The Times-Picayune 08-08-2025 by The Advocate

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staff writer

Elmer Chocolate,the Louisiana candymakerbest known for its seasonal boxed chocolates and Gold Brick and Heavenly Hash eggs, has been sold to afamily-owned conglomerate based in Florida, ending local ownership of the Ponchatoula manufacturer after nearly two centuries. Hoffman Family of Companies, which describesitself

as a“family equity” ﬁrm that operates 120 different companies and brands, including hotels, wineries, airlinesand newspapers, declined to disclose what it paid for Elmer, which has estimated annual revenues of around $100 million.

But Hoffman co-CEO Geoff Hoffman said his firm’sinvestment philosophy is to buy strong local brands and help

Arthur Hunter ends N.O.

Ex-judge endorses Royce Duplessis

BYJAMES FINN Staff writer

Arthur Hunter,aretired New Orleans judge who mounted alongshot runfor mayor,onThursday ended that bid to stump for opponent Royce Duplessis, another shake-up in the city’smarquee competition this election cycle. Since joining the race in February,Hunter struggled tocarve apath to victory.Heraisedover

$250,000 since launching his campaign with no cash, but faced dif-

ficultiesraising more, and saw his polling numbers erode after Duplessis, astate senator,announcedhis bid inJune. Arecent poll by New Orleans-basedFaucheux Strategies ranked Hunter last among four major candidates. Ratherthan limp alonginthe contest, Hunteropted to throw hissupport behind Duplessis on Thursdayatanews conference attended by residents andpoliticos who support both men. Former

Goal is to improve health outcomes, reduce Medicaid costs, officialssay

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

Louisiana’snew SNAP rules will ban soda, candy and energy drinks starting in 2026, and there are specific definitionsofwhatthat means forshoppers. Candy bars are off-limits, but families can still buy chocolate chips.Energydrinks are not allowed, but Gatoradeis, as long as it’sfull sugar and not the artificially sweetened version. Therules apply to all of the roughly 850,000 SNAP recipients in the state. The goal, according to Gov. Jeff Landry’sadministration, is to improve health outcomes andreduce the state’sMedicaid costs by limiting access to foods linked to chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity

officialssay

BYJENNA ROSS and MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writers

The roar fromthe sky shook windows and wineglasses across parts of New OrleansWednesday night. It rattled residents, too. About 10 p.m., two loud,low-ﬂying jets circled the city —louder and lower than is typical, residents said. Dogs howled, cats cowered,and Uptown andMid-City residents posted on social media, questioning the source and timing of the sound.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Arthur Hunter,left, raises handswith state Sen.Royce Duplessis on Thursday after announcing he is ending his campaign in the NewOrleans mayor’srace and endorsingDuplessis.

Elmer Chocolate CEO Rob Nelson shows someofthe

Eggs. Hoffman Family of Companies,

Helicopter strikes power lines, crashes; 2 killed

Two people working on power lines near the Mississippi River died Thursday when their helicopter hit the lines, crashed into a barge and sparked a ﬁre that belched plumes of black smoke, ofﬁcials said.

The helicopter crew was near East Alton, Illinois, about 20 miles north of St. Louis, when it careened into the barge on the Missouri side of the river. Authorities said no other injuries were reported. Adam Briggs was on the opposite shore when it all happened and ﬁlmed the crash scene.

“The helicopter was just working on these power lines, it hit the power line, blew up,” he said in the video as flames flashed through the rolling smoke.

“There was a pilot, there was a worker, the helicopter blew up and fell and crashed in that barge and it’s exploding right now.”

“They’re dead They have to be dead,” said Briggs in shock

A spokesperson for the power company Ameren said a contractor and its subcontractor had been repairing and replacing tower lighting and marker balls on lines.

U.S. doubles reward for Maduro’s arrest

MIAMI The Trump administration is doubling to $50 million a reward for the arrest of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro accusing him of being one of the world’s largest narco-trafﬁckers and working with cartels to ﬂood the U.S. with fentanyl-laced cocaine.

Maduro was indicted in Manhattan federal court in 2020, during the ﬁrst Trump presidency, along with several close allies on federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. At the time, the U.S offered a $15 million reward for his arrest That was later raised by the Biden administration to $25 million — the same amount the U.S. offered for the capture of Osama bin Laden following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Despite the big bounty, Maduro remains entrenched after defying the U.S., the European Union and several Latin American governments who condemned his 2024 reelection as a sham and recognized his opponent as Venezuela’s duly elected president.

Royal Mail stamps

celebrate Monty Python

LONDON And now for something completely different: Britain’s Royal Mail has issued stamps celebrating the absurdist comedy of Monty Python. The 10-stamp series announced on Thursday celebrates some of the troupe’s most iconic characters and catchphrases, from “Nudge, nudge” to “The Lumberjack Song.”

Six stamps depict scenes from the sketch-comedy 1969-74 TV series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” including “The Spanish Inquisition,” “The Ministry of Silly Walks,” “Dead Parrot” and “The Nude Organist.”

Another four mark the 50th anniversary of the cult classic 1975 ﬁlm “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” including one showing the limb-losing Black Knight insisting, “’Tis but a scratch.”

FBI forces out more officials

Ex-director who fought demand for Jan. 6 agents’ names among those fired

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON The FBI is forcing out more senior officials, including a former acting director who resisted Trump administration demands to turn over the names of agents who participated in Jan. 6 Capitol riot investigations and the head of the bureau’s Washington field office, according to people familiar with the matter and internal communications seen by The Associated Press.

The basis for the ouster of Brian Driscoll, who led the bureau in the turbulent weeks after President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, were not immediately clear but Driscoll’s final day at

the FBI is Friday, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss the personnel move by name and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity

“I understand that you may have a lot of questions regarding why, for which I have no answers,” Driscoll wrote in a message to colleagues. “No cause has been articulated at this time.”

Another high-profile termination is Steven Jensen, who for months had been the assistant director in charge of the Washington field office, one of the bureau’s largest and busiest. He confirmed in a message to colleagues Thursday he had been told he was being fired effective Friday

“I intend to meet this challenge like any other I have faced in this organization, with professionalism, integrity and dignity,” Jensen wrote in an email.

Jensen did not say whether he had been given a reason, but his appointment to the job in April was sharply criticized by some Trump

supporters because he had overseen a domestic terrorism section after the 2021 riot at the Capitol.

The FBI has characterized that attack, in which the Republican president’s supporters stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the certiﬁcation of election results after he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, as an act of domestic terrorism.

Spokespeople for the FBI declined to comment Thursday

The news about Driscoll and Jensen comes amid a much broader personnel purge that has unfolded over the last several months under the leadership of FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino.

Numerous senior officials including top agents in charge of big-city field offices have been pushed out of their jobs, and some agents have been subjected to polygraph exams, moves that former officials say have roiled the workforce and contributed to angst.

Driscoll was named acting director in January to replace Christopher Wray and served in the po-

Italy OKs $15.5B project for connection to Sicily

It will be world’s longest suspension bridge

BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press

MILAN Italy cleared the way Wednesday to build the world’s largest suspension bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive $15.5 billion infrastructure project that has been long delayed by debates over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of maﬁa interference.

The Strait of Messina Bridge will be “the biggest infrastructure project in the West,” Transport Minister Matteo Salvini told a news conference in Rome, after an interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the project

Preliminary work could begin between late September and early October, once Italy’s court of audit signs off, with construction expected to start next year Despite bureaucratic delays, the bridge is expected to be completed in 2032-33, Salvini said.

The Strait of Messina Bridge has been approved and canceled multiple times since the Italian government ﬁrst solicited proposals in 1969 Premier Giorgia Meloni’s administration revived the project in 2023, and this marks the furthest stage the ambitious project— ﬁrst envisioned by the Romans — has ever reached

The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 2.2 miles, with the suspended span reaching more than 2 miles, surpassing Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge, currently the longest, by 4,189 feet.

With three car lanes in each direction ﬂanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day — reducing the time to cross the strait by ferry from up to 100 minutes to 10 minutes by car

The project could provide a boost to Italy’s commitment to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP targeted by NATO, as the government has indicated it would classify the bridge as defense-related, helping it to meet a 1.5% security component. Italy argues that the bridge would form a strategic corridor for rapid troop movements and equipment deployment to NATO’s southern ﬂanks, qualifying it as a “security-enhancing infrastructure.”

Environmental groups have lodged complaints with the EU, citing concerns that the project will impact migratory birds, noting that environmental studies had not demonstrated that the project is a public imperative and that any environmental damage would be offset.

The original government decree reactivating the bridge project included language giving the Interior Ministry control over anti-maﬁa measures. But Italy’s president insisted that the project remain subject to anti-maﬁa legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects in Italy

Trump moves to shut down missions that measure CO2 and plant health

BY TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press

The Trump administration is moving to shut down two NASA missions that monitor a potent greenhouse gas and plant health, potentially shutting off an important source of data for scientists, policymakers and farmers.

President Donald Trump’s budget request for fiscal year 2026 includes no money for the Orbiting Carbon Observatories, which can precisely show where carbon dioxide is being emitted and absorbed and how well crops are growing.

NASA said in an emailed statement Wednesday that the missions were “beyond their prime mission” and being terminated “to align with the President’s agenda and budget priorities.”

But the missions — a free-ﬂying satel-

lite launched in 2014 and an instrument attached to the International Space Station in 2019 that include technology used in the Hubble Space Telescope — still are more sensitive and accurate than any other systems in the world, operating or planned, and a “national asset” that should be saved, said David Crisp, a retired NASA scientist who led their development. They helped scientists discover, for example, that the Amazon rain forest emits more carbon dioxide than it absorbs, while boreal forests in Canada, Russia and places where permafrost is melting absorb more than they emit, Crisp said. They also can detect the “glow” of photosynthesis in plants, which helps monitor drought and predict food shortages that can lead to civil unrest and famine, he said.

sition as Patel’s nomination was pending.

Driscoll made headlines after he and Robert Kissane, the thendeputy director, resisted Trump administration demands for a list of agents who participated in investigations into the Jan. 6 riot. Many within the FBI had seen that request as a precursor for mass firings, particularly in light of separate moves to fire members of special counsel Jack Smith’s team that prosecuted Trump, reassign senior career Justice Department officials and force out prosecutors on Jan. 6 cases and top FBI executives.

The FBI has moved to aggressively demote, reassign or push out agents seen as being out of favor with bureau leadership or the Trump administration.

In April, the bureau reassigned several agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police ofﬁcers.

Air Force to deny early retirement to trans members

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it would deny all transgender service members who have served between 15 and 18 years the option to retire early and would instead separate them without retirement beneﬁts.

The move means they will be faced with either taking a lump-sum separation payment offered to junior troops or being removed from the service.

An Air Force spokesperson told The Associated Press that “although service members with 15 to 18 years of honorable service were permitted to apply for an exception to policy, none of the exceptions to policy were approved.”

About a dozen service members had been “prematurely notified” that they would be able to retire before that decision was reversed, according to the spokesperson who

spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal Air Force policy All transgender members of the Air Force are being separated from the service under the Trump administration’s policies. The move comes after the Pentagon was given permission in early May by the Supreme Court to move forward with a ban on all transgender troops serving in the military Days later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a policy that would offer currently openly serving transgender troops the option to either volunteer to leave and take a large, one-time separation payout or be involuntarily separated. In late July, transgender troops told Military.com that they were ﬁnding the entire separation process, which has included reverting their service records back to their birth gender, “dehumanizing” or “open cruelty.”

IMAGE PROVIDED By WEBUILD/EUROLINK IMAGE LIBRARy

PHOTO PROVIDED By ADAM BRIGGS Smoke fills the air from a barge after a helicopter crash in the Mississippi River on Thursday.

IMAGE PROVIDED By ROyAL MAIL Royal Mail has issued a stamp for the anniversary of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Putinsayshehopes to meet with Trump

BY DASHA LITVINOVA,BARRY HATTON andMICHELLE PRICE

Associated Press

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursdayhehopes to meet next week with U.S. President Donald Trump, possibly in the United Arab Emirates, although a White House ofﬁcialcast doubton the summit occurringunless the Kremlin leader also agreed to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Putin’sannouncement came on the eve of aWhite House deadline for Moscow to show progress toward ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions.

The U.S. wasstill expected to impose those sanctions Friday on Russia, according to aWhiteHouse ofﬁcial who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke oncondition of anonymity.The same ofﬁcial said aU.S.-Russian summit would not happen if Putin doesnot agree to meet with Zelenskyy

The official did not specify whether the condition was for Zelenskyy to be present at the possible U.S.-Russia summit or at a

subsequentmeeting.

Speaking of possibledirect talks withZelenskyy,Putin said he has mentioned severaltimes that he wasnot againstit, adding: “It’s a possibility,but certain conditions needtobecreated”for it to happen.

TheKremlin has previously said Putinand Zelenskyyshouldmeet only whenanagreement negotiated bytheir delegations is close.

Although Putin said the United ArabEmirates was onepossible venue, no location or other details had been determinedThursday morning,according to the White House ofﬁcial.

Ukrainefears being sidelined by directnegotiationsbetween Washington and Moscow,and Zelenskyy said he hadphone conversations with severalEuropeanleaders Thursday amidaﬂurry of diplomatic activity

Putin’sforeignaffairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov,earlierbrushed aside the possibilityofZelenskyy joining the summit, something the White HousesaidTrump was ready to consider.Putin has spurned Zelenskyy’s previous offers of ameeting to clincha breakthrough.

“Wepropose, ﬁrst of all, to focus

on preparing abilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,”

Ushakov said, adding that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s suggestionofameeting including Ukraine’sleader “was not speciﬁcally discussed.”

Putinmade the announcement in the Kremlin aboutapossible meeting with Trumpafter meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE.

Asked who initiated the possible talks with the American president, Putin said thatdidn’tmatterand “both sides expressed an interest.”

Kirill Dmitriev,the head of Russia’ssovereign wealth fund who metwithWitkoffonWednesday, saida Trump-Putin meeting would allow Moscow to “clearly convey its position,” andhehoped asummit would include discussions on mutually beneficialeconomicissues, including joint investments in areas suchasrareearth elements

The meetingwould be theﬁrst U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.

The war has killed tens of thou-

sands of troops on both sidesand morethan12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the UnitedNations.

Western officials have repeatedly accused Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allowRussian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. Putin previously hasoffered no concessions and said he will accept asettlement only on his terms.

At the start of his second term, Trump was conciliatorytoward Putin, for whom he has long shown admiration, and even echoed some of his talking points on the war

But he recently has expressed increasing exasperation with Putin, criticizing the Kremlin leader for his unyielding stance on U.S.-led peace efforts, andhas threatened Moscow with new sanctions.

Zelenskyy said European countries must also be involved in ﬁnding asolution to the warontheir own continent.

“Ukraineisnot afraid of meetings and expects the samebold approach from the Russian side. It is timetoend the war,”headded.

Aceaseﬁre and long-term security guarantees are priorities in

potential negotiation withRussia, he said on social media. Securing atruce,deciding aformatfor asummit and providing assurances forUkraine’s future protection from invasion —aconsideration that must involve the U.S. andEurope—are crucial aspects to address, Zelenskyy said. Anew Gallup poll published Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager forapeace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July,about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate asettlementassoon as possible.

In 2022, Gallup found that about three-quarters of Ukrainians wanted to keepfightinguntil victory Nowonly about one-quarter hold that view,with support for continuing the war declining steadily across all regions and demographic groups.

The ﬁndings were based on samples of 1,000 or morerespondents ages 15 and older living in Ukraine. Some territories under entrenched Russian control, representing about 10% of the population, were excluded from surveys conducted after 2022 due to lack of access.

Cassidydenouncesend of fundingfor mRNA vaccines

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —U.S. Sen.

BillCassidy is admonishingHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’sdecisionto cancel about $500 million in vaccine research —one of his first public conflicts with Kennedy since helping him win confirmation to the job.

“It is unfortunate that the Secretary just canceleda half abillion worth of work, wasting the money which is already invested,” Cassidy wrote on X. “He has also conceded to China an important technology needed to combat cancer and infectious disease. President Trump wants to Make America Healthy Again and Make America Great Again. This works against both of President Trump’sgoals.”

Cassidy then linked to a Forbes article about Kennedy’sdecision not to fund further development of vaccine strains like the one used to develop the inoculations that ended the COVID-19 pandemic. Cassidy joined a chorus of criticism by physicians and health care experts. Kennedy’sDepartment of Health and Human Services ofﬁce did not respond to a request for comment. Cassidy’sofﬁce said the senator wouldn’thave further com-

ASSOCIATED

Committee Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, left, this week publicly criticized SecretaryofHealth and Human Services RobertF.KennedyJr.,right, for cancelling about $500 million in vaccineresearch.

ment Kennedy’s“coordinated wind-down of its mRNA vaccinedevelopmentactivities” redirected aboutalmost $500 million in development contracts with universities and privatecompanies that are developing new vaccines. Messenger ribonucleicacid(mRNA)vaccines make speciﬁc proteins that help theimmune systemto prevent ortreat disease.

The most significantadvance for mRNA medicines was stemming the COVID-19 pandemic —avaccine created inrecord time, the speed of which amountedto amajor victory inTrump’s

first term. mRNA medicines fight diseases in adifferentway than traditional medicine. An mRNA vaccine can teach the body how to makeaspecific protein thatcan help your immune system prevent or treat certain diseases.

“As the pandemic showed us, mRNA vaccinesdon’t perform well against viruses that infect theupper respiratorytract,” Kennedy said in apost Tuesday cial media.

His decisionT set off widespread test amonghealtho many of whom clai Kennedy’santi-va

stances in the past, that this is the health secretary’sbiggest moveyet to undermine the nation’svaccination program. They argued that Kennedy provided no evidence to support his opinion on mRNA vaccines.

“mRNAismorethan avaccine technology —it’saplatform for modern medicine. It enables faster,moreﬂexible responsestoemerging healththreatsand is helping to transform treatment optionsacross infectious diseases andoncology,”saida statement by Moderna Inc., apharmaceutical research firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that wasone of the ﬁrst to come up with a COVID vaccine Moderna has 15 sites in Louisiana —mostlyinBaton Rouge, New Orleansand

theirsuburbs —contracted to conduct mRNA clinical trials for ﬂu, RSV and norovirus treatments.

Cassidyinthe pastsix months hasquestionedsome of Kennedy’spolicies and made suggestions. But he has seldom criticized an act so directly

For instance in June,Cassidy wanted to waittojudge the replacements’ credentials when Kennedy fired theentireboard of civilian scientists who advise the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention on vaccines. And in late July,Cassidy opposed joining Democrats in the health community in their investigation of Kennedy’sactions. Cassidy,more than any other senator,isresponsible forthe conﬁrmation of Ken-

BY CHRISTIE D’ZURILLA

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES BrandonBlackstock,the talent manager who wasmarried to singer Kelly Clarkson for seven years, has diedof an unspeciﬁed cancer.Hewas 48. Blackstock, whose fatherNarvel Blackstock was Clarkson’smanager before his sontook over andwas married to singer Reba McEntire for 16 years, began dating Clarkson in 2011. Brandon was previously married to Melissa Ashworth, the mother of two of hischildren. He andClarkson married in aq ceremony in Tennesseeafter de elope, then welcomed adaughter andason in 2016. Theysplit in 2020 and began what acontentious divorce process. The was ﬁnalized in 2022, thenbothpart in 2024 to settle lawsuits over millio allegedly overcharged her while hermanager during theirmarriage ClarksononWednesday postponed August shows

nedy,aprominent vaccine skeptic. Several senators turnedtoCassidy forhis opinionaschair of the Senate Health Education Labor &Pensions committee and a physician for30years. The Baton Rouge Republican endorsedKennedy and mentions it often to underline aproductive relationship with PresidentDonald Trump. Cassidy faces several opponents to his reelection who are claiming the incumbent is not conservative enough. Cassidy is one of the Republicanstovote to convict Trumpofimpeachment chargesstemming fromthe Jan.6riotatthe U.S. Capitol Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate. com.

PRESS FILE PHOTO By JOHN McDONNELL

Trump seeks to change how census collects data

He’s again trying to exclude immigrants in U.S. illegally

BY JOSH BOAK, MIKE SCHNEIDER and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald

Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change the way the U.S. Census Bureau collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants who are in the United States illegally, he said Thursday The census’ data collections will be based on “modern day facts and ﬁgures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” the Republican president said on his social media platform, an indication he might try to inject his politics into a head count that determines political power and how federal funding is distributed.

Trump stressed that as part of the changes people in “our Country illegally” will be excluded from census counts. Experts said it was unclear what

exactly Trump was calling for whether it was changes to the 2030 census or a mid-decade census, and, if so, whether it would be used for a mid-decade apportionment, which is the process of divvying up congressional seats among the states based on the population count

A new census?

Any changes in the conduct of a national census, which is the biggest non-military undertaking by the federal government would require alterations to the Census Act and approval from Congress, which has oversight responsibilities, and there likely would be a ﬁerce ﬁght. While the Census Act permits a mid-decade census for things like distributing federal funding, it can’t be used for apportionment or redistricting and must be done in a year ending in 5, said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a former congressional staffer who consults on census issues.

“He cannot unilaterally order a new census. The census is governed by law, not to mention the Constitution,” Lowenthal said. “Logistically it’s a half-baked idea.”

It would be almost logistically

impossible to carry out a mid-decade census in such a short period of time, New York Law School professor Jeffrey Wice said.

“This isn’t something that you can do overnight,” said Wice, a census and redistricting expert.

“To get all the pieces put together, it would be such a tremendous challenge, if not impossible.”

Trump’s Truth Social post ﬁts into an overall pattern in which he has tried to reshape basic measures of how U.S. society is faring to his liking, a process that ranges from monthly jobs ﬁgures to how congressional districts are drawn going into the 2026 midterm elections.

A census citizenship question

In a 2019 decision, the Supreme Court effectively blocked Trump from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The 14th Amendment says that “the whole number of persons in each state” should be counted for the numbers used for apportionment, the process of allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states based on population.

The last time the census included a question about citizenship was

in 1950, and the Census Bureau’s own experts had predicted that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen.

Changes to the census could also play into the efforts by Trump to urge several Republican-led states, including Texas, to redraw their congressional maps ahead of schedule in ways that would favor GOP candidates.

Redistricting efforts

Redistricting typically occurs once every 10 years following the census, as states adjust district boundaries based on population changes, often gaining or losing seats in the process. Despite Texas having redrawn its maps just a few years ago, Trump is pressuring Republicans in the state to redistrict again, claiming they are “entitled” to ﬁve additional Republican seats. Texas Republicans have cited population growth as justiﬁcation for redrawing the congressional map. The state currently has 38 House seats, 25 held by Republicans.

Last Friday, Trump fired the

head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after standard revisions to the monthly jobs report showed that employers added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in May and June. The revisions suggested that hiring has severely weakened under Trump, undermining his claims of an economic boom.

The White House insists that the problem was the size of the revisions and that it wants accurate numbers. But outside experts disagreed with that assessment.

“Trump is basically destroying the federal statistical system,” said Margo Anderson, a professor emerita at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who has written extensively on the history of the census. “He wants numbers that support his political accomplishments, such as he sees them.”

After the citizenship question was stopped by the Supreme Court in 2019, Trump made another effort in 2020, announcing a plan to exclude people living in the country illegally from the apportionment ﬁgures. After states, cities and organizations sued lower courts ruled the plan was illegal.

Congressional redistricting fight spreading to other states

BY BILL BARROW, ISABELLA VOLMERT and TOM MURPHY Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS As President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on Republican-run states to redraw congressional boundaries, he has dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Indiana and called for a new federal census — moves reﬂecting his intent to maximize the GOP’s partisan advantages in coming elections.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said FBI Director Kash Patel had granted his request for the agency to get involved in corralling Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state to deny the Republican majority a quorum necessary to vote on a U.S. House redistricting plan at the forefront of Trump’s initiative. The FBI has not detailed what role it might attempt to play

The developments reﬂect rising intensity in a ﬁght that began in GOP-dominated Texas, spread to Democratic-run California and now seems to be mushrooming. The dynamics could embroil the 2026 midterm campaign in legislative and court battles testing Trump’s power over the Republican Party, Democrats’ ability to mount opposition and the durability of the U.S. system of federalism that balances power between Washington and individual states.

Texas has been the epicenter of Trump’s push to gerrymander congressional maps to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority in 2026. At a time when competitive House districts number just several dozen, Democrats are three seats short of a House majority under the current maps. Trump wants ﬁve more seats out of Texas to potentially avoid a repeat of the 2018 midterms, when Democrats reclaimed the House and proceeded to

thwart his agenda and impeach him twice Republican Indiana Gov Mike Braun has seemingly afﬁrmed Democrats’ warnings that Texas is a test case for the GOP to scale nationally “It looks like it’s going to happen across many Republican states,” he told reporters ahead of Vance’s visit, though he’s made no promises about his own state.

Vance holds meetings Vance met privately with Braun and others at the Indiana Capitol on Thursday Afterward, Braun sidestepped redistricting — contrasting Texas Gov Greg Abbott’s enthusiastic embrace of Trump’s demands.

“We discussed a number of issues, and I was pleased to highlight some of the great things happening in Indiana,” Braun said via his ofﬁcial social media account. Around 100 people protested at the Capitol.

“I’m 75, and I never, never thought I had to worry about our democracy being taken apart from the inside,” said Linda Linn of Indianapolis, as she held a sign warning

Braun not to disenfranchise her Braun would have to call a special session to start the redistricting process, but lawmakers have sole power to draw new maps.

Republican U.S. representatives outnumber Democrats in Indiana 7-2, limiting possibilities of squeezing out another seat.

While Braun is a staunch Trump ally in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024, Indiana lawmakers have avoided the national spotlight in recent years especially after a 2022 special session that yielded a strict abortion ban. Former Vice President Mike Pence, a past Indiana governor also holds sway over many state lawmakers and has a more measured approach to partisan politics than Trump.

Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders praised existing boundaries after adopting them four years ago. “I believe these maps reflect feedback from the public and will serve Hoosiers well for the next decade,” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric

Bray said at the time.

Rep. André Carson, one of two Indiana Democrats in the U.S. House, said he has not seen any alternate maps, calling them theoretical for now “If Republicans get too cute, they may hurt themselves,” he warned.

Still, Republicans hold a supermajority in the General Assembly, meaning Democrats could not thwart a special session by refusing to attend, as Texas Democrats are doing.

“Statehouse Dems will do everything within our power to work with Hoosiers to make sure the checks and balances remain and we remain to be the ﬁrewall not just for Indiana but for the entire country,” said state Senate minority leader Shelli Yoder, though she acknowledged there is little

the party could do to stop redistricting if Republicans choose to please Trump.

In Florida, House Speaker Daniel Perez said his chamber will take up redistricting this fall through a special committee. State Senate leaders have not yet followed Perez’s lead. Gov Ron DeSantis previously told the public to “stay tuned.”

Texas Dems still absent

Pressure has intensified on Texas Democratic lawmakers — dozens of whom remain in other states and outside the jurisdiction of civil warrants issued by the Republican majority for their return.

Under Texas legislative rules, they face $500 daily ﬁnes that exceed their compensation and cannot be paid, legally, by their campaign

accounts. Political contributions are being used to cover some costs of their travel, lodging and meals. Texas Democrats hope to run out the clock on a special session that would end Aug. 19. But Abbott could call another session, increasing prospects for an extended stalemate. California’s Gavin Newsom wants Democratic gerrymandering in his state if Texas proceeds, though voters would have to bypass an independent redistricting commission. Illinois Gov JB Pritzker and New York Gov Kathy Hochul, both of whom have appeared alongside Texas Democrats who relocated to their states, have also declared their intent to push new maps if they are necessary to neutralize Republican maneuvers.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy Protesters

Mayor Sidney Barthelemy sat in the front row; Louis Charbonnet, aformer state lawmaker from the Treme whose family owns aprominent funeral home, and Don Hubbard, founder of the political organization Southern Organization for Uniﬁed Leadership, also attended. Attorney and former U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Fayard introduced Hunter to the crowd.

“Today,I’m saying don’t vote for me. Vote for Royce Duplessis,” Hunter told the group assembled at the André Cailloux Center in the Esplanade Ridge neighborhood. “Becausethis is biggerthan me.It’sabout the kind of leadership our city needs.The kind of leadership that we share.” Duplessis then walked out to cheers and Stevie Wonder’s“Signed,Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” blasting on the loudspeaker.He thanked Hunter for his “extraordinary, selfless” decision.

“Having the judge’ssupport underscores what our

CHOCOLATE

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them expand while keeping existing management and employees in place.

“This is apure expansion and growth play for us, so no local jobcuts, no local losses,” said Hoffman, who shares the CEO titlewithhis brother,Greg Hoffman. “If there were aneed for reductions,this wouldn’tbea company we wanted to invest in.” Elmer Chocolate,which ﬁrst beganproducing candy in NewOrleans before the Civil War, now sells some 40 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate every year

Longtime Elmer CEO Rob Nelson, whose family has owned the companysince the early 1960s, said he and his brother,Michael Nelson,will remain in their roles as CEO and president, respectively, and that the investment from the Hoffman acquisition will enableElmer’stogrow beyond Valentine’sDay sweets and other seasonal goodies.

“There’sbeen alot of consolidation in our industry,” Rob Nelson said. “Tobe successful, businesses have to be larger,and Iknewwe needed to be larger than we are. Hoffman will help us get there.”

Rich history

Elmer is one of the oldest companies still operatingin the New Orleans area. It was founded in 1850 by aGerman immigrant and pastry chef named Christopher Henry Miller, whoopened theMiller CandyCompany in the Lower Garden District.

The company changed its name after Miller’sson-inlaw,Augustus Elmer and, later his children, became part of the business. In 1914, it moved to afactory in the Warehouse District.

In 1963, Roy Nelson and his son, Allan Nelson, purchased

campaign is allabout: turning the page onthe chaos and moving our city forward,” Duplessis said Candidates have long endorsedopponents after bowing out of political races. But by pledging to actively join Duplessisonthe campaign trail,Hunter’sannouncement marked an unusual moment in the archive of New Orleanselections.

Thetwo men saidthey believe it’sthe first such instanceinthe city’srecent history.SilasLee, aveteran pollster and professor at Xavier University,said he also could not recall another instance of amayoral candidatedroppingout and then hittingthe campaign trail with an opponent.

Both Lee and political scientist Ed Chervenak, who runs the University of New Orleans’SurveyResearch Center,said Hunter’s impact in hisnew role will hinge on how active he chooses to be in thecampaign goingforward.

Though he stopped short of saying whether Hunter had beenpromiseda role in aDuplessis administration, thesenator said“thiscampaign, and this administration,will be stronger”for

Hunter’sdecision.

Earlystages

The effects of that choice on the race’sbroader landscape remain to be seen. The cycleisstill in aﬂuid stage, with candidates expected to increasetheir spendingand campaignappearances after Labor Day,Sept. 1.

Still, Lee noted, Hunter’s exit means that about 5% of thecity’selectoratewho had supported him,according to the Faucheux poll, must ﬁnd another preferred candidate.

“Thislookslike ajoltofenergy for theDuplessiscampaign,” Chervenak said. “I’m sure anumber of Hunter supporters will move over to the Duplessis camp. But we’ll have to waitand see polling on that.”

Hunter will still appear on ballotsinthe Oct. 11 primary because he ofﬁcially signedupfor the race during aJuly qualifying period.

Duplessis announced his mayoralbid aweek before that sign-up period, reversing adecision to stay out of the contestheannounced sixmonthsearlier.His entry overhauled afield that hadappeared stagnant for months, withtwo City Coun-

the company from the Elmer family.The elder Nelson was aborn salesman, while the younger was an engineer who knewmanufacturing,said Rob Nelson,Allan’sson and Roy’sgrandson. In 1970, they builta new 30,000-square-foot factory on the northshore and relocated there.

In themid-20th century the candy industry operated differently than it doestoday, with regional distributors supplyinglocal retailerswith most of their products.

“So, if you went to K&B or Schwegmann’s, most of the candy —hardcandy, bagged candy,mints andstuff, was made by Elmer’s,which also managed the whole candy aisle for the retailer,”Rob Nelson said.

