof discretionary funds allotted to Gretnadips downto42% over five years.

Kerner’sanalysis, which he said found 81% spending in Gretna, focused on discretionaryallocations from 2022-24 and excluded around

uphold his deal,and Cantrell moved to terminate IV Waste’s contract Council membershave fought that push tooth-and-nail, refusing to ratify Henry’sdeal while awaiting appealsoncourt orders striking down their authoritytodoso.

Membersofthe city’slegislative branchhavespotlighted a raft of what they describe as flaws in Henry’s original contract. And they have highlighted an outpouring of resident praise for IV Waste since that firm took over the emergency contract

In an interview Tuesday,Henry said he believes the administration’s position is that council approval of his contract is not required, even if the 4th Circuit CourtofAppeals hasn’tweighed in on the dispute by Aug. 1.

“I wouldhopethe 4thCircuit would render an opinion before then,but we believe we’ll be able to commence Aug. 1,” he said, adding“if we are allowed to start, we will start.”

But thebill assumes that without acourt ruling, on Aug. 1, trash pickup will be uncertain.

Speaking in support of Harris bill Wednesday,Council President JP Morrell, whohas led the charge against Cantrell’shandling of Henry’scontract, said thebill would move the city out of what hasbecomeanincreasinglytoxic

with her father during a counseling session with Rachel Knight andher mother present.Bella shut down when pressed for examples of Landon’smeanness, and thetense session ended with an “uneasy feeling,” Knight testified.

Buttone and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Africklaid out the next day in atimeline that began with Fontenelle, Bella’sfather, seen on camera leaving for work as acertified public accountant withthe city of Kenner.Cellphone records andsurveillance video cleared Fontenelle in Bella’s killing, Buttonetestified.

Throughout the day, Fontenelle andLandon exchangedtextmessagesabout his mother dropping off the girls at home, Aria’s new lost toothand apotential visit from thetooth fairy and meal plans for theupcoming day In their communication, there was no hintofwhat was to come.

But Landon made a 5:11 p.m. phone calltoa Floridawoman named Susan Diamond, the mother of her ex-boyfriend who was also caring for Landon’stwo sons. Diamond, whotestified Wednesday,said Landon seemed unhappy and depressed about her living situation.

Diamond said she’d pay for abus ticket to Florida so Landon could spend time with her children, an offer Landon refused.

“She said to me …‘Iamat peacewith my decision,’ ” Diamond told jurors. Before thecall, asearch

$2.8 millionthat could not legally be spent in Gretna or any other municipality

Kerner said this calculationwas done intentionally,asmunicipalitiestypically collect those revenue streamsdirectly from the source. For example, parish taxes collected from riverboat gaming must be spent in unincorporated Jefferson Parish, because municipalities receive their taxes directly “I left no stoneunturnedin tracking where our tax dollars are going,” Kerner said in atext message. “The people deserve full transparency whenitcomes to how their money is being spent —and Imade it my mission to deliverit. Ibelieve every dollar,ARPAorotherwise, should be allocated based on acomprehensive districtwide strategy.”

Theelection

The race between Kerner andManuelhas heated up as earlyvoting closed last weekend.

Manuel, aDemocrat from unincorporated Gretna, has recently framedherselfas pro-Gretna in campaignads

Hercampaignclaimed in a text message sent to voters that she is the only candidate whosupports fundingthe GretnaPoliceDepartment, JeffersonParishSheriff’s Office, Gretna Festand the ChristmaslightsonHuey

political fight.

“This is not about the mayor and council fighting,” said Morrell, who spokeonbehalf of himself and council member Freddie King III. King’sdistrict encompasses the French Quarter

“Whatitisabout is that theterminationofthat emergency contract early has created an artificial crisis where there is apossibility of nothaving trash pickup on Aug. 1,” Morrell added. “Whether you’re in favor of the council’s position or themayor’sposition, those people deserve to have their trash picked up.”

Questionsabout jurisdiction

TheHenry Consulting deal and IV Waste’scurrent emergency contract both cover sanitation services acrossa large swath of New Orleans’ downtown —not only within theFrench Quarter Management District, but also the city’sDowntown Development District.

Harris’ bill only empowers the French Quarter Management District’sBoard to secure itsown sanitation contracts. If Henry Consulting doesn’tstart work on Aug. 1, it’s unclear who would takeon sanitation servicesinthe Downtown Development District.

Harris said he initially wrote his bill as “placeholder” legisla-

of Landon’scellphone data showed that she’d begun making online searches aboutalocal criminaldefense attorney,visiting his website, looking up information abouttrial preparation Buttone noted that Bella was still alive at this point

The girls’ paternal grandmother,Barbara Fontenelle, who’d dropped them off at the house from schooland read thembedtimestories, left the DonoleonDrive homeat7:34 p.m

At 7:48 p.m., Landon sent textmessages to friends asking them to remember her, missivesshe later deleted, Buttone said.

At 8:05 p.m.,Landon sent a text to Bella’sfather telling him “All seems to be good. They’reall tucked in,” referring to the girls, according to Buttone. Butat9:25 p.m., Landon is seen on their home’svideo surveillance retrieving a folding wagon that had been in abackyard shed. Cameras at her house and aneighboringresidence recordedher wheeling the wagon around theside of the house and reappearingbearinga gallon chlorinebucketthatButtone said containedthe body of Bella Fontenelle.

At 9:28 p.m., Landon is seen pulling thewagon and bucket away from the house, headed for thenearby home of Jennifer Zeledon,where she is seen on camera there placing the bucket on the front lawn.

By 9:38 p.m.,Landon had returned home withthe empty wagon and placed it back in the shedbefore

P. Long Avenue —which in her message was mistakenly referred to as the Huey P. Long Bridge —along with other initiatives. She previously referred to Kerneras“acandidate who has an ax to grind.”

Kerner, aRepublican,said in social media posts that Manuel“is proppedupby insiders who think they can control her,” and that “the NewOrleans political powerhouses endorsing her have taken over her campaign.” He added that he supports law enforcement and small businesses. He said in atext message he wants to protect communityeventslike festivals and Christmas celebrations“while making sure it’sdone in an economically soundway thatbenefits everyone.”

Da’TriceSmith, acampaignspokesperson, said in an email that Manuel has focused on running a“clean and positive campaign,” and has no involvement with mailers outside of her own campaign.

“Mrs. Manuel is surprised and disappointed by the false and negative statements beingmade about her,asshe has never spoken negatively aboutMr. Kerner,” Smithwrote.“That is simply notinher character.” Email Lara Nicholsonat lnicholson@theadvocate. com.

tion to address issues specific to the French Quarter in the wake of the Jan. 1vehicle-ramming attack on BourbonStreet. The sanitation services measurewas added to thebill as an amendmentin Wednesday’s committee hearing The amendment focusedonthe French Quarter Management District in order to remain consistent with the bill’soriginal scope, Harris said.

The French Quarter Development District’s13-member Board of Commissioners is comprised of the head of the Vieux Carre Commission; twomayoral appointees; an appointee of the local City Council member’schoosing; and nine appointees selected by various business and tourism groups. The Downtown Development District’sboard was long alocus of mayoral power,withthe mayor’s officepicking nine of the11 appointees. Abill carried by Harris and signed by Gov. Jeff Landry last year,however,slashed the mayor’sappointments to two. Morrell referred questionsabout the Downtown Development District to that district’sleadership, who did notrespond to inquiries. The French Quarter Management District’schair,JaneCooper,declined to comment.

Staff writer Ben Myers contributed to this report.

leaving thehouse againat 9:47 p.m ButtonesaidLandon placed onemorecalltoher sister, Bunnary Saunders. Saunders testified Wednesday that Landon toldher shewas goingtoput her cellphone in a plastic bag and bury it under atree shaped likea “Y” at a construction site. Saunders was to notify a defense attorney who’d previously represented Landon aboutthe phone.Thatattorney,Christian Bonin, passed the information to Sheriff’s Office detectives, who recovered Landon’scellphone after the discovery of Bella’s body,just as she’d said, buried under atree at the intersection of O.K. Avenue and Matson Street in Harahan.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

Thedigital edition of today’spaper is always at your finger tips with OR

Staffgraphic

Source:Jefferson Parish

Firm in archdiocese

case hitbycyberattack

Some sexabuse survivors’ data mayhavebeen stolen

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Aconsulting firm that advises attorneys for clergy sex abuse survivors in the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ bankruptcy case said personal information about abusesurvivors mayhave been stolen in arecent ransomware attack. In court documents filed Tuesday,California-based Berkeley Research Group said it wasthe victimofa ransomware attack in late February andthata subsequent investigation “has identified that data associated with the Archdiocese of New Orleans case appears to have been exfiltrated by the threat actor in the course of the Incident.”

The court filings say that BRG settled with the hackers, who “provided astatement that the data was deleted and wouldnot be distributed.” Statements from ransomware attackers “may not be 100% reliable,” BRG noted. BRG, aglobal consulting firm that provides bank-

ABUSE

Continued from page1B

Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who placed the local church under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 1, 2020,has long said thebankruptcy process was designed to work out a fair settlement to financially compensate all survivors for the abuse they suffered at the hands of clergy In aprepared statement Wednesday,hesaid the archdiocese continues to believe aglobal settlement achieved through the Chapter 11 process “benefits all survivors with financial recovery and assures the continuation of parish ministries throughout the archdiocese.”

“Dismissal may only serve to benefit aselect few individuals represented by the lawyers seeking dismissal of this case, with any potential recovery for those individuals years away,” the statement adds.

The motion from abuse survivors comes twodays after Grabill took the strongest measure yet to pressure the archdiocese andsurvivors to reach asettlement.

On Monday,she ordered the archdiocese to “show cause” for why the case should not be dismissed.

“The record in this case as it stands today shows that,after five yearsand millionsofdollars expended, no coalition of parties

JAIL

Continued from page1B

H. Smith Law Clinic at the Loyola College of Lawto oversee the negotiations Hutson’soffice said a goal is “to expand cooperation with Immigration and CustomsEnforcement requests regarding the detention of individuals in OPSO custody suspected of entering the country illegally.” Murrill’soffice won’tbe included in mediating talks. Murrill argues that the new law,authoredlastyear by Sen. Blake Miguez, RNew Iberia, renders the 13-year-old court settlement illegal. Among its requirements, the new law forceslocal governments to cooperate with requests from immigration agents to hold people past their release dates, up to 48 hours, under federal law.ASheriff’sOffice spokesperson said the agency receives around five such requests amonth

ruptcy administration services, is one of dozens of experts involved in the case. It was hired by lawyers for the court-appointed committee of abuse survivors. To date, it has been paid more than $3.2 million, according to the most recent financialstatementsfiled in the case.

The firm said it identified thebreach on March 2afterthe attackersobtained remoteaccesstoaBRG employee’slaptop.The employee was not amember of theteam that is workingon thearchdiocese case, court documentssaid The firmsaid it is continuingtowork with professional data experts to determinewhether thedatathat wasstolenincluded “any identifiable information, even if it is just aname, relating to individuals involvedinthe SubjectCase or any information subject to aprotectiveorder or confidentiality agreement.” BRG declined to comment on thecyberattack Tuesday.The lawfirm that represents the survivors committee, Californiabased Pachulski Stang, did not respond to arequestfor comment.

Thearchdiocese said in astatementthat the data breachis“gravely concerningtous,” and referredad-

has proposed aconfirmable plan,” the judgewrote.

Apossiblesplit?

Wednesday’scourt filings by the survivors’ attorneys was not unexpected. Attorneys said in court two weeksago they intended to filethe motionaheadof the five-year anniversary of the case because of growing frustration with ahost of issues, including the slow pace of progress and failure to reach asettlement.

Ahigh-stakes mediation in early April brought the two sides closer together, but the mediator in the case toldGrabill they still remain far apart.

The attorneys who filed themotion represent awide variety of individual survivors in thecase —perhaps as many as 200 to 250. But they are notthe same attorneys as those who were appointed by the court five years agotonegotiate a settlement on behalfofall survivors whohave filed claims.

Notably, thatcommittee, the Official Committeeof Unsecured Creditors, did notsignontothe motion to dismiss.

The omission could suggest apossiblesplit between the committeelawyers, who have beenpaid throughout theprocess, and the plaintiffs’ lawyers, who are workingoncontingency,meaning theirpay will be determined by the size of theclient payout.

The court-appointed at-

Under the 2013 agreement, Sheriff’s Office’s policy is to reject them all unless the person is charged with murder,rape, kidnapping, armed robbery or treason Gusman didn’treturn messages seeking comment Wednesdayonthe originsofthe agreement. “This agreement interferes with ICE andshould have never been establishedinthe first place,” Murrill said. “Welook forward to getting back to business as usual where criminal illegal aliens are removed from our country.” At Wednesday’shearing, DeputySolicitor General ZackFairclothargued thatMurrill’soffice was merelyasking the court’s permission to enforce the newly passed statelaw VanMeerveld, however, pressed Faircloth to presentevidencethatHutsonwas interfering with the work of immigration agents. Faircloth referred to

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Barthelemy Jr., Rene

ditional commentstoBRG and Stang.

The disclosure comes on the eve of the fifth anniversary of thecase and as pressure is building on the archdiocesetoreach a settlementwith theroughly 600 abuse survivors who have filed claims.

On Monday,U.S.Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill ordered thearchdiocese to showwhy she shouldn’tdismiss thecase, now one of the longest-running andcostliest of the40 church bankruptcies in the country

“The record in this case as it stands today shows that,after five yearsand millions of dollars expended,nocoalitionofparties has proposed aconfirmable plan,” Grabill wrote.

Astatus conference in thecase is scheduled for Thursday,whereattorneys are expected to update Grabill on ongoing settlement talks and issues related to theBRG databreach.

In early2024, adifferentconsultantonthe case disclosed adatabreach of church financial data, though no information about abusesurvivors was stolen or shared.

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

torneys representing the committee, Californiabased Stang Puchalski, did not respond to arequestfor comment on the motion.

Expertssay it is unusual for attorneys to file amotiontodismiss without the support of the official committee and that it will diminish thechances of the motion succeeding.

“Given that the debtor will oppose the motionand thecommittee will likely notsupport it on grounds thatthey are close to a comprehensive settlement, adisgruntledcreditor’smotiontodismiss the caseafterfive years (and millions in professional fees) is an extreme long shot,” said Penn Statelaw professor Marie T. Reilly,who studies church bankruptcy cases.

It is not unusual for lawyers forsex abuse claimantstodisagree about the case, however,Reilly said.

“Lawyers representing sex abuse claimants have different opinions about what their clients’ cases are worth,how much risk they are willing to takeand how long they are willing to wait to see any compensation,” she added.

Grabill has scheduled a status conference in the case for Thursday afternoon, where thelatest developments are expected to be discussed but will not be formally heard.

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

comments Hutsongave to WVUE-TV in December, in whichshe lamented her office’sstaffing shortage, adding, “I cannotdoICE’s work.”

“I believe in following the law and court orders,” Hutsonadded, “so that’swhat we’re gonna do.”

VanMeerveld noted that the law went into effect last May

“We’ve had 11 months you have yet to point me to aproblem,” VanMeerveld said, adding that the “possibility” aconflictmight exist in the future was an “insufficient”argument

LOTTERY

TUESDAY,APRIL 29, 2025

PICK 3: 1-5-9

PICK 4: 5-8-9-0

PICK

Barthe,Rachel BastianSr.,Warren Cates, Eddie Church,Whitner CollinsSr.,David Courouleau,Diane Devoe,Wilma Ehret, Irene GabrielJr.,Galvin Gray Jr., EMorris Guerrera,Maribeth Jacobs,Shamond LewisJr.,Walter Loiacono, Grace Lutz,Amanda Merrick,Robert Moore, Nevils Mueller, David Naquin, Errol Price, Charles Ragas, Tijwana Reed,Shirley

Richard, Charlotte Richard, LaQuerita Ward,Josie NewOrleans Boyd Family CollinsSr.,David Charbonnet Barthe,Rachel Reed,Shirley

Richard, LaQuerita

DW Rhodes Jacobs,Shamond Estelle JWilson Ward,Josie Greenwood Loiacono, Grace Richard, Charlotte

Heritage Funeral Moore, Nevils

JacobSchoen

Gray Jr., EMorris

Lake Lawn Metairie

Lutz,Amanda Price, Charles

Majestic Mortuary

Cates, Eddie River Parish

TreasuresLife

BastianSr.,Warren St Tammany

Grace Funeral

Guerrera,Maribeth West Bank

DavisMortuary

GabrielJr.,Galvin Mothe

Ehret, Irene

Naquin, Errol

Robinson FH

Barthelemy Jr., Rene LewisJr.,Walter

Ragas, Tijwana

Obituaries

Barthe,RachelYoung

union with theLordon Monday, April14, 2025 at the ageof87. Belovedwife ofEarlR.Barthe. Loving motherofClifford andEarl Barthe, Jr.Grandmother of AngeleBartheTaylor (Justin). Great- grand‐motherofJustin, Jr.and NoahTaylor. Also survived bya sister,Mildred Gard‐ner,aswellasa host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relativesand friends. She wasprecededindeath byher parents, Clifford S. and Rachel BissantYoung; sisters,Josie Lewisand Beverly Thompson;inlaws, Solida Ersinto(Wal‐ter)and Clifford L. Barthe Rachelwas alifelongresi‐dentofNew Orleansand was educated in theOr‐leans Parish School Sys‐tem,graduatingfromMc‐Donogh 35 High School She worked at the NASA/MichoudFacilityfor over30years in communi‐cations andwas the first black womanhired as a switchboard operator at the facility in 1962. During her tenure at Michoud, she roseupthe rankstothe positionofcommunica‐tions manager. Shere‐ceivedmanyawardsand commendations from NASAfor herworkand ser‐vice. Rachel wasvery proud of hercareer at Mi‐choud,but hergreatestjoy cameasa wife to Earl and mothertoher twoboys. Her familymeant every‐thing to her. Whetherit was beingonEarl’sarm at the Vikings’ Club annual Mardi Gras Ball or piling Clifford andEarl, Jr.'s teammates or friendsup intothe back of thepickup truck to go to agameor overtoPassChristian,MS for aday on thebeach.She had it allplanned outand madesureeveryonehad a grand time.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe funeral. AMassof Christian burial honoring the life andlegacyofthe lateRachelYoung Barthe willbeheldatCorpus Christi-EpiphanyCatholic Church,2022 St.Bernard Avenue, NewOrleans,LA onSaturday, May3,2025 at 10am. IntermentSt. Louis CemeteryNo. 3, 3421 Es‐planade Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA.Visitation 8amin the church.Inlieuof flow‐ers,the familyrequest do‐nations be made in Rachel’smemorytoSt. Au‐gustine High School, hhtps:www.staugnola.org Donate.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com, Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504)581 4411.

Barthelemy Jr., Rene Jude

Rene Jude Barthelemy Jr.,a belovedson,brother, grandson, andfriend, passedawayonApril 23, 2025, at theage of 23. Born inGretna, Louisiana, Rene was alifelongresidentof PortSulphur,where he was known andcherished for his infectious smile,joyful spirit, andunwavering kindness. Rene wasbap‐tized at St.Patrick Catholic Church,lovinglysupported byhis godparentsFabian and Brenella Ancar, andhis honorarygodparents, the lateLance Saylviaand Jen‐nifer Billiot. He received his education at SouthPlaque‐minesElementaryand

High School,aswellas Dutchtown School.In2018 heproudly graduatedfrom the YouthChallenge Pro‐gram(YCP) andearnedhis GED in 2024. Rene made lasting friendshipswith Kyra, Page,Caden, Jacques,Jacob,Bogga,and manyothers—connections thatbrought himjoy and enrichedthe livesofthose around him. He waslov‐ingly raised in faith by his great-grandmother Augus‐tineAncar andhis grandfa‐therReneAncar,who playedfoundationalroles inhis life.Heisprecededin death by hisgreat-grand‐motherAugustine Ancar, great-grandfather Gerald Ancar Sr., grandfather ReneAncar,and Joseph Garrett. He leaves behind tocherish hismemoryhis devoted mother Virginia Barthelemy, father Rene BarthelemySr.,brothers Lucas andMarcus Barthelemy, andsisterIz‐abell Barthelemy.Heis alsolovinglyremembered byhis grandmothers Ann Garrett andPatricia Charles,aswellasa host ofaunts,uncles, cousins, and dear friends. Rene's legacylives on throughthe loveheshared, thelives he touched,and thejoy he brought to allwho knew him.Hewillbedeeply missedbut neverforgot‐ten.Relatives andfriends ofthe familyare invitedto attendthe celebrationof lifeservice which will be heldonSaturday, May3, 2025, at Port Sulphur Bap‐tistChurch 27080 Hwy23, PortSulphur LA.The visita‐tionfor immediatefamily willbegin at 8:00 AM,fol‐lowed by apublicvisitation at9:00AM. Theservice will begin at 10AM.,officiated byPastorBurghartTurner. Intermentwillfollowin BarthelemyCemeteryin Diamond.Funeral planning entrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneral Home.(504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lencespleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

BastianSr.,Warren Augusta

Warren AugustaBast‐ian,Sr. of NewOrleans,LA entered into eternalrest onSaturday, April19, 2025 atN.O.VAMedical Center, after abrief illnessatthe age of 92. He wasa native ofWallace,LA. After46 dedicated years, Warren retired from Avondale In‐dustries, Inc. Hismemories willbekeptinthe hearts of his wife of 69 years, Augus‐tineJackBastian;daugh‐tersStaceyBastian and Gaynielle B. Troutman;four grandchildren Elysia T. Jones (Milton),Whitley B. Robinson, Everet Troutman and Tayler B. Conway;and great-granddaughter Na‐talie Jones. He is also sur‐vived by hissiblingsGerald Bastian (Florence) and Frances B. Willis;sistersin-lawand brothers-in-law; godchildren;and ahostof other relativesand friends. Hewas preceded in death byhis son, Warren Jr.; his parents,Anicetand Ernes‐tine(Harris)Bastian;and siblingsAnicetJr., Claudette B. Vicksand HennesseyBastian,Sr. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe family, also priestsand

Please considerdonating to local journalism in Louisiana. Your tax-deductiblecontribution goes solely to funding reportersinthe field. To donate and to seethe work ourteamhas done,visit LOUISIANAJOURNALISMFUND.ORG

Rachel Young Barthe en‐teredeternal rest and

4B ✦ Thursday,May1,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune parishioners of Corpus Christi –EpiphanyCatholic Church,Greater St Stephen FGBC,Churches of Christ, TremeHarmony House Senior Center,N.O VAMedical Center,Avon‐daleIndustries, Inc. and employees of Abbott Labo‐ratoriesare invitedtoat‐tenda Mass of Christian burialatCorpusChristi –EpiphanyCatholicChurch, 2022 St.Bernard Ave.,NOLA onFriday, May2,2025 at 11:00 am.Visitationat9:00 am, until time of service. Publicviewing on Thurs‐day,May 1st from 4:00 pm6:00pmatTreasures of Life Funeral Services,315 E. Air‐lineHwy,Gramercy, LA.In‐terment at Restlawn Park Cemetery, 3540 US Hwy-90 Avondale, LA.Servicesen‐trusted to TreasuresofLife Funeral Services, Gramercy, LA.“When someone youlovebe‐comes amemory, that memorybecomes aTREA‐SURE” and his sister, Elizabeth Church Marquez While there willbea private graveside service,everyone is welcometojoin in acelebrationoflife, which willbeheldonMay 3, 2025,from 11:00am1:00pm at the Bay Waveland Yacht Club in BaySt. Louis, Mississippi In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you consider making adonation to The MichaelJ Fox Foundation for Parkinson'sResearch ora charity of your choice Viewand signonline tribute at bslef.com

Cates, EddieJoel'BigJill'

EddieJoelCates,lov‐ingly knownas“BigJill, was born on May1,1954, to the late StelenaM.Cates and Edward CatesSr. in New Orleans, Louisiana.He accepted theLordand Sav‐ior at ayoung ageand was educatedinthe Orleans ParishSchool System Eddiewas unitedinmar‐riage to thelateElaine Risin Catesatthe ageof 28. He worked as aroofer and contract painterwith PMRoofing,dedicating years of servicetohis trade.Eddiefound joyin the simple pleasuresof life. Hishobbies included singing,boxing, and spendingtimewithhis family. He especially loved playing Spades andgrilling barbeque, bringing laugh‐ter andwarmthtoevery gathering.Heleavesto cherish hismemorythree daughters:LakechiaRisin, ChelsheaCates,and Kesheal Henderson; Ten grandchildren:La’Chae Risin,Shaquelle Risin, CalvinRisin,Arielle Risin, ChristiyanCates,Celcee Cates,Chloe Speed,Toni Gallow, Jah’anthonyGal‐low,and Twogreat-grand‐sonsCalvinWilliamsand HeroRisin.Heisalsosur‐vived by hissisters Edith “Ann” Isabelle Catesand Linedda CatesMcIver (Samuel “Dutch”McIver), and sister-in-lawRoger Cates of NewOrleans, Louisiana.Eddieispre‐ceded in deathby his motherStelena Morris Cates;fatherEdwardCates Sr.;wifeElaineRisin Cates; sisterDorothy Cates; brother Edward D. Cates; grandsonChristopher Speed Jr.; andnephews Edwin “Red”Daniels and Joshua Carter.Eddiewill bedeeply missedbyall who knew andloved him. His legacy of love,laugh‐ter,and strength will live oninthe hearts of hisfam‐ily andfriends.Relatives and Friendsofthe Family are allinvited to attend the Funeral ServiceatGreater St. Matthew BaptistChurch #21626 S. RampartSt. NOLA70113 on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 11:00am Visitationwillbegin at 10:00am.Burialwillbepri‐vate. Professional Arrange‐ments EntrustedtoMajes‐tic Mortuary (504)523-5872.

