The Times-Picayune 05-10-2025

FORMER U.S.

Landry taps Hecht forport project

GNOInc.chief would shepherd container terminal, toll road

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

Detailsemerge aboutconclavevote

Gov.Jeff Landry, who tapped economic development expert Michael Hecht to ensureNew Orleans was in top shape forSuper Bowl LIX, is now asking the head of Greater New Orleans Inc. to take on another Herculean task Landry,ina letter to the agency’s board dated April 29, said he wants Hecht to oversee Louisiana’sbiggest infrastructure project: the multibillion-dollar container terminal that the Port of New Orleans is planning to buildinSt. Bernard Parish, as well as the associated toll road that will link itto theinterstate network 10 miles away Anew terminal downriver from theCrescent City Connectionhas long beenconsideredcrucial if New Orleans wants to continue to compete for international container ship business as vessels grow ever larger.Thereisalso a

ä See PROJECT, page 8A

Family of deported 2-year-old girldrops case

BR family was deported in April

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

The father of aLouisiana-born 2-year-old deported to Honduras has dismissed alegal challenge against the Trump administration, citing “the traumatizing experiences the families have been through” since the young girlwas deported withher mother and older sister last month. Family members “are taking a step backtohavefulldiscussions about alltheir options, the safety andwell-beingoftheir children, and the best ways to proceed so the

MASS HELD IN NEW ORLEANS: Archbishop GregoryAymond,right,

Pope says election across to bearand ablessing

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY— Pope Leo XIV said Friday that his election was both across to bearand ablessing as he celebrated his first Mass and details begantoemerge of how votes swiftly coalesced to make himhistory’sfirst American pope.

Freed from their conclave, cardinals began describing the hours leadingup to thefinal ballot Thursday afternoon that brought Leopastthe two-thirds majority needed. Many marveled that the Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevostreached the threshold so quickly,given thevast diversity of voters and the traditional taboo against aU.S. pope because of thesecularpower the country wields.

“It is amiracle of the Holy Spirit,” said Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomalí Garib,archbishopofSantiago,Chile. He noted that133 men whobarelyknewone another from 70 countries cametoan agreement in just over 24 hours. Amiracle, he said, “and also an example for all our countrieswhere nobody comes to an agreement.”

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Apackage of bills aimed at boosting oil production and making Louisiana’s tax codemore competitivewiththose of neighboring states sailed through the Louisiana House on Thursday But the measures could face

Leo presided over his first Mass beforethose same cardinalelectors Friday morning, speaking off-the-cuff in Englishinthe Sistine Chapel. He acknowledgedthe great responsibility they had

headwinds in the Senate, amid questions over their long-term impact on state coffers.

HouseBill 600, sponsored by state Rep. Brett Geymann, a Republican from Lake Charles, would cut the severance tax rate on crude oil extracted from new wells nearly in half, reducing revenues by around $87 million over afive-yearperiod, according to alegislative fiscal note.

To offset those losses, Geymann’sHouse Bill 495 would limitaseverance tax exemption for natural gasproduced from

horizontally drilled wells, resultingin$99 million in additional revenue during the sameperiod, according to its fiscal note. Taken together,the bills would mean slightly more taxmoney forLouisianaoverthe next five years. But long term,the changes would likely result in a net reduction of tax revenues, according to an economist who worked on the proposal and said thehighertaxes on gasactivity would not makeupfor the losses from oildrilling. Reducing Louisiana’s sever-

ance tax on oil has long been a priority of the business lobby energy industry and Republican elected officials, including Gov JeffLandry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier,R-Eunice. At 12.5%, it’sthe highest severance tax in the continental U.S. and hasn’tchanged since 1973. Landry’stransition committeearguedthat reducing the tax would “incentivizeand amplify drillinginsouth Louisiana,” and DeVillier sponsored bills each

Programsare handed out ahead of Friday’sMass of Thanksgiving at St. Louis Cathedral in NewOrleans celebrating the election of Pope Leo XIV

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Mexico sues Google for ‘Gulf of America’ label

MEXICO CITY Mexico has sued tech giant Google over its labelling of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a change made by U.S. President Donald Trump via executive order, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday

Mexico’s Foreign Relations ministry had previously sent letters to Google asking it to not label Mexican territorial waters as the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.

Mexico argues that Gulf of America should only apply to the part of the Gulf over the United States continental shelf.

In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, stating that Google will not change the policy it outlined after Trump declared the body of water the Gulf of America. The Gulf appears in Google Maps as Gulf of America within the United States, as Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter said the company was using Gulf of America to follow “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”

U.S. has 1,001 measles cases, mostly in Texas

The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday, even as Texas posted one of its lowest counts of newly confirmed cases since its large outbreak began three months ago. Texas still accounts for the vast majority of cases in the U.S., with 709 confirmed as of Friday in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died from measles-related illnesses in the epicenter in West Texas, and an adult in New Mexico who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness North America has two other ongoing outbreaks, all of which are the same measles strain One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in 1,440 cases from mid-October through May 6, up 197 cases in a week. And the Mexican state of Chihuahua had 1,041 measles cases and one death as of Friday, according to data from the state health ministry Fifty-seven percent of Texas’ cases are in Gaines County where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community.

The county has had 403 cases since late January just over 1.7% of the county’s residents

The April 3 death in Texas was an 8-year-old child, according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of “what the child’s doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.” A unvaccinated child with no underlying conditions died of measles in Texas in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.

Woman shoots Tesla dealership, police say

ATLANTA A woman has been arrested after police said she damaged a Tesla dealership with an automatic BB gun in Gwinnett County, one of several acts of violence targeting the electric vehicle company across the United States in recent months Alexa Beckstead, 23, was charged with felony second-degree criminal damage to property after police said she fired several shots into the dealership on Satellite Boulevard near Duluth early on April 28, blowing out the windows.

According to her warrant, the two custom glass windows were valued at about $20,000. The warrant stated she shot the compressed gas gun “indiscriminately into the building from a moving vehicle.”

“Investigators did not identify a specific motive,” police spokesperson Juan Madiedo told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Former court justice Souter dies

He was nominated by G.H.W. Bush, but became liberal voice

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter, the ascetic bachelor and New Hampshire Republican who became a favorite of liberals during his nearly 20 years on the bench, has died. He was 85.

in 1990. He was a reliably liberal vote on abortion, church-state relations freedom of expression and the accessibility of federal courts. Souter also dissented from the decision in Bush v. Gore in 2000, which effectively handed the presidency to George W. Bush, the son of the man who put him on the high court

he shunned Washington’s social scene. He couldn’t wait to leave town in early summer

Yet for all his reserve, Souter was beloved by colleagues, court employees and friends. He was a noted storyteller and generous with his time.

Souter was called a moderate conservative. But he soon joined in a ruling reaffirming woman’s right to an abortion, a decision from 1992 that is his most noted work on the court. Thirty years later a more conservative court overturned that decision and the constitutional right to abortion.

Soute r d ie d Thursday at his home in New Hampshire, the court said in a statement Friday He retir ed from the court in June 2009, giving President Barack Obama his first Supreme Court vacancy to fill. Obama, a Democrat, chose Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina justice.

Souter was appointed by Republican President George H.W Bush

In retirement, Souter warned that ignorance of how government works could undermine American democracy

“What I worry about is that when problems are not addressed, people will not know who is responsible. And when the problems get bad enough some one person will come forward and say, ‘Give me total power and I will solve this problem.’ That is how the Roman republic fell,” Souter said in a 2012 interview

His lifestyle was spare — yogurt and an apple, consumed at his desk was a typical lunch and

“Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a lifetime of public service,”

Chief Justice John Roberts said Souter continued hearing cases on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for more than a decade after he left the high court, Roberts said.

When Bush plucked Souter from obscurity in 1990, liberal interest groups feared he would be the vote that would undo the court’s Roe v. Wade ruling in favor of abortion rights. He was called a stealth nominee by some. Early in his time in Washington,

Air traffic controllers lose radar at Newark — again

BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press

The air traffic controllers directing planes into the Newark, New Jersey, airport lost their radar Friday morning for the second time in two weeks.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the radar at the facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark airport went black for 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. Friday That’s similar to what happened on April 28.

That first radar outage led to hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed at the Newark airport in the past two weeks after the FAA slowed down traffic at the airport to ensure safety Five controllers also went on trauma leave after that outage, worsening the existing shortage. It’s not clear if any additional controllers will go on leave now

The number of cancellations of Newark departures jumped from the low 40s to 68 Friday after this latest outage to lead the nation, according to FlightAware.com. Newark ranks second in the number of canceled arrivals with 73, but that number also increased Friday morning. Nearly 400 delays were reported at the airport. Officials said there have been more than 1,700 cancellations and delays at the airport this week.

These radar outages in such a crowded airspace are alarming because seconds

‘Glengarry

BY LINDSEY BAHR AP film writer

matter but Allied Pilots Association spokesman Capt. Dennis Tajer said “it’s not an impending disaster that some are suggesting.”

“The system is wired to run really well when everything’s functioning. But the most important part is that it’s prepared to function when things go wrong,” Tajer said. “Even when it sounds frightening, know that the air traffic controllers and the pilots have training and we go to that.”

When pilots lose contact with controllers their first action is to continue on their last-directed path, but if the outage continues, pilots will start broadcasting their position to every other plane in the area — much like pilots do at small airports that don’t have a control tower

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer blamed the problems that have plagued Newark on the lack of proper air traffic controller staffing and modern technology He said Friday that there are currently about 20 controllers working, and that number should be in the 60s. And many of the lines connecting controllers to the radar are outdated copper wires. He said the April 28 outage was caused by one of those copper wires getting fried.

“Enough is enough. The connection between New York air space and the Philadelphia air traffic control center must be fixed now The backup system that is not working must be fixed. Now,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

Glen Ross’ director dies

James Foley a journeyman director best known for “Glengarry Glen Ross,” has died. He was 71

He died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer, his representative, Taylor Lomax, said Friday

In his long and varied career, Foley directed Madonna music videos, 12 episodes of “House of Cards” and the two “Fifty Shades of Grey” sequels, but it was his 1992 adaptation of David Mamet’s foul-mouthed Pulitzer Prize-winning play that stood above the rest Although it wasn’t a hit at the time, “Glengarry Glen Ross” wormed its way into the culture and grew into an oft-quoted cult favorite, especially Alec Baldwin’s made-forthe-film “always be closing” monologue. Critic Tim Grierson wrote 20 years after its release that it remains “one of

the quintessential modern movies about masculinity.” He added, “while there are many fine Mamet movies, it’s interesting that the best of them was this one the one he didn’t direct.”

Born Dec. 28, 1953, in Brooklyn, Foley studied film in graduate school at the University of Southern California Legend has it that Hal Ashby once wandered into a film school party where his short happened to be playing at the time and he took a liking to him. Foley would later attribute his ability to make his first feature, “Reckless,” a 1984 romantic drama about mismatched teenagers in love starring Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn and Adam Baldwin, to the Ashby stamp of approval. He followed it with the Sean Penn crime drama “At Close Range,” the Madonna and Griffin Dunne screwball comedy “Who’s That Girl” and the neo-noir thriller “After Dark, My Sweet,” with Jason Patric.

Souter asked precise questions during argument sessions, sometimes with a fierceness that belied his low-key manner. “He had an unerring knack of finding the weakest link in your argument,” veteran Supreme Court advocate Carter Phillips said.

Souter was history’s 105th Supreme Court justice and only its sixth bachelor

Though liberals were initially wary of his appointment, it was political conservatives who felt betrayed when in two 1992 rulings Souter helped forge a moderateliberal coalition that reaffirmed the right of abortion and the court’s longtime ban on officially sponsored prayers in public schools.

Treasury secretary says U.S. debt ceiling will be hit in August

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

businesses and the federal government.”

WASHINGTON The U.S. is on track to run out of money to pay its bills as early as August without congressional action, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Friday He is calling on Congress to either raise or suspend the debt ceiling by mid-July “A failure to suspend or increase the debt limit would wreak havoc on our financial system and diminish America’s security and global leadership position,” Bessent wrote in the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton. “Prior episodes have shown that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can have serious adverse consequences for financial markets,

Earlier this week, Bessent twice testified in front of congressional committees that the Treasury’s debt ceiling is “on the warning track.” The Treasury Department has stopped paying into certain accounts, including a slew of federal worker pension and disability funds, to make up for the shortfall in money Bessent has continued to notify Congress about the use of extraordinary measures in an effort to prevent a breach of the debt ceiling. In his latest letter Bessent attributed the August deadline, known as the “X-date,” in part to receipts from the latest tax filing season. The letter to Johnson comes as Republicans consider a massive tax cut and border security package that includes an increase in the debt limit. Bessent’s request could give GOP lawmakers greater incentive to reach an agreement.

Souter

Bessent

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG Travelers make their way through security Monday at

that often mocks it.

“You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission, and Iknow Ican rely on each and every one of you to walk with me as we continueasachurch,asacommunity,asfriends of Jesus, as believers, to announce the good news, to announce the Gospel,” he said Leo on Saturday meets with cardinalsformally.On Sunday,heisset to deliver his first noon blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’sBasilica while his formal installation Mass is set for May 18. Americansshare details

There seemed to be mixed messages coming from a briefing with American cardinals who saw one of their own become the 267th pope. Before they arrived,the auditorium at the U.S. seminary up thehillfromthe Vatican blasted “Born in the U.S.A.” and “American Pie.” But more conservative cardinals seemed to distance Leo from both his citizenship and the political polemics of the Trump administration back home. They pointedtothe decades Prevost spent as amissionaryin Peru and said, regardless,he has anew identitynow “Where he comes from is sort of now athing of the past,” said New York Cardinal TimothyDolan,who had been President Don-

ald Trump’spick for pope.

“Robert Francis Prevost is no longer around. It’snow Pope Leo.”

But Cardinal Joseph Tobin an oldfriend of Prevost’s who repeatedly called him “Bob,” said he expected the pope would be true to himself. He said that was theadviceconveyedtoall theelectors by theretired preacher of thepapal household, CardinalRaniero Cantalamessa, who delivered ameditation in theSistine Chapel before they took their first vote Tobinrevealed thathe had warned Prevost of his real chances of winning in the days beforethe voting began. But Tobin recounted the moment when saw it had sunk in for Prevost himself: Tobinhad just cast his ballot before Michelangelo’s“The Last Judgment’” and was returning to his seat when he saw Prevost.

“And he hadhis head in his hands,” Tobin said. “AndI wasprayingfor him because Icouldn’t imaginewhathappens to ahuman beingwhen you’re facing something like that.”

“And then when he accepted it, it was like he was made for it,” Tobinsaid Apapal Mass

The cardinals urged the public and faithful to give Leotime to get usedtohis new role before trying to understand whatkindofpope he will be

But someclueswere already apparent. Twowomen delivered thereadingsof Scripture at the start of Leo’s

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV,center,leavesafter celebrating Mass with the Collegeof Cardinals on Fridayinthe Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

Mass, perhapsanindication of an intention to continue Francis’ focusonexpanding women’sroleinthe church. As acardinal, Leoput into practice one of Francis’most revolutionary reformsby having threewomen serve on theVatican board that vets bishop nominations. Speaking in near-perfect Italian, Leo lamented that the Christian faith in many parts of theworldis“considered absurd,” mocked or opposedinthe face of temptationssuchasmoney, success and power.Hecomplained that in many places Jesus is misunderstood, “reduced to

akind of charismatic leader or superman.”

“This is true not only among nonbelievers but also among many baptized Christians, whothus endup living, at this level, in astate of practical atheism,” he said. “A lack of faithisoften tragically accompanied by the loss of meaninginlife, theneglect of mercy,appallingviolationsofhuman dignity, thecrisis of the family andsomanyother wounds that afflict our society.”

The cardinals applauded as the Massconcluded. Leo was seen wearing simple black shoes —eschewing,

as Francis did, the red loafers of the papacy preferred by sometraditionalist popes. In another signal he might break with tradition, Leo spent his first night as pontiff in his residence in the Sant’Uffizio Palace, and not the Apostolic Palace where popes traditionally reside, Vatican News reported. Francis chose to live in an apartment in the Santa Maria guesthouse.

Englishhelped Cardinalsrevealed that they got to know Prevost during thepreconclavediscussions, notbecause he

made some showstopping speech like Pope Francis didin2013. Then,CardinalJorge Mario Bergoglio spoke about the need for the church to go to the “existential peripheries” to find woundedsouls andwas elected ashort timelater

“Itwasn’t that he got up and madesome overwhelmingly convincing speech that just wowed the body,” said Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the retiredarchbishopof Washington, D.C. This time, Prevost made an impression with his manner, in smallgroups. Although Italianhad always been the primary language of past conclaves,this time English seemed to prevail, participants said.

German Cardinal Reinhard Marx, aclose adviser of Francis, said he took note of theman whowould becomepope —anAmerican with deep experience in Latin America, strong linguistic and cultural fluency,and a history of leadership as superior of the Augustinians.

“That convinced me to say this could be apossibility,” Marx told reporters Friday “I can tell you, I’m very happy.” Marx also recalled meeting the future pope last year and being struck by his temperament.

“Wehad averygoodconversation,” he said. “I realized he’saman who listens, takes arguments seriously, weighs them.You can’tjust place him intoone camp he really tries to build bridges. Iliked that very much.”

harms they have suffered can be fully addressed,” said Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project, whose attorneys represented the father in acomplaint filed April 24 in federal court in the state’sWestern District The case had become a flashpoint over Trump’s sweeping second-term immigration agenda, highlighting how the administration is ensnaring people who may not be subject to deportation without aformal legal

OIL

Continued from page1A

year from 2020-2023 that would’ve reducedthe rate, though none became law During Landry’sspecial taxsession last fall, Republican state Rep. Neil Riser of Columbia again tried to reduce the tax with a40-page bill that wouldhaverevised the tax rate for both crude oil and natural gas and the method for calculating their value and quantities. But the bill was eventually whittled down to two pages and, though enacted, made few changes to existing law After that fizzled, Landry, DeVillier and Geymann brought in Greg Upton, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies,

process. Theadministration has flown hundreds of Venezuelan men to anotoriousprison in El Salvador underan agreement with that country’s president, allegingthat theywere members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang.

That operation spurred questions from federal judges aboutwhat they have described as alack of due process themen received prior to their removal, as well as findings that amajorityof themen had nodocumented gang affiliations andlacked criminal records. The 2-year-old girl, identified in court documents as

to help craft asimpler proposalthatwould be revenueneutral over afive-year period, Upton said.

Findingthe sweetspot

Supportersofthe proposals argue that cutting theseverance tax on oilto 6.5% will result in more oil production, particularlyin south Louisiana.

“Getting the severance tax lowered on oilwill bring some much needed prosperitybacktothe coast,” state Rep. Jacob Landry,R-Erath, told lawmakers at acommittee hearing Monday.Landry is the president of Industrial and Oilfield Services, an oil andgas constructionfirm

“We’re lookingatprojects that are feasible now with the lower severance tax,” he added.

Geymann said he hopes

V.M.L., was deported days after attorneys for her father filed their complaint asserting to U.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement officials thatV.M.L.had been born in Louisiana and was aU.S. citizen. Deporting acitizen is “illegaland unconstitutional,” Judge Terry A. Doughty,a Trumpappointee, wroteina blistering order on April 25, hours after ICE deported the mother and her two daughters. Doughtyordered ahearing for May 16 at the federal courthouse in Monroe “in theinterest of dispelling our strong suspicion thatthe government just deported a

that the tax cut willspur enough new oil production to makeupfor the loss in revenue.

“In my thinking, if you incentivizeanindustry,and they have moreproduction than they normally would, you would seeanincrease in revenue,” he said.

But Upton said that’sunlikely. Whilemore wells would be drilled, Upton said he doesn’tthink it wouldbe significant enough to offsetthe revenues lost from reducing the tax in the first place.

In long run, Upton said, the changes are likely to result in less revenue for Louisiana.

That’sbecause the severance taxreduction in HB600 is only fornew oil wells, so as time progresses, more and morewells will be at the lowerrate, resulting in fewer

U.S. citizen withnomeaningful process.”

ICE agentshad detained V.M.L. April 22 in New Orleans along with her mother, Jenny Carolina Lopez Villela, and her 11-year-old sister as they attended a routine check-in at theICE field office in New Orleans that morning, according to court records. Lopez Villela and V.M.L.’ssister,who were not U.S. citizens, had active deportation orders, according to court records.

The family lives in theBaton Rouge area. The father’sattorneys described speaking with ICE agents on multiple occasions before the girl was deport-

revenues over time, Upton said.

Meanwhile, theboost in revenue fromlimiting the taxexemption for natural gaswill be felt more immediately.Louisiana currently exempts severance taxes on naturalgas produced from new horizontal wells for the first 24 months of operation or until the costofconstructing the well is recuperated. HB495 reduces that to 18 months or untilwell payout is achieved.

The measure is also aimed at making Louisiana more competitivewithits neighbors. The severancetax on oilis4.6% in Texasand 5% in both Arkansas and Mississippi, though Texas and four other states alsocharge property taxes on oiland gas reserves in the ground, while Louisiana doesn’t.

ed. Still, federal officials refused to releaseV.M.L. to a legal custodian, Trish Mack, even after immigration lawyers made theargument to ICE officials thatthe girl is aU.S.citizen,the attorneys said.

Government attorneys saidthe littlegirl’smother “made known to ICE officialsthatshe wanted to retain custody of V.M.L.” and that she wished to bring the girl with her to Honduras. Filings indicate that after being taken to an ICEdetention center in Alexandria, thegirl, hersisterand her mother wereput on aplane andflown to Honduras on April 25.

Meanwhile, natural gas production in Louisiana is taxed at arelatively lowrate. “It’sjusttruethatoil hasa way higher tax burden than natural gas in Louisiana,” Uptonsaid.

Geymann said he’sworking with both oil and natural gas interests to make sure everybody is happy.“You don’twant to hurt one to help the other,” he said. “We’re trying to find that sweet spot where everybody can win.”