But that began to change as retailersconsolidated and nationalcompanies got bigger.Toremaincompetitive, the Nelsons decided in 1982 to get awayfromeveryday candies and snacks and focus on only seasonal chocolates —acategory that refers to boxed chocolates sold mostly from late November until Valentine’sDay —alongwith Eastercandy. In 2016, the companyinvested$45 million in an expansion andupgradeofits Ponchatoulafacility,adding 70,000 square feetand more

automation.

Today,Elmer’sisthe second-largestmanufacturer of heart-shaped box candy in North America.

Valentine’s, Easter candy

The seasonal candy businessaccounts for more than 90% of Elmer’srevenues, Rob Nelson said. That includes candy it makesunderalicensing agreement for Hershey’sGold, as well as an agreementithas with other candy companies that Rob Nelson cannotdiscuss because of nondisclosure agreements

Easter candy sales make up about 7% of company revenues, which may come as asurprisetoLouisianans who grew up on Heavenly Hash and Gold BrickEggs. But they’re mostlya local thing, RobNelson said, with distribution limited to the Gulf Coast from Houston to the Florida Panhandle.

Operating under aseasonal modelmeans the company worksyear-round making productsthat only sell during afew months of the year

Since interest rates and inﬂation spikedafter thepandemic, doing business that way has become more difﬁcult, which was one reason the Nelsons startedlooking for anew partner

cil members, Oliver Thomas and Helena Moreno, viewed as the front-runners, according to polls and fundraising tallies

Moreno’s campaign manager,Renée Lapeyrolerie, in astatementsaid Moreno’s campaign remained solely focused Thursday on “earning the vote and support of thepeople of New Orleans.”

“Weknowthather candidacy threatens the sameold way of doing things,” Lapeyrolerie said. “But our city needs amayor with experience to immediately take us in anew directionand do what Helena’sdone time and time again: stand up and ﬁght for thepeople.”

Aspokesperson for Thomas’ campaign declined to comment.

Hunter andDuplessis

Hunter worked briefly as a New Orleans PoliceDepartment officer,asa lawyer and thenserved on New Orleans’ criminalcourt bench for more thantwo decades. He alsoran acompetitive but ultimately unsuccessful campaign for district attorney five years ago.

In an interview this spring, he said he felt drawn to run out of adesire to extend his

“We work wayout in advancebut youdon’t getpaid for that and you have to financethatand there is this wholecycle where youborrowfor half theyear,get paid for half the year,” Rob Nelson said. “Weare trying to find the mostefficient way to grow the companyinthis world.”

Thenew owners

Hoffman Family of Companies is also afamily owned business, which madethem an attractive partner as Elmer started looking for a buyer or investor,hesaid. Though technically aprivate equity firm, Hoffman doesn’thaveoutside investors. Rather, the Hoffman family owns 100% of the120 companies in its portfolio. Though it’s notclear whatthe companies’ collective value

record of public service.

Hunter tried to position himself in the race as apolitical outsider, taking occasional jabs at Morenoand Thomas for their roles in a conﬂict between the council andMayor LaToya Cantrell that has wracked City Hall. Duplessis, apersonal injury lawyer who got his start at the Louisiana Supreme Court and who shareswith Hunter acommitment to progressive criminal justice policies, hasechoed andramped up those criticismssince joining the race.

The two menare both graduatesofSt. Augustine High School, and both played as childrenonNew Orleans Recreation Department playgrounds, Hunter noted. Some Huntersupporters signaled in recent weeks that they would shift their allegiances to Duplessis.

On Tuesday, Duplessis’ campaign announced aslate of endorsements fromNew OrleansBlack political leaders at the storied Dooky Chase restaurant. His backers include Barthelemy and Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr., standard-bearers of the 7th Ward-based Community Organization for Urban Politics, retired Louisiana Su-

is, earlier this year,founder David Hoffman wasnamed to the Forbes World’sBillionaires list with anet worth of $2 billion. Also unlike traditional private equity ﬁrms, which sometimes break apart and merge companieswithin their portfolio with plans to eventually sell them offfor aprofit,Hoffman hasonly ever sold one company,according to Geoff Hoffman, David Hoffman’sson.

“Welook forbusinesses and management teams we can partner withoverthe long haul,” he said.

Geoff Hoffman said they want to help Elmer grow into new types of markets and diversify the products it makes.

premeCourt Chief Justice Bernette Johnson and Charbonnet, the former state lawmaker whose family owns the Charbonnet Labat Glapion funeral home. The funeral home recently swapped out aHunter yard sign for alarge “Royce Duplessis for Mayor” sign facing Claiborne Avenue. Moreno, aformer TV reporter,state lawmaker and current City Council member,has dominated the race’sfundraising circuit and amassed other political backers in recent months. Shehas held fundraising andpolling leadsover the other candidates in the race with $1.7 millionin hercampaign account, according to records filed last month. Thomas took in nearly $320,000 during a period from April to early July detailedinthe records —secondonly to Moreno, whoraised$474,000inthat stretch. Over four days between his announcement thathe wouldrun andthe closeof the campaign ﬁnance reporting period on July 3, Duplessis raised $19,309, according to records. Since January, his campaign brought in $165,000.

Trend?

The acquisition is the fourth recent sale by alongtime local companytoaprivate equity ﬁrm.

In theNew Orleans area, Canal Barge and Gallo Mechanical announced deals withprivate equityfirms earlier this year.InBaton Rouge, CSRS announced it has sold.

“The basic thing is it reinforces the importance of nurturing local companies and helping to foster newones,” said GNO Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht. Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

“What we aregoing to bring to Elmer is additional stability,resources, avenues for growthand capital resources so that company can continue to thrive for many, many years,” he said.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ELMER CANDy CORP

along with thePecan Egg.

“This is aboutgetting Louisiana healthy again, which is in coordination with the president’seffort to make America healthy again,” Landry said on arecent podcast recorded at Prejean’s Restaurant in Broussard. “Snickers is not for lunch.” What’s no longer allowed

According to the federal waiver,Louisiana will prohibit SNAP purchases of soft drinks, which is deﬁned as “any carbonated nonalcoholic beverage containing high fructose corn syrup or artiﬁcial sweeteners.”

Excluded are “flavored carbonated water,” drinks, those “that contain milk or milk products, soy,rice, or similarmilksubstitutes,” and beverages with “equal to or greater than 50% of vegetable or fruit juice by volume.” That means adrink like asmoothie containing sweeteners could be exempt if it also contains milk. Energy drinks —orbeverages “containing astimulant such as fortified caffeine, guarana, glucuronolactone, or taurine” —are also offlimits. The definition includes both carbonated and noncarbonated products formulated to “enhance energy,alertness, or physical performance.”

Shoppers can still buy black coffee, coldbrew lattes and other traditional coffee drinks, but not if they are enhanced with anykind of added vitamins or supplements for energy

Finally,candy is on the banned listand is defined as “a preparation of sugar, honey,orother natural or artiﬁcial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or ﬂavorings in the form of bars,drops, or pieces.”

Not includedare “protein bars, granola barsor bakingingredients such as sprinkles, chocolate melting

AIRCRAFT

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TheLouisianaNational Guard conﬁrmed Thursday that the two F-15C ﬁghters were theirs. Aspokesperson said the planes were conducting night training exercises, whichstarted Tuesdayand continued through Thursday

Because sunset is laterin the summer,the exercises were later.And afterburners, which give ajolt of power to the jets and are also loud, were part of the training.

Crissy Bushman’s15-yearold son was upstairsintheir Garden District home when the noise descended. His glassofCoke started shaking. He texted at 10:07 p.m.: “Are we getting bombed?” He was only half-joking. Bushman has lived in the neighborhood or thenearby Irish Channel for 17 years and is used to planes passing overhead. But “last night was like nothing we’ve ever heard,” she said Thursday

wafers, toffee bits, or chocolate chips.”

AClif or KIND barisallowed, but peanut M&M’sor chocolate-covered nutsare not.

Bruce Greenstein, secretary of theLouisianaDepartment of Health, said that sodapurchases alone account for about $350 millionofthe program’stotal cost of $1.9 billion

“When we eliminatethat, we’re basically freeing up money forfamilies to go ahead and buybetter foods, whetherit’sgoing to be rice and beans…meats, vegetables, dairy products butmorerealfood, rather than synthetic candies and drinks,” Greenstein said.

Butsome advocates that work to combat hunger worry that the new SNAP restrictions could create confusion at theregister

“Wecan all envision somebody coming tothe checkout counter ready to buy their groceries, andall of asuddenyou can’t buythis, that and the other thing with the SNAPcard,” said John Sillars, chief strategy ofﬁcer at Second Harvest Food Bank. “I think that will be challengingfor them.”

Sillars said hisorganizationsupportshealthy eating, but the new rules“will mean some families are going to have fewer choices that align withtheir needs and budgets and the availability of items in nearbystores.”

Eating patterns are“inﬂuenced byseveral factors, including access to food, education and affordability,” he

The10p.m. timing, too, was unusual and “a little latefor my tastes.”

As the noise grew louder, Bushmanbracedherself for acrash that never came. Instead, the jets passed,then circled back once more.

She and her sonwentoutsidetosee what they could see.

Neighborsemerged,too:

“What thehell was that?”

“What’sgoingon?”

On social media, residents shared videos of the planes zooming across theNew Orleans skyline, their afterburners blazing.

“Jumpedout of bed,” one person posted, “thoughta jet was gonna land on the house.”

“Definitely sounded like something different,” someone replied.“Even my cats ditched.”

Another: “Thought that was theend for real.”

In astatement, NavalAir Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleanssaid it immediately investigatedreports of unusually low-ﬂyingaircraft.

“Although they may have

said, and should be paired with education andincentives for healthy purchases.

Recent changes to SNAP at thefederal leveleliminated funding that would go towardnutrition education.

Jessica Elliott, executive director of the Louisiana Retailers Association,said in an email thather members are concerned about the short timeline before the new rules take effect on Jan. 15, with“many operational changes to consider.”

There is aneed for clear communication to avoid confusion at theregister, she said, but “retailerswill continue to provide apositive shopping experience for SNAPcustomers.”

What’s newlyallowed

For theﬁrst time, thestate will also allowSNAPrecipients to purchase rotisserie chicken, ashift from longstanding federal rules banning hot food under theprogram,Greenstein said.

“Allowing rotisseriechicken or prepared food allows aparent on the way home from work to pick up foods that thekidscould eat right there,instead of snack foods or sugarfoods and pop, Greenstein saidduring the podcast

However,the waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture specifically states it does not authorize hotfoodsorother changes to the program. It’s not clear how Louisianawill implementthat change. A representative forLandry did not respond to questions.

appeared unusually low,all aircraft were well above the required minimum sector altitudes,” thestatementsaid.

“In the future, steps will be taken to ensure thecommunity is notified in advance of flight operations that may produce sudden, short burstsofnoise.”

At theChloe, aboutique hotel in arestored, 19th-century mansion on St. Charles Avenue, folks staying in two of the 14 rooms came down to find outwhatwas happening, said Desiree Pesce, roomsdirector.Was it ajet? Astreetcar?

“No, probably notthe streetcar,” Pesce said Thursday withachuckle.

Maddie Kenny,who also works at the Chloe, was at home andinbed when she heard theloud, rushing noise —then the sounds of her fourplex neighbors, waking up.Since moving into the apartment near Audubon Park about ayear ago, she’s heard loud jets pass by But neverthis loud, Kenny said.She registered the noise and itscloseness, then drifted back to sleep.

Other grocerystaples like meat, freshand frozen fruits, andvegetables, grains, dairy andsnacks like chips, crackersand ice cream are

BRIEFS

United Airlines issue fixed; snarls continue

A disruption to a system housing United Airlines’ ﬂight information that delayed more than 1,000 flights and caused hundreds of ﬂights to be canceled has been resolved, but travel disruptions continued into Thursday across the U.S

The system, called Unimatic, houses ﬂight information that is fed to other systems including those that calculate weight and balance and track flight times, according to United. It’s not clear what caused the problem, which was resolved late Wednesday While residual delays were expected, United said its team was working to restore normal operations.

About 35% of all the airline’s flights on Wednesday were delayed and 7% — 218 ﬂights — were canceled, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks ﬂight disruptions.

By Thursday afternoon, 11% of United flights for the day were delayed and 5% were canceled. Around the same time, FlightAware reported 42 cancellations at Chicago O’Hare International Airport All but one were United ﬂights.

EPA cancels $7B solar energy program

WASHINGTON The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday terminated a $7 billion grant program intended to help pay for residential solar projects for more than 900,000 lower-income U.S. households, in the latest Trump administration move hindering the nation’s shift to cleaner energy.

The funding, part of the Biden-era’s Solar for All program, was awarded to 60 recipients including states, tribes and regions for investments such as rooftop solar and community solar gardens.

Under Republican President Donald Trump, officials have pursued dozens of deregulatory measures related to federal rules intended to protect clean air and water

Only $53 million of the $7 billion awarded has been spent, according to a tally by the research ﬁrm Atlas Public Policy Several recipients said their programs were in planning phases.

Stephanie Bosh, senior vice president of the Solar Energy Industries Association, said the EPA has no legal authority to terminate grants already appropriated by Congress.

“These grants are delivering billions of dollars of investment to red and blue states alike,” she said.

The EPA has argued that tax and policy law allows the agency to rescind the money it has already obligated The recipients of that money disagree, saying the bulk of the money had already been disbursed and is not affected by the law

Trump to nominate aide to Federal Reserve board

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate a top economic adviser to the Federal Reserve’s board of governors for four months, temporarily ﬁlling a vacancy

Trump said he has named Stephen Miran, the chair of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers, to fill a seat vacated by governor Adriana Kugler, a Biden appointee who is stepping down Friday Miran, if approved by the Senate, will serve until Jan. 31.

The appointment is Trump’s ﬁrst opportunity to exert more control over the Fed. Trump has relentlessly criticized the current chair Jerome Powell, for keeping short-term interest rates unchanged, calling him “a stubborn MORON” last week on social media.

Miran has been a major defender of Trump’s income tax cuts and tariff hikes, arguing that the combination will generate enough economic growth to reduce budget deficits. He also has played down the risk of Trump’s tariffs generating higher inﬂation, a major source of concern for Powell.

Settlement proposed for merger

164 facilities would be divested in Amedisys, UnitedHealth deal

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

The U.S. Department of Justice proposed a settlement Thursday requiring Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group to divest 164 home health and hospice facilities the biggest divestiture of outpatient health services to clear the way for a merger

The proposal, if approved, would end the legal battle that followed

the DOJ’s lawsuit to stymie Amedisys and UnitedHealth’s attempted merger in November, fearing it would limit access to health services. The department also proposed that Amedisys pay $1.1 million to the United States for false certiﬁcation that they provided accurate documents to the United States.

“In no sector of our economy is competition more important to Americans’ well-being than health care. This settlement protects quality and price competition for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients and wage competition for thousands of nurses,” Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater, of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, said in the release. “I commend the Antitrust Division’s Staff

for doggedly investigating and prosecuting this case on behalf of seniors, hospice patients, nurses, and their families.”

UnitedHealth announced plans in 2023 to purchase Baton Rougebased Amedisys for $3.3 billion, or $101 a share. Amedisys said it would divest from some home health centers before the deal closing.

The deal calls for Amedisys to continue as a wholly owned subsidiary of UnitedHealth, with an ofﬁce in Baton Rouge and operations in Nashville, Tennessee.

The proposed divestiture would impact home health and hospice locations in 19 states. The only affected location in Louisiana is Amedisys Hospice in Lake Charles, according to a map of divestiture

locations. In total, the 164 proposed divestiture locations account for $528 million in revenue, according to the release.

The settlement also would require UnitedHealth to be monitored for compliance to the divestiture and enact regulations that would prevent the company from obstructing the divested locations’ buyers. They must also present resources for buyers to compete in areas in which they overlap.

If UnitedHealth does not receive regulatory approval for divestiture, it must divest from eight more home health and hospice facilities, according to the release.

The U.S. District Court in the District of Maryland will determine the settlement’s ﬁnal judgment.

Trump’s new tariffs go into effect

U.S. economy shows signs of strain

BY JOSH BOAK and STAN CHOE Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump began imposing higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday just as the economic fallout of his monthslong tariff threats has begun to cause visible damage to the U.S. economy.

Just after midnight, goods from more than 60 countries and the European Union became subject to tariff rates of 10% or higher Products from the EU, Japan and South Korea are taxed at 15%, while imports from Taiwan, Vietnam and Bangladesh are taxed at 20%. Trump also expects the EU, Japan and South Korea to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States.

“I think the growth is going to be unprecedented,” Trump said Wednesday He said the U.S. was “taking in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs,” but did not provide a specific figure for revenues because “we don’t even know what the ﬁnal number is”

regarding the rates.

Despite the uncertainty, the White House is conﬁdent that the onset of his tariffs will provide clarity about the path for the world’s largest economy. Now that companies understand the direction the U.S. is headed, the Republican administration believes it can ramp up new investments and jump-start hiring in ways that can rebalance America as a manufacturing power

So far, however, there are signs of self-inﬂicted wounds to the U.S. as companies and consumers brace for the impact of the new taxes.

Hiring began to stall, inﬂationary pressures crept upward and home values in key markets started to decline after the initial tariff rollout in April, said John Silvia, CEO of Dynamic Economic Strategy

“A less productive economy requires fewer workers,” Silvia said. “But there is more, the higher tariff prices lower workers’ real wages. The economy has become less productive, and ﬁrms cannot pay the same real wages as before. Actions have consequences.”

Many economists say the risk is that the American economy is steadily eroded.

“It’s going to be ﬁne sand in the gears and slow things down,” said Brad Jensen, a pro-

fessor at Georgetown University

The lead-up to Thursday ﬁt the slapdash nature of Trump’s tariffs, which have been rolled out, walked back, delayed, increased, imposed by letter and renegotiated.

Trump on Wednesday announced additional 25% tariffs to be imposed on India because of its purchases of Russian oil, bringing its total import taxes to 50%.

A leading group of Indian exporters said that will affect nearly 55% of the country’s outbound shipments to America and force exporters to lose long-standing clients.

The Swiss executive branch, the Federal Council, was expected to meet Thursday after President Karin Keller-Sutter and other Swiss ofﬁcials returned from a hastily arranged trip to Washington in a failed bid to avert a 39% U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods.

The president’s use of a 1977 law to declare an economic emergency to impose the tariffs is under a legal challenge. Even people who worked with Trump during his ﬁrst term are skeptical, such as Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin Republican who was House speaker

“There’s no sort of rationale for this other than the president wanting to raise tariffs based upon his whims, his opinions,” Ryan told CNBC on Wednesday

Trump opens door for private equity, crypto retirement options

BY KEN SWEET Associated

plans could invest in alternative assets, particularly private equity cryptocurrencies and real estate. The Republican president’s order directs the Labor Department and other agencies to redeﬁne what would be considered a qualiﬁed asset under 401(k) retirement rules.

of stock and bond investments, and to a much lesser extent, cash and heavily traded commodities such as gold. Trump’s move rewards both the $5 trillion private equity industry, which for decades has wanted to compete for a role in retirement plans, and the cryptocurrency industry whose executives strongly supported Trump’s 2024 campaign as they aimed for more mainstream acceptance among Americans. The price of bitcoin has nearly doubled since Trump was elected Under Democratic President Joe Biden, federal regulators were to treat cryptocurrency investments with “extreme care” because of the extreme volatility of crypto. For cryptocurrency companies, which donated millions to Trump’s campaign as well as his inauguration, one goal was to get their industry qualified under ERISA. Coinbase, one of the largest crypto companies in the United States, was also a major donor toward Trump’s military parade in Washington this summer Under Trump, the Securities and Exchange Commission dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase, where the Biden administration said crypto should be treated as a security

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GREGORIO BORGIA Stacks of containers stand Thursday near a cargo ship in the Civitavecchia Harbour, Italy.

EddiePalmieri, pioneeringLatin jazz musician,dies

BY SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS Associated Press

Eddie Palmieri, the avantgardemusicianwho was one of the most innovative artists of rumba and Latin jazz, has died. He was 88.

Fania Records announced Palmieri’sdeath Wednesday evening. Palmieri’sdaughter Gabriela told The New York Times that her father diedearlier that dayathis home in New Jersey after “an extended illness.”

The pianist, composer and bandleader was theﬁrst Latino to win aGrammy Award and would winseven more over acareer that spanned nearly 40 albums Palmieri was born in New York’sSpanish Harlem on Dec. 15, 1936, at atime when music was seenasa way out of the ghetto. He began studying the pianoat an early age, likehis famous brother Charlie Palmieri, but at age13, he began playing timbales in his uncle’s orchestra, overcomewitha desire for the drums. He eventually abandoned the instrument and went back to the playing piano. “I’m afrustrated percussionist, so Itake it out on the piano,” the musician once said in his website biography

His first Grammy win came in 1975 for the album “The Sun of Latin Music,” and he kept releasing mu-

2001, at the Staples Center in LosAngeles

sic into his80s,performing through the coronavirus pandemic vialivestreams.

In a2011 interview with TheAssociated Press, when asked ifhehad anything importantlefttodo, he responded with his usual humility andgoodhumor: “Learning to play the piano well. Being apiano player is onething.Beinga pianist is another.” Palmieri dabbledintropical music as apianist during the 1950swith the Eddie Forrester Orchestra. He later joined Johnny Seguí’sband and Tito Rodríguez’sbefore forming his own band in 1961, La Perfecta,alongside

trombonist Barry Rogers and singerIsmael Quintana. La Perfecta was the ﬁrst to feature atrombonesection insteadoftrumpets, something rarely seenin Latin music. With itsunique sound, the band quickly joined theranks of Machito, Tito Rodríguez, and other Latin orchestras of thetime. Palmieri produced several albums on the Alegre andTicoRecords labels, includingthe 1971 classic “Vámonos pa’l monte,” with his brother Charlie as guest organist.Charlie Palmieri died in 1988. Eddie’sunconventionalapproach would surprisecrit-

Judgeorderstemporary halt to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’construction

BY DAVID FISCHER Associated Press

MIAMI Afederal judgeon Thursday ordered atemporary halt to construction at an immigration detention center —built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” —asattorneys argue whether it violates environmental laws.

The facility cancontinue to operateand hold detainees for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but workers will be barred from adding any new ﬁlling, paving or infrastructure for the next 14 days. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued the ruling during ahearing and said she would issue awritten order later Thursday Environmental groups andthe Miccosukee Tribe have askedWilliams to issue apreliminary injunction to halt operations and further construction. The suit claims the project threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that arehometo protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars’ worth of environmental restoration.

Plaintiffs presented wit-

BY MARK SCOLFORO and MARC LEVY Associated Press

A61-year-oldman fatally shot aneighbor in rural Pennsylvania Thursday and then ambushed responding state troopers, wounding two while firing dozensof rounds from asemiautomatic weapon, police said. Lori Wasko’s boyfriend called911 after11a.m.from their home near Thompson to report shots fired, state police Col. Christopher Paris told reporters. Wasko,57, was shot and killedoutside her home near her vehicle, police said. Police provided no information about amotive in the shooting. Aman identified as Carmine Faino, 61, shot Wasko andthen shot troopers Joseph Perechinsky and William Jenkins as they were arriving, Paris said. The troopers’ police vehicles were hit by multiple bullets, he said.

Both troopers were in stable condition with serious injuries Wednesday night, he said. Paris said the troopers

“were dispatched to check

nessesWednesdayand Thursday in support of the injunction, while attorneys for thestate and federal government were scheduled to present next week.

FollowingThursday’stestimony, Paul Schwiep, anattorney for the environmental groups, askedWilliamsto issuea temporary restrainingorder that would at least prevent anynew construction at thesitewhile the preliminaryinjunction was argued

Williams askedFlorida attorney Jesse Panuccio if the state would agree to halt construction so that she wouldn’tneed to issue the restraining order. She pointed out that anything built at the site would likely remain there permanently, regardless of how thecase was ultimately decided.

Panuccio said he couldn’t guarantee that thestate would stop all work.

Schwiep said thepurpose of the facility is for immigration enforcement, which is exclusively afederal function.Hesaid thefacility wouldn’texistifitwasn’t for the federal government’s desire for afacility to hold detainees

Williams said thatthe

detention facility was at a minimum ajoint partnership between the stateand federal government.

thewelfare of an individual.

Andthere was additional information aboutshots being ﬁred. Butupon their arrival, they were immediately ﬁred upon and ambushed. They are very luckytobealive.”

Perechinsky applied a tourniquet to Jenkins, and athird trooper was able to help rescue them, Paris said.

Paris praised Perechinsky for his actions after being shot, providing first aid to his colleague and working to prevent further injuries or death

“Perechinskywas able to commandeer atractortrailerthat was driving by, and heordered the driver of that tractor-trailer to pull his semi rig across theroadway so that more people would notdrive down that roadway andpotentially besubjected to the ﬁre” that had been directed at Larson, Paris said.

Gov.Josh Shapiro called the twotroopers heroes and said Perechinsky “saved lives.”

Faino had arifle anddid notcomplywith demands, a statepolicestatement said He was “ultimatelyshotand killed during the incident,” police said

Palmierireleased thealbum “Masterpiece” in 2000, which teamed him with the legendary Tito Puente, who diedthatyear.Itwas ahit with critics and won two Grammy Awards. The album was also chosen as the mostoutstanding production of the year by the National Foundation forPopular Culture of Puerto Rico.

During hislongcareer,he participated in concerts and recordings with the Fania All-Stars andTicoAll-Stars,

ics and fans again thatyear with the release of “Harlem River Drive,” in which he fused Black and Latin styles to produce asoundthatencompassed elementsofsalsa, funk, soul and jazz. Later,in1974, he recorded “The Sun of LatinMusic” with ayoung Lalo Rodríguez. The album became the ﬁrst Latin production to win aGrammy.The following year he recordedthe album “Eddie Palmieri &Friends in Concert, Live at the UniversityofPuertoRico,” considered by manyfans to be a salsa gem In the 1980s, he won two more Grammy Awards, for thealbums “Palo pa’rumba” (1984) and “Solito”(1985) Afew years later,heintroduced thevocalist La India to the salsa worldwith the production “LlegóLaIndia vía Eddie Palmieri.”

standing out as acomposer arranger, producer,and orchestra director In 1988, theSmithsonian Institute recordedtwo of Palmieri’sconcerts forthe catalog of the National Museum of AmericanHistory in Washington. He worked with renowned musicians such as timbalero Nicky Marrero, bassist Israel “Cachao” López, trumpeter Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros, trombonist Lewis Khan, and Puerto Rican bassist Bobby Valentín. In 2010, Palmieri said he felt abit lonely musically due to the deaths of manyof the rumberos with whom he enjoyed playing with.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KEVORK DJANSEZIAN

Tito Puente Jr center, speaks after Eddie Palmieri, left, and thelateTito Puente winthe Grammy for best salsa album for ‘Masterpiece/ObraMaestra’ at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 21,

Netanyahu: Israel plans to take over all of Gaza

BY MELANIE LIDMAN and WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that to destroy Hamas Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip and eventually transfer its administration to friendly Arab forces, as the Security Cabinet discussed a widening of its 22-month offensive.

Expanding military operations in Gaza would put the lives of countless Palestinians and the roughly 20 remaining Israeli hostages at risk while further isolating Israel internationally Israel already controls around three quarters of the devastated territory Families of hostages held in Gaza fear an escalation could doom their loved ones, and some protested outside the Security Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. Former top Israeli security ofﬁcials have also come out against the plan, warning of a quagmire with little added military beneﬁt.

An Israeli ofﬁcial had earlier said the Security Cabinet would discuss plans to conquer all or parts of Gaza not yet under Israeli control. The ofﬁcial, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal decision, said that whatever is approved would be implemented gradually to increase pressure on Hamas.

Israel’s air and ground war has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyedvastareasandcaused severe and widespread hun-

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump recognized nearly 100 recipients of the Purple Heart at the White House on Thursday, including three service members who gave him their own medals after an attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania campaign rally

Trump opened the event marking National Purple Heart Day by noting that dozens of the award’s recipients were at the ceremony in the East Room. The Republican president offered “everlasting thanks to you and your unbelievable families.”

But he had special words for the trio of veterans who sent Trump their medals after the 2024 shooting in Butler Trump said the trio, “showed me the same unbelievable gesture of kindness.”

“What a great honor to get those Purple Hearts I guess, in a certain way it wasn’t that easy for me either, when you think of it,” Trump said of the attempt on his life. “But you went through a lot more than I did, and I appreciate it very much.” After a shooter’s bullet pierced the upper part of

ger Palestinians are braced for further misery.

“There is nothing left to occupy,” said Maysaa alHeila, who is living in a displacement camp. “There is no Gaza left.”

At least 42 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings across southern Gaza on Thursday, according to local hospitals.

Asked in an interview with Fox News ahead of the Security Cabinet meeting if Israel would “take control of all of Gaza,” Netanyahu replied:

“We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza.”

“We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter,” Netanyahu said in the interview “We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly

without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.”

The Security Cabinet, which would need to approve such a decision, began meeting Thursday evening, according to Israeli media, and it was expected to stretch into the night.

Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned against occupying Gaza, saying it would endanger the hostages and put further strain on the military after nearly two years of war according to Israeli media reports.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war Most of the hostages have been released in ceaseﬁres or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed

Trump’s right ear in Butler just days before the 2024 Republican National Convention, the then-Republican presidential candidate was gifted medals from some Purple Heart recipients The medals were presented to him at campaign events during the race’s closing months.

According to the White House, some of those Purple Heart recipients were brought to Trump’s campaign stops so that he could return their medals to them National Purple Heart Day is marked annually on Aug. 7.

The Purple Heart, the oldest military award still in use and is awarded to service members who are killed or wounded while engaging in enemy action or resulting from acts of terrorism. According to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, more than 1.8 million medals have been presented since the award’s inception in 1782.

Trump also highlighted the stories of valor of other Purple Heart recipients, including Army Spc Kevin Jensen whose Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb in

does not say how many were fighters or civilians.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals who keep and share detailed records.

The United Nations and independent experts view the ministry’s ﬁgures as the most reliable estimate of casualties. Israel has disputed them without offering a toll of its own.

by Israel to be alive.

Almost two dozen relatives of hostages set sail from southern Israel toward the maritime border with Gaza on Thursday, where they broadcast messages from loudspeakers.

Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod Cohen, an Israeli soldier held in Gaza, said from the boat that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to satisfy extremists in his governing coalition Netanyahu’s far-right allies want to escalate the war relocate most of Gaza’s population to other countries and reestablish Jewish settlements that were dismantled in 2005.

“Netanyahu is working only for himself,” Cohen said.

Israel’s military offensive has killed over 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which

Afghanistan in 2008. Jensen pulled fellow Purple Heart recipient, Capt. Sam Brown, from the ﬂames. “He ﬂew 10 feet up in the

Of the 42 people killed on Thursday, at least 13 were seeking aid in an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where U.N. aid convoys are regularly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds. Another two were killed on roads leading to nearby sites run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites on Thursday There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military

The military zone, known as the Morag Corridor is off limits to independent media.

Hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks while heading to GHF sites and in chaotic scenes around U.N. convoys, most of which are overwhelmed by looters and crowds of hungry people. The U.N. human rights ofﬁce, witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have regularly opened ﬁre toward the crowds.

Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity known by its French acronym MSF, published a blistering report denouncing the GHF distribution system. “This is not aid. It is orchestrated killing, “ it said.

MSF runs two health centers very close to GHF sites in southern Gaza and said it had treated 1,380 people injured near the sites between June 7 and July 20, including 28 people who were dead upon arrival. Of those, at least 147 had suffered gunshot wounds — including at least 41 children.

MSF said hundreds more suffered physical assault injuries from chaotic scrambles for food at the sites, including head injuries, suffocation, and multiple patients with severely aggravated eyes after being sprayed at close range with pepper spray

“The level of mismanagement, chaos and violence at GHF distribution sites amounts to either reckless negligence or a deliberately designed death trap,” the report said.

GHF said the “accusations are both false and disgraceful” and accused MSF of “amplifying a disinformation campaign” orchestrated by Hamas.