Whitner Lee Church, a resident of Pass Christian, Mississippi, passed away on March 25, 2025 at the age of 86. Whitner is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Skrmetta; his daughter, Lisa Church Baldwin; his son, Michael Whitner Church (Anne);and his cherished grandchildren, Moe Joseph Church, Nicole Jane Baldwin, and Parker David Baldwin. He was predeceased by his parents, Randolph and Eunice Butler Church; his brother, Randolph Butler Church;

CollinsSr.,David Otis

DavidOtisCollins,Sr., 54, departed from life on April 23, 2025. He proudly servedasa VeteranAppa‐ratus Operator forthe New Orleans Fire Department for 21 years. Before joining NOFD, Davidwas employed bythe HousingAuthority ofNew Orleansfor 14 years.Hewas an Army Vet‐eran. Davidwas agraduate ofGeorgeW.CarverHigh School,class of 1988. He was alifelongmemberof CarverDesireBaptist Church.David leaves to cherish hismemoriesto his precious wife,Tracy five children,Terrance (Teri), Laurianda(Eric), Davien(Javier), Eric (Ter‐rion),David (Raymond), fourgranddaughtersand two greatnieces. NOFD, HANO, family andfriends are invitedtoattend his Homegoing Celebration Service on Friday,May 2, 2025, for7:00p.m.atThe Church at NewOrleans, 11700 Chef MentuerHwy New Orleans, LA 70129.Vis‐itation will beginat6:00 p.m.Final respects will takeplace on Saturday, May 3, 2025, for10:00 a.m. atCarverDesireBaptist Church,3301 Montegut Street.Visitationwillbegin at9:00a.m.Reverend James R.WillisJr.,officiat‐ing.Interment will follow atMt. Olivet Cemetery, New Orleans, LA.Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com (504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Courouleau, Diane Bourgeois

Diane Bourgeois Courouleau, age 74, of Carriere,MS, passed away on Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Born September 13, 1950,she was theyoungest daughter of Joseph Bartholomew Bourgeois, Jr. and Alma Bernice Pope Bourgeois

Diane was aproud native of New Orleans, Louisiana,alwaysquick to tell stories and spread knowledge about the unique food, culture,and musicshe kept so closeto her heart

Even though she left New Orleans to attendthe UniversityofNebraska, shereturnedhome soon after to undertake acareer in accountingand banking It was during thistime she met the love of her life, John AlvinCourouleau, III. Theymarried on May31, 1974 and recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. John served 20 years in the UnitedStatesAir Force, so Diane traveled America and the world as aproud military wife, and mother of two sons: Jeffrey Joseph Courouleau andTrevor Paul Courouleau. Later in life,her heart grew even fuller with love when Trevor'sson Leviand daughter Avery wereborn. Diane enjoyed painting, drawing,and being creative. For over20years, she ran an artsand crafts businesssellingher handmadeand hand-painted creations. Shewas especially renownedfor herculinary abilities, and anydish Diane made displayedan unrivaleddepth of talent, love, and flavor Diane also loved puzzles and word searches,espe-

cially Jumble and Sudoku. Even thoughher health declinedinrecent years, Diane livedlife with grace and curiosity and determinationuntil thevery end She was thebedrock of thefamily,and willbe missed beyond allmeasure. Diane is survivedbyher husband John, sons Jeffrey and Trevor,and grandchildren Leviand Avery Following cremation,a privateinterment willtake place in the family tomb at Greenwood Cemetery in NewOrleans, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers,the family encourages donations to St.JudeChildren's Research Hospitalin Diane's memory

Devoe,

Wilma Ann Devoe entered into heavenly rest on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Harahan, Louisiana.

She wasthe daughter of thelateMaybell Woods Devoe and thelateWilliam F. Devoe and thesister of thelate,WilliamA.Devoe

AnativeofNew Orleans, Wilma was a graduateofMcDonogh 35 High School. She was a 1978 graduateofthe University of NewOrleans (UNO), where she obtained her bachelor's degree in English. For over adecade, Wilma was theHead of the LearningCenter at theNew Orleans PublicLibrary (NOPL), adivisionofthe librarythatprovidedadult education classes to those in need. Under her leadership, she grew thelearning center to threelibrary locations and hosted Prime Time family reading programsatNOPL.Through theLiteracy in Libraries Across America (LiLAA) organization, she obtaineda six figure grantfor the LearningCenterthat was funded by theWallaceReader'sDigestfund.Prior to working at thelibrary she was an instructor in theEnglish Composition Workshop at Xavier University.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, Wilma relocated to Houston,Texas where she worked for The Neighborhood Center, an organizationthat provided resources for evacuees of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.She returnedtoNew Orleans last year to thedelight of her NewOrleans family and friends. Though ill, Wilma possessed apositiveattitude, which she shared with her caretakers and visitors. She leavestomournher loss, her niece, Lakuenya D. Harvey (Eddie), great niece KaylaCadwell, sister -in-law Hazel Hinton, devotedcousins Robin Wetson(Sebastian), godchildren Rashiida and Ja'Briel Westonand ahost of otherrelativesand friends.

Amemorial service willbeheldinWilma's honorat11amon Saturday, May 3, 2025, at King &Queens Reception Hall,5703 Read Blvd, New Orleans. Attendees are asked to dress in ashade of purple,Wilma'sfavorite color. The family wishes to thank themedical team at St JosephNursing Home in Harahan and St Catherine Hospice of Slidellfor their attentive care during Wilma's illness.

Funeralarrangements entrusted to NewOrleans Funeraland Cremation Services.

IrenePitre Ehret, ade‐voted wife,lovingmother and cherishedfriend passedawaypeacefully on April 28, 2025 at theage of 72. Born on August 24, 1952 inThibodeaux, LA,Irene dedicated herlifetoher family. As astay-at-home mom,she poured herheart intoraising herchildren, creatinga warm andnur‐turinghomewhere love, laughter, andvalueswere passeddownthrough gen‐erations. Shehad agiftfor makingeveryonefeel spe‐cialand seen,whether through hercomforting presence, thoughtful words,orhome-cooked mealsmadewithlove. For

over 50 years, sheshareda beautiful marriage with her belovedhusband, James S. Ehret, Sr.To‐gether, they builta life grounded in love,faith,and enduringpartnership-a shining exampletoall who knewthem. Ireneissur‐vived by loving husband James S. EhretSr; herchil‐drenJames S. EhretJr. (Shannon) andJonathanP Ehret (Holly); hergrand‐childrenEmily,Evan, Riley and Carter;her Brother Freddie Rink (LateCheryl); SisterinlawsJudyEhret, Jeannette Cantin (Late Richard), Susan“Jaye”Bar‐ber (Gene);and many Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and Friendswho will miss her dearly.She waspre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐entsAntoinette Benoit and ErnestPitre,Sisters Enola Holder, Viola“Anne”Baril and DebraArdoin. Some of her favorite past times wereplaying darts, cro‐cheting,cooking, playing cards, fishingand going to the Casino.Her legacy lives on in thekindness she showed,the values she instilled,and thememories she createdwiththose lucky enough to know her. She will be deeply missed and foreverremembered. The familywould like to thank thestaff of Pulse Hospice fortheir love, compassionand assis‐tance with hercare. Acele‐bration of herlifewillbe heldat11AMonFriday, May 2, 2025 at MotheFu‐neral Home,7040 Lapalco Blvd, in Marrero, LA.Visita‐tionwillbefrom8:30am–11:30am.Interment will fol‐low immediatelyafter at WestlawnMemorialParkin Gretna, LA.Pleasevisit mothefunerals.com to view and sign theonlineguest‐book Gray Jr., EMorris

Galvin “Mann” Gabriel, Jr.,age 74, passedawayon Friday, March28, 2025, at Good SamaritanMedical CenterinBrockton, MA.He was anativeofNew Or‐leans,LA, anda resident of Canton, MA.“Mann”,ashe was affectionately known tofamilyand friends, was a graduate of LincolnHigh School.Heservedhis country as amemberof the United States Army duringthe VietnamWar After beinghonorably dis‐charged,Galvinearnedhis first-classwelding certifi‐catefromAvondaleShip‐yardand worked at various shipyards.Helater gained employmentasa construc‐tionworker, spending a great part of hiscareer working in theNEBoston and Connecticut areas. He loved music, movies,bikes, motorcycles,autoracing, hamburgers, chocolate, and quietpeacefulloca‐tions.LovingfatherofMar‐quisGalvinGabriel andC Azure Gabriel, from his firstmarriagetoMin MarthaAnn Jett-Gabriel; DanaGabriel andGalvin Mano”Gabriel III, from his secondmarriagetoMary W.Son of thelateGalvin Gabriel,Sr. andRosemary Shirley GoinsGabriel Beloved brotherofMerika Green,Arceneaux Gabriel, and thelateLateaud Gabriel andSashara Gabriel.Nephewof Bernadette Washington Godfather of Judy Favorite Harry Gaines III, and Natasha Moore. Brother-inlaw of thelateErrollGreen Galvinisalsosurvivedby his lifelong best friend James Tillman, 7grandchil‐dren, 1great granddaugh‐ter,and ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins,other relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the CelebrationofLifeat Davis Mortuary Service, 6820 Westbank Express‐way,Marrero,LAonFriday, May 2, 2025, at 10:00a.m. Visitationwillbegin at 8:30a.m.until servicetime. Interment: Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐tery-Slidell, LA.Toviewand signthe guestbook,please gotowww.davismortua ryservice.com.FaceMasks Are Recommended.

EMorrisGrayJr. of New Orleans,Louisiana,passed awayonSunday, April27, 2025, in his87thyear. A proud graduate of St.Aloy‐sius(’55),TulaneUniversity witha BS (’59) anda MS (’62).Hewas commis‐sionedasa Navalofficer (59-61).Hewas acivil engi‐neer anddevoted 36 years toMcDermott,improving the oiland gasindustry around theworld.Hewas a faithfulmemberofSt. Do‐minic’s church andserved onthe financecommittee Hewas amemberatlarge serving on theboard of di‐rectors forthe Tulane NROTC.Hewas adedi‐cated EagleScout and scout leader.Beloved fa‐therofDeniseMarie (John),E Morris III (An‐nette), andRichard Gre‐gory(Arianna).Hewas the cherished grandfatherof Allen,Emily (Jared), Michael,Alexandra,and Georgia;and adored brother of JamesSaucier (Julie).Heisalsosurvived bymanynieces, nephews, cousins,and friends. He was preceded in deathby his parents, Edward Morris and Jeanne MarieSaucier; wifeJaneHelen Elizardi; son Joseph Aloysius; daughterKathleen Marie; and brotherDonaldDwight (Kay).Charismatic and charming, Morrisheld court whenhespoke.His lifestories were rich,and hewas greatattelling them. He wasa worldtrav‐eler, andhis familyexperi‐enced such aculturedand interesting life with himin Europeand NewOrleans Heloved Tulane.There was seldoma daywhenhewas not seen in green.Heloved his family fiercely.Hewas the centeringforce holding ustogetherand we will honor himwithour love for eachother andbycontinu‐ing thetraditionshecher‐ished.The angels have car‐riedyou home andGod has receivedyou into theking‐dom of Heaven.Wewill holdyou in ourheartsuntil wemeet again. Afuneral masswillbecelebratedin the Chapel of Schoen Fu‐neral Home,3827 Canal Street,onSaturdayMay 3rd,2025, at 12:00pm,visi‐tationtobegin at 10:00am In lieu of flowersa dona‐tioncan be made in his honor to theAmericanDia‐betes Associationorthe AmericanKidneyFounda‐tion.

James(Barbara),and nu‐merouscousins.She was predeceased by herpar‐ents, WilliamJames,Jr. and Rosemary Hentze James.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thefuneral MassatGrace Funeral Home, 450 Holy Trinity Drive,Covington LA on Sat‐urday,May 3, 2025, at 11:30 a.m.withvisitationbegin‐ningat9:30a.m.Interment willfollowinSt. Lazarusof Bethany Memorial Garden Cemetery. In lieu of flow‐ers,contributions in mem‐ory of Maribeth to theSer‐vants of Christ Jesus, De‐velopment Office,P.O.Box 102848, Denver,CO802502848 or online at https:// www.scjesus.org/would beappreciated

ShamondSydneyJacobs was anativeofUptown New Orleans, LA.Hewas bornatTouro Infirmaryon May 20, 2000, to Coreyand Natasha Jacobs.Shamond passedawayonApril 17, 2025. Shamondresided in Terrytown LA.Heattended Terrytown Elementary,Li‐vaudais MiddleSchool,and WestJefferson Senior High School.Hewentontoearn his diplomafromSpring‐fieldPreparatory High School.Shamond devel‐opeda love forcooking and went on to work at Wing Stop,Lucy's, Raising Canes,New OrleansHam‐burgerand Seafood Com‐pany, andThe Exchange PickleballBar.Hechanged his career path andstarted working with theOcca‐sionalWifeMovingCom‐pany. Shamondwas a diehard NewOrleans Saintsand NewOrleans Pelicansfan as well as a DukeUniversityBasketball fan.Heleavestocherish his loving parentsCorey and NatashaJacobs, his fiancéeMyahAllen, his onlyson ShakahiMichael Jacobs, hisintended mother-in-law Tiffiny Ki‐nard, hisloving, devoted big brotherand best friend Santana Jacobs,his loving and protective sister-inlaw Brianesha"Tootie"Ja‐cobs, hispreciousniece EllaJacobs, hisMaternal Grandmother Peaches (who he affectionately re‐ferredtoasSugafoot)Pa‐ternalGrandfather Walter Ricks Sr.(BobbyRicks)Pa‐ternalGrandmother Car‐olynWoods,Maternal GrandparentsClarenceand Tammy Bolden,several un‐cles, aunts, cousinsand friends which he lovedun‐conditionally.Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend aFu‐neral ServiceatD.W RhodesFuneral Home,3933 WashingtonAve.New Or‐leans,LA70125 on Satur‐day,May 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.Visitationwillbegin at 9:00a.m.Arrangementsby D.W.RhodesFuneral Home. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook

JamesGuer‐rera, 80, of Mandeville, passedawayApril 27, 2025 ofAlzheimer’seffects.A nativeofNew Orleansand Chalmette resident forher teen andearly adultyears she wasa graduate of Our LadyofPromptSuccor Catholic School,attended one year of high school at St. Mary of thePines in Chatawa,MSand com‐pletedher educationat Chalmette High School, Class of 1962. Maribeth was avoracious reader,es‐peciallyAgathaChristie mystery novels,and she welcomedthe challengeof wordand letter puzzles. She fullyenjoyed accom‐panying herfamilyonDis‐ney Worldtrips,catching night-after-night of Carni‐val paradesoutside St Stephen Catholic School exploring newplacesin Europeorplaying Keno withthe neighborhood group.She nevermissed anopportunity to create timefor,overspend on and eagerly participatewithall the younger generationsof her family. Maribeth is sur‐vived by herspouseofal‐most58years,Cyril Guer‐rera, Jr.; children Darren Guerrera(Mary-Alice) and JenniferGuerreraHilder‐brandt(Jim);grandchil‐drenLindsey Garic(Brent), Sam,Ben,Brother Matthew Lalemant(formerly Clay) and John Guerrera,Jacob Hilderbrandt(Maria) and step-granddaughterAli Hilderbrandt; great-grand‐childrenDaytonWashing‐ton,CarterBuchananand WaylonHilderbrandt; brothersWilliam JamesIII (Barbara)and Ronald

It is with heavyhearts thatweannouncethe passing of Walter LewisJr. who left us on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at theage of 55. Abeloved son, brother, father, andgrandfather Waltertouched thelives of manywithhis kindness, humor,and infectious spirit. Walter wasbornon May 24, 1969, to Betty CeaserLewis andthe late WalterLewis Sr.Hewas raisedinNew Orleansand graduated from Alfred Lawless High School class of1988. He wasa proud alumnus of Alfred Lawless HighSchool andLouisiana TechCollege.Walterbuilt a respected career in the electricalindustry, working withTriad Electric Controls Inc.,and lateratIndustrial ElectricCompany.A manof manypassions, Walter was a cherishedmemberof NOLADJs Incorporated where hislovefor music thrived. Hisenthusiasmfor

Wilma Ann

Jacobs,Shamond

Sydney

GabrielJr.,Galvin'Mann'

Guerrera,Maribeth James

Maribeth

Ehret, IrenePitre

Church, Whitner Lee

riding wasequally strong participating in several bikeclubs across there‐gion. On weekends,you could often find himenjoy‐ing camaraderieand com‐munityasa devotedmem‐ber of theGrown MenTail‐gateClub. He wasalsoa formermemberofHighFi‐delityDJs,Tru Riders,9th WardRiders, andODB Above all, Walter treasured his family.Heissurvived byhis loving mother,Betty Lewis;his threesisters, Sandra(Edward)Jenkins

Trina (Whitney)Williams, and Chrishon Lewis; and his children,WalterLewis III, Lakenna McKeel,and Mone'tLewis,who brought immeasurable joytohis life. He wasalsothe adoredgrandfather to LaKe'nand LaKenyaMcK‐eel andJerle'naBrady, whomhecherished deeply Walterwillberemembered for hiswarmth, laughter and theloveheshared withall who knew him. Thoughhehas left us too soon,his spirit will forever liveoninthe hearts of his familyand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the celebrationoflifeser‐vicewhich will be held on Saturday, May3,2025, at GentillyBaptist Church 5141 Franklin Avenue,New Orleans,La70122. Thevisi‐tationwillbegin at 1p.m and theservice will begin at2 p.m. Intermentwillbe private.Funeralplanning entrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome9611 La-23, Belle Chasse,La 70037 (504) 208- 2119. For onlinecondolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com

Loiacono,Grace Coco

GraceCocoLoiacono passedawaypeacefully on Sunday, April27, 2025, at the ageof93. Gracewas bornonOctober 16, 1931 inMansura,Louisiana.She was thelastsurviving child ofninesiblingsborntoAn‐toine Coco andElizanne Rachael Coco.She owned and operated Wonderland School from 1960 until 1990 inMetairie, Louisiana. She isprecededindeath by her parents andher former husband,NunzioLoiacono. Grace leaves behind a legacyoflovethrough her three children:Anthony Angela, andNick(Kerri). She wasa proudgrand‐mothertoAnthony Jr., Nicholas, Gino,Mario,and NickJr.,and abeloved great-grandmother to Allie and Aria.She also held a special placeinher heart for herstep-grandchildren, Charles andJeanne (Dave), and herstep-great-grand‐children, Ava, Ayden, and Ryan. Grace’smemorywill beforever cherishedby those who knew andloved her.Relatives andfriends are invitedtovisit Green‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd NewOrleans LA70124, on Saturday,May 3,2025, starting at 9:00 AM A FuneralMasswillfollow the visitation at 11:00 AM

The burial will be in Green‐wood Cemetery.Wealso inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com

Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Grace’s lifeand keep hermemory alive

Amanda Lutz, passed away on April 10, 2025 at age 66. She was born in Natchez, Mississippi and livedmost of her life in New Orleans. She was married to Geoffrey Lutz for27 wonderful years. Amanda attended Benjamin Franklin High School, graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Orleans, and received a Masters in SocialWork from Southern University in 1994. She is survived by Geoffrey, brothers George and Graham, stepson Julian, and nieces Jeanne and Jessica Amanda had apassion

life,fromnew acquaintances to lifelong friends. Hersmilewouldlight up a room and her infectious joytouched allaround her. Shewillbesorely missed. In lieuofflowers, please consider adonationto Zeus'Animal Rescues. A private memorialwill be held at alater date. To view and signthe family online guestbook, please visitwww.lakelawnmetairi e.com

Merrick, Robert Winfried

Robert W. Merrick, Jr August 31,1944 -April28, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of RobertW Merrick (Bob), abeloved civicleader,philanthropist, keenfly fisherman, husband, father, step-father, grandfather andgreatgrandfather,onApril28th, at the age of 80.

Bob was known forhis zest forlifeand unwavering deep commitment to both his belovedLouisiana and the passions he cherished. Born and raisedin NewOrleans, Bob was a manwhose spiritembodiedthe rich culture and grit of his hometown.

Bob attended Sam Barthe Elementary school, St.Martin's Episcopalhigh school, and Tulane University, where he formed manylasting friendshipsand createda foundation forhis illustriouscareer.

Throughout his life, Bob was known for his commitment to making New Orleans abetter place. He dedicatedcountlesshours and significant resources to philanthropic endeavors that are nearly too numerous to count. He gave generously to the RedCross, UniversityofNew Orleans, Ochsner Health System, MD Anderson, Boy Scouts of Southeast Louisiana, Sonofa Saint, Ruth Fertel Foundation, Habitatfor Humanity, Fore Kids Foundation, Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, the United WayofSoutheast Louisiana,the National WWII Museum, March of Dimes, St. Martin's Episcopal School,and Isidore NewmanSchool. He was honoredtobethe first personinthe state of Louisiana to give over million dollars to both the United WayofSoutheast Louisiana and the Red Cross.

In recognition of his generosity, Bob was honored with The National Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year Award, The University of New Orleans ChancellorsMedallionfor DistinguishedService,The New Orleans Councilfor Community&Justice's Weiss Award, MobilOil Company"Strategic Partner of the Year", Gambit'sNew Orleanian of the Year,The Alexis de TocquevilleLifetime Achievement Award from UnitedWay,and the prestigious Times-Picayune LovingCup.

Bob excelled in the business world, earningthe respect and admiration of colleagues and competitors alike.Bob formed his own company in 1973, RobertW.Merrick, Inc. Realtors handling appraisal and brokeragewith particularemphasison commercialand industrial properties. Duringthat time,Bob and one of his mentors, HeidelBrown, negotiated numerous brokeragetransactions of major Mississippi River industrial sites from Baton Rouge to PlaqueminesParish. _In 1986, Bob purchased Latter &Blum, Inc./Realtors one of the largestand oldest, fullservice real estate companiesinLouisiana. Subsequent to this initial acquisition, Bob has acquired numerous localbrokerage firms and has incorporated amortgage firm, atitle company, and insurance agency.In1995, Bob acquired C.J.Brown Realtors in Baton Rouge, the marketleader in that area, in 2009heacquired Noles FryeRealtyin Alexandria, Louisiana,and in 2012 he acquired the

largest real estatecompany in Lafayette, Louisiana, Van Eaton &Romeo. In 2015 Latter& Blum acquired one of thelargest real estate companies in Houston, RealtyAssociates with over 2,000 agents. Over thenext nearlyforty years, BobgrewLatter and Blum into one of the largestand most successful full servicereal estate firms in theGulf South, recently selling to NewYork based CompassReal Estate.

It is impossibletoencompass theamount of joy and pride Bob feltsteering Latterand Blum throughout theyears. The countless friendshipsheformed withits employees and agentsfilledhis days with immense happiness. The entireLatter and Blum/ Compassgroup was truly Bob's "other family", and we would like to particularlythank his loyal assistant of over forty years, TerriBurke.