On thedecline

Theseverance tax used to be abig generator of state revenues. In the 1970s, mineral revenues —which include severance, royalties, bonusesand rentalpayments —accounted forupward of 40% of state revenues. But oil production on state lands and waterbottoms

Acopy of V.M.L.’sbirth certificateincluded in court filings shows she was born in BatonRouge in 2023. Her mother and father were born in Santa Bárbara, Honduras, according to court records.

The court filing dismissing the case remained underseal Thursdayevening. Shebayadescribedthe dismissal as “voluntary.” “They are voluntarily dismissing this casetogive themselvesspace andtime to consider all the options thatare available to them,” Shebaya said.

Email James Finn at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

hasbeenonthe steady decline since the oil bust in the 1980s.Infiscal year 2024, mineral revenues accounted for roughly7%ofstate revenues. The state severancetax doesn’tapply to oil produced offshore in federal wate rs, which has increased in recent years.

Local governments will be watching the tax changes closely. Twenty percentof severance tax collections, by law,gotoparish governments, though the amount that’sremitted to each local government is capped at around $1.3 million.Lowering the severancetax could mean less money forparishes that don’tmeet that cap. Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate. com.

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g pp EPA isapproving thesub‐mission. EPAhas deter‐minedthatthe cleanup levelnecessary to return thesitetounrestricted useis1 part permillion (ppm)orlessofPCBs. EPAhas theauthority to issueapproval forRiskBasedOn-Site Remedia‐tion of PCBunder the ToxicSubstance Control Actand in accordance with 40 CFR§ 761.61(c) PCBs were normally used as dielectric fluids in electrical equipment. In 1979, PCBdielectric fluids were bannedfrom manufacture to limitfur‐ther releaseofPCBsinto lakesand streams, wheretheymay bioaccu‐mulate in thefood chain intogame fish that could be harmfulifeaten.PCBs have been linked to liver andkidneydamageifin‐gested in high concen‐trations over long peri‐odsoftime. This approval andcorre‐sponding documentation is availableathttps:// www.epa.gov/pcbs/eparegion-6-polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Forquestions regardingthisapproval, please contactMs. Courtney Allenat214665-6630 or allen. courtney@epa.gov AVISOPÚBLICO AGENCIADEPROTECCIÓN AMBIENTALDEESTADOS UNIDOS REGIÓN 6, DALLAS TEXAS. APROBACIÓN PARA LA DELINEACIÓNY LIMPIEZA DE BIFENILOS POLICLORADOS (PCB)EN EL SITIODELAADMINIS‐TRACIÓNNACIONALDE AERONÁUTICAY EL ESPA‐CIO (NASA),INSTA‐LACIÓN DE ENSAMBLAJE MICHOUD, 13800 OLD GENTILLY ROAD,NEW OR‐LEANS, LOUISIANA La United States Environ‐mental Protection Agency (EPA oAgencia de protección ambiental de EstadosUnidos) Región 6estáentregando la notificación de aprobación para lastar‐easdelimpiezapropues‐tasenuna propiedadde la NASA ubicadaenel 13800 OldGentillyRoad, NewOrleans,Louisiana La MAF(porsus siglas en inglés)seutiliza para la instalacióndecompo‐nentes delNASAGeorge C. Marshall SpaceFlight Center (Centrodevuelo espacial George C. Mar‐shalldelaNASA),con sede en Huntsville,Al‐abama. Unaserie de in‐vestigacionesllevadas a cabo entre1998 y2022 determinaron eidentifi‐caronsuelosafectados porbifenilos policlorados (PCB,por lassiglasen inglés). En febrerode 2025, la NASA entregó a la EPARegión6 un Plan de limpieza de PCB para su aprobación ylaEPA está aprobandolasolici‐tud. La EPAhaestable‐cido queelnivel de limpieza necesariopara recuperar el lugar para lib d i p g p su uso libre derestric‐ciones es de 1parte por millón (ppm)dePCB o menos. La EPAtiene au‐toridadparala aprobación de lasRiskBasedOn-Site Remedia‐tion of PCB(Tareas de limpieza basadasenel riesgo de PCB) conforme alaToxic Substance Con‐trol Act(TSCA oLey de controldesustancias tóxicas) yalartículo40§ 761.61(c) delCFR (Código de regulaciones fed‐erales). LosPCB se emplearon normalmentecomo flui‐dosdieléctricosen equiposeléctricos. En 1979, se prohibió la fabri‐cación de estos fluidos dieléctricos para limitar la liberación de PCBen lagos oquebradas por losdaños quepuede causar su consumode‐bido alaposible bioacu‐mulación en la cadena alimentariadeproductos de pescadeportiva.Los PCBhan sido asociados a dañosenelhígadoy los riñonesdeingerirse en altasconcentraciones duranteextensos períodos Esta aprobación ylos documentos correspon‐dientesestán disponiblesenhttps:// www.epa.gov/pcbs/eparegion-6-polychlorinatedbiphenyls. Para consul‐tassobreestetema, por favorcomunicarsecon Ms.CourtneyAllenpor el 214-665-6630 oallen. courtney@epa.gov 140331-may7-23-14t $7,235.00

NewOrleans Forecast

ficially begins! ForecastFrom

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON The new head of the federal agency tasked with responding to disasters across the country warned staff in ameeting Friday not to try to impede upcoming changes, sayingthat“Iwill run right over you” while also suggesting policy changes that would push more responsibilities to the states.

David Richardson, aformer Marine Corps officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, was named acting administrator of the

PROJECT

Continued frompage1A

consensus that the facility is needed to attract new manufacturing and distribution investment to the region

However,the project at Violet— called theLouisianaInternational Terminal, or LIT —has been metwith determined opposition from alarge section of St. Bernard residents and mostof its political representatives, who fear it will disrupt the parish’sway of life and damage the localenvironment. They arguethat anew container terminal should be built farther downriver,ata west bank site ownedbythe Plaquemines Parish port authority

The letter from Landry, a copy of which was obtained by The Times-Picayune and The Advocate, is the first time the Republican governorhas explicitly backed the St. Bernard project over other alternatives. In the correspondence, he stressed the importance of the projectto the whole state. “Successful execution of LIT is essential to the future of tradeinLouisiana, the very reason we werefounded,” he wrote.

Landry said he doesn’t wanttodiminish the efforts of the leadership at the Port

Federal Emergency Management Agency onThursday just afterCameron Hamilton,who’d been leadingthe agency,also in an actingrole, was fired Richardsonhas been the Department of Homeland Security’sassistant secretary for countering weapons of massdestruction. He does notappear to have any experience in managing natural disasters, but in an early morning call with the entire agency staff he saidthat the agency would stick to its mission and said he’d be the one interpreting any guidance from President Donald Trump.

of New Orleans, butfeels the project needs akick-start that Hechtand GNO Inc. can bring.

“Just as with theSuper Bowl,LIT has manystakeholders and aneutral third party, working forthe best interests of Louisiana, maybe helpful in order to expedite progress,” he wrote.

Landry’sspokesperson, Kate Kelly,saidthe governor had no additional comment.

“Theletterspeaks for itself,” shesaid.

Forthe SuperBowl, Hecht broughttogether various city andstate agencies to complete more than 500 tasks, from fixing potholes and streetlights to commissioning large artprojects to cover blight. Those involved said they reckoned adecade’sworth of repairs was completed inabout six months.

The St. Bernard project has fewer tasks but they are much larger in scope

The Port of New Orleans first announced the LIT project more than four years agowhenitacquiredaround 1,100 acres at Violet.Along process of community outreach followed, and it has made significant progress attractingfinancialcommitments from two private sector partners, as well as state andfederalmoney However,the project is now at acritical juncture and

Prefacinghis comments with the words “Now this is the tough part,”Richardson said during the call with staffers across thethousands-strong agency that he understands people can be nervous during timesof change.But he hada warning for those whomight not like the changes —agroup he estimated to be about 20% of any organization.

“Don’t get in my wayif you’re those 20% of the people,” he said. “I know all the tricks.”

“Obfuscation. Delay.Undermining. If you’re oneof those 20% of the people and you think those tactics and

faces araftofchallengeson various fronts.

One is rising costs. Advocates for the West Bank alternative at the Plaquemines port, whoinclude Lt. Gov Billy Nungesserand former U.S. Sen. David Vitter, who is now alobbyist, have claimed publicly in recent weeks that LIT’scosts have ballooned. They both asserted that the project’sprice tag is now $3.9 billion, compared with an original estimate of $1.8 billion, though neither cited asource.

ThePortofNew Orleans said thenew estimate is “wholly inaccurate,”but declined apublic records request to clarify the newestimate. They said theywere in sensitive negotiations over terms of newdesigns withtheir private sector partners, New Jersey-based Ports America andTerminal InvestmentLimited, the investment armofGenevabasedMediterranean Shipping Company Privately, port executives acknowledged thatcosts have risen. That’spartly because of inflation, but alsobecause the agreement in Januarybetween Gulfand East Coast portsand the International Longshoreman’sAssociated means the portwill no longer be able to adopt some of the automation thatwas in the originalplans. For Hechtand histeam,

NewactingFEMAheadwarns staff‘don’tget

techniques are going to help you, they will not because I will runright over you,” he said. “I will achieve the president’sintent. Iamasbent on achieving the president’s intent as Iwas on making sure that Idid my duty when Itook my Marines to Iraq.”

In apreview of what might be coming in termsof changes in policy, Richardson also said therewould be more“cost-sharing with the states.”

“We’re goingtofind out howtodothings better,and we’re goingfindout how to push things downtothe statesthat should be done at the state level. Alsogoing

justifying the costofthe project —whichevenatthe $1.8 billionestimate would make it themostexpensive U.S. container terminal ever built —isjust one of several big challenges ahead.

The toll road that would be built for the thousands of trucks traveling to and from the terminal dailyisnow at thecenterofpolitical debate.

The New Orleans Regional Planning Commissionisset to issueits long-overdue report about possible routes for the tollroad on May 14, with the preferred option costing in the neighborhood of $800 million.

The Louisiana House Transportation Committee is alsoscheduled to debate abill (HB616) sponsoredby state Rep. Mark Wright,RCovington, on Monday that would allow the Port of New Orleans to expeditethe process of finding aprivate sector partner to build the toll road.

Whenthe bill was discussed last month,opponents of the terminal, including state Rep. Mike Bayham of Chalmette, said they saw it as an attempt by theport to fast-track land acquisition and avoid scrutiny Sidney TorresIII, aprominent St. Bernard businessman and one of the leading opponents of the terminal, said there will be no let up in theircampaign. He said he

in my way’

to find out how we can do morecost sharing withthe states,” he said. This issue —how much states, as opposed to the federalgovernment, should pay fordisaster recovery hasbeenagrowing concern, especially at atimeofanincreasing number of natural disasters that often require Congress to repeatedly replenish the federal fund that pays forrecovery Butstates often arguethat they are already paying for most disaster recoveries on their own and are only going to the federalgovernment for those events truly outside of their ability to

expects legal challenges to attempts to acquire land for the road.

“Wewill never give up our fight,” Torres said Friday via text, noting that he had resigned his position on GNO Inc.’sboard twoyears ago because of Hecht’ssupport for LIT then.

For his part, Hecht said he is going to make the economic case for howthe new terminal would be aboon for St. Bernard as well as other parts of the state.

“Weare committed to ensuring this project fosters jobs andeconomicgrowth forthe parish, the region andthe state, while upholding community and quality of life,” Hecht said by text. An economic impact study by Lewis Terrell andAssociates, whichwas commissioned by PortofNew Orleans twoyears ago, estimatedthat theterminal would add2,000 new jobsin St. Bernard within five years of starting the first phase, whichisexpected by 2028. That would rise to 4,300 by the time the project is fully online in 2030. It also suggested the terminal would generate an additional $760 millioninadditional taxes for the parish through 2050.

St. Bernard opponents commissionedtheirown studyfromVickerman and Associateslast year which arguedthatthe terminal

respond.

Richardson didnot take questions from the staff members, saying he wanted them to first read memos he was goingtobesending out later Friday. He planneda townhall next week,when he will take questionsfrom the staff. In the memosobtained by The Associated Press, Richardson told the agency it would be conducting a “Mission Analysis” of the organization to identify “redundanciesand inefficiencies” while also clarifying the organization’s“core” mission and “deterring mission creep.”

would be a“strategic mistake.”

Theterminalhas itsbackers in St. Bernard, includes local business owner Otis Tucker,who runs afleet of dumptrucks and other haulage vehicles in the parish.

“I think we’llsee sales taxes rise forsure, more permanent jobs and benefit fromalot of businessesfrom all those trucks and truckers cometoand from the terminal,” he said. Tucker is on the board of the NewOrleans RegionalBusiness Parkin NewOrleans East, where he said they’ve seen lease interest and rates for warehouses rising in expectation of a boom from the port.

Mindy NunezAirhart,CEO of SSE Steel Fabrication, who employs 75 at herplant on BayouRoad in theparish, said she understands the concerns of locals but thinks the terminal will be inevitable and wants the area to benefit economically

“They’re alreadyseeing the benefit in St. Tammany Parish, with newcold storagefacilitiesbeing built in anticipation of the terminal,” Airhart said.“Unfortunately, St. Bernard has seen the opposite, with potentialnew business scared away by the opposition.”

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate. com.

NOLA.COM | Saturday, May 10, 2025 1BN

Boogaloo on Bayou St. John to go on

After permitting threat, no word on what happens next year

BY DOUG MacCASH

Staff writer

Bayou Boogaloo has been given the go-ahead for this year’s festival after a standoff with a New Orleans City Council member, but there’s no word yet on whether the 20-year-old festival will have to move in 2026. Council member Joe Giarrusso, who represents the area said Friday he will allow the annual Mid-

Convention Center awaits ethics law change

Bill would relax rule serving on the board

BY ANTHONY McAULEY

Staff writer

The New Orleans Sheraton Ho-

tel’s general manager, Jim Cook, was picked four months ago to be the new CEO of the Ernest N Morial Convention Center, but his appointment is being held up pending passage of a bill that seeks to relax Louisiana’s ethics rules, the center’s chairman said Friday Cook has been a commissioner of the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the center’s governing body, since he was appointed in March 2024 by Gov Jeff Landry He is still listed as the vice president of the 13-person board. However, Louisiana’s ethics law forbids a member of a state body’s board from serving as an executive within two years of serving on the board of the same organization. So, Cook’s formal appointment has to wait until a bill is passed in the state legislature that includes a provision to waive that restriction. “We are pleased that legislative changes are moving through the process that provides a pathway to appoint Jim Cook as the next president and CEO of the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,” Russell Allen, the center’s board chair said in an emailed statement Friday

The Convention Center board selected Cook shortly after the departure last November of Michael Sawaya, who left after six years to take the top job at the Audubon Nature Institute. Cook had not sought the job but the board considered him the best candidate for the position and persuaded him to accept, according to a source familiar with the board’s actions who wasn’t authorized to be quoted. Cook has been in hospitality since the 1980s and has been an executive with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the parent company of Sheraton, Marriott, Westin and other brands, since 2002.

The Convention Center which attracts about 800,000 visitors a year, is a large operation, with nearly 400 employees and an annual budget of about $100 million, which mostly comes from a share of the city’s hospitality tax revenues. It is also in the middle of several big capital projects, including a $557 million upgrade of its millionsquare-foot building. It is partnering with Omni Hotels to construct a new $565 million headquarters hotel, and it is part of a multibillion-dollar project to build a new neighborhood on land it owns, called the River District, over the next decade.

Earlier this session, Republican Sen. Kirk Talbot of River Ridge introduced a measure, Senate Bill 84, at the request of the Convention Center’s board, which

City Bayou Boogaloo to proceed as scheduled next weekend, days after threatening to withhold its special event permit because of complaints by residents who live in the area.

The event is scheduled to run May 16-18 with a lineup of local musicians and food and craft vendors, as festivalgoers bob on rafts and inflatables in Bayou St. John.

“Bayou Boogaloo has adjusted its footprint and configuration this year and city departments have been thoughtful to address safety concerns and neighborhood needs,” the council member said in a statement Friday Giarrusso did not address the future of the festival beyond this year

The decision came after a meeting Thursday night with neighbors and the Bayou Boogaloo management to address traffic, parking and other concerns.

Earlier, he insisted that the festival move from its usual site at the south end of Bayou St. John to elsewhere in 2026, unless the festival management could provide proof that area residents want it to stay put.

Bayou Boogaloo was founded in 2005 with the mission of improving the condition of the then-neglected urban waterway. In 2010, the fest planted oaks on what had been the barren banks of the south end of the

bayou. At first, the fest was small and free, but over the years, it swelled, presented bigger acts, imposed an admission charge, erected fencing and blocked the bayou to be sure that the canoeists, kayakers and rafters that cruised onto the site were paying customers. Throughout its history, the fest has been criticized by some neighbors The 15,000 or more annual festival attendees produce a surge

Magic Johnson thanked Bryant Gumbel and praised

$500,000 to Xavier University in honor of Francis.

Francis during

500 GRAND PLEDGE

Magic Johnson makes $500K donation to Xavier University

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Norman C Francis, the trailblazing former president of Xavier University of Louisiana, continues to leave his mark on the storied New Orleans institution as it celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

On Friday, the school dedicated a bronze statue of Francis, who led the nation’s only historically Black and Catholic university for nearly 50 years until his retirement in 2015. And a day earlier basketball great

Earvin “Magic” Johnson pledged $500,000 to the university in honor of Francis during a gala that raised more than $2 million for student scholarships, according to the university

“I’m so blessed to know him,” Johnson said at Thursday’s gala, which Francis, now 94 years old, attended. The large turnout, Johnson added, is a tribute to the “man that you are, all the great things you’ve done in your stellar career and all the people you’ve helped become successful.”

A Lafayette native who grew up during segregation, Francis graduated from Xavier before becoming one of the first two Black students to earn a law degree from Loyola University New Orleans. He was

chef arrested in BR on fraud charges

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Chef and restaurateur Melissa Araujo, a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist, was arrested in Baton Rouge on Wednesday on a felony count of government benefits fraud, according to court records. Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation booked Araujo into East Baton Rouge Parish

Prison on Wednesday, according to jail records. Free on bond, Araujo, 46, said in a statement Friday morning that she’s fully cooperating with the state investigation. “I believe in transparency, and I trust that the process will ultimately bring the truth to light, and I will be cleared of these charges,” said Araujo, of Chalmette.

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

PHOTO By WILL SUTTON

Norman C.

a gala Thursday where he pledged to donate

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK WALL

A

statue of former Xavier University President Norman C. Francis stands at the middle of the New Orleans campus.

N.O. teen pleads guilty to manslaughter

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

A New Orleans teenager pleaded guilty to manslaughter Friday in the January 2024 killing of a Tacoma, Washington, bagel shop owner visiting the French Quarter to celebrate the new year Malik Cornelius, 17, originally faced a second-degree murder charge but agreed to plead guilty to the lesser count in exchange for a 26-year prison sentence Orleans Parish Criminal District Judge Camille Buras accepted his guilty plea on Friday, three days after she said she was “not ready” and gave herself more time to mull it over Jacob Carter, 32, was shot and left to die on Jan. 5, 2024, after he and his

husband were surrounded by armed suspects in an attempted robbery while walking near Bourbon and Kerlerec streets, Orleans Parish Assistant District Attorney Joseph Tucker said while reading from Cornelius’ indictment.

Cornelius allegedly participated in sinking the stolen blue Kia Optima that police say was used in the killing, submerging it in Bayou St. John and then stealing another car to get away Police linked him to the crime through surveillance footage and ballistics, according to court records. A handgun that police recovered and tied to Carter’s killing had Cornelius’ DNA on it according to the indictment.

Last year, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams’ office

transferred Cornelius, who was 16 at the time of the crime, to adult court to face the murder charge. The District Attorney’s Office did not immediately return a call for comment Friday on the guilty plea.

Cornelius’ attorney, Michael Kennedy, expressed sympathy to Carter’s loved ones. In a statement, Kennedy called it “unfortunate” that Cornelius was in the “exceptionally difficult” situation of being tried as an adult, “particularly in this case where we know multiple people were involved and are in fact (at) fault in the death of Mr Carter.”

He added: “Those people have chosen to allow a child to accept all of the blame.”

Kennedy said it was “our best outcome” for Cornelius to plead guilty

in a deal with prosecutors, given the sentencing variables at play, adding that he hoped the outcome would bring some closure to both families.

Members of Cornelius’ family were present in court for his guilty plea on Friday Members of Carter’s family watched online. Cornelius will be formally sentenced on May 19. Buras said Carter’s family can provide victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing.

Carter and his husband, Daniel Blagovich, opened Howdy Bagels in Tacoma during the pandemic, and the bagel shop quickly won acclaim and customer loyalty Carter’s murder was widely covered in both New Orleans and Tacoma, as well as in the food press. It was his first time visiting New Orleans.

Millage election scaled back to a two-vote win

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

The historically narrow margin in the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office millage election has been adjusted for a second time, with two votes supporting the millage now tossed after being added in a recount on Thursday

The latest adjustment preserves the millage’s passage, which secures 20% of the Orleans Parish jail budget. But the victory for Sheriff Susan Hutson reverts to the thinnest of margins reported in the original tally. The millage

BOOGALOO

Continued from page 1B

of traffic in the picturesque residential areas around Bayou St. John. Some roads are blocked, parking is a problem and amplified music drifts from the stages.

Suzi Cobb, the president of the City Park/Parkview neighborhood association representing the lake side of the bayou, said the fest is simply “overwhelming” to neighbors, many of whom are elderly

Despite the objections of some residents, in recent days, support for the threatened event seemed to grow Uncertainty remains

Bayou Boogaloo producer Jared Zeller said that “at this point,” he’s unsure if the festival will be welcome to stay in its current location or move.

“There will be further discussions this summer with more neighbor input,” he wrote in a text Friday

Meanwhile, Zeller said, the uncertainty about the permitting of this year’s festival “cost us ticket sales and sponsorship revenue.”

The disposition of the festival in 2026 “will depend on public support, both financially and politically,” he said.

MUSIC

Continued from page 1B

and it has been wonderful to be part of the experience.”

Located just off North Claiborne Avenue on the border between the 7th Ward and St. Roch neighborhoods, the property at 1500 Elysian Fields Ave. is being marketed as a fully licensed and equipped event venue with a capacity of up to 299 people. According to the listing, it includes a liquor license, THC beverage license, mayoralty license for live entertainment and a license for three video poker machines.

