The Times-Picayune 07-15-2025

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Lawsuit seeks to block trash contract

and Costopoulos claim Leonard Levenson.

N.O. restaurant owner, resident challenging emergency deal thatConwill Cantrell unnecessarily creatCantrell issued the emergency

BY BEN MYERS

restraining order, Daniel Conwill, owner of Felix’s Restaurant and Staff writer Oyster Bar in the French Quarter, Plaintiffs in a lawsuit that seeks and Marina Costopoulos, a French to block a controversial, seven- Quarter resident, said Cantrell year sanitation contract for Henry signed an emergency contract for Consulting asked a judge on Mon- sanitation in the French Quarter day to halt a one-year emergency and Downtown Development Discontract for that firm that Mayor trict after she made a bogus emerLaToya Cantrell signed last week. gency declaration.

In their request for a temporary Even if the fake emergency were

real, the plaintiffs said, the Henry contract would still violate city policy because Cantrell did not solicit competitive bids before she issued it. They pointed to a 2013 policy by the city’s chief administrative office, which states that normal competitive bid rules apply during emergencies unless “a competitive market does not exist or (an) extreme urgency exists.”

ed an emergency in April when she terminated a separate emergency contract for IV Waste to handle sanitation in the French Quarter.

That deal was set to expire Dec. 22.

“Mayor Cantrell’s unilateral termination of the IV Waste Emergency Contract effective July 30 will render the French Quarter and Downtown Development District without any sanitation services,” wrote the plaintiffs’ attorney,

Metairie Towers for sale again

declaration on Wednesday and signed an $8.3 million contract with Henry Consulting on the same day. If it stands, Henry Consulting would replace IV Waste, which is working on a $6.1 million emergency contract.

Cantrell announced in April that she would terminate the IV Waste contract and allow Henry to start

ä See LAWSUIT, page 5A

Court OKs plan to close Education Dept.

Nearly 1,400 set for layoffs

BY MARK SHERMAN Associated Press

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

A temporary security fence surrounds the vacant Metairie Towers condominium complex on Metairie Road on Monday.

Developer’s plan for luxury renovation falls through

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Metairie Towers, a vacant 50-year-old condominium complex in the heart of Old Metairie, will be auctioned off next month after the developer said he is walking away from the property less than a year after buying it.

Darren Aschaffenburg, who had ambitious plans to renovate the complex with larger, upscale units and luxury amenities, will put the property back on the market because he was unable to secure financing.

“Banks and lenders are

real estate in Jefferson Parish but was badly damaged during Hurricane Ida. Aschaffenburg paid $24.5 million in October for the 265,000-square-foot building, which has seven floors and sits on 4 acres along Metairie Road. He estimates his plans to convert the original 219 units into 160 larger, upscale units with an eighth floor of luxury penthouses, will cost $50 million to complete.

Over the past year, he gutted the building and completed the design and engineering work, Rebuilding efforts stopped months ago at the Metairie Towers. he said. He also secured all the necessary permits to add more conservative right now strength to get it over the fin- an eighth floor and begin conand they’re holding back their ish line.” struction. powder,” Aschaffenburg said.

The change of plans is the “I’ve done all the heavy lift“But this is also on me. This latest development after sev- ing,” he said. “It’s ready to go.” is larger than anything I’ve eral difficult years for MeBut the temporary or bridge done in the past and I person- tairie Towers, which sits on ä See TOWERS, page 4A ally didn’t have the financial some of the most valuable

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track — and to go through with laying off nearly “When the 1,400 employees.

Executive With the three publicly liberal justices announces its in dissent, the court on Mon- intent to break the law, and day paused an order from U.S. then executes District Judge on that Myong Joun in promise, it is Boston, who issued a prelimi- the Judiciary’s duty to nary injunction reversing the check that layoffs and calllawlessness, ing into quesnot expedite tion the broader it.” plan. The layoffs “will likely JUSTICE SONIA cripple the deSOTOMAyOR partment,” Joun wrote. A federal appeals court refused to put the order on hold while the administration appealed.

The high court action enables the administration to resume work on winding down the department, one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises.

In a post Monday night on his social media platform, Trump said the high court “has handed a Major Victory to Parents and Students across the Country.” He said the decision will allow his administration to begin the “very important

ä See EDUCATION, page 4A

Drug for fatty liver disease shows promise in Tulane study

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

Fatty liver disease affects more than a third of adults in the United States, a silent epidemic closely tied to obesity and diabetes. In Louisiana, where both conditions are more common than the na-

WEATHER HIGH 94 LOW 79 PAGE 6B

tional average, doctors suspect the disease is even more widespread, often going undetected until it becomes life-threatening.

Scientists from Tulane University are part of a multiuniversity team exploring a potential new treatment that could stop the disease before it turns deadly.

In a study published earlier this year in Nature Aging, the team found that a drug called 753b cleared out harmful aging cells known as senescent cells.

Sometimes called “zombie cells,” they build up in the liver as people age or develop obesity and diabetes. The cells no longer function

properly, but they don’t die off.

Instead, they linger in the body, increasing inflammation and damaging nearby tissue, which sets the stage for disease.

Senescent cells are a key feature of chronic liver disease, said Liya Pi, a pathologist at Tulane School of Medicine and an author of the

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study. The drug can clear senescent cells and reduce the development of liver disease to fibrosis and the most common type of liver cancer, she said.

The disease, now called MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated

ä See LIVER, page 4A

12TH yEAR, NO. 337

2A ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Cuomo continues run for N.Y. mayor despite loss

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo launched an independent run for New York City mayor on Monday, restarting his campaign after a bruising loss to progressive Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary.

In a video, Cuomo announced he would remain in the race to combat Mamdani, a democratic socialist state lawmaker, who the former governor said “offers slick slogans but no real solutions.”

“The fight to save our city isn’t over,” Cuomo said. “Only 13% of New Yorkers voted in the June primary. The general election is in November and I am in it to win it.”

Critics of Mamdani’s progressive agenda, which includes higher taxes on the wealthy, have called on donors and voters to unite behind a single candidate for the November election.

The current mayor, Eric Adams, is also running as an independent in the general election, as is former prosecutor Jim Walden. Curtis Sliwa, founder of the 1970s-era Guardian Angels anti-crime patrol, is on the Republican line.

Cuomo’s decision to press on in the race is the latest chapter in his comeback attempt, launched almost four years after he resigned as governor in 2021 following a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. He denied wrongdoing during the campaign, maintaining that the scandal was driven by politics.

Elmo’s hacked X account posts racist messages

Sesame Workshop was trying to regain full control over its Elmo account on the X platform Monday after a hacker gained access and posted a string of racist and antisemitic messages.

“Elmo’s X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. We are working to restore full control of the account,” a Sesame Workshop spokesperson said Monday. Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street” and Elmo.

The account was compromised over the weekend and instead of the usual posts of encouragement and kindness, Elmo’s 650,000 followers were given antisemitic threats and a profane reference to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Those tweets were soon deleted, though Elmo’s account retains a link to a Telegram channel from a user who takes credit for the hack.

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elmo’s social media account has lately become a place for mental health awareness. Last year, the red fuzzy monster, eternally 31/2, caused a sensation when he asked: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” It prompted responses from thenPresident Joe Biden and Chance the Rapper.

Officials: Man smashes Stone of Destiny case

LONDON — A man from Australia has been charged with “malicious mischief” for allegedly smashing a glass case holding the Stone of Destiny, an ancient symbol of Scottish nationhood.

Arnaud Harixcalde Logan, 35, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday to face the charge, which is similar to vandalism.

Logan, whose address was given as Sydney, wasn’t asked to enter a plea and was ordered detained until a hearing next week.

Police said that they were called to a “disturbance” at Perth Museum in central Scotland on Saturday, after reports of a kilt-wearing man attempting to smash the case containing the royal rock.

The 335-pound sandstone block is also known as the Stone of Scone — and was used in the crowning ceremonies of medieval Scottish monarchs at Scone Abbey, near Perth. It was stolen

by England’s King Edward I in the 13th century and taken to Westminster Abbey in London, where it was installed under the seat of the coronation chair.

It has been used in coronations at the abbey ever since — first of English and then of British monarchs The English and Scottish crowns were united under one monarch in the 17th century.

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Trump threatens Russia with tariffs President boosts U.S. weapons for Ukraine

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN and ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday threatened Russia with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for American weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance toward Moscow after months of frustration about unsuccessful negotiations for ending the war.

The latest steps reflect an evolving approach from the Republican president, who promised to swiftly resolve the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin when he invaded Ukraine three years ago.

Trump once focused his criticism on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he described as unwilling to compromise, but more recently has expressed growing irritation toward Putin.

“My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night,” Trump said. He complained that “it just keeps going on and on and on.”

Trump said he would implement “severe tariffs” unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days.

He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but he described them as secondary tariffs, meaning they would target Russia’s trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVAN VUCCI

President Donald Trump, right, shakes the hand of NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. in the global economy.

In addition, Trump said European allies would buy “billions and billions” of dollars of U.S. military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country’s supplies of weapons. He made the announcement in the Oval Office alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Included in the plan are Patriot air defense systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles.

Doubts were recently raised about Trump’s commitment to supply Ukraine when the Pentagon paused shipments over concerns that U.S. stockpiles were running low.

Rutte said Germany, Finland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Denmark would be among the buyers to supply Ukraine. He said “speed is

of the essence here,” and he suggested that some weapons would be rushed to Ukraine and later replaced with purchases from the U.S. Later Monday, Zelenskyy posted about having spoken with Trump by phone and said he “discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions.”

Zelenskyy added that Trump had “agreed to catch up more often by phone and coordinate our steps in the future.”

Trump has long boasted of his friendly relationship with Putin, and he repeatedly asserted that Russia was more willing than Ukraine to reach a peace deal. He also accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war and called him a “dictator with-

out elections.”

But Russia’s relentless onslaught against civilian areas of Ukraine wore down Trump’s patience. In April, Trump urged Putin to “STOP!” launching deadly barrages on Kyiv, and the following month said in a social media post that the Russian leader “has gone absolutely CRAZY!” While Rutte was in Washington, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said he had “a productive conversation” with Kellogg about strengthening Ukrainian air defenses, joint arms production and purchasing U.S. weapons in conjunction with European countries, as well as the possibility of tighter international sanctions on the Kremlin.

“We hope for the leader-

ship of the United States, because it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its ... ambitions are stopped by force,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Russia has pounded Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kyiv, with hundreds of drones and cruise and ballistic missiles that Ukraine’s air defenses are struggling to counter.

June brought the highest monthly civilian casualties of the past three years, with 232 people killed and 1,343 wounded, the U.N. human rights mission in Ukraine said.

At the same time, Russia’s bigger army is making a new effort to drive back Ukrainian defenders on parts of the 620-mile front line.

Trump confirmed the U.S. is sending Ukraine more badly needed Patriot air defense missiles and that the European Union will pay the U.S. for the “various pieces of very sophisticated” weaponry.

A senior Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, said Trump’s plan had “only one beneficiary — the US military-industrial complex.”

Germany has offered to finance two Patriot systems, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said Monday in Berlin. The country has already given three of its own Patriot systems to Ukraine.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was traveling to Washington on Monday to meet with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Israeli strikes kill at least 31 in Gaza, officials say U.N. agencies warn of fuel crisis

BY WAFAA SHURAFA, FATMA KHALED and SALLY ABOU ALJOUD Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight killed at least 31 people, according to local hospitals, as U.N. agencies warned on Monday that critical fuel shortages put hospitals and other critical infrastructure at risk.

The latest attacks came after President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held two days of talks last week that ended with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.

Twelve people were killed by strikes in southern Gaza, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution point, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also received 12 bodies, including three children and two

not operate, they said.

The agencies confirmed that some 150,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza last week — the first delivery in 130 days. But they said it is “a small fraction of what is needed each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running.”

“The United Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this moment: ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAyA ALLERUZZO fuel must be allowed into Smoke rises Monday from an Israeli bombardment in Gaza in sufficient quantities

the northern Gaza Strip near the Israel-Gaza border. women, after a series of strikes in the north, according to the hospital’s director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia.

Al-Awda Hospital reported seven killed and 11 wounded in strikes in central Gaza.

The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas.

Separately, three Israeli soldiers were killed in northern Gaza, according to the military. A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said on

Monday that they died in an explosion in their tank, apparently after it was hit by an anti-tank missile, though the incident was still being examined.

U.N. agencies, including those providing food and health care, reiterated a warning made at the weekend that without adequate fuel, they “will likely be forced to stop their operations entirely.”

In a joint statement, they said that hospitals are already going dark and ambulances can no longer move. Without fuel, transport, water production, sanitation and telecommunications will shut down and bakeries and community kitchens can-

Officials: Suspect in Ky. shooting had domestic violence hearing the next day

BY BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press

The man accused of a shooting rampage Sunday at a rural Kentucky church after wounding a state trooper had been expected in court Monday for a domestic violence hearing, a local official said.

Police say Guy House, 47, shot the trooper during a traffic stop near Lexington’s airport, fled in a carjacked vehicle then opened fire at Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two women and wounding two men before

officers fatally shot him.

House went to the church looking for the mother of his children but his domestic violence hearing did not involve her, the Lexington HealdLeader reported, citing a sister of the woman, Rachael Barnes.

Matt Ball, a deputy clerk for family court in Fayette County, confirmed to The Associated Press that House had been scheduled for the domestic violence hearing on Monday.

Police say Beverly Gumm, 72, and Christina Combs, 34, were killed in the shooting. One of the

wounded men was being treated for critical injuries and the other was in stable condition, police said. The trooper was in stable condition, police said.

“Preliminary information indicates that the suspect may have had a connection to the individuals at the church,” Lexington Police Chief Lawrence Weathers said at a news conference Sunday.

The shootings remain under investigation, Weathers said. The trooper stopped House after receiving a “license plate reader alert,” police said.

and consistently to sustain lifesaving operations,” they said.

The agencies signing the statement were the U.N. humanitarian office OCHA, food agency WFP, health organization WHO, children’s agency UNICEF, the agency helping Palestinian refugees UNRWA, population agency UNFPA, development agency UNDP, and UNOPS which oversees procurement and provides management services.

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Flames tear through Mass. assisted-living facility Authorities say 9 killed as residents were trapped inside

BY MICHAEL CASEY, KIMBERLEE KRUESI, PATRICK WHITTLE and HOLLY RAMER Associated Press

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Flames roared through an assistedliving facility in Massachusetts, killing nine people and trapping residents inside, including some who leaned out of windows and screamed for help, authorities said Monday. At least 30 people were hurt.

A firefighters union said inadequate staffing hindered the response to the blaze and contributed to the death toll, though the mayor criticized that characterization, and the fire chief suggested no number of first responders would have been enough. Meanwhile, several residents who praised firefighters and police for heroic rescue efforts said staff members did little to help.

“They didn’t knock on one door,” Robert Cabral said.

“They just ran.”

Firefighters responded to the Gabriel House facility in Fall River, about 50 miles south of Boston, at about 9:50 p.m. Sunday and were met with heavy smoke and flames at the front of the building. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office

said in a statement that the fire’s cause “does not appear to be suspicious at this time.”

Its origin remains under investigation, authorities said.

Lorraine Ferrara, one of about 70 residents at the facility, awoke to a neighbor pounding on her door.

She tried to make her way through the smoke in the hallway but retreated to her room as the sprinkler system shot hot water onto her back.

As her room filed with smoke, Ferrara opened her window and yelled. A firefighter broke the window and carried her down the ladder, she said.

“I really thought I was going to die,” she said. “I thought there was no way out.”

That fear mixed with anger as she watched two employees run from the building.

“They left us alone and ran out into the parking lot,” she said. “I was hanging out the window — ‘Help! Help!’ and they just kept running.”

The dead ranged in age from 61 to 86, authorities said. The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office identified seven of the deceased as Rui Albernaz, 64; Ronald Codega, 61; Margaret Duddy, 69; Robert King, 78; Kim Mackin, 71; Richard Rochon, 78; and Eleanor Willett, 86.

The office said a 70-year-old woman and 77-year-old man were still pending notification of family.

Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEVEN SENNE

Michael Pimentel, center, a resident at the Gabriel House assisted-living facility in Fall River, Mass., receives assistance Monday from an emergency medical worker outside a temporary shelter after a fire that killed at least nine. and Independence. Its website promotes studio apartments “for those seniors who cannot afford the high end of assisted living” as well as group adult foster care within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and churches.

“If an emergency occurs, no matter the time, there will be someone ready to help,” the website states.

Dennis Etzkorn, the facility’s owner, declined to comment Monday, but officials said he was cooperating with what Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon called “a very extensive investigation.”

District Attorney Tom

Quinn called the fire a “terrible tragedy” in a statement that also commended first responders “bringing many of the residents to safety while being confronted with very difficult circumstances.”

About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were off-duty. Police also helped break down doors and carried about a dozen residents to safety.

Five injured firefighters were released from the hospital Monday.

“You couldn’t have had enough people here to save everybody that needed help last night,” Bacon said.

But officials with the firefighters union said the closing of fire companies and cutbacks on staff have been a problem for decades.

If staffing had been at the nationally recommended level, eight more firefighters would have been at the scene Sunday night, said Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters union.

“There’s no doubt that would’ve made a difference in the amount of people that we lost to this terrible fire last night,” Kelly said. “Lives would’ve been saved if the Fall River Fire Department

was adequately staffed.”

Capt. Frank O’Reagan said there was no breathing equipment available when he arrived, so he started going door to door on the third floor without an air tank.

“First room, empty. Second door I kicked in, body. Next room, empty. Next room, body,” he said. “I searched as much as a could but after a while you just can’t take that much smoke.”

O’Reagan’s brother and fellow firefighter Michael O’Reagan said he was shocked that 40 minutes after firefighters arrived, a large part of the building had not been searched.

“We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had was not enough,” said Michael O’Reagan, president of the Fall River firefighters union.

Mayor Paul Coogan said the fire department is staffed based on the recommendation from the fire chief.

“We staff the fire department at the number the chief asked for,” he said. “We’re not even 24 hours into this and that’s going to be a priority, not the families?”

The Rev. Michael Racine, the city’s fire chaplain, spent the night blessing the bodies of the dead and trying to console survivors, families, staff members and firefighters.

“Nobody in that department has seen what we saw last night. Nobody,” Racine said. “We’ve seen fatalities, which we don’t want to see, but nobody’s seen anything like last night.”

Search for missing in Texas floods resumes in some areas

Levi Bizzell, a spokesper- alerts to area residents. along the river amid “They’re just playing a City Hall.

Officials: Rain spots “We’re not only dealing Kerr County commission- blame game,” Paces said. the rolling hills. son for the Ingram VolunKerr County Judge Rob teer Fire Department, which ers asked the public for During a special Kerrville with all of the aftermath of hampered efforts Kelly said during a com- has been organizing about their patience as the search City Council meeting, coun- this tragic event, but now we

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA, NADIA LATHAN and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

KERRVILLE, Texas — For a second straight day, rain forecasts hampered the search Monday for people still missing after deadly floods pummeled Texas this month, as officials made plans to drain reservoirs in the search for victims.

While some crews resumed the search along the Guadalupe River on Monday, others held off, wary of the forecast. Officials also asked for patience, saying some have been threatened for their perceived lack of action that could have prevented the deaths at least 132 people in the July 4 storm.

The first pause in search efforts due to the weather came Sunday in Texas Hill Country, where the soil is still primed for enhanced water runoff.

More than 160 people are unaccounted for in Kerr County alone, and 10 more in neighboring areas.

Texas Hill Country is a popular destination for tourists where campers seek out

missioners’ meeting Monday that it’s been difficult to determine exactly how many tourists were in the area when the flooding occurred.

“We’ve heard accounts of trailer after trailer after trailer being swept into the river with families in the them. Can’t find the trailers,” Kelly said. “It’s what we don’t know. We don’t know how many of them there are.”

Kelly said he’d been told of one trailer that was found “completely covered in gravel” 27 feet below the surface of the river. He said sonar crews have been searching the river and local lakes and more are expected to arrive.

Commissioner Don Harris said officials plan to drain two reservoir lakes on the river.

“Who knows how many out there are completely covered,” Harris said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Urban Search and Rescue teams fully resumed operations on Monday, said Obed Frometa, FEMA Blue Incident Support Team information officer.

200 searchers, said the department suspended operations for the day on Monday because several inches of rain were expected to fall on Kerr County by late afternoon.

“Everybody here wants to be out there working,” Bizzell said. “They literally come in the morning whether they are tired or not, and they just want to get out there and work because they want to find closure for these families.”

Kerr County meanwhile advised all volunteers to leave the river area and move to higher ground, saying only those teams working under the direction of Kerr County Emergency Operations Center Unified Command were permitted in the response zone.

In Kerrville, about 100 miles west of Austin, local officials have come under scrutiny over whether residents were adequately warned about the rising water on July 4.

Authorities in Kerrville went door-to-door to some homes early Sunday warning that flooding was again possible, and pushed phone

and cleanup continues. Commissioner Rich Paces said during a meeting Monday morning that he has received death threats.

cil member Brenda Hughes also complained of threats to city officials and staff, which she did not detail, and called for increased security at

have to worry about threats that are coming to staff, targeted threats that are specific to individual staff members,” she said.

Be prepared before the next power outage.

EU trade officials plan how to counter Trump’s ‘unacceptable’ 30% tariffs

BY SAM MCNEIL Associated Press

BRUSSELS — EU trade ministers agreed Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of 30% tariffs on the European Union was “absolutely unacceptable,” and they are studying a new set of countermeasures to respond to the move.

The ministers met Monday in Brussels following Trump’s surprise announcement over the weekend of such hefty tariffs, which could have repercussions for governments, companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic. The EU is America’s biggest business partner and the world’s largest trading bloc.

Maroš Šefcovic, the EU’s trade representative in its talks with the U.S., said after the meeting that it was “very obvious from the discussions today, the 30% is absolutely

unacceptable.”

He said that the commission was sharing proposals with the 27 member countries “for the second list of goods accounting of some $84 billion worth of U.S. imports. They will now have a chance to discuss it. This does not exhaust our toolbox and every instrument remains on the table.”

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, foreign minister of Denmark, which recently assumed the presidency of the EU, said the ministers vowed to work together in negotiating a trade deal with Washington or agreeing on countermeasures.

“The EU remains ready to react and that includes robust and proportionate countermeasures if required and there was a strong, feeling in the room of unity,” Rasmussen told reporters after the meeting.

The tariffs, also announced

for Mexico, are set to start on Aug. 1 and could make everything from French cheese and Italian leather goods to German electronics and Spanish pharmaceuticals more expensive in the U.S., and destabilize economies from Portugal to Norway.

Meanwhile, Brussels decided to suspend retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods scheduled to take effect Monday in hopes of reaching a trade deal with the Trump administration by the end of the month.

The “countermeasures” by the EU, which negotiates trade deals on behalf of its 27 member countries, will be delayed until Aug. 1. Trump’s letter shows “that we have until the first of August” to negotiate, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Sunday. Šefcovic, said negotiations would continue Monday.

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Guard facility to return to Camp Beauregard name Center will now be named for father of former namesake

The name of Camp Beauregard was changed in 2023 to Training Center Pineville.

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Effective Monday, the Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville will once again be called Camp Beauregard at the direction of Gov. Jeff Landry, the Guard announced.

Dating back to 1917, the name of the military installation previously honored Confederate Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. But the name Camp Beauregard was changed in 2023 to Training Center Pineville, following a trend of removing references to Confederate soldiers.

Now, Camp Beauregard will honor Capt. Jacques Toutant Beauregard, a member of the Louisiana Militia who fought in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, the National Guard said.

The name change is in line with federal military installations that are returning to “known names” and is being undertaken at the direction of Landry, the Guard’s commander in chief, said National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Noel Collins.

Last month, the administration of President Donald Trump returned seven Army bases to their original names after they had been

PHOTO PROVIDED By THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD changed in 2023 to avoid honoring Confederate leaders.

In a social media post Monday morning, Landry lauded the change with a photo of tombstone inscribed with the term “wokeism.”

“Let this be a lesson that we should always give reverence to history and not be quick to so easily condemn or erase the dead, lest we and our times be judged arbitrary by future generations,” Landry’s post stated.

Asked if the revival of the Camp Beauregard name is meant to acknowledge P.G.T. Beauregard and how the name change fights “wokeism,” Landry spokesperson Kate Kelly responded by noting that Jacques Toutant Beauregard is the father of P.G.T. Beauregard.

P.G.T. Beauregard was a promi-

nent Confederate general, commanding the troops who opened fire on Fort Sumter at the outset of the Civil War. After the war was over, however, he was part of a coalition that unsuccessfully tried to integrate Black and White Louisianans.

Landry’s approach of returning the Pineville installation to a previous name but recognizing an alternative service member with the same last name mirrors the approach the Trump administration has taken recently.

Fort Polk in Vernon Parish was among the seven Army bases whose names changed.

For years, it honored Leonidas Polk, a Confederate general, slave owner and Louisiana’s first Episcopal bishop. Then in 2023 it was changed to Fort Johnson to commemorate Sgt. William Henry

Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient who fought with French forces on the front lines of World War I. Now the Army base, again known as Fort Polk, is named after Gen. James H. Polk, who was awarded the Silver Star for service in World War II. The Battle of New Orleans was fought by American forces against the British army and was the last major battle of the War of 1812.

“By restoring the name Camp Beauregard, we honor a legacy of courage and service that dates back over two centuries,” Landry said in a statement. “Captain Jacques Toutant Beauregard stood at the front lines in defense of New Orleans during one of our nation’s most defining battles.”

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adju-

TOWERS

Continued from page 1A loan that financed the preconstruction work was running out and he couldn’t secure permanent financing in the current lending climate.

“You got to know when to hold and when to fold,” he said.

Metairie Towers, built in 1973, was a popular condo geared toward retirees and older adults in walking distance to stores, restaurants and a church along a suburban stretch of Metairie Road.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida’s Category 4 winds tore the roof off the building, forcing residents to leave their homes for repairs. It was beset by more problems during those fixes, and a fight with the insurance company ensued. In late 2023, a majority of owners voted to sell the building and hired a broker to solicit proposals for the building.

Aschaffenburg’s proposal was selected in March 2024 over several others because it was the highSTAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER est with the most favorable terms, Metairie Towers was built in 1973 and was geared toward retirees and older adults. the broker handling the process said at the time. Unlike several of the other proposals, he planned to vate it.

Old Metairie and now splits his leans, said the area’s high-end amekeep the building intact and renoAschaffenburg, who grew up in time between Dallas and New Or- nities would appeal to buyers of his

EDUCATION

Continued from page 1A process” of returning many of the department’s functions “BACK TO THE STATES.” The court did not explain its decision in favor of Trump, as is customary in emergency appeals. But in dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor complained that her colleagues were enabling legally questionable action on the part of the administration.

“When the Executive publicly announces its intent to break the law, and then executes on that promise, it is the Judiciary’s duty to check that lawlessness, not expedite it,” Sotomayor wrote for herself and Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said it’s a “shame”

LIVER

Continued from page 1A steatotic liver disease), was previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

It rarely causes symptoms in early stages.

“It’s a poorly recognized disease,” said Dr. George Therapondos, a hepatologist at Ochsner Health who was not involved in the study.

“Most people will not have symptoms until they develop liver failure or liver cancer.”

Louisiana has one of the country’s highest rates of liver cancer, with liver and bile duct cancers occurring

it took the Supreme Court’s intervention to let Trump’s plan move ahead.

“Today, the Supreme Court again confirmed the obvious: the President of the United States, as the head of the Executive Branch, has the ultimate authority to make decisions about staffing levels, administrative organization, and day-to-day operations of federal agencies,” McMahon said in a statement.

A lawyer for the Massachusetts cities and education groups that sued over the plan said the lawsuit will continue, adding no court has yet ruled that what the administration wants to do is legal.

“Without explaining to the American people its reasoning, a majority of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court have dealt a devastating blow to this nation’s promise of public education for all children. On its shadow docket,

the Court has yet again ruled to overturn the decision of two lower courts without argument,” Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement.

The Supreme Court has handed Trump one victory after another in his effort to remake the federal government, after lower courts have found the administration’s actions probably violate federal law.

Last week, the justices cleared the way for Trump’s plan to significantly reduce the size of the federal workforce. On the education front, the high court has previously allowed cuts in teacher-training grants to go forward.

Separately on Monday, more than 20 states sued the administration over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and

more often than in nearly any other state, according to federal cancer data. For both mortality and incidence, Louisiana ranks first among states over the last five years.

Therapondos said the condition is likely even more prevalent due to the state’s high rates of obesity and diabetes, and encouraged screening for people with risk factors.

Patients with obesity or diabetes with normal liver enzyme tests may still have the disease.

“Even if your liver tests are normal, you may actually have some disease if you are at risk,” he said.

For most patients, lifestyle changes such as weight loss and managing blood sugar can help prevent serious complications. But treatment options for advanced disease are limited. One drug is currently approved.

In severe cases, a liver transplant may be the only option. Donor organs remain in short supply.

The 753b compound is still in early development.

It has only been tested in mice, and researchers say it will be years before it could be ready for human trials.

Still, Pi hopes the drug could eventually be used alongside existing therapies to better manage disease progression.

more.

Education Department employees who were targeted by the layoffs have been on paid leave since March, according to a union that represents some of the agency’s staff.

Joun’s order had prevented the department from fully terminating them, though none had been allowed to return to work, according to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 252. Without Joun’s order, the workers would have been terminated in early

tant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said, “We’re naming our premier training installation after an American hero and patriot who fought for the freedom of the city of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, and the United States of America against a foreign invader.”

According to the National Guard, Capt. Beauregard was a member of the Third Regiment of the Louisiana Militia, a precursor of the National Guard. That group led the first land engagement in the Battle of New Orleans on Dec. 23, 1814, against Gen. Edward Packenham and the British army, the Guard said.

“We believe that the patriotism and heroism that he showed is something that all of our Louisiana National Guardsmen can and should aspire to,” Collins said.

condos. He had planned to price smaller units at around $600,000 with larger and penthouse units priced at several million dollars each, he said.