The U.S. and Israel helped set up the GHF system as an alternative to the U.N.-run aid delivery system that has sustained Gaza for decades, accusing Hamas of siphoning off assistance. The U.N. denies any mass diversion by Hamas.

The military says it has only fired warning shots when crowds approach its forces. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly stampedes.

air, exploded in ﬂames. The whole place was in ﬂames, including, unfortunately, Kevin,” Trump said of Jansen. “He suffered deep,

third-degree burns all over his body He was in trouble, big trouble. Despite the agony, he selﬂessly ran to the aid of his platoon leader.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Palestinians struggle to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday.

Hurricane season outlook updated NOAA gives forecast for the rest of 2025

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration updated its hurricane season outlook for 2025 on Thursday, maintaining its forecast for above-normal activity as the peak of the season arrives.

The updated forecast was rough-

ly in line with its preseason prediction, putting the number of expected named storms between 13 and 18. Of those, NOAA said five to nine could become hurricanes and two to five of those could become major hurricanes of Category 3 or above, which means winds of at least 111 mph. Its previous prediction was for 13 to 19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes and three to five of Category 3 strength or more. A typical hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov 30, results in 14 named storms. NOAA said the likelihood of above-normal activity for this season was 50% The reasons for the forecast in-

clude especially warm water in the Atlantic and Caribbean, as well as active West African monsoon winds, which can lead to storm development. There is also no El Niño or La Niña this year La Niña can also help with storm creation by reducing the amount of wind shear that disrupts hurricane formation, among other factors. There have been four named storms so far this season, including Tropical Storm Chantal, which hit the Carolinas over the July

SQUEEZE THE DAY

Jimmy Wall and his friend Henrich Rose try to drum up business for the annual Wall family lemonade stand on Canal Boulevard in New Orleans on Thursday

Dad faces upgraded charge in baby’s death

New and old injuries were present, official says

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A Gretna father is now facing an upgraded charge of seconddegree murder in the death of his 4-month-old son, according to authorities. Nicholas Pogozelski, 26, was ﬁrst arrested June 25 and booked with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile after his son, Kamari Jones, died following a 10-day stay in a hospital with a head injury, according to Gretna Police Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco. Detecti ves rear rest ed Pogozelski on Tuesday and booked him on the murder count based on the department’s ongoing investigation. Pogozelski called paramedics to his Gretna home on June 17, seeking medical help for Ka-

mari. He told police the baby had rolled off an air mattress and hit his head, according to authorities.

Kamari was taken to a hospital where he remained in critical condition until his death on June 27. An autopsy determined that Kamari died from bleeding on the brain, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Ofﬁce. Pogozelski was arrested on the cruelty count while authorities continued to look into the case.

Further testing by the Coroner’s Office determined that Kamari had suffered “acute and chronic subdural brain hemorrhage,” meaning that some of the baby’s injuries were new but others were older, according to authorities. Investigators don’t believe a fall off an air mattress caused Kamari’s injuries, DiMarco said. Pogozelski was being held Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bail on the murder count was set at $500,000.

Attorney accused of violating bond

Staged-crash suspect gambled in Biloxi

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

New Orleans attorney Vanessa Motta, indicted in a scheme to stage vehicle crashes into 18-wheelers for large insurance payouts, is now accused of violating her bond by traveling to Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, to gamble thousands on slot machines. Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to revoke Motta’s $25,000 bond or modify the terms to forbid gambling, saying the suspended attorney misled her pretrial services ofﬁcer so she could leave the state multiple times to bet large sums that could have gone to pay restitution if

she is convicted, according to court records.

The extravagant betting could also indicate that Motta withheld details about her finances from her attorney, who requested a speedy trial due to his client’s “ﬁnancial hardships.”

The bond revocation hearing is set for Wednesday

Since January 2020, Motta visited Beau Rivage dozens of times and fed slot machines a total of $836,401.81, sometimes winning and sometimes losing, according to casino records cited by prosecutors. Since her indictment in December, Motta gambled more than $100,000 during eight visits, at times traveling without asking for permission to leave the state, federal prosecutors said. In some cases, she was granted

Fourth weekend. None of the named storms so far has been a hurricane.

Tropical Storm Andrea, the ﬁrst named storm of the year, dissipated over the Atlantic; Tropical Storm Barry made landfall just south of Tampico, Mexico, as a tropical depression and dissipated; and Tropical Storm Dexter eventually moved away from the United States into the North

N.O. City Council overrides mayor’s veto

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

The New Orleans City Council on Thursday unanimously defeated Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s veto of a measure to revamp the City Attorney’s Ofﬁce, giving voters the chance to weigh the plan on the Nov 15 ballot.

Voters to weigh revamp of City Attorney’s Office Cantrell

The measure, approved by the council last month, would forbid the city attorney from taking sides in litigation between the mayor and council. It would also allow the council to overturn any executive decision to ﬁre the city attorney, and it specifies that the attorney should regularly consult with both the mayor and the council.

Voters would need to approve the measure this fall for it to take effect. In an Aug. 1 veto letter, Cantrell called the plan an attempt “to usurp the powers entrusted to the office of the mayor.” Cantrell also said the proposal, which would amend the city’s charter, conﬂicts with several

Public input sought on parade rules

NOPD asked to halt enforcement at second-lines

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Days after some New Orleans second-line parading groups panned a city plan to enforce existing parade regulations, the New Orleans City Council on Thursday asked police to hold off on enforcement of those rules, and took steps to create new ones that invite more public input. After two hours of spirited discussion, the council voted unanimously on a resolution that asked the police not to enforce any new regulations on second-line parades in the upcoming season, which begins on Aug. 24 with the Valley of Silent Men parade. The resolution is a statement of the council’s intent, but it has no force of law

Council members also voted unanimously to begin creating new regulations that are more deeply informed

See RULES, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

West FelicianaParishpresident backsAngolause

ICEdetentions weighedatsite

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard is backingthe possibility of housing immigrant detainees at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Havard said this week the parish is “ready to do our part” after Louisiana ofﬁcials were foundto be in talks with the Trump administration about housing U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees at Angola as part of a push to meet the demands of the president’s widening immigration crackdown.

He also said he is glad that the attention on Angolaasa site for a possible Louisiana version of “Alligator Alcatraz” has pushed Gov Jeff Landrytoexpediterepairs at the state prison.

West Feliciana would also love to host President Donald Trump“with open arms” if he decided to make a visit to Angola, Havardsaid Along-abandoned and current-

ly empty wing at Angola called “Camp J”has beenidentifiedas where the immigration facility might operate, according to sources with knowledgeofthe talks between Louisiana ofﬁcials and the Trumpadministration.

Landry also issued an executive order last month allowingthe state to sidestep procurement and

Driver facesgun charge

Deputy fires weapon during trafficstop

BYMICHELLE HUNTER

Staff writer

The JeffersonParish Sheriff’s Office has identified the driver arrested during aMetairie trafﬁc stop Wednesday,when adeputy discharged his service weapon Tyran Simpson, 30, wasarrested andbooked in connection with resistinganofficer and being a convicted felon in possession of aﬁrearm, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the department. Simpson waspulled over about 1:45 p.m. on Earhart Expressway, just east of Clearview Parkway in Metairie.

Thedeputyremoved Simpson from the vehicle and was conduct-

Charlie Brown, of the Treme Sidewalk Steppers, dances with Jayden Mark, 2, in front of Gallier Hall during aprotest by secondline leaders against the NewOrleans Police Department’s proposed changes on Tuesday.

ing apat-down when Simpson begantoresist, according to authorities. Simpson is accused of producinga ﬁrearm

“In response, the deputy discharged hisservice weapon at least once but did not strike the suspect,” Veal said in astatement released Wednesday. No one was hit by gunﬁre.

Simpsonhas convictionsfor pursesnatching and drug possession with theintent to distribute, according to court records. The convictions mean he is barred from having aﬁrearm

He was being held without bail on thegun charge Thursday at the JeffersonParishCorrectional Center in Gretna. Bail was set at $500 on theresistingcharge.

Email Michelle Hunterat mhunter@theadvocate.com.

public-bidding rules for renovating Camp J, which has been closed since 2018.

Criminaljusticeadvocates applauded theprison’smove to close Camp J, and have said that the wing is not suitable for human occupation.

The possibilityofaportionof Angola becoming an immigration

ATTORNEY

Continuedfrom page 1B

permission to travel after allegedly misrepresenting her gambling trips as outings with her children.

Motta’sattorney,Sean Toomey, claims in court documents that his client hasfollowed her bond conditions, which did not prohibit gambling. In an affidavit, Motta’smother saiditwas really

HURRICANE

Continuedfrom page 1B

Atlantic.

“Many of thefactors we identiﬁed ahead of the season are still at play,and conditions are largely

facility similar to “Alligator Alcatraz”inOchopee, Florida, came afterJuly comments from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem,inwhich she said her department wasintalks with multipleRepublicangovernors to open similar facilities.

For his part, Havard saidhewas aware that there were conversationsabout getting Camp Jopen againand that he had heard rumors it wastoeventuallyhouse ICEdetainees there. However,he saidhehadn’thad anyconversations with Landry’sstaffabout the possibility Other parish ofﬁcials said they had not heard of the possible change at Angola.West Feliciana ParishSheriff Brian Spillman’s office declined to comment Wednesday.

“There’sbeen needingtobe work done on our prison systems around thestate,” Havard said.

“So I’mgladtosee that the governor has taken initiative to put somemoneyand some time and effort into theprisonsystem in thestate.”

He said his time in the Legislature —Havardwas astate repre-

her who was responsible forthe cashspent at the casino, claiming she used Motta’srewards card on several solo trips to Beau Rivage. Motta and her fiancé, disbarred attorney Sean Alfortish, arefacing federal charges over staged vehicle wrecks in aschemeto secure largeinsurance payouts. Alfortish and another associate are also accused of plotting to kill Cornelius Garrison, akey federal

sentative from 2012 to 2018 —and as part of the governor’stransition team gave him perspective on the issues state prisons face, namely being understaffed, underfunded and required to house too many mental health patients without the properfacilities.

“I thinkweshouldbefocusing oureffortsontrying to build some mentalhealthhospitals in this state andtry to keep those folks out(of prisons),” Havard said.

Andiftalks aresuccessful and West Feliciana eventually hosts its ownfacility forICE detainees, Havard said the parish will do its part to help the country

“Angolaisprobablyone of the most secure places in thecountry,” he said. “And people who do endupinprison, whether they’re ICE detaineesorwhoever they are, if you end up in prison it’s probably because you deserve to be there.”

“He really should come to Louisiana,because youcan’tdrain the swamp if youdon’t start here,” he said of Trump.

Email Quinn Coffmanatquinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

witness whohelped stage those crashes. Garrison, who was shot 10 times on his mother’s doorstep in 2020, told the FBI before his death thathewould send passengers to agroupof NewOrleans attorneys, including Motta, to represent them in bogus lawsuits, according to court records.

EmailPoet Wolfe at poet. wolfe@theadvocate.com.

trackingalong withour Maypredictions,” Matt Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s NationalCenters forEnvironmental Prediction,saidina statement. Louisiana marks the20th anniversary this year of both hurricanesKatrina and Rita, twoof

the most destructive storms in history.NOAA presented its initial 2025 outlook at the Jefferson Parish Emergency Operations Center in Gretna to commemorate Katrina’s 20th anniversary Email Mike Smithatmsmith@ theadvocate.com.

VETO

Continued from page1B

existing charterprovisions. Councilmembers have said the move will ensure theattorney’s independence. They said little beforetheyvoted 7-0tooverride Cantrell’sveto, though councilPresident JP Morrell said “an amendment to the chartercannotviolate the charter.”

ACantrell spokespersonsaid the administration stands by the veto

The vote marked the council’ssecond override of amayoral vetointhe span of amonth. The council on July 10 defeated Cantrell’svetoofa $20 million payment to Tulane University for its Charity Hospital redevelopment project

RULES

Continued from page 1B

by the city’ssecond-line community,adopting amotion —which does have the force of law —that allows apanel of second-liners andsocial aidand pleasure clubstoadvise those new rules.

The council had convenedan executive session after its regularmeeting to call on theNOPD, which regulates the city’straditional neighborhood processions, to better communicate withthe second-line parade producers about enforcement of existing rules

Citing safety concerns, the Police Department had recently vowed to enforce regulations on parade trolleys —ﬂatbed trailers used to carry some participants during second-line parades. NOPD Capt.Anthony Micheuasserted that “some trailers are potentially becoming unsafe,”with“people hanging off the sides of them,not harnessed in.”

Micheu said the responsibility for the safety issues would fall on the trolley owners, who could be subject to the same requirements as party bus or tour bus operators.

Second-lineparade producers saidthat updatestothe trailers andenhanced insurance requirementsrepresented increased costs that would impact theparades.

“Don’tset the bar where we can’treach it, and you know we can reach it,” said Perry Robateau, who rents trolleysto second-line parades, during the fiery public comment segment of the meeting. Others have said theNOPD, which announced the changerecently, waited too late to explainthe situationtoorganizations who will parade in just afew weeks.

Council PresidentJPMorrell said that placing parade trailers in the same category as rented buses was “franklybizarre.” He said that based on hisexperience, imposing the same requirements —includingthe Certiﬁcates of Public Necessity required of taxi drivers wouldbean unnecessarily “onerous” burden

Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick,who appeared before the council, said that Thursday’s discussion would help the department formulate anew policy for second-linetrailers. Sometime later in theproceedings,council member OliverThomascountered thatthe department shouldhave

settled on newrules beforeannouncing enhanced enforcement of older rules.

The NOPD, Thomas said, should have “clariﬁedbefore it scare-iﬁed the culture.”His comment elicited laughter and applause from the crowded chamber

Several speakers addressed the council andNOPD representatives, passionately pleading for respectand preservation of the age-old second-line parading tradition,atouchstone of Crescent City Black culture. In astatementissuedafter the council meeting, NOPD Director of Communications ReeseHarper said that thedepartment’s “primaryresponsibility is, and always will be,publicsafety —whether during second-lines or any other event in our city.”

“Wehear the concerns raised by thecommunity andCityCouncil,” Harperwrote viaemail, “and we remain committed to sittingatthe table with all stakeholders to ﬁnd common ground.”

Ademonstrationagainst the second-line regulations had taken place on WednesdayatGallier Hall.

Email DougMacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

The council has frequently sparred withCityAttorney Donesia Turner’soffice over the past two years, starting in 2023 when afederaljudge accused the Cantrell administration of violating afederal consent decree over the New Orleans Police Department.Council members werefurious at being excluded from the city’slegal strategy in the consent decree, as well as a separatecase in which theadministration sued theMunicipal Police Employees’Retirement System. Since then, the council and mayor have faced off in court over the Wisner Trust, an Orleans Parish SchoolBoard lawsuit against theadministration andthe council’sfailedattempt this year impose atemporary

banoncity employeetravel. Late last year,Morrell accused Turnerofabandoning herduty by refusing to defend council ordinances in lawsuits brought by vendors claimingthe council hadillegally stymied theircontracts. Those cases, brought by Henry Consulting over asanitationcontract andlawyer Charles Rice, arepending before the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal Cantrell also unsuccessfully vetoed a2022 charterproposition to give the council confirmation power over mayoral appointees, including thecityattorney.Her objections then were similar to those over the latest proposal, accusing the council of abadfaith powergrab. Unlike the override on Thursday, the2022 vote was notunanimous. Council members Oliver Thomasand Eugene Green voted to sustain the earlier one. Five votes areneeded to override a mayoral veto

EmailBen Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

FILEPHOTO

West Feliciana Parish PresidentKennyHoward said he supports the use of Louisiana StatePenitentiaryatAngola for ICE detainees and would welcomeavisit from President Donald Trump.

STAFF PHOTO

By SOPHIA GERMER

Morrell

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Theodore “Thedo”Bal‐lard, age68, departed this lifeonFriday, July 25,2025 surrounded by hisloving family. He wasresidentof Ama,Louisiana.Theodore was born on December 4, 1956, to thelateOliverBal‐lard, Jr.and Louise Johnson Ballard in Gibson, Louisiana.Heissurvived byhis longtime loving companion,Connie Rhines, his children Javon(Catina) Ballard,Anita,Jessica,Jas‐mine, Jernica(Juan Sr.) Lozadaand ChrisPrince. Lovinggrandfather of Jon‐quelle, JaLaun,and Khalia Ballard,Niara andRyan, Jr Simmons,Juan, Jr., Zen‐dayaand Adonis Lozada Devoted great-grandfather ofJacob LivasJr.,and Milan Monroe.Alsosur‐vived by histwo sisters Earleen Shortand Gloria Ballard,one brotherMorris Ballard allofGibson, Louisiana,daughterinlaw CatinaWright-Ballard, son inLaw Juan Lozada,Sr.,a hostofaunts, uncles cousins,and friends. Rela‐tives and friendsofthe family, pastors, ofﬁcers and membersofMt. Zion MissionaryBaptist Church neighboring churches,em‐ployees of Cornerstoneare invited to attend theFu‐neral ServiceonSaturday, August9,2025, for11:00 a.m.atMt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church 10867 River RoadAma,Louisiana.Visi‐tationwillbegin at 9:00 a.m.until servicetime. Rev. Sha’Teek A. Nobles, ofﬁci‐ating.Interment will follow atMaryFlowerCemetery Ama,Louisiana.Arrange‐mentprovidedbyThe Boyd FamilyFuneralHome. Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

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LewisSr.,Kenneth

Robertson, Vincent

Hill Nola CharterSchool She wasa dedicated teacher for42years.She was an active member of SecondZionBaptist Church #1 where she servedinthe youthchoir, young adultchoir,adult and mass choir. Beloved motherofJonnayBurkes (Calvin)Rucker, andDallas WhitneyBlade.Loving grandmother of Carter Rucker, Jolie Rucker,Jaxen Rucker, andCalvinRucker, III. Daughter of thelate Etta Burks. Adopted daughterofthe late Mr and Mrs. Israel Batiste. Sis‐ter of Brenda Bradley, Nora Ann Blackman,Darlene Harris, andthe late Linda Jones,and Sandra Black‐man,alsosurvivedbya hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,ofﬁcers,and members of Second Zion Baptist Church #1 andall neighboring churches are invited to attend theCele‐bration of Life at Second ZionBaptist Church #1 2929 Second St., NewOr‐leans,LA, on Saturday,Au‐gust9,2025, at 10:00 a.m. PastorDerek Webb, Sr.ofﬁ‐ciating.Visitationwill begin at 8:30 a.m. until ser‐viceatthe church.Inter‐ment: Will be private. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St Gretna,LA. To view and sign theguestbook, pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com.Face masks arerecommended

Brown, DarleneFrances

Darlene Frances Brown departedthis life on Tuesday July29, 2025. Daughter of thelate Earl and Gail(Fernandes) Brown, Mother of Darrell and Darnell Brown. Darlene is also survivedbyher siblings, nieces, nephews and ahost of otherrelatives and friends.

Celebrationwillbeheld on August 9, 2025, at 10:00am at Riverland ChristianCenter 123 Redemption Way Reserve, La.,Rev.StevenPerrilloux Sr. Pastorofficiating Visitation from9am until servicetime.(ONLY) Interment in St. John Memorial GardensLaplace, LA

Professional Services entrusted to theCaring Staffof Hobson Brown Funeral Home 134 Daisy St., Garyville, La 70051 (985) 535-2516.

Butler,Gaynell

Saturday,August9,2025 at the FifthAfrican Baptist Church 3419 SouthRobert‐son Street.New Orleans, Louisiana 70115. Pastor DaleJay SandersSr.,Ofﬁ‐ciant.BurialwillbeatProv‐idencePark. Professional Service Entrustedto: Little‐johnFuneral Home,2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. John‐son,Funeral Director/Man‐ager, Info: (504) 940-0045.

Conrad,Shirley Marie

ShirleyMarie Conrad departedtobewithOur Lordatthe ageof91onAu‐gust1,2025. Herloved ones willrememberher as a personwho lovedGod, family, andmusic.Shirley was anativeofNew Or‐leans andthe second of Manuella andJosephCon‐rad’s sixchildren. She graduated from Xavier PrepAcademy andre‐ceivedher Bachelor's De‐greefromXavierUniver‐sity. Sheearnedher Mas‐ter's in MusicEducation fromColumbiaUniversity and then returned to New Orleans to teachmusic After retiring as amusic teacher,Shirley earned an MBA from theUniversityof New Orleansand began her second career as aCer‐tiﬁed Public Accountant withthe U. S. Department ofHousing andUrban De‐velopment.Evenwithher professionalendeavors, Shirley remained devoted toher family. Shecared for her mother until herpass‐ing.She taught many of her nieces pianoand was the pianoaccompanist for their vocalperformances. Her godchildevenper‐suadedher to become the organistfor St.Brigid’s Church,a position that providedher with much enjoyment andcama‐raderie.Shirley Conrad is precededindeath by her parents andher siblings Anne Merrick, Joseph Con‐rad,Jr.,Johanna Conrad and Melvin Conrad.She is survivedbyher brother, Fritz Conrad,Sr.;her sis‐ters-in-law BernadineCon‐rad andVictoriaConrad; as wellasnumerousnieces and nephews. Shewas loved by many andwillbe misseddearly. AFuneral Service celebratingher life willbeheldatSt. Maria Goretti Church,located at 7300 CrowderBlvd.,New Orleans,Louisiana,onSat‐urday,August9,2025, at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will begin at 10:00 A.M.,and her interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery ArrangementsbyD.W RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAvenue Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtosignthe guestbook

Born to thelateNolan Sr and ShirleyCamp, shewas the thirdofeight children A devotedwife, loving mother, andcherished familymatriarch.Deborah was theproud mother of ﬁve children.She shared 37 beautiful yearsofmarriage withher belovedhusband LawrenceEmile.Deborah issurvivedbyher husband LawrenceEmile,three sons Donald(Charlette)Claude Jr.,Rodney(Nicole)Claude Sr.,RonaldClaude; two daughters DominiqueBut‐ler andLynette (Jaynard) Claude; four godchildren Vivian, Justin,Damon Nicholson andVivian Joseph; onestep-daughter Jahquetta Emile; 15 grand‐childrenand 4great-grand‐children; threebrothers Wayne Rogers,Ronald (Melissa)Williams, and Thomas(Regina)Camp; two sistersBrenda(Eu‐gene) Richardson and Queen Camp;one aunt Carolyn Lyons; andthree unclesHerbert,George, and FloydNicholson and hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives and friends. Shewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐entsNolan Sr.and Shirley Camp, onebrother Nolan CampJr.,one sister Sharon Camp, andtwo nephews JosephMoyeand Nolan CampIII. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife Service on Saturday,Au‐gust9,2025, for10:00 a.m. atGreater Hill of Zion,1520 Alvar Street,New Orleans, LA70117. Rev. Rochester Denson, ofﬁciating. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9:00 a.m. Intermentwillfollowat ProvidenceCemetery, 8200 Airline Drive, Metairie,LA 70003. Finalarrangements entrusted to TheBoyd FamilyFuneralHome, 5001 ChefMenteur Highway, New Orleans, LA 70126 Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504) 282-0600. DonavinD Boydand Linear Brooks BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

NancyVicknair, John Hill, and Harold andCharlene Cook.Diane wasa devoted wife, mother,sister, aunt, and friend.Her deep Catholic faith wasa guid‐ing lightinher life—she prayedthe rosary daily and wasa faithfulparish‐ioner of St.Christopher the MartyrChurch,she also participatedinthe Miley GoldenAge Club in Metairie. Dianefound joyin the simple pleasuresof life. Sheloved to travel withDisneyWorld holding a specialplace in her heart,she also enjoyed working on puzzlesand in‐dulging in herfavorite treat,chocolate.Family and friendsare invitedto attend funeralserviceson Saturday, August 9, 2025, at St. Christopherthe Martyr Church.Visitationwillbe heldfrom10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.,followedbya Massat12:00 p.m. Inter‐mentwilltakeplace imme‐diately afterwardatGar‐den of Memories Ceme‐tery, 4900 AirlineDr., Metairie, Louisiana70001 Tooffer thefamilyonline condolences,orsend ﬂow‐ers,pleasevisit,www.gar denofmemoriesmetairie com.

Kang

Gloria Jean Batistetran‐sitionedpeacefully to be withthe Lord at JoEllen Smith Living Center on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at the age of 69. Shewas anative ofPineville,LAand aresi‐dentofNew Orleans, LA She wasa graduate of Booker T. Washington High School,SUNOand UNO where shereceiveda bach‐elor’sand amaster’sde‐gree. Shehad degrees in Music,Education and Mathematics.She wasem‐ployedbyOrleans Parish Schools, theRecovery School District,and Travis

GaynellButler, alifelong residentofNew Orleans was born on April9,1972 and transitioned to her heavenlyhomeonJuly29, 2025 at herhomesur‐rounded by herfamily. Gaynell,was agraduateof WalterL.Cohen PubicHigh School.Gaynell wasaffec‐tionately knownasTwin, Big Baby,Gayfus, Tundra, Gay Gay, SistaBoots, and Big Donut.Butlerwas a dedicated member of the Fifth AfricanBaptist Church,under theleader‐shipofDaleJay SandersSr. Butlerwas theBusiness Manager of theKeep’n It RealSocialAid &Pleasure Club, adecorated andac‐complishedchef, bar‐tenderand humanitarian She leaves to mournher preciousmemories; her beloved Mother,NellBut‐ler;Companion,Alex “Nunu” HulbertJr.;Step daughter, Shardi Hulbert; one Grandson,RayuntezD GantJr.;Sisters:LynellBut‐ler (twin),TamikaButler and Delisa McGowan; Brothers: KevinBut‐ler(Robin), DouglasMc‐Gowan,Douglas U. Mc‐Gowan(Christian), Darrayl McGowan,Nieces: Emani Holmesand JaelynnSmith; Nephews:SeanButler, Kevin Butler(Jeannelle), Keshone White, Michael Johnson,Justin& Joshua Smith.and herbeloved Great Nephews: Dior Richardsonand Majoar Johnson;God Children: Myeshia Francis, Kiamante Bankston, Joseph Hickman, Isadore Burton,Kyron Ha‐gans, Kamren Clarkand TerranHurel;One Great Aunt,OlgaLee Bankston; Devoted cousin Janel Bankston; Godmother, Lil‐lianJ.Henry anda host of devoted relativesand friends.Gaynell waspre‐ceded in deathbyher Fa‐ther, DouglasMcGowan Sr.,brother,DonaldMc‐Gowan andFather-in-Law AlexHulbert,Sr. Acelebra‐tion of life will be held on

DianeBoudreaux Gaeto, age 77, passedaway peacefully on August 2, 2025, surrounded by her lovingfamily. Born on Feb‐ruary 4, 1948, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,Diane was the beloveddaughterof the late FrancisGibbon Boudreaux Sr.and thelate MaryKochBoudreaux.She isprecededindeath by her husband,PaulAnthony Gaeto Sr.; herdaughter, AmandaFrances Gaeto; her brothers,Francis “Cosmo” Gibbon Boudreaux Jr.and Richard “Ricky” Boudreaux; herfa‐ther- andmother-in-law VictorLouis Gaetoand Edith Apperson Gaeto; her sister-in-law,Edith “Toot‐sie”Caronna;and herdear friend, MavisHill. Dianeis survivedbyher son, Paul Anthony GaetoJr.;her sis‐ters, ValerieZink(Carey) and AnnMouille (Charlie); and hercherished nieces and nephews: Christian Boudreaux,Jessica Van‐derbrook, ZacharyZink, Stephanie Russo, Alexi Stepp, Chad Mouille, and CodyMouille.She will also bedearlymissedbyher lifelong friends: Harold and

abeloved husband,father, brother, and friend,passedaway peacefully on July 26, 2025, atthe ageof71, sur‐rounded by hisloved ones BornonFebruary14, 1954 inNew Orleansand raised inMetairie, Louisiana, Jeff graduated from East Jeffer‐son High School andwent ontoattendthe University ofNew Orleans. Aproud patriot,hevolunteered to serve hiscountry in the U.S.Navyduringthe Viet‐nam War. Jeff wasa de‐voted familyman whogen‐erously gave histime, not onlytohis familybut also tohis community—volun‐teeringatthe schoolshis sonsattendedand staying activelyinvolvedintheir lives.Heworkedfor The Times-Picayune for35 years andsimultaneously supported hisparents’ business, Triple Play,for 15 years.A true sportsmanat heart,Jeff’spassion forthe New OrleansSaintswas unmatched.Whether cheeringthemonliveor rewatchinga recorded gamefor thesecond—or eventhird time,his enthu‐siasm neverwavered.He alsoloved golf, tennis, ﬁsh‐ing,bowling,and shooting pool—alwaysenjoying these pastimes in thecom‐panyoffamilyand friends. Hehad agiftfor connect‐ing with people,eager to strikeupa conversation withanyonewho wouldlis‐ten,and wasnever without a quickjokeora memo‐rable anecdote.Jeffleaves behinda lifetime of cher‐ished memories with his devoted wife of 49 years and theloveofhis life, Jeanette Wong Gee, and their treasuredsons, JosephGee andJacob Gee. Heisalsosurvivedbyhis siblingsKit Gee(Gloria), Carolyn Desporte (Ed), TeresaHelt(Rodney); brother-in-lawAlanLew; niecesAnisse Peters (Rob) and Leslie Latimer(Keith); nephews JasonDesporte (Valerie), DavidDesporte

Gee, Jeff Kang

Jeff

Gee,

Gaeto, DianeBoudreaux

Emile, DeborahAnn

DeborahAnn Emile, age 66, passedawaypeacefully on Monday,July28, 2025.

4B ✦ Friday,August 8,2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune (Trang), Curtis Lew(Alice), TrevorLew,William Helt, and MasonHelt; alongwith ﬁve great-nieces andfour great-nephews.Heispre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, Young MonGee and May AnnChungGee, and his belovedbrother Gene K.Gee andsister, Melinda Gee Lew. Jeff's legacy of laughter, love,and loyalty willliveoninthe hearts of all who knew him. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to visitGreenwood Funeral Home,5200 Canal Blvd.,New Orleans, LA 70124, on Saturday,August 9,2025, starting at 1:30 PM followedbyPresbyterian Servicesat4:00PMin Greenwood FuneralHome’s Chapel. We also invite you toshare your thoughts, fondmemories, andcon‐dolencesonlineatwww greenwoodfh.com.Your sharedmemorieswillhelp uscelebrate Jeff’s life and keephis memory alive.

Green,Derwin

Derwin Green entered intoeternal rest on Wednesday,July16, 2025 Heissurvivedbya host of relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend a FuneralService on Satur‐day,August9,2025,atNew RisingSun BaptistChurch, 230 St.Charles St Houma, LA, 70360, at 10:00 am.Visi‐tationbeginsat9:00am. Interment: Garden of Mem‐ories,3658 W. Main St Gray, LA 70359. Arrange‐ments entrustedtoDennis Funeral Home,1812 Louisiana Ave.,New Or‐leans,LA. Please visit www.dennismortuaryservi ce.com to sign theonline guestbook

Jensen,Jeanne Meyers 'Sis'

Jeanne “Sis”Meyers Jensenpassed away on August3,2025 at theage of 96. Shewas born on Au‐gust28, 1928 in New Or‐leans,daughterofthe late JohnJ.MeyersSr. and Anna Marchese Meyers She wasprecededindeath byher husband Conrad T. Jensen. Sheissurvivedby her sistersMaryLinam PaulineKing(Larry)and Camille Scallanand many niecesand nephews. She was preceded in deathby sisters Elaine Vodanovich, Anna Laux,Genevieve Pa‐ternostro andbrother John MeyersJr. Sisgraduated fromRedemptoristHigh School in 1945. Shewas a secretary at LykesBros Steamship Co.for over 39 years.Sis wasa funaunt who likedsharing adven‐tures with nieces and nephews.She lovedwatch‐ing sports especially foot‐balland baseball.Sis wasa devoted fan of theNew Or‐leans Saints andhad sea‐son ticketsfor over 50 years.She wasa lifelong bowlerand played in a leaguewith herfriends and sistersuntil sidelined byillness. Siswas thankful for allher family andwon‐derfulfriends that Godput intoher life alongwithall the blessing bestowed uponher in herlifetime. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend avisita‐tionfrom10:00 am to 11:00 amonTuesday,August12, 2025, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd. New Orleans, LA 70124. In‐terment will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.We alsoinviteyou to share yourthoughts, memories, and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com

Johnson,Lana Rash

Lana (Rash) Johnsondeparted this life on Friday July 25, 2025. Wife of John Johnson, Daughter of Lonnie Gauff,and thelate Louris Williams., Stepdaughter to Larry Williams, Mother of Lorielle(Jack) Rainey, Leon Gant Jr., and Lorne (Candaice) Gant,Sister of Kermit(Geer) Michael. Lana is also survivedby9 Grandchildren, Stepchildrenand ahost of aunt's uncles, otherrelatives, and friends. Funeral Service will be held on Saturday August 9, 2025, at 11:00am At New ZionChristian Fellowship 216 W. Main St Gramercy, La 70052.,Rev.Emile Dean Mitchell Pastor, Rev. Louis Watson officiating Visitation on Saturday from10:00am until service time. Interment in St JosephCatholicCemetery Paulina, La

Professional Services entrusted to theCaring Staffof Hobson Brown Funeral Home 134 Daisy St., Garyville, La 70051 (985) 535-2516.