Building with history

Property records indicate Veazey purchased the then-dilapidated building for $35,000 in May 2012 before overseeing its renovation.

The long-vacant mansion had deep roots in the city Its second owner, who purchased the property a couple years after it was completed, was James John Reiss, the founder of Reiss Candy, according to the bar’s owner Reiss’s great-grandson, James III, was Rex, King of Carnival, in 2022, and his great-great-granddaughter Tatum, was Rex’s 2025 Queen.

Architectural plans from its renovation show a kitchen that was approved by city officials but never built, according to an earlier listing. Meanwhile, the 2,400-square-foot Nitey Nite Inn upstairs, currently marketed as a short-term rental for the entire floor, is licensed to permit each room to be booked individually

Announcing the impending clo-

passed by two votes, not four, according to Darren Lombard, the city’s chief elections officer Lombard said the original election night tally on May 3 was correct. The problem occurred after his office initially counted the votes, when staffers mistakenly placed two ballots for “no” with another group of documents. The recount on Thursday occurred before staffers discovered the misplaced ballots, resulting in an incorrect recount, Lombard said. Lombard said staffers found the misplaced ballots soon after the recount was complete, and elec-

XAVIER

Continued from page 1B

chosen to lead Xavier in 1968 and remained president for 47 years — one of the longest tenures of any university leader in the country

During that time, he helped Xavier triple its enrollment and earn a reputation as an incubator of Black excellence whose graduates have gone on to become judges, politicians and doctors.

He also was active in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1961, while a dean at Xavier, he opened up a dorm to house the Freedom Riders, civil rights activists who rode buses through the South challenging racial segregation and enduring violence from White mobs. And he was a leader in the community, as an early investor in the New Orleans Saints and an organizer of recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

In 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. And in 2021, a roadway that previously bore the name of Confederate President Jefferson Davis was renamed the Norman C. Francis Parkway

“You taught us that leadership is not about power, but about listening and serving others,” said Xavier President Reynold Verret during the dedication ceremony Friday at the Gert Town campus, where Fran-

sure, Veazey said the hotel will continue operating and Madame Vic’s would remain open for private events until the building sells.

“Let’s hope the next owner will pick up the mantle where I left off,” he said.

Bar controversy

The bar has not been without controversy in recent years. In May 2022, its social media accounts addressed a public dispute that had unfolded after a musician believed he had been racially profiled during an incident involving a patron and a missing item.

That led to a backlash against Veazey from some members of the local musician community, who declined to perform there in the wake of the dispute.

At the time, he wrote that he was sorry the musician had felt discriminated against.

“But I am also disturbed, in his anger, that he has attempted to destroy my business and reputation,” Veazey said “We have never discriminated at Madame Vic’s and have been welcoming to all races, musicians and customers, alike.”

The bar owners said the online reaction included “a wave of hate, vitriol, as well as several death threats that were directed towards me and the bar.”

Despite the controversy, live performances continued for nearly three more years, though on a more limited basis.

In a message ahead of the final weekend for music, Veazey declined to comment about the building or its sale.

tion officials immediately notified the Attorney General and Secretary of State offices, which he said is typical protocol. The Board of Elections reconvened on Friday morning and certified the accurate vote tally

“The human error was that they didn’t place those votes in the proper container So yesterday, while we were retabulating, those votes were not in the stack where they should have been,” Lombard said. At stake was a property tax that brings a little more than $13 million annually to fund jail operations. The 10-year millage, which origi-

nated in 2015, was set to expire at the end of this year The final, certified tally is the one originally reported on election night: 12,715 in favor and 12,713 against, with about 10% turnout.

The campaign garnered more attention than a typical millage election, with false signs calling it a new tax popping up around the city in the days beforehand. Hutson is up for reelection this year, and her campaign opponents said the unusually thin margin reflects lack of confidence in her Hutson shrugged off the criticism, saying, “A win’s a win.”

cis was accompanied by several of his adult children.

The life-size statue of Francis was unveiled last year but was recently moved to its permanent location near the center of campus. It stands outside St. Katharine Drexel Chapel, named for the Catholic nun who founded a high school in 1915

that became Xavier University and who was canonized in 2000 And it is just steps from the spot where Pope John Paul II spoke in 1987 during a visit to the university while Francis was president.

“It will stand as a lasting reminder of the legacy you built, the barriers you broke and the lives you up-

CENTER

Continued from page 1B

the senator said was worded to make a specific exception for Cook’s appointment rather than to change the law altogether Now, Talbot’s bill has been incorporated into a much broader House bill sponsored by Rep. Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, a New Iberia Republican, which aims to relax a whole raft of the state’s ethics rules.

Beaullieu’s bill, House Bill 674, which passed the House and is now before the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs, seeks to make dozens of changes to the ethics code, including relaxing enforcement of conflict-of-interest, nepotism and campaign finance laws. Stephen Gelé, an attorney who helped write the Beaullieu bill, is representing Landry in an ongoing ethics board inquiry into flights to Hawaii in 2021, when Landry was attorney general, on a private plane owned by a political donor Landry allegedly failed to disclose the flights publicly

There is a status conference call on that case scheduled for Monday before ethics board Judge Monique Baham. The next court hearing is June 17, according to court records.

Though some ethics watchdogs, including the Public Affairs Research Council, have raised concerns about the bill, it is expected to be passed by the Republican-dominated legislature before the current legislative session ends on June 12. Alita Caparotta, the Convention Center’s finance chief, has been acting CEO since Sawaya left. It is not clear what the board would do about filling the CEO position if there is a delay in passing the bill.

Staff writer Alyse Pfeil contributed to this story

Email Anthony McAuley

tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

FRAUD

Continued from page 1B

earning over six figures while receiving Medicaid benefits meant for low-income individuals, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, whose office houses the investigative bureau. Araujo allegedly received more than $55,000 in benefits from Medicaid and other providers over nearly three years, up to December 2024, according to a warrant obtained by WAFB. Araujo’s financial activity during that time span doesn’t paint a picture of a low-income household, authorities allege.

Araujo bought three properties worth a combined $785,000 and received 1,266 deposits totaling $3.1 million from 13 businesses linked to her Between June 2020 and September 2022, $384,147.51 landed into her personal account alone, authorities say Araujo allegedly told a Louisiana Department of Health employee she had not “engaged in work” since 2022.

Her attorney Jeff Hufft, declined immediate comment

Araujo’s Alma Cafe became a Bywater staple and brunch hot spot when she opened its doors in 2020 In 2023, she launched Oscar inside Pirogue’s Whiskey Bayou in Arabi, followed this year by a second Alma Cafe, location in Mid-City Last month, Alma received notice when actor James Franco dined there during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Araujo took to social media on Friday, emphasizing her resilience and willingness to “face the storm with open arms” in a post on Facebook.

“I was told once by my mother:

‘When the world is crumbling in front of you, the only way to get through it is to confront it and embrace who you truly are,’ ” Araujo wrote.

Louisiana law defines government benefits fraud as an instance when someone lies or omits information to get money or services they aren’t entitled to from a state agency If convicted, Araujo faces a prison sentence up to five years and a fine of up to $10,000.

“I am in the middle of negotiating with a potential buyer,” he explained, “and I cannot do an interview at this time.”

STAFF PHOTO By JONAH MEADOWS

Madame Vic’s, a bar and live music venue in New Orleans’ 7th Ward, opened in 2021. The building was listed for sale and the final live music performance there is scheduled for Saturday.

STAFF PHOTO By PATRICK WALL

Norman C. Francis is pictured at the statue dedication ceremony on Friday.

Acadiantop medics honoredatbanquet

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Acadian Ambulance honored its top medics of the year during its annual celebration Friday at the Cajundome.

Now in its 54th year,Acadian honored Alison Cagle, an emergency medical technician from its Hub City District, and Joannie Sanchez, aflight registered nurse from its Air Meddivision, as the best among its 14 regions in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Sanchez, anative of LaPlace, recalled that her journey began back when shewas 13 yearsold andher father asked her what shewanted to do with her life. She wrotedown three career choices,and he told her to pick one and “chaseitwith everything you’ve got,” she recalled.

He then took her to acareer fair whereshe metaflightnurse,and she now says something clicked that day.She became acertified nurse’sassistant, an emergency room technician and later anurse She also worked at awomen’sshelter

“This job changes you,” Sanchez said. “It asks you to walk into the worst moment of someone’s lifeand leave apiece of yourself behind every time you do. EMS isn’tjust a job.It’sa calling, it’sa privilege, and it’saresponsibility.”

Cagle, whobegan herEMS career while still in high school, earned her EMT certification in 2021 and worked in California for two years before joining Acadian. She is currently in paramedicschool.

“I kind of accidentally stumbled uponanEMR class, andI took it and instantly fell in love,” shesaid. “For me to be named EMT of the year it means I’ve found my place. Ican stop looking for ahome because I’ve found it here at Acadian.”

The celebration was the first for Acadian since the death of founder and longtime CEO and chairman Richard Zuschlag, who died in August followingabout with cancer.

The Pennsylvania nativemoved to Lafayette in 1970 and ayear later started acompany withtwo ambulances that became the largest pri-

vately held medicaltransportation company in the United States.

Acadianwas about 80% employee-owned at thetimeofhis death andZuschlag owned the remaining 20%.The companyisnow 100% employee-owned, current CEO Eddy Dupuissaid Zuschlag was “the man whomade Acadian what it is today,the man whose impact on our communities and our state will last for decades, and the man whosefaith, love and friendshiphas touched us all,”he said.

Retired Air Force pilot Nicole Malachowskiwas theevent’s guest speaker.Acombat veteran who was the first female pilotonthe Air Force’sThunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron, Malachowskistressedthe importanceofteamwork in her professionand howitrelates to those at Acadian or any other company.

“As an outsider,I can assure you,

this is avery beautiful thingtobehold,”said Malachowski, who overcame atick-borne illness that left herstruggling to walk and speak for almost nine months.

“You have each other to lean on each other,especially during turbulenttimes.I think it’s the people that can lean on each other,that have acommunity likethis, that can better navigate turbulence and headwinds when they indeed come along.”

Acadian also honored its regional winners:

n Bayou: Paramedic BrycePoincon and EMT Tanya McPherson

n Capital: Paramedic Kate Pringle and EMT Kaydee Kider

n Central Louisiana: Paramedic Lee Thompson and EMT Thando Pahla

n Central Texas:Paramedic Kim Cole and EMT MacKenzie Dowse

n Houston:Paramedic Chad Johnston and EMT Brandon Jones

n Hub City: Paramedic Brandi

Leonard

n Mississippi: Paramedic Charles Wise and EMT NoahEsparza

n North Louisiana:Paramedic

Elaine Carter and EMT Kurstie

Doles

n North Texas: Paramedic Marcela Vazquez andEMT Mela Trimble

n Northshore:Paramedic Meg McLeod and EMT Christian Kinsley

n Orleans: Paramedic Whitney Houston and EMT Shannon Majcina

n South Central Texas: Paramedic Sandy Castorena and EMT Nicholas Wiatrek

n Southeast Texas: Paramedic Andrew Heulerand EMT Joseph Bessard

n SouthwestLouisiana: Paramedic Nathan Emmons and EMT Sydney Horne

n Tennessee: Paramedic Erica Shipp andEMT Tykelia Bowen

n Safety Management Systems: Remote paramedic Trish Krampe.

Lawyer:Detainedman optedfor deportation

University of Alabamadoctoral studentwillreturn to Iran

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

After more than amonthin acentral Louisiana detention center,aUniversity of Alabama doctoral student opted Thursday to return to his native Iran “to avoid prolonged and unnecessary detention,” his lawyer said.

Alireza Doroudi, 32, who was arrested March25near his home in Tuscaloosa on an allegedly revoked visa, appeared before JudgeMaithe Gonzalez inside the ICE detention facility in Jena and made the “difficult decision to askfor and was granted voluntary departure,” attorney David Rozas said in a statement. Doroudi wasn’tdetained for acrime, but forarevoked visa and an allegation that he wasnot “instatus.” Rozas said Thursday that records submitted in court show that

therevocation was only supposedtotakeeffect if Doroudi left theUnited States.

“This acknowledgesthat the initial reason for arrest 45 days ago wasinerror,” Rozas said. He added that Gonzalez, the judge, refused afresh request forabond for Doroudi, who then chose to leave voluntarilyratherthanremain locked up any longer

“He turned and looked at me and said, ‘I love this country,but they don’twant me here, so Iwill go home,’” Rozas said.

Doroudiwas swept up in President Donald Trump’s immigrationcrackdown, which hasresulted inseveral high-profile student detainees landing in ICEdetention centers operated privatelyin Louisiana

Memorial planned forfire chief

Gary Blocker spentnearly30 yearswith department

BY BOBWARREN and ANDREWCANULETTE Staff writers

Covington FireChief

Gary Stephen Blocker Jr., who joined the department as ateen and rose through the ranks over a nearlythree-decade career,died Tuesday.Hewas 46. Acause of deathwas not disclosed. Blocker aMetairie native and long time

Covington re si de nt joined the firedepartme nt in themid-1990s as avolunteer in the department’s junior division, he told a reporter in 2018. He rose through theranks before then CovingtonMayor Mike Cooper named him as the chiefinAugust 2018.

In aFacebook post Tuesday,Cooper,now theSt. Tammany Parish President, wrote, in part: “We are equally shocked and heartbroken. Catherine and Ijoin our community in praying for his wife, Tammy,his children and the Covington Fire Department, whoall admired him deeply.” Cooper said of Blocker: “Simply,heloved being a firefighter.” Current Covington Mayor MarkJohnsoncalled Blocker a“consummate public servant” who loved serving the public. Johnson said Blocker helped grow the department into“the first-class operation it is today.”

“I personally will miss hisprofessionalismand senseofhumor,” Johnson said. Blocker is survived by his wife, Tammy Bell Blocker,and his children, Alidia Blocker and Brycen Blocker Afuneral will be held MondayatnoonatFirst BaptistChurch of Covington, 16333 La. 1085. Visitation at the church starts at 10 a.m.Burial will be in PinecrestMemorial Gardens

Among them isMahmoud Khalil, the former Columbia Universitygraduate student and Palestinian activist. The Trump administration claims Khalil’sbeliefspresent a threat to foreignpolicyinterests, according to amemo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Wednesday, afederal judge in NewJerseytold thegovernmentto spellout the legal precedent forits plan to deport Khalil, according to Reuters.

AlsoWednesday,afederal appeals court ordered the return of aTufts University student fromTurkey to New England to decide if her rights were violated, The Associated Press reported.

Rumeysa Ozturk, who helped pen an op-ed last year criticizingthe school’s response to Israel’s war in Gaza,was heldatanICE facilityin Basile,Louisiana,for more than six weeks. The complex in Jena where Doroudi andKhalilboth were held, called the CentralLoui-

siana ICE Processing Center, is one of several privately run facilities under government contractsthathavemade Louisiana thesecond-leading state for U.S. immigrant detainees, behind only Texas. Several thousand detainees are now being held in the Pelican State.

2teens arrested forMetairieschoolthreats

Accusations includeterrorizing, ‘swatting,’ JPSO says

By Staff Reports

Two17-year-oldshave beenarrested on terrorizing chargesand accused of calling in threats to schools in Metairie, New York and Colorado. Jayden Bullard, of Lake County,Florida, was extradited to Jefferson Parish on May 2and booked with two counts of communicating false information about aplanned bombings on school property and five counts of terrorizing,according to the Jefferson

Parish Sheriff’s Office. He is accused of calling phony threats into Lutheran High School andHaynes Academy for Advanced Studies, both in Metairie, on Dec. 2and Dec. 3, 2024, respectively,according to theSheriff’s Office. Bullard is alsoaccused of targeting co-defendant Angel Bonilla,ofMetairie, for “swatting” —calling911 to make false reports about violence that would prompt alargelaw enforcement response, such as aSWAT team deployment, theSheriff’sOffice said Bullard is accused of swatting Bonilla’sEdenborn Avenue apartment in Metairieon at leastfive occasions between October and December 2024, the Sheriff’s Officesaid.

Bonilla was first arrested Jan.2 afterdetectivesbegan investigating the multiple swatting calls targeting his residence, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators learned that Bonilla and Bullard had never met in person butknewone anotheronline through gaming websites like Discord and other chat rooms, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Bonilla is believedtohave engaged in swatting activities with Bullard and other unidentifiedsuspects Bonilla wasarrested and later charged by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’sOffice with three counts of terrorizing and obstruction of justice, court records said He pleaded not guilty

May1

Bonilla’sterrorizing chargesstemfromfake threatsthat he called into schools located in New York, Colorado and athird unnamed location,accordingtothe Sheriff’s Office. Bonillaisnot currentlyfacing any criminalcharges in those states related to the calls,authoritiessaid.

Bonilla andBullard were being held Wednesday at the Jefferson Parish CorrectionalCenter in Gretna. Bailfor Bonillawas set at $80,000. Bullard’s bail was setat$350,000. Aconviction for making a false bomb threat on school propertyispunishable by up to 20 years in prison. A terrorizing conviction carries amaximum sentence of two years in prison.

The city of Covington said there will be aceremonial procession from the church to the cemetery. It willtravel through downtown Covington, passing in front of City Hall andthe FireDepartment on Jefferson Avenue, where two ladder trucks will form an arch draped with an American flag.

E.J. Fielding Funeral Home in Covington is in charge of the arrangements

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

EMT Alison Cagle receives her award for EMT of the year from

Dr.Charles Burnell at the Acadian Ambulanceofthe year banquet on Fridayatthe Cajundome in Lafayette.

Blocker

PROVIDED PHOTO By SAMA EBRAHIMI BAJGANI

Sama EbrahimiBajgani smiles with her fiance, AlirezaDoroudi,in2024. Doroudi was detained by immigration officials in March 2025.

Adams, Lloyd Althans, Gaynell BlockerJr.,Gary Cochran, Johnny Gravois, Phyllis Leaveau,John

Pellegrin, Richard

Poole, John

Schmidt,Sidonie

Tortorich, Peter NewOrleans

Charbonnet

Cochran, Johnny Greenwood

Leaveau,John

JacobSchoen

Adams, Lloyd

Schmidt,Sidonie

Lake Lawn Metairie

Pellegrin, Richard

Tortorich, Peter St Tammany

EJ Fielding

NewOrleans Area Deaths devotedhusband of 61 years,JohnHenry Althans, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Jane Althansand son,Kevin Althans. Herlate sisterwas Carolynn Davis Babin.Gaynell wasa grad‐uateofMcDonough High School andthenLouisiana State University where she earnedher undergraduate degreeinEducation.She wentontoteach elemen‐taryschool at GayarreEle‐mentary.Gaynell wasa sourceofboundless love and kindness, making the world abetterplace simply bymovingthrough it.As her soul slides back into the larger universe, it will continue to nourishand mothereveryonejustas she didwhile shewas here onEarth.She will give Saint Peterbarelya second glanceasshe runs through the pearly gatestoem‐brace herhusband,sister, parents,and allofthe furry littlecompanionswho haveeagerly awaitedher return, tailswagging in purejoy andadoration.A celebration of Gaynell’slife willbeheldonMonday, May 12,2025 from 2:00 pm to4:00pmatChristwood RetirementCommunity, 100 Christwood Blvd Cov‐ington, LA 70433, in thePre‐miere Building Garden Room.Reception to follow In lieu of flowers, please send donationstoyour local animal rescue organi‐zation. It is absolutely whatshe wouldhave wanted. E. J. Fielding Fu‐neral Home of Covington, Louisiana,ishonored to be entrusted with thefuneral arrangements. TheAlthans familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, memories,and condolences by signingan onlineguestbook at www ejfieldingfh.com

Althans, Gaynell

BlockerJr.,Gary

Poole, John

Obituaries

LloydDanielAdams,83 years old, passedawayon Wednesday,May 7, 2025 following abrief illness. A nativeNew Orleanian, he was alongtimeresident of Metairieand recent resi‐dentofPassChristian,Mis‐sissippi.Lloyd attended St Alphonsus GradeSchool and Redemptorist High School.Hewas aproud memberofthe Louisiana NationalGuard.Hewas precededindeath by his parents,Harry andMiriam (Heller) Adams, his brother,the ReveredHarry JosephAdams,and his wifeof58years,GailPea‐cockAdams.Lloyd is sur‐vived by daughter Lisa Adams,son LloydAdams Jr. (KirkJones), grandson Corey Adams(Brittany), and great-grandson Crews Michael.Lloyd nevermet a stranger. He lovedlively banter. Hisfavoritetopics werediscussing allthings LSU,Mardi Gras (especially Endymionand as acrew memberfor many years), aswellascurrent andpast events(of which he wasan encyclopediaofinforma‐tion).Hewillbegreatly missedbyhis family and manyfriends.Tomemorial‐ize Lloyd’slifeand passing, the familywillreceive friends on Monday,May 12, 2025from11:30 am - 1:00 pm. Amemorialmasswill beheldinthe J. Garic SchoenChapelat1:00pm. ArrangementsbyJacob Schoen& SonFuneral Home, 3827 CanalStreet, New Orleans, La.70119. In lieuof flowers, please send donations to:Girad Play‐ground BoosterClubC/O Jason Boyle, 4509 James Drive,Metairie, Louisiana 70003. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home.Condolences may be left at www schoenfh.com.