On Friday, Aschaffenburg said he received lots of inquiries in the months that he was working on the project.

“Everybody said, ‘Save me a unit,”’ he said. “I wasn’t concerned with demand. That wasn’t the issue. It was about the financing.”

The building will be auctioned Aug. 25 by commercial auction house Ten X, which says in its marketing materials that condo sales could generate $200 million for the new owner and $100 million in profits.

The minimum bid is $10 million, though real estate experts say the property will likely go for anywhere from $25 million to $40 million.

Aschaffenburg said the auction format made more sense than a traditional listing because he needs to sell fast.

“My current loan is due in October,” he said. “I have a finite date.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

June.

The Education Department had said earlier in June that it was “actively assessing how to reintegrate” the employees. A department email asked them to share whether they had gained other employment, saying the request was meant to “support a smooth and informed return to duty.”

The current case involves two consolidated lawsuits that said Trump’s plan amounted to an illegal closure of the Education Department.

One suit was filed by the Somerville and Easthampton school districts in Massachusetts along with the American Federation of Teachers and other education groups. The other legal action was filed by a coalition of 21 Democratic attorneys general.

The suits argued that layoffs left the department unable to carry out responsibilities required by Congress, including duties to support special education, distribute financial aid and enforce civil rights laws.

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Report: Issues found at 3 nuclear plants But Entergy, NRC say critique is flawed

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Entergy Corp.’s three nuclear power plants in southern Louisiana and Mississippi had some of the most safety and security issues among plants of their type in the nation over the past three years, but most, if not all, were in the lowest risk category, an environmental group says.

The group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, reached that conclusion in an analysis of federal data as part of a broader critique of nuclear regulators’ color-coded inspection rating system. The group contends the system may miss or underrepresent emerging risks by failing to account appropriately for high numbers of the lowest-level “findings,” or issues raised in inspections.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which issues the findings, called the group’s methodology flawed and not in line with how it operates. Entergy dismissed the report as inaccurate and not “in good faith.”

The raw tallies of NRC safety findings from 2022-2024 made the plants along the Mississippi River the first- and second-most-cited single-unit plants in the nation over the three-year period, it said.

Waterford 3 in New Orleans had the fifth-most findings.

But the NRC says all three Entergy plants remain in the regulator’s “highest performance category in safety and security” after the agency applies its “action matrix” that accounts for a variety of factors, not just safety and security findings.

“The NRC uses multiple inputs to assess performance, including inspector findings and objective performance indicators showing how well a plant is performing when measured against established thresholds,” Victor Dricks, NRC spokesperson, said in a statement.

“The assessment process allows NRC to integrate various information sources relevant to plant safety performance, make objective conclusions regarding their

LAWSUIT

Continued from page 1A work on a seven-year, $73 million contract he won through a request for proposals process last year. But that contract is tied up in court after the City Council refused to sign off on it. Conwill and Costopoulos sued in June to stop the long-term contract, after Cantrell said she would allow Henry to proceed regardless of what the courts say.

The temporary restraining order has been assigned to Judge Sidney Cates, who is expected to rule on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Cantrell’s administration did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

But in a statement last week, Cantrell’s office defended her decision and blamed the council for refusing to back Henry’s longterm contract, in what a spokesperson called “a blatant disregard for the city’s procurement rules.”

“The administration stands firmly by the legitimacy of the (request for proposals) process, the fairness of Henry Consulting’s selection, and the fundamental principle that all contractors — particularly Black-owned businesses with a proven track record — deserve equal treatment under the law,” the statement said.

Trash fight Henry Consulting’s owner, Troy Henry, said on WBOK on Friday that a council vote last week to repeal Cantrell’s emergency declaration was irrelevant, because his contract was inked by the time it happened.

“During the time of the emergency that the mayor declared, we signed a fully executed, valid contract,” Henry said during the morning show at the station, which he partially owns.

IV Waste owner Sidney Torres IV said Monday he is considering all options, and that the 2013 policy

PHOTO PROVIDED By ENTERGy CORP

Entergy’s Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson, Miss., is one of three owned by the company in Louisiana and Mississippi. significance, take actions based on these conclusions in a predictable manner, and effectively communicate these results to licensees and the public.”

The Union of Concerned Scientists used a relatively new NRC database to generate the tallies.

Most, if not all, of the findings the group uncovered were rated “green,” the lowest risk category that doesn’t trigger extra levels of scrutiny from the nuclear agency.

“Green” findings have “very low safety significance,” the NRC says.

But the group faults this colorcoding system and created its own metric to try to assess what a large number of “green” findings might mean for plant safety.

It equated five “green” findings to one “white” finding and weighted the results.

A “white” finding, the next risk category up from “green,” represents “low to moderate safety significance,” the NRC says. White and other worse findings spark additional NRC oversight.

Using the Union of Concerned Scientists’ metric, the group ranked the three Entergy plants first, second and third on its ”Terrible Thirteen” nationwide listing

the plaintiffs cited Monday “proves (the mayor) did not have the right” to sign Henry’s contract.

Meanwhile, council members — two of whom are running for Cantrell’s job — and the mayor have been divided on the sanitation issue.

Some council members initially balked at voting for the contract after Henry’s subcontractor, Richard’s Disposal, claimed Henry switched up the payment terms after he was selected for the job. Henry and Richard’s have since resolved their differences, but that didn’t satisfy other council members who accuse the administration of giving Henry preferential treatment during contract negotiations.

They point out the increased value and expanded scope of services added after Henry was selected, as well as a reduced performance bond and other concessions. The administration and Henry have said the changes are normal parts of the request for proposals process.

Henry sued the council in December, claiming a 2023 ordinance that requires council approval of most professional service contracts worth more than $1 million, claiming that the council president’s signature on the document is “a purely ministerial function” that doesn’t authorize the council to block contracts awarded by the executive branch. A Civil District Court judge sided with Henry and ordered the council to approve the contract, but the order is stayed while the council has appealed that ruling.

A created emergency?

Cantrell’s emergency declaration last week highlighted the risk of service disruption when IV Waste’s contract terminates on July 30. While the long-term contract is held up, the mayor awarded Henry the job temporarily.

Attorney General Liz Murrill said on Friday that her

for single-unit reactors.

In the three-year period analyzed, Waterford 3 had 32 “green” findings and four “white” ones; River Bend in St. Francisville had 60 “green” findings and two “white” findings; Grand Gulf in Port Gibson, Mississippi, had 58 “green” findings, including 27 in 2024, but no “white” findings.

“River Bend and Grand Gulf are by far the worst violators,” the report says. “This does not come as a surprise, as accusations of financial problems and mismanagement of its nuclear fleet have swirled around Entergy for decades.”

Entergy also has a dual nuclear reactor plant in central Arkansas.

The report pointed out that the Louisiana Public Service Commission and other officials filed a complaint in 2021 against Entergy. The state officials alleged to the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission that “safety and reliability problems caused “subpar” performance of the Grand Gulf nuclear plant and excessive costs for ratepayers.

The report added that Entergy’s performance should be kept in mind as the utility plans to increase the power output of its

office is considering filing a friend-of-the-court brief in litigation over the contract, though she did not say for which lawsuit.

“None of us can just create our own emergency and then grab on to emergency powers,” Murrill said, referring to state law in general.

“The emergency is external, not of our own creation.”

Murrill declined to discuss the specifics of Cantrell’s emergency declaration.

City Council President JP Morrell also said Friday the council is considering a budget maneuver to strip funding for the Henry emergency contract if it stands.

“You fired a contractor to create an emergency to hire a new one that you’re paying more money to,” Morrell said. “The precedent being set is insane.”

Meanwhile, the French Quarter Management District is preparing to hire its own firm to pick up trash in the Quarter, with bids due on Friday. Under a new state law that the council backed in the legislative session that ended this spring, the district — a state-created public agency — can hire its own sanitation contractor when the city doesn’t have a valid contract in place.

The district’s chair, Jane Cooper, said on Thursday that its selection process is moving forward, though she declined further comment on the fact that Cantrell had already tapped Henry for the emergency contract.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@theadvocate.com.

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nuclear fleet and, therefore, work reactors harder. It is also considering building a new reactor at the Grand Gulf site.

The report also comes as Entergy and Cleco face renewed scrutiny over reliability following a forced blackout in the New Orleans area in May, triggered by a downed interstate transmission line and large, unplanned plant outages that included a five-day shutdown of Entergy’s River Bend following a leak.

Michael Bowling, a spokesman for Entergy’s nuclear operations, countered the criticisms in the environmental group’s report, also noting that NRC’s online oversight pages show the plants remain in the agency’s best safety and performance category.

“We are proud of the nearly 3,000 nuclear professionals who work 24/7, 365 to ensure we safely produce clean power for our customers,” he said. “We do not consider this blog report accurate or in good faith.”

In a statement, NRC officials pointed out that “green” and “white” findings can’t be equated because they represent different magnitudes of safety and security risk. Simply adding up green find-

ings also isn’t how NRC evaluates plants, the agency said.

Union of Concerned Scientists pointed out in its report, however, that NRC once produced its own watchlists based on safety performance but the lists went away in the late 1990s when Congress changed the agency’s safety assessments to the current, colorcoded one.

The group contends the current system could fail to address patterns that might emerge from a series of the lowest level “green” problems.

“Associating higher-risk violations with increased oversight does seem like a reasonable thing to do. However, it violates common sense to argue that the total number of violations, and their cumulative impact on risk, should not be also considered,” wrote Edwin Lyman, UCS’s nuclear expert and the author of the report.

The report noted that even with that number of findings in 2024, Grand Gulf remained in the NRC’s highest performance category along with a facility that had two findings in that year.

In an interview, Lyman argued that green findings can be serious, representing “sometimes years or decades of negligence.”

In his report, he pointed out that Entergy received a “green” finding for its failure to implement a program at Waterford 3 to address more than 2,500 corrosion issues.

Some of the problems had been identified “as far back as 2011, with around 200 classified as severe and affecting critical safetyrelated systems,” the report noted.

Lyman also alleged that NRC inspectors may face pressure from industry to keep borderline findings “green” and avoid more higher rated findings with more serious regulatory consequences.

He argued some “green” findings count on backup systems implemented since the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan in 2011 that don’t have the same reliability demands as other equipment.

“So, there are a lot of uncertainties in there, and I think ‘green’ may not be as benign in many cases as the NRC claims it is,” Lyman said.

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17% duty imposed on Mexican tomatoes

Ice cream makers to drop artificial dyes Ice cream makers representing about 90% of the U.S. supply of the frozen treat have pledged to remove artificial dyes from their products in less than three years, federal health officials said Monday.

The move is the latest voluntary effort by food manufacturers to heed calls from the Trump administration to remove synthetic dyes over concerns about potential health effects. In recent weeks, companies including Nestle, Kraft Heinz and General Mills said they would pull artificial colors from their foods, too.

“This is a Renaissance moment for health in America,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said at a news conference.

About 40 makers of ice cream and frozen dairy desserts said they would remove seven petroleum-based dyes from their products by 2028, according to Michael Dykes, president of the International Dairy Foods Association.

The colors are Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. The trade group wouldn’t identify the firms, although Turkey Hill Dairy chief executive Andy Jacobs joined the gathering.

Starbucks workers asked to return to HQ Starbucks is requiring some remote workers to return to its headquarters and increasing the number of days that corporate employees are required to work in an office.

In a letter to employees posted Monday, Starbucks Chair and CEO Brian Niccol said corporate employees would need to be in the office four days a week starting in early October instead of three days a week.

The Seattle-based company said that all corporate “people leaders” must be based in either Seattle or Toronto within 12 months. That is a change from February, when it required vice presidents to relocate to Seattle or Toronto.

Starbucks said individual employees working under those leaders would not be asked to relocate. But the company said all hiring for future roles and lateral moves will require employees to be based in Seattle or Toronto.

Niccol said affected workers who choose not to relocate will be eligible for a onetime voluntary exit program with a cash payment.

30-YR T-BONDS 4.98 0.02 0.44%

Wall Street holds near its record amid tariff doubts

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

The U.S. government said Monday it is placing a 17% duty on most fresh Mexican tomatoes after negotiations ended without an agreement to avert the tariff.

Proponents said the import tax will help rebuild the shrinking U.S. tomato industry and ensure that produce eaten in the U.S. is also grown there. Mexico supplies around 70% of U.S. tomato market, up from 30% two decades ago, according to the Florida Tomato Exchange.

Opponents, including U.S. companies that grow tomatoes in Mexico, said the tariff will make fresh tomatoes more expensive for U.S. buyers.

In announcing its withdrawal from the Tomato Suspension Agreement, the Commerce Department said in late April that it had been “flooded with comments” from U.S. tomato growers who wanted better protection from Mexican imports.

But others, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Restaurant Association, had called on the Commerce Department to reach an agreement with Mexico.

6-MO T-BILLS 4.28 0.01 0.23%

BY STAN CHOE

AP business writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

President Donald Trump visits with workers as he tours U.S. Steel Corp.’s Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant in West Mifflin, Pa. Administrations both Republican and Democratic are in agreement that American manufacturers need help.

U.S. manufacturers are stuck in a rut

BY PAUL WISEMAN

AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on much, but they share a conviction that the government should help American manufacturers, one way or another.

Democratic President Joe Biden handed out subsidies to chipmakers and electric vehicle manufacturers. Republican President Donald Trump is building a wall of import taxes — tariffs — around the U.S. economy to protect domestic industry from foreign competition.

Yet American manufacturing has been stuck in a rut for nearly three years. And it remains to be seen whether the trend will reverse itself.

The U.S. Labor Department reports that American factories shed 7,000 jobs in June for the second month in a row. Manufacturing employment is on track to drop for the third straight year.

The Institute for Supply Management, an association of purchasing managers, reported that manufacturing activity in the United States shrank in June for the fourth straight month. In fact, U.S. factories have been in decline for 30 of the 32 months since October 2022, according to ISM. “The past three years have been a real slog for manufacturing,” said Eric Hagopian, CEO of Pilot Precision Products, a maker of industrial cutting tools in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. “We didn’t get destroyed like we did in the recession of 2008. But we’ve been in this stagnant, sort of stationary environment.”

Big economic factors contributed to the slowdown: A surge in inflation, arising from the unex-

pectedly strong economic recovery from COVID-19, raised factory expenses and prompted the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023.

The higher borrowing costs added to the strain.

Government policy was meant to help.

Biden’s tax incentives for semiconductor and clean energy production triggered a factory-building boom — investment in manufacturing facilities more than tripled from April 2021 through October 2024 — that seemed to herald a coming surge in factory production and hiring. Eventually anyway.

But the factory investment spree has faded as the incoming Trump administration launched trade wars and, working with Congress, ended Biden’s subsidies for green energy. Now, predicts Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, “manufacturing production will continue to flatline.”

“If production is flat, that suggests manufacturing employment will continue to slide,” Zandi said.

“Manufacturing is likely to suffer a recession in the coming year.”

Meanwhile, Trump is attempting to protect U.S. manufacturers — and to coax factories to relocate and produce in America — by imposing tariffs on goods made overseas. He slapped 50% taxes on steel and aluminum, 25% on autos and auto parts, 10% on many other imports.

In some ways, Trump’s tariffs can give U.S. factories an edge.

Chris Zuzick, vice president at Waukesha Metal Products, said the Sussex, Wisconsin-based manufacturer is facing stiff competition for a big contract in Texas. A foreign company offers much lower prices. But “when you throw the tariff

on, it gets us closer,” Zuzick said.

“So that’s definitely a situation where it’s beneficial.”

But American factories import and use foreign products, too — machinery, chemicals, raw materials like steel and aluminum. Taxing those inputs can drive up costs and make U.S. producers less competitive in world markets.

Consider steel. Trump’s tariffs don’t just make imported steel more expensive. By putting the foreign competition at a disadvantage, the tariffs allow U.S. steelmakers to raise prices — and they have. U.S.-made steel was priced at $960 per metric ton as of June 23, more than double the world export price of $440 per ton, according to industry monitor SteelBenchmarker.

In fact, U.S. steel prices are so high that Pilot Precision Products has continued to buy the steel it needs from suppliers in Austria and France — and pay Trump’s tariff.

Trump has also created considerable uncertainty by repeatedly tweaking and rescheduling his tariffs. Just before new import taxes were set to take effect on dozens of countries on July 9, for example, the president pushed the deadline back to Aug. 1 to allow more time for negotiation with U.S. trading partners.

The flip-flops have left factories, suppliers and customers bewildered about where things stand.

Manufacturers voiced their complaints in the ISM survey: “Customers do not want to make commitments in the wake of massive tariff uncertainty,” a fabricated metal products company said.

“Tariffs continue to cause confusion and uncertainty for long-term procurement decisions,” added a computer and electronics firm.

Bitcoin soars to new all-time high

week” in Congress. Lawmakers lobbying and other influence efU.S. lawmakers have been under pressure from forts this year.

President Donald Trump and the Bitcoin has seen a significant refocusing on big-spending crypto lobby to pass bound since April, when it briefly pro-crypto legislation legislation quickly. dipped below $75,000.

BY ALAN SUDERMAN

AP business writer

Bitcoin continued its rapid climb and hit another all-time high Monday as U.S. lawmakers begin a week focused on passing pro-crypto legislation.

Data from CoinMarketCap showed bitcoin climbed above $123,000 early Monday, up from about $108,000 only a week ago.

The world’s oldest and most popular cryptocurrency is currently the fifth-most valuable asset class in the world at $2.4 trillion, giving it a higher market cap than Amazon.

The enthusiasm for bitcoin comes as the U.S. House is set to take up several pieces of cryptocurrency-related legislation in what’s been dubbed “crypto

That includes a bill passed last month by the Senate that would regulate a type of cryptocurrency known as stablecoins. The House is also set to take up a cryptocurrency market structure legislation that is far more sweeping.

Trump, once a skeptic of the industry, has vowed in his second term to make the U.S. the global capital of crypto. Meanwhile, he and his family have moved aggressively into nearly every corner of the industry: mining operations, billion-dollar bitcoin purchases, a newly minted stablecoin and a Trump-branded meme coin.

The crypto industry has rapidly become a major player in Washington after feeling unfairly targeted by the Biden administration. The industry spent huge amounts on last year’s elections and has been spending heavily on

Spot bitcoin ETFs are becoming increasingly popular since launching last year and several publicly traded companies have made using debt and stock sales to buy bitcoin their primary business strategy.

Created in response to the 2008 financial crisis, bitcoin has taken a highly volatile path to mainstream acceptance. Its backers say the asset is like a “digital gold” that can act as a hedge against central bank and government malfeasance. Only 21 million bitcoins will ever be created.

“Bitcoin’s price is finally catching up to what’s been building under the surface,” said Adam Back, CEO of the crypto company Blockstream. “This is institutional demand aligning with bitcoin’s fundamentals, and a fixed supply doing what it was designed to do.”

NEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes hung near their records on Monday following President Donald Trump’s latest updates to his tariffs, as speculation continues on Wall Street that he may ultimately back down on them.

The S&P 500 edged up by 0.1% to pull within 0.2% of its all-time high set on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.3% to set a record.

Stock indexes elsewhere around the world were mixed in their first trading after Trump announced plans over the weekend for 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and the European Union. They won’t take effect until Aug. 1, the same deadline that Trump announced last week for updated tax rates on imports from Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries.

The latest postponements for Trump’s tariffs allow more time for him to reach trade deals with other countries that could lower the tariff rates and prevent pain for international trade. They also feed into speculation that Trump may ultimately back down on his tariffs if they end up creating too much damage for the economy and for financial markets.

If Trump were to enact all his proposed tariffs on Aug. 1, they would raise the risk of a recession. That would not only hurt U.S. voters but also raise the pressure on the U.S. government’s debt level relative to the economy’s size, particularly after Washington approved big tax cuts that will add to the deficit.

“We therefore believe that the administration is using this latest round of tariff escalation to maximize its negotiating leverage and that it will ultimately de-escalate, especially if there is a new bout of heightened bond and stock market volatility,” according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

“As usual, there are many conditions and clauses that can get these rates reduced,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “That’s probably why the market might not like the tariff talk, but it’s not panicking about it either.”

For the time being, all the uncertainty around tariffs could help keep markets unsteady. This upcoming week has several potential flashpoints that could shake things.

On Tuesday will come the latest reading on inflation across the United States.

Economists expect it to show inflation accelerated to 2.6% last month from 2.4% in May. Companies are also lining up to report how they performed during the spring.

JPMorgan Chase and several other huge banks will report their latest quarterly results on Tuesday, followed by Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday and PepsiCo on Thursday.

Fastenal, a distributor of industrial and construction supplies, on Monday reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its stock rose 4.2%, though it also said that market conditions remain sluggish.

Shares of Kenvue rose 2.2% after the former division of Johnson & Johnson said CEO Thibaut Mongon is stepping down. Kenvue, the maker of Listerine and Band-Aid brands, is in the midst of a strategic review of its options, “including ways to simplify the company’s portfolio and how it operates,” according to Larry Merlo, the board’s chair.

Waters slumped 13.8% after saying it had agreed to merge with Becton, Dickinson and Co.’s biosciences and diagnostic solutions business in a deal valued at roughly $17.5 billion.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.42% from 4.43% late Friday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe. Germany’s DAX lost 0.4%, and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.3%. But indexes rose 0.8% in South Korea and 0.3% in Hong Kong.

Chinese shares advanced after the government reported that exports rose last month as a truce in a tariff war prompted a surge in orders ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for reaching a new trade deal with Washington.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 7A

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More than 20 states sue over frozen education funds

BY BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS

so we can ensure the success of our students.”

The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

But Congress’ appropriation of the money was in a bill signed by Trump himself, said Maurice “Mo” Green, North Carolina’s Democratic superintendent of public education. “To now suggest that, for some reason, this money is somehow or another needing review because of someone’s agenda, I think is deeply troubling,” Green told reporters Monday after North Carolina joined the federal lawsuit.

In North Carolina, about 40 schools are already in session, so the state is already trying to figure out ways to keep programs going, using state and local money, along with some federal money that has not expired.

The freeze affects programs including mental health services, science and math education, and support for students learning English, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said, with the most severe effects in smaller, rural school districts. The freeze could also lead to approximately 1,000 teachers and staff being laid off, Jackson said.

At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fastpaced game with the other kids to review addition and

Associated Press

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. — More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more.

Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families.

But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure programs align with the Republican president’s priorities.

Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn’t released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August. The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Darleen Reyes drove through a downpour last week to take her son to a free Boys & Girls Club day camp in East Providence, Rhode Island. She told camp administrators the flash flood warning would have kept her away, but her son insisted on going.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SOPHIE PARK

Girls read an Amelia Bedelia book Thursday during the East Providence Boys & Girls Club Summer Camp at Emma G. Whiteknact Elementary School in Providence, R.I. Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, “I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.” Then he ran off to play.

In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the East Providence club, and the state has joined the federal lawsuit. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isn’t the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall.

Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn’t

release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The clubs receive funding from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.

The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering.

“Time is of the essence,” said Christy Gleason, executive director of the political arm of Save the Children, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. “It’s not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.”

Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school dis-

tricts that receive the most money per student from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank.

New America’s analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.

Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze.

“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved

by Congress and signed by President Trump,” said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released

subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets.

Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered commonsense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate.

“When someone says something inappropriate, you don’t repeat it,” teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees.

Indeed, it’s hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club.

Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a “beacon of hope and opportunity.” The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free.

“I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,” said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration’s review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.

Fire that destroyed Grand Canyon Powell seeks watchdog review lodge allowed to burn for days of overhaul of Fed building

BY ROSS D. FRANKLIN and JOHN SEEWER

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABGER

Associated Press

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — A wildfire that tore through a historic Grand Canyon lodge and raged out of control Monday had been allowed to burn for days before erupting over the weekend, raising scrutiny over the National Park Service’s decision not to aggressively attack the fire right away.

The wildfire along the canyon’s more isolated North Rim, where most visitors don’t venture, was burning quickly with no containment, fire officials said. No injuries had been reported, but more than 70 structures were lost, including a visitors center and several cabins.

At first, the fire didn’t raise alarms after igniting from a lightning strike on July 4. Four days later, the Park Service said the fire was being allowed to burn to benefit the land and fire crews were keeping close watch.

“There are no threats to infrastructure or public safety at this time,” the park said on Facebook.

Then three days later, on Friday, fire officials and the park service sent out warnings to “evacuate immediately” as the fire grew by nearly eight times within a day to more than 1.4 square miles.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for a federal investigation into the Park Service’s handling of the fire.

“The federal government chose to manage that fire as a controlled burn during the driest, hottest part of the Arizona summer,” the governor said in a social media post Sunday.

She will be meeting with leadership in the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior soon to learn more about the decisions made in managing the wildfire, Hobbs’ spokesperson Christian Slater said in an email.

Authorities first used a “confine and contain” strategy but shifted to aggressive suppression as the fire — one of two that firefighters are dealing with on the North Rim — rapidly grew because of hot temperatures, low humidity

AP economics writer

PHOTO PROVIDED By CAREN CARNEy

Smoke rises Thursday as fires burn at the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

and strong wind gusts, fire officials said.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages Monday with a park service spokesperson seeking comment about how the fire was managed.

The fire destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park’s North Rim, along with employee housing and a wastewater treatment plant, park Superintendent Ed Keable said Sunday.

Park officials have closed access for the rest of the year to the North Rim, a less popular area that draws only about 10% of the Grand Canyon’s millions of annual visitors.

Hikers in the area were evacuated and rafters on the Colorado River, which snakes through the canyon, were told to bypass Phantom Ranch, an outpost of cabins and dormitories. Trails to the area from the canyon’s North and South rims also were closed.

From the air, plumes of black smoke could be seen rising above the canyon walls and haze filled parts of the park. From the park’s South Rim, visitors took pictures on Monday of the smoke blanketing the canyon in the distance.

The fire flared up Saturday night, fueled by high winds. Firefighters managed to make progress, using aerial fire retardant drops near the lodge before they had to pull back because of a chlorine gas leak at the water treatment plant, the park service said.

Hikers also were evacuated over concern that the poisonous, heavier-than-air gas could sink downhill, into the canyon.

White House says it won’t publish climate report on NASA website

BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP science writer

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday took another step to make it harder to find major, legally mandated scientific assessments of how climate change is endangering the nation and its people.

Earlier this month, the official government websites that hosted the authoritative, peer-reviewed national climate assessments went dark.

Such sites tell state and local governments and the public what to expect in their backyards from a warming world and how best to adapt to it.

At the time, the White House

said NASA would house the reports to comply with a 1990 law that requires the reports, which the space agency said it planned to do.

But on Monday, NASA announced that it aborted those plans.

“The USGCRP (the government agency that oversees and used to host the report) met its statutory requirements by presenting its reports to Congress. NASA has no legal obligations to host globalchange.gov’s data,” NASA Press Secretary Bethany Stevens said in an email.

That means no data from the assessment or the government science office that coordinated the work will be

on NASA, she said.

On July 3, NASA put out a statement that said: “All preexisting reports will be hosted on the NASA website, ensuring continuity of reporting.”

“This document was written for the American people, paid for by the taxpayers, and it contains vital information we need to keep ourselves safe in a changing climate, as the disasters that continue to mount demonstrate so tragically and clearly,” said Texas Tech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.

She is chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy and co-author of several past national climate assessments.

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has asked an inspector general to review the cost of the central bank’s building renovations that White House officials have attacked as “ostentatious.”

A spokesperson for the inspector general, an independent watchdog, confirmed the request and declined further comment.

The request was previously reported by Axios.

The Fed has been renovating two of its office buildings in Washington for several years at a current cost estimate of about $2.5 billion, $700 million more than originally expected. The project was first approved by the Fed’s governing board in 2017. Trump administration officials have seized on the expense and some alleged amenities in the remodeled buildings to extend their criticism of Powell, whom the president has attacked for not reducing the Fed’s short-term rate.

On Thursday, Russ Vought, the president’s top budget adviser, said that President Donald Trump is

“extremely troubled” about the “ostentatious overhaul” and suggested that it may be violating local building rules.

The letter represented a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to gain greater control over the Fed, an independent agency charged with seeking stable prices and maximum employment.

Independence from day-today politics has long been seen as a critical element in the Fed’s ability to achieve those goals.

Trump has repeatedly demanded that Powell cut the short-term interest rate that the central bank controls, in part because the president believes it will lower the government’s borrowing costs.

Trump in April threatened to fire Powell, though he later backed off those threats after stock prices fell in response. The Supreme Court has since signaled that the president doesn’t have the authority to remove the Fed chair over a disagreement about interest rates.

The law governing the Fed does say that the chair can be fired “for cause,” such as wrongdoing by the chair or neglect of duty. Powell’s

term as chair ends in May 2026.

Vought’s letter criticizes Powell’s management of the Fed, suggesting that the administration could be trying to build a case to remove the chair for cause.

“I still think it’s unlikely, but not impossible that Trump would try to replace Powell before his term was up,” Stephen Moore, a former adviser to Trump and an economist at the Heritage Foundation, said.

The letter charges that the Fed altered its building plans without notifying a Washington planning commission, known as the National Capital Planning Commission, and may be in violation of its rules. Trump recently appointed two close aides to the commission.

Over the weekend, the Fed said in a post of “frequently asked questions” on its website about the building project that it is “not subject to the direction” of the commission and has only complied with its directives voluntarily. The Fed also said that it is accountable to the Senate and House of Representatives, and is also overseen by the independent inspector general, not the White House.

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Jan Risher LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Reader marks 100 years Bob Stuart was born July 14, 1925.

For most of his 100 years, Stuart has started his day with the morning paper. The Advocate began in 1842, but on the very day he was born, it became a morning paper.

Reading the paper is just one part of his morning routine. At 11 a.m., he heads to the Baton Rouge Country Club to exercise.

“I do that about an hour and a half of exercising each day — on a bicycle, treadmill and weights,” the centenarian said. “And I let the trainers tell me what to do, but they don’t stay there hovering over me.”

His history with the newspaper includes a stint as a delivery boy back in the late 1930s.