Bobhad awickedsense of humor and an uncanny abilitytoconnect with people from allwalks of life.Anavidlover of the outdoors, he found immense joy in stalking wild turkey and flyfishing the saltwater flats of Mexico with his dear friend and guide Chico (EutemioChin) by hisside.Bob's passion forthe outdoorsallowed him to appreciatethe beauty of nature and forge unforgettablememories with family and friends. His adventures on thewaterwere legendary, catching an impressive138 Permitinhis lifetime, not to mentioncountless Tarpon, Snook, and Bonefish. He was happiest with arod or gun in his hand, aWinston cigarette betweenhis lips, and an ice coldglass of Tito'sby his side. Bob livedanincredibly full life,packing tenlives into his 80 years, enriching theworld around himwithlove, laughter and generosity.Hedidn'tburn thecandle of life at both ends, he snapped it in half and burnedall four.

He leavesbehindnot onlya legacy of philanthropy and leadership, but also aprofound impact on theheartsofthose who knew him. Hisnumerous friends and colleagues will miss his larger than life presence, butnonemore than his family.Bob was preceded in death by his parents Robert W. Merrick Sr.,motherElaineHerbst Merrick Gelpi, and stepsisterNita Weil. He leaves behind hisbeloved wife Sheryl,sisters; Patricia Merrick Brinson (Vernon) and Susan Merrick;his daughters Elizabeth (Ellie) Merrick,Christine Merrick Stewart (Andrew), Amanda Merrick Seale (Justin), Lacey Merrick Conway (Jason), step-son Justin Duplantis (Adele), grandchildren; TaylorGhere Smith (Taylor), Laney Ghere Marion(Ryan), Lillian Andersson, Merrick Andersson, Henry Andersson, Tatem Seale, Alexander Seale, Merrick Seale, Olivia Conway, and Hunter Conway. He also leavesbehind hisstepgrandchildrenBraden Wheat and Timothéand Chloe Duplantis, all of whom he lovedashis own.

Bob Merrick,a trueson of NewOrleans, has left this world amuch better place.May he rest in peace, forever cherished and remembered by all who had theprivilege of knowing him.

Acelebration of life will be held at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church on Friday, May 2nd at 12:00pm with family visitation from 10:30am12:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be madein Bob's honortoThe United Way or SonofaSaint.

Nevils Moore, born on January12, 1959, passed away on April15, 2025, at theage of 66. Alifelong resident of NewOrleans, Louisiana, he was the belovedson of thelate Earl James Moore and Merita Marie Moore. He was the proud father of four children:ChristopherMagee (Lateisha Magee), ChrishondaMoore-Davis (ChristopherDavis), LaRhonda Moore, and Tangier Thompson. He leavesbehind11cherished grandchildren: Cortez Magee, Christopher Magee, Jourdan Magee, ChristianDavis, Chrissy Davis,La'Doya Macklin, Le'Ya Macklin, London Macklin, Rionnie Thompson, and Kyla Hathon. He was also blessed with threegreatgrandchildren: Aria Magee, Karter Massey, and Pharoh Thompson. Nevils is survivedbytwo loving siblings, Avis Moore and EverisJamesMoore,along with ahost of nieces, nephews, otherrelatives, extended family and dear friends. He attended JosephS.Clark SeniorHigh School and graduated in 1977. He was employed at Kellett Lumber Company and also workedatNOLA Wine Merchant.Nevils Moore willberemembered forhis loving, giving,caring spirit and hisunforgettablesense of humor. He brought joy and laughter to everyone around him. Hismemory willforever live in our hearts. Funeral Service willbeMay 2, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Saint James Methodist Church, 1925 Ursuline Ave New Orleans, LA., 70116. Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m. until thehour of service. Repass: 1:00 PM -4:00 PM,2800 Higgins Blvd NewOrleans, LA

David M. Mueller, of NewOrleans, Louisiana, passed away on April 26, 2025. He is survived by his loving wife of 30 years, Mary (Bruha), sons Thomas and his wife, Giulia (Zanella), and David; his mother, Anita O'Keefe, brothers Melvin and Albert,and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Melvin, sister Ann Mueller-Augistin, and brother Thomas.

Naquin,Errol Joseph 'Bo'

ErrolJoseph“Bo NaquindiedonApril 28, 2025, at theage of 60, sur‐rounded by hisfamilyat homeinMarrero, Louisiana.Hewas born on May 14, 1964, in NewOr‐leans.Bowas preceded in death by hisfather, Errol Naquin, andbyhis grand‐parents:LawrenceNaquin, Leonise LeonardNaquin, Anna RudolphDarder, and Paris Darder,all of Mar‐rero. He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, KimberlyHardy Naquin;his mother, AliceDardar Naquin; hisbrother,Bryan Naquin(Tanya),all of Mar‐rero; hischildren, Beaux NaquinofMarrero and AshleyNaquinJaubert (Joseph)ofArnaudville; and hisgrandchildren Gabriella Mihail, KileeMi‐hail, andZelda Jaubert; and also hisniecesand nephews.A true Louisian‐ian,Boembracedall the state hadtooffer fishing, hunting, music, andcook‐ing.His seafood boilswere legendary,and hiswarmth and humorbrought people together.Hewas an avid and accomplishedgui‐tarist. He hada sharpwit a generous heart, anda presencethat filledthe room.Hegrewupasthe elder of twosonsinMar‐reroand spentmuchofhis lifeatthe family’sretreat outside Westwego—“Da Camp”—where he fished, cooked,and shared time withthose he loved. He graduated from John Ehret HighSchool andlater at‐tendedtrade school,where hestudied metalworkand automotiverefinishing. Overtime, Bo became a masterironworkerand ar‐tisan,known forcrafting railings, lighting fixtures, and furniturethatnow grace homesand historic buildings throughout New Orleans andbeyond. His workhelpedpreservethe city’sarchitectural charm, and he took prideincon‐tributing to itslasting beauty. He washappiest whencreating, building,or restoring—alwayswith purpose andpassion Above all, Bo wasdevoted tohis familyand deeply proud of hisgrandchildren, who broughthim immense joy.Helived as aman who never satstill, always had a projectinmotionora story to tell, andtreasured every gathering, every meal, andevery memory sharedwiththose he loved.A memorial service willbeheld12:00 noon on SaturdayMay 3, 2025 at Celebration Church –West‐bank, 5058 LapalcoBlvd, Marrero.Visitationwill begin at 11:00 am.Mothe FuneralHomeisassisting the familyduringthisdiffi‐culttime. Thefamilyin‐vites youtoshare your thoughts,fondmemories

Price, Charles Hurth

With deep love and profoundsadness, we announce thepassing of Charles HurthPrice,who left this worldfar too soon on April 19, 2025, at the age of 49. Knowntohis family andfriends simply as "Hurth," he wasa vibrant spirit—fun-loving, adventurous,and deeply cherished by all whoknewhim. Hurthwas born on August 30, 1975, and grew up in aclose-knit family that treasured time spent together.Hewas preceded in death by his father, Richard F. Price Jr and his brother, Richard F. Price III affectionately knownas "Ricky." He is survivedby hislovingmother, Susan HurthPrice;his devoted sisters, AshleyPrice and Skye Price Krogstad (Kenneth); and hisbeloved nieces, Susan Rayne Swanson andSummer Rickey Frances Krogstad, whoadored theiruncle, Hurthie.Heisalso survived by hisuncles,aunts, cousins, and many friends. HurthattendedMetairie ParkCountry Day School andwas agraduate of De La Salle High School, Hurth went on to attend the University of Mississippi, wherehis boundlessenergy andcharm forged lifelongfriendships. Hispassion for the outdoors and sportswas more than a hobby—it wasa way of life. Hurthlived forthe thrillofadventure. He spent winters huntingat hisfamily'scamp, and summers skiing andwakeboardingonthe Wolf River in Pass Christian, Mississippi. Hurthspent a summerinInnsbruck, Austriaand visited England, France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland whereheclimbed mountains, bungie jumped and went repelling. He took yearly trips to Colorado with hisfamilyskiing and snowboarding. Hislove for snowboarding ledhim to a chapter of life in Durango, Colorado, wherehefound joycarving downthe mountainside. Hurthworkedfor many yearsasa Landman in the Oil andGas Business. In NewOrleans,hecould often be seenbikingalong thelevee or in CityPark. He hadrecentlyreturned from acampingtripinBig Bendand waseagerly planningmoretravels and adventures Hurthwas aloyal and loving brother, son, and uncle, anda lifelongfriend to many.His laughterwas contagious, andhis heart wasgenerous. Those who knew himwill forever carry hismemory in thestories shared, adventures, andthe love that lives on In lieu of flowers, the

David grew up in New Orleans and graduated fromBonnabel High School. After graduation, he enlisted in theUnited States Coast Guard where he served for 11 years. He then joinedthe US Department of Stateand was stationedinvarious poststhroughout Europe, Africa, and SouthAmerica. During this time, he met and marriedMary, and their twochildren were born. After retiring from thegovernment in 2011, he and his family madetheir home in Decatur,Alabama where he workedasa real estate agent and photographer.

Acelebration of life will

Moore,Nevils

Mueller, David Michael

See more DEATHS page

Lutz, Amanda Vockroth

OUR VIEWS

LSUresearch on aroll. Don’tlet federal cuts stallit.

The recent announcementthatLSU has reached arecord $543 million in research activity during the 2023-24 academic year should come as no surprisetoanyone who’s been paying attention. WhenPresident WilliamTate IV arrived on campus in 2021, heset outanambitious agenda he called “scholarship first” that aimed to focus research on several keyareas that are drivers of the state’seconomy. That strategy seems to bepayingoff, with the university’sresearch activity increasing 14%over the past three years. We must take a moment to applaud the incredible strides the university has made as it aims to become one of the top 50 research universities in theUnited States, even as we acknowledge there aredark clouds on the horizon.

“Our teams have no confusion on theirmission, and they are winning for the people of Louisiana,” Tate said in astatement.

We agree. The school has been on aroll in recentyears.LSU had$345 million in research activity in 2020, earning arankingof84th nationally.By2022, LSU research spending reached $428 million. In 2023, thenumberwas $488 million. Like the University of LouisianaatLafayette andTulane University,LSU is aCarnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education Research1level higher institution.Thereare only 187 universities with thatstatus, and ourstate has three. Carnegie Research 1statusrequires that an institution have at least $50millionin researchactivity and produce at least70 doctorates annually.LSU has metthenexceeded that threshold for years. Like many other universities, LSU’sresearch success can be tiedinpart to federalgovernment contracts and grants.

As we watch federal agencies like theNational InstitutesofHealth and theU.S. Department of Energy say they will slash researchfunding for universities, we shudder to think whatLouisiana might look like withoutfederalresearch dollars helping UL-Lafayette, Tulaneand LSU do important work.

University researchactivity isn’tonly good for Carnegie status rankings. Researchspending provides jobs, boosts theeconomy and leads to technology advancements andgroundbreaking discoveries.Such cuts could cost LSU millions and cost universities billions. The uncertaintyled to asystemwide hiring freezeat LSU. LSU doesn’tknow whether it will have the money to attract top-tier faculty andgraduate students and to continue funding ongoingresearch. And that could havelong-term implications for our state and thenation

All Louisianans should supportcontinued funding for research, not just at LSU, but at all our colleges and universities. Today’sstudents and researchers willdeterminewhatour future looks like. Yes, we need to spendtaxpayer dollarswisely. Butitwould be short-sightedtotry to save afew bucks on research todayatthe expense of abetter tomorrow

Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone 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 A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

Oiland gasjobsfuelstate’s economy

Louisiana’seconomy depends on oil and gas, and the numbers back it up. In 2019 alone, the industry supported nearly 250,000 jobs across our state. That’sabout 1inevery 9jobs real people in our communities who rely on this work to support their families.And these aren’tjust any jobs —they often pay significantly morethan thestate average. These positions span every corner of the supply chain, from offshore platformstoLNG export terminals to downstream refineries. With every direct hire, 1.43 morejobs are created in our economy.These are indirect and induced jobs that keep small businesses, schools and services running strong.

This is not just about paychecks —it’sabout stability. A$14.5 billion annual wage impact means real economic resilience for Louisiana. We can’tafford to losethis. Rather than pushing this vital industry away with burdensome regulations or political rhetoric, we should be working withoil and gas companies to make Louisiana the mostattractive place for them to do business. That meanssound infrastructure, askilled workforce and policies that encourage, not punish, investment. Ourfamilies, schools and communities depend on it

MARTHA CHARMAINE GRIFFIN Grand Isle

Thereturnofthe ugly American

When Iwas in college, Iread the classic book, “The Ugly American” by Eugene Burdick and William J. Lederer.Set during theheight of theCold War, it paintsableak picture of American foreign policy Ourdiplomats, businesspeople and military personnel are all arrogant,greedy, inept and culturally insensitive. They don’tspeak the language, and they don’trespect thelocal culture. They sow resentment instead of goodwill. The book espouses theuse of soft power rather than coercion. It stresses theimportance of winning over hearts andminds through understanding, cooperation and compassion. The book helped convince John F. Kennedy to create thePeace Corps, and it inspired me to join.

It was recently reported that Louisiana will losemillions of dollars in federal funds that Elon Musk and DOGE claim arewaste, fraud and abuse. This is great news that will only be made better when the indictmentsarrive againstthe government officials responsible for these crimes.Maybe we will get lucky and AttorneyGeneral Liz Murrell will explain why her office and the former Louisiana AttorneyGeneral allowed these crimes to occur Of course,ifthere is no widespread waste,fraud and abuse, this

The new Trump administration obviously didn’tread the book, or even the CliffsNotes. The president doesn’tcare about soft power His“America first” approach to foreign policy involves bludgeoning friend and foe alike with Teddy Roosevelt’sinfamous “big stick.” He withdrew the UnitedStates from theWorld Health Organization andthe Paris Accords on climate change, and he tookanaxto USAID, the U.S. Institute of Peace andVoice of America.

Ican only imaginethatthe Peace Corps is next on thechopping block.

Unfortunately,the ugly American is back on Pennsylvania Avenue. FOLWELL DUNBAR NewOrleans

would be nothing more than political theater designed to inflict pain and suffering on themostvulnerable membersofour society. Surely someone acting out of self-interest, with no accountabilityand no experience, would only do whatisbest for thecountry.Iamsure we can expect that keen eye for ferreting out corruptionthat Musk is applying to public healthservices will be applied with equal vigor and impartiality to majormilitary contractors.

GORDON BOWIE NewOrleans

No humane wayto carryout deathpenalty

All living things seek —even struggle to survive to reproduce to continue their kind. It is perhaps the mostfundamental rule of nature. Exceptions are rare, typically the insane or others intent on suicide, although mostsuicidal people would prefer to have their issues resolved so they can survive. Survival being aprimal instinct, pronouncing adeath sentence is necessarily torture, by any meaningful definition of the word. Even those whoenjoy torturing acknowledge torture is cruel and unusual. Therefore, capital punishment —no matter how humanely carried out —is cruel and unusual and clearly violates the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Ending torture is anoble act intended to end depraved behavior

Capital punishment is an act of revenge rather than an act of justice, is too often capriciously imposed and too often kills innocent people. The U.S. should ban capital punishment and seek to have it abolished worldwide.

STEVE OSBORNE Luling

Turning ourbackonimmigrants is turningbackhistory

Shame on us for disavowing our immigrant heritage. Our history is at stake.

We are all migrants in this country

Naturalized citizens are carrying identification to prevent being caught up in this mass sweep sponsored by our current administration

My family fled Ireland, English taxation and oppressive oversight being too much to bear

Idonot believe in open borders. Iprize my country.Ithas always been great. I believe legally vetted migrants who have family in this country,those who desperately need refuge and people who come to share their talents with us should be welcomed.

Let us make our borders available to those who want to join us legally and to those who want to join us as citizens.

Iamashamed of the deportation being carried out under the guise of public safety

It is indiscriminate, inhumane and unAmerican. Please join me in deploring this method of handling public safety.These methods are against all that we stand for God bless America!

BETSY

ON THE RECORD WITH ARCHBISHOPGREGORy AyMOND

‘The

Holy Spiritisdoing something. Thereisa stir.’

Catholic leader discusses papalsuccessionand how thechurchischanging

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond is the leader of approximately half amillion Catholics in the secondoldest diocese in thecountry.Asthe Roman Catholic Church mourns the death of Pope Francis and prepares to choose anew leader,he sat down with DeputyEditor for Opinion Arnessa Garrett to talk about the moment and some of the challenges the church is facing.

Arnessa Garrett

GARRETT: We’re seeing all these tributes and remembrances of Pope Francis. What hasstruck you the most abouthow people are talking about him?

AYMOND:Ithink for the most part,people have captured who he was as aman of great humility,asa man of integrity, as a spiritual father.You know,wecalled him Holy Father,but he really was afather to us and abrother.Hewalked with us, and he wanted us to accompany oneanother So Ithink people have captured in many ways who he was and his dedicationtothe church.

GARRETT: Whatdoyou think aresome of the most important things he did during his tenure?

AYMOND: He certainly reached out to those who were in need. He told thestorythat when he was elected, the cardinal next to him said to him, “Don’tforget thepoor.” And that’swhy he took thename of Francis of Assisi. One of the images that Ilike thathe used forawhile was that the church has to be afield hospital.Inthe military,theyopen hospitals where they need them to be, and so people don’thavetocometothem, but they go to the people. Andhesaidthat the church was afield hospital that hadto be there where the people were hurting, where they were poor,where theyneeded attention and love and care. (Itneeded) to take care of the wounded,whether itwas from sin or from the unfortunatethings of life. And Ithink he really did thatbyhis international travels.He was traveling this year in hiswheelchair.

GARRETT: We hear alot that churchesin Africa and in Asia and other places are becoming more and more importanttothe Catholic Church. He really kind of emphasized that decentralization from Rome.Do you think that’s the way the church isgoing in the future?

AYMOND: He talked about noncentralization because he wanted each diocese to do itsown discipleship. He called it missionarydiscipleship—peoplewere not only called to be disciples, butthey were called to share their faithwith others so that our relationshipisnot just me and God, but it’s “Webelong to the church,and therefore we must go out to others in mission ”You could call that adecentralization.But I wouldn’tsay that he decentralized the authority of the church or themoral teaching of the church.

Ideologicalsplit

GARRETT: There’sadifference of opinion (between the conservativeand progressive Catholics.) He was able to somehow keep everyone kind of on the same page. Do you think that’sgoing to be achallenge going forward?

AYMOND: Yesand no. Ithink it’s going to be achallenge because we live in asociety that likes to be divided, because we can blame theother side. So Ithink it’s going to continuetothat extent because we’re never going to be pleased, andanybody who wants to disagree withthe leadercertainly does that and does it in aina boisterousway,whereas years ago they would perhaps privately say,“Idon’t agree with this.” That’ssort of the society that we live in. Idon’tthink that the division is going to get to be aproblem. Iwould think that whoever is elected as pope—and what Iwould like to say is whoever the Holy Spirit chooses as pope through the cardinals —will be aperson whowants to unify the church.

AYMOND: As they always have, they approach the election in asense of integrity andalso preserving thelong-term teachings of the church, which go back to the time of the apostles.

Ithink that they will be talking about a sense of unity within the church —how can we bring the church closer together andalso how can we evangelize those countries that have not been evangelized. As you mentioned, Africa and some other places are doing extremely well in terms of Catholic population. Others are not doingaswell, andthey need to be evangelized more.

Andinthe United States, it’s very uneven.Some dioceses are making very good progress in terms of membership and in terms of activity in thechurch; others are struggling. We happen to be doing well in spite of all the challenges in our society, and even locally

We know thatthe Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans is growing. We had over 600 people join the church at Easter. And that’s asignificant number.Wethink it’sprobably closer to 650, but that’ssignificant that we would have thatmany.That’s the largest we’ve had in probably adecade.

Ithink that one of thethings that people don’trealize is that in thearchdiocese, Mass attendance is up. Lastyear,itwas 5% upcompared to the year before. There are more people who are in prayer groups. There are morepeople who are taking their faith seriously.Catholic education is up. Thenumber of people in our Catholic schools, and especially our high schools, has increased.

GARRETT: Do you thinkwe’re seeing this not just in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, butaround Louisianaand in other dioceses?

AYMOND: Certainly around Louisiana, and in several other dioceses in the country, peopleare being baptized in theCatholic Church. Outofthose 600 or so (baptized at Easter), we had approximately 300 who hadnever been baptized in any denomination,and they werecoming to the church. So that says alot about where people are.

Addressingabuse

GARRETT: As the cardinals gointo theconclave,what kinds of things are they thinking about? How are they approaching the selection of anew pope?

GARRETT: Let’s talk about someofthe challenges the church is facing going forward. Certainly,the clergy abuse scandal has been —all over the country,but especially in the Archdiocese of New Orleans —a prominent issue. Howdoes thechurch move forwardand makesure that everybody who was avictim is madewhole and acknowledge the pain and the hurt?

AYMOND: First of all, it is thesin of the

church. Andwhenever clergyand other leaders of the church —it’salso been women and men religious as wellaslay people sometimes —have committed acts of sexual abuse, it’svery importantthat we do not in any way excuse that, but we condemn it, that we, as achurch, apologize for what has happened. Andwhenever possible, we apologize, not just in general, but also individually,one-on-one or in asmall group of people who cometosee aleader of the church, for example, myself.I have certainly met with alot of individuals and with groups of people whohave been abused. AndIthink that thatisimportant because it has given me an opportunity to hear their insights, but also to be able to experience some of their emotions and someoftheir feelings and their sense of betrayal.

The next step is that we care forthem, which we’re trying to do in this diocese, reaching out tothose who havebeen hurt and have been treated unjustly and sinfully to trytohelp them in regards to some reparation on our part.And we can do that through prayer.Wecan do it through listening. We can also do it financially,and we’re trying to do all of those.

GARRETT: Why do you thinkthe financial piece of it is taking as long as it has taken?

AYMOND:Ifyou know theanswer to that question, please tell me. AndI sincerely mean that. It should not have taken this long. And there are anumber of reasons, somelegal reasons that it has taken this long, but I’m not in favor of that and think that it’smost unfortunate. AndI would say unfair to thepeople who have been abused that it’staken so long, and we are in aposition right now wherewe’re saying we’re moving forward. We want to makesure that this is done as soon as possible. Then, to makesure that it never happens in thefuture, thesafe environment program is very,very important. It’s very specific, very demanding, andweget complaintsall the time that it’stoo demanding, that we’re requiring too much. But I’d rather for us to require too much and protect our children. That’swhatthat’swhat this is all about.

GARRETT: Iknow you’ve had to close parishes. What is the archdiocese going to look like in the future?

AYMOND: We’ve closed parishes because they’re too close to one another.Welive in acity where there was within amile an English church, aSpanish church,aGerman church, an Italian church.Wehad too many churches. Though we hadsome disagreement with that, Ithink the majority of people didn’tlike it but understood it.

GARRETT: So you’re optimistic about the future?

AYMOND: Iam, and I’mnot knowntobe overly optimistic about manythings. (laughs) But about this, Iamoptimistic. I think that the spirit of God is alive and well with 600-something people coming into the church. The Holy Spirit is doing something. There is astir that’sgoing on. And we have awhole number of new programsthat have started. For example, we have ACTS (Adoration, Community,Theology,Service) retreats, we have prayer groups, we have catechetical formation for families, not just forchildren. So there is a whole host of things going on in the church today that indicate growth. Difficult decisions

GARRETT: One of the things you run is the Second Harvest Food Bank. Alot of people had alot to say about changes you made there. Can you talk about why?

AYMOND: First of all, it was started by Archbishop (Philip) Hannan. And he always had the vision that it would be a ministry of the Catholic Church, not for Catholics, but that it would be aministry of the Catholic Church forall those who are hungry and those whoare in need. He developed it with that sense that we would feed anybody and everybody,everybody would be equal. But it would be amission of the Catholic Church, and it would be aspiritual organization. And there were someofuswho believed that that spirituality had sort of been diminished. And we felt that it was important to continue that in the spirit in which it was founded. Some of the people whowere involved in it said it’snot of the church, and we would wholeheartedly disagree with them

GARRETT: Coming back to this momentand the conclave, what should the laity be doing or thinking at this time?