Gardens. E.J. Fielding Fu‐neral Home hasbeen en‐trusted with funeral arrangements. TheBlocker familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemo‐ries, andcondolences on‐lineatE.J.FieldingFuneral HomeGuest Book at www ejfieldingfh.com

Cochran, JohnnyJerome

Gary StephenBlocker, Jr. passedawayonTues‐day,May 6, 2025. He was borninMetairie, LA,on January 22,1979. He is sur‐vived by hislovingwife, Tammy Bell Blocker; his children, Alidia andBrycen. Heisalsosurvivedbyhis parents,Linda andGaryS Blocker,Sr.;his siblings Jeannie andColt; andhis Covington Fire Department familyalong with hisex‐tended fire servicefamily. Hewas preceded in death byhis grandmotherBev‐erlyBlocker andhis grand‐fatherMelvinVolz. Gary was adevoted husband son,brother,and father Heloved to travel with his family. It didn’t have to be elaborate;heloved to ex‐plore littlecitiesoff the beatenpath. On theweek‐endsheoften rode around townwithTammy to enjoy brunchand then to check oneverythinginthe area Garycherished hischildren and always wanted the bestfor them.The City of Covington Fire Department isforever grateful forthe sacrifice of the Blocker Familyastheysharedso muchofhim with notonly the department butalso the entire community.Fire Chief Gary S. BlockerJr. madehis life as acareer Firefighterdowntohis core. He always didwhat was rightand neverwhat benefittedhim personally ThisOctober wouldhave been 28 yearsoffull-time firefighter service. He started as ateenagerin the fire serviceasa Jr.Fire‐fighter. Hisdrive wasun‐believable, he helped start the firstFirePreventionBu‐reauinthe City of Coving‐ton,going on latertobe‐comeChief of Prevention Developingpolicyand en‐forcing codestomakethe CityofCovington asafer place becauseofhim.As FireChief he wasableto takethe Department for‐wardand make it even bet‐ter.Improving equipment, purchasingnew fire trucks and hiring more firefight‐ers,his goalwas to always makethe Department bet‐ter than theday before.He willbemissedbyall who knewand lovedhim.Inlieu of flowers, contributionsin memoryofChief Blocker may be made to theCov‐ingtonFirefighters Associ‐ation account at Resource Bank3083888 (all fundswill gotothe BlockerFamily) Everyoneisinvited to at‐tendthe funeralservices at FirstBaptist Church of Covington,16333 Highway 1085, CovingtonLA70433 onMonday, May12, 2025 at12:00 noon with public visitationatchurch on Mondaybeginning at 10:00 a.m.Processionwillimme‐diately follow andpassby the City of CovingtonFire Station 1beforereaching thePinecrest Memorial

JohnnyJeromeCochran, age 35, enteredeternal rest onSunday, April27, 2025 Hewas thelovingand de‐voted father of twodaugh‐ters, Jamiah andSerenity Cochran.Mr. Cochranis alsosurvivedbyhis par‐ents, Andrea Cochranand JohnnyGraham; hisgrand‐father, John Thomas;9 brothers, Travis,Tyrek, Alexand Albert Cochran, JohnnyMorris, Jared Thompson, Laurence Gra‐ham,TreyMooreand Troy Burnett; 9sisters,Tyreka Cochran,Johnna andGi‐anni Baldwin, Jada Brown, Jasmine Thompson,Kevion Green,Anjanne Dent,Tia Mooreand Ashaya Har‐rington.Heisalsosurvived bya host of aunts, uncles nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives andfriends.Fu‐neral services will be held atCharbonnetLabat Glapion FuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipStreet,New Orleans,LAonFriday, May 9,2025 at 11 am.Visitation at10am. Interment: Mt OlivetCemetery, 4000 Nor‐man MayerAve NewOr‐leans,LA. Please sign the onlineguestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome. com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors, (504) 581-4411.

PhyllisJeanette Smith Schaefer Gravois, 65, of NewOrleans, died on April 30, in NewOrleans, LA. She was bornonAugust 24, 1959, to Forrestand Eleanor Smith.She attended Grace King HighSchool in Metairie,LA. She married Wallace Emile Schaefer, Jr.onJune 18, 1977 and they had twochildren,Wallace Emile and Brian Leigh. She later married TerryGravois on October 30, 1992 and they had one child, Terry Stephen. She worked various jobs to support her children, buteventually had to ceasedue to her chronic back issues. She lovedtalking to her family and friendstocatch up, reading novels, and playing cards. She is survived by her sons: Wes,Brian, and Terry; her grandchildren:Grace, Charles, Corbin, and Clark; her siblings: Brian Smith and Ellen Smith,and her father: ForrestSmith.She was preceded in death by her mother EleanorSmith

Abrief remembrance ceremony willbefollowed immediately by Interment at St.Louis Cemetery No.3 -New Orleans, LA on May 16that2:00PM.

Leaveau, John Jules'Jack'

John “Jack” Jules Leaveau passedaway peacefullysurrounded by his loving familyonMay 8, 2025, at theage of 99. Jack was thedevoted husband ofthe late GeraldineUrsula (Bachemin)Leaveau.He was preceded in deathby his parentsNormanVictor Leaveau andCarrieLeech Leaveau,his brotherElbert “Bert”Leaveau andsisters Norma LeaveauGisevius and Elizabeth“Betty” Leaveau Faulk. Jack wasa wonderful father to hissix children, Cheryl L. Moise, Cynthia L. Osborne(Tim), NormanA.Leaveau,GlenJ Leaveau(Mary)and

Glenda U. McCormick (Sean)and thelateJohnN Leaveau.Hewas aloving Paw Pawtohis eight grandchildren,Ashley Moise (Michael), Jordan Moise (Bethany), Corey Seibert,JulianLeaveau, LiamLeaveau,Gavin Leaveau,Colin McCormick and Emma McCormick, and his twogreat grandchil‐drenBlair Moiseand Mina Okinaka.Jackwas born on December17, 1925, and was alifelongresidentof New Orleansand Metairie and graduatedfromJesuit HighSchool.Hewas avet‐eranofWWIIserving in the Navy on thebattleship USS Chauncey (DD-667) His serviceincludedtours inthe Asiatic-Pacific. After returning to NewOrleans, heworkedathis father's businessLiberty Welding. Jackthenworkedand re‐tired as asafety engineer withCommercialUnion and wasa self-madebusi‐nessman owning hisown businessJ.L.Construction. Hewas adevoted catholic and parishionerofSt. An‐gelaMerci andSt. Francis XavierCatholicChurch Dad lovedwatchingwar moviesand tellingjokes Dad also lovednicknaming all of hischildren, Cheryl (Pige), Cindy(Doug), John (Boo),Norman(Nootie), Glen(Tate), andGlenda (Mini). He lovedhis family and enjoyedspendingtime withhis children,grand‐childrenand greatgrand‐children. Dadwillforever berememberedfor his genuine laugh, smile,kind‐nessand generosity.Rela‐tives andfriends arewel‐cometoattend afuneral MassonWednesday,May 14, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Greenwood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd.,New Or‐leans.Visitationwillbe from9:00a.m.until service time. Intermentwillfollow inGreenwood Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, thefam‐ily asks youtoconsidera donationtothe Wounded Warrior Project, sup‐port.woundedwarriorpro‐ject.org or Jesuit High School,jesuitnola.org/do‐nate. Thefamilyinvites you to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com

Richard Patrick Pellegrin, of Metairie, Louisiana, passedaway on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at theage of 90. He was preceded in death by his son, Richard P. Pellegrin, Jr.; his parents, Josephand Nora Pellegrin; and histhree brothers and three sisters. Richard is survivedby his belovedwife of 68 years, Carolyn S. Pellegrin; his twodaughters, Denise P. Felter(Michael) and Sherry P. Esta(Michael); his daughter-in-law, Evalina D. Pellegrin; and hisseven grandchildren, Nicholas,Michael (Jessica), Justin (Lindsey), Brad (McKenzie), Lauren, Jesse, and Blake (Sage) He is also survived by a sisterand seven greatgrandchildren. Richard was born in Gretna, LouisianaonMay 15, 1934 and was agraduateof Gretna HighSchool.He was amember of the National Guardand enjoyed furniture making Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie FuneralHome, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in NewOrleans, on Monday, May 12, 2025 at 1:00PM. A visitationwillbeheldat thefuneralhome beginning at 11:00AM. The interment willbeprivate In lieu of flowers,please considera donationin Richard'smemory to Woman's NewLife Clinic, www.womansnewlife.com, St.JudeChildren's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org,orto TunneltoTowers Foundation, www.t2t.org. To view and sign theonline guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

John M. Poolepassed awaypeacefullyonSatur‐day,May 3, 2025 at theage of87. John wasbornin New OrleansonSeptember 5,1937. He wasprecededin death by hisparents,Wel‐don WallacePoole,Sr. and TheodoraMilliot Poole; his brother,WeldonWallace PooleJr.;and hisnephew, WeldonWallace PooleIII. Survivors includehis part‐ner of 52 years, JamesL Elzey;three nieces,Enid PooleGorringe(Shane); ErinPoole andAshley PooleFuselier, andmany great nieces andnephews Johnwas alifelongresi‐dentofCovington LA.He was agraduateofSt. Paul'sHighSchool,and SoutheasternLouisiana University. He wasa for‐mer ownerofPooleLum‐ber Company, anda local RealEstateDeveloper Johnwas alovingfriend, companion andlifelong partner of 52 yearsto James “Jim”Elzey.To‐gethertheyenjoyed travel‐ing around theworld,so‐cializing with friendsand working on real estate and interiordesignprojects. The familyexpressestheir deepestgratitude to the outstanding care provided byPassagesHospice and HomeInstead Senior Care A privateservice wasdi‐rectedbyE.J.FieldingFu‐neral Home andJohnwas interredinthe PooleFamily Cemetery. E.J. Fielding Fu‐neral Home hasbeen en‐trusted with funeral arrangements. Please sign the guestbook at www.ejf ieldingfh.com

Doniediedpeacefully at homeonTuesday,May 6 surrounded by family. She was thebeloved wife for63 years of Dr.Frank E. Schmidt;lovingmotherof Dr. FrankE.Schmidt,Jr. (Kelsey), DonieMagee, F. Evans Schmidt(Shannon), Helen Jenkins(Scott),Jen‐nifer Rovegno(Ed)and SaraDeJarnette (Ned); proud grandmotherof36: Frank Patrick, Sr.Clare Marie,OSB,JohnPaul (Erin), Catherine, Hope Peter,Andrew, Bridget, Trinity andMichelle Schmidt;Hallie(Stewart), Madison,Patton, Donie, Fletcher, Hudson (Claire) Greyson,Stricklon and Emerson Magee; Evans, Jr Elizabeth,Michael,Christo‐pher, Joseph † ,Maryand Matthew Schmidt; Scott, Saraand Mary GraceJenk‐ins;James,George, Eugénie andJohnRovegno; Taylor, Colette andEd‐mund DeJarnette,aswell asa great-grandmotherof 3:James,Colette andKit Hall, andlovingsisterof the late Hugh “Buddy” Evans,Jr. andSally Hodges. Shewas theaunt tomanybeloved nieces and nephews. Doniewas the daughter of thelate HughMcCloskey Evansand Sidonie de la Houssaye Evans.She wasa proud graduateofthe Academy ofthe Sacred Heartand cherished herlifelong friendships with theclass of‘56. Sheattended Rose‐montCollege,and gradu‐atedfromSophieNew‐combCollege.Donie had anentrepreneurial spirit and enjoyedher business endeavors as well as gar‐dening,and making her

homemade jams forthose she loved. Herministryof feedingthe homeless at Lantern Lightwas some‐thing that broughther great joy. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralMassat the BasilicaofSt. Stephen, 1025 Napoleon Ave. in New Orleans,onMonday, May 12, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. Avisi‐tationwillbeheldatthe church beginningat10:00 a.m.Interment will be pri‐vate. In lieu of flowers, pleaseconsidera donation inDonie's memory to Lantern LightMinistry, 1803 GravierSt.,New Or‐leans,LA70112 or The JosephMcCloskey Schmidt Scholarship throughThe PLEASEFoundation, P.O. Box 9223, Metairie,LA 70055 https://pleasefound ation.org/scholarships. php. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home,3827 CanalSt., New Orleans, LA.Condo‐lencesmay be left at www schoenfh.com.

Tortorich,Peter Joseph

PeterJoseph Tortorich passedaway at the age of 85 on May4,2025, at his residence with hisfamily by hisside. Peterwas born in NewOrleans,La. on December 19, 1939. Devotedhusbandof36 years to Evelyn "Oonebibble" Tortorich. Sonofthe lateAnthony Joseph Tortorich and Muriel Louise Tortorich. Father of thelatePeter Joseph TortorichIII and Teena Woodall. GrandfatherofCasey Sclafini, AnthonyTortorich, Tia Wintherand thelate Shawn Woodall. Great grandfather of Ethan Durel andAdalynnWinther. Brother of ToniBiroand thelateCharles "Chuck" Tortorich. Also survived by ahost of nieces and nephews. He wasneurotic, precise,intelligent, loving andsecretive.Hewas PITA, butloved. ACelebrationofPeter's Life washeld on Friday, May9,2025, witha private burialtotake place on Monday, May12in MetairieCemetery To view andsignthe Family'sGuestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairi e.com

Poole, John M.

Adams, LloydDaniel

Schmidt, Sidonie'Donie'

Pellegrin, Richard Patrick

Gravois, Phyllis Smith Schaefer

FedEx board member picked to lead USPS

David Steiner,aformerCEO of thenation’slargest waste managementcompanywho currently serves on theFedEx board of directors, is poised to take over controlofthe U.S. PostalService, becoming the nation’s 76th postmaster general.

TheannouncementofSteiner’sappointment, which heightened concerns from postal unions over possible efforts to privatize the USPS, was made Friday by Amber McReynolds, chairperson of the USPS Board of Governors, during ameeting of the independent group that oversees the service.

“Weanticipate that Mr.Steiner will jointhe organization in July,assuminghis successful completion of the ethicsand security clearance processes that are currently underway,” McReynolds said.

Friday’sannouncement by theBoard of Governors comes as President Donald Trump and his adviserElon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have raised the idea of privatizing the nearly 250-yearold Postal Service, whichhas facedfinancial challengesamid achanging mail mix and other issues.

The choice of Steiner has been seen by thepostalunions as a harbinger for possible privatization of some or all of the venerable quasi-public institution.

Home test kit approved for cervical cancer

U.S. regulators have approved thefirst cervical cancertesting kit that allows women to collect their own sampleathomebefore shipping it to alaboratory, accordingtoamedical device company

Teal HealthsaidFridaythe Food and Drug Administration approved its Teal Wand for home use, offering anew way to collect vaginal samples that can detect the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer.Currently,HPV tests andPap smears areperformed at ahealth clinic or doctor’s office.

An influential federal panel recommended last year the use of self-collection of HPV samples to boost screening. The FDA also recently expanded the useoftwo older HPV tests for self-collection,but those must be done at amedical office or mobile clinic.

Teal Health’skit requires a prescription,which customers can obtain through one of the company’sonline health providers. TheSan Francisco-based company said it will initially begin selling the kits in California next month before expanding to other states.

Texas looking at rising insurance costs

Texas lawmakers hope to rein in homeowners’ rising insurance bills even as they acknowledge there’sonly so much they can do to tackle costs. Legislators have advanced bills to limit how much insurance companies can hike rates and help homeownersmaketheir homes more insurable. They’ve alsosought to compel insurers to be more upfront with homeowners when they decide to yank coverage, or deny it in the first place.

Texans pay some of the highest insurance premiums in the country.Onaverage, Texas homeowners saw their insurance rates spike by double digits in recent years —afar cryfrom the previous decade when such increases wereunheard of. Homeowners’ insurance ratesclimbed by nearly 19% in 2024, according tothe Texas Department of Insurance, slightly down from more than 21% the previous year

Even as lawmakers look for ways to tackle theinsurance crisis, they acknowledge many of the drivers of insurance costs are beyond lawmakers’ control, they say “Wecan’tcontrol the weather, we can’tcontrol inflation,” state Rep. TomOliverson, aCypress Republican behind one such proposal, told aHouse committee last month.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Fedofficial notreadytocut rates

tious, though are not yet engaging in steep job cuts or other behavior typical of arecession.

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Atop Federal Reserveofficial said Friday that massive uncertaintycreated by President DonaldTrump’stariffs has caused some businesses to cutback on hiring and spending, threatening to slow theeconomy,but he added thatit’snot yet clear whether the central bank shouldcut its key interest rate.

TomBarkin,president of theFederal Reserve’sRichmond branch, said businesses have turned cau-

“The way I’ve been describing it is, it’s really hard to drive when it’s foggy,” Barkin said in remarks to theLoudoun County,Virginia Chamber of Commerce. “That’s what I’m seeing on the business side. Hiring freezes,discretionary spending being cut back, but not major layoffs.”

Barkin and other Fed speakers Friday underscored the difficult challenge the central bank faces right now. If thetariffs pushupinflation, the Fed would keep rates elevated —orraisethemfurther.But if theduties worsen the economy the Fed would typically cut rates

On Wednesday, Chair Jerome Powell said the risks of higher infla-

tionand higher unemployment are rising andthatthe Fed would wait for greater clarity about where the economy is headed beforemaking itsnextmove. Powellspoke after the Fed kept its key rate unchanged for the third straight meeting.

Trump, however,has continued to assailPowell for notcutting rates, which over timecould lower borrowing costs forconsumers and businesses.

Trump is pushing for rate cuts becauseheargues that the economy no longer suffers from the high inflation that spurred the Fed to sharply raise borrowing costs in 2022 and 2023.

Gregory Daco, chiefeconomist at EY,aconsulting firm, said he thinks the Fed should cut rates soon because “the economyisslowing and will continue to slow and flirt with the recession.”

Akey challenge forthe Fed right now,however,isdetermining whichrisk is biggerfor the economy,inflation or unemployment.

Barkin said it was too early to say that lower borrowing costs are needed to boost growth.

Butthe most likely reason for the Fed to reduce its key rate in the coming months, economists say, would be to offset asharp slowdown in theeconomy stemming from the tariffs. As companies see their costs rise because of higher duties —about half of imports are partsused by Americancompanies —theycould institutewidespread layoffs, pushing up unemployment and risking recession.

Expediareports weaker revenue

Companycites reduced travel demand

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Expedia Group saidFriday that reduced travel demandinthe United Statesled to its weaker-than-expected revenue in the first quarter.

Expedia, which owns the lodging reservation platforms Hotels.com and VRBO as wellasan eponymous online travelagency,was thelatest American companytoreportslowing business with both international visitors anddomestic travelers.

Airbnb and Hilton noted the same trends last week in their quarterly earnings reports. Most major U.S. airlines pulled their full-year financial guidance in Apriland saidthey planned to reduce scheduled flights, citing an ebbin economypassengers booking leisure trips. The U.S. Travel Associationhas said that

economic uncertainty and anxiety over President Donald Trump’stariffs may explain the pullback. In April, Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for afifth straight monthtothe lowest level since the onsetof the COVID-19pandemic.

Abroad, anger about thetariffs as wellas concern about tourist detentions at the U.S border have made citizens of someother countries less interested in traveling to the U.S., tourism industry experts say The U.S.government said last month that 7.1 millionvisitors entered the U.S. from overseas this year as of the end of March, 3.3% fewer than during the first three months of 2024.

The numbers did not include land crossings fromMexico or travel from Canada,where citizens have expressedindignationover Trump’sremarks about making their country the 51st state. Both U.S.and Canadian government data have shown steepdeclinesinborder crossings from Canada.

ExpediaChief FinancialOfficer ScottSchenkelsaidthe net value of the travel technology

company’sbookings into the U.S.fell 7% in the January-March period, but bookings to the U.S. from Canadawere down nearly30%. In aconference callwith investors Friday, Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin said U.S. demand was even softer in April thanMarch

“We’re still continuing to see pressure on travel into the U.S., but we’ve alsoseen some rebalancing,” Gorin said. “Europeansare traveling lesstothe U.S but more to Latin America.”

Airbnb said last week that foreigntravel to the U.S. makes up only 2% to 3% of its business. But within thatcategory,it’s seeing declining interest in theU.S. as a destination

“I think Canada is the most obvious example,where we see Canadiansare traveling at amuch lower ratetothe U.S. but they’re travelingmore domestically,they are travelingto Mexico, they are going to Brazil, they’re goingtoFrance, they’re going to Japan,” Airbnb ChiefFinancialOfficerEllie Mertzsaidina conference call with investors.

U.S.,China to meet on tariffs

BY STAN CHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK U.S. stocks drifted through aquiet Friday as Wall Street closed an unusually calm week. The S&P 500 slipped to finish the week with amodestdip. It’sthe first week in seven where the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts movedbyless than 1.5%, aftercareening on fears about President Donald Trump’s tradewar and hopes that he’ll relent on someof his tariffs TheDow Jones Industrial Average dipped, whilethe Nasdaq composite edged up slightly.They

finished the week with even more modest losses than the S&P500. The week’s main eventfor financial markets is likelycoming on Saturday.That’swhenhigh-level U.S. and Chinese officials will meet in Switzerland for theirfirst talks since Trumplaunched an escalating tradewar between theworld’s two largest economies. The fear among investors and economists is that arecession could hit if the United States doesn’treach trade deals that lower its tariffs by enough and quickly enough. Trump on Friday floated theidea of bringing tariffs on Chinese imports down to 80% from their current 145% rate, but he said it’ll be up to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, whowill be in Switzerland. While 80% wouldindeed be are-

duction, it would still be high, and Trump’sposting on social media caused abrief jolt in financial markets. Futuresfor U.S. stocks sank immediately Butmarkets quickly calmed as thewait continued for what U.S. and Chinese officials will say after their meeting. In the meantime, theflow of earnings reports for the start of the year from companies is slowing but still moving the market Sweetgreen wilted by 16.2% after thesalad seller reported aslightly larger loss forthe latest quarter than analysts expected.The fastcasual restaurant chainalsogave aforecastfor revenue over the full year that fell just short of analysts’ estimates They helpedworkagainst a28.1%

rally for Lyft, which delivered a stronger profit forthe latest quarterthananalysts expected.The companysaid it reached the highest weekly ridership levels in its history during thelast week of March Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the chip giantknown as TSMC, offered an encouraging report,saying its revenue in April leapt48.1% from ayear earlier. That sentits stock thattrades in the UnitedStates up 0.7%.

Insulet jumped 20.9% for the biggestgain in the S&P 500 after the medical device company reported stronger results for the latest quarterthananalysts expected.The company, which sells tubeless insulin pump technology,alsoraisedits forecast for an underlying revenue trendfor the full year

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Louis Armstrong NewOrleans International AirportinKenner on Jan. 24.

SPORTS

C CH S

Reeseready to start winningin WNBA

BY ANDREWSELIGMAN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO AngelReese’srookie year surpassed nearly all expectations.