He picked up his papers at the City News Stand, on the corner of Third Street and North Boulevard.

“I had the State Capitol on my route, and I got 60 paid-up subscriptions,” he said.

Stuart has been alive for just over 40% of the nation’s history.

When asked for advice on navigating these troubled times, Stuart just shakes his head.

“I’ve been asked this question so many times,” he said, with a chuckle.

His guidance for others echoes what his mother told him.

He has lived his life by her advice and believes it could come in handy to others.

“My mother said, ‘Bob, stay in the middle of the road. Whatever you do, stay in the middle of the road,’” he said. “And, I always did.”

His interpretation of his mother’s instructions centers on moderation — not veering too far to either extreme in thought,

ä See RISHER, page 2B

2 vie in historic Jean Lafitte race

Kerner family not on ballot for first time since incorporation

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

A coastal Louisiana fishing town that’s been run by one family since its incorporation will soon see a new mayor.

For the first time since Jean Lafitte was incorporated 50 years ago, a member of the Kerner family won’t appear on the ballot for the town’s top position after two contenders qualified for the special mayoral election in October: Yvette Crain, the town clerk of 35 years, and Will Wyman, a local firefighter of 25 years.

Crain has served as interim mayor for the roughly 1,800-person town since its previous leader, Timothy Kerner Jr., vacated the seat in May to become the a Jefferson Parish Council member.

She worked as town clerk under

ä See HISTORIC, page 2B

|

T u e s d ay, J u ly 15, 2025

1BN

N.O. plans homeless sweeps

French Quarter board asks for more police

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

New Orleans officials will begin homeless camp sweeps in the French Quarter and parts of the Marigny next week, while a state-created board has asked for expanded Louisiana State Police presence in the neighborhood, part of a concerted effort to tackle homelessness, crime and qualityof-life issues.

The New Orleans Police Depart-

ment will carry out sweeps Monday of “any person who’s camping out, laying tents, blankets, anything of that nature, on the sidewalk,” said 8th District Capt.

Samuel Palumbo to the French Quarter Management District board on Monday.

“Essentially, no sleeping in the French Quarter,” said Palumbo, who said the plan had been developed by the city’s Office of Homeless Services. A spokesperson for Mayor LaToya Cantrell did not

respond to a request for comment on the plan on Monday.

The French Quarter Management District also approved a proposal Monday to allocate $260,000 to fund a new State Police detail in the French Quarter that will “conduct focused Quality of Life and Nuisance Sweeps” in collaboration with the New Orleans Police Department and other law enforcement. A State Police spokesperson said the agency was “evaluating the feasibility” of the

district’s request.

“LSP remains committed to supporting the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) through ongoing assistance and proactive enforcement efforts citywide,” said Sgt. Kate Stegall, a spokesperson.

The French Quarter proposal, which was approved unanimously, cites “an uptick in concerns related to public order, nuisance activities and overall safety” in the Vieux Carre, according to the proposal. Neighborhood business

ä See HOMELESS, page 2B

French fashion

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Attendees embrace French fashion at the Bastille Day celebration in the French Market of New Orleans on Monday. The Council of French Societies and the French Market Corporation hosted the event at the Joan of Arc statue.

Moreno launches first TV ads Segments highlight prominent themes in mayoral candidacy

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Helena Moreno launched a pair of new videos promoting her campaign for New Orleans mayor on Monday, marking the first round of television advertising of the city’s mounting local election cycle.

One video features remarks from seven prominent New Orleanians — including 8th Ward Black Seminoles Chief Kenny Young, Gris Gris chef Eric Cook and meteorologist Margaret Orr — touting their support for Moreno, the current City Council vice president.

The other pledges that Moreno as mayor will bring fixes to New Orleans’ troubled infrastructure at a pace akin to the blitz of work that engulfed the city’s downtown before Super Bowl LIX this spring.

Moreno is one of four major candidates who signed up for the race at Orleans Parish Criminal Court on Tulane Avenue and South Broad Street last week. The mayoral primary is Oct. 11. She has led polling and fundraising tallies in the race so far, amassing more than $1.5 million in her campaign account, according to her April campaign finance disclosure.

The two 30-second segments

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

New Orleans City Council member Helena Moreno greets supporters after submitting her qualifying paperwork to run for mayor at the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court’s Office on Wednesday. seek to highlight a pair of themes prominent to Moreno’s candidacy and to the race’s broader landscape.

Moreno, who launched her career in politics with a failed run for Congress in 2008 and then served in the state House before being elected to the City Council, has sought for years to craft relationships with community figures and political powerbrokers as she laid the groundwork for a mayoral run.

Her campaign said in a statement that the first video piece aims to highlight Moreno’s “broad and diverse support” in New Orleans.

Former teacher accused of sexual abuse Five students at Athlos Academy make claims

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

The people who appear in the segment are Young, local advocates Valeria Schexnayder and Julie Schwam Harris, Orleans Parish Court Clerk Donna Glapion, Cook, Orr and Barbara Major, a civil rights leader and activist The second segment takes aim at an issue that a succession of polls and voter interviews show has driven New Orleanians’ dismal views of city leadership, and that is already forming a key point of messaging in the race: crumbling infrastructure and a slate of political leaders many view as sluggish or inept at fixing

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office filed charges against a former teacher at Athlos Academy of Jefferson Parish who is accused of sexually abusing five boys who were students at the Terrytown charter school.

Tokeby Mixon, 38, of Harvey, was charged with five counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Mixon is accused of inappropriately touching children who were enrolled at Athlos, which serves kindergarten to eighth grade. Mixon worked at the school as a social emotional learning specialist and third

ä See MORENO, page 2B

ä See TEACHER, page 2B

2B ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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HISTORIC Kenner Planetarium’s 3 plead not guilty laser light shows return

Continued from page 1B

in deputy’s death St. Tammany officer killed during high-speed chase

BY WILLIE SWETT

Staff writer

fice said deputies had tried to stop the vehicle after seeing it being operated carelessly near Slidell, but it sped off, leading to chase that wound up on I-10 and eventually ended in New Orleans.

In June, authorities said the vehicle’s driver, Adrian Waughtal, 17, and one of the passengers, Mason Paul Eugene Fischer, 17, had been indicted on charges of second-degree murder. Another passenger in the vehicle, Michael Lanier, 18, was indicted on manslaughter.

The three entered their pleas during proceedings at the St. Tammany Justice Center.

A trial date was set for Oct. 6, WWL-Louisiana reported.

Three Slidell teenagers who face charges in the death of a St. Tammany Parish sheriff’s deputy who was killed during a high-speed police chase pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Covington on Monday, northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said.

Sgt. Grant Candies, 37, was struck and killed while setting up a spike strip on an Interstate 10 onramp in Slidell to stop a speeding Email Willie Swett at willie. vehicle in March. The Sheriff’s Of- swett@theadvocate.com.

HOMELESS

Continued from page 1B

owners and residents have repeatedly cited concerns about homelessness, unpermitted vending and illegal parking.

Both efforts also come amid a multiyear plan by the Cantrell administration to clear homeless encampments across downtown and move people from the streets into shelter and subsidized housing. Palumbo said the plan was modeled off efforts by State Police and other state officials, who worked at Gov. Jeff Landry’s direction this year to clear encampments downtown and the French Quarter ahead of the Super Bowl and move residents into a temporary shelter.

Palumbo said Monday that while violent crime is down in the French Quarter, “on the qualityof-life side of things, there’s significant improvements that we would like to see.”

Violent crime dropped by 27% in the second quarter of this year compared with the same time period in 2024 in the 8th District, which includes the French Quarter, Central Business District and the Marigny, according to statistics compiled by the Metropolitan Crime Commission.

RISHER

Continued from page 1B behavior or lifestyle. Through the years, he has seen her advice as a reminder to avoid risky extremes, whether recklessness or rigidity, to stay grounded and be thoughtful, measured in decisions.

In short: be steady.

He says that whenever he has found himself getting in trouble of any sort, or overindulging, thanks to his mother’s advice, he knew it was time to reevaluate and get back in line.

Witness to history He remembers so many major news events that most people alive today only know about from history class — the Great Depression and Pearl Harbor, to name a few.

“The Depression news was always there,” he said. “But we didn’t know as much about it then. Our parents didn’t let us know that we were poor.”

During the Depression, he recalls, the land where the State Police headquarters now stands was home to people who had lost everything — well-educated individuals who had left their families and lived there in desperation.

Stuart was one of seven children. When his twin brother joined the Navy in the summer of 1943, he joined the Merchant Marines. That service did not qualify him for the GI Bill once he was out. Later, he was drafted to serve in Korea, where he worked in counterintelligence.

TEACHER

Palumbo said the city’s Office of Homeless Services would be on site Monday to help move people from the street into the city’s Low Barrier Shelter on Gravier Street.

“Our goal here is not to go out and arrest and do all that. We will do that when absolutely necessary,” Palumbo said.

Sweeps by both city and state officials have repeatedly drawn criticism from people experiencing homelessness and advocates.

“Any sweeps or forcible relocations of unhoused individuals inevitably involve profiling and policing,” said Angela Owczarek, a member of New Orleans Homeless and Houseless Advocacy, Research, and Rights Monitoring, on Monday. Owczarek said profiling is more likely in the French Quarter because “many individuals who survive outdoors on the streets there are not in typical encampment structures or tents.”

Palumbo said people would only be told to leave if their belongings were blocking a sidewalk.

Owczarek also noted city officials’ earlier opposition to stateled encampment sweeps and to a proposed public camping ban during the state’s legislative session.

The proposed sweep in the French Quarter “would make such city efforts ring hollow and would counter all available best practices about addressing home-

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

The Kenner Planetarium and Rivertown Space Science Complex has relaunched its Friday night laser light shows this month, featuring hits from classic rock and disco bands.

The “Late Nite Laser” light shows take place every Friday at the planetarium, with shows at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

The next upcoming light show will start at 7 p.m. with “laser vinyl,” followed by an AC/DCthemed show and ending with an Aerosmith show.

Other bands featured this month at the planetarium’s night shows are Metallica and Tool.

Last weekend, the planetarium played Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” and ABBA. The night shows take place

lessness and preventing further harm,” Owczarek said.

Agency will look to CBD next

in addition to the planetarium’s regular Saturday programming, including a 40-minute “Spirit of America” patriotic show at 1 p.m. and hourlong classic rock laser light show at 3 p.m.

Saturday’s classic rock show will feature 57 minutes of music by Kiss.

Science documentaries of varying run times play throughout the day as well.

The Kenner Planetarium is typically open only on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2020 4th St. in Kenner’s Rivertown.

Tickets to the Friday night shows are $5 and can be purchased at the box office the day of or in advance online. Saturday tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for kids and seniors, and include admission to the Rivertown Space Science Complex.

Police cleared homeless encampments and bused people to a temporary shelter in Gentilly.

The State Police troopers will work four eight-hour shifts per week, according to the district’s proposal.

The district has agreed to bankroll the extra state officer hours even as Landry last year launched a new Troop NOLA branch of State Police. That troop’s headquarters is in the Cabildo at Jackson Square.

In June, a spokesperson for a firm the city commissioned to aid its homeless services initiatives, Clutch Consulting Group, said the Cantrell administration was working to quickly move people from the shelter to subsidized housing.

Since launching its effort in 2023, the city has housed 365 people from homeless shelters, 300 people from encampments and another 469 people who are not in group encampments, Mandy Chapman Semple said.

It is unclear how many people have been offered housing through the city’s initiative from the French Quarter and the Marigny.

Palumbo said he had concerns that sweeps in the French Quarter could displace people who don’t agree to go to the shelter.

“We do believe and fully anticipate seeing some of that,” Palumbo said, adding that once officers had finished removing people from the French Quarter, they would move onto the Central Business District.

Palumbo also said the management district’s plan to fund a Louisiana State Police detail in the French Quarter could “fit into” the plan to keep the neighborhood clear of people sleeping on the street.

According to the district’s proposal, the plan “builds upon the proven success of the Louisiana State Police in making substantial quality of life improvements during their deployments in the French Quarter for major events such as the Super Bowl, New Year’s, Mardi Gras, and the Taylor Swift Concert.”

Ahead of the Swift concert, State Police conducted sweeps of homeless encampments across downtown New Orleans and relocated people to a single desig- Email Sophie Kasakove at nated site at Landry’s direction. sophie.kasakove@theadvocate.

Ahead of the Super Bowl, State com.

He graduated from Baton Rouge High and LSU, where he was a cheerleader at both.

Once home, Stuart went to work for Buquet and LeBlanc, Inc., General Contractors, a company he eventually owned. He retired in the late 1980s and consulted into the early 2000s.

One of his strengths, according to his daughter Sally Stuart Morgan, is his ability to look to the future.

“He is always looking forward and his aim is true,” she said.

The Stuart Special For the last few weeks, Stuart has been looking forward to his 100th birthday party, which happened Sunday afternoon at the Baton Rouge Country Club.

More than 250 people came to celebrate the milestone birthday with the Stuart family, including folks he hired in the 1970s at Buquet and LeBlanc.

Several guests mentioned the birthday boy’s signature drink, the Stuart Special — a drink he has ordered so often that he printed up business cards with the recipe to hand to waitstaff.

He asks for two double rocks glasses filled to the top with ice and a teaspoon. His instructions include filling one of the glasses with Smirnoff Vodka. Then, add two olives and a twist of lemon.

His son, Rob Stuart, president and CEO of the LSU Foundation, said his father’s daily commitment to exercise, especially in his later years, is a factor to his long life.

“His longevity is certainly attributable to the positive attitude toward life he always maintained during both the good times, but

Sheriff’s Office.

The school immediately contactContinued from page 1B ed authorities and placed Mixon on leave, officials said at the time.

He was arrested Dec. 21, 2022, grade teacher, according to au- and booked with indecent behavthorities. ior with a juvenile. The school He’d been at the school for fired Mixon after his arrest. about three years in November Within weeks, a second victim 2022 when a then-14-year-old came forward. Another student, boy notified school officials that a 12-year-old boy, told detectives Mixon had tickled him without that Mixon had touched his genipermission and tried to kiss him, tals, tried to kiss him and had according to the Jefferson Parish inappropriate contact on several

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Bob Stuart greets guests at his 100th birthday party at the Baton Rouge Country Club on Sunday. Stuart turned 100 on Monday. particularly during the times of adversity,” Rob Stuart said.

Morgan said her father has a knack for doing the right things.

“And his commitment to integrity has always allowed him to get a good night’s sleep,” said Morgan. “He enjoys uplifting

others, which lifts him up as well, as he never dwells on the negative but faces any situation confidently.”

Happy birthday, Bob.

occasions while he was in third, fifth and sixth grades, according to authorities.

The boy told investigators Mixon threatened to cut off his genitals if he told anyone about the abuse, authorities said. Mixon was rearrested and booked with three counts of molestation of a juvenile in January 2023.

Fifteen days later, detectives arrested Mixon for a third time after identifying three more victims, also students from Athlos

Academy, according to authorities.

The boys, who were between the ages of 8 and 12, also accused Mixon of inappropriately touching them, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Mixon, who is free on $30,000 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 5 on the indecent behavior charges.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

Kerner, his father, Timothy Kerner Sr., and his grandfather, Leo Kerner Jr., who became Jean Lafitte’s first mayor in 1974.

Crain, a Republican, said if elected, she hopes to use her experience to continue the work of her predecessors, particularly to finish repairing damages from Hurricane Ida and to get every home elevated to at least Base Flood Elevation levels for future storms.

“I learned so much from them (the Kerners), and now I just want to serve in a different capacity rather than being behind the scenes,” Crain said.

Wyman, on the other hand, paints a different picture of the town when explaining his motivation for running. He expressed frustration with the Kerner administration’s lack of communication since Ida and believes he could better fill the community’s many unmet needs.

“If you drive down through Lafitte, you can see all the For Sale signs,” said Wyman, whose home is still in disrepair from Ida. “They’re getting fed up and getting out of here.”

Wyman, a Democrat, works as a rescue chief for the Lafitte-Barataria-Crown Point Volunteer Fire Department.

Flooding and storm damage are two constant worries for Lafitte residents, and will be a major focal point for the next mayor. The town’s levee board has over $100 million in storm surge protection projects in the works, and officials at every level are constantly looking for funds to help residents protect their flood-prone homes.

Kerner Jr. resigned earlier this year after serving the town since 2019. He was appointed mayor after his father won a seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives and later won the position permanently in a 2020 election.

Crain and Wyman will face off in the Oct. 11 election, which will be the fourth time in Jean Lafitte’s history that the mayor’s race has had more than one candidate.

The last two times a mayoral election election was contested — in 2007 and 2020 — the Kerners won with at least 93% of the vote.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

MORENO

Continued from page 1B it.

“Effective city services shouldn’t happen just for major events,” Moreno said in the video.

“They should happen all the time, in all our neighborhoods.”

Moreno has argued that her experience on the City Council has positioned her to provide better city services for New Orleans residents.

She has led the council through a period of conflict with Mayor LaToya Cantrell, whose approval rating plummeted during her second term, as voters grew increasingly embittered with her handling of a slate of scandals and the city’s infrastructure.

At a candidate forum in late June, Moreno repeatedly criticized Cantrell’s leadership. She argued that she and other City Council members have stepped into a leadership void created by Cantrell’s administration, saying she worked through legislation to accomplish day-to-day goals that should have been the administration’s responsibility.

Moreno faces three other major candidates: state Sen. Royce Duplessis, City Council member Oliver Thomas and retired Judge Arthur Hunter. Ten other candidates with less name recognition and funding will also be on the ballot.

Thomas’ campaign has paid for billboard space, plus digital and media advertising, a campaign spokesperson said.

Hunter’s campaign has bought advertising space on billboards and social media, a spokesperson said, and plans to run a “full media campaign” including TV, radio, direct mail and print.

Representatives for Duplessis’ campaign did not provide details of the campaign’s advertising spending Monday, saying only that the campaign “has momentum” after two weeks of operation.

LOTTERY

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2025 PICK 3: 1-0-1 PICK 4: 7-8-6-4 PICK 5: 5-7-3-0-9

Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 3B

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New Orleans Area Deaths Bagalman, Paul Edwards, Anthony Green, Marilyn Jéan, Joycelyn Kirby, Donna Munch Sr., Carl Piglia Sr., Thomas Singleton Sr., Larry Stagg, Paul

and Classical music, an avid reader, and a lifelong cruciverbalist. He enjoyed action movies (the more stuff that blew up, the better) and was an amateur magician. In retirement, Dr. Bagalman studied Spanish and piano.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Carol Bagalman; his son and daughter-in-law, Michael David Bagalman and Sonya Sklaroff; and his two grandchildren, Nathaniel and Natasha Bagalman.

Edwards, Anthony

E Jefferson Garden of Memories

special thanks to Dr. Carmen Sanchez, Monique Theriot, Rachel Eriksen, Jennifer Vorhoff, Carol Rattigan, Nicole Hewitt, Angeleta Byfield, Danyell Spencer, and dear friends Judy Katz, Phyllis Feran, and Buddy Kullman. The family would like you to consider a donation in Marilyn's name to Jewish Family Services of Greater New Orleans who helped support the family through the final chapter of her life.

A visitation will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA at 11:00am on Monday, July 14, 2025. A graveside service will follow at 11:30am in Lake Lawn Park Cemetery, New Orleans, LA.

Piglia Sr., Thomas Richardson FH Singleton Sr., Larry

New Orleans Boyd Family Edwards, Anthony Charbonnet Jéan, Joycelyn Greenwood Munch Sr., Carl Lake Lawn Metairie Green, Marilyn

West Bank Robinson FH Kirby, Donna

Obituaries Bagalman, Paul Michael

Dr. Paul Michael Bagalman, 89, of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on June 23, 2025.

Born in New Orleans on April 19, 1936, Dr. Bagalman was the son of the late Boris and Anne (Zion) Bagalman. He was predeceased by his cherished daughter, Jill Erin Bagalman, who passed away in 2023.

He grew up in a house just off the main campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, attended LSU as an undergraduate, and then continued to LSU Medical School, earning his M.D. in 1961.

After completing his internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans (1961-62), he spent a year in residency at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. Discovering that Cleveland winters weren't for him, he returned to Charity Hospital to finish his Internal Medicine residency (1963-65).

Dr. Bagalman served in the United States Air Force from 1965-67 and was Chief of Medicine at the 439th USAF Hospital at Misawa Air Force Base. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal; he was in the USAF reserve until 1972.

Following his active duty service, Dr. Bagalman returned to New Orleans as a Fellow in Cardiology at Touro Infirmary in 196768, during which time he met his wife, Catherine Carol (Dixon) Bagalman, whom he married in 1968.

He continued to practice medicine until his retirement in 2001, but maintained his medical license throughout his life via continuing education as he always kept up with the latest developments in the field. Dr. Bagalman also served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine for Tulane Medical School from 1973 to 1993. He was a member of both the Orleans Parish Medical Society and the Louisiana State Medical Society.

Dr. Bagalman rarely missed a day at the gym, where he would lift weights and bend ears in roughly equal proportion.

He was a fan of Big Band

Anthony Edwards, a re‐ tired Carpenter, age 73, was eternally called to rest in the Kingdom of the Lord, on Friday July 4, 2025, at Baton Rouge General Hos‐ pital surrounded by his family. Mr. Edwards was a native of New Orleans, LA. He relocated to Brusly, LA, in 2005 where he lived for 20 years. He was an hon‐ orary member of the US Military (Air Force). He was a member of Trumpet of Truth Ministries, Arabic, LA. Honorary member of the Star Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Saint Fran‐ cisville, LA, under the lead‐ ership of Pastor Murlon Webb. Son of the late Emile Edwards and the late Ruth Bell Edwards. Survived by his beloved wife Juliet Smith-Edwards, and his two sons Anthony and Harold Richardson, two De’Quan daughters: Richardson and Geanna (Zeb) Turner, Christopher (Melita) Smith, of Dallas, TX, and Kennisha Smith, of Baton Rouge, LA., 19 grand‐ children; two sisters: Bev‐ erly Wilson, of Monroe, LA., Betty Edwards of New Or‐ LA, goddaughter leans Gilda Condoll, and godson Metayer; Mark-Elliott brother-in-law to Dinah Johnson, Sandie (Dwight) Mikell, Carol Smith-Martin, Melody Smith, Kimberly John Smith-Washington, Melissa (Ryan) Smith, Wanda, Terrell, Dykes, Greg, and Gregory Simon.

Along with a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by his son, Corey Richard‐ son, three brothers: and sisters.

Family, three friends, members of Trum‐ pet of Truth Ministries, Star Hill B.C, Next Generation Morning Star Original FGBC, New Kingdom B.C., Baton Rouge General Hos‐ pital, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicle HQ, Pregis LLC, Klein Tools, Southern Trey (SCT), Champion Housing Authority of New Orleans, Walmart, General Motors, are invited to at‐ tend the Celebration of Life Service on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at Trumpet of Truth Ministries, 7451 W. St. Bernard, Arabi, LA 70052.

Visitation will begin at 9:00 officiating Bishop a.m.

Robert Collins. Interment will follow at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Ceme‐ tery, Slidell, LA. Guestbook www.anewtraditi Online: onbegins.com (504) 2820600. Donavin D. Boyd and Linear Brooks Boyd Own‐ ers/Funeral Directors.

Green, Marilyn Kapper

Marilyn Kapper Green died on Friday, July 11, 2025 at the age of 85. She was a native of Boston, MA and resident of Old Metairie.

Marilyn was extremely outgoing and fiercely independent. She enjoyed art, fashion, traveling, classical music, reading, and was an avid painter. She is survived by her daughter, Robyn Sue Green (Carey Lynn Hattic); her sons, Henry Evan Green and Matthew Alan Green; her grandchildren, Tobin Francis Green-Moran and Harris Lowell GreenMoran. Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband of 33 years, Lester L. Green; her parents, Harry Kapper and Edna Hyman Kapper; and her brother, Maurice H. Kapper. The family would like to give

Jéan, Joycelyn Charbonnet 'Mamee'

Joycelyn, age 96, affec‐ known as tionately “Mamee”, was born on De‐ cember 1, 1928 to the late Walter and Leonie Crocker She was Charbonnet. called home on Wednes‐ day, July 2, 2025 sur‐ rounded by her loving daughters, Karen, Shellie and Kim. Joycelyn gradu‐ ated from Xavier University Preparatory High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Xavier University of Louisiana. While at Xavier, she pledged Delta Sigma Sorority, Inc., Theta proudly upholding the val‐ ues of sisterhood and ser‐ vice throughout her life.

She taught in New Orleans for 37½ years, shaping young minds with love and dedication. Her teaching journey included Blessed Holy Re‐ Sacrament, deemer, St. Paul the Apos‐ tle, St. Mary of the Holy An‐ Bauduit, Phyllis gels, Wheatley, Edgar P. Harney and retired from John A. Shaw Elementary. She vol‐ unteered at the Peoples Program, teaching driver’s education. As a Title One Math Resource Teacher and mentor, Joycelyn sup‐ ported and guided future educators. She also taught Religious Education (CCD) at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, where she was honored with the St. Louis Medallion Medal for her service. She was an ac‐ tive member of the United Teachers of New Orleans, serving as both a represen‐ tative and delegate. In ad‐ dition to her parents, Joycelyn is also preceded in death by her sister, Vic‐ toria Charbonnet Barre and nephew, Lloyd Barre. She adored her entire family and is survived by three Karen Jéan daughters, (Dwight Sr.), Robinette Prairieville, LA; Shellie Jéan (Anderson), Simmons Southfield, MI and Kim T. Jéan, New Orleans, LA; grandchildren, beloved Robinette, Jr. Dwight (Denice), Prairieville, LA, Matthews, Jr. Kenneth (Stacey), New Orleans, LA, Gerard Robinette, Sr.,Gon‐ zales, LA and Ashley Chambers (Courtney), Irv‐ ing, TX; great-grandchil‐ dren, Tiyena Brown, Dwight Robinette, III, Gerard Robi‐ Jr., Kenneth nette, Matthews, III and Kruz Jéan Matthews; nephew, Clarence Barre, Jr., as well as a host of other relatives, extended family and dear friends. A Mass of Christ‐ ian burial honoring the life and legacy of the late Joycelyn Charbonnet Jéan, will be held at Corpus Christi/Epiphany Catholic Church, 2022 St. Bernard Avenue, New Orleans, LA on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 10 am, Father Tony Ricard, Celebrant. Inter‐ ment Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Visitation 8 am in the church. Please sign online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com.

Charbonnet Labat Glapion, Directors (504)581 4411.

Kirby, Donna Lee Bergeron

Donna Lee Bergeron Kirby departed this life on Thursday July 10, 2025 at Plaquemines Medical Cen‐ ter in Port Sulphur LA. She was 74 years and a lifelong resident of Buras LA. Daughter of the late Ho‐ race Bergeron Sr. and the late Isabell Tullier Berg‐ eron. Devote wife of Mal‐ colm Bergeron for 44 won‐ years.

Loving derful mother of Kort Kirby and Kirby Bowman Lisa (Thomas). Grandmother of Hailey and Emily Buchner.

Sister of Robert Bergeron and the late Roland Berg‐ eron (late Mary Ellen), Ho‐ race Bergeron Jr and Is‐ abell Baugh (late Douglas).

Sister in law of Carolyn Bergeron, Christine Lee (Lowell), Rovenia McDon‐ ald (late John), Cecelia Segrave (late Clinton) and the late Paulette Bergeron.

Donna is also survived by 3 great grandchildren, a host nieces, nephews, of cousins, other relatives and devoted friends whom she loved dearly. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral service on Tuesday July 15, 2025 at Saint Patrick Catholic Church lo‐ cated at 28698 LA-23, Port Sulphur LA. 70083. The visi‐ tation will begin at 9AM followed an 11AM Mass.

Father Lawrence will offici‐ ate and entombment will follow in Our Lady Of Good Harbor Cemetery in Buras.

Funeral Planning entrusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home (504) 208-2119. For online condolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com

Munch Sr., Carl J. 'Chief'

Carl J. “Chief” Munch Sr., a lifelong resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 11, 2025, at the age of 97. While growing up in New Orleans, Carl was an avid duck and rab‐ bit hunter and learned the carpentry trade from his father. As a teenager, he proudly served in the US Navy and deployed to Oki‐ nawa during World War II. After the war, he worked as a carpenter and builder, while teaching his sons the trade, until he retired. A true craftsman, his meticu‐ lous work can be found in many homes throughout the city. Carl was a mem‐ ber of the Dixie Pigeon Club, where he enjoyed racing homing pigeons. He could also be found at his camp on Lake Catherine, spending time with his family and working on his latest project. In recent years, Carl found joy in caring for his dog, chick‐ ens, and pigeons, and watching The Incredible Dr. Pol. “Chief” was a lifelong lover of animals! He was by his predeceased beloved wife of 65 years, Joan Segrave Munch, and sons Eric V. Munch and Christopher J. Munch. Carl was also preceded in death by his parents, John A. Munch (Sarah) and Hilda C. McCormick (Broward), and his siblings, Clyde A. Munch, Elaine Roberts, Ernie Tassin, Joy M. Koen, and Linda Page. Carl is sur‐ vived by his children, Carl J. Munch Jr. (Jessie), Joan “Kathy” Nuccio (Dominick), and Greg L. Munch (Tammy Nick); his grandchildren, Gene L. LeBouef Jr., Gina M. Finch (Tony), Kristy Evans (Bobby), Jeffrey D. Nuccio, Breann Ivers, Kimberlee Munch, and Brianna Nick; as well as his great-grand‐ Peyton Finch, children, Evans, Parker Connor Finch, Jordan Evans, Vance Finch, and Max Finch. Carl also leaves behind his Orrin “Buddy” brother, Munch, along with a host of nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank Dorothy and Nurse Tiffany for their years of loving care and compas‐ sion to Mr. Munch and his late dog, Sweetie Girl.