LucasAntonio Jordan passedawaypeacefully at his home surrounded by familyatthe ageof49. BornonDecember22, 1975, hewas thecherished son ofSheilaJordanand Larry Jordan. He is survived by his loving siblings Yashica Jordan, Joseph Jordan,and Ayanna Jordan,along with ahostofnieces, nephews,

andgreat-niecesand nephews whomhedeeply loved.Lucas wasa skilled handyman, expressive artist, andgiftedpoet. He was knownmostfor his unwaveringlovefor family and thegentle, caring spirithesharedwith everyonearound him. He was preceded in deathby his brotherLukeJordan, stepson RoddrickVondell SimsJr.,and grandparents LillieMae Jeanpierre and JosephWilson. Relatives and friendsare invitedto celebrate hislifeonFriday, August8,2025, at True Vine Baptist Church,2008 Marigny St., NewOrleans, LA. Viewingbeginsat9:00 a.m.followedbyFuneral Service for10:00 a.m. ofﬁ‐ciatedbyRev.Dr. Donald C. JeanJacques Sr.Interment willfollowatRestlawn ParkCemetery, 3540 US-90, Avondale, LA 70094. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Lionel Joseph Landry passedawaypeacefully on July15, 2025, at 85 yearsof age at Anderson Memory CareinSlidell, LA.Bornon February3,1940, in New Orleans,LA, he attended SacredHeart High School, where he metthe love of his life,Karen Kathryn Krause. Upon graduation heearnedhis Business de‐greeand MBAfrom Louisiana StateUniversity and marriedKaren.They soon begantheir family withthe birthofdaughter Robyn in 1964 andson Keith in 1967. Lionel began his career at Humble Oilin the GrandIsleofﬁce.After several yearsthere,heac‐cepteda position with SouthernPineAssociation (which laterbecame SouthernForestProducts Association)inMetairieas ofﬁce managerin1966 Threeyears later, he was

promoted to corporate secretary anddirectorof the Forest Products Ma‐chinery andEquipment Ex‐position(EXPO). In all, Li‐onelplanned anddirected all EXPO-related meetings and tradeshowactivities for 18 showsfrom1967 to 2001, becoming thelongest serving director of the EXPO. In 2003, Lionel be‐camethe PresidentofSFPA and served in that role until hisretirementin2005 Duringhis career,Lionel was generous with his timeand served as amen‐tor to countless people.He led with dignityand grace, alwayshavinga kind word for others,and left an in‐delible impact on theorga‐nizationand theindustry asa whole.Lionelwas a lovinghusband,father, and grandfather who cherished spendingtimewithhis familyand creating memo‐ries. He got greatjoy from seeingsmilesappearon his grandchildren’sfaces, whether at thebeach,on the ball ﬁeld, or thestage Lionelwas an avid hunter and lovedtraveling with his wife,Karen.Theyvis‐itedmanyparts of theUS, countless countriesover the years, andenjoyed cruising. They couldbe found almost weekly danc‐ing together amongst friends with theJamaican Dance Club,where he be‐camea sought-after in‐structor. Lionel couldbe found just aboutany foot‐ballweekendinfront of the TVwatchinghis beloved LSU Tigers andNew Or‐leans Saints.Lionelwas precededindeath by his fatherLeonLandry, mother AnnieDugas Landry,sister Isabelle SunseriRiso, and son KeithMichael Landry Heissurvivedbydaughter Robyn Stephens (Jesse “Bert”),grandchildren Jesse Stephens,Jr.,Court‐ney Stephens,SaraLandry, Michael Landry,daughterin-lawMarcelleLandry, sis‐ter VelmaElmer,and nu‐merousniecesand nephews.The familywould liketothank thedevoted staff at Anderson Memory Carefor theirconstantlov‐ing attentionand support for Lionel andKaren,as wellasthe family. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to visitSt. Angela MericiCatholicChurch,901 Beverly Garden Dr Metairie, LA 70002, on Sat‐urday,August9,2025 startingat10:30 AM.A Fu‐neral Mass will follow the visitationatnoon.The bur‐ial will be in Greenwood Cemetery. We also invite you to shareyour thoughts, fond memories andcondolences online at

Lee, Douglas MacArthur 'Papa'

Douglas"Papa"Mac

Arthur Lee, age82, was bornonMay 5, 1943 in Batchelor,LA. He departed thisearthly home on Sun‐day,August3,2025 sur‐rounded by hisfamily. Dou‐glaswas aLouisiana truck driveruntil hisretirement. Douglas wasthe loving husband of LindaFaulk Lee for over 50 years. Beloved fatherofSandra, Edward Tessua, Douglas, and Christopher Lee. Devoted brother of Alonra,Barbara Ann, Carolyn, Cynthia, Loretta,Robin,Sybil,Myra, Charles,Ronald, Gerald (Dematrice),Donald (Shirley),and Rickey (Glo‐ria). Belovednephewof MaryConley, JessieConley, KencieFaulk,Gwendolyn Faulk,and Albert Faulk. De‐voted godfatherofFranklin Faulk.Adoring brother-inlaw of Selina Faulkand Vanessa Faulk. Devoted friends,LulaLee andDen‐nis Dunn. Douglaswas also survivedbya host of grandchildren,greatgrandchildren,great-greatgrandchildren,nieces, nephews,cousins,family and friends. He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐entsCarriePercy Leeand Leonard Lee, Sr.; his daughterNaylon LeDreamer Lee; twobroth‐ers LeonardLee, Jr.and Willie JamesLee; two nephews Clifford Faulkand StevenFaulk;and his mother-in-law Lillie Mae Faulk.Relatives andfriends ofthe familyare invitedto attend theCelebration of LifeService on Saturday, August9,2025 at Gertrude GeddesWillisFuneral Home, 2120 JacksonAv‐enue,New Orleans, LA 70113 at 12:30 p.m. Visita‐

Landry,LionelJoseph

Jordan,Lucas Antonio

tion from 11:30amuntil 12:30 p.m. PrivateBurial. You maysignthe guest book on http://www.ger trudegeddeswillis.com Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neral Home,Inc.incharge (504) 522-2525.

Lestor Lenoxentered intoeternal rest on Thurs‐day,July24, 2025. He is pre‐ceded in deathby his mother, Mary Jane Lenox, 3 brothers, and1 sister Lesterissurvivedbya host ofrelatives andfriends Relatives andfriends of familyare invitedtoattend a FuneralService on Satur‐day,August9,2025, at First ZionBaptist Church,1221 S.CausewayBlvd.,Jeffer‐son,LA, at 11:00 am.Visita‐tionbeginsat10:00 am.Of‐ﬁciant: Pastor GraylinBurl, Sr. Interment: FirstZion Baptist Church Cemetery Arrangementsentrusted to DennisFuneralHome, 1812 Louisiana Ave.,New Or‐leans,LA. Please visit www.dennismortuaryservi ce.com to sign theonline guestbook

KennethKeith LewisSr. departedthisearthly life onSunday, July 27, 2025, at the ageof65years old. Mr Lewis wasa lifelong resi‐dentofOrleans Parish.He was awelder, apainter, and an all-around jack of all trades.Kenneth Lewis Sr. wasborntothe late Maryand RalphCasby on April 16, 1960. In 1978, he married Peggy Royand through that union was born: Kentrle(Lemar) Johns Sr., KeliciaLewis, Kenneth (Ke’Shawn) Lewis Jr.,and KarleneLewis.He was also thefatherof KendraWilson. He wasthe grandfather to:Keion Keiontae’,Kenneth III, and KentazLewis,Fareionta Harris, Kaylaand Lemar Johns Jr Braliyaah Brown, Sha’Nell, A’Janell and Ear‐nellPatterson,Deshawn Noil, De’jah Wilson,and De‐mariWilson. He wasthe great-grandfather to KeimyriaLewis,Ka’Lani Cary, andKai’ven Johns Mr. Lewiswas theloving brother of Terry Casby, Tracy (Wency)Casby Sr., Roslyn(Anthony) Matthews, andAdana (Michael) Cummings. He is survived byhis companion, Carolyn Wilson,his godmother, and a host of aunts, uncles,rel‐atives, andfriends.Mr. Lewis wasprecededin death by hisparents,Mary and RalphCasby.His ma‐ternalgrandparents, Mary and Curtis Lewis, andpa‐ternalgrandparents, Helen and RalphCasby,and his brother,Kim Casby. Ken‐nethloved beinga member ofthe Mohawk Hunters; he found joyinringing hisbell asheparaded throughthe city. Hisamazing story‐telling left family and friends laughing forhours Heloved to paintwithhis special twist, of course You always endedupwith Kenneth’s speciallineona wallsomewhere.Heloved tojokeand clownwithhis kidsand grandkids. He alsotaughthis grandkids togardenand draw.Take yourrest. We will truly missyou.You’reresting in the arms of themaster, where we allhopetobe one day. We love younow and forever. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thememor‐ial serviceonSaturday, Au‐gust9,2025 at Robinson FamilyFuneralHome9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.be‐ginning at 10AM.Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyF.H.(504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lencespleasevisit www. robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

MyronCarey Lockett was born in NewOrleans, LAtoPearl Santiago Lock‐ett andthe late FrankE Lockett on November 13 1959. He wasbaptizedat anearly agebythe late Rev.H.M.WillisatIsrael Baptist Church.Myron was a graduate of McDonough 35HighSchool andat‐tended Pace University in New York,NY. He went on tobecomea talented actor,singerand song‐writer. In addition to hisfa‐ther, Myronisalsopre‐ceded in deathbya step‐sister, KatieJeanStreet,Al‐lison Montana, Jr.and Tootie"Montana.Heis survivedbyhis 98-year-old mother, PearlLockett; stepbrother,Arthur Lock‐ett, Yvonne Montana, Shavonne Montana-Martin, DanaMontana anda host ofnieces, nephews, other relatives andfriends.A Celebration servicehonor‐ing thelifeand legacy of the late MyronCarey Lock‐ett will be held at Israel Baptist Church,1701 MaraisStreet, NewOr‐leans,LA70116 on Satur‐day,August9,2025 at 11 am. IntermentSt. Louis#3. Visitation10am in the church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.

JamesMelancon, Jr.de‐partedthislifeatWestJef‐fersonMedical Center on Friday, July 25,2025, at the age of 62. He wasa native ofNew Orleans, LA anda residenttoHarvey, LA James wasa graduate of WestJefferson High School and continuedhis studies atLouisiana StateUniver‐sity, earninga Bachelor of Science degree in Indus‐trial Engineering. He also servedasa medicinthe UnitedStatesAir ForceNa‐tionalGuard for10years After hisservice,hebegan his career as an Ammuni‐tionSpecialist. He later began a29yearcareer with theUnitedStates PostalService,retiringin 2020. During this time,he was also an entrepreneur ofmultipleother busi‐nesses. In 1990, Jamesdis‐covered theteachingof The HonorableElijah Muhammad andthe Nation of Islam, anddecided to join shortlyafter,to sharpen hismind, knowl‐edgeofself, andknowl‐edgeofAllah.Itwas at this timehewas honoredwith the name of James Muhammad.He studied the teachingsclosely and usedthemtoleadhis fam‐ily to thebestofhis ability. Hewas an avid reader movie watcher, planner, leader, andanexecutor. He willberememberedasa coach,a mentor,a student, a teacher, andmostimpor‐tantlyasa servantofAllah. Beloved husband of 33 years to YolandaMelancon (Muhammad). Loving fa‐therofDemon,Malik,Nuri and TajahMelancon, and the late Quilland Johnson. Devoted grandfatherofMi‐laan andMalaiya Melan‐con.Son of Elizabeth Melanconand thelate James Melancon,Sr. Brother of DeborahMelan‐con-Washington, George (Shelly)MelanconMuham‐mad,and JaimeMelancon. James is also survived by a hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also members of theNationof Islam areinvited to attend the FuneralService at Davis Mortuary Service, 6820 WestbankExpress‐way,Marrero,LAonSatur‐day,August9,2025, at 10:00a.m. Visitation will begin at 8:30a.m. until ser‐vicetime at theparlor. In‐terment:RestlawnPark Cemetery-Avondale,LA. To viewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com

Montgomery, Louise Ladd 'Mother'

Louise Ladd Mont‐gomery, “Mother”,daugh‐ter of thelateArthur Ladd and AnitaErnestine St.Cyr Ladd-Brown(Connie),en‐tered eternalreston Wednesday,July30, 2025, atthe ageof97. Mother ac‐ceptedthe Lord as herSav‐ior at an earlyage with “thedetermination to makeheavenher home She wasa member of Abid‐ing BlessingsMinistries where heruniquepraise dancing wasaninspiration tothe congregation Motherissurvivedbyher children, CynthiaBatieste and Joseph III, Robert,and RodneyMontgomery, her ten grandchildren, eigh‐teen greatgrandchildren eight great-greatgrand‐children, ahostofnieces, nephews andcousins Louisewas preceded in death by herparents;her one andonlysisterErnes‐tineDonate, twobrothers, two sons,two grandsons, and ahostofrelatives Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend aCelebra‐tionofLifeService on Sat‐urday,August9,2025, for 1:30p.m.atAbiding Bless‐ingsMinistries, 1635 N. RocheblaveStreet,New Or‐leans,LA70119. Visitation willbegin at 12:30 p.m. PastorGregoryP.Cum‐mings,ofﬁciating. Repast for thefamilyfollows in the Fellowship Hall.Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504) 2820600. DonavinD.Boydand LinearBrooksBoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Muntz, Alice MaeMartinez

AliceMae Martinez Muntzpassedawaypeace‐fully on Sunday,August3, 2025 at theage of 88, after a courageous battlewith Alzheimer’s diseaseand lung cancer.She is pre‐ceded in deathbyher beloved husband of 56 years,Henry Muntz, and her late son, Michael Muntz. Loving mother of EvelynFrantz(Steven)and BrendaMuntz(David) Daughterofthe late Jose Martinezand thelateRos‐abelRoussel Weilbaecher. Formermother-in-law of Kathleen C. Muntz. Proud grandmother of David Frantz(Natalie),Jared Frantz(Veronica), Alicia Frantz, Rachel Boudreaux (Kaleb),Jessica Muntz, LaurenMuntz, Hunter Muntz, Hayley Morgan BrookeMorgan, andstepgranddaughter,Ashley Morgan. Survived by 13 great-grandchildren.A na‐tiveofGrand Point, New Orleans,and aresidentof Metairiefor 61 years. She retired from Latter &Blum Realtor.The familywould liketothank herwonderful caregiversatthe Peristyle Residence:Gwen, Lana, Kimberly, Katherine, and manyothers; Hospice Team: Monique, Cherie, and Brittany;Private Sit‐ters: Vanessa andJoyce Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the FuneralService at Gar‐den of Memories Funeral Home, 4900 AirlineDrive onSaturday, August 9, visi‐tationwillbegin at 10:30 a.m.witha mass at 1:00 p.m.Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery,5190 Canal Blvd., NewOrleans, La. 70124.

Henry Peter Muse Jr. affectionately known as Peanut,gainedhis wings on Friday, July25, 2025 at theage of 54. Peanut is the belovedson of Nancy Banks and Henry PMuse Sr.Heissurvived by his daughters Chamiese Magee, Diondraniece Magee and Shanquell Robinson; son Henry Junius; brothers Renfred Muse, Thaddeus Terry, Peter Jones, GeorgeTerry Jr and GregoryTerry; sisters Charmaine Turner Daysha London, Katina Banks and Nicolette Muse. 9grandchildren.Henry is preceded in death by his son Shiquille Robinsonand stepfather Charles Banks Relatives and friends are welcome to attend thefuneral service at Payne MemorialAME Church 3306 S. LibertyStreet New Orleans, LA 70115. Visitation 9:00am and service 10:00 am. Reverend Shelton O. Meyers willofficiate. Interment Providence Park.

Lawrence AlvinNewton Jr.,departedthislifeon Saturday, August 02, 2025 atthe ageof86. Beloved husband of thelateGlenda RoseNewton; Sonofthe lateLawrenceAlvin New‐ton Sr.and LillianE.Con‐nerly;Devoted father of Keith (Barbara), Dale,Dar‐ren (LeRoyce)Newton, Leslie(Keith) Morgan, Donna (John) Adams, and LawrenceIII (Lisa),Quinn Chris,Corey,Lance (Christina) Newton;Cher‐ished brotherofJerome (Douglas) Newton andthe lateWarrenNewton. He is alsosurvivedby23grand‐children, numerous greatgrandchildren,and ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins, otherrelatives, friends,and hisbeloved dog. Relativesand friends ofthe family, also employ‐ees of BohBros, areinvited toattend theFuneralMass ofChristian Burial at St Maria Goretti Catholic Church,7300 Crowder Boulevard,New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday,Au‐gust11, 2025 at 11:00 am; Visitationwillbegin at 10:00 am;Interment:Mt. OlivetCemetery, 4000 Nor‐man MayerAvenue,New Orleans,Louisiana.E.J FieldingFuneralHomehas been entrustedwithfu‐neral arrangements.The Newtonfamilyinvites you toshare thoughts,fondest memories, andcondo‐lencesonlineatE.J.Field‐ing FuneralHomeGuest Book at www.ejﬁeldingfh com

nieMae Bailey,Frances Washington, Joyce (Ronald)Carmouche,Helen Jones,and thelateMattie Johnson,Larry Jones, Aaron RayJones,and Dorothy B. JonesCharles Alsocherishingher memo‐riesare 10 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, anda hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,officers,and members of Powerand De‐liverance Temple Church of God in Christ,Thompson TempleChurch of Godin Christand allneighboring churches areinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralService at ThompsonTempleChurch ofGod In Christ,1515 Whit‐ney Avenue,Gretna, LA on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ElderKeith Thornton, host pastor; Elder JamesGriffin, offici‐ating.Visitationwillbegin at8:30a.m.until service timeatthe church.Inter‐ment: Woodlawn Park MemorialCemetery-West‐wego, LA.Arrangementsby Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St Gretna,LA. Toviewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com. Face masksare recom‐mended.

Albert (Damon)Riley passedawayonJuly26, 2025, at theage of 72. He was theson of thelate CottrellRiley, Jr.and the lateNancy Franklin Riley. Albertissurvivedbyhis daughter, ShontelMinor (Cory), son, DamonA.Riley (Cori), grandson Cory J. Minor,Jr.,and grand‐daughters CharlieP.Riley and GreysonA.Riley, sis‐tersMattieMcCoy andGail Riley,brothersMichael Riley (Marsha) andTer‐rance Riley. He is also sur‐vived by ahostofother rel‐ativesand friends. Albert isprecededindeath by his beloved sister BarbaraEs‐telle andbrother Cottrell Riley,III. Family andfriends are invitedtoattend the MemorialService on Satur‐day,August9,2025, for4:30 p.m.atThe Boyd Family Fu‐neral Home,5001 Chef Menteur Hwy.,New Or‐leans,Louisiana 70126. Vis‐itation will beginat3:30 pm. Thefamilywillhavea private interment. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504) 2820600. DonavinD.Boydand LinearBrooksBoydOwn‐ers/Funeral Directors.

Robertson, Vincent 'Champ'

vatefuneral service(for immediatefamilyand friends only)willbeheldto celebrate hislifeand the beautiful memories he leaves. Funeralplanning entrusted

SylvesterJr.,Martin C. 'Marty

Martin "Marty"C Sylvester,Jr.,age 43, Tran‐sitionedtoEternal Life on Tuesday,July29, 2025, at EastJefferson General Hospital. Martin arrivedon February20, 1982, at Char‐ity Hospital to theHoly Union of Pastor Martin C. Sylvester,Sr.,and Lady CleoPicquet Sylvester. De‐voted Husbandof21years tohis BeautifulBride,Crys‐tal Barthelemy.LovingFa‐theroftwo;Mariyah Chloe' Sylvester,BlessedDaugh‐ter,and Martin C. Sylvester III, BlessedSon.Godfather ofEssenceTarrence, Big Brother of ArsenioDecelle Sr. (Tremaine) Sylvester, GodsonofGwendolyn HowardPhelpsand Darnell Sylvester.Martinwas the heart of hislateGrand‐mother, Ella MaeSylvester, and hislateGrandfather Arthur "Jim"Picquet.Mar‐tin's transition leaves be‐hinda host of nieces, nephews,other family members,relatives,and so manyfriends.Relatives and friends, Pastors, Ofﬁ‐cers, andMembers of the GardenofPrayerFamily Worship Center,and St LukeBaptist Church,as wellasall neighboring churches in St.Bernard Parishand Plaquemines Parish; employees of UPS, UnitedParcelService,Inc., and PhoenixHighSchool are invitedtoattend the Celebration of Life Service, honoringthe life of Martin "Marty" C. Sylvester, Jr., on his Transition to Eternal Life; Saturday,August09, 2025, for11:00 a.m. at the GardenofPrayerFamily Worship Center,2605 Mun‐sterBoulevard,Meraux, LA 70075. Visitation will begin at9:00am. Pastor Merlin FloresSr. of GreaterMt. Olive MBC, ofﬁciating. In‐terment will follow at Prov‐idenceMemorialPark& Mausoleum,8200 Airline Drive,Metairie, LA 70003 Repastwillbeheldatthe GardenofPrayerFamily Worship Center Banquet Hall. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Missionary Bettie Lou Powellentered peacefully intoeternal rest at herres‐idenceonMonday, August 4,2025, at theage of 78 She wasa native of Hazel‐hurst,MSand aresidentof New Orleans, LA.Bettie was agraduateofL.B LandryHighSchool.She was employed at Charity Hospitalfor many yearsas a Phlebotomist/Nurse Tech, priortoretirement. MissionaryBettiewas a faithfulmemberofPower and DeliveranceTemple Church of GodinChrist. Beloved wife of thelate Moses L. Powell, Sr.De‐voted mother of MosesL Powell, Jr., Terry I. Powell (Lorenzo) Hargrave,and JamekaPowell(Stanley Veal, Jr.).Daughterofthe lateGeorgeand Rosie Jones.Lovingsisterof Willie LeeJones,Thomas Jones, JamesJones,John‐

Vincent“Champ” Robertson,bornonMay 11 1998, he gained hisWings onSunday, July 27, 2025. He issurvivedbyhis loving partner,Destiny Christian, his twochildren, Vayden and Dynver Robertson, who were thecenterofhis world.Champ is also sur‐vived by hismother, An‐gelaRobertson,and father, Vincent Hill.Hewas acher‐ished grandson to Judy Hemphill,CarterRobertson and AnnieJones (late Clifton Jones).A beloved brother to Ryan Sylve, WhitneySylve,Cletus Robertson,Brooklyn Robertson andJawuan Riley.GodchildofPennie Duplessisand Tyrone Sell‐ers.Loved by ahostof Aunts, Uncles,Nieces, Nephews andcousins.A friendtomany. He is pro‐ceeded in deathbyhis GrandparentsGeraldine & Leonard Hemphill andpa‐ternalGrandfather Ralph Lynn; hiscousins Davante Dream” Robertson, Rickey Hines,and Kane Mcgowan. Hewas abeloved son, de‐voted father,cherished brother,and afriendto many. Champ’slegacyof love, laughter,and dedica‐tiontohis familywillfor‐everremaininthe hearts ofthose who knew him. He willbedeeply missedbut neverforgotten. FOREVER

It is with deep sorrow thatweannouncethe passing of Alonzo Thomas, who departed this life on July20, 2025, at theage of 60inNew Orleans, Louisiana.Borntothe late James Thomas Sr.and Do‐lores Theodore Thomas Alonzowas aproud New Orleans native anda dedi‐cated professional.He servedasSoutheast Re‐gionalPropertyManager for MMM Housing, where heoversaw multiple apart‐mentcommunities across Louisiana.Alonzowas ad‐mired forhis leadership, integrity,and commitment tobuildingstrongercom‐munities. He is survived by his devotedbrother,James ThomasJr. (WifeCynthia Thomas);his loving sister, JaniceJohnson (Husband Raymond Johnson);and his dear brothers,Santa‐maria Thomas (Wife Stephanie Thomas)and brother LeonardThomas. Hewillbedeeply missed bymanynieces, nephews, cousins,and friends. Fam‐ily andfriends areinvited toattendthe FuneralSer‐viceonSaturday, August 9, 2025, for9:30a.m.atSt.

Lenox, Lestor

Riley, Albert 'Damon'

Newton Jr., Lawrence Alvin

LewisSr.,Kenneth Keith

Melancon Jr., James

Thomas,Alonzo

Powell, Bettie Lou

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

Medicaid cuts will hurt mothers,especiallyrural ones

Medicaid is the backboneof maternal and childhealth in Louisiana.Nearly two-thirds of births in Louisiana are paid for by Medicaid and more than half of children are covered by Medicaid among the highest rates in the country.But that lifeline is now in jeopardy following sweeping federal cuts to the program. Congress recently passed abill that will slash federal Medicaid funding by imposing work requirements andtightening eligibility.InLouisiana, 100,000 people —about 44% of current Medicaid enrollees —stand to lose coverage when these rules takeeffect in December 2026. Even though 69% of adults in Louisianawith Medicaid coverage are already working, many may stilllose coverage due to red tape and burden-

some reporting requirements.

Proponentsclaim these requirementswill curbfraudand restore the“dignity of work.”

families.

In reality,states where work requirements were previously implemented didnot haveincreases in employment. They did, however,lead to coverage losses andworse health outcomes.

To preserve current Medicaidcoverage levels, Louisiana would need to increase its own Medicaid spending by 400% —a ﬁnancial impossibility in astate alreadystrugglingtomeet basic health care needs. Without a federal ﬁx,Louisiana will face impossible trade-offs: raise taxes, cuteducation and infrastructure budgetsorreduce Medicaid enrollment or services even further —all of which harm working

These cuts would fall hardest on pregnant women and young families. Louisiana already ranks 48th in maternal and child health outcomes and has one of the highestrates of maternal mortality in the U.S. Gutting Medicaid would turn apublic healthcrisis intoa catastrophe.

More than half of Louisiana parishes are considered maternity care deserts —places where obstetric care is absent or dangerously limited. Over athird have no obstetric provider or hospital unit at all. Medicaid cutswould force more rural hospitals to close or eliminate obstetric care entirely,leaving entire regions without providers for prenatal or postpartum care. The consequences aren’t theoretical. Apregnant woman in rural Avoyelles Parish may soon have to travel even further

Return of politics to east bank leveeboard will lead to dysfunction

The 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina should be atime to remember historic reformsthat have made our region stronger,safer and moreresilient

Instead, Gov.Jeff Landry has reintroduced politics into the governance of our leveesand ﬂood protection systems. Last year,the Legislature passed alaw giving the governor sweeping authority to handpick the presidents of over 150 state boards. Landry has used that power three times at the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East. Most recently,heremoved his previous pick for board president, Roy Carubba, after achaotic tenure marked by high-proﬁle resignations, retirementsand terminations.

his ﬁnger in theface of former commissioner Clay Cosse and shouted expletives. Thegovernor was right to removeCarubba as president, but replacing him witha brand-new boardmember with no institutionalknowledge is not theanswer

than 30 minutes to her closest birthhospital. Amother in New OrleansEast might forgo postpartumvisits because she no longer qualiﬁes forMedicaid under new eligibility rules.

This will be especially devastating for Black women in Louisiana, who are already 2.5 times more likely to diefrom pregnancyrelated causes. These proposed cuts would deepen racial and geographic inequities and decimate care in the very communities that rely on it themost.

Louisiana policymakers must act swiftly to blunt the impact of these federal cuts. That includes maximizing state funding to preserve coverage for pregnant womenand families, pursuing federal waivers to maintain access forvulnerable groups and minimizing red tape that could cause eligible residents to lose care. Leaders should also

invest in community-based outreach and enrollment assistance to ensure families understand the new rules and don’tfall through the cracks. Doing nothing is not an option —the health of thousands of Louisiana women and children is on the line.

The bill may be signed, but the ﬁght is farfrom over.State leaders must do everything in their power to shield Louisiana families from its worst effects.

That starts with protecting, not slashing, Medicaid. Our health, our economy and our future depend on it.

Melissa Goldin Evans is on thefacultyatthe Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health&TropicalMedicine at Tulane Universityand a member of theNew Orleans Maternal andChild Health Coalition advisory board.

Kratom banabad move forthose in chronicpain

Longago, when Iwas young and invincible, Iwould snowboard in Colorado and occasionally hit the “kicker,” a sloped rampthat would launch me into theair to soar above the world below

His replacement, PeterViacri,had only attended one boardmeeting before being elevated to the top post.

Carruba’sleadership drove four of nine board members to resign. Three members addressed their resignation letter to Shane Guidry,alarge political donor to Landry with no approvedofﬁcial role at the ﬂood authority or in government.In atroubling pattern, Carubba has repeatedly asked areporter forthis paper to get Guidry’sapproval before publishing his comments. Who is really in charge?

Landry’sintention to stack theSLFPAEboard could not be clearer.Atthe end of the last legislative session, his ofﬁce quietly withdrew or failed to submit for Senate conﬁrmation the name of aboard member who publicly opposed his legislation designed to dismantle post-Katrina levee reforms. This is textbook political retaliation. Only two of the nine board members from ayear ago remain.

One key question remains unanswered by Guidry and Landry.What are they trying to accomplish with this SLFPA-Etakeover? What problems do they seek toﬁx?

Carubba and Guidry have claimed they are trying to cut wasteful spending. Yet, payroll costs at SLFPA-E have increased by $2 million in just the past year.One particularly questionable expense is the $208,000 salary of PoliceSuperintendent Joshua Rondeno.

The dysfunction reached alow point in June, when Carubba ended aboard meeting by accusing fellow board members of self-dealing and racism while providing no evidence.

As he left, Carubba turned back, pointed

This is not what the people of southeast Louisiana fought for after Katrina. In theaftermath of thestorm, Citizensfor 1Greater New Orleans, ledbyfounder Ruthie Frierson, organized agrassroots movement to reform ﬂood governance. Hundreds of citizens in red coats ﬂooded the State Capitol in Baton Rouge, demandingchange. Their efforts culminated in a constitutional amendment, approved by 81% of voters statewide and 94% in Orleans Parish, to depoliticize levee boards and prioritize public safety

Thesereforms have worked for nearly 19 years,underevery administration except, without explanation, the current one.

This past legislative session, our organization proposed an amendment to restore the board’sauthoritytoelect itsown chair and insulate it from further political interference.

Most lawmakers we met agreed with the ideainprinciple, but saidthe governor must agree. He didnot.

Canyou imagine what people around the country will think when they hear Louisiana has reintroduced political inﬂuence into ﬂood protection in New Orleans? Will the federal government come to our aid again in the face of adisaster of ourown making?

How are citizens better off if we revert to the pre-Katrina days of poor flood management and political influence? What message does it sendthat theboard overseeing our flood protection system may be taking orders from aprivatepolitical donor?

We cannot afford to return to thepolitically compromised systems that failed us so catastrophically in 2005. Flood protectionisthe mostexistential threat we collectively share, transcending all other diversity in our colorful and unique community

Citizens have avital roletoplay.We must insist that our elected ofﬁcials correct this crucial error beforethis dysfunction resultsina crisis.