TheChicago SkyAll-Starset records before her season got cut short by an injury and helped the league soar to new heights in popularity after she and the Indiana Fever’s CaitlinClark took theirrivalry fromthe college ranks to the pros.

One thing the former LSU standout didn’t do was win.Not theway she is accustomed to winning. That’ssomething she wants to change, starting with amarquee opener at Indiana on May 17. “I wasn’tused to that,” Reese said. “Itjust takes an adjustment. It’s something that you don’twant to getusedtobecause youdon’t want to get in amindset, like, ‘Oh, we’re just going to be losing every night.’ We were right there every night.”

The Sky finished 10th in the WNBA with a13-27 record last season and missed the playoffs forthe first time since2018. The disappointing resultswere despitegetting significant contributions from Reese and fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso. The two young stars are back, and the team made major roster changes to give them some help.

Chicago fired former coach Teresa Weatherspoon after one year and hired Las Vegas assistant Tyler Marsh to replace the Naismith Hall of Famer

LSU pitcher Chase Shores delivers apitch againstMississippi State in the first inning of their game on March 29 at Alex Box Stadium. Shores has taken on anew role as areliever. STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL

JOHNSON

Alookathow Shores hasevolved sincemovingintonew role

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

When ChaseShores entered thegame, it was his first relief appearance inovertwo years.

Tommy John surgerysidelined Shores for aseason and ahalf, buthis first nine outings in his return to the mound this spring came as astarter.Being in the rotation was the expectation for the 6-foot-8 right-hander, apitcher seemingly so valuable that LSU coach Jay Johnson compared hisinjury to if the football team had lost quarterback Garrett Nussmeier last season.

But at the halfway point of Southeastern Conference play,Shores found himselfina new role. Junior left-hander Conner Ware unexpectedly started LSU’sseries finale with Alabama before Shores entered the game in relief.

“I just felt like to hold themdown as best we could,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said, “we were going to need more guys.”

ä See LSU, page 6C

Ifeel likehe’s getting his legs underneath him, and just at the right time.”

JAyJOHNSON, LSU baseball coach

RAIN,RAIN, GO AWAY Arkansas at LSUbegan afterthisedition went to press. Forcomplete coverage,visit nola.com

The Sky also brought in veteran leadership, including franchise career assist leader CourtneyVandersloot andacquiring two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins from Washington. Chicago hopesthe additionswillhelp Reeseand Cardoso take theirgames to another level. “She wantstocompete, she wants to win, she’ssomebody that puts that above everythingelse,” generalmanagerJeff Pagliocca said of Reese. “With allthe time that she putsintobuilding herbrand andflying all over the world, she still has proven to us time and time again she puts basketball first. “Only acompetitive player is going to have all these things in her life that are

ä See REESE, page 6C

NCAA considerschanges to basketball rules

Men’sand women’shoops proposecoach’s challenge

The Associated Press

The NCAA Men’sBasketball Rules Committee,inanefforttoenhance theflow of games,has recommended that video reviews of out-of-bounds calls can only be initiated by acoach’schallenge.

The NCAA announced Fridaythatthe committee metthisweekinIndianapolis and addressedconcerns about lengthy disruptions, particularly near the end of games.

In addition to recommending the use of coach’schallenges,points of emphasis to improveflow will include directives to address delay-of-game tactics, limit time spentatthe monitor,improve gameadministration efficiency and reduce physicality

TheNCAA Playing RulesOversight Panel must approve proposals before they become official.ThepanelisscheduledtomeetJune10. Underthe coach’s challenge proposal, teams must have atimeout to request a video review challenge. If thechallenge is successful, teamswould be allowed to have oneadditional challenge forthe rest of the game, including overtime. If the first challenge is unsuccessful, theteam losesthe ability to challenge the rest of the game.

Other than in the last two minutesofa game and in overtime, acoach’schallenge alsowould be necessarytoinitiate areview of basketinterference/goaltending and restricted arc plays. Recent data shows thosereviews caused minimal game interruptions. Officials could not initiate video review on out-of-bounds calls at any point in agame. Fans have complainedabout the disruptionofgame flow as the number of situa-

tions when video review can be used has increased over the last decade. KarlHicks, committee chair and associate commissioner for basketball at the American Athletic Conference, said taking steps to improve flow wasthe priority of this year’smeeting. “Coach’schallenges were deemed to be the mostefficient way to accomplish this goal,” Hicks said. “Data fromthe NCAA tournamentand membership conferences showed asubstantial number of reviews wereon out-of-bounds plays. The committee looked at otherbasketball leagues around the world to seewhatthe best solutionwould be for the NCAA, and the committeeagreed with the NBA coach’schallenge system and its one plus one process.”

Officials still can initiate video reviews to check fortiming mistakes,scoring errors, shot-clock violations, 2-point versus 3-point

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Kim Mulkey argues acall in the first quarter of agame against Mississippi State on Feb.2 at thePete Maravich Assembly Center

AngelReese STAFFPHOTO

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

5:30 p.m.

6p.m.

Sun Belt Tournament ESPN2

3p.m. Big TenTournament BTN

3p.m. Big East Tournament FS1

4p.m. SoutheasternTournament ESPN

5:30 p.m. BigEast Tournament FS2 GOLF

Noon PGATruist: Third Round Golf

2p.m. PGATruist: Third Round CBS

2p.m. PGA: Myrtle Beach Classic CBS

4p.m.LPGA: MizuhoAmericas Open CBS MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

6:30 p.m.UFC 315 Early Prelims ESPN

7p.m.UFC 315 Prelims ESPN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

3p.m.N.y.yankees at Athletics MLBN

6p.m.Chicago Cubs at N.y.Mets FOX

8:30 p.m.Toronto at Seattle MLBN NBA

2:30 p.m.Boston at Newyork ABC

7:30 p.m.Minnesota at GoldenState ABC NHL

5p.m.Washington at Carolina TNT

8p.m.Vegas at Edmonton TNT MEN’S RUGBY

9p.m.MLR: Houston at SanDiego ESPN2

MEN’S SOCCER

11:30 a.m. Aston Villa at AFC Bourne.NBC

WOMEN’S SOCCER

6:30 p.m.NWSL: Orlando at N. Carolina ION

9p.m.NWSL: PortlandatSan DiegoION

Mitchell showspower at soggyTruist

BY BOBLENTZ AP sportswriter

FLOURTOWN, Pa.— Keith Mitchell

held the first-round lead at three tournaments earlier this season before falling out of the top spot. He’s showing stayingpower at the Truist Championship.

Mitchell followed acareer-best round with a3-under 67 on Friday and maintainedaone-shot lead after two rounds at Philadelphia Cricket Club’sWissahickon Course.

Mitchell, who led the waywith a61onThursday,offset two bogeys with five birdies,including a three-hole run on Nos. 3-5, for a12 under total.

Shane Lowry was second at 11 under after a5-under 65, and Sepp Straka (67) was anotherstroke back. Defending champion Rory McIlroy shot a3-under 67 and was tied in alarge group for fourth. Mitchell said he’sfeeling more comfortable in the top spot.And it showed.

“I guess just being alittle more comfortable in that position,” Mitchell said. “Playing well the last couple Thursdays,it’sjust Ifeel like I’ve been there now three or four times. So trying to justbuild off of that and build into Friday,then Saturday andSunday.

“It’safour-round tournament. They don’tgive any points or money out on Thursday.SoI’ve got to keep it going.”

One dayafter 64 of the72golfersinthe no-cut field broke par in near-perfect weather and scoring conditions, the coursewas softened by overnight rainand the field dealt with on-and-off showers and temperatures in the 50s Friday.The result: longer irons into Philly Cricket’smodest par 4s and amore difficult7,100-yard, par-70 test for the sixth signature event of the PGA Tour season. Lowry was undeterred by the weather andposted the lowest round of the day,while McIlroy was joined at 7under by Justin Thomas (67), Colin Morikawa (70) and Patrick Cantlay (68),among others.

Mitchell was steady throughout, never wavering from his preplanned strategy on the A.W. Tillinghast design that opened in 1922. He followed bogeys at Nos. 2 and 11 with birdies and described thebounce-backsas“huge.”

“If you get going in the wrong directionwith momentum on a dayliketoday,itcan really catch you,” he said Lowry,who opened with a64, birdiedfourofhis firsteight holes. Aftera bogey at the10th,he bounced backbymaking a53-foot birdie putt at No.11and closed out theround with another birdie at the 15th.

He discounted thenotion that he hasanadvantage over mostplayers in chilly,damp conditions just because he hailsfrom Ireland.

“Everyone says that to me every daywhen it rains,” he said. “I live in SouthFlorida, and Iplan to be therenow Ithink I’m able to

handle them probably better than afew people,but Idon’t particularlylikeorenjoy goingout and playing in these conditions.”

McIlroy had an uneven round of six birdiesand threebogeys while playing in his first individual tournament sincecompleting the career Grand Slam at the Masters last month McIlroy hasn’twavered in his aggressive approach to playing the Wissahickon Course, but on Fridaythe Northern Irishman’s long-distance success came on thegreens.

He drained putts from justunder 10 feet at 12, closeto29feet at 14, 17 feet,4 inches at 15 and nearly 28 feet at 18 —all on his first nine holes.Hefinishedwith 1261/2 feet of putts made.

McIlroyhas won threetimes this season —atPebble Beach, thePlayersChampionship and AugustaNational —and is afour-

time champion of this event. He acknowledged that his game needs some fine tuning after taking mostofthe last two weeks off. He is also preparing for next week’sPGA Championship at QuailHollow, where he haswon four times “I felt like today was another sort of scrappyone,“ McIlroy said. “I made what Ifeel are some uncharacteristic mistakes compared to how I’ve played the majority of theyear “So,just got to try to iron that out over the next couple of days, try to shoot acouple of scores withoutasmanybogeysonthe card. If Ican do that and just tidy it up alittle bit, Ifeel like I’ll be in agood spot heading into next week.”

Denny McCarthy,who wasone stroke off thelead after the opening round, fell off the pace and is at 5under after asecond-round 73.

Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway reliving history

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY,Kan. One year ago, Chris Buescher was beatenby KyleLarsonatKansas Speedway by the blink of the eye.

Less than ablink of an eye.

The official margin of victory forthe spring raceatthe track was 0.001 seconds, the closestin NASCAR Cup Series history,and nobody has forgotten it.Not the way that Larson came slinging around the outside of Turns3and 4, nor how they werenose-to-nose at the wire, nor how broadcasters thought that Buescher had held him off for the win.

“Certainly at that moment, thought we got it just by my eye,” Buescher recalled this week. “I was probably alittle biased.”

It wasn’t until they hadnearly finished their cool-down lap that Larson learned he had won.

Andthat Buescher learned he hadnot.

“At the end of the day,itwas, you know —itwas ‘that’ close, right?” Buescher said. “Like I said, played alot of things in our head that week on what we would have done different, and maybe it would have ended in adifferent result. But ultimately,itdoesn’t matter until we have achanceto replay it.” They get that chance on Sunday when the Cup Series returns to

Chris

driverintroductions before twoNASCAR Daytona 500 qualifying races at Daytona International SpeedwayonFeb 13 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Kansas Speedway

Larson is off to another sensational start to theseason,with wins at Homestead andBristol, and three consecutive top-5 runs after his fourth-place finish last week at Texas. He’sthe betting favorite to repeat at Kansas and start abusy three-week stretch that includes another shot at the

“the Double” —the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola600 on thesameday later this month

Buescherhasn’thad nearly the same success. His best finish has been afifth at Phoenix, and in the last three races, he hasnot finishedbetter than 18th,whichis where he puthis Ford forRFK Racinglast week at Texas.

Butperhaps areturn to the Heartland willturn around some fortunes. Forget foramoment that he was oh-so-close to winning at Kansas last year,and remember that he not only finished second in the spring but ran astrong 11th in the fall race. He also had astrong run at Kansas in 2015, when he won the Xfinity Series championship.

Buescher recalled that season this week when he was thinking back to last year’srun at Kansas. Sure, his crew may have been celebrating in his pit stall, thinking he had beaten Larson to the line. But the fella behind the wheel refused to begin celebrating until everything became official which, of course, turned out tobe agood idea.

“I’m not one to celebratetoo early,because Ijust have bad feelings all the time,” Buescher said. “I go back to our championship in Xfinity in 2015. We went into the race, we had to finish13th, Ibelieve was thenumber, no matter what (Chase)Elliott did, and we finish

FIFA confirmsWWC will increaseto48teams

The Women’sWorld Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when theUnited States is expected to host thetournament, FIFAconfirmed Friday

FIFA haswanted to expand the women’stournamentfrom32 teamstomatch the men’s World Cup which has 48 teamsfor the first time next year,whenthe U.S. will co-host withCanadaand Mexico. The decisionisset to add about four stadiums and cities to the 2031 hosting plan, which FIFA has said could expand to Mexico and perhaps beyond in theCONCACAF soccer region.

It follows one month after FIFA president Gianni Infantino saidit had just one candidate bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments —the U.S. followed by the United Kingdom

Tiger Woods’son misses out on U.S. Openagain

Charlie Woodsfailed to getout of local qualifying for the U.S. Open, the second straight year the son of Tiger Woods missed out

The 16-year-old Woods was among arecord 10,202 entries for the U.S. Open. He improved fromlast year’s score in 18-hole local qualifying, posting a3-over75atWellington Golf Club on Thursday.That left him sevenshots shortofbeingamong those who advanced to the 36-hole final stage.

Ayear ago, he shot 81 in thelocal U.S. Open qualifier.Tiger Woods, who has threeU.S. Opens among his 15 professional majors, never had to go through the first stage of local qualifying. According to the USGA, Woods was exempt from thelocal qualifying in 1992 through 1994, presumably from his U.S. Junior titles.

Alcaraz beats Lajovic in returnfrom injury

ROME Carlos Alcaraz returned froma brief injury layoffand didn’tappear to have any issues during a6-3, 6-3 victoryover Serbianqualifier DusanLajovic at the Italian Open on Friday The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from theMadridOpenlast month due to an upper right leg ailment that bothered him during the Barcelona Open final. He also had aleft leg injury.

Alcaraz won theopening four games but dropped his serve when he servedfor thefirst set at 5-2. The Spaniardbroke back in the next gametocloseitout, showing off his speed on the clay courtat theForo Italico whenheran down adropshot and produced abackhand winner on one key point.

Indiasuspends cricket amidstmilitarytensions

India’sbiggest domestic cricket tournamentwas suspended for one week on Friday following the escalatingmilitary tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, whichfeatures top players from around the world andattracts hundreds of millionsofTVviewers, was halted with immediate effect, theBoard of Controlfor Cricketin India said.

that race —nomatter what, it was alock. AndIwas being yelled at for racing, you know? For trying to pass for sixth or seventh. Iwas being yelled at by everybody “Anyway,wecomeacross the line andwefinishedthe top10, I think.And you know,itwas better than 13th, Iknow that. And Iknew it at the time. So Iknewwewere done.And Istill couldn’tbring myself to celebrate until somebody said something.”

Buescherknows he will always be part of Cup Serieshistory after that photo-finish ayear ago. It edged the 2003 spring race at Darlington, whereRickyCraven and Kurt Buschbanged doors for the lead, as theclosest in Cup Series history.The margin in that case was 0.002 seconds, or double the time between Larson andBuescher at Kansas.

The spring race at Talladega in 2011 also had a0.002-second margin when Jimmie Johnsonbeat Clint Bowyer to the finish line.

“We’rechasing athousandthof asecond every week. You’re chasing fractions all the time. Ultimately,it’swhat we signed up to do,” Buescher said. “Ifitwas 1,000th of asecond forfifth and sixth, it wouldn’thave stung. But you know,for awin, it makes you relive it for alittle bit. But again, it’sjust,it’sour world, right? We are always chasing these minute details.”

Thedecision came after anight of artillery exchanges between Indian and Pakistani soldiers across their frontier in Kashmir, amid agrowing military standoff thaterupted following an attack on tourists in theIndia-controlled portion of the disputed region.

TheIPL is the most popular cricket tournament in the worldand runs between March andMay

Astros placeright-hander Wesneski on 15-day IL

TheHouston Astros placed righthander Hayden Wesneskionthe 15day injured listonThursdaywith right elbow discomfort Wesneski pitchedfourinnings of four-runball in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss at Milwaukee. It was hisfirst start since April 25. The Astros skipped Wesneski’s previous turn in the rotation after he showed diminished velocity,but managerJoe Espada said he did not report anyelbow soreness until Thursday. Wesneski, 27, was acquired by Houston in the KyleTucker trade with the Chicago Cubs in December.Heis1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in sixstartswith the Astros. Wesneski missed two months of last season due to elbow soreness. The Astros recalled right-hander LoganVanWey fromTriple-A

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMATTROURKE

Keith Mitchell waitsonthe 17th hole during the Truist Championship on Friday at the PhiladelphiaCricket Club in Flourtown, Pa

AP PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

Buescher wavestothe crowd during

TwoNew Orleans schoolsmaketheir mark in the field

CountryDay, Newman parlay thosedistances into highteam finishes

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Newman and CountryDay earned high-team placements at the state track and field championships with the helpoftheir field-event winners on Friday at Bernie Moore Stadium in Baton Rouge.

For Newman, it wasa former baseball pitcher whoseshoulder injury caused him to quit that sport who provided most of the points.

Dylan Kolenovsky won the Class 2A discus (141 feet, 5inches) and shot put (48-13/4)and had arunner-upfinisher in thejavelin (159-5) roughly one yearafter the junior decided last year tochoose betweenthe two sports.

“After the injury,I was in thought for along timebecause I hadtopick whether Iwanted to do track or baseball,” he said. “I had done baseball my whole life. I grew up playing travel baseball.”

His output at the state meet accounted for 28 of the 47 team points that let the Greenies get within five points of runner-up Ouachita Christian (52 points). Episcopal won the Class 2A boys title with 60 points. Country Day,which finished sixth with 34 points, got aboost from three-timejavelin statewinnerIsaac Herzenberg.

Herzenberg used apersonalbest throw of 183-4 to achieve thefeat. Anditwas the distance that he felt best about. Last year, Herzenberg won for the second year in arow,but his winning throw came up three feet shorter than the distancehewon with as afreshman.

“I wasreallyupsetwithhow I did last year because Ididn’timprove at all since my freshman year,” he said. “So, Ifelt like I needed tostepupand do alot better.”

His winning distancethis year went nearly16feetlonger than his winning throw last year

“Just lots of throwing,” said Herzenberg, who reached the podium asecond time Friday with arunner-up finish in the discus.

“Every dayafter schoolI would go throw andkeep that up for an hour and ahalf, two hours.”

The Newman and CountryDay girls also finished third and sixth, respectively Newman junior Remi Cousin wonthe long jumpat17feet, 11/2 inches, making her an individual statechampionfor thefirsttime while competing in herthird state meet.

She also placed third in the two hurdle events, giving herthree podium finishes after finishing no betterthanfourthinthe 100-meter hurdles as afreshman and as an eighthgrader Cousin has former Olympic qualifierChelsea Hayesasher long jumps coach.

“She always callsmeher minime,” Cousin said.“Just going from that,she’sbeen teachingme everything sheknows,and she’s always known the potential in whatI can jump.”

Newman hada 1-2 finish in the longjump assenior ClaireCharpentier, the long jump champion last year,finished second at 16-73/4 Newman sophomoreJada Recasner won thetriple jump at 363, giving her asecond state title in that eventafter shewon the Division II indoor championship in February ForCountryDay,seniors Constance and Lorraine Goldenberg shared a1-2 finish in the1,600 meters. Lorrainealsowon the 800. Constance was secondinthe 3,200. Thepair are among aset of trip-

Kolenovsky

“I wasreally upset with how Idid last year because I didn’timprove at all sincemy freshman year.So, Ifelt likeI needed to step up and do alot better.”

ISAACHERZENBERG Newmanjavelin thrower

lets thatinclude Alice Goldenberg,who finishedseventh in the pole vault “It’slike adreamcome true,” Lorraine said aboutthe shared 1-2 finish in the 1,600. “We’ve been wanting to do this, and we finally made it happen. Especially in the mile —our favoriteevent.And we do everything together —like take the sameclasses at school, so this is really special for us.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

JOHNSON

Dylan

wonthe Class 2A shot and discus at the LHSAA outdoor trackand field championships on FridayatLSU’s Bernie Moore Track Stadium.Healsowas the runner-up in the javelin

CountryDay’s Isaac Herzenberg the Class 2A javelin at the LHSAA outdoor trackand field championships on Friday.

Saints come to terms with six 2025 draft picks

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

With rookie minicamp in full swing, the New Orleans Saints announced they have reached contract agreements with most of their nine-member NFL draft class.

Offensive lineman Kelvin Banks, linebacker Danny Stutsman, cornerback Quincy Riley, running back Devin Neal, tight end Moliki Matavao and edge rusher Fadil Diggs all signed their first professional contracts Friday

The only players from the draft class who have not yet signed are quarterback Tyler Shough, defensive lineman Vernon Broughton and safety Jonas Sanker — all of the Saints’ Day 2 selections.

New Orleans began its rookie minicamp Friday, and it will go through the weekend.

While three players remain unsigned, they are still able to participate in the Saints’ rookie minicamp.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Bucs rookie tops list of the NFL’s heaviest players

BY MARK LONG

Even though Desmond Watson is trying to make Tampa Bay’s roster, he’s already made history — as the NFL’s heaviest player

The 6-foot-6, 464-pound defensive tackle from Florida signed with his hometown Buccaneers after going undrafted and will begin his NFL journey during Tampa Bay’s three-day rookie minicamp that opens Friday He’s sure to get plenty of attention — maybe even as much as the team’s first-round draft pick, former Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka.

The Bucs would no doubt like to see Watson a little lighter on his feet. The Gators struggled for four years to make tangible progress with a guy Florida coach Billy Napier called “a unicorn” and “just a big man.”

While no current NFL player tops 400 pounds — Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele is the heaviest at 380 — there have been a few who have played at or near four bills. Here’s a look at some of the beefiest guys in league history: Aaron Gibson, 410 pounds

A first-round draft pick by Detroit in 1999, Gibson started 15 games for the Lions before getting waived in the middle of his third season Shoulder issues landed the offensive tackle on injured reserve in each of his first two years. He also played with Dallas and Chicago before getting one final shot in the NFL with Buffalo

in 2006; the Bills cut him near the end of training camp. He bounced around the Arena Football League from there. He battled depression after his playing days ended and weighed as much as 480 pounds.