AYMOND:Iwould say twothings. One is to pray forPope Francis that he has the fullness of eternal life, and we thank Godfor him and what he brought to the church. None of us are perfect, but he certainly did alot and brought alot to the church. So, I think to pray in thanksgiving, but also to pray forthe giftofthe Holy Spirit. And as (the cardinals) go into the Sistine Chapel, the dominant voice is that of the Holy Spirit. They will be praying together,and they will be working together,and they’ll be talking about the mission of the church. And as they do that, my personal hope and prayer is that they really are consciously aware of the Holy Spirit so that they can say when it’sover,“It’s not we as cardinals whospoke, but it wasGod whospoke.” And that’swhat we believe.

Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPageEditor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Archbishop GregoryAymond leads Ash Wednesdayservices at St.Louis Cathedral in NewOrleans on March5

NewOrleans Forecast

family asksthat you honor his memory by spending time in nature, sharinga laugh with afriend, or planning your next adventure—just as Hurth would have wanted. Maybe atrip to Philadelphia to trya Philly cheese steak.

Miss TijwanaAJita Ragas also knownto everyoneas"Jita"passed awayatthe home of her brother in Gonzales,La. On April 24, 2025. Shewas bornonSeptember 19, 1981, in NewOrleans,La. Beloved daughter of MervinRagas Jr.(Gaynell) and thelateCassandra Edgerson. Sheaccepted Christatanearly ageand was baptized by thelate Rev.JosephN.Tayloratthe Greater MacedoniaBaptist Church. Jita,asshe wasaf‐fectionatelyknown to many, lovedtopraiseand worship theLord. Wher‐everthere wasa church program,funeral or con‐vention,Jitawould beat you there, standing boldly asthe door keeper.She never owneda carand didn'tknowhow to drive; she didn't miss much.She was astrongwoman of God whodedicated herlife severingour Lord Jesus Christ. Jita's favorite song was Walk in theLight,and her favorite scripturewas Jeremiah29:11.She served faithfullyasanUsher at her church,and shewas a memberofthe Christian Ministers MissionaryBap‐tistAssociation(CMMBA), for many yearsserving on the UsherBoard,Women Ministryand aCounselor withthe YouthRegional Department. Duetolosing her home at thedevasta‐tionofHurricane Ida, Jita relocated near herfather and familyinPortAthur Texas.While living there shesoon unitedwith

DEATHS continued from GreaterTrueVineChurch under theleadershipof PastorJarrodF.Phillips, Sr while thereJitadidn'tJUST sit idle,she became a memberofThe Pastor's Aid Committee, TheLove Committee, Women'sMin‐istry and Prayer Warrior Ministry. Shewas aSolider for theLord. Jita nevermet a stranger andifshe did, she wouldget your num‐ber,and it wason! Calling justtosay hello. Sheloved the talkingonthe phone spreading thegospeland TEA" at thesametime. She neverowneda carbut would beat youtoevery church program,funeral or evenconventions,she traveledwiththe (CMMBA) RegiojalYouth Conference every year.Whether in Ok‐lahoma, Texasor Louisiana.Weknowshe'll begreatly missedatthe upcomingconference. Ti‐jwana is survived by her fatherMervin(Gaynel) Ragas,Jr.,brothers, Jor‐dan,Alexander John, Ager‐non JamesEdgerson, Mervin (Nina) RagasIll one bonus sister,Chancel Hymes,stepbrothersDon‐nellJoseph andXavier Turner. She'salsothe niece ofElana (Greg) Parker,Dei‐dre (Marvin) Mackey,Er‐icka(Bruce) Gains, Jeovan‐nah,Cashara,Eldrich (Charlotte), Elton(Bridget) April Edgerson,Christo‐pher(Nita)Ragas andRe‐litaFrankin.God mother of De'JanaiHinton. Relatives and friendsofthe family, alsopastors,officers & members of ChristianMin‐istersMissionaryBaptist General Associationare all invited to attend thecele‐bration of life service which will be held on Sat‐urday,May 3, 2025, at Greater MacedoniaMis‐sionary BaptistChurch 27796 La -23, Port Sulphur, La70083. Thevisitationwill begin at 9a.m., andthe service will beginat11 a.m.PastorMandrellPansy officiatingand interment willfollow at Mt.Zion MemorialParkCemeteryin Empire, La.Funeralplan‐ningentrusted to Robinson FamilyFuneralHome9611 LA- 23, BelleChasse,La 70037 (504) 208– 2119. For onlinecondolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com

ShirleyAnn Tolbert Reed,age 81, formerly of Fresco, TX,peacefullytran‐sitionedtoher heavenly homeonMonday, April21, 2025. Born in Natchez, MS and aproud longtime resi‐dentofNew Orleans’ 9th Ward, Shirleylived alife rooted in faith,familyand resilience.A 1962 graduate ofGeorgeWashington CarverHighSchool,she dedicated over 30 yearsof service to theOrleans ParishSchool Boardasa paraprofessional. Afterre‐locatingtoTexas following Hurricane Katrina, shecon‐tinuedtotouch liveswith her generous spirit andun‐waveringlove. Shirleywas a faithfulmemberof Greater NewSt. Luke Bap‐tistChurch andlater The Potter’sHouse NorthDal‐las,where herlovefor God and people wasevident to all.She is preceded in death by herparents,sib‐lings andbeloved daugh‐ter,Monique Smith. Left to cherish hermemoryare her sons,Charles,III (Bar‐bara) andSeanReed (Sherelle), as well as ahost ofgrandchildren,greatgrandchildren,a Godchild extendedfamilyand friends.Shirley’s vibrant spirit, loving heartand en‐duringfaith leavea legacy thatwillcontinue to in‐spire allwho knew her. A Celebration servicehonor‐ing thelifeand legacy of the late ShirleyAnn Tolbert Reed will be held in the ChapelofCharbonnetLabat GlapionFuneral Home, 1615 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 701116 on Saturday,May 3, 2025 at 9:30 am,Pastor Jacques Williams,Officiat‐ing.Interment Resthaven Cemetery. Visitation 9am inthe chapel.Pleasesign onlineguestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome. com, Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors,(504)581 4411.

Charlotte Tusa Richard passedawayonSunday, April 27, 2025 at theage of 80, at home surrounded by her lovedones. Shewas the belovedwifeofJoe Richard Jr.for 59 ½ years. LovingmotherofRenee Rizzo (Pete),RaquelGaines (Mark), Ranell Fleming (Stan), RoslynnSieta, JosephRichard III (Kayla) and RondaEnglish (Dustin). Much Loved grandmother of Nick and Vincent Rizzo, Mirandaand JakeFleming,Harrisonand Wyatt Gaines,Andrewand Catherine Sieta, Evelyn, Noraand BaronEnglish and Joseph RichardIV. Cherished greatgrand‐motherofMaizieRenee Rizzo.She is survived by her loving brother, Ignatius Tusa(Linda) andprede‐ceasedbyher parents, Ig‐natiusand Elaine Tusa and her sister CynthiaTusa. Charlotte wasalsoloved bymanyniecesand nephews.Charlotte gradu‐atedfromRedemptorist Highschool in 1962 and grewupinthe IrishChan‐nel.She wasa parishioner ofSt. AnnChurch and Shrinesince itsinception After herchildrenwere grown shebecamea card merchandiserfor Gibson and Hallmark fora com‐bined 25 years. Charlotte was also amemberofher Pokenocardgroup for fifty years.She looked forward toplaying with herfriends eachmonth.Mostimpor‐tantly, shewas the essenceofawonderful motherand homemaker. Charlotte wasselfless. She was themostdevoted wife. Shewas therockof her familyand at thesame timewas thegluethatheld ittogether. Charlotte said thather children were her bestfriends,she wasalso theirs. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theFuneral MassatGreenwood Fu‐neral Home Chapel,5200 Canal Blvd,New Orleans, LAonFriday, May2,2025, at11:00AM.Interment will followinGreenwood Cemetery.Visitationwill

beginat9:00AM. We also inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com Your shared memories will helpuscelebrate Char‐lotte’s life andkeep her memoryalive

LaQueritaRichard en‐tered eternallifeonSatur‐day,April 27, 2025 at the age of 66, spending herlast daysathomesurrounded byfamily. Daughter of the lateDutley, Sr.and EvaEllis Richard.SisterofDutley Lee Richard, Jr LindaR (Casey) Jumpiere,Peggy R. (Wadleigh)Johnson KatheyR.(Espy)Pace, the lateBarbraR.(Robert) Gatewoodand CarolR (Larry)Morgan. God‐motherofAlana Duma and TimmiaHumphrey. Also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. LaQue‐ritawas amemberofDelta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc and wasanemployeeof the JeffersonParishSchool Systemfor twenty-six years,working at John Ehret High School.A Cele‐bration servicehonoring the life andlegacyofthe lateLaQuerita Richardwill beheldatProgressive Bap‐tistChurch,437 CohenAv‐enue,Marrero,LA70072 on Saturday, May3,2025 at 10 am. IntermentOur Lady of PromptSuccorCemetery, 146 Fourth Street,West‐wego, LA 70094. Visitation 8:30aminthe church Pleasesignonlineguest‐book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors,(504)581 4411.

Ward,Josie Mae

JosieMae Ward,age 87 entered into eternalrest onSaturdayApril 26, 2025 Daughterofthe late Robert and MattieJupiter.Wifeof the late Edward Ward MotherofJanet Tobias, SharonWard, Sherman Ward(Stacy),Lakeyshia Dickerson,EdwardWard Jr.,Rev.EarlWardSr., Ronaldand BobbyWard and thelateMaxineWard. SisterofMattieJupiter, Amy Bougere, BarbaraAnn Cox,Grace Toliver, Robert Jupiter,CalvinJupiter,and the late MildredJupiter and IdaLeal. Also survived by13grandchildren,18 great-grandchildren anda hostofnieces, nephews, and otherrelatives and friends.Relatives and friends of thefamilyalso pastors,officers andmem‐bersofThird Rose of SharonBaptist Church FranklinAve.Baptist Church,RockofAgesBap‐tistChurch,and surround‐ing churches,employees of VirginiaState University in Petersburg, Virginia,Start Corporation,Benjamin FranklinMiddleSchool, SouthernChristian Leader‐shipConference, Step Up Louisiana,New Orleans EastMatters,Regional Transit Authority, NewOr‐leans CharterScience and Mathematics High,A Com‐munityVoice andPut Housing First- Housing NOLAare allinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife ServicesonFridayMay 2, 2025 for10:00 a.m. at Third RoseofSharonBaptist Church,2132 ThirdStreet New Orleans, La.70113 Rev.Kenndrick C. Allenoffi‐ciating.Visitationfrom9:00 a.m.until 10:00 a.m. service time. Interment: RestLawn ParkCemetery, 3540 US-90, Avondale, LA 70094 ArrangementsEntrusted ToEstelle J. Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel Street,NOLA70113. To sign onlineguest book please visit www.estellejwilsonfh. com

Reed,Shirley AnnTolbert

Richard, Charlotte Tusa

Richard, LaQuerita

Ragas, TijwanaAJita 'Jita'

Jones’ dramatic home runvs. Vols type of moment that canset acoursetoOmaha

PIVOTAL IVOTAL S ING?

Baseball is not football, as Skip Bertman was fond of saying. That’snever truer than in the way to analyze how a season is going. In college football, where the season is only 12 games, trendsare abrupt. Individual winsand losses are magnified. Collegebaseball’s season is 56 games, athirdofMajor League Baseball’s marathon, yes, but stilla number thatlends itselftoa much longer-range, take-it-all-in-from-20,000-feet view All that said, it’seasy to believe thepastfour-game stretch will wind up beinga season-defining onefor the LSU Tigers. Coming off ashocking 13-3 run-ruledefeat at the hands of Northwestern State on April 22 andstaring into the maw of amassivethree-game serieswiththenNo. 6Tennessee, the Tigers staged ahistoric rally to beatthe Volunteers 6-3 on Friday night on Jared Jones’

three-run moon shot over the batter’s eye in center field. How historic? According to LSU, it is the third time ever and first time at homethat theTigers have won after being shutout and trailing by three or moreruns after eight innings.

Aperhaps predictable 9-3 loss to theVolunteers followed, but theTigers refilled the tank and bounced back Sunday to run-rule Tennessee 12-2. LSUthen cameback and run-ruled avery respectable Southeastern Louisiana team 15-2 on Tuesday witha swarm of Geauxrilla ball-era homeruns.

Despitea2-2 week leading up to the SLUwin, LSU’s series victory over the Vols was impressive enough that it vaulted the Tigers (now37-9, 14-7 Southeastern Conference) back to No. 2inthe D1Baseball poll behind Texas

Lukas,

89,not

slowingdownin

BY BETH HARRIS AP racing writer

D. Wayne Lukas is easy to spot before dawn at Churchill Downs. He is one of the few Kentucky Derby trainers atop a stable pony,escorting his horses to and from the track for their workouts At 89, he is the sport’selder statesman, aHall of Famer with fourDerby victories on avery lengthy resume. On Saturday, he will be chasing another with 30-1 shot American Promise. Like the former basketball coach he is, Lukas isn’tafraid to flip the playbook. American Promise went off the beaten path to earn his way to Kentucky with a win in the Virginia Derby.He’sa son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify “He looks exactlylike him,”Lukassaid. “He’sdeveloping very good at the right time.”

ä 151stKentucky Derby

POSTTIME: 5:57 P.M.SATURDAy,NBC

Lukas’ last Derby win wasin1999withCharismatic. He has entered 16 horses since and finished second in 2002 withProud Citizen. He wonthe 2022 Kentucky Oaks for fillies. Lastyear, he wonthe Preakness and the $1 millionPennsylvania Derby Since his first Derby try in 1981, Lukas hassaddled thesecond-most entries at 50, exceeded only by his protégé, Todd Pletcher,who has 65. Pletcher also has along-shotentry on Saturday with Grande at 20-1. Apromising3-year-old in the barn come

ä See DERBY, page 3C

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas watches aworkout on Tuesday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

LSUaimsto nurtureits upcoming seeds

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

Coming offperhapsits mostimportantseriesofthe season, LSU softball coach Beth Torina welcomes one of those odd scheduling weeks with only two days between the endofthe last seriesand the start of the next. The No.10Tigers travel to No. 8Arkansas fortheir final Southeastern Conference series beginning with a6 p.m. game Thursday The teamsplay Friday at 6p.m. and wrap up Saturday at 1p.m.

LSU improved its chances of garnering atop-eight national seed with aseries win against Florida after getting blasted 14-4 in the opening game.Monday’s10-2 victory was acomplete effort of pitching, hitting and defense.

“I do thinkwehavealot of momentum,” Torina said. “Maybe this quickturnaround will work in our favor

“I can’texplainthe value of (winning) these twogames, throughout the course of theseason,not just the spot we’re in They’re (Florida) the No. 2RPI team in the country at the top of our league, ateam that is historicallyanincredible program.These twowins mean aton, especially as we’re heading to the postseason making our case and strengthening our resume.” If the Tigers (39-11, 11-10 SEC) can keep

Saints make runat slowingfoes’ ground game

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

It wasn’tthat long ago whenthe New Orleans Saints regularly finished witha top-five run defense, but they’ve been abottom-10 unit in thatstatistical category for three consecutive years. They may finally be committing the resources to turn it around after finishing 2024 with one of the NFL’sworst run-stopping units. Defensive tackle DavonGodchaux has madeacareer out of being arun-stopping interior lineman, and he was the team’s first acquisition this offseason. The Saints then shored up their second-level run support by signing free agent safety Justin Reid, whom Pro FootballFocusgraded as oneofits top run-defending safeties last season. Then came the NFLdraft, where New Orleans loaded up the spine of its defense with three consecutive mid-round picks, all of whom possess traits that should strengthen the Saintsagainst the run: Texasdefensive tackle Vernon Broughton, Virginia safety JonasSankerand Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman.

Scott Rabalais

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LSUthird baseman Danieca Coffey fires the ballacross the diamond to getaPenn State runner out in the fourth inning of theirgame on Feb.21atTiger Park.

ä See LSU, page 4C

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

6

New QBs the norm in strong SEC

More than half of teams have new man under center

BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

More than half the teams in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference will have new starting quarterbacks this fall.

Many of the changes were expected. Some were needed. All of them will be overly dissected before training camps open in August.

Alabama (Jalen Milroe), Auburn (Payton Thorne), Missouri (Brady Cook), Ole Miss (Jaxson Dart) and Texas (Quinn Ewers) lost entrenched starters to the NFL. But those typical progressions were hardly the norm elsewhere.

Georgia’s Carson Beck transferred to Miami Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava bailed on a $2.4 million name, image and likeness deal and ended up at UCLA. Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold landed at Auburn. And Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff retired from football after getting benched.

“A new day and age in football,” said current Florida backup quarterback Harrison Bailey, who previously played at Tennessee, UNLV and Louisville. “I’m glad I’m getting out of it.”

The burgeoning transfer portal — the lure of more money or a better opportunity elsewhere, really — continues to create roster turnover in college football, and no school appears safe from the chaos.

Not even the SEC, which has every head coach returning for the first time since 2019 and for just the second time since 2005.

Despite all the different faces under center, 10 SEC schools are poised to start the season with some level of continuity at the allimportant quarterback position.

The holdovers

Arkansas’ Taylen Green, Florida’s DJ Lagway, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia have significant experience in their current systems. Sellers, though, has a new offensive coordinator, former Alabama coach Mike Shula. Green could make a jump in his second year under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Lagway and Sellers, athletic big men with

above-average arms, look like budding stars who could carry improving teams to the College Football Playoff.

Nussmeier is entering his third year in coach Brian Kelly’s system. Shapen, a sixth-year senior, is healthy again. Reed flashed early last season before losing four of his final starts as a freshman. And Pavia was a bright spot for the Commodores, finishing with 20 touchdown passes and four interceptions.

The not-so-newcomers

Georgia’s Gunner Stockton came up big in last year’s SEC championship game against Texas and should benefit from sitting

Former WWE superstar commissioner of Real American Freestyle league

BY CLIFF BRUNT AP sportswriter

Hulk Hogan felt sure he was onto something. After watching the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, he was absolutely certain. Hogan is one of the most popular professional wrestlers of all time, and he stayed in that lane until his teenage stepson pulled him into watching freestyle and folkstyle wrestling After becoming more familiar, Hogan started to believe those traditional wrestling styles could become more popular and profitable with the right promotion. Then, it happened. Last month, Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson stunned Minnesota’s Gable Steveson — an Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo with a late takedown to claim the national title at heavyweight in collegiate — or folkstyle wrestling Hendrickson saluted President Donald Trump after his victory last month in Philadelphia. Then, with a United States flag draped over his shoulders, the Air Force second lieutenant walked over and shook Trump’s hand and hugged him. Hendrickson’s dramatic win and the moments that followed vaulted wrestling into the mainstream and made the timing perfect for Hogan

behind Beck the past two seasons. Ole Miss is confident Austin Simmons will step in for Dart and keep the Rebels rolling. And the Longhorns have been waiting two years for Arch Manning to take the spotlight.

“I hope he’s got a really hard decision to make around Jan. 21,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian told the Houston Touchdown Club this week “That means we played a long time. That means he played a really good season And that means he’s trying to figure out do I want one more year in the burnt orange or is it time to go to the NFL?

“I hope it’s a really hard decision. I hope it’s not a no-brainer

to come back to school.”

Everyone else

The six remaining schools Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee — have varying degrees of uncertainty about their quarterbacks following spring football. Alabama is turning to Ty Simpson. Auburn is expected to go with transfer Jackson Arnold. Kentucky is taking a chance with transfer Zach Calzada, who is entering his seventh collegiate season after transferring from Incarnate Word.

Missouri appears content with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who signed a $1.5 million NIL deal. Oklahoma is confident its new duo from Washington State — quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle — will pay immediate dividends.

Tennessee might have the most to figure out. The Volunteers ended up with UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar in a pseudo trade. But Aguilar still has to beat out Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre for the job.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the traditions, the fans, and the legacy of winning at Tennessee,” Aguilar wrote on social media. “I’m ready to get to work, compete at the highest level and building something special with my teammates and coaches. I can’t wait to get to Rocky Top!”

to help launch Real American Freestyle. He’ll be commissioner of a league that announced its plans on Wednesday.

Hogan wants the league to provide more earnings opportunities for a sport that historically has lacked them. And after Hendrickson’s big moment, he said the time is now.

“When I saw that happen and I saw our president hug him, I went, OK, we are on point, we’re ready to go and instincts have prevailed and I smell victory,” Hogan said. “I think we’re right on track, brother.”

Hogan, who at 71 still has those massive arms and the charisma to match, initially was a bit worried that the freestyle wrestlers might not have the personality to sell tickets. He changed his mind as he began to connect with them.

“Dude, they’ve all got that edge,” he said.

“These kids are young, they’re smart. They’re

watching TV They know about branding, they know what sells. And they’ve all got that little Conor McGregor swag.”

Real American Freestyle events will feature single matches at eight men’s and four women’s weight classes. The first event is scheduled for Aug. 30 in Cleveland, with other sites to be named in the coming months.

Wrestling has been hot in the United States in recent years. The women’s U.S. Olympic freestyle team earned four medals in six weight classes in 2024, while the men claimed three medals. Folkstyle wrestling, which covers most of high school and college wrestling, has been popular, too According to the National Federation of High Schools, wrestling set participation records for boys and girls in 2023 and 2024.

Hogan said Kennedy Blades, an American who earned a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be the face of his company’s women’s division. Zahid Valencia and Ben Askren have agreed to participate on the men’s side.

Hogan said Hendrickson and Steveson are possible additions, and his eyes lit up when the subject of a possible rematch came up.

“How much can we say,” Hogan asked his advisers. “It’s on the radar.”

Hogan’s Real American Beer serves as the title sponsor and he has plenty of support. Chad Bronstein is the co-founder and president. Left Lane Capital, which has backed Gerard Piqué’s Kings League, Shaun White’s Snow League and League One Volleyball, among other things, has added this to its list of ventures. Cassius is another sponsor.

LSU adds senior Tamba from the

transfer portal addition for LSU men’s basketball, a source within LSU’s program confirmed. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward started all 32 games and averaged 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 58.7% from the field and 25% from 3-point range on 16 attempts. In his last game for UC Davis, he had 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting and four rebounds in 26 minutes.

Tamba, 21, played two seasons at UC Davis (15-17) after starting his career at Idaho State and spending his sophomore season at Indian River State, a Florida junior college.

The Málaga, Spain, native played on his country’s FIBA U20 European championship team in 2023.

Atlanta guard Daniels wins NBA’s most improved award

Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels was voted the NBA’s most improved player

The 22-year-old Daniels beat out fellow finalists Cade Cunningham of Detroit and Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Daniels’ first season in Atlanta was nothing like either of his first two NBA seasons with New Orleans.

His numbers soared with careerbests in points (14.1, more than double his 5.8 average last season), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.4), steals

The Hawks made him a full-time starter, something Daniels hadn’t been with the Pelicans.

Jets announce QB Travis is retiring from football

Jordan Travis pushed through the struggles of a long and valiant comeback attempt from a serious leg injury until he was told it was time to finally walk away

The New York Jets announced Wednesday that the quarterback informed them he will retire from playing football, a surprising NFL ending for the 24-year-old former Florida State star Travis hurt his left leg during a game against North Alabama in November 2023, the last time he played in a game at any level. His left leg rolled under a defender, twisting his ankle awkwardly and fracturing it.

Travis was a fifth-round draft pick last year but spent last season on the Jets’ non-football injury list The team will now place him on the reserve/retired list.

Angels star Trout leaves game with knee soreness

SEATTLE Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout left Wednesday’s game at Seattle with a sore left knee.

Trout was taken out ahead of his at-bat in the fourth inning after he tried to leg out a ground ball to second base the inning before He was replaced by pinch-hitter Jo Adell.

“When it happened, I knew it was like just a weird one,” Trout said after the game. “But now, after getting treatment and stuff, I should be a little better soon.”

Trout said he’s hopeful it was merely scar tissue breaking up and added that he plans to try to play

Thursday

During Trout’s at-bat in the third, he sprinted down the line and lunged toward first — and was barely out. He stayed in the game on defense but was pulled the next inning.

Swiatek recovers from 0-6 start, beats Keys in Madrid MADRID Iga Swiatek survived “one of the weirdest matches” after losing the first six games and recovering to defeat Madison Keys 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 and stay on track to defend her title at the Madrid Open on Wednesday

The second-ranked Swiatek will face Coco Gauff in the semifinals after the 21-year-old American beat teenager Mirra Andreeva in straight sets in the youngest WTA 1000 quarterfinal since 2009. Swiatek was overpowered by Keys early in their quarterfinal but eventually found a way to rally past the fifth-ranked American on center court.