Blair duQuesnay is the chair of Citizens for 1Greater New Orleans

Once, while landing, Ihurt my back. It was sore for afew days and then thepain vanished, as injuries do when you are 22. But unbeknownst to me, aprocess had been set in motion.Over the next two decades, that back ache would evolve into arthritis andeventually adisc herniation, which produced nerve pain that would ripple downmy legs.

ences that mirrored my own. Troy D’Albor,anITspecialist from St. Martinville, testified how he had been using kratom for10years to manage crippling back pain. D’Albor waspreviously prescribed hydrocodone, which led him to addiction, but now he’sadecade sober and able to manage his pain with kratom alone. Most kratom users appear to fit asimilar profile. Asurvey published by Johns Hopkins in 2023 found that out of 2,798 kratom users, 91% were taking it to alleviate pain.

Isaw doctors, physical therapistsand chiropractors to ﬁnd relief. Some things madeitbetter,others made it worse, but today Iamone of tens of millions of Americans with chronic pain.

Andlike most, I’ve tried numerous drugs for relief. Yet, the one that has been mosteffective isn’tanover-thecounter anti-inﬂammatory or adrug prescribed by aphysician

It’sa controversial Southeast Asian leaf called kratom, which has painkilling properties. Ihave been taking it mostdays for ﬁve years without any side effectsordependency issues. And it’sbeen agodsend, allowing me to function despite my injury YetonAug. 1, I’mforced to make achoice due to thehandiwork of the LouisianaLegislature, which criminalized kratom during its mostrecent session. Ieither break the law,orI grimace in pain. Thousandsofother Louisianaresidents are in asimilar situation.

The criminalization of kratom is acounterproductive act that stems from acommendable impulse: keeping people safe from potentially dangerous drugs. At alegislative hearing in April, thebill’ssponsor,Sen. Jay Morris, R-WestMonroe, said people have overdosed on kratom, while astate physician testiﬁed that he treats more people for addiction to kratom than crack.

Andtwo families told lawmakers that they believed thedrug had damaged their children irreparably,one of whom blamed their son’ssuicide on kratom addiction. The testimonials wereheartbreaking, and Ican understandtheir desire for aban.

Butalso present at the hearing were those who described the drug ridding them of long-standing pain and providing anewfound quality of life, experi-

D’Albor pointed out that much of the kratom ﬂooding the marketplace now is synthetic and concentrated.

While traditional kratom contains only traces of 7-hydroxymitragynine, concentrated extracts and synthetic products artiﬁcially boost levels of this alkaloid, which studies show can be up to 13 times morepotent than morphine.

To put it simply: Somepeople are sipping light beer while others are guzzling Jack Daniel’s.

There was aﬁxfor this problem.A House bill, moving through the Legislature at the sametime, would have prohibited high-concentration formulations and adulterated products while requiring better package labeling so consumers could understand what they’re taking. It’s the path that many states, including Mississippi, have pursued. It wasalso the preference of manykratom users, myself included, whogotogreat lengths to makesure they are taking products that are pure. But instead of operating with a scalpel, the Legislature opted forthe sledgehammer.The result will likely be aﬂourishing black market, enriching drug dealers and shady operators while forcing people with pain issues to enter into the criminal underworld. So manypeople in this state suffer from chronic pain. It’s not just the excruciating sensations that haunt them; it’sthe unrelenting dread of losing core parts of their identity,their jobs, their hobbies, the things they enjoy doing, because it simply hurts too much to do them anymore. Of course, the biggest indignity is when those in power have the presumption to tell them how they can and can’ttreat their own health issues. And that’sexactly what Louisiana lawmakers did.

DanLawton lives in Mandeville.

ACONVERSATION WITH JON BATISTE

can enact that culture.

Jon BatisteisaKenner native whowent to St. AugustineHigh Schooland the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.Hewas amember of the Purple Knights’ Marching 100 and became a young professional New Orleans entertainerand musician before rising to international fame. He has had 22 Grammy nominations, winning seven Grammys. He’swon an Oscar and aGolden Globe award. Columnist Will Sutton interviewed Batiste about his Hurricane Katrina experience and how the storm has shaped New Orleans and music. Theconversation has been edited for length and clarity

SUTTON: Let’sgoback to summer 2005. Where wereyou? What were you doing that summer?

BATISTE: Ihad returned home for summer break from my ﬁrst year at Juilliard. Ihad ﬁnished at St. Aug and NOCCA, and wentto Juilliard for ayear and returned This was for the summer break, andIwas home through theday that Hurricane Katrina hit landfall.

SUTTON: So you were here (in New Orleans) on Aug. 29?

BATISTE: Iwas in New Orleans on Aug. 29 andIhave a... Idon’t think I’ve sharedthis story publicly.Ihave avery interesting story about returning back to Juilliard afterKatrina.

SUTTON: Tell me about it

BATISTE: Youknow,wehad amoment as all New Orleanians who have lived through hurricanes know.Wetaped our windows, boardedthe windows.Sometimes youtough it out. We didn’tthink it would be what it obviously became. We werethinking of staying until that day,and alot of people made that same choice. Then it seemed likeit’sa little different. Let’sleave. And we got on thefreeway.Once we got on the freeway,you just saw bumperto-bumper trafﬁc, cars thatwere all heading out, and we were all going in the same direction —to Texas. We had to ﬁgure out where we were going to stay,atwhathotel. We tried to book some place. A lot of places were booked.Aswe got furtherand further down the road, you could just feel the energy,this full-blown energy of the storm reaching our city.Wedidn’t know how we were going to get out, but we knew we had to get out. We were on the road. My late grandmother was in the back seat next to me. My sister,myparents, were in the front seat. We were in acaravan with my uncle. We found aplace in Texas.

We get to Texas, and we’re watchingitunfoldonthe news outlets.

Anythingthatyou werewatching to do with news,any sort of coverage, was out of New Orleans. Iremember CNN coverage showing some of theneighborhoods that Iknow.Even where our house was. Therewas asense of mounting tension and despair andasense of questioning. Who’s gotout? Who’s decided to leave? Who’sstill there? What’sgoing on with everythingthat we left behind and all those who we left behind? There were so many things we didn’tthink about.And thisiswhere the Juilliard piece comesin. Ididn’tbring aset of luggage formore than two or three days. Every single year, those who go to Juilliard know with the music program, there’sareal audition. Youhavetore-audition to get backin. Some folksre-audition andthey’renot let back in. There’savery small chance that youcan make it in to begin with, butthen therigor of doing what we call ajury audition keeps up the wholefouryears you’re there. Forme to get back into school, I hadtoaudition.

This was theend of August.We start thesemester in September Iwasn’t ready.And Ihad to do my audition for Juilliard for my second year.Overthe phone. In the lobbyofthe hotel. On thepiano that was in thelobby

SUTTON: Wow. So there was a piano in thelobby?The hotel’s lobby piano?

BATISTE: The lobbypiano at the hotel. Idomyaudition over thephone. Iget in. IgofromTexas up to New York for the semester with

theclothes that Ihave on my back. Ileft my family behind. They encouraged me to go. I didn’twant to go, but they said, “You got to go. You’ve got to ﬁnish your school, and we’ll be all right Everybody’saccounted for.Go ahead.”

So that audition to Juilliard was in thewake of Katrina, over the phone from thehotel lobby piano.

SUTTON: Let’sleap forward. I want to get your reﬂections on what it was like experiencing Hurricane Katrina as you started your professional career

BATISTE: Ihad experienced my ﬁrst year as aprofessional in New York. At Julliard. Starting aband. So in my second year and on, there was areal palpable ambassadorship of the citytothe rest of theworld.

Beingsomeone who is generations deep in thecity,the lineage and the roots of my family go deep. Beinginthe city in my adult life and having been aculture bearer and inheriting this incredible gift of inheritance of this culture at atime when all eyes were on New Orleans, it established a sense of mebeing arepresentativeofthe best of who we are. Twenty years later,Istill take that responsibility very seriously

SUTTON: So how has Katrina over thelast 20 years had an impact on you and inspired you in your music career?

BATISTE: Iremember New Orleans growing up and what it was. I’ve seen how it’schanged. It’s inspired me to keep thereal authentic elements of the city that were part of my upbringing, to keep those alive. What Irealize is that alot of it is in the people and bringing people together,bringing people into aspace where we

Beforethe Super Bowl, Iput together afestival in the 9th Ward, bringing together alot of family and friends and artists. We’re all so deeply rooted in the city,but rarely,ifever,dowehave an occasion to get together.And not just get together,but get together in the heart of the community.It’s great to have people come and visit thecity,who wanttobea part of it,connect to the culture and express gratitude and joy and experience it. I’ve always really taken alot of the responsibility with my platform to share the actual experience that Ihad growing up and the experience that I inherited and to not let that ever die out

SUTTON: Iwas there that day.I enjoyed the day,Ienjoyed your energy and Ienjoyed how you included theother artists and musicians. Youlive in New York now What are someofthe things that, because of Katrina, you miss? What are someofthe things that you’re thankful still exist?

BATISTE: One thing Imiss that is not by way of Katrina necessarily, but Imiss the blessing of being able to move through the city with anonymity.I’m often in the city unannounced because of that. I’m often with family and in close quarters with folks whoknow I’m in thecity but everybody else doesn’tknow.I missed those sort of experiences. Iremember when we werein theeighth or ninth grade, Troy er Trombone Shorty —wewould sneak intoclubs. Just thinking about those kinds of experiences, Ithink changed the city.There’s alot more of arestriction on the music in the communal space in thestreet during the second-lines. That was such abeautiful, multigenerational connectivity that came through all of our social practices andthe musical culture. It definitely changed. We took ablow.A lot of the elders were displaced anddidn’tcome back to thecity.Alot of the institutions and the creative forces behind them weren’table to stay in the sameway We’retalking about the range of differentthings legitimized by us, thingsthat we weren’table to carry on in the sameway,oratall. Youfeel that spirit shift. There’s been alot of new blood that’s come. We see alot of changes to thefeel of the city.And alot of new opportunity,aswell, which Ithink is great. Don’t get me wrong. But Idothink there is a sense whenwewere kids we were almost the last generation to really have that sort of experience. Iremember feeling that shift. I was just coming into manhood when Katrina hit. Iremember it very clearly. The first five years

afterward, you would drive around and you would still see the slashes on the front of people’s doors and windows. Iremember going to Hamilton Street to my grandparents’ house in Hollygrove where Ispent my summers. That’sthe spirit and the feel of the city that we lost. It’s come back in adifferent form But it’snot the same.

SUTTON: In the 20 years since Katrina, professionally,you’ve growntoincredible heights, you’ve played alot of places and visited lots of places. How often does the word Katrina come up?

BATISTE: There’salways different ways that it’sbrought up. If it’s not brought up, Ialways like to bring it to the forefront and ﬁnd ways of keeping the conversation, keeping the memoryofitalive. It maybebiased to say,but I believe it’strue: New Orleans is the soul of America. What has happened in our city is important forusinour collective memory. Iremember when, it must have been at the Emmysin2017 or 2018, the anniversary of Katrina wasthe day of the Emmys. Idecided that Iwould wearasuit that wasaprint of an aerial shot of NewOrleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, it becamesomething that wasaconversation.

It’s moreonustocontinue to keep that conversation alive so that we can learn from the mistakes. We still have alot of things that we can do. Iurge folks in the position to do it with the engineering of our levees and understanding the one-of-a-kind oneness of the city.Weneed to protect that at all costs. If people don’tmention it, Imention it.

For the full conversation, go to www.nola.com/opinions

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

JonBatiste performs with the TBC Brass Band during JonBatiste’sLove Riot Festival, at GeorgeWashington CarverHigh School in NewOrleans’ 9thWard on Feb.8

ART By CHANDRA MCCORMICK

Artist-photographerChandra McCormick captured this imageofTrombone Shorty playing among others during an annual paradein 2000. Likeotherphotographs in the Chandra McCormick-Keith Calhoun photography archives, thephotographwas waterlogged by HurricaneKatrina floodwaters, rescued and then restored in 2010.

Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun are artists bornand raisedinNew Orleans’ Lower 9thWard.Amarriedcouple, theyhavebeen documenting the culture of Louisiana and its people formore than four decades and have received numerous awards fortheir work.

STAFFFILE PHOTO

Will Sutton

NewOrleans Forecast

ForecastFrom WWL-TV,Your Local Weather Experts

foreseeable future.

StephenMissionaryBap‐tistChurch,1738 L. B. LandryAve., NewOrleans, LA70114. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pastor James Thomas III, ofﬁciat‐ing.Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504) 282-0600. Don‐avinD.Boydand Linear BrooksBoydOwners/Fu‐neral Directors.

Turner Jr., Floyd

FloydTurner, Jr., age81, entered peacefully into eternal rest on Monday, July28, 2025, at hisresi‐dence.Hewas anativeand residentofWestwego, LA Floyd wasa veteranofthe UnitedStatesArmy. He was aretired ownerand operatorofhis ownlawn careservice.Floyd wasan activeand faithfulmember ofHousehold of Faith Church in Gretna,where he servedasa deacon Beloved husband of Josephine WhitleyTurner. Devoted father of China Turner, Necole Grant, and the late FloydTurnerIII. StepfatherofJames and Belinda Edwards. Sonof the late FloydTurner, Sr and LouAnnie Turner Grandsonofthe late Dan and LouAnnie Spears.Lov‐ing brotherofGeneSpears, JaniceEdge, Joycelyn Spears, andthe late Edgar A.Landry. Floydisalsosur‐vived by 14 grandchildren, 7 greatgrandchildren,and a host of nieces,nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,ofﬁcers,and members of Householdof Faith Church andall neigh‐boringchurches arein‐vited to attend theHome‐going Celebrationat Household of FaithChurch 712 27thStreet,Gretna,LA onSaturday, August 9, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 10:00 a.m. until servicetimeatthe church.Interment:South‐

DEATHS continued from east LouisianaVeteran Cemetery, Slidell, LA on Monday, August 11, 2025 at11:00 a.m. Arrangements byDavis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St., Gretna,LA. Toviewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com. Face masksare recom‐mended.

Williams,KeshoineMarie

Keshoine MarieWilliams passedawayonWednes‐day,July23, 2025 at theage of45. Keshoine wasborn onOctober 1, 1979 to Cyn‐thiaMcDanieland Michael Williams in New Orleans, LA. Shewas Cynthia’s‘Mir‐acle’ childand theonly child.Keshoineleavesto cherish precious memo‐ries, mother,Cynthia Mc‐Daniel; bonus father,Leroy McDaniel; father,Michael (Cynthi)Williams; furbaby, MarleyWilliams; stepsis‐ters, KizzyMcDanieland Sabrina Sanders; Godchild, ClarkeHull(nannybaby); auntsand uncles,Loretta (Theodore)Cowart, StephaineTate(Gregory Winﬁeld),Timothy Jackson and Steven (Romanda) Tate, as well as ahostof other family andfriends Keshoineisprecededin death by hergrandparents, Hazel Jacksonand Armour Tate; uncle,Charles Hamp‐ton;cousins,Frank Brooks, Latisha Davisand Melissa Lumar.A Celebrationser‐vicehonoringthe life and legacyofthe late Keshoine Marie Williamswillbeheld inthe Chapel of Charbon‐net LabatGlapion Funeral Home, 1615 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Saturday,August 9,2025 at 1pm. Interment Private.Visitation12noon inthe chapel.Pleasesign onlineguestbook at char‐bonnetfuneralhome.com.

Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.

Clarence K. Williams,Jr., age 85, wasbornonNo‐vember12, 1939, native of Terrebonne andresidentof Houma,LA. He passed awaypeacefullyon Wednesday,July30, 2025 Clarenceattended Gram‐bling StateUniversity. He was amemberofNew Ris‐ing SunBaptist Church and BlaineC.Lodge No.14 F&AM. He wasalsoa Con‐trolRoom Operator for Shell OilCompany until his retirement. He leaves to cherish hismemories, his lovingwifeMarySpearman Williams;his children, Keith “Aida"Muhammad and KendricWilliams. Clarencenow joinsinrest withhis parents, Clarence Williams,Sr. andMyrtle Coleman Williams;sister, Armente Jamesand grand‐parents,Agnes Coleman, Eddieand Earlineand Alice Williams.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Friday, August 8, 2025 at New Rising SunBaptist Church,230 St.Charles Street,Houma,LA70360 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation from 9:00a.m.until 11:00 a.m. In‐terment NewRisingSun Baptist Church Cemetery You maysignthe guest book on www.gertrudeged deswillis.com.Gertrude GeddesWillis-Terrebonne FuneralHome, Inc. in charge(985) 872-6934.

Williams Jr., Clarence K.

SPORTS

Breesexcited to seeSaintsQBbattleplayout

Former star quarterback hasbeenfollowing team’s ‘eventfulcamp’

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Drew Brees is no different than anyother New Orleans Saints fan these days. He’s watching the team’squarterback competition from afar and following every pass with interest from his California home. The Saints legend is as eager as everyone else to see how the trainingcamp battle between Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattlerand Jake Haener plays out.

“It’sapretty unique situation, if you just look at theyouth across theboard,” Brees said Thursday,while in town to promote the NOLA Pickleball Event taking place this weekend at theErnest N. Morial Convention Center.“Obviously,there was alot of excitement in draftingTyler Shough, and Ifelt like Spencer Rattlerdid somegreat things last year. And Jake Haener,his (playing)style, hisstature,everything reminds me of alot of myself. …Sowe’ll see how the competition shakes out. It seems like it’sbeen a pretty eventful camp so far.” Becauseofthe trio’s lack of experience andthe new Saints’ coaching staff’s relative lack of familiarity with each play, Brees said he expects theclub to playeach

Former Saints quarterback DrewBrees signs memorabilia during abreak frompromotional activities at the NOLA Pickle Fest event on Thursday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Saints lineman TrevorPenning,center,protects quarterback Tyler Shoughduring aadrill on Saturdayatthe team’s practicefacility

Penning’sgoalinnew role with Saints:‘Maulingpeople’

BYLUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

There’sthat mindset poppingoff againinthe New Orleans Saints offensiveline’s post-practice ﬁlm review

“Weran like alittle sweep play, and all Isee is Trevor (Penning) driving aguy into the dirt,” said rookie left tackle Kelvin Banks.

Listening to players talk, it seems likethese sorts of playsare aregular occurrence forPenning, who switched positionstoleft guard thisseason.A very large man withaveryphysicalmentalitymeshing thosetwo attributes, resulting in otherlargemen beingdriven into theturfagainsttheir will. That mentalityisreal,and it is not common.

“Every play,he’sliterally trying to putpeopleinthe ground,” said fellow linemanWill Clapp. “You’d like to have that mindset every play as an offensive lineman, but alot of guys don’t.This dude truly wantstophysically destroy people.”

That combination of brute forceand aggressiveness didn’talways work at offensivetackle, aposition that somewhat neutralizedPenning’snature andasked him to play more passively.The Saints triedhim ﬁrst at left tackle, benched him, then tried him outatright tackle.

The resultswerebetter on the right side,but some of the old issues persisted. Drive off the ball and burysomeone?Penning could do that. Take apass setinnaked spaceagainst some of the NFL’s premier athletes? That experiment ran itscourse for aplayer who is more brawler than technician.

“I honestly thoughthewas oneofthe ﬁve best runblocking right tackles in the entireleague, if not top three in theNFL last year,” said offensive line analyst Brandon Thorn. “Like after Penei Sewell, LaneJohnson, just pure run game. Ithought he was awesomelast year.But thedisparity between that and pass pro is very stark, and it’s aproblem

“At tackle, he really struggled with positional leverage. Also his pad level, his hands, syncinghis hands andfeet together when he was in pass protection, having to set out to aspot and deal with alot of space. It always looked a littleoff for him, and he never quite turned thecorner And it always resulted in just averyerratic player.”

By movinghim inside to guard, theSaintshope to beneﬁtfromthe best of Penning while minimizing the worst.

“It’s deﬁnitely anatural spot for him,” said Cesar Ruiz, thestartingright guard. “Trevor is avery gifted human

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

They’re swimming in the Seine this summer in Paris. For the ﬁrst timein102 years, the famously romantic and famously polluted river that winds sensuously through the City of Light is clean enough forParisians to plunge into —ifthey dare. It’s alegacy of the 2024 Olympic Games, which weregoing on this time last year up, downand yes, in the Seine.

In 2024, thirty-ﬁve athletes with LSU and/or Louisiana ties competed for20 countries during the Paris Games,which ran from July 26-Aug. 11. Before we pass the one-year marksince the Olympic ﬂamewas extinguished (to be relighted again Feb. 6for the start of the Winter Olympics in Italy), we thought we’dget an update on how someLouisiana Olympians are faring these days: MondoDuplantis

The Lafayette native dramatically broke his ownpole vault world record on the last of three attempts the night of Aug. 5, 2024, inside the Stade de France, clearing the bar at 20 feet, 6inches. Since then, the former LSU All-American has nudged the bar higher atotal of three times to 20-7, his most recent record leap coming June 15 in Stockholm, Sweden, the country he represents (his mother Helena is from there). It was his 12th time to break the world record —only Sergei Bubka had more world record performances with 14. But Mondo is far from done. Leading up to Paris, Mondo’sfather and coach Greg Duplantis told me they thought 21 feet was feasible. At only 25, still arguably not at his peak by pole vaulting standards, that once impossible height seems within Duplantis’ grasp. He aims to be the ﬁrst three-time Olympic gold medalist in men’spole vault in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Scott Rabalais

Mondo Duplantis

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

USA Gymnastics is entering a new era

BY WILL GRAVES AP national writer

There was a time, not that long ago really, when Joscelyn Roberson would combat the nerves that inevitably popped up before a major gymnastics meet by reminding herself of one very simple fact

“I could be like, ‘Oh no one’s watching me,’ ” the 19-year-old said with a laugh. “Like they’re watching Simone (Biles). They’re watching Jordan (Chiles). They’re watching Suni (Lee) and Jade (Carey). Like, they are not watching me.”

Well, they are now Biles, Lee, Carey and Carey are all on sabbatical from elite gymnastics, perhaps for good. And when Roberson salutes the judges during the ﬁrst night of the U.S. Gymnastics Championships on Friday in New Orleans, the world championship gold medalist and Olympic alternate will be one of the few athletes on the ﬂoor with experience on the sport’s biggest stage.

“Maybe they are kind of watching me (now), so it adds a different level of nerves, but I love it,” Roberson said.

Good thing, because she’ll probably have to get used to it. Not just for Roberson, but the athletes who will ﬁnd the spotlight pointing their way now that the icons who commanded it so completely have stepped aside, at least for now

A year after sending the oldest team in modern Olympic history to Paris, the average age of the competitors who will spend the weekend at Smoothie King Center taking their ﬁrst tentative steps toward the 2028 Los Angeles Games is under 18.

Hezley Rivera helped the Americans capture gold last summer Now, the 17-year-old ﬁnds herself thrust into the role as one of the standardbearers for one of the marquee programs of the U.S. Olympic movement, and the external pressure that comes along with it.

RABALAIS

Sha’Carri Richardson

The former LSU sprinter took home gold in the women’s 4x100-meter relay, blazing from fourth place on the anchor leg to ﬁrst place, and got silver in the 100-meter dash. For all her glory in Paris, 2025 has been something else entirely Richardson has run times of 11.47 and 11.19 in her two international meets so far this season, far off her best of 10.65 that won her gold at the 2023 world championships. Then came her arrest July 27 at the Seattle airport for domestic violence against her boyfriend, fellow U.S. sprinter Christian

Hong takes lead at U.S. Gym Championships

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Another national championship is within Asher Hong’s grasp.

pion Donnell Whittenburg of Bradenton, Florida, put himself in prime position for a ﬁfth rings title, taking ﬁrst place with a 15.101 The 30-year-old is also in third place on bars at 13.850.

Texans’ Gardner-Johnson suffers injury at practice

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W Va

Houston safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson appeared to suffer a signiﬁcant leg injury Thursday as the Texans practiced at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

According to reports, GardnerJohnson tried to tackle receiver John Metchie and after making contact fell to ground and began writhing in pain. The medical staff tended to him as the team and coaches surrounded him. He was eventually helped by the medical staff to a cart while it appeared that he couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg. Coach DeMeco Ryans didn’t have any update on his condition, but said it was difﬁcult to watch it happen.

Gardner-Johnson is in his ﬁrst year in Houston after he was acquired from the Eagles in March.

Mystics trade Edwards to Sun for Sheldon

“I definitely know that people have certain expectations, but I don’t really care what people have, like, expectations-wise for me,” she said. “I know what I want and my goals, so it’s kind of just focusing on what I’m doing in the gym and what I am doing on the competition ﬂoor.”

Rivera’s elite 2025 debut was bumpy She tied for 12th at the U.S. Classic last month, well behind WOGA club teammate Claire Pease, who showed uncommon poise in her ﬁrst major competition at the senior level.

Yes, it wasn’t the meet Rivera wanted, but the reality is the year following an Olympics is all about adjusting to the sport’s updated Code of Points and plotting out what the run-up to the next Olympics might look like.

That’s perhaps even more true this time around, not just on the ﬂoor but off it. While a new wave of athletes who grew up idolizing Biles and Lee step towards the forefront, the organization they will represent is undergoing a signiﬁcant change of its own.

A ‘bittersweet’ departure

Li Li Leung, who nimbly guided USA Gymnastics out of the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, is stepping down at the end of the year During her ﬁnal “State of the Sport” address on Wednesday Leung grew uncharacteristically emotional during what she called a “bittersweet” milestone.

Asked if she’s had any second thoughts since announcing her plan in June, Leung shook her head.

“I’ve accomplished everything that I set out to do when I took this role,” she said. “It takes quite a bit of work to build up to an Olympic Games, and it would be so unfair if I made my decision a couple of years from now and not giving the next CEO the runway to be able to build successfully into LA.”

Coleman, who declined to press charges Richardson scratched in the 100 at the recent U.S. Track and Field championships in Eugene, Oregon, and didn’t qualify in the 200. She is still qualiﬁed in the 100 in this year’s world track and ﬁeld championships, next month in Tokyo, because she is the reigning champion from the 2023 worlds. But currently ranked outside the top 10 in the world in the 100 this season, it’s highly questionable whether she can regain the form in time to make the podium in Tokyo.

Kristen Nuss and Taryn Brasher No, New Orleans native and LSU All-American beach volleyballer Kristen Nuss hasn’t broken up with long-time partner Taryn Kloth. The latter an All-American blocker at LSU, got married

Winner of the 2023 all-around title in the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, the Olympian from Stanford established himself Thursday as the man to beat again this year, ﬁnishing in ﬁrst place after the opening session of the senior men’s competition at the Smoothie King Center

The 21-year-old Hong, one of four members of the bronze medal-winning U.S men’s team from the 2024 Paris Olympics, posted a six-event total of 85.585. He was signiﬁcantly ahead of Oklahoma’s Fuzzy Beneas (81.105), and Stanford teammate Colt Walker (81.058).

The men’s senior all-around and six individual event titles — ﬂoor, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar — will be decided Saturday night.

Stephen Nedoroscik of Sarasota, Florida, in pursuit of a record fifth straight pommel horse national championship, had some work to do going into Saturday’s final. Nedoroscik, 26, who also won two bronze medals in Paris with the U.S. team and in his specialty event, was in fifth place with a 14.200, well behind first-place Patrick Hoopes of Air Force (15.775).

Brody Malone, 2024 Olympian and three-time U.S. all-around champion, decided not to attempt to defend his all-around title from last year He’s competing in four events, sitting out ﬂoor and vault. He goes into Saturday in third place on rings (14.058) and fourth on pommel horse (14.402).

Seven-time U.S. event cham-

The junior men’s competition got things underway in Thursday afternoon’s session. Maksim Kan, 17, of Muskego, Wisconsin, the 2024 junior all-around champion, held the lead going into Saturday’s second session with a score of 78.427. He was also in ﬁrst place on pommel horse (14.374) and high bar (13.691).

The women’s half of the competition gets underway Friday, with juniors competing at 1:45 p.m. and seniors competing at 6:45 p.m.

Headlining the evening session will be Olympic gold medalist Hezly Rivera, the only member of the ﬁve-woman U.S team from the Paris Olympics competing at this year’s championships. The Hackensack, New Jersey, native, who is committed to LSU but not expected to enroll until after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is one of the favorites to capture this year’s all-around title won last year by Simone Biles.

Another LSU commitment competing is Annalisa Milton of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the same hometown as former LSU greats Sarah and Aleah Finnegan. U.S. Olympic alternates from 2024, Leanne Wong of Florida and Jocelyn Robertson of Arkansas, are also set to perform, along with 2024 U.S. junior all-around champion Claire Pease of Sunnyvale, Texas, whom LSU is recruiting.

Friday’s evening session will be streamed live on Peacock. The championships continue through Sunday

earlier this year and now goes by her married surname (Nuss, a defender, is engaged to be married in January).

The pair has slid slightly from No. 2 entering Paris to No. 8 in the world currently, but mainly because they have played fewer events (ﬁve) than anyone else in the top 32. Still, when they have played the quality has shone through: two victories, most recently last month in Switzerland, a second- and a third-place showing.

Jere Hribar

The Tiger swimmer from Croatia ﬁnished 11th in the men’s 50-meter freestyle earlier this month at the World Aquatic championships in Singapore with a time of 21.79 seconds. It’s signiﬁcant by LSU standards as it eclipses the best time by a Tiger swim-

mer previously 21.84 by U.S. gold medalist Brooks Curry (4x100 freestyle relay, 2020 Tokyo).

Hailey Van Lith

The one-time Tiger ﬁnished her collegiate career at TCU after helping the U.S. win a bronze medal in 3x3 basketball in Paris.

The 2024-25 Big 12 player of the year, Van Lith was drafted 11th overall in April by the Chicago Sky, reuniting HVL with former LSU teammate Angel Reese. Van Lith has played sparingly so far in Chicago, averaging 4.1 points per game and 13.3 minutes of playing time in 23 games. Van Lith has missed time with an ankle injury but reportedly was set to play Thursday against Atlanta. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

WASHINGTON The Washington Mystics traded forward Aaliyah Edwards to the Connecticut Sun for guard Jacy Sheldon on Thursday

The move announced by the teams includes an option for Washington to swap 2026 firstround picks with Connecticut. That would be a Minnesota Lynx pick acquired by Washington in a previous trade for a New York Liberty pick acquired by Connecticut in another previous trade.

Washington general manager Jamila Wideman said in a news release that Sheldon has built on a “solid” rookie campaign by establishing herself as a shooter who can “read the game on both ends of the court.”

Chargers star LT Slater out for season with knee injury

LOS ANGELES Rashawn Slater, the Chargers’ star left tackle who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history last month, sustained a torn patellar tendon in practice and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday Slater went down in team drills after going up against edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. As Slater planted his left foot, he collapsed to the ground and immediately grabbed his leg. A quiet hush fell over the Chargers’ facility while Slater stayed down for several minutes before trainers and teammates helped him onto a cart. Slater appeared visibly distraught — throwing his helmet, slamming his hand on the cart and burying his face in his hands. Several teammates walked over to console him before he left the ﬁeld.

Williams loses in straight sets at Cincinnati Open

CINCINNATI Venus Williams, who returned to tennis last month after being away from the sport for more than a year, lost to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday in the ﬁrst round of the Cincinnati Open. Next up for the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is the U.S. Open, where she received a wild-card entry with Reilly Opelka to play mixed doubles beginning Aug. 19. Williams has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Serena and another two in mixed doubles.

The 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro advanced to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal match last week in Montreal.

Courage fires coach, cites ‘a multitude of factors’ A “multitude of factors” went into the firing of North Carolina Courage soccer coach Sean Nahas, franchise sporting director Ceri Bowley said Thursday but would not elaborate.

The team released a terse statement on Wednesday night that said Nahas’ contract had been terminated.

“The North Carolina Courage remain focused on the continued development of the team and maintaining a professional, competitive environment for players, staff, and supporters,” the statement said.