Terrell Brown, 403 pounds

The 6-foot-10 Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie from Mississippi in 2013 He showed up 15 pounds heavier than then-Rams coach Jeff Fisher expected. He shed some weight during training camp — the Rams had him playing right tackle after working him on both sides of the ball but he didn’t make the team.

Nate Newton, 401 pounds

Cut by Washington before spending two years (1984-85) in the USFL, Newton’s career changed dramatically when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Nicknamed “The Kitchen” because of his size, Newton lost a footrace with thenCowboys coach Jimmy Johnson that pushed him to get into better shape. He ended up becoming one of the league’s most dominant guards in the 1990s. He made six Pro Bowls while blocking for Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls. Newton was back over 400 pounds in retirement, but he eventually lost nearly half his body weight thanks to stomach surgery in 2010.

Michael Jasper, 394 pounds

Despite weighing as much as 450 pounds as a two-way player

at Bethel University of the NAIA, Buffalo drafted Jasper in the seventh round in 2011. He dropped to 375 pounds during training camp but was released in final cuts. He landed on Buffalo’s practice squad but never played in a regular-season game. He’s now the head coach at Stetson.

Bryant McKinnie, 386 pounds McKinnie played in 179 games, with 162 starts, over a 12-year NFL career A college standout at Miami and the seventh overall pick by Minnesota in 2002, McKinnie’s 6-foot-8 frame handled the weight well. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009 and won the Super Bowl with Baltimore following the 2012 season.

William Perry, 382 pounds

A first-round draft pick by Chicago in 1985, Perry quickly earned the nickname “The Refrigerator” and became a fan favorite as a rookie. The run-stuffing nose tackle also carried five times for 7 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and had a TD catch. His bone-jarring TD run and subsequent spike — against New England in the 1986 Super Bowl remains an iconic moment in NFL lore.

He finished his pro career with 524 tackles, including 29 1/2 sacks, over 138 games. The Fridge may have gained popularity in retirement: He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and participated as a celebrity contestant in the 2003 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Morrison says he felt people gave up on him

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

TAMPA, Fla Benjamin Morrison burst into tears when he got the long-awaited call from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second round of the NFL draft last month.

“Thank you for believing in me,” Morrison told coach Todd Bowles in one of the most emotional videos of the three days. A star cornerback at Notre Dame whose season ended in October following a hip injury Morrison was still considered a firstround pick by many analysts, with some rating him as the No. 1 player at his position. But he had to wait until the 53rd pick to hear his name called.

Morrison explained his raw emotion Friday when the Buccaneers kicked off rookie camp.

“It was just the year that I had last year, going into the year, understanding I was one of the top corners, and then you get injured, and then you feel like you’re forgotten about, and there’s so many things behind closed doors that many people don’t know that I had to go through last year with just uncertainty of my hip, the combine process, all that stuff,” Morrison said. “So it honestly felt like a lot of people gave up on me. And, I’m still a kid in the day I’m growing up. I still have to have those growing pains. So it was tough. But at the end of the day I mean God doesn’t make mistakes. I landed at the right spot. It kind of validated this when I walked through the doors. This is the place I’m supposed to be at.

My mom was like: ‘You’re on a mission. God sent you here for a reason and go attack it.’” Morrison participated in positional drills on the field but sat out the team periods as he continues to recover from surgery Morrison’s dad, Darryl Morrison, played four seasons in the

NFL as a defensive back after Washington selected him in the sixth round in 1993. He played with Bowles his rookie season so he gave his son input on his new coach.

“He was like, honestly, straight to the point, he’s matter of fact. And he’s just like what you got on the phone is what you’re going to get. He’s a good dude, great man, cares about his players and things like that,” Benjamin Morrison said about his dad’s thoughts on Bowles.

The four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers are counting on Morrison to bolster a secondary that finished fourthworst in passing yards allowed in each of the past two seasons.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Morrison had six interceptions as a freshman in 2022 and three picks along with a team-high 10 pass breakups in 2023, when he was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the top defensive back in college football. His experience playing for a high-profile college program should help him make a smooth transition to the next level.

“It’s a national stage every single week,” Morrison said about Notre Dame. “I opened up my first-ever game at 18 years old playing Ohio State. So for me, it’s just prepared me to go against the best Look at the guys I’ve gone against in college, different body types who are excelling in the NFL at a high level. So for me, it gave me that wide variety of different receivers and then also just the man that Notre Dame kind of molded me to be. I went there a boy and came out a man, just through my coaching staff, the people around me, even my players. Having guys like Cam Hart, even Kyle Hamilton coming back to school, just seeing the way they operate, it’s inspiring for a young kid like me and I was like I wanna be like that one day.”

Dolphins quarterback Ewers is aiming to ‘go

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Quinn Ewers didn’t expect to slip to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft. But when the Dolphins rookie quarterback put on a Miami jersey for the first time Friday, none of that mattered anymore Now, the work begins to prove he’s ready for the NFL.

Ewers, drafted 231st last month by Miami, is third on the Dolphins’ depth chart behind starter Tua Tagovailoa and free agent signing Zach Wilson. He was the last quarterback selected in the draft; 13 others were picked before him. Whether it was because of concerns about his consistency or injury history he doesn’t quite know but he admitted being overlooked is a position he hasn’t been

in too often.

“I didn’t expect to fall as low as I did,” Ewers said Friday as the Dolphins opened rookie minicamp. “It is what it is at the end of the day, and I have the same opportunity that everybody else does, and I’m beyond thankful for that. I just want to go in there and play my game and learn and develop as a quarterback.”

Ewers was the top-rated high school quarterback in the country when he signed with Ohio State and left school early to the join the Buckeyes in 2021. After spending a season deep on Ohio State’s depth chart, Ewers transferred to Texas, where was the starter by the 2022 season opener

The Dolphins were impressed by his experience and how he responded to pressure in college. In three years as the Longhorns’

starter, Ewers led Texas to a Big 12 championship and twice to the College Football Playoff. He passed for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns in a career rivaled by few other quarterbacks that have gone through the program. But he was hindered by various injuries, including an abdomen strain that sidelined him for a couple games this past season. That allowed the Longhorns to get two starts from Arch Manning the highly touted son of Cooper Manning who Texas fans were eager to see in action despite Ewers’ success. “We talked to coach (Steve) Sarkisian about him and ‘Sark’ really likes and was high (on him),” general manager Chris Grier said during the draft. “(He) talked about his toughness, his mental toughness, the pushing through

Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondround draft pick Benjamin Morrison speaks to the media on Friday in Tampa, Fla.

get noticed’

with the injury, the expectations, all the pressure with (Arch) Manning there coming in. He loved his competitiveness and how he plays, and how his teammates respond to him.”

Ewers said his immediate NFL goal is to learn Mike McDaniel’s complex playbook and find ways to stand out. The leadership the Dolphins saw in him in college, he said, will go a long way

“Right now it’s my responsibility to lead all these rookies,” Ewers said. “It’s my opportunity to go get noticed at the end of the day And I’m going to try to go do that.”

Backup quarterback is an important position in Miami. Tagovailoa has missed at least one game in all but one of his five NFL seasons. The Dolphins used three different quarterbacks last

season after injuries limited Tagovailoa to just 11 starts his fewest since starting nine games his rookie season.

Grier wasted little time in free agency addressing Miami’s need for a backup, signing Wilson to a one-year deal in March. Wilson, the New York Jets’ No. 2 overall pick in 2021, hopes to earn a starting role at some point. Ewers will be aiming for the same.

“There’s a lot of guys out there right now, and everyone’s fighting for the same job,” Ewers said. “And we’re all competitive, but it’s cool at the same time just because at the end of the day some of these guys are going to end up being teammates with us. But you’ve got to earn the job and earn the trust of those guys as well.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

Florida defensive lineman Desmond Watson runs off the field against Georgia during a game on Nov 2 in Jacksonville, Fla.

AP PHOTO By CHRIS O’MEARA

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Stay put wherever you feel comfortable. Put your energy where it will bring the highest returns. Happiness is the prerequisite to doing what's right and best foryou.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Themore you engage withothers, the moreyou will discover about yourself and what's possible. Setout today in searchof long-term happiness. Mixbusiness withpleasure, and someone will show interest in you.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Adisplay of emotions will workagainst you. Your strengthcomes from knowing the facts and using intelligence and alternative solutions to negotiate the outcome.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Sparkswill fly. Direct your energy into something positive andenergetic, which can help youreachyourtarget. Pay attention to detail and howyou present yourself to others.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Discussand resolve sensitive topicswith empathyand awillingness to compromise. Suggest achange of scenery, awalk in natureorvisiting an establishment that reminds youoffond memories.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Put life into your ideasand plans. Stop talking and start doing. Doorswillopen, andinteracting with othersormaking your dreams a reality will reinforce confidence.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov.22) You can share your thoughts and feelings, but do so with discretion andwithout malice.A

disciplined approach to accomplishing whatever you want will give you the means to reach your goal.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Making room foractivities you want to engage in or preparing to receive company will ease stress. Spending time with someoneyou love will enhanceyourrelationship and encourage lifestyle changes.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Achange will do yougood.Distanceyourself from thosewho bring you down, plan to do something to nurture your soul and revive your faith in yourself and your beliefs.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Home improvements and investing in yourself and your lifestyle will help you put aplan in place. It'sOKtobedifferent and to do what'sbest foryou.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight, review andestablish what youwant, and refuse to let anyone interfere in your life.Put togetherabudget you can afford and build your plans around your means and needs.

ARIEs (March 21-April19) You'll missout if you don't pull everything together and take care of unfinished business. Return to nature, follow your passion or immerse yourself in something else that brings you joy.

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

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, pastand present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe samenumber onlyonce. The difficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZardoFid

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIPALDER

Victoria Beckham, Posh Spice of the SpiceGirls andwife of soccer star David Beckham, said, “I like aman who can be areal friend, hasagood sense of humor, agood pair of shoes anda healthygold card.”

Experts are born withcardsense, whichisanunderstanding that because aplayerdid something, it meansthat he hasorhas not got aparticular holding in thatsuit.

Howwould aSouth with cardsense handlethis deal?He is in threeno-trump. West leads the spade four, dummy plays the three, and East puts in his jack. What should declarer do? When North tables his dummy, he expects the contract to make easily. However, manya declarer would go down.Hewouldunderstandablytakethe first trick, playa club to the king, return to his handwith adiamond, and lead a club to dummy’sjack. Here, East would win with his queen andshift to aheart (best). Suppose South takesthe secondheart. If he then runs diamonds, he squeezes East. But declarer probably tries the clubs, afterwhich he cannotrecover.

Instead,Southshouldtryforthesenine winners: two spades, one heart,four diamonds and two clubs. But how should he playthe spades?

wuzzles

Go back to trickone. East’s card was the jack. When thirdhand is playing the highest cardsofar in the trick, he plays the bottom of equal cards. So West must have the spade 10. After taking the first trick, South immediately leadsaspade to dummy’s eight.When it pulls out the king, declarer has his nine tricks. ©2025 by nEa, inc.,dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. additional words

or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper

by adding

or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD InVEIGLEs: in-VAY-guls: Acquires by ingenuity or flattery; wangles.

Averagemark 33 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Canyou find50ormorewords in INVEIGLES?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —oRBIcuLAR

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato

mallard fillmore

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word fromthe 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. allthe words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition. For more information on tournaments and clubs,email naspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Eachrow and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, calledcages, 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 cageswith the numberinthe top-left corner.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you amessage everyday.it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell outyourfortune.Count thelettersinyourfirstname.if the numberofletters is 6ormore, subtract4.ifthe numberislessthan 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at theupperleft-hand cornerand check each of yourkey numbers, left to right.Then read themessage thechecked figuresgive you

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

Tell us aboutyourspaces

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

Louisianacharm is in thedetails

Chicago transplantsTim Goodsell and Susan McGee fell in love with Louisianaand eventually took the plunge into purchasing a home on the bayou. Although the place feels like wilderness, it’sactuallyjust astone’sthrow from downtown Old Mandeville. JylBenson takes us there on Page 12. Or,see it for yourself on aMother’sDay home tour Louisiana-stylecharm is also found in alarge and striking home near Mandeville that offers elegance on the

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Karen Taylor Gist

lakefront.Priced at $1.75 million, it’s fullofarchitectural details, and the outdoor space has everything: pool, spa, kitchen, pizza oven, fireplace and agenerator.See OneinaMillion on Page 16. No one understands the charm of Southern living like interior designer Louis Aubert, who starts anew column this week. He grew up on AlgiersPoint, where he learned all about pride of place in whereone calls home. See Page 4.

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

COVERDESIGN: Cassandra Brown

Victor Andrews, Louis J.Aubert,Jyl Benson, Dan Gill

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

InsideOut’smission is to give readers peeksinside themanydifferent ways that peopleinthe New Orleans area live.Weprofile spaces that are opulent,orjust offbeat; sophisticated or simple;functional or lighthearted;historicorbrand-spanking new. Andanything in between. Please help us by sending information andJPEGphotos of your home, or specific spaces inside it,toinsideout@theadvocate.com. We love gardens andoutdoor spaces, too. And we’re waiting to hear from you.

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

Introducing anew home design column. PAGE 4

INSIDE INFO Home and garden happenings. PAGE 6

IN DETAIL

Looking sharp with pointed accents. PAGE 7

GREENTHUMB

Dishing the dirt on

different types of soil. PAGE 8

COVERSTORY

Bayougetaway is just outside Old Mandeville. PAGE 12

ONEINAMILLION

A$1.75Mhouse filled with luxedetails.PAGE16

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 17

Asa child, when my friends in Algiers Point weredrawing rocket ships andpuppies, Iwas drawing houses. One preschool-era picture even included details like shuttersand arose-covered picket fence. Iwish Istill had that one. In my hands anything could be shaped into ahouse: books,blocks, bricks and scraps of wood.

This deep interest and love of houses

eventually led me to acareer in design. Yes, Iamone of those very fortunate people who have apassion for their work.

Community had alot to do with that passion as well. By the time Icame along, the Point wasanarea of near picture-perfect blocks of Eastlake shotgun doubles and cottages embellishedwith gingerbread.

PHOTO By JEFFSTROUT

My home was in the middle of aclose-knit community, too, and my parents made me aware of justhow special it was.

All the elements of avillage were in place: churches, schools,a post office, afirehouse and acourthouse; an Andrew Carnegie grant public library,acommunity theater and numerous corner stores, bars and restaurants; abank, three movie theaters anda small general hospital.

The green slopesofthe levee and the batture called outtobe explored. Twoferry crossings let us travel into the city; one went to Canal Streetand the other to the French Market.

What’sall this got to do with introducing my new interior design column? It helps to explain how architecture, people and community cametogether to create my career as adesigner.All of these things help bring us to that pride of place we crave in our homes.

Join me in the coming weeks as the column begins byposing the question, “What do you say to anakedroom?” We’llgo step-by-step in explaininghow to start with an emptyroom and end up with aspace that you’ll love to live in, from placing electrical outlets tochoosing art.

Ihope to share my loveof houses with you, as well as my years of experience andthe

Join me in the coming weeks as the column begins by posing the question, “What do you saytoanaked room?” We’ll go step-by-step in explaining how to start with an empty room and end up with aspace that you’ll love to live in, from placing electrical outlets to choosing art.

lessons that Ihavelearned along theway

To getstarted, let me share afew truisms Ithink are important

TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS: That innervoice willtell you what truly appealstoyou. Listen to it. Don’t be overly influenced bythe shiny and new or byyouroverly opinionated cousin

Remember trendy is often justafew stepsahead of tacky

MANAGE THEBUDGET: Almost everyonehas one, but too often little is left for art and ac-

cessories after making major purchases.

Do not skimp on that final layer.The selection of art and objects allows your personality to takecenter stage. You can “thrift” and stretch that budget,but do include objects and collections that add dimension to your home.

ART PLACEMENT: When you introduce anew piece of art, avoid the temptation to hang it on thefirst empty wall you see. Instead, look for thebest location for that piece. This may resultinrelocating several pieces around the house,

thus placing each in afresh light.

When arthangs in the same place longenough, it may just as wellbewallpaper

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN: Design does notexist in avacuum. We are allinfluenced by what others have created. Borrow from the best. The colors in a great painting or garden blossoms may inspire the color palette in your home.

HAVE FUN: Addyour personality to the design and create ahome that is uniquely your own. Display that collection of vintage,brass garden hose nozzles on themantel. You will enjoy them, and in turn,

family and friends will enjoy them, too.

EDITOR’SNOTE: Louis J. Aubert —pronounce that “Louie” —isaprofessional member of theAmerican Society of Interior Designers andanavidpreservationist. Some of his most visible NewOrleans projects includemaking interior color selectionsfor GallierHall, TrinityEpiscopalChurch and theLouisiana Supreme Court RoyalStreet Courthouse, and both interior and exterior selectionsfor St.Stephen’s Basilica. Contact him at mrcolour@aol.com.

Ahome tour for mom? Old Mandeville is place

The Old Mandeville Historic Association will host a Mother’sDay Home Tour from 2p.m. to 5p.m. Sunday

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

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

Touro-Shakspeare Home to openfor PRCtour

Shuttered since Hurricane Katrina in 2005,the building that served as an almshouse and elder care facility is undergoing renovations and will be thenext location for thePreservation Resource Center’s Beams &Brews visit Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

Located at 2650 Gen. Meyer Ave., the 1933 structure designed by William R. Burk is a neoclassical revival structure being restored by HRIProperties. This marks the third version of the home, dating back to philanthropistJudah Touro’soriginal Bywater home in 1862 and followed by theUptown version funded through Mayor JosephA Shakspeare’s1882 gambling

tax.

The tour,free formembers, $10 for nonmembers, affords attendees achance to see the ongoing work, hear from project participantsand enjoy a beverage from Urban South Brewery.

For moreinformation,visit prcno.org.

‘Cultures at Risk’to focus on Abasuba

Apop-up exhibit, ashort film’s debut and afashion show will be on tap at Longue VueHouse and Gardens at 1p.m. May 17 when the historic home and odAOMO partner for aunique program

“Cultures at Risk: Highlighting the Abasuba’sHope and Homestead” will focus on the threatened community on an island in LakeVictoria, one of the African Great Lakes.

Admission is $45. For more information, visit longuevue. com.

Step inside Marigny homes in Maytour

The FaubourgMarigny Improvement Association is hosting aSpring Home &Garden Tour of itseclecticneighborhood from noon to 4p.m.May 18.

Exploredistinctive homes selected for their historic significance and/orunique character.From meticulously restored classics to contem-

porary models, each home tells astory of preservation, innovation andthe enduring charmofthe Faubourg Marigny.

Seefaubourgmarigny.org for tickets, which start at $25. Learnthe artof bonsai over abeer

Afterhorticulture will be what’sontap at Oak Street Brewery,8201 Oak St., Saturdayat2 p.m. forBonsaiBar, which aims to introduce the ancientAsianart of gardening while enjoying abeer at a local brewery.

Instructors will lead participants in lessons on the core concepts to pot, prune and design abonsaitree.

Additional sessions are planned:

n May14: 6:30 p.m., Port OrleansBrewing Co., 4124 TchoupitoulasSt.

n May21: 6p.m., Skeeta Hawk Brewing, 455 N. Dorgenois St.

n May25: 6:30 p.m. Parleaux Beer Lab.

Cost starts at $85. Forinformation, visit bonsaibar.com.

Volunteer projects abound at City Park

Avariety of cleanup days andinitiativesare on tap at City Park to improve and maintain the extensive urban green space. Those coming up during the week of May10 include:

n After Mother’s Daycleanup: 9a.m., Monday. Volunteer Center, 1031 HarrisonAve.

n Horticulture Projects: 9a.m., Lagoon Soccer Field parking lotnear 30 Henry Thomas Drive.

n Graffiti Cleanup Krewe: 9a.m. Thursday. Volunteer Center, 1031 HarrisonAve.

n Big Lake Native Plant Trail Restoration Project: 9a.m.Friday. Big Lake Native Trailnear 7 Friedrichs Ave. Register forthe programs and find out moreabout what to bring at friendsofcitypark. volunteerhub.com.

Have ahome and garden eventcoming up? Send it to events@theadvocate.com.

Indetail

Making a

POINT

Curves may be the more sensuous shape in design, but there’s definitely a place for points. Photographer John McCusker found these conifers and hollies that serve as exclamation marks calling attention to their neighboring structures and gardens.

— Karen Taylor Gist

PHOTOS By JOHN McCUSKER

GREENTHUMB

Peoniesneedmorecoldthanareacan

we generally growparsley as acool-season annual. That means we typically plant it in thefall, it grows over the winter andspring, anditblooms and dies in late spring or early summer

Mostfall-planted parsley plantsare still growingand look fine, but we arecertainly getting toward the end of the season.Floweringgenerally occurs sometime in May or June. By thetime we reach early to mid-June, heat andinsect pests begin to take their tolland thequality of the

BY DANGILL

Contributing writer

Ilive on the northshore.Can Igrow peonies this far south and be successful? Ijust love them and waswondering if Icould have them in my yard

—Regeana

full potential. But here, plants tend to languishand perform poorly.

This is one of the perennials gardeners in the Deep Southlust after the most, me included. By all means, give thema tryifyou like (gar-

Garden advice

Everybody loves the amazingly beautiful andfragrant flowers of peonies. They are beginningtobloom in Northern gardens, and I’m starting to see pictures of blooming plants on social media.

Despite how easy and reliable they are to grow up north, however,they perform very poorly in the Deep South. The main issue is that our winters are too mild. Peonies need to be exposed to aconsiderable amount of cold in winter to stay healthy.

Gardeners in north Louisiana have hadsomesuccess with peonies, although they generally don’tgrow to their

parsleygoes down dramatically.

Whenparsleyblooms (calledbolting), it signals the endofproduction.

It would be best to harvest allremaining green leaves on your parsleyplant over the next couple of weeks and freeze or dry them.