Carl’s legacy of resilience, hard work, determination, storytelling, and crafts‐

manship will forever be re‐ membered by those who were blessed to know and love him. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7. Rela‐ tives and friends are in‐ vited to attend a visitation Greenwood Funeral at Home, 5200 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, on Friday, July 18, 2025, starting at 9:30 am, followed by a mass in the chapel at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Greenwood Mausoleum.

The family invites you to share your thoughts, fond and condo‐ memories, lences online at www.gre enwoodfuneralhome.net.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a dona‐ tion to Tunnel to Towers www.t2t.org

Piglia Sr., Thomas James

Thomas James Piglia, Sr., left this world peace‐ fully on July 12, 2025 sur‐ rounded by his family. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Jo Ann Martin “Tut” of 70 years; his chil‐ Marilyn D’Antoni dren (David, deceased), Tommy (Theresa), Larry Piglia Piglia (Sally), Mary Cather‐ ine Reiser (Richard), Jackie Schroeder (Mark) and Joel Elam (Ed); his grandchil‐ dren Jared (Stephanie), Scott (Ginny), Amanda, Tommy (Emma), Richard, Zoe, Katie, and Olivia; great grandchildren Aida, Thomas, Annie, and Sadie, sister, Ann Wetta and brothers Larry Piglia and Pat Piglia. He is preceded in death by his parents John George Piglia, Sr., and Viola Ellis, brothers John, EJ, Jerry, and sister, Clare.

Tom was a remarkable per‐ son who loved people and saw the good in everyone.

He was born in the Irish Channel and graduated from Fortier High School.

He was employed by Tex‐ aco for 41 years. Tom ex‐ celled in baseball and bas‐ ketball in his early years even being offered to play with the Pelicans in the minor league. He declined the offer to stay and take care of his family. At the age of 20, Tom met the love of his life, Mary Jo Ann Martin at a CYO dance. He loved having family to‐ gether to celebrate all the holidays and special occa‐ sions. He also enjoyed the many Piglia family gather‐ ings where his brothers and sisters and all their families came together.

Tom loved Thoth Sunday, having an open house every year for family and friends, even providing a brass band and leading a second line to the parade.

As a long time parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi, he was very active as lector and annual fair chairman.

He was known as “Mayor of Patton St.” and the alumnae of SFA designated him “Mr. St. Francis of As‐ sisi.” Visitation will be on Wednesday, July 16, at 9:00 AM followed by a funeral Mass at 11:00 AM at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 631 State Street, New Or‐ leans, LA 70118. Interment will follow at Garden of Memories Cemetery, 4900 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA 70001.

Singleton Sr., Larry Charles

Larry Charles Singleton, Sr. departed this life on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. He was the son of late Nor‐ man Sr. and Mary Allen Singleton. Larry graduated Hahnville High from School, class of 1970, after graduating he enlisted into the United States Navy. He was employed at Cytec Chemical Plant, until his retirement in 2001. He is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Debra Singleton; six Williams Kelley Harris children: (Denise), Larry C. Single‐ ton, Jr., Rafeal Joseph, Sr. (Rockell), Enger Singleton, Dana Williams and Allende’ Williams; 12 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, 3 brothers, 1 sister, 4 god‐ children, and a host of nieces, nephews, other rel‐ atives and friends. A cele‐ bration of life will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church of Ama, 10867 River Rd., Ama, LA. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Interment: South‐ east Louisiana Veterans Slidell, LA. Cemetery, Arrangements entrusted to Richardson Funeral Home of Jefferson, River Ridge, LA. www.richardsonfuner alhomeofjefferson.com

Stagg, Paul Wayne

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, La for Paul Wayne Stagg, who died on Monday, June 2, 2025, at his residence in Houston, Texas. Visitation begins at 3 p.m., followed by a memorial service led by Deacon Timothy Maragos at 4 p.m.

Reception immediately following. Survivors include his daughter, Lorie Jacobs and her husband, Richard, granddaughters, Lili and Mae Jacobs, and Judith Harris, former wife and mother of his daughter, all of Houston, TX; stepson Chris Mauterer and stepgranddaughter Taylor and her children, all of Monroe; brothers, William Stagg of Lafayette and Frank Stagg of Baton Rouge; sister, Alice Sheffield of Lafayette, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Carolyn Parker, stepson Eric Mauterer; parents, Paul C. and Clara R. Stagg, brother Paul C. Stagg, Jr., and sister, Ellen Ruth Stagg. Paul was a native of Opelousas. He was a 1967 graduate of Opelousas High School and a veteran of the U. S. Navy serving on the USS Kitty Hawk during the Vietnam War. He was a graduate of San Diego State University. Paul established a mortgage brokerage firm in the New Orleans area.

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

How to place a Memorial Ad An “In Memory Of” ad, is a way to pay tribute to your loved one. This remembrance is often printed on the anniversary of a loved one’s death. The deadline is two days prior to the day you want your ad to appear.

TO PLACE A MEMORIAL AD GO TO: obituaries.nola.com, click submit an obituary and select create a memoriam.

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OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

Make paid parental leave for teachers a priority We often say how much we value the work that teachers do, but actions speak louder than words. That’s why Louisiana should do everything it can to ensure the teachers who care for our children have the time to care for their own.

It may come as a surprise that many districts in Louisiana offer no paid parental leave to teachers. A survey of a dozen districts by this newspaper found that of those who had their policies readily available online, only one — Orleans Parish — offered any kind of paid leave to new parents.

No state body keeps information on parental leave policies of districts, but reporting by staff writer Elyse Carmosino found that many offer only the bare minimum.

Federal law allows for unpaid family leave after the birth of a child for 90 days. But for many teachers, taking time off without pay is unrealistic.

Teachers typically get 10 days of paid sick leave per year. It can take years of accumulating time off in order to cobble together enough leave to have a child. So new parents are left to apply for extended medical leave, take out a short-term disability insurance policy or rely on other measures to fill the gap. Some have been able to make do thanks to the generosity of other teachers, who can donate their unused sick days to help a colleague.

Needless to say, it doesn’t have to be this way.

In many Southern states, paid parental leave for teachers has moved to the top of the agenda. Alabama’s new law allows for eight weeks of paid parental leave for new mothers and two weeks for new fathers. And seven other states offer some kind of paid parental leave for teachers.

In the recent legislative session, a bill by state Sen. Sam Jenkins, D-Shreveport, that would have given teachers six weeks of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child was ultimately pulled due to concerns about the estimated $15 million price tag. Now, a study group appointed by the Legislature seeks to pin down the costs, and Jenkins plans to reintroduce a revised bill next session.

We understand that in the a state already grappling with a teacher shortage, a paid leave policy would make it harder for districts to fill classrooms.

But we note that states with parental leave for teachers have seen tangible benefits. In Tennessee, turnover dropped by 22% and retirements by 25% two years after it approved paid leave. That’s to say nothing of intangible benefits like reduced stress and greater job satisfaction for teachers, which studies have also shown.

In Louisiana, we have lauded the strides made in the classroom in recent years with improved scores on national assessments. The question now is will the state pass the test in how we treat our teachers?

CORRECTION An editorial in Sunday’s paper said that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” allots an additional $50 million annually in proceeds from offshore oil and gas activity through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. The total figure is $150 million, with $50 million available to Louisiana and the rest available to other Gulf Coast states.

YOUR VIEWS

WYES, public broadcasting are vital New Orleans is a city of stories.

You know them because someone told them to you.

You asked, “How did our country become so enamored of our Creole culture and cuisine?” Let me tell you the story of Lafcadio Hearn. “Why do we pray to Our Lady of Prompt Succor before hurricane season?” Let me tell you the story of the Ursuline nuns and their shrine on State Street. “Why are there five Catholic churches within a five-block radius?” Let me tell you the story of the German, Italian and Irish immigrants.

Storytelling has a way of nurturing our identity.

Through its storytelling, WYES highlights our local culture and his-

tory and preserves it for future generations.

I have been dismayed to see that federal funding for WYES and PBS is at risk.

That support comes to just $1.60 per American per year, a small price to pay for lifelong learning not available elsewhere.

How important is storytelling? According to author Pat Conroy, “The most powerful words in English are ‘Tell me a story.’ ” Essayist George Santayana warned us, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Stories inspire success and illuminate failure, serving as guideposts as we take the next step.

Storytelling is one of the great gifts endowed to humanity.

It is the essence of the creative process that propels us forward into a future made better by our storytelling.

Through storytelling, you get to know yourself and, more importantly, the person standing next to you at the bus stop. Your life is enriched. WYES and PBS enrich our lives.

Whether it’s Big Bird or Ken Burns, chef Paul Prudhomme or Peggy Scott Laborde, Mr. Rogers or Dr. Henry Louis Gates, they have all had a classroom in WYES. That classroom deserves support.

MATIAS J. GRAU JR. New Orleans

Critics can’t admit No Kings Why Pride joined with protest movements protests had wide-ranging, grassroots support I witnessed several hundred neighbors endure the sweltering heat at the “No Kings” protest and rally in downtown Covington. Despite the high temperature in both Louisiana and in our nation’s politics, this was democracy in action.

There were families, veterans, teachers, retirees and students waving American flags in celebration of Flag Day. There were pro-democracy signs that read “Protect the Constitution” and pro-Christian signs that read “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Love Immigrants As Yourself.” There was community and a spirit of compassion.

The crowd was peaceful, joyful and respectful.

It’s disheartening, then, to see some spreading false claims that attendees were “paid,” “bused in,” or that the protest was un-American.

Those who attended live right here in this community. They vote here. They worship here.

They raise children here. They care deeply about this parish and this country.

But even more disturbing are the thinly veiled threats of

violence to Americans exercising their right to protest peacefully.

As both a Christian and a political independent, I would like to say this: You don’t have to be a Republican to love America.

You don’t have to belong to one political party to follow the teachings of Christ.

Christian values — like defending the vulnerable, welcoming the stranger and speaking up for what’s right — do not belong to only one group.

They are for all of us. They represent what is best about America.

I hope we can soon learn to see one another more clearly.

I hope we can stop treating disagreement as a threat. This protest was not about tearing anything down — it was about honoring the ideals that built this nation in the first place.

Remember: Democracy has never thrived on uniformity of belief. It thrives on courage, conversation and a shared belief that love — not hate — is the higher calling.

MELANIE TODD Covington

I’m a co-director of Queer Northshore, an allvolunteer LGBTQ+ nonprofit that has produced 177 (mostly free) events in just over three years. This year, we hosted our second annual Pride celebration.

With over 600 people marching and 2,000 attending the block party, it was the largest queer gathering in St. Tammany Parish history.

Our theme was “Protesting with Pride,” chosen because many in our community are angry and afraid about the direction our country is heading. Two krewes chose not to participate, wishing to remain “politically neutral.” But the truth is you can’t stand with the LGBTQ+ community and be politically neutral. Pride is political. Queer existence is political.

And neutrality in the face of oppression is complicity.

The Palestinian flag in our parade also sparked criticism. Some said we should stay in our lane, that Palestinian liberation isn’t an LGBTQ+ issue and the flag is “divisive.” Over 50,000 people, including more than 15,000 children, have been killed in Gaza in the past two years. That’s why a Palestinian American proudly carried their flag in our parade.

We reject the ideas that we must only advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and that opposing human suffering is divisive.

As a trans American, I know the danger of being labeled politically unpalatable. After the 2024 election, even some Democratic leaders discussed stepping back from supporting us claiming that we cost Democrats elections.

Queer Northshore believes our liberation is inextricably linked with the liberation of all people. Pride without solidarity is just a party — and we’re not here only to throw parties.

Our silence will not keep us safe. Join us.

None of us are free until all of us are free.

MEL MANUEL Madisonville

FIVE-TIME WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

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ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 5B

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COMMENTARY

ESSENCE FESTIVAL’S

It was hardly a full house inside the Caesars Superdome ahead of a latenight, early morning Lauryn Hill performance at the Essence Festival of Culture on July 4.

FUTURE

Essence Festival, a three-day celebration of Black culture, has been a staple of New Orleans summer season for decades, drawing visitors from around the world. The most recent edition earlier this month, though, sparked several controversies involving scheduling, setup and partnerships. Organizers say they are listening to concerns and that the festival will need more state and local support to be successful. We received several views on what it will take to make Essence a winner again. Here’s what they said:

This Black woman and her besties have fallen out of love with Essence I was an Essence Festival fan for decades. Along with my beloved pack of girlfriends, I first attended in the early 2000s and we all fell in love with the annual event.

That’s why I’m so disillusioned with how we have been sold out by Sheletta Essence Festival, which Brundidge has revealed itself to care more about green GUEST COLUMNIST dollars than Black women.

For me, attending the festival was an extension of the love and reverence I felt for Essence magazine. Like so many Black woman, I grew up running to the mailbox to get the latest edition so I could study and admire the images of the beautiful Black women icons that we didn’t see in most publications — Diana Ross, Lena Horne, Aretha Franklin.

Essence Festival continued this celebration of Black women. It connected us with our past while we doubled down on our personal connections and saw the brilliant Black women icons of the future.

The festival was the essence (see what I did there) of sisterhood, where Black women, old and young, light and dark, big and small, could come together and love on one another.

Who loved on Black women like that? Nobody. Not until Essence Fest.

Being there felt like a long overdue pat on the back for just being us.

When my besties and I made our plans to attend, it didn’t matter who the headliner was or what acts would be performing or how much money we had in the bank.

If we had to, we’d take out payday loans to bankroll the July trip to New Orleans. We’d start planning our outfits, sending photos in our group chats

about color themes, hats and breathable fabrics to beat the Louisiana heat.

We’d pack our most stylish-butcomfortable shoes to be set to dance the night away to Frankie Beverly and Maze at the Superdome.

It became one of the highlights of our year.

But recently, we had the uneasy feeling that the festival and its organizers have lost their way.

Instead of celebrating Black women, the festival was about celebrating the culture. The panels were more “universal.” It seemed less a family affair and more like a free-for-all to attract new attendees. Our Essence Fest, the event we were excited to call our own, was being marketed to the masses.

I knew the tide had shifted when the lineup included the Black Eyed Peas.

Nothing against the group, but the core crowd, Black women, wanted Frankie, not Fergie. I mean, she’s cool, but there was a collective eye roll in Section 122 when she took the stage.

Essence took our loyalty for granted, assuming we would ignore or be blind to what was happening and come every year like we’ve always done. They acted like we needed them and they didn’t need us.

So Black women swung away.

One by one my friends stopped joining me for our annual field trip.

Every year, I felt more disconnected from the festival. The last time I attended, it felt — I am almost embarrassed to say it — like a money grab.

There was no heart, no soul and no celebration of Black women.

This was no family affair; this was all about finances. This wasn’t for the culture, it was for the coin.

One year, there were 21 of us who attended the festival, but this year, not one of my friends even mentioned it.

Nobody asked who was in the lineup

or put the question in the group chat about who would make the trip to the Big Easy.

Essence stopped caring about us, so we stopped caring about its festival.

And to add insult to injury, this year, Essence Festival took sponsorship dollars from Target.

Yes, the same Target that rolled back its DEI and folded on its promises like a cheap card table during an intense game of dominoes at the family cookout.

The Target that donated $1 million to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund after he insulted Vice President Kamala Harris by calling her “lazy as hell,” “stupid,” “slow,” with a “low IQ.” If the organizers co-sign with Target and Target co-signs on Trump’s racist tropes, aren’t they signing on to what Trump said about Madame Vice President?

In case the organizers hadn’t heard, we’re boycotting Target right now.

And the check from Target was the final insult to the thousands of Black women who weren’t in the Caesars Superdome this year.

We’re done with Target and those who associate with them, including Essence Fest.

In the words of Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them. The first time.”

Yes, sister.

The famous quote, often attributed to Alexander Hamilton, reminds us that “Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.”

Essence Fest fell for Target and its attendance fell right along with it.

Sheletta Brundidge is CEO of a Black-focused marketing company and a former Louisiana resident now living in Minnesota. She can be found at ShelettaMakesMeLaugh.com.

Let’s invest in the party with a purpose like we do in other events Thirty years ago, what began as a one-time celebration of Black excellence has now grown into one of the most powerful cultural, economic and social festivals in the world — the Essence Festival Rep. Troy of Culture. As someone Carter Sr. who was there from the beginning, I know GUEST COLUMNIST firsthand just how far we’ve come — and how important it is that we don’t let this jewel slip through our fingers.

I was a young New Orleans City Council member when then-Mayor Marc Morial — now president and CEO of the National Urban League — extended the city’s arms to welcome Essence for what was then envisioned as a one-year event. I had the privilege of working closely with him to help weave Essence into the permanent cultural fabric of New Orleans.

What followed was more than we could’ve ever imagined.

Over the last three decades, the Essence Festival has grown into a global destination for music, art, commerce,

activism and sisterhood. It’s become a multiday, multimillion-dollar infusion into the lifeblood of New Orleans — filling hotel rooms, energizing restaurants and small businesses, and bringing visitors from around the world to experience the soul of our city. It’s not just a party. It’s a party with a purpose.

Yes, this year brought some hiccups — late starts, scheduling confusion and a well-documented debacle with the super lounges. But Essence has acknowledged those shortcomings and pledged to do better moving forward.

And it deserves that opportunity. Any major event with this kind of scale and legacy deserves grace — and commitment — from those of us who benefit from its presence.

That’s why I’m calling on our state and local leaders to step up. Just as we invest significant resources to attract Super Bowls, Final Fours, Sugar Bowls and national conventions, we must bring that same energy to Essence. This festival brings in millions of dollars, global visibility and immeasurable good will — and yet it too often has to fight for the same basic support routinely given to sports or

business events.

Investing in Essence is investing in New Orleans. It’s investing in tourism, economic development and cultural pride. It’s investing in the countless jobs that depend on that summer boom — from hotel housekeepers and ride-share drivers to vendors, artists and local entrepreneurs.

I’m committed to working with city and state leaders, New Orleans & Co., the hotel and tourism industry and Essence leadership to ensure we do more than just talk about supporting this festival — we actually do it. That means long-term investment, infrastructure support and real marketing partnerships that treat Essence like the world-class event that it is.

The Essence Festival is not just an event. It is an institution. It is the crown jewel of New Orleans’ summer season.

And it is our responsibility to protect it, nurture it and invest in its future.

Let’s do the right thing — for the culture, for the economy and for the soul of our city.

Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. represents Louisiana’s Second District in Congress.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By KEITH SPERA

Challenges and lessons learned from another Black-run festival I vividly remember the very first National Fried Chicken Festival opening its gates in 2016 at a tiny park in New OrCleveland leans called Spears III Lafayette Square. What GUEST unfolded that COLUMNIST day is etched into my memory, not only because over 30,000 people showed up, far surpassing expectations, but because many walked away frustrated. The lines were too long. The site was too small. The restaurants ran out of food. It was hot.

Some even called it a disaster.

What people didn’t see were the months of planning, the late nights, the process of learning how to build a festival from scratch with intention, the risks we took to create something fresh, joyful and uniquely ours. But none of that mattered in the moment. What mattered was that people were disappointed. And that mattered to me.

So, we went back to the drawing board. We listened, really listened to the critiques. We overhauled our operations, moved to a larger venue, doubled the number of food vendors, revamped crowd flow and refined the overall experience. And the next year, we got better. Every year since, we’ve gotten better. That’s the beauty and the burden of creating something you love: You must be willing to let it grow through its growing pains.

That’s why I’m rooting for the Essence Festival.

I fully acknowledge that the Essence Festival and the National Fried Chicken Festival are not the same, not in size and scale, scope and certainly not in the decades of cultural legacy that Essence carries. FCF is younger and smaller, but while the celebration looks different, the spirit behind both events is the same.

This summer, like many who call New Orleans home or who make the Essence pilgrimage each July, I watched the public conversation turn sharp.

Some of the critiques were fair. Some weren’t.

But here’s what I know to be true: If you’re doing something of impact, you’re going to be criticized.

And if you’re doing it while Black, at scale and in public, that criticism will be

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louder, less forgiving and often layered with expectations that others don’t have to carry.

But that doesn’t mean you fold. It means you evolve.

Essence Festival is more than a weekend event. It is a symbol of Black cultural expression. A reunion. A marketplace. A stage for our music, our businesses, our stories and our joy.

It’s where entrepreneurs launch, artists rise and connections deepen. For 31 years, it’s been a pulse point in the Black experience.

And yes, I believe it will continue to be all of those things, as the Essence team listens to its audiences, learning and growing from it.

What people are asking for isn’t perfection. They’re asking for intention. For clarity. For care. They’re asking for an experience that honors the commitment they make, by saving up money to book flights, gathering friends and showing up expecting to see Black excellence while indulging in Black culture.

We’ve been there. The National Fried Chicken Festival was born out of that same hunger: to create something where culture, community and celebration meet. We’ve stumbled, too.

But we never let a misstep stop us from getting back up.

So to the team behind Essence Festival: This moment is hard, but it’s not the end. It’s a call. Take the feedback. Sit with the hard truths. Center the community. Invite new voices to the table. Reimagine without losing the soul. Don’t fear the critiques, use them to sharpen your vision. That’s what leadership looks like.

Because at the heart of it, Essence Fest and FCF are kin. Black-owned. Built with love. Held to higher standards. And still, we rise.

We don’t cancel what we’ve built; we improve it.

That’s how we honor those who came before us and inspire those who will come next.

That’s the legacy we owe ourselves: not just to create, but to continually rise, refine and reclaim the spaces that celebrate who we are.

Because when Black festivals thrive, our culture and businesses thrive, and that’s always worth fighting for.

Cleveland Spears III is the founder and executive producer of the National Fried Chicken Festival.

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6B ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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New Orleans Forecast

Forecast From WWL-TV, Your Local Weather Experts

TODAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny

Mostly sunny

Tropical rainstorm

T-storms

A t-storm; humid

A stray t-storm

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

94° 79°

LOW

93° 79°

LOW

86°

HIGH

76°

LOW

84° 78°

LOW

87° 77°

LOW

87° 78°

Today will be a hot one with some isolated showers possible. Heat advisory will likely be in effect until 7 p.m. with heat index values possibly reaching 110. It’ll be warm and clear tonight.

ALMANAC

AROUND THE REGION

THE NATION

NEW ORLEANS THROUGH 5 P.M. MONDAy

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

The big thing we are watching this week is what that system off the east coast of Florida ends up doing. While there is still a lot of uncertainty, what we do know is it will increase rain chances dramatically beginning Wednesday. Once this system moves into the Gulf, likely later tonight or early Wednesday morning, it will try to organize into a named system. Regardless if it gets named or not, it will still bring heavy rains late Wednesday through Friday. Isolated places could get upwards of 5 inches from some downpours. Street flooding is the main concern, along with flooding in low-lying areas. Once this system moves out of area, we will resume into a normal summertime pattern with storms for the weekend.

93°/77° 91°/77° 99° in 1980 65° in 1990

-10s -0s

Monroe 95/75

Shreveport 97/76

0s

10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

Jackson 95/75

Longview 94/75

PRECIPITATION

24 hours through 5 p.m. Mon. 0.00” Month to date (normal) 2.50” (3.25”) year to date (normal) 40.15” (35.40”)

AIR QUALITY YESTERDAY

TODAY

GOOD

GOOD

READING 35

MAIN POLLUTANT Nitrogen oxide

MAIN POLLUTANT Nitrogen oxide

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO

Cairo

COMITE

Near Olive AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

7.80 40.20 43.10 27.00 17.90 13.73 9.10

+0.37 -0.65 -0.60 -0.50 -0.40 -0.36 -0.25

40

22.23

-0.46

19

-1.43

-0.06

18 29 8

-0.71 12.28 1.41

-0.05 +0.03 +0.10

13 15

2.07 0.78

-0.04 -0.06

47 34 29 20 12 6

22.70 17.52 15.67 12.28 8.10 4.38

-0.24 -0.20 -0.28 -0.13 none -0.01

Alexandria 97/74

Many 97/73

Lafayette 93/76

Beaumont 93/75

Port Arthur 92/76

Hattiesburg 96/75

Baton Rouge 95/75 New Orleans 94/79

Lake Charles 93/76

Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation.

Temperature bands are highs for the day.

Houma 93/74

Forecasts and graphics, except WWLTV 4 weather news, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2025

Showers T-storms

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES HIGH

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 11:18p Shell Beach 5:29p South Point, Marsh Island 8:49a Cypremort Point 10:55a Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 12:49p Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 12:17p Wine Island 1:57p

FT.

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

LOW

0.5 9:53a 1.0 2:22a 1.5 1:03p 1.3 3:27a 0.8 10:18p 1.0 9:03p 1.0 11:20p

FT.

HIGH

FT.

LOW

FT.

0.0 --- ----- --0.0 --- ----- --0.9 7:25p 1.1 11:55p 0.4 0.2 9:19p 1.1 5:15p 0.9 0.3 --- ----- --0.3 --- ----- --0.4 --- ----- ---

SOLUNAR TABLE

6:10 a.m.

8:04 p.m.

11:21 p.m.

10:52 a.m.

LAST

NEW

FIRST

FULL

JUL 17

JUL 24

AUG 1

AUG 9

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon.

MAJOR

3:36a 4:27a 5:17a 6:07a 6:58a 7:50a 8:44a

MINOR

9:48a 10:39a 11:30a 12:20p 12:44a 1:35a 2:29a

MAJOR

MINOR

3:59p 10:11p 4:51p 11:02p 5:42p 11:54p 6:33p ---7:26p 1:12p 8:20p 2:05p 9:15p 3:00p

Rain

Flurries

TODAY City

Hi

Lo

Snow

Ice

Cold

WED. W

Hi

Austin Boston Dallas Denver Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami

93 87 92 95 63 89 110 87 84

76 s 73 pc 75 t 61 pc 51 r 76 pc 85 pc 74 t 77 t

97 88 94 82 73 88 106 89 86

Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

72 95 87 74 74 97 67 77 89 92 87

58 pc 80 r 74 pc 56 sh 59 pc 79 pc 52 r 56 sh 73 r 84 t 68 s

69 94 86 68 72 102 68 74 90 93 90

Lo W

75 s 75 s 77 s 59 t 56 c 75 s 82 s 77 t 79 t

Warm

Stationary

W

Hi

TODAY City

Nashville Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

Hi

Lo

WED.

75 t 73 t 76 t 85 t 72 s 76 t 74 t 65 pc 76 t

93 91 88 101 84 91 95 75 87

77 t 75 t 74 t 83 t 73 t 75 t 78 t 67 pc 76 t

121 73 101 74 88 77 90 79 87 73 85

93 pc 58 sh 68 s 56 r 70 pc 64 t 81 r 64 pc 67 s 57 t 78 r

120 80 104 73 92 75 90 72 87 76 83

95 s 61 pc 70 s 56 r 72 pc 62 t 81 r 62 pc 71 s 56 pc 77 t

THE WORLD 58 sh 80 t 74 s 56 sh 56 sh 81 pc 58 c 57 pc 74 t 84 t 72 s

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

ONE great state Scan to download

Scan to download

FOUR great apps

Scan to download

Scan to download

Lo W

93 84 87 108 88 89 86 73 89

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

|

T u e s d ay, J u ly 15, 2025

1CN

S E C M E D I A DAYS D AY 1

Scott Rabalais

LSU raises stakes with personnel investment

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HUNTER DAWKINS

LSU coach Brian Kelly discusses the upcoming season during SEC media days on Monday at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Kelly’s Tigers will try to end a recent losing skid in season openers when they travel to face Clemson on Aug. 30.

FALSE STARTS

Kelly changes up routine to shake LSU out of 5-year skid in season openers MORE INSIDE

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

ATLANTA — If you spent time around LSU’s summer workouts, you would notice constant reminders of the season opener.

Clemson paw prints decorate bags that get hit every day. Screens above all the squat racks say “1-0” on them. Strength coaches play distracting music at times, trying to prepare the players for a road game.

LSU has lost five straight season openers, including the first three under coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers have not won their first game since the 2019 national championship season, and Kelly recognized he needed to try something new. He said LSU “circled” the first game, which he had never done before.

THREE AND OUT. PAGE 4C NOTEBOOK. PAGE 4C ON STAGE TUESDAY. PAGE 4C “I felt like I needed to change the way we looked at the opener,” Kelly said Monday at SEC media days. “And so that was a specific mindset change of how we would go attack Game 1.

“There will be some other things that I’m not going to get into relative to how we prepare our team. But that was a decision that I needed to make after critically looking at not having success in the first game.”

It won’t be easy. Clemson brought back

most of its team after reaching the College Football Playoff by winning the ACC, including projected first-rounders in quarterback Cade Klubnik, defensive lineman Peter Woods and defensive end TJ Parker.

It’s a prime-time game inside Memorial Stadium, and LSU has started the season with a true road game only once during its losing streak.

“We needed to do some things differently this year, and that is embrace this opener,” Kelly said. “And embracing it in a manner that this is a big game. It’s a tangible goal for our football team to want to be 1-0.”

In the past, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier said, LSU thought too much about trying to win the national championship

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

Tulane’s Lombardi goes in second round

Dickinson, Jones lead LSU’s Day 2 MLB draft picks

Junior highest Wave pitcher picked since ’08

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU had four players and four high school signees selected on Day 2 of the 2025 MLB Draft on Monday, ending the draft with nine players and eight recruits picked by major-league clubs.

Junior Daniel Dickinson, junior Jared Jones, junior right-hander Jacob Mayers and junior left-hander Conner Ware were drafted on Monday.

Dickinson landed with the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth round. Jones was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round along with Mayers, who was selected by the Boston Red Sox. The New York Mets picked Ware in the 15th round.

Junior right-hander Kade Woods also was selected in the draft. He had entered the transfer portal in June after throwing only 22/ 3 innings across two seasons for the Tigers. The Atlanta Braves picked Woods with the No. 307 pick in the 10th round.

Sophomore left-hander Kade Anderson, redshirt sophomore right-hander Chase Shores, junior righthander Anthony Eyanson and junior Ethan Frey were picked in the first three rounds on Sunday.

On the high school side, catcher Landon Hodge, right-hander Miguel Sime and left-hander Briggs McKenzie were selected in the fourth round, and right-hander River Hamilton was picked in the 11th round.