Bowley then spoke at a news conference Thursday morning during which he said: “There’s always a multitude of factors that are considered, and a multitude of factors were considered in this situation.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL WOODS Arkansas gymnast Joscelyn Roberson competes on the floor against LSU during an NCAA gymnastics meet on Jan. 24 in Fayetteville, Ark.

AP FILE PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Stephen Nedoroscik, of the United States, competes on pommel horse during a men’s qualification round on July 27, 2024, at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Tulane’s O-line making significant improvement

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall would love to anoint Reese Baker a sureﬁre starter at right offensive tackle, but he is holding off for a very good reason. As impressive as the redshirt freshman from Madison, Alabama, has been in camp, his competition is not making the decision easy

“Sometimes a guy wins a job by default,” Sumrall said. “Right now there are three or four other guys on that right side I could see playing snaps. That’s fun. You’d rather be in that situation than having to start somebody because there’s nobody else We’re in a real ﬁght over there, and it’s been quality We have to see who can play starting level snaps consistently, but there’s a good, healthy competition for sure.”

When camp began, the Green Wave was set on the left side of the line with guard Shadre Hurst, who started 13 games last year, and tackle Derrick Graham, entering his third year starting for Sumrall and his staff at Troy and Tulane. Center was pretty clearcut, too. Appalachian State transfer Jack Holliﬁeld, an athletic former linebacker and high school basketball state champion who began his career at Virginia Tech as a tight end, secured the position in the spring. The two spots vacated by Josh Remetich and Rashad Green on the right side were wide open, though, after everyone struggled to block Tulane’s dominant defen-

sive front in the spring.

The first seven practices have encouraged Sumrall on that front.

Baker at tackle and grad transfer

John Bock at guard usually line up with the ﬁrst team. Bock started at center for Florida International before and after a 12-month suspension in early November of 2023 because of a banned ingredient found in his supplement.

“Reese is sort of the silent assassin,” Sumrall said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He might walk by you and you don’t even know he’s there, but he just freaking plays at a really high level. Bock plays with an edge.”

Baker shifted to guard for a segment of Thursday’s practice at the Saints indoor facility while redshirt sophomore Darion Reed received ﬁrst-team reps at tackle.

“Reese is the closest guy to putting his name on one of those spots, but Darion Reed has had a really solid training camp,” Sumrall said.

“It’s been fun to watch. When I got here I questioned his toughness and love of the game and physicality, and he’s answered that bell.”

Jordan Hall, a grad transfer who made little impression in the spring, has caught Sumrall’s eye as well. He started only one game for Liberty last year but was a fulltime starter at Monmouth earlier in his career

“From the end of spring to the end of summer, Jordan Hall had as good of a stretch as anybody on our team,” Sumrall said. “All of them are showing the competitive character to ﬁght their tail off to see what they can become.”

Holliﬁeld, a teammate of standout Tulane defensive lineman Santana Hopper in high school and again at Appalachian State last season, credited Hopper and the playmakers around him with forcing everyone to raise their level.

“Just this summer we’ve really jelled as an offensive line and gotten a lot closer,” Hollifield said. “That’s helped us. We’re all on the same page now, and every time we go out there we want to dominate.”

Graham praised the coaches for finding the right guys to fill the holes.

“Jack stepped in and was an immediate ﬁt at center,” he said.

“From the spring until now we’ve been coming together as a unit, putting in the extra work and growing as one. We deﬁnitely have the pieces to compete for a championship. Just going against our Dline every day, iron sharpens iron, and we are going to get each other better.”

Lagniappe

Tight end Ty Thompson, recovering from a serious knee injury in the spring, participated in 11on-11 work for the ﬁrst time this camp on Thursday morning. He dropped a pass on a corner route that Jake Retzlaff threw slightly low and behind him. Sumrall said Thompson likely would be held out of Saturday night’s scrimmage but was making steady progress.

The intense, two-hour full-pads workout will be followed by a light one-hour practice in shorts on Friday at Yulman Stadium.

How the AP Top 25 is formed

By The Associated Press

The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll started in 1936, the brainchild of former sports editor Alan J. Gould.

The number of teams ranked, the number of voters on the panel and how the ballots are tabulated has fluctuated over the years, but no news organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than the AP It has been the Top 10, Top 20 and since 1989 the Top 25. With the preseason poll set to be released on Monday, Aug. 11., here is how it works: Who are the voters?

AP Top 25 voters are writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. AP employees do not vote, but they do choose the voters. In recent years, the number of voters has been around 60, and they come from all over the country

The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter, and the total of number of voters from each state tends to increase with the number of FBS teams. There are also spots reserved for national voters.

How do they vote?

There was a time when voters called, emailed and faxed their votes to the AP Long ago, the ballots were tabulated by hand. Now voting is done online and all the tabulation is automated. There is a 1-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25thplace vote. After that, it’s simple:

The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25 and others receiving votes are also noted. When is the voting done?

Except for the ﬁrst two polls and the ﬁnal poll after the national championship game, the Top 25 rankings are released on Sunday afternoons. That gives voters time to assess the results of Saturday’s games ahead of the poll release at 2 p.m. Eastern.

Voting guidelines

The AP allows wide latitude for voters to determine their rankings. They are urged to base their votes on performance, not reputation or preseason speculation; to avoid regional bias, for or against; to pay attention to head-to-head results; and to make signiﬁcant changes if desired. Teams on NCAA probation are eligible for the AP poll. Awards and All-America teams AP poll voters also participate in the selection of AP honors. Coach

Kershaw, Scherzer set for historic meeting

BY BETH HARRIS AP sports writer

LOS ANGELES Max Scherzer

vs. Clayton Kershaw sounds like an enticing postseason matchup in October Fans won’t have to wait that long. The likely Hall of Famers square off Friday in a rare contest between the most recent members of baseball’s 3,000-strikeout club.

“You probably aren’t going to see that very often these days,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I have a lot of respect for Max. It’ll be good to see him and hopefully we can have our way with him.”

Scherzer is, alongside his left-handed opponent, perhaps one of this generation’s greatest pitchers. He and Kershaw have each won World Series titles and are three-time Cy Young Award winners. Scherzer 41, is an eight-time All-Star while the 37-year-old Kershaw has 11 All-Star appearances, including this year as a Legend Pick by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Scherzer became the 19th member of the 3,000-strikeout club while pitching for the Dodgers in September 2021. Kershaw joined him as the 20th member last month. The duo, along with Justin Verlander are the only active pitchers to reach the 3,000-strikeout mark.

“I loved playing with him. I love competing against him. I have all the respect in the world for him,” Scherzer said from Colorado, where the Toronto Blue Jays earned a sweep this week.

“We’ve been pitching for so long, you don’t know how many more chances you are going to get at

this, to face somebody of his ilk. This is what you dream of, facing the best. It should be a lot of fun.”

But such a high-stakes duel doesn’t always live up to the anticipation.

In September 2023, Scherzer and Verlander squared off for the ﬁrst time in a matchup of 200game winners. Scherzer, then with Texas, didn’t make it to the fourth inning. Verlander, also a three-time Cy Young Award winner who was then with Houston, scattered six hits over seven innings.

Rookie left-hander Jack Dreyer has a locker just a few feet from Kershaw’s in the Dodgers clubhouse. He also played against Scherzer last season in a rehab outing.

“The way they go about their business is what separates them. To an extent there’s the talent, but they also just work harder than everybody else, especially Kersh,” Dreyer said. “It’s not always easy to listen to guys if they’re talking to you about how to get better but you don’t see them doing it. With him, it’s just so easy because I see him working his butt off every single day He’s the easiest guy in the world to learn from.”

Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly will be watching Scherzer and Kershaw, who he managed in LA from 201115.

“They work. They are detailed in what they want to do,” Mattingly said in Colorado.

Mattingly credits then-Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt for helping Kershaw develop a slider to add to the primary fastball-changeup mix that he used early in his 18-year career

Bhatia shoots career-best 62 to grab lead at St. Jude

The Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Akshay Bhatia had a blazing finish to get his PGA Tour postseason off to a good start, closing eagle-birdiebirdie for an 8-under 62 to post his career low and take a oneshot lead over Tommy Fleetwood in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Fleetwood has the right outlook for this postseason series Asked if he looked at the three weeks as one big event or each tournament on its own, Fleetwood said, “It really day to day.”

and player of the year voting is done on a top three basis, with 3 points for ﬁrst-place, 2 for second and 1 for third. The voters also select both the preseason and postseason AP All-America teams, a tradition that this year turns 100.

Changing times

In the early days of college football, polls declared national champions before postseason games; not until 1968 did the AP begin releasing a ﬁnal poll after bowls were played. Years of controversy followed, with endless arguments over how to determine a true champion.

After back-to-back seasons with split titles in 1990 and 1991 came two decades of different systems: the Bowl Alliance, Bowl Coalition and Bowl Championship Series all tried to pair the two best teams in the country to play for the title. Those organizations relied on a combination of polls, computer rankings and strength of schedule, a formula that has been tweaked many times but remains a sore spot to this day

The BCS turned into the College Football Playoff in 2014 with a fourteam postseason that was the ﬁrst time major college football had something that felt and acted like a true bracket Now the CFP is up to 12 teams — and looking to expand again and the AP Top 25 is still ranking the top teams.

Scottie Scheffler, playing for the first time since winning the British Open for his second major of the year made bogey on the final hole for a 67, his 10th straight round in the 60s. Bhatia comes into the FedEx Cup playoffs at No. 45, with only the top 50 advancing to the second of three tournaments in the lucrative postseason. The idea is to be among the top 30 who reach East Lake for a shot at the $10 million bonus He was paired with Harry Hall of England, who is at No 44. Hall was matching Bhatia until the final two holes, when Bhatia rolled in a 25foot birdie putt on the 17th and stuffed a short iron into 2 feet on 18.

Bhatia said he has been spending too much time thinking about numbers, whether it’s his score or his world ranking or his position in the FedEx Cup. The goal is to keep his mind peaceful.

“I felt pretty relaxed, and I’m just not trying to force anything,” he said “It’s OK to get mad at golf shots but not at yourself.”

Justin Rose and Bud Cauley, who is at No. 53, also were at 64 on a TPC Southwind that has 18 new greens and a course with much thicker rough.

Fleetwood is all but set for the FedEx Cup finale at No. 9, though he would love to get that first PGA Tour title to go along with European tour wins against strong fields. He hit 13 out of 14 fairway, and the one he missed led to a birdie when he holed a bunker shot on No. 9.

“People talk about this golf course as a second-shot golf course, but it’s only a secondshot golf course if you’re in the fairway,” Fleetwood said. “I hit the ball so well off the tee that I was always giving myself an opportunity.”

And then it helped to see the putts drop, four straight birdies to close out his round.

Projections can ﬂuctuate with shots from anyone on any part of the course. Rickie Fowler who missed the top 70 who qualify for the postseason last year, came in at No. 64 and shot 66, which projects him inside the top 50.

Jordan Spieth was at No 48. He had to rally on the back nine for a 69 that put him out of the top 50, and then back to No. 50 by the end of the day

Schefﬂer is assured the No. 1 seed for at least another week. He looked plenty sharp giving himself a lot of looks at birdie and converting four of them. He missed out on a good birdie chance at the par-5 16th when he drove into the rough and sent the next shot into a bunker about 100 yards short of the green. He also took three putts from 70 feet on the ﬁnal hole.

“Today was a good day I did some solid stuff,” Schefﬂer said. “Felt like I was close to playing a really great round but ended up with a solid round. Overall a decent start.”

This is one of the more important weeks of the PGA Tour because of what’s at stake. Not only do the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship, they are assured of being in all the $20 million signature event for next year

Among those on the bubble, Si Woo Kim (No 46) opened with a 65 and former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark had a 67.

“It’s kind of like dicey spot right now,” Kim said.

“And started struggling, so I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can get through to next week.’ But tried to keep it as simple as possible, and that helps me a lot. I had a great round, so hopefully I’ve got more room the next couple days. Just trying to make it simple and not much think about next week.”

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley, who might be the first playing captain since 1963, opened with a 72 Bradley is No. 10 in the Ryder Cup standings. He played with Maverick McNealy, who is 11th in the standings. McNealy shot 66.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SCOTT THRELKELD

Tulane tackle Derrick Graham, left, blocks as quarterback Darian Mensah hands off to running back Makhi Hughes during practice on Aug. 17 at yulman Stadium.

NFL

Rookie gets thereps

Shough takes first-string snapsduring Saints’ firstpracticein California

IRVINE, Calif. The first practice of the Saints’ West Coast swingtook lessthan 90 minutes to complete as the team engaged in mostly situational and special teams work. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough handled the lion’sshareofthe first-team snaps before theteam split its work onto separatefields —atactic coach Kellen Moore has been using to get some additional practicesnaps in the allotted time. While Shough’sday wasn’t notable for his statistical line, the rookie showed progresswhile operating against the Saints’No. 1 defense. Spencer Rattler alsoenjoyed asolid showing, while Jake Haener’s work was limited as he spentthe day working with the backups. Here is how it shook outstatistically:

n Shough: 8of15(72 of 120 overall)

n Rattler: 8-11 (80-118)

n Haener: 4-5 (68-97) New Orleans leaned into some of Shough’sbetter traits in Thursday’spractice. He had acouple of opportunities to use his athleticism, either via aplay-action bootlegora read option,and he also drilled severalout-breaking throws toward the sideline. His best pass of the day came during the second period, when he hit

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being physically.His frameand his mentality is built for guard. It’s just, ‘I’m going to smashyou, I’m goingtodump youinthe ground I’m going to bully you.’ That’s Trevor’s M.O. At guard, there’sno better place to do it.”

After ﬁrst-time head coach Kellen Moore assembled his staff this offseason, the group assessedthe roster and made adecision about Penning. The2022first-rounder was coming off his best season by far,but he was still awork in progress at tackle. They saw traits that could play better on the inside and broached the topic with Penning, whowas all for the position switch.

“It’smore up my alley,” Penning said. “Stuff that Idowell. Just getting up on guys, mauling people.” Offensive line coach Brendan Nugent describeditthis way: Penning is now playing with “bumpers” on each side of him in the left tackle and the center.Instead of being asked to play in space, they’re narrowing his focus to a smaller area, where they hope his truly special traits play up.

“He’sgot reallystrong hands, so we’re focusing on that with him,” Nugent said. “Man, if you can get your footwork right and get your

Greenlaw,Hufanga reuniteasBroncos and49ers practice

BY JOSHDUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTACLARA, Calif. TalanoaHufanga playfully threwsome jabs at Trent Williams and talked trash with former teammates, Mike McGlincheyrelishedsome one-on-reps withNickBosaand Dre Greenlaw exchangedsome hugs with Kyle Shanahan. Whenthe Broncos came to town for ajoint practice against theSan Francisco 49ers that was avaluable preparation tool for theseason there waseven more meaning forsome of theformer Niners who now call Denver home.

“I wouldn’tsay it was emotional. Iwas very happy,” said Hufanga, the former All-Pro safety who signed with the Broncos this offseason.“Iwas super excited to go. I’m talking to every guy during the rep. I’m running up to Christian (McCaffrey) just yelling at him while I’mrunning. Those are the funtimes.” Greenlaw didn’tget to practice as he is still nursing aquadriceps injury,but he did make the trip and got to see plenty of former teammates.

“I got alot of timetotalk with him,”Niners linebacker Fred Warnersaid. “I know he wanted to be outthere suited up, but he’s got his own plan going right now But obviously love being around Dre, love him to death. Obviously still wish he was on our side, but hey, it’shis turntokindofbethe guy over there.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

Glinchey and Jones last played with the 49ers.

McGlincheysaidhedid getto catch up with former teammates and coaches on theoffensive line, but the defensive front was almost entirely newoutside of Bosa.

“I did it forfouryears so it is very good work,” he said. “He’s oneofthe best in theworld at what he does. Certainly any time youget to have theopportunity to go against competition like that, it’svery helpful.”

The practice that was scripted by Broncos coach Sean Payton and Shanahan was heavy work on situational work, including plenty of work on the two-minute drill, red zone and third downs. Denver got the edge on both sides of the ball early in practice with Bo Nix making some big plays on offense and the defensive line being disruptive defensively

The 49ersdid respond late, especially on offensewith Purdy throwing TD passes to Ricky Pearsall and Demarcus Robinson.

LukeJohnson

veteran BrandinCooks in stride with alaser toward thefar pylon for a touchdown.

Shough alsohas started to show amore aggressiveness as a thrower,which contributed to his lower completion percentage in Thursday’ssession. He gave Chris Olave two goodchances at making acontested catch in theend zone during ared zoneperiod, though both wereknocked away by defensivebacks Kool-AidMcKinstry and Alontae Taylor in tight coverage. Overall, Shough had three of his seven incompletions broken up. Shough hasn’tquitefound his connection yet withOlave, the Saints’ No.1receiver.Shough threw Olave’sway four times in Thursday’spractice, and all of them fell incomplete —including one deep ball heoverthrew.Five of Shough’seight completions went either to tightends or running backs.

Rattler,meanwhile, had an efﬁcientday.Hehas continued to show both awillingness and

hands on them, you’regoing to win alot more than you’re going to lose because you’resostrong up top

“He likes to be in aphone booth, he likes to get hishands on people, andthat’show he wins.Solet’s eliminate some of that space, let’s give himbumpers and let’s let him do whathe’sgood at.”

Thetransition hasn’tbeen seamless. Everything happens faster when the space is condensed, and Penning is still hammering out the technical aspectsofhis newposition. Asked what he needs to improve, Penning said his hands and feet need to be quicker because theinteriordefensivelinemen get on you in ahurry

But the signs are there. Nugent sees someone who gets alittle better every time he putsthe pads on —hesees aquick gamestartingto slow down for Penning.

Anditshouldn’tgowithout saying that Nugent also sees aconfident player.That had been an underlyingcurrent for Penning’sfirst few years. As he struggled on thefield, as he was benched in his second season, even as he was finding his way at righttackle, Penning’sbeliefappeared to take ahit.

When Moore and his staff arrived, they emphasized aclean slate for the players in thelocker room. The old regime and their thinking wasgone, and everyone wouldhave achance to make a ﬁrst impression. The version of Penning that Nu-

ability to use his legs to his advantage, though it’shard to discern how effective he is while wearing ared noncontact jersey

Olave’slone catch in Thursday’s practice was ared-zone touchdown from Rattler

Given the opportunity to run theﬁrst-team offense when the team split ﬁelds, Rattler threw a touchdown pass to Kendre Miller on arollout to his right and also hit Olavefor ascore on aslant from theleft side.

The only real drawback to his performance in Thursday’spractice was atight-window throw he tried to squeeze into Clyde EdwardsHelaire near thegoal line.

The ball was tipped and nearly caught by tight end MasonPline, but several defenders were in the area.

Haener has seen his workload dip in recent practices, and he did not get any opportunities after theSaints split thepractice into two ﬁelds.

New Orleanswill follow Thursday’slighter practice with a scrimmageFriday evening on UC Irvine’scampus, continuing Moore’strend of ramping up toward heavy competitive periods.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com

gent has gotten to know this season is onewho is more self-assured, whichisexactly what Nugent wants to see in his players.

“The big thing we talked about is there’sthismindset of if Itake apass set, I’mgoing to set to win; I’m not goingtoset not to lose,” Nugent said.“Or if Icomeoff theball, I’m notgoingtogo, ‘I just don’twanna lose.’ He’shad the mindset of ‘I’m going to win.’ He’s embraced that.I thinkthat’s helped withhis conﬁdence.”

Thisisa make-or-break year for Penning in New Orleans.The Saints declined his fifth-year option this offseason —a decision that was almost certainly informed by his positionswitch,because Penning would’ve been paid like atackle had theypicked it up. But thatmeans he is set to be afree agent in 2026.

If thechange doesn’thit the way theSaints believe it can,the team can moveonfrom Penning next offseason without penalty

But if the change truly does get themost out of him?

“Worstcaseyou’regoing to have an asset in the run game,” Thorn said. “And if his pass gamegets to afunctional level, then you’ve saved his career notjust savedhis career,but you actually gave him aceiling to wherehecan become areally good guard potentially.”

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com

“Obviously Iwish him nothing but success.”

While Hufanga and Greenlawhad plenty of former teammates in Niners uniforms after playing in San Francisco last season, therehas been signiﬁcantly more turnover since Mc-

“We’re heretolearn. We’re not heretocome hereand be perfect,”Hufanga said.

“Everybody strivestobeperfect, don’tget me wrong.But if we came in here andwebeatthem everysingle rep, thenthere’s no growth in that.”

Steelers to sitRodgers in preseasonopener

By The Associated Press

LATROBE, Pa.— Aaron Rodgers’ debut in Pittsburgh will have to wait.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin saidthe team’s newquarterback and most of its other high-proﬁle starters won’tplay when the club opens the preseason in Jacksonville on Saturday T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Jonnu Smith, DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey are also among the group that will watch from the sideline.

“They need less runway to takeoff, to be honest with you, because of theirexperience and where they’reatintheircareers,”Tomlin said Thursday Rodgers, who signed aone-year deal with the Steelersinearly June,saidWednesdayhewas open to making arare exhibition gameappearance. Tomlin said he doesn’t think it’s required, though he didn’trule outRodgers making acameo on the ﬁeld later in thepreseason The first-team offense struggled in the early days of training campatSaint VincentCollege

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quarterback extensively during the preseason.The Saints open the exhibitionseason Sunday with agame at the Los Angeles Chargers.

“I’m sure the Saints will take amuchdifferent approach than mostteams do whenitcomes to starters, mainly the QBs,” said Brees, whose Brees Dream Foundationbenefitsfromthe pickleball event’sproceeds.

“Some teams barely play their QB starters trying to keep healthyfor the regular season. But (with) these guys, every rep is so valuable,both in practice and scrimmages. All those (reps) aresovaluable just to feel like you’re getting gamelikereps.”

Saints head coach Kellen Moore has not announced the

Tomlin said there’sbeen anotable “upswing,” amajor factor in why he’sinnohurry to rush the NFL’s oldest player into gameaction. “I just make judgments based on what I’mlooking at,” Tomlin said. “I just feel comfortable with what I’ve seen during this portion of the process that makes me (OK with Rodgers sitting out).” Rookie quarterback Will Howard is unavailable after injuring his right (throwing) hand on Tuesday.Tomlin described Howard as “week to week,” and said there’sa chance Howard will be available at somepoint later this month.

playing time yetfor Sunday’s game.The quarterbackshave alternatedrepswith the starting unit throughout camp, whichbeganJuly 23 at the club’straining facility in Metairie

The Saints traveled to Irvine, California, on Wednesday and werescheduled to conduct their ﬁrst practice at the University of Cal-Irvine on Thursdayafternoon.

“The fact that you don’thave a veteran QB in that room at this point (is unique), and yet you’ve gotaguy like (former NFL quarterback) Kellen Moore, and you’ve got agreatstaff of offensive coaches that have alot of football experienceplaying experience, Ithink all these (quarterbacks) are in good hands,” Brees said. “But nonetheless, nothing replaces just real life (game) experience.”

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

Rodgers throws apass during practice July 30 in Latrobe, Pa

STAFF PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough looks to makea pass during Tuesday’s practice in Metairie. Shoughand the Saintspracticed ThursdayinIrvine, Calif., in preparationfor Sunday’sgame against the Los Angeles Chargers

Bridgewater says he couldn’t feel more at home with Bucs

BY RICK STROUD Tampa Bay Times

TAMPA, Fla

With every corner Teddy Bridgewater turns at One Buc Place, a piece of his past collides with the present.

If it’s not his former Louisville head coach, Charlie Strong, doing bed checks at the Buccaneers team hotel Tuesday night, then he’s bumping into Randy Shannon, who once got him to commit to the University of Miami. Or it’s brushing up against offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, who was on the staff with the Dolphins when he was there a few years ago.

Next, the vagabond quarterback is talking with George Edwards, the Bucs defensive pass game coordinator who was on the staff for the Vikings when he was drafted by Minnesota. Todd Bowles signed Bridgewater as a free agent when he was the Jets head coach in 2018 before trading him to New Orleans.

“I think the story of my career though, man, has just been relationships,” said Bridgewater who signed a one-year deal with the Bucs on Tuesday. “The relationships I’ve build around this league with different coaches, with different coordinators, different assistants

“If I can leave a lasting impression on my kids in South Florida, anyone who has followed this journey, I always just cherish those relationships. That will take you a long way.”

Bridgewater’s kids are the players on the Miami Northwestern High School football team he coached to a 12-2 record and Class 3A state championship, including a 41-0 rout in the title game.

But Bridgewater was suspended

last month by the school for providing impermissible beneﬁts to his players, including Uber rides, meals and recovery services that Bridgewater said he paid for

“When I decided to coach, those players became my sons, and I want to make sure I protect them the best way I can,” he said. “I think that’s what came about. Miami Northwestern is in a tough neighborhood. Sometimes, things can happen when kids are walking home and things like that, so I just try to protect them or give them a ride home instead of having them take those dangerous walks.

“I have a big heart. I get it from my mom, and I always said I was once a little kid. I know what it’s like to be in their shoes. I know what it’s like to walk those halls at Miami Northwestern and to have your stomach growling and rumbling at 12 o’clock in the afternoon because you didn’t have any lunch money or you don’t get a free lunch.

“I can’t change who I am. I’ll still give to those kids. When I say give, it’s not about money It’s about my time and my presence.”

Bridgewater recounted how he almost became a Buc on two other occasions. He took a top-30 visit to Tampa prior to the 2014 NFL draft

He also was the Bucs’ primary choice to sign after severing ties with Jameis Winston following the 2019 season. But then Tom Brady showed an interest in the Bucs and Bridgewater was off to Carolina.

“I was looking forward to being in Tampa, but things played out the way they did,” Bridgewater said.

”In 2020, we thought it was a lock, but they got the GOAT, man. Tom Brady Hey, a lot of things get put on pause for Tom Brady.“

On Wednesday, Bridgewater

warmed up next to Mayﬁeld and the offensive line. He said he’s remained in shape coaching, and his arm looked live and accurate during the brief time he participated in drills.

“Honestly, I feel great,” he said.

“I’ve been working down in South Florida. I’ve been working with the high school kids before I got suspended and everything. It was getting done before 6 a.m., running the track, running the bridge pushing the sled, so it was a real grind.

“I want to stay active. I don’t want to sit around eating donuts and ice cream. I feel great. I’m just excited.”

Bridgewater said he gained new perspective on the game by coaching at Miami Northwestern that should help him prepare better as a quarterback

“I’ve become a more detailed player from being a coach,” Bridgewater said “Because now, as I’m game planning as a coach, I’m really having to dissect them Sometimes when you’re a player, you see little things that can help. But as a coach, you have to dive in and really know your opponent. When I’m a coach. I have to know all 11 guys’ jobs on offense and defense.”

Bridgewater was impressed by what he saw on the Bucs practice ﬁeld.

“It’s a talented group, Some young guys, some older guys,” Bridgewater said. “(Mayfield) is awesome, man. I get ﬁred up when I walk into the quarterback room.”

For Bridgewater, it’s more relationships to foster, more young players to inspire. And in the perfect setting.

“It just feels like I’m home.”

Mahomes, Chiefs starters to play in preseason opener

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

ST JOSEPH, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is glad that coach Andy Reid is sending him onto the ﬁeld with the rest of their starters when Kansas City visits the Arizona Cardinals for their preseason opener Saturday night.

“I don’t necessarily look forward to getting hit,” Mahomes added with a smile Thursday

Getting hit is exactly why some teams have eschewed playing starters at all in the preseason. When coaches finally decided it wasn’t worth the risk to their most valuable players, they began sitting them for one or two games, and last year teams such as the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles sat them for the entirety of their exhibition slate.

That has never been Reid’s preference, though. Nor has it been that of Mahomes, who believes it does him some good to get hit once, at least so that he can get into the right mindset for the rest of the preseason and ultimately the regular season.

“There’s always a little shock,” Mahomes said. Now, don’t get any misconceptions. The Chiefs might only have those starters on the field for a single series in Arizona, especially if it goes well. But the plan, at least after their final practice before their opener, was that each quarterback will get a full quarter — Mahomes the first, Gardner Minshew the second, Bailey Zappe the third and Chris Oladokun the fourth.

The rest of the offense would presumably follow suit.

There are certainly things that the three-time defending AFC champions want to see out of their preseason opener Tops on the list is their new-look offense

line, where ﬁrst-round pick Josh Simmons has already turned some heads as the new left tackle and Kingsley Suamataia has the inside track on replacing twotime All-Pro Joe Thuney at left guard.

The Chiefs have invested heavily in their offensive line, both in draft capital and financial resources, over the past couple years, and the need to upgrade the left side in particular became evident in their Super Bowl loss in February

There is also some competition for the ﬁnal spots at wide receiver, and some different names could get some extended looks with the ﬁrst-team offense. That’s because Rashee Rice is sidelined with a groin injury and Marquise Brown with an ailing ankle.

“I think (my advice) is go out there and do what they’re doing this camp,” Mahomes said. “It’s going to be a bigger stage going up against another team, but I think Coach Reid prepares us better than anybody else in the league to go out there and play your best football. We practice hard and we practice fast so when it gets to the game, it’s not that huge step up.”

It’s still a substantial one, especially given Arizona is taking the same approach as Kansas City this year Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, who held out quarterback Kyler Murray and others his ﬁrst two years and barely played any starters in the preseason last year, said this week, “I told them (Monday) night that they are going to play.”

“It’s the best thing for our team this year, honestly,” Gannon explained. “We are at a good point with our health, we’re at a good point with our development, and I think this year with our team it’s the best thing to do for our guys.”

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J Brian

Daboll remains coy about who exactly will be in uniform for the New York Giants in their preseason opener this weekend at Buffalo, other than to conﬁrm the obvious that rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will play

Dart said Thursday that members of his family will be in Orchard Park, New York, on Saturday for his NFL exhibition debut

Neither he nor Daboll would reveal the plan for how much playing time the ﬁrst-round pick out of Mississippi is expected to get

“I’m just stoked for the opportunity,” Dart said. “This is just the start of a dream of mine, so excited to take that next step, be out there, compete at the highest level.”

Daboll said before practice that decisions would be made afterward and evaded numerous questions about whether the starters would see the field against the Bills, adding, “The guys that can play will play.” He ruled out rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who has been sidelined from team drills in training camp this week after an injury setback. Top receiver Malik Nabers

seems unlikely to play as the coaching and medical staffs manage his toe injury

“That’s up to the coaching staff and what they want to do, what guys they want to put out there,” Nabers said Wednesday “But I will continue to stay ready, so whatever they do I’m going to just be ready When my name is called to go out there, I’m going out there.”

Russell Wilson, who has been repeatedly called the No. 1 quarterback, and the rest of the starters ﬁgure to get some snaps this month, even if it’s not right away Players on offense in recent days expressed a desire to play alongside Wilson some before the regular season starts Sept 7 at Washington. Offensive lineman

Greg Van Roten said there’s deﬁnitely a beneﬁt to being together and knowing how a quarterback will operate from an important position once things are real.

“He’s never played with us in a real game: He’s never played behind our line, played with our backs, played with our receivers,” veteran receiver Darius Slayton said Tuesday “I don’t think that you can minimize what those reps mean with all the new people. He’s been playing football for a long time, but things change when you

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLIE RIEDEL Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, right, chases safety Mike Edwards at training camp Tuesday in St. Joseph, Mo.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Former Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looks to make a pass against the Washington Commanders during a divisional playoff game on Jan. 18 in Detroit.