Swiatek said of going down 0-6 at the start of the match: “At least it was fast, that’s the only positive think.”

ASSOCIATED

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VASHA HUNT

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson looks to pass during the Crimson Tide’s spring game. Simpson is expected to replace Jalen Milroe next season

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV Quarterback Diego Pavia returns after making an instant impact for Vanderbilt last season, leading the Commodores to a 7-6 record and bowl win

Abig heartjuststart of finding aDerby champion

Aglobalspotlight will shineonequineathleticism at Kentucky Derby

BY LAURA UNGAR and CHRISTINA LARSON AP science writers

LOUISVILLE, Ky.— On acrisp, clear morning, achestnut thoroughbred thundered down the dirt stripat Churchill Downs, his exercise riderleaningforward above the saddle. Other horse-and-rider pairs followed.

Dr.Will Farmer looked down from aviewing point, admiring the speed and agility of the 1,000-pound animals.

The whole world will havethe chance to seehorsesinaction here Saturday,when the Kentucky Derby shines aglobal spotlight on equine athleticism. It’sthe subject of agrowing body of research that cites aconstellation of characteristics: big hearts, immense lung capacity,robust musculoskeletal systems and long, thin legs— all of which help horses survive in the wild.

“It goes back to the roots: They are an animal of prey,” said Farmer,a veterinarian and equine medical directoratChurchill Downs. “That’show they got away from being eaten.” Horses honed skillssuchasrunning, jumping and pulling as humans bred and trained them for various purposes over millennia.

And the 151st Derby —horse racing’smost-watched event —will draw attention not only to the animals’ skills but also to concerns about their treatmentand health. Advocates havelong raised concerns about deaths and injuries

DERBY

Continued from page1C

the first Saturday in May can put aspring in any trainer’s step. Also invigorating Lukas are the deeppocketed owners he has after his stockofgood horses had gone way down.

“Our business the last sixmonths has just taken off,” he said He remindedhis clientelethathe will be 92 whenthe younghorses they bought are ready to be trained at the racetrack. He suggested they might want to limit their purchases or send some to younger conditioners. They ignored him and bought 18 instead.

Lukas isn’tacomplainer, but he told John Bellinger,co-owner of American Promise,thathis legs were tired.

“That’sfine, don’tworry about that,‘ ”Bellinger responded.“ ‘Just don’tlose your mind.’ ” Far from it, according to Hallof Fame jockeyGary Stevens. He and Lukas teamed up to win theDerby in 1988 withfilly Winning Colors.

“Wayne is known for howmeticulous he is with everything that he does. That hasn’tchanged and it won’tchange,” Stevens said. “He still rides out every morning. He can still tell agood horse. He’sgot a great eye. He picks all these horses outatthe sales, their angles, their looks. He’sstill got it at 89.” That was evident at the auction where Lukas spotted American Promise. His old friend and rival Bob Baffert also had his eye on the colt since he hadtrainedthe sire, Justify Noticing acontusion above one of the colt’sknees, Baffert figured he could get him for asteal

—calls that were amplified two years ago when 12 horses died at Churchill Downs.

There’snodoubt that war,agriculture andsocieties have been transformed by thehuman-horse relationship.

“Horses allowed us to circumvent our own biological limitations as aspecies,” said Timothy Winegard, ahistorian at Colorado Mesa University and author of arecent book, “The Horse.” “Wecombined our brains with the horses’ size, strength, stamina and speed to form the most unstoppable animal coalition.”

What makes horses so powerful? Ahorse’s heartand lungsare the source of its extraordinary power

The heart averages 10-12 pounds,orabout 1% of theanimal’sbodyweight, compared with half apercentfor the typical humanheart. Secretariat, the storied horse that won the Triple Crown in 1973, was found afterhis death to have aheartweighing more than 20 pounds.

Horse hearts are built for exertion.The average horse can go from aresting heart rate of about 34 beats per minute to 220 or 240 while racing —faster than ahuman heart during maximum exertion.

“One thing that’sreally unique about horsesisthat they have an incredible capacity to move blood aroundtheir bodies.Their heart rate can go really high and still be safe,” said University of Connecticut researcher SarahReed, editor in chief of thejournal Animal

at $400,000. Not so fast. American Promise sold for $750,000.

“I went to see who bought this horse,”Baffert said.“There he was —The Coach.”

While others were thinking the colt had abad knee, Lukas’ gut told himotherwise.

“That was just abump,” he said.

“It went down in aweek.”

One of Lukas’few concessions to age is adesire to limit his stable to 40 horses, thesamenumber of stalls he has at Churchill Downs in thespring and at Oaklawn Parkin Arkansas in thewinter

“We’ve runthe red light on that,” he said. “We’re up to about 52 or 53 now.”

Lukastold his fifth wife,Laurie, that given hisage thecouple might want to buy afew horses of their own for fun and send them to someone else to train. That plan also went awry

“I bought four or five,and we now have 11 racehorses,”hesaid.

“Wegot some really nice colts.”

In other words, don’texpect Lukastoride off into retirement anytime soon.

“I always thought he would have been agreat commissioner of racing, agreat spokesperson, because he’s so smart, speaks well,” Baffert said. “He knows the ins and outs, and hestill plays at that high level.”

Lukasand Baffert —who owns a record-tying six Kentucky Derby wins —have the most victories of any trainer in this year’s race. Nine of thetrainersare in the Derby for thefirst or second time.

“Those

NFLfinesFalcons, DC Ulbrichfor Sandersprank call

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

ATLANTA— The AtlantaFalcons have been fined$250,000 anddefensive coordinatorJeff Ulbrich has been fined $100,000 as aresult of Ulbrich’sson participating in aprank calltoShedeur Sanders during the NFLdraft.

The NFLconfirmed the fines on Wednesdayfor the roles theFalcons and Ulbrich playedinfailing to prevent the disclosure of confidentialinformation distributed to theclub ahead of the draft.

TheFalcons,who disclosedthe role of Ulbrich’s21-year-old son JaxintheprankcallasSanderswas waiting for his name to be called in the draft, said they accept the discipline from the league.

At anews conference, JeffUlbrich apologized to Sanders, his family,FalconsownerArthur Blank and the rest of the organization.

“My actions —myactions —of not protecting confidential data were inexcusable,” Ulbrich said.

“Wewere proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout theprocess, and acceptthe discipline leviedto Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization,” the statement said. “We are confident in our security policies andpractices andwill continue to emphasize adherence to themwith ourstaff whetheronor off premises.”

The Falcons also said the Ulbrich family “is working with the organization to participate in communityserviceinitiatives in relation to last week’smatter.”

On Sunday,the Falcons said in astatement that Jax Ulbrich “unintentionally came across the draft contact phone numberfor Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent’shome andwrote thenumberdown to later conduct aprank call.”

Frontiers.

They alsohave alung capacity of 60 liters, or 10 times that of humans.

“Thatmassivelungfieldallows for oxygen to transfer from the air intotheir blood, which is vitally importantfor sustaining aerobic energy,” Farmer said.

Recentresearch in the journal Science found that ageneticmutation enables horses to avoid negative side effectsofsuper high energy production.

“Horses aregreat athletes because they can deliver alot of oxygen to their muscles —way morethan an elitehuman can, and by elite human, Imean Olympic athlete,” said Gianni Castiglione, the study’sco-author.“They have abigger tank of gas and they have amore efficient engine …and this mutation is contributing to bothof those things.” Horsesstore extra red blood cellsintheirspleens. Thesecells arereleased to carryeven more oxygen around thebodyduring intense exertion.

“Adrenaline when exercising causesthe spleen to release extra redblood cells intocirculation,” veterinarian Hilary Clayton said. “What horses are doingisessentially‘blood doping’ themselves.”

Meanwhile, horses’ brains allow them to process sensory informationand react quickly.That’sdespite having frontal lobes, parts of the brain used for thought and planning that are proportionally smaller than those in humans.

“My son’s actions were absolutely inexcusable, and forthatweare both deeply sorry.The NFL has taken action, andI fullyrespect thepunishment. We take full responsibility,myson and myself, and we will not be appealing the fineinany way. Goingforward I promise my son and Iwill work hard to demonstrate we are better than this.”

The Falcons said in astatement thattheyappreciated the NFL’s “swift and thorough review”of thematter

JaxUlbrich wassitting beside an unidentifiedfriend who actually made the call to Sanders on Friday,the second day of the draft. Sanders, astandout quarterback from Colorado, is the son of Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders, who began his NFL career with the Falcons. Sanders, whoentered the draft expectingtobeafirst-roundpick, wasselected Saturday in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns. The FalconssaidJeff Ulbrich wasunaware of the data exposure or the prank until after the fact. He said he madethe Falcons aware of the situation and then got hold of the Sanders family to apologize.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

Lonnie

Ethan West;20. BrianLynch; 21. John Shirreffs. Owners (bypost position): 1. SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket StablesLLC, Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, DeterminedStables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, TomJ WavesEdge Capital LLCand Donovan, Catherine; 2.C2Racing Stable LLC, Parsard, Ian, Shining StablesLLC andStefania Farms LLC; 3. Juddmonte;4.SFRacing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket StablesLLC,Stonestreet Stables LLC, Bashor, Dianne, Determined Stables, Masterson, Robert E., Ryan, Tom J., WavesEdge Capital LLCand Donovan, Catherine; 5.BCStables LLC; 6. JunkoKondo; 7. Koichi Nishikawa; 8. Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable,EclipseThoroughbred Partners,ElayneStables 5LLC,LaPenta, RobertV Magnier-Lessee, Mrs.John, SmithLessee, Derrick and Tabor-Lessee,Michael B.; 9. Whitham Thoroughbreds LLC; 10.Repole Stable; 11.Two Eight Racing, BerryFamily Racing LLCand Kaleta Racing; 12.Godolphin, LLC; 13. King, Gus and Estate of Brereton C. Jones; 14.Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Magnier,Mrs.John, Tabor, Michael B. and Smith, Der; 15. BaccariRacing Stable LLC, Dream Walkin Farms, Inc., MJMRacing and Rocket Ship Racing; 16.Norman Stables LLC; 17. D. J. Stable LLC, St. Elias Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds and CJ Stables;18. Godolphin; 19. Terry L. Stephens; 20. Flying Dutchmen

Although Broughton (Round 3, Pick 71)was thefirst of the three selected, he may need the most time out of thegroupto acclimatize to the NFL game. His immense size (6-foot-5, 311 pounds,837/8-inchwingspan) already makes him aSaints type of player,though betting on traits hasburned the Saints in the past with defensive linemen specifically But if Broughton can hit his potential, New Orleans could reap somehuge benefits. There isn’tmuchtostudy with Broughton despite the fact that he spent fiveseasons(including apandemic-shortened true freshman year) at Texas. He started only one season there and spent alot of time waiting behind top40 NFL picks Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat. What he did show,however,was aquick first step that led to alot of disruption behind the line of scrimmage. Broughton didn’t alwaysfinish theplay—herecorded just 41/2 tacklesfor loss last season —but he did frequently interrupt theflow and timing of opposing run games. He is aplayer with tools who could potentially give new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley rotational depth all across the defensive line. While he mostly playedthree-technique at Texas (aligned over the outside shoulder of the guard), Broughton lined up everywhere for Texas, including some snaps as anose tackle andothers in a wide-nine alignment (over the outsideshoulderofthe tight end) New Orleansbrought back virtually its entire defensive interior from last season, adding Broughton and Godchaux to amix that includes Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders, John Ridgeway andKhristian Boyd. It will be interesting to see how the Saints managethe snaps between

that group. While Broughton maytake sometime,Stutsman and Sanker aremoreready-made players to affect the run defense. Both excel against the run, and that was reflected in their college statistics: Stutsman topped 100 tackles in eachofhis final three seasonsat Oklahoma,while Sankerrecorded at least 95 in both of his final two seasons.

Stutsman was at his best when playing downhill forthe Sooners, reading the opposing offense andreactingtomakea bigplay. His aggressivenesswas at times his best and worst trait with the Sooners, but ProFootballFocus gradedhim as college football’s second-best run-defending linebacker last season (grade: 90.9). Stutsman doesn’thave aclear path to astarting job out of camp —atleast one where he seesthe field the majority of the game. Demario Davis is notgoing anywhere, andthe Saints just committedtoalong-term deal with Pete Werner last year.But if Staley does bring a3-4 base look with him to New Orleans, Stutsmanshould have opportunities to contribute early in packages. Sanker also isn’tlikely to see the field early as astarter,with Tyrann Mathieu andJustinReid ahead of him on thedepth chart. Buthealso maybeabletoearn sometime in specific packages potentially abig nickel, in which he’d work out of the slot, or a dimepackage. As arun defender, Sanker is somewhat similar to Stutsman; he is explosive and aggressive when defending the run, which can lead to him being overextended at times. But his highlight reel is littered with him making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage as arun defender— askillthe Saints could findaway to deploy It allhas to come together in Staley’sscheme, but New Orleanshas taken stepstoward addressing its problematic ground defense this offseason.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL

Aracehorse works out at Churchill Downs on Wednesday in Louisville, Ky

AP FILEPHOTO By JASON GETZN Atlanta Falcons defensivecoordinator Jeff Ulbrichspeakswith members of the media at the Falcons’ training facility on Jan. 27 in Flowery Branch, Ga.

Loyola University men’sbasketball

coach Trey Lindseytalks during his introductory news conference on campus Wednesday. Lindseyisthe 20th coach in the program’s history.

Loyola turnstofamiliar face to lead hoopsprogram

BY SPENCERURQUHART

Staff writer

Trey Lindsey has had quite the journey since becoming afull-time basketball coach, but he appears to have found along-term fit after being named Loyola’s20thmen’sbasketball coach.

It’s afull-circle momentfor Lindsey,whose first full-time coaching job was with Loyolain2017. Lindsey spent one yearasanassistant on former Loyola coach Stacy Hollowell’sstaff before returning to Austin, Texas, for six years, the first four as an assistantat Division II St. Edward’s and the next two as the head coach at Bowie High School.

Lindsey returned to New Orleans last year to reunite with Hollowell andjointhe UNO basketball staff as the lead assistant and recruiting coordinator,but he decided to move on afterone season for the head coaching job at Loyola. Lindsey was introduced Thursday at the University Sport Complex.

“Since 2017, (Loyola) has really meantalot to me,” Lindsey said.

“I gottowork with some amazingpeopleherethat have made an unbelievable impact on me, so

I’ve alwayshad an eye on this job Ialwayssaid that if it opened that I was goingtotry andgoafter it and get it. I’m so excited.”

Lindseywill gethis firsthead coaching opportunity at the college level with Loyola, who was in search of anew head coach after DonaldReyeslefttobecome an assistant at UL.

Loyola won the NAIA national championshipin2022 under Hollowell, with Lindsey having recruited someofthe players on that championshipteaminhis lone season at the school.

“(Lindsey)was abig part in layingthe foundation forour national championshipteam,”Loyola athletic director Brett Simpson said.

“When he was here we got to see hiswork ethic, his values and everything that he’sabout. Iwas hopingwewould work together again, so we’re excited to have him back.”

Lindseycredits Hollowellfor helpinghim gain Division Icoachingexperience at UNO.

“It’s never easy to leavea

friend,” Lindsey said. “(Hollowell) was happy for me, but there was alittle sadness after us beingreunited after anine-year hiatus only ended up being one year.Icouldn’t have gotten this (Loyola) job without him. He was such abig part in that by bringing me here andbelieving in me, so I’mforever grateful to him.”

Loyola is coming off a12-16 season buthas 13 players from last year’s team settoreturn. Lindsey already has began workingwith thereturning playersashelooks to assemble acoaching staff.

Thegoal for Lindseyistobuild Loyola back to anational championship contender “The good news is Ithink it’s an easy fix,”Lindsey said “Last year (Loyola) hada lot of injures and alot of different things that went into theirrecord.I believethatif we can get theright pieces and add my own flavor to what Isee in coaching, then we can quicklyget it going and try and win championships.”

Email SpencerUrquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

Giannisentersoffseason with questions abouthis future

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Giannis Antetokounmpo had to have known the question was coming.

“Do you think that you can still win that second championship here in Milwaukee after athird straight first-round exit?”

The question came after the Bucks’ season ended in Indianapolis on Tuesday night. Antetokounmpo is surely askinghimself the same question right aboutnow Antetokounmpo didn’thave a public answer for it following the 119-118 overtime, season-ending loss in Game 5ofRound 1against Indiana. He probably doesn’thave aprivate answer to it, either.But he needs that answer sometime over the coming days or weeks, because he is now officially at the crossroads that plenty of superstars have reached over the years. Stay or go?

Yes, afair question —though it’s notreally Antetokounmpo’sdecision. He’sunder contract to the Bucks for multiple seasons. Even if he asks for atrade, they don’t have to accommodate him. It could be great for Antetokounmpo; he’d pick anew spot and that team would instantly be considered atitle contender.Itcould be great for the Bucks; most teams after years of contending have to hit the reset button at some point anyway,and they could get ahaul of players and picks to begin anew

“I’m not going to do this. I’m not going to do this,” Antetokounmpo said in responsetothe question “I know whatever Isay,I know howit’sgoing to translate.I don’t know,man.IwishI wasstill playing. Iwish Iwas still competing and going back to Milwaukee. I don’tknow.” Here’swhat might figure into the answer,whenever the time comes to formulate the real one: His place in Milwaukee loreissecure, he’s brought an NBA championship to the city,hewon’thave Damian Lillard for much if not all of next season because of Lillard’storn Achil-

Continued from page1C

up thepace, they could get Tuesdayoff in the SEC Tournament, which begins Tuesday.LSU is one of fourteamstied for seventh at 11-10, with Ole Miss right behind at 10-11. The top nine teamsget abye to Wednesday’ssecond round. Facing Arkansas on the road will be anothertough test. The Razorbacks (36-10, 12-9) have the No. 4strength of schedule and the No. 7RPI, so they are in direct competition with LSU for anational seed. LSU has the No. 5 RPI behind Texas A&M,Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA andpossessesthe seventhbest strength of schedule. The Razorbacks have had a strong season, including series wins against Texas A&M, Florida and Tennessee. They also boast the best offensive player in the leagueinfirst baseman Bri Ellis, wholeads the conference in battingaverage (.491) and home runs (24). Ellis has driven in 65 runs and is atoughout with46walks, also best in the conference, and only 11 strikeouts in 169 plate

appearances. The Razorbacks have another slugger in designated player Courtney Day with 14 homers, 57 RBIs and a.327 average.

Robyn Herron, ajuniorlefthanderwith a15-4recordand a2.25 ERA, is thetop Arkansas pitcher.She hasstruckout 127 batters in 109 innings. Opposing hitters are batting .180, the fourth-best markinthe league.

“Our whole model is having all three things—pitching, defense and hitting —working.”

DANIECACOFFEy, LSU thirdbaseman

Tori Edwards continuedher hothitting last weekend forLSU with apair of home runs among her four hitsand four RBIs vs. Florida. She has taken over the team lead in batting average witha.423 mark. Edwards is tied for second in the SEC in homers (18) with Missouri’s Madison Walker behind Ellis.

Third baseman Danieca Coffey showed signs of comingout of herslump with twohits, including akey two-run double,inthe decisive gamevs. Florida. Coffey had entered the gamewith just seven hits in her previous 37 atbats over an 11-game span.

“Our wholemodel is having all three things —pitching, defense and hitting —working,” Coffey said. “Coach has been focusing on that, and we’ve been trying to turn it on moreand more.”

les, histeam just got eliminated in the first round for the third consecutive season and the Bucks aren’t exactly loaded withdraft picks or easy waystobolster their roster

Antetokounmpo is in his prime.

He’sabout to finish in thetop four of thevoting for the NBA MVP award —a trophy he’swon twice —for theseventh consecutive year. He just averaged 30 points per game forthe third year in a row, and if he hadscored eight more measly pointsinthe 2021-22 season it’dbefour straight years of doing that. He just averaged at least 25 points and10rebounds for the eighth straight season; only Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem AbdulJabbar and Karl Malone have more such seasons.

Antetokounmpo willwantmore, whether he’sinMilwaukee or elsewhere.

“There’s alot of timesthat life has made me sad or frustrated since Iwas akid. Inever gave up,”

Antetokounmpo said. “You know,I always try to find solutions in my life. Ithink it translates to the basketballcourt. Ialways try to, even

though things mightnot happen the way Iwant it to happen. Ialways have class,and Ihavethisoptimistic mentality of comingback, keep on working. Andthere’sgoing to be aday that’sitgoing to be your turn.”

Moving someone withtwo years and$113 millionleft on hiscontract —not to mention aplayer optionthat could extend it by another year andtack $63 million more onto thebill —willbedifficult. And playersdon’talways get traded where they want to go; theobvious case in point there is when Lillard wanted to be traded by Portlandto Miami and wound up in Milwaukee instead.

Butifit’swhat he wants, teams will jump at the chance to make it happen.

“Giannis is oneofone,” Bucks coach DocRiverssaid.“Ithink, unfortunately for all the voters, they’re tired of voting for him for stuff. But he had everybit of an MVP season this year.WhatI’m mostproud of is he has turned into aleader.I’m not just talking about on the floor,but off the floor.”

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

That’s thesame Texasteam that LSU outplayedfor half theseries in Austin but lost twoofthree against when it wasall done.The Tigers’ RPI also jumped from No. 9toNo. 5after beating SLU, which is nowNo. 53 by that metric.

Over the course of along season, you look forthat spark, that landmark momentfrom ateam that shows it has that special something. Being as rare as it quantifiably is, Jones’ home run Friday appears to qualify, though the momentillustrates how close theTigers were to tumbling downanicy slope of defeat

That’show capricious fate can be,ofcourse, as LSU now appears to have all kinds of momentum. Momentum the national experts expect the Tigers to capitalize upon. This week’sNCAA Tournamentprojections from Baseball Americaand On3.com both have LSUasthe No.3national seed behind Texas and Georgia (once again, how brutal is the SEC)?

Baseball America has Louisville, SLUand Wright State going to Alex Box Stadium,with the regional paired with one hosted by No. 14 Oregon State (competing as an independent in this post-Pac-12 world) forasuper regional.On3 has Virginia Tech, SLUand Missouri State going to The Box, with the regional paired against one hosted by No 14 N.C. State.

Baseball America calls the Tigers a“virtual lock” to finish as atop-eight national seed, barring atotal collapse. It has been high on theTigers all season, having them in its top three in eight of the past nine weeks. Tengames remain in LSU’sregular season, and the Tigers hardly have it madeyet. LSU now travels to start athree-gameseries Friday at Texas A&M. The preseason No. 1Aggies just got swept at Texas but have won three of their past four SEC series overall. LSU

then comes hometoface No. 11 Arkansas (after amidweek game with Grambling on Tuesday) and wraps up the regular season in the “Paul Mainieri Classic” at South Carolina.

Clearly atop-eight national seed is there forthe Tigers’ taking. If LSU can wintwo of three in each remaining SEC series, hosting aregional and super regional should be in the bag. Even going 5-4 in conference would put LSU at 43-13 (including a Grambling win) going into a new single-elimination, 16-team SEC Tournament. It’s such a highly unpredictable format that shameonthe NCAA selection committee if it holds aone-off defeat against any national seed contender

The Tigers have an eliteoffense: LSUisNo. 2inthe SEC witha.312 averageand fourth in sluggingpercentage. The key is whatitdoes on themound. An impressive Sundaystart from freshman Casan Evans against theVolswas huge, but thepicture of LSU’sthird weekend starter remains murky.Chase Shores, who pitched only onerockyinning of reliefinthe series, appears to be out, but nowwhat?

Evans probably would have pitched in relief if LSU had the lead Saturday.Maybe Zac Cowan would have started Sunday in that case, but either one shifting to astarter depletes the LSU bullpen. Evans and Cowan each has six of the Tigers’ 13 saves. Bottom line, for LSU to make it to and thrive in the College World Series, other armshave to deliver in the bullpen. Maybe it will be Shores in anew role. Maybe that will be William Schmidt (Tuesday’s starter against SLU), Jaden Noot (he has LSU’sother save), Conner Ware or Jacob Mayers, who has thrown only 92/3 innings so far

The Tigers appear to be inches away from being set up fora long postseason run, but there is still so much lefttoprove in what remains of the regular season.