Hodge was selected by the Chicago White Sox; Sime was picked by the Washington Nationals; McKenzie landed with the Atlanta Braves; and Hamilton was scooped up by the Detroit Tigers.

They joined third baseman Brady Ebel, outfielder and catcher Jaden Fauske, shortstop Quentin Young and outfielder Dean Moss among the LSU signees

ä See KELLY, page 4C

ATLANTA — It doesn’t take a College Football Hall of Fame pedigree to know that LSU and coach Brian Kelly are all in for this football season.

Kelly put up a cool $1 million from his own $9 million-plus compensation package to spur donations to LSU’s Bayou Traditions collective. Coaches cannot give directly to their school’s collectives — believe it or not, there are still some guardrails in college sports’ NIL era — but his money went to the Tiger Athletic Foundation’s scholarship fund.

However you figure it, when it was all done in February, LSU raised $3.23 million from a total of 1,600 boosters. The seed money Kelly put in (I imagine he will still be able to keep up the car payments) paid off handsomely, though he made it clear it won’t be an annual thing.

“I’m not going to do a million every year, no,” Kelly said with a grin Monday as he was the first coach to speak at SEC media days at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Kelly will be a permanent resident here one day as an inductee, make no mistake about that. The question is whether all the money and all the players the Tigers have brought in over the past year will result in a fifth modernera national championship for LSU. The immediate question is can LSU snap a five-game losing streak in season openers — three straight under Kelly, as he himself brought up Monday when talking to reporters — with a big win Aug. 30 at Clemson? Then

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU first baseman Jared Jones, right, greets second baseman Daniel Dickinson after scoring on March 11 at Alex Box Stadium. Both players were selected Monday in the MLB draft.

who were selected in the draft. Ebel, Fauske, Young and Moss heard their names called Sunday night.

Notable names who were not selected in the draft and are on track to return to LSU include junior right-hander Zac Cowan, junior center fielder Chris Stanfield and redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot.

All three Tigers will have a chance to expand their roles on next year’s team with Cowan getting a potential opportunity as a starting pitcher, Stanfield having the chance to move up the lineup, and Noot with a chance to earn a spot in the rotation.

Dickinson was the first Tiger from this past season’s team picked on Monday, going No. 185 overall to Milwaukee.

After transferring to LSU from Utah Valley last

ä See DRAFT, page 3C

Tulane reliever Michael Lombardi was taken Sunday night by the Kansas City Royals in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft at No. 61 overall, easily going higher than any Tulane pitcher in 17 years.

Lombardi, a right-handed junior from Pound Ridge, New York, rocketed up the draft charts with a dominant performance after taking over as the Green Wave’s closer early last season. He tied for the American Athletic Conference lead with 11 saves while striking out 73 in 42 innings, earning first-team AllAAC honors from the league’s coaches. He finished 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA, blowing his fastball by hitters and freezing them with an old-fashioned 12-to-6 curveball.

Coach Jay Uhlman named him the starter for the Green Wave’s AAC Tournament opener against Florida Atlantic, and the decision paid off when he allowed only two hits and one run while striking out 11 in a career-long seven innings.

MLB.com rated him the No. 75 overall prospect entering the draft, lauding him for having one of the highest swing-and-miss rates in Division I with a 95 mph

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Tulane right-hander Michael Lombardi was chosen No. 61 overall in the MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals.

fastball that had tremendous run. The Royals picked him even earlier than the projection. His approximate slot value is $1.49 million.

“What set him into a different stratosphere was the starts late in the season,” Uhlman said. “They (MLB teams) got to see that. You could make the argument about starting him a little bit sooner, but at the time he was valuable on offense. We had him as an offensive two-way player, and we did what we thought was best for the team and for him.”

Lombardi was a two-way performer for most of the season, starting primarily in center field for 44 games and hitting .273 before suffering an oblique injury

ä See LOMBARDI, page 3C

2C ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV

MLB 7 p.m.

2025 MLB All-Star Game NBA SUMMER LEAGUE 3:30 p.m. Minnesota vs. Detroit 5 p.m.

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FOX NBATV ESPN2

5:30 p.m. Oklahoma City vs. Orlando NBATV 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Washington NBATV 9 p.m.

Portland vs. New Orleans ESPN 9:30 p.m. Golden State vs. Memphis NBATV WOMEN’S SOCCER 3:55 p.m. Uruguay vs. Argentina FS1 6:55 p.m. Peru vs. Ecuador FS1

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

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TENNIS Los Cabos-ATP Early Rounds TENNIS WNBA BASKETBALL Indiana at Connecticut ESPN

LSU women’s basketball to play in Virgin Islands

The LSU women’s basketball team announced Monday that it will travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands in November to play two nonconference games.

The Tigers will fly to St. Thomas Island to compete in the 2025 Paradise Jam Tournament. A win over Marist in their opening game on Nov. 28 will set them up for a title matchup with either Miami of Ohio or Washington State on Nov. 29.

LSU previously had finalized one other nonconference battle: a road contest against Duke in the annual ACC/SEC Challenge.

This is the fifth consecutive season in which LSU has scheduled November games at a tropical locale since coach Kim Mulkey arrived. Last year, the Tigers traveled to The Bahamas.

Wemby says he’s cleared to play basketball again

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland signs autographs on the 18th green after a practice round for the British Open on Monday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam earlier this year.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expects to play this coming season and has been fully cleared after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder for the past few months, he told the French newspaper L’Equipe in remarks published Monday.

A person familiar with the situation later told The Associated Press that the Spurs have received word that Wembanyama has been cleared to resume play and, barring anything unforeseen, will be able to fully participate in training camp when it opens this fall.

“I’ll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again,” Wembanyama said.

The fact that Wembanyama has been cleared suggests that his type of DVT was provoked, which would rule out a genetic predisposition to a clot returning.

McIlroy embraces love at British Open

Cavs reward president of hoops operations Altman

ASSOCIATED PHRESS PHOTO By PETER MORRISON

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Rory McIlroy practically had Royal Portrush all to himself Monday morning, but not for long. By the time he finished his first practice round for the British Open — his first time back on these links in 2,187 days — there was a big crowd that weathered rain and sunshine to see him finish.

The circumstances are far different now.

McIlroy remembers being illprepared for the wave of emotions that hit him on the first tee in 2019.

He has tried to forget the opening tee shot that sailed out-of-bounds and led to a quadruple bogey. And there was thunderous support for him on that Friday when he made a furious rally only to miss the cut by one shot.

On Monday, he walked over to dozens of spectators wanting his autograph, including on one large

He is rarely home these days, living in Florida, preparing to move to London, traveling the world for golf. There was never a reason to be at Royal Portrush — caddie Harry Diamond came over a few weeks ago on a scouting trip — but it felt good to be home.

“When I was looking at the calendar for 2025, this was the tournament that was probably circled, even more so than the Masters for different reasons,” he said.

“It’s lovely to be coming in here already with a major and everything else that’s happened this year.”

That “everything else” was the Masters, the major that teased him for so many years and then brought him so much joy when he won in a playoff to complete the career Grand Slam.

The next two months were a struggle, from listless play to so much fatigue from questions of “What now?” and how to reset goals. He went six straight

flag of his native Northern Ireland with emblems of all four majors in each corner.

The pressure to perform has not left. But that flag was an example that he returns home to Northern Ireland to be celebrated as much as the fans want to see him end a special year on a spectacular note.

This was different from 2019, when he wanted to treat that British Open like any other, ignoring that it was the first time golf’s oldest championship was on his home soil in 68 years.

“I think in ‘19, I probably tried to isolate, and I think it’s better for everyone if I embrace it,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to accept adulation, even though I struggle with it at times. I think it’s more embrace everything that’s going to come my way this week and not try to shy away from it or hide away from it. And I think that’ll make for a better experience for everyone involved.”

rounds at majors without talking to the media. He didn’t seriously contend in any of his six tournaments.

“I think everyone could see over the last couple of months how I struggled with that. I’ve done something that I’ve told everyone that I wanted to do, but then it’s like I still feel like I have a lot more to give,” McIlroy said. “I probably just didn’t give myself enough time to let it all sink in.”

But coming back to these parts has recharged him. He nearly won the Scottish Open last week, losing on the back nine to Chris Gotterup, flew straight over to Portrush on Sunday night and checked into his hotel at 1 a.m. He was on the first tee six hours later.

“By the time I got to the back nine today, there was a nice crowd out there,” McIlroy said. “After the 18th and seeing all the kids and signing autographs, it’s really, really nice, and I’m sure that’ll just build as the week goes on.”

Sinner says he needed to beat rival Alcaraz

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

LONDON — Jannik Sinner needed this victory.

He wanted to win Wimbledon, of course, and it would have meant a lot to him no matter who the opponent was in the final.

That this championship, his fourth at a Grand Slam tournament, came via a win over Carlos Alcaraz made it all the more significant to Sinner — and to the future of their burgeoning rivalry for many years to come.

“It is important, for sure,” the No. 1-ranked Sinner said Sunday night after prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 against No. 2 Alcaraz, “because when you lose several times against someone, it’s not easy.”

Sinner had lost five matches in a row against Alcaraz, none more disheartening than the one they played last month in the French Open final. Sinner grabbed a twoset lead in that one, then held a trio of championship points, before losing in five sets after 5 hours, 29 minutes.

“I keep looking up to Carlos, because even today, I felt like he was doing couple of things better than I did,” Sinner said. “So that’s something ... we will work on and prepare ourselves, because he’s going to come for us again.”

Perhaps as soon as the U.S. Open, which starts in New York on Aug. 24 and where Sinner is the reigning champion. They will

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG

Jannik Sinner, left, of Italy celebrates with the trophy after beating Carlos Alcaraz, right, of Spain to win the men’s singles final at Wimbledon on Sunday in London. be seeded No. 1 and No. 2 again, so could only meet there in another final.

Alcaraz won the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2022, beginning a stretch in which he and Sinner have combined to win nine of the past 12 majors. That includes the last seven, leaving zero doubt that these two young guys — Sinner is 23, Alcaraz is 22 — have pushed themselves way past everyone else in the game.

“I’m just really, really happy about having this rivalry with him. It’s great for us, and it is great for tennis. Every time we play against each other, our level

is really high,” Alcaraz said. “We don’t (see) a level like this, if I’m honest with you. I don’t see any (other players) playing against each other (and) having the level that we are playing when we face each other.”

Both serve well, although Sinner was better at that Sunday. Both return well, although, again, Sinner was superior over these particular three hours. Both cover the court exceedingly well — Alcaraz is faster; Sinner has a bigger reach and is a better slider. Both hit the ball so, so hard — Alcaraz is more prone to the spectacular; Sinner is as pure and consistent a ball-

striker as there is.

One other contrast, usually, is that Alcaraz shows emotion, whether via yells of “Vamos!” or the sort of point-to-his-ear-thenpump-his-fist celebration he did after winning Sunday’s opening set by stretching and reaching low for a cross-court backhand to close a 12-stroke point.

Sinner is far more contained.

Even his arm-raised victory poses are mild-mannered.

Sunday, though, there were more visible displays. He even shouted “Let’s go!” after one point.

Later, he shook his racket overhead while the crowd roared after a well-struck backhand. When he took a set with a forehand winner, Sinner held a pose, then lifted a fist.

“You saw a bit more energy from him in the big moments,” said one of Sinner’s coaches, Darren Cahill, “and a bit more focus to knuckle down and make sure that, when he had his nose in front, that he kept on closing the door against Carlos.”

Both players spoke about their matchup motivating them to work hard to try to improve.

“It gives me the opportunity to just give my 100% every practice, every day. Just to be better, thanks to that,” said Alcaraz, who won the past two Wimbledon titles and was 5-0 in Grand Slam finals before Sunday. “The level that I have to maintain, and I have to raise, if I want to beat Jannik is really high.”

Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman has signed a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday.

General manager Mike Gansey and assistant GM Brandon Weems also received extensions.

Altman has been with Cleveland since 2012. He has been in his current position since January 2022 after being named general manager in July 2017.

The Cavaliers won 64 games this past season and finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2016, when they won their only NBA championship.

Cleveland swept Miami in the first round but was eliminated by eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana in five games in the conference semifinals.

Jets extend WR Wilson with $130 million deal

The New York Jets and wide receiver Garrett Wilson have agreed on a four-year, $130 million contract extension, a person familiar with the situation said Monday.

Wilson, drafted 10th overall in 2022, was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year that season and has more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three years — the first player in franchise history to do so.

In all, Wilson has caught 279 passes for 3,249 yards and 14 touchdowns.

The extension represents a significant commitment from general manager Darren Mougey and new coach Aaron Glenn, who have focused on making the roster younger in their first offseason together in New York.

U.S. men’s soccer team sets 2 October friendlies

The United States will play Ecuador and Australia in October friendlies as preparation for next year’s World Cup. The No. 15 Americans will meet No. 25 Ecuador on Oct. 10 in Austin, Texas, and No. 24 Australia four days later in Commerce City, Colorado, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Monday.

Coming off its 2-1 loss to Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final, the U.S. plays No. 23 South Korea on Sept. 6 in Harrison, New Jersey, then faces No. 17 Japan three days later in Columbus, Ohio.

Following the October friendlies, the U.S. will have a pair of exhibitions in both November and March. After the World Cup roster is set, the Americans will have a pair of sendoff matches in June.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 3C

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Ex-QB Bridgewater gets suspended from high school coaching

By The Associated Press

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU assistant coach Ashleigh Gnat throws her arms up in celebration after gymnast Kailin Chio finishes her routine on balance beam during the NCAA championships semifinals on April 17 in Fort Worth, Texas.

LSU gym assistant Gnat leaves program

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Ashleigh Gnat is stepping off the mat for the last time.

The LSU gymnastics great has decided to leave coaching after five years as an assistant coach with the Tigers and one prior season at Penn State, Gnat announced Monday on social media.

It’s a choice she said has been a long time coming.

“It’s definitely been a lot of thinking and processing,” Gnat said. “The thing I fear most is people thinking I made this decision lightly. I didn’t. It’s never been on my radar to eventually be a head coach, but when the opportunity came to coach here, I knew I couldn’t miss it. But I also told myself I didn’t know how long I’d do it for.”

LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark, who also coached and recruited Gnat as an assistant under long-time former coach D-D Breaux, described Gnat’s departure as “a huge loss.

“We certainly will miss her presence and personality and all the contributions she makes, all the stuff administratively she does behind the scenes,” Clark said. “ ‘Bugs’ is a person who takes initiative and is constantly moving and doing things.

“But more than anything, for me personally, it’s a hit because we are so close. Having coached her and watched her grow into the coach she is now, I consider her one of my dearest friends in the world.”

Gnat indicated to Clark when the season began in January that this probably would be her final year of coaching, but he said her decision wasn’t firm until after the Tigers won their second straight Southeastern Conference championship

DRAFT

Continued from page 1C summer, he had a .315. batting average with 12 home runs and a .984 on-base plus slugging percentage.

He posted those numbers despite playing with a broken hamate bone in his left hand from the first game of the Baton Rouge regional until the final out of the College World Series when LSU defeated Coastal Carolina.

Dickinson also played stellar defense at second base for the Tigers, committing just four errors.

Three rounds needed to go by before the next LSU player was selected as the Pirates picked Jones in the ninth round with the No. 263 overall pick.

Jones returned to LSU for his junior season despite being drafteligible last summer as a sophomore. He hit 22 home runs this season, posting a 1.027 on-base plus slugging percentage and finishing third on LSU’s all-time career home runs list with 64.

Jones hit 28 home runs as a sophomore and 14 as a freshman on the 2023 national championship team.

The next Tiger selected came five picks later when the Red Sox scooped up Mayers with the No.

meet in March.

The Lake Mary, Florida, native is planning to move to Tampa, Florida, to be with longtime boyfriend Jarret DeHart. The former LSU and Tulane baseball player is based in Tampa as the director of hitting for the New York Yankees organization.

“We’ve been in a long-distance relationship since college,” Gnat said of DeHart. “In terms of why (she is leaving), I definitely wanted a sense of family life and want to start a family. Turning 30 put things in perspective for me.”

Gnat said she is going to work for GK Elite, the leotard company that supplies outfits for LSU, in sales.

Another former LSU great, Rheagan Courville, is LSU’s representative for GK. Born into a gymnastics family — mother Joan competed for the U.S. in the 1972 Munich Olympics and father Ray was a member of LSU’s long-defunct men’s program — Gnat quickly captured a starring role as the Tigers rose from a solid program to national contender during her career from 2014-17.

“When I was recruited, we were ranked 12th and never really got above 12th except for one or two times,” Gnat said.

By her senior season, LSU won its first SEC team title since 1981 and was NCAA runner-up three times in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

“To watch it grow and expand and watch our coaches pour themselves into the program, it’s been a gift to be part of it,” Gnat said.

She won 62 individual titles, including the 2017 NCAA floor championship, and four SEC titles, including vault, beam and floor that same year. Gnat’s win total is tied for ninth in program history, and her nine perfect 10s are tied for second among Tiger gymnasts be-

268 overall selection.

Mayers transferred to LSU from Nicholls State last summer and posted a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings.

He struck out 36.1% of the batters he faced but also walked nearly 28% of the hitters he saw. He allowed just four hits.

Before transferring to LSU, Mayers had a 4.58 ERA in 18 appearances in his second season at Nicholls. He also started 15 games and posted a 2.02 ERA as a freshman at Nicholls.

Five rounds passed before the next LSU player was selected when the Mets picked Ware with the No. 463 pick.

He struggled in his only season in Baton Rouge despite a strong fall. He had a 5.48 ERA and walked 7.59 batters per nine innings in 211/ 3 innings this season.

He was a candidate to crack the starting rotation to begin the season and started on the mound in LSU’s win over Dallas Baptist in February. After that outing, he never threw more than three innings in a game for the rest of the year.

The first LSU signee, and the first overall player, selected on Day 2 was Hodge, who went No. 106 overall.

Hodge is the No. 65 player in The Athletic’s draft rankings, the

hind only Haleigh Bryant’s 18.

Gnat earned 17 All-America honors during her career, and in 2017 won the AAI Award, given annually to the nation’s top senior gymnast.

For all her success as a gymnast, Gnat said her greatest moment came in the 2024 NCAA final. LSU’s balance beam coach, she was on the podium and was the first one to embrace Aleah Finnegan when her 9.95 performance captured the Tigers’ long-awaited first national championship.

“Those two days (after the semifinals), knowing we would finish on beam, that was something,” she said. “That was the pinnacle moment of my entire time here.”

Gnat said she expects to remain highly connected to the LSU program.

“I look forward to supporting them,” she said. “I’ll be back all the time for alumni weekends and summer camps.”

Four seniors take extra year Four gymnasts from the 2025 team have decided to return for an extra season in 2026: Chase Brock, Alexis Jeffrey, Tori Tatum and Kathryn Weilbacher.

Brock, whose 2025 season was cut short in February by an Achilles tendon injury, will be a sixthyear Tiger.

“They will provide us with stability,” Clark said. “Their experience and leadership in the room will be important. Had they not come back, we only had one natural senior on the team in Ashley Cowan.

This bolsters our upper class when we have so many new faces with our freshmen and our transfers.”

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

No. 164 player in MLB.com’s list and the No. 215 player in the draft according to ESPN. He attended Crespit Carmelite High in California and is the No. 8 catcher in the nation, according to Perfect Game.

Five selections later, the Nationals picked Sime. He attended Poly Prep Country Day School in New York and posted a 1.13 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 491/ 3 innings last season. He is the No. 85 player in ESPN’s draft rankings and the No. 86 player in MLB.com’s list.

To round out a busy fourth round for LSU signees was McKenzie, who was picked with the No. 127 overall selection.

McKenzie is the No. 69 overall player in MLB.com’s draft rankings, the No. 73 player in ESPN’s draft list and the No. 79 player in the draft according to The Athletic. He attended Corinths Holders High in North Carolina and is the No. 10 left-handed pitcher in the country, per Perfect Game.

Seven rounds passed before another LSU signee was selected in Hamilton. The Oregon native was selected with the No. 399 overall pick.

Hamilton is the No. 99 player in MLB.com’s rankings. He attended Sam Barlow High in Oregon and was previously committed to Oregon State before flipping his pledge to LSU.

MIAMI — Former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said he has been suspended from coaching his former high school team in Miami because he provided players with financial benefits that he said he’d reported to the school.

The 32-year-old Bridgewater, who played for the Saints from 2018-19, publicized action taken against him by Miami Northwestern High School in a social media post in which he also reaffirmed his desire to continuing coaching the team for which he once played.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Bridgewater’s social media post said. “And if it comes down to it, I will volunteer from the bleachers like I used to in 2018 and 2019 when no one had a problem.”

A message left for school administrators on Monday was not returned.

Last fall was Bridgewater’s first season coaching his former school, which he led to a Class 3A state championship before signing with Detroit in late December to serve as a backup for the playoff-bound Lions.

He wound up seeing his only action in the postseason, completing his only pass for 3 yards in a divisional-round loss to Washington.

Bridgewater had written in an earlier social media post that he paid for rides, meals and treatment for players last season.

This year, he solicited donations to help cover those costs.

He said in his more recent post that he reported those payments to the school.

Drafted 32nd overall out of Louisville by Minnesota in 2014, Bridgewater appeared in 79 regular-season NFL games during 10 seasons split among the Vikings, New Orleans, Carolina, Miami, Denver and Detroit.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater Looks to pass late in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 6, 2019, in New Orleans.

Louisiana Tech gets OK to move to SBC

BY BRETT MARTEL AP sportswriter

The Sun Belt Conference has approved a proposal to extend a membership invitation to Louisiana Tech, a person familiar with the situation said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday because the Sun Belt has not announced the membership offer, and Louisiana Tech has not announced its decision to accept it and leave Conference USA. The person said it is not clear how soon the Bulldogs will join the Sun Belt, but that it could be as early as the 2026 football season if the university is able to negotiate a departure from Conference USA at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.

Another person familiar with the situation said Louisiana Tech had notified Conference USA commissioner Judy MacLeod of its intent to move to the Sun Belt.

That person spoke on condition of anonymity because MacLeod

LOMBARDI

Continued from page 1C against Florida Atlantic on May 2 that limited him to mound work the rest of the way. He also performed double duty as a sophomore in 2024, starting 45 times while batting .277 and pitching in 17 games with a 4-3 record and 3.89 ERA in 412/ 3 innings.

Before Chandler Welch went in the sixth round last year, no Tulane pitcher had been selected above the eighth round since Shooter Hunt went in the first round at No. 31 overall in 2008.

Outfielder Hudson Haskin, who went 39th overall in 2020, was the last Wave player at any position picked higher than Lombardi.

The draft continued with the fourth through 20th rounds on Monday, and two more Tulane players went off the board. Lefthanded pitcher Tayler Montiel landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 12th round at No. 363 overall, and infielder Connor Rasmussen joined Lombardi in the Royals organization in the 15th round at No. 458 overall.

After pitching sparingly and ineffectively in his first two years with the Wave, Montiel put it all

had not yet commented publicly on the matter, which was first reported by ESPN. The Sun Belt has been exploring the possibility of adding a team since Texas State announced in late June that it would be leaving for the Pac-12.

The addition of Louisiana Tech would restore Sun Belt football to a 14-team league and also place Tech in same league as several current, former or new regional rivals, including UL-Monroe, UL, Southern Miss and South Alabama.

“The @SunBelt conference just got even more interesting!” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote in a social media post. “Congratulations, @LATech. Looking forward to some great in state rivalries going forward!”

Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech’s move would mark the 10th departure from Conference USA since 2022 — a list that includes Southern Miss, Texas-San Antonio, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Rice, North Texas, Marshall, Florida Atlantic and Alabama-Birmingham leaving the league.

together this spring, striking out 54 in 431/ 3 innings while going 5-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 relief appearances. A fastball approaching the mid-90s made him attractive for a lefty.

Rasmussen excelled for two years at second base for Tulane after transferring from East Carolina, starting all but one game.

He batted .310 with 15 doubles, seven home runs and 51 RBIs in 2024 to garner second-team All-AAC honors. Then he hit .333 with 15 doubles, five homers and 45 RBIs this season, earning firstteam All-AAC honors.

Added to the four players drafted last season, Tulane’s total of seven in two years is tied with 1986-87 for its second most ever in the first 20 rounds. The only time the Wave had more was 1979-80, when nine were taken in that span. The draft was shortened to 20 rounds in 2021 after going in excess of 40 previously.

“It’s the sign of a healthy program,” said Uhlman, who guided the Wave to AAC tournament titles in 2023 and 2024 before losing in the championship game this year. “We want to keep our guys, but at the same time you grow up wanting to play pro ball, and that’s our mission. I’m really proud and happy for the guys.”

4C ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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SEC MEDIA DAYS THREE AND OUT: SCOTT RABALAIS BREAKS DOWN DAY 1 IN ATLANTA

1

SEC SCHEDULING REDUX

Every time SEC commissioner Greg Sankey talks to reporters, he expects questions about a permanent football schedule format.“I (would) like to get out of the football scheduling decision questions,” he said,“so that suggests a longer term (format) would be better.” Reading between the Sankey tea leaves, he appears to favor eight SEC games instead of nine since many schools play bigtime nonconference rivals. He said to expect a format soon but would not offer a date.

2

THE LANORRIS SELLERS FACTOR

Shane Beamer said his first team at South Carolina in 2021 was predicted to win two games. In 2025, the Gamecocks are being talked about as a CFP contender, with quarterback LaNorris Sellers, a darkhorse Heisman contender, the biggest reason why. He was injured just before halftime of last year’s 36-33 home loss to LSU.This year, Sellers and South Carolina visit Tiger Stadium on Oct. 11 in a sneaky big matchup for both teams.

3

VANDY DREAMING BIG

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia looked like a Park Avenue doorman with his dark suit and bow tie, and his Commodores are used to being a doormat for SEC foes. But after shocking No. 1 Alabama in 2024, the ‘Dores are aiming to knock the door down. No, really.“The mission ain’t finished.

We want to win a national championship,” Pavia said with a straight face. If you can’t dream big in July, when can you? Vandy hosts LSU on Oct. 18.

ON STAGE TUESDAY AUBURN

TENNESSEE

LAST YEAR: 5-7 (2-6 SEC) COACH: Hugh Freeze (3rd year) PLAYERS: QB Jackson Arnold, DL Keldric Faulk, C Connor Lew THE BUZZ: Lately, Freeze’s golf habits have attracted more attention than Auburn’s season ahead — a sign that things are trending down for the Tigers.A turnaround is possible, but only if Freeze can bring out the best in Arnold, a mobile junior who started 10 games in two years at Oklahoma.

LAST YEAR: 10-3 (6-2 SEC) COACH: Josh Heupel (5th year) PLAYERS: LB Arion Carter, DT Bryson Eason,TE Miles Kitselman THE BUZZ: No offseason story commanded more headlines than Tennessee’s messy breakup with Nico Iamaleava — a saga that forced the title-contending Vols to make a late change at quarterback. Heupel settled on Appalachian State transfer Joey Aguilar to fill the void, but did he play his cards right? We’ll soon find out.

LAST YEAR: 11-3 (6-2 SEC) COACH: Kirby Smart (10th year) PLAYERS: QB Gunner Stockton, LB CJ Allen, DB Daylen Everette THE BUZZ: Need more evidence that Georgia believes in Stockton? Smart didn’t sign a transfer quarterback after Carson Beck left for Miami, and now he’s bringing the redshirt junior who started the Sugar Bowl to media days.Things can change, but all indications are that Stockton is now in charge of the powerhouse Bulldogs offense.

LAST YEAR: 13-3 (7-1 SEC) COACH: Steve Sarkisian (5th year) PLAYERS: QB Arch Manning, LB Anthony Hill, S Michael Taaffe THE BUZZ: All eyes are on Manning, the New Orleans native who hails from football royalty. He backed up Quinn Ewers for two years. Now he’s the face of a Texas program hungry for its first national title since 2005. Last season, the Longhorns lost to national champion Ohio State in the CFP semifinals.

Reed Darcey

GEORGIA

TEXAS

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C the Tigers make the 12-team College Football Playoff, which would be their first CFP berth since winning the 2019 national title?

All important questions, of course. This is a season of urgency for the Tigers no doubt, and everyone involved with LSU knows it.

“When you go in our building, all 105 players are thinking we can be national champions,” linebacker Whit Weeks said.

You see that confidence not only bought with the money Kelly and the Tigers are putting toward landing a top-10 recruiting class and the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class but also with the coaching and player personnel staff that has been built.

Every one of Kelly’s position coaches now have ties to Louisiana. Transfer portal or no, the state always will be the bedrock of LSU’s program thanks to the seemingly eternal spring of football talent the Bayou State produces. For Exhibit A we give you one of LSU’s most recent 2026 commitments, U-High defensive tackle Lamar Brown, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect per ESPN. In the constant battle for talent, you have to have people who have the ties to the homeland.

Then there is the front office side of things. Kelly brought back Austin Thomas in January 2024 from Ole Miss to be his general manager — his first GM, a position that used to be an exclusive pro sports term. As college sports have become more pro-like, for good or bad, schools such as LSU have had to invest in player personnel experts. The task has gotten far too big for the head coach and his position coaches to deal with any longer.

“I think we all can agree that the top teams need to recruit at the highest level,” Kelly said. “But you also have to have the infrastructure to retain them. How do you retain them? Through contracts and revenue sharing and building trust.

“So this whole operation is not just about recruiting. It’s evaluations. It’s personnel.

It’s relationships. All of these things are so

KELLY

Continued from page 1C trying to win the national championship instead of focusing on the first game. Nussmeier, a senior, has not won a season opener going into his fifth year at LSU. “At LSU, there’s always an expectation, right?” Nussmeier said. “There’s always an expectation to compete for a national championship. I think in the past, we’ve kind of looked too forward to that and always talked about where we wanted to be at the end of the season, instead of focusing on where we had to start.”