Skenes dominates in winoverReds

SCOREBOARD

Men’s singles Round of 128 Arthur Rinderknech, France, def. Nuno Borges, Portugal, 6-3, 6-3. Joao Fonseca, Brazil, def. Yunchaokete Bu, China, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5. Roberto Carballes Baena, Spain, def. Hugo Gaston,France, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 PedroMartinez, Spain, def. Nicolas Jarry Chile, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Benjamin Bonzi, France, def. Matteo Arnaldi, Italy,6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4. Coleman Wong, HongKong, China, def. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, France, 6-3,6-2. Roman Saﬁullin, Russia, def. Alejandro Tabilo, Chile, 6-3, 6-3. Zizou Bergs, Belgium, def. Jacob Fearnley Britain, 6-1, 6-4. Daniel ElahiGalan, Colombia, def. Vit Kopriva, Czechia, 6-2, 6-4. TerenceAtmane, France, def. Yoshihito Nishioka, Japan, 6-2, 6-2. Women’s singles Round of 128 Maya Joint, Australia, def. Greet Minnen, Belgium, 6-2, 6-3. Sorana Cirstea, Romania, def. Donna Vekic, Croatia, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Anastasia Potapova,Russia, def. Laura Siegemund, Germany, 6-4, 6-4 Marketa Vondrousova,Czechia, def. Jaqueline Cristian, Romania, 6-3, 6-1. AoiIto, Japan, def. Elena-GabrielaRuse, Romania, 6-2, 7-6 (6). Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Spain, def. Venus Williams, United States, 6-4, 6-4 Renata Zarazua, Mexico, def. Yulia Putintseva, Kazakhstan, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. EvaLys,Germany, def. Bernarda Pera,United States, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Pro golf

FedEx St. Jude Championship parscores Thursday At TPC Southwind Memphis, Tenn. Purse: $20 million Yardage: 7,288; Par: 70 First Round Akshay Bhatia 31-31—62 -8

-7

American League

BALTIMORE ORIOLES —Activated RHP Rico Garcia. Optioned RHPElvin Rodríguez to Norfolk(IL). CHICAGOWHITE SOX—Placed SS Chase Meidroth on the 10-dayIL, retroactive to August4.Designated RHPGus Varland for assignment. Selected the contractofSS Jacob Amaya from Charlotte (IL). NEW YORK YANKEES —Released RHP JT Brubaker. TORONTOBLUEJAYS—Sent RHPAlek Manoah to New Hampshire (EL)onarehab assignment. National League MILWAUKEE BREWERS—Agreed to terms with LHP Raul Alcantaraonaminor league contract. Optioned RHPEaston McGee to Nashville (IL).

ST.LOUISCARDINALS —Claimed RHP Jorge Alcala off waiversfromthe Boston RedSox NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

WASHINGTONWIZARDS —Signed FAnthony Gill to acontract.

BASKETBALL Women’s National Basketball Association

WASHINGTONMYSTICS —Acquired GJacy Sheldon from the ConnecticutSun in exchange for FAaliyah Edwards.

FOOTBALL National FootballLeague

LOSANGELES CHARGERS —Signed TE Thomas Yassmintoacontract. Waived/injured TE Jordan Petaia. PITTSBURGH STEELERS—Signed QB Logan Woodside to acontract. Signed OL Andrus Peat to acontract.

SANFRANCISCO 49ERS —Signed DL Michael Dwumfour to aone-year contract. Released CB EliApple. TENNESSEE TITANS —Placed OL Chandler Brewer on injured reserve. Signed DE Joe Gaziano to acontract.

SOCCER Major League Soccer

ORLANDO CITY SC —Acquired DAdrian MarinfromSporting Clube de Braga (PrimeiraLiga). PORTLAND TIMBERS— Acquireda 2025 international rosterslotfromToronto FC in exchange for $175,000in2025 general allocation money(GAM). SANJOSE EARTHQUAKES —Acquired D/MF Ronaldo Vieira from UC Sampdoria(Serie B) and signed himtoacontract through the 2026 Major League Soccer season with options for 2027 and 2028.

first doubleheader triumph, Joe “Iron Man” McGinnity of the New York Giants scoreda doublevictory over the BrooklynDodgers 6-1 and 4-3. In the second game, he stole home. 1915 Philadelphia’s Gavvy Cravath hit four doublesand drove in eight runs in a 14-7 victory over the Reds at Cincinnati 1920 Howard Ehmke of the Detroit Tigerspitched the fastest 1-0game in American League history —1hour, 13 minutes, for avictory againstthe New York Yankees 1931 Bob Burkeofthe Washington Senators pitched a5-0 no-hitteragainst theBoston RedSox 1954 The Brooklyn Dodgers pounded theCincinnati Reds 20-7atEbbets Field The Dodgersscored13runs in the eighth inning after twowereout. 1973 Designated hitter Orlando Cepeda hitfour doubles as the Boston RedSox posted a9-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. 1985 Baseball, after atwo-daywalkout, resumed playing with 18 games scheduled, including fivedoubleheaders 1988 The first night game scheduled in the74-year history of Chicago’s Wrigley Field’s waspostponed with theCubs leading the PhiladelphiaPhillies 3-1after heavy rains startedinthe bottom of the fourth inning. Philadelphia’s PhilBradley led off the game with ahome run, but all numbers were wipedout when the rain came. 1992 Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley had his consecutivesaverecord snapped at 40. His consecutivesaverecords—36straight to start aseason, and 40 straight overtwo seasons —ended tryingtoprotect a2-1 lead in theninth inning against the Kansas

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GENE J. PUSKAR

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers apitch during the sixth inning of agameagainst theCincinnati Reds on ThursdayinPittsburgh.

n The REDDRESS RUN, the annual scurry through the French Quarter with plenty of guys, gals and more in festive ruby-colored apparel, takes off Saturday from anew location for the charity event. Armstrong Park will be the site where the Hash House Harriers will be tapping kegs at the 21-and-overonly event, with astartof10a.m. After the run, there’slunch and CowboyMouthand Crescent Kings provide music for the afternoon. noh3.com.

Best of the blues

In ‘Sinners’ and hismusic,Buddy Guyiskeeping the bluesalive.It hasn’t been easy

BY MARIA SHERMAN AP music writer

NEW YORK For Buddy Guy— a stalwart and staunch defender of theblues —there’snothing more important than keeping his chosen genreatthe forefront of conversation. It comes naturally:Guy is oneofAmerica’s greatest guitar players, asingular artist with athick roster of A-listsuper fans —Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Gary Clark Jr among them. The list also includes innovative writer and director Ryan Coogler who tapped Guy for his critically acclaimed film

Guy

“Sinners”earlier this year,and artists like Peter Frampton and the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, who feature on his new album “Ain’tDone withthe Blues.” It released July 30, on Guy’s89th birthday For the eight-time Grammy Award-winningmusician, those recognitions aren’tpriority.The longevityofthe music that made his life is his primary concern.

“LikeIpromised B.B. King, Muddy Waters and all of them,” he tellsThe Associated Press over the phone, “I do thebest I can to keep the blues alive.”

He’sconcerned that radio stations no longer play theblues, and that the genre might miss out on connecting with younger listeners. It’sone of the reasons

“Ain’tDone withthe Blues” is a strong collection of classics that run the risk of being forgotten —likeonthe album closer“Talk to Your Daughter,” arendition of the J.B. Lenoir tune.

In Guy’sperformance, there’s an undeniable universality.

“Blues is based on everyday life,” he says. “A good time or abad time.”

Or,another way Guy explains it:“Music is like abowl of real good gumbo. They got all kinds of meat in there. Yougot chicken in there, you got sausage in there. Yougot aseafood in it. When we play music, we puteverything in there.”

It’sresonating. In its2025 midyear report, Luminate, an industry data and analytics company, found thatU.S.ondemand audio streams of blues musichas climbedthis year due to the success of “Sinners.”

Jaime Marconette, Luminate’svicepresident of music insights and industry relations, describes the current moment as a“resurgence of the blues,” following “Sinners.”

PamelaAnderson stars as Beth Davenportin‘The NakedGun.’ RedDress Run, NOLA Pickle Fest andHNOCAntiquesForum

“Several artists featured on the ﬁlm’ssoundtrack, which includes works from real-life blues, folk and country musicians, saw

ä See GUY, page 2D

n There’splenty of back and forth at the NOLAPICKLE FEST, withaction on the courts at the NewOrleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center throughSunday. But ahighlight will be DrewBrees and Andre Agassi’scelebrity march at 5p.m. Saturday. The matches benefitthe Brees Dream Foundation. Additional activities include raffles, food trucks,vendors and asilent auction. Admission is free except forSaturday,$10. nolapicklefest.com.

n Through Sunday,the HistoricNew Orleans Collection will host the annual ANTIQUES FORUM at the Williams Research Center,410 Chartres St., thisyear lookingatSouthern pastimes and play for “Delight &Distraction.” Sessions on games, the circus, pleasure gardens and horse racing will be partof the forum. Sessions startat$60. hnoc.org

BlackAmericana Fest.

ANCESTRAL CELEBRATION

BlackAmericana Fest returnstothe Broadsidetohighlight musiciansofcolor in Americana, folk andcountry music

DBY JAKE CLAPP

Gambit Weekly

om Flemons, Leyla McCalla,Nikki Hill, The Suffers and Sunny Warare among the artists settoplay the second annual BlackAmericana Fest on Sept. 26-27 at The Broadside, festival organizers announced Friday.The music and arts festival, which held itsﬁrst edition last year, highlights Black musicians working in Americana, folk and country musicand celebrates the foundational history of artistsofcolor in those genres. This year’s lineup also includes D.K Harrell, Dusky Waters, A.J. Haynes, Kelly Love Jones, Teena May,Kenny Neal, Crys Matthews, Bo Dollis Jr.&The Wild Magnolias andBruce “Sunpie” Barnes &The Louisiana Sunspots. More roots music artists will be announced, the festival says. The BlackAmericana Fest 2025 will feature two stages at the Broadside and athirdstageinside TheBroad Theater next door as

be giving demonstrations. And the panel series the Roots of Rhythm will host twoconversations: “What We Carry: Black Lineage in Folk andAmericana Music”onFriday with headliners Dom Flemons and Sunny War; and “On the Chitlin Circuit: Touring as Black Artists Then and Now” on Saturday with Sunpie Barnes, Kam Franklin of The Suffers and more.

well as an arts market, food and drinkvendors,a folk artgallery curated by Mark T. Williams II, art installations by Pierre Parade Productions and akids’ zone.

TheBlackBanjoReclamation Project,which focuses on the Black rootsofthe instrument, also will

Weekend general admission tickets are $37.24, and VIP passes —offering aVIP lounge and other perks —are $113.54 via blackamericanafest2025. eventbrite.com. Kids ages 11 and under get in free with an adult, buta ticket should be reserved through Eventbrite. Singer-songwriters Dusky Waters and Teena May and educator Mark T. Williams II launched BlackAmericana Fest last September,and morethan 1,500 people attended the inaugural event, they said. “Our tagline is ‘There’spower in

ä See FESTIVAL, page 2D

It’snot bad. The reboot of “The Naked Gun” tosses off a few sharp and/or stupidly effective gags of the hit-and-run variety, nice and quick. Sampleexchange: “I guess you can’t ﬁght City Hall.” “No. It’sa building.” Also, kudos to any movie that ﬁnds away to expand the cliche of the internal monologue voiceover,sothat Lt. Frank Drebin Jr suddenly has somecompetition on the soundtrack. But there’sa“but” here —a gradually dispiriting air,with director Akiva Schafferhunting forthe proper tone, starting with his script co-written by Schaffer, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Liam Neeson brings

BYMICHAEL PHILLIPS ChicagoTribune (TNS)

PROVIDED PHOTOByPRATER DAy

DomFlemons, aformer member of the CarolinaChocolate Drops, is one of the headliners of thisyear’s

PHOTO By FRANK MASI

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

Leyla McCalla performs at the 2024 NewOrleans Jazz &Heritage Festival.

Asecondchance shatteredbysecret

Dear Annie: My husbandand I have been married nearly 15 yearsand have three young children. Untilabout ﬁve years ago, Iwould have described our marriage as good. Then he suffered an injury that left him with chronic pain and depression and caused him to emotionally withdraw from me while Icarried the extra household, yard and child care burdens he couldn’t help with anymoreand battled my own anxiety Afew months ago, things came to ahead. So Ilooked at his phone without his permission and discovered he’d been hiding heavy drinking and was having an emotionalaffair witha coworker. We had apainful conversation and agreed to recommit to each other,and he promised to end the relationshipwith her for my sake. He asked me to respect his privacy and not to go through his phone again, and Iagreed Since then, things have felt better than ever.Iwas genuinely thrilled with the progress we were making together —we were both working so hard until by random chance Isaw a message pop up from her on his phone. Igave in and checked his phone again, only to ﬁnd thathe neverended therelationship He’s been deleting messages and going to greater lengthsto hide it.

this marriage. Dear Annie: Ihopethis doesn’t sound ridiculous, but it’s bothered me for years!

Solution forpesky bugs

Annie Lane

DEAR ANNIE

Now I’m devastated. I’m mourning not just the betrayal butalso the fact thatthe closeness we rebuilt was happening alongside his ongoing deception Ialso feel awful Ilooked at his phone again. Is this arelationship that can be salvaged? Should it be? —Not Trusting Him Dear Not Trusting: To suffer this betrayal onceisbad enough,but going through it for asecond timeiseven worse —especially after you committed to rebuilding your relationship together If this marriage is going to work, he needs to earn back your trust—noeasy feat given his track record. Couples therapy is amust. If he’sunwilling to participate, you can trust by his actionsthat he’schecked outof

Many years ago, my aunt and her husbandvisited me. Iknewthisman didn’t care for me, so Ihurried through atrip to the bathroom to avoid giving him time to say something rude while Iwas gone. When Icame out, my auntasked if I’d washed my hands. Iusually do, but this time, Ididn’t. I lied and said yes. She called me aliar,loudly andinfront of her husband.I was embarrassed and haven’tseen her since Iregret lying,and Inever gottoexplain why Isaid what I did. She’s had strained relationshipswith her own kids over the years, oftenbecauseofthe men she’sseeing,soIguess I’mnot theonly one she’sdistanced herself from.But Ido miss her Ishower daily and am avery clean person.Was my lie worse than hercalling me out like that? ShouldIwriteher aletter to apologize? —Concerned Nephew Misses Aunt Dear Concerned Nephew: It’sclear this has weighedonyou far longer than it’sneeded to. Lyingisn’tgood,but what you did wasasmall, humanmistake. It wasn’t fair of your aunt to embarrass you either,especially in your own homeand in frontof someone who made you feel uneasy to beginwith. Aletter soundslike the perfect olivebranch. Youdon’t have to rehash the whole thing, but let your aunt knowthishas stuck with you and,most importantly, that you missher.Whether she remembers it the way you do or decides to respondisuptoher, but at least you’llknow you’ve done everything in your power to makethings right again Ihopeshe’ll decidethat this onemoment isn’t worth holding onto, especially when it’sstill possibletomendyour relationship

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Aug. 8, the 220th day of 2025. There are 145 days left in the year

Todayinhistory

On Aug. 8, 2023, aseries of wind-drivenwildﬁres broke out on the Hawaiian island of Maui, destroying the town of Lahaina and killing more than 100 people. Also on this date:

In 1814, during the Warof 1812,peace talks betweenthe United States and Britainbegan in Ghent, Belgium.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile.

In 1876, Thomas Edison received apatent for his electric pen— the forerunner of the mimeograph machine.

In 1908, Wilbur Wright makes the Wright Brothers’ﬁrst public ﬂying demonstration, at Le Mans racecourse in France.

In 1911, President William Howard Taft signed ameasure raising the number of U.S. representatives from 391 to 433, effective with the next Congress, withaproviso to add twomore when New Mexico and Arizona became states.

In 1963, Britain’s“GreatTrain Robbery” took place as thieves madeoff with 2.6 millionpounds in bank notes.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon, facing damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal, announced he would resign the following day

GUY

Continued from page1D

spikes the week of the ﬁlm’stheatrical release,” he explains. “And they’re all enjoying asustained rise in listenership even two-plus months following release.” Guy has noticed theshift,too “I walk in the grocery store or the drugstore and people recognize me.‘Man, youknow, Iheard that ‘Sinners’ music, man. Man, it sounds good,’”hesays. “They ain’tnevergonnacome in and

Dear Heloise: Ikeep aspray bottle ﬁlled withisopropyl alcohol that is set to shoot astream not amist —atany cockroaches Isee in my house. The alcohol is absorbed through their exoskeleton and internalized so that they quickly die. Anyoverspray of alcohol evaporates unlike commercial bug sprays, so cleanup is just asoap and water swipe for any roach detritus. —H.E., in Tucson, Arizona

In 1988, Chicago’sWrigley Field hosted its ﬁrst-ever night baseballgame; the contest between the ChicagoCubs and PhiladelphiaPhillies would be rained out in the fourth inning.

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the U.S.Supreme Court’sﬁrst Hispanic and third female justice. In 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant for former President Donald Trump’sresidence at Mar-a-LagoinPalm Beach Florida; over 13,000 government documents,including 103 classiﬁed documents, were seized. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Nita Talbot is 95. Actor Dustin Hoffman is 88. Actor Connie Stevensis87. Actor Larry Wilcox is 78. Actor Keith Carradine is 76. Moviedirector Martin Brest is 74. RadioTV personality Robin Quivers is 73. Percussionist Anton Fig is 72. Actor Donny Mostis72. Rock musicianDennis Drew (10,000 Maniacs) is 68. TV personality Deborah Norville is 67. Rock musician The Edge (U2)is64. Rock musicianRikki Rockett (Poison) is 64. Rapper Kool MoeDee is 63. Rock singer Scott Stapp is 52. Country singer Mark Wills is 52. Actor Kohl Sudduth is 51. Rock musician TomLinton (Jimmy Eat World) is 50. SingerJCChasez (NSYNC) is 49. Actor Tawny Cypress is 49. R&B singer Drew Lachey(98 Degrees) is 49. R&B singer Marsha Ambrosius is 48. Actor Lindsay Sloaneis48. Actor Countess Vaughn is 47. Actor Michael Urie is 45.

say,‘Iheard it on theradio.’”

That’s partofthe reasonwhy Guy decided to participate in the movieinthe ﬁrst place. “I hope this will give the blues aboost, because my worry right now is, like Isaid,ayoungperson don’tknow how good agumbo is —you’ve got to taste it.”

Fornow,he’sexcited to see how peoplerespondtohis new album “Ain’tDone with the Blues” —but he’s not listening to it.

“I listen to everything but Buddy Guy,” he says. “I already know Buddy Guy.Ican’tlearn anything from that.”

Findingthe brighter side of life

Dear Heloise: Ihave agreat-granddaughter that is being raised by a single father and two brothers. ( She’sa girl sandwich.)

Unfortunately her father is the hostile type (“thewhole world can take aﬂying leap at itself”), and if he didn’tthink of it, it’s abad idea. She could use some help becoming thecharming, thoughtful, well-received social individual (which isn’tlikely to happen without alittlehelp). Thereisvery likely someonein your readership who can suggest abook that could be of help. Iamanative of San Antonio and have enjoyed you and your mother’ssuggestions all mylife. (I’m 97.) Thank you. —Beryl L., in Texas

Beryl, youmight have to speak to thegirl’sfatherabout his sour attitude. It’sa very touchy subject,but askhim to be more encouraging and positive around his daughter.Ifher father has asister,perhaps she canstep in to showhis daughter a brighterside of life and how to look for the good in other people —Heloise Destinationwedding soundoff

Dear Heloise: I’dlike to think that thedestination wedding couple considered the pros and cons of a wedding in Hawaii, but in this day of impulsive actions, it’sreasonable to believe that they did not. Maybe they’re from an afﬂuent family where expenses aren’ta concern, but expecting people to fork out thousands of dollars and takeaweek out of their schedule just to attend awedding is asking for abit much.

Making allthe arrangements for alocal wedding can be mindnumbing, so Icannot imagine trying to pull together avenue, caterer,photographer,etc., afew thousand miles away at probably double thecost! And let us hope that both sides are 100% understanding of each other’ssituations and not offended by the outcome.

They need to wish each other well and celebrate together after the fact.

An alternative would’ve been to have alocal wedding, then honeymoon in Hawaii. I’msure they could’ve arranged avery simple ceremony on the beach and restate their vowswith only close family and friends whoare able to take part. —MikeF., via email Cleaning up clutter

Dear Heloise: My husband and Iare downsizing and buying a smaller place in acute country townwe’ve always loved. This meansweneed to get rid of alot of stuff. It suddenly dawned on me that this should have been an annual project instead of waiting 32 years to give away an old crib, over 100 books, duplicate kitchen tools, old bikes, and much more. This weekend, we’re having a“It’s free! Comeand get it!” event.

Aword to the wise: Don’twait 32 years to unburden yourself and your house. This has been a backbreaking mess, but it would have been easier if we had done this little by little each year Charlotte M., in Marietta, Georgia

Sendahinttoheloise@heloise com.

FESTIVAL

Continuedfrom page1D

knowing where you comefrom,’” Waters told Gambit in 2024. “My hope is that more Black artists would feel asenseofbelonging and feel apart of the heritage and

‘NAKEDGUN’

Continuedfrom page1D

Someofthat relates tothe casting. Liam Neeson almost works as aDrebin for anew, coarser,meaner age, andhehas no problem suggesting asurly, disgruntled son of the cop immortalized by Leslie Nielsen in the short-lived 1982 TV series “Police Squad!”and three lucrative bigscreen chapters. Sharingthe frame Undeniably,given the rampant speculation of their off-screen lives, it’snice to see Neeson share theframewith Pamela Anderson, who plays afemme fatale of a crime novelist. Her character,Beth Davenport, is putting the smush on Drebin to solve thecase of her late brother, who holds thekey to the plot for which no one on Earth would be dumbenough to prioritize when going to a“Naked Gun” reboot. Simple enough premise. But there’smore, and too much of it, given thepercentage of this film’s 85 minutes handed over without a fight to Danny Huston as an Elon Muskian tech entrepreneur intent on taking over the world. This is acomedy misjudgment, and while it’sjust my suspicion, theoverload of apocalyptic and vaguely science-fiction-y stuff,

the lineage thatwecome from.

This is our ancestral music. The banjo is our ancestral instrument.”

There are several events in August and September leading up to thefestival.BlackAmericanaFest will host afundraiser party and open mic on Friday at Skeeta Hawk Brewing. Andthe Southern Nights concert series, which focuses on women in Americana music,will have showsSunday(with MiaBorders and Lilli Lewis) and Sept. 14 (with Kelly Love Jones and Lisa MaeO’Neill) at Snug Harbor Find more information at blackamericanafest.com.

‘THE NAKED GUN’ HH

MPARATING: PG-13(forcrude/ sexual material, violence/bloody images, and brief partial nudity)

RUNNING TIME: 1hour,25minutes HOWTOWATCH: In theaters

and the movie’sreliance on lazy, hyperviolentaction tropes, may have something to do with the presence of Seth MacFarlane as producer of “The Naked Gun.” The genre spooﬁng plays too often like meremimicry without much wit.

Theresults aremixed Director Schafferofthe comedy group Lonely Island and the very funnymockumentary “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” seemsslightly at sea at the helm of this project. Certainly he’ssavvy enough to realize, based on someofthe setups and banter here, that ﬁnding theright way,comically,todeal with alegendarily inept emblem of largely accidental law enforcementwas crucial.

Results: mixed. Line to line, thebest bits score, and Neeson —when he’snot mired in incontinence jokes, enough foramovie titled “Incontinence!” —has a good sparring partner in Paul Walter Hauser,asthe son of George Kennedy’scharacter

Email Jake Clapp at jclapp@ gambitweekly.com

But the undercurrents are sour and conﬂicted, with someracial optics moresuspect than the narrative’sactual suspects. Why set up an Ofﬁcer Nordberg Jr character with agreat jab at O.J. Simpson and then write him out of the rest of the movie?

Atellingjoke

There’sone joke in particular that captures the wildly up-anddownintentions of a2025-era “Naked Gun,” having to do with how manyWhite bad guys Neeson’sDrebin Jr.has taken down over the years, in relation to perps of color It gets abig laugh, even while it admits the difﬁculty of ﬁnding the comic charm in Drebin in apostGeorge Floyd world. Youmay ask: Why analyze the implications of ajoke-book movie just out forsome fun? Well, because Iwanted somefun myself Igot some. In the end, though, this “Naked Gun” has little interest or temperamental skill in the art of the deadpan throwaway,which was the crucial element in “Police Squad!” and, intermittently,inthe three movies. Neeson’ssurly,simmering kettle-of-violence aura throwsthings off abit.

Leslie Nielsen only comes around once. But the twoactors who’ve taken on Drebin in two separate eras do not seem related at all.

Hints from Heloise

STAFFFILE PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

The Suffers are one of the headliners for the 2025 BlackAmericana Festatthe Broadside

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Partnerships, conversationsand sharing ideas will change your perspective regarding your goals. Offer incentives to people who can contribute something valuable to your agenda, and success will be yours. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.22) Knowwho you aredealing with before youenter the ring. Howyou go aboutyourbusiness will make abig difference. Successcomes with fine-tuning your approach andmaintaining apositiveattitude

LIBRA(Sept.23-Oct. 23) Chooseselfimprovement over criticizing others. Gettingalong is crucialifyou want to get ahead. Choose to charm those you encounterwith your witty conversation andresourcefulness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Keep an open mind, but refuse to let your emotions dictate your actions.Avoid situations that can put you in harm's way. Pay attention to yourphysical needsand make healthier life choices.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pay attention to where your moneygoes. Before starting anew project, determine its cost and exploreways to reduce expenses. Learn from experience and avoid debt.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunities, notfor trouble. Shared expensesand joint ventures will not meet your expectations.Adiscrepancy regardingagreements will leave you in aprecarious position.

AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Control whatever situation youface andturn it into ahappy adventure. Be the instigator of good timesand healthy living. Putyour energywhere it counts PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Participate in networkingeventsand promote yourself.Avibrantattitudewill help youattract attention. Look and do your best, andstepinto the spotlight. ARIES (March21-April 19) Take the guessingout of the equation.Whenindoubt, ask. It's essential to determine where you stand so you can move forward and focus on whattruly matters to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Overselling your capabilities will backfire. Listen to someone's idea or requirements, considertheir wordscarefully andoffer what you can. Someone you meet will show interest in you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Don't shy away fromengagement, but avoid overspending, getting involvedinjointventures or paying for someone else. You can't buy love; use your charm to winsomeone's affection CANCER(June 21-July 22) Embrace kindness, generosity and aplayful attitude, and you'll attract love. Muster up some courage to update your appearance, and settrends that help you fulfill your dreams.

FAMILY CIrCUS

TODAy'S CLUE: EEQUALS V

CeLebrItY CIpher

SALLYForth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Mogens Jallberg from Denmark said, “In democracy, it’s your vote that counts. In feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.”

The more that bridge players count, the better they will play. In yesterday’s deal, declarer placed the missinghighcard points by referringtothe bidding. Today, let’s showadefenderdoing it to advantage.

East is defending against four spades, and West leads the heart 10. What should East do?

There are several important points in thebidding. Some playerssitting East would add apoint for the five-card suit andopenone no-trump. Butyou should strive to find areason not to open one notrump when you have afive-card major. Here, having no minor-suit stopper is an excellent reason.

South does not liketomakea takeout double with 4-3-3-3 distribution, but his hand is atad too strong to pass. North’s cue-bid shows 12-plus points.

Eastwins with the heart jack, cashes theace,andtakestheking,Westdiscarding, say,the diamondthree.Whatshould East do next?

If Westhad aminor-suit ace, he should have ruffed thethird heart and cashed it (ordiscarded an encouraging card in thatsuit). So the defenders are not gettingaminor-suit trick.East must try for atrump trick by leadinganother heart Here, when West ruffs with thespade eight and dummy overruffs with the10, suddenly East gains atrump trick.Itisa textbook uppercut ©2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

wuzzles

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuCtIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour 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 CoWoRKInG: KO-werk-ing: Working in aspace with multiple tenants and shared facilities. Average mark 34 words Time limit 55 minutes Can you find 50 or more wordsinCOWORKING?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —ALLEGED

aged

“He is not here: for he is risen,ashesaid. Come, seethe place where the Lord lay.” Matthew28:6

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the lettersineach row. add pointsof each word, using scoring directionsat right.Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter havenopoint value. all the words are in theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition

ken ken

WiShinG Well

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE

Puzzle Answer

Scrabble GramS

Getfuzzy

roSe

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA

NO:866-085

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VERSUS JOSHUA STEPHENVER‐RETTE AND AMBERHUDSON VERRETTE

seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit:

time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

KATE SOTO‐LONGO Attorney for Plaintiff

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:865-980

BANK OF AMER‐ICA, N.A. VERSUS PAMELA LYNCH PARKER,JAMES S. LYNCH, JR ANDCARL ISADORELYNCH

ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances, andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, andbeing a por‐

g p tion of original lots 6, 7and 8of TrudeauPlanta‐tion,and in accordance with plan if sur‐veymadeby AdloeOrr, Jr.& Associates,C.E datedMay 10, 1957, as ap‐proved by the Police Jury for theParishof Jefferson, Ordi‐nanceNo. 3542, registered in COB430, Folio 660, said prop‐erty is situated in LYNN PARK SUBDIVISION, UNIT NO.3 in Square NO.2 thereof, which said square is bounded by: said LOTbeing designated by theNO29, bounded by Lynette Drive andCanberra Court, said Lot No.29measures 65 feet fronton Canberra Court, with awidth in

therear of 65.55 feet and adepth on the side line of Lot No.30of86.77 feet anda depth of 95.21 feet on the opposite side line.All in ac‐cordance with survey of Adloe Orr, Jr.& Associates,C.E datedOctober 3, 1967, acopy of which is an‐nexedtoanact before John Hanson Jackson,notary Public,dated October9,1967, registered in COB665, Folio779.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $96.07

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune 26, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish

Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in

bounded by Coretta Drive, JayDrive,the northern bound‐aryofsaid subdivisionand Georgetown Road (side), said Lot15-A commences at a distance of 798.32 feet from JayDrive and measures thence 55 feet frontonCoretta Drive; subject to restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affectingthe property

Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.320 Coretta Drive.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck

Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $81.77

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-187

TOORAK CAPI‐TALPARTNERS LLC

VERSUS RM REAL ES‐TATE GROUP, LLC

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

Ordinance959 on January3

1956; said por‐tion of ground beingdesig‐natedand mea‐suring as fol‐lows,to-wit:

LOT NO.9,in SQUARE "W", bounded by CLAIRE AVENUE 30THSTREET, HERO DRIVE and 31ST STREET,which said lotcom‐mences 150feet from thecorner of Hero Driveand 31st Street,and measures thence 50 feet frontonHERO DRIVE, same width in therear, by a depth of 100 feet,between equaland paral‐lellines.All in accordance with survey of AlvinE.Hotard, C. E.,dated No‐vember 30, 1956, annexedtoan act before Leon A. Pradel,N.P datedDecem‐ber3,1956.

Allinaccor‐dancewithsur‐vey of Gilbert, Kelly andCou‐turie, Inc.,S.and E.,dated June 26, 1979.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

CRIS R. JACKSON Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025 jul4-aug 8-2t $100.30

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025

jul4-aug8-2t $129.94

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:863-240 STANDARD MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS KELLYR.CAU‐DLE, DIVORCED WIFE OF ROGER MALINA

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 1, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

LGRAHAM ARCENEAUX Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025

jul4-aug8-2t $100.83

JUDICIAL

ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:862-955

g mineralrights of record affecting theproperty. Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal Nos. 3318

CANNESPLACE

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

ZACHARY YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

CORNER OF NORTHDILTON STREET AND VERSAILLES STREET,ALL ACCORDINGTO SURVEY BY LANDMARK SURVEYING, INC.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

AMYR.ORTIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

Metairie Road of eighty-three feet,nine inches,six lines (83’9”6’”) and a depthonthe othersideline, nearesttoCod‐ifer Boulevardof seventyfour feet,six inches, threelines (74’6”3’”),all ac‐cordingto sketch of survey Gilbert andKelly,Sur‐veyor, datedOc‐tober4,1947, broughtupto date as of June 22, 1956, acopy of which is an‐nexedtoanAct passedbefore Allain C. Andry, Jr., Notary Public,dated July 3, 1956, for reference.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 28, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in thePARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF

LOUISIANA, in ROSE PARK AD‐DITION NO.2, beingpart oforiginalLot 101, allofLots 102 through166, in Portion"B" of HERO SUBDIVI‐SION CITY OF GRETNA,all in accordance with survey of AlvinE.Hotard, C.E.,dated December 12, 1955, approved by theCityof Gretna under

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:863-320 FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS PATTY K. MC‐GOWANA/K/A PATTY MC‐GOWAN By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 4, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceedto sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

p ownershipin‐terest in the Common Ele‐mentsand Lim‐ited CommonEl‐ements as more fullyset forthin that certainDe‐clarationof Condominium Ownershipof theGOLDWEST CHALET CONDO‐MINIUM, by act before Jess R. Nelson,Notary Public,regis‐teredin COB970, folio 692, recordsof Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, on November 21, 1979 EntryNo. 900489, together with thesurvey, plat andother instruments anddocuments annexedthereto andincorpo‐ratedbyrefer‐ence therein, which estab‐lishes theGold West Condominium, andwhich in‐cludes among theCommonEl‐ements thereof, thefollowing describedprop‐erty: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allbuildingand improvements thereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in COURTLAND PARK SUBDIVI‐SION,being a resubdivisionof aportion of Lot9 of Rosedale Plan‐tation by J.J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,Surveyors, datedJanuary 15, 1963, approved by theJefferson Parish Council, OrdinanceNo. 5925, datedFeb‐ruary 14, 1963 regis‐teredinCOB 567, folio 649, andaccording to which plan of resubdivision, said lotisdesig‐natedasLOT NO 3ofSQUARE Eand described as follows: LOTNO. 3com‐mences at a dis‐tanceof149.0 feet from the corner of Cleary Avenue and 33rd Street measures 62 feet fronton Cleary Avenue same width in therear, by a depth on thesideof LotNo. 2of 213.30 feet and adepth on the side of LotNo. 4 of 212.22 feet,all as more fullyshown on survey by J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,Surveyors, datedJune 6, 1966.