For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU first baseman Jared Jones celebrates after hitting asolo home runinthe first inning against SoutheasternonTuesday at Alex Box Stadium.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AARON GASH

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during agame against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 8inMilwaukee.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

THE VARSITYZONE

RematchgoestoBrown

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Josh Brown won the rematch.

The Holy Cross senior sprinter

finished aheadofBrother Martin’sEaston Royal in the 100-meter dash at the LHSAA Region 3-5A championships onWednesday at Hahnville, highlighting an evening withseveral other notable finishes at ameet that advanced the top three finishers in all events to state.

The victory for Brown came oneweek after he gotupended by thesophomore Royalatthe District9-5Achampionships at TadGormley Stadium inNew Orleans.

Round 3will come next week at the5Astatemeet setfor May3in Baton Rouge.

But that won’tbethe only rematch worth watching. Brown crossed the finish one hundredth of asecond ahead of Destrehan senior Phillip Wright when they both anchored the 4x100relay and again whenthey ran the 200.

The two ran side by side for the entire straightaway until Brown leaned ahead of Wright at the last instant.

“Last weekIcame up second in the 100, and Ijust had it in my headthatIgot to come outhere for regionalsand take it all, and that’swhat Idid,” said Brown, the reigning state champion in the 100 and 200 and aTexas Southern signee for track and field.

In other events, reigning 3,200-meter composite statemeet record holder Brady Mullen of Jesuit couldeye another record in the 1,600 after the senior finishedfirst ahead of Jesuit

rankedamong the fastest in the country.

“I think Icould do something pretty big in both events,”Burks said.

fying 4x800 and on the4x400 relays.“But Ihonestly always had confidence in myself that Icould do four events.”

Gearing up forthe quarters

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Third-seeded BrotherMartin will host abest-of-threestate quarterfinal baseball series against No. 11 Ponchatoula that begins Thursday,opening aweekend that has Holy Cross, JohnCurtisand Jesuit also playing in the LHSAA Division Iselect state quarterfinals. The first twoBrother MartinPonchatoula gamesonThursday and Friday will start at 6:30 p.m. at Kirsch-RooneyStadium, and the third game, if necessary,will be 3p.m. Saturday at Wesley Barrow Stadium BrotherMartin, which opened the playoffs with asweep of Pineville, will face aPonchatoula team that defeated No.6 Captain Shreve in three games on the road. Ponchatoula won the first game 10-0, lost thesecond1-0 andwon the third 11-6. Also starting Thursdayisa quarterfinal series between No.9John Curtis and No.1Catholic-Baton Rouge,the reigning state champion.Catholicdefeated Curtis in the state final last year.That series will be in Baton Rouge.

On Friday,No. 2Holy Cross will host No. 10 Acadiana and No. 5Jesuit will play on the road against No. 4St. Thomas More. The second and third, if necessary,games will be Saturday

Regional winners

Northlake Christian freshman Princess Caitlyn Lang won the 100, 200 and 400 meters and freshman Mackenzie Hayes won both hurdle events plus the long jump at the Region3-2Atrack and field meet held Tuesday at Covington. Also fromNorthlake,junior Emma Romano wonthe pole vault. Other NewOrleans area winners the regional meet includedCountryDay’s LorraineGoldenberg (800) and Constance Goldenberg (1,600) and Newman sophomore Jada Recasner (triple jump).

Boys winners include Newman junior Dylan Kolenovsky (discus, shot put),Newmanjunior Logan DeGruy (1,600, 3,200) and Country Dayjunior Isaac Herzenberg (javelin). Riversideadvances

teammate Connor Fanberg, ajunior Mullen said the restofthe field in that event is fast enough to push him to what could be another record time.

“Whatever pace we’re going, it’sgoing to be fast enough to break the state record no matter what,” said Mullen, who will run both distance events after also winning the 3,200regional title.

JesuitsophomoreJa’irBurks won both hurdle events one week after heset a9-5A record in the 110 hurdleswith atimethat

“If Ijust train hardenough duringthisnextweek anda half, I think Ican do some big stuff.”

NorthshorefreshmanGrace Keene won the 800 and 1,600 meters after she moved to the front in the lastlap of both events. She wonthe 1,600whenshe moved ahead of Mount Carmel senior Catalina Reichard,a past state champion in that event.

“I’m shocked that Iwas able to finishsostrong considering how much I’m doing,” said Keene, whoran anchoronthe statequali-

Reichard, the 3,200-meter winner at the indoor state meet, won that event when she held off Dominican sophomore Grace Schneider at the finish.

Destrehan senior Marley Richard became afour-eventwinner with top finishes in thelong and triple jumps andinthe 100 and 200.

Slidell senior Gionni Wiltz won thelong, triple andhighjumps andran thesecondleg of thewinning 4x200 meter relay

ContactChristopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Jayce Ruiz hadanotherstrong outing forRiverside. The right-hander struck out eight in a6-2 victory against Ascension Catholic in the Division IV playoffs on Tuesday Riverside will playaquarterfinal next week againstthe winner of agame betweenNo. 3Opelousas Catholic andNo. 14 Sacred Heart.

Ruiz, who missedpartofthe season with ahand injury,struck out 14 over10innings in a1-0 victoryover St. Martin’sthat won the District 101A championshiplast month Contact ChristopherDabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

1:59.26. 3. Daniel Piazza, Episcopal, 2:02.85. 1,600: 1. Logan DeGruy,Newman, 4:31.65. 2. Christian Myers, Country Day, 4:34.50. 3. Adam Merkle, Pope John Paul II, 4:36.13. 3,200: 1. Logan DeGruy,Newman,10:04.54. 2. Maslen L’Esperance, Newman, 10:05.41. 3. Christian Myers, Country Day, 10:07.83. 110 hurdles: 1. Makeal Dotson, Northeast, 15.18. 2. Sabryn Bartholomew,South Plaquemines, 15.39. 3. Wynn Turner, Episcopal, 15.47. 300 hurdles: 1. Wynn Turner, Episcopal, 40.65. 2. MaxGray, NorthlakeChristian,

40.73. 3. Sabryn Bartholomew,41.31. 4x100 relay: 1. Independence, 44.07. 2. St. Helena, 44.16. 3. Slaughter Community Charter, 44.19. 4x200: 1. St. Helena, 1:30.46. 2. Episcopal, 1:31.40. 3. Slaughter Community Charter, 1:32.07. 4x400: 1. Episcopal, 3:31.18. 2. Northlake Christian,3:33.63. 3. Newman, 3:36.52. 4x800: 1. Episcopal, 8:42.16. 2. Newman, 8:52.87. 3. Country Day, 8:55.67. Field results High jump: 1. Thomas Carter, Slaughter Charter, 6-04. 2. Ke’Shaun Toney,East Feliciana, 6-04. 3. Ty’Kimion Ford,Slaughter CommunityCharter, 6-02 Long jump: 1. JeremyMitchell, Episcopal, 21-00.5. 2. Thomas Carter, Slaughter Community Charter, 21-00. 3. Ke’Shaun Toney East Feliciana, 20-11. Triple jump: 1. J’Noah Morgan, St. Helena, 40-11. 2. Ty Walker, L.W. Cohen, 40-05.5. 3. JeremyMitchell, Episcopal, 40-03.25. Pole vault: 1. Will Ribes, Episcopal, 11-06 2. Joel Smith,Country Day, 11-00. 3. Louis Barnett, Newman, 10-06. Discus: 1. Dylan Kolenovsky,Newman, 143-10. 2. Isaac Herzenberg, Country Day, 138-09. 3. Robert Washington, East Feliciana, 131-01. Javelin: 1. Isaac Herzenberg, Country Day, 170-05. 2. Tate Soileau, St. Thomas Aquinas, 156-00. 3. Dylan Kolenovsky,Newman, 154-05. Shot put: 1. Dylan Kolenovsky,Newman, 48-04. 2. Trevontae Williams,South Plaquemines, 48-00. 3. Brody Cummings, CountryDay,45-05 Girls Team scores: 1. Episcopal, 155. 2. Newman, 105. 3. NorthlakeChristian, 102. 4. Country Day, 58. 5. St. Thomas Aquinas,52. 6. Slaughter Community Charter, 46. 7. East Feliciana, 35. 8. Dunham, 12 Track results 100: 1. Princess Caitlyn Lang, Northlake Christian,12.61.2.TiffanyFoxworth, Episcopal, 12.89. 3. Da’Niya Franklin,Northeast, 13.34. 200: 1. Princess Caitlyn Lang, Northlake Christian,26.26.2.ClaireCharpentier,Newman, 26.29. 3. Kariah Dunn, EastFeliciana, 26.82. 400: 1. Princess Caitlyn Lang, Northlake Christian,58.16.2.MadisonEasley,Slaughter Community Charter, 59.17. 3. Eloise Puckett, Newman, 1:02.36. 800: 1. Lorraine Goldenberg, Country Day, 2:26.96. 2. SaraBeth Cagley,Episcopal, 2:29.42. 3. LaurenBradford, Episcopal, 2:31.13. 1,600: 1. ConstanceGoldenberg, Country Day, 5:16.73. 2. Lorraine Goldenberg, CountryDay,5:18.96. 3. AdaMere, Episcopal, 5:21.26. 3,200: 1. NevaLambert, Episcopal, 11:43.61. 2. AdaMere, Episcopal, 11:53.60. 3. Constance Goldenberg, Country Day, 11:58.37. 100 hurdles: 1. Mackenzie Hayes, Northlake Christian,15.42. 2. Remi Cousin, Newman, 15.76. 3. SophieArnold, Episcopal, 16.31. 300 hurdles: 1. Mackenzie Hayes, Northlake Christian,46.45. 2. Remi Cousin, Newman, 47.95. 3. SophieArnold, Episcopal, 50.38.

4x100: 1. Episcopal,51.53. 2. Newman, 52.99. 3. Slaughter Community Charter, 54.28. 4x200: 1. Newman, 1:46.92. 2. Episcopal, 1:49.07. 3. East Feliciana, 1:49.66. 4x400: 1. Episcopal,4:14.72. 2. Newman, 4:16.06. 3. Country Day, 4:20.27. 4x800: 1. Episcopal,10:19.66. 2. St.Thomas Aquinas,10:26.46. 3. Newman, 10:28.83. Fieldresults High jump: 1. Kariah Dunn, East Feliciana, 5-04. 2. Mackenzie Hayes, NorthlakeChristian, 5-02. 3. Makyla Hiles, Episcopal, 5-00. Long jump: 1. Mackenzie Hayes, Northlake Christian, 17-03.75. 2. Remi Cousin, Newman, 17-02.75. 3. ClaireCharpentier, Newman, 17-01.75. Triple jump: 1. Jade Recasner, Newman, 35-06.5. 2. Makyla Hiles, Episcopal, 35-01. 3. Zadi Huggins,Dunham, 34-09. Pole vault: 1. Emma Romano, Northlake Christian, 10-00. 2. Madeline Greene, Episcopal, 9-06. 3. Alice Goldenberg, Country Day, 9-06. Discus: 1. Alayni Clarkston, Slaughter Charter,91-07. 2. Jordyn Correjolles, St.Thomas Aquinas,86-05.3.Lauren Huggins, East Feliciana, 81-07. Javelin: 1. Rilan Delauneville, French Settlement, 109-01. 2. Kahlyn

Holy Cross’ Josh Brown, left,and Brother Martin’s Easton

Hahnville in Boutte.

Pan-fried trout is fast butfancy

BY BETH DOOLEY

The Minnesota Star Tribune

(TNS)

When it comes to fixing afast dinner, Igowith trout fillets. A rich, fatty fish, trout is as flavorful as salmon but the thinnerfillets cook off in ajiff

Most often sold skin-on, the fishhas ahigh skin-to-flesh ratio. Even if you don’tcare for the skin, cooking with it on intensifies the flavor and helps keep the fillet tasty and juicy If you favor the skin, there’s plenty to savor when it cooks up to be crisp and salty.Plus, the bits and pieces left in the pan are the foundation for aterrific butter-lemon-herb sauce. Trout is an especially healthy choice. Amember of the salmon family,itishigh in omega3s and low in fat. Alean, clean, low-calorie protein, troutis rich in vitamins and minerals

The best technique for cooking trout is also the fastest. All you need is good butter anda heavyskillet. The whole process takes less than 5minutes from start to finish, and the short cooking time reducesthe chance of those lingering fishy smells. Simply film the skillet with aneutral oil, and then sear thefish on both sides. Add anob of butter to the pan and baste like crazy as it melts.The trout will form alovely crust as the butter browns into atasty,nutty basefor alemony sauce. The method works for mostfillets that are ahalf-inch thick Arctic char,cod, rockfish, sea bass, etc. It’saneasy technique adapted from restaurantchefs, whose fish must come to the table straight from the stove, hot and not overdone.

This simple weeknight dinner is also dinner-party worthy Servewith boiled new potatoes, lightly smashed and gilded with that buttery lemon pan sauce, aside salad or steamed vegetables, and crusty bread to sop up all that goodness

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO

Arich, fatty fish, trout is as flavorful as salmon.

Pan-Fried Trout with LemonyButterySauce

Serves2,but is easilydoubled. Recipe is from Beth Dooley All you need for this simple recipe is aheavy skillet and good butter.Inthis recipe we vesprinkledthe trout with sesame seeds for additional crunch. The whole process takes less than 5minutes

If you’re serving company consider garnishing the fillets with capers or chopped olives andminced chives. Otherwise, justasprinklingofparsley brings the whole thing together

2skin-on trout fillets, each about 6ounces to 8ounces

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1tablespoon sesame seeds, optional

1tablespoon neutral oil, such as grapeseed, avocado or canola

2tablespoons unsalted butter

2tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2tablespoons whole milk Greek yogurtorheavy cream

Chopped parsley,for garnish

1. Pat the trout dry with apaper towel and lightly season on both sides with salt and pepper Sprinkle the sesame seeds on the flesh side of the trout.

2. Filma largeheavy skillet with the oil and placeover medium-highheatuntil shimmering. Place the trout skinside down in the pan andcook undisturbed until the skin starts to brown and feels crisp when tapped, about 3to4 minutes.

3. Add the butter to the skillet. Using aspatula, carefully flip the fillets and baste with the melting butter and cook until the fish is cooked through and the flesh begins to flake, about 1to2minutes.

4. Remove the fish from the pan and quickly whisk in the lemon juice and yogurtand cook until it thickens, about 30 seconds.Serve thefish,flesh sideup, drizzled with the pan sauce. Garnish with parsley before serving.

IBY LIZ FAUL | Contributingwriter

nLouisiana, we are lucky to have fresh local shrimp. Despite thisfact, Iusually buy frozen shrimp from our local grocery store. Last week, afriendofmine toldmethat he likes to go to the WestwegoShrimp Lottobuy fresh shrimp, crabs and fish. A30-minutedrive to buy fresh local seafood sounded like afun new experience. Sometimes,food adventures like thisserve as inspiration to gather friends and family for ahome-cooked meal. So Igrabbed acooler of iceand went to the banks of Bayou Segnette in Westwego to buy freshshrimp

WhenIarrived at theShrimp Lot, the parking lotwas full, and Icould see why.The lot waslined with seafood vendorsthat were sellingshrimp, wholeredfish, snapper,crabs, sacks of live crawfish and prepackaged bags of alligatormeat.Iwalked around, surveyed all thechoices and decided to buy freshshrimp fordinner and frozen fish filletstohave on hand foranother meal.Ithought about buying apackofalligator meat, but Idecided to save that food story for another day

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

Post-Gazette (TNS)

Usehairdryerssafely

Anne, in Texas

Dear Heloise: I’m reading the warnings on my hair dryer

Some of these may seem obvious, but they are good safety hints: The manufacturer recommends unplugging the dryer after each use and not placing it where it can fall into the tub, toilet or sink. Don’tuse it while bathing or near water at all. If thedryer happens to fall into water,unplug it right away; never reach into the water The filter of the dryer canalso get clogged. If it’snot blowing hot air,turn the unit off. Letthe unitcool completely,thenclean the lint filter.There may be ared “reset” button on the plug;press it and plug the hair dryer back in.Itshould work perfectly

By The Associated Press

Storepolicyoverwhelmsworker

Hints from Heloise

Anne, greatsafety hints!The special plug on ahairdryeris called an appliance leakage current interrupter (ALCI), andit’sdesigned to help prevent electrical shock. It workstogetherwith the GFCI (ground-fault circuitinterrupter) outlet. P.S. Alwaysread appliance safety manuals to getthe full scoop. —Heloise Cheese please

Dear Heloise: I’vediscovered that shredded cheese melts more evenly than ablock of cheese. This saves timeinthe long run!

—Emily S.,inSan Antonio Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Thursday,May 1, the 121st day of 2025. There are 244 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On May 1, 2011, President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden during aU.S. commando operation, which took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in the early morning hours of May 2local time.

On this date:

In 1866, three days of racerelated rioting erupted in Memphis, Tennessee, as White mobs targeted Black people, 46 of whom were killed, along with two Whites.

In 1931, the Empire State Building was dedicated in New York City; it would be the world’stallest building forfour decades.

In 1960, the Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

In 1963, Jim Whittaker,joined by Sherpa mountaineer Nawang Gombu, became the firstAmericantosummit Mount Everest.

In 1964, the computer programming language BASIC (Beginner’sAll-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) wasfirst run by its inventors, DartmouthCollege professors John G. Kemeny andThomas E. Kurtz.

In 1971, the national passenger rail service Amtrak went into operation In 2003, President George W. Bush,inaspeech delivered from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln which bore a banner reading “Mission Accomplished,” stated, “Major combat operationsinIraq have ended.” (Thelast U.S.combat troops would not withdraw from Iraq until December 2011.)

In 2011, PopeBenedict XVI beatified PopeJohn Paul II, movinghis predecessor astep closer to sainthood in aVatican Mass attended bysome 1.5 million pilgrims.

In 2015, six Baltimore police officers were charged with felonies ranging from assault to murder in connection withthe deathofFreddie Gray,aBlack manwho’d suffered aspinal injury while riding in apolice van. (None of the officerswould ultimately be convicted.)

Today’sbirthdays: Singer JudyCollins is 86. Singer RitaCoolidge is 80. Filmmaker John Woois79. Actor DannFlorek is 75. Musician Ray Parker Jr.is71. Hall of Famejockey Steve Cauthen is 65. Singer-actor TimMcGraw is 58. Filmmaker WesAnderson is 56. Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin is 52. Actor Jamie Dornan is 43. SingerVictoria Monét is 36. Social mediapersonality Charli D’Amelio is 21.

Potato Crust Quiche withSpinach, Feta and Bacon Serves 6-8. Recipe is adapted from foodandwine.com.

2½ pounds babyYukon gold potatoes scrubbed

2tablespoons, plus 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1small Vidaliaonion, chopped(about 1cup) 12-ounce packagefrozen chopped spinach,thawed, drained and squeezed dry

6-ounce packagecrumbled garlic and herb feta (about 1cup)

6slices cooked bacon, crumbled 8largeeggs, lightly whipped ½cup heavy whipping cream

1generous tablespoon choppedfresh dill, plus more for garnish

1generous tablespoon choppedfresh mint, plus more for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Position rack in lower third of oven

2. Combine potatoes, 2tablespoons salt andenoughcoldwatertocover by 1inch in alarge saucepan. Bring to aboil over high heat, undisturbed.

3. Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed, untilpotatoesare fork-tender,about 25-30 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.

4. Generously brush a10-inch cast-iron skillet evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Place drained potatoes in an even layer in skillet. Using aflat-bottom measuring cup,smash potatoes firmlyinto thebottom, then press over bottom and about 1½ inches upsides of skillet.

5. Use aspoon or small offset

QUICHE

Continued from page1D

adaptable to personal tastes or whateveringredients needtobe cleaned out of your refrigerator’scrisper or happen to be on sale. If, for instance, you don’t like feta, use Swiss or cheddar cheese to bind the filling instead Youcan also ditch the bacon for acustard packed with ham, chorizo or any other sausage. For ameat-free quiche,stirin any favorite chopped vegetable

DearMiss Manners: Iamemployed at alocal department storewhere my primary position is in the dressing room.Icheck thenumber of itemstaken into each room, then Ibutton,zip and hang up itemstobeplaced back on the floor racks. Ourstore’sdressing room has alimit of 10 items per customer at a time. Most of thetime, the customer will bring in the full 10 items, keep two or three things and hand the rest to me when they are done. Often they will bring shopping cartsloaded with more than 10 things, tryonafew,then bring those back to their cart to swap for additional items. They will still leave with just acouple of items, or none at all!

making the work harder to keep up with—and making fewpurchases to show forit. Most of us only make minimum wageasitis.

traveling forlong distances, standing in line fortoo long, and folding it up to put in acar

spatulatoevenly spread potatoes, smoothing and patching any holes or thin spots as needed.

6. Brush potato crust evenly with 1tablespoon oil and sprinkleevenly with 1teaspoon salt. Bake potato crust until edges are golden brownand slightly crisp andcenter is lightly golden, 3540 minutes.

7. Whilecrust bakes,heatremaining 1tablespoon oil in a separatemediumskillet over medium.Add onions andcook, stirringfrequently untilvery soft and tender,5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and crumbled feta until evenly combined. Set aside

8. Removeskillet from oven. Sprinkle half of thefeta (about ½ cup)inaneven layer over bottom of potato crust. Topevenly with spinach mixture followed by remaining halfoffeta.

9. Whisk together eggs, cream, dill, mint and remaining 1½ teaspoonssalt in alarge bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Pour eggmixture over filling in skillet, spreading into an even layer,ifneeded

10. Carefully transfer to oven using kitchen mitts. Bake until filling is set anda paring knife inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes, loosely covering edges with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning if needed.

11. Let cool slightly on awire rack before serving, about 20 minutes. Serve garnished with more dill andmint,ifdesired.

—think fresh mushrooms,bell peppers, zucchini or fresh or sun-dried tomatoes. Looking to be even more creative? Youalso can play around with the herbsand spices, addingmore or less, changing them up orleavingthemout altogether,savefor thesalt.Myhusband, for instance, was not afan of the fresh dill Iaddedtothe filling. Or as he put it, “What was that?” Leftoverscan be reheated, covered in foil,untilwarm in a 350 Foven. Youalso can reheat quiche pieces in askillet or air fryer

There aren’tnearly enough racks in the dressing room to rehang all the items that are deposited withme. We are abusy store and it’s impossible to keep up withthis frenzy Iwish Icould get thestoremanagers to reduce thelimit of items allowed in the dressing room, but that’snot going to happen, so I’m appealing to you women here: Rein in thefree-for-all try-ons. Youaren’tcreating jobs, just

Gentlereader: Carrying out apolicy that makes your workday harder is one of the joys of working forothers —particularly when the policy is either so poorly thought out or so poorly implemented that it cannot achieve its objectives. But unilaterally implementing one’sown policy will result in looking for a new job. And so the options are: carrying out the objectionable policy,convincing the boss to see the erroroftheir ways, or finding away to implement the boss’s policy that does work. The latter may be the mostchallenging, but will open up possibilities for an even better fourth option:findingamore agreeable job, either by expanding your experience or by proving your worth in your currentposition.

Dear Miss Manners: Iknow several people whouse walkers, and I see someofthe devices’ limitations. It can be hard navigating tall curbs, walking over rocky ground, maneuvering through tight spaces, walking downhill,

Every so often, Isee someone using awalker that seemsreally well designed forvarious terrains or different uses. Isometimes stop and ask them about it where they got it, if it works well, what they think of it, etc. Everyone Ihave talked to has been receptive and informative. But now Iwonder if they were just being polite and Iwas being a pest. What do you think?

Gentle reader: Asking people about their medical devices is technically not, Miss Manners admits, inquiring into someone’smedical condition —which would be a no-no —but it is too nearly that to receive her blessing. She would be slightly morereceptive if you were using asimilar device yourself,orifyou werethe person’s doctor.Orlying prone and in need of assistance.

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite,www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postalmail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

SEAFOOD

Continuedfrom page1D

Peelingfresh shrimpisdefinitely the downside of the adventure, but theeffort pays off with fresh flavors that Gulf shrimp add to a meal. Once theshrimpare peeled, an easy,delicious meal comes together quickly.Inthis dish, the shrimpare coated withherbs and

2cups uncooked dried orzo pasta

2pounds largefresh shrimp (peeled and deveined) or substitute frozen shrimp

2teaspoons garlic powder

2teaspoons dried oregano

2teaspoons dried thyme

1teaspoon of salt

2tablespoon olive oil (divided)

3-4clovesofgarlic (chopped)

1teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1bunch fresh asparagus (cut into small segments)

1pint cherry tomatoes

1lemon (zested and juiced)

¼cup grated Parmesan cheese

Smallbunch of fresh basilleaves or fresh parsley (chopped)

OPTIONAL GARNISH:

¼cup toasted pine nuts

1. In alarge pot, addwater anda dash of salt and bring the water to a boil. Add theorzo to theboiling waterand stir.Boil the pasta for about 8minutes (or according to package directions). Drain the pasta in acolander and setaside in abowl.