That’s why LSU put 1-0 on the weight room screens and Clemson logos on the bags, creating daily visual reminders. Players said strength and conditioning coach Jake Flint also has emphasized the importance of taking

Kelly: WR Nic Anderson doing fine after car crash

BY WILSON ALEXANDER and SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writers

ATLANTA — LSU wide receiver Nic Anderson was in a car crash Friday night and needed medical treatment, coach Brian Kelly told The Advocate, but he’s expected to practice at the start of preseason camp.

Kelly said the crash wasn’t “as bad” as a January single-car wreck involving LSU redshirt freshman quarterback Colin Hurley, who has Notebook since rejoined the team.

Anderson, an Oklahoma transfer, will miss about a week before returning to the offseason program.

“It wasn’t quite as bad as Colin Hurley’s, which was life-threatening, but enough that he had to get checked in and stayed overnight for observations,” Kelly said Monday at SEC media days. “But he comes out of it really good.”

After transferring in December, Anderson was limited during spring practice with a hamstring injury, Kelly said.

Anderson missed almost the entire 2024 season with an injury.

“We didn’t want to get into a situation where, as you know, the medical issues with him at Oklahoma were real,” Kelly said. “So, we just wanted to be careful with him.”

The nature of Anderson’s injury at Oklahoma has been vague. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables told reporters that Anderson suffered a quadriceps injury, but ESPN described the issue as a hip injury.

As a redshirt freshman two years ago, Anderson recorded 31 catches for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns, which set an Oklahoma freshman record. A 6-foot-4, 216-pound sophomore, he was considered one of the top available players in the transfer portal.

“We think that this is going to be short term, a week or so, and then he’ll be back at it,” Kelly said.

Injury updates

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU linebacker Whit Weeks pressures Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold on Nov. 30 at Tiger Stadium. important if you want to continuously be one of the top schools in the country bringing in talent. Acquisition of talent, recruiting retention, answers all of those really important things to being a championship program.”

You could say Kelly and Thomas have taken their transfer portal acumen and trained it on the player personnel wing of the LSU football complex. They recently hired Kelvin Bolden away from Ole Miss as the assistant general manager. They brought in Amite native Sam Petitto, previously director of player personnel for national champion Ohio State, to become the director or scouting and personnel strategy. And New Orleans native and LSU grad Jeff Martin, last at USC before he worked a few years in private business, is now executive director of player personnel.

“I think coach Kelly and everybody upstairs have done a remarkable job just adapting, getting ahead of the times,” Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier said.

the season one game at a time.

Kelly compared the approach to when he puts a clock in front of him during his own workouts.

“This is a clock in front of them saying, ‘This is where we start this,’ ” Kelly said. “And then it becomes 1-0 every week after that.”

In the past five years, LSU lost the first game by multiple scores three times. Two of those came in Ed Orgeron’s final two seasons. Under Kelly, LSU lost 24-23 to Florida State in his first year and 27-20 to Southern Cal last year. Its worst opening loss in the past five years was 45-24 to Florida State at the start of the 2023 season.

“We’re aware that we’ve lost the last five openers,” Nussmeier said. “And I think our awareness of that situation and our awareness of who we’re playing kind of led into the 1-0 mindset.

I think it’s kind of a combination of both.”

LSU scheduled the Clemson

“Our program in general, everybody’s bought in to what the expectations are.

Not just the players. It’s coming from the entire staff.”

Weeks, a junior, has noticed the changes in approach during his time at LSU. “It’s a commitment to winning,” he said.

“I think coach Kelly is doing the best job in the country right now bringing people in who have been around winning teams, been on championship teams and bringing them to LSU just to help us even more.”

There are no guarantees all this investment of manpower and money will pay off in another national championship trophy for LSU. Another huge question: Is all of this viable in the long term?

“I think we still have to be thinking about how we continue to build support for NIL,” Kelly said, “because it’s not going away, nor should it. Like revenue sharing. We’re in the first stages of where we need to be, but we have to still be moving in that direction.”

game six years ago. As the losing streak grew, there has been a thought that LSU should change its approach to scheduling the first game. But that likely won’t happen for at least another year.

In the second part of the home-and-home series, LSU hosts Clemson to start the 2026 season. It does not have an opening game on the books for 2027.

The following two years, LSU already has scheduled opening games against SMU. “We know we’re going into a tough environment to play, and I can’t be more excited to be doing that,” junior linebacker Whit Weeks said. “You come to LSU to play the best, and Clemson is one of the best teams in the country. Why wouldn’t you want to go play them?”

It’s not just Clemson logos on bags and 1-0 on the screens.

During team runs, Flint blasts music that a lot of the players don’t like, trying to emulate a road game. Senior wide re-

ceiver Chris Hilton called it a “distraction tactic.” Flint blasts music the players enjoy during a break between sets, referred to as halftime. Then, he goes back to the unpopular songs.

“We’ve never done anything like that before,” Nussmeier said.

Could focusing on one game backfire? Not only does LSU open at Clemson, it appears to have a front-loaded schedule, playing Florida, Ole Miss and South Carolina within the first seven weeks.

What if so much pressure gets put on the first game that, if LSU loses to Clemson, it can’t rebound? Nussmeier dismissed that idea.

“If it doesn’t go the way we want it to go,” Nussmeier said, “then we’re back to going 1-0 again.”

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/

Six months after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery, LSU linebacker Whit Weeks is getting closer to a full return.

“I finally feel like myself again,” Weeks said. “These past couple weeks, especially in July, I’ve been able to play every snap that we go during practice.

“It’s exciting to see because the road to recovery was long. I mean, I had a pretty nasty ankle injury. To be back on the football field is really a breath of fresh air for me.”

Weeks was carted off the field at the Texas Bowl, ending a breakout sophomore year. He needed surgery to repair a broken fibula, a source said, but he has been regaining his strength and confidence.

He credited the LSU athletic training and strength staff.

“They’ve helped me tremendously throughout this process,” Weeks said.

“I’ve really put a lot of trust in them to get me back, and they’ve done it. They’ve gotten me back.”

Weeks has been on what Kelly described as a “pitch count” to ease him back into the training program. Kelly said the expectation remains that Weeks and senior linebacker Harold Perkins will be full participants at the start of preseason camp.

Perkins is recovering from an ACL injury suffered in Week 4 last fall.

“Within this past week,” Weeks said, “me and Harold have both been able to go full practices, full racks, everything.”

Kiffin trolls Freeze Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin was put in the position of trying to defuse what recently looked like a case of social-media trolling directed at Auburn coach Hugh Freeze.

Freeze has been criticized for playing too much golf in the offseason and was pictured in May with a trophy he helped his golf club win over a rival club. Kiffin, notorious for his online zingers, posted a photo on X with the response, “Great job Coach!! Game is on (fire emoji).”

Asked about it Monday, Kiffin said: “I like coach Freeze. I have a thing with him, going back a few years ago, and he, like, posted a picture in response to me, of some 2-pound bass or something like that.

“So, I’ve kind of always posted bigger fish pictures back toward him. So it had nothing to do with his golf game, which it sounds like he’s doing amazing at that.

“And I was fishing yesterday. People want to say that fishing is like golfing. It’s the dead period.”

Stay tuned for Freeze’s response when he speaks here Tuesday afternoon.

Proposing or passing (out)?

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was asked what was more nerve-wracking: proposing earlier this month to longtime girlfriend Ella Springfield or throwing a fourth-and-5 touchdown pass to Aaron Anderson leading to an overtime victory last October against Ole Miss.

“Proposing, definitely,” said Nussmeier, decked out in a plaid purple suit. “I kind of blacked out.”

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The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 5C

Robot umpires to make All-Star Game debut

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers scores against the San Francisco Giants during the 11th inning of a game Sunday in San Francisco. Ohtani will lead off the All-Star Game for the National League.

Both All-Star teams announce starting lineup 2025 ALL-STAR ROSTERS

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

ATLANTA — Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the designated hitter for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Truist Park, and the Los Angeles Dodgers star will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuña of the host Atlanta Braves.

Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte will hit third in the batting order announced Monday

by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, followed by Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman, San Diego third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Cubs center fielder Pete CrowArmstrong.

Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes will start his second straight All-Star Game, Major League Baseball announced last week. Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star start for the American League.

“I think when you’re talking about the game, where it’s at, these two guys … are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.

Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres will lead off for the AL, followed by Tigers left fielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees

American League Starters

National League Starters

r-replacement; u-unavailable Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Mariners First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays Second base: Gleyber Torres, Tigers Third base: INF r-Junior Caminero, Rays Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, Athletics Designated hitter: Ryan O’Hearn, Orioles Outfield: Riley Greene, Tigers, Javier Báez, Tigers, Aaron Judge, Yankees Pitcher: Tarik Skubal, Tigers

Catcher: Will Smith, Dodgers First base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers Second base: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks Third base: Manny Machado, Padres Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Mets Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs, Kyle Tucker, Cubs Pitcher: Paul Skenes, Pirates

Reserves

Reserves

Pitchers — u-Garrett Crochet, Red Sox, uYusei Kikuchi, Angels, u-Max Fried, Yankees, u-Jacob deGrom, Rangers, Shane Smith, White Sox, u-Hunter Brown, Astros, Kris Bubic, Royals, Bryan Woo, Mariners, r-Drew Rasmussen, Rays, r-Casey Mize, Tigers, r-Carlos Rodón, Yankees, r-Joe Ryan, Twins, Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox, r-Carlos Estevez, Royals, Josh Hader, Astros, Andres Muñoz, Mariners Batters — C Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays, INF Jonathan Aranda, Rays, INF Brandon Lowe, Rays, INF Alex Bregman, Red Sox, INF Jazz Chisholm Jr., Yankees, INF Jeremy Peña, Astros, INF Bobby Witt Jr., Royals, INF José Ramírez, Guardians, INF Isaac Paredes, Astros, INF Zach McKinstry, Tigers, INF Maikel Garcia, Royals, DH Brent Rooker, Athletics, OF Byron Buxton, Twins, OF Steven Kwan, Guardians, OF Julio Rodríguez, Mariners, OF Randy Arozarena, Mariners

Pitchers —Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (Legend Pick), Chris Sale, Braves, u-Zack Wheeler, Phillies, Logan Webb, Giants, uRobbie Ray, Giants, u-Freddy Peralta, Brewers, MacKenzie Gore, Nationals, u-Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dodgers, u-Matthew Boyd, Cubs, r-Andrew Abbott, Reds, r-David Peterson, Mets, r-Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers, Edwin Diaz, Mets, Jason Adam, Padres, Randy Rodriguez, Giants, r-Robert Suarez, Padres, r-Trevor Megill, Brewers, r-Adrian Morejon, Padres Batters — C Hunter Goodman, Rockies, INF Pete Alonso, Mets, INF Elly De La Cruz, Reds, INF Brendan Donovan, Cardinals, INF Matt Olson, Braves, INF Eugenio Suárez, Diamondbacks, DH Kyle Schwarber, Phillies, OF Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks, OF Kyle Stowers, Marlins, OF Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres, OF James Wood, Nationals

right fielder Aaron Judge, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Baltimore designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, Tampa Bay third baseman Junior Caminero, Tigers center fielder Javier Báez and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the twoway sensation also was the AL’s starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers.

Skenes and Skubal are 1-2 in av-

erage four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.

A 23-year-old right-hander, Skenes is 4-8 despite a major league-best 2.01 ERA for the Pirates, who are last in the NL Central. The 2024 NL Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings.

Skubal, a 28-year-old left-hander, is the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners competes during the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby on Monday in Atlanta.

The event did not end before press time for this edition.

ATLANTA — Tarik Skubal views the strike zone differently than robot umpires.

“I have this thing where I think everything is a strike until the umpire calls it a ball,” Detroit’s AL Cy Young Award winner said ahead of his start for the American League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game.

MLB has been experimenting with the automated ball-strike system in the minor leagues since 2019 and will use it in an All-Star Game for the first time Tuesday.

Each team gets two challenges and retains the challenge if it is successful.

“Pitchers think everything is a strike. Then you go back and look at it, and it’s two, three balls off,” Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes, starting his second straight All-Star Game for the National League, said Monday.

“We should not be the ones that are challenging it.”

MLB sets the top of the automated strike zone at 53.5% of a batter’s height and the bottom at 27%, basing the decision on the midpoint of the plate, 81/ 2 inches from the front and 81/ 2 inches from the back. That contrasts with the rule book zone called by umpires, which says the zone is a cube.

“I did a few rehabs starts with it. I’m OK with it. I think it works,” said three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. “Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve should have different-sized boxes. They’ve obviously thought about that. As long as that gets figured out, I think it’ll be fine.”

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred anticipates the system will be considered by the sport’s 11-man competition committee,

which includes six management representatives.

Many pitchers have gravitated to letting their catchers and managers trigger ball/strike appeals.

Teams won 52.2% of their challenges during the spring training test. Batters won exactly 50% of their 596 challenges and the defense 54%, with catchers successful 56% of the time and pitchers 41%.

Hall of Famer Joe Torre, an honorary AL coach, favors the system. After his managing career, he worked for MLB and helped supervise expanded video review in 2014.

“You couldn’t ignore it with all the technology out there,” he said. “You couldn’t sit and make an excuse for, ‘Look at what really happened’ the next day.”

Now 84, Torre recalled how his Yankees teams benefitted at least twice from blown calls in the postseason, including one involving the strike zone.

With the 1998 World Series opener tied and the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh inning, Tino Martinez took a 2-2 pitch from San Diego’s Mark Langston that appeared to be a strike but was called a ball by Richie Garcia. Martinez hit a grand slam on the next pitch for a 9-5 lead, and the Yankees went on to a four-game sweep.

Asked whether he was happy there was no robot umpire then, Torre grinned and said: “Possibly.”

Then he added without a prompt: “Well, not to mention the home run that Jeter hit.”

His reference was to Derek Jeter’s home run in the 1996 AL Championship Series opener, when 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall to snatch the ball above the glove of Baltimore right fielder Tony Tarasco.

Curveballs on decline as velocity obsession increases

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

ATLANTA — Curveballs have been thrown a curve by a modern game valuing velocity over variety, disappearing from the major leagues by more than 20,000 annually.

The Athletics have thrown curves on just 2.5% of their pitches this season. The overall big-league figure dropped from 10.7% in 2019 to 8.1% last year, the lowest since MLB starting tracking in 2008, before rising slightly to 8.5% this season.

There were 22,962 fewer curveballs in 2024 than five years earlier.

“You don’t really see a lot of people throwing 12-6 curveballs anymore,” Tampa Bay pitcher Shane Baz said. “They’d rather have a hard cutter/slider. It’s a lot easier for guys to throw a sweeper than it is a 12-6 curveball.”

Baz’s 28.1% is seventh in curveball use among those who have thrown at least 1,000 pitches this season. Charlie Morton of Baltimore, first at 39%, learned to throw a hook from his dad.

“He was reading some article or maybe he was reading some pitching book,” the 41-year-old right-hander said. “You basically throw it like you’re re-throwing a knife.”

Hall of Famer Candy Cummings, a 145-game winner, is credited with inventing the curveball in 1863 when he was 14, discovering the movement when he threw sea shells into the Atlantic Ocean. Some attribute the curve to amateur pitcher Fred Goldsmith in 1870.

With an average velocity of 80.2 mph, curves are the slowest and loopiest of breaking pitches, often disrupting the timing of batters set for smoke.

The phrase “thrown a curveball” has become part of the English language.

Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw were among the consummate curveballers, bamboozling batters as balls they gave up on dropped like hang gliders into the strike zone.

“It’s become an industry of throwing over pitching,” New York Yankees senior adviser Omar Minaya said. “When you pitch, you use different pitches.

What we’re seeing in the industry as a whole, especially with

AP PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Charlie Morton delivers during the second inning against the New york Mets on Thursday in Baltimore.

showcases, is people are looking more at velocity than pitchability — as a scout, I said that unfortunately.”

Nike’s “Chicks Dig the Long Ball” commercial defined baseball in the Steroids Era. These days the slogan might as well be: “Velo Rules!” There were just 214 pitches of 100 mph or more in 2008. There were a record 3,880 two years ago, and this year is on track for 3,252.

In tandem, starting pitcher use has dropped. Starters have averaged just under 51/3 innings this season, down from 61/3 innings in the 1980s. Their pitch count averages 85.7, down from 97 in 2010.

Those missing hooks have been replaced by sliders, sweepers and slurves. They are 22.6% of pitches this year, up from 13.9% in 2008, and their average velocity has risen to 84.8 mph from 83.4 mph.

Colorado throws curves the most often at 15.6%, not that it has brought any success to a team that entered the break at 22-74, on track for a 37-125 finish and the post-1900 record for losses.

The Athletics haven’t thrown 10% curveballs since 2017.

“If you look around the game, swing and miss has taken more of a priority, so guys are trying to throw more sweepers with more horizontal movement, or they’re trying to throw the slider really hard at the bottom of the zone,” Athletics pitching coach Scott Emerson said. “They’re worried about contact with the curveball.”

6C ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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SCOREBOARD Pro basketball

Cleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 5, 10 innings Athletics 6, Toronto 3 Arizona 5, L.A. Angels 1

WNBA Glance

Monday’s Games

EASTERN CONFERENCE New York Atlanta Indiana Washington Chicago Connecticut

W 14 12 11 11 7 3

L 6 9 10 10 13 18

Pct GB .700 — .571 2½ .524 3½ .524 3½ .350 7 .143 11½

Minnesota Phoenix Seattle Golden State Las Vegas Los Angeles Dallas

W 18 14 13 10 10 7 6

L 4 6 9 10 11 14 16

Pct GB .818 — .700 3 .591 5 .500 7 .476 7½ .333 10½ .273 12

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Sunday’s Games

Indiana 102, Dallas 83 New York 79, Atlanta 72 Los Angeles 92, Connecticut 88 Washington 74, Seattle 69 Minnesota 91 Chicago 78 Phoenix at Golden State, n

Tuesday’s Games

Indiana at Connecticut, 7 p.m.

Washington at Los Angeles, 9 p.m.

NBA 2K26 Summer League At Las Vegas Sunday, July 13

Atlanta 98, Phoenix 80 Detroit 98, Houston 83 Boston 94, New York 81 Toronto 89, Orlando 86 Cleveland 92, Miami 72 Washington 102, Brooklyn 96 L.A. Clippers 106, Milwaukee 91 Golden State 103, Utah 93

East Division Philadelphia New York Miami Atlanta Washington

W 55 55 44 42 38

L 41 42 51 53 58

Pct .573 .567 .463 .442 .396

GB — ½ 10½ 12½ 17

Chicago Milwaukee St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 57 56 51 50 39

L 39 40 46 47 58

Pct .594 .583 .526 .515 .402

GB — 1 6½ 7½ 18½

Pct .598 .542 .536 .485 .229

GB — 5½ 6 11 35½

Central Division

Los Angeles San Diego San Francisco Arizona Colorado

W 58 52 52 47 22

Sunday’s Games

L 39 44 45 50 74

Chicago Cubs 4, N.Y. Yankees 1 Miami 11, Baltimore 1 Cincinnati 4, Colorado 2 Pittsburgh 2, Minnesota 1 Kansas City 3, N.Y. Mets 2 Milwaukee 8, Washington 1 St. Louis 5, Atlanta 4 Philadelphia 2, San Diego 1 Arizona 5, L.A. Angels 1 L.A. Dodgers 5, San Francisco 2, 11 innings

Tuesday’s Games

No games scheduled

Golf PGA Tour Statistics Through July 13

Tuesday, July 15

Minnesota vs. Detroit, 3:30 p.m.

Brooklyn vs. New York, 5 p.m.

Oklahoma City vs. Orlando, 5:30 p.m.

Toronto vs. Denver, 7 p.m.

Philadelphia vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m.

Portland vs. New Orleans, 9 p.m.

Major League Baseball American League Toronto New York Boston Tampa Bay Baltimore

W 55 53 53 50 43

L 41 43 45 47 52

Pct .573 .552 .541 .515 .453

GB — 2 3 5½ 11½

Detroit Minnesota Kansas City Cleveland Chicago

W 59 47 47 46 32

L 38 49 50 49 65

Pct .608 .490 .485 .484 .330

GB — 11½ 12 12 27

Houston Seattle Texas Los Angeles Athletics

W 56 51 48 47 41

L 40 45 49 49 57

Pct .583 .531 .495 .490 .418

GB — 5 8½ 9 16

Sunday’s Games

National League

No games scheduled

Atlanta 111, Houston 108 Chicago 114, Indiana 105 Charlotte 87, Dallas 69 Boston vs. Miami, n Utah vs. San Antonio, n Phoenix vs. Sacramento, n L.A. Clippers vs. L.A. Lakers, n

West Division

No games scheduled

Monday’s Games

Monday, July 14

Central Division

Tuesday’s Games

West Division

Monday’s Games

East Division

No games scheduled

Boston 4, Tampa Bay 1 Chicago Cubs 4, N.Y. Yankees 1 Miami 11, Baltimore 1 Pittsburgh 2, Minnesota 1 Texas 5, Houston 1 Seattle 8, Detroit 4 Kansas City 3, N.Y. Mets 2

FedExCup Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4,056. 2, Rory McIlroy, 3,219.

3, Sepp Straka, 2,583. 4, Justin Thomas, 2,254. 5, Russell Henley, 2,246. 6, Ben Griffin, 2,212. 7, J.J. Spaun, 2,097. 8, Harris English, 1,732. 9, Tommy Fleetwood, 1,717. 10, Keegan Bradley, 1,715.

Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.424. 2, Rory McIlroy, 69.024. 3, Tommy Fleetwood, 69.797. 4, Sepp Straka, 69.807. 5, Russell Henley, 69.989. 6, Harry Hall, 69.997. 7, J.J. Spaun, 70.012. 8, Ben Griffin, 70.058. 9, Justin Thomas, 70.066. 10, Thorbjorn Olesen, 70.085.

Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 328.2. 2, Rory McIlroy, 322.2. 3, Michael Thorbjornsen, 319.2. 4, Niklas Norgaard, 319.1. 5, Jesper Svensson, 319.

6, Nicolai Hojgaard, 317.5. 7, Kurt Kitayama, 317.2. 8, Chris Gotterup, 316.6. 9, Will Gordon, 316.1. 10, Rasmus Hojgaard, 315.8.

Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Paul Peterson, 73.88%. 2, Aaron Rai, 73.62%. 3, Ben Kohles, 72.68%. 4, Collin Morikawa, 71.90%. 5, Takumi Kanaya, 70.62%. 6, Andrew Putnam, 70.23%. 7, Zach Johnson, 69.84%. 8, Lucas Glover, 69.18%. 9, Brice Garnett, 68.66%. 10, Brandt Snedeker, 68.55%.

Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%.

Total Driving 1, Rico Hoey, 58. 2, Michael Thorbjornsen, 68. 3, Thomas Rosenmueller, 76. 4, Kevin Roy, 78. 5, Alex Smalley, 88. 6, Luke List, 90. 7, Kevin Yu, 99. 8, Ricky Castillo, 101. 9, Isaiah Salinda, 106. 10, Kris Ventura, 108.

SG-Putting 1, Sam Burns, .950. 2, Taylor Montgomery, .819.

3, Harry Hall, .789. 4, Rory McIlroy, .754. 5, Sam Ryder, .750. 6, Sami Valimaki, .638. 7, Jacob Bridgeman, .587. 8, Nico Echavarria, .580. 9, Denny McCarthy, .552. 10, Danny Willett, .547.

Birdie Average

1 (tie), Sepp Straka and Justin Thomas, 4.52. 3, Harry Hall, 4.47. 4, Jake Knapp, 4.42. 5 (tie), Scottie Scheffler and Michael Thorbjornsen, 4.38. 7, Nicolai Hojgaard, 4.37. 8, Keith Mitchell, 4.34. 9, Collin Morikawa, 4.3. 10, Akshay Bhatia, 4.25.

Eagles (Holes per) 1, Alejandro Tosti, 66.9. 2, Steven Fisk, 73.4. 3, Scottie Scheffler, 83.1. 4, Charley Hoffman, 84. 5, David Skinns, 88.2. 6 (tie), Kurt Kitayama and Karl Vilips, 90. 8, Scottie Scheffler, 92. 9, Chan Kim, 96.5. 10, Cam Davis, 97.2.

Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%.

All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Scheffler, 206. 2, Keith Mitchell, 282. 3, Sepp Straka, 302. 4, Kevin Yu, 330. 5, Alex Smalley, 342. 6, Nicolai Hojgaard, 359.

7, Rory McIlroy, 363. 8, Sam Burns, 370. 9, Keegan Bradley, 392. 10, Kevin Roy, 395.

LPGA Tour Statistics Through July 13

Scoring 1, Jeeno Thitikul, 69.24. 2, Nelly Korda, 69.69.

3, Angel Yin, 69.75. 4, Minjee Lee, 69.91. 5, Somi Lee, 70.06. 6, Hyo Joo Kim, 70.14. 7, Jin Young Ko, 70.23. 8, Yealimi Noh, 70.24. 9, HyeJin Choi, 70.26. 10, Rio Takeda, 70.34.

Driving Distance 1, Polly Mack, 289.17. 2, Julia Lopez Ramirez, 286.66. 3, Auston Kim, 284.36. 4, Emily Kristine Pedersen, 282.87. 5, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, 279.24. 6, Bailey Tardy, 278.72. 7, Bianca Pagdangnan, 277.9. 8, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 277.77. 9, Weiwei Zhang, 277.68. 10, A Lim Kim, 277.02.

Greens in Regulation 1 (tie), Haeran Ryu and Rio Takeda, .77%. 3, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, .76%. 4 (tie), Allisen Corpuz, Yealimi Noh and Jeeno Thitikul, .75%. 7, 4 tied with .74%.

Putts per GIR 1, Jeeno Thitikul, 1.71. 2 (tie), Yuka Saso and Yahui Zhang, 1.72. 4, Minami Katsu, 1.73. 5, Angel Yin, 1.74. 6 (tie), Ariya Jutanugarn and Hyo Joo Kim, 1.75. 8, 10 tied with 1.76.

Birdies 1, Rio Takeda, 213. 2, Celine Boutier, 207. 3, Somi Lee, 201. 4, Ayaka Furue, 195. 5, Auston Kim, 188. 6 (tie), Minami Katsu and Jeeno Thitikul, 186. 8 (tie), Mi Hyang Lee and Minjee Lee, 185. 10, Nelly Korda, 183.

Eagles 1, Mi Hyang Lee, 10. 2, Madelene Sagstrom, 9. 3 (tie), Yealimi Noh and Rio Takeda, 8. 5 (tie), Somi Lee, Chanettee Wannasaen, Angel Yin and Ina Yoon, 7. 9, 11 tied with 6.

Sand Save Percentage 1, Xiaowen Yin, .67%. 2, Miyu Yamashita, .61%. 3, Hyo Joo Kim, .59%. 4 (tie), Ariya Jutanugarn, Minjee Lee and Jenny Shin, .58%. 7 (tie), Hannah Green and Jin Hee Im, .57%. 9, 2 tied with .56%.

Rounds Under Par 1, Rio Takeda, .71%. 2, Somi Lee, .68%. 3, Celine Boutier, .63%. 4, Hye-Jin Choi, .70%.

5, Jeeno Thitikul, .78%. 6 (tie), Ayaka Furue and Mi Hyang Lee, .60%. 8, Minjee Lee, .67%.

9, Jin Hee Im, .61%. 10, Angel Yin, .72%. 11, Miyu Yamashita, .62%.

Cycling Monday 10th Stage A 103-mile ride from Ennezat to Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy

1. Simon Yates, Great Britain, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 4:20:05.

2. Thymen Arensman, Netherlands, INEOS Grenadiers, 4:20:14.

3. Ben Healy, Ireland, EF Education-EasyPost, 4:20:36.

4. Ben O’Connor, Australia, Team JaycoAlUla, 4:20:54.

5. Michael Storer, Australia, Tudor Pro Cycling Team, 4:21:28.

6. Joe Blackmore, Great Britain, Israel-Premier Tech, 4:24:02.

7. Anders Halland Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 4:24:43.

8. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious, 4:24:56.

9. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, same time.

10. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, same time.

College baseball

12. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 4:24:59.

23. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 4:26:03.

29. Quinn Simmons, United States, Lidl-Trek, 4:27:46.

73. William Barta, United States, Movistar Team, 4:37:22.

86. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 4:46:03

P Kade Anderson LSU, So. P Anthony Eyanson, LSU, Jr. P Isaac Rohde, LSU Shreveport, Sr. P Michael Lombardi, Jr., Tulane C Diego Aragon, LSU Shreveport, Sr. 1B Jared Jones, LSU, Jr. 2B Connor Rasmussen, Tulane, Jr. 3B Josh Gibson, LSU Shreveport, Sr. SS Steven Milam, LSU, So. OF Derek Curiel, LSU, Fr. OF Cardell Thibodeaux, Southern, Jr. OF Conor Higgs, UL, Sr. DH Ethan Frey LSU, Jr. UTL Bryce Calloway, UNO, Sr.

Also

Overall Standings

1. Ben Healy, Ireland, EF Education-EasyPost, 37:41:49.

2. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 37:42:18.

3. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Soudal QuickStep, 37:43:18.

4. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 37:43:35.

5. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, same time.

6. Kevin Vauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 37:44:15.

7. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 37:45:13.

8. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 37:45:23.

9. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 37:45:30.

10. Tobias Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 37:46:52.

Team Standings

1. Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 113:06:32.

2. UAE Team Emirates XRG, 113:23:17.

3. Decathalon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 113:34:44.

4. Groupama-FDJ, 113:35:39.

5. Arkea-B&B Hotels, 113:36:13.

6. Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 113:40:22.