Leavethe blooming parsley in the garden, however.The tiny flowers provide food for andattract parasitic wasps into the garden.

denersoften want to see for themselves)but be prepared for disappointment.

My parsley Iplanted last fall is beginning to send up flower stalks. Can Igrow it through the summer or is it finished? —Mary

Although it is abiennial,

Peonies are lovely,but unfortunately don’t grow well this far south.

THUMB

Continued from page 8

Since the soil of the south shore is already slightly alkaline, lime is not a good choice as it could make the soil too alkaline. But in areas of southeast Louisiana where soils tend to be more acidic, lime is generally used when calcium levels are low

So, adding gypsum to compacted sandy soil or clay soils low in sodium (typical in southeast Louisiana except right on the coast) to loosen the soil is not effective. Instead, add sand to improve the soil texture.

Adding that sand

Gardeners who have left New Orleans and now garden on the north shore or Baton Rouge areas continually complain about the new soil they must garden in. The soils in New Orleans are fertile sandy loams that are easy to work, and they grow plants beautifully — a gift of the Mississippi River Soils elsewhere — not always so good.

When I moved to Prairieville, I was shocked at how much more difficult it was to garden in clay soils. Since I knew gypsum wouldn’t help, I decided to improve the soil with sand. The feeder roots of plants like shrubs, vegetables and flowers are in the upper 6 to 8 inches of the soil, so that’s the critical zone to change in a bed by increasing the amount of sand.

But this must be done properly to work.

The important thing to remember when adding sand to a heavy clay soil is that it takes a lot. An inch or two spread over the surface and worked in will simply not do the job. For sand to substantially change the nature of the clay soil it must be at least 50% of the soil. So, to change the upper 6 inches of clay soil, 6 inches of sand must be worked into it. To accomplish this, till the soil at least 6 inches deep, spread 3 inches of sand over the area, thoroughly work that in, and

GREENTHUMB

If you have hard clay soil and want to improve it for gardening, what you need is sand — and lots of it.

then spread another 3 inches over the area and work that in.

Along with the sand you will also add organic matter, of course (composted finely ground pine bark is ideal for heavier soils). The addition of organic matter alone will improve and loosen clay soil. But organic matter decomposes, and the benefits are reduced in a year or less and must be added again and again over time. The sand will permanently change the soil.

Going up?

Another mistake gardeners make when dealing with dense clay soil involves digging out the soil a foot or more deep and replacing it to create a bed.

The soil around newly constructed homes is often truly terrible Contractors, more interested in providing a suitable base for the house than

the landscape, often fill the area under and around the slab with heavy subsoil. Landscape plants, understandably, will not thrive when planted into this type of soil.

But digging out the soil and replacing it with a loose, high organic matter soil mix (blended topsoil or garden soil) is not the solution. When it rains, water will flow across the heavy soil and penetrate right down into the loose soil in the bed. When it hits the heavy clay bottom and sides it will fill up like a bathtub. Plant roots can literally drown in these circumstances — so this is not the best solution.

Instead, go up. Build a raised bed about 12 inches high on top of the existing soil using garden soil or topsoil. The raised nature of the bed will provide for excellent

drainage, and the 12-inch depth of the bed will allow for strong root systems.

Black soil

Black soil is the richest. How often have you heard that? In this case, there is a grain of truth. Soils rich in decomposed organic matter tend to be darker in color than soils low in organic matter But they are not black — they are dark brown. So, the idea that black soil equals good soil is ingrained in people’s minds. As a result, some soil companies add products like fly ash to make their mixes look black. Fly ash adds nothing beneficial to the soil and may be used instead of the high quality composted organic matter that makes the best mixes. So, when you are considering using a local company’s blended topsoil or garden soil, the fly ash in it is

just cosmetic.

What you really need

Indeed, when purchasing cubic yards of garden soil or blended topsoil from local companies for use in large landscaping projects, you should always ask what’s in it. Ask what components were used and in what proportion, what the nutrient levels are, what the pH is and the salts levels, and make sure the organic matter used was well composted. After all, the soil you use will play a huge role in whether what you plant in that soil will thrive.

Dan Gill is a retired consumer horticulture specialist with the LSU AgCenter. He hosts the “Garden Show” on WWLAM Saturdays at 9 a.m. Email gardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter.lsu. edu.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

ADVICE

Continued frompage9

These tiny,gnat-sized wasps (which pose no threat to us) attack and kill many insects and help keep pests under control.

When flowering is finished, remove the plants. Plant parsley againinfall.

For those who planted parsley this spring, these plants will generally not bloom and will remain productive until the weather gets hot. Harvest generously and continue to harvest until the plants begin to play out.

Spring-planted parsley often succumbstoroot rot due to the heat and abundant rain of summer.Itmay hang in there and survive, although harvestisgenerally reduced in summer heat

Plants that survive the summer will revive withthe cooler temperatures of fall, produce abundantly over the winter and spring, then bloom and die next year.In that situation, the parsley is growing like the biennial it is –growing one year and then blooming and dying the next.

What is agood insecticide to control caterpillars in my vegetable garden? —Douglas

Spinosad (various brands) is an organic insecticide that does agood job controlling caterpillars. Spray at the first sign of damage.

To prevent damage, begin spraying now and spray regularly through the season followinglabel directions. Spinosad also controls leaf miners (that cause those squiggly white lines in the leaves) as well as thrips and some beetles.

Dan Gill is aretired consumerhorticulture specialist with the LSU AgCenter.Hehoststhe “Garden Show” on WWLAM Saturdays at 9a.m. Email gardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter lsu.edu.

GREENTHUMB

Parsleywill playout in summertime.

PROVIDED PHOTO

IN S Mandeville home

BY JYL BENSON

Contributing writer

Ravine aux Coquilles is a small natural bayou identified in the earliest depictions of the Mandeville area. The waterway figures prominently in the 1834 map laid out for Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville, who was then the landowner In a list of covenants to direct the establishment of Mandeville, Bernard de Marigny ordered the protection of the ravine because it provided drainage. Nearly 200 years later, Marigny’s prediction that the forces of flooding and drainage would define future settlements at the site has proven true.

Tim Goodsell and Susan McGee’s sprawling Mandeville home rises 15 feet above the ground on brick and metal piers at the edge of Ravine aux Coquilles.

There was some adjustment to life so close to the water. “We had no idea what it would mean to be on this water,” Goodsell said. “The first time we were hit with a storm, we freaked out. We frequently get water up to the driveway. It reminds me of Bangkok, living with the water The vegetation is hurricane resistant.”

From within the acre-and-a-half property, you feel you are in the wilderness, the middle of nowhere. However, downtown Old Mandeville is steps beyond the end of the couple’s long driveway, which terminates at a circle in front of the house.

The Goodsell-McGee home will be one of six featured on the 14th annual Old Mandeville Historic Association’s Mother’s Day Home Tour on Sunday afternoon.

A series of raised decks, piers, and walkways painted in a terra cotta hue blend pleasantly with the richly textured greens of the swamp. They weave throughout the property over cypress trees shooting up knees in water, palmettos, oak trees draped thickly in moss, spears of Italian cypress, a tended undergrowth of ferns and, early in the spring, a lush carpet of blooming iris.

A gardener, Goodsell has created pockets of pot-

ted gardens its K Mandevilla coral The an inviting of quiet easily a deck regular

Tim Goodsell downto

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Ravine au Coquille can be seen from one of the docks. It is possible to launch a kayak from the pier, which slopes to the water. yet it is ill-advised due to a pair of resident alligators.

SYNC

Continued from page 13

“Yes,” Goodsell said, “the dogs have figured out how to avoid the alligators.”

Like the guest cottage, the couple’s home is clad in cedar plywood with baton stripping painted a shade of grey-green that allows it to recede into its environment. However, its many large windows catch the reflection of the towering trees and bounce it back into the woods.

It was while kayaking down the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois, with a friend in 2006 that Tim Goodsell “fell in love with the Deep South. It was beautiful, mysterious, and the people were so welcoming.”

After the trip, Goodsell and McGee, a strategic consultant to nonprofit groups, including the Northshore Food Bank, started vacationing in Louisiana, becoming increasingly enmeshed in the culture and the ecology

In 2012, Goodsell retired from a life-consuming career as a banker and investor, where he had 25 business partners

On a whim, while vacationing in 2014, the couple asked a Realtor to give them a tour of the Northshore.

“It was a pleasant enough day,” Goodsell said, “but that night she sent a picture of this house. We weren’t really looking for a house, we were curious, and we didn’t know where we were going. But there was something about this house, this land.

“We toured the house the day after it went to the market. After the tour, we both went to lunch at Rip’s and said, ‘Let’s do this!’ We sold all our high-maintenance real estate in Chicago. That was it, we have never regretted it.”

But, he added, “I did have a panic on the way back to Chicago.”

The couple have become fans of the South, and Louisiana in particular

“I was overwhelmed by Southern culture,” McGee said. “Everyone wanted to give us things.”

They brought in architect

The guest house, with a private dock, deck and entrance, is raised 8 feet over the bayou.

Paul Florian of Chicago to help with the house. “This place does not resemble what it was when we bought the house, but we wanted to keep it simple,” Goodsell said.

“We took out walls. We added a pantry and reconfigured our office spaces. We rebuilt the decks and walkways.”

“Most recently, we rearranged the kitchen to see the bayou while working there,” McGee added.

The kitchen has sleek white lower cabinets, and large windows are above them. The kitchen is oriented to overlook the bayou from the island.

Exotic hardwoods, a well-designed space, and a stunning view of the lush land make the Goodsell-McGee guest cottage very inviting

Minimal walls, an abundance of picture windows, and oak flooring impart the feeling of still being outside.

Save for portraits of the couple’s four dogs, their cat, and portraits of their late pets, the art in the home runs toward nature and indigenous designs.

“I am an explorer,” Goodsell said. “In the past, I spent a lot

of time in the Arctic. I have been to the North Pole four times and skied from Elsmere Island across the Davis Strait to Greenland. That’s when I got interested in Inuit art and began collecting.

“I went from traveling in the Arctic to living in Louisiana. Go figure. You just never know where life might take you.”

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Located just beyond the kitchen workspace, the dining area features views of the bayou and the couple’s land.

ONEINAMILLION

Southern charm

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

On the northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, the charm-laden ville of Lewisburg sits just off the Causeway,mere minutes to the main transit line thatconnects St. Tammany to the rest of metro New Orleans and beyond.

The neighborhood is amagnet for sizable dwellings that often top the $1 million mark.

The home at 111 Holly St. is just ashort walk to the shore of the lake. Situated on almost an acre lot, the home blends contemporary style with classic CreoleLouisiana architectural ambiance for$1.75 million, offering four bedrooms and a lengthy list of extras.

In true south Louisiana fashion, the entrance to the home is on the second floor,upa vintage-style staircase and cen-

tered on abroad gallery with room for relaxing. The leadedglass double doors, with vast fanlight, are the welcomeinto the main living area.

The soaring foyer features a majestic staircase leading up to thethirdfloor,anchored by golden-toned wood floors and framed by architectural elements. The wood floors contin-

ue through the public roomsof the home, providing continuity and awelcoming touch to the grand spaces.

Through alarge opening at the stairs is the formal dining room, aspot primed forelegant meals andmemorable celebration. Dentil molding, an intricate ceiling medallion and other elements are finishing

touches to the space that also opens onto the kitchen.

Across from thedining room,aflexible space, currently used as abilliards room, can also serve as aformal sittingroom.

Central to themain floor is thegreat room or den space. Featuring acarved-mantel fireplace, theroom is spacious and airy with ablend of con-

temporary sophistication and vintage vibes.

From the den, indoors meets outdoors in the bright sunroom with awall of windows overlooking the backyard. Tile floors brighten the space, which also includes handsome built-in cabinets. Glass double doors with large transoms provide access to the den and allow the light to fill that space as well as the sunroom.

An island with acooktop and plenty of room forseating is the central focus of the kitchen, which is packed with cabinets and extensive preparation space. Stainless appliances shine with the light palette of the room,which also opens to abreakfast space in the rear turret of the home, awindow-filled place with a vaulted ceiling.

On the samelevel is the primary suite. The sleeping chamber is abright space with plentiful windowsthat features acarved-mantel fireplace forambiance and interest. Aduet of closets plus adressing space are part of the suite, which also features a large bath with soaking tub,

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Morning meals are bright and cheerful in thisturreted spaceoff the kitchen. Atallceiling with custom light fixture is fitting for the space.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued from page17

Newcorp Inc. to Maryellen Rose Fazenbaker and Robert Moss Oltman Kellner.

ARTS ST.1721-23: $220,000, Barry Keith Atwood and Robbert Jon Madlem to Jennifer J. Rajkumar.

ARTS ST.4461: $418,000, Cynthia Gunderson CoxtoAmy Lynn Harmon.

ATHIS ST.2257: $420,000, Gabe PropertiesLLC to MelanieAnne Leavitt

BENTON ST.2000-2002: $109,000, Saint C. Jones to Christopher Myers.

BUCHANAN ST.3620-22: donation, no value stated, YvetteDaniels Gaudet toJessica D. Gaudet.

CASTIGLIONE ST.3012: $165,000, David Renson to DupreMayer LLC.

CHEVY CHASEDRIVE 10140:

$285,000, Gwendolyn Hawkins Cook andLeroy Cook to Cynthia Haralson Dubose.

CLEMATISAVE. 3320: $128,000, Succession of Robert RayJackson Sr., AnthonyR.Brionne Jackson, Antoine LavarJackson and Tonya T. Jackson to Gregory M. Alugas.

CLOVER ST.2640: $95,000, Terry Elizabeth MurphyWisler to Rising Sun Housing LLC.

EVANGELINE DRIVE 4835: $135,000, Frances J. Scott Jacobsen and Julius N. Jacobsen Jr.toDana Christmas Lockhart.

FILLMORE AVE. 2015, ST.ANTHONY AVE. 5301: $240,000, Melissa Ann Arnold Wilson to Darlene Lybyer.

FRANCIS DRIVE 4651-4653:

$205,000, Adam Troy Lopez to Brandon Hernandez.

FRANKLIN AVE. 5917: $76,100,

716GOVERNORNICHOLLSUNITC

Best residentiallocation in theFrenchQuarter!A classic2nd floor 1bedroom residencewithaprivate balconyoverlooking coveted& quietGov Nicholls Street.UnitC offersa blendofclassic elegance w/ contemporary finishes.Light &airyfloorplan, 4setsoffrench doors, lush courtyard& fountain.Wonderful architectural detailsw/ wood throughout,fully equipped kitchenw/natural stone, renovated bathroom,geo-thermal HVAC system.One of 12 Units within the historically significant Spanish Stables development. $499,500

Mohammad Zahmatkesh Tarehto Amir Zahmatkesh Tareh.

HAMBURG ST.4222: donation, no value stated, Daniela Alves Marinho De SouzaHicks to Lance Hicks.

HOPE ST.2006-20061/2: $48,333, EllenRayeKatzMillertoDSG Properties LLC.

JOURDAN AVE. 1801: $17,500, Hollywood 504 Real Estate LLCto TanyaSeals Lagarde.

KILLDEER ST.1317: $1,010,000, Alicia S. Hassingerand Lambert J. HassingerJr. to Alexandra Elizabeth ChristieCrawfordand Mathew Jon Crawford.

LAMANCHE ST.1301: $60,000, Harry Calvin HandytoDavion A. Sturgis.

LAUSSAT PLACE 3025-27: $135,500, Thais Gillard McKay and Thalia Gillard McKay to Gillian Hall McKay.

LYNHUBER DRIVE 4561-63: $206,000, Wesley P. Phillipsto PericaAllegraBrown.

MARAIS ST.5412: $131,550, TCDickerson LLCto5412 Marais St. LLC.

MARIGNY ST.1207: $280,000, Evan Zane HammondtoChristopher J. Morris and Kaetlin G. Obrien.

MUSIC ST.1316: $360,000, Tessa Marie Jagger to KristinNicole Henry.

MAYO BLVD.6877: $382,000, Maurice C. Winston and Patricia J. Winston to JSquareProperties LLC.

MONTEGUT ST.1901: $135,000, NewOrleans Area HabitatFor HumanityInc. to Jason Villines and Jessica Smith.

MUSIC ST.1329: $70,000, 1329 Music Street LLCtoStephanie M. Mezynski Schmidt.

MUSIC ST.5520: $160,000, Succession of KarenJones Curtis C.D.C. No. 2024-1944 to AshleyShuler

Lengkeek.

NEPTUNE COURT7100: $276,400, Fallon Marche Dupard,Phylicia French Dupardand TracieDupard Turner to Derek Frick.

N. DUPRE ST.1661: $515,000, Elizabeth Anne KalosKaplan and Michael John Kaplan to Rachel Brooks Hudson Preble andWilliam O. Preble.

N. RAMPARTST. 2604: $454,000, RandyLawrence Brien to Lawrence Philips.

NOTTINGHAM DRIVE 4659: $136,976.88, StandardMortgage Corp.toSecretary of Housing and Urban Development.

ORIOLE ST.1708: $461,000, Phillip Duane Griggs to Katie M. Fleuriet Smith and Parker Smith.

ONZAGA ST.2514-2516: $235,000, Curtis AustinSr., Meryl Maria AustinCryer and Shirley Marie Aubry AustintoJoseph S. Olidge and Trina SteeleOlidge.

PAINTERS ST.1622: $245,000, Michael D. Alexander revocable

trust to TaylorAlanHolmes.

PAUGER ST.3030-3032: $93,000, Brenda Parker Reedy andRoger Reedy to Poppin Labels LLC.

PAUGER ST.3867-69: $150,000, Jacinta D. Thomas,JefferyL.Thomas, Lance F. Thomas,TamaraJ. Thomas andTraltonC.Thomas to PiedmontProperties LLC.

PRATT DRIVE 6262: $649,000, Sara France DerbytoJon Stephens and Rebecca Faust.

SAIL ST.7818: $30,000, Sue SpilsburytoReal Home Rentals II LLC.

SHOREWOOD BLVD.7501: donation, no value stated, EdwardSimmonstoGlenda Faye Breaux. S. CORONET COURT7890: $190,000, Annette D. Baptiste to RTHI ConstructionLLC

SPAIN ST.4911: $160,000, JBC Nola LLCtoCMConstruction&Investments LLC.

WARRINGTON DRIVE 5140: $119,000, RobertB.Phenix to Amir Zahmatkesh Tareh.

W. LAVERNE ST.6739: $174,500, PKSI LLCtoDereck Foster, NicholasAmisonand Stephanie Domingue Foster.

DISTRICT 4

NINTHST. 823: $150,000, Douglas McGinnis to 823 9th LLC.

ST.THOMAS ST.3110: $405,000, Gretchen H. Bailey and WilliamM Bailey to Aaron Christopher Martin andPatrick RobertDimond.

SECOND ST.1220: donation, no value stated, Jill Guzzino Jenkins andRogerWilliamJenkins to Peter AndersonWilsonJr. and Rosalind Jenkins Wilson.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 2100: $400,000, Kenmar Enterprises LLCtoCMO Nola Properties LLC.

ST.THOMAS ST.2342: $715,000, Champion Homes of Louisiana LLCtoNatalie Stubbs Finn and TimothyWilliamFinn.

S. SARATOGA ST.3022-24:

$415,000, MJW Homes LLCto Sarah Perry.

S. SARATOGA ST.4514: $560,000, Ilianna Hevia KwasketoMohamad Eyad Khorki.

THIRD ST.812: $400,000,Karen Anne Chabert to Catherine Diane CalhounAtkins and Trevor Atkins.

TOLEDANO ST.3025: $105,000, Terry Elizabeth MurphyWisler to Rising Sun Housing LLC.

WASHINGTONAVE. 3333: $228,000, Danesha D. Thornton and Mercedes ThorntontoBrandon K. Hunter.

DISTRICT 5

ADRIAN ST.3430: $150,000, Bradley Rankin, Brenna Rankin, Bryson Rankin, Patricia Deterville, Raphael Detervilleand Stefan E. Deterville to Lia Hernandez Esteem.

BEHRMAN PLACE 3601: $1,600,000, New Orleans Retirement Residence LLCto3601 Behrman LLC.

DIANA ST.1808-1810: $1,000, Saint C. Jones to Christopher Myers.

ELIZARDI BLVD.1925-27: $235,000, Adrele MoliereHomer and Vernon Homer to Jessica Paola Gonzalez Ramirez and Whitney Arie Hill.

ELIZARDI ST.1685: $220,000, Shannon Alexis Bishop to Gregory Jerome Ravy Sr

LENNOXBLVD. 4571: $10, Pearl Forbes Chaffers to Zelia Elise Williams.

MEADOWPARK LANE 3525: $145,000, Demetrice Phipps to Jeffrey Hatcher.

OXFORD ST.6227: $290,000, Luke Nathaniel Conoly to Daniel Allen Jacobson andStephani Leigh Fohrman Jacobson.

PATTERSON ROAD 1221: $507,500, Allan Ernest Stockler and Ann Armitage Benson to Madeline Salmon.

PRANCER ST.2421: $240,000, Mary Doyle Walther and Roy Calhoun Walther to Leslie M. Petty

PRESTON PLACE 3121: $55,000, Wautashi ConstructionInc. to KJV PartnersLLC

PRESTON PLACE 3121: $60,000, KJV PartnersLLC to H&M Investment Partners.

RAMSEY DRIVE 2621: $319,000, 3CG LLCtoDonnieLee Sr. and Nytoria Lee.

RIVER OAKS DRIVE 3210: $40,000, BRMR Construction LLCtoAnh Tran PhuongDo, Lien Thi Nguyen, Thanh Huu Nguyen, Tuan Van Nguyen and Tung Huu Nguyen.

RIVER OAKS DRIVE717: donation, no valuestated, Wodajo WelldaregaytoKelemua Teshome Ayele.

SOMERSET DRIVE2410: $180,000,

REALESTATETRANSFERS

RichardRobert Szymurski Jr. to Henry Alan Tibble.

SUTTON PLACE 5601: $350,000, Lamon Jeremiah Robinsonto Nikki K. Hughes and ZerekPeter Hughes.