Theimprove‐ments thereon bear theMunici‐pal No.2305 Cleary Avenue, Unit 226, Metairie, Louisiana70001

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

GITSIT SOLU‐TIONS, LLC, NOT IN ITSINDIVID‐UALCAPACITY BUTSOLELYIN ITS CAPACITY AS SEPARATE TRUSTEEOFGIT‐SITMORTGAGE LOAN TRUST BBPLC1 VERSUS FLOYDA.REED ANDHOLLY GAMBLE A/K/A HOLLYELIZA‐BETH REED GAMBLE, INDEPENDENT EXECUTRIXOF THESUCCES‐SION OF JUDITH FREEMANREED A/K/AJUDY FREEMANREED

TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025 jul4-aug8-2t $101.36

TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025 jul4-aug8-2t $88.12

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

AMYR.ORTIS

Attorney for Plaintiff

dale Street and HarvardAvenue andmeasures thence 50.00 feet fronton Glendale Street same widthin therear, by a depthonthe side line near‐esttoHarvard Avenue of156.20 feet (actual 156.61' as per title) and a depthonthe opposite side line of 156.20 feet (actual156.82' as pertitle); all accordingto a sketch of survey by Gilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,Sur‐veying andEngi‐neering, dated September3, 1980 and recertiﬁed on May6,1984 and annexedtoan actbefore MichaelM Dorsey,Notary Public,dated May23, 1984, registered in COB1075, folio 670; subject to restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:861-997 THEFEDERAL SAVINGSBANK VS THEOPENED SUCCESSION OF GABRIEL CATHEY

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

THAT CERTAIN CONDOMINIUM UNIT,together with allthe im‐provements, servitudes rights,ways, privilegesand appurtenances thereuntobe‐longingorin anywise appertaining designated as UNIT NO.226, in‐cludinganundi‐vided2.9882 percent

BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate:

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theCityof Kenner,Parish of Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as University City Subdivi‐sion,and in ac‐cordance with theresubdivi‐sion of Lots 8 and9,Square80, showninaccor‐dancewiththe plan of J. J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,Civil Engi‐neers, dated August 23, 1976, approved by the City of Kenner Planning and Zoning Commis‐sion September22, 1976, andbythe City of Kenner CouncilonOc‐tober26, 1976, OrdinanceNo. 1933, registered in COB878, folio 31, Parish of Jef‐ferson,State of Louisiana, and property is more fullyde‐scribedasfol‐lows,to-wit: Lot No.9-A,Square 80, University City Subdivi‐sion,isbounded by John Hopkins Drive, North‐westernDrive, KilgorePlace andTulane Drive, said Lot9A, measures thence 50 feet frontonJohn HopkinsDrive, same width in therear, by a depth between equaland paral‐lellines of 110 feet,lot commences 165.26 feet from thecorneror John Hopkins Driveand Northwestern Drive, allinac‐cordance with thesurveyofJ J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,dated November 29,1976.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 26, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all therights, ways, privileges, servitudes and appurtenances thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in thePARISH OF JEFFERSON, State of Louisiana, City of Kenner, in SQUARE NO.1 of CANNES BRULEES bounded by CANNESPLACE CHEVAL PLACE, N. BAYOUROAD, ANTOINEWAT‐TIGNY BOULEVARDand IRISHBEND ROAD,desig‐natedasLOT NO.49ona sur‐veymade by Gilbert, Kelly andCouturie, Inc.,Sur dated October26, 1980, acopyof which is annexedhereto andaccording thereto, said LOTcommences 300 feet from thecorner of CANNES PLACEand CHEVAL PLACE, measures thence 60 feet fronton CANNES PLACE, the same width in therear, by a depth of 110 feet between equaland paral‐lel lines; subjectto restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding i l i h

TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025 jul4-aug8-2t $100.83

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THEIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREONBEAR THEMUNICIPAL NO.4733 GLEN‐DALE STREET, METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70006.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedFebruary 27, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILDINGSAND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLOFTHE RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTO BELONGINGOR IN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING, SITUATED IN THESTATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,EAST‐BANK SUBDIVI‐SION,SQUARE 56, BOUNDEDBY NORTHDILTON STREET (FOR‐MERLYELM STREET)AND AIRLINE HIGHWAY, DES‐IGNATEDAS LOTS NO.48, 49, AND50AND MEASURINGAS FOLLOWS, TOWIT: LOTS NO.48, 49 AND50ADJOIN EACH OTHER ANDMEASURE EACH 20 FEET (TOTAL OF 60.00 FEET)FRONT ON NORTHDILTON STREET,THE SAME WIDTHIN THEREAR, BY A DEPTHOF120.00 FEET BETWEEN EQUALAND PARALLEL LINES;LOT NO 50 IS NEARER TO ANDCOM‐MENCES 60.00 FEET FROM THE

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:804-948 CASCADEFUND‐INGMORTGAGE TRUSTHB7 AL‐TERNATIVE HOLDINGS VERSUS CAROL BURGDORF HEWLETT, (A/K/A CAROL BURGDORF, CAROL HEWLETT) By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber27, 2024, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that portion thereofknown as BeverlyGar‐dens Subdivi‐sion,bounded by BeverlyGarden Drive, Codifer Boulevard, Hes‐perAvenue and Metairie Road which said lotof ground is desig‐natedbythe numberTwo (2), commences at a distance of forty-five feet, sixinches, no lines(45’6”0’”) from thecorner of BeverlyGar‐denDrive and Metairie Road, andmeasures thence eightyeightfeet,no inches,nolines (88’0”0’”) front on BeverlyGar‐denDrive, the widthinthe rear being fifty feet,noinches, no lines (50’0”0’”),depth on thesideline nearestto

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:865-029

FIRSTHORIZON BANK VERSUS INGRID VALLE CHAVEZ

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 27, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Au‐gust 13, 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, that part thereofknown as PONTCHAR‐TRAINGAR‐DENS, SECTION"C",in SQUARE NO.40, bounded by GLENDALE STREET,HAR‐VARD AVENUE,FAIR‐FIELDSTREET andLIME STREET,which said lotof ground is designated by theNumber29, andcommences at adistanceof 279.04 feet from the corner of Glen‐JUDICIAL

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025 jul4-aug8-2t $105.59

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-956 LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VERSUS BRETTJOSEPH BOONE

ONE(1) certain lotorparcelof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and

advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that subdivision known as BIS‐

SONETPLAZA

SUBDIVISION, SECTIONNO. 5, anddesignated on theofficial plan thereof, on file and of record in the office of the Clerkand Recorder of the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, as LOTNUMBER

TWELVE (12) SQUARE NINE (9), said subdi‐vision,said lothavingsuch measurements anddimensions andbeing sub‐ject to such servitudes and restrictions as aremorepartic‐ularly shown on said map; sub‐ject to restric‐tions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty

MunicipalNo. 7000 Hastings Street,Metairie, LA 70003

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐

RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate:

July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025

jul4-aug8-2t $85.48

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-897

RACHELLE LIBBY

AARON VERSUS KENT LIBBY

which approved thePlanofSub‐division by J. J. Krebs& Sons, Inc., dated8/8/93, said Lotisdes‐ignatedasLot 7 in SQ.“D” which Sq.isbounded by LITTLE BAYOU LANE,TECHE DRIVE, CYPRESS BAYOULANE ANDTURTLE BAYOUDRIVE (FORMERLY BOEUFBAYOU DRIVE.)

Said lotcom‐mences 387.14 feet from thein‐tersection of Little Bayou Lane andTeche Driveand mea‐suresthence65 feet frontonLit‐tleBayou Lane thesamein which the rear,bya depth of 120feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines

Improvements ThereonBear theMunicipal Number:217 Lit‐tleBayou Lane, Kenner,LA, 70065.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

PETERS.TITLE Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 4, 2025, August 8, 2025

jul4-aug 8-2t

$83.89

g andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐tainingthereto, situated in the Stateof Louisiana, in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, PONTCHAR‐TRAIN SHORES SUBDI‐VISION,and designated on a plan of Pontchartrain Shores Subdivi‐sion by ofﬁce of Sur‐veys,Inc dated October30, 1956,copy of which is an‐nexedtoanAct before Edward F. Wegman,No‐tary Public datedApril2, 1957,asfollows to-wit:

LOT4 of Square 56 of said Subdi‐vision,which said square is bounded by Clearview Parkway, Avron Boulevard, Lorino Street andBelle Drive. Said LotCom‐mences 125.59 feet from the corner of Avron Boulevardand Lorino Street same width in therear, by a depth between equaland paral‐lellines of 107.42 feet

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter ofCredit.

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

g building andim‐provements thereon, and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Floral Acres Subdivision, Ad‐dition Number 2, in Square No.24, bounded by BlossomCourt on threesides andDandelion Drive, which said lotof ground is desig‐natedbythe Number 142, commencesat a distance of onehundred sixtythree (163')feet from thecornerof BlossomCourt and DandelionDrive, andmeasures thence ﬁfty three(53')feet frontonBlos‐somCourt same width in therear, by a depth of one hundred (100') feet between equaland parallel lines; all accordingto sketch of survey by Gilbert, Kelly &Couturie, Inc., Surveying& En‐gineering, dated June 4, 1975 and recertiﬁed on December 27, 1983, acopyofwhich is annexedto andmadepart hereof,for ref‐erence

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit:

THAT PORTION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILD‐INGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLTHE RIGHTS, WAYS,PRIVI‐LEGES, SERVITUDES APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN THEPARISHOF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART THEREOF KNOWNASTIM‐BEROAKS SUBDIVISION, ANDDESIG‐NATEDASLOT NO.335. ALLIN ACCORDANCE WITH A PLAN OF RESUB‐DIVISION MADE BY S.K. LANDRY, SURVEYOR, DATED DECEMBER 29, 1980, APPROVED IN ORDINANCE NO.14696, BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUN‐CILONAPRIL 1, 1981, REGIS‐TEREDINCOB 1001, FOLIO 672. ALL AS MORE FULLY SHOWNONSUR‐VEYBYBFM CORPORATION, SURVEYOR DATEDSEPTEM‐BER30, 1982; subjecttore‐strictions,servi‐tudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

MORE COM‐MONLYKNOWN AS:1705 HAMP‐TONDR, HAR‐VEY, LA 70058.

proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit:

ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisianain that part thereofknown as TRUDEAU SUBDIVISION, andinaccor‐dance with Plan of Of‐fice of Surveys, Inc. datedDe‐cember 19, 1963 approved by the Jefferson Parish Council December 19, 1963, as perOr‐dinanceNo. 6408, acopyof which is on file in theOffice of theClerk of CourtofJeffer‐sonParish, which survey wasrevised on May27, 1964, said lotisdesig‐natedand mea‐suresasfol‐lows:

LOT11OF SQUARE 12, is bounded by Marmande Av‐enue,Newton Street,Richard Avenue and westernbound‐

aryofthe rightof-way of the Illinois Central Railroad.Said lot measures 50 feet fronton RichardAvenue, same widthin therear, by a depthof130 feet between equal andparallel lines.

Together with allbuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon includinga 1999 Fleetwood manufactured home having se‐rial numberMS‐FLW25A7939506, which manufac‐tured home wasim‐mobilizedpur‐suanttoLa. R.S. 9:1149.4byAf‐ﬁxation Afﬁ‐davitrecorded with Mortgage on July 5, 2000 in Instrument No 10032954, Jeffer‐sonParish, Louisiana.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

CRIS R. JACKSON Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025 aug8-sep 12-2t $106.65

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:839-921

PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES LLC VERSUS DERRICK BUR‐MASTER By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 3, 2023, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit:

Onecertain lot of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, and allofthe rights, ways,privi‐leges,servi‐d

g tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that subdivision thereofknown as Cherokee Park Subdivi‐sion,inSquare No.191, bounded by Sib‐leyStreet, BooneStreet, Olga Street and NorthBengal Road (formerly Cherokee Street), desig‐natedasLot No 63 on asurvey andplanofA W. J. Bisso,C.E., datedApril 6, 1953, andre‐visedDecember 11, (being are‐subdivisionofa portionofOwn Your OwnSub‐division)which plan is annexed to actofsaleby Lislet Land Co Inc. to Cherokee Park Builders,Inc passedbefore N. M. Brister, Notary Public, on February 8, 1955, andac‐cordingto which said lot measures 50 feet fronton North Sibley Street, thesamewidth in therear, by a depthof115 feet between equaland parallel lines andcommences at adistanceof 200 feet from thecornerof NorthSibley Street andOlga Street.All as more fully shownplatof survey by A. W. J. Bisso,C.E.&

ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, situated in the Stateof Louisiana, Parish of Jefferson, City of Kenner in that part thereofknown as Southlake Village,Section 1, PhaseB,and in accordance with Kenner City Ordinance No.7661, regis‐teredinCOB 2881, folio 208

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:830-510 WELLSFARGO BANK,NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR OPTION ONE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-2, ASSETBACKED CER‐TIFICATES, SE‐RIES 2005-2 VS JEANNINE FOR‐ESTRAMBIN A/K/AJEANNINE F. RAMBIN A/K/AJEANNINE RAMBIN ANDLAWRENCE R. RAMBIN,JR. A/K/A LAWRENCE RAMBIN,JR. A/K/A LAWRENCE REX RAMBIN,JR. By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 31, 2023, Ihave seized andwill proceedto sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,onSep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: ALLTHATCER‐TAIN PIECEOR PARCEL OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings d i

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $95.54

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:791-322

BANK UNITED N.A. VERSUS KEVINJ.HOGAN JR.,( A/K/A KEVINJ.HOGAN KEVINHOGAN, JR.,KEVIN HOGAN) AND CHRISTINETIBO HOGAN, (A/K/A CHRISTINE T. HOGAN, CHRISTINE HOGAN, CHRIS‐TINE TIBO)

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYE HOLLEY Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $93.42

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:855-079

U.S. BANK TRUSTNA‐TIONAL ASSO‐CATION,NOT IN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, BUTSOLELYAS OWNER TRUSTEEONBE‐HALF OF BRAVO RESIDENTIAL FUNDINGTRUST 2021-HE2 VERSUS CHUCKA.LACH‐NEYSRA/K/A CHUCKA.LACH‐NEYAND SONIA ROJASA/K/A SONJAROJAS LACHNEY

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune23, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $95.54

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:839-709

U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS IN‐DENTURE TRUSTEEFOR THEAFC MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET BACKED NOTES SERIES,2000-2 VS ESTATE OF BAR‐BARA MILES BROWN

S.,dated June 3, 1955.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with irrevocable Bank Letterof Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $95.54

q bounded by Oakwood Drive, Guardian Av‐enue,Goodson Drive andCarol Sue Avenue,mea‐sures56feet frontonOak‐wood Drive, same width in the rear,bya depth between equal andparallel linesof110 feet Allasmorefully shownon thesurveyby AdloeOrr,Jr. & Associates,C.E datedMarch 17, 1971,and Lot13A commences at a distance of 614.64 feet from thecornerof CarolSue Av‐enue and Oakwood Drive.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $103.48

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:860-238

beinga subdivi‐sion of aportion of original Tract XofSoniator Tchoupitoulas Plantation , as delineated on aplanof subdivisionby WilliamMaier, C.E.,dated Octo‐ber26, 1957, aprint whereof is annexedtoan actofre-dedica‐tion passedbe‐fore Harold A. Buchler N.P. on January 14, 1958,and is in the ﬁle in the ofﬁce of the clerkofcourt forthe Parish of Jefferson, andona print of survey made by William MaierCEdated April7,1958 a printwhereof is annexedtoact before Leonard H. Rosenson, N.P.,dated De‐cember 12, 1958,according to which the said lotisdesig‐natedbythe number16, in Square 5, bounded by GeneresDrive, Walter Rd,the easterly line of thesubdivision andthe southerlylineof thesubdivision andmeasures 62 feet fronton GeneresDrive, same width in the rear by adepth of 84.07feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNIS F. WIGGINS Attorney for Plaintiff

p leges, servi‐tudesand ap‐purtenances thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Wilshire HeightsSubdivi‐sion,Section "B", in Square No.13, bounded by SmithAvenue, Ursuline Street, AndrewsAv‐enue andJim Street,which said lotof ground is desig‐natedasLot No 113, commences at adistance of 308.27 feet from thecorner of SmithAvenue andUrsuline Street,and measures thence 61 feet frontonSmith Avenue,same width in the rear,bya depth of 92 feet between equal andparallel lines; all accord‐ingtosketchof survey by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie, EverettV Treigel, Jr., Land Surveyor,dated October2,2000.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

vantages and appurtenances thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in thePARISH OF JEFFERSON, Stateof Louisiana, BELLE MEADE SUBDIVISION, UNIT B, allas perplan thereof made by AdloeOrr, Jr.& Associates,C.E., datedFebruary 29, 1968, ap‐proved in COB 680, Folio232, andin COB681, Folio 374, described as follows,towit: LOT368 in SQUARE 13, which said square is bounded by Westmeade Drive, Brookmeade Drive, Belle‐meadeBoule‐vard,and Wood‐meadeCourt, commences at a distance of 125 feet from the corner of West‐meadeDrive andWood‐meadeCourt, and measures thence 65 feet frontonWest‐meadeDrive same width in therear, by a depth of 105 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Allac‐cordingtosur‐veybySterling Mandle, Land Surveyor, datedFebruary 20, 1978.

Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.393 West‐meadeDrive, Gretna,LA70056

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

COUNTRY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-HE1 VERSUS CHIQUI RICAUD CARRIEREA/K/A

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, situ‐ated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Terrytown SubdivisionNo. 6, beinga part of OakdaleSub‐division,Section B, First Ward,inaccor‐dancewiththe survey ofAdloe Orr, Jr.and As‐sociates,C.E., datedMay 4, 1960, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 4787, adopted November 3, 1960, registered in COB520, page 390, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, on December 5, 1960, andin Plan Book 41, folio 21, ofﬁce of theclerk of court, Parish of Jefferson, Louisiana, and accordingto a plan of resubdi‐vision by Adloe Orr, Jr.and Associates, C.E. datedDecem‐ber2,1969, ap‐proved by the JeffersonParish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 9601, said lotisdesig‐natedand mea‐suresasfol‐lows:

ROCKET MORT‐GAGE,LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC F/K/AQUICKEN LOANS INC. vs THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOFCAR‐OLYN SCHIFFERSTINE GAGNARDA/K/A CAROLYNSCHIF‐FERSTINE GAG‐NARD A/K/A CAROLYNS GAGNARDA/K/A CAROLYNGAG‐NARD

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $105

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $83.36

70058, on Sep‐tember17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisianain that part thereofknown as TheColony, beinga resubdivisionof Lake Timber‐lane Estates, Section4,Parcel A-5and Lake Timberlane Estates.,Section 5, Square E, and which lotisdes‐ignatedasLot 5, Square L-1. All as perplanofsub‐division by Rich‐mond W. Krebs, Professional Land Surveyor dated December 22, 2003, approved by Jefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 22378 on January22, 2005, registered in COB3139, FOLIO 788. Ac‐cordingtosur‐veyby Yu-Chiao Lo, P.L.S.,dated September27, 2022, copy of which is at‐tached hereto and made apart hereof,saidlot measures sixty feet (60')front on N. Harper Drive, same in width in the rear,bya depth of onehundred tenfeet (110') between equal andparallel lines; subjectto restrictions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of recordaffecting theproperty.

Lot13-Aof Square 99, b d d b

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:855-861

U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION VS BRYCEA NOVOTNYA/K/A BRYCE NOVOTNY

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:861-646 FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VS DIONNE S. WISE A/K/ADIONNE SMALLWISE A/K/ADIONNE WISE A/K/A DIONNE TERRELLSMALL ANDLUTHER WISE,III A/K/A LUTHER I. WISE III A/K/A LUTHER WISE

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t

$99.24

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:863-654

Informational Purposes Only: TheImprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 2319 NorthHarper Drive, Harvey, Louisiana70058.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly18, 2024,I have seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,onSep‐tember 17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all of therights, ways, privi‐l i

NEWREZ LLC D/B/ASHELL‐POINTMORT‐GAGE SERVIC‐ING VERSUS ISSAC

CHEATHAM JR ANDLACHASITY CHEATHAM AKA LACHASITY BANKHEAD MAGEE CHEATHAM

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $104.53

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-713 WELLSFARGO BANK,NA‐TIONAL ASSO‐CATION,NOT IN ITSINDIVIDUAL OR BANKINGCA‐PACITY,BUT SOLEYAS TRUSTEEONBE‐HALF OF THE LAKE

GLENOAKDRIVE, ANDMEASURES THENCE 60 FEET FRONTON GLENOAKDRIVE, SAME IN WIDTH ACROSS THE REAR,BYA DEPTH OF 100 FEET BE‐TWEEN EQUAL ANDPARALLEL LINES; ALLAS PERSURVEY MADE BY J.J. KREBS& SONS, INC.,DATED MAY27, 1983, RESURVEYED JULY 15, 1983, TO SHOW IMPROVE‐MENTS. THEIM‐PROVEMENTS THEREONBEAR THE MUNICIPALNO. 3808 GLENOAK DRIVE, HARVEY, LA 70058.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit LAETITIA BLACK Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025 aug8-sep 12-2t $141.06

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-636

PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC VERSUS SAMUELMAR‐TINHARRISON ANDDEBORAH GOMEZHARRI‐SON

CHIQUI R. CAR‐RIERE, CHIQUI CARRIEREA/K/A JACQUELINE RI‐CAUD RIOA/K/A JACQUELINE RAE RICAUD AND SIDNEY QUINN CARRIEREA/K/A SIDNEY Q. CAR‐RIEREA/K/A SIDNEY CAR‐RIERE By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 13, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: THAT PORTION OF GROUND TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILD‐INGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREONAND ALLTHE RIGHTS WAYS,PRIVI‐LEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN THEPARISHOF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN TOWNSHIP 14 SOUTH, RANGE 23 AND24EAST, SOUTHEAST LAND DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA, WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, KNOWNASHAR‐VEYCANAL PROPERTY,JEF‐FERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA, DESIGNATED AS PARCELSG-I-B ANDC-1,PER PLAN BY J.J. KREBS& SONS, INC.,DATED MAY15, 1973, REVISEDSEP‐TEMBER 26, 1973, APRIL11, 1974, MAY 5, 1975, DECEM‐BER29, 1975, OCTOBER19, 1976, MARCH27, 1978, JULY 24, 1978, DECEMBER 5, 1979 ANDMAY 22, 1981, WHICH SAID PORTION HASBEEN RESUBDIVIDED INTO WOOD‐MERE SOUTH SUBDIVISION, SECTION 1, ALL AS PERPLANOF RESUBDIVISION MADE BY J.J. KREBS& SONS INC.,C.E., DATED APRIL13, 1981, APPROVED BY THEJEFFERSON PARISH COUN‐CILBY ORDINANCENO. 14846, RECORDED IN COB1101, FOLIO 815, ANDORDI‐NANCE NO.14938, RECORDED IN COB1014, FOLIC 893, ANDASPER ACTOF DEDICATION BE‐FORE ODOM B. HEEBE, N.P. DATEDDECEM‐BER4,1981, RECORDED IN COB101, FOLIO 209, SAME BEINGDESIG‐NATEDASFOL‐LOWS: LOT199, SQUAREE, WHICHSAID SQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY GLENOAKDRIVE, DESTREHANAV‐ENUE,INWOOD DRIVEAND KEITH-WAY DRIVE, ANDSAID LOT 199 COM‐MENCES AT A DISTANCE CF 572.99 FEET FROM THEIN‐TERSECTION OF KEITH-WAY DRIVEAND

JEFFERSON PARISH COUN‐CILUNDER OR‐DINANCE NO.4545, ADOPTEDAPRIL 21, 1960, REGIS‐TEREDINCOB 510, FOLIO492, PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON LOUISIANA, ON JULY 20, 1960, ANDINPLAN1 BOOK 39, FOLIO66, OF‐FICE OF THE CLERKOF COURT, PARISH OF JEFFERSON LA WHICHSAID PROPERTY IS MORE FULLYDE‐SCRIBEDAS FOLLOWS, TOWIT: LOTNO. 32 IN SQUARE NO.57, BOUNDEDBY FRIEDRICA STREET,FARM‐INGTON PLACEAND HER‐ITAGEAVENUE, WHICHSAIDLOT COMMENCES AT ADISTANCE OF 550 FEET FROM THECOR‐NEROF FRIEDRICA STREET AND FANNINGTON PLACEAND MEASURES THENCE 62 FEET FRONTON FRIEDRICA STREET,BYA DEPTHALONG THESIDELINE NEARER FARM‐INGTON PLACE OF 110 FEET,BY A DEPTHALONG THEOPPOSITE SIDE LINE OF 110 FEET,BYA WIDTH IN THE REAR OF 59.07 FEET ALLINACCOR‐DANCEWITH THESURVEYOF ADLOEORR, JR. & ASSOCIATES, C.E. DATEDSEP‐TEMBER 10, 1962; subjectto restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property Commonly knownas1921 FriedricaStreet, Gretna,LA70056

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 15, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Sep‐tember17, 2025 at 10 o'clock a.m. thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILDINGSAND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLOFTHE RIGHTS,WAYS, MEANS, PRIVI‐LEGES, SERVI‐TUDES, ADVAN‐TAGESAND AP‐PURTENANCES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGINGORIN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,INTER‐RYTOWN SUBDI‐VISION,SEC‐TION 3, BEING PART OF OAKDALE SUBDIVISION SECTION"B" FIRSTWARD, ALLINACCOR‐DANCE WITH THESUR‐VEYOFADLOE ORR, JR. &AS‐SOCIATES,C.E DATEDOCTOBER 9, 1959, AP‐PROVED BY THE

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges. TERMS -The full purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $118

VILMAESCOBAR

THAT CERTIAN PIECE OR POR‐TIONOF GROUND, to‐getherwithall the buildings and improvements thereonsitu‐atedinthe ParishofJeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,in TERRYTOWN SUBDIVISIONin

on September7, 1960, andin

PlanBook 40,folio 37,Of‐ﬁce of theClerk ofCourt,Parish ofJefferson, Louisiana,and accordingto whichsaid propertyis morefully de‐scribed as fol‐lows, to-wit:

Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $113

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA

NO:865-931

U.S. BANK

TRUSTCOM‐PANY,NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS TRUSTEE FORASSET BACKED SECURI‐TIES CORPORA‐TION HOME EQ‐UITY LOAN TRUST 2004-HE9,ASSET BACKED PASSTHROUGHCER‐TIFICATES, SE‐RIES 2004-HE9 VERSUS PAMELA R. CLARKA/K/A PAMELA CLARK

SECTION 3-A, being apartof Oakdale Subdi‐vision, Section"B"., First Ward,all in accordance with survey of Adloe Orr, Jr.& Associates, C.E. datedOcto‐ber 9, 1959, re‐vised July 15 1960, andap‐provedbythe Jefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nance NO.4707, adoptedAugust 25, 1960 regis‐tered in COB 514, folio 345, ParishofJeffer‐son, Louisiana

LOT35in SQUARE65, commences at a distanceof 316.13 feet from the corner of Cooper Road and Fairlawn Drive,and mea‐sures thence 60 feetfront on FairlawnDrive, same width in the rear,by a depth of 110 feetbetween equal andparal‐lel lines. Square 65 is bounded byFairlawn Drive,Cooper Road, Fielding Avenue and Concord Road all as further shown on asur‐vey by J.JKrebs & Sons,Inc., certiﬁed correct July23, 1965,a copy of which is annexedtoact ofPaulMorphy, Jr.,NotaryPub‐lic,dated Au‐gust5,1965. This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

LAETITIA BLACK Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff

p tember 17, 2025 at10o'clock a.m.the follow‐ing described propertytowit: That certainlot orparcelof ground,to‐getherwithall the buildings and improve‐ments thereon, andall ofthe rights ways, privi‐leges,servi‐tudes,appurte‐nancesand advantages thereuntobe‐longing or any‐wiseappertain‐ing,situatedin the Parish of Jefferson, State ofLouisiana,in thatsubdivision known as Wil‐lowdale Subdi‐vision, Section5,and being desig‐nated on theof‐ficial plan of saidsubdivi‐sion, on file and of record in theof‐fice of theclerk and recorder of saidparishand state ,aslot number342, square no.30, saidsubdivi‐sion, said lot havingsuch measurements anddimensions andbeing sub‐jecttosuch servitudesas shown on said subdivision map.

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

The New Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September 12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t

$87.07

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:865-428

PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES LLC VERSUS GREGORYA PLAISANCE

p g servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe Parish of Jefferson,State of Louisianain thatpart thereof known asNormandy ParkSubdivi‐sionand desig‐nated as Lot12of Square"G".Said Squareis bounded by Wiegand Drive, GatoStreet, and Lander Street SaidLot 12 com‐mencesata dis‐tance 574 feet fromthe corner of WiegandDrive and Gato Street and measures 52feet fronton Wiegand Drive, same width in the rear, by adepth of118.08 feet between and parallellines; subject to restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing theproperty.

TheImprove‐ments thereon bearing Munici‐pal 641 Wiegand Drive,NineMile Point,LA 70094.

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September 12 2025 aug8-sep 12-2t $85.48

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-838

PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC VERSUS NIAD.BENN

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

That certain piece or portion ofground,to‐getherwithall the buildings and improve‐ments thereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges i d

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for

ONECERTAIN LOT OF GROUND, together with all thebuildings and improve‐ments thereonand all rights, ways privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances d d

p andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA,in thatpart thereof known asBAYOU DES FAMILLES SUB‐DIVISION, per planregistered inCOB 1160 folio 100, being morefully describedas follows,to-wit: LOT7,SQUARE 2,which said squareis bounded by Bayou Tech Drive,Ames Boulevard (side),Bayou L'OursCourt (side), Bayou L'OursCourt saidlot 7has a ﬁrst frontage on Bayou L'Ours Court of 50 feet and asecond frontagealong the areofa curvehaving a radiumof180 feet,a distance of25.24 fronton Bayou L'Ours Court, 60.00feet in width in the rear, by adepth along Bayou Teche Driveof 110.00 feet and a depth alongthe Bayou L'Ours Court (side) of 109.29. Allas morefully shown on sur‐vey by Dading,Mar‐quesand Asso‐ciates, Inc., dated Novem‐ber 24, 1992. Im‐provements locatedonJanu‐ary 26. 1993, and recertiﬁed on March 8, 1993; subject to re‐strictions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing theproperty

The improve‐ments thereon bearthe Munici‐pal Number 2764 Bayou L'OursCourt Marrero, Louisiana. This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 8, 2025, September 12, 2025

aug8-sep 12-2t $102