2. If using fresh shrimp, start by peeling and deveining theshrimp. Place peeled shrimpinabowl and season the shrimpwith garlic powder, oregano, thyme,salt andpepper

3. Put the olive oil in alarge skillet over low heat. Addthe chopped fresh garlic, stirring frequently until it turnsalight golden color.

sauteed with fresh garlic. Once cooked, shrimp are atasty protein source to add to pasta foraonedish meal full of spring asparagus and bright cherry tomatoes. This recipe forshrimpand asparagus orzo is light and refreshing. It is agreat choice for Louisiana’swarmer weather in May.The lemon zest and parsley topping adds azingy flavor that brings up that flavor profile. Serve this delicious shrimpdish

with awarm, crunchy baguette foramemorable home-cooked meal that can be served in one dish.

Stay tuned formore summer mealsfrom the seafood mart. Does anyone have an alligator recipe worth sharing?

Liz Sullivan Faul is aregistered dietitian nutritionist whoenjoys cookingand sharingmealswith her friends andfamily

*Note: Do not overcook the garlic or it will taste bitter

4. Add the seasoned shrimp to thepan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Spread the shrimpout so they cook evenly in the pan. When the shrimp turn pink on oneside (approximately 2minutes) turn them over.Cook the shrimp until they are completely pink. Remove shrimpfrom the pan and set aside.

5. Add olive oil to

Shrimp and Asparagus Orzo with Lemonand Parmesan

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

PHOTO By LIZ FAUL

PHOTO By LIZ FAUL

Buy fresh shrimp, crabs and fish right from the dock at the WestwegoShrimp Lot.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Cut to the chase and make things happen. Say what's on your mind and offer alternatives while addressing concerns and implementing incentives. Choose peace over discord.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Open your eyes, and your vision will capture new possibilities and opportunities. Don't wait for things to come to you; engage in activities that will lead to positive alternatives.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Emotions will skyrocket, leaving you wondering what to do next. When in doubt, your best choice is to sit back and observe. A happy attitude will help you gain control and influence others.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) All you need to do is show up prepared and let your charisma do the rest. Engage in conversations that offer insight and connections to influential people.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept 22) Take a trip and visit places that ground you. You are overdue for a change, and time alone or with someone who brings out the best in you will help you find your way.

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 23) Get the ball rolling. Join forces with people who share your views and want to make similar changes Let your mind wander, and you'll find the thing that help you start a movement.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) You will benefit if you get out and experience

what's happening in your industry or neighborhood. Pour your energy into a personal transformation that helps you look and feel top-notch.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23-Dec. 21) You are on a roll; don't waste time on trivial matters. Paint a picture with words for someone you want by your side, and it will bring you closer together.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan 19) Bide your time and watch what's happening around you. An undertaking someone mentions at a networking or social event will resonate with you. Take information for future reference.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Entertainment will take your mind off something you may not like. The joy you experience will put you in the proper mindset to rethink what's bothering you.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Keep life simple and affordable Do whatever it takes to lower stress and put your mind at ease. Get rid of emotional baggage and possessions that you no longer have an attachment to or need.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Slow down, listen, observe and consider what others want and how they react. Trust your intuition to give you the input you require to avoid emotional battles.

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

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: H EQUALS D

CeLebrItY CIpher

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

In “Peanuts,” Peppermint Patty struggledgreatlyatschool.Inonecartoon,she cries, “I know the answer! The answer lies within theheart of all mankind!” There is apauseasthe reader moves to thenext panel.

“The answer is 12? Ithink I’m in the wrong building.”

Ifyougodowninacontract,especially onefor 12 tricks that you should have made, youwill probably wish you had chosen to visit adifferent building.

Let’s see if you made agood choice to cometothisbridgegamewhenyoureach sixspades in this deal. AfterWestleads thediamond king, what should you do?

North’sbiddingwasoptimistic,despite the known nine-card-or-better spade fit.

You have at leastone spade loser and apotential loser in hearts. Youmustget lucky in spades, and it looks as though youalso need theheartfinessetowin. However, aquick peek at thediagram showsthatitislosing.Thereisasolution, whichishardtospotifyouhavenotseen thethemebefore.

Thebest play is to ruffa diamond in your hand at trick two. Then cash the spade ace, play aclub to the queen, ruff another diamond, return to dummy with aclub, trump the last diamond, and cash theclubace.Withtheminorseliminated, exit with atrump.

Here, Eastwins and mustplay aheart awayfromthequeen.ButifEasthadthe last club, you would ruff andstill have the heart finesse available.

©2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”

toDAY’s

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

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

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

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

Scrabble

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe

DuStin

Drabble Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

unaffordable, askfor HappyJack® products to treatmane dandruff, yeastinfections, and skin allergies. At TractorSupply® Distributed by Southern Livestock® (www.happyjackinc.com) We BuyHousesfor Cash AS IS!No repairs. No fuss.Any condition. Easy threestepprocess: Call, getcash offer and getpaid. Getyourfair cash offer todaybycallingLiz Buys Houses:1-833-532-3805. Donate your car, truck, boat,RV and more to supportour veterans! Schedule aFAST, FREE vehicle pickup and receivea toptax deduction! Call VeteranCar Donationsat1-844-742-5188 today! Health andWellness MobileHelp,America's Premier Mobile Medical AlertSystem. WhetherYou'reHomeorAway. For Safety and Peaceof Mind No Long Term Contracts! Free Brochure! Call Today! 1-855-411-0949

DENTAL INSURANCEfromPhysicians Mutual InsuranceCompany Coverage for400 plus procedures Real dental insurance- NOTjusta discount plan.Donot wait!Call now! GetyourFREEDental InformationKit with allthe details! 1-855-268-0108 www.dental50plus.com/morning #6258 Home andGarden Eliminateguttercleaningforever! LeafFilter,the most advanced debris-blocking gutterprotection. Schedule aFREELeafFilter estimate today. 20% offEntirePurchase. Plus 10% Senior &MilitaryDiscounts. Call 1-866-846-0785 Home Improvement Replaceyourroofwiththe best looking and longestlasting material…steel from Erie Metal Roofs! Threestyles

installation.Senior& Military DiscountsAvailable. Call Today! 1866-806-5009 Preparefor poweroutages today with aGenerac

or entirelywithState Bonds or financed in whole or in partbyfederal or other fundswhich arenot readily availableatthe timebidsare received the awardofthisCon‐tract is contingent upon the granting of linesof credit, or thesaleof bonds by theBondCom‐mission or theavailabil‐ity of federalorother funds. TheState shall incur no obligationtothe Contractoruntil theCon‐tract Between Ownerand Contractorisfully exe‐cuted Facility Planning and Control is aparticipant in the SmallEntrepreneur‐ship(SE)Program

event, go to www.nola. govand clickon“BRASS SupplierPortal” under “BIDS& CONTRACTS” Once on theSupplierPor‐tal, search “Open Events.” Thank you for yourinter‐i

thehours of 8:00 am and 3:00pm. Monday through Fridayoryou maydown‐loadthe bidpackage at www.bidnetdirect.com/ louisiana/audubonnatu reinstitute. It is theven‐dor’s responsibility to contact BidNet Direct wellinadvance of the bid openingdateifthe bid is submittedelec‐tronicallytoestablish an account that will allow for secure bidding. Bids may notbefaxed or emailed. Bids shallbe submitted in asealeden‐velopemarked“12.5% SodiumHypochloriteand SulfuricAcidfor the Audubon Zoo”.Bidders shall supply one(1) origi‐nal.Bidscan be submit‐ted to thefollowing: Audubon Nature Insti‐tute, Purchasing Depart‐ment, Attn:Denise LeBlanc,6500 Magazine Street,New Orleans, LA 70118, Gate 1. Site visits available upon request bycontactingDenise LeBlanc at dleblanc@aud uboninstitute.org.Bids willbepubliclyopened and read aloudatthe place andtimethatthe bidsare to be received Bidsand amendments to bidsreceivedafter the day andtimespecified abovewillberejectedby h d b i

School Food &Nutrition Servicesisfunded 51% withFederal fundsfor a total of approximately $9,226,139.62. 139114-may1-8-2t $511.26

/nolalibrary @nolalibrary

MainLibrary

219 Loyola Avenue (504) 596-2570

Algiers Regional Library

3014 Holiday Drive (504) 596-2641

Alvar Library 913 Alvar Street (504) 596-2667

Central City Library

2020 Jackson Avenue,Suite139 (504) 596-3110

Children’s Resource Center Library 913 NapoleonAvenue (504) 596-2628

Desire/Florida Satellite Location 3250 Industry Street

East New Orleans Regional Library 5641 Read Boulevard (504) 596-0200

Cita Dennis Hubbell Library 725 Pelican Avenue (504) 596-3113

Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center

4300 South Broad Avenue (504) 596-2660

Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Library 1611 Fats Domino Avenue (504) 596-2695

Milton H. Latter Memorial Library 5120 Saint Charles Avenue (504) 596-2625

Norman Mayer Library

3001 Gentilly Boulevard (504) 596-3100

Mid-City Library 4140 Canal Street (504) 596-2654

Nora Navra Library 1902 Saint BernardAvenue (504) 596-3118

Nix Library 1401 South Carrollton Avenue (504) 596-2630

REACH Center

2022 St.Bernard Avenue,Building C (504) 256-6983

Robert E. Smith Library 6301 Canal Boulevard (504) 596-2638

EARLY LITERACY EVENTS

BABY STORYTIME*

Bond with your baby through books, bouncy rhymes, and songs in this baby storytime that introducesearly literacy skills and encourageslanguage development. This program is designed for newborns to pre-walkers.

Mondays from10:30am –11:30am

Alvar Library Nix Library

STORYTIME

Read, sing, talk, write,and play together in aformatdesignedfor children from birthto5 years old and theircaregivers.

Tuesdays

from10:30am –11:30am

Algiers Regional Library

MiltonH.Latter Memorial Library

Main Library

NormanMayer Library

Robert E. SmithLibrary

Wednesdays from10:30am –11:30am

Alvar Library

Central City Library

Children’sResource CenterLibrary Nix Library

Thursdays from10:30am –11:30am

CitaDennis Hubbell Library

Rosa F. Keller Library &CommunityCenter

Dr.Martin Luther King,Jr. Library

Mid-City Library

EVENING STORYTIME

For children from birth to 5years old and their caregivers.

Tuesdays from 5pm –6pm East New Orleans Regional Library Thursdays from 5pm –6pm Nora Navra Library

PLAYTIME AT THELIBRARY*

Imagine and play with Library-provided toys, dress-up clothes, puppets,and more.For children ages 2–5and their families.

This month’sthemes include

·Let’sPlay Farm

·Let’sPlay Café

·Let’sPlay with Puppets

·Let’s Play Barber Shopand BeautySalon

·Let’sPlay Market

·Let’sPlay Camping

·Let’sPlay Movie Theater and more!

Visit nolalibrary.co/ playtimeorscan the QR code to gettimes and locations

BINGO:PRESCHOOL EDITION

THEALPHABET&BEGINNINGSOUNDS*

Playafun and interactivegameof beginner’s BINGO to build children’s early literacy skills and get ready to read. This earlylearning programencourages children to develop and enhance their early literacy skills such as phonological awareness, print awareness, letter knowledge,print motivation, and vocabulary. For children ages 2-5and their families.

Tuesdays in May from 10:30am–11:30am

Cita Dennis Hubbell Library

JOURNEYTOOUTER SPACE: AN EARLYLITERACYADVENTURE*

Practice developing early literacy skills with crafts, hands-on activities, and snacks. Afun, space-themed program for children ages 2-5and their families.

Friday,May 9 from 10:30am–11:30am

Rosa F. Keller Library &Community Center

BLUE HOUSE MUSIC

CONNECTINGMUSIC &EARLY LITERACY*

Explorenatural connections between language and music through singing and storytelling during this music and early literacy workshop.Blue House Music is aprogramfor caregivers and children ages birth -5years old that encourages healthy development throughmeaningful experiences.

Saturday,May 24 from 10:30am–11:30am

Robert E. Smith Library

DIYSTORYTIME

Practice reading and playing together at your own pace.This do-it-yourself early literacy programincludes themed books, props, and activitiesfor youtocreatea unique storytime experience with your baby,toddler,orpreschooler

Visit nolalibrary.co/early-lit for times and locations.

CHILDREN’S EVENTS

MARTES EN MID-CITY CONLAFAMILIA/ FAMILYFUN NIGHT*

Hang out time for Spanish-speaking/bilingual families withfree activities, snacks, andbooks. Tiempo para pasarjuntosen familia. Actividadesgratuitas que incluyen merienda ylibros de regalo.Inpartnership withthe Stone Center for Latin American Studies at Tulane University.

Register at nolalibrary.co/martes to help us plan supplies.

Tuesday,May 13

from 5:30pm –6:30pm Mid-City Library

DOGGIE DAY*

Louisiana SPCAdogsorpuppies are headed to the Library. Kids and families can meet these furry visitors and craft toys to go back with themtothe shelter

Saturday,May 17 from 2pm –3:30pm

Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Library

STEAMCLUB

Experiment, create, or craft at this hands-on STEAM event forchildren ages 6–12.

This month’s activities include

•Bird Feeders

TEEN

EVENTS

TEEN DROP-IN*

Hang out, play games, make art, learn anew hobby,or explore newtech at this program for teens ages 11 -18.

Thismonth’sactivities include: ·Beeswax candle making ·Paper flowers ·Draw your own comics

Visit nolalibrary.co/teen-dropin for times and locations.

TEEN VOLUNTEERDAY

Serve your community,be creative,socialize,and earn service-learning hours. Teen Volunteer Day is open to teens ages 14 -18. Registration is required.

TEEN KITCHEN THROWDOWN: TEEN PASTRY CLASS

•Art Smarts –ChristianRobinson Maps

•Mother’sDay Frame Decoration

•Art Smarts –Geometry Art

Visit nolalibrary.co/STEAM for times and locations.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

Visitany Librarylocation to getafree comicand check outour collection of graphic novelsand man Plus,enter ourraffletow aselectionofnew graphic novelsand more.

Saturday,May 3

CUPCAKEDECORATINGWITH DELGADOCULINARYARTS*

Come ready to create and snack. Teen Kitchen Throwdown is amonthly program where Delgado Culinary Arts Department chefs share their knowledge on snack and dessert creation and career exploration intoculinary arts. Teens will leave each program with new skills and their delicious work. This program is for teen patrons ages11-18.

Saturday,May 3 from 11am–12pm Algiers Regional Library

Visit nolalibrary.co/ teen-volunteer-day or scan the QR code to get timesand locations.

ADULT EVENTS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS(ELL)

PRACTICE ENGLISH CONVERSATION IN ARELAXED, FUN WAY

This classmeets in-person, is free of charge,and is led by our partners from The New NeighborProject. Feel free to bring your lunch. Formoreinformation, visit thenewneighborproject.org,email thenewneighborproject@gmail.com,or call 504-475-4658.

Thursdays from 1pm –2pm Main Library

THIS IS NEWORLEANS: STORIESOFTRUTH AND HOPE

Documentary Screening and Q&A Ascreening of This is New Orleans: Stories of Truth and Hope,along witha Q&A sessionabout the causes of gun violence and itsimpact.Visit the lobby for agun safe giveaway between 5pm –6:30pm.

Thursday,May 1 from 5:30pm –6:30pm Algiers Regional Library

FICTION NIGHT AT LATTER LIBRARY

Readings from Renewed*

SHRED DAYWITHAARP

Combat identity theft &fraud by shredding your documents on Shred Day. Bring up to three boxesorbags of documentstobeshreddedonsite by aprofessional shred company.Let’s fight fraud together.Suggesteditems include bank statements, canceled checks, credit card junk mail, and receipts with sensitive information. For those driving through, please enter the parking lot at the Lake Forest entrance

Saturday,May 3

from 10:30am –12:30pm East New Orleans Regional Library

WANT TO WORK FORTHE CITY OF NEWORLEANS?

LEARNHOW TO APPLY

Makeadifference in your community by working for your citygovernment. Learn howtoapply to over25agencies, including Recreation, Police,Fire,the Library,and Emergency Medical Services. TheCityofNew Orleans provides benefits which include healthcare,paid leave,and pensions. This event does not require that you bring your own technology.However,you are welcome to bring your laptop,tablet, or whichever deviceworksfor you.

Tuesday,May 13

from 4pm –6pm Rosa F. Keller Library &Community Center

Celebrate National Short Story Month with readings from local writerspublished in the New Orleans Public Library’sown anthology,“Renewed.” Attendees will receive onefree copy of theanthology.

Thursday,May 1 from 5:30pm–6:30pm Milton H. Latter Memorial Library

AUTHOR NIGHT AT HUBBELL LIBRARY: MARC LANDRY

MOUNTAIN BATTERY

19th century dam-building transformed Alpine water into “white coal,”a fossil fuel alternative that served as Europe’s “battery” and has nowreemerged in the ageofglobal warming and green energy.

Tuesday,May 13 from 6:30pm –7:30pm

Cita Dennis Hubbell Library

GARDENING

IN

SMALLSPACES

WITH MASTER GARDENER DOVBLOCK

Gardening in asmallspace can be beautiful and productive.Learn how to get the most out of small spaces by utilizing creative containers, successive cropping, and dwarfed varieties

Wednesday,May 14 from 5:30pm -6:30pm East New Orleans Regional Library

VIRTUALAUTHORTALK: RACHELLEBERGSTEINHOWJUDYBLUME REWROTE CHILDHOOD FORALL OF US

In an online author talk, bestselling author Rachelle Bergsteindiscusses hernewestbook, “The Genius of Judy.” Register to receive thelink to join and submit questions.

Wednesday,May 21 from 1:00pm -2:00pm

SELF-PUBLISHINGWORKSHOP WITH PAPERMACHINE

Want to design and publish your own book? This workshop coversthe steps to self-publish your project, including text and image sequence,book layout, and cover design.

Monday, May12 from 4:30pm–6:30pm East NewOrleans RegionalLibrary

KARINSLAUGHTER AND RAMÓNRODRÍGUEZ

INTERVIEWWATCH PARTY ANDBOOK GIVEAWAY

Watch arecorded interview between KarinSlaughter,author of the Will Trent book series, and Ramón Rodríguez, star of the TV series. Limited free copies of Slaughter’snew book will be available

Wednesday,May 28 from 5:30pm –6:30pm Nora NavraLibrary

Indie Author Project

Annual Contest

Elevateyourcareer and writinggoals, powered by thelibrary community. Alongwiththe accolade of theawardand itsperks, being recognized by librarianscreatescredibility and visibility forindieauthors, setting them apart in a growing marketplaceof digital contentand indie-published books.

Get information and enter thecontest at nolalibrary.co/writers.

JAZZ FEST WEEK 2 page 10

NIGHTMOVES:Atthe clubswithKeith Spera page 6 pages16-19

DRESSfor theFEST: Howajazzy clothingline came to be page 14

don’tmiss don’tmiss don’t miss

bigbooksale

The three-day sale at thePontchartrain Center in Kenner benefits the Jefferson Parish Library System.More than 65,000 new and used books,puzzles, DVDs, records(yes, records) and more will be on sale plus special items will be up forauction. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5p.m. Sunday.friendsofjeffersonlibrary.org.

LAGNIAPPE STAFF

The Lagniappe section is published each Thursdayby The Times-Picayune |The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.

LAGNIAPPE EDI-

TOR: Annette Sisco, asisco@theadvocate. com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Julie Guilbeau, Ian McNulty,Keith Spera

GETLISTEDIN

LAGNIAPPE

Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THECOVER

Lady Nelly Oyster Farm’s off bottom cultivated oysters on the half shallwith satsuma mignonette is among the new offerings at the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival. Photo by Ian McNulty.Read McNulty’s food rundown for week 2on Page 10.

louisianafood truckfestival

Culinary creativityrolls into the HarborCenter in Slidell from 11 a.m. to 6p.m.Saturday withmore than 25 food trucks offering everything from tacos to barbecue andcrab cakes to giant pretzels. There are also crafts and art vendors,livemusic and akidszone. Admission is free. 100 Harbor Center Blvd. harborcenter.org.

St.Charles Borromeo Church and School in theRiver Parishes will have live performances, games,festival foods,pageants, amusement park rides at 6p.m. Friday and11a.m. Saturday and Sunday. 13396 River Road, Destrehan. scblittleredchurch.org.

From tuxestotrunks, Audubon Zoo has afull weekend of delights. Friday at 8p.m. is the annual black tie-cocktail affair thatraises funds for the zoo, this year welcoming back the zebras. The evening includes live entertainment, food and beverages from New Orleans eateries, silent auctions and plenty of poshpartying. Tickets start at $195. And every weekend in May,things get wet and wild during regular hours at the waterpark thatincludes the Gator Run lazy river,alligator waterslide, sandy beaches, soakers, sprayers and even some giant cobras, justfor fun. Tickets start at $38. audubonnatureinstitute.org.

The seafood potato at PeeWee’s Crabcakes food truck is stuffed withcrawfish tails and topped with fried fish and a crabcake.

don’tmiss don’tmiss don’t miss

‘starwars’ day

Darth Wader?Fluke Skywalker? The Audubon Aquarium celebrates theiconic sci-fi series with May the4th Be With Youand two daysoffun and adventures. Expect lightsaber battles in the Great MayaReef andget aphoto withone of the characters. Soar into thefun —in costume —from 10 a.m. to 5p.m Saturday and Sunday at thefoot of Canal Street. Ticketsstart at $35.audubonnatureinstitute.org.

lpohappy hour

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra hosts afundraising performance at 6p.m. Tuesday (GiveNOLA Day) at The Broadside withmusic featuring the string quartet, horn section, students from the symphony’sacademy and the rock band Derfunk. Tickets support the orchestra’s work locally and statewide and start at $20 at 600 N. Broad St. lpomusic.com.

stages stages stages

Rashif Ali, Tenea Intriago, Steve Zissis and Helena Wang bring the worldofadvice columnist ‘Dear Sugar’ to life May8inthe Crescent City Stage production of ‘TinyBeautiful Things’ at Loyola University’s Marquette Theater.

ä Forshows in production, visit nola.com.

GOODADVICE

Abit of Sugarand atouch of Shakespeare flavor thetheatricalofferings of two local troupes as apair of shows prepare to open Uptown and in Kenner, with laughs, tearsand abit of music as well.

Allsweetness andlight

An anonymous online advice columnisthe rootmaterial for Crescent City Stage’snext

production, afour-person show about “Tiny BeautifulThings.”

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s book of the sametitle, about“advice on love and life from Dear Sugar,” the play was penned by Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”),Thomas Kail (“Hamilton” director) and Marshall Heyman.

“In atime of collective uncertainty,when so manyare search-

ing for connection and clarity,this play reminds us of our shared humanity,”said Michael A. Newcomer,director of the production and co-founder of the local professional acting company.“It reminds us that even in our mostbroken moments, we’re not alone —and that truth, shared bravely,can be transformative.”

Tenea Intriago plays Sugar,

whooffers “fearless, compassionate replies” to ahost of letter writers, portrayed on stage by Steve Zissis, Helena Wang and Rashif Ali.

The show is May 8-25, at 7:30 p.m.Thursdays through Saturdays and 2:30 p.m.Sundays, at Marquette Theater at Loyola University,6363 St. Charles Ave. Tickets start at $10. Visit crescentcitystage.com.

Victor Andrews

PROVIDED PHOTO

By CRAIG MULCAHy

stages stages stages

Bottoms up on stage

Do a pair of brother playwrights stand a chance against the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon when he’s at the peak of his Renaissance popularity?