DISTRICT 6

ALINEST. 900: $1,085,000, Jess R. Halland Lauren Smith Hall to AmyJarrell and Jonathan Jarrell.

ANTONINE ST.817-19: $1,250,000, KirklandTuckerClarkson and Rebecca Lindner Clarkson to Conor Coogan.

CARONDELETST. 3923: $100,000, BB3923 LLCtoPCRE LLC.

CARONDELETST. 4420: $250,000, MeeraU.SossamontoMonica Sanusi Gele.

CONSTANTINOPLE ST.605-607: $607,500, Marline Otte to Amarilis OrtizEllis and Dean ThomasEllis.

ELEONORE ST.915-917: $1,125,000, Karl C. Simpsonand Yuki Yomura Simpson to David C. Rather Sr. andKelly A.Rather.

FOUCHER ST.2033-35: $411,000, Nathaniel C. Atwater and Shannon Kelly Atwater to Cameron Schaefer Howzeand Raymond HowzeSchaefer.

LAUREL ST.6027-29: $100, Katherine Dodd Calhoun andRobert Melucas Calhoun to Elizabeth BullardWallace Maki and Neil Jonathan Maki.

LEONTINE ST.516-518: $557,500, Bruce Lowry and Shelly Gallender Corcoarn to Alexis Robinson Walter and Daniel Joseph Walter.

NAPOLEON AVE. 1101: $380,000, Catherine Hayden Queyrouse James to Bruce Holdings LLC.

PENISTON ST.2427: $306,481, Hancock WhitneyBanktoBrandon LeeAnderson and Nicole Leggio Anderson.

PERRIER ST.6036: $264,200, CliffordT.Harlan and Patricia GallagherrHarlan to Brett G. Martin and Callie ClementMartin.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 5931: $100, Emily Myers Morrison and Emmet Stirling Morrison to Carla Pies, Caroline Pies, Kenneth Pies and Shaun Pies.

SONIAT ST.1535: $2,285,000, MeganCahalin to MaggieOhooligan LLC.

S. RENDON ST.1929: $275,000, Curtis G. Staiger and Gael Marie Byrnes Staiger to Janellen Coffey S. TONTI ST.6214, 6222: $450,000, Fl 1LLC to Taunti LLC.

STATEST. 2209-11: $800,000, Adele Michaelis Ralston andGraham M. Ralston to Lisa Brobeck Nelsonand Stephen Swanson Nelson.

TCHOUPITOULAS ST.3507: $669,000, Jenna Cooley Gendel and Peter A. Gendel to 337 Parish GroupLLC.

UPPERLINEST. 3034-3036: $211,000, Lucy Investment Group LLCto3034 Upperline Street LLC.

VALENCE ST.1119: $795,000, Aaron M. Austin to Emily A. Villavaso.

DISTRICT 7

BELFASTST. 8518: $337,000, Ashley BrooksNorman Nichols and Tikila L. Nichols Normanto Rebecca Cummins Byrne.

BELLAIREDRIVE 6115: $669,000, Nicole Yvette Cosse to Courtney Natasha Reaand Tyler Tewilliager.

BURTHE ST.7600: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Caesar A. GuyotIII and Irene Kelly GuyottoCaesar A. Guyot and Irene Guyot Family Living Trust.

CENTER ST.6601: $235,000, 6601

Center Street LLCtoBarnes Nola Holdings LLC.

DANYACOURT 5533: $675,000, George H. Viellion Jr.and Peggy M. Viellion to David McDonald and SarahMcDonald.

DUBLIN ST.1324-26, WILLOW ST.8200-8202-8204-8208-8210:

$155,000, DASC Properties LLCto Jimmy’sHoldings LLC.

FERN ST.503: $640,000, Peyton Cater Robinson Jr. to Jodi Taylor and LeeJ.Taylor.

LAKE MARINA DRIVE 500:

$130,000, Justin T. Green and Lindsey D. Marcantel Green to Bohnenkamprevocableliving trust.

MARKS ST.8717-19: donation, no value stated, EdwardJoseph III to EdwardJoseph IV.

PANOLAST. 7924: donation, $58,750, DebraJoseph to Marcus Adam Joseph.

PANOLAST. 7924: donation,

$117,500, Israel Joseph Jr.to Adam James Joseph andCarol Keidel Joseph.

PRITCHARD PLACE 8619-21-23-25:

$106,000, Earhart Blvd. Holdings LLCtoNorris Henderson LLC.

SHORTST. 1722: $450,000, Kelly A. LeahytoGregory M. Thompson. 16TH ST.208: $262,498, Robert WolfeConstruction Inc. to EdraF Harris andMichalHarris.

S. CARROLLTONAVE. 910: $285,000, Amna Mannan Rahim andNaeem Rahim to Nino Francisco Hernandez.

39TH ST.337-339: $336,159, Laurie M. Lionnet revocableliving trust to Hack Properties LLC.

12TH ST.128: $660,000, Christopher Conrad Harness Jr.and Madeline J. Malone Harness to Matthew Robert Slaughter and Melissa Redmon Slaughter.

EAST JEFFERSON

TRANSFERS FOR APRIL 25 TO MAY 2

HARAHAN

GLENWOOD AVE. 25: Walter G. Schleh to Sarah S Lirette, $623,432

HICKORY AVE. 13: La Consulting Group LLC to Richard D. Kittok, $125,000.

OAK AVE. 849: Brenda M. Leonhard to Michael Henry, $425,000

S. CLEARVIEW PARKWAY 832: Thomas F. Cronin to Nicholas Labiche, $161,000.

WEST AVE. 393: Deanna C. Nettles to Gerald J. Ripberger, $220,000.

JEFFERSON

BROOKLYN AVE. 414: Michael E. Pisani to Ses Investments LLC, $70,000.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

DAKIN ST. 417: Sarah L. Zoghbi to Maurepas Magic Real Estate LLC, $390,000.

DAKIN ST. 513: L. Lusk to Shannon L. Solomon, $170,000.

GELPI AVE. 566: Damian J. Borst to Nola Buys Houses LLC, $158,000.

JEFFERSON HEIGHTS AVE. 336: Elizabeth L. Karlsson to Whitney D. Boudreaux, $399,000.

MORRIS PLACE 4311: Melissa Pignataro to Batuhan Sendogdu, $210,000.

KENNER

22ND ST. 300: C & C Investment Holding Group LLC to C & C Investment Holding Group LLC, $1,350,000

AUBURN PLACE 117: A & F Center

Builder LLC to Fernanda D. Deandrade, donation, no value stated.

BELL ST. 701-703: Blake Gaudet to Palmer S. Wood, $272,000.

CHATEAU LATOUR DRIVE 17: Ira L. Snyder to Muhammad K. Q. Uddin, $580,000.

COGNAC DRIVE 4129: John C. Young to Brandon Robichaux, $322,000.

COMPROMISE ST. 501: Darlene P Jones to Luis Castillo, $244,500.

E. LOYOLA DRIVE 3568: Javier Casiano to Luis G. Bautista, donation, no value stated.

E. LOUISIANA STATE DRIVE 4025: Robert Story to Ninoshka Friedman, $215,000.

LAKE TRAIL DRIVE 4013: Moonlight Realty LLC to Chau T. Bang, $370,000.

LOIRE DRIVE 4216: Robert L. Heinsheimer to Maxine Morgavi, $270,000.

MESA ST. 28: Jennafer L. Groetsch to Justin M. Groetsch, donation, no value stated.

PALM VISTA DRIVE 3009: Bridget Dugan to Kacey Albert, $580,000.

PELLERIN DRIVE 304: Citigroup

Hanna Marguerite Joann Trust to Hema S. Dadlani, $120,000.

W. LOYOLA DRIVE 4144: Maria E. Briceno to Delmy Lemus, $140,000.

WOODLAKE BLVD. 68: Tommy Ezell to Ricardo J. Escobar, $350,000.

ZION ST. 17: Robert S. Holtzman to Bach Property LLC, $625,000.

METAIRIE

CARROLLTON ST. 346-346: Gulf South Apartments LLC to Maria A. Y. Morgado, $485,000.

25TH ST. 8709: Stacy Ryals to Ali Dennington, $315,000.

27TH ST. 3217: Three Thousand Two Hundred Seventeen Twenty Seventh St Eco LLC to Armada Properties LLC, $2,250,000.

41ST ST. 3204: Leif R. Swift to Francisco Kellman, $295,000.

45TH ST. 3513: Lindsay Tefft to William McSweeney Jr., $232,000.

ATHERTON DRIVE 715: Sarah L. M. Comiskey to Anna G. Leblanc, e

FOCIS ST. 1316: Malayne E. Harvey to Ali E. Laiche, $349,500.

FULTON ST. 8832: Frances Babbitt to Level Up Enterprises LLC, $105,000.

GLENN ST. 7013: Eric Rodriguez to Link Casa LLC, $245,000.

HARANG AVE. 636: Cory Trosclair to Catherine Thompson, $130,000. HESPER AVE. 518: Morgan C. C. Lanoux to Megan M. Tagesen, $529,000.

HIGHLAND ST. 1612: Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office to Ls Realty LLC, $197,501.

HOMESTEAD AVE. 1012: Matthew M. Barrie to Marissa B. Discon, donation, no value stated.

HOMESTEAD AVE. 1441: Prabha D. Raiker to Erin R. Clark, $815,000.

HOUMA BLVD. 2201: Michael Hotstream to Michael Bordelon Jr., $83,500.

HURON AVE. 1330: Patrick G. Carrigan Sr. to Courtney Ory, $320,000.

HURON AVE. 1354: Geraldine E. Ward to Dominic Pizzitolo, $315,000.

HYMELIA AVE. 1216: Marie C. Santini to Bertucci Property Development LLC, $80,000.

ITHACA ST. 6205: Jin K. Young to Zaiyin Su, $205,000.

ITHACA ST. 6908: Jessica M. Parker to Liliana A. Galvez, $325,000.

JASPER ST. 5525: B. Claverie to Thi H. L. Nguyen, $325,000.

JEAN ST. 5916: M. E. Bahle to Regina Ramos, $225,000.

JEANNETTE DRIVE 5009: Pauline Trudeau to Planet Home Lending LLC, $240,000.

JUDITH ST. 2808: Jefferson Parish Council to Dayna M. Funck, $6,750.

LAKEWOOD DRIVE 4512: Jerry Kirchner to Lloyd F. Ledet III, $365,000.

LIVINGSTON PLACE EAST 238: Je234 Livingston LLC to Katherine C. Dodd, $1,850,000.

LOVELAND ST. 5020: Gracie Bonura to Ian Strother, $410,000.

MAGNOLIA DRIVE 123: Suzanne L. Bernard to Lpn Portfolio LLC, $570,000.

METAIRIE COURT 3505: Baroni Realty LLC to Taylor Ferris, $408,000.

METAIRIE LAWN DRIVE 2601, UNIT 14, BUILDING 214: Charlene R. Hebert to Sarah J. Berman, $136,250.

METAIRIE ROAD 3226-3228: Sevin Group LLC to Annward LLC, $820,000.

MICHIGAN AVE. 2320: Philip L. Siess to New Orleans Property Ventures Inc., $105,000.

MILAN ST. 8707: Jefferson Parish Council to Richard W. Squires, $6,750.

MONTANA AVE. 2636: Jefferson Parish Council to Elizabeth V Keen, $6,750.

WEST

Continued frompage21

$185,000.

ELLEN DRIVE 4001: Steven T. Guidry to Alisha B. Francis, $275,000.

FARRINGTONDRIVE1137: Donna A. Braud to Wilmer IVGarcia, $205,000.

FARRINGTONDRIVE1633: Debbie L. Stoufflet to Next Step Rental1 LLC, $90,001.

GLASCODRIVE 5816: Kent Larrimer to Huda Masi, $167,500.

HUGO DRIVE 4021: Gordon Danos to Jazzmen C. Pease, $320,000.

LINCOLN AVE. 1409: Brad Harrison

ST.TAMMANy

TRANSFERS FROM APRIL 15-21 ABITASPRINGS

ALLEN ROAD 3419: Lakeview Loan Servicing LLCtoLynette Ann Gonzales andSaraR.Sahuque, $70,001.

HAYNES AVE. 71400: Allison M. Wicker to Leslie E. Pickles Russo, $178,000.

HILLCREST COUNTRYCLUB ESTATES,LOTS38, 39, SQUARE 5: Jerome T. Dupont III and Melissa C. Dupont to JeremyJ.Dupont, donation, no value stated.

LEI LANI AVE. 300: Carol S. Gonzales to John J. LambertJr. and Glenda K. Lambert, $253,700.

MAPLE ST.72078: Maple Street Cottage LLCtoGraves Lambert and Bernadette R. Saizan, $205,000.

toni@reverealtors.com

REALESTATETRANSFERS

to Prinita Melvina, $155,000.

MARSHALLDRIVE1020: Roushan

Howard to Racquel Howard,donation, no value stated

MCMURTY ST.50554: LasunP DardartoJoann Prestenbach, donation, no value stated.

MIDDENDRIVE 2708: Kristina D. Temple to EstherM.G.Hernandez, $265,000.

NIAGARA DRIVE5528: Raymond H. Andras Jr. to Trumaine D. Carter Jr., $237,000.

NOTTINGHAM DRIVE1697: Hien N. PhamtoHienN.Pham, $280,830.

OAKDRIVE 5304: Gary L. Larson to Janice C. Fedele,donation, no value stated.

OAKLEY DRIVE13: FadraT.Marenco to Linda M. Mitchell, $585,000.

SIXTH ST.22050: William C. Zimmerman and AnnZimmerman Downs to Alexander B. Beck and Jeanne Michel,$129,220.

TRAILHEAD DRIVE 458: Kenneth D. Coon andLori L. Coon to SeanG. McKamey and Patricia B. McKamey, $977,500.

WALKER CIRCLE 22353: Gregory J. Stelly and KarenK.Stelly to Mark A. Abramowiczand Jenni T. Abramowicz, $140,000.

COVINGTON

BAHIA COURT15155: BrendanC. Allen to Justin M. Cannon and Katherine J. Cannon, $301,000.

BEGONIA DRIVE 33: Succession of Helen E. Keim Bozant to Steven Hontiveros and EllenSkidmore Hontiveros, $290,000.

BOMOKA ROAD 17094: Cynthia L. Wagner and Merlin F. Marechal to Melvin H. Adolph Sr., $200,000.

PELICAN BAYBLVD. 2624: Rianne Monroe to Oscar Cervera,$290,000.

PRITCHARD ROAD 2820: M&T Bank to Secretary of VeteransAffairs, $247,104.

SEVEN OAKS ROAD 45: Sara K. WeyertoJennifer S. Tifft, $447,500.

SHARPE ROAD 5310-18: Dodie A. A. GoinstoBc&JDHoldings LLC, $200,000.

TAFFY DRIVE 2528: Julio E. M. Medina to Dalcia Castillo, $170,000.

TOWERING OAKS AVE. 5168: Stacy L. PhillipstoNicole Fortmayer, $220,000.

VERMILLIONDRIVE 2624: Yoshiko Guccione to Sharon W. Landry, donation,novalue stated.

VILLA DRIVE 2825: NancyL.Guidry to Leon A. Bradley Jr.,$279,900.

CEDAR DRIVE 71175: Vanne ConstructionLLC to Scott Taylor and Katherine Taylor, $594,945.

COTTONWOOD CREEK LANE 448: Malisa M. Hulette to Paul Living Trust, $540,000.

COVINGTONPOINT SUBDIVISION, LOT112: Succession of Gayle C. Christensen to MichaelJ.Dean and Bailee L. Dean, $249,000.

ESTELLE COURT3053: DSLD Homes LLCtoDonald Murphyand Theresa Murphy, $185,000.

ESTELLE COURT3060: DSLD Homes LLCtoJames R. Holub and Lorraine M. Holub, $299,500.

GORDON AVE. 71452: Peace Enterprises LLCtoHannah M. Brien, $273,900.

HUMMINGBIRD ROAD 69: Harrison CustomHomes LLCtoBryan C. Clawson and Stacie Lynn Noe Clawson,$330,000.

KNOLLPINE CIRCLE268: LindaG. BroussardtoDustin P. Bolotte and Amber G. Bolotte, $275,000.

NOLA70115 504-300-0700 LicensedinLouisiana

$2,500,000 Elegant2Bed, 2.5Bath,2,639SqFt CornerUnitw/ BreathingPanoramic. ViewsofIconicFrQtr. &MississippiRiver 4937LISAANNDRIVE

energyefficient windows,pineflrs tanklesswaterheater &more.

$2,500,000

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

LA BRANCHEPLACE 457: Terra Bella GroupLLC to Highland Homes Inc., $107,500.

LAKEREELFOOTDRIVE 70468: Max A. Garma to Landon Smithand Hayley H. Smith, $205,000.

NARROWROAD20200: Succesions of MaryB.McGiveron and John F. McGiveron to Oliver Fuselier, $185,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: St.TammanyParish to All State Financial Co., $5,000.

NEW CLAIBORNE SUBDIVISION, PORTION OF GROUND: APF Properties LLCtoEarl D. Martin Sr., $65,000.

POPLAR GROVE LANE 137: Jacob P. Williams andJessica L. Blum WilliamstoStephen P. Macloud and Jeffery McNeely,$645,000.

ROUSSEAUROAD71565: Connie R. Blue to Jacob P. Williams and Jes-

VIRGINIA LEE DRIVE 2701: Jamie B. Bolotte to Devin S. Piper, $175,000.

WYOMING DRIVE 2600: Mack Cobb to Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust 2018 R.P.3., $75,000.

TERRYTOWN

EMERSONST. 2188: New Orleans Area Habitat ForHumanity Inc. to ElsiG.Kadam, $275,000.

HOLMESBLVD. 243: Dr Horton Inc. Gulf Coast to Vanicia A. Blanchere, $319,785.

HOLMESBLVD. 245: Dr Horton Inc. Gulf Coast to JovanM.Williams, $315,900.

WRIGHT AVE. 329: Mousa A. Ayyad to Herman Smith, $279,900.

WAGGAMAN

sica L. Williams, $725,000.

S. JAHNCKE AVE. 908: Jacqueline E. McLachlan to Paul J. Robin, $425,000.

S. MASSACHUSETTS ST.1931: DavidG.Kline Estate andHelen Levey Kline to Jack E. Saux III, $600,000.

SHADYVIEW LANE209: Scott R. Nuebel and/or Kathleen M. Nuebel revocable living trust and Kathleen M. Nuebel to Aaron J. Alford Jr. and Megan P. Alford, $550,250.

23RD AVE. 1122: Brandon Construction Co.Inc. to Henry K. Battle Jr. and Cheryl H. Battle, $909,504.

TURNWOOD DRIVE 313: Sally A. Molenaar,Diane M. Derbins and Terry M. Dufresne to John R. Sapliway and BrittanyL.Sapliway, $350,000.

VINTAGEDRIVE 224: DeniseL. Woodman to RachelSweeney, $235,000.

WAXMYRTLE LANE 23: Michael T. Flynn to MaryK.Raborn Finch Trust, $700,000.

WHARTONST. 118: Matthew Tanner to James D. Taylor and Letitia M. Morgan-Taylor, $265,000. ZINNIA DRIVE 94: CardonSaacks Investmetns LLCtoPaul D. Bernadas and LorleneWooleyBernadas, $650,000.

FOLSOM

CHERRYHILL ESTATES,LOT 38: Charles M. LaRocca and Tina R. LaRocca to Steven C. Hymeland Wendy C. Hymel, $136,000.

N. FACTORYROAD82378: Justin M. Cannon and Katherine J. Cannon to Larry M. Reiling Jr. and Jennifer C. Reiling, $305,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: NashC.Roberts II to Kenneth J. Roberts, $82,000.

NORTH FOLSOM ESTATES,LOTS 9, 10: Patrice M. Edwards, Andrew W. Edwardsand Cimarron

DANDELION DRIVE 801: Coast Builders LLCtoJasmine Warner, $330,900.

MITCHELLST. 325: Jefferson Parish Council to Robin G. Laughery, $6,750.

WESTWEGO

AVE. A756: AmyR.Golloway to Ly V Nguyen, $248,500.

AVE. C325: William P. Martin Sr. to William P. Martin Jr., $185,000.

AZALEA DRIVE 213: Derick Ranatza to Derrel Ranatza,donation, no value stated.

CENTRAL AVE. 1114: Jacob A. Shields to Keith R. Plaisance Jr., $185,000.

CHURCH ST.312: Gulf Coast Bank& Trust to Melissa P. Ivey,$199,000.

Livestock LLCtoDon A. McMath andDeborahMiramon McMath, $4,000,000.

LACOMBE

BRITTANYDRIVE 61530: Brian M. Becnel to Ronald R. Pichonand Miki S. Pichon, $292,000.

GRACI AVE. 62234: FreedomMortgage Corp.toChristoher Herold andSusana Herold, $168,000.

PICHON ROAD 27222: Joseph C. Casborn to Donjeana K. Casborn, donation, no value stated.

ROUVILLE SUBDIVISION, LOT15: Valerie D. Gousman,Reginald L. Dumas, Melinda D. Gloverand otherstoReginald L. Thomas, donation, no value stated.

ROUVILLE SUBDIVISION, LOT15: Valerie D. Gousman,Reginald L. Dumas, Melinda D. Gloverand otherstoMonte A. Dumas, donation, no value stated.

MADISONVILLE

COQUILLE DRIVE 101: Jason R. PenningtontoShannonE.Brasseaux, $366,000.

CYPRESS CROSSINGDRIVE 1008: Tasha H. Smith andSarah K. DiLeo to Christopher S. Payne, $415,000. EMPRESS COURT257: Succession of Patricia P. Burgardand Edward E. BurgardJr. to Andrew J. Pilney andMary K. Pilney,$547,000.

KELLYLAKE LANE 4068: Zheng Xi Lin to Lingyan Zou, donation, no value stated.

PERRILLOUX ROAD 200: Karl MontifortetoAnalicia R. Montiforte, donation, no value stated.

SNOWY EGRETCOURT245: Sheila Ludwig to Nathan T. McClendon, Lynn McClendon and Wallace P. Cavalier Jr., $237,000.

SPIKE DRIVE 71644: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Sonja Hall,