7. Ineos Grenadiers, 113:43:10.

8. EF Education — EasyPost, 113:46:08.

9. Movistar Team, 113:53:42.

10. Total Energies, 113:58:14.

Auto racing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Kyle Larson William Byron Denny Hamlin Anthony Alfredo Ryan Blaney Joey Logano Austin Cindric Shane Van Gisbergen Chase Briscoe Josh Berry Alex Bowman Christopher Bell Chase Elliott Bubba Wallace Tyler Reddick Ty Gibbs Brad Keselowski Carson Hocevar Michael McDowell Ross Chastain Kyle Busch Ryan Preece Corey LaJoie Chris Buescher Zane Smith Daniel Suárez Todd Gilliland JJ Yeley BJ McLeod Ty Dillon Austin Dillon AJ Allmendinger Justin Haley Ricky Stenhouse Jr Cole Custer Noah Gragson Cody Ware John H. Nemechek Riley Herbst Erik Jones

First team

Second team

P Brennan Stuprich, Southeastern, Gr. P Casan Evans, LSU, Fr. P Draven Zeigler, LSU Shreveport, Jr. P Cobe Reeves, LSU Shreveport, Sr. C Connor O’Neal, Southeastern, So. 1B Ryan Brome, Southeastern, Sr. 2B Daniel Dickinson, LSU, Jr. 3B Alex Dupuy, LSU Eunice, So. SS Tyson LeBlanc, LSU Eunice, So. OF Ryan Davenport, LSU Shreveport, Sr. OF Jake Brown, LSU, So. OF Garrett Felix, Loyola (N.O.), Gr. OF Jackson Syrin, LSU Shreveport, Sr. DH Sebastian Mexico, Louisiana Tech, Jr. UTL Aidan Mouton LSU Eunice, Fr.

Honorable mention

Pitcher: Alec Beversdorf, LSU Eunice; Zac Cowan, LSU; Catcher: Luis Hernandez, LSU; First base: Austin Gomm, LSU Shreveport; Jackson Legg, LSU Eunice; Second base: Brandon Mooney, Loyola (New Orleans); Vantrel Reed, LSU Shreveport; Third base: Rocco Gump, Northwestern State; Shortstop: TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern Outfield: Connor Westenburg, McNeese; Chris Stanfield, LSU; Isaiah Walker, ULM; Jayce LaCava, Nunez CC; Designated hitter: Taj Bates, Southern

Major awards

NASCAR Laps Led Percentage Through July 13

LSWA All-Louisiana team

PCT. 18.7 16.5 11.1 10.1 8.2 7.6 5.4 4.8 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.3 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.1 0.7 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

LAPS 854 769 488 19 352 359 251 208 179 169 157 154 135 103 112 97 80 72 77 62 62 56 10 33 15 14 11 2 1 8 8 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1

Hitter of the Year: Jared Jones, LSU Pitcher of the Year: Kade Anderson, LSU Newcomer of the Year: Anthony Eyanson, LSU Freshman of the Year: Derek Curiel, LSU Coach of the Year: Brad Neffendorf, LSU

Tennis WTA Hamburg European Open Results Monday At Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss Tennis Club Hamburg, Germany Purse: $275,094 Surface: Red clay HAMBURG, GERMANY Results Monday from Hamburg European Open at Am Rothenbaum Rot-Weiss Tennis Club (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Singles

Qualification Ariana Geerlings Martinez (12), Spain, def.

Elena Malygina, Estonia, 6-3, 6-2.

Valentina Steiner, Germany, def. Sada Nahimana (2), Burundi, 6-3, 6-2.

Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia, def. Anna Petkovic, Germany, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

Maria Timofeeva (6), Russia, def. Zhibek Kulambayeva (10), Kazakhstan, 6-1, 6-2.

Eva Vedder (5), Netherlands, def. Nicole Fossa Huergo (7), Italy, 6-3, 6-3.

Transactions Major League Baseball American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — C David Banuelos has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Norfolk (IL).

NEW YORK YANKEES — Claimed RHP Rico Garcia off waivers from the New York Mets.

SEATTLE MARINERS — Reinstated RHP Carlos Vargas from the paternity list. Optioned LHP Tayler Saucedo to Tacoma (PCL).

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LIVING N O L A.C O M

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T u e s d ay, J u ly 15, 2025

1dN

A life in layers Louisiana’s chief archaeologist steps down after decades of digging

BY JAN RISHER

Staff writer

Chip McGimsey is no Indiana Jones seeking the Holy Grail.

“Indiana Jones was looking for individual artifacts and stealing them — and we don’t do that,” McGimsey said as he walked by box after box of carefully labeled artifacts in the state’s archaeological storage warehouse in Baton Rouge.

The site looks like a smaller version of the anonymous government storage site where the Ark of the Covenant is placed at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie. However, with McGimsey as a guide, the anonymity evaporates.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Graduates line up for the procession into the yEP Educates graduation at McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans on June 26.

‘A second opportunity’ 139 graduates cross the stage at alternative high school diploma ceremony in New Orleans

K

BY MADDIE SCOTT

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

State Archaeologist Chip McGimsey discusses a handful of artifacts July 2 at the State of Louisiana Archaeological Archives in Baton Rouge. After decades of serving in the position, McGimsey retired July 4.

A walk through the boxes and bundles is like a walk through time: n He points out cannons from a ship that sank between 1812 and 1820. It was found in the 1990s during the Mardi Gras pipeline exploration at about 4,000 feet in federal waters about 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana. n Nearby, there’s another cannon that was made in 1697 in Sweden. It has a fleur de lis on top and was probably used by the French military, maybe as ballast. n Then there are artifacts from El Nuevo Constante, a Spanish ship that sank in 1766 off the Louisiana coast and was recovered between 1980 and 1982. n There are beautiful oversized crockery jugs, made in America, also recovered from the Mardi Gras shipwreck. n Thousands of dart points, often called arrowheads, gathered from sites throughout Louisiana line the shelves. n Boxes of ancestral remains line a long shelf and await their return to Native American tribes.

McGimsey, 71, can tell the story of every item, every box.

Not in collecting business While the nation celebrated its 249th birthday on July 4, the day marked the end of McGimsey’s 30-year career as Louisiana’s state archaeologist. He’s spent the time uncovering and protecting the stories of Louisiana’s past.

There were no fireworks. Just the quiet significance of time passing — a life dedicated to

ä See LAYERS, page 2D

Staff writer

endra Merrick wore a red gown and a cap decorated by her eight children. It shone with metallic butterflies, purple pompoms and her initials, K.M. “My babies decorated my hat,” she said in the lobby of McDonogh 35 Senior High School as she prepared to walk in her commencement ceremony June 26. “Emotions are running high.”

Merrick, 47, was graduating from YEP Educates, the Youth Empowerment Project’s alternative high school program in New Orleans.

In the audience sat her sons and daughters, one of whom also enrolled in the program this year and will graduate in 2026.

Merrick was among the recordbreaking 139 students who graduated from the program this year.

Established in 2004, YEP is an adult education and high school equivalency program for people who didn’t complete high school. Graduates as young as 16 receive their credentials through the High School Equivalency Test, an alternative route to the traditional diploma.

“It’s really flexible,” Merrick said.

“It’s at your pace, so if you can make the time, and if you really want to get it done, (faculty and staff) are there to get you to that step.”

Graduates sport decorated caps during the yEP Educates graduation at McDonogh 35.

Last year’s class had 84 graduates. Overall, 820-plus people from 13 parishes have graduated from the program.

Now with four locations in New Orleans and one in St. Charles Parish, YEP meets students where they are, so some graduate in a couple of months; others, years.

The program receives a mixture of public and private funding and is free for students.

Educational attainment levels in New Orleans are on par with the national average but higher than in Louisiana as a whole, according

to a report by the Cowan Institute.

In 2023, 33% of residents had a high school degree or less, better than the state rate of 46% and the national rate of 37%.

Chief of staff Darin McCall said YEP enables students to do things like join the military, enroll in postsecondary education or gather credentials for workforce training programs. Passing the HiSET is the first step that allows people to choose their own path, he said.

“The more barriers we can

ä See GRADUATES, page 2D

Kelly Osbourne gets engaged at father’s final show Kelly Osbourne and Sid Wilson, of Slipknot, arrive on the red carpet for the 2024 Grammy Awards at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES TIMES/ TNS FILE PHOTO By ALLEN J. SCHABEN

BY KARU F. DANIELS

New york Daily News (TNS) Kelly Osbourne and her baby’s father, Sid Wilson, got engaged backstage at her dad Ozzy Osbourne’s final Black Sabbath concert over the weekend.

The Slipknot DJ popped the question to the singer and TV personality at Birmingham, England’s Villa Park on Saturday in a moment shared on

social media by his betrothed.

“Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world,” he said before her potty-mouthed father interjected: “F*** off, you’re not marrying my daughter.”

Wilson went on to extol Kelly’s virtues as he made his marital intentions known.

“Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest

ä See OSBOURNE, page 2D

2D ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

H

Potato masher works for egg salad Dear Heloise: A potato masher is terrific for making an egg salad.

It helps break up hard-boiled eggs faster and better. — Adele Bloom, via email

pass on at home surrounded by family.

So, all the children and grandchildren came together to feed them, bathe them, and love on them. For my husLaying parchment paper band’s parents and mine, thankfully we were with Dear Heloise: I read your them at home when they column each day and passed. always love the hints.

Seniors, you better use Recently I was readHints from all the time you have left ing about ways to keep Heloise to love on your family parchment paper in and not exclude them. place. What I do to keep A sad picture is visiting a nursunruly parchment in place is to spray cooking spray on the pan, ing home and seeing seniors die then lay the parchment paper alone after staring at the walls down. It works like a charm; no for years without one visitor. — more sliding parchment paper!

R.D.S., in North Carolina — Adrienne Harris, via email

Resolution success

Excluding family Dear Heloise: I wanted to write in regarding the recent letters printed from seniors who had to tell family and friends that they may visit their lake house or vacation home by invitation only.

The most wonderful memories of my life are from the times I spent at my grandparents’ as a child. Did the children make messes, raid the refrigerator, and eat all the snacks?

Absolutely! But later in life, our grandparents developed dementia and cancer. They begged us, “Please don’t send me to a nursing home.” They wanted to

Dear Heloise: I’d been buying items online every few weeks or months and paying it off with a credit card. At the end of last year, I decided to stop buying things online so that I could go on a cruise this year. I made a resolution and am sticking to it!

Now I’d rather get in the car, go to the store, and pay in cash — and I can afford the cruise. — Virginia, in California Virginia, I’m glad it was worth the sacrifice. Enjoy your reward! — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

side the Taliban in Afghanistan, pleaded guilty in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, to two feloToday is Tuesday, July 15, the 196th day of 2025. There are 169 nies in a deal sparing him life in days left in the year. prison.

Today in history In 2006, Twitter (now known as On July 15, 1799, the Rosetta X) was launched to the public.

Stone, a key to deciphering In 2019, avowed White suancient Egyptian scripts, was premacist James Alex Fields Jr. found at Fort Julien in the Nile was sentenced by a state court to Delta during the Napoleonic life in prison plus 419 years for campaign in Egypt. killing one and injuring dozens Also on this date: when he deliberately drove his In 1834, the Spanish Inquisicar into a crowd of anti-racism tion was abolished more than 350 protesters during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. (The years after its creation. previous month, Fields received In 1870, Georgia became the a life sentence on 29 federal hate last Confederate state to be recrime charges.) admitted to the Union.

In 2020, George Floyd’s famIn 1913, Democrat Augustus Bacon of Georgia became the ily filed a lawsuit against the first person elected to the U.S. city of Minneapolis and the four Senate under the terms of the police officers charged in his recently ratified 17th Amenddeath, alleging the officers vioment to the U.S. Constitution, lated Floyd’s rights when they providing for popular election of restrained him and that the city senators. allowed a culture of excessive In 1916, The Boeing Company, force, racism and impunity to originally known as Pacific Aero flourish in its police force. (The Products Co., was founded in city would agree to pay $27 Seattle. million to settle the lawsuit in In 1975, three American astro- March 2021.)

Today’s birthdays: Actor Patrick nauts blasted off aboard an ApolWayne is 86. R&B singer Millo spaceship hours after two Soviet cosmonauts were launched lie Jackson is 81. Singer Linda aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a Ronstadt is 79. Author Richard mission that included a linkup of Russo is 76. Musician Trevon the two ships in orbit.

Horn is 76. Arianna Huffington, In 1976, a 36-hour kidnap orco-founder of The Huffington deal began for 26 schoolchildren Post, is 75. Former professional wrestler and Minnesota goverand their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, nor Jesse Ventura is 74. Actor California, by three gunmen and Terry O’Quinn (TV: “Lost”) is 73. imprisoned in an underground Rock drummer Marky Ramone cell. (The captives escaped unis 73. Rock musician Joe Satriani is 69. Model Kim Alexis is 65. harmed; the kidnappers were Actor Willie Aames is 65. Actorcaught.)

In 1996, MSNBC, a 24-hour all- director Forest Whitaker is 64. news network, made its debut on Actor Brigitte Nielsen is 62.

Rock drummer Jason Bonham cable and the internet. is 59. TV personality Adam SavIn 1997, fashion designer Gianni Versace, 50, was shot dead age (TV” “MythBusters”) is 58. outside his Miami Beach home; Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin suspected gunman Andrew is 57. Actor-screenwriter Jim Phillip Cunanan, 27, was found Rash (TV: “Community”) is 53. dead eight days later, a suicide.

Actor Scott Foley is 53. Actor (Investigators believed Cunanan Brian Austin Green is 52. Singer killed four other people before Buju Banton is 52. Actor Diane Versace in a cross-country ramKruger is 49. Actor Lana Parrilla is 48. Actor Travis Fimmel is page that began the previous 46. Actor-singer Tristan “Mack” March.)

In 2002, John Walker Lindh, an Wilds is 36. Actor Iain Armitage (TV: “Young Sheldon”) is 17.

American who’d fought along-

OSBOURNE

Continued from page 1D of my life with you,” the 48-yearold said. “So, in front of your family and all of our friends, Kelly, will you marry me?”

Kelly, 40, appeared shocked by the proposal. She nodded yes before embracing Wilson as everyone cheered them on. Her mother, Sharon Osbourne, and brother Jack were also present.

The couple, who share 2-yearold son Sidney, went public with their romance on Valentine’s Day 2022.

“After 23 years of friendship I can’t believe where we have ended up,” Kelly captioned an Instagram snapshot of the pair kissing.

“You are my best friend, my soul-

mate and I am so deeply in love with you Sidney George Wilson.”

Her father, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, announced in 2023 that he is retiring from live performances after more than 50 years.

Ozzy, 76, original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited for the first time in two decades at the “Back to the Beginning” concert, which was livestreamed in the U.K. The 10-hour show, hosted by Jason Momoa, also featured performances from Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Steven Tyler and Jack Black, among others.

During his set, the British rocker sang hits such as “Crazy Train” and “Mama I’m Coming Home” while sitting in a black, thronelike chair with a bat on top.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Cary Porter cheers on his sister during the yEP Educates graduation at McDonogh 35 High School in New Orleans on June 26.

GRADUATES

Continued from page 1D remove for folks, hopefully, the easier it is for them to just actualize and maximize their own potential,” McCall said.

A building block to foundation Families filled the auditorium June 26. Audience members stood with phones recording as the graduates entered through the center aisle in their red caps and gowns.

Hollers, whistles and applause echoed through the room.

Keynote speaker chef Edgar “Dook” Chase IV told the crowd of graduates that they’ve added a building block to their life’s foundation. As they continue to grow, learn and experience, they’ll continue to add blocks, he said.

Dook told the story of his grandmother, chef Leah Chase, who grew up crossing city lines to attend school. He said her father told her three things: work hard, pray and do for others.

“One father’s message to his daughter became a foundation of a family for many generations,”

Chase said. “A foundation of a young African American woman with dreams of having a fine dining restaurant open for her community at a time when she had to work at restaurants where she couldn’t dine.”

Leah Chase proved that hard work creates a sturdier foundation for generations to come, he said.

“So class of 2025, I just want you to go out there and keep building,” Edgar Chase said. “Keep building with the tools your family and friends, teachers and mentors gave you.”

A ‘second opportunity’ Merrick joined the program in 2023, completing classes off and on, until teacher Wanda Rogers encouraged her to finish the final stretch. Rogers was supportive in everything, Merrick said, in coursework and personal life.

“She worked with me,” Merrick said about Rogers. “I went as much as I could, morning or evening, whatever time. She was like, ‘You’re test ready. Let’s go before you decide not to.’”

Emilie Mendoza, 22, said she wouldn’t have graduated without the support of her Hispanic com-

LAYERS

Continued from page 1D bridging what was and what remains.

Instead of Indiana Jones’ obsession with trophy artifacts, McGimsey sees them as pure information.

Simply handing a pile of artifacts to McGimsey doesn’t reveal a story.

“That’s really what archaeologists are after,” he said. “We don’t collect stuff. We go after information. Artifacts are just one part of the information that’s in the ground.”

He likens artifacts to words in a story.

He suggests imagining cutting up a book so that each word is its own little slip of paper.

“Someone could hand you a bag with all the words and say, ‘Tell me the story,’” McGimsey said. “You can understand why you can’t. Because in order to tell the story, you need to know where each word is relative to every other word — in a sequence of sentences, paragraphs, pages and chapters.”

When he and other archaeologists spend time at a site or multiple sites — studying pieces and patterns, comparing findings and connecting threads across locations — they begin to uncover a narrative. They can form hypotheses about what was happening, when, where and with whom.

“It’s knowing where everything fits relative to everything else,” he said. “That’s the part that fascinates me.”

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Chip McGimsey shows off a stoneware jug from the Mardi Gras shipwreck at the State of Louisiana Archaeological Archives in Baton Rouge.

with the state of Louisiana, has worked with McGimsey for three years.

“He knows everything about everything,” she said. “Even if it’s not written somewhere, you can be like, ‘Chip, what about this site?

What do you know?’”

And off he goes, with a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the site, its details and significance.

She says his retirement marks a significant loss of institutional knowledge.

“I’m not a prehistoric archaeologist, I’m a historic archaeologist.

So getting to work with Chip was the first pre-contact archaeology I’ve done,” Bouzon said. “So that was overwhelming, having him watch me try and do excavations The big challenge on pre-contact sites. But I also In his last week on the job, he learned about things I’ve never met with his colleague from the done before.” state’s archaeology outreach and The Brookhill education program.

“The big challenge is to get peoThrough the years, McGimsey’s ple to have an awareness of the work has been largely invisible past — how to reach the broadest to most, but when the Mississipaudience and ultimately, in some pi River ran low in 2022 and the way, be willing to support it,” Brookhill was exposed, his work McGimsey said. “The thing that surfaced and captured public makes archaeology difficult is that imagination. it’s nonrenewable. You can’t reinHe did 47 media interviews troduce a species like gray wolves about the Brookhill, which sank or a fish in your river and let them Sept. 29, 1915, as a hurricane blew start over again. Once you erase in from the Gulf.

“The Brookhill was one of those history, it’s gone forever.”

McGimsey and his fellow ar- things sent from heaven,” he said. chaeologists are working to deter- “It was a piece of history that peomine which sites can be saved — ple could walk up and touch. For and for those that can’t be saved, most people, history exists in a muwhat knowledge can be gathered seum case or a video. You can look and used to deepen our under- at it, but you can’t really interact with it.” standing of the past.

The Brookhill was easily accesHelen Bouzon, an archaeologist

munity. Her carnation and rosecovered cap read, “They sacrificed everything; I carry their legacy.”

“It’s such an honor,” Mendoza said. “It’s not just us graduating today but showing that every little sacrifice that they made for us is worth it, and we’re living their wildest dreams.”

Mendoza was enrolled in the program for three months and will apply to Delgado Community College to study phlebotomy or dental hygiene. She said she believes everyone has another opportunity with support and motivation, and the program made her feel like a high schooler again, she said.

“I’m very thankful for that, for giving all of us a second opportunity and helping us go farther in our education,” Mendoza said.

Ten students were recognized with awards. The Mr. Lenny Kindess Awards went to Gus Singleton and Fershaad Hunt. The Progress Awards went to Antoinette Roussell and Willisha Johnson. The Integrity Awards went to Kendra Allen and Patricia Dorsey.

The Accountability Awards went to Waldina Garcia and Nijhal Robinson. The Respect Awards went to Cyril Davis and Jeremiah Hicks.

sible — like a downtown Baton Rouge temporary tourist attraction. People could cross the railroad tracks that run right beside the Mississippi River, walk down the hill and see, touch, walk around and even walk on it.

They could take any photograph they wanted. They could take pictures of their kids on it.

“Whatever that old TV commercial was, you know, up close and personal? The Brookhill brought history alive to people,” McGimsey said.

Perhaps, he speculates that the “Brookhill frenzy” was due to a combination of factors, including the possibility that the low Mississippi River was caused by climate change.

Even still, he’s not sure why it captured the attention of so many.

“If it had been a Civil War gunboat, then absolutely, I could understand why everybody would be fascinated and want to see it and whatnot,” McGimsey said. “But I mean, this was a work boat — a ferry that all we had was one of the pontoons, and she didn’t do anything interesting except she sank three times.”

Life after McGimsey says that Indiana Jones’ impact on archaeology wasn’t all bad.

“My guess would be, in the end, it was kind of a wash,” he said of the media franchise. “I think it brought archaeology to a lot of younger people who wouldn’t have ever otherwise thought about it.”

McGimsey explains that Jones’ swashbuckling image of archaeology isn’t factual.

“But it served to bring the concept of archaeology to a huge audience. Out of that, I suspect there were some kids who said, ‘Yeah, I’d like to be an archaeologist,’ and even continued to say that after they figured out what it really meant.”

Along the way, McGimsey figured out just that.

Even though he’s retiring, with all the contacts he’s made throughout his career, McGimsey won’t be quitting archaeology any time soon.

“The most fun thing I know to do is to be out walking the field looking for stuff or standing in 100-degree heat in a 3-foot hole in the ground digging up dirt,” he said.

“For me, it just doesn’t get any better than that.”

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC CANCER (June 21-July 22) You can dream, but don't go overboard. Too much of anything will lead to backtracking. Take your time and consider every angle.

Charm trumps aggression, and kindness outmaneuvers intimidation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your charismatic presentation will captivate people who can contribute to your success. Personal improvements are evident. Let domestic improvements enhance your professional life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Choose your confidants cautiously to avoid emotional backlash. Share information with people who have similar concerns. Avoid people trying to convince you that they know what's best for you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Keep a low profile.

The less others know about you and what you're up to, the better. Change begins with you and what you know; learn and practice until you are ready to show off your skills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) You'll shine at events if you display your talents. An opportunity will develop if you are gracious with your time, talent and advice.

Apply what you discover about yourself to your everyday routine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Hold tight; don't feel obligated to share every detail with everyone you encounter. There is safety in silence when you are trying to get something done without interference.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Engage in events that connect you with people

heading in the same direction. Invest your energy into an outlet that propels you toward your desires. Spend time with someone who makes you shine.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Make your surroundings more conducive to your needs.

How you feel in your chosen environment will determine your accomplishments, so strive for peace of mind.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Make a to-do list and get moving. The sooner you rid yourself of the pressure that comes with unfinished business, the more you will enjoy the rewards. Your happiness is your responsibility.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) A change will clear your head and help you envision lifestyle choices. Set a budget and make some necessary cuts. Leave nothing to chance regarding your home, family and finances.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Interact with others, fulfill your promises and let what you do for people lead the way. Less talk and more action will offer hope, boost your reputation and be your calling card.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Trust your instincts, not your emotions. Home improvements or lifestyle changes will brighten your day. Spending time with someone you love will lead to special plans or projects.

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

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

TODAy'S CLUE: U EQUALS G

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 5D

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Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER Gioacchino Rossini, an Italian opera composer who died in 1868, said, “One cannot judge ‘Lohengrin’ from a first hearing, and I certainly do not intend to hear it a second time.”

At the bridge table, do not judge a deal totally from your first glance; give it a second look to check that you have not missed something. So, have a second slice of toast this morning. South is in four spades. West leads the heart king and continues with the heart queen. How should declarer plan the play?

Pre-empts are a pain. South’s sequence shows a very strong four-spade bid, because an immediate four-spade overcall would also be strong. When you intervene over a pre-empt, assume your partner has six or seven points and base your actions appropriately. So, jumping straight to four spades suggests around a working 20-count. This sequence promises more. Here, of course, North couldn’t care less!

South has nine top tricks: six spades, one diamond and two clubs. At first glance, he needs the club finesse to work.

However, there is a second chance — diamonds might break 3-3.

Afterruffingthesecondheart,declarer should cash the spade ace, then play the diamond ace and another diamond. Suppose East wins and leads a third heart.

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

Declarer ruffs high and plays another diamond. In a moment, South will draw trumps ending with dummy’s spade 10 and cash the high diamond. But note that if diamonds had split 4-2, the club finesse would still have been available.

For more on this deal, tune in tomorrow. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD — FIEnDIsH: FEEN-dish: Perversely diabolical.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 16 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 24 or more words in FIENDISH? YEsTERDAY’s WoRD — cAssoWARY crass

awry

orca

craw

scar

wary

cross

scary

racy

crow

scow

rosy

across

soar

assay

sora

away

sway

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Psalms 24:1

Look all around you. It all belongs to God. He created you too and gave you life. Serve him.

— G.E. Dean

6D ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

muttS

roSe iS roSe

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Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus.

“Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

InstructIons: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ 7D

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classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM

Announcements Krazy Treats 504 LLC DBA Krazy Daiquiri Island is applying to the Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content at a retail business in the Parish of Orleans at the following address.

7801 Earhart Blvd New Orleans 70125 Member Keyonna Braxton 149830-July 15, 1t $100.12 M&J Restaurant Group LLC d/b/a Rock N Roll Sushi is applying to the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content at retail in the Parish of Jefferson at the following address 817 W Esplanade Ave, Ste B, Kenner, LA 70065.

M&J Restaurant Group LLC Rock N Roll Sushi Members: Heather Hollomon 149702-July 15-16, 2t $168 Tulane Hook LLC DBA as Nola Hookah Lounge is applying to the Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content and retail tobacco at a retail business in the Parish of Orleans at the following address.

3219 Tulane Ave Suite 201 New Orleans, LA 70119 Member Mohammed Gaber 149831-July 15, 1t $106.38 Tulate Mel LLC DBA/ Melba's on Tulane is applying to the Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of high and low alcohol content at a retail business in the Parish of Orleans at the following address.

3219 Tulane Ave Suite 101 New Orleans, LA 70119

Member Mohammed Gaber 149832-July 15, 1t $100.12

CARROLLTON 8726 Olive St in Carrollton, Liv, 2 BR shotgun, 1 BA, Kitchen w/appls, basement w/hkups. No pets. $750/mo $350/dep. (504) 421-6071

Employment EDUCATION Jefferson Parish Government Head Start Birth to Five Program Now Hiring for

Early Head Start Teachers

Apply at www.jeffparish.gov/apply

WANT TO BUY Old Records 33's, 45's & 78's. All types of music. Call 985-259-1889

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance Careers Sign on Bonus.

FT, Benefits, PTO. Apply at 1stlake.com/jobs

Merchandise WANT TO BUY Cars & Trucks, running or Not. Must have title. Call 601-287-3001

WANT TO BUY Certified buyer looking for R12, R22, & more! Call Peter at 312-500-4275 $1111 312-273-5122 WANT TO BUY I pay cash for full vinyl collections! I will come to your location and give cash in hand to haul it all away. No work on your part is necessary. I prefer to buy whole collections. I also buy CDs. $999.99 504-914-6679

WANT TO BUY RVs & Campers, any condition.

Call 601-287-3001

CEMETERY PLOTS Double side-by-side plot. Pine Crest Memorial Gardens. Covington. $2,000 504-460-2499.

CEMETERY PLOTS Metairie Cemetery, Weiblen Park Addition, Sec. D1, Lot 49, Space for 2 Burials, $20,000-Contact 504-919-8956

ESPLANADE RIDGE The Carson Company, Inc. 505 N. Salcedo St., 2Bds/1Ba.......$850 1815 N. Galvez St., 2Bds/1Ba.......$895 5201 N. Rampart St., 2Bds/1Ba....$895 2757 Orleans Ave., Comm'l...........$900 1313 Gov. Nicholls, (Up), 2/1........$995 2513 Pasadena (Met), 1Bd/1Ba...$995 3121 Dumaine St., 2Bds/1Ba......$1095 2300 N. Broad St., 1Bd/1Ba.........$1195 6126 Baccich St., 2Bds/1.5Bas...$1300 2503 S. Dorgenois St, 2Bds/1Ba.$1425 1927 Painters, 3Bds/2Bas...........$1500 1221 N. Miro #1 (Sec 8 Ok) 2/1..$1600 1223 N. Miro, 5Bds/2Bas.............$3000 821-1858 * 822-8432 * 427-4646 KENNER

2850 IDAHO AVENUE 1 Block to Vets & Williams All Amenities * Pool * Parking Studio/1 Bed Apt * Starting $650/Mo 504-236-1971 * 504-454-1333

ROOMS FOR RENT RM, Eff & Studio Apts 4 Rent Pd Wkly. Clean, secure, gated & Laundry Rm. We pay Utils, wifi & Hulu. 120 N Tonti, near Canal St & Broad 504-722-2999

MARIGNY-BYWATER

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale ACREAGE 30 Acres For Sale. Amite County, MS. $4,500/acre 601-660-6068

New Orleans Rental CARROLLTON 4BR?2BA Home. 8813-15 Fig St. Appliances included, central a/h, yard $2100/mo. Sec 8 welcome. Text or Call Earnest 504-473-8128

2BR 1BA Elegant Historic Property, Offstreet Pkg, Backyard $1000/mo $1000 Dep. Call 504-274-2806 or email jraepropertiesllc@gmail.com METAIRIE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE To satisfy the owner’s privilege, PS Retail Sales, LLC will sell at public sale on July 25, 2025, the personal property in the below-listed units, which may include but are not limited to: household and personal items, office and other equipment. The public sale of these items will begin at 09:30 AM and continue until all units are sold. The lien sale is to be held at the online auction website, www.storagetreasures.com, where indicated. For online lien sales, bids will be accepted until 2 hours after the time of the sale specified.

PUBLIC STORAGE # 07025, 12320 I-10 Service Rd, New Orleans, LA 70128, (504) 224-9067 Time: 09:30 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1030 - Jerome, Inari; 1062 - Jones, Dionka; 1098 - thompson, Frankie; 1108 - Frye, Christopher; 1112 Schexnayder, Kentrice; 1224 - Grant, Irene; 1227 - Grant, Irene; 1245 - Mitchell, Tasha; 1264 - Davis, Carlette; 1280 - Duskin, Perry; 1289 - Mayfield, Jerry; 2010 - childs, richard; 2017 - Young, Alexus; 2028 - Meads, Saya; 2063 - Jordan, Raynesha; 2071 - Allen, Alicia; 2077 - boatner, Lydia; 2080 - turkov, daniel; 2501 - Cager, Florida; 2536 - Cyres, Kierahn; 2554 - dorsey, Jacoby; 3006 - honore, melika; 3061 - Mitchell, Johnessa; 3076 - McCovins, Rendell; 4009 - Stack, Ashanti; 4019 - Young, Jessica; 4027 - Smothers, Ashley; 4049 - ambo, Natasha; P004 - J- Vu Entertainment Sherman, Cheryl PUBLIC STORAGE # 07120, 1850 Lapalco Blvd, Harvey, LA 70058, (504) 229-4188 Time: 09:45 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

A002 - Woodard, Terrence; A125 - GVG Enterprise LLC Davis, Jennard; A144 - lewis, audra; A185 - Jackson, Theodore; A208 - Stamps, Damon; A239 - Poe, Michael; A260 - Nall, Brian; A346 - Robert, Stephanie; A356 Hester, Jardane; A439 - Roy, Janet’; C003 - Yoder, Moses; D014 - Lucas, Mario; E027 - Shaw, Lakeisha; E052 - Hayes, Krystal; E058 - Benjamin, Shandreace; E060 - Baker, Keisha PUBLIC STORAGE # 20175, 3440 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118, (504) 308-1583 Time: 10:00 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

0003 - Nickol, Laurie; 0043 - Williams, Garin; 0113 - Cressey, Blake; 0119 - Toney, Ferdinand; 0140 - Allen, Lasandera; 0205 - Dinkler, Carling; 0220 - Brown, Phyllis; 0244 - Rhodes, Jamie; 0251 - Graham, Darryl; 0264 - Ventrello, Brandi; 0270 - Whitley, Briyan; 0321 - Davenport, Ryan; 0410 - Bess, Mark; 0416 - Siegal, Kristina; 0426 - jr, Claude jarrow; 0450 - Robertson, Wilbert; 0464 - Newman, Maya; 0638 - Henry, Lisa; 0649 - Robinson, Stephen; 0651 - Francis, Allen; 0690 - Mosley, Michelle; 0863 - Carroll, Lecial; 0881 - Brown, Eddie; 0883 Heath, Estella; 1025 - Lindley, Rachel; 1060 - Callahan, Taylor; 1129 - Paulsen, James; 1211 - Carter, Ashley PUBLIC STORAGE # 21704, 3000 Belle Chasse Hwy, Gretna, LA 70053, (504) 229-4180 Time: 10:15 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

B054 - Boudreaux, Myranda; C044 - Massey, Keva; C061 - Sr., Alex Dixon; C068 - Isaac, Tracy; C073 - Bryant, Holly; C079 - Higgins, Kathy; C114 - Calix, Sergio; C127 - Newman, Dorian; C211 - Carbajal, wow; C215 Sneed, Shamyi; D039 - Brown, Mack; D046 - Simonson, Nicole; E056 - thomas, jerrica; E063 - Thomas, Marlon; F005 - Francis, Tasheka; F088 - castle, Tyron; G011 - Simmons, William; G020 - Mvula, Kayemba; G047 Chapman, Jajuan; G095 - Tanner, William PUBLIC STORAGE # 21802, 2930 Clearview Pkwy, Metairie, LA 70006, (504) 229-4204 Time: 10:30 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

A005 - Kampa, Patricia; A023 - Anthony, Lester; A072 - Butler, Breuna; B154 - Kelly, Russell T; B165 - Hogan, Terrill; B225 - Dominion Network Trucking, LLC Kittles, Tear; B252 - Collier, Antonio; B272 - White, Serena; B281 - Allen, Beverly; B282 - Simmons, Jessica; B288 - Gagnon, Blake; B306 - Estes, Brandi; C349 - Butler, Ryan; C375 - jamison, Ricardo; C379 - Lee, Aundra; C400 - Brown, Leroncia; C443 - Richard, Michael; C472 Walden, Howard; C480 - Mejia, Gia; C562 - Jackson, Tyjai PUBLIC STORAGE # 22055, 34570 LA Highway 16, Denham Springs, LA 70706, (225) 665-5770 Time: 10:45 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

0349 - Manuel, Nicolas; 0423 - Kidd, Jordin; 0426 - Woods, Chassity; 0441 - wood, Kelly; 0533 - Kidd, Jordin; 0629 - Kidd, Jordin; 0644 - Baker, Jay; 3002 - Williams, Alyssa; A26 - Thomas, Tatyana; A35 - Giacone, Scott; D12 - Delacruz, Blake; D37 - Turner, Demecker PUBLIC STORAGE # 25740, 4507 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70125, (504) 308-1275 Time: 11:00 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1013 - Lawson, Geriel; 1030 - Franklin, Ricky; 1061 - Markey, Fred; 1140 - stein, Robert ; 119 - Brighter Horizons Construction Aponza, Charles; 156 - Black Girl Magic Museum Hamilton, Courtney; 2038 - Walton, Andrew; 2044 - chaney, April; 2057 - CLANTON, DONALD; 2132 - Lee, LeRohjaniece; 2151 - Mitchelle, Monique; 2175 Mackey, Dwight; 2182 - Terry, Kenneth; 2217 - Turner, Byroneisha; 2223 - Boudreaux, Colby; 3136 - Singleton, Ellen; 3149 - Smith, Demetria; 3174 - Fedison, Harold; 3179 - JOHNSON, YESHIA; 3243 - Landry, Joycelyn; 3254 - Bolden, Rai; RV3 - Peters, Eric PUBLIC STORAGE # 26983, 5730 Citrus Blvd, Elmwood, LA 70123, (504) 930-4129 Time: 11:15 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

2102 - Gonzales, Lesley; 2223 - Smith, Robert; 2603 - Walker-Payne, Dee; 2806 - thomas, belinda; 2818 Favorite, Terry; 3110 - summers III, Warren; 3225 - Luckett, Kashley; 3319 - Antoine, Roxanne; 3809 - Bacchus, Hope; N1042 - Thomas & grandson landscaping Thomas, Calvin; N1070 - Essencio, Jezabella PUBLIC STORAGE # 26984, 2820 Tulane Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 584-4619 Time: 11:30 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1038 - lewis, Egeria; 1053 - Hines, Jamia; 1084 - Sampson-Jr, Melvin; 1118 - williams, Kevin; 2017 - pollard, Kyriell; 2035 - Glover, Tedrine Quenell; 2067 - Gordon, Delisa; 2090 - Gastinell, Samantha; 2112 - Meyers, Domonique; 3011 - Elkins, Shamica; 3019 - Smith, Sandra; 3051 - Hardy, Shannon; 3072 - Eustis, Henry; 3135 - Eagleton, Melissa; 3147 - Johnson, Demetrius; 4005 - Kirk, Kevin; 4023 - Lefere, Mahogany; 4027 - Martin, Carl; 4028 - Ratcliff, Shavion; 4076 - Ruppert, Avyana; 4078 - Loftin, Michael Brad; 4100 - Caeser, Rocquel; 4102 - Lewis, Ramesha; 4126 - Johnson, Adrian; 4150 - King, Romander; 5018 - Johnson, Jacorey; 5034 Allen, Joseph; 5061 - Wales, Kizzy; 5099 - EARTH, X; 5107 - Bester, Bonnie; 5147 - B Penny Properties LLC Penny, Brandon; 5149 - Fair, Kevin PUBLIC STORAGE # 28188, 3900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70115, (504) 224-9167 Time: 11:45 AM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

0008 - Bajoie, Judy; 0059 - Tennessee, Troy; 0100 - Davis, Jimmy; 0239 - Cruz, John; 0536 - Brown, Shondreka; 0555 - Cambrice, Donnisha; 0606 - Melvin, Perry; 0638 - Washington, Keith; 0769 - Dillon, Candace; 0805 bryant, Maurice PUBLIC STORAGE # 29112, 1901 St Charles Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130, (504) 308-1566 Time: 12:00 PM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1111 - Person, Danielle; 1316 - Massey, Kenneth; 1411 - Lee, Khayleel; 1603 - Rosa, Elleanor; 1606 Washington, Patrick; 2108 - poole, Jessica; 2112 - Bazile, Alexsis; 2138 - Webb, Kenyatta; 2213 - Guidry, Erin; 2308 - Davis, Ricky; 4106 - Lewis, Shonda; 5107 - The Denim Trap House Sims, Kenisha; 6414 - Rolle, Shima; M117 - Kirkland, Jonathan; M310 - Joseph, Nicole; M316 - mathews, Justin; M500 - Magee, Troy; M511 Aucoin, Glenn PUBLIC STORAGE # 29222, 10010 I-10 Service Rd, New Orleans, LA 70127, (504) 224-9213 Time: 12:15 PM Sale to be held at www.storagetreasures.com.

1030 - wilson, Farah; 1117 - Robertson, Mary L; 1128 - williams, Rashad; 1179 - Snodgrass, Olivia; 2025 Shelton, Ferrell; 2166 - LEWIS, TYRA; 2180 - frank, danielle; 2200 - Hampton, Dwayne; 2223 - Yocom, Carol; 2249 - Martin, Anthony; 2273 - miller, Michelle; 2274 - Hanson, Brian; 3030 - Ballard, William; 3066 - Spurlock, Khalil; 3195 - Franklin, Perry; 3234 - Randall, Antonio; 3299 - Jones, Kevin; 3300 - Nelson, MaKayla

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --Audubon Commission in‐ vites bids from vendors for the purchase of Jani‐ torial Chemicals and Paper Products.

Bids must be submitted at or before Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Bids may be secured on the first date of the adver‐ tisement from BidNet Di‐ rect at https://www.bid netdirect.com/louisiana/ audubonnatureinstitute.

Bids may be submitted electronically at https:// www.bidnetdirect.com/ louisiana/audubonnatu reinstitute or in a sealed envelope marked “Janito‐ rial Chemicals and Paper Products”. It is the ven‐ dors’ responsibility to contact BidNet Direct well in advance of the bid opening date if the bid is submitted elec‐ tronically to establish an account that will allow for secure bidding. Bids not submitted electroni‐ cally shall be delivered to: Audubon Nature Insti‐ tute, Procurement and Risk Management De‐ partment Attn: Denise LeBlanc, 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Bids will be opened and read aloud at the place and time that the bids are to be re‐ ceived. Bids, and amend‐ ments to bids received after the day and time specified above will be rejected as non-respon‐ sive and returned to the bidder unopened.

All questions regarding this bid invitation shall be ad‐ dressed in writing or by means of email to dle‐ blanc@auduboninstitute. org, seventy-two hours prior to bid opening.

149730-JUL 15-22-2T $66.20

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347 METAIRIE

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP# 1249 Sealed bids will be re‐ ceived by the Procure‐ ment Section of the Divi‐ sion of Administration, 1201 N. 3rd. St., 2nd.

Floor, Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at 10:00 A.M. for the follow‐ ing: RFx No. 3000025122, Metal Materials for DOC PE, 7/30/25 RFx No. 3000025142, John Deere BN Lawn/Golf/Turf – Statewide, 7/31/25 RFx No. 3000025136, Park‐ ing Space – CRT, 8/5/25 RFx No. 3000025078, Ko‐ BN Industrial belco Equipment – SW, 8/6/25 RFx No. 3000025148, Print‐ ing of Receipt Forms – OTS/PSS – LDWF, 8/6/25

For Lease...

1, 2, 3, Bedrooms 504-455-3939 NEW ORLEANS EAST FREE WIFI and Utilities and Earn FREE RENT! Stay where you are appreciated. Extended Stay Living furnished studio 1 & 2 BR units w/FLEXIBLE payment options, no leases. courtesy patrol, laundry on site. Call 504-608-3079 WEST BANK 2BR Brk Dbl, W/D HU, Cen A/H, 5142 Mt Matterhorn. No pets 504-905-5071

Bid proposal forms, in‐ formation and specifica‐ tions may be obtained by accessing the bid num‐ ber in LaPac at www.doa.

Louisiana.gov/osp or from the procurement section listed above. No bids will be received after the date and hour specified. The right is re‐ served to reject any and all bids and to waive any informalities.

Tom Ketterer Director of State Procurement FAX (225) 342-8688

Request for Proposals (RFP) for Vehicle Pur‐ chase RFP Number: HLE001 Issue Date: 7/10/25 Proposal Due Date: 8/10/2025, 2pm CST Contact Information: Anne Chapman Chief Financial Officer Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LASPCA) 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70114 1. Introduction The LASPCA is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for the purchase of vehicles in compliance with federal funding re‐ quirements. This RFP outlines the specifica‐ tions and requirements for the acquisition of these vehicles to ensure adherence to federal guidelines and to meet the needs of our organi‐ zation.

2. Organization History Chartered in 1888, the LASPCA the Louisiana SPCA is the oldest and most comprehensive ani‐ mal welfare organization in the state and serves to protect the well-being of Orleans Parish animals.

Our current facility, erected after Hurricane Katrina, serves thou‐ sands of animals annu‐ ally. The facility is the only open admissions shelter in Orleans Parish and provides numerous services including en‐ forcement of city ordi‐ nances, adoptions, fos‐ ter, low-cost medical care, community vacci‐ nation events, a commu‐ nity food pet pantry and more.

Learn more at: www.louisianaspca.org https://www.instagram. com/laspca/ https://www.facebook. com/thelaspca 3. Scope of Work The selected vendor will be responsible for pro‐ viding and delivering ve‐ hicles that meet the fol‐ lowing specifications: o Type and Quantity of Vehicles: 4 New (four) ¾ Ton Pick Up Chassis Trucks, Commercial use, and/or 4 SWAB units for Animal Transportation.

The vendor may bid on either the trucks, the swab unit, or the com‐ plete combination of both.

o Specifications Trucks: should match equally or as close to the following requirements: Color: White Powertrain: 6.8L V8 Engine or com‐ parable AWD 10-speed auto torqshift transmission Tow/Haul Mode with Trailer Wiring Provisions Exterior: 142” Wheel Base All Season Tire 3.73 Ratio Non LTD Slip Axle Additional keys (2) Alternative quote op‐ tion: vehicle wrapping – Envision to provide de‐ sign and layout Emergency light bar mounted on the top of the cab Interior: Dark slate Vinyl 40/20/40 seats Air conditioning CFC free AM/FM Stereo/Clock o Specifications SWAB Unit: Body Model ARF-95 Fiberglass Animal Transport Body, installed on Chassis Color – White Fresh air Blower, can be stand alone, Tie-In or in‐

149604 July 15, 1t $14.62

PRINT ADVERTISING WORKS

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

stalled.

Bottom of the unit to be completely enclosed to reduce heat build up‐ around animal compart‐ ments.

Interior One-piece animal com‐ partments Smooth fiberglass fin‐ ish – rounded corners for easy clean-out Drain pan in front of each compartment 6 Animal compartments 1 storage unit compart‐ ment Fresh air blowers – Dual fan installed inside blower hood on top of the body with CFM air delivery.

Power driven fresh air delivered to each com‐ partment, NOT circulated to each compartment. o Compliance: Vehicles must comply with all rel‐ evant federal, state, and local regulations, includ‐ ing those related to envi‐ ronmental standards, safety, and accessibility. o Warranty and Mainte‐ nance: Provide details on the warranty and main‐ tenance services offered. o Delivery Schedule: Ve‐ hicle, fully wrapped, needs to be delivered and fully paid for by Dec 31st, 2025 or unwrapped vehicle needs to be deliv‐ ered and fully paid for by Dec 31st , 2025.

5. Federal Funding Re‐ quirements The purchase of these vehicles is funded by fed‐ eral grants. As such, the selected vendor must ad‐ here to the following fed‐ eral requirements: o Buy America Require‐ ments: All vehicles must comply with the Buy America Act, which man‐ dates that all manufac‐ tured products are pro‐ duced in the United States. o Disadvantaged Busi‐ ness Enterprise (DBE) Re‐ quirements: Vendors are encouraged to engage with DBEs. Provide infor‐ mation on how your pro‐ posal supports DBE par‐ ticipation. o Davis-Bacon Act: If ap‐ plicable, ensure compli‐ ance with wage rate re‐ quirements as per the Davis-Bacon Act. o Administrative Require‐ ments: Adherence to fed‐ eral grant administrative requirements, including procurement standards and record-keeping. o Sam.gov: Must not be debarred from doing business with the federal government and organi‐ zation can be found as such when searched on Sam.gov o Conflict of Interest: must disclose any actual or perceived conflict of interest with the LASPCA or any of LASPCA board members, executive leadership, or persons employed by LASPCA in‐ volved in procurement of this vehicle. o 6. Proposal Submission Requirements Proposals must include: o Cover Letter: Include a brief introduction and summary of the vendor’s qualifications. o Technical Proposal: De‐ tailed description of how the vehicle specifications and requirements will be met. o Cost Proposal: Detailed pricing information, in‐ cluding any applicable taxes, fees, and delivery costs. o Compliance Documen‐ tation: Evidence of com‐ pliance with federal re‐ quirements, including certifications, non-de‐ barment status, conflict of interest statement, and attestations. o References: At least three references from previous clients with similar vehicle procure‐ ment projects.

7. Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evalu‐ db d h f ll

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Additional jobless pay set to begin

ELEC TION 2020 PRESIDENT

THE RACE IS ON

Unemployed to get $600 more per week from stimulus package

BY SAM KARLIN

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS: THE LATEST

CASES IN LA.

652 deaths

17,030 positive cases INSIDE ä Mnuchin:

Direct deposits to start next week, 2A

Public sale terms, rules, and regulations will be made available prior to the sale. All sales are subject to cancellation. We reserve the right to refuse any bid. Payment must be in cash or credit card-no checks. Buyers must secure the units with their own personal locks. To claim tax-exempt status, original RESALE certificates for each space purchased is required. By PS Retail Sales, LLC, 701 Western Avenue, Glendale, CA 91201.

(818) 244-8080.

ä La. nursing

home deaths up to 130, 5A

ä More testing

options available in N.O., 1B

Staff writer

Louisiana is set to start doling out supercharged unemployment benefits of $600 more a week on Monday, providing the first wave of relief to a staggering number of residents seeking aid as the coronavirus rocks the state’s economy.

But as benefits begin flowing and officials project no part of Louisiana is on track to run out of hospital beds or ventilators in the coming 10 days, Gov. John Bel Edwards warned Wednesday it will be a long time before things return to normal.

Until there is a vaccine and medication that can treat the virus — prospects that are months or longer away — Edwards said people will likely not see “life as you knew it before COVID-19.”

Although at some point restrictions will be loosened, it remains unclear exactly what that will look like, Edwards said. The state will rely heavily on the federal government and will need far more testing, along with contact tracing and isolation of patients who later test positive, he said.

“I promise you no matter what the timeline looks like, it’s going to be quicker if everyone follows the stay-at-home order,” the governor said.

In the meantime, as the order is set to keep thousands of businesses closed until at least April 30, the Louisiana Workforce Commission will start paying out the extra $600 per week benefit to unemployed Louisiana

ä See JOBLESS, page 6A

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a March campaign rally in Detroit.

Staff writer

NOLA.COM/SUBSCRIBE

Louisiana public school superintendents Wednesday asked Gov. John Bel Edwards to extend his schools closure order through the end of the academic year because of the coronavirus.

The request significantly boosts chances that classrooms will remain locked for nearly 720,000 public school students

and that the school year will have effectively ended for many students on March 13.

“By not having students return to school facilities this school year combined with social distancing intervention there could be lessening or even prevention of further community spread of the virus,” superintendents said in their request to the governor.

ä See SCHOOLS, page 6A

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a January rally in Washington, D.C.

Sanders drops out, leaving former Vice President Biden the presumptive Democratic challenger to Trump

BY WILL WEISSERT

Superintendents want schools to stay closed

BY WILL SENTELL

148906-520562-jul 15-1t $ 2,295

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bernie Sanders ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, making Joe Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in a general election campaign that will be waged against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sanders initially ex- Sanders ceeded sky-high expectations about his ability to re-create the magic of his 2016 presidential bid and even overcame a heart attack in October. But he couldn’t convert unwavering support from progressives into a viable path to the nomination, with “electability” fears fueled by questions about whether his democratic socialist ide-

ology would be palatable to general election voters.

“The path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders told supporters Wednesday. “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign, but it’s just not there.”

He called Biden a “very decent man” but didn’t offer an explicit endorsement of the former vice president. Sanders said his name would remain on the ballot in states that have not yet held primaries so he can gain more delegates and “exert significant influence” on the Democratic platform.

Biden, who is backed by much of the party’s establishment, told supporters at a virtual fundraiser that he had a “short conversation” with Sanders on Wednesday.

“He didn’t just run a political campaign. He created a movement,” Biden said. “That’s a good thing for our na-

tion and our future. His campaign has ended, but I know his leadership will continue.”

Trump sought to foment the tension among Democrats by tweeting Wednesday that the party stacked the race against Sanders. The president said the senator’s supporters “should come to the Republican Party.”

Sanders began his latest White House bid facing questions about whether he could win back the supporters who chose him four years ago as an insurgent alternative to Hillary Clinton. Despite winning 22 states in 2016, there were no guarantees he’d be a major presidential contender this cycle.

But Sanders used strong polling and solid fundraising — collected almost entirely from small donations made online — to quiet early doubters. Like the first time, he attracted widespread

ä See RACE, page 4A

8D ✦ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Public Notices Bids/Proposals p ated based on the follow‐ ing criteria: o Compliance with Speci‐ fications: How well the proposed vehicles meet the specified require‐ ments. o Cost: Overall cost, in‐ cluding pricing and any additional fees. o Vendor Experience: Relevant experience and qualifications of the ven‐ dor. o Compliance with Fed‐ eral Requirements: Ad‐ herence to federal fund‐ ing requirements and regulations. o Delivery Schedule: Abil‐ ity to meet the specified delivery timeline.

8. Submission Instruc‐ tions All proposals must be submitted by August 10th, 2025, 2pm CST, to Anne Chapman achap‐ Late man@laspca.org. submissions will not be considered.

8. Additional Information For any questions or re‐ quests for clarification this RFP, regarding contact Anne please Chapman at achapma@ laspca.org by July 31st ,2025.

9. Right to Reject The LASPCA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informalities or irregular‐ ities in the proposal process, and to negotiate with any or all qualified vendors to ensure the best possible outcome the procurement for process.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Thank you for your inter‐ est in this RFP. We look forward to receiving your proposal.

149680-jul 15-31 $1,561 PUBLIC NOTICE --The New Orleans Public Management, Facility Inc., (“NOPFMI”) is re‐ questing quotes for C2146 Provide Retro-Com‐ missioning Consulting Services.

Quotes are due Friday, July 25, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at which time proposals received on time and in the correct location will be considered. Quotes Documents may be ob‐ tained online at Central Bidding - Morial Conven‐ tion Center or by con‐ tacting the Contracts De‐ partment at (504) 582or contracts@ 3562 All re‐ mccno.com. sponses must be submit‐ ted in accordance with the quote documents.

149629-JUL 15-17-2T $17.24

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

LASPCA 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd New Orleans, LA 70114 achapman@laspca.org

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) No. CC-25-01 DISTRBUTED ENERGY RESOURCE ADVISOR ISSUED: JUNE 16, 2025 The Council of the City of ( )

lll

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

y New Orleans (Council) is seeking to retain a pro‐ fessional(s) to serve as an advisor with expertise in distributed energy re‐ sources (DER) to assist the Council in the poten‐ tial development of pro‐ grams to expand the use and availability of DER facilities, including but not limited to virtual power plants, micro‐ grids, and battery stor‐ age. Responses must be submitted to Erin Spears at espears@nola.gov by Friday, July 18. Please visit council.nola.gov/ contracts to view the complete request for qualifications and pro‐ posals.

p tures $21,400,000. Antici‐ pated Revenues are ex‐ pected to meet expendi‐ tures.

Publication Dates: July 14, July 15, and July 17 149624-jul 14-17-3t $40.44 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Belle Chasse Acad‐ emy will conduct the FY25-26 School Budget Hearing in the school li‐ brary on August 4, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The proposed budget will be available for the public inspection in the Belle Chasse Acad‐ emy’s Front Office start‐ ing on July 16, 2025. The FY 25-26 budget will be in line with the previous year’s budget. A sum‐ mary of the proposed budget is Instructional $11,000,00; Support Ser‐ vices $8,500,00; Non-In‐ Services structional $1,900,000. Total Expendi‐ $ i i

CLASSIFIEDS.NOLA.COM

Legal Notices

RFP documents will be available electronically beginning June 16, 2025.

Proposals are due to the United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 500 Poydras Street, Rm. B505, New Orleans, LA 70130 by 5:00 p.m., on July 31, 2025.

147665-jul 15-1t $99.43 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Jefferson Parish Lead Safe Program is hosting open house op‐ portunities in Jefferson Parish. We are in need of contractors that are able to perform lead remedia‐ tion and other construc‐ tion needs. If interested in these open house op‐ portunities on July 16th and 18th , please contact 504-736-6262 and ask to with someone speak from the Lead Safe Pro‐ gram Team.

144146-JUN 16-24-JUL 1-715-21 $630.36 PUBLIC NOTICE --UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA IN RE: THE MATTER OF STEWART BARGE NUM‐ BER TWELVE, L.L.C., AS OWNER OF THE SC 740 BARGE, PETITIONING FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

149727-JUL 15-1T $7.13

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

CIVIL ACTION NO.: 25-1300 SECTION: M (1)

TREATMENT SOLICITATIONS

NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The United States Proba‐ tion Office for the East‐ ern District of Louisiana (LAEP) is currently ac‐ cepting Request for Pro‐ posals (RFP) for treat‐ ment services, for sub‐ stance abuse and mental health for the Greater New Orleans area. Fur‐ ther information and pro‐ posal documents may be electronically obtained by downloading the RFP documents located on the LAEP webpage:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Stewart Barge Num‐ ber Twelve, L.L.C. ("Stew‐ art Barge"), as owner of the SC 740 Barge, its equipment, gear, furni‐ ture, appurtenances, etc. ("the Vessel"), has filed a Complaint, pursuant to 46 U.S.C. §§ 30501, et for exoneration seq., from or limitation of lia‐ bility for all claims for any and all loss of life, in‐ jury, loss of property, de‐ struction, or damage, arising out of or related h id i

https://www.laep. uscourts.gov/solicitatio ns

Legal Notices

g to the Incident occurring on January 3, 2025, al‐ legedly involving the SC 740, which happened on navigable waters in or New Orleans, near Louisiana, all as is more fully described in Stew‐ art Barge's Complaint For Exoneration From or Lim‐ itation of Liability ("Com‐ plaint").

All persons having such claims must file their re‐ spective claims, as pro‐ vided in Rule F of the Supplemental Rules for Admiralty or Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk of Court for the Eastern District of Carol L. Louisiana, Michel, United States Courthouse, 500 Poydras Street, Room C151, New Orleans, LA 70130, and serve a copy must thereof on counsel for Limitation Petitioner, Jef‐ ferson R. Tillery, L. Eti‐ enne Balart, and Sara B. Kuebel of the firm of Jones Walker LLP, 201 St. Charles Ave., 48th Floor, New Orleans, LA 70170 on or before the 31st day of July, 2025, or be de‐ faulted.

If any claimant desires to contest either the right to exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability, that claimant shall file and serve on counsel for the Limita‐ tion Petitioner an answer to the Complaint on or before the aforesaid date unless the claim has in‐ cluded an answer, so designated, or be de‐ faulted.

Personal attendance is not required. /seal/ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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Public Notices Successions

PUBLIC NOTICE --24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATE OF LOUISIANA SUCCESSION OF HELEN JACKSON PLAI‐ SANCE NO. 860-631 DIV. ”M” NOTICE BY PUBLICATION OF APPLICATION FOR AU‐ THORITY TO SELL IM‐ MOVABLE PROPERTY NOTICE is hereby given that Ruby Pearl Jackson, duly qualified Adminis‐ trator of the Succession of HELEN JACKSON PLAI‐ SANCE, has made appli‐ cation to the Court for authority to sell Dece‐ dent’s full interest in and to the following immov‐ able property at private sale, to-wit:

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JAMES H. BALL, SR.

/s/ L. Guillot Deputy Clerk of Court

heirs, legatees, Any and/or creditors of the deceased who oppose the sale must do so within seven (7) days of the last date of publica‐ tion issued. After seven (7) days from the last publication the Court may issue an order au‐ thorizing the sale of the property for the price and sum of Twenty-Five Thousand and 00/100 ($25,000.00) all cash to seller, at private sale.

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P R ES I D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

/s/ Carol L. Michel Clerk of Court

THAT CERTAIN PIECE OR PORTION OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, appurte‐ servitudes, nances and advantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining sit‐ uated in the City of West‐ wego, Parish of Jeffer‐ son, State of Louisiana, and forming part of the SUBDIVI‐ WHITEHOUSE SION, according to a plan of resubdivision of Lots 20 and 21 of Square 59,

by J.J. Krebs & Sons, Inc., dated September 2, 1966; said plan being approved by the Mayor and Board of Alderman of the City of Westwego by Ordi‐ nance No. 671, adopted on December 19, 1966, copy of which plan and ordinance are on file in the office of the Clerk of Court for the Parish of Jefferson, in COB 650, folio 897, said lot is des‐ ignated as LOT 20-B of Square 59, which said square is bounded by Av‐ enue “F”, Eight Street, Avenue “E” and Seventh Street; said Lot 20-B mea‐ sures 64 feet front on Av‐ enue “F”, the same width in the rear, by a depth of 62.90 feet between equal and parallel lines. All as more fully shown on a plat of survey made by Gerald B. Dunn, Land Sur‐ veyor, dated April 26, 1977, said Lot-B forms the corner of Avenue “F” and Eight Street, and has the same boundaries and dimension as above set forth.

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