Find out May 9-25 when “Something Rotten” brings 1500s London to Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts in Kenner

The Tony-nominated musical comedy about the brothers and their quest for theatrical success features Marc Fouchi and Cody Elsensohn as Nick and Nigel Bottom, who decide to go against Jake Wynne-Wilson as William Shakespeare. Their weapon? A musical. Joining in the fun are Kelly Fouchi (as Bea Bottom and director), with Victoria Clement, Andrew Antoine,

Ken Goode, Ricky Graham, Kyle Daigrepont, Bryce Clocumb and Jill Kenyon, Carrie Daigle, Anna Birbiglia, Camille Von Hoven, Candice Moses, Nina Ballon, Emma St. Cyr, Arianna D’Antonio, Juan Williams, Garrin Mesa, Brandon Garza, Cade Garafola, Arthur Rusnak, Scott Sauber, Nate Constantini, Malik Mingo, Max Hebert, Michael Brown, Ryan Kelly and Andrew Eastland. Katelin Zelon is choreographer and Elise Harvey Spurlock is musical director

Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus May 22, and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets start at $41 for the show at 325 Minor St. Visit rivertowntheaters.com.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@theadvocate. com.

‘Something Rotten’ is brewing at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, the musical comedy about two playwright brothers striving for success in the shadow of William Shakespeare. Taking roles are, from left, Victoria Ventura, Cody Elsensohn, Arthur Rusnak, Carrie Daigle Bach, Jake Wynne-Wilson, Brandon Garza, Marc Fouchi and Jill Marie Kenyon.

PROVIDED PHOTO

SPECIAL EXHIBIT

NOWOPEN

DISCOVER THE ONLY WWII CAMPAIGN FOUGHT ON NORTH AMERICAN SOIL

This newexhibit examines the often-overlooked Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands in Alaskaand the subsequent efforts to repulse the only seizureofNorth American soil that occurred during World WarII.

jazzfest jazz fest jazz fest

AFTERDARK

Forthe second weekendofthe NewOrleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, localnightclubsand theaters areas jam-packed with shows— some starting as late as 2a.m.— as they were forthe festival’s firstweekend.

THURSDAY

Keyboardist JonCleary&the Absolute Monster Gentlemen just droppedan excellentnew album called“The Bywater Sessions”; the vinyl edition, especially,showcases Cleary’s nimble New Orleans-stylepianoruns and the band’sequally nimble grooves. Cleary and company will likely play cuts from “The Bywater Sessions” on Thursday at Chickie WahWah at 8p.m. Tickets start at $40 That’sjust the start of the night at Chickie WahWah. At 10:30 p.m., the contemporary Cajun ensemble the Lost Bayou Ramblers holds court($35). And then around 1a.m., guitarist Papa Mali’sShantytown Underground puts aNew Orleans spin on classic Jamaican reggae, rocksteady and ska ($25).

Pianist Marcia Ball and guitarist Cedric Burnside eachdofullsets with their respective bands for adouble-header at theoutdoor Broadside starting at 8p.m. Thursday ($35 plus fees).Americana singer-songwriter Dave Jordan

&the N.I.A then playat10p.m. at theBroadside’sindoor Pavilion ($20 plus fees).

Marcia Ball

Canadian-born jazztrumpeter andvocalist Bria Skonberg joinsforces with vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa and an all-star New Orleansband Grayson Brockamp on bass, Rex Gregory on saxophone and clarinet, Herlin Riley on drums, Oscar Rossignoli on piano and StephenWalker on trombone —for two shows at Snug Harbor JazzBistro. On Jazz Festweekends, Snug Harbor bumps back show starting times to 9p.m. and 11 p.m. Tickets for theSkonberg/Cavassashows are $45.

ChubbyCarrier and Nathan &the Zydeco Cha-chas team up for adouble Zydeco NightatRock ’N’ Bowl ($20).

LCD Soundsystem is back at the Saenger Theatre for its second night (which, like thefirst,will likely be sold out).

Singer-songwriters Julien Baker and TORRES (aka Mackenzie Scott) joined forces on thecountry-flavored album “SendA Prayer My Way.” They bring the affiliated tour to Tipitina’sonThursday with Big Benny Bailey opening. Tickets, if still available, are $35.

Theroster for “A Dream We Dreamed: ANew OrleansTribute to PhilLesh” at the Joy Theater includes Vinnie Amico,Duane Betts, Nicki Bluhm, Rob Derhak, Jennifer Hartswick, Eric Krasno, Ross James, JayLane,Aaron Magner, Ivan Neville, GeorgePorter Jr., Karina Rykman and Al Schneir. Tickets are $62 plus fees.

Experience Daniel Donato’s Cosmic NOLA at the Civic Theatre ($32.50 and up).

For thethird consecut year,the Cuban funk/R bandleader Cimafunk host his “Cimafest” th down during Jazz F on Friday at the Civic Theatre. In addition mafunk’sown high-energy band, thebill includes Tribu and “sacred steel” tarist RobertRandolph ets are $55 plus fees.

FRIDAY

Since 2014, KarlDenson has played saxophone withthe Rolling Stones. He was afan of the Stones’ late great sax legend Bobby Keys long before that. On Friday at the Orpheum Theater,Denson and his band Tiny Universe host “Exile on

The jazz-funk jam band Lettuce grooves at the OrpheumTheater ($39 andup).

Bourbon Street II: The Bobby Keys Cuts,” which will showcase Stones songs that originally featured Keys’ saxophone. Joining Denson at the show are two fellow Stones sidemen —keyboardist Chuck Leavell and vocalist Bernard Fowler —plus Ivan Neville and Jackie Greene.The Soul Rebels with Cory Henry open the show at 9p.m. Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees.

NewOrleans modern jazz trumpeter and prolific composer Terence Blanchard &E-Collective will be joined by special guest MichaelMayo foran 8p.m. show at Chickie WahWah ($45).

Continuing on the jazz theme, Chickie WahWah presents the Ravi Coltrane Group with drummer Jeff “Tain”Watts and other special guests at 10:30 p.m.($45 and up). Finally, Ghost-Note,afuture-funk ensemble

Keith Spera SOUND CHECK

Karl Denson

Cimafunk

anchored by Snarky Puppy percussionists Robert“Sput” Searight and Nate Werth,caps off the nightatChickie WahWah starting at 1a.m.($35).

Drummer and vibraphonist Jason Marsalis presentsaprogram of rare works by his late father,pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., in collaboration withpianist Victor Atkins at 9p.m. and 11 p.m. at Snug Harbor ($55).

Southwest Louisianaslide guitar wizard SonnyLandreth shares abill with trombone-powered rock-funk band Bonerama at Rock ’N’ Bowl ($25).

Guitarists Luther Dickinson and JD Simo plus drummer Adam Abrashoff team up with Jesse Dayton at the outdoor Broadside at 8p.m. Afterward,guitarist GhaliaVolt plays an after-partyatthe Broadside’sindoor Pavilion starting at 11 p.m. ($10 plus fees)

Phish bassist MikeGordon conjures “entirely new dimensions of kaleidoscopic music” at the Joy Theater with opening act Karina Rykman.Tickets are$44.50 plus fees.

Galactic plays asold-out showat Tipitina’s, the legendary New Orleans music venue the bandmembers have ownedsince late 2018, at 9p.m.Much later on Friday, Neal Francis hits the Tip’sstage for show starting at 2a.m. Tickets for Francis, if they haven’t sold out, are $44.50.

Drummer JoeRusso’sAlmost Dead tribute to the Grateful Dead kicks offtwo consecutive nights at theFillmore ($75 and up).

SATURDAY

New Orleans-based Americanaguitarist, singer and songwriter Anders Osborne hosts his own BirthdayBash

Blues-based southLouisiana guitar shredder TabBenoit plugs in Friday at the House of Blues as part of the tour for his mostrecent album, “I Hear Thunder.” The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is also on thebill ($42.50 and up).

at theCivic Theatre. Special guests include Dave Malone, Jackie Greene, Jennifer Hartswick,Theresa Andersson, Brad Walker,Eric McFadden and Hans Williams.Additionally,the all-star quartet Dragon Smoke, featuring Ivan Neville,Eric Lindell and Galactic’s Stanton Moore and Rob Mercurio,is on thebill. Tickets are $45 plus fees.

Saturday at the Joy Theater, the all-star jam dubbed Crescent City Classics features George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, Ivan Neville, Eric Krasno,Tony Hall, IanNeville,Adam Deitch,Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, Ryan Zoidis, Eric “Benny” Bloom,Deven Trusclair,AlexWasily,Anjelika “Jelly” Joseph, Brad Walker,Andriu Yanovski and River Eckert.Tickets startat$40.

Anjelika ‘Jelly’ Joseph

Less than 20 hours after finishinga very late-night Friday show at Tipitina’s, Neal Francis returns to Tip’s for asold-out show in themuch earlier 9p.m. time slot.The late-night

ä See SOUND CHECK, page 8

Tab Benoit

jazzfest jazz fest jazz fest

AFTERDARK

SOUND CHECK

Continued from page7

Saturday slot at Tip’sisfilled by Fiya Powa,made up of members of Galactic and Dumpstaphunk;theyhit at 2a.m. ($32.50).

New Orleans keyboardist and singer DavellCrawford draws on oldschool rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz andother genres to createhis sound. He’ll be at Snug Harbor at 9p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturday ($45)

The Honey Island Swamp Band’s “Dark Side of the Swamp” showcases the music of Pink Floyd at theoutdoor Broadside at 8p.m. ($25).

Son Rompe Pera hails from Naucalpan on the outskirts of Mexico City and generates “punk cumbia,” which in turn often creates a“marimba mosh pit.” Experience Son Rompe Pera at the Broadside’sindoor Pavilion startingat11:30 p.m. ($25plus fees).

Cajun-pop-country fiddler and singer Amanda Shaw opens for Cowboy Mouth at Rock ’N’ Bowl ($30).

Eddie 9V doesseparate shows at 8p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at Chickie Wah Wah($20). Dogs In aPile then finishes off thenight with a1a.m. show ($20).

JoeRusso’sAlmost Dead is backatthe Fillmore for Night 2.

Wilco visits the Saenger Theatre for asold-out show with Waxahatchee

Welsh legend TomJones has delivered potent sets at Jazz Fest in recent years. This timearound, he won’tbe at the Fair Grounds. Instead, he headlines the Saenger Theatre on Jazz Fest’sfinal night Sunday.Tickets start at $87.50 plusfees.

SUNDAY

From 10 a.m. to noon, singer-songwriter Andrew Duhon hostsa scaleddown version of his “BreakFest” brunch eventatthe Broadside’s indoor Pavilion ($20 and fees).

LateronSunday,Galactic drummer Stanton Moore’s “Festival Finale” at theBroadside startsoff with the Soul BrassBand at 7:30 p.m. on the main outdoor stage, followed at 9p.m.bythe Stanton Moore Trio featuring RobertWalter and Will Bernard.The eventconcludes with an 11 p.m. set at the Broadside’s indoor Pavilion with the Frequinauts featuring Stanton Moore,DonaldHarrison Jr., RobertWalter,Rob Mercurio and Will Bernard.Tickets are $40 for thewhole night or $25 just for the11p.m. set.

SouthwestLouisianasingersongwriter ZacharyRichard doesn’t tournearly as much as he once did. Experience his songs and storytellingupclose at Chickie WahWah,

starting at 8p.m. ($69 and up).

FollowingRichard at Chickie Wah Wah, guitarist Papa Mali celebrates his birthday by playing atribute to David Lindley with Wally Ingram,Alvin Youngblood Hart, Mahmoud Chouki, Dave Easley,the Revivalists’ Ed Williams and other special guestsat10:30 p.m. ($35).

New Orleansdrum master Herlin Riley is joined by powerhouse vocalist

TonyaBoyd-Cannon at Snug Harbor at 9p.m. and 11 p.m.($60).

Roadhouse country singer Dale Watson &His LoneStars team up with Dash Rip Rock at Rock ’N’Bowl ($22).

On the final night of Jazz Fest, jazz-fusion pianist and arranger RobertGlasper orchestrates ashow called, appropriately,The Last Night at the Joy Theater.Tickets start at $39.50. Dumpstaphunk with special guest Cory

Zachary

Richard

Tom Jones

Dumpstaphunk

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

Henry closes down the jampacked Jazz Fest season at Tipitina’s. The Rumble featuring Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux opens the show at 9 p.m. ($35) Remi Wolf brings her The Big Ideas Tour to the Orpheum Theater, with opening act Dana & Alden Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees.

MONDAY

Wind down from the second weekend of Jazz Fest at Chickie Wah Wah as keyboardist Ed Volker and guitarist Dave Malone of the Radiators are backed by Joe Cabral on horns, Michael Skinkus on percussion and Rene Coman on bass ($45).

Snug Harbor reverts to its usual 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. start times for Charmaine Neville ($30).

TUESDAY

Shinedown brings its “Dance, Kid, Dance Tour” to the Smoothie King Center, topping a guitar-centric bill that also features Beartooth and Morgan Wade. Only the arena’s floor, which is standing-room-only general admission, and lower bowl, which is reserved seating, will be open for this show Tickets start at $55 plus fees. Hear Ashlin Parker and Trumpet Mafia at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($25).

WEDNESDAY

Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra swing out at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ($45).

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

Shinedown

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

SLEEPER HITS

Theseoptions have allofthe flavor, less of thehype

INSIDE

ä Week 2 music cubes. Pages16-19

ä Jazz Fest style began by accident but became amajor mainstay. Page 14

Ian McNulty

Some dishesrock theNew OrleansJazz &Heritage Festival food world like main stage headliners. Othersare morelike that delightful, lesser-known act that got the nodfor the Lagniappe Stage andturnedintoyour own fest highlight.

Consider these when you wantsomethinga little different, or don’twant to wadeinto the cochon de lait po-boyline.

ä See SLEEPER, page 12

ABOVE: Indian tacos are made with frybread topped withbeef,salsa and cheese at the United HoumaNation stand at the NewOrleans Jazz& HeritageFestival LEFT: The chocolate eclair from Angelo’sBakeryisa cool, indulgent dessert.

Abuttery, pepper saucecovers the barbecue oysters fromthe TCA Brocato booth.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By

IAN McNULTy

and

BY IANMCNULTY Staff writer

The menu at the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival is vast and varied, withmore than200 food items this year from 60 vendors. Many of them are familiar to Jazz Fest fans, and some are household names (at least in food-obsessed New Orleans households).

ä See NEW, page 12

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy Sweet heat cauliflower is the centerpiece of acombo plate with vegangreens

sweet potatoes from Sweet SoulFood

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

SLEEPER

Continued from page 10

BBQ OYSTERS

Food Area 1

This is a newer dish (since 2023) from a newer vendor, Brocato’s Kitchen (no relation to the famous local gelato parlor). It’s a riff on the classic New Orleans BBQ shrimp sauce — buttery and speckled with black pepper, like a gravy with bite (not barbecued in any way). The lemon wedge served with it adds a welcome burst of acid cutting into the richness. Served on slices of Leidenheimer po-boy bread, it works like cocktail party hors d’oeuvres for the giant outdoor party that is Jazz Fest.

INDIAN TACOS

Louisiana Folklife Village

The traditional fry bread presented here by southeast Louisiana’s Indigenous United Houma Nation is turned into a hearty, offbeat dish. The crunchy, golden-fried disc of dough is topped with seasoned beef, chunky salsa, cool lettuce and shredded cheese for a homey, filling serving

YAKINIKU

PO-BOY

Food Area 2

This Japanese-style po-boy is like a marriage of a banh mi and a cheesesteak. The bits and strands of meat give a delicious jus, cucumber and carrots add crunch and an (optional) overlay of chunky garlic chile sauce brings the heat. The Vietnamese-style French loaf holds it all together and completes this multicultural mashup.

The yakiniku po-boy with garlic rib-eye is part of the menu at food vendor Ajun Cajun at Jazz Fest.

CRAWFISH BISQUE

Heritage Square

Don’t think lobster bisque. The tradition is different in Louisiana, and this dish, from the Creole soul masters at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, is a standard-bearer. The deep crawfish stock flavor in the

body of the bisque and crawfish heads individually hand-stuffed with seafood dressing embodies a labor of food love.

PECAN CATFISH MEUNIÈRE WITH SEAFOOD MIRLITON CASSEROLE

Food Area I

Swap the paper plate for dinnerware and this combo would fit in at a nice restaurant. The grilled fish is light, the thick-as-honey meunière is rich and the humble mirliton rises to the occasion as a spicy, crawfish-studded casserole.

CHOCOLATE ÈCLAIR

Between Gentilly Stage and Louisiana Folklife Village

If you love chocolate, this dessert or snack (or however you justify it) is a thing of beauty. Served chilled, the crisp pastry shell yields a mother lode of mellow dark chocolate filling. If pastry could talk, this one would be saying cheers to another great Jazz Fest.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.

FOOD

Continued from page 11

But new additions do come along, whether new dishes from established vendors or new vendors debuting at the fest.

Here’s the early look at what’s new for 2025. One of my first orders of business each Jazz Fest is trying out all that’s new, so check back for that report.

New food options

CREOLE SOUL

Cafe Dauphine | Food Area 1

What started as a restaurant in the Holy Cross neighborhood has become a familiar presence at other festivals and this year makes its Jazz Fest debut with fried stuffed bell peppers and shrimp and crawfish egg rolls.

VEGAN SOUL

Sweet SoulFood | Food Area 2

A restaurant just around the corner from the festival grounds

STAFF FILE PHOTOS By IAN MCNULTy

Stuffed crawfish heads bob in the crawfish bisque from Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe at Jazz Fest.

Pecan catfish meunière with mirliton casserole at Jazz Fest.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

An oyster shell recycling bin is ready to send shells back to the coast at the Lady Nellie Oysters stand at Jazz Fest for 2025.

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

gets its first booth, bringing staples from its menu including sweet heat cauliflower, sweet potatoes, collard greens and cornbread.

REFINED LOUISIANA OYSTERS

Lady Nellie Oyster Farm | Heritage Square

There’s a new kind of oyster from Louisiana waters, grown in cages, and smaller and more delicate than the more common reef harvested oysters. Lady Nellie is one of the new growers for these, serving them raw on the half shell with a satsuma mignonette.

MEXICAN FLAVOR

Cultural Exchange Pavilion

In addition, there’s a new collaboration at the Cultural Exchange Pavilion from Tempero’s Market Kitchen and local pop-up Ella Tempero’s is the catering and events brand from the family that previously ran the restaurant Carmo (it closed in 2024, though elements of its style live on at their new Nikkei, a tavern kitchen in the Broadside music venue, not far from the Fair Grounds).

This year, they’re serving foods aligned with Jazz Fest’s celebration of Mexican culture. Look for tamales, flautas and ceviche on tostadas, including vegetarian versions of each.

Returning new food vendors

Here are the new dishes from returning vendors for 2025:

n Fried alligator with pepper jelly from Clesi’s Seafood, Food Area 1 (Note: This local seafood restaurant and caterer is expanding its menu after debuting in 2024.)

n Vegan gumbo with smoked mushrooms from Brocato’s Kitchen, Food Area 1

n Chicken Parmesan po-boy from Vucinovich’s Restaurant, Food Area 1 (Note: This is a twist on this longtime restaurant’s paneed chicken po-boy.)

n Blueberry cream cheese pie from Mrs. Wheat’s Foods, Food Area 2

n Passion fruit wings from Fritai, Food Area 2 (Note: This local Haitian restaurant is back after debuting in 2024.)

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.

Friday,May 9, 2025 5:00pm –8:00pm

Fried alligator with pepper jelly is a new dish from Clesi’s Seafood at Jazz Fest in 2025.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

WEAR Y’AT?

At the Fair Grounds, the jazzy BayouWear prints have grown into an unofficial uniform

BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer

Thousands pass through the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival gates each year, and there’s one funky factor that makes it easy to discern the devotees from the newcomers: a printed BayouWear Hawaiian shirt.

Over the past four decades, the buttondowns have become part of the unspoken Jazz Fest dress code, a uniform that’s celebrated by many beyond New Orleans. In fact, the shirt’s story is woven into the fabric of the Crescent City’s biggest music celebration.

Each new festival season brings a brandnew BayouWear print, typically depicting classic festival iconography, like the trumpeting Jazz Fest man or other iconic New Orleans symbols.

Collectors and those looking to get in on the trend eagerly await the newest design. But it’s not just the new releases that festival enthusiasts covet. Many older, rare prints are beloved by BayouWear loyalists.

Even Jazz Fest performers are in on the action. Each year, iconic jazz singer Irma Thomas designs a custom dress with the latest fabric print to wear onstage.

For clothing line owner Bud Brimberg, 74, the reason behind BayouWear’s success has everything to do with the way his garments celebrate the art and culture that define Jazz Fest.

“That’s where it comes from,” he said. “It’s taking a look at the culture, extracting it and

Bud Brimberg, above, wears this year’s offering in the BayouWear tent during the first day, April 24, of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds. The 2025 pattern includes a button, right, that look like the Jazz & Heritage Stage.

abstracting it while being true, colorful and fun.”

From posters to clothing lines

The story of BayouWear begins with a different medium — print posters.

While in his final year at Tulane Law School, then-24-year-old Brimberg enrolled in an entrepreneurship class. As part of his coursework, he was tasked with creating an idea for a business.

Brimberg took it one step further and conceptualized a collectible poster series for the festival. He took it to Quint Davis, the event’s longtime producer, eventually convincing Davis to work with him.

Over 40 years later, the posters are the most collectible print series in the world, with vintage prints selling for hundreds, even thou-

sands, of dollars.

In 1981, six years after the first poster was created, Brimberg was presenting the latest poster, designed by a local artist, to Davis. Davis wasn’t too keen on the mock-up, but one detail stood out.

“He said, ‘Yeah, you know, the poster’s OK. But I love the shirt the guy is wearing,’” Brimberg said. “And silly me, once again, I said, ‘Oh, OK, I’ll make the shirt.’”

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

From there, he took the design to a company in Mississippi to print out his debut cotton shirts. Unfortunately, with little experience in clothing design, Brimberg said he messed up on one key detail — the inks used on the shirts weren’t fixed stable inks, meaning they bled out on wearers.

Despite turning a few first-time customers blue, the shirt became an instant hit.

The design process

These days, the BayouWear design process has been significantly refined. The garments are made of rayon, after cotton became too limiting, and the clothing line sells everything from shirts to skirts, aprons and camisoles.

Dozens of artists have been commissioned to design patterns, often picked for their unique technique or style. Brimberg said when he approaches an artist to design the year’s fabric print, he’ll come with a broad idea — along with photos and sketches of past designs — but ultimately lets

the artist make their mark on the piece.

“They start with an idea. And it might be that we have to go through — same with the poster — three or four before we get to something,” he said. “It’ll shift, and it takes a surprising amount of time to come up with and design.”

It’s easy to see why the process is so labor-intensive. Each BayouWear piece is intricate and must feel tied to the culture of New Orleans or Jazz Fest, from the image down to the specialty buttons, which Brimberg takes special pride in designing himself each year

Baked into every BayouWear print is a small “Easter egg” — a hidden detail ready to be spotted by sharp-eyed customers.

Take, for example, the classic watermelon print released in 2014. On several slices of watermelon, the fruit’s seeds line up to create a fleur-de-lis design. If you look even closer, zooming in on newsprint in the background,

you’ll spot “Bayou Wear,” printed sporadically throughout page excerpts, Brimberg said.

That “artisanal” touch has cemented the brand into the hearts of fans of the festival.

“We put as much content, thought, execution and time in a single image that hopefully captures what others might take 100 images to do,” he said.

This year’s print

The 2025 print, cheekily named “InTents Affair,” is the first time the clothing line has portrayed a bird’seye view of the full festival.

The lively pattern is packed with dozens of bright blue, red and yellow tents, along with strings of triangle flags, festival stages and crowds scattered across the Fair Grounds.

To keep the image from looking like any other fair, Brimberg and artist Marta Rusin added several elements to ensure it oozed Jazz Fest spirit.

On the festival stage, a group of Mardi Gras Indians can be seen per-

forming in feathered outfits. Near one of the large tents, wearers can spot crowds watching as a second line parade marches down the street. Near the flagpole, you can even find an image of the BayouWear tent.

This year’s specialty buttons, which were individually hand-painted, match the stage’s design and even include the band of Mardi Gras Indians.

BayouWear products were once sold only at its Jazz Fest tent smack in the middle of the Fair Grounds, but fans of the brand can now find products online at art4now.com. There, the brand also sells designs from years past, rotating popular patterns in and out every so often.

Though a majority of BayouWear clothing sales now come through the website, according to Brimberg, the company plans to remain a festival mainstay, keeping the cultural thread of Jazz Fest alive.

Email Julia Guilbeau at jguilbeau@ theadvocate.com.

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest

jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest