The Times-Picayune 11-16-2025

Benson addressesSaints, Pels’struggles and Loomis’

PELICANS FIRE COACHWILLIE GREEN AFTER2-10 STAR

POPE’S ROOTS REUNITEA FAMILY

From branches separateda centuryago, cousins finallymeetinNew Orleans

women walked in.

BY DESIREESTENNETT Staff writer

Ellen Dionne Alverez sat quietly at acircular tableinthe 1840 Room at Antoine’sRestaurant and waited, preparing to meet along-lost part of her family for the first time

Alone and facing the private dining room’s open door, the native New Orleanian, raised in the 7th Ward,was still with quiet anticipation What would these Chicago cousins be like, these friendly ladies who had contacted her —seeminglyout of the blue —after she herself learned of her own surprising genealogy?

Alverez, throughher father’sside, was acousin to PopeLeo XIV They were, too.

Andthen, minutes later,the four

Drowning out an introduction by Antoine’s waitstaff, they rushed over to Alverez with achorus of greetings. They exchanged hugs,laughter, wide smiles, names. Once they finally sat,Ann Carrera turned to hercousin Kat Beaulieuaftertheysearched Alverez’sface.

“She looks like the Martinez side!” Carrera said of Alverez, seeing in hera resemblance to herown distant cousin, Max Martinez, and all of his siblings.

“It’ssoexciting,” whisperedCammy Basak to her cousin CindyOliver.“I’m breathless.”

On Wednesday night, in aquiet corner of Antoine’sinthe heartofNew Orleans’ oldest neighborhood, two branches of PopeLeo’sfamily that

lost touch two generations before he was born were reunited over oysters Rockefeller and French 75s.

Theseeds of thereunion were plantedonMay 8, when Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was selected by his fellow cardinals as the next pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Thatmorning, New Orleansgenealogist Jari Honora saw that an American pope, with thelastname Prevost, had been chosen, and jumped into U.S. census records. With that last name, Honoraknew therehad to be aNew Orleansconnection. Within hours, he found it, and acomplicated but quintessentially American storyabout race and family history unfolded.

It’sthe last name of Martinez—Alverez’smaidenname —thatbands

ä See FAMILY, page 18A

BYJOHN SIMERMAN and MISSY WILKINSON Staff writers

The head of the NewOrleans Police Department’sinternal affairs division gave apresentationlast week that’sbecome standardfare in an era of courtenforced reform.

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

NewOrleans voters gave Mayor-elect Helena Moreno’sincoming administration aboost on Saturday,approving $510 millioninbond propositions she’d endorsed that can be spent on affordable housing, parks and other infrastructure though it can’tgotofill agaping city budget hole. The three separate bond measures, all approved by wide margins, cameinalow-turnout election that also seated the final two City Council members andsettled abitter race forOrleans Parish clerk of Criminal Court.

Theclerk’srace wentconvincinglytoCalvin Duncan, aformer life prisoner and longtime inmatecounsel at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola who waged aremarkable campaign as apolitical newcomer to unseat incumbent Darren Lombard. Duncan’swin —heearned68% of the vote to Lombard’s32% came in spite of an endorsement from Moreno and support from U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,whose backing also failed to sway voters in races this fall for sheriff and an at-large City Council seat.

ä Jefferson Parish voters approve crucial funding for region’slevees and pumps. PAGE 8A

ä Election results for the NewOrleans area. PAGE 10A

For theCityCouncil, the runoff for the open District Aseat, which includes parts of MidCity,Lakeview,Hollygrove and Uptown, went to AimeeMcCarronoverfellowDemocrat Holly Friedman by a58% to 42% margin. Both are former staffers of outgoing council member Joe Giarrusso. McCarron, who grew up in the district, said it was an honor to become avoice for the area where she has spent most of her life.Balancing the city’sbudget, she said, is priority one. “I plan to start looking at it as early as Monday,” McCarronsaid. “The council really needsa budget expert, and that’swhat Iplan to bring.” In District E, Rep. Jason Hughes took the council seat being vacated by Oliver Thomas over former council member Cyndi Nguyen. Hughes, aveteran state lawmaker whomaintained astrong fundraising lead in the race for the seat that represents NewOrleans East and parts of the Lower 9th Ward, earned 61% of the vote. Throughout his campaign, Hughes, 42, said he wouldfocus on bringingmore economic

DECREE, page 4A Pope

Calling in members of the media,herevealed videoofa police shooting on Halloween. An armed man wasallegedly holding awoman hostage in aCanal Street gas station when aspecial operations officer felledhim with asingle shot, in the back, paralyzing him The “level four” use of force is still under investigation, Deputy Chief Keith Sanchez said. But theNOPD wantedtoget the critical incident footage out timely “It’stransparency that fostersthe relationship between thecommunity andthe police department, and that’sthe most

important part,” he said. It wasafar cry from the sham reviews that federal investigatorsfoundcommonplaceinthe yearsbeforeanearly 500-paragraph consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice— the mostexpansive in the U.S. at the time —changed the course of policing in NewOrleans. More than adozen yearsafter it wasput in place, thefederal judge whohas enforced it from thestart is expected to surrender her oversight this week, ending one of the country’s

Leo XIV

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Cousins Ann Carrera,Kat Beaulieu, Ellen DionneAlverez,Camille Basak andCindyOliver have dinner together at Antoine’sRestaurant and discuss their relationship to Pope Leo XIVinNew Orleans on Wednesday.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

NewOrleans Police Department recruits stand in formation in the parking lot of thePoliceTraining Academy in NewOrleans on June 20.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

4 law enforcement officersshot in Kansas

CARBONDALE, Kan. Four law enforcement officers were shot Saturday morning while responding to aresidence in arural areasouth of Topeka, Kansas.

The shooting was about 10:30 a.m. Three Osage County sheriff’s deputies and one Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot, KansasBureauof Investigation spokesperson Melissa Underwood said Their conditions are “still very fluid,” Underwood said.

Amale suspect died from gunshotwounds, leadersfrom the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and state HighwayPatrolsaid One other male was injured and taken to ahospital and is in stablecondition, officials said Deputies and troopers were responding to adomestic violence incident north of Carbondale. They were on scene for several minutes when gunfire erupted,authorities said.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded immediatelytothe call of theshooting, officials said.

The scene of the shooting is a house offa two-lane road that runstoTopeka. Authorities blocked off the roadabout sixtenths of amile south of there.

Atmosphericriverhits SouthernCalifornia

LOS ANGELES An unusually strong storm system called an atmospheric river was dousingSouthernCalifornia on Saturday,prompting flood warnings in areas of coastal Los Angeles Countythat recently were ravagedbywildfire.

The NationalWeatherService in Los Angeles and Oxnard reported heavy rainfall Saturday at rates as heavy as an inch per hour in coastal areas thatare prone to flash flooding.

On Friday,more thanfour inches of rain fell overcoastal Santa Barbara County as the storm approachedLos Angeles

The National Weather Service urged people to stay indoors amid heavy winds.

The long plume of tropical moisture that formed over the Pacific Oceanbegan drenching theSan Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday and unleashed widespread rain over Southern California on Friday and Saturday More than afoot of snow was predicted for parts of the Sierra Nevada.

Amid the stormy weather Friday,the California Highway Patrol said a71-year-old man died Friday after his vehicle was swept off afloodedbridge in Northern California and a 5-year-old wasswept into the ocean by 15-foot waves at astate park on the centralcoast, triggering asearch that continued Saturday

Disney reaches new deal withYouTube TV NEW YORK Disneyand YouTube TV reached anew deal to bring channels like ABCand ESPN back to the Google-owned livestreamingplatform Friday ending ablackout for customers that dragged on for overtwo weeks.

“As part of the new deal, Disney’sfull suite of networks and stations —including ESPN and ABC —have already begun to be restored to YouTubeTVsubscribers,” The Walt Disney Co. said in astatement.

YouTube TV also confirmed the return of Disney content on its platform, noting that subscribers shouldsee channels back “over the course of the day.” It apologized forthe disruption and thanked customers for their “patience as we negotiated on their behalf.”

Disney content wentdark on YouTube TV the night of Oct. 30 after the two sides failed to reach anew licensing deal.In the days that followed, YouTube TV subscribers were left without Disney channels on the platform —notably disrupting coverage of top collegefootball matchups andprofessional sports games, as well as news and entertainment programming.

Beyond ESPN and ABC, other Disney-owned content removed from YouTube TV during the impasse includedchannels like NatGeo, FX, Freeform, SEC Network, ACC Network and more

Officialsconfirm DHSsurge in N.C.

Feds targeting immigration enforcementefforts in Charlotte

BY ERIK VERDUZCO Associated Press

CHARLOTTE,N.C. Federal officials confirmedSaturday that asurge of immigration enforcementin North Carolina’slargest city has begun, asagents were seen making arrests in multiple locations “Americansshouldbeable to live withoutfearofviolentcriminal illegalaliens hurting them, theirfamilies, or theirneighbors,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary TriciaMcLaughlin saidinastatement.

“Weare surging DHS lawenforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats areremoved.”

Local officials, including Mayor Vi Lyles, criticized such actions, sayingina statement that they “are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty.”

“WewantpeopleinCharlotte and Mecklenburg County to know we stand with allresidentswho simply want to go about their lives,” the statementsaid.Itwas also signed by MecklenburgCountyCommissioner Mark Jerrell and CharlotteMecklenburgschoolboard memberStephanie Sneed.

Crime is downinthe city this yearthrough August, compared with the same months in 2024. Homicides, rapes, robberies and motorvehiclethefts fell by morethan 20%, accordingtoAHDatalytics.

But President DonaldTrump’s administration hasseized upon the

fatal stabbingofUkrainian refugeeIryna Zarutskaha on aCharlotte light-rail train to argue that Democratic-led citiesfailtoprotect residents. Aman with alengthy criminalrecordhas been charged withthe woman’smurder

The federalgovernment had not previously announced the push. But County Sheriff Garry McFadden said this week that two federal officials told him Customs agents would be arriving soon.

Charlotte is aracially diverse city of more than 900,000 residents, including morethan 150,000 who are foreign-born, according to local officials.

Willy Aceituno, a46-year-old Honduran-born U.S. citizen, was on hisway to work Saturday when he saw“alot of Latinos running,” chased by “a lot of BorderPatrol agents.”

Aceituno said he himself was stopped— twice —byBorder Patrol agents. During the second encounter, they forced him fromhis vehicle after breaking the window and threw him to the ground.

“I told them, ‘I’m an American citizen,’” he told The Associated Press. “They wanted to know where Iwas born, or they didn’t believe Iwas an American citizen.”

Afterbeing forcibly takeninto aBorder Patrol vehicle,Aceituno said, he was finally released after showing documents proving his citizenship. He hadtowalksome distance back to his car and later filed apolice report over the broken glass.

SpokespersonPaolaGarciaof Camino, abilingual nonprofit serving families in Charlotte, said she andher colleagues have observed

an increase in stopsbyU.S. Customsand BorderProtection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since Friday

“Basically what we’re seeing is that there have been lots of people being pulled over,” Garcia said. Greg Asciutto, executive director of the community development group CharlotteEast, said via email that the “significantborder patrol activity” was seen Saturday

“Most have been extremely quick, targetedarrests; others have been them ‘fishing,’” Asciutto said. In east Charlotte, two workers werehanging Christmas lightsin Rheba Hamilton’sfront yard in the morning when two Customs and Border Patrol agents walkedup. One tried to speak to the workers in Spanish, shesaid. They didnot respond, and theagentsleftwithout making arrests.

“Thisisrealdisconcerting,but the main thing is we’ve got two human beings in my yard trying to make aliving. They’ve broken no laws, andthat’swhatconcerns me,” said Hamilton,who recorded the encounter on her cellphone.

“It’sanabuse of all of our laws. It is unlike anythingIhaveever imagined Iwould see in my lifetime,” the 73-year-old said. Amid reports of the crackdown, she had suggested the work be postponed. Butthe contractor decided to go ahead.

“Half an hour later,he’sinour yard,he’sworking andBorderPatrol rolls up,” she said. “They’re here because they were looking for easy pickings. There was nobody herewith TV cameras,nobody here protesting, there’sjust two guys working in ayard and an old white lady withwhitehairsitting on her porch drinking her coffee.”

Firststrongwinterrains soak Gaza’s shelters

BY WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

Winter’sfirst strong rainfall sent water cascading through partsofGaza’s sprawlingMuwasi tent camp on Saturday,asthe territory struggles to cope with floodingand devastated infrastructure after two years of war

Residents attempted to dig trenches to keep the water fromflooding their tents, as intermittent rainthat beganonFriday dripped through tears in tarpaulins and makeshift shelters. The bursts soakedfamilies’ scant belongings. Strong winds can also toppletents and hamperattempts to gather scarcefood and supplies. Twoweeks ago, Bassil

Tents are set up Saturdayinsideagutted apartment buildinginKhan younis, Gaza Strip.

Naggar bought anew tent on the black market for the equivalent of about $712, because the summer sun had worn his old tent thin. Still, rainwater was leaking through.

“I spent all(Friday) pushing water out of my tent,”Naggarsaid, adding that hisneighbors’

tents andbelongings were wrecked. “Water puddles areinches high, and there is no proper drainage.”

Baref oot ch ildre n splashed in puddles as women made tea outside underdark clouds. Some people tried to shelter in destroyed buildings, even those at risk of collapse,

Climateprotestersdemand to be

BY MELINA WALLING and TERESA DE MIGUEL Associated Press

BELEM, Brazil— Somewore blackdresses to signify afuneral for fossil fuels. Hundreds wore red shirts, symbolizing the blood of colleagues fightingtoprotect the environment. And others chanted, waved huge flags or held up signs Saturday in what’straditionally thebiggest day of protest at thehalfway point ofannualUnited Nations climate talks.

Organizers with booming sound systems on trucks with raised platforms directed protesters from a wide range of environmental and social movements. MarisolGarcia, aKichwa woman from Peru marching at the head of one group, said protesters are there to put pressure on world leaders to make “morehumanized decisions.”

Thedemonstrators walked about 2.5 miles on aroute that took them near the main venue for the talks, known as COP30. Protesters earlier this week twice disruptedthe

talks by surrounding the venue, including an incident Tuesday where two security guards suffered minor injuries.

Afull dayofsessions was planned at the venue, including talks on how to move forward with $300 billion ayear in annual climatefinancial aid that rich countriesagreed last year to give to poor nationsto help wean themselves off fossilfuels,adapt to a nastier,warmer world and compensate for extreme weather damage.

Many of theprotesters reveled in thefreedom to demonstratemoreopenly than at recent climatetalks held in moreauthoritarian countries, including Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emiratesand Egypt. Thousands joined in aprocession that sprawled across mostofthe march’sroute.

Youth leader Ana Heloisa Alves, 27, said it was the biggest climate march she hasbeen partof. “This is incredible,”she said. “You can’t ignore all these people.” Alveswas at the march to fight for the Tapajos

River, whichthe Brazilian government wants to develop commercially.“The riverisfor the people,” her group’ssigns read.

Pablo Neri, coordinator in theBrazilian state of Para for the Movimento dosTrabajadoresRurais Sem Terra, an organization forrural workers, said organizers of thetalksshould involve more people to reflect aclimate movement thatisshifting towardpopular participation.

TheUnitedStates, where PresidentDonald Trump has ridiculed climate change as ascam andwithdrawn from the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement thatsought to limit Earth’s warming, is skipping the talks.

DemonstratorFlavio Pinto, of Para state,took aim at the U.S. Wearing abrownsuit andanoversizedAmerican flag top hat, he shiftedhis weight back and forth on stilts and fanned himself with fake hundred-dollar bills with Trump’sface on them. “Imperialism produces wars andenvironmentalcrises,” his sign read.

with gaping holes covered by pieces of plastic.

According to the United Nations, Muwasi was sheltering up to 425,000 displaced Palestinians earlierthis year, the vast majority in makeshift temporary tents, after Israel’swar with Hamas displaced most of Gaza’s population of over 2million people.

Muwasi had largely been undeveloped sand dunes before the Israelimilitary designated it ahumanitarian zone early in the war

The Israelidefense body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza has said it is al-

lowing in winterization materialsincluding blankets andheavy tarps, butaid organizations warn the efforts are farfrom sufficient when winter temperaturesplummetand the wind whips off the Mediterranean. The first stage of the ceasefire agreement is nearing itsend.The next andeven more challenging stage calls forthe implementation of agoverning body forGaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force. It is notclear where eitherstands. Another looming question is the proposed disarming of Hamas.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM VIDEO By RHEBAHAMILTON

U.S. Border Patrol agents leave ayard on Saturdayafter approaching two men hanging lights in Charlotte, N.C.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

longest-running police reform agreements

U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, has signaled thaton Wednesday at Loyola University,she’ll grant ajoint request from Mayor LaToya Cantrell andthe Trumpadministration to end it

In doing so, Morgan and others are expected to tout avast transformation, from NOPD’straining academy to the interview rooms inside its police stations.

Still,the decision comes under some duress.Morgan placed the department under atwo-year “sustainment” plan in January,agreeing there was more work to do for the NOPD to reach full compliance but finding it had come far enough to enter the final phase. But anew Justice Departmentsoon joined the city in calling for an immediate end,claiming

Kirkpatrick, who failed to bring asimilar consent decree to aclose at her last chief’spostinOakland, Calif.,made exiting New Orleans’ atop priority when she arrived in 2023. The federalmonitors who report to Morgan have credited her with thawing afreezebetween Cantrell and Morgan.

pact on crime or criminal investigations.Whilesexcrime investigations were a focus of the consent decree, advocates point to apaltry 7% rape clearance rate today and fear it’ll only get worse without monitors to audit andtrack. The gauge on the success of thereforms will notbees-

theNOPD when he took office in 2010, though he called it afait accompli.

In theyears after Hurricane Katrina, the NOPD had become anational symbol for badpolicing as reportersexposed thedeadlyactionsofofficers days after the storm on the Danziger

NewOrleans Police Department Recruit Thompson, center,takes part in hand-to-hand combat training at the NOPD’s Education and Training Division in NewOrleans Friday

STAFFPHOTOSBy

SOPHIA GERMER

Bridge andbehind astrip mall in Algiers, andalleged police coverupsaround them

The civil rights probe culminated in ascathing 2011 report that found adepartment unhinged. Itsofficers violated therightsofresidentsasa matter of course,

ahotbedofillegaland biased stops and searches, the feds alleged. Its officerswere poorly trained, badly supervised andhardlyinvestigated formisconduct, including shootings. The investigators found “basic elements of effective policing” had been missing foryears. The consent decree that followedcame witha flurry of newdemands and intensive scrutiny.Policeofficer groups chafed, particularly at the city’stakeover of the off-duty paid detail system, whichhad been managed for decades by the officers themselves. The feds had famously labeled the NOPD detail system the department’s“aorta of corruption.” Officer groups objected to the portrayal.

“This department never had the kind of corruption otherdepartments had,” said Claude Schlesinger, an attorney forthe local Fraternal Order of Police, which represents most

ä See DECREE, page 5A

NOPD officers. “It wasn’ta department run amok, as the DOJ labeled it at first.”

Even early on, Landrieu wanted out of an expensive agreement he called “excruciating.” The cost was initially pegged at about $11 millionayear to bring NOPDuptoconstitutional snuff, in what was billed as afour or five year rebuild

Turning NOPD’sculture wasthe biggeststruggle, said Ronal Serpas, Landrieu’sfirst police chief, adepartment veteran who returned after stints as police chiefinWashington State and Nashville. Serpas said he came home to find “systems had started to fail: accountability,supervision, leadership, discipline.”

He introduced body-worn cameras to the NOPD anda “you lie, you die” ultimatum that ratcheted up officer discipline, but he said his wings were clipped by civil service rules left untouched in the reform agreement ‘Weneededoversight’

The federal monitors credited his successor,Michael Harrison, with propelling complianceinmany areas, during what was “a really hard time for officers and for the department,” recalled Danny Murphy,acivilian who would head up compliance at NOPD and later followed Harrison to Baltimore. “He had the right commitment for it, and it wasn’tjust a public-facing commitment He actuallywanted to do it,” said Murphy,now apolice reform consultant.

Source:New OrleansPoliceDepartment, city data

officers fled theforce in big numbers. Morgan pumped thebrakes on aplannedexit, while Cantrell argued that the consentdecree itself was the problem and filed to terminatethe deal She claimedMorgan and themonitors hadmoved the goal posts.

The city also pointed to the millions it had paidthe federal monitors, alongwith majorupgradesin technology, trainingand gear.

would not just be to pull the rug outfrom underneath thecommunity,but from underneathpolice officers whohavebeentrained and developed these principles,” Cziment said.

Continuing reforms

Cziment’soffice had no formal rolewithin the consent decree. Community groups have questionedtheir place in NOPD oversight going forward,asNOPDpolicymaking lands back with the police chief.

some of the changes Council member JP Morrell’smeasure requires NOPDtocontinue how it investigates and reportsout on serious policeuses of force, maintains the cityoffice that oversees off-duty police details andseeks to preserve theinternal auditing apparatus theconsent decree brought to bear,among other safeguards.

thefateofpolice reform agreements in New Orleans andother cities, saidSarah Omojola,director of the reform advocacy group Vera Louisiana.

“Their use is really about who is controlling theWhite House, and therefore who is controlling DOJ. We have to be very honest toothatcommunitymembers oftenfeel very differently than the monitor” aboutprogresson the ground, Omojola said. By some measures, officersare better equipped, with more support, suchasin

howthe department handles mental health crisis calls. In other ways, the lack of progress has revealed the limits of court oversight.

“I do think NewOrleansis able to decide what makes sense for this community,” Omojola said. “I think we’re readytomovefurther forward than aconsent decree would ever take us.”

Wednesday’shearing at Loyola will begin at 11:30a.m.Itwill notbeopen to the public.A livestream can be viewedvia consentdecreemonitor.com.

Harrison had spent adecade in NOPD’sinternal affairs division, the Public Integrity Bureau. He’d seen officers hooking up with sex workers, stealing, violating policy —from “high-level corruption” to “horrifictragedies,” Harrison said “I had firsthand knowledge that we did what we were accused of doing,” Harrison said. “Weneeded oversight to reform.”

By the time Harrison left in 2019, the NOPD appeared on its way to full compliance, but the new mayoral administration gave Morgan and the monitors fresh cause for concern.

Cantrell’sattempt early on to hire former NOPD chief Warren Riley as her public safety czar, before yanking the offer,“certainly raised questions of, are we going forwards or are we going backwards,”Murphy said Cantrell and Morgan would lock horns as crime soared during the pandemic and

Aronie, thelead monitor, said thebill for the monitors totaled $20 million over the course of theconsent decree. He contestedthe notion that theagreement hadsaddled the city with excess costs beyond thatfigure

“Everything thatwas done should have been done in any event,” he said. “You spentX amounttobecomea constitutionaldepartment.”

Schlesinger,ofFOP,called the NOPD’sexit from court oversight “absolutely areasontocelebrate.”

Stella Cziment, the city’s independent police monitor, isn’tsosure

“Thetwo-year sustainment period had real action items that thecommunity hadan interest in seeing realized,” Cziment said. “That is being cut short.”

Even so, Cziment saidthe department hasinsome ways outgrown the language of its guiding documentfor the past dozen years. She’s among those who view the statusquo as abaseline.

“Torollsome of this back

City officials have pledged to continue the reformseven without ajudge to please.

On Friday, the CityCouncil unanimously passed an ordinancethat aims to lock in

But after Wednesday,gone will be Morgan and the monitors who have dissected and directed how officers do their jobs, how supervisors review theirwork,and how the department handles its problems.

What’sclear is how national politics has influenced

The Spiritof Mr.BingleTree

Trump issues 2 pardons related to Jan. 6 riot

Man jailed on gun offense; woman convicted of threatening to shoot agents

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has issued two pardons related to the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including for a woman convicted of threatening to shoot FBI agents who were investigating a tip that she may have been at the Capitol, officials said Saturday

In a separate case, Trump issued a second pardon for a Jan. 6 defendant who had remained behind bars despite the sweeping grant of clemency for Capitol rioters because of a separate conviction for illegally possessing firearms.

It’s the latest example of Trump’s willingness to use his constitutional authority to help supporters who were scrutinized as part of the Biden administration’s massive Jan. 6 investigation that led to charges against more than 1,500 defendants.

Suzanne Ellen Kaye was released last year after serv-

ing an 18-month sentence in her threats case. After FBI contacted her in 2021 about a tip indicating she may have been at the Capitol on Jan 6, she posted a video on social media citing her Second Amendment right to carry a gun and she threatened to shoot agents if they came to her house. In court papers, prosecutors said her words “were part of the ubiquity of violent political rhetoric that causes serious harm to our communities.”

An email seeking comment was sent to a lawyer for Kaye on Saturday Kaye testified at trial that she didn’t own any guns and didn’t intend to threaten the FBI, according to court papers. She told authorities she was not at the Capitol on Jan 6 and wasn’t charged with any Capitol riot-related crimes.

A White House official said Kaye suffers from “stress-induced seizures,” and experienced one when the jury read its verdict. The White House said this is “clearly a case of disfavored First Amendment

Singer-songwriter Todd Snider dies at 59

By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE,Tenn.— Todd Snider, a singer whose thoughtfully freewheeling tunes and cosmic-stoner songwriting made him a beloved figure in American roots music, has died. He was 59. His record label said Saturday in a statement posted to his social media accounts that Snider died Friday

“Where do we find the words for the one who always had the right words, who knew how to distill everything down to its essence with words and song while delivering the most devastating, hilarious, and impactful turn of phrases?” the statement read. “Always creating rhyme and meter that immediately felt like an old friend or a favorite blanket. Someone who could almost always find the humor in this crazy ride on Planet Earth.”

Snider’s family and friends had said in a Friday statement that he had been diagnosed with pneumonia at a hospital in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and that his situation had since grown more complicated and he was transferred elsewhere. The diagnosis came on the heels of the cancellation of a tour after Snider had been the victim of a violent assault in the Salt Lake City area, according to a Nov 3 statement from his management team.

But Salt Lake City police later arrested Snider himself when he at first refused

to leave a hospital and later returned and threatened staffers, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The scrapped tour was in support of his most recent album, “High, Lonesome and Then Some,” which released in October. Snider combined elements of folk, rock and country in a three-decade career. In reviews of his recent albums, The Associated Press called him a “singer-songwriter with the persona of a fried folkie” and a “stoner troubadour and cosmic comic.” He modeled himself on and at times met and was mentored by artists like Kris Kristofferson, Guy Clark and John Prine. His songs were recorded by artists including Jerry Jeff Walker, Billy Joe Shaver and Tom Jones And he cowrote a song with Loretta Lynn that appeared on her 2016 album, Full Circle.”

Snider would do his bestknown and most acclaimed work for Prine’s independent label Oh Boy in the early 2000s It included the albums “New Connection,” “Near Truths and Hotel Rooms” and “East Nashville Skyline,” a 2004 collection that’s considered by many to be his best.

Those albums yielded his best known songs, “I Can’t Complain,” “Beer Run” and “Alright Guy.” Snider was born and raised in Oregon before settling and making his musical chops in San Marcos, Texas.

political speech being prosecuted and an excessive sentence.” The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the case.

In a separate case, Trump pardoned Daniel Edwin Wilson of Louisville, Kentucky, who was under investigation for his role in the riot when authorities found six guns and roughly 4,800 rounds of ammunition in his home. Because of prior felony convictions, it was illegal for him to possess firearms.

Wilson’s case became part of a legal debate over whether Trump’s sweeping pardons for Jan 6 rioters in January applied to other crimes discovered during the sprawling federal dragnet that began after the attack on the Capitol. The Trump-appointed federal judge who oversaw Wilson’s case criticized the Justice Department earlier this year for arguing that the president’s Jan. 6 pardons applied to Wilson’s gun offense.

Wilson, who had been

MAGA rift increases as Trump feuds with Greene

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN and JEFF AMY Associated Press

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When President Donald Trump addressed Congress earlier this year, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was there holding an American flag and wearing a red baseball cap that said “Trump was right about everything.”

After the speech, he gave her a kiss and she beamed. Trump was back in power and Greene was positioned to be one of his most ardent political foot soldiers with Republicans controlling all levers of power in Washington.

Their alliance didn’t last the year Now it has fractured in an explosive feud that could foreshadow more rifts within Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement before next year’s midterm elections. In recent weeks, Greene has escalated her criticism of Trump’s focus on foreign policy over what she has said should be an agenda that concentrates on Americans, as well as his reluctance to release more documents involving the Jeffrey Epstein case. On Friday, the Republican president said he would support a primary challenge against the Georgia congresswoman.

“All I see ‘Wacky’ Marjorie do is COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” Trump wrote on his social media platform as his motorcade whisked him from Air Force One to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

On Saturday, Trump tested out a new nickname for her, calling her “Marjorie Taylor Brown” because “Green

grass turns Brown when it begins to ROT!” Trump has successfully stamped out other challenges to his power over the years, but Greene is not backing down. She even suggested that she, not Trump, may be the true champion of the “America First” agenda.

“I believe in the American people more than I believe in any leader or political party and the American people deserve so much better than how they have been treated by both sides of the aisle,” she wrote in her own post Saturday

scheduled to remain in prison until 2028, was released Friday evening following the pardon, his lawyer said on Saturday

“We are grateful that President Trump has recognized the injustice in my client’s case and granted him this pardon,” attorney George Pallas said in an email. “Mr Wilson can now reunite with his family and begin rebuilding his life.”

The White House official

Saturday that “because the search of Mr Wilson’s home was due to the events of Jan. 6, and they should have never been there in the first place, President Trump is pardoning Mr Wilson for the firearm issues.” Wilson had been sentenced in 2024 to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to impede or injure police officers and illegally possessing firearms at his home.

Local support. Local impact. TheAmerican RedCross in Louisiana serves4.65millionresidentsacrossall64parishesandextendshopeto communitiesacrossthenationandaroundtheworld.Whenyousupportyour localRedCross,youmakeadirectimpactinyourcommunity Poweredbygenerosity. TheRedCrossisnotagovernmentagency.Wearea501(c)(3) nonprofitthatreliesonthepowerofvolunteersandthegenerosity ofdonorstocarryoutourhumanitarianmission. RedCrosssupportersprovideabeaconofhope.Fromhelping duringdisasters,toprovidinglifesavingtrainingandsupporting militarycommunities,theRedCrossistherewhenhelpcan’twait.

Snider

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

ANON-SURGICAL, DRUGLESS METHODOFRELIEVING PAIN

TheBestBreakthroughtreatment forserious back pain is NOTsurgery,but anon-surgical, safe &painless,state-of-the-arttechnologynow available at LeBlancSpine Center.

Painaffectseverypartofyourlife-walking,sitting,and evensleeping.Nothing’sworsethanfeelinggreatmentally, butphysicallyfeelingheldbackfromlifebecauseyournerve orbackpainhurts-anditjustwon’tgoaway.

Scientificstudiestellusthatspinaldiscsaremostoftenthe rootcauseofachesandpainthatpeoplesufferfrom These discsactascushionsbetweenthevertebraeandcreatethe necessaryspacefornervestoexitthespinalcolumn.But whendiscsareinjured,worndown,orbegintodegenerate theybulgeorherniate-pressingonnerverootsandtriggeringpaininthebackorneck. Thispressurecanalsoleadto radiatingpaininthehips,legs,feetorarms

WeareDr.ScottLeBlancandDr.DanaLeBlanc,owners ofLeBlancSpineCenter.Weknowwhatit’sliketobein pain,becauseweseeiteveryday.Wehavetreatedthousands ofpatientsoverthepast14yearsatourBatonRougeand Kenner offices.

Discissuesarecommon,butpatientssufferingareusuallygivenlimitedoptionsoftreatment.Werunthesebig newspaperadstoletpeopleinthecommunityknowthereis anotheroption-withoutinjectionsorsurgery!

NON-SURGICALSPINALDECOMPRESSION is a breakthrough,non-invasivetreatmentforherniated,ruptured,bulginganddegenerativediscs. Ithasbeenprovento reversedischerniationsandrelievenervepain,backpain, andradiatingpain

AtLeBlancSpineCenter,wehavestate-of-the-arttechnologythatiisFDAclearedandverysuccessfulinrelievingpain inpain-evenwhenothertreatmentshavefailed.Unlike othertreatmentsthatonlymasksymptoms,spinaldecompressionaddressestherootcauseofyourpain-restoringdisc height,improvingspinalalignment,andreducingnerve compression.

PROOFTHIS TREATMENTWORKS There’splenty of researchtobackuptheclaimsofSpinalDecompression Therapyanditseffectiveness.Herearejustafewofthepublishedscientificstudies

•“Patientsreportedamean88.9%improvementinbackpain andbetterfunction. Nopatientrequiredanyinvasive therapies(e.g.epiduralinjections,surgery).”-American AcademyofPainManagement

•“Wethussubmitthatdecompressiontherapyshouldbe consideredfirst,beforethepatientundergoesasurgical procedurewhichpermanentlyalterstheanatomyand functionoftheaffectedlumbarspinesegment.”-Journal OfNeuroscienceResearch

•“86%ofthe219patientswhocompletedthetherapyreportedimmediateresolutionofsymptoms.”-Orthopedic TechnologyReview

•“Vertebralaxial(spinal)decompressionwassuccessfulin 71%ofthe778cases”-JournalofNeurologicalResearch

•“Goodtoexcellentreliefin86%ofpatientswithHerniated discs”-TheAmericanJournalofPainManagement

•“DecompressionTherapy reported a76.5% with completeremission and19.6% with partialremissionof pain anddisability” -Rio Grande Hospital,Department of Neurosurgery

SEEWHATSOMEOFOUR

Youwillsitwiththedoctoroneononetogooveryour x-rays,andyou’llgettoseeeverythingfirsthand.

AtLeBlancSpineCenter,ourgoalistohelpyoulivepainfreeandreturntotheactivitiesyoulove.Wegenuinelyenjoy meetingwithpatients,answeringquestions,andshowing firsthandhowspinaldecompressioncanbealife-changing solution.Ifyou’vebeenlivingwithbackorneckpain,we

inviteyoutoscheduleaone-on-oneconsultationandexperiencewhatsetsourclinicapart-personalizedattention, proventechnology,andcompassionatecare Thereisnochargeatallandyoudon’tneedtobuyanything. Youdon’thavetogoonlivinginpain-Callustoday! 225-763-9894

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PATIENTS HAVE TO SAY…

IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad been suffering with extreme back pain andleg pain for severalweeks.I hadtried other treatments, massage, NSAIDs andTylenol,but Iwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatmentsand nowIfeel100% improved!WhatIlikemostabout my treatment is that it is non-invasive anditeliminatedmypain. My treatment appointments arenot long, andthe treatmentispain-free.Since beginningtreatment at LeBlanc SpineCenter, Iamnow able to do allofmypreviousactivitiesand work withoutpain. Ialsohavemorerange of motion.I wouldhighly recommend LeBlancSpine Center!

Dr.JohnBarksdale (Dentist) hometown -Baton Rouge,LA

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JenniferLee (Retired Administrative Assistant) Hometown -Brusly, LA

I first came to LeBlancSpine Center with numbness in my arms and legs.Iwas also experiencing lowerbackpainand neck pain.Ihad been suffering with this forover10years.Ihad previouslytried one epidural injectioninmylower back andphysicaltherapy,anIwas still suffering with thesesymptoms. Sincebeginning Spinal Decompression treatments, Ihavehad consistent improvementinmybackcondition, andIamnow 70%improved! Iamlifting withoutpain, sleeping better,and Inow have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommendDr. LeBlancand LeBlancSpine Center!

L. J. Dupuy (College Baseball Coach) Hometown -Addis,LA

West Bank voters approveflood protection renewaltax

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Jefferson Parish voters on the West Bankoverwhelmingly approvedarenewal of the property taxthat helps fund the region’s leveesand pump systems, reversing their rejection of the same millage earlier this year

TheSoutheast LouisianaFlood Protection Authority-West (SLFPA-W), which oversees levees and pumps in parts of Orleans, Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes, said the renewed tax will allow the agency to continue raising and armoring levees, maintainingfloodgates andkeeping critical storm-surge defenses ready for the next hurricane season About 81% of West Bank voters had signed off on the tax Saturday with all 97 precincts reporting. Turnout for the proposition was just 7%.

“Voters’ support forthisrenewal continues to fund essential work that keeps our levee system strong andstorm-ready without interruption,” said SLFPA-W RegionalDirector JesseNoel. “From levee lifts to major maintenance

on our gates and pumps, every part of our 80-mile system has to work 100% when astorm threatens, and this funding gives us the means to stay prepared.”

The tax, set at 4.75 mills,will run from 2028 to 2037 and is expected to generate about $6.5 mil-

lion in itsfirst year,though that figurecould fluctuate as property values change. For ahomeowner with a$275,000 house, roughly the median homevalueinJefferson Parish, the costisabout $8 per month.

The millage accounts for rough-

ly half of the agency’sbudget. Its passage assurescontinuedfunding for maintaining 80 milesoflevees and flood walls, 67 floodgates and three closure complexes, including the massive Gulf IntracoastalWaterwayWestClosure Complex.

The win comes after voters rejected thesame millage on March 29, aballot that also featured fourconstitutionalamendments pushedbyGov.Jeff Landry,all of which were voted down amid a coordinated “vote no” campaign.

SLFPA-W Board President Scott Burkesaidhebelievedthe levee agency became “collateral damage” during thatelection.

“Our community has seen the system perform exactly as it’sdesignedtododuringHurricane Ida andotherserious events,” Burke said. “Andtoday’s vote allows us to maintain that level of reliability.”

To date, the millage has funded more than $23 millioninlevee height increases,arecurring need as sealevels rise and levees sink in Louisiana’s soils.

Noel said the renewal won’t eliminate the need to seek federal dollars, but it gives the authority

astable funding base. “Wecontinue to pursue additionalrevenue sources suchasfederal appropriations,” Noel said previously “But those funding sources are needed in addition to this millage renewal.”

Unlike the Southeast Louisiana FloodProtectionAuthority-East, which oversees flood protection on the East Bank, SLFPA-W has largely avoided politicalcontroversyinrecentyears.The East Bank agency has been roiled by mass resignations on itsboard, and has drawn criticism from lawmakersfor expanding theroleof its small policeforce. The West Bank agency does nothaveapoliceforce, andits sole focusison reducing the risk of catastrophic storm surge flooding.

Burke said the renewed millage will help the agency sustain its reputation.

“This decision ensureswecan continue to lift and armor levees, maintainour flood walls andfloodgates, and keep all three closure complexes readyfor the next majorstorm,”hesaid.

EmailAlex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

opportunities to adistrict reeling from apost-Hurricane Katrina landscapeof blight, population loss and commercial divestment

“Today multiple people said, ‘Please don’tmake me regret my vote,’ ”Hughes said late Saturday.“It is not lost on me that this community has taken achance on me.”

High-profile races for mayor and sheriff weresettled in the Octoberprimary, leaving Saturday’sballotofferings light on voter interest. Around 21,200 voters cast theirballots in-person during early voting and through the mail in New Orleans —barelyhalf the number who voted before the Oct. 11 primary, state data show The race for clerkof Criminal Court,anormally under-the-radar office that oversees court records and local elections, drew the most heat, as well as national attention.

couldn’tget their records are looking down now. I hope they’re proud of me. We neverstopped fighting for each other’srights,and Iwill never stop fighting for yours.”

Lombard served as the elected clerk of 2ndCity CourtinAlgiers for more than adecade beforebeing elected to the citywide job four yearsago.Hetook issue with Duncan’sinexperience, but also his claim of exoneration

Analysts have saidthat a flurry of attacks and alegal challenge from Lombard against Duncan leading up to the primarybackfired, helpingpushthe race into a runoff. Meanwhile, Moreno, who is poisedtotake officein

January while confronting a budget hole pegged at $160 million, won adifferent kind of relief in the threebond propositions voters approved Saturday They include: n $45 million for affordable housing, such as new housing construction, renovations or improving affordable housing facilities.

n About $50 million for stormwater management anddrainage solutions, suchasastormwater park in Lakeview to reduce flooding and underground water storage systemstoalleviate pressure on the city’sdrainage system. n $415 millionfor key infrastructureprojects,such as thesecondphaseofthe Lincoln Beach redevelop-

ment, the Lindy Boggs site,

upgrades to Criminal DistrictCourt and many roadwork projects

Payment is expected to come from a14.5-mill tax that is currently dedicated for thepayoff of similar bond issues.

The money is slated for aslew of projects, such as redevelopment of the abandoned Naval baseinthe Bywater neighborhood, anew evidencestorage facility for the New Orleans Police Department and newand rehabbedaffordable housing.

“Weneed resources for newhome ownership opportunities. We need resources for new rental housing opportunities. We need resources for existing

homeowners whoare struggling,” said Oji Alexander, CEO of nonprofit affordable housing developer People’s Housing+.

Though voters responded in support of the bond measures, that won’tbea salve forthe city’scurrent budget woes.Tracy Madison, the secretary for the New Orleans Board of Liquidation, has said none of the proceeds can be used to resolve adeficit like the one the city faces now. Instead, the money must be dedicated to specific projects laid outin the voter propositions.

Theapproval follows widespread public education campaigns about the bonds from city leaders and nonpartisanadvocacygroups.

Nellie

Catzen, executive

director of Committee for aBetter NewOrleans, said throughout their campaign they often dispelledpublic concerns about rising taxes or the money being diverted. “It hastobeusedonthe topic that voters approved, and that’sanexciting thing,” she said. “It means that projects the city needs big money forwill happen.” New Orleans voters also weighed in on propositions to extend deadlines to enact thecity’smasterplan, andto forbid the city attorney from taking sidesinlegal conflicts pittingthe councilagainst themayor. Thosemeasures also appeared headed for wins on Saturday Staff writersJoni Hess and Desiree Stennett contributed to this story.

The incumbent’s ca mp ai gn proved no match to that of Duncan, who served 28 years for amurder in Treme that a judge later ruled he hadnot committed.Duncan earned alaw degreeafter his release from Angola in 2011 andtook aim at the clerk’s post, he said, to ensure availability of records he once labored to secure.

“Tonight is adream that’s been forty years in the making,” said Duncan. “I hope that allthose people who died in prison because we

Trump’s policies

BY DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press

NEW YORK When he first came to the United States after escaping civil war in Sierra Leone and spending almost a decade in a refugee camp, Dauda Sesay had no idea he could become a citizen. But he was told that if he followed the rules and stayed out of trouble, after some years he could apply. As a U.S. citizen, he would have protection.

It’s what made him decide to apply: the premise — and the promise — that when he became a naturalized American citizen, it would create a bond between him and his new home. He would have rights as well as responsibilities, like voting, that, as he was making a commitment to the country, the country was making one to him.

“When I raised my hand and took the oath of allegiance, I did believe that moment the promise that I belonged,” said Sesay, 48, who first arrived in Louisiana more than 15 years ago and now works as an advocate for refugees and their integration into American society

But in recent months, as President Donald Trump reshapes immigration and the country’s relationship with immigrants, that belief has been shaken for Sesay and other naturalized citizens. There’s now fear that the push to drastically increase deportations and shift who can claim America as home, through things like trying to end birthright citizenship, is having a ripple effect. What they thought was the bedrock protection of naturalization now feels more like quicksand.

Some are worried that if they leave the country, they will have difficulties when trying to return, fearful because of accounts of naturalized citizens being questioned or detained by U.S. border agents. They wonder: Do they need to lock down their phones to protect their privacy? Others are hesitant about moving around within the country, after stories like that of a U.S. citizen accused of being here illegally and detained even after his mother produced his birth certificate.

There has been no evidence of an uptick in denaturalizations so far in this Trump administration. Yet that hasn’t assuaged some Sesay said he doesn’t travel domestically anymore without his passport, despite having a REAL ID with its federally mandated, stringent identity requirements Immigration enforcement roundups, often conducted by masked, unidentifiable federal agents in places including Chicago and New York City, have at times included American citizens in their dragnets. One U.S. citizen who says he was detained by immigration agents twice has filed a federal lawsuit.

Adding to the worries, the Justice Department issued a memo this summer saying it would ramp up efforts to denaturalize immigrants who’ve committed crimes or are deemed to present a national security risk. At one point during the summer, Trump threatened the citizenship of Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist mayor-elect of New York City, who naturalized as a young adult. The atmosphere makes some worried to speak about it publicly, for fear of drawing negative attention to themselves. Requests for comment through several community organizations and other connections found no takers willing to go on the record other than Sesay

In New Mexico, state Sen. Cindy Nava says she’s familiar with the fear having grown up undocumented before getting DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obamaera program that protected people brought to the U.S. as

children from being deported — and gaining citizenship through her marriage. But she hadn’t expected to see so much fear among naturalized citizens.

“I had never seen those folks be afraid now the folks that I know that were not afraid before, now they are uncertain of what their status holds in terms of a safety net for them,” Nava said.

What citizenship has meant, and who was included, has expanded and contracted over the course of American history, said Stephen Kantrowitz, professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He said while the word “citizen” is in the original Constitution, it is not defined

“When the Constitution is written, nobody knows what citizenship means,” he said “It’s a term of art, it comes out of the French revolutionary tradition It sort of suggests an equality of the members of a political community, and it has some implications for the right to be a member of that political community But it is so

undefined.”

The first naturalization law passed in 1790 by the new country’s Congress said citizenship was for any “free White person” of good character Those of African descent or nativity were

added as a specific category to federal immigration law after the ravages of the Civil War in the 19th century, which was also when the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution to establish birthright citizenship.

PARISHWIDE HOME RULE

PROPOSITION NO.1

Amendthe charter to extend the deadlines for the City Planning Commission and City Council to act on the Master Plan.

PROPOSITION NO.2

Amendthe charter to provide forthe independence of the City Attorney,require consultation with allbranches of government, mandate independence in the face of conflicting directives, impose aduty to comply with and uphold laws whenever possible, prohibit conflicting representation in inter-branch disputes and prevent the unilateral removalof the City Attorney by the Mayorin certainsituations. YES. 69% NO 31% SPRING LAKE SUBDIVISION IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Renew afee of$200 on taxable property for eight yearsfrom2027 through 2034 generating $40,800 per year forbeautification, security andoverall betterment of the district.

BROADMOOR NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT

DISTRICT

Levy an annual fee of up to $200 —tobeset by board resolution and currently set at $175 —generating approximately $306,250 per year for up to fiveyears from 2026 through 2030 to promote quality of life initiatives and beautification. YES 72% NO 28%

LAKEWOOD CRIME PREVENTION ANDIMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Levy an annual fee of up to $600 for eight years from 2026 through 2033 generating $251,400 per year for crime prevention by providing security for district residents, beautification andother activities and improvements for the overall betterment of the district. The fee would replace the current $450 parcel fee authorized through 2026. YES 97% NO 3%

TALL TIMBERS CRIME PREVENTION ANDIMPROVEMENT DISTRICT Levy afee of up to $230 per parcel for the first twoyears, $250 per parcel for the third and anysubsequent year for fiveyears from 2026 through 2030 generating between $129,720 and $141,000 per year for crime prevention beautificationand other activities and improvements for the betterment of the district. YES ........................................ 63% NO 37%

UPPER AUDUBON SECURITY

DISTRICT Levy an annual feeoneach parcel within theUpper Audubon Security Districtofupto $1,200 per year forseven years beginning Jan. 1, 2026 and ending Dec. 31, 2032and generating $232,000 per year for additional security fordistrict residents. This would replace theexisting $700 parcel fee authorized through 2026. YES 80% NO 20%

FRENCH QUARTERECONOMICDEVELOPMENT

DISTRICT Renewal of the0.245% sales tax for fiveyears beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2031 generating $3,158,794 millionper year to fund supplemental police patrols and public safety programs, including homeless assistance services. YES 87% NO 13%

ST.BERNARD PARISH 31 of 31 precincts SCHOOL BOARDMILLAGE RENEWAL

Renewal of 5.5 mill tax in School District No. 1for an estimated $2,837,600 per year for 10 years from 2027 to 2036, for schools

EDUCATION

States pushing for scrutiny of antisemitism in schools

BY CAROLYN THOMPSON and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas two years

ago, high school teacher Josh Hirsch posted comments on social media in support of Israel. It was unrealistic for Hamas to expect a ceasefire, he wrote, as long as they were holding hostages

Soon afterward, a former student called for his firing. A note taped outside the door of his Adams County, Colorado, classroom contained his wife’s name and their home address And a sticker that appeared on his chair read: “Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.”

The reaction startled Hirsch, the only Jewish teacher in his school building. For the first time in his 14year career he considered quitting He stayed and joined an educators’ advocacy network created by the Anti-Defamation League, a way he saw to make schools more inclusive of diverse viewpoints.

“I’ve been a teacher and tried to keep my focus on being the best teacher I could,” he said.

Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have spilled into schools around the U.S., with advocates reporting a rise in antisemitic harassment since the 2023 surprise attack on Israel. While some argue school leaders have failed to take the threat seriously, others warn criticism of Israel and the military campaign in Gaza are interpreted too often as hate speech.

The Trump administration has not punished school systems the way it has hit colleges accused of tolerating antisemitism, but schools are still facing pressure to respond more aggressively Several states have pressed for new vigilance including legislation that critics say would stifle free speech

Lawmakers in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee have passed measures to increase school accountability for complaints of antisemitism, and a law signed by California Gov Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, will provide training to identify and prevent antisemitism in schools. In Arizona, the Democratic governor vetoed a bill on how to deal with reports of antisemitism in schools, calling it an attack on educators

Many of the measures, including one signed by Oklahoma’s Republican governor call for adoption of a definition of antisemitism that casts certain criticism of Israel as hate speech.

“These bills make it clear that Oklahoma stands with our Jewish communities and will not tolerate hatred disguised as political discourse,” said Kristen Thompson, a Republican state senator in Oklahoma who authored the legislation.

Dozens of states have adopted the definition promoted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which is also recognized by the U.S. State Department. It lists 11 examples of antisemitic conduct, such as applying “double standards” to Israel or comparing the country’s policies to Nazism.

While supporters of this defini-

tion of antisemitism say it is necessary to combat evolving forms of Jewish hate, civil liberties groups warn it suppresses pro-Palestinian speech.

The Trump administration has leveraged antisemitism investigations in its efforts to reshape higher education, suspending billions of dollars in federal funding to Harvard, Columbia and other universities over allegations they tolerated hate speech, especially during protests over the Israel-Hamas war

The White House has not gotten as involved at the K-12 level. At congressional hearings, House Republicans have taken some large school systems to task over their handling of antisemitism, but the administration largely has left it to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights to address complaints.

In one of the cases under investigation, a complaint described students at the Berkeley Unified School District in California asking Jewish classmates what “their number is,” referring to numbers tattooed on Jews during the Holocaust. It also said teachers made antisemitic comments and led walkouts that praised Hamas.

The district did not respond to a request for comment In another California case, the

family of a 14-year-old girl filed a federal lawsuit last year alleging she had to leave University Preparatory Academy, a charter school in San Jose, in 2023 because of antisemitic bullying. After the Hamas attack, she said students called her names, including “terrorist.” The California Department of Education and the school said they could not comment on pending litigation.

Nationwide, the ADL recorded 860 antisemitic incidents in nonJewish schools last year, ranging from name-calling and swastikas etched on lockers to antisemitic materials being taught in classrooms. The number was down from over 1,100 recorded in 2023, but well above numbers in prior years, according to the ADL.

A Massachusetts state commission formed last year to combat antisemitism found it was a “pervasive and escalating problem” in schools.

At one meeting, a commission co-chair, Democratic state Rep. Simon Cataldo, said the Massachusetts Teachers Association was sharing antisemitic resources with teachers, including a kindergarten workbook that describes Zionists as “bullies” and an image of a Star of David made of dollar bills. The union said those were singled out among hundreds of images in art and posters about Palestinians, and links to those materials were removed.

The union said it has engaged in efforts to confront increases in both antisemitism and Islamophobia and accused the commission of offensive political theater.”

“Those who manipulate antisemitism to achieve political objectives — such as undermining labor unions and public educators are following the lead of the Trump administration,” the union said in a statement.

Margaret Litvin, an associate professor of Arabic and comparative literature at Boston University, said the commission was “deliberately conflating criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jews and bias against Jews.” That approach

will be used to justify “heavy-handed” interference by the state in school district affairs, said Litvin, co-founder of the Boston-area Concerned Jewish Faculty and Staff group.

The tension reached the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union, which this summer weighed a proposal to drop ADL classroom materials that educators use to teach about the Holocaust and bias. Backers said the ADL had an outsize influence on school curricula and policy, with an underlying pro-Israel viewpoint. Delegates at the union’s representative assembly narrowly voted to approve the proposal, but they were overruled by the NEA board of directors. Union President Becky Pringle said the proposal “would not further NEA’s commitment to academic freedom, our membership, or our goals.”

In the aftermath, the ADL invited K-12 educators to join a new network called BEACON: Building Educator Allies for Change, Openness, and Networks, which it said is intended to help educators learn from each other how to address and combat antisemitism and other forms of hate.

Hirsch, the teacher in Colorado, was among hundreds who expressed interest.

Some of the blowback he faced stemmed from his online commentary about local activist organizations. After donating money to Black Lives Matter groups and supporting them with a sign in his yard, he expressed feelings of betrayal to see the groups expressing support for Palestinians and not Israel. He said he was surprised by the reaction to the posts in his predominantly Hispanic school community A former debate coach, he aims through his work with the ADL network to help students share their opinions in constructive ways.

“If we’re giving them the opportunity to hate and we’re giving them the opportunity to make enemies of someone, it really is counterproductive to what we’re trying to do as a society,” he said.

LOUISIANAPOLITICS

WASHINGTON —Few could credibly dispute that House Speaker Mike Johnson came out of the 43-day federal government shutdown last week as one of the strongest Republican House leaders in years.

Ballard

Johnson’sstrategy: Democrats would capitulate if Republicans refused to negotiate on their key point —extending tax creditsthat help more than 20 million Americans, 293,000 of whom live in Louisiana pay forhealth insurance— until the government reopened. It worked “Republicans stoodtogether andfaced down the Democrats. The whole thing was foolish and utterly pointless,” Johnson said Friday on Fox Business’“Mornings with Maria.” “This is not your father’sDemocrat Party

They’re Marxists now.”

Whether Republicans or Democrats “won” the shutdown is the subject of great debate.

Poll after poll blamed both parties, with slightly more viewing Republicans as more at fault for the shutdown. Even President DonaldTrump said the Democratic showings in the Nov. 4 elections were an expression of frustration.

Democrats came out of the shutdown even more suspicious of the Republican majority’s“my way or the highway” approach, as described by House Minority LeaderHakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y

The shutdown was precipitated by Democratic insistencethat Republicans negotiate, where they haven’tbefore, on health care and other issues. Democrats withheld their votes in the Senate for the House-passed resolution authorizing the government to continue fundinggovernment services after Oct. 1.

With Republican majorities holding all three branches of

Louisiana names

newMedicaid director

Gold

Louisiana has hired SethGold acongressional staffer with extensive experience in federal health policy,torun its Medicaid program, the state Department of Health announced Friday Medicaid provides health insurance to people with low incomes. Roughly athird of Louisiana residents are on the program, one of the highest percentages of any state. Roughly $16 billion in state and federalmoney flows through the program in Louisiana per year

Gold was astaff memberfor the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where he worked on Medicaid, the Children’sHealth Insurance Program and the340B Drug Pricing Program. Before that, he was ahealth policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH.

Gold has abachelor’s degree and master’sdegree in public health

government and the refusal of GOP leadership to meaningfully negotiate, Democrats felt their only leverage was to withhold their votesuntil both sides sat down at the table to talkabout extending the pandemic-eratax creditsfor expensive health care policies bought by working Americans and small businesses.

Six SenateDemocrats capitulated, and the resolution to reopen government passed Wednesday night. Republican leaders say they’re open toreworking the ACA creditsnow that government reopened. But the subsidies, which cover the gap between policy

from GeorgeWashington University “Sethbrings extensive federal experiencethatwill guide our Medicaid program to improve care and provide quality services,”said Health Secretary BruceD.Greenstein.“His leadership will help us advancedata-driven, patient-centeredpolicies that will make Louisiana a healthier, stronger state.” Medicaid is an especially important issue at the moment because of significant changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the sweeping legislation that enacted much of President DonaldTrump’sdomestic agenda. The bill set newstricter work requirements, limits on provider taxes, and made other policy shifts that could have significant impact on Louisiana Medicaid.

Kennedy pushes VA forbetter phone service

prices and what beneficiaries can afford, expire Dec. 31.

“Thesecreditshave been a lifeline for countlessLouisiana families, helping them afford coverage in atime when the cost of living continues to climb. Withoutthis extension, families will see their premiums skyrocket,” saidU.S. Rep.Troy Carter, theNew Orleans Democrat who opposed the legislation ending theshutdown.

While Johnson gloatsthat Democrats folded, his path forward is littered with land mines —not the least of which is how to handle theAffordable Care Act.

House rank and file from both

mated hold time and, if that time exceeds 10 minutes, offer the option to receive acallback instead of remaining on hold.

Capitol Buzz STAFF REPORTS

Sen. John Kennedy and other members of Congressare pushingthe DepartmentofVeterans to upgrade its phone service, informing callers of their esti-

Kennedy,R-Madisonville, and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., have introduced theStuck on Hold Act to mandatethe change. Asimilar bill has been sponsored in theHouse of Representatives.

“The American people expect the VA to provide our nation’sheroes with thevery best care this country has to offer —but shockingly often, it’sdifficult for veterans to even get an operator on the line when they need help,” Kennedy said in anews release.

Kennedy pointed out that the Internal Revenue Service recently implemented anew call system that saved callers 3.6 million hours of hold time in the2022 fiscal year

“Our men andwomen in uniform cannot afford to be stuck with the same long wait times when there are commonsense reformsthat worked for other agencies at Congress’sdisposal, he said.

parties willlikely force avote this week to require the Trump administration to release the files of the late financier and convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein in hopes of determining whether high-ranking officials wereinvolved in his crimes. If successful, theresolution moves to the Senate, andifpassed there, to the president, whohas dodged the requests. Johnson contends the GOPdominated House Oversight committee is already releasing the files after they have been vetted. Beyond health care and Epstein, Congress faces sticky political issues that could test Johnson and

Workforce agency appoints newleaders

Louisiana Works, the state’s workforce development agency, on Wednesdayannounced the appointment of two newleaders.

Osmar Padilla will serve as deputysecretary, the No. 2position to SecretarySusana Schowen. He was previously assistant secretary for workforcedevelopment sinceMarch 2024 and “has been instrumentalinadvancing theOne Door initiative,” according to aWednesdaynews release.

OneDoor is anew planstate lawmakers approved this year to streamline Louisiana’ssocial safety net programs, making them accessible allinone place.

“We’re modernizing the services, systems, andprocesses that connect people to opportunity, building afoundation for lasting stabilityand growth,” Padilla, who in the past led workforce initiatives at Greater New Orleans, Inc., saidina statement. “Our focus is on creating aLouisiana where every personcan contribute, everybusiness can thrive, and every community can share in thestate’ssuccess.”

his number two, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. Somelawmakers, including Carter,are looking to decouple renewal of flood insurance policies from the appropriations schedule. The National Flood Insurance Program, during the shutdown, wasunable to sell flood insurance on which morethan 400,000 Louisiana homeand business owners rely Anew study by HomeAbroad Inc., amortgage investment firm in Buffalo, New York, calculated that the pause in flood insurance possibly delayed 126,000 home closings nationwide —about 328 in St. TammanyParish, and 257 in East Baton Rouge Parish. Also awaiting action is legislation to revampFEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Scalise said the real negotiation is going to be the individual appropriations bills that fund the government.

As part of the deal to end the government shutdown, Congress agreed to fund afew of the programs—military construction and food stamps, to nametwo forthe rest of the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, 2026. But the bulk of the bills that authorize spending forfederal programsneed to find agreement before Jan. 30, 2026, or the government will again shut down. Relationships remain tense as Congress tacklesgovernment funding.

“Next week, House Republicans will hit the ground running, passing legislation that builds on our work to lower energy prices, secure American communities, defend American values, and denounce the hollow promises of socialism,and we will be adding Friday votes to help us start making up forthe timethe government wasshut down,” Scalise said.

Email Mark Ballardat mballard@theadvocate.com.

Former Deputy SecretaryAly RauBrodsky took ajob as executive vicepresident andchief strategy officer at Foundation for Research on EqualOpportunity,a Washingtonbasedthink tank thatconsiders the impact of public policy“on those with incomes or wealth below the U.S. median,” according to the organization’swebsite.

Jessica Vallelungo was named assistant secretary for workforce development. She previously held roles at the Louisiana Department of Education, and before that, in Louisiana public schools in the city of Baker and St. Bernard Parish. The workforce agency was renamed from Louisiana Workforce Commission to Louisiana Works as part of the streamlining plan that took effect this year

Mark

Padilla

Vallelungo

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByROD LAMKEy

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, center,walks to the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

THE GULF COAST

Chef taps ‘old-school’ farmers and gets Michelin nod

Mobile’s Noble South blends tradition and experimentation

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Chris Rainosek stood outside of his restaurant in Mobile, Alabama, his black apron dusted with faint white smudges once the lunch crowd had dispersed on a cool Monday afternoon.

The Noble South had been a bit busier than usual since earning a Bib Gourmand recognition from Michelin last week, with some people even taking the Amtrak train from New Orleans to Mobile to visit the restaurant. Though truthfully, it was rarely slow before the big award was handed down.

The powder-blue restaurant, quietly tucked into a row of brick buildings on Dauphin Street in the Gulf Coast city’s downtown, opened in 2014 with a farm-to-table concept that was, and still is, rare in Alabama and across much of the South — a region better known for its butter-laden, deepfried fare than its local produce.

Outside of New Orleans, The Noble South was one of four restaurants along the Gulf Coast recognized by Michelin — the world’s most influential arbiter of fine dining — in its first regional guide for the American South, a recognition Rainosek described as “mindblowing” for him.

The other three restaurants Vestige and White Pillars, both farm-to-table concepts, and Siren Social Club — were on Michelin’s recommended list and are all on the Mississippi Coast.

The accolades reflect how the Gulf Coast’s culinary landscape has evolved, diversified and expanded in recent decades, making a name for itself while fueling movements like farm-to-table dining. That movement, a now-familiar approach that uses ingredients sourced directly from local farms, took shape in the 1970s and, in

recent years, has flourished nationwide, forming new pipelines between chefs and farmers. But Rainosek, a longtime chef in Baldwin County, noticed early on how few restaurants in Mobile

were practicing the farm-to-table approach. As he planned The Noble South, he began building relationships with both “old-school farmers” and a new generation growing “a little bit funkier veg-

etables, a little more hard-to-find things.”

His sources are scattered throughout the South, from Gulf seafood to proteins from Texas and the Carolinas, and produce from as far as New Orleans. The Noble South’s seasonal menu mirrors that blend of tradition and experimentation, with

Southern staples reimagined through modern technique and homegrown produce.

Its fresh ingredients and innovative flavors, at a reasonable price, make it worth the 2-hour drive from New Orleans, a culinary powerhouse still short on true farm-to-table concepts.

The four deviled eggs served as an appetizer — or what the menu calls a “snack” — recall the kind brought to nearly every family function in the South, its yolk filling piped into neat swirls and dusted with paprika But these sit on a bed of spinach leaves, its filling crowned with bacon bits and bright orange roe.

On the chicken pesto sandwich, the toasted wheat bread — slathered in mayonnaise and fresh pesto — barely contains a moist cut of chicken encased in a crispy, golden skin and topped with a Creole tomato.

The short rib sandwich layers melted Swiss cheese, greens, truffle aioli and mushroom duxelle with clear precision. Even the sides sway between the familiar and the contemporary: cucumber salad blended with roasted peppers over tzatziki, and the crispy Brussels sprouts tossed with sunflower seeds.

The decor, defined by a mix of quaint and industrial touches, complements the simplicity of the food.

Every dish arrives on a delicate glass plate patterned with soft florals — the kind you might find in a grandmother’s china cabinet or tucked away in an antique store. Whitewashed exposed brick walls are adorned with sliding barn doors and plant holders carrying blooming orchids. Daylight streams through the picture windows. By early afternoon, the restaurant had emptied, the staff pausing for three hours of stillness before reopening for the dinner rush. Rainosek closed the doors, a small Michelin Guide hanging near the entrance Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN MCNULTy Noble South restaurant on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile has a farm-to-table approach.

Deviled eggs are served as an appetizer at The Noble South, a farm-to-

STAFF PHOTO By POET WOLFE The chicken pesto sandwich paired with a side of Brussels sprouts.

Trump, like Biden, findsnoquick fixoninflation

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump’sproblems with fixing the high costof living might be givingvoters afeeling of déjà vu.

Just like the president who came before him, Trump is trying to sell the country on hisplans to create factory jobs. The Republicanwants to lower prescription drug costs, as did Democratic President JoeBiden. Both tried to shame companies for price increases.

Trump is even leaningona message that echoes Biden’s claimsin2021thatelevated inflation is simply a“transitory” problem that will soon vanish.

“We’re going to be hitting 1.5% pretty soon,” Trump told reporters Monday.”It’s all coming down.”

Even as Trump keeps saying an economic boom is around the corner,there are signs that he has already exhausted voters’ patience as his campaign promises to fix inflation instantly have gone unfulfilled.

Voters in this month’selections swung hardtoDemocratsover concerns about affordability.That has left Trump, who dismisses his weak polling on the economy as fake, floating half-formed ideas to ease financial pressures.

He is promising a$2,000 rebate on histariffs and said he may stretch the 30year mortgage to 50 years to reduce the size of monthly payments. On Friday,Trump scrapped his tariffs on beef, coffee, tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and certain fertilizers, saying they “may,in some cases” have contributed to higher prices.

But those are largely “gimmicky”moves unlikelyto move the needle much on inflation, said Bharat Ramamurti, aformer deputy directorofBiden’sNational Economic Council

“They’reinthisverytough position where they’ve developed areputation for not caring enough about costs, where the toolstheyhave available to them are unlikely to be able to help people in the short term,” Ramamurti said.

Ramamurti said the Biden administration learned the hard way that voters are not appeased by apresident saying hispolicies would ultimately cause their incomes to rise

“That argument does not resonate,” he said. “Take it from me.”

Bideninheritedaneconomy trying to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, which had shut down schools andoffices, causingmass layoffs and historic levels of government borrowing. In March 2021, he signed into lawa $1.9trillionrelief package. Criticssaidthat was excessive and could cause prices to rise

As the economy reopened, there were shortages of computer chips, kitchen appliances, autos and even furniture. Cargo shipswere stuck waitingtodockat ports, creating supply chain issues. Russia’sinvasion of Ukraineinearly 2022 pushedupenergy and food costs, and the increase in consumer priceshit afourdecade high thatJune.The FederalReserve raisedits benchmark interest rates to cool inflation Biden tried to convince Americansthatthe economy was strong. “Bidenomics is working,”Biden said in a2023 speech.“Today,the U.S.has had thehighesteconomicgrowth rate, leading the world economies since thepandemic.”

His arguments did littleto sway voters as only 36% of U.S. adults in August2023 approved of his handlingof theeconomy,according to a poll at thetime by TheAssociated Press-NORCCenter for Public Affairs Research. Republicans made thecase thatBiden’spolicies made inflation worse. Democrats are usingthatsame framing againstTrump today. Here istheir argument:

Trump’stariffs aregetting passedalongtoconsumers in the form of higherprices; his cancellation of clean energy projects means therewill be fewer new sources of electricity as utility bills climb; his massdeportations made it costlier for theimmigrantheavyconstruction sectorto build houses.

Biden administration officialsnote that Trump came into office with strong growth, asolid jobmarket and inflation declining close to historic levels, only for him to reverse those trends

“It’sstriking how many Americansare aware of his tradepolicy and rightly blame theturnaroundin prices on that erraticpolicy,” said GeneSperling, aseniorBidenadviser whoalso ledthe National Economic Council in theObama and Clinton administrations

“He is in atough trap of his own doing —and it’s not likely to geteasier,”Sperling said.

Consumer prices had been increasing at an annual rate of 2.3% in Aprilwhen Trump launchedhis tariffs, and that rate accelerated to 3% in September

The inflationary surge has been less than what voters enduredunderBiden, but the political fallout so far appears to be similar: 67% of U.S. adultsdisapprove of Trump’sperformance, according to November polling data from AP-NORC

“In both instances, the president caused anon-trivial share of the inflation,” said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, acenter-right thinktank. “I think Presi-

dent Biden didn’ttake this concern seriously enough in his first few monthsinoffice and President Trumpisn’t taking this concern seriously enough right now.”

Strainnoted that the two presidentshave even responded to the dilemma in “weirdly,eerily similar ways”byplaying down inflationasa problem,pointing to other economic indicators and lookingtoaddress concerns by issuing governmentchecks.

Trump officials have made thecasethattheir mixof income taxcuts, foreign investment frameworkstied to tariffs and changes in enforcing regulations will lead to more factories and jobs. All of that, they say,could increase the supply of goods and services and reduce the forces driving inflation.

“The policiesthat we’re

pursuing right now are increasing supply,” Kevin Hassett, director of Trump’s National Economic Council, told the Economic Club of Washington on Wednesday

The Fed has cut its benchmarkinterest rates, which could increase the supply of moneyinthe economyfor investment. Butthe central bank has done so because of aweakening job market despite inflation being above its2%target, and there are concerns that rate cuts of the size Trump wants could fuel moreinflation.

It takes time for consumer sentiment to improve after the inflation rate drops, according to research done by Ryan Cummings, an economist whoworked on Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers. His read of the University of Michigan’sindexof

consumersentiment is that the effects of the postpandemic rise in inflation are no longera driving factor

These days, voters are frustrated because Trump had primed them to believe he could lower grocery prices and other expenses, but has failed to deliver “Whenitcomes to structural affordability issues —housing, child care, education,and health care— Trump haspushedinthe wrong direction in each one,” said Cummings, who is now chief of staff at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. He said Trump’sbest chance of beating inflation now might be “if he gets a very lucky break on commodity prices”through a bumperharvest worldwide andoil production continuing to run ahead of demand.

sthe holidayseasonapproaches, one of NewOrleans’oldestand most cherishedcharitabletraditionsis callingonthe community forsupport

TheTimes-PicayuneDolland ToyFund, nowinits 130thyear, will once againbring joytothousands of localchildren during itsannualgiveawayon Saturday,Dec.13atthe Xavier University ConvocationCenter, 7900 Stroelitz Street. Doorsopenat7 a.m. andfamilies must be in line by 11 a.m. Children ages 12 andunder must be presentand accompaniedbya parent or guardian No registration is required Foundedin1896, theDolland ToyFundbegan as asmall effortby newspaperstaff to ensure that children from strugglingfamilies wouldn’t face Christmas morningwithout agift.Whatstarted as amodestcharity hasgrown into aNew Orleansinstitution,now distributing more than 12,000 newtoys andeducational giftseachyeartoroughly 10,000 children acrossOrleans, Jefferson, St.Bernard,St. Charles, St.Tammany andTangipahoaparishes.

Theevent is knownnot just forits generosity,but forits spirit.Families line up before dawn,volunteersgreet each childwithsmiles, andthe halls fill with laughter andmusic. Everychild leaves with atoy,a book,and asmall treatto take home remindersthatkindnessstill shines bright even in difficult times.

“TheToy Fund has survived wars,depressions,recessions,and hurricanes,” said organizers. “But what hasnever changedisits purpose—tobring joy, dignity,and hope to children andfamilies when they need it most.”

Theneed in 2025 is greaterthanever. Rising living costs, housinginstability, andongoing recovery from naturaldisasters have left more families strugglingtoaffordbasic necessities, let aloneholiday gifts. TheDolland ToyFundoperatesentirelythrough donationsand volunteer support, relyingonreaders, localsponsors, community partners andsmall businesses.

Allproceedsgodirectlytowardpurchasingtoys, books, andsupplies The Fund accepts monetary donationsonly, allowingorganizerstobuy toys in bulk at discounted prices andstretch everydollarfurther Thenonprofitismanaged by avolunteer-based boardofdirectors,meaning everycontributiondirectly benefits localchildren.

Formanyvolunteers, thegiveawayismorethanan annual event—it’sa family tradition. Some have served fordecades, watchingchildren whooncereceivedtoys return yearslater as volunteers themselves. Parents often express deep gratitude,sayingthe eventprovides not just presents,but peace of mind.

As theFundcelebratesamilestone year,organizersare urging thepublic to help sustainits missionbydonating earlyand spreadingthe word

To donate or learnmoreabout volunteeropportunities,visit

www.tpdollandtoyfund.org or scan the QR code Everydollarhelps bringa smile to achild’s face this Christmas.

the cousinsand connects them to Pope Leo and to New Orleans, according to records collected by Honora and Carrera’sfamily historian, Martinez.

Pope Leo’sgrandfather was Joseph Martinez, who was born in the 7th Ward Alverez’sgreat-grandfather

Michel Martinezwas Joseph’sbrother. Carrera’s great-great-grandmother Adele Martinez was their sister More than acentury ago, Joseph,Adele and another brother left their 7th Ward home and moved to Chicago. The siblings werefairskinned enough to pass for White when they got there.

Michel Martinez stayed in New Orleans, and his branch of the family continuedto live as Black.

It’sunclear if theyever communicated after most of the family left the South. Under the state-sanctioned segregationofJim Crow, people who decided to pass forWhite —known by the French phrase“passéblanc” —were oftenforced to cut tieswith family and friends so their roots were not discovered. Those who could pass successfully often found better treatment and more freedom.

Michel Martinezdied before his30thbirthday,and eventually the family splintered and lost touch.

If Cardinal Prevost was not chosen as pope, it’spossible that the two branches of the family would never have found one another Buthewas. And at Antoine’s, it seemed that alasting bond was being formed.

Catching up

The cousins were consumed in conversation for the three hours they spent at Antoine’s. They shared photos. They talked about resemblances. They told stories of the ancestors they shared.

Waitstaff hadtoreturn three times before thewomen had achancetolook at the menu and order thethree kinds of oysters they selected as appetizers. By chance, theyall ordered the popular Pompano Pontchartrain similar tastes were one of the many things they attributed to thefamily connection. Seated next to Alverez, Beaulieupulled outa small plastic sleeve packed with photosofAdele Martinezand other relatives from generations ago. Beaulieutold the story of how her grandmother Camille Rouzan forgot English at the endof herlife and only spoke French.

Carrera said that she studied French in high school to connect with herfamily’s French ancestry,and that her Grammy Marion Mistretta hadpasseddowna gumbo recipe.Mistretta, she said, would make pralines during theholidays, keeping their Creole New Orleans roots alive even as Chicago becamehome. Alverezbrought along programsfrom her husband’s recent funeral. It included apoem, and Basak read it aloud forthe group. She sharedphotosofher,her husband, herson andher father Shetoldthe Chicagocousins about her extended fam-

ily in Texas, who are alsorelated to them and the pope they hope to meet them too, eventually.Alverezshared thestoryofhow her husband built herapink house in NewOrleans East as a wedding gift and how Hurricane Katrina dumped 4feet of floodwaterinside it.But they rebuilt By theend of the meal, Antoine’swas nearly empty. Dinner quickly ballooned into moreplans. The group gathered again on Saturday for an event honoring Henriette DeLille, founder of the Sisters of theHoly Fam-

ily and another more distant relative of Carrera’sonthe other side of the family

On Sunday, the women will donanything blue they packed to attend aservice at Alverez’sBaptist church. If time permits, maybe they will squeeze in abrief brunch or dinner,too.

“They were all so nice,” Alverez said, adding that her sonHarlonMartinez, asecond cousin twice removed to the pope, wasplanning to stayintouch. “He kept saying, ‘I want to spend time with my cousins.’”

The Chicagocousins have

already invited Alverez to attend arevived family reunion next year During dinner,Beaulieu mentioned the possibility of atrip to Rome. They must go together to visit their other cousin at the Vatican.

“Tocousins,”Beaulieu toasted over decaf coffee and plates filledwitha mountain of baked Alaska.

“Tocousins,” they echoed back.

Email Desiree Stennett at desiree.stennett@ theadvocate.com.

Nomination deadline extendedfor NewOrleans TopWorkplaces

There’sstill timetoearn recognition as a TopWorkplaceinGreater NewOrleans.

Forthe12thyear,TheTimes-PicayuneandNOLA.comwillhonor outstandingworkplacecultureintheregion.Anyorganizationwith 35ormoreemployeesintheregioniseligibletocompeteforaTop Workplacesaward.Standoutcompanieswillbehonoredinsummer2026.

ThenominationdeadlinehasbeenextendedtoDec.19.Anyonecan nominateanoutstandingcompany.Nominatedemployerscanbepublic, private,non-profit,aschool,orevenagovernmentagency.Tonominate anemployerorformoreinformationontheawards,justgoto nola.com/ topworkplaces orcall(504)708-5384.

Thereisnocosttoparticipate.ToqualifyasaNewOrleansTop Workplace,employeesevaluatetheirworkplaceusingashort26-question surveythattakesjustafewminutestocomplete.Companieswillbe surveyedthroughJanuary

Energage,thePennsylvania-basedresearchpartnerfortheproject, conductsTopWorkplacessurveysformediain65marketsnationwideand surveyedmorethan2millionemployeesatmorethan8,000organizations inthepastyear.

Forthe2025awards,74GreaterNewOrleansemployersearned recognitionasTopWorkplaces.

Kat Beaulieu, of Chicago, goes through family photos at Antoine’sRestaurant in New Orleans on Wednesday.

CindyOliver,ofChicago, zooms in on aphoto of Pope Leo XIV’smother,Mildred Agnes, in afamily reunionphoto on Wednesday.

STAFF PHOTOSBySOPHIA GERMER

Cousins Ann Carrera, Kat Beaulieu, Ellen Dionne Alverez, Camille Basak and CindyOliver have dinner together at Antoine’sRestaurant and discuss howtheyare related to Pope Leo XIV in NewOrleans on Wednesday.

Pope celebrates cinema with Hollywoodluminaries

BY NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

VATICAN CITY Pope Leo XIV

welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to aspecial Vatican audience Saturday celebrating cinema and its ability to inspireand unite

Leo encouraged the filmmakers and celebrities gathered in afrescoed Vatican audience hall to usetheirart to include marginal voices, calling film “a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all.”

“When cinema is authentic, it does not merelyconsole, but challenges,” he told the stars. “It articulates the questions that dwell within

The70-year-old,Chicago-

born Leo just this week identified hisfourfavorite films: “It’sa Wonderful Life,” “The Sound of Music,” “Ordinary People,” and “Life Is Beautiful.”

In asign of how seemingly star-struckhewas,Leo spent nearly an hour after the audience greeting and chatting amiably with each of the participants, something he rarely does for large audiences.

found Leo’swords inspiring, and expressed aweasthey walked through the halls of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, where alight luncheon reception awaited them after the audience.

“It was asurprise to me that Ievengot invited,” SpikeLee told reporters along the red carpet gauntlet in the palace.

subjects in ways that aren’t divisive.

us, and sometimes,evenprovokestears that we didn’t knowweneededtoshed.”

Theencounter,organized by the Vatican’sculture ministry,followed similar audiences PopeFrancishad in recent years with famous artists and comedians. It’s

partofthe Vatican’s efforts to reach outbeyondthe Catholic Church to engage with the secular world.

Butthe gatheringalso seemed to have particular meaning for history’sfirst American pope, whogrewup in the heyday of Hollywood.

Drawing applause from the celebrities,Leo acknowledged that the film industry and cinemas around the world were experiencinga decline, with theatersthat hadoncebeen important social and cultural meeting pointsdisappearing from neighborhoods.

“I urge institutions notto give up, but to cooperate in affirming the social and cultural value”ofmovie theaters, he said.

Many celebrities saidthey

During the audience, Lee had presented Leo with ajersey from his beloved Knicks basketball team, featuring the number 14 and Leo’s name on theback.Leo is a known Chicago Bulls fan, but Lee said he told the pope that theKnicks nowboastthree players from the pope’salma mater,Villanova University

Blanchett, for her part, said the pope’scomments were inspiring because he understood the crucial role cinema can playintranscending borders and exploring sometimesdifficult

“Filmmaking is about entertainment, but it’sabout including voices that are often marginalized andnot shy away fromthe pain and complexitythatwe’reall living through right now,” she said. She said Leo, in his comments aboutthe experience of watching afilm in adark theater,clearly understood the culturally important role cinemas can play “Sitting in the dark with strangers is away in which we can reconnect to what unites us rather than what divides us,” she said. The gathering drew adiverse group of filmmakers and actors, including many from Italy,like Monica Bellucci and Alba Rohrwacher American actorsincluded Chris O’Donnell, Judd Apatowand Leslie Mann,his wife

PHOTO PROVIDED By VATICANMEDIA

Pope Leo XIV meets withSpikeLee on Saturday during an audience with starsand

N.O. breaks ground on stormwater park

After years of delays, green space will return

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

A storied playground that once stood at the heart of the St. Bernard neighborhood will soon be restored as a $35 million athletic field and underground stormwater storage system, after years of stalled progress. At McDonogh 35 High School last week, New Orleans officials

Council OKs 73 homes in Folsom

Zoning change approved, despite opponent arguments

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

New developments often meet resistance from a St. Tammany Parish Council wary of upsetting residents concerned about traffic, flooding and a change in neighborhood character

That may have been what some Folsom residents wearing red “Make Folsom Rural Again” hats were betting on at the council’s Nov 6 meeting as they asked the council to stop a developer’s request to change the zoning on 20 acres between Folsom and Covington in order to build 73 single-family homes in a gated subdivision with a clubhouse and sidewalks.

The suburban development would clash with the surrounding horse and cattle farms, some of the residents argued. It would displace wildlife and also increase the traffic load, they said

“This would be an island amongst rural property,” said Matt Garver, one of dozens of people at the meeting opposed to the development on the west side of La. 25.

But the developer’s proposed zoning change, which was on appeal from a previous denial by the parish’s Planning and Zoning Commission, wasn’t like those the council usually considers.

Thanks to the property’s existing zoning — a mix of multifamily and highway commercial — the developer, Lake Hills Subdivision LLC, already had the ability to build up to 180 apartments and commercial buildings without having to seek the Parish Council’s approval, said Paul Mayronne, a lawyer for the developer

The property has been zoned for apartments since the 1980s, Mayronne said. The proposed suburban subdivision would, if anything, have significantly less of an impact on the surrounding area than apartments, Mayronne argued. Indeed, technically, the developer was asking the council to approve what is called a “downzoning,” said the parish’s Planning and Development Director Ross Liner

That put the council in an unusual situation.

If they approved the downzoning, the developer was almost certain to build 73 homes, upsetting the residents at the meeting. But if they did not, the developer could at any point build the 180 apartments, something Mayronne said the developer was prepared to do.

“I’ll tell you this — they re not going to leave it there for the deers and the rabbits and the butterflies,” council member Rick Smith

broke ground on Willie Hall Playground, a project that aims to reduce chronic flooding in the area and expand the city’s stock of public recreation fields.

“This project speaks to the future of the city of New Orleans in a community that we know in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina took on a lot of water, and that’s why we focus heavily on these spaces to ensure we can mitigate flooding by learning how to live with it,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who was flanked by Chief Administrative Officer Joe Threat and City Council members Eugene Green and Oliver Thomas, among other officials at the site.

Led by the New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability, the three-phase project will first see massive water tanks constructed below the 5-acre site that are ca-

pable of storing up to five million gallons of water officials said. The underground tanks would connect to the city’s drainage system and alleviate pressure from the city’s aging, constrained pumps during heavy storms. On top of that, and adjacent to McDonogh 35 High School, will be a new football field, lighting and bleachers, among other amenities Later phases include rain gardens, a kayak launch, walking trails along Bayou St John and a new multiuse recreational facility

“It’s just taking water out of the drainage system,” said the city’s Urban Water Administrator Meagan Williams.

Once complete, the new athletic fields will be shared between the New Orleans Recreation and Development Commission and McDonogh 35 under a partnership between NORD and the Orleans Parish School Board.

The project is part of the Gentilly Resilience District, a series

Delgado’s strategy

Community college recruiting recent high school grads

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

When Kenroy Mejia was a senior at Bonnabel High School in Metairie last year, the honor-roll student had his choice of universities across the state.

But he settled on Delgado Community College, a two-year institution in New Orleans where he had taken a few dual enrollment courses during high school He decided that he could commute from Metairie for a couple years, saving a lot of money on tuition and expenses, then transfer to a four-year university with college credits and work experience under his belt.

“I’m an accounting major,” he said recently “I kind of did the math.” Delgado administrators hope more

students like Mejia will come to a similar conclusion. Community colleges, which generally admit any eligible students who apply, have long enrolled a population that is older and more racially diverse than the traditional university undergrad. Many community college students take classes part-time while balancing work and family obligations.

But Delgado, which has five campuses in the greater New Orleans region, has ramped up its recruitment of high schoolers, arguing that they can save money by beginning their college careers at Delgado before transferring to a four-year institution. The efforts appear to be paying off: Not only is overall enrollment rebounding after a pandemic slump, but the number of students heading to Delgado right after high school — while still small — has been trending up.

“What we say at Delgado is you can start here and go anywhere,” said Tamika Tyson Duplessis, the college’s associate vice chancellor for student affairs.

“And we’re seeing more and more students take advantage of those options.”

More young students are choosing Delgado.

Traditionally the college’s average student has been around 27 years old, Duplessis said. While the majority of students are still 25 or older, an increasing number of new enrollees are 17 or 18 years old, according to statistics provided by Delgado.

The number of students in the 17-18 age group has grown nearly 40% over the past four years, from 974 students in fall 2021 to 1,333 students this fall. Last school year, about 21% of Delgado’s roughly 20,000 students were under 20 years old.

School leaders say the younger students have brought a new vibrancy to campus: Hallways and labs are bustling, students throw footballs on the quad and parking spots are hard to come by

“We feel the energy,” Duplessis said.

Louisiana’s infrastructure falling behind

Engineering society gives state a ‘C-’

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

Extreme weather chronic underfunding and age are conspiring to keep Louisiana’s infrastructure falling behind “current and future needs” despite recent federal investments and past state efforts at upgrades, according to a national engineering society analysis released Wednesday The American Society of Civil Engineers reached this conclusion and rated all state infrastruc-

ture with a “C-” in its new report card, though roads and drinking water systems were given a “D” and bridges a “D+” grade.

The overall “C-” represents a slight improvement from what the society concluded in its 2017 analysis, but the group said the 2025 grade still means “Louisiana’s built environment is not keeping pace,” as infrastructure continues to age and is affected “by limited resources and increasingly frequent severe weather events.” The national average was a “C.”

The society noted that the state has experienced 36 extreme weather events over the past decade that resulted in $200 billion

in damage statewide. While the society acknowledged that some areas have made strides, a member of the engineering society argued more needed to be done.

“The people of Louisiana require infrastructure networks that are as resilient as the people they serve, to keep families safe and businesses operational,” Katherine Castille, an engineer and the society’s Louisiana president, said in a statement Wednesday

“The improved grade in this report demonstrates the hard work our public and private sectors have done to modernize our built environment but we know Louisiana is capable of far better than

a ‘C-’ when provided additional resources and a dedicated workforce.”

In 2017, the society gave Louisiana a “D+” grade.

Louisiana’s infrastructure troubles have spanned generations of political leaders. The engineering society’s report comes eight years after its last one, covering much of former Gov John Bel Edwards’ administration and nearly the first half of Gov Jeff Landry’s first term.

In a statement, Glenn Ledet, secretary of the state Department of Transportation and Development,

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Delgado Community College student Kenroy Mejia works in class at the college in New Orleans on Thursday Meija decided to save money by going to the two-year institution then transferring to a four-year university with college credits and work experience under his belt.

“There’savibe at Delgado and it’sgrowing.”

Across the state, more students areheading to community colleges straight from high school, according to officials in the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. However,they declined to provide exact numbers or answer questions about the trend.

At least at Delgado, the trend is intentional.

Over the past few years, Delgado has engagedin targeted recruitmentofrecent high school students, Duplessis said. It has expanded dual enrollment, which allows high school students to take college classes, and strengthened relationships with local high schools. Delgado staffers host on-site applicationdays at local high schools, campus “open house” events and FAFSA assistance dayswhere they help prospective students apply for federal financial aid.

“We’re opening the

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told the crowd.

doors, we’re becomingmore accessible,” Duplessis said,“so students are aware of our programs.”

In the 2023-24 school year,more than 41,000 high schoolersacross the statetook classes at public colleges anduniversities, anearly 60% increase in dual enrollment from three years earlier.About 40% of those studentstook classes at two-year community or technicalcolleges, according to the Board of Regents. Delgado also ramped up programs aimed at student retention.Thisyear, it began participating in “One MillionDegrees,” aprogramthat provides extra support and mentoringto students,aswellas“micro-scholarships” that students access by meeting benchmarks like regular attendance, good grades and registering for classes early Steppingstone

On arecentThursday morning,Mejia strolled up the stairs of Delgado’s main building on City Park Avenue to arrive early to his introduc-

Council member DavidCougle said the opposition “knocked it out of the park” with its “display,” butultimately said he thought a gated community wouldbepreferable to apartments.

Council member LarryRolling put it more bluntly “Think aboutthe option you have here: It’sthe lesser of two evils,” Rolling said. Some residents were skeptical that the developerwould ever actually build apartments,sinceit has had the ability to do so since the 1980s. But council member Kathy Seiden said shehad spoken with the developer.“It is not athreat, it is imminent,” she said.

Council member MarthaCazaubon, whose district the development will go in,agreed. “I know for afact that something is going to go there.”

The council unanimously voted to approve the zoning change, overturning the earlier denial by the Planningand ZoningCommission, and giving thedeveloper the green light to go forward with the new homes In astatement, Garver said that neither the single-family homes nor theapartmentswere consistent with the surrounding area and that nearby residents were “disappointed by the council’sdecision.”

Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com

tory marketing class. He carefully setuphis colorcoded binder and readied his pen and notebook for alecture about the rise of Netflix and the fall of Blockbuster

said agency officials understand the need to maintain safe infrastructure thatis “a driver of economic prosperity for our communities.” He said the society’s report card “demonstrates the need to continue to dedicate resources to improving our state’sinfrastructure and therefore our economic prosperity.”

Landry’sadministration has investedmorethan $3.8 billion in Louisiana infrastructure that has translated to more than 500 improvement projects, Ledet added. They’veincluded approximately 2,032 miles of roadway and 58 stateownedand locally owned bridges.

of green flood control projects in Gentilly that have been repeatedly delayedsince thecity received a$141 milliongrant from the U.S. Department of Housing andUrban Developmentin2016.

Thegroundbreakingmarks the return of Willie HallPlayground to the St. Bernard neighborhood. That playground, which was dedicated in the 1960s to serve Black youthinthe area whenNORD hadsegregated parks andfacilities, wasrelocated to PontchartrainPark following major flooding in the St. Bernard area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Still, some people have questionedwhy sucha high-achieving student would chooseacommunity college like Delgado as asteppingstone on his way to afour-year degree.

“Theygo, ‘Why?’” Mejia said. “I just say,‘It’sbetter.’”

An accounting major,he expects to earn his general education creditsatDelgado and take some accounting andbusiness-specific courses. After two years, he plans to transfer to Tulane University or another four-year institution. Alongwiththe affordable tuition—Mejia says he’ll pay nothing out of pocket after his Pell Grant andscholarships —Mejia said he appreciates Delgado’s smaller class sizes and the accessibility of administratorsand professors.

The administration has also started what it calls a“transformation”ofthe highway department to improve efficiency “With these ongoing transformation efforts and with the help of additional funding provided by the Legislature, we are actively implementing and constructing infrastructure improvements thatwill help to addressthe needs of our roads and bridges and the state will continue to see significant progress,” Ledet said.

Continualmaintenance

The society analysis detailedinthe 140-page report looked at awide sweep of publicand privateinfrastructure, from the familiar roads and bridgestoports, airports, dams, levees, drinking wa-

ter and sewage treatment systems, as well as coastal protection work.

Grades for Louisiana aviation, coastal areas and drinking water improved compared with the2017 grades,but the state’s dams, ports andwastewater systems receivedlower marks. None was higher than a“C+” grade.

Sincethe 2017 report, Louisiana has been the beneficiaryofpost-COVID economic stimuluspackages under President Joe Biden that have sent $750 million for public water andsewer systems and $5.9 billionfor roads and bridges

Funding, however,remained aproblem in all thecategories analyzed.

years.

The state has major road and bridge projects under construction, including improvementsonInterstate 10 and at the I-10/I-12 split in Baton Rouge.

But the societypointed out thatLouisiana roads andbridges stillhavea $33 billion maintenance andcapital improvement backlog combined, arising figureaffected not only by continuing demands but also by inflated material andother costs over the pastseveral years.

loadpostedorclosed when guidelines callfor it.

“If abridge is open, it is safe for travel,”hesaid.

Congestion hits drivers

Louisiana highwaysand bridges rely on a20-centsper-gallonstate salestax that has lost two-thirds of its purchasing power since it was last raised in the late 1980s. Thestate road tax has seen total revenues decline due to greater gasoline engine efficiency and electric vehicles.

TheSt. Bernard neighborhood hassince seen aspate of multimillion-dollar investments over the years, including astate-of-the-art building for McDonogh 35 High School built in 2015.

Stalledprogress

Before now,progress on the Willie Hall site hadbeenslow, as had progress on the entire Gentilly stormwater management project. In fall 2023, HUD named New Orleansa “slow spender” because only about 15% of the grant money had been used then.

The city hasuntil 2029 to spend the grant money,and officialshavecompleted only ahandful of projects. Others areinprogress, suchasthe $31 millionMirabeau Water Garden, which will transform 25 acres of vacantlandintoa recreational space designed to hold up to 10 million gallons of stormwater

For Willie Hall, NORD and the SchoolBoardsigned an originalfive-year agreement in 2018, armed with a$5million HUD grant for stormwater management.

Initial designs accounted for awater storagecapacity of 2 million gallons, but engineers later determined the project would require larger tanks, which nearly tripled cost estimates, said projectmanager Stephanie Dreher Getting federalclearance for the change took time, she said, as did several standard environmentaland archaeological surveys and title research to determine jurisdiction over the property Still, movement on theproject remained largely stagnant. With the agreement due to expire in 2023, the School Board, aided by community efforts to resurrect the project, amended the terms of the agreement to be approved by Cantrell’s city attorney in 2022.

The new agreement details ajoint operating planbetween NORD and McDonogh 35, such as the school giving up aportion of its parking lot in the evenings, but also giving the school priority in the eventofscheduling conflicts NORD’s default schedule for the property is after 6p.m.on weekdays and after noonon Saturdays.

Full-circlemoment

Willie Hall Park, along with the St. Bernard Project, which was formerly New Orleans’ largest public housing development,were central to theSt. Bernardneighborhood before Katrina in 2005, said NORDCEO LarryBarabino Jr., whogrew up in the area.

Despite effortsatimprovingsafety, transportation efficiencyand construction contracting, local and state roads continued to decline in roadsurface quality and see rises in congestion

The societyalso concluded thatwithout enough money to go around, the state needed to find away to be selective and impactful.

The society noted that 11.5% of Louisiana’snearly 12,700 bridges arerated as being in “poor” condition,which is an improvement since 2018 due to maintenanceand repair efforts, but the figure is still nearly double thenational average.

ForBarabino,who attended school,playedfor theplayground’sfootball team and later coached in the neighborhood, the groundbreaking marks apivotal full-circle moment.

In trying to build in greater resiliency to storms, for instance, the society said the state should improve currently lacking data “that couldguide the best useoflimited funds.”

The report noted that Louisiana has spent $1.62 billion annually to fight coastal erosion on acombined 150 projectstotry to protect 2million coastal residents andoil andgas infrastructure. But millionsofwetland acres still need restoration, with the billions related to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill settoexpire in six

In that same time period, the share of bridgesrated in “good condition” has steadily fallen, pushing the majority of state bridges into“fair” condition.

“Thistrend meansthe overall condition of bridges continues to decline, reflecting the increasing overall aging of our infrastructure andthe need for continual maintenance,” thereport states.

Ledet, the DOTD secretary,said road andbridge safety is a“atop priority” and department inspectorsregularly check bridges according to federal highway guidelines and timelines. Bridges are

“Congestion now significantly hinders bothcommuting andcommerce, costing Louisiana drivers an estimated $4.1 billion annually in lost timeand wasted fuel,” the report states.

Relying on aseparate analysis of federalhighway data, the society noted that Baton Rouge drivers lost 64 hours per year due to congestion at acost of $1,632 annually In NewOrleans,the annual loss from traffic congestion was 52 hours at a costof$1,591per year;in Lafayette, it was32hours annually at acost of $918.

David J. Mitchellcan be reachedatdmitchell@

“I was always here.This playground, this site was asafe haven to me,” he said. “This was the only green space that served, pre-Katrina,thousands of kids. But now,there’sno green space in this community anymore because it’sgone,” he added.

Construction on the first phase of the project is expected to take 18 months.

STAFF PHOTO By WILLIE SWETT

Folsom residents wearing ‘MakeFolsom Rural Again’ hats exit aSt. Tammany Parish Council meeting Nov. 6after thecouncil approved adeveloper’szoning changefor a73-homedevelopment between Folsom and Covington.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

DelgadoCommunity Collegestudent KenroyMejia, top left, makeshis waytoclass at the collegeinNew Orleans on Thursday.

Bourgeois, Rodney

Breaux, Laura

Clarkson, Joel

Colomb,Margaret Crais, Ronald

Hendershott, Jacquelynn

Jackson, Marshall

Johnson, Myron

Kelley,Yolanda

LaGrossa,Michael

Lemoine, Edelgart

Lindsey,Mary

Passalaqua,Joseph

Pecoraro,Battista

Peterman,Diane

QuinnJr.,Cyril

Ruffins, Esther

Soto,Ethel

Trebellas, John

Wajda, JoAnn

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Rodney A. Bourgeois, Sr age92, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 9, 2025,atEast JeffersonMedical Center in Metairie, LA. He was born on September3,1933, in New Orleans, LA. to the late Lucien Joseph and Hylda Gras Bourgeois. He was a1951graduateofSt. AloysiusHigh School,and a1955 (B.S. Engineering) and 1986 (M.S. Engineering)graduate of Tulane University. He workedasanengineerfor Shell OilCompany until his retirement in 1992. Rodney was marriedtothe late Barbara KeppelBourgeois in 1955 and Claire WeilbaecherBourgeois in 1975.Heissurvived by his wife, Claire,and four children: Rodney,Jr.,Janine Tholen, LisaPayne,and Lori Welker, and several grandchildrenand greatgrandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to St. Angela Merici Church, 835 Melody Drive, Metairie, LA 70002, forvisitation at noon followed by aMemorialMassat1:00 pm on Wednesday November 19, 2025.Burial willbeprivate. In lieu of flowers, Massespreferred The family invites you to share your thoughts,fond memories, and condolences online at www.leitz eaganfuneralhome.com.

Passalaqua,Joseph Breaux,Laura Rotolo

QuinnJr.,Cyril

Soto,Ethel

Leitz-Eagan

Bourgeois, Rodney

Crais, Ronald

Lemoine, Edelgart

Peterman,Diane

NewOrleans

Charbonnet

Ruffins, Esther

Greenwood

Jackson, Marshall

Lake Lawn Metairie

Clarkson, Joel

Johnson, Myron

Pecoraro,Battista

St Tammany

Audubon

Colomb,Margaret

EJ Fielding

Lindsey,Mary

West Bank

Mothe

Breaux, Laura

Obituaries

December 11,1934-No‐vember9,2025 -Laura Ro‐toloBreaux, anativeand residentofHarvey, LA, passedawayonSunday, November9,2025, at the age of 90 years. Laura passedawaypeacefully on Sunday, followinga long battle with Alzheimer’s. Beloved wife of thelate WilbertJosephBreauxfor 60years.Lovingmotherof the late GwenethBreaux Romano(Saverio).Grand‐motherofKelly R. Ziegel (Larry), MelanieR.Black‐mon (Stephen), CorieR Chatelain,and Brittany R. Schutt(Phillip).She wasa proud great-grandmother of10grandchildren:Trevor, Ethan,Bailey, Eva, Lauren, Caden,Kora, Madalyn, Jessie, andKane. Also,a great-great-grandmother of Sophia.Laura wasborn inHarvey, LA.onDecember 11, 1934, to late parents, Peter Rotolo and Arcelie Saurage Rotolo.She is pre‐ceded in deathbybrother Peter Rotolo Jr brother ManuelRotoloSr.,and sis‐ter Virginia Rotolo Toups. In thelate1960’sand early 1970’sshe worked at Grant's,a storeinHarvey, Louisiana.Also, laterinlife, for ashort time,was a school busdriverfor St MichealsSpecial School Mostofall,she will be missedfor hercooking, es‐peciallyher Gumbo. Rela‐tives and friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend the Visitation at MotheFu‐neralHome, 2100 Westbank

Expy, Harvey,LAonMon‐day,November17, 2025 from11:30 am to 1:30 pm The FuneralService will followinthe funeralhome chapelat1:30pm. Inter‐ment, Westlawn Memorial ParkinGretna, LA.Family and friendscan view and signthe online guestbook atwww.mothefunerals com

Clarkson,Joel O'Brien Harris

Joel O'Brien Harris

Clarkson, age99, passed away peacefully on November 13, 2025 at ChristwoodRetirement Community in Covington, LA

BornJune 27, 1926, she was alifelong resident of NewOrleans, residing thereuntil relocating to Pass Christian, MS. In 2010, she movedto Christwood,where she resided for thelast 16 years. She was thedaughterofthe lateCecil Foley O'Brien and Austin A. O'Brien.She attended Newcomb and Tulane University, where she was amember of KappaAlpha Thetafraternity, and whereshe met her first husband,the lateTrion TateHarris. After his death, she married her second husband, thelate William "Bill"Clarkson, III. She is survivedbyher four daughters,Randall Ann Harris, Lynn Harris

Horgan, Carol Harris(Bob Berg), and Joel Harris, DDS; threegrandchildren, Trion Porter Horgan (Staci), KatherineHorgan McConnell (Taylor), and Ryan Harris Berg (Nicole); and seven great-grandchildren.Alsoconsidered as family were her second husband Bill'schildren, Rev. William Clarkson, IV (Lucille),Jonathan M. Clarkson (Tonya),and Caroline Clarkson White Joel enjoyed playing bridge, reading, sewing for her daughters and grandchildren, and doing crosswordpuzzles. Joel was lovedbyall who knew her and was especiallywell known at Christwoodfor riding herscooter and blowing kisses to everyone.

The family wouldliketo express their heartfelt thanksand gratitude to theskilled nursing staff at Christwood and theNotre Dame Hospice fortheir exceptional careduring the past 11 months.

Aprivategraveside service willtake place at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum in NewOrleans.

In lieu of flowers,please considera donationin Joel's memory to the ChristwoodFoundation, 100 ChristwoodBlvd., Covington, LA 70433 or to thecharityofyourchoice

To view and sign theonline guest book,pleasevisit LakeLawnMetairie.com

Colomb,Margaret Mary Ulmer

ThefamilyofMargaret

MaryUlmer Colomb is sad‐dened to announceher passing on November 12, 2025, at theage of 94. Mar‐garet wasthe belovedwife ofthe late C. Earl Colomb Jr. Born on November 19 1930, shewas anativeof New Orleans, Louisiana, a longtimeresidentofSt. Bernard Parish,and follow‐ing Hurricane Katrina, St Tammany Parish.Margaret was theproud mother of six children.She is sur‐vived by five of herchil‐dren: C. Earl Colomb III, MargaretShelton (James), Michael Colomb,Barbara Collura (Steve), andRobert Colomb(Wendy),and daughter-in-law,Pauline Colomb. Sheisalsosur‐vived by her12grandchil‐dren: C. Earl Colomb IV, Alexandre Polito (Chris), David Colomb Jr.(Jenny), Scott Colomb,NicoleMiceli (Travis), Victoria Colomb Elizabeth Carruth(Caleb), Stephen ColluraJr. (An‐neMarie), Andrew Collura (Amanda), AllysonColomb, CarolineColomb, and RobertColombJr.;15 great-grandchildren:Dal‐ton (Miriam),Dylan,and Michael Polito,Naomi,Ko‐rynn, Owen,Vivienne,and JohnColomb, Dominicand DemiMiceli, MalachiCar‐ruth, Martin andMeryl Col‐lura, Clay andMason Col‐lura; andone great-greatgrandchild, HenryPolito. She is also survived by lov‐ing sisters-in-law:Shirley Ulmer,SylviaColombVon Behren, andShirley ColombClausing(Donald); and many nieces and nephews.Margaretwas precededindeath by her husband,C.EarlColomb Jr.;parents,Odile and David Ulmer; herson, David Colomb Sr.; her grandson, Adrian Shelton; her siblings,David,Donald, and Ronald Ulmer, and Doris Gamble;her daugh‐ter-in-law, Alexis Colomb; and herin-laws,Maryand C.EarlColombSr. Mar‐garet wasValedictorian for the 1948 ClassatRedemp‐toristCatholicHighSchool for girlsinNew Orleans. She wasa lifelong avid readerand lovednothing betterthana good book She also enjoyedgarden‐ing andcould oftenbe found tendingtoher beau‐tiful flowersthatbrought her greatjoy.Margaret was employed formany years andimmenselyen‐joyed workingalongside her husband,Earl, in the familyrealestatebusi‐ness, C. Earl Colomb Real‐tor.Margaretwas amem‐ber of theSchool Boardat Our Lady of Prompt Succor for many years. Shealso servedinthe ladies’auxil‐iaryfor theOkeanos Carni‐val Club.Margaretnever met astrangerand hada uniquegiftfor making everyonefeel welcome. Her gentle nature and southerncharm endeared her to allwho hadthe plea‐sureofbeing in hercom‐pany. Modeling so clearly whatitmeans to love and carefor family, Margaret was unconditionallyde‐voted andloved allwith her whole heart. Shewill begreatly remembered and cherishedasthe best motherand grandmother. She wasalwaysthere whenneeded most,offer‐ing support, wisdom,and loveinabundance.Mar‐garet wasa devout Catholic who drew great strengthand peacefrom the Lord.She attended re‐treat for50plusyears at the Cenacleonthe Lake Retreat House, having at‐tended the firsttimewith

hermother. Sheembodied the Catholic idealofmoth‐erhood,offering aliving example of faith andlove withinher home.Her love and kindness will forever beetchedinour hearts Margaret’sfamilywould liketothank allofthe care‐giverswho showed so muchloveand kindness to their mother.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tenda FuneralMasstobe heldatSt. Mary’s Assump‐tionCatholicChurch,lo‐cated at 923 JosephineSt. New Orleans, LA 70130, on Friday, November 21, 2025 at10:30 a.m. Avisitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. In‐terment will follow at St JosephCemeteryNo. 1. In lieuof flowers, memorial gifts maybemadetoSt. JudeChildren’sResearch Hospitaland theCenacle onthe Lake RetreatHouse Memoriesand condo‐lencesmay be expressed atwww.AudubonFuneralH ome.com

Born in NewOrleans on October18, 1939, to Ralph Edward Crais and Dorothy EisenmanCrais, Ronald Ralph Crais startedlifeat HotelDieuHospital.Heattended Gentilly Terrace ElementarySchool, graduated from Saint Aloysius High School (later Brother Martin), andattended LSUNO. He served as a footballand baseball coachatNORDplaygrounds. He got hisfirst boat at 16 years old, the"K -Ron", and he became an expertwater skieronlakes andbayousaround Louisiana andonLake Pontchartrain Fishing and hunting were in his bloodfromhis "PawPaw Christen" where everysummerwas spent at theircamps along Haynes Boulevard in New Orleans. He served in theAir NationalGuard as an Air Policeman,and in 1967, he founded Ronald R. Crais Petroleum whichheand hiswife ledfor 55 years. In 1962, he marriedhis Gentilly neighbor,Beverly Dupaquier. They went on to have threechildren: David Ronald,Elizabeth Mary, and CatherineMarie. He wasalongtime member and float lieutenantinthe Endymion Parade wherehis two daughters, Elizabeth and Cathy, were maids, and his son, David, wasa rider with him.

As an avidhunter,he hunted deer andturkey in Bayou Lacombe andthe Rutledge Ranch in Fredericksburg, Texas. For ducks he hunted in Bayou Biloxiand themarshesbehind hishouse in Kenner He lovedhis boat, the "BevRon",and fished from it at the"MilkBottle" in Lake Pontchartrain to oil rigs offshoreinthe Gulf and Breton Island. Summers with hisfamily andfriends were often spent at the Broadwater Beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. He enjoyed NewOrleans culture.He lovedthe outdoors,the househebuilt,and his "toys"

He wasa Louisiana Oil MarketersAssociation (LOMA) member, alifelong member and sponsorof DucksUnlimited, adonor to theLake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation Light House, asponsor of horse races at theFairgrounds andJeffersonDowns racetracks, and amember of theBrotherMartinAlumni Association Hislast week before an injury, he attendeda book reading in Uptown New Orleans, passed outcandy to childreninhis Woodlake Estates neighborhood on Halloween,and watchedfinancial channelsand his huntingshows on TV until 3:00 am as he enjoyed doing. Ronniewas atireless worker,strongprovider, andgeneroushusbandand father.Heloved hiswife, children, grandchildren, andgreat grandchildren more than onecan imagine; pride doesn'tbeginto describe howhefeltabout hisfamilyand thelives they created.His passion couldrattle cagesbut also blaze trails. Ronniepassed away peacefullyat11:15 pm on November 4, 2025, at East JeffersonHospital with hisfamilyathis bedside. He is survived by his wife, BeverlyAnn Dupaquier; hissister Karen Bruiglio; hischildren,David Crais, hisformer daughter-in-law, Gina Hartman Crais; Elizabeth Crais MacLean(Mark); CatherineCrais Williams (Chris); hisgrandchildren, Connor MacLean (Kassidy); Michael MacLean;Catherine MacLean;Christian Crais (Riley); Gabriella Crais; RhettWilliams, Zeek Williams, Alexis Williams; andhis great-grandchildren,Greyson MacLean, Emmalyn MacLean, Elizabeth Crais, and DaimonCrais.

Visitation will be held from12:00 noon until2:00 pm on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Leitz-Eagan Funeral Home, 4747 Veterans Memorial Blvd.in Metairie. Intermentwill be in MetairieCemetery on Monday, November 24, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Church of theKing, https://church oftheking.com/give.

Hendershott, Jacquelynn M.

Jacquelynn

Hendershott, age 94, passed away on October 16, 2025, at Azalea Trace RetirementCommunity in Pensacola, FL. Jackiewas born to William S. Vizzini andCatherine Yost Vizzini in NewOrleans,LA. She marriedCharlesWightman Hendershott from Montreal,Quebec, Canada on May12, 1955, in New Orleans. Jackie andChuck lived in NewOrleans, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Pointe Claire Quebec,Kennebunk,Maine andGulfBreeze/Pensacola duringtheir life together. Thefamilyalso spent summers at Gun Lake in Michigan Jackie is preceded in death by herparents;her husband, Charles;sister andbrother-in-law,Janice andEdmund Pixberg. Sheissurvivedbyher daughters, Lindsey

TRAVELCLUB

Bourgeois, Rodney A.

Crais, Ronald Ralph

4B

✦ Sunday, November 16, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Windrow (James) and Anne Hendershott; granddaughters Ashley Windrow (Ben Bleiberg) and Brittany Windrow, and nieces and nephews.

AMemorial Service will be held at 11:00am Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at Azalea Trace Auditorium, with Rev. Frank Beall officiating.A funeral cortege will depart Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel at 11:00am Thursday, December 11, 2025, for agraveside interment of Mr. andMrs Hendershott's ashes at 11:30am at Barrancas National Cemetery.

Jackson, Marshall Thomas

Marshall Thomas Jack‐son,a proudU.S.Navyvet‐eranand retiredNew Or‐leans firefighter, peace‐fully enteredeternal rest onNovember7,2025, in Slidell, Louisiana, at the age of 83. Born on Decem‐ber 12, 1941, in NewOr‐leans,Marshallwas the beloved sonofJeffJackson and NatalieVerrett, both of whomprecededhim in death.A graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in NewOrleans,LA, Marshallwentontoserve his countrywithhonor and distinction.In1966, he en‐listedinthe U.S. Navy Re‐serves, where he bravely servedduringthe Vietnam War.His honorableservice earnedhim multiple com‐mendations, includingthe NationalDefense Service Medal,Vietnam Campaign Medal,Vietnam Service Medal,and Navy Unit Com‐mendation Ribbon with BronzeStar. In December 1972, Marshall joined the New OrleansFireDepart‐ment(NOFD), where he faithfullyservedthe citi‐zensand city he lovedfor two decades. After20 years of dedicatedservice, heretired from NOFD in March 1992. Marshall also servedasa NewOrleans airport shuttledriver, wel‐comingtouriststohis beloved city with warmth stories,and that unmistak‐ableNew Orleanscharm Hewas marriedtothe late SheilaAnn Jackson. He is survivedbyhis children: Heather AnnJackson Gros, LaQuandaMarshellJack‐son,and DonnellAnthony Jackson;and hisadored grandchildren:Jy’ranStew‐art,NolaJackson,and Champ Jackson. He is also survivedbya loving circle ofsiblingsand in-lawswho sharedinhis life’s joys and memories: Donald Jackson Tasker(Barbara);Lois Yvette JacksonLang; Car‐olynRaineri (Tony);and SamuelJackson (Sandra) Marshallwas an avid readerofthe NewOrleans Advocate–TimesPicayune and lovedsharing histake onlocal andnationalpoli‐ticswithanyonewho would listen.A true New Orleanian at heart, he was not only alifelongfan of the Saints buta proud memberofthe WhoDat Nation! ANOFD“Last Alarm”Tribute andReflec‐tionwillbeheldonSatur‐day,November22, 2025 from11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. atGreenwood Funeral Home, 5200Canal Boule‐vard, NewOrleans LA 70124. Hismemorialser‐vicewillalsobeheldat Greenwood FuneralHome at1:00p.m.Marshallwill belaidtorestatSt. Louis CemeteryNo. 3inNew Or‐leans with military honors “Well done,good andfaith‐ful servant.”– Matthew 25:23

Insurance Company, GeorgeEngine Company, Inc., and Ochsner FoundationHospital. He married the love of his life, CaroleBlanke, and together they shared more than 60 yearsofmarriage filledwith laughter, family, and faith. Myron was adevoted husband,father, and grandfather. He is survived by his wife,Carole Johnson; their children, Wade A. Johnson (Joni), Gaye JohnsonPetersen (Roch), and Jennifer A. Johnson; and grandchildren, Spencer A. Johnson (Shannon) and Rachel JohnsonSigur(Jonah); and great grandchild, Barrett Wade Sigur. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, KaylaJune Petersen; his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Adrian Zang Johnson; and hissiblings, June Johnson Schiro, Adrian Zang Johnson II, and NoelFrancis Johnson. An avid outdoorsman, Myronwas happiest in the woodsduring deer season. He cherished his time as a member of the Jefferson Hunting Club, whereheenjoyedlifelongfriendships and the camaraderieoffellow sportsmen. Myronwillberemembered forhis quiet strength, great humor, and devotion to his family and friends. Hislegacyoflove andintegrity will live onin allwho knew him.

Funeral services willbe held on November 20, 2025, at 12:00p.m. at St Catherine of Siena Church, 105 BonnabelBlvd., Metairie, LA 70005, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. Interment willbe private In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donationsbemadeinMyron's memory to Manning Family Children's, 200 Henry Clay Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Kelley,Yolanda Juanita Ruppel

Our Beautiful Matriarch, Yolanda Juanita Ruppel Kelley, 85, passed peacefully to the nextlifeon November 8, 2025, surroundedbythe presence of her loving and devoted husband, children, and grandchildren. Born in New Orleans on February8, 1940,Yolanda was abeacon of light to allthose she encountered throughout her incredible life

In her early years, Yolanda attended John McDonogh #9 Elementary School. Her educational journeycontinuedat Ursuline Academy, where as aMerry Mac, she made many lifelongfriends.Her passion for sharing knowledgeled her to St. Mary's Dominican College where she earned her Bachelor of Education degree.Overthe span of fourdecades, Yolanda nurtured alove of learning in children across New Orleans. Many of her summermonths werededicated toteachingstruggling students to read, as she held the strongbelief that literacy opens the doors to creativityand opportunity. Shewas amuch belovedteacher at Charles Etienne Gayarre, New Orleans Academy, and Marie C. Couvent before becoming an integral member of the Sherwood Forest ElementarySchool faculty. During Yolanda's nearly 30 years there,her principalsand fellow teachersbecamemore than coworkers, they were family."Mrs. Kelley"inspired generations of students with her loving, compassionate, andjoyful teaching style -the motto on her bulletin board was: "Each day is anew beginning!"

Yolanda was alifelong devout Catholic who expressedher loveofGod in countless meaningful ways on adaily basis. She lived with gratitude in her heart and unwaveringfaith, throughevery joyand trial, and had an extraordinary giftfor seeing andbringing outthe best in others. All werewelcomedwith grace, acceptance, anda love that never judged Yolanda's presence brought asense of peace andbelongingtothose around her -a radiant kindness and warmth that made you feel allwouldbe

well.

Aclassy NewOrleans Lady, full of life,wit,intelligence and fun; Yolanda generouslyshared the magicalspirit of her native city with others. Everyone was always welcome to sashayalong -noinvitation required. She enjoyed bringing out of town family and friendsfor beignetsat CaféduMonde, dancing and singing at Jazz Fest and wearing that iconic purple tutu on herhead each MardiGras, while leading thefamily's Krewe of Kazoothroughthe Quarter.She always kept extra kazoos in her pocket so that any passersby couldjoininthe revelry and laissez lesbon temps rouler. Yolanda lovedher strawberry sno-balls with condensedmilk, aglass bottle of Barq's with a roastbeefpoboy,a #2 hamburger from Bud's, and avanilla stick from the Roman CandyMan. Above allthings, Yolanda loved her family

She and Tim, thelove of her life,enjoyed spending specialmoments together, sittingontheir front yard swing and by thepool patio, or walking down the breezeway in Lake Oaks with theiradorable pets Blu, Max and Nasa. Christmas was always a meaningful time of yeareveryone would gather for theannualChristmas Eve Party, first hostedbyher family at theold house on NewOrleans Street Yolanda wouldshake her jingle bellsand lead everyone in joyful caroling until Santa arrived. She loved music, and Tim has fond memories of listening to her singing their favorite folk songswhilestrumming her cherished Gibson and Fender guitars, and teaching thekidstoplay thepiano. They oftenreminisced aboutwhen they first met at Fort Walton Beach, and marveled at howa simple exchanged glance became love-atfirst-sight,leading to the creationoftheir beautiful family and life together. Yolanda'stwo adoring daughters, Shannon and Brandi, brought her immense joy -she litupevery time "herwonderful girls" were near, and madethem feelfully, completely, and unconditionally lovedevery day. Affectionately called"Gommy" by her four precious grandchildren,she relishedevery adventure with themfeeding theducks at City Park,tripstoDisneyworld and swimming staycations on theGulf Coast -she even managed to make hurricane evacuations fun. Gommy was always ready to roll, and delightedinevery second spent with family.

Upon her passing Yolanda was reunited in Heaven with her cherished grandmother,Juanita Marguerite Kaiser Ruppel, her beautiful mother, Yolanda DeFabritis Ruppel, her doting father, Robert Emile RuppelSr.,her dear friends, John Roussel Bull, Sandra Houston, and countless beloved family members and friends. She spent many happy summers with Grandmother Ruppel,fishing and crabbing at Bayou Caddy, and sailing in theMississippi Sound.A devoted daughter, Yolanda treasured her wonderfulparents throughout their lives, and lovinglycared for them in their last days. They exemplifiedthe idealsofan equal partnershipinlove, life and business. Her father was theinventor with agenius mind,and her mother had ahead for business and theentrepreneurial spirit that runs in the family Together, they created YORO Diesel fromthe ground up."Little Yolanda" was always so proud of them, and readytolend ahand whenever and wherever they needed her.

Yolanda is survived by her husband of 57 years, Kenneth Timothy"Tim" Kelley;her twodaughters, Shannon ElizabethKelley Connolly(Eugene John Connolly) and Brandi Christiane RuppelKelley; her four grandchildren, EthanKelleyConnolly, Caroline Elizabeth Connolly, Lily Evangeline Bull and CharlotteEugenie Connolly; her son-in-love, Jesse JamesBrunet; brother,Robert Emile RuppelJr. (Jane); brother-in-law, Jim R. Kelley (Glenda); sistersin-law,SharonKelleyDavis and Cookie Kelley Boac; Godson, Robert "Roby" Emile RuppelIII;Cherished Relatives: Patricia TerrenovaWeigel,Louise Molay Davis,Terre Weigel Carter and Family, Christina Jones Haab and Family,Dolores"Loli" RuppelGonzalez (Bobby), Trebby RuppelFairbanks, Tina RuppelChampion, Mike RuppelJr. (Sandy),

Carolyn Ruppel Serpas, and allofher beloved cousins,nieces, and nephews. Special Friends: Alice Reagan,Diane Miolen, The Sherwood ForestFamily and Silver Foxes, The Roussel/Bull Family,Diana Duracher Garcia&Family,Sister Georgette "Maggie" Champagne and Family, The Tarantino Family, Ren Mayeaux& Family, Mary and Dannica Gilmore, Dave Borland,Siobhan Bailey and Family,MyThe Dang, Mary Leggat, Sophia Timmons and family,Cate D. Jones, Monica Coutin Baxter,Ava KayJones, Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Juneaux Mayfaire, Carmen Santiago,KamilleBarnes, Lestelle Dawn &Family, Papa Zaar, Raven, The VOODOOFEST &Voodoo Authentica of NewOrleans Family,Abdoulaye Gueye, AndrewWiseman, Vincenzo Pasquantonio, Amzie Adams, Evan McCoy and family,Jim &Tina; Stroman and Family, Arlene &Randy Becker and Family,Sam Simeone, Tommy and Samantha Martinand Family,Mark and Ronda Raymondand Family,VirginiaPerez Gonzales and Family, Martha H. Panzeca, Sandra Julia Green, Lake Oaks Friends, Billand Sharon Sperance and Family,Rick and Wendy Allard and Family,The Tuminello Family,XavierHouse, Pass Christianand Gulf Coast friends and neighbors, Ursuline Alumnae, and all of her dear friends.

Yolanda livedbyexampleand madea lasting impact on allofuswho were blessed to be apartofher life.Tohonorher memory, say hello to thecardinals (and feedthemthe good stuff), createa "circleof beauty" with colorful flowers and fairy houses, make alittlevillageunder your Christmas Tree,and above all, please be kind to one another. Rest easy and well Beautiful Yolanda, your legacy of love willforever carry on.

Avisitationwillbeheld on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124, followed by aMass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. Entombment willtake place at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum, immediately following theservice.

The Riemann Family Funeral Home,LongBeach, is servingthe family

LaGrossa, Michael George 'Mike'

Michael "Mike" George LaGrossa of WinterPark, FL passed away November 6, 2025 at theage of 78. Mike was born March 17, 1947 to Michael LaGrossa and Mildred Lamm LaGrossa in Washington, D.C.Hegraduated from BladensburgHighSchool in Maryland. Mike worked forthe NationalSecurity Agency in Fort Meade, Marylandbeforeand after servinghis country in the United States Marine Corp. He moved to NewOrleans, Louisiana and was employed with Levitz Furniture and Compass Furniture until his retirement in 2008. Shortly after hisretirement,Mike and hiswife Barbara moved to Winter Park,Florida. Mike's true joy was spending time with his wife, Barbara LaGrossa, with whomhewas marriedto for42years. Mike was an avid thoroughbred horse racing enthusiast and lovedall sports -especially his beloved Washington Redskins whose original moniker he preferred to use. Mike is survived by his loving wife Barbara, son Mike Justeniane (Katrina Green), daughterKai Barrett(Blake).Mike was predeceased by his daughterShannon Hidalgo (Ronnie) of Slidell, Louisiana. Mike is also survivedbyhis sisterSharon Hayes (Roy, deceased) and nephew Michael Hayes of Harrisburg,Pennsylvania. Mike leaves behind four grandchildrenthat adored him, Burke, Delaney, Taylor, and Lacey. Mike is also survivedbyhis dear friends that were family for many years -the Hatch Family,withwhomMike and Barbarashared deeply meaningful times and cherished memories. So many dear friends fromall over thecountry willremember himfondly.He touched many liveswith

hisgenerosity andpassion for life. ACelebrationof Life will be held at alater date. Online condolencesat www.baldwincremation.co m

Lemoine, Edelgart Karoline Bossert 'Edda

Edelgart “Edda”Karoline Bossert Lemoine, beloved wife, mother,grand‐mother, andgreat-grand‐mother, passedawayon November12, 2025, sur‐rounded by herlovingfam‐ily.Toviewfullobituary, confirmservice date and times,and to leaveonline condolences,pleasevisit www.leitzeaganfuneralho me.com

Sheissurvivedbyher loving husband of 63 years, LawrenceV."Larry" Lindsey;children, Michele Lindsey Richissin(Fred), KimLindseyGlover(Jeff), GinaLindsey(Michelle), and Trey Lindsey; grandchildren, Bailey Glover, Avery Glover Snyder (Dalton), Evan Dauterive andLindseyDauterive. She is also survived by hersiblings, EmilyEfferson, Gerald Rye,and Janine Guidry; and many extended familymembersand friends.

Shewas preceded in death by herparents,John Callenderand Mary Thonn; andsiblings, Elizabeth Callenderand John Callender, Jr

MarygrewupinNew Orleans, attendedSt. Raphael Catholic School, andgraduatedfromSt. Joseph Academy. She was marriedtothe love of her life, Larry V. Lindsey, on November 3, 1962. Mary workedasa florist at Farley'sFlorist in New Orleansbeforeshe and Larry relocatedtothe Northshore in the1990s. Sheenjoyed entertaining friends andfamilyand particularlyloved the Christmas Season. She wasa longtime active member of First Baptist Church of Covington,and she will be dearlymissed by herfamily, friends church family, andcommunity.

Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe funeral serviceson Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 2:00 PM at E. J. Fielding Funeral Home,

2260 West 21st Avenue, Covington,Louisiana, with visitation beginning at 12:00 PM.Interment will follow in theadjacent Pinecrest Memorial GardensMausoleum.

E. J. FieldingFuneral Home of Covington Louisiana, is honored to be entrusted with Mrs. Lindsey's funeral arrangements. Herfamilyinvites you to share thoughts memories, andcondolences by signinganonline guestbook at www.ejfieldingfh.com

Passalaqua, Joseph David'Joe'

Joseph David(Joe) Pas‐salaqua,ArmyRetired CW2 andJPSORetired Col, of River Ridge, Louisiana, passedawayonMonday, November10, 2025, at the age of 93. He wasbornon May 11, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois,toAntoninoPas‐salaqua andCarmela Loio‐canoPassalaqua. Joseph, known to allasJoe,grew upinHoxie,Arkansas. He was preceded in deathby his parents, his firstwife, JennieFerraro Passalaqua, his siblings,brothers: Ross Nicholas, Tom, Pete,Hank and Anthony, sisters: Mary Richardsonand Eleanor Clark,his daughter,Dar‐leneP.Schexnayder,sis‐ters-in-law,Theresa Fer‐raroand FrancesTaylor, and son-in-law,Kip Kreutz Joe is survived by hislov‐ing wife,Kim Bourgeois Passalaqua, for37years His children:Diann Kreutz, David Passalaqua,Kendall Passalaqua(Bailey), Megan Parker(JamesJr.), Brotherin-law, Ferdie Schexnayder, his grandchildren: Jason and ChristopherSchexnay‐der,NicholasKreutz, James Parker,III, and great-granddaughter, HanahBancovitch. Joeen‐listedinthe Army,on March 13, 1948, as asecre‐tive“under-ageboy of 15” Within his26years of ser‐vice, he wasa military po‐liceman,inoccupiedKobe, Kyoto,Japan.OnJuly4, 1951 he became asoldier inthe Korean War. After, he was stationedatCamp Leroy Johnson, Kaiserse‐lautren,Germany andFt. Sam HoustoninSan Anto‐nio,Texas.InSan Antonio, heoccasionally haddetails protectingPresident Lyn‐don B. Johnson. He became anArmyCriminalInvesti‐gator,and then wassta‐tionedatCampRed Cloud, inUijongbu, SouthKorea There he drovePresident LyndonB.Johnson andalso helpedorganizeand sup‐porta localchildren’sor‐phanage.Joe wasthensta‐tionedatFortPolk, LA, where he earned hishigh school diploma, through WarrenEastonHighSchool and hiscollege degree. He was then appointedtothe CriminalInvestigation Divi‐sionand wassenttoWash‐ington, DC.There,heinves‐tigated theMiLai Mas‐sacre andthe JefferyMc‐Donald/Green Beretcases, tonamea few. Moving up inthe ranks, he wasas‐signedaspersonalsecu‐rityfor theSecretary of De‐fense,protectingbothEl‐liotRichardsonand Melvin Laird.Through hisdistin‐guished career in themili‐tary, he wasawarded the ArmyCommendation Medal andthe Meritorious Service Medal, as well as other medals andawards. Joe retiredfromthe mili‐taryin1973, as aChief Warrant Officer-2, at the age of 41. In 1974, Joe joinedthe JeffersonParish PoliceDepartmentand was assigned as acrime scene photographer.Aspartof

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Lindsey,Mary Louise Thonn

Mary T. Lindsey, age 81, of Madisonville,Louisiana, passed away on Thursday, November 13, 2025. She wasbornonJuly6,1944, in NewOrleans,Louisiana.

Johnson, Myron L.

Myron Lowell Johnson, age 82, alifelong resident of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on November 11, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born on September 24, 1943, Myron was the son of the late Dr. and Mrs. Adrian Zang Johnson.He graduated from Sacred Heart Academy and University of Southern Mississippi, later building adistinguished career at Pan AmericanLife

hismanyinvestigations, he was part of theinvestiga‐tionand recovery at the crash site of PanAmFlight 759 in 1982. When he re‐tired from JPSO,onDec.31, 1999, he achieved therank of“Colonel” andwas in command of theentire Crime SceneServicesDivi‐sion. Joeenjoyed hunting, fishingand spending time withfamilyand friends. He loved beingathis summer homeonBayou Barataria, thatheand familymem‐bersbuilt.Heenjoyed watchingLSU and the Saintsgames,aswellas woodworkingincluding makingcustomdesigned furniture,dollhouses, cas‐tles, andanythingthat sparked hisinterest. Joe was amemberofthe Lee 500 Club,St. Matthew Dads’ Club,and theLafitte Yacht Club.Heisalsoa memberofVUMS,where Joe is recognized in the VeteransofUnderageMili‐taryServicesbook, “AMER‐ICA’SYOUNGESTWAR‐RIORS”, volume II. Joewill berememberedfor hislove and devotion to familyand friends,his wisdom,disci‐pline,and humor.Heal‐wayshad time to listen to anyone. Thefamilywould liketothank thedoctors and nurseswho worked withJoe in hislastdays. Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend theservice onTuesday,November18, 2025 at St.Matthew the Apostle Catholic church 10021 JeffersonHwy.River Ridge,LA. 70123. Visitation willbegin at 10:30AMwith Massat12:30 PM .Burial willbeimmediatelyafter atSt. John Memorial Gar‐dens, 2205 WAirline Hwy. LaPlace,LA. 70068. In lieu of flowers, thefamilyre‐quest donations, in Joe’s name, be sent to:Shriner’s Children’sHospital-Galve‐ston, Office of Philan‐thropy, 815MarketStreet, Galveston,TX77550 or St JudeResearchHospital, P. O.Box 50 Memphis, TN 38101-9927

B.J. passed away peacefully on November 8, 2025, at the age of 89. Beloved husband for 66 years to the late Sandra Pagnac Pecoraro. Father of Joseph Pecoraro (Davina) and Eugene (Gino) Pecoraro (Pat). Grandfather of Gia Marie Katzenmeyer (Andy) and Nicolas Joseph Pecoraro (Becca), Seth Tillman and Matthew Tillman. Great Grandfather of Stella, Ada and Josie Katzenmeyer. Son of the late Joseph John and Marie Chiarello Pecoraro. Brother of the late Alfred Thomas Pecoraro.

B.J. was an outstanding athlete at Sacred Heart High School anda graduateofSouthwest Mississippi Junior College. He was awarded abasketball scholarship to attend Loyola University in New Orleans andwas amemberofthe Loyola Wolfpack team that played in the NCAA Basketball tournament in 1958. The team was inducted into the Loyola Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He retiredfrom the HotelMonteleone as Sales Manager in 2005. B.J was afounding member of the Shepherds Social Club. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at 9:00am on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at Lake Lawn Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. in New Orleans. A Memorial Mass will follow at 11:00am. Interment in Lake Lawn Park. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in B.J.'s name to Bright School for

the Deaf,201 Pasadena Ave.,Metairie,LA70001.

Peterman,Diane Vintrella

DianeVintrella Peter‐man peacefully passed awayonSaturday, Novem‐ber 8, 2025, with herfamily byher side.Mrs.Peterman was anativeofNew Or‐leans anda longtime resi‐dentofMetairie, LA Beloved wife of 47 yearsto the late Hunter I. Peterman Jr. Mother of LeighThomas (husband,Marshall Thomas) andthe late Hunter I. Peterman III and JohnCharles Peterman Grandmother of Ashleigh L. Thomas. Daughter of the lateJohnnyC.Vintrella and Alice Domingue Vintrella SisterofJoann Tompkins and thelateCarlosVin‐trella (surviving wife,Patri‐cia Vintrella), Jean John‐son,Delores Meinke,Rose Fenasci,Ethel Brooksand Jenny LeBlanc. Also sur‐vived andloved by many niecesand nephews. Mrs. Petermanwas aparish‐ioner of St.Catherine of Siena Church andwas a formerparishioner of St Francis Xavier Church.She was thepartownerof Ruli’sGrocery StoreinNew Orleans andSouthernPo Boysoff JeffersonHigh‐way.She retiredfromWhit‐ney Bank.Mrs.Peterman enjoyed watching west‐ernsand traveling. Sheal‐waysbelievedthe best in everyone. Mrs. Peterman willbedeeply missed by everyonewhose livesshe touched.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe visitation at LeitzEagan FuneralHome, 4747 VeteransMemorialBlvdin Metairie, LA on Friday,No‐vember21, 2025, beginning at11:00 AM with aFuneral Masstofollowat1:30PM inLeitz-Eagan Funeral Home’schapel. Interment willbeinGardenofMemo‐ries. Fond memories and expressions of condo‐lencesmay be shared at www.leitzeaganfuneralho me.com

QuinnJr.,Cyril Aloysius 'Cy'

Cyril“Cy” Aloysius Quinn, Jr.passedaway peacefullyonNovember 10, 2025. Cyrillived alife definedbyhis kindness, humility, strong faith,love ofrunning,and devotion to his family.Cyril wasthe epitome of a true gentle‐man,alwayswilling to share histimeand talents withothers. Cyrilwas born inNew Orleans, LA on Oc‐tober 26, 1934, to thelate Cyril Aloysius Quinn, Sr and thelateKathryn Paul Quinn. Cyrillived in the neighborhoodsofGentilly and New OrleansEast, be‐foremovingtoMetairie after hisretirement. Cyrilis survivedbyand wasa de‐voted caretakerfor hissis‐ter Brenda Quinnuntil his death.Cyril attended St James MajorElementary School andgraduated from HolyCross High School in 1952. AftergraduationCyril wentontoattendLoyola UniversityinNew Orleans for 2years studying Busi‐ness Administration.While

studying at Loyola Univer‐sity, Cyrilfelta call to serve hiscountry anden‐listedinthe United States MarineCorps,serving our nationhonorably for5 years.After leavingthe U.S. MarineCorps Cyrilhad a long, fulfillingcareer at the USDANationalFinance CenterinNew Orleansfor over40years before retir‐ing.Cyril’sstrongwork ethic,kindness, andwill‐ingness to always help his colleaguesgainedhim a reputationfor beingthe guy youcould always de‐pendontoget thejob done. This hard-working reputationearnedCyril the nickname“Slack” forbeing everready to pick up the slack forany colleaguein need.Duringhis time working at theUSDACyril madelifelongfriends, manyofwhomsharedhis passion forrunning.Cyril and hismanyworkfriends enjoyed participatingin the companytrack team and otherteamsportsthat competedagainst different companies around NewOr‐leans.Cyril’slovefor run‐ningled himtostart the “SlackTrack Club”sohe and hislikemindedfriends could enjoyrunning all yearlongtogether.Cyril’s passion forrunning led him to become afounding memberand past trea‐surer of theNew Orleans Track Club andwas in‐ductedintotheir 2013 Inau‐gural Hall of Fame class. Cyril againmadelifelong friends during his60plus years as amemberofthe NOTC. Cyrilwas well known to have an encyclo‐pedic knowledgeofdis‐tance runningand track and fieldstatistics, often abletorecitethe individual accomplishments andrace times of eliteathletesfrom around theworld.When Cyril wasnot runningor immersed in thestatistics ofrunning,heenjoyed pho‐tography andtakingpic‐tures of hisfriends at the races during theyear. Cyril was aregular volunteer at countless road races, Olympic trials,and youth track meetsthroughouthis life; he lovedgivingbackto the sportthathefeltgave him so much joy. Cyril’s loveoftrack and fieldcom‐petitions andhis fondness for travel ledhim to attend three summer Olympic games in Japanin1964 Mexicoin1968 andWest Germany in 1972 joyfully documenting each trip withcountless pho‐tographs.Cyril also trav‐elled to many othercoun‐tries capturingmemories ofhis tripswithpictures and always remembering tobring home souvenirsto friends andfamily. After movingtoMetairie, Cyril workedatPhidippides ShoeStore againmaking lotsoffriends sharinghis knowledge of runningwith customers andemployees alike.Cyril wasa faithful parishioner of St.Ann Catholic Church in Metairie where he attended mass withhis sister Brenda Cyril will be dearly missed byall who knew him, espe‐cially thefriends he made throughoutthe yearsat the USDA,the NOTC andin his neighborhood,the gang onRye Street,the regulars and employees at Panera Bread,and theemployees atGulfCoast Bank.Cyril’s familyand friendswould liketothank theemploy‐ees of HenicanHouse in Metairiewho patiently cared forhim this last year ofhis life.Friends arein‐vited to celebrateCyril’s lifeonThursday November 20, 2025, at Garden of Mem‐ories FuneralHomelocated at4900 AirlineDrive, Metairie, LA.The visitation willbegin at 10:00 am fol‐lowed by aCatholicMass and burial at 11:00 am.In lieuof flowersCyril re‐questsdonations to St JudeChildren’sHospital.

Esther MaeRuffins,age 78, wascalledhometobe withthe Lord on Monday November10, 2025 in New Orleans,LA. Shewas born onMarch 3, 1947 to thelate Essie, Sr.and LoneyBecnel Williams.Estherleavesto cherish hermemory, three children, Kermit Hampton Ruffins,Lloyd Ruffins and ImaniNia Ruffins;siblings, EssieWilliams, Jr., Carolyn Hebert, PercyWilliams, MarionAllen andRoland Williams,aswellasa host ofnieces, nephews, grand‐children, otherrelatives and friends. ACelebration service honoring thelife and legacy of thelateEs‐therMae Ruffins will be heldinthe Chapel of Char‐bonnetLabat GlapionFu‐neral Home,1615 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Tuesday, Novem‐ber 18, 2025 at 11am. Visi‐tationwillbegin at 10 am inthe chapel.Pleasesign onlineguestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome. com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411.

EthelEwens Soto,age 103, passedawaypeace‐fully,surrounded by her familyonNovember12, 2025. Born in El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras,she was the daughter of thelate Francis CharlesEwens and Maria Josefa Flores Ewens. One of eightsiblings, she was predeceasedbyher fourbrothers, Fred,Frank, Clovis, andJosealong with her threesisters,Mavis, Anna,and Consuelo.Ethel arrivedinNew Orleansin 1949 andremaineda resi‐dentofNew Orleansand River Ridge. Shewas mar‐riedin1950 to Jose M. Soto who died in 1973. She workedfor many yearsas anadministrativesecre‐taryand retiredfrom Cabrini High School.She radiatedsweetness, love and kindness herentirelife and wasloved by everyone she met. In thewords of GregHomer,formerprinci‐pal of CabriniHighSchool Ethel wasdescribed this way:“Sheisthe clearest signofTranscendence I haveeverseen.She moved unsullied throughthis world.She is of thegood, for thegood andwillbe withthe Go(o)d”. Thoseof uswho lovedher know she rests with OurLordin Heaven. Ethelissurvived byher twochildren, Joseph M.Sotoand JocelynSoto Naomi (Alfred),her one and only cherishedgrand‐child DavidJosephNaomi (Rebekah) andher greatgrandchildren Charlotte and Benjamin Naomi. She isalsosurvivedbymany niecesand nephews. The familywishestothank the staff membersofSerenity Hospice andVisitingAn‐gelsfor theirtremendous support in caring forEthel duringher finaldays. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend herservice onSaturday, November 22, 2025, at Garden of Memo‐ries, 4900 AirlineDrive, Metairie, Louisiana70001 Visitationwillbegin at 11:00a.m. with aservice presidedbyFatherRick Day beginningatNoon.A Repastwilltakeplace after the service. To express condolences, please visit

www.gardenofmemorie smetairie.com

John C.

John C. Trebellas, age 88, of Williamsburg,VA passedaway peacefullyon Wednesday, September 10th,2025, in Glen Allen, VA.Johnwas born on June 24, 1937, in Chicago, Illinois to Gust J. Trebellas and Bessie Koutroubes Trebellas. He graduated high school from St.John's Military Academy in Delafield, WI andreceived aBAinChemistry from Northwestern University anda MS andPh.D. in Chemistry from Tulane University. Whilestudying at Tulane, he met hisfuture wife Katherine Bergeret, andtheyhave continuedtosupport the chemistrydepartment through an endowedfund. John spent 38 years in the chemicalindustry, first as aresearch chemist at Celanese thenasa TechnicalDirector with Exxon Chemicaland Nalco/Exxon. Hisexpertise eventually guided himtoa researchand development position at Tomah Products. Workinginthe chemicalindustry ledhim to live andworkinnumerousplaces, including Texas (Corpus Christiand Houston), NewJersey (BerkeleyHeights and Ramsey) andColumbus, GA. John is survivedbyhis wife of 60 years, Katherine BergeretTrebellas; two daughters: Katherine Trebellas Restina (Paul) of Glen Allen, VA and Christine Trebellas (John Brian Keane) of Lewis Center,OH; andthree grandchildren: Nicholas Restina,Katherine Keane, andElizabeth Keane. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts canbemade to TulaneUniversity and directed to theJohnC.and Katherine B. Trebellas Chemistry Fellowship Fund. Visit giving.tulane.edu/memory to make agift online or mail checks to Tulane University, PO Box 669394, Dallas, TX 75266-9394. Please indicate that the gift is in memory of John C. Trebellas. Amemorial service will be held at Bliley's Funeral Home -8510 Staples Mill Road,Henrico, VA 23228, on Monday, November 24th, 2025, at 1:00 PM.

Wajda, JoAnn Mickey Vanney

JoAnnMickey(Vanney) Wajda,walked into the arms of herGod andSavior completelyhealed and whole aftera 7month battlewith multiple illnesses on October18, 2025. She faced herillness with warrior like courage, grace, andanunwavering faith that inspired all whoknew her.

JoAnnwas born on October30, 1941 in New Orleans, Louisianatothe lateJosephVanney and thelateHeloiseRome Vanney.She lived alife centered on herchildren andgrandchildren. JoAnn wasknown for herdeep love of family, andher strength through life's challenges.

Shewas preceded in death by herhusband, AnthonyC.Wajda, andher sister,Sheila Devenport.

Sheissurvivedbyher childrenLeonJ.Letulle, Jr (Tina), Michelle Letulle, andMark Letulle; her grandchildrenAlex, Alyssa andEllianna Letulle; and manynieces, nephews, andloved ones. She is also survived by thefather of herchildrenLeonJ.Letulle.

JoAnnretired as acivil servant from theNaval Air StationJoint ReserveBase in Belle Chasse, whereshe served as Comptroller in thePublic Works Department.

JoAnn'sfamilyfinds comfortinknowing that she is nowinthe presence of herLord, reunited with lovedoneswho went before her. Herlegacy of love,faith, andresilience will live on through all who were blessed to know her.

ACelebrationofJoAnn's Life will be held on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at The Croatian House in Belle Chasse 220 Croatian Way (Ave. G) from 1:00 p.m. until4:00 p.m.

Ruffins,EstherMae

Trebellas,

Soto,Ethel Ewens

Pecoraro, Battista Joseph 'BJ'

Mental health delays in court systema problem that deserves a better remedy

One of the founding principles of our country is that justice shouldbebothswift andfair

The founders knew that whenjusticeisnot swift, it is not fair.Not to theaccused,not to the victims, not to the system.And whencases dragonfor years, the situation grows worse and worse.

That’sbeen one of the overarchingthemes of this newspaper’sseries “Longing forJustice,” and the latest installment, aboutdelays inthe criminal justice system caused bymentalhealth challenges, puts thatinto stark detail.

When reporter JillianKramer began digging into the state’smental healthtreatmentbacklog, she found asystem thatoften can’t processdefendants for weeks, months or years, throwinga massive roadblock into cases.

Her analysis of statewide murder and manslaughter defendants found that, on average, those referred for treatment at theEastern Louisiana Mental Health System waitedalmost seven months to get abed

Because casescannot proceed at all while a defendant’s mental competency isassessed, the delays meant long waitswithnoresolutionfor families of victims and those of theaccused as well In oneextreme case, Kramer found that Tyrone Fountain, who was accused of beatinga woman to death whiletryingtostealher purse, waited almost seven years for his trial as he was repeatedly wait-listed at thementalhealth hospital.

In two other cases,one defendant waitedmore than six months and another more than ayear

Thedelays come even after aclass-action settlement required the mental health facility to admitmostpatientswithin twoweeks

To be fair,there has been improvement this year,when wait times dropped to aboutfour months. That came as the statereached agreements with ahandful of privatehospitals to accept about 200 patients.

But the overall problem is particularly galling when considering the correlation between mentalhealthand criminal activity.

State law requires that if adefendant’scompetency is questioned, the case is frozenuntil an evaluation is conducted. Butitcan takeweeks or months even for adefendanttoget evaluated and then longer for aproper report to be completed.

That gums up asystem already plaguedby other delays.

Part of the problem is due to the lack of available space for patients. ELMHS serves all 64 parishes and has 573 beds. That’s notnearly enough. Also, pandemic-era slowdownscompounded problems that are still unspooling The findings in Kramer’sreport should trouble anyone concerned about criminal justice in the state of Louisiana. But solutionstothese endemic, deeply rootedand complexproblems defy sloganeering or quick policy fixes. Instead, they require sober,carefully thoughtout remedies. We urge stateleaders andlawmakers to recognize that how we treat those who are mentally ill— including thosewho may have committed violent crimes —says less about them than it does aboutus.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND USA LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

Just where is that damn board?

Nobody knows. It’saLouisiana mystery.Anancient cypressplank, 20 feet long and 6feet wide, has gone missing. It couldn’thave been an easy heist. Thething is huge, and certainly weighs hundreds of pounds at least. This wasn’tassimple as slipping intothe Louvreand making off with afew jewels. No, this was acomplex operation. It probably took agroup. Maybe Danny Ocean was themastermind. This whole story just deliciously reeksofLouisiana.

An object that started in aswamp, moved to the State Capitol then outto thesuburbs,isnow missing and is the focus of thestate’stop law enforcement officer.This is truly one for the “Louisiana is different”genre of political tales.

There’sAttorney General LizMurrill, who, like literarygumshoes Sherlock Holmes or Encyclopedia Brown, doesn’tknow wherethe plank is but has fingered an unlikely suspect: former Louisiana House Speaker Clay

Schexnayder Earlier this week, prosecutors from Murrill’soffice persuaded aBaton Rouge grand jury to indict Schexnayder on counts of theft of a rare Louisiana artifact and malfeasance in office. Murrill’sbiggest clue is: The board was lastseen in Schexnayder’s district office in Gonzales.

Like any pulp fictioncrime, the boarditselfhas along and interesting history.Itbegan its life as part of a cypress tree in Lake Maurepas more than 1,000 yearsago.That tree was cut down in the1930s. The board was extracted and, in the 1950s,itwas donated to the state and hung for display in theCapitol.

On it wereengravedwords describing itsorigin. It is aone-of-a-kind piece.

Sometime in the last two decades theplank was moved to Schexnayder’s district office Schexnayder saidthe move came in 2013 and was suggested by thenSpeaker of the House Chuck Kleck-

ley, of Lake Charles, because it had been cutfromatree in what was now Schexnayder’sdistrict. Kleckleysays he hasnomemoryofmaking that suggestionand it would have been inappropriate for him to do so Murrill mayhaveidentified the responsible party,but the board’s whereabouts remain unknown. Schexnayder, who once owned an auto mechanic shop, is no Professor Moriarty.Hesayshehas no idea where it is. Nordoes the landlord of his office, who said he didn’tremove it when Schexnayderleft. Now,however,Schexnayder is facing two felony counts. Murrill’ssleuthing skills might never have been engaged if not forthe efforts of Julius Mullins, aretired doctor whose grandfather wasthe one who donated the piece to the state. Mullins asked Murrill to take the case. IhopeMurrill doesn’tstop now and pressesuntil she hasfound the board, like some sort of Cajun Miss Marple. But this is atough one. She may need outside help. Is Nancy Drew available?

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

LizMurrill andthe Case of theAncient Plank Recognitionfor

“It’s about the story,not theglory.”

That’swhat Iused to tellreporters whocame to me after astorythey wrote didn’tget the attention from readers they’d hoped for or prompt policy changes they felt were necessary to address wrongs. Istill firmly believe that. It’sworth doing good work even when there is no recognition of it.

her columns about how the rollback of abortion access has affected Louisiana women. We have heard how important this issueistoyou.

weeks of October.From Oct. 2-9, we received 74 letters.

Of course, recognition is nice. Andthe recognition that this Opinion section received recently at theAmerica’sNewspapers Conference in Colorado Springs recently was particularly gratifying.

Twoofour columnists, Faimon Roberts and Stephanie Grace, were finalists for the Carmage Walls CommentaryPrize for newspapers with over 35,000 in circulation.

We were theonly newspaper with twofinalistsinthe category. Roberts received first place for aseries of columns on rural Louisiana. Iknow many of you have enjoyed the spotlight they’ve put on little-known areas of our state. Grace received third place for

In addition, Ireceived an award for editorials outlining thenewspaper’sstand in favor of vaccines.

The America’sNewspapers, formerlySouthern Newspapers, is atrade group representing newspapers from across the country.The Carmage Walls prize is named forthe newspaperman Benjamin Carmage Walls, who owned mostly community newspapers throughouthis seven-decade career and advocated forcourageous journalism

We received our awards from his daughter Lissa Walls Cribb, CEO of Southern Newspapers, andtruly,Ifelt honored to be in such great company

It’ssometimes easy to forget, in the day-to-day,that people notice when we do our job well, not just when we make mistakes Turning to our letters inbox, Ican give you thecount forthe first two

The government shutdownthat began Oct. 1and ended last weekdominated the discussion.

We received 16 letters on the topic, with the overwhelming majority expressing frustration with members of Congress unable to come up with a compromise. Then we received three letters on the National Guard being deployed to cities, and relatedly,three letters on NewOrleans crime.

From Oct. 9-16, we received 67 letters. Again, the shutdowndominated, with seven letter writers addressing the topic. The next mostpopular topics were the peace deal President Donald Trumpnegotiated in Gaza, which was the subject of five letters, and the New Orleans mayor’srace, which wasthe subject of four

Please keep sending in your letters. Your award-winning Opinion section is always striving to be better Arnessa Garrett is Deputy Editor | OpinionPage Editor.Emailher at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com.

Arnessa Garrett

Faimon Roberts

Schexnayder

COMMENTARY

Mamdani, CarlsonbothbesmirchU.S.ideals

When Iwroteseparate columns earlier this year about how two prominent New Orleaniansofdiffering ideologies are promoting the ideals of the Declaration of Independence as its 250th birthday draws night, Ididn’t realize howwidelythose ideals are under attack.

Nationally known historian Walter Isaacson’s short book, “The Greatest Sentence Ever Written,” is due for release this week.

Laitram Industries president Jay Lapeyre, alsothe board chair of the national Cato Institute think tank, is pushing atreatise called “ThePhiladelphia Declaration for Freedom and Responsibility.”

The latter asserts not just that “a free society” is the most productive materially,but that it also is the one most conducive tothe developmentofgoodcharacter Agrowing group that claims to be on the political Right, though, is challenging America’sfounding ideals largely because they claim those ideals end up being corrosiveofgood character both private and collective. And the leftward side of the political spectrum, which never has revered

thefoundinggeneration quite so much as conservatives have, continues to further radicalize by embracing the likes of thenear-radically Islamic, essentially proto-socialist ZohranMamdani as mayor of New York. The problem is particularly acute among young voters.

ACNN exit poll showed that an astonishing 84% of women under age 30 voted for Mamdani

Large percentages of young men, though, are going in the other direction,not just voting for Donald Trumpfor president (56% of them did), butembracingaworldview thatexplicitly dismissesour foundingideals as having “failed.”

Theextreme among these young mencelebrate the increasingly unhinged andhateful Tucker Carlson or theopenly White supremacist NickFuentes —but even thesupposedly intellectual vanguard, very much including Vice PresidentJDVance, is pushing astrange set of nostrums known as“Christian nationalism” or various ideological nearrelatives.

Before going further,let’sclear

up someterminology.This nation’s founders essentially saw themselves as part of the “liberal Enlightenment,” with that original meaning of “liberal” (the samederivation as “liberated”) being related to“freedom.” Yet when New Deal Democrats adopted “liberal” as amodern ideological term related to governmentlargesse, the reaction to it becameknown as “conservative.”

Pleasenote, however,that what theReagan-conservative movementwanted to “conserve” was specifically the founders’“liberal tradition,” in the original sense. Enter political theorist Patrick Deneen (among others) who calls for a“post-liberal” order that explicitly rejectsEnlightenment liberalism (and thus Reagan conservatism too) in favor of “consistent use of statepower to effect ends of order and stability.” Essentially,this post-liberal order,with its fetish for state power,looks a lot like two-bit authoritarianism minus theopen violence.

When Deneen writes against “the liberal project,” he isn’t aiming at Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton, but instead explicitly berating American founders via gobbledygook such as this: “The liberal project is ultimately self-

contradictory,culminating in thetwin depletions of moral and material reservoirs upon which it has relied even without replenishing them.”

Adeep dive into the social media of this growing post-liberal cadre, though, showsabizarre obsession: These young, mostly white men of privilege really thinkthey are singularly burdened with economicand cultural deprivations. Apparently oblivious to the bad economy of, say, thelate 1970s, not to mention that of the 1930s —and oblivious to thefact that the freedom they belittle is the very freedom that has allowed aresurgence of the traditionalist Christianity they claim to practice —they whine about how tough their lives are. Set aside theobvious retort that these pseudointellectual whiners wouldn’tlast aweek (nor would I) in the rat-infested, drug-riddled, broken homes where children of real American poverty abide. Set aside, on theother hand, all the statistics showing that the ultravast majority of Americans enjoy material comforts unknownby 99% of humansinworld history

Instead, just consider the extreme lack of self-awareness required for awell-fed 25-year-old

to have the luxury of spending working hours pecking away on magical hand-held gizmos complaining about how woebegone he is.

Statistics and logic, unfortunately,can’tcure such aprofound deficiency of mind and spirit. Perhaps twowhole generations of Americans, or at least majorities thereof,exhibit an astonishing lack of gratitude not just for material comfort but forfreedom itself

That’swhy the projects of Isaacson and Lapeyre are so important: We must somehow re-inspire the next generations of Americans to cherish their freedom and to develop the traits of character forged by the embrace of both freedom’sgifts and its challenges. The broad American mainstream,from Harry Truman-style Democrats to Reagan-style Republicans, must be reinvigorated while the Mamdani Leftand the Carlson-Deneen Right must be re-marginalized. To anyone of good will, the importance of mainstream-American, Enlightenment liberalism is atruth that should be self-evident.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin hillyer@theadvocate.com

Johnsonwon theshutdownbut lost hisway

It’skind of aremarkable thing that the Gentleman from Benton —a relative short-timer in Washington first electedless thanadecade ago —has not only lasted more than two years as U.S House speaker,but has managed the longest government shutdown in history without losing his grip on power Give Mike Johnsonthis: His survival instincts are top-notch Andit’scertainly possible to cast Johnson as one of the 43-day shutdown’spolitical winners. His strategy of forcing aRepublican Party-line vote ona short-term spending bill andthen turning off the House’slights, sending everyone home and refusing to negotiatewiththe Senate? Well, it worked. Eight Democratic caucus senators finallycried uncle last weekend and provided the margin needed to pass the bill in the upper chamber without getting the one thing they were holding out for,anextension of COVID-era enhancedpremium tax credits for people on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But what has Johnson really won? Let’sstart with the healthcare issue, which has not at all disappeared. The tax credits are still set to expire unless Congress acts by year’send, which means some 22 million people, including

more than 280,000 in Johnson’shome state, will see the cost of their healthinsurance more than double. SenateRepublican leaders agreed to aDecember vote on an extension, but Johnson has made no such promisefor the House. There’slots of talk from Republicans, Johnson and President Donald Trump included, of coming up with an alternative that’ssomehow better and cheaper than Obamacare, but we’restill waiting —aswehave been ever since Trumppromised it in hisfirst term—onthe details. In the meantime,ifnoextension or alternative is passed,furious customers aregoing to have one partytoblame for widespread financial pain.

Andhecan deny it until thecows come home,but it’s entirely obvious that Johnson’smain motivation in keeping the House outofsession was to dodge avoteto release the files on the late convicted sex offender,accused trafficker and old Trump associate Jeffrey Epstein.

While Trumpdesperately wants to keep these filesunder wraps, thedrive to release them had just enough Republican support that Johnson resorted tousing the shutdown to justify refusing to swear in a newlyelected Democrat from Arizona who would —and this week finally did —pro-

vide thedecisive vote. That this was so high on his agenda owed to just one thing: Johnson’swillingness indeed, puppylike eagerness —touse his prominent position not to chart the House’s own path but to please thepresident. Indeed, just about everything he’sdone as speaker since Trumpreturned to the WhiteHouse has been in his service.

It’shappening in the realm of legislation,where House leadershiphas followed theexecutive branch’slead on just about everything, no matter how controversial or ill-considered, and aligned its oversight with Trump’sagenda rather than acting independently Andit’sabsolutely happening in his many public appearances. Johnson often finds himself backed intouncomfortable rhetorical corners these days, contorting himself to square his nice guy demeanor with his cynical moves.

He even sometimes adopts Trump’s taunting tone, which couldn’tbefurther from theJohnson-promised way of working with those who disagree, as expressed in the long-forgotten “Commitment to Civility” he got mostofhis fellow freshmen to sign back in 2017.

When he’snot feigning ignorance (deflecting aquestion about Trump’sclaim to “60Minutes” to know nothing of thecrypto

mogul he’d personally pardoned by saying he hadn’tseen the interview)ormaking excuses (dismissing the AI video Trump posted after the “NoKings” rally showing him dumping poop on the protesters as “satire”), Johnson’sbusy floating empty arguments about the Democrats wanting to starve hungry people even as Trumpwas fighting to deny SNAP benefits, or claiming that his refusal to swear in new Democratic U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva wasbusiness as usual, or dismissing manymillions of “NoKings” protesters as “the Marxists, the Socialists, the Antifaadvocates, the anarchists, and the pro-Hamas wing of the Far-LeftDemocratic Party.” That last comment wasstraight from the Trumpscript, and one of manysigns that Johnson’spriority is not to lead astrong coequal branch of government, but to make it asubsidiary of another.Tofollow along rather than lead. So yeah, maybe Johnson helped Trump own the libs by winning the shutdown, and maybe he’skept his job, when others have faltered, by doing the president’sbidding. But you’ve got to wonder: If the only way to stay in power is to basically abdicate it, then what, exactly,isthe point? Email StephanieGrace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Jeff Landry savesSNAP. Butwhatabout health care?

Ican’tsay for sure,but Ithink the combination of thousands of federalemployees not getting paychecks and thousandsmore not eating enough were the two reasons the 2025 shutdown ended.

Gov.Jeff Landry couldn’t do anything about the first. He could do something about the second. And he did. He deserves kudos. In the early days of the shutdown, Landry scrambled like other governors to figure out what the heck was going on as theydeterminedhow they could take care of some of our most vulnerable.

of the food stamp cardsare going to be filledfor the month of November.”

meatball, then Iwant to know specifics. Am Igetting 2cents, $2 or $200 extra?

During an interview with me on WBOK 1230 AM’s“The Good Morning Show” on Thursday morning, he said he’sone ofthe first governors to see the problem and take action. Now he’s making sure everyone who gets SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP,benefits gets what the government owes them.

“Now that the government is opened, everybody is goingto get filled,” the governor said. “All

Thatwasn’t what Iunderstood when Landry saidthat the state would come through with state funds to help most Louisiana SNAP beneficiaries. Most. Not all. In October,the governor signed an executive order specifically covering the first four days of this monthtomake sure that SNAP seniors, the disabled and children were covered, and he was explicitly clear that ablebodied adult SNAP recipients without children would not get assistance. The governor said theycould get one of the 114,000 jobs available in the state or find afood bank. Heartless. At another point, he toldme thatseniors and the disabled would get some lagniappe, my word, nothis.Hesaid “something extra.”WhenIasked what thatmeant, he couldn’tanswer Imean, if someone tells me I’m getting something extra, unless it’safamily member suggesting thatI’ll be getting one more

Landry promised to call with more information, and he did. Landry told me everyone on SNAPwould get theirbenefits. Good. Very good. He also explained what “extra” meant.

Seniorsand disabled SNAP beneficiaries who have already had 85% of their usual monthly benefit loaded ontotheir SNAP cards will get another 35%, a one-time paymenthappening as thegovernment sorts out what happened.

Landry saidonthe phone that there were manymoving parts and it was “like taking atrain and putting it on adifferent set of tracks.” Morethan 40 million people in our country receive SNAP benefitseach month. That’smore than 12% of ournation’spopulation. In Louisiana, we’ve got about 800,000 SNAP recipients. That’sabout 17% of our state’s population. According to thePew Research Center,among those who are eligible, qualified and approved

SNAPrecipients, more than 44% are non-Hispanic White people, 27% are Black andabout 22% are Hispanic. Pop! There goes that balloon thatsaysmostSNAP beneficiariesare Black.

The Louisiana Department of Health, whichoversees SNAP, has thestate divided in regions with groups of parishes. The region that hasthe largest number of SNAP recipients includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes with about 145,000 people. The Lafayette region includesAcadia, Evangeline, Iberia,Lafayette,St. Landry,St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes with about 131,000. The regionthat includes EastBaton Rouge,East Feliciana, Iberville,Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes hasabout 94,000. When the governor decided to make good on SNAP benefits as federal officials figured out what they were going to do,itwasn’t just kindness in his heart. Many SNAPrecipients are his voters. I’ll give the guv credit for putting mealsonthe tablesofSNAP recipients. But his party is refusing to extend ACA taxcredits

beyond Dec. 31. Keeping people fed is onething. Keeping them insuredisanother.When these taxcredits expire,individual premiums will likely skyrocket. What’sgoing to happen in Louisianathen, Iasked. “That’sagreat question,” he responded. “Maybe youcan get(U.S. Rep.) Troy (Carter) or some of the congressionaldelegation on the phone andtalkabout that.” Actually,I talk with Carter almost weekly.Iwelcomeconversations —onthe air, on the telephone, over acup of coffee —with anyofour congressional representatives. That includes the two most powerful men in the U.S. House of Representatives: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, andHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. Landry didn’tmention them by name.Hetoldmehecan deal with only onechaos at atime. With the SNAP chaos ending, I hope he’llget Johnson and Scalise on the phone andprevent a chaos in the making.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Quin Hillyer

Will Sutton

Stephanie Grace

Pels fire Greenafter 2-10 start

Coachwon just 23 of hislast100 games

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

The Willie Green era has come to an end. TheNew OrleansPelicans firedtheir head coach on Saturday morning. JoeDumars, executivevice presidentof the Pelicans, announcedthe decision.

Green,44, was in his fifthseason as thecoach. The Pelicans are 2-10 this season, andhis final game was Friday’s118-104loss to theLos Angeles Lakers in the Smoothie King Center

LSU, interim coachWilson pull outall stopstobeat Arkansas

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

Staff writer

Frank Wilson did not want to spend LSU’snext staff meetingwondering what thecoaches should havedonedifferently againstArkansas. They hadworked on trick plays, so when the offense continued to struggle Saturday afternoon, theydecided to use them.

Down 22-16 in the fourth quarter,LSU built adrive on doublepasses and misdirection. Three different players completed a pass, including awide receiver.The strategy worked, and on third down inside the red zone, sophomorequarterback Michael VanBuren threw ago-ahead touchdownto tight end BauerSharp.

“Are we going to leave these bullets and practice these plays andcomeback and then talk about we should have done this, we could have donethat?” Wilson said.“We’re not doing it. Empty the chamber. Use everything that we’ve practiced.”

VanBuren’s12-yard touchdown passgave LSU a23-22 lead midway through the fourth quarter,and Arkansas misseda field goal on the ensuing possession. Needing to drain the rest of theclock,Van Burenscrambled for 35 yards and freshman running back Harlem Berry picked up acritical first downto snap athree-game losing streak. LSU (6-4, 3-4 SEC) became bowl eligible with games left in the regular season against Western Kentucky and Oklahoma. Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) lost its sixth one-score game of the year.Itwas the first time interim headcoaches facedoff inside Tiger Stadium, and Wilson captured his first winasLSU’sinterimcoach after takingoverfor BrianKelly

“He’sbeen workingsohardfor thepast fewweeks to get his first W,”sophomore running back Caden Durham said. “It felt like agood team win, and my love forcoach Frank, Iwas so happy.”

VanBuren started for the first time at LSU after senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was ruled outSaturday morning. Nussmeier aggravated an abdominal injury at practice this week, Wilson said, and he spent the game insweat pants

ä See LSU, page 5C

Dumarssaidthe decision didn’t come down to wins and losses.Itwas more about how the team lost. The Pelicanslost four games by at least 20 points, and three of those losses were by atleast 30 points.

“I wasveryclear from thebeginning that therewas no mandatethatyou have to win acertainamount of games,”Dumars said.

“There wasnomandate that you have to make theplayoffs or the play-in. We have to establishwho we aregoing to be here in New Orleansgoing forward,and Ijustdidn’tsee that happening.”

Aday earlier,Pelicans owner Gayle Benson said in an interview with the Times-Picayune that she was disappointed at theway the season has started.

“Weneed to improve immediately, Benson said. “Our roster is built forsuccess right now.”

Butshe madeitclear she was leaving thatdecision up to Dumars, who was hired in April to runbasketball operations.

“I really like Willie Green,” Benson said. “But Ihired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation.And that’swhat he is doing.”

Green was asked after aWednesday night loss to thePortland Trail Blazers about how he is handling the scrutiny that has come with the team’sslow start.

The Saints and Pelicans are both offtohistorically slowstarts. Howwould you assess their respective seasons so far?

GayleBenson: Iamobviously not happy. Iamdisappointed, andI would expect ourfanstoalso be disappointed. Whatweestablished over thelast two decades withthe Saints was awinning organization with theexpectation to compete for championships every year That is ourgoal,and that hasnot changed. ThatiswhatIexpect, anditiswhatour fans expect. Thereisthe realitythat both leagues have rules to create parity and opportunity,such as the salary cap, and Icertainly understand resetting that cap andrebuilding, but nevertheless, Iwant to win. My role is to hirethe bestpeople Ican and give them theresources they need to win. It is alsomyjob to hold them accountableifweare not meeting ourgoals. My expectations for the Pelicans are the same.

How disappointed are you with the Saints’ season? GB: I’m very disappointed, as everybody is. Butwe’re in arebuilding mode. (General manager) Mickey (Loomis) said this from the very

beginning of the season. But, look, I understand how fans feel. Ireally do. And Ifeel bad forthe fans, but we told everybody in the beginning, this wasgonna be atough year,and it has been atough year.They just need to be patient. And Iknow it’shard to ask them to be patient, but all of us are disappointed. Imean, the whole office over here is disappointed. But we can’tjust jump ship just because we’re having ahorrible season. It doesn’twork that way.We’re gonna have good times. We’re gonna have bad times. And I’m hoping fans will understand. But they need to know that I’m very upset and very disappointed, probably more so than them. Because I’m taking the brunt of this. But Istill want them to know that Ireally care, and I’m doing everything Ican. Imean, I’m giving them (the teams) every resource. Iput all that money into the

Willie Green AP PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU linebacker Princeton Malbrue, left,and offensivelineman HayesFuqua carryThe Boot trophywith other teammates after defeating Arkansas 23-22 on Saturdayat TigerStadium.

On TV

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8:30 a.m. Washington vs. Miami,MadridNFLN

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2p.m.NWSL: NJ/Ny at Orlando ABC TENNIS

8a.m.ATP Finals: Doubles Final Tennis

11 a.m. ATPFinals: Singles Final Tennis

Green’sstrongstart fizzled in end

Willie Green’stime in New Orleans will be remembered a lot like so many of the games he coached.

He got off to agood start.But in the end, he couldn’thold on to that early lead.

Southeasterndefense

smothersIncarnate Word

SAN ANTONIO— Carson Camp threw for199 yards anda touchdown, and Southeastern put togethera strong defensive performance to beat Incarnate Word 10-7onSaturday. Southeastern scored the opening 10 points on a22-yard field goal by Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez and Camp’s37-yard connection with Deantre Jackson on the opening drive of the secondhalf. Incarnate Word covered 99 yards in 10 plays to getonthe boardwith Timothy Carter’s1-yard run with 4:21 remaining in the fourth. After Southeastern went three-and-out, Incarnate Word went 61 yards in 11 plays to setupa 38-yard field-goal attempt that deflected off the crossbar with seven seconds left.

Southeastern (8-3, 6-1 Southland) secured its first win in SanAntonio since 2016.

Green was fired Saturday morning, 12 games into his fifth season as Pelicanscoach Truth be told, Joe Dumars didn’t have to bring Green back this season. Dumars, hired in April as the executive vice president of basketball operations, could have looked at Green’s21-61record last season and said “No thanks.”

Instead, Dumars looked atthe season before that when Green —with ahealthy roster and more importantly ahealthy Zion Williamson —led the Pelicanstothe second-most victories in franchise history

It was fair to give him another shot.

Judge Green on his entire body of work and not justonone injury-riddled season that would have been hard for even icons such as Phil Jackson or Red Auerbach to endure.

See what Green could do witha healthy roster and anew boss.

Could Green get back to being the promising young coach whose wintotals increased in each of hisfirst three seasons from 36 to 42 to 49? Or was last season just the beginningofthe end?

It took Dumars just 12games to find his answer

The Pelicans lost their first six games, then managed to wintwo before losing four more.

After seeing the blowoutsand lack of effort in most of those games, Dumars had seen enough. He could live with the lack of wins, but it wasthe lackofeffort from the team that did Green in.

“Weflat out have to establish who we are going to be,” Dumars said Saturday.“We just can’t go out and play and go up anddown andnot have an identity.”

The Pelicans are oneofthe worst teams in the league. They lostthree of their first six games by 30points or more. It was time to move in anew direction. The fans are so frustrated thatmany already havequiton the season with five monthstogo.

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

“The main thing for me is control what Ican control,” he said. “Continue to put the focus on pouring into our players, pouring into our staff. Itotally understandthe frustration. We are frustrated as well. We wanttogoout andsteponthe floor,and we want to compete every night. We want to compete every night and have achance to win more games.”

That chance is now over for Green.

James Borrego, who hasbeen an assistant under Green since 2023, will serve as interim head coach. Borrego spent three seasons as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets staring in 2018.

“Wehave faith in James Borregoasthe interimcoach,” Dumars said. “He has satinthe head coachingseat before in the NBA, so he understands the job.” Dumars said the plan is for Borrego to coach the remaining 70 games, beginning with Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors at the Smoothie King Center ThePelicansfinished 21-61 last season under Green. It was the second-worst record in an 82game season in franchise history The 2004-05 team finished 18-64.

Even more damaging was that the players seemed to quiton their coach. Green didn’tjustall of asuddenforget how to coach after those first three seasons when he became one of just three coaches in franchise history to lead the team to two playoff appearances Byron Scott and Monty Williams were the others. Somewhere between those first three seasons and now, Green was unable toconnect with his players. They played as if they no longerbelieved in him. His messagewas no longergetting through.

Once acoach loses the locker room, the losses on the scoreboard will follow.Tobefair Green wasn’talways dealtthe best hand. Williamson played in only 134 of the 340 games Green coached. During the injury-filled 2024-25 season, Green had to reshuffle the decknight in andnight out, using 47 different starting lineups.

Some ofitwas on himthough, particularly howhis teams so often failed to finish games. Greenwill land on hisfeet and find anNBA job as soon as he starts looking. Good things happento goodpeople.

But the team’slackluster play this season couldn’tbeoverlooked,and it didn’ttakelong for Dumars to see change was needed

“Wecan’t sit on ourhands,”Dumars said. “And we can’t sithere and(say) ‘it’sgoing to getbetter oneday.’ Status quo is nevergoingtobeacceptable.”

The good news is thereare 70 games remaining.

“Don’tgive up on us,” Pelicans forward Trey Murphy said. “… We obviously understand the hole we areinright now.But we also know it’sa long season and we have 70 games left. We can turn this thing around.”

Murphy has seen it done before. During his rookie season, which was alsoGreen’sfirst season, the Pelicans started 1-12. They ended up making the playoffs and pushing the No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns to asix-game, first-round series. It’ll be up to James Borrego, who was elevated from assistant to interim head coach, to orchestrate thattype of turnaround this season.

The key will be whether he can get those same guys who often played without effort for Green to play with effortfor him

Borrego went through his first

Pelicans coach Willie Green questions areferee’scall during the second half of agame against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at the Smoothie King Center.Green was fired Saturdayfollowinga2-10start to the season.

Green was hiredasheadcoach in July 2021 by David Griffin, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations at the time. Griffinwas fired in Apriland replaced by Dumars. Despite the Pel’sstruggles last season,Dumars decided to bring Green back.

“I’mlookingforwardtogoing forward and working with Willie and to pushustosuccess,” Dumars said in May. “You’ve got to

set thebar.And that’swhat we’re going to do.” Dumars went on to saythatPelicans fans would be proud of the product on the floor this season.

“The styleofplay—resilience, toughness, playing hard, never quit —that’s what we want people to see right away,” Dumarssaid. That wasn’tthe case at all this season. Green finishes witha150-190 record. He went23-77 in hislast

practice as head coach Saturday He had asimple message to his team.

“Get their heads up,” Borrego said. “(Get their) spirts right. Find the confidence.Challenge them. We own this. We’ve got to be better. All of us.Including me.We’ve got to be better in our leadership, our play on the court. Our focus. We have time to improve.”

Borrego will get tested early

His first three games, all at home, are againstthe GoldenState Warriors (Sunday), the Oklahoma City Thunder (Monday) and the Denver Nuggets (Wednesday).

“Let’s go,” Borrego said. “Throw us in the fire. If you want to be in the fire, here’sthe fire.”

The only thing hotter in the Smoothie King Center this season was the seat Greenoccupied. That seat was blazing after the team’s 0-6 start. After returning home from aroad trip afterthat sixth loss, Green’smessage to the team was“turningthe page.”

Six games later,Dumars delivered asimilar message, turning thepage.

Andclosing the book on Green in New Orleans.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

100 games. He led thePelicanstothe playoffs in his first season, the playin tournament his second season and then the playoffs again in the 2023-24 season.Ofthe 340 regular-seasongames Green coached, ZionWilliamson (his best player) played in only134 of them.

The 49-33 record in the 2023-24 season tied for the second-most wins in franchise history Last season,the Pelicans were hit hard by injuries and never could recover.Because of injuries, Green used 47 different lineups ayear ago. Green is just the second coach in franchise history fired during the season. The only other onewas Byron Scott, fired after a3-6 start to the2009-10 season.

“I have tremendous admiration andrespect for Willie Green,” Benson saidinastatement Saturdaymorning. “And Itruly appreciateall he has done forour organization over the last few years. This is atough business and these aredifficultdecisions. My expectation is to be awinning team that competes forchampionships and Iremainsteadfast in our commitment to building a championship-caliber organization for our players, partners and above all, our fans.”

Email RodWalkerat rwalker@theadvocate.com.

Alcaraz, Sinner to meet with ATPFinalsonline TURIN, Italy Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been playing each other nearlyall year for the biggest titles in tennis. There’sone moreimportant trophy up for grabs Sunday: the ATP Finals

The top-ranked Alcaraz beat Felix Auger-Aliassime6-2, 6-4 and No. 2 Sinnerdefeated AlexdeMinaur 7-5, 6-2before his Italianhome crowd in thesemifinalsonSaturday to set up another meeting between the two players who have distanced themselvesfrom therest of the field

Alcaraz already has secured the year-ending No.1ranking but will be contesting his first final at the event forthe year’stop eight players. Sinnerwill be playing in his third consecutive finaland aiming for his second consecutive trophy

Nicholls wins tight battle againstNorthwesternState ShaneLee’s 4-yard touchdown run in themiddle of thefourth quarter —his third touchdown of the game —was the only score of the second half, lifting Nicholls State to a26-21 victoryoverNorthwestern State on Saturday night in Thibodaux. NorthwesternStatetooka 2119 halftimelead when Ty Moore caught a6-yard touchdown pass from Abram Johnston. The short drive wasset up whenJoe Natali recovered amuffedpunt at the 36yard line. Nicholls’go-ahead score capped a12-play,66-yard drive that nearly ended when the Demons’ Ja’Marion Bonner returned an interception 79 yards to the 1-yard line. But the play was negated by offsetting penalties, and Lee scored four plays later

McIlroy shares third-round lead at DP WorldTour event

DUBAI,UnitedArabEmirates— Rory McIlroyemerged from awild afternoon at the DP WorldTour Championshipwiththree birdies over his last five holesSaturdayfor a4-under 68,giving him ashare of the lead with Rasmus NeergaardPetersen of Denmark as he closes in on afourth straight Race to Dubai title The final hour at the Jumeirah Golf Estatesfeaturedaneight-way tie forthe lead at onepoint. Nicolai Hojgaard startedthe thirdround with the lead and his twin brother became one of the leaders by the afternoon

When the third round ended, McIlroy and Neergaard-Peterson (68) were at 13-under203,one shot clear of Tyrrell Hatton and five other players.

Pacersforward Nesmith to miss at least amonth

Indiana Pacerscoach RickCarlisle said that Aaron Nesmith will miss at leasta monthwitha left kneeinjury The forward washurt in the Pacers’ loss at Phoenix on Thursday. All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was lost for the season to atorn Achillestendonsufferedin Game 7ofthe NBAFinals. Forward BennedictMathurin scored 31 points in two games before being sidelined by atoe injury Shooting guard AndrewNembhard just returned after missing sixgames with ashoulder injury Topreserve Obi Toppin wasaveraging 14 pointsinthree games before going down witha stress fracture in his right foot. Nesmith wasaveraging acareerbest 15.5 points and4.5 rebounds in 11 games.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Pelicans associatehead coach James Borrego, center,and head coach Willie Green,right, watch as the team takesonthe Portland Trail Blazers at the Smoothie King Center on Wednesday

Rod Walker

TULANE 35,FLORIDA ATLANTIC 24

THREEAND OUT: JEFF DUNCAN’S TOPTAKEAWAyS FROM TULANE’S WIN

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

1

Thanks to the win and South Florida’sloss to Navy,Tulane nowcontrols its owndestiny in the American Conference.At8-2 and 5-1in theAmerican, the Green Wave is the favorite to host thechampionship game on Dec. 5. If Tulane wins its final twogames against Temple (5-5, 3-3) andCharlotte (1-9, 0-7), the Wave likely will earn the highest CollegeFootball Playoff ranking and accompanyingright to host the championship game. It would be the third time in the past four years that Tulane has hosted the game. Few would have envisioned thatbeing apossibility two weeks agoafterthe Wave lost 48-26 to UTSA.

2

WAVE DEFENSE SHINED

The box score won’tshowit, but this was an impressivedefensiveperformance. The defense surrendered itsshare of yards and first downstoFAU’s high-powered offense but made up for it with bigplays.Tulane forced four turnovers and produced apivotal goal-linestand late in the second quarter.The Owls finishedthe game with advantages in yards (472-403), first downs (33-21) and plays(86-64) but couldn’t overcome the turnovers. BaileyDespanie, Isaiah Wadsworthand Jahiem Johnson each had an interception of Caden Veltkamp, whoset aschool record forattempts (57) and completions (39) in thegame.

3

HAPPY HOMECOMING

The game cappedabig weekendon Tulane’s campus.A selloutcrowd of 30,000 packed yulman Stadium as Tulane celebrated homecomingfestivities withthe bigwin againstFloridaAtlantic.The Green Wave christened the occasion by wearing its city-edition uniforms, which included aplain light-blue jersey featuring several NewOrleansthemed touches suchaswrought-iron trimand Mardi Gras bead decals.The helmet featured cracks on alight-graybaseimitating the city’s sidewalks.The sellout was theeighthinTulane’s 12-year historyatyulman

Tulane defensiveback TJ Smithgoes for an interception on apass intended for Florida Atlantic wide receiverAsaad Waseem on Saturdayatyulman Stadium. The Green Wave won35-24 to improve to 8-2overall and 5-1 in the American Conference

POSITIONIMPROVES

Tulane handlesFlorida Atlantic,stays on trackinAmericanConference

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

Given an assist it needed when Navy upset South Floridaearlier in the day,Tulane went outand helped itself for homecoming Jake Retzlaff passedfor two touchdowns andran foranother as the Green Wave tookcareof Florida Atlantic35-24 in front of asellout crowd Saturday at Yulman Stadium. Just two weeks after adismal defeat at Texas-San Antonio,Tulane (8-2,5-1) suddenly appears to control its own destiny in the race for the American Conferencechampionship gameand maybe even the host role. This much is certain: The Wave can guarantee at least atie for the best conference record by winning at Temple and beating Charlotte at home to close the regularreason Therest is reasonable conjecture. North Texas, Navy and East Carolina also have one league loss, but South Florida —which on Tuesday became the first Groupof Five conference teamtocrack the College Football Playoff selection committee’stop 25 this season was the only team that clearly had an advantage on theWave in potential tiebreakers.

The Bulls no longerare tied at thetop,not that Tulane coachJon Sumrall cares.

“I’m reallythrilled thatour guys stayed focused on thetask at hand,” he said. “I’ve hadpeople ask me about tiebreakers and all that stuff. Just win afreaking game. If you worryabout what could be way out in front, you get lost about what’sright in front.”

Tulane was in front allthe way after scoring firstand ledbydouble digits for the last two-and-ahalf quarters, going ahead for good right after defensive back Shaun Nicholas recovered amuffed punt at the Florida Atlantic 14 The first of four Owls’turnovers set up wideout Jimmy Calloway’s touchdown on the next playwhen he scored untouched on ajet sweep at the 6:38mark of thefirst quarter

defensiveback

BryceBohanon’s 29-yard, fourthdown touchdown catch on adeep pass down the sideline madeit 14-3 on thefirst play of the second quarter

“Whencoach calledthatplay, I knewBryce was going to be open, and if he wasn’t, Istill knewhewas going to make that play,”Retzlaff said. “Obviously,hemade agreat catch over theshoulder for the touchdown. It’s funtobeableto rely on aguy like that.”

Florida Atlantic, which entered as the FBSleader in fourth-down attempts(49)bya widemargin stayedtruetoformbygoing for sixmore(converting four),but Tulane’sthreeconversionsinthree fourth-down tries proved more significant.

The lastone came when tight end Justyn Reid went in motion and shoved Retzlaff forward in the Wave’sversion of the tush push, getting afirst down at its own 44 on theway to Retzlaff’s clinching 1-yard touchdown run with 4:30 left for a35-16 lead.

“Weused the analytics stuff, Sumrall said about the fourthdown call. “I don’talways go by it, but if we can’tget 1yard on fourth and 1, we don’tdeserve to win a dadgum game.Get ayard, one

American yard. It’snot hard.” Tulane gave up aton of yards while Florida Atlantic quarterback CadenVeltkamp set school and Yulman Stadium records for completions (39) andyards passing (375), but most of those numbers were hollow. The Wave defense, whichwas on thefield for aseasonhigh 86 downs, bent repeatedly before breaking theOwls’ hearts.

Six FAUdrives to midfield or better produced 10 pointsthrough threequarters before it scored two touchdowns while down three scores in the fourth quarter

After theOwlsmoved to the Tulane 27 on the game’sopening drive,cornerback E’Zaiah Shine deflected adeep passand safety

Bailey Despanie grabbed the rebound for an interception in the corner of the end zone. Alittle later,the Wave stiffened when the Owls had first and goal at the 7, forcing ashort field goal attemptafter afalse start kept them from going for it on fourthdown from the2

TheOwls drove to the Tulane 2 again the next time theyhad the ball, but cornerback Jahiem Johnson forced wideoutEaston Messer outofbounds at the1onthird down withatremendous play,and

Practice bubble nearing completion

BY GUERRYSMITH Contributing writer

An inflated bubble greeted Tulane fans whoheaded for homecoming on the Claiborne Avenue side of Yulman Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Better late than never The Green Wave’smultisport indoor practice facility,originally was expectedtobeready around the beginning of the season, is nearing completion but likely will not be finished until thenew year.OnFriday, athletic director David Harris provided an update of the progress on the Tulane website.

“Wehave recently inflated the facility forthe first time, which allows for the necessary remaining worktooccur,” Harris wrote. “This includes the installation of turf, coaches’ filming cameras,graphics and cleaning of the interior andthe exterior of the facility

“Weanticipate the project reaching completion in the next fewmonths.Your patience and support are greatly appreciated as we continue to invest in the future of Tulane athletics.” Tulane coach JonSumrall has been patient publicly withthe delay,saying the key to winning in modern college football is NIL infrastructure rather than facilities

Still, he has added it would be beneficial to travel about 200 yardsfrom the locker room to the practice facility in the event of inclement weather for practice rather thanhavingto take buses to the Saints Indoor practice facility or the Caesar’s Superdome, provided theyare available.

Conveniently,uncharacteristically good weather has not created the need forthe Tulane football team to practiceindoors more thanoncethis season.

Targeting?

Tulane 35, Florida Atlantic 24 FAU3 70 14 —24 Tulane 7147 7— 35

First quarter TUL —Calloway14run (Durkin kick),6:38. FAU—FGG.Smith 25, 2:06. Second quarter TUL —Bohanon 29 pass from Retzlaff (Durkin kick), 14:54. FAU—Platt 4passfromVeltkamp (G.Smith kick), 11:06. TUL —A.Miller 14 pass from Retzlaff (Durkin kick), 7:08. Thirdquarter TUL —McClure8run (Durkin kick), 1:00. Fourth quarter FAU—Shields-Dutton 1run (passfailed), 11:09. TUL —Retzlaff 1run (Durkin kick), 4:30. FAU—Messer 12 pass from Veltkamp(Waseem pass from Veltkamp), 1:49. A—30,000 FAUTUL First downs 32 21 Total Net Yards472 403 Rushes-yards29-97 37-162

Passing 375 241

Punt Returns 1-20-0 Kickoff Returns 0-02-42

Interceptions Ret. 1-83-10

Comp-Att-Int 39-57-318-27-1

Sacked-YardsLost1-111-8

Punts 1-31.0 4-47.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-10-0

Penalties-Yards 4-28 7-84

Time of Possession30:20 29:40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING FAU, Shields-Dutton 10-54, Sands 13-50, Veltkamp 6-(minus 7).Tulane, McClure10-94, Brown-Stephens 1-15, Calloway 1-14, Gordon 5-14, Mobley 5-13, Sullivan 5-7, Barnes 1-6, Retzlaff 7-1, (Team) 2-(minus 2). PASSING FAU, Veltkamp 39-57-3-375. Tulane, Retzlaff 18-27-1-241. RECEIVING FAU, Waseem 11-60, Messer 9-133, Henry6-78, Sands 5-38, Platt3-22, Hoch 2-23, Shields-Dutton 2-12, Kirch 1-9. Tulane, Bohanon3-56, Brown-Stephens 3-52, Pascuzzi3-52, Preston 3-29, Hayes2-15, Reid 1-15, Miller 1-14,Calloway1-6,Z.Lewis1-2 MISSED FIELD GOALS —None.

Veltkamp was stopped short of the goal line on afourth-down keeper Backup cornerback IsaiahWadsworth intercepteda fade at the Tulane 1tostop another promising FAUdrive. Nothing changed in the second half. Nickelback Javion White tipped apass that Johnson picked offinTulane territory —Veltkamp’sFBS-leading 14th interception.Linebacker Makai Williams tackledwideout Asaad Waseem fora6-yardlossonfourthand 3 from theWave 43. “Weknew going in they were going to have alot of passing yards andwewere going to give up some catches,” White said. “But us being able to finish and persevere is what we’re more proud of.

Tulane safety BaileyDespanie was ejected fortargeting in the secondquarter after making a big third-down hit on an incomplete pass.Byrule, the call was reviewed and upheld, causing Sumrall to go ballistic on the sideline.

He was more circumspect after the game.

“I’m nothere to argue anyof that,” he said. “Itmay have been agood call or abad call. We’ll figureitout.”

Theejection left Tulane thin in the secondaryagainstthe third-most prolific pass offense in the FBS, but normalreserves stepped up. KevinAdams tied his season high with sixtackles. IsaiahWadsworth had his first interception of the year LJ Green brokeupa deeppass on the sideline.

“Wehad so many bumps and bruises,I was looking at who do we have left to put in?” Sumrall said. “That’s achallenging offense and we knew that turnover margin was going to be critical.”

Tulane was plus-three in takeaways after Florida Atlantic entered at minus-12

Despanie, who had to sit out the second half, will be back for next Saturday’sgameatTemple. He also was the previous Wave player ejected fortargeting, at Oklahoma last season.

Don’tleave

Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff enjoyedthe secondsellout crowd of the season (and eighth in Yulman Stadium’s12years) but offered asuggestion to the students who leftindroves early “It was agreat environment tonight,but I’llkeep challenging those student to show up,” he said. “When we went up a couple of touchdowns,Ilooked over and alot of them had gone down the street probably.When thoseguys show up, they can make areal difference and give us acompetitive advantage TheDuke gamewas thehighlight. Theycaused alot of false starts.

Tulane

BaileyDespanie, left, celebrates his interception with safety Jack Tchienchou during the first half.

LSU23, ARKANSAS 22

BOXSCORE

Nussmeiercan’t go againstArkansas

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

GarrettNussmeier’s lingering abdominal injury forced him to miss agame for thefirst time Saturday when LSU defeated Arkansas2322 in TigerStadium

Interim coach Frank Wilson said he’s “not quite sure” howthe injury affects thefifth-year senior quarterback’savailability for the rest of theseason.OnSaturday, LSU started sophomore Michael Van Buren in his place, and he broke off alate35-yardrun thathelped seal the victoryonthe last drive of the game

T.Green11-19-2-165. LSU,Van Buren 21-31-0-221,

Z.Thomas 0-1-0-0.

Sharpe 4-65, Platt 2-26, Crutchfield 1-26, Blake 1-17,C.Brown 1-16, Hill 1-9, Washington 1-6. LSU, Z.Thomas 6-80, Ba.Brown3-44, Durham 3-34, Berry 3-24, Parker 2-16, Johnson2-1, T.Green1-14, Sharp 1-12, Hill 1-10 MISSEDFIELD GOALS—Arkansas, Starzyk 48.

“Wepracticed up untilyesterday to seeiftherewas an opportunity that was potentially if we got in an emergency situation,”Wilsonsaid, “and (Nussmeier) was not able to do so,and sowe’ll continue to monitor him day by day,week by week to see hisprogress.”

LSU faced the Razorbacks with only oneactivescholarship quarterback. Redshirt freshman Colin Hurley is thirdonthe depth chart, but he’saway from the team for personalreasons, according to a team spokesperson. He also did notmake the trip with LSU to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the previous week.

VanBuren operated theoffense well in Nussmeier’sabsence. He completed21of31pass attempts for221 yards and atouchdown whilealsorushing 10 times for 55 yards. He wassackedfour times

Wilson has indicated that Van Buren is willing to burn his redshirt season. So far, the Mississippi Statetransfer has appeared in fourgames, whichmeansthat if he plays in either of LSU’slast tworegular-season contests, then this yearwillcount toward his four years of eligibility. Bowl games do notcount toward the redshirt limit.

VanBurenhas started nine gamesinhis career

“He started off alittle slow,”Wilsonsaid,“but he got going, and he gotcomfortable.

“I was proudofhim. Ithought he played admirably and got the game to apoint wherehewas able to affect change and dictate for our football team.”

Amilestone win Wilsonisnow the firstBlack

head coach to leadLSU football to awin.

The Tigers never have had a full-time Black head coach.In 2022, current offensive linecoach Brad Davis led LSU to aTexas Bowl lossagainst Kansas State as an interim coach, becoming the first Black man to ever serve as head coach of theTigersinany capacity Wilsonbecame thesecondwhen LSU fired coach Brian Kelly on Oct. 26.

“I recognize, Iacknowledge those who have knocked on the door andhoped foropportunities as African-American coaches for many years,” Wilson said. “I stand on the shouldersofthose men who aregiants. I’m very fortunate, I’m veryproud, I’m very humble to be in aposition to be able to help this team earn avictory.”

Weekssitsagain

LSUlinebacker Whit Weeks missed his fourth straight game Saturday with abone bruise in

his ankle. Weeks, ajunior, firstsuffered the injury in the Tigers’ Sept. 27 losstoOle Miss. Wilson said Thursday that LSUwould give hima game-timedecision designation, but the Tigers instead ruledhim out of action Friday

This season, Weeks has appeared in only sixgames, and he’splayeda full share of snaps in just five. In LSU’sWeek 3win over Florida,hewas flaggedfor targeting and disqualified on the first defensive series of the contest. Weeks recorded 125 tackles in 2024. This year,hehas only 29.

LSU also ruled out defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux, receiver Nic Anderson and left tackle TyreeAdams against the Razorbacks.

Rare game

LSU’smeeting with Arkansas kicked off at 11:45 a.m. It wasthe 638thgameever played in Tiger Stadium, but just the 17th (2.6%) to begin before noon.

Thematchup also marked the first time that Tiger Stadium had staged agamebetween two teams that were led by interim coaches. Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman wasfired Sept. 28. Arkansas then promoted offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino to interim coach, giving him asecond chance to lead the program. He served as its head coach from 2008-11 —an abbreviatedtenurethatended on the heels of aCotton Bowl win and revelations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a25-year-old team staff member LSU nowhas played two games under Wilson —one win and one loss. More than three-fourths (77%) of allthe games thatTigerStadium hashosted have begunat night. LSU is 362-113-13 in those contests, and now 13-4 in home games that have kickedoff before noon. WilsonAlexandercontributed to this report.

WinoverArkansasnicereprieveinlostseason

For decades, Metro-GoldwynMayer’smotto was “Ars Gratia Artis” —Latin for “artfor art’s sake.” Saturday afternoon in the bright, balmy November sunshine in Tiger Stadium, LSUheld off Arkansas to win 23-22. Afterward its players lugged TheBoot supposedly the heaviesttrophy in college football, under the goalposts and onto the field withsuch delight you would have thought it was the grandprize for winning the Southeastern Conference or College Football Playoff. The Tigers will get nowhere near those spoilsthis season. But sometimes awin for winning’ssake —especially after your season has been blown to smithereens by three losses in the previous four games —can mean so much.

LSU’sperformance Saturday had the hallmarks of so manyof the Tigers’ games this season They found themselves in a14-0 first-quarter hole after ablocked punt for atouchdown, acouple of three-and-out drives anda defense that again avoided adualthreat quarterback runninga simple keeper right up the middle like he was Kryptonite.

If you had to make asnapjudgment with four minutes left in the first quarter,you’d have said LSU was mailing it in.

Youwould have been wrong. Maybe in the national scopeof things—asteams all over the map wage late-season battles with immense playoff implications— it seemed as though simplyplaying for pride was something the Tigers wanted no part of. That wasn’tthe case. LSU matched mounting adversity —program-wide upheaval, the

inability of starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and star linebacker WhitWeekstoplay,that early blocked puntTD, acunning Arkansas offense that grew fat gobbling up big chunks of yardage —with determination. With fight.Dare we say with courage?

“It tested our resolve,” said interim coach Frank Wilson, who made history as thefirst Black coach to lead LSUfootball to a victory. “It makes you look in the mirror to see what you’re made of.”

Virtually the entire college football world thought going into this season that LSUwas made of players and coaches to be an SEC and national championship contender.It turned out apersistently anemic offense was the first

low rumble of an avalanche of issues that by midseason cost not only head coach Brian Kelly and offensive coordinator Joe Sloan their jobs but also took down athletic director Scott Woodward. He was the man who signed Kelly four years ago to that contract that currently has LSU on the hook for abuyout bigger than the annual GDP of Albania. Distractions and disruptions alone could have been enough to sink LSU’spirogue against an Arkansas team that while winless in the SEC put up offensive numbers it would take the Tigers two games, minimum, to match Instead, they made the winning plays. Twointerceptions off of dangerous dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green and afumble

recovery.A goal-line stand in the northend zone just yards away from The Boot trophy,with Jacobian Guillory and West Weeks combining to stuff Green just inches away from the end zone. It was inspired stuff.The kind of stuff, at least for one afternoon, that madeall the losses and disappointments and firings melt away “That’s what you live for,”Guillory said. “Welove to play with each other.Wedon’tcare what anyone else says.”

Then there was the plucky play of sophomore quarterback Michael VanBuren, Nussmeier’sreplacement. After arocky start he settled in,throwing for221 yards and atouchdownand rushing for 36 more, mostofitona35-yard

keeper that helped LSU —clutch the Mardi Gras beads —rely on its typically jaundiced ground gametorun the final 5:08 off the clock after Arkansas missed a potential go-ahead 48-yard field goal.

“Going out there and fighting adversity to get the first win(as an LSU starter) feels amazing,” VanBuren said.

There’splenty of adversity and issues still to overcome.

LSU (6-4, 3-4 SEC) probably will be about atwo-touchdown favorite next weektofinish the homeslate with awin over Western Kentucky,but whowill be the quarterback? Wilson described Nussmeier as day to day and week to week. When he can play and how effective he can be after re-aggravating his abdominal injury in practice Thursday is anyone’sguess.

The thousands of empty seats in Tiger Stadium on Saturday symbolized the focus not on this playing-out-the-string contest but the ongoing search forKelly’s replacement. Who will that be? It’s not likely to be Wilson, though after Saturday’svictory he’sprobably earned at least acourtesy interview

Next season, there’sagood chance that the new LSU coach will be leading the Tigers against Arkansas, one of their three annual opponents, in agame that is shifted back to Thanksgiving weekend. The Tigers hope that by then they will be playing for something meaningful again in November

For now,awin forwinning’s sake will have to suffice. In many ways on this particular Saturday after all that has happened at LSU over the past fewweeks, it did. For more LSUsports updates, signupfor ournewsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Scott Rabalais

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier,center,listens on aheadset while on the sidelineinthe second quarter of the game against Arkansas on Saturday at TigerStadium

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU poses withThe Boot trophy after defeating Arkansas on SaturdayatTiger Stadium.

LSU23, ARKANSAS 22

THREEAND OUT: SCOTTRABALAIS’

NOTSOSPECIAL

1

CHANGE AT THETOP

Garrett Nussmeier couldn’t go at quarterbackSaturday, opening the door for MichaelVan Burentomakehis first startfor LSU.Against adreadful Arkansas defense, LSU had to fight for pointsand again couldn’t crackthat 25-point barrier against aPower Fourteam.That said,Van Buren had astronggame, throwing for 221 yards and atouchdown andrushing for 36 net yards with a35-yard scramble that Nussmeierprobably couldn’t have made

2

The LSU special teams have regressed as the season has progressed.Theyput the Tigers in aholeearly when twoArkansas players brokethrough to block Grant Chadwick’spunt afterLSU’s first drive, resulting in atouchdown by Caleb Wooden. Kickoffspecialist Aeron Burrell also hooked twokickoffs out of bounds, setting up the Razorbacks at their 35. Still, the Tigers overcame allofthat thankstoastellar dayby Damian Ramos (three field goals, twoextra points).

3

BEND,DON’T BREAK

The LSUdefense gave up eight plays of 16 yards or more to acrafty Arkansas offense.But what counted evenmore wasthe Tigers’ abilitytohold when the game was on theline. LSUforcedthree turnovers —two interceptions of Taylen Green and afumble recovery—and also stuffedthe Razorbacks quarterback inches fromthe endzone on fourth and goal.Victimizedbyseveral dual-threat quarterbacks, it was sweet redemption fora Whit Weeks-less defense.

REDSHIRT OFFHIS BACK

QB VanBuren decidestohelpLSU over preserving an extraseason

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Michael VanBuren had adecisionto make.

He couldsit out thefinal four gamesof LSU’slost 2025 season and preservehis redshirt status or burn thatopportunity and play,using the end ofthe year as a showcase for LSU’snext coaching staff or somewhere else.

Interim coach Frank Wilson leftthe choice up to the sophomore quarterback.

“Whatever Iwanted to do, he was going to roll with it,” VanBuren said.“I was grateful to him forthat.”

VanBuren decided to play,acommitment that may be questionable to some but was roundly rewarded Saturday in LSU’s23-22 win over Arkansas inTiger Stadium.

In his first start forthe Tigers, playing in place of injured fifth-year senior Garrett Nussmeier,Van Burenwas 21-of-31 passing for 221 yards anda touchdown

“It’sahuge responsibility forthe quarterback of the LSU Fighting Tigers togo into that arena,” Wilson said. “Our fans are the best in the world. Our fans can be tough sometimes as well. And so he knew what was in front of him.”

VanBuren may have earned the starting nod even if it weren’tfor Nussmeier’s injury.Van Buren replaced Nussmeier in the third quarterlast week against Alabama, completing5 of 11 throws for 52 yards in a20-9 loss.

Nussmeierwas out because he reaggravated hisabdominalinjuryinpractice Thursday.Itwas the same ailment that affected Nussmeier’splaythrough the first half of this season. Wilson said after Saturday’sgame thatLSU tried to see if Nussmeier could playincaseofan emergency,but he wasn’table to suit up.

“We’ll continue to monitor (Nussmeier) day by day,week by week,”Wilson said, “to see his progress.”

VanBuren missed on three of his first four pass attempts, but then he found arhythm. He completed 10 of his next 11 throws, five of which wentfor afirst down. His efficiencyhelped LSU find the end zone on its third drive, ascore that cut LSU’sdeficit to 14-7.

His longest completion went for 34

while wearing aheadset. VanBuren completed 68% (21 of 31) of his throws for 221 yards and one touchdown.

“He started off alittleslow,”Wilson said, “but he got going and he got comfortable.”

Even against the worst defense in the SEC, the LSU offense struggled for most of the game. It gave up four sacks and eight tackles for loss. It started 4of12onthird down. Most of its drives sputtered out, and it made mistakes that led to field goals or punts. All of that contributedtoAr-

MICHAEL JOHNSON

STAFFPHOTO By

LSUquarterback Michael VanBuren sets up in the pocket looking for areceiver in the second quarter of agame against Arkansas on SaturdayatTiger Stadium.

yards down the left sideline to Zavion Thomas in thethird quarter

VanBuren was at his bestinthe fourth quarter.Hehelped construct a 12-play,92-yardtouchdown drive that gave LSUa23-22 lead with 7:53 remaining. He connected on five passes during theseries,including a21-yard throw to senior wide receiver Barion Brown on athird and10and a12-yard touchdown pass to fifth-year senior tight end Bauer Sharp.

On the next drive, with LSU’slead still just apoint, VanBuren kept acritical clock-eating drivealive with a35-yard scrambleonsecond and16. Theseries resulted in LSU burning out the rest of the clock to secure thewin.

“I just sawa lane, and it was pretty muchman coverage,” VanBuren said when asked about his big run. “So Ijust usedmyGod-given ability, used my legs and got down thefield.”

UnderVan Buren, theoffense hada differentlook.Moreplayaction.More

kansas takinga 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Arkansas returned a blocked punt for atouchdown after LSU went three-and-out on its opening possession, and quarterback Taylen Green ran for an 11yard score. But Arkansas scored only onemore time The LSUdefense kept things close. When Arkansas almost scored at theend of thefirsthalf, senior cornerbackMansoor Delane pickedoff apass in the end zone. Later,LSU made astandatits own 2-yard line on second and goal. LSU stuffed three straight runs, the last on fourth down when defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory and linebacker West Weeks converged for astop.

“Beingput in that position, you can’task for anythingbetter,”

snaps from under center.Morebootleg plays to get him on the move.

To help set up those throws, LSU ran theball 15 times in the first half and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt when adjustedfor lostsack yardage. The Tigers’ rushing totalsimproved in the second half, tallying 95 yards on 22 attempts.

“When they’re that dangerous as an offense, you wanttoreduce their opportunity,” Wilson said of Arkansas. “Wewant to increase our opportunities. Andwewere able to do that because we ran theball well, because we beat them in time of possession,and more possessions compared to what they had.”

VanBuren’srunning ability is acalling card, but the quarterback run game wasn’ta significant aspect of theoffense until the fourth-quarter dash. VanBuren wasn’t afraidtoscramble,but most of his runs were aresult of him needing to sprint away from pass rushers.

Poor passprotection, particularlyat left and right tackle, resultedinVan

Guillory said. “I’ve always dreamt about that.”

Arkansas entered the gamewith one of the best offenses in the country,especially on third down and inside the redzone. It went 2 of 11 on third downand 2of4in the redzone against LSU. Redshirt junior linebacker Harold Perkins stood out with an interception, asack, 21/2 tackles for lossand a quarterback hurry Green hasbeenone of the most dynamicquarterbacksinthe SEC this season, but LSU limited his production. He completed 58% of his passesfor 165 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for70yards andascore on 17 carries, but LSU sacked him four times

Buren getting sacked four timesfor 19 yards lost.

For an LSU program in transition, Saturday wasVan Buren’schance to prove himself. He needed to deliver, especially after he decidedtoforgo his opportunity to redshirt. His mindsetheading into the season after transferring from MississippiState, according to Wilson, was to use 2025 as an “apprenticeship” for 2026. He would learnthe offense anddevelopbehindan established starter in Nussmeier so he could potentially be the LSU starter next year

That wasbefore the circumstances shifted. Coach Brian Kelly got fired, Nussmeiercontinuedtostruggle andthe losses piled up. Due to all of that change, VanBuren’snext decision wasnot about preserving his future.

“I’m just acompetitor and I’m ateam player,”Van Buren said. “Ifmyteam needs me to wina game, I’malways going to step in and winthe game.”

After its offensesputteredearly,LSU foundsomesuccesswith Berry and Durham, whocombined for 175 yards and atouchdown on 29 touches. It had to settle forfield goals multiple times, but it was also sharp at the endofthe first half, when theoffensewent55 yardsin30seconds to setupDamian Ramos for his third field goal.

“Fromuptop, the question that was asked was, ‘Do we want to kneel it?’ ”Wilsonsaid. “Nah, we’re not kneeling it. We’re going for points.We’regoing to empty thechamber.” LSU held a16-14 halftime lead Arkansas pulled ahead in the third quarterafter converting on a fourth and 6, but LSU put together thego-ahead drive. As Arkansas

threatened to scoreagain,Delane broke up apassonthird down. Then,Arkansasmissed a48-yard field goal wide right.

VanBuren’sscrambleput LSU back in Arkansas territory afew playslater,and theclock ticked down. Needing one more first down, Berry slipped away from a defenderonthirdand 3. Knowing he shouldn’tscore, he slid through the grass to seal the game.

“Ittested ourresolve, and it makes youlook in themirrorat yourself to see if you have what it takes,”Wilsonsaid. “Wehad what it took today.”

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

Superdome. I’m getting ready to put more money into the Smoothie King Center, along with Champions Square.I’ve been talking with the governor(Jeff Landry) on aregular basis. We’ve gota lot going on. And it’sall for the benefitof the fans

Fans have expressed their discontenttousvia emails, text messages and letters to the editor.How aware are you and other team officialsof thefans’ displeasure?

GB: Iamabsolutely aware. Iamnot an absentee owner who flies in justfor games. Iaminthe office and am out in the community every day.I talktofans, partners and our staff every day.Wediscuss and hear their frustrationsregarding the performances of bothteamsevery day. No one is very happy with either team’s performance now,especially me. With that said, Iamconfidentboth teams are heading in the right direction, specifically the acquisition and developmentof our young players that are playingand starting for both teams. They will be our core for years to come. Butagain, Iunderstand the frustration andanxiety of patience. Ibelieve in the plan andvision as we develop both teams in getting our younger players that we have draftedon the field and on the court now

Do you receive letters and messagesfrom fans?

GB: Yes. All the time. And they’re very upset. And I’m very upset, butI can’t do any morethan I’m doing. I’m notgonna fight anybody.These peoplethatwork forme, Irespect them. They workveryhard. You don’tthink Mickey Loomis is losing sleep at night over all of this? He is. It’s hard. It’s not an easy job. It’snot like he’s sittingon his butt, not worrying about things. Manyfans have lost confidence inthe leadership of Saints GM Mickey Loomis, pointing to the club’s lack of successwithout head coach Sean Payton.How do respond to that?

GB: It may not be what thefans wantto hear,but as far as firing Mickey Loomis that’sridiculous. (He) does agreat job. Mickey’sbeen one of the topNFL general managers. He’sagreat guy.He’sgot a bunch of rookies. He’sgot anew coach who just was in the Super Bowl. Imean, what else can Ido?

How would you answer his critics, who say he is not held accountable by youand president Dennis Lauscha?

GB: It is important to note that both (Pelicans executive vice president) Joe Dumars and Mickey Loomis reportonly to me,no one else in the building.I am in theoffice every day speaking with them. Iaminthe locker room after every game,win or lose, andavailable to them to provide whatever support they needtobesuccessful. It is incorrect to assumethatMickey Loomis is not held accountable. Iagree with everyone, including Mickey,that we do not have the record that we want. However,Idosee ateam that isbuilding for the future. While Iamnot nuanced in the details of specific football moves,I am aware of what Isee on thefield.Our (first-year head) coach, Kellen Moore, has themakeup to be avery special coach,and Iamexcited about having him. Iamalso very excited about our young players and the way they have played thisyear It also appears we may havefounda young quarterback in Tyler Shough, who has the potential to start forusfor many years.Iwas so proud to see Tyler do well, andIsharedthatwith him after the (Carolina) game. He’sdoing agreat job. Ireally like that young man. So, from what Ican seefrommyseat, is ayoung team thatis headed in the right direction

Manyfans believe Mickey Loomisispartofthe problem rather than partofthe solution. Explain whyyou have confidence in his work as GM.

GB: This offseason, Mickey managed the retirement of Derek Carr,saving us $30 million in cap space.Healso traded defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars for our current starting veteran center,Luke Fortner,who has played a pivotal role in the absence of Erik McCoy following his season-ending injury.I am told that Saunders wasjust released by the Jaguars. We currentlyhold seven draft choices for the 2026NFL Draft,all of which will help us continue building this young roster

As our fans know well, Mickey also oversaw two of the greatest drafts in league historyin2006 and 2017, not to mention leading the charge duringone of the most challenging situations for the greatest free-agent signing in professional sports, Drew Brees.

Mickey is one of the longest-tenured and most respected general managers in the NFL. In 2006, he was the lone voice in our building to hire Sean Payton. When Iamasked to holdMickey Loomis accountable, Ido. Not every decision works out, they never do; that is why I am sharing with you the body of work that Mickey has contributed to making our team so successful over the years.I hold him in high esteem, and Iamvery pleased with what he has accomplished, acquired and is building.

Given the historically slow startsthisseason and the recent struggles of both clubs to makethe playoffs, whyshould fans have confidence inthe management and directionofthe organization?

GB: Like Istated, there is the reality that both leagues have rules tocreateparity and opportunity.Fortunately,those rules in both leagues allow for quicker turnarounds than they used to if you make the right decisions. My role is to hirethe best people Ican and give them theresources they need to win. Ihave committedmil-

Pelicans executivevice president of basketballoperations

lions to state-of-the-art practice facilities andhiringcoaches and support staffs for these teams. Ialso take great pride in not meddling in theday-to-day operations, letting our football and basketball people do their jobs. Andyes, it is also my job to hold them accountable if we are not meeting ourgoals. Away from the field and court, it is also my job to makesure our business operationsare providing thebest product for our fans in their game-day experience. Icommitted $180 million to the renovation of the Caesars Superdome. Those are direct improvements for our fans that we know and hear are well received. As Istated publicly,when we signed the long-term state lease, Imade it very clear that my next major prioritywas to renovatethe Smoothie KingCenter and bring ChampionsSquare up to alevel that is the best in theNBA. Ihave already started speaking with Governor Landry about this plan. While there are still some fan-facing issues at both theCaesars Superdomeand Smoothie King Center,such as concessions, we continue to workwith ASMon correctingthese so that our fans have the best experience possible.

Wheredothings stand on negotiations with the state on along-termlease at the Smoothie King Center?

GB: The other night Iwas at an event where thegovernor was being honored with theBoy Scouts at theWorld War II Museum, and he pulled me aside and said, ‘Weare going to get together,and we’re going to get this next deal done.’ I said, ‘OK. Igot it.’ So we are going to address this. Timingiseverything. Youjust can’t jump from one project tothe next that quickly.We’re talking about alot of money, and we’retalking about alot of planning.We’ve been planning this for a long time.

We’ve been working on the Superdome (lease agreement) for along time. We finally gotthat settled and now we’re going to work on thearena, and it’sgoing to be just the governor and I. Idon’twant anybodyelse in the room. And thegovernor and Iboth agree on that. Youknow, when you get too manypeople involved, it becomesabig mess. The governor and I know what we need to do. Andthat’swhat we’re going to do.

Is there anyupdate on where things stand on New Orleans and the 2031 Super Bowl?Haveyou met with (NFL commissioner) Roger Goodellyet on that?

GB: Imeet with Roger on aregular basis on different issues. He and Iwere texting this morning. We are going to find out aboutthe Super Bowl in acouple of months, probably acouple of (NFL) meetings fromnow.Our league meetingisin May(to discussfuture Super Bowls). They like to (decide on) Super Bowls fouryears out. Ithink they’regoing to let us bid, even

though we’re coming in late.

All of theowners want to come to New Orleans. As you know,inNew Orleans, we can’thave the Super Bowlevery year because of all the events that we have coming here. Butthe 2031 game is where we want to be.

Do you think it’sstill apossibility forthe city? Even after missing the original deadline to submit ourintent to host that year?

GB: Oh,yeah, sure. We still have a chance. ButIcan’tpromisethat because Idon’thave acrystal ball. Iwish Idid, but Idon’t. OK, Ican’tsay the (NFL’s Super Bowl) committee’sgoing to definitely vote for New Orleans. Ican’tsay that. But Ican say that all the owners and Roger and his whole team want to come back here. But we don’thave that in writing.

Is it your understanding that the league will work with New Orleans, given the complications we have here in certain years with Mardi Gras and major conventions?

GB: Oh,they are. Andthey will. We do have thebest city for the SuperBowl. There’sonly three or four cities that really can handle (theSuper Bowl), and they’re going to workwith us. They want

to come back. Let’shope it happens. The governor and Iare going to go back to meet with Roger in January.Hesaid he would be glad to meet with the governor, but he said, Ican’tgive him any moreinformation than I’mgiving you. It’s done by committee. I’mpart of it. We’re still in the early stages of choosing (the Super Bowls) that farout. He said, ‘We’re going to get there, and as soon as we do, you’re going to be the first one (in line).’ Right now we can’t.

So you’re saying the ship hasn’tsailedonNew Orleans getting the 2031 Super Bowl?

GB: No, it hasn’tsailed. And people need to calm downabout that. They need to give me somebreathing room so Ican get stuff done.

It wasrecently indicatedthat some aspects of the succession plan forthe franchiseshavechanged in recent years. If so, is there anything you’dlikethe public to know about those changes?

GB: There have been no substantive changes to the succession plan. It remains that when Idie, both teamswill be sold to the highest bidder and those proceeds will be used 100% to improve this community.I did authorize achange that we will have agroup of committed individuals administer the proceeds of the sale upon my death, rather than have one individual handle making those decisions. Finally,I wanttoreiterate and makethis abundantly clear,I am not selling these teams.

Is there anything else you’dliketoadd?

GB: Yes. Let me be clear about this: The teamsare not forsale. That’sincapital letters. Iwant everybody to know the teams are not forsale. Iget tired of people asking me (if they’re forsale). I’mgoing to turn 79 in January,but I’mpretty healthy Ihear that people wanttotalk to me about buying the team.I’m like, well, that’sa waste of my time. That’snot going to happen. And people need to calm downabout the team moving. And finally,I just wanteveryone to know that I’mdoing everything that Ican, other than throwing the ball and catching it and getting the ball in the hoop. Ican’tdoany morethan I’mdoing. I’mgiving them (the teams) the money.I’ve done everything I can to help these guys. After every game, winorlose, both teams, I’minthat locker room.When they come in from the field or off the court, I’m hugging every one of them,win or lose. Ican’tdoany morethan let them know I’msupporting them.I don’t know what else Ican do.

Email JeffDuncan at jduncan@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The NewOrleans Pelicans andLos Angeles Lakers warm up before agame on Fridayatthe Smoothie King Center

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis speaks

OUTDOORS

Good news: Cold front sends ducks our way

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

The early reports are in, and waterfowl hunters taking to flooded fields and marshes for this weekend’s opening days of the Louisiana’s West Zone certainly had more opportunity for success than this time last year

Aerial survery shows increase in waterfowl numbers PROVIDED

That goes double for hunters in the southwestern parishes. Wildlife and Fisheries’ Waterfowl Program manager Jason Olszak and his staff indicated aerial surveys of the coastal area and the Little River Basin (formerly Catahoula Lake) showed an estimate of 1,238,000 ducks in those areas, a number 143% higher than last year’s 510,000 all-time November low And 704,000 of those ducks were in the southwest.

Yes, Monday’s cold front helped push the count to 40% higher than the average of the past five years’ November survey 885,000 birds — and is the highest count since 2021.

Except for bluewing teal (down 15% from 2024), Olszak noted increases in the other 10 surveyed species with the largest increases in spoonies (106,000 total), greenwing teal (83,000) and gray ducks (275,000).

Even more amazing is the number of ringneck ducks showing up in the southeastern marshes.

The statewide total for ringnecks is 382,000, of which 301,000 were counted in the southeast. That total is a whopping 19,000% jump from last year’s survey

Another 252,000 black-bellied whistling ducks were reported, but not included in the overall total. That’s up 135% from 2024’s count of 107,000.

The West Zone’s first segment runs through Dec. 7. The East Zone’s season opened this weekend for youth and honorably discharged military veterans with the first segment of its 60-day season running Nov 22-Dec. 8.

Staying legal

Waterfowl hunters 18 and older need a basic hunting license along with a no-fee Harvest Information Program (HIP) certificate.

All waterfowl hunters 16 years and older must have a federal duck stamp and some might need a Louisiana waterfowl stamp.

Upgrades

Good news for freshwater anglers heading to Caney Lake south of Ruston. The Office of

TUESDAY

LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB

MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7 p.m., Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Fly tying. Open to public. Spare tools, materials for novices. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

COASTAL SHRUB PLANTING: Lake Boudreaux project, Terrebonne Parish. Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana project needs volunteers. Water, lunch, work gloves, sunscreen, equipment provided. Online registration: connect.crcl.org/civicrm/event/list

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack & Paddle, 601 E Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail. com. Website: acadianaflyrodders. org

HUNTING SEASONS

DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Nov. 16, youth- & veterans-only weekend.

DOVES: North Zone, through Nov. 16; South Zone, through Nov. 30.

DUCKS/EAST ZONE: Nov. 22-Dec. 8, includes coots & mergansers.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Nov. 30, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10.

The winner

South Dakota artist Tim Taylor’s painting of a Ross’ goose was judged the winner from among 10 entries for the 2026 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition earlier this month. The stamp will be available in June.

RED SNAPPER SEASON TO CLOSE

Sunday is the 200th and final day of the 2025 recreational red snapper season. The season will be closed Monday after state fisheries managers, using the LA Creel data collection system, showed the total estimated take at 921,880 pounds through the Nov. 2 period. That’s an initial report of reaching 103% of our state’s 2025 allotment of 894,955 pounds.

Once all data has been processed, the marine fisheries managers will release a final catch report through Nov. 16. Joe Macaluso

State Parks has completed renovations to 73 campsites at Caney’s Jimmie Davis State Park to include water, electricity and sewer hookups.

Other recently completed statepark campground improvements were reported from Cypremort Point (22 sites), Fontainebleau (106 sites), Palmetto Island (96 sites) and Tickfaw (30 sites).

Gulf Council

Several agenda items on the council’s November agenda dealt with species found mostly in Florida’s Gulf waters, like red grouper and mutton and yellowtail snapper

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Dec. 2, State Deer Area 2, still-hunt only.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Dec. 5, State Deer Areas 1, 4 & 6.

DEER/MODERN FIREARMS: Through Dec. 5, State Deer Areas 5 & 9, bucks only except either-sex take allowed Nov. 16 & Nov. 28-30.

DUCKS/WEST ZONE: Through Dec. 7, includes coots & mergansers.

GEESE: Through Dec. 7, West Waterfowl Zone. Includes Canada, blue, snow & Ross’ & specklebellies. Take of Canada geese prohibited in portions of Cameron & Vermilion parishes.

SNIPE: Through Dec. 7, first split, statewide.

GEESE/EAST ZONE: Through Dec. 8.

RAILS/GALLINULES: Through Jan. 7, statewide.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 15, State Deer Areas 3, 7, 8 & 10. Eithersex take allowed.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Jan. 31, State Deer Areas 1, 2 & 4. Either-sex take allowed.

DEER/ARCHERY: Through Feb. 15, State Deer Areas 5, 6 & 9, either-sex take allowed.

QUAIL, RABBITS & SQUIRRELS: Through Feb. 28, statewide, private lands only

AROUND THE CORNER

NOV. 23—SOUTH LOUISIANA

CLUB IRON MAN MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. Call (337) 380-8120. Email Mike Burke: SouthLaHighPower@hotmail.com

The important items for Louisiana centered around federal forhire (charterboats) red snapper management and shallow-water grouper complex yellowmouth, yellowfin and and black groupers and scamp. It appears the council is considering handing over charterboats in the federal red snapper system to state management. There is a separate sector, seasons and allocations for these operations and the private recreational red snapper fishery

The council heard a report that the aforementioned grouper species cannot be managed at one group. Recent stock assessments show scamp and yellowmouth grouper should have a separate management regime, and that these species need what the report stated “a considerable decrease in allowable harvest.”

Catch limits for black and yellowfin groupers would be unchanged. Notably the recommendations for scamp and yellowmouth grouper would have a preferred alternative “for a recreational closed season from January through June and set the recreational annual catch target 14% below the annual catch limit.”

The council also voted to extend the moratorium on issuing new federal permits to commercial shrimpers in the Gulf through Oct. 26, 2036.

Also approved was the requirement of all commercial and recreational fishermen have venting tools or descending devices “rigged and ready for use when fishing for reef fish in the federal waters of the Gulf of America.”

NOV. 24—RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY

TYING: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Library 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to public. Hands-on clinic covering basics of fly tying. Materials and tools provided. Website: rsff.org NOV. 27—THANKSGIVING DAY

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Fall inshore & outside waters open statewide. OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Red snapper, gray triggerfish; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Flounder (recreational/commercial take closed through Nov. 30); greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATES

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction).

ROAD CLOSURE: Section of La. 975 through Sherburne WMA closed through June 12, 2026 (replace bridge) access from U.S. 190 and I-10 open.

DUCK DAM ROAD: (Bodcau WMA) reopened.

DRAWDOWNS: Underway on Henderson Lake, Lake Bistineau, Saline, Kepler, Iatt, Black & Clear lakes, Clear-Smithport Lake & Lake Martin.

EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate.com

0-0

1 6 Hayes 12:26 1-3

11:19 1-4 0-0 1-2

3-3 1

3 Knecht 10:24 2-5 0-0 1-1 0 2 5 Totals 240 44-84 20-26 10-4528 17118 Percentages: FG .524, FT .769. 3-Point Goals: 10-34, .294 (Doncic 3-8, Hachimura 2-5, Reaves 2-6, Vanderbilt 1-2, Knecht 1-3, Smart 1-10). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocks: 5 (LaRavia 2, Ayton, Doncic, Reaves). Turnovers: 17 (Ayton 4, Reaves 4, Doncic 3, LaRavia 2, Smart 2, Hachimura, Vanderbilt). Steals: 13 (LaRavia 3, Ayton 2, Doncic 2, Smart 2, Vanderbilt 2, Hachimura, Reaves). Technical Fouls: Doncic, 00:03 third. FG FT REB N.O. Min. M-A M-A O-T A PFPTS Bey 36:32 3-13 2-2 4-7 7 0 11 Murphy 38:54 13-21 6-6 2-6 0 2 35 Looney 10:56

19 SOUTH SC State 34, North Carolina Central 27 Saturday’s games STATE Alcorn St. 27, Grambling 16 LSU 23, Arkansas 22 South Alabama 26, UL-Monroe 14 Texas Southern 35, Southern 30 Southeastern 10, Incarnate Word 7 Nicholls State 26, Northwestern State 21

TOPTOPICS FORWEEK11

BroncoszeroinonMahomes

TheKansasCityChiefsdesperately need to beatthe Denver Broncos to gain ground in theAFC West race they’vewon nine years running.The Chiefs hadabye last week andthe Broncosbeat theRaiders 10-7.A keymatchup to watch is Chiefs quarterback PatrickMahomes againstthe Broncos strong pass rush.Mahomes needs 299yards passing to reach35,000. TheBroncos have wontheir last 10 home games, andtheir defenseleads theleagueinsacks.ChiefsRBIsiah Pachecowillmissthe game becauseof akneeinjury. Broncos runningbackJ.K Dobbinsalsowillmissthe game

5 2 1 3

Lions, Eagles to square off

ThePhiladelphiaEagleshostthe Detroit LionsonSundaynight in amatchup of NFCdivisionleaders.Detroit puts up 31.4 points percontest andranks highin severalother offensive categories,helpedby amassing aseasonhigh546 yardsin Sunday’s44-22 winat Washington.QBJared Goff is firstinthe league in completion percentage and rankssecondinpassing touchdowns andquarterback rating.The Eagles, underdefensive coordinatorVic Fangio, have held opponentsto21.3points. Watchthe turnover margin,where the Lionsare plus-6 on theseasonwhile theEaglesare standing at plus-5

Bearstry to keep roll going

TheChicago Bearsvisit theMinnesota Vikingsina rematchofthe season opener wonbythe Vikings in quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s debut. TheBears havewon six of theirlastseven gamesbehind improvingquarterback Caleb Williams, andtheymatched their best nine-game startat6-3 sincethe 2018 team that won theNFC North. Williams hasonlyfourturnovers this season.The sixteams theBears havebeaten currentlyhaveacombinedrecordof15-41-1 TheVikings are4-5 this season and1-3 at home McCarthy hasseven turnoversinfourgames includingatleast oneinterceptionineach.

Bucs eyefirstwin in Buffalo

TheTampa BayBuccaneersare making just theirfourthtripnorth to play theBuffalo BillsonSundayand are 0-3inthe previous matchups there. The Bucs are6-3 this season andhold theseriesleadwith an 8-5edge. Both teamsare coming offlosses, with TampaBay losing at NewEngland.Meanwhile, theBills are6-3 andhavedropped threeof five.Tampa BayQBBaker Mayfield threwthree TD passes on Sunday, his 12th outing with that many or more since2023. Bills QB Josh Allenhas combined forseven giveawaysinhis past sixstarts.

Panthers hope to runoverFalcons TheAtlanta Falcons’ hopesofsnappingtheir four-gamelosingstreakmay rest on their successagainst Carolinarunning backsRicoDowdleand Chuba Hubbard. TheFalcons rank 29th againstthe runafter giving up 244yards rushingtoColts runningbackJonathanTaylorlast week.Itwas themostrushing yardsallowed to aplayerinFalcons’history Dowdle ranksthird in theleaguewith788 yardsrushing.The Falconsare looking formore accuracy from quarterbackMichaelPenix,who completedonly12of28passesinlastweek’s 31-25losstoIndianapolisinBerlin. 5 4

GAME OF THEWEEK

Kupp’s LA return subplotinRamsvs. Seahawks

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

INGLEWOOD,Calif. Cooper Kupp has made it clear he didn’t want toleave theLos Angeles Rams last winter

The standout wide receiver set records and won aSuper BowlMVP award during eightsuccessful seasons in Sean McVay’soffense, and Southern California washis family’sadopted home.

When the Rams informed him theywere moving on, Kupp took it personally

“It was ameaningful place for me,” Kupp said Wednesday. “I enjoyed stepping on that field for eight years and representing the city of Los Angeles. Itried to do it to the best of my ability,and it was important to me. It was important for me for the fans andwhat we wanted to build there. The relationships were just tooimportantto feel like that was broken ” Kupp said he wasn’tgivenclar-

ityonthe reasonsfor theteam’s decisionuntil the ensuing summer, when emotions had cooled and he had signed with hishome-state Seattle Seahawks. While theRams’ decisionmight never sit completelyright with him, Kupphas more peace of mind after talking it outwiththe men who let him go. “I was abletohavesome conversationsinprivate with people in that organizationand try to get to that point,” Kupp said. “It was important enough formetoreach out and try to get that.I’m glad to be at that place. I’m looking forward to being abletosee some of thepeople there pregame and give them ahug. Butthenwhenit’stime to go, it’s time to go.”

Kupp makeshis firstreturn to SoFi StadiumonSunday when the Seahawks (7-2) facethe Rams (7-2) in atantalizing midseason showdown between two of the NFC’s three co-leaders. Los Angeles and

Seattle sit atop the NFC West with two quarterbacks having MVP-caliber seasons, elite playmakers surrounding them and twoofthe NFL’s mosteffective defenses.

Just how good are these rivals? Neither team haseventrailed sinceWeek 6.

But Rams fanswill be most thrilledtosee Kupp, who ranks third in franchise history in receptions(634) andfourth in yards receiving (7,776).His electrifying, broken-field runs after catches are among the signature images of theRams’successful McVayera. Theteam is expected to pay tributetohim at the stadiumwhere he caught the winning TD pass from Matthew Stafford in Super Bowl 56 less than four years ago.

“I mean,Ididn’tdie,” Kupp said with alaugh.“I’mhere. Iappreciate it. I’m obviously so thankful for my time there. Nothing but love for that city.”

Broncos RB Dobbins likely out for season

DenverBroncos running back J.K. Dobbins is heading to injuredreserveand needssurgery on his left foot that likely will end his season, aperson familiar with the diagnosis told The Associated Press on Saturday

The person spoke to the AP on condition on anonymity because the team hasn’tprovided an update on Dobbins since he was injured last week during an unflagged hip-drop tackle by Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson. He limpedoff thefield, but concerns abouthis health dissipated after he returned and carried six times for25yards.

Patriots DT Williams to miss next 4games

TheNew EnglandPatriots will be without defensive tackle Milton Williams after placing him on injured reserve with an ankle injury Williams was hurt during thefirst quarter of Thursday’s win over the New York Jets. He triedbriefly to return,but was then ruled out for the remainder of the game. He will miss at least the next four gameswhile on IR. Williams signed as afree agent during the offseason afterfourseasonswithPhiladelphia. He has started all 11 gamesfor New England, with 17 tackles, 31/2 sacks and eight quarterbacks hits.

SeahawksHOF safety Easleydies at age 66

Former SeattleSeahawks safety Kenny Easley,who was nicknamed “The Enforcer” for his hard hitting,has died, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Saturday.Hewas 66. Easley died Friday night, his family told the hall, which did not provide acause of death. Easley is one of just four players in franchise history —alongside Steve Largent, CortezKennedy andWalter Jones —tospend his entire career with the Seahawks and be named to the Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2017 and his No. 45 was retired by the Seahawks that season. Bills add two WRs to their active roster

The BuffaloBills arebringingreinforcements to their Josh Allen-led passing game by elevating GabeDavis from the practice squad andsigningfellowwidereceiverMecoleHardmantothe active roster Davis is in his secondstint with Buffalo and spent the first eightweeks of the season on practicesquad-IRrecovering froma season-ending knee injury he suffereda year agowith Jacksonville Hardman joins the roster after being signed to the practice squad on Tuesday.The 27-yearoldisinhis seventh NFLseason andisa three-time SuperBowl winner with the Kansas City Chiefs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFFREy T. BARNES Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwsa passagainst the Buffalo Bills in OrchardPark, N.y.,on

Nov. 2.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByDAVID ZALUBOWSKI DenverBroncos running backJ.K. Dobbins, right, runs for a first down as Las VegasRaiders defensive tackleJonah Laulu makes the stop on Nov. 6inDenver.

THE VARSITY ZONE

UNSTOPPABLE

Country Day wins 10th straight volleyball title

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

LAFAYETTE Country Day sweated

out a tense first set and won the next two easily to secure a 10th consecutive volleyball state title.

Outstanding player selection Jade Washington and junior middle hitter Layla Henderson were equally tough to stop at the net as the top-seeded Cajuns defeated No. 3 Central Catholic 25-21, 25-10, 25-8 in the Division V state final on Saturday at the Cajundome.

The teams were tied 10 times in the first set until Henderson put down the kill that broke the final tie and sparked a 5-1 run to the finish, and the Cajuns dominated from that point forward.

Washington, a junior, finished with 15 kills, two blocks and nine digs as Henderson posted 18 kills with three blocks to spur Country Day to its state-record 19th state title — the 16th over the past 17 seasons.

“We played as close to flawless

in sets two and three as we could have,” Country Day coach Julie Ibieta said, adding that “everybody was just on their game today.”

Country Day (29-11) faced a 7-3 deficit in the first set and went ahead for the first time at 12-11, and the teams tied six times after that until Henderson’s kill put the Cajuns up 21-20. Henderson had seven kills in the first set.

“It just felt like we were unstoppable,” said Washington, who scored two of the final three points during that set-closing run. “Everything was just going our way And I felt everybody’s grit, everybody’s mentality Everybody was on the same page.”

Other productive players for Country Day included senior Leila Washington (eight kills three aces) and junior Marleigh White (four kills, two blocks) as freshman setter Lucille Loomis (38 assists, six digs) showed good ball distribution.

Country Day won the state title

without dropping a set in five postseason matches.

“Like every season and every team, you have your ups and downs, and we certainly had that this year,” Ibieta said, adding that the team “started talking about playing our best in the middle of October, and I think we were doing that” during the state tournament.

“It was nice to see us finish in a positive and well-played three sets for us,” Ibieta said.

Central Catholic (27-6), a state finalist for the first time since 2019, had no answer for Country Day’s hard-swinging hitters.

“We’re not used to seeing that many big hitters,” coach Sunni Rae Blanchard said. “They came out pretty explosive. We kind of struggled getting a block together, and they did not struggle getting a block together, and that was one big difference between our two teams.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Newman’s defensive surge fuels sweep of No. 1 Dunham

Greenies win 19th volleyball state title

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

LAFAYETTE Newman showed what a difference a month can make when it won a volleyball state championship on Saturday Go back to mid-October, when the Greenies were scuffling on defense during a weekend tournament when they lost for the second time to Dunham, which entered the playoffs this month as the No 1 seed. Now move ahead to Saturday in the LHSAA Division IV state final, when second-seeded Newman completed a 28-26, 25-18, 25-20 sweep of Dunham at the Cajundome for the school’s 19th volleyball state title, the first since 2022. Outstanding player selection Leilani Reid had an all-around im-

pact with 11 kills, two blocks, two aces and three digs.

The main difference could be felt on defense.

“It was probably a weakness for us in the beginning of the season,” Newman coach Colleen Loerzel said. “We implemented a second defense, and then it was just gametesting it. We had some losses early on, like midway through the season, because we were switching defenses. We weren’t comfortable all the way.”

That change paid off in the end, when Newman (29-9) could use more than one defense throughout a match.

“Their defense was super cleaned up from the last two times we saw them,” Dunham coach Meagan Herrington said adding that Newman was “in the right spots just a little bit quicker” than the other two times the teams met. Newman led by as many as six points in the first set and fought off a late rally after a Dunham (34-11)

St. Scholastica falls to St. Thomas More in a four-set thriller

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

LAFAYETTE St. Scholastica cre-

ated a bit of tension in the volleyball state finals when it pushed dominant reigning champion St. Thomas More to a fourth set — something it had not done in other recent postseason meetings.

Only after the teams played through 16 ties and seven lead changes in the fourth set did St. Thomas More win a fifth consecutive state championship with a 2514, 25-17, 22-25, 26-24 victory in the LHSAA Division II final Saturday at the Cajundome.

Outstanding player selection

Marvel Potier (10 blocks) was among the top scorers as the topseeded Cougars (41-5) upended a St. Scholastica team that reached the volleyball state finals for the first time in school history

Second-seeded St. Scholastica (29-11) served with a 24-22 lead and a chance to force a fifth set, but St. Thomas More forced a sideout and scored the next three points the last one an ace by sophomore Clare Thompson.

“It would have been really easy for us to just lie down after those two sets, and say, ‘OK, whatever, they know what they’re doing, let’s go home,’ but we didn’t,” said junior outside hitter Caitlin Cambre.

Instead, the Doves built a lead in the third set and fended off a late challenge, scoring the final

ä Go online for coverage of the Slidell-Dominican match. NOLA.COM

point on a disputed ruling when St. Thomas More thought play had been whistled dead. Cambre put down the two kills that put St. Scholastica ahead 24-22 before St. Thomas More surged to the finish.

Leading players for St. Scholastica included Alexandra Liner (12 kills, two blocks), Mia Casi (11 kills, two blocks, 17 assists), Thea Roppolo (five blocks), Sophia Schliem (15 digs, two aces) and Abbey Hartdegen (four aces).

St. Scholastica thrived in the second two sets after the Doves “shook the nerves,” coach Lisa Cardinale said. “We started hitting our seams and serving really aggressive and putting them in passing trouble, and when you’re in a little bit of passing trouble, we kind of can take away their hitters and guess who they’re setting a little better.”

St. Scholastica was swept by St. Thomas More twice in the quarterfinals and once in the semifinals in other recent postseason meetings.

“When you look at our team, we’re going to be here next year, too,” Cardinale said. “That’s how we can look at the positive for us.”

service error tied the set at 26-all, and Reid ended the set with a block and a kill.

The teams were tied nine times before Newman went ahead for good at 13-12 in the second set, and the Greenies trailed briefly in the third as they completed the sweep.

Newman won with strong contributions from all four seniors: Jailly Vance (nine kills, three blocks), Caroline Beahm (six kills), Jessica Lambert (two aces, 13 digs) and Nola Borges (18 assists, 15 digs).

“We have really great seniors,” said Reid, a junior outside hitter, “and they led us and pushed us a lot this year, and it paid off.”

Sophomores Cori Cenac (four blocks) and Susu Milling (16 assists) also pitched in. The win created a full-circle moment for the seniors who were part of the championship win when they were freshmen, including Beahm, who said “leaving with a win just feels absolutely amazing.”

AREA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Country Day celebrates its win over Central Catholic in the Division V final of the LHSAA state volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Cajundome in Lafayette

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

St. Scholastica middle hitter Haylie Williams hits against St. Thomas More middle blocker Marvel Potier, center, during the LHSAA Division II state championship match on Saturday at the Cajundome in Lafayette.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON De La Salle running back Robert Lewis leaps over an Episcopal defender for a touchdown in the first quarter of a Division III select playoff game on Friday at Memorial Stadium in Baton Rouge. H

Oklahoma’s defensive gem bests Bama

By The Associated Press

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kip Lewis had seven tackles, including two sacks, and No. 11 Oklahoma stunned fourth-ranked Alabama 23-21 on Saturday to send shock waves through the Southeastern Conference. The Sooners (7-2, 4-2 SEC, No. 11 CFP) had three takeaways — scoring 17 points off those turnovers — and got a key stop late to end Alabama’s winning streaks of eight games overall and 17 at home The Crimson Tide (8-2, 6-1, No. 4 CFP) had a chance down the stretch, but Ty Simpson’s fourth-down pass to Ryan Williams fell incomplete.

“OU!” chants echoed through the emptying stadium as Oklahoma fans celebrated afterward. Coach Brent Venables stayed on the field for more than half an hour to greet fans along the gates of the field.

“This is one of the best teams I’ve been around in terms of brotherhood and belief in one another,” Venables said. “I think it shows. I don’t think you find a way to win our fourth true road game in the fashion we were able to unless you have a lot of ingredients that aren’t on the stat sheet.”

Alabama still controls its destiny in the SEC championship game race and the College Football Playoff and can secure a spot by beating rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl in two weeks.

Oklahoma held Alabama to 57 yards over its last four drives, which proved to be the difference and should be enough to get the Sooners into position for a playoff spot in the next CFP rankings.

No 2 INDIANA 31, WISCONSIN 7: In Bloomington, Indiana, Fernando

Mendoza completed 91.7% of his passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns as Indiana took another step toward clinching a spot in its first Big Ten title game and likely a second straight playoff berth with a victory over Wisconsin.

Mendoza spent some time in the injury tent during the fourth quarter, but returned on the next Indiana series to throw his school-recordbreaking 30th TD of the season — a 5-yarder to Omar Cooper Jr Mendoza continued to make his Heis-

man Trophy case by going 22 of 24 despite being sacked five times.

No.3TEXASA&M 31,SOUTH CAROLINA 30:

In College Station, Texas, Marcel

Reed threw for a career-high 439 yards and three touchdowns and Texas A&M rallied from a 27-point deficit to remain undefeated with a victory over South Carolina.

It’s the biggest comeback in school history, eclipsing a 21-point rally by a Johnny Manziel-led team in a 52-48 win in the 2013 Chick-FilA Bowl over Duke. Entering Saturday, teams were 0-286 in Southeastern Conference play since 2004 when trailing by 27 points or more.

No.9 NOTRE DAME 37,No.23 PITTSBURGH

15: In Pittsburgh, Jeremiyah Love ran for 147 yards and a score, Malachi Fields hauled in a pair of touchdown passes and Notre Dame breezed past Pittsburgh.

The Fighting Irish have won eight straight games by an average of 26 points since their 0-2 start. Notre

Dame likely needs to merely avoid upset bids by Syracuse or Stanford to end the season to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff.

No.18

MICHIGAN 24,NORTHWESTERN 22: In Chicago, Dominic Zvada kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired, Jordan Marshall ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns before exiting with an injury and Michigan stayed in the playoff chase by beating Northwestern.

The Wolverines overcame three late turnovers, including two interceptions by Bryce Underwood, and remained in the running for the College Football Playoff with their fourth straight win. Northwestern lost its third in a row

ARIZONA 30, No. 25 CINCINNATI 24: In Cincinnati, Noah Fifita passed for 294 yards and a touchdown to become Arizona’s all-time leader in TD passes as the Wildcats beat Cincinnati in the first game between the teams.

Fifita was 23 for 31 passing and his scoring pass in the fourth quarter was his 68th career TD pass, surpassing the marks of Nick Foles and Willie Tuitama.

NAVY 41, No. 24 SOUTH FLORIDA 38: In Annapolis, Maryland, Eli Heidenreich caught five passes for 146 yards and became Navy’s all-time receiving yards leader quarterback Braxton Woodson ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in relief of Blake Horvath and the Midshipmen defeated South Florida.

Alex Tecza carried 12 times for 126 yards, including an early 76yard score, and caught Horvath’s lone touchdown pass as Navy secured a half-game lead in the conference.

No. 8 TEXAS TECH 48, UCF 9: In Lubbock, Texas, Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez struck the Heisman Trophy pose again after the first offensive touchdown of his career, Reggie Virgil scored three times and Texas Tech routed UCF

The Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12, No. 6 CFP) stayed on track for a shot at their first Big 12 championship in their regular-season home finale, reaching 10 victories for the first time since going 11-2 under the late Mike Leach in 2008.

No. 14 GEORGIA TECH 36, BOSTON COLLEGE 34: In Boston, Aidan Birr kicked a 23-yard field goal with 11 seconds left and Georgia Tech rallied for a victory over Boston College to remain tied for first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Haynes King completed 26 of 34 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown as the Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1, No. 16 CFP) stayed even with No 20 Virginia (No. 19 CFP) atop the league standings.

No. 16 MIAMI 41, NC STATE 7: In Miami Gardens, Florida, Carson Beck passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Malachi Toney, and Miami — looking to climb in the College Football Playoff rankings — rolled past N.C. State.

Beck completed his final 13 throws to cap off a 21-for-27 day for the Hurricanes (8-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Miami now has five wins by at least 25 points this season, the most in a single year by

the Hurricanes since the 2002 team had six such victories.

No 17 SOUTHERN CAL 26, IOWA 21: In Los Angeles Makai Lemon made 10 catches for 153 yards and a second-half touchdown, and Southern California scored 19 unanswered points to keep its College Football Playoff hopes alive with a victory over Iowa.

Jayden Maiava passed for 254 yards and Bryan Jackson rushed for two touchdowns for the Trojans (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP), who faced their largest deficit of the season when they trailed 21-7 late in the second quarter at a rainsoaked Coliseum. USC mounted five consecutive scoring drives, capped by Jackson’s go-ahead TD run with 13:36 to play No 20 VIRGINIA 34, DUKE 17: In Durham, North Carolina, Chandler Morris passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns, J’Mari Taylor ran for 133 yards and two scores on 18 carries, and Virginia kept its conference title hopes intact with a victory over Duke.

Morris, who left last week’s loss to Wake Forest following a hit to the head, went 23 of 35 through the air for the Cavaliers, who piled up 540 total yards. He also threw two interceptions, including one that Duke linebacker Tre Freeman returned 18 yards for a touchdown.

No.24 JAMES MADISON 58,APPALACHIAN STATE 10: In Harrisonburg, Virginia, Jobi Malary rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns as James Madison extended its winning streak to eight games with a win over Appalachian State.

Wayne Knight carried 16 times for 94 yards

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VASHA HUNT

Oklahoma defensive back Courtland Guillory celebrates after Alabama missed a field goal on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

LIVING

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Departed tree gives me a lesson in gratitude

When my wife and I bought ourhome three decades ago, the persimmon tree in the front yard wasn’tasellingpoint. I found persimmons too tart, and my wife wasn’tcrazy about the tree’sscraggly appearance, which gave the impression of aneighborhood stray that had decided to come live by our driveway We made anote to take the tree down, achore quickly sidelined by the 100 other urgencies in making anew home. Idecided to ignore the persimmon tree until I could do away with it. But as autumn deepened that year,Idiscovered the tree’ssly insistence on claiming my attention. Ripe persimmons dropped from its branches while I mowed the lawn, some of the fugitive fruit landing on top of me.

Our daughter,then just atoddler,had agood laugh when Icame back inside with sticky yellow pulp on my scalp and shoulders. She couldn’thelp being amused by afatherwho seemed like avictim of a food fight. Even when Iwasn’t being clobbered by the rain of plenty,it caused other mischief. Persimmons covered the grass, making it impossible to mow.As the blade plowed into the merry mess, alively puree sprayed into the air,making the yard looklike it was covered in baby food. Isaw no other choice but to harvest the fruit, which is what Ishould have done in the first place. Wasting food is abad thing, but what were we going to do with abushel of persimmons when Iwinced at the thought of eating just one?

My mother-in-law pointed us toward asolution. She made persimmon bread, adelicious dessert bread that used sugar, spices, pecans, and raisins to soften the fruit’ssharp taste.

ä See AT RANDOM, page 7D

ON AMISSION

Afterunearthing aviral painting,collector Jeremy K. Simien became an artworld star

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Jeremy K. Simienisa well-known connoisseur of antique Louisiana paintings, furniture andfine craft.Inparticular, the40-year-old Baton Rouge art collector seeks outitems that callattention to slavery and race relations in colonial and pre-Civil Warsociety. It can be a splintery area of specialization,since noteveryone cares to be reminded of pastsocietal ills.

Years back, Simien said, he asked a museum director whythere wassolittlehistorical evidence of people of color in the institution’scollection. The director,whom Simien declined to name, saidthat such artifacts just didn’texist or couldn’tbefound anyway.With that, Simien embarked on asometimesquixotic quest. In time,hediscovered thatevidence of antebellumslaveryand thehistorical contributions of non-Europeans certainly exists, though often it’sbeen sweptunder therug. Simien believesit’simperative to find such artworks andobjectsand suss out their meanings. And it’sespecially importantthat aperson of color,like himself, do so.

Bringing back Bélizaire

In 2021, Simien becameanovernight star of the nationalantique art scene, when he tracked downand purchased a mysterious 1837 group portrait, possibly painted by master Jacques Amans, that was long rumored to include ablottedout portrait of an enslaved teen.

See MISSION, page 5D

Wasthe French Quartereversurroundedbyawall?

BY RACHEL MIPRO

Contributing writer

The French Quarter is known for its architecture, where layers of history and different Spanish, French, Creole and other influences coalesce into aunique style. One reader was curious about the streets that serve as boundaries of the French Quarter They wanted to know whether Rampart Street marked the site of aliteral wall. Did the French Quarter once have ramparts, or walls, around it?

Jason Wiese, chief curator for The Historic New Orleans Col-

lection, pointedtothe erawhen

the city was governed by Spain in answering the question

“The colonial city was at one point enclosed by fortifications —during the Spanish colonial period,” Wiese said.

TheFrench Quarter,New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood, was first constructed under French rule. French authority waned after the Seven Years’ War, an 18th-century worldwide conflict thatpittedthe global powersof France and Great Britain. Aseries of peace negotiations made to end the war left New Orleans ceded toSpain, as partofthe

1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau. After power changed hands,Spanishauthorities began to make theirmark on the New Orleans architectural landscape, with some guidance from the former French rulers.

‘Fort-Prints’atedgeofQuarter

Tulane geographer Richard Campanella wrote about the building of fortifications in an article published in The Times-

Picayune in 2017 headlined “‘Fort-Prints’ at the edge of the French Quarter arerelicsofNew Orleans’ fortifiedpast.”

Campanella wrote that plans for these fortifications stemmed from French engineers, who, when sketching outplans for theFrench Quarter’sdesign, originally envisioned the grid of French Quarterbuildings defended by angledfortifications that connected five forts. This visionwas fully realized after the war,when Spanish authorities decided to increase defensive measuresdue to the tumultuous political landscape.

Wiesedescribed this defense system: earthenramparts cappedwith wood palisades that connected to forts, encircling the FrenchQuarter. The fortifications were completed and most prominent during Carondelet’s administrationinthe 1790s,Wiesesaid.

Formidable defenses

Campanella hasa similardescriptionofthe defenses that surroundedthe Quarter,complete with pickets, firearms and even amoat

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Historianand artcollector JeremySimien holds an antique frame made on Canal Street in his Baton Rougecollection.

Aseries of miniature portraits is displayed.

PROVIDED PHOTO In an 1837 painting,a Black teenager stands beside atrio of White children. A recent historicaldiscoveryfound that the young NewOrleanian was an enslaved householdservant named Bélizaire.

DINING SCENE

Commander’sPalacemenupaystribute to Ella Brennan

There’sanaspect of truly gratifying New Orleans food that doesn’tcome via aspecific dish or kitchen technique. It’sacommunication between the past and the present,with a glint of the future, acontinuity that takes cuesfrom an enduringtaste of place butalso brings something new

Ian McNulty WHAT’S COOKING

This truth was imbued across a five-course special dinner menu I recently experienced at Commander’sPalace, and even in a shot-sized dram of strongspirits in the middle of the meal.

Days later,with that dinnerstill on my mind, Iwas at adifferent table when Iwitnessed afullcircle moment between different generations of people who care about New Orleans cuisineand its future.

Ella Brennan, the matriarch of the Commander’sPalace branch of the Brennan restaurantfamily, would have been 100 this year,on Nov. 27 to be precise. Herdeath in 2018, at age 92, brought an outpouring of appreciation for the impact she made well beyond her landmark restaurant.

She mentored chefs and hospitality pros who wouldgoonto greatness (Paul Prudhommeand Emeril Lagasse principal among avery deep bench). She pioneered countless innovations in restaurantservice and management. She championed theideaof “nouvelle Creole” cuisine, helping lift New Orleans from anostalgic time capsule to amodern foodie destination (and she perhaps even coined the term foodie).

To mark her centennial, Commander’sPalace ExecutiveChef Meg Bickford created an Ella Brennan tasting menu, served nightly this month alongsidethe regular menu (see details below).

Side eyefrom‘saloon in thesky’

Brennan was amaster of hospitality, but also blunt in her appraisals. Her daughter Ti Martin, co-proprietor of the restaurant,

is sure she’d scoff at amenu drawn up for someone who has passed on to the “saloon in the sky,” Brennan’sown vision for the afterlife.

“Mom would hate this,” Martin said of the big to-doover her birthday.

ButwhatBickfordhas created is notsimplyacollection of Brennan’sfavoritethings. This menu is an appreciation forher way of thinking, herpassions and her enduring influence.

It starts with crabmeat cheesecake. This was asignature dish of Palace Café, which the Brennan family opened in 1990 as amore casual, downtown counterpoint to the flagship Commander’sPalace.

Ella Brennan proposed thedish as achallenge to her nephew Dickie Brennan, then ayoung chef, and he ranwith it.

Bickford’s2025 version is less cheesecake andmorefresh crabmeat, boundwith Creole cream cheese, finished with the brown butter of meuniere spun into atautbubble of sabayon (meanwhile, thoughPalace Café hassadlyclosed, itsoriginal crabmeat cheesecake lives on at the Dickie Brennan restaurants Tableauand Audubon Clubhouse;

and the cakes are sold whole at theCommissary).

The pompano pommes Anna is topped withadelicately-crunchy tiaraofpotatoes cut thin as chips. Underlying it are artichokes and Herbsaint basil cream,inspired by one of Brennan’sfavorite flavors. Bickford likens it to theoyster and absinthe dome, alongtime Commander’sstandardand the first dish she learned to prepare at the restaurant.

The “saloon in the sky” comes up as the namefor the coup de milieu,adrink served in themiddle of the meal, in this case ashot of bourbon abetted by brandy and Grand Marnier,playing the same role as asorbet palate cleanser but much morestimulating(and feeling much more Ella Brennan too).

There’sa dish based on veal daube glace, abeefy cousin to

hogshead cheese with aplace on theCreole table that is mostly memorytoday.But Bickford brought it back, in recognition of Brennan’sgeneration, and also modernized it, in recognition of how Brennan herself was always moving (and often pushing) thingsforward. On this menu, it’stempered down to something like arich gravy of veal andmirepoix over roasted mushrooms andafivehour egg, with acustard-like yolk, from atechnique that Brennan found captivating back when sous vide cooking acquired new cachet.

Apple cobbler with atrace of misoand asticky back beat of savory caramelwith adash of foie gras finished the meal.But first there were herb-crusted lamb chops, based on adish that Brennan collaborated with Lagasse in creating in the 1980s, when the soon-to-be-famouschef wasat Commander’s.

Andthat brings us to the next table.

Mentor circle

Afew days after this meal,I attended Carnivale du Vin, the charity gala and wine auction benefiting the Emeril Lagasse Foundation,which funds local programsfor youth.

Bickford was part of an all-star cast assembled forthe event, including the “Top Chef”judge Gail Simmons and celebrity chefs Kristen Kish and Ashley Christensen, andlocal stars Ana Castro of Acamaya and Emilie VanDyke

from Emeril’s.

They each served aspecialty dish at the beginning of the event, while the seated dinner brought amenu created by high school students in the culinary program at the NewOrleans Center for Creative Arts (a beneficiary of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation).

The students worked with professional chefs on everything from concept and portion size to wine pairings (based on aroma, since the high schoolers are too young to drink).

Twoofthese students workat Commander’sPalace as part of their training.

When they were introduced at the event on stage, Bickford and her chef de cuisine NatCarrier leapt from their table in fullthrottled applause, like atwo-person cheer squad in chef’s whites right in the middle of the black-tie gala crowd.

Seated again, the chefs boiled over with praise for the students’ diligence and creativity.Then, while the crowd was focused on the high-dollar auction bids and the star power in the room,Bickford started writing on aprinted menuprovided at the table. Soon it wascovered with tasting notes and feedback she would later give the students to urge them on further Ella Brennan would’ve been proud, Ithought. Maybe she was even lifting aspecial toast up there at the saloon in the sky

Email Ian McNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN MCNULTy

Trapolin.

COSTUMES!

PHOTOSByREAGANLAQUE

n Fleur de Gris Gris

Always clever in its title for the annual pre-Halloween luncheon, the New Orleans Garden Society turned to theemblematic lily andgaveita twist. “BewitchingFleur de Gris Gris” marqueed themiddayrevelsthattook place at the Metairie Country Club. Margaret Orr was the mistress of ceremonies; Valarie Hart, theNOGS president;and Ember Mandell,the BewitchingLuncheonchairwoman.Sub-chairsorsponsors were Jane Wonnell, Melinda Richard,Alice Reese, Saundra Lane, Lee Pitre, Connie Baer,Ann Garvey,Nancy Kirkeby, Noelle Mandell, Lyric Mandell, MaryJane Daret,AmyCarbonette Cioll, Michelle Broom, Sonnet Mandell, and JMark Boasberg.More names to note were committee members Donna Boswell, Linda Camnetar,Missy Curran, Mary Dumestre,BarbaraFerguson,ErinO’SullivanFleming,Kathy Folse, Sherri Grace, Brenda Higgins, Lynn Kirby, Sandy Ridolfo, Mickey Rodriguez, Debbie Smith,Margaret Tingle, and Constance CowartYoung Several are board members. Anastasia,Mystic of New Orleans, read tarot cards; Madame Amy told fortunes; Katelyn Chopin, McKenzie Claire Knapps, and Ezra Schroeder providedmusic; MarshaOlderr, art; and Erin Chopin,photography.Seven lovelies from the Krewe des Fleurs added to the fancy fun, as didmorethanadozen entertainers. Guestswere regaled by the contemporary presenceofsuchcharactersoflore as Jean Lafitte,Marie Laveau, Baroness Pontalba, Rougarou,and Swamp Witch, who sashayed through the misty ballroom in curated costumes.

As for the attendees —who delighted in being photographed in front of the (Witches’) Broom Parking Station —theirown costuming was on targetand creative. They were readily perused by costume judges Claudia Baumgarten (MissClaudia’sVintage Clothing) and Brandi Wattigny, who announced (among others)Connie Baer as the Most Outstanding Costume winner and Tricia Lincoln‘s friends asthe BestGroup awardees.

One of the “Gris Gris” highlightswas thepresentation by Brenda Higgins and Lisette Winds of the NOGS Civic Award to theSydney andWaldaBesthoff Sculpture Garden of the New Orleans MuseumofArt. It wasacceptedbygarden manager Thomas Torres. Further excitement, and funds, came from theMummy’sMystery Drawing, the Headless Horseman’shat auction,the Skeleton’s silent auction, the Witches wine pull, and the for-saleFleur de Lis centerpieces that bedecked the tables, where the costumed crowd sat for alunchofthreecourses. Many folks were still sipping the signature cocktail, the Witches’ Brew

n Witches &Warlocks

The VCC Foundation, “a crucial ally of the Vieux Carré Commission,” supports the commission’s mission to preserve and protect the architectural heritage of the Vieux Carré Historic District In the spirit of the Halloween season, the VCCF took awalk on the wild side with its Witches& Warlocks Mini-Soiree. An atmosphere of magic and mystery underscored the spook fest which unfolded in the NewOrleans Storyville Museum on ContiStreet and its 7,000-plussquare feet of immersive exhibits and artifacts. Thanks aplenty tapped proprietor Claus Sadlier After being greeted by representatives from the younger set, witch-hatted Jane Baldwin Cook and Silar Tate Schulman,aswell as CarlMack‘s Champagne-skirted model, guests and ghouls were immediately bewitched upon entering the premises. They were transformed sorcerously by Taylor Beckman,who wore another hat as event co-chair with Crawford Hodgson,one of the in-attendance VCCF board members. Within, ahost of costumers trod the red carpet as celebrity judges BryanBatt,TrixieMinx and Claus Sadlier cast adiscerning eye and Caitlyn Minshew emceed the costume contest. John Miller —sporting silver and horns emerged as the first place winner,copping atrophy and astay at Columns hotel. Runners-up Patrick and Sarah Schambach received acocktail tasting for sixatFives, and crowd favorite JayDo, amakeup artist, got a$100 Emeril’s Group gift card. All rated claws applause. Delicious bites included a spooktacular Boo Board by JS

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

n Olympian Revelry

Zeusand Hera beckoned one and costumed all, supporters of the Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates, to “Olympian Revelry 2025” to “Toast the Past —Preserve theFuture.”Held in theNew OrleansAthletic Club, it kicked off at 4p.m., and capped four hours later.Music was by theHot Club of New Orleansand the ColemanAtkins Trio, and thecuisine, Pigeon Catering.

The headlining donors were Ann M. Masson and the Peggyand Timber Floyd Foundation, while thenext tiers listed Claus Sadlier (andThe Storyville Museum), James Douglas Hislop (entertainmentsponsor), the Richard C.Adkerson Family Foundation, David Speights and Ginger Gould, Lynette and TerryDuFrene,Lauraand Joseph Holmes, CharlesBracht and CherylAnn Verlander,Alexander “Chip” Blondeau and Vickie George, SharonHayes-Roth,AndreeMoss, Josephine Sacabo and Dalt Wonk,Lucy Burnett and Gregory Holt,Albert McMeenand James Davis, Hal Williamsonand Dr R. Dale LeBlanc, Jason Waguespack and Jeff Morgan,Valentino Hospitality,Dr. RobertTravis Kenny, Janice GleasonSkow,and Randy Lewis Jackson (art sponsor).Scores more figured as patrons, appearing, along with the above, as gods, nymphs, Titans, and demi-gods. Admiring costumes, and inquiring about them, was a major attraction of thebash. LynGladney rose to theOlympian heights as gala chair.Included on her committee were Carolyn Goodwin, KathyHebert, VCPORA executive director Erin Holmes,Annie Irvin, Elizabeth Simpson,AngelaBowlin, Patrick Schambach, Jenna Burke, GretchenByers,RylanDomingue, Lynette DuFrene, Carol Gniady,Jim McGoughey, Shaun McLain, Kate Simister, MichaelA,Skinner,Amy Stelly Brook Tesler, and Claire Thriffiley Noted, too, were Brenda and MikeMoffitt, Denise Germer with daughter Sophia, Debbie Smith, David Demarest, Jenna Burke, Kaare Egedahl, and Adam Tesler with Brook. Candle light, vine leaves, grapes, togas, all figured in the fancy-dress funthat thanked patron god Dionysius and his Maenads and Satyrs, whoadded their antics and kicks as the lively lot reveled the Hellenic night away

Creates and boudin egg rolls with witchy sauce, while the quaff quarters featured thesignatureWarlock’sDark &Stormy “Pick Your Poison” was written on the gray and black napkins, along with “Spells”and “Spider Venom.”

On lighter notes werethose played by theband, theSweetie Pies of New Orleans. Amongthe eyeballed who’s who were TomCianfichi with Bryan

Batt, City Council member Freddie King,VCCF boardpresident KimRosenberg with Harry,executive director Jessica Schulman, Lynette and TerryDuFrene, Melanie Loomis,Margarita

Bergen,Rene Fransen and Eddie Bonin, Chip Blondeau and VickieGeorge, Sydney Anderson,David McPherson,Karen Tipton anddozensmore, who savored the soiree’sthrills and chills.

Amy Carbonette Cioll,Margaret Orr, EmberMandell, ValarieHart

Sonda Stacey, Denise Mehurin, Kathryn Hill MaryJane Daret, Lee Lynch, Nancy Kirkeby

Steve Tuminello, Kim Hasney

PHOTOSByJEFF STROUT

Michael Elias, Leo Watermeier,TonyMarino, Frank Pizzolato

ErinHolmes,Kristin Gisleson Palmer

Philip and Amy Stelly AnnMasson, Andree Moss, StephanieSherman

STAFF PHOTOSByNELL NOLAN BryanBlock,SydneyAnderson, TerryDuFrene, JoePappalardo Jr

DavidDalia BryanBatt, Trixie Minx, Claus Sadlier

Kim Rosenberg,Taylor Beckman

ARTS &CULTURE

‘SundayBest’ afashion show forthe faithful

Clergy,worshippers show offtheir finest

The exhibit “Sunday Best:Faith, Family,and Fashion,” now on view at the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, showcases curatorial imagination at work. Born as afundraising event for the St. Louis Cathedral restoration, it became amore comprehensivelook at the churchgoing fineryofboth parishioners and clergy Adozen special-occasion outfits worn by Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans and chairwomanof the cathedral-restorationeffort, form thecentral display of theexhibit Expanding the show beyond thosegarments incorporates a bishop’scrozier dating to 1793, pre- and post-Vatican II clergy vestments and, in an alcovededicated to Black Catholics’practice of “Showing Up and Showing Out,” an Easter Sunday 2022 ensemble credited to SoulTrain Fashions (mint-green pinstriped jacket, white slacks and shoes, socks showing aglimpse of pink) wornbyFather Tony Ricard at St. Gabriel the Archangel Church Pulling it all together is acentral corridor packed with family snapshots of parishioners “showing out” in their Sunday best through the years —anexhibition component filled out by acall for submissions in the Clarion Herald. The snapshot galleryisarolling historyofclothing and hairstyles recorded at special moments in the subjects’ lives.The snapshot subjects pose “in front of thealtar at their church or on the sidewalk outside of their house or getting dressed up for first communion,” co-curator Sarah Waits said.

“Easter egg hunts on the church lawn —just avariety of activities that happen in and around our churches.And each is full of people meaningful to the others in the photo.”

WHAT’S HAPPENINGATNEW ORLEANSMUSEUMS

n At 1:30 p.m.Sunday, the NewOrleansPharmacy Museum, 514 Chartres St., will host alecturetitled “Of Desperation and Dirt-Eating:Rethinking MedicalKnowledge among Enslaved Communities.” pharmacymuseum.org

n At 6:30 p.m.Tuesday,The National WWII Museum will host aDinnerwith aCurator eventtitled “BarbedWire on the Bayou:Axis Prisoners of Warin Louisiana.” nationalww2museum.org

n The National WWII Museum’s International Conference on WorldWar II kicks off Thursday.The conference’ssessions, which continue throughSaturday, will be streamed onlineatnocharge. nationalww2museum.org.

n The Cabildo’sFounder’sBall2025 will openthe newexhibit “Michalopoulos: Mystical Expressionism” on Fridayevening louisianastatemuseum.org

n At noon Saturday,the JacksonBarracksMilitaryMuseum,6400 St. Claude Ave., will hosta lecture about the architectural historyofthe facility geauxguardmuseums.com.

n At 10 a.m.Nov.23, the Museum of the SouthernJewishExperience will host awalking tour of HebrewRest Cemetery, 4100 ElysianFields Ave. msje.org

Other snapshot portraits will make their way to the exhibit’s walls during the run of theexhibition.Christmasand Easter themes are apossibility

“So, it’ll be sort of achanging photo wall,”Waits said. You might see yourselfasyou come through.”

Afashion fundraiser

Presented with the original conceptofafundraising display of Benson’s finery, Christopher

Wiseman,executive director of theCatholic Cultural Center of New Orleans, which oversees boththe cathedral and convent museum,engaged Waits and cocurator Katie Beeman They proposed themuseum “grow this intoanexhibit not just about Mrs. Benson’sclothes, manyofwhich she’sworn at religious events—going to visit the

Pope, things like that —but also let’sgrow it into something broader and deeper to really talk about how New Orleanians and people in our region dress forworship,” Wiseman said. “And so that’sbasically where ‘Sunday Best’ came from.”

Benson “was on board right away,” Wiseman added. “I think she enjoyed theprocess, but she was also very humble about it. She said, ‘Doyou really think people are going to want to come to a thingthat’sabout my clothes?’

“But we assured her (that) this isn’tonly going to be about (her) clothes. That’sgoing to get some attention, but it’sreally telling a story abouthistory and culture in our region.”

The designation “special occasion” describing Benson’sloaned couture is an understatement. Items in theexhibit wereworn during an audience with Pope Francis and at aSuper Bowlowners party in February 2025. The initial conception of the display as acathedral fundraiser was realized at the exhibit’sSept. 12 opening fete, which drew 350 attendees.

Localinterest

The Benson loan items will be replaced in late Decemberby

otherexamplesoflocal Sunday best garments, Waits said, including Mardi GrasIndian suits.

The exhibit, plus newly updated informational panels about the convent structure’shistory and Waits’ new exhibit tracing Pope Leo’slocal family tree, encourages Wiseman that the convent museum could attract morelocals.

“Most New Orleanians don’t knowabout this place,” he said. “Theydon’t knowit’sthe oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley. And this exhibit andother things thatwe’re doing might get their attention. And whenthey come here,beforethey even get to the exhibit, they’re just blown away by this quietcompound on the quieterside of the French Quarter. Theyhad no idea this is here.Theyhad no idea it’sso beautiful. Theyhad no idea it’s oneofthe only bits of French architecture in the French Quarter

“We’re four blocks from the cathedral, whicheverybody knows, andtheylovethe place once we can getthemhere.

DaveWalker focusesonbehindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here andatwww.themuseumgoer com. Email Daveatdwalkertp@ gmail.com.

NOMA director SusanTaylorawarded France’s Legion of Honor

BY LAUREN WALCK Staff writer

New Orleans Museum of Art

Director Susan M. Taylor has been awarded France’s highest accolade, the Legion of Honor,for her work in strengthening the bonds between New Orleans and France.

The National Order of the Legion of Honor was

startedbyNapoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and isthe country’shighest award for both military members and civilians.

“It symbolizes thegratitude of the French Republic for alife marked by excellence,dedication, and aprofound attachment to the universalideals it upholds,” Consul General of France in Louisiana Rodolphe Sambousaidinastatement.

Sambou awarded Taylor in aceremonyatthe museum last week, a distinction shecan add to her list of awards that includes the French Ministry of Culture’srank of Offi-

cier within the Order of Arts and Letters.

“There are longstanding cultural connections between NewOrleans and France,” Taylor said in astatement. “AtNOMA, we are committedtocelebrating theglobalfrom theunique vantage point of our city.”

In 2022, Taylor welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the museum during his official visit to theCrescent City.

Earlier this year,she oversaw the opening of the first exhibit produced through an artist resi-

dencywith the French Embassy’s Villa Albertine program, which partnerswith French and American higher education institutions to promote French language and culture. The exhibit titled “Nicolas Floc’h: Fleuves-Océan, Mississippi Watershed” features “vibrant monochromatic photographs of the color of water made under the surface withdramaticblackand-whitelandscapephotographs madealong the banks of the Mississippi andits tributaries.”

For the city’stricentennial in 2018, she also oversaw The Orlé-

ans Collection, which for the first time brought together 40 European masterpieces from the collection of New Orleans’ namesake, Philippe II, Ducd’Orléans. Andin2013, Taylorvisited artists’ studios in Paris forthe installation “Cities of Ys” by Camille Henrot, thanks to an Étant donnés grant sponsoredbythe Cultural Services of the French Embassy Taylor has been NOMA’s director since 2010, and has focused on education for families and children, along with community building. She has also led major capital

PHOTO By DAVEWALKER

Gayle Benson garments on view include those worn for an audience withPope Francis and Super Bowl owners partyinFebruary2025.

Dave Walker

Taylor

Theyoung man, named Bélizaire, was the household servant of awealthy,White, French Quarterfamily.His job may have been to watch over the master’sthree children, who are also featured on the canvas. He was included in thefamily portrait almostasifhe were an equal. But, decades after the group portrait waspainted,in the feverish segregationismofthe JimCrow era, somebody carefully painted over poor Bélizaire like he’d never been there.

By the time Simien bought the group portrait, Bélizaire had been uncovered by an art conservator, buthis identitywas still unknown.

Simien had the painting thoroughly restored and hired aresearcher to assist in sleuthing the enslaved teen’sbackstory.Thereafter,the painting became asensation, a tangible symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bélizaire and his three wards ended up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and Simien ended up in thepages of the New York Times, theSmithsonian Magazine, and all over the antique art trade magazines.

After being blotted out for so long, he wanted Bélizaire totake a bow in the brightest spotlightpossible.

Time Pieces

Simien was an only child, born into afamilyofsuccessfullawyers.Heattended aprivate Christian high school —anexperience he found so distasteful he won’t share the name. He planned to go to college, but never got around to it. Instead, he sang, played keyboards and handled the electronic tracks for abygone band called Desolo, which, he’s proudtopoint out, performed nothing but originals. As amusician, he said,hefound himself hanging out in pawn shops alot,searchingfor hocked equipment.While there, he explained, his eyes fellonother treasures as well. These days, Simien has come to believe that Swiss watches like Rolexes are abit gauche. They’re ponderous, ostentatious and just too popular on the resale market. But back then, he foundthem irresistible.

Simien traded in used Rolexes and other collectibletimepieces. He says he wasn’tdrawn to pristine, never-been-used watches. He liked them to have alittle scratch here and there, maybe wornduring atour in Vietnam or something like that. The watches were the

tellers of timeand also the bearers of history Areyou insane?

In 2013, Simien had just gotten married, and he andhis wife were filling their new gated-community home. So, he soldone of his vintageRolexes to impulsivelybuy an exquisite 1815, Louisiana-made, inlaid armoire at auction. It cost $10,000. When hecalled hisdad to tell himwhat he’d done, his father asked him, “Are you insane?”

Well, at least itwasn’tascrazy as the time he spent $400 for an original Betamax tape of the 1978 slasher classic “Halloween,”

which turned out to be afake. That was during his antique video technology phase. The purchase of therare Louisiana-made armoire proved that yet another obsession had kicked in. But this time it was areal passion. Anditwas personal. There aren’t alot of people of color in the world of antique art collecting, andhe planned to makeamark.

Tophats, beads, gold watches

Central to Simien’scollecting are artand artifactsrelated to free people of color,the uniquecommunityofnon-enslaved Blacks and mixed-race residentsthat shared

New Orleans with fellowcitizens of European descent before the Civil War. Most Americans probably don’tknowthatsucha class of people even existed. Simien said he’sdrawn to the area of specialization in part because he descends from free people of color,aswellasenslaved Africans, Native Americans, European colonists andothers. With acertaintheatrical flair, Simien is knowntowearthe top hatofanantebellum gentleman on his head and afew strands of glass trade beads —symbolic of early international commerce between Europeans, Africansand Native Americans. Plus, on occasion, he straps aglittering, gold, non-Rolexwatch on hiswrist.It’s asociologically complex fashion combinationthatsaysplenty about his worldview

The message of the Bélizaire painting, Simien said at the time, was to “highlight New Orleans’ culture,the good,the bad, the Black, White andgray, the whole fusion.”

Findingself

The same philosophy applies to the collection of artworks that crowd the walls of his office, where aportrait of the slaveowning statesman Henry Clay paintedbyanartist with astudio in thePontalba apartments —shares space with atiny portrait of an African American Union Army soldier

Elsewhere, there’sa portrait of a female plantation owner, aportrait of aman who sold nautical instruments on Canal Street, and an etching of the Bernard de Marigny theFrenchgamblerfor whom the neighborhood is named. There’s also acouple of lithographs by the mysterious New Orleans illustrator andphotographer JulesLion, who waslong thought to be afree manofcolor,but mayhave actually been of European/Jewish descent. Simien’soffice decor is the whole fusion, forsure. Simien believesthat for him, collecting historical art is, in part, an exercise in “finding self.” In one case, the search ledtoa long-lost relative. Studying hisgenealogy, Simien becameaware of an ancestor who was an officer in the mid-18th-century colonial SpanisharmyinLouisiana.Hefurther discovered that in 1841, his greatgreat-great-great-great-grandfather had sat foraportrait.

Simientracked the artwork to distant out-of-state cousins, who eventually agreed to allowhim to purchase it. After someconfusion, Simien discovered the painting actually depictedhis great-greatgreat-great-great-grandfather’s son. Simien’sresearchrevealed that the maninthe picture wasn’t entirelyofEuropean descent as previously thought. He was of mixed race.

Stepping on toes

“Foremost, Simienisa historian whoisalso acollector,” said Bradley Sumrall, senior curator at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. “Once he’s attached to an object, he wants the whole history.” As apersonwitha multiracial background, “he didn’tsee his story fully represented in the history books, in the art history books and in museums,” Sumrall said. “He was underrepresentedand sometimes erased.”

Simien hasa certain reputation forbluntness. He is quick with an unvarnished opinion and has occasionally rankled curators and auctioneers. He may not have burned bridges, but he’snot adverse to scorching them. He says it comes with the territory

“It’sa full room. Youcan’tmove without stepping on toes,” he said. “You have some prickly people in the art world, and Ihate to be at odds with people. But if you’re not at odds with people, you’re not getting it done.”

Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate.com. Follow him on Instagramat dougmaccash, on Twitter @Doug MacCash andonFacebook at Douglas James MacCash.

STAFF PHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Historianand artcollector Jeremy Simien explains the historyofthe families featured in his Baton Rouge collection.

JeremySimien wears his antique Spanish hat made in the late 19th century.

Booksexplore theimportanceofrivers

BY RIEN FERTEL

Contributing writer

Diving into theiruncertain futuresacrossthe globeisakey theme

“Is aRiver Alive?” by RobertMacfarlane,W.W.Norton, 384pages, and “In Praise of Floods”byJamesC Scott,Yale University Press, 248 pages

I’ve thought alot about rivers these past two years, ever since moving from my longtimehome just one block from the Mississippi River to ahouse 15 or so blocksaway

My new address is still close enough to walk to the levee, to feel the gravitational tugofthe river’sroiling waters. But the Mississippi’sbanks are now far enough away to missthe faint scent of sea brine that occasionally migrates upriver,to mark the absence of gull cries, foghorn echoes and the whistle tootsofthe SteamboatNatchez’scalliope.

Reading two new booksabout rivers and whythey matter made me missmyold home all over again.

Robert Macfarlane is abestselling English nature author,witha body of work that already —he’snot yet 50 years old —ranks him among the greats. Combining an adventurous spirit and poetic sensibilities with an appealing social charm that many wilderness writers, following pioneering solitude-seekers like Thoreau and Muir,lack, he’sexplored Britain’slast remaining wild places, traced the Isle’s ancient pathways, and mapped itsarchaic place names.

He’strekked up mountains and down into the depths of subterranean landscapes. In “Is aRiver Alive?” he explores the metaphorical waterways of the mind and body while globe-trotting to three notable but lesser-known rivers linked by their uncertain futures.

He journeys to an Ecuadorian cloud forest to locate the headwaters of the Río Los Cedros, as mining and deforestation efforts loom, navigates the pollutionpoisoned waterways of Chennai, India, and paddles the Mutehekau Shipu, the Indigenous name for Quebec’sMagpie River,under threat of hydroelectric overdamming.

“Everywhere Itravelled,” he writes, “I asked people the same question:what is the river saying? To act as the rivers’ interpreters, Macfarlane invites local experts andarotatingset of often eccentric friends on each expedition, charted over three sections.

Each of thethree riversistied up in the RightsofNaturemovement, which seeks to grant legal rightstoecosystems and species.

The Mutehekau Shipu, for instance, was granted legal personhood by ajoint Indigenous-municipal resolution in 2021.

Macfarlane has aknack for making the known feel new,even when he’stelling readers something we all learned in elementary school.

“Every human is, of course, awaterbody,” he writes. “Water flows in and through us. Running, we arerivers. Seated, we are pools. We were swimmers before we were walkers, slow-turning like breath-divers in thedark flotation tank of the womb.”

“Is aRiver Alive?” is hardly Macfarlane’s best work. It is too muddy-prosed and languidly paced.

Yet, it is anecessary and vital work for those whocontemplate rivers, which should be all of us.

“Everyone lives in awatershed,” he maintains. “Our fate flows with that of rivers, and always has.

If thetitle of Macfarlane’slatest leaves readers with aquestion,James C. Scott’sposthumous “In Praise of Floods” provides astraightforward answer

“Rivers, on along view, are alive,” writes Scott, a groundbreaking political scientist and anthropologistwho studied how agrariancommunities fight back againsttheir oppressors. “They areborn; they change; they shift theirchannels;theyforge newroutes to thesea; they move both gradually and violently; they teem (usually) with life; they may die aquasi-natural death; they are frequently maimed and even murdered.”

In his brief and meditative book, Scott, who died in 2024, seekstounderstand what is lost when humans endeavor to “tame” riverswithlevees, dikes, dams,

dredging, spillways and canals —the list goes on The foremost result of river engineering, according to Scott, is the loss of the river’sflood pulse,thatvasttransitional landscapethatcycles between inundated, damp anddry.This eco-rhythm,which he likens to the river’slungs, is asign of a watershed’svitality,responsible forcontinually renewing the soil forthe benefit of allfloraand fauna that call it home.

Forinstance, the Mississippi’sfish catch declined83% over ahalf-century of monumental rivercontrolprojects, before rebounding to setarecordfollowing the Great Flood of 1993.

“No flood,” Scottwrites, “no river.”

It’sanargument thatisall too familiar in the water-embracing atmosphere that hasfitfully made progress in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Like anygood river, “In Praise of Floods” meanders as it flows. Much of the book captures the Ayeyarwady River regioninBurma —for political reasons, he prefers thatnameover the nowmore common Myanmar— where he spent many yearsconducting research.He writes of the river’sbeauty and the many ways humankind has negatively transformed its watershed.

In onebaffling but charming chapter, Scottnarrates atown-hall meeting where allthe speakersare species that call the Ayeyarwady home

Alocal variety of endangered river dolphin chairs the assembly.AnAsian hairy-nosed otter, Burmese roofed turtle, andevena loquacious white gingerflower stepuptothe mic

The hilsa fish, an omega-3 powerhouse thatbuttressesthe Burmese dietand is threatened by overfishing andthe erasure of the flood plain, warns humans that “without us youwould perish; you can flourish only if we flourish too.” Scott’snarrative exercise might leave readerswith the fantasy,apropos Macfarlane, of giving our local waterways a platform to speak Are youalive,Atchafalaya? Spill it, Vermilion. Give me the RedRiverstraight talk. Hey, Mississippi, whatdoyou have to say?

Rien Fertel is the author of four books, including, mostrecently,“Brown Pelican.”

NewmagazinecelebratesnatureinLouisiana,the South

New Orleans writer Boyce Upholt made asplash lastyear with thepublication of “The Great River,” his nationally acclaimed book abouthumanity’s complicated relationship with the Mississippi over many generations.

Now,Upholt is up to something at least as ambitious with the launch of Southlands,a twice-a-year print magazine about nature in the South.

Southlands has acompanion platform for some of the magazine’scontent at southlandsmag. com, where readers can alsoorder aprint copy of each issue

In an introductory letter opening the first issue, Upholt notes that Southerners tend to revere natural wonders beyond the region while taking the beauty near their own backyards for granted.

“I want you to fall in love,tofind inspiration and new places to wanderand explore,” he tellsreaders.

“But Ialso want to challenge you, because we have work to do if we want to keep our Southern habitats beautiful and thriving and, importantly,accessible to everyone.”

That message points to the importantconnection between love, knowledge and the land we

call home. We can’t truly cherish aplace unless weknow it,and Southlands is awelcome invitation, through an assortment of writers, artists andphotographers, tobetter understand this corner of theworld beyond our thresholds To affirm thebeauty of the South’strees andswamps, rivers andmountains, Upholt and his team have created amagazine that’sbeautiful,too.

The largeness of the format has ascale that chimes nicely with the idea of openspaces,and the landscapeofstories and images inside theissueisequally expansive. Striking typography and generousspacing give the articles room to breathe, and the artworkand photographs are curated as lovingly as treasures in astudio Southlands is apublication of arrestingabundance.

In thefirstissue, writer Pragathi Ravi and photographer Adam Herdman reportonthe magically

elusive ghostorchids of southern Florida. In words and pictures, James Collier shows what it’s like to hunt Louisiana alligators, and he throws in arecipe for alligator saucepiquantefor good measure. With help from photographer Rory Doyle, Upholt considersthe Arkansasdelta as adestination for bicyclists.

There are many more stories in this opening issue of Southlands, and many morepictures. It’s an immersive plenitude, something to get lost in.

“There’s anarrative out there thatmagazines are dying,” Upholt said. “But I’ve seen the opposite:People, especially outdoors people, are eager to be able to sit down and spend timeimmersing themselves in storytelling.”

He offered another thought: “I think there’s acommunityof Southerners who are ready to be connected around their love for this place —toshare knowledge about wheretoexplore and how to worktogether for the region’s benefit.”

Upholt grew up in Connecticut but he’sobviously found ahome here. Sometimes,ittakes an outsidertoremind the rest of us how lucky we are.

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

B.K. Borison

4. “Merry Christmas, YouFilthy Animal” by Meghan Quinn

5. “Breathe withMe” by BeckaMack

6. “The SummerHikaru Died, Vol. 6” by Mokumokuren

DannyHeitman AT RANDOM

Upholt

Macfarlane

Scott

CURIOUS

Continued from page1D

“Spanish authorities erected the five bastions among the ramparts surrounding New Orleans,”Campanella wrote.

“Forts Borgoña (Burgundy), San Fernando, and San Juan, which guarded the rear of the city,comprised earthen berms fortified with pickets and timber palisades and mounted withguns, fronted bya30-foot-wide moat with 4-foot-deep water

By The Associated Press

Today is Sunday,Nov 16, the320th day of 2025

There are 45 days leftin the year

Todayinhistory: On Nov.16, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Trans-AlaskaPipeline Authorization Act into law, authorizing the construction of an 800-mile oil pipeline from the Alaska North Slope to the port city of Valdez. Also on this date: In 1907, Oklahoma becamethe 46th state of the union.

In 1914, the newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of astrike by National Football League players.

In 1988, Benazir Bhutto was voted prime minister of Pakistan, the first woman elected to lead a Muslim-majority country

In 1989, sixJesuit priests, ahousekeeper and her daughter were killed by Salvadoran army troops at the University of Central America José Simeón Cañas in San Salvador,the capital.

In 2001, investigators found aletter addressed to Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont containing anthrax; it was the second letter bearing the deadly germ known to have been sent to Capitol Hill.

In 2001, the first film in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’sStone” (U.S.title: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’sStone”) debuted in theaters around the world.

In 2006, after midterm elections that saw Democrats take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of Californiawas nominated by the Democratic caucus to become House speaker (Pelosi would officially become speaker by House vote the following January, thefirst woman to serve in the role.)

In 2018, aU.S. official said intelligenceofficials had concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the October killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey In 2022, NASA resumes lunar exploration 50 years after the end of the fabled Apollo program, rocketing the uncrewedOrion space capsule aloft from the Kennedy Space Center on a 25-day mission to orbit the moon. Today’sbirthdays: Actor Miguel Sandoval is 74. Vid-

We loved the bread, which is great with morning coffee. It became astaple of our menu each fall, when new fruit on our tree nudged us to get out the recipe.

Persimmon bread has been such apart of our family tradition that after our daughter and son grew up and made lives elsewhere, we continued to send them carefully wrapped loaves through the mail. In savoring the sweet, brown treat, they tasted home. That’show atree Iinitially disliked became ahousehold fixture, agift I’ve written about at other times through the years.

All of this cameback to mind whenour persimmon tree failed to green up last spring, which told us it hadn’t survived the winter.Our son, home for avisit, helped us cut it down.

Luckily,asurplus of fruit in our freezer means we’ll still enjoy persimmon bread this fall. It’ssomething we’ll enjoy as part of our Thanksgiving feast this month.

“Each bastion was manned by up to ahundred troops, who resided in barracks inside and moved about on banquettes (wooden walkways) open to the sky.Forts San Louis and San Carlos, at the upper and lower river corners of the city, were similar except thattheir walkways were covered, making themlook something like frontier stockades.”

eo game designer Shigeru Miyamotois73. NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonteis69. ActorMarg Helgenberger is 67. Former MLB All-Star pitcher Dwight Gooden is 61. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 61. ActorLisa Bonet is 58. Actor Martha Plimpton is 55. Olympic figure skating gold medalist Oksana Baiul is 48. Actor MaggieGyllenhaal is 48. Actor-comedian Pete Davidson is 32

This era of defense did not last long, as the Louisiana Purchase and other shiftstowardpopulation increase led to the pressing need for more buildings and civilian spaces.

Do you have aquestion about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Emailyour question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city whereyou live.

The fortsand ramparts gave way to streetsand buildings.Theyare long gone, but Spanishinfluence can still be felt alloverthe city

I’ll always be grateful for asmall tree that taught me something about gratitude itself. Sometimes, life’sblessings have to hit you on the head before you recognize them.

EmailDanny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

PHOTO PROVIDED By LIBRARy OF CONGRESS

Jacques Tanesse’s1815 map shows the arcade of trees to be planted on Rampart Street, at top.

TRAVEL

Marksville mixesentertainment andhistory

BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer

Agolf cart ride along the 7-milepath of Tamahka Trails Golf Club, alone, is worth atrip to Marksville.

With its rolling hills, the spreadiseasily one of Louisiana’s most beautiful golf courses,aswellasone of the amenitiesofthe TunicaBiloxi Tribe-owned Paragon Casino and Resort at 711 Paragon Place, Avoyelles Parish’sbiggest tourism draw

That’sneither slight nor exaggeration. The casino and its grounds have been attracting tourists to Marksvillesince its opening in 1994. Still, the identity of this city that grew from abroken wagon wheelwas established long before that. Marksville’sbeginning can be traced to 1794 when Venetian peddler Marco Eliché’swagon wheel broke while traveling through the area. He decided to stay and open atrading post.

Asettlement grew around thebusinessand eventually evolved into what is now the City of Marksville, standing along its main thoroughfare of La. 1, just 38 miles south of Alexandria and less than two hours from Baton Rouge.

Its outdoor natural areas, Spring Bayou Wildlife Management Area and the Lake Ophelia and Grand Cote National Wildlife Preserves offer recreational opportunities for hunters, fishermen and nature lovers.

The city also is known for such seasonal activities as the annual Avoyelles Arts and Music Festival on July 4 and the annual Tunica-Biloxi Pow WowinMay

It’ssaid Marksville is known worldwide for its egg knocking contest, where the owner of the lone uncracked

Admissionis$3-$5 to the center,which not only tells the tribe’sstory but is home to the TunicaTreasure,a collection of 18th-century NativeAmerican and European trade itemsdiscovered in more than 100 Native American gravesatTrudeau Landing in West Feliciana Parish in the 1960s.

The artifacts eventually were returned to thetribe through the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1989. Amuseum in theformof atemplemound wasconstructed, but the building didn’thold up.

The tribe replaced it with its new cultural center in 2011, whose brickwork,

gift shop and tour manager Melissa Sampson Barbin is quicktopoint out,reflects the meticulous, handmade pine needle baskets for which the tribe is known. Examples of these baskets are also on display in the center,aswell as chronologically arranged paintings and artifacts depicting the tribe’sstory

“Wealso have workshops here,” Barbin said. “One of our popular ones is the pine needle basket workshop Itook that workshop, and it isn’teasy. Ikeptpracticing, and it took me about six months to get the basket where Iwanted it.”

egg is pronouncedthe winner. TheIndependence Day celebration has the distinction of staging thenation’s longest-running July 4parade And despite the permanent closure of Fort DeRussy State HistoricSite, along with the temporary closure of theformer Marksville State Historic Site, thereis still plenty in the cityfor history lovers to explore.

“If you go to the second floorofthe courthouse, you’ll see framed displays representing all of the communitiesin Avoyelles Parish,”

said Wilbert Carmouche, directorofAvoyellesCommission of Tourism. “They were all placed there by the tourism commission.”

Both state andcity historic signs can be found throughout Marksville, some of the most notable mapping out historical moments in Solomon Northup’slife.

Northup is best known for his memoir,“Twelve Years aSlave,” which was adapted intoanAcademy Awardwinning film. Northup was afree African American man living in 19th-century New York, when, in 1841, he was drugged, kidnappedand sold intoslavery,eventually landing in Avoyelles Parish.

The parishisplanningto erect astatuehonoring Northup and commemorating his story on its courthouse grounds in January

Then, of course, there’s the history andculture of theTunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe, whichisreadilyopen for exploration in the Tunica-Biloxi Cultural &Education Resources Center,151 Melancon Road off La. 1.

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

Continued from page8D

Meanwhile,outside thecenter, which stands on land within the tribe’sreservation, is the trailhead for the boardwalk nature trail that stretches nearlyamile over the Coulee DesGrues waterway,ending at theParagon Casino Resort RV Park.

The RV park stands behind the casino with 200 camping spots, 30 cabins and an outdoor pool. Not into camping? Well, thecasino resort’shotel offers 500 guest rooms and suites fronted by a reproduction cypress swamp atrium where alligators swim.

Thoughgamingisthe casino’s main attraction, the business’ resort side offers afew relaxing ways to pass time, including facials and massages in its Spa La Vie, lounging by its indoor Oasis Pool or just enjoying the latest theatrical releases in its three-screen Paragon Cinema.

For kids, Paragon’sKids Quest haslotsofgames and activitiesfor children ages 6months to 12 years whileparents areonthe gaming floor.Kids Quest is supervisedby adults at alltimes, and it operates on adrop-in, first-serve basis. All of this activity surely will leave visitors hungry,and Paragon has nine restaurants and bars to fill the bill. The MarketplaceBuffet is open

for dinner from 4p.m. to 8p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, breakfast from 8a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sundays and brunch from 11 a.m. to 3p.m. Saturdays. It also has special lunch hours for Thanksgiving and ChristmasDay

OtherParagon restaurants areLegendsSteakhouse, servingprime steaks and fresh seafood; LucyWok, specializing in Chinese cuisine; Roxy’sDiner featuring such diner favorites as hamburgers and friedchicken; Tamahka Grill, afull-service restaurant at the golf course; Gator Coffee Co.; Bon Temps Daiquiris; AtriumBar; andthe Draft Room. However,Marksville’sdining selections aren’tlimited to the casino. One of its most popular restaurantscan be found in the Broken Wheel Brewery &Bistro at 109 Tunica Drive. Co-owners Jonathan Knolland Chris Pahl opened theestablishmentin 2015, servingupseafood, steaks, sandwiches and burgers. Other local favorites include La Petit Affair Cafe with its daily farm-sourced ingredients; Nanny’s Restaurant, 333 Tunica Drive; and Logan’sFamily BBQ, 208 S.Main St. Before leaving forhome, stop by foraglimpseofthe Tamahka Course next to Paragon.Schedule agolf game if you like. It’s asight not to be missed. Email RobinMiller at romiller@theadvocate.com.

Rejected Airbnb traveler can’t getareservation,oranexplanation

I’ve been an Airbnb user for nearly a decade, with over 40 stays and positive reviews. Recently, Airbnb abruptlyremoved my account, citing avague “possible violation” of its Termsof Service.

Christopher Elliott

Iappealed, but the companydoubled down, banning me forlife without explanation. I’m baffled. What could Ihavedone to warrant this? All Iwant is my account reinstated. Can you helpme? —Kevin Donovan, Reno, Nev

Airbnb owes you —and all of its customers —transparency Terminating an account without aclear explanation isn’tjust poor customer service; it undermines trust Airbnb’sTerms of Service require users to follow its rules. If your account truly violated its policies, the company should have detailed the specific offense, provided evidence, and offered a meaningful appeals process Airbnb didn’tdoany of those thingsexcept offer you apath to appeal. Youdid, politely asking Airbnb to detail the nature of your offense.

Instead, Airbnb sent you a vague reply denying you reinstatement again.

“Wewant to assure you that we reviewed your case thoroughly before reaching this conclusion,” it assured you. “As such, we won’t be able toofferyou additional support on this matter at this time.”

In other words, we’re done with you and we won’t answer any moreofyour questions.

So what did you do? Airbnb’s Help Center vaguely warns that accounts may be removed for “safetyrisks, fraudulent activity or legal compliance.” Iasked you about any possible violations, but drew ablank. It looks like you were amodel customer,and arepeat one at that.

Platforms like Airbnb use a lot of automation and artificial intelligence to flag potentially fraudulent activity,and Ibegan to suspect that your case fell into that category.There may be someoneelse with your name out there whoviolated Airbnb’s TermsofService, but it definitely wasn’tyou.Airbnb had obviously madeamistake.

Afew years ago, my advocacy

team was flooded with erroneous bans from Airbnb users. The company implemented new measures, including amore formal appeals process, that vastly reduced the number of false positives. Apparently,itstill has some worktodo.

Abrief,polite email to one of the executive contacts at Airbnb might have helped you get around this erroneous ban. Ipublish their names, numbers and email addresses on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. Icontacted Airbnb on your behalf.While the company quickly reinstated your account, it still hasn’texplained your ban. That’s unacceptable. Airbnb needs to explain whyitremoved your account by mistake and what it has done to prevent this from happening again to you, and other good Airbnb users.

I’mstill waiting.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy,anonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.

Triton

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

Backin2006, KatieJensenjust wanted to come home.

After growing up in Kenner, she’dleft town forcollege and was working forashipping company in New Jersey.But she missedher parentsand sixsiblings, whowere back in the New Orleans area dealing withthe aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

As it happened,her father New Orleans trucking industry veteranJack Jensen —was in theprocess of buying afranchise to sell natural stone products to post-stormhomerenovators, andheneeded someone to run it. They quickly hatched aplan, and the youngerJensen came back

to town to be thefirst to officially slide open theroll-up door at the TritonStone warehouse on River Road, amile upriver from the Huey P. LongBridge

From that entry into the stone import business nearly two decades ago, Jensen as CEO and her sister Rachel Jones as chief marketing officer have built Triton froma New Orleansnewcomertoone of thetop 20 distributors of its kind in the United States competing in a$2.2billionand-growing sector

Today, thecompany, which the family has since purchased from its original owners—isthe New Orleans area’sbiggest wholesaler of quartz, marble, graniteand

ä See STONE, page 2E

BYANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

plan that its backers say would help insulate hundreds of homes, civic establishments and businesses from future blackouts using battery power The proposal, led by consumer advocacygroups Together New Orleans and the Alliance for Affordable En-

ergy,and backedbydozensofbusinesses andcommunity organizations, would create battery-powered networks, or “microgrids,”across the citythat would equip homes,small businesses, churchesand other institutionswith battery power walls.It would also connect or help spur solar installations that could substantially reduce monthlyelectricbills,its backers argue. The money is part of a$116 million dealagreedtolast year between EntergyNew Orleans and the City Council, the utility’sregulator,tosettle federal investigations into whether Entergy had overchargedcustomers over aperiod of years for power from its troubled GrandGulf Nuclear power plant. Aseparate deal was reached

betweenEntergy Louisianaand its regulator,the Louisiana Public Service Commission. The deal allows Entergy to reimburse New Orleans ratepayers for mostofthe settlementamount over a 25-year period, though it sets aside $32 million to be used at the CityCouncil’s discretion to benefitratepayers. That amount was reduced to $30 million in July when $2 millionwas usedtocushion an Entergy rate increase. Entergy hasopposed the microgrid plan saying it would benefit only aselect group rather thanNew Orleans ratepayers in general. The utility has argued that it would be better for it to spend the money on its own resiliency

Proponents,Entergy debate best useof settlement funds ä See MICROGRID, page 2E

If moneyistight,isitOKtochargeguestsfor Thanksgiving dinner?

Michelle Singletary

THE COLOR OF MONEy

Nothing says happy holidays like acover charge. With Thanksgiving here soon, you may have noticed online postings by would-be hosts askingwhetheritisOK to charge guests for their roast turkey and cranberry sauce. But it is part of alarger trend of people billing guests forfood and drink that, depending on your point of view,iseither a majorbreach of etiquette or simply pragmatic.

Recently,acaller to the “Maney and LauRen Morning Show” recounted how her aunt charges $10 per person attending Thanksgiving dinner.(She also puts out atip jar.And, no, she’snot collecting for charity.)

The radio hosts were aghast. So was I. Similarly,adebate erupted on Redditlast year when agraduate student hosting a“Friendsgiving” potluck dinner solicited $12 aperson to cover the cost of the turkey

Continued from page1E

other materials used for kitchen counters, bathroom features and other high-enddesign elements. Its Harahan gallery is filled with millions of dollars’ worth of stone sourced from all around the world, including pristine Carrara marble from Italy and “creamy” TajMahal quartzite from Brazil.

From 31 locationsinthe Midwest, theGulfSouth andthe Mid-Atlantic the company generatesmore than $200 million in annual revenue. Its fleet of trucks distributes material that comes into the country through ports in New Orleans; Norfolk,Virginia; and Houston. Nearly 350 employees sell about 10,000 stone slabs and 10 times that amount of sinks each month, along with high-end tiles and tools for the stone fabricators thatcut and installcountertops

The Jensens attribute Triton’s growth in large part to their family’sdecades of experienceinthe transportation industry,where the goal is to move things as quickly and cheaplyaspossible. In addition to TCI Trucking, the company Jack Jensen founded, thefamilynow runs ahalf-dozen related businesses, includingaliquid storage and transportation company,aplastics packaging subsidiaryand abirdseed sterilization facility

“The job is always evolving and changing,” Katie Jensensaid. “But at the end of the day,it’sall about logistics. Our job is to get the material to our customers at the lowest possible price.”

Twodecades of growth

In asense, Triton’sNew Orleans roots date back to the early 1980s, when Jack Jensen quit working for alocal railway company and went into business for himself, launching TCI to help clients move containers filled with everything from coffee to lumber and petrochemical products from the port to Gulf Coast warehouses.

MICROGRID

Continued from page1E

programs, such as Entergy Smart, which offers incentives to customers to make efficiency upgrades. EntergyspokespersonBeau Tidwell said that theconsumer activists’ plan, which initially targets about 1,500 homes and 200 businesses and civic institutions, diverts the money to a“private developer” program. Entergy has also indicated that it mighttake legal action to challenge the microgrid proposal if the City Council adopts it.

“There is avery clearchoice to be made,” said Broderick Bagert, lead organizer for Together New Orleans, one of the sponsors of the microgrid proposal.

“It is between having abig program that is paid for by the settlement money, which is what we’ve proposed,and having asmaller one paid for by ratepayers,” he said, referring to Entergy’sseparate incentive program for customerstobuy batteries. The outcome of the council’supcoming vote is poised to shape how New Orleans addresses energy resilience in the face of aging infrastructure, climate-drivenstorms, and the evolving solar and battery landscape.

When one member of the group refusedtopay,the host wondered if she was wrong. Her subreddit communitywas deeply divided.

“It’s the inflatedprice that gets me,” wrote one person opposed to the fee. “That’s way more than afaircontribution to aturkey alone …it’sfairfor thefriends to contribute, but theway this is presented just looks like friends being asked to payfor adinner party they were invitedto.”

Others had no problemwith it, with one posterwriting: “Hosting adinner can be expensive,(so) it’s not uncommon to ask people to chipin.”

These are typical rationales for an RSVP thatfeelsmore like an invoice:

n “It’snot fair.” The view hereis that people shouldn’tbepunished fornot having enoughmoney to celebrate (fill in the blank).

n “OKboomer,norms have changed. The reasoning is thatcertainetiquette rules are no longerapplicable, making it acceptable to expect attendees to help cover the cost of a gathering.

n “You can’tput aprice on arelationship. This oneessentiallydraws aline between thecost, andhow much you value spending time together I’m notconvinced.There is no financial justification for acover chargefor Thanksgiving dinner or anyother celebration. This trend of transferring financial responsibility from the host, whois traditionally expected to pay, to the guest is monetizing fellowship. Iunderstand that for many people, hosting the type of celebrations they wantisbeyondtheir budget. People are increasingly concerned aboutthe affordability of food,housing andhealth care. Add in thesevere cuts in the federal government workforce and recession-level layoffs in the private sector,and money is tight for many households. However, instead of collecting cash from friendsand family,here are sixother ways to help reduce the cost of hosting Thanksgiving. Potlucks are OK. If you’re tired of being theannual hostbecause of the cost andlabor,change the dynamics of yourfunctionbyhosting apotluck.This is often the big cost-

After two decades running the business, he had built alonglist of customers, including Memphis, Tennessee-based Triton Stone, a new venturewith two locationsthat waslookingfor franchisees to grow its footprint.

Jensen andhis son Christian, who had joined the family business by then,wanted in. They saw thepotential of combiningtheir logistics experience with the Triton founders’ overseas connections and industry knowledge

“My brotherisabig-picture thinker,and he and my father saw thisas an opportunity to get involvedwith the rebuilding after Katrina,” Katie Jensen said

To get started, the Jensens obtained aline of credit,orderedsome containers of stone, found the location in Harahan and began building asales team

“Westarted asking family and friends to come work forus,” Jones said. “Wetalked to my brother’s friend who played baseball, people we wentto ChappelleorJesuit with, asking them if they wanted to sell stone.”

Gradually,they builtinventory, buying several containers’ worth of stone each month, taking advice from suppliers about what was sell-

ing well in other parts of thecountry andpaying attention to customer requests.

Within ayear,business was booming and the Jensens were in aposition to expand. Thepost-Katrina demand formaterials, locally,kept thework coming despite anational slowdown in construction andrenovation brought on by the 2008 housing crisis.

Over the next decade, they opened nine morelocations,starting in BatonRouge; San Antonio; andMobile, Alabama, andeventually planting their flaginVirginia and other East Coast states. In 2017, the Jensensmadetheir biggestmoveto date, buying outthe originalTriton owners.

“Wehad grown the business to such an extent that it didn’tmake sense anymore,” Jonessaid. “They hadfive locations and we had nine. We had direct relationships at that point with allthe suppliers in Brazil andaround the world, andwewere just really good operators.”

Over the next five years, the Jensens openedoracquired17morelocations to morethan double Triton’s national footprint.

‘Fromthe quarry to thekitchen’

TheJensen family’sexperience

Advocatesmakea case

While some cities have already moved swiftly to integrate residential batteries, virtual power plantsand rooftop solar-plusstorage systems, New Orleans has been comparatively slow to scale up these kinds of programs. In San Diego, forexample,a projectofeight microgrids is being rolled out by GridscapeSolutions forfire stations, police stationsand recreation centers, incorporating solar power and battery storage. Thecity expectsthat these microgrids will not only support resilience during outages but also helpavoid more than $420,000 in annual energy costs.

TheNew Orleansmicrogrid proposal was backed by about two dozen “intervenors,” ranging from church groups, suchasthe GNO Interfaith Climate Coalition, two electrical workers unions, as well as several solar and battery technology businesses. They have provided testimonyand documentation to thecouncil demonstrating the potential impact of acity-led batteryprogram JeffCantin, presidentofSolar Alternatives,aNew Orleanssolar engineering firm,pointed to the St.PetersApartments, a50-unit affordable housing complex in Treme, which incorporated solar panels and abattery systemwhen it was built in 2019. That project,

saver. Don’tjust say: “Bring something.” Be specific.Several years ago, my family decidedtorotate whohosts andhow to coordinate whobrings whatfor the meal. My niece andher husband usually do the turkey.Mysister’sside dishes andmynephew’scrabmacaroni andcheese have become fanfavorites.Imake the stuffing. We carefully go through the menu, assigningdishesthatwill feed however many are coming. It’sworkedout great. We even designate oneor two people to be responsible for the family gamesafterdinner. Simplify the side dishes. Does your Thanksgiving dinnersufferfrom menu bloat? If youusually prepare five or sixdifferent side dishes, choose thetop threethateveryoneloves andskip the rest. Less variety meanslower costand less work Cut out the charcuterieboard.Martha Stewart can afford agourmetpredinner spread.You,not so much. Or you might have gotteninto the habitofpreparing snacksand elaborate appetizers to feed the crowd waiting forthe latecomers. Youcan skip that. Be astickler

aboutstarting on time.Additionally,appetizers can fill people up before the main meal, leading to food waste,whichiswhy Ioffer the next tip. Don’tcook enough for leftovers. Managepeople’s expectations by announcing thatyou won’tovercook Hosts aresoaccustomed to people taking leftovers home thatthey have takeaway containers andaluminum foil readily available.You might also graciously discourage invitees frommaking to-go plates even before dinnerstarts. Downsize the guest list. If affordability is an issue,considerlimiting the numberofguests. If youhavea skinny budget, don’ttry to accommodate abloated celebration. Skip hosting Just because youhave always been the host doesn’tmean youhavetoacceptthe duty when youknowyourfinances can’t handle it. As Ialways say: Live your financialtruth. If the truth is that your money is tight, don’tshift the costtoyourguests.

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost com.

moving, storing andtracking all sorts of materials has been akey factor in Triton’s growth. The same skills necessary forthose ventures help Triton saveonthe considerable cost of moving heavy stone from itssources in Italy, Brazil andother faraway locations to U.S. portsand then to anetwork of warehouses andgalleries. From day one, they had set up an unloading anddistributioncenter near the Port of NewOrleans, which allowed themtofill containers to themaximum weight allowed on ships and thenredistribute material for domestic transportation over the roads, which has alower weight limit. The practice, which wasn’tindustry standard,has become more commonplace.

Triton’sin-house customs broker is akey contributor,and the company oversees afleet of nearly 100 truckstomovethe stone once it’s on land.

“There are many steps to get stone from thequarry to someone’s kitchen, so knowing all the steps in theprocess is helpful,”Jensen said. “At anygiventime, we have 300 containersonships traversing the world. That’sa lotofdetails to manage.”

Changing trends

Thesisters rememberthe first stone slab they sold. It wasa “blotchy” green granite that’sno longerthe height of fashion. In the years since, Triton has adapted to trends as customers have moved towardmoreneutral palettes and patterns, although

which included $1 milliongrant funding from Entergy,was the first of itskindinthe city and wasdesignedtocover nearly all the building’senergyneeds andprovide backup power when thegridfailed.

“DuringHurricaneIda,the system kept the facility running for two or three weeksafter the storm,” Cantin recounted in an interview.“Residentswho previously faced high bills saw them drastically reduced, and the systemserved as abright spot in the neighborhood.”

That success inspired Together New Orleans’ Community Lighthouse program, which installed solar-plus-battery systems in churches, nonprofit centersand other public-serving buildings Thereare now 20 facilities citywide, with the goal of creating neighborhood hubs that remain operationalduring outages and support the community Mitigating outages, lowering costs Monika Gerhart, executive director of the Gulf States Renewable Energy IndustriesAssociation,said homes hit during heatwaves and businesses facing thousands of dollars of perishable food during outages could be shielded if microgrids are in place. She pointed to theoutage on Memorial Day this year that knocked out power for roughly 100,000 Entergy customers.

“An outage of that scale might have been avoided if we had this in place andeverybody’s rooftop energy generation could have

New Orleanscustomersstill prefer moredashes of pink, green andblue in theircountersthantheir counterpartsinneighboring Texas.

The Jensens will continue to keep withtrends just as they manage industry challengeslike inflation,the slowhousing market andtariffs, which in some cases have forced them to look for alternate sources of material.

Another issue facing theindustry is the health danger of the crystalline silicadust created when workers cutorgrind the materials used to make engineered stone counters. Thefederal government andCalifornia have both created rules to protect workers from exposure, including usingwater sprays and ventilation to reducethe dust in the air. Other countriesare doingthe same.

In response,Triton and its competitorsnow stock some silica-free engineered products andare exploring more options.

Despite the difficulties, Triton has growntocontribute about 30% of therevenue of allthe Jensen family businesses. Jones attributes that success to her team’s knack for solving problems.

“Wewanttosellfabricators the toolsthey need while they’re buying slabs,” she said. “For the interiordesigner, we want to provide allthe tile.Onceyou become their easybutton,they’re notgoing to go anywhere else.”

EmailRich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

been deployed back to the grid in real time,” she said. “Having this kind of program can bring down the cost foreveryone and improve reliability foreveryone.”

Some supportersofthe microgrid plan said Entergy’sopposition is emblematic of its “slowwalk” approach to solar and other systemsthat give customers some degree of independence from the grid.

“Entergy,when left to its owndevices without clear direction from regulators, will only makechoices that are best for the bottom line,” said Logan Atkinson-Burke,executive director of theAlliancefor Affordable Energy Tidwell, theEntergy New Orleans spokesperson, countered:

“The idea that Entergy New Orleans is ‘slow-walking’ solar is not accurate,” he said.“Over thepast fewyears, we’ve added nearly 100 megawatts of solar power —both utility-scale and local distributed projects —intoour portfolio, and we continuetomeet theCityCouncil’sRenewable andClean Portfolio Standard.”

The utility also points to apipeline of 8,600 megawatts of renewable energy projects, alarge portion of which is solar power,which is expected to be online by 2028.

The City Council is expected to vote on the microgridproposal before its term expires on Jan. 12, fulfillingapromisebyMayor-elect Helena Moreno.

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

Bagert

PROVIDED PHOTO

St. Peter Residential, a$7.4

millionaffordable housing complex in MidCity that was completed in 2020, features alargeon-site batterytostore from rooftop solar panels.

STAFF PHOTOSByCHRIS GRANGER

Dave Volpi cleans astonesample lit up from behindinside the warehouse atTritonStone in Harahan.

Jason Ledet sorts through samples of natural stone at Triton Stone in Harahan.

TALKING BUSINESS

Smallbusinessesshouldget to know theirbanker

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Percy Manson has built a careeratthe intersection of capital and community development. Alongtime banker and campaign consultant, the Kenner nativeis leveraging his financial and political experience to help extend growth and opportunity to neglectedneighborhoods.

Last year,after nearly adecade as acommercial banker working for Gulf Coast Bank &TrustCo., Manson joined Hope Credit Union as asenior vice president of community economic development and now manages astatewide team.

Hope was founded in 1995 in Jackson, Mississippi, by CEO Bill Bynum witha mission providing access to capital and financial products to underserved communities in the Deep South. In thedecades since, the credit unionhas grownto include morethan 40,000 members and$739million in assets. Last year,it financed over$210 million of community development across Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

In the first half of 2025, Hope has closed more than 400 home loans, 87% of which were lent to first-time homebuyers, and nearly60 small business and community economic development loans, with 89% going to economically distressed areas.

ASK THEEXPERTS Q&A WITH PERCy MANSON

in termsoffinancing, that banks cannot With otherinstitutions, if you don’thave the taxreturns, don’thave this, don’t have that, then they’re kind of not looking at you.

What are the biggest hurdles facingsmall-business owners who are trying to secure capital?

We have clientsthat come to us and this is their first account,sowekind of hold their hands andwalk them through theprocessfrom start to finish.

Idoalot of lunchand learns, something Istarted here when Igot here. It’s where we go out intothe communitiestalking about things youwould need to make youbankable, things that you would need to qualify you for aloan

Outside of that, it’sjust education. Alot of timespeople say,“Oh, Igot the business credit.” But we still look at your personal credit as well (when evaluating aloan risk), so you got to takeboth of those into account.

What do you seeasthe best opportunities for growth for Hope?

Because we’re aCDFI (community development financial institution), we do alot of charterschool lending, Isee that increasing. We do hospitallending.

We partner with other credit unions or institutions to getother larger deals done. And Idosee, right now, an uptickinrealestate investment.

I’ve been getting alot of calls in the last month or two aboutpurchasing real estatefor investment and flip opportunities.

How has the current state of the economy changed demand forborrowing and affected your business?

Small businesses right nowreally need to payattentionbecause Ithink they aresuffering.

structural credit crisis in the wider market,that we’re headed into a situation whereyou’re seeing alot of defaults? I’mnot goingtosay it’s a lot, but like Isaid, we are seeing an uptick in some of those. I’m not sure how long that will continue to happen, but we’reseeing a little uptick right now that we hadn’tseen before. What advice wouldyou give to somebody who is beginningtheir entrepreneurial career? Pay attention to what’s going on in the economy. Understandyour market, because markets are different.

In his spare time, Manson serves as acommissioner on the board of the Housing Authority of New Orleans, which he has led as president for the past year He’salso involved in local elections,having recently worked for the campaigns of the incoming mayorand sheriff.

grams This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Then, in every one of our markets, we have what’s calledtechnical assistance providers.

On the eve of thenew administration, Manson believesNew Orleans isata pivotal moment and called on Mayor-electHelena Moreno to follow through on campaignpromises to prioritize economic developmentinNew Orleans East and the Lower 9thWard. In this week’sTalking Business, Manson discusses what he’sbeen seeing in the local lending market and howcommunitydevelopment financial institutions like Hopecombine flexible lendingwith educationpro-

How would you describe Hope CreditUnion and what it does?

We service folk and communities that other institutions may not want togo into.

For example: Selma, Alabama. It lookslike Katrina, and nobody’sreally reachingout to help people in that area. We are. Alot of institutionsare getting away from smallbusiness. We’re not. We’removing moretoward it, and we’re able to do some unique things to help small businesses. Credit unions areable to do things,

If aclient is not ready, we will refer them to one of the providers, andthenthey help them get theirfinances together —their Pand L’s, theirbalance sheets and things like that, and if the taxes aren’tdone, they’ll walk them throughsome of that stuff.

Once that’sdone, they refer back to us, and we’re able to move forward with aloan.

What aresome of theprograms or thetools that aremosthelpful to extend financing to underserved communities?

Themaintoolisour technical assistance providers

It’sdifficult, because some of ourloansthatwe did maybe ayear,year-anda-half ago, are becoming delinquent.

So we’ve got to work through some things with the clients, maybe make some modifications, and see what we can do to help them to sustain it.

Becauseofthe current economy,withpeople not spending as muchbecause they’reunsure what’sgoing to happen, those small businesses are hurting. I’mseeing that acrossthe footprint, but we’re doing what we can to mitigate and see how we can help them through it.

Do youthink there is arisk of a

That’sthe great thing aboutacreditunion: they understand the markets that they’re in. I’ve worked for larger banks, where they clearlydid notunderstandthe southorLouisiana or New Orleans in particular. And knowing your banker,Ithink, is important. Youneed to know your banker like you know your doctor.Yourhealthisjustas important as your finances. Knowing abanker, having apersonal relationship that’sgoing to be beneficial to anysmall-business owner.I would advise themto really choose an institution wisely,and if your institution is notworking foryou, thenchange

PROVIDED PHOTO

Percy Manson is the senior vice presidentofcommunity economic development for Louisiana forJackson, Miss.based Hope CreditUnion.

AROUND THE REGION

State agriculture chief: Shrimping industry ‘on its knees’

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Facing pressure from cheap im-

ported shrimp, changing environmental conditions and rising costs, Louisiana’s shrimpers are experiencing a crisis that threatens their very existence, according to Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry

Mike Strain, who is calling on state lawmakers to do more to help save the industry

“The shrimping industry is on its knees,” Strain said Monday in an annual speech to the Press Club of Baton Rouge. “They’re asking us to step in and take a look at what we can do.”

As recently as a decade ago, what shrimp hauled in from the state’s briny waters had a dockside value of nearly $250 million. Last year, that value had plummeted to $38 million. Meanwhile, the number of shrimpers in Louisiana has continued its slide from 6,900 in 2000 to fewer than 1,400 last year

The causes behind the changing fortunes of the once robust industry are not new, but they continue to worsen, said Strain, rattling off a list of statistics to underscore the problem.

Chief among them is the amount of imported shrimp flooding the domestic market. Nearly 95% of shrimp consumed in the United States today is imported, with nearly 78% of those imports coming from India, Ecuador and Indonesia.

“Shrimp fraud” the mislabeling by foreign companies of imported shrimp as locally sourced — also continues to be a problem, undercutting price and cheating customers out of what they paid for Adding to the problem are changing environmental conditions due, in part, to new liquified natural gas projects as well as higher costs of doing business from labor short-

ages and other factors.

Strain outlined measures enacted by the Louisiana Legislature last summer that recently took effect requiring restaurants to include statements in their menus to clarify if the shrimp is imported or locally sourced. The statements must match the font style and size of the menu to ensure visibility to consumers.

New state laws also give the state’s Agriculture Department more control over the sampling and testing of commercial seafood as well as greater enforcement provisions.

The department is now able to issue stop orders to companies whose shrimp test positive for antibiotics. Strain said the department also is now requiring companies to keep at least six months of records on shrimp volume and origin to pin-

point whether businesses are selling imported or domestic shrimp.

Dave Williams, president of SeaD Consulting, which the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force hires to carry out species testing, said testing shrimp for antibiotics doesn’t hurt, but it may not solve the industry’s safety and labeling problems. The ban of certain antibiotics may be outpaced by the creation of new, unregulated antibiotics.

He said the industry needs heavier enforcement on restaurants for using authentic, American shrimp. According to a recent SeaD study, mislabeled shrimp costs the industry $225,000 a day

The penalty for mislabeling is a fine ranging from $200 to $500.

“If 94% of the shrimp sold in the United States is imported from areas that might have antibiotics, then stopping a few containers, it’s

Beyondthe Workplace.

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not really going to make a difference in the overall supply,” Williams said.

Strain said the department wants to do more and will ask lawmakers for additional enforcement power during the 2026 legislative session.

He said he is also planning to request funds for additional testing and enforcement as well as for marketing and promotion.

“We can’t regulate our way back into seafood prosperity with shrimp,” he said “We have to promote it.”

Low commodity prices

The state’s shrimp industry isn’t the only sector of the agricultural industry being squeezed by broader forces, Strain said in his wideranging remarks. Crops are being produced at or below their production costs, driving up their retail

costs and leaving farmers in debt.

Strain said corn, wheat, beans, cotton and rice have been produced at or below their production costs for the past three years, causing the state “tremendous economic stress.” Costs have risen across the distribution chain, from processing to transportation to labor causing farmers to take out loans to cover the expenses.

“The bottom line is that farmers are price takers, not price makers, and so that has been a significant issue,” he said.

Strain said he is expecting funds from the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, a one-time payment program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency to alleviate the financial stress from low commodity prices, to help farmers’ debt.

Bird flu is also a problem negatively impacting Louisiana farmers. Turkey prices have risen up to 40% due to the decline in the national turkey population, which has been decimated by bird flu, reaching its lowest point in the 40 years.

Strain said his department is monitoring levels of the disease, especially as birds migrate south for the winter

Email Ianne Salvosa at ianne. salvosa@theadvocate.com.

ForLouisiana businessleaders,labor and employmentlaw is no longeraback-office issue—itisacorebusinessconcern that directly impactsoperations, talent retention, andlong-termgrowth. Employersmust prepare forseveral upcoming labor and employmentchallenges.

Strong workplacemanagementiscriticaltolimitingturnover andavoidingdisputesthatcan lead to an arrayofissues. Accommodation andleave complianceisalsocomplex,as state-levelprotections maygobeyondfederallaw,particularly forpregnancyand disability.OSHAoversight also remainsa priority in Louisiana’sindustrialsectors,wheresafetyauditsand updated training canreducebothriskand penalties. Benefits complianceadds furtherpressure, with COBRAnotices,401(k) administration, andhealthplan parity drawingscrutiny.

Proactiveattention is keytoworkforcestability—and we are proudtohelpleadthe wayforward. Attorney Advertising.

Strain

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

STAFF FILE PHOTO By TRAVIS SPRADLING

SidLewis

NATION & WORLD

Shutdown pauses access to federal economic data

Auto sellers, analysts making industry decisions are in the dark

BY GRANT SCHWAB

The Detroit News (TNS)

WASHINGTON The ongoing federal government shutdown is leaving auto sellers without key economic data and obscuring the impact of President Donald Trump’s signature tariff policies

That’s because the budget lapse, among other consequences, has triggered a pause in the publication of indicators that typically inform industry decisions. Policymakers and businesses have now gone more than a month without new federal figures on tariff costs, manufacturing productivity, inflation, employment and more.

“The countries that are most successful are the ones where you know what your price levels are, your number of jobs, your costs, your tariffs and your taxes,” said Michigan-based economist Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group. “That’s one of the reasons that countries which haven’t developed highly credible, trained statistical reports that aren’t governed by elected officials have so much economic difficulty.”

Anderson and other industry analysts noted that the temporary dearth of data is unlikely to affect the biggest business moves from automakers, which tend to make capital investments and production plans on years-long time horizons. But short-term implications for vehicle sales, experts said, could start to pile up.

“While vehicle development in the industry operates at a glacial pace requiring years to bring a vehicle to market, constant monitoring of the economic data is neces-

sary to make the fine adjustments to marketing, production, and retailing of those vehicles,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions.

The analyst added: “Not knowing where the market is heading could mean too many or too few vehicles in inventory and, likely, the wrong mix of trim levels. Allowing a manufacturer to more accurately predict changes in the market means shipping the right vehicles to the proper regions and preparing incentives when conditions sour.”

Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV both did not comment on how the data drought is affecting their business. General Motors Co. said there has not been any impact.

Automakers, dealers and analysts rely on troves of internal and private-sector data that are not available to the masses, but public data still plays a helpful role, according to Fiorani: “All forecasters, especially those in the automotive industry, need data and the federal government provides a number of great measures of the economy.”

The National Automobile Dealers Association offered a similar assessment: “While government data can be a useful tool for automobile dealers, generally, they don’t rely on it exclusively Many dealers rely on industry sources for data that informs their business decisions,” spokesperson Amy Wright said in a statement.

But as the government shutdown stretches deeper into its second month, existing government statistics are becoming more outdated. Decision-makers are having to make do without some of their usual sources.

“The longer the data is missing, the less accurate the outlook becomes,” Fiorani said.

The Federal Reserve, notably, voted to cut a key interest rate by a quarter point despite not having access to the employment and inflation information often central to its policy directives. Fed Chair

Jerome Powell did not offer a clear signal on the bank’s upcoming December rate decision amid the partial data blackout.

“If there is a very high level of

uncertainty, then that could be an argument in favor of caution about moving,” Powell told reporters after the latest rate cut, which will likely make new auto loans slightly more affordable. “But we’ll have to see how it unfolds.”

There is some private-sector data to help the Fed and other businesses navigate without the full complement of data from statistical agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, but there is a noticeable dropoff in reliability, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Jed Kolko, a senior researcher for the nonpartisan think thank, explained the data differences in an Oct. 30 blog post.

“The shutdown reinforces what statisticians and economists have long argued: Private sector data is valuable but cannot replace official statistics,” Kolko wrote. “Private sources offer speed, specificity and innovation that complement government data. They can track emerging trends, provide granular detail for particular sectors or geographies, and offer near real-time updates But they cannot match the breadth, representativeness, consistency, transparency or public commitment of official statistics.”

He cited federal jobs data as an example of imperfect private substitutes: “When the September jobs report was delayed, multiple private sector alternatives stepped in ADP continued publishing payroll figures, newer entrants like Revelio Labs joined the field, and firms including the Carlyle Group weighed in with payroll growth estimates.

“Historical analysis suggests these sources are rough and imprecise predictors of the official nonfarm payroll number, with methodological differences in coverage revision timing, and data collection making direct comparisons tricky.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By AL BEHRMAN

SUVs ready to be moved out are lined up at the GM Truck Group assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio. The ongoing federal government shutdown is leaving auto sellers without key economic data and obscuring the impact of President Donald Trump’s signature tariff policies.

Staff report

The following awards and honors were recently announced by south Louisianabusinessesand nonprofit organizations.

NewOrleans

Detroit Brooks was awardedthe 2025 Danny Barker Award from the New Orleans Jazz Museum.Brooks, thefounder of the Danny Barker Banjo &Guitar Festival, is adedicated mentor,educator and renowned local musician. The award will be announced and presented during the museum’sannual improvisations gala on Dec. 6.

Jim Cook,president and CEOof the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center was recently selected as aYoung Leadership Council role model. Cook was also named to the New Orleans CityBusiness Power 50. Cook received the honor at an Oct. 24 reception.

Heather Hodges,director of institutional advancementatThe Historic New Orleans Collection,received the Museum Leadership Award

Fool’sTake:

Brewing profits

Constellation Brands (NYSE:

from the Southeastern Museums Conference. Hodges was honoredon Oct. 22 in Montgomery,Alabama, where the HNOC alsoreceived six technology awards and two exhibitionawards.

Michael Ginart and Katherin Karcher Lemoine,former teachersand current membersofthe St. Bernard ParishSchoolBoard, were honored as the 2025 man and woman of the year by the St. Bernard Businessand Professional Women’sClubatanOct. 22 gala.

Calvin Mackie,founder and CEO of STEM NOLAand STEM Global Action, its national affiliate, was awarded the2025Ralph Coats Roe Medal fromthe American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He will receive the medaland give a keynote address to ASME’sconvention in Memphis, Tennessee, on Tuesday,Nov.18.

Cedric Richmond,who represented Louisiana in Congress for more

its totaling $1.45 billion.

than adecade, was named the the 2025 Alumnus of the Year by Benjamin Franklin High School. Richmondreceived the award ahead of the school’sfirst BennaroobenefitconcertNov.9atThe Broadside.

ArvinderVilkhu,president and executive chef of Saffron Nola, received a $10,000 prizefrom Greater New Orleans Foundation for winning the 2025 Cohn |GNOF |Nola| Arts award. Vilkhu, atwotime James Beard award nominee, washonored at a special reception Oct. 14.

BatonRouge

Blue Cross and Blue ShieldofLouisiana‘s legal team was recognized last month with aTop 10 Corporate Counsel award in the2025 OnCon Icon Awards.

The Louisiana Blue Foundation honored10Louisianansfor doing good for thechildrenofthe state at the2025 Angel Award gala on Oct. 20 in Baton Rouge. They include: Bonita Armour,ofDry Prong, is thefounder and president of B22 Sports Complex, which offers mentorship and life skills to cen-

tral Louisiana youth.

DivineBailey-Nicholas,ofOpelousas, is the founder and executive director of Community Birth Companion, offering maternal health support in rural Louisiana.

Barry Jackson,ofBaton Rouge,isa longtimeteacher and coachatTara High School

RheneishaRobertson,ofNew Orleans, is the CEO of Covenant House NewOrleans, whichoffers shelter and support to homeless young people.

Dawn Stanfield,ofMonroe, is programdirector of Academy for Collaborative Education, which is north Louisiana’sonly school for autistic children.

DeWanna Tarver,ofLake Charles, founded DeWanna’s Closet, giving Calcasieu Parish students and teachersaccess to school essentials

Kelli Todd,ofShreveport, is the executive directorofVolunteers forYouth Justice, helpingtokeep childrenout of the criminal law system

Cherry Wilmore and Sherry Wilmore,of Houma, whotogether co-founded of CHeriSH TimesTwo to help foster youth.

Matthew Vicknair,ofBaton Rouge, is an analyst in Louisiana Blue’s Value Based Operationsdivision.

Vicknair,who receivedthe Blue Angelhonor,volunteers and serves on the board of Front Yard Bikes, which helps young people build connections and skills through bicycles.

Sheah Stephens,afilm educator at BatonRouge CommunityCollege, was awarded an AlexTrebek Legacy Fellowshipfrom the Television AcademyFoundation. Stephens, an artist and filmmaker, was oneof18professors selected for this year’sprogram, which includedattendanceatathree-day Media Educators Conference last month in North Hollywood, California.

Acadiana Joshua Harry and Evan Thibodeaux,employees of Global DataSystems, have been named to the 2025 CRN Next-Gen Solution ProviderLeaders. CRN, abrand of The ChannelCo., composes the annuallist to spotlight outstanding executives, managers and directors under theage of 41. Do you have personnel changes or awards to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us aline at biztips@theadvocate.com.

STZ) has seen its stock drop more than 40% over the past year —pushing its dividendyield up to 3.1%. For longterm investors, this is an opportunity to invest in atop beer stock at abig discount.

Motley Fool

Constellation holds the U.S. distribution rights to market and sell top Mexican beer brands, including Modelo and Corona. (Its Corona Sunbrew has quickly become the No. 1new beer brand in the U.S.) Last year,the company’sbeer sales totaled $8.54 billion, with sales of wine and spir-

The stock is down as consumers have pulled back on discretionary spending, and that has pressured sales of alcoholic beverages. Constellation’srevenue was down 15% year over year in its quarter ending in August, and the company is projecting adjusted net revenue for the fullfiscal year to be down between 4% and 6%.

While the company’ssales are dependent on consumer spending trends,people are not likely to stop drinking beer and wine over thelongterm, and Constellation’s brands rank toward the topoftheir categories in market share.

EvenWarren Buffett and his investing team at Berkshire Hathaway see value here, as they have accumulated 7.5% of the company Shares look attractively priced

for long-term believers at arecent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 12. (The Motley Fool recommends Constellation Brands.)

Fool’s School: Will the market crash soon?

The United States stock market, as measured by the S&P 500 index of 500 of America’sbiggest companies, has had somegreat years lately.Itgained 31.5% in 2019, 18.4% in 2020 and 28.7% in 2021, before dropping by 18.1% in 2022. Then it jumped26.3% in 2023 and 25% in 2024 —and it was recently up 15.5% year to date.

Considering thatthe stock market’slong-term average annual gain is close to 10%, not 18% or more,it’sfair to wonder whether

the market will pull back soon. Also troubling are ongoing tariff wars, inflation risks and general geopolitical uncertainty. Given allthat, acorrection or crash maybearound thecorner.(A stock market correction is adrop of between 10% and20%,while acrash is arapid drop of 20% or more.) But that pullback might not happen this year or next.Noone ever knows exactlywhatthe stock market(or anyparticularstock) will do from oneday to another,or even one month to another So, since themarket may or maynot crash soon,whatshould stock investors do?Here are some thoughts: n Expect correctionsand crashes. They are afact of life in the stock market and, on average, happen every fewyears.

n Don’tkeep anymoney that you expect to need within five,ifnot 10, years in thestock market. You don’twanttohave to sellwhenthe marketisway down.

n Know that despiteplentyof correctionsand crashes in thepast, theU.S.stock markethas always eventually recovered,going on to set newhighs n Assume that many high-flying growth stockswill fall harder than slower-growing ones. If youwant to reducerisk, youmight fully or partlysellout of anystocksthat seem significantlyovervalued. Dividendstocksshould appeal, because they often (though not always) keep paying even during marketdownturns. Finally,remember that market pullbackscan presentsome great buying opportunities.

their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. Whenthose benefits end with retirement, paying dentalbills out-of-pocketcan comeasa shock, leading people to put offorevengowithout care.

Simply put—without dentalinsurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

Harry

Thibodeaux

BY THE NUMBERS

N.O. ranks as third-most ‘house poor’ in nation

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

The cost of home ownership in New Orleans is greater than almost anywhere else in the nation, according to a new analysis of U.S census data, which shows the typical homeowner with a mortgage spends nearly one-third of their monthly income — 32.6% — on housing costs.

That’s a higher proportion than in Los Angeles, Miami or Honolulu, all much larger and more expensive cities than New Orleans, and the third-highest in the country, according to the analysis by ConsumerAffairs, a consumer research journal. New York and Hialeah, Florida, which is near Miami, topped the list.

“This really highlights that being house poor isn’t only a big-city problem driven by high home prices,” ConsumerAffairs spokesperson Dayna Edens said.

The analysis of 2024 data found New Orleans was the only one of the 10 most “house poor” cities where median home values are lower than the national average — by about 15%. Despite that, monthly housing costs mortgage payments insurance, taxes, utilities and various fees — are 13.6% higher than the nationwide average, driven by soaring home insurance and utility rates.

The report is the latest of several that document what homeowners throughout the region have witnessed since 2022, when insurance premiums spiked after backto-back hurricanes in 2020 and 2021 and interest rates more than doubled from pandemic-era lows. The fall-

out in the three years since has been a sluggish housing market with fewer sales at lower prices.

Though cities across the county have experienced a slump as well, the recent study illustrates why New Orleans homeowners have been hit particularly hard.

“New Orleans stands out because it shows that even in markets where home values are below the national average homeowners can still feel the same financial pressure as those in much more expensive cities,” Edens said. “When incomes don’t keep pace with the cost of homeownership, affordability becomes less about home prices and more about what people are earning to pay for them.”

From 2020 to 2024, mortgage-holding New Orleans homeowners became 6.1% more house poor, which means they spent more than

28% of the city’s median monthly household income on housing costs, according to the analysis.

Though incomes rose at a faster rate than housing expenses last year, wages have not kept up with the increasing cost of owning a home over the longer term.

“It’s important to note that being house poor doesn’t necessarily mean someone bought more house than they could afford,” Edens said. “It means the cost of simply keeping a home takes up so much of a household’s income that there’s little left over for savings or everyday expenses.”

In Baton Rouge, where the average homeowner makes about $1,000 less than in New Orleans but saves $658 every month on housing costs, the analysis calculated the housing cost burden to be 27.4% — just below the threshold to be considered

house poor but large enough to be the 25th-highest in the nation.

Lafayette was not included in the nationwide rankings because its population did not meet the analysis’ minimum population threshold of 175,000. If it had, it would have tied with Cleveland and Aurora, Colorado, with the median homeowner paying 24.6% of their monthly income on housing, just above the national average of 24.2%.

The rankings only consider those who still owe money for their house, so the approximately 40% of homes that are owned free and clear without monthly mortgage payments are not taken into account.

Nor are renters. An October analysis of census data published by The Data Center, a New Orleans-based research organization, found that 33% of Orleans Parish renters are “severely costburdened” — meaning they

spend more than half of their household income on rent — compared with a national average of 26%.

The median cost of rent and utilities has risen by an inflation-adjusted 39% over the past 20 years in New Orleans, compared with a national average of 28%. And the gap between renters and homeowners is growing, with 18% of New Orleans homeowners considered severely cost-burdened.

But that doesn’t mean purchasing a home will solve the problem. Americans who recently bought a house are paying the highest monthly mortgage bills since the Great Recession.

According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau last month, homeowners who moved in 2024 are paying $648 more in mortgage costs than those who relocated in 2019. The 41.1% gap in housing costs was the largest between the two groups since at least 2008.

An analysis of U.S Census Bureau data found New Orleans was the only one of the top 10 most ‘house poor’ cities with belowaverage home values.

As the housing market emerged from recession between 2009 and 2013, new buyers paid less than existing homeowners But that trend has now reversed completely

Earlier this year, a study by the University of Mississippi ranked New Orleans’ housing market last among 100 in the U.S. for inflation-adjusted real estate performance. Orleans Parish now appears increasingly out of step with places where owning a home builds equity over time, putting the burden of rising monthly costs on new buyers with little chance of appreciation.

“Homeownership is very often sold as the best vehicle to wealth creation,” study co-author Ken Johnson said earlier this year “And that might well not be the case in New Orleans.”

Email Jonah Meadows at Jonah.Meadows@ theadvocate.com.

Sponsored: CommissionApprovesMenhaden

Buffer Expansion to Protect Chandeleur Islands and Other SensitiveAreas

Submitted article

Brought to youbythe Louisiana Commercial Fishing Coalition,LLC Louisiana’smenhadenfisheryhaslongbeen defined by respect –respectfor the Gulf,for science, and forthe coastal communities that depend on both. This month, the Louisiana Wildlifeand Fisheries Commission approved aNotice of Intent (NOI) to adjustnearshore buffer zones formenhadenfishing, the latest step in Louisiana’seffort to balanceecological protection with sustainable working waters –expanding protections in sensitiveareas while refining limitsinlessfragile zones

Theadjustmentfollowsadirectivefromthe Commission to the Louisiana Departmentof WildlifeandFisheries(LDWF)toconsultwith both the menhadenindustry and recreational fishermen to strengthen existing rules. The resultingproposalincreasesthebufferzone by over4%– from 264 to 276squaremiles –enhancing protections in sensitivehabitats while adjustinghistorically importantfishing grounds,whereLouisiana’smenhaden industry has fished forover75years.

Whatthe Buffer Zone

AdjustmentIncludes

Theproposal expands protections in Louisiana’smost ecologically sensitive areas while restoring accessin long-fished waters wherenew research shows limited environmental impact.The newly proposed rule would modifyexistingmenhaden buffer zones along severalparts of Louisiana’scoast:

• Expandedprotections in the Chandeleur Islands and around Isle Dernieres,and adjusted buffer areas in select regions (Cameron Jetties to RutherfordBeach, Mermentau River to Rollover, Point Au FertoBayouGrand Caillou, BayLong to Southwest Pass)based on LDWF’s scientific assessment.

• Creation of anew open-water connection between BaptisteCollette and Breton Island, improving alignment between existing buffer zones and coastal geographywithinBretonand Chandeleur Sounds

• Technicalandorganizationalupdates including clearer structureand the

addition of GPS coordinatesfor existing buffersaroundElmer’sIsland, Grand Isle, and GrandTerre,enhancing clarity, transparency,and enforcement.

The NOI represents ahybrid approach –modestly increasing overall restricted area while refining the rule’sdesign based on habitatsensitivity, historical fishing access, and scientific input

Commission Advances Restoration and Science-Based CoastProtections

The Chandeleur Islands,part of the Breton National WildlifeRefuge, have eroded over decades due to storms and sealevel rise. A $360 million restoration ledbyCPRA, LDWF, and federal partners is rebuilding dunes, marshes, and nesting grounds critical to migratory birds and seaturtles.Expanding protections herereflects the state’s goal of safeguarding fragileecosystems while preserving productiveworkingwaters.

By expanding protections around the Chandeleurand Isle Dernieres islands, the Commission’sproposal reflects the state’s broader coastal protection goals –safeguarding Louisiana’smost fragile ecosystems while preserving accessto productiveworking waters

Howthe Menhaden

Industry’s ResponsibleManagement Reinforces the State’sScience-Based Coastal Policy

Louisiana’smenhaden fishery operates under strict managementand oversight. It is certified by the MarineStewardship Council (MSC) as asustainable fishery and routinely collaborateswith state and federal agencies to support research and monitoring.

Recent data from the State’s $1 million taxpayer-funded bycatch study, conducted with the Gulf StatesMarine Fisheries Commission, showthatred drum comprise just3.4% of all reddrum landings in Louisiana’smenhaden fishery.Inaddition, the industry’s totalbycatch of allspecies remains below the 5% cap established by state legislation. Thesefindingshelped guide LDWF’s determination that certainnearshore areas could safely reopen without harming reddrum or other species,allowing fora more targetedand equitable rule.

The fleet has alsomodernized its operations.Since2023, companies have invested over $6.5 million in Spectra/ Plateena nettechnology,significantly reducing the risk of accidental fish spills Further innovations,such as hose-endcage systems,havehelped lowerincidental red drum mortalityby 24%

Thesemeasuresdemonstratetheindustry’s ongoing investmentinresponsible, sciencebased practices.The Commission’smodified buffer proposal reflectsthatsame philosophy –pairing environmental stewardship with acommitmenttosustaining the working communities thatdefine Louisiana’s coast An Industry Anchoring Coastal Communities

Beyond environmental stewardship,the menhaden fishery remains acornerstone of Louisiana’scoastal economy. The sector supports morethan 2,000 jobs,generates over$419millioninannualeconomicoutput and purchases roughly $62 million in goods and services across 32 coastalparishes

Thesejobssustain year-roundlivelihoods alongtheGulf.Menhadenproducts–including fishmeal and fish oil –are essential to U.S. aquaculture, pet food, and animal feed supply chains

Balancing Protection and Productivity

The Commission’s updatedNOI underscores Louisiana’s long-standing approach to resource management: protecting what’sfragile, sustaining what’s working, and grounding decisions in science. Forthe menhaden industry,this update represents another instance of compromise– accepting newrestrictions around ecologically sensitive zones while gaining carefully reviewedaccess to waters found to be lessatrisk. While the newruleincreasesprotected waters,itreflects collaborativeinput –ensuringchanges aretargetedand thatcoastal communities continue to thrivealongside restoration priorities Looking Ahead

The proposed buffer adjustments will next move through Louisiana’sformal rulemaking process,beginning with publication in the Louisiana Register and aperiod forpublic commentbeforeany final adoption.

Louisiana’s successhas always depended on stewardship and strength –protecting land and waterwhile sustaining the people who rely on them. The Commission’slatest action continues that balance,advancing acoastthat is both productiveand protected.

Gallagherhelps protectbusinesses of all sizesand acrossall sectors —not only through the insurancecoverweprovidebut also by offering arange of risk managementand consultancy servicesthatwecan tailor to your business.

Connect with your local broker today.

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LOUISIANA

‘IT TAKES

A VILLAGE’

New epilepsy clinic in Baton Rouge transforms care opportunities for children with seizures

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

On the fourth floor of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital past blue and white walls designed with underwater bubbles and waves — a new medical clinic treats children at their most vulnerable: the pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit, located between the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units.

In the late nights and the early mornings, at least four lab techs at the unit are tracking brain waves on glowing screens and monitoring patients in their beds from overhead cameras. They are watching rows of hundreds of steady lines, waiting for the moment the electrical activity in the brain becomes excessive and chaotic.

“When our team does an EEG, right away we can see the brain discharges and diagnose patients And treat them, too,” said Dr Yash Shah.

Shah, an epileptologist and division chief at the hospital, sees complex pediatric epilepsy patients every day in Baton Rouge. Shah came on to the team three years ago and was a pivotal force to creating the epilepsy care unit that opened on July 4, the only such unit in the Baton Rouge area.

Having one, singular seizure does not

mean a patient is epileptic, according to Shah. Epilepsy is used as an umbrella term to encompass over 1,000 different brain conditions. Seizures can take on different symptoms, from shaking, sweaty

episodes to dozing off in math class, and last for various amounts of time, from seconds to minutes.

Hunting hidden ‘zombie cells’

Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

ROCHESTER, Minn. — When it comes to treating disease one promising avenue is addressing the presence of senescent cells. These cells — also known as “zombie cells” — stop dividing but don’t die off as cells typically do. They turn up in numerous diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, and in the process of aging. While potential treatments aim to remove or repair the cells, one hurdle has been finding a way to identify them among healthy cells in living tissue.

In the journal Aging Cell, Mayo Clinic researchers report finding a new technique to tag senescent cells. The team used molecules known as “aptamers” small segments of synthetic DNA that fold into three-dimensional shapes. Aptamers have the ability to attach themselves to proteins on the surfaces of cells. In mouse cells, the team found several rare aptamers, identified from among more than 100 trillion random DNA sequences, that can latch onto specific cell surface proteins and flag senescent cells.

“This approach established the principle that aptamers are a technology that can be used to distinguish senescent cells from healthy ones,” said biochemist and molecular biologist Jim Maher III, Ph.D., a principal investigator of the study

“Though this study is a first step, the results suggest the approach could eventually apply to human cells.” Quirky idea to collaboration

The project began with the quirky idea of a Mayo Clinic graduate student who had a chance conversation with a classmate.

Keenan Pearson, Ph.D. — who recently received his degree from Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences — was working under the mentorship of Maher, studying how aptamers might address neurodegenerative diseases or brain cancer

A few floors away, Sarah Jachim, Ph.D., who was also then conducting her graduate research — was working in the lab of researcher Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D., who studies senescent cells and aging.

At a scientific event, the two happened to chat about their graduate thesis projects.

Pearson thought aptamer technology might be able to identify senescent cells.

See CELLS, page 2X

Molly Kimball

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Pediatric neurologist Dr yash D Shah uses a model of a brain to explain how epilepsy monitoring units can measure brain activity and help with diagnosis at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

Dalton, from left, Chanley, 4, and Collins Carpenter sit in the epilepsy monitoring unit at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital.

HEALTH MAKER

La. doctor tapped as national anesthesiologist leader

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Dr Kraig de Lanzac was elected

first vice president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the nation’s largest organization of anesthesiologists, in October and will serve in this position for the year Outside of his role with the national organization, de Lanzac is director of clinical anesthesia at Tulane Lakeside Hospital and vice chair and associate professor of anesthesiology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Typically, de Lanzac can be found treating and administering medicine to patients in the operating room, but he goes wherever he is needed as an anesthesiology physician.

He studied medicine at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he also completed his residency in anesthesiology in 1997. De Lanzac is a native New Orleanian and graduate of Brother Martin High School, where he still coordinates the alumni band as a trombone player He is also a “Mardi Gras year-round kind of guy,” who rides in both Endymion and Bacchus every year

As first vice president, de Lanzac will serve as a member of the national organization’s executive committee, which consists of the president, president-elect, first vice president and immediate past president De Lanzac was not born to a physician family, rather, from two parents who worked at the phone company their entire careers. Now de Lanzac lives in Metairie with his wife, Rhen. They have two adult children: Mallory, a registered nurse, and Braden, a second-year medical student. De Lanzac and his father make it to nearly every Pelicans game. What inspired you to become an anesthesiologist?

I was really inspired by my pediatrician who I was not only deathly afraid of, but also had deep respect for I thought he was a genius. It seemed like he could solve any problem. I thought I would be a pediatri-

EPILEPSY

Continued from page 1X

In the epilepsy monitoring unit, doctors temporarily withhold medication or use controlled methods, such as flashing lights or blowing on pinwheels, to trigger seizure activity for study, with an inpatient stay lasting 24 hours to a week.

Detecting which part of the brain — and when — seizures appear helps doctors diagnose and treat patients with epilepsy

“I often tell parents, when someone is having convulsions, think of it like an electrical storm in the brain Normally brain cells communicate in a calm, organized rhythm — like a peaceful conversation,” Shah said. “During a seizure, that harmony breaks down, and every neuron starts shouting at once — a burst of chaotic electrical activity.”

Chanley Carpenter, 4 sat patiently in her hospital bed in the epilepsy unit, with a fuzzy, tan and white cheetah-print blanket and cartoons playing on the screen. Doctors had attached 23 electrodes to Chanley’s head and wrapped them in white cloth and placed two additional electrodes to her chest. Those censors connect to an EEG that monitor Chanley’s brain waves.

Chanley’s father, Dalton, has epilepsy so the Carpenter family was familiar with the signs of seizures.

Collins Carpenter, Chanley’s mother and a registered nurse, brought Chanley to the doctor in Monroe after her first seizure when she was just 18 months old.

When Chanley’s seizures started to return after years on medication, Collins Carpenter turned to Shah and his team at Our Lady of the Lake.

“We went to Texas Children’s in Dallas, but there wasn’t enough information to see if she had seizure activity,” Collins Carpenter said. “I did some research and found Dr. Shah here in Baton Rouge. It’s really nice that we have something a bit closer for our family.”

Being able to treat families in Louisiana like the Carpenters was one of the hospital’s goals when starting the epilepsy monitoring program.

cian, like him. But the first year of medical school, they had us do a standardized personality test. It tells you what personality traits fit with what medical specialties. I was all excited to get the results back, but when I did get them back it was anesthesiology I was a little disappointed because, like many people, I didn’t really know what an anesthesiologist was or what they do. I loved all of my rotations in medical school, but I was drawn to what I saw anesthesiologists do when I was in the hospital, the intensive care units, the operating rooms. They always looked calm and in control, even in bad situations. By the end of my third year of medical school, I knew I wanted to be an anesthesiologist. How did you initially get involved as an anesthesiologist society member?

On my first day of residency, my chief resident handed me an application in white, yellow and pink triplicate. He said, “Fill this

“What we are most proud of is that, prior to this, a lot of our patients and families were traveling very far to get this specialized care,” said Lauren West, EEG manager in the clinic. “We saw the need. We want to be able to offer this right here in the home state of Louisiana, and close to Baton Rouge and for our community.”

The mind-body connection In Louisiana alone, there are 55,000 people living with epilepsy Nationwide, 1 in 10 people will experience a seizure in their lifetime and 1 in 26 people will go on to develop epilepsy

However, epilepsy is treatable — and often temporary About 70% of children become seizurefree with proper treatment, and some even outgrow their seizures, according to Shah.

Seizures are often the tip of the iceberg. Lasting impacts can include learning difficulties, behavioral challenges, anxiety, mood changes sleep disruptions, ADHD and sometimes developmental delays. Without the epilepsy unit, Dr Mac Manuel said he had to send patients home before they knew what was wrong.

Manuel, a neurologist at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s, works closely with the epilepsy unit, often referring patients to Shah and his team.

out. This is the membership for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. This is important.”

I filled it out on that day on July 2, 1993, and I’ve been a member ever since.

I got engaged when there were some questions about advocacy in Baton Rouge. I made my first drive out to Baton Rouge to see how that process worked — how bills were passed in health care. I saw that politicians needed more input from physicians.

That sparked a passion.

Now as the first vice president, I want to change the way anesthesiologists are perceived. I want to help get the public to understand that we are physicians and understand what our role is. Anesthesiologists are play a critical role in their care, but we’re not always seen. As first vice president, we deal with any issues that come up in the field of anesthesiology, whether it’s health care policy or

n sudden episode of drops with loss of muscle tone;

n a child who suddenly struggles in school or with behavior or with speech or cognitive regression. With early diagnosis and effective care, most children with epilepsy lead completely normal, active lives.

When two seizure medications don’t work, called drug-resistant epilepsy that occurs in about 30% of children with epilepsy, there are other technologies available.

Advanced MRIs surgical options diet therapy, monitoring in the epilepsy care unit and new devices, like the new wearable AI EpiMonitor that can detect nighttime seizures before they happen, are possible forms of treatment.

Training staff

According to Shah, the unit’s strength lies not in technology, but in its people.

Shah and West created a comprehensive nursing curriculum covering seizure types, emergency medication pathways, rescue protocols and long-term EEG monitoring and interpretation.

Nurses and technicians attended extra workshops, mock emergencies, advanced training and family scenarios in order to train for seizure care.

Tiffiny Ray, a pediatric neurology registered nurse for 30 years, has been working at the epilepsy clinic for a year and a half.

dealing with private insurers or Medicare or drug shortages. Last year as a result of natural disasters, we had to figure out how to advise national anesthesiologists on the shortage of IV fluids.

What are the problems facing the anesthesiology industry?

We’re training more and more anesthesiologists each year The number of residency positions has almost doubled over the past 20 years. Even with that, we have more and more sites to cover That means we have to increase our supply of anesthesiologists to keep up with the demand. The other big issue that’s been career-long for me is protecting what I call anesthesiology-led care. We work very well with nurse anesthetists, but there have been pushes to remove anesthesiologists from the care team. Why wouldn’t you want both involved in care? We’re lucky in Louisiana that anesthesiology-led care teams is a state

CELLS

Continued from page 1X

“I thought the idea was a good one, but I didn’t know about the process of preparing senescent cells to test them, and that was Sarah’s expertise,” said Pearson, who became lead author of the publication.

They pitched the idea to their mentors and to researcher Darren Baker, Ph.D., who investigates therapies to treat senescent cells.

At first, Maher acknowledges, the students’ idea seemed “crazy” but worth pursuing. The three mentors were excited about the plan.

“We frankly loved that it was the students’ idea and a real synergy of two research areas,” said Maher

The students obtained compelling results sooner than they expected and quickly recruited other student participants from the labs.

Then-graduate students Brandon Wilbanks, Ph.D., Luis Prieto, Ph.D., and M.D.-Ph.D. student Caroline Doherty, each contributed additional approaches, including special microscopy techniques and more varied tissue samples.

statute. The final, biggest challenge is economic viability Last year, one insurer wanted to limit the length of certain surgical procedures. If it went longer the insurance company wouldn’t pay for the anesthesia services. We had to raise awareness and tell them that surgery, medicine and anesthesiology doesn’t work that way We had the company rescind that policy

What advice would you give a new graduate, or undergrad student, going out into the medical field today?

The simplest advice is to work hard and always put patients first. As you progress through medical school, and the training that comes out of it and the career that comes later, it’s not just an emotional, but also a physical challenge. I try to tell my son to prepare for that by surrounding himself with the right people, the right friends and family and finding ways to keep themselves happy and fulfilled.

I would tell them to not look at the training itself, but to look at what they want to be in their career Some people will choose between a three-year or five-year program, thinking that’s all the time they will spend training, but it’s not. You’re dedicating yourself to a career in a certain specialty, maybe even 28 years in one area, like me. You want to make sure it’s what you want to do. I always tell new graduates that it is a privilege to care for patients. They have to recognize that health care is a selfless job. You have to put the patient before you.

I absolutely love this work, and I do all of the society meetings and conferences outside of my day-to-day activities. I love the work I get to do with the American Society of Anesthesiologists. It feels like I’m leaving a legacy I’m getting near the end of my career, but I want there to be somebody to take care of me when it’s my turn.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

Attributes of senescent cells

The study has provided new information about senescent cells beyond a way to tag them. “To date, there aren’t universal markers that characterize senescent cells,” said Maher “Our study was set up to be open-ended about the target surface molecules on senescent cells. The beauty of this approach is that we let the aptamers choose the molecules to bind to.”

The study found several aptamers latched onto a variant of a specific molecule on the surface of mouse cells, a protein called fibronectin. The role of this variant fibronectin in senescence is not yet understood. The finding means that aptamers may be a tool to further define unique characteristics of senescent cells.

Additional studies will be necessary to find aptamers that can identify senescent cells in humans. Aptamers with the ability to latch onto senescent cells could potentially deliver a therapy directly to those cells. Pearson notes aptamer technology is less expensive and more versatile than conventional antibodies, proteins that are typically used to differentiate cells from one another

“It’s hard to get more than 24 hours of an EEG at a time, and even harder to wean patients off of their medication,”

“It takes a village to take care of these kids,” Ray said.

“It became encouraging to expend more effort,” Jachim said, “because we could tell it was a project that was going to succeed.”

“This project demonstrated a novel concept,” said Maher “Future studies may extend the approach to applications related to senescent cells in human disease.”

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Manuel

Manuel said. “It’s very nice to be able to extend the stay, wean off the meds. We can make sure that we’re catching what we’re trying to catch, and give patients and families answers and reassurance about what’s going on.”

Any of the following could be indicators of subtle seizures and should be looked at closely by a doctor:

n episodes of “zoning out” where a child doesn’t respond, even when calling their name; n jerky or repetitive movements in the morning or at bedtime; n sudden falls stiffening or repeated behaviors during sleep;

Ray works to coordinate the puzzle pieces of doctor availability and bed occupancy Rashindra Davis, a medical assistant in the unit, works with insurance and patient records to cover the epilepsy care treatment.

There are 17 lab technicians who monitor patient EEGs working in shifts to cover 24-hour care in the epilepsy unit. If a child comes in at midnight needing care, the team is ready

The epilepsy unit can run four, 24/7 EEG monitoring units at once and is working to add two additional units. The team has completed almost 1,000 EEGs this year

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

The Louisiana Health section is focused on providing in-depth, personal accounts of health in the state.This section looks at medical innovations, health discoveries, state and national health statistics and re-examining tried and true methods on ways to live well.

Health editions will also profile people who are advancing health for the state of Louisiana. Do you have a health story? We want to hear from you. Email margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com to submit health questions, stories and more.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Dr Kraig S de Lanzac was elected first vice president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the nation’s largest organization of anesthesiologists, in October

Eat Fit LiveFit

UGH TT OY OU BY

Brain health:Whatmatters nowand later

Brainhealthisahottopicshowingupin podcasts,headlinesandsocialfeeds, butwhatitmeanstouspersonally dependsonwhereweareinlife.

Inour20sand30s,it’saboutstaying sharp,makingthemostofchallenging workdaysandsqueezingthemostoutof everyopportunity.Byour40sand50s,we maystartnoticingslightchangesandfind ourselveslookingforwaystopreservefocus andmemory.Andaswewatchparents andlovedonesgrowolder,thequestion becomesevenmorepersonal:Whatwillmy brainlooklikeat70or80?WhatcanIdo nowtoprotectmybrainhealthfordecades tocome?

Brainhealthisn’tjustaboutslowing downtheeffectsofaging.It’salsoabout howwethinkandfeeltoday—ourlevel offocus,reactiontime,memory,mood andmentalwellbeing.Withnew“brainboosting”supplementsandlifestyle enhancersshowinguppracticallydaily,it canfeelimpossibletoknowwhat’sreal andwhat’shype.

Tohelpseparate solidsciencefrom thenoise,Isatdown withDr.JamesRini,a behavioralneurologistat OchsnerHealth,whose researchcentersonearly detectionandtreatment ofneurodegenerative disease.Youcanhear ourfullconversationon myFUELEDWellness+ Nutritionpodcast.

“Brainhealthhastwodistinct timelines,”Dr.Rinisays.“There’s ourimmediate,day-to-daymental performance—howclearandfocused wefeel—andthenthere’sthelong game:howwe’redoingintermsof keepingourbrainresilientandadaptable asweage.”

Lifestyle:TheNon-Negotiables

Supplementshavetheirplace,butDr.Rini isclearaboutthefoundation.

“Sleep,goodnutritionandexerciseare thecornerstones.Ifyoudon’tgetenough sleep,youwon’tfunctionthenextday.If you’reeatingabalanceddietandmoving regularly,you’vealreadyaddressedmostof theriskfactorsthatsupplementsaimtofix.”

Forlong-termprotection,Dr.Rini pointstotheMINDdiet,ahybridof Mediterraneanandothernutritionpatterns thatemphasizesleafygreens,berries,nuts, beans,wholegrains,fish,poultryandolive oilwhilelimitingredmeat,butter,cheese, friedfoodsandsugarysweets.

It’snotflashy,butit’seffective.Studies linkMIND-styleeatingtoslowercognitive declineandlowerdementiarisk,while supportingcardiovascularhealth,stable bloodsugarandlowerinflammation

SupplementswithPotential

Beyonddailyhabits,thefollowing nutritionalsupplementsshowpromise forbothimmediatefocusand long-termsupport: •Creatine.Onceknownforsports performance,creatinealsofuels braincells.Recentclinicaltrialsshow itcanimprovememory,attention andprocessingspeedunderstress (thinksleepdeprivation).For ongoingcognitivesupport,Itypically recommend10gramsperdayof creatinemonohydrate(lookforthe

Creapure®form)asitappearstobe asafe,effectivedoseformost healthyadults.

•Omega-3fattyacids.EPAandDHA fromfattyfish—orhigh-qualityfish oiloralgae-basedsupplements—help maintainneuronalmembranesand reduceinflammation.

“Ifyoucan,letfoodbeyourmedicine,” Dr.Rinisays.“Fattyfishandnuts, alongwithmonounsaturatedfatslike oliveoilandavocados,providebrainsupportingfatsandotherkeynutrients. Forthosewhofallshort,asupplement withabout1,000mgofcombinedEPA andDHAisrecommendedforheartand brainhealth.

•Greenteaandmatcha Richin L-theanine,thesealternativecaffeine sourcesprovidewhatDr.Rinicallsa “relaxingalertness,”enhancingalpha brainwavesandreactiontime helpfulforsharperattentionwithout theedginess.

•Curcumin(fromturmeric) Apotent naturalanti-inflammatory,curcumin showspromiseforloweringbrain inflammationandreducingharmfultau proteinslinkedtoAlzheimer’s.Forbest absorption,lookforformscombined withblackpepperextract(piperine)

•Probiotics.Ahealthy gut microbiome influences everything fromblood sugartoimmune defense and mood,” Dr. Rini notes. Foods like

MollyKimball,RD,CSSD,isaregistereddietitian withOchsnerHealthandfounderofOchsnersEatFit nonprofitinitiative.Formorewellnesscontent,tuneinto Molly’spodcast,FUELEDWellness+Nutrition,andfollow @MollykimballRDand@EatFitOchsneronsocialmedia. Emailnutrition@ochsner.orgtoconnectwithMollyor scheduleaconsultwithherteam.

yogurt, kimchi and miso provide naturalprobiotics.Aqualityprobiotic or symbiotic supplement can fill in the gaps.

•Lion’smanemushroom “This ediblemushroomcontains compoundsthatmaystimulate brain-derivedneurotrophicfactor (BDNF),supportingnewneuronal connections,”saysDr.Rini.Human studiesareearlybutpromising.

AQuickWordonLithium Low-doselithiumforbrainhealthhas beenmakingheadlineslately,butDr.Rini urgescaution “Theresearchismostlyanimalorcellbasedinapetridish.Humanstudiesare smallandinconclusive,andlithiumcarries risks,especiallyforkidneyandthyroid function.” Fornow,hesays,it’soneto watch,notonetostart,atleastnotwithout adeepdivewithyourdoctorfirst.

BringingItHome

Dr.Rinisumsitupwell:Brainhealth isn’taboutquickfixes.It’sabouteveryday choicesthatgiveyouclarityandenergy now,andresiliencefordecadestocome. “Knowyourfamilyhistory,sleepwell, moveconsistentlyandeatanutrient-rich diet.Ifyou’realreadydoingthosethings, supplementscangivethatextraedge,but theycan’treplacethatcorefoundationof smartdailyhabitsfirst.

In 2023,30.7% of Louisianans were living with adiagnosis of arthritis, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,significantly higher than the U.S.average at 26.3%.

Arthritis encompasses over100 conditions that affect the tissues surrounding joints,most commonly inthe wrists, hands,knees,hips,feet, ankles,shoulders and the lowerback.

The inflammatorydisease is common as the body ages.The percentageof Americanadultswith arthritisincreases from 3.6% in adults aged 18 to

36 to 53.9% ofadults age 75 and older. Louisiana had the sixth-highest percentage of adults with arthritisin 2023,proceeded byWest Virginia with the highest percentageofarthritis at 39.67%,thenTennessee at 33 17%and Maine at 32.68%.

These parishes had the highest percentageof adults whoreported arthritis in 2023,in descending order:

n Morehouse,31.8%, n EastCarroll,31.6%, n Madison,31.5%, n Claiborne, 30.9%, n Webster,30.7%, n Evangeline andTensas,

7Louisiana cancer centersrecerti

tion

awhollyowned

the

Oncology and

affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology n Gayle and TomBenson Cancer Center at Ochsner Medical Center n St. Tammany Cancer Center —ACampus of Ochsner Medical Center n Ochsner Medical Center

—Kenner n Ochsner Baptist —A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center n Ochsner Medical Center —West Bank Campus n Ochsner Cancer Center —Baton Rouge n Ochsner Medical Complex —The Grove. Acadian Ambulance medicsrecognized Certifiedflightregistered nurse Joannie Sanchez and EMT Alison Caglewere awarded the American Ambulance Association’sprestigious Stars of Life honor,recognizing exemplary service and heroism in emergency medical services.

BY THENUMBERS

30.5%, n Avoyelles,30.4%, n Concordia,30.3%, n Bienville,30.2%, n Tangipahoa andWest Carroll,30.1%, n andWashington,30%

These parishes had the lowest percentageofadults whoreported arthritis in 2023,in ascending order: n West Feliciana,24.9%, n Orleans,25.4%, n Ascension,25.5%, n Jefferson,25.7%, n St.Charles,25.9%, n East Baton Rougeand Terrebonne,26%, n Lafayette,26.1%, n St.Tammany,26.3%, n and East Feliciana and Plaquemines,26.7%

Honorees were recognized in early November in Washington, D.C., for their achievements in front of their peers, congressional leaders andmembersofthe EMS community

45 newnursesin45th graduating BRG class Baton Rouge General’s SchoolofNursing graduated 45 new nurses on Oct. 30 in a ceremony at Independence Park Theatre. Upon graduationfrom the diplomanursing program, graduates are preparing to take theregistered nurse license exam to become licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. The graduation ceremony

featured thepresentation of 12 awards, given to students whoshowed“aptitude in particular areas of patient care” or whoachievedexemplary academic marks:

n Anne Manson Award Krystal Placide-Taylor

n Eugene Berry Award Anna Falgout

n Excellence in Advanced Medical Surgical Nursing Ashley Forrest

n Excellence in MaternalChild Nursing —Brett Leiva

n Excellence in Management/Leadership —Taderia Beaulieu

n Excellence in Mental HealthNursing —Tia Zachary

n Excellence in Medical SurgicalNursing —Odyssey

Bethancourt

n Faculty Award for ScholasticAchievement —Ashley Forrest n Faculty Award for Student Excellence— Christen Armstead n Grace Hough Award Madison Hughes n Kari Lefort Award —Callie Murray n Nightingale Award—Katrina Kieren Education Department grants FranU $2.2M Franciscan Missionaries of OurLadyUniversity received a$2.2million Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions grant to fund Project Faithfully Retaining, Advancing, Nurturing, andCultivating Indispensable Students, also calledProject FRANCIS. Money from the grant will be used to provide acomprehensive setofsupport services forstudents enrolledin pre-clinical and clinical programs. Keycomponents of theproject include asummer bridge program, academic coaching,professional tutoring andpeer mentoring HealthNotes is an occasionallisting of healthhappenings around Louisiana.Have something you’d like to share? Contact us at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

BRO

Molly Kimball RD,CSSD

JamesRini,MD BehavioralNeurologist OchsnerHealth

Heart Healthand the Holiday

Theholidaysareafavoritetimeformanyofus,filledwithjoy,togetherness,festivegatheringsandplentyofindulgenttreats Butamidallthecheer,theseasoncanalsobringextrastress.Whencombinedwithholiday“spirits”—theliquidkind—thatstresscantake atollonyourheart.Infact,researchshowsthatmoreheartattacksoccurinDecemberandJanuarythanatanyothertimeofyear.

Thegoodnews?Youcanstillsoakupthemagicoftheseasonwhileprotectingyourheart,bymakingafewsimplebutmeaningfulchanges.

Practicemoderation withfoodanddrinks. Excessiveeatingcanraiseblood pressureandcholesterollevels, puttingstrainonyourheart.Too muchalcoholcanleadtoirregular heartrhythms.Trysmaller portions,andfillyourplatewith healthieroptionslikeroasted vegetables,leanproteinsand wholegrains.Goeasyonalcohol, anddrinkplentyofwater.

Quitsmokingforhearthealth. Yourheartbeginstobenefitthemoment youstopsmoking.Overtime,yourcirculation improves,yourbloodpressurelowersandyour riskofheartdiseasedropsdramatically

Managestressto lightentheloadon yourheart. Stressduringtheholiday seasoncanincreaseblood pressureandtrigger copingmechanismslike eatingordrinkingtoo much.Tostaygrounded, trymeditating,taking briskwalksorlisteningto calmingmusic.

Is arm pain asign of aheart attack?

Armpaincanoccurwithaheartattackbecausethenervesinthe heartandarmsareconnected.Whentheheartisindistress,itcan sendpainsignalsthattravelintothearm.

Theleftarmistypicallywhereheartattackpainisfelt,butdidyou knowitcanalsobefeltintherightarm,orevenbotharmsinsome cases?Thepaincanalsoextendtotheshoulders,neckorjaw.

What areother commonsymptoms of aheart attack?

Stayactive. It’seasytolet workoutsslide duringtheholidays, butstayingactive paysoff.Regular movementsupports healthyblood pressure,improves circulation,and boostsmoodby releasingendorphins.

Managediabetes, cholesteroland bloodpressure. Thisisvitalforhearthealth.

Here’showAFibcanbetreated: 1 2 3 5 6 7 2 3 4

Chestpain.Itmayfeellikepressure,squeezing,fullnessorpaininthe centerorleftsideofthechest.Thispainmaylastformorethanafew minutesorcomeandgo.

Painintheback,neckorjaw.Painradiatingtotheseareascan occurandissometimesmistakenforacidreflux,musclestrainor dentalproblems.

Shortnessofbreathandfatigue Difficultybreathingcanhappenwithor withoutchestdiscomfort.Unexplainedfatiguecanalsobeasubtlesign.

Nausea,lightheadednessorcoldsweats.Thesesymptomsmay accompanytheothersignsorappearontheirown.

Don’tignorethesesymptoms.Ifyouareexperiencinganemergency, call911.

Seeksupport fordepression. Noteveryoneisjoyousduring theholidays.Stress,lonelinessor unmetexpectationscanleadto feelingsofsadnessordepression, allofwhichcantakeatollon yourhearthealth.Ifyou’refeeling down,talktoatrustedfriend orfamilymember.Ifemotions persist,considerreachingouttoa healthcareprofessional.

Recognizesymptomsofaheartattack. Symptomslikechestpain,shortnessofbreath, nauseaandprofusesweatingmayseemsubtlebut requireimmediateattention,especiallyiftheseoccur onlyduringintenseactivity.

What is AFib?

AFib,shortforatrialfibrillation,isatypeofarrhythmia,aproblemwiththe speedorrhythmofyourheartbeat.AFibisoneofthemostcommonheart rhythmdisordersworldwide.Whileitoftengoesunrecognized,itcanquietly increaseyourriskforseriouscomplicationslikestrokeandheartfailure.

AFibsometimescausesnoticeablesymptoms,suchasheartpalpitations, fatigue,dizzinessorshortnessofbreath,butitcanalsobesilent,discovered onlyduringamedicalexam.Evenintheabsenceofsymptoms,AFiballows bloodtopoolintheatria,raisingtheoddsthataclotcouldformandtravelto thebrain,resultinginastroke.

Lifestylemodifications:Quittingsmoking,maintainingaheart-healthy diet,managingbloodpressureandcholesterol,reachingandkeeping ahealthyweight,exercisingregularly(asyourdoctoradvises),limiting alcoholandcaffeineintake,andtreatingconditionslikesleepapnea.

Medications: Anticoagulants(bloodthinners),heartratecontroldrugs (betablockers,calciumchannelblockers)andrhythmcontroldrugs (antiarrhythmics).

Procedures:Cardioversionisan electricalshockormedicationunder sedationtoresetheartrhythm. Catheterablationisaminimally invasiveproceduretotreatAFib. Asurgicalmazecanbeperformed duringopen-heartsurgery,when asurgeoncreatesapatternofscar tissueintheatriatodisruptthe abnormalelectricalsignals.

Doyouhaveconcernsaboutyour hearthealth?Takethefirststeptowardahealthyheartandschedule anappointmentwithanOchsnerHealthprimarycareprovideror cardiologisttoday!Visitochsner.org/cardio.

LOUISIANA

Bringing people together

Couple transforms home into folk art wonderland

BY JANRISHER Staffwriter

On aquiet street near Bayou Teche in New Iberia, wherelive oaks cast long shadows, Becky and WyattCollins’ yard gives away their secret Agigantic wire rabbitsits on abench reading abook. Atwo-dimensionalredheaded girl pedalsa giant metaltricycle AStatue of Liberty holds her armhigh and in welcome outside afront window

One step inside the front door,and visitors see it’snoordinary home —every wall, shelf, table and corner tells astory in color,clay,tinfoil or even less expected media.

This New Iberia couple doesn’tjustcollect art. They live in it —and with it.

“Some people live with pool tablesor big TVs,” said Becky Collins. “Wejust live with folk art.”

More than 2,000 pieces of it, in fact.

Art is stacked floor to ceiling, spilling into every corner

“Wehavevaluablepieces of artsitting on thefloor because we don’thave a place to hang it,” Wyatt Collins said.

Artisinthe foyer,inthe hall, in the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room back bedroom,garage, man cave, along theback fence and in the side yard —filling every nook and cranny of theCollins’ lives.

“What is stunning about Beckyand Wyatt’sart collection is its depth,” said New Iberia-based filmmaker and screenwriter James Edmunds. “Theyhavebeen collecting for along time,and always with wise eyes.”

They have pieces in theircollection from acclaimed folk artists —Clementine Hunter’spaintings, EdgarTolson’s wood carvings and more. They also have pieces created by artists no one elsehas heard of, much less collected.

Their home, like their life together, feels equally improvised and intentional —curated without beingoverlyprecious. Everyone is invited to join the fun, share ameal or come to the party

Wyatt Collins’ smokedpork loin and

NativeAmericanbaskets line the floor of aroom in Wyatt and Becky Collins’ NewIberia homethat is fullofmore than 2,000 pieces of folk art.

BeckyCollins’ chicken and dumplings are known far and wide. Neighbors say thecouple simply doesn’tknowhow to cook for two.

“Beckyand Wyatt are wonderfully warmand generous with their gifts. No one will go hungry in their neighborhood,” saidAnne Darrow,ofNew Iberia.

It’s the kind of home where there’salwaysanextra serving in the pot, an extra plate for the table, an empty chairjust waiting to be filled.

Nothing is behind glass. Nothing is too sacred to touch. Art and life overlap. Neighbors drop by Their house is as full of laughter as it is of art.

Like when they explainhow they met.

“Wyattwas thenew boy at school. He was standing at the edge of the playground digging ahole with his toe,” BeckyCollins says.

“That’s not true,” Wyatt Collinssays with an eye roll.

“Yes, you were,” Becky Collins continues. “Standing over there all alone. My twin sister and Iwalked over there and adopted him from that dayforward.”

He mockingly gave up before continuing, “Of course, that’sexactly the way it happened. Iwas shoeless. It was winter. Ihad let my big toe’snail grow out so I could dig holes faster.”

BeckyCollins laughs.

“Seewhat Imean,” she said. “It’snever boring here.”

In fact, thecouple did meet as children at school in Ellisville, Mississippi. She was agrade ahead of him. They grew up, remaining friends through the years.

ä See FOLK, page 2Y

Iremember exactly where I was seven years ago whenour nephew Little Julio called. Iwas on my waytoArkansas, just outside of Bossier City on La. 3, heading north. Iwas delighted to see his name pop up on my phone.

Alittle backstory:

Imet him on my first trip to El Paso, Texas, my husband’shometown.

Little Julio was 7years old that summer.Even then, he had asmile that could stop time. We hit it off from the moment we met.

When we moved to El Paso four years later,Little Julio was often up for adventures. When he was in middle school and would comesee us, he would stay for awhile. My husband and Iloved his visits. One day whenhewas 11, he called me to invite me to aprogram at his middle school because he had wona writing contest. I went. He stood and read his piece about the day whenhewas alittle boy and walkedinto his house and found his father lying on the sofa, crying. He asked his dad what waswrong. His dad said, “Freddie Mercury died.”

Later that day,Little Julio learned that his parents were getting adivorce.

He realized that while his dad mayhave been sad that Freddie Mercury died, that wasn’twhy he wascrying.

After that day,Little Julio and I had adifferent connection. He had the heart of awriter In high school, he worked at a car wash. Whenhegraduated high school, he kept working at the car wash. Finally,hejoined the Navy He was stationed in Pensacola, Florida, for awhile and we went down to visit. He would call us fairly often, but always before he left on deployment. Once when he cametovisit us, Ipicked him up at the airport in New Orleans. He had never been and wantedto see the town, so Igave him atour Somehow,Iended up making a turn Ididn’tintend to and drove through aneighborhood known for its rough streets.

Isaid, “Yikes, Ididn’tmean to end up here.” He said, “Don’tbeafraid. You’ve got me here. We’ll be all right.” He had that sense of invincibility that so many young menbelieve in.

When he was stationed at anaval base in California, we started hearing about agirl named Liz. We went out to visit them and metat Yosemite. We could tell from the first moment we mether that Liz wasn’tjust agirl to Little Julio. She was something special. During our timetogether in Yosemite, he and my daughters had an encounter with abear.Everything turned out fine, but we have laughed about the incident for years. Bottom line: He still thought he wasinvincible He and Liz started coming to see us for Thanksgiving. They helped fix the meal. We all enjoyed it. Then we played penny poker In 2016, he and Liz invited me to officiate their wedding on Coronado Island, just off the coast of San Diego.Itwas the stuff of magic. He ended up stationed in Sicily Few people ever stationed in Sicily made as muchofthe experience as Liz and Julio. He was activeduty military,but he also went to college and earned adegree. He rode aVespa, developed an incredible love of espresso, and from their balcony could watch Mount Vesuvius erupt on one

and

STAFF PHOTOSByJAN RISHER

Wyatt Collins describes apainting of the RobertE.Lee riverboat in his NewIberia home.

INSPIREDDISCUSSIONS

ASK THEEXPERTS

Slidellwoman lifelong advocate forjuvenileoffenders

Once atroubledteen, mentor reachesout to thoseindireneed

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Slidell native Mary KayWalden

wasanaverage teenager who came from amiddle-class family, but she made friends with the wrongpeople when she was young.Her series of badchoices led to spending her teen years in and out of jail, but today she’snow mentoring teenagers who are in dire need of support.

At 17 years old, Walden wasinvolved in atheft that resulted in a conviction. In 1977, she wastried as an adultinJudge John W. Greene’s court. He gave her three years probation. But her probation was revoked when she was involved inanother crimeinvolving narcotics. She was supposed to be sentencedtoSt. Gabriel Penitentiary,but Greene sentenced her to adrug rehab program called Odyssey House.She didn’thave an addiction problem, but at the time, the judge saw the rehab center as abetter optionthan prison. As the first teenager to enterthe program, Walden stayed 13 months and began her road towardanew life. After getting herGeneral EducationalDevelopment,Waldenobtained herbachelor’sdegree in elementary education. She became a teacher and then earned amaster’s degree in supervision and administration.

Meanwhile, in 1981, Greene identified aneed for an organization to

FOLK

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Becky Collins, now 80, became a special-education teacher, specializing in working with children with autism. WyattCollins, now 79, went to law school and worked with the District Attorney’sOffice in Jackson, Mississippi.

They reconnected later in life and, this week, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary They chose to live in New Iberia, and five years after movingto the small city,Becky Collins was tapped as Citizen of the Year.She calls herself a“worker bee.”

What’sher secret?

“Show up. Show an interest.Be reliable. Be dependable,” Becky Collins said. “Every community is looking for people who want to contribute. Ihave never lived anywhere in my entirelifethat Ididn’tfind away to contribute, whether Ilived there for ashort time or along time. We were raised with the premise that you always make wherever you are a better place.”

Wyatt Collins isn’tafraidto work hard either.When they got to New Iberia, after he retired as an attorney,hegot ajob teaching history at Westgate High —and taught for 11 years.

Just as their relationship rekindled with time, so did their shared love of art. Theirshared

their Louisiana Department of Health Behavioral Health ServiceProvider licenses in 2022.

serve troubled and at-riskyouth in the Northshore area. The Covington Junior Service League sought funding, and agrant was secured to beginthe Youth Service Bureau. Thebureau’sCrossroads program provides apathfor juvenile lawbreakerstomake restitution to their victims. This program was the first of its kind in St.Tammany Parish. Walden had ayearningtowork with at-risk youth because of her past. So, when theopportunity to work at Youth Service Bureau became available, she became acase manager for Crossroads. Five years later,she was thedirector of Crossroads. Waldenretired in February 2024, but she is stillinvolved with the program.

interest inart goes back to childhood also, withBecky Collins’ connection beinga moredirect through-line

She grew up in afamily of creators. Art was encouraged at every stageofgrowing up. She taught art and creativity classes for years. WyattCollins’ interest wasquieter, but he remembers on school trips always finding a way to spend time in museums.

Their interest in folk art started bycollecting Louisiana artists Chestee Herrington and Rita Fontenot

When they discoveredthe KentuckFestival of the Arts in Tuscaloosa, Alabama —considered by many thegranddaddyoffolk art festivals —Becky and Wyatt Collinstook thingstoanew level

BeckyCollinssays she follows her heart to find pieces while WyattCollins follows his head.

“Toget pulled into thewondrous worldofBecky andWyatt Collins is to be humbled by their passion for Louisiana as astate of great cultural and artistic depth, inspired by theirlove of folkart as an expressionofthe human condition, and touched by theirgenerosity in small ways and big,” said Miranda Restovic, president and executive director of Louisiana Endowment for the Arts.

Mark Tullos,executive director of the LSU MuseumofArt, has been following the Collinses folk art collection formore than 20 years.

This interviewhas been edited for lengthand clarity

What is theimportance of having interventional programs forteenagers?

Iama fan of reentry programs because it’shard to go frombeing incarcerated, whether it’s in arehab or aprison or ajail system, to havingnosupport on the outside. Iwas trulyrehabilitated in that drug program,but when Igot out,Ihad no friends.I hadnothing, so Ihad to try to figureout my lifeasan18-yearoldwithonlymyfamily support. Interventions help kids get back on track. The whole point of an intervention program, particularly the juvenile delinquency program Crossroads, is to prevent young peoplefromending up in the adult

He saidthey’ve really grown in their sophistication and praises WyattCollins’ deep knowledge and eye for art.

“Somepeoplecollect forthe investment purposes, the prestige,”Tullos said. “He’sone of those rare people who collects becauseit’shis passion. It’sajoy to be withpeople like that.”

Wyatt’ Collins’ passion has garnered the attention of folk art experts around thecountry including being the first person notfromAlabamatobenamed to the Kentuck Festival of the Arts’ board, which he served on for sixyears.

Tullos describes the Collins folkart collection as “very comprehensive.”

“Itwill be interesting to see what they do with theircollection,” Tullossaid. “If New Iberia doesn’testablish amuseum, Iknowwewould be interested —aswell as many other institutions.”

BeckyCollins regularly brings visitors to the house for tours, because shesays, “Wyattisalways so generouswithhis information.”

Hisnear-encyclopedic knowledge of the stories of the artists who made themdraws in even skeptics.

With more than 400 art pieces in storage, Becky Collins is in year-round curation mode. For Thanksgiving, she loves to use a turkey carved by Guyand Dolly Skaggs from HappyGizzard Hol-

Q&A WITH MARyKAy WALDEN FORMERDIRECTOR OF CROSSROADS AT THE yOUTH SERVICEBUREAU

system. Being abletosharemystory absolutely hadaneffect on those harder cases, because they couldn’tbelieve Ihad been through what they’re goingthrough. Ibelieve it gave them hope and let them knowthatI could relate. Iwasn’t just somebody sitting across thedesk who had no clueaboutwhattheywere going through. What do youthink people need to know about teenagers who find themselvesinthese situations?

First andforemost, they’re human beings. Secondly,the brain is underdevelopeduntil you’re in your mid-20s,sothere’szero consequential thinking. The last part of the brain to develop is the frontal lobe, so it’s critical for us to try to get thembackonthe right path and steer them in theright direction.

In addition to that, sometimes it’s alastchancetosavethese young people. It requiresskilled people andeffective programs to getthem back on track so they can understand choicesand consequences. No matter howfar yougodown the wrongroad, you can alwaysfind a way back if you’re willingtowork toward it.

How did you getthrough to and connect with teenagers who had tough exteriors?

It was aprivilege and an honor

The otherthing is that it was ahuge responsibility.And Ialways had the innate ability to look past the behavior,and that’swhat allowed me to effectivelydowhatI did, because there’s always areason forwhat’s

low, Kentucky,and some handthrown pumpkins from an artist in Lafayette. Then, she’lladd some Native American Choctaw baskets.

“Wewantyou to touch it,” Wyatt Collins said. “Ifsomething breaks,wecan repair it. It might hurt thevalue alittle,but that’s OK. We enjoy living with it.”

The coupleopens theirhome to friends and friends of friends passing through town—and for some folks whomakethe tripto New Iberia to see theworld-class collection of folk art.

“Onething about folk art is thatthey’ll find something they like,” Wyatt Collins said. “They’ll look at onething andwonder whysomebody would pay $200 for that. Everybody who comes over,probably thefirst thing they think is, ‘I couldn’tlive as cluttered as this,’ but thentheyfind something they love.”

One of thecouple’sgoals is for other people to seethatordinary people —like schoolteachers can bring together awonderful folk art collection, Becky Collins said.

They hope to inspire others to do thesame, she said.

In atown that loves its stories, Becky andWyatt Collins have built oneoftheir own —toldnot in words, but in color,kindness andthe opendoors of ahome that just happens to be filled with art.

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

going on.

Some of these kids just didn’t have people leading them.

One of the things Ifound helpful was letting the kids know, “You’re going to learn to listen in one of three places: home, school or jail. Take your pick. Home would be the easiest, school would be the second easiest,and, obviously,jailwould be thehardest. Life’s aboutchoices. You’re at acrossroads, so the choicesyou make moving forward are going to determine the course of your life.”

Iwouldlook past the behavior,but also be veryfrankaboutwhat they needed to do in order to turn around their behaviorand their choices. How are youinvolved todaywith Crossroads? Ishare my story. Also,ifsomebody needs me to talktoajuvenile because theyare going downthe wrong road, Iamalways willing to do that. My husband and Ihelp with fundraisers.

Iget very emotional about this, but Ireally want to give ashout out to Judge Greene, because he was avisionary.Hecould very easily have sent me to aprison, which Ideserved based on thechoicesI made. Iwas awarded the Judge Greene Award two years beforeI retired, which is the Employee of the Year award. Isought Judge Greene out at theChef Soiree fundraiserto thank him. Ifound him, andhehad my name written on his hand to find me. This is not about me. This is about avisionary who started aprogram, and I’mjust an instrument.

RISHER

Continued from page1y

Mediterranean stretch on the other

Even so, they still camefor Thanksgiving. Through the years, Ilearned to appreciate his love of the Wu-Tang Clan and Beastie Boys, especially his favorite song, “Alive.”

But back to that phone call on that day in June 2018 —wecaught up for afew minutesbefore he told me that afew weeks earlier he had been trying to order tacos at afood truck. He knew what he wanted, but when it was his turn, he could not make the words comeout. He ended up going to the doctor,which led to aseries of doctors, which has led to seven years of doctors. He had brain tumors. For seven years dealing with brain tumors, with incredible persistence and his wife’s amazing research skills and tenacity,they have lived more than most people do in alifetime. Last week, Igot another call. Surrounded by love in their home in California, Little Julio Pina left this earthly plane. We are sadder than we’ve ever been.

Yet, in every adventure, every laugh we shared, his invincibility lives on —inour memories, in the music he loved, in the places he explored and in the joy he brought to everyone lucky enough to know him. His spirit, as fearless as ever,remains with us.

PROVIDED PHOTO

youthServiceBureau leaders, from left, CASA Director AshleyGali, TASC and FINS Director Patrick Pilie, CEOCleveland Wester,Options Director Jennifer Walkenford and Crossroads DirectorMaryKay Walden show

COVID-19

THERE’S GOOD NEWS, TOO

Between 2021 and 2023, COVID-19 dropped from the world’s leading cause of death to the 20th, while life expectancy surpassed pre-pandemic levels in most nations. Since 2010, the global burden of disease has declined by 12.6%, and deaths from major infectious illnesses such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria and pneumonia have fallen by 35% and 60%.These improvements reflect decades of investment in vaccines, maternal and newborn care and global health systems led by organizations like the WHO, Gavi and the Global Fund. For the first time in history, infectious disease is no longer humanity’s greatest threat, according to research by The Lancet, an independent medical journal founded in 1823 in this published study that analyzed data from 204 countries.

CHILD POVERTY

Child poverty in Eastern Europe and Central Asia has fallen from 18.8% in 2014 to 10.2% in 2024.The decline was particularly significant in Georgia, where child poverty declined 19.7% between those years. Still, poverty remains high in Armenia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.While improvements have been made, eradicating child poverty will require policy changes, data and an investment in social protection and services for children, according to UNICEF

FEEDING

CHILDREN

Canada funds the National School Food Program. Prime Minister Mark Carney recently noted that his government is making strides toward providing school lunches and access to nutritious food at school, according to The Peak The upcoming budget will permanently instate the National School Food Program, which provides meals for 400,000 children every year The program saves, on average,

The

$800 per year in groceries for families with two children.The exact program structure will vary from province to province.

IMPROVED AIR QUALITY

Air-quality reforms in China have added years to life expectancy and yielded major health benefits in the area. In 2014, Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war against pollution,” and particulate pollution dropped by 41% between 2013 and 2022. The country’s strict policy action and reduced air pollution led to a significant result: the average Chinese citizen can expect to live two years longer according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago If sustained, this could reach 3.9 years

CANCER TREATMENTS

MIT and Harvard Medical School

researchers may have found a way to re-engineer the immune system, according to MIT News They have developed a new generation of engineered immune cells called CAR-NK cells — which may improve cancer treatment. In a study of mice with humanized immune systems, the CAR-NK cells destroyed most cancer cells and survived longer The cells also caused fewer side effects and lowered the risk of cytokine release syndrome. Researchers are working with a biotech company to test CARNK cells to treat lupus.

IVERMECTIN

In parts of Africa, Ivermectin is responsible for expunging river blindness, a tropical skin disease caused by a parasitic filarial worm The livestock drug has wiped out the parasite — responsible for severe itching, disfiguring skin conditions,

epilepsy and irreversible blindness — across parts of Africa, according to a WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record. By the end of 2024, 25.5 million people no longer required ivermectin treatment, with Nigeria accounting for more than 16.6 million of these, and globally 68% of people were covered.The Mectizan Donation Programme has been central to the success, providing a model for other global health initiatives.

HIV VACCINATIONS

In Pakistan, 9.2 million girls received HPV vaccinations in a 12-day, nationwide campaign, according to The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization The program’s aim is to protect 13 million girls aged 9–14 from cervical cancer The campaign received a three-day extension. Despite misinformation circulating online with misleading video messages, health workers were able to address parental concerns and shift confusion to acceptance. Many parents, who were first apprehensive about the vaccine, agreed to let their daughters be vaccinated. Cervical cancer is the third-most common cancer among Pakistani women, killing a reported 3,500 each year

FARMING

In Mexico City, women are revitalizing ancient Aztec farming practices to preserve the chinampas floating gardens in Xochimilco and San Gregorio Atlapulco.Traditionally, these island farms were passed down through male heirs, but women are now reclaiming and cultivating them, according to a story from AP News They use sustainable farming methods, such as using lakebed mud instead of agrochemicals, and collaborate with Mexico’s National Autonomous University to promote sustainable farming The women are also installing aquatic plant filters to clean the water and prevent the

passage of carp and tilapia, invasive species.

MENINGITIS

A global study from BMC Public Health found that childhood meningitis deaths have decreased significantly worldwide due to onjugate vaccines and faster outbreak detection.The study, which analyzed trends in childhood meningitis from 1990 to 2021, explored patterns in the incidence, mortality and disabilityadjusted life years in children aged 0–14 years in 204 countries. By 2035, it’s projected that N meningitidis will become the leading pathogen. Despite overall global improvements, disparities persist particularly in low-income areas and among newborns.

RESERVE REVIVAL

Once devastated by civil war and poaching the Banhine National Park in Mozambique’s game reserve is being revived Conservationists, in collaboration with the government, relocated nearly 400 animals from Maputo National Park to Banhine during a 12-day operation.The zebras, wildebeest and antelope were herded into enclosures using helicopters and transported over 18 hours by truck.The initiative is part of the broader effort to restart a game reserve that’s part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which includes reserves that form a wildlife corridor and conservation area. Donald Sutton, head of operations and development at Banhine, says that this operation is helping to restore the biodiversity in the park, according to AP News.

Fixthenews.com is a solutions journalism newsletter that finds stories of progress and shares them with readers from across the world. Acclaimed author Steven Pinker calls Fix the News “the best source for positive news on the internet.”

Celebrating

ThePower of Partnership

Southern U transforma expand in theCo in

Universityand A&MCollegehas receiveda ative$5million investment from Shellto itiativesinthe CollegeofBusiness and ollegeofSciences and Engineering. This nvestment directlysupports theSouthern UniversitySystem’sStrategic Pillars, includingStudent Success and Academic Excellence

“Withthis investmentinengineering education and studentsuccess,weare further strengthening Shell’spartnership with SouthernUniversityand empowering thenextgeneration of innovators and leaders. We can’t wait to see howtheywill shape thefutureofenergy and technologyfor our industryand theworld.”

EMMALEWIS

FAITH & VALUES

Bestselling author credits faith for saving his life

Brendan Slocumb looked to Christianity during health crisis

BY BOB SMIETANA

Contributing writer

For someone who was at death’s door a year ago, Brendan Slocumb is remarkably chipper.

A classical musician turned bestselling author at age 50, Slocumb is just a year out from a kidney transplant that saved his life. He credits the Christian faith he learned growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the love of friends with saving his life, making him grateful for every new day “I should not be here,” Slocumb said. “I am well aware of that.”

The past five years have been a whirlwind for Slocumb. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown brought his life as a music teacher and performing violinist to a halt, leaving him with no source of income and just enough money in the bank to pay his rent for six months. While sitting on the couch, eating Doritos, doomscrolling and feeling sorry for himself, Slocumb said he came across an article about how to get a book deal. He dug out an old sci-fi novel he’d written years earlier and sent it to an agent. The response: “This book is terrible.”

But the agent liked Slocumb’s writing style and told him to keep at it. By the end of the year, he’d finished a new book, “The Violin Conspiracy.” Published in 2022, it made The New York Times bestseller list after being chosen as a “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.

Fans loved it, as did critics. They also loved his 2023 follow-up, “Symphony of Secrets.” But just as his career was taking off, his kidneys, which had been damaged by a life-threatening health crisis years earlier, failed. He faced the real possibility of dying.

Slocumb, living in Washington, D.C., said he felt so ill that he could barely crawl out of bed and often wanted to give up

“I was down to 140 pounds,” he said in an Oct. 15 interview at a suburban Chicago library, where he was giving a talk “I did not know if I was going to make it through this.”

His best friend from college, a fellow musician, donated a kidney and last fall, Slocumb had the transplant surgery that saved his life

“I would not be here were it not for my faith,” said Slocumb, who has the words “Thank You” tattooed on his arm.

Dressed in a plaid shirt, jeans and a baseball cap, the bearded Slocumb is back to good health, thanks to his doctors, his friends and, he believes, God. He said as a kid, he got up early every Sunday to go to the Presbyterian church his family attended He hated it.

“My mom would wake us up at seven for an 11 o’clock service. And I’m like, this is ridiculous. I’m going back to sleep,” Slocumb said But he said he’s now glad for those early mornings in church, where he learned life has meaning and the importance of being a good person. He also

learned how to pray, something that kept him going during dark times The health crisis, he said, has also made him a better person. Before he became ill, he was more selfish. Now, he said, he tries to spend more time focused on other people

“I was humbled,” he said. Friends have called him lucky, but Slocumb prefers the word “blessed.” Though like many Americans, he no longer attends church services, he still prays several times daily and said his Christian faith gives his life meaning.

These days, Slocumb sees his mission in life as bringing joy to others. He also hopes, with his writing, to help Americans see past the stereotypes that divide them. During his talk at the

Northbrook Public Library his book, “Symphony of Secrets,” is featured in the library’s annual community book club program he recounted some of the challenges he faced as a Black violinist playing classical music.

Some conductors, he said, would look at the color of his skin and assume he was less talented than other musicians. Other times, when arriving at rehearsal, he was mistaken for a janitor

“I’ve gone into places and been completely overlooked and ignored just because of what I look like,” he said. “But then the treatment gets a lot different when they find out who you actually are.”

Slocumb told the audience that he, too, has

judged others in the past.

That’s one reason why he tries to make his characters complex — like a talented Black composer who is neurodivergent in “Symphony of Secrets,” or the father figure in his latest book, “The Dark Maestro,” a former gang member trying to escape his past.

Like most of the people he meets, Slocumb said the characters in his books are more than they appear He said that many people, if they saw him walking down the street most days, might not believe he was a successful musician or bestselling author, and that’s unfortunate.

“I want people to see people,” he said. “Forget the accent, forget the haircut, forget the attire. Forget the ZIP code, forget the

bank account — really see people.”

Though he acknowledged this country has troubles, Slocumb said he is hopeful about the future During his talk about “Symphony of Secrets,” which tells the story of a struggling Black composer in the 1920s whose music was stolen by a famed White musician, he pointed out that America has changed since then.

While the country has a long way to go to live up to its ideals, he believes America will get there in the future.

“I can only speak for myself when I say that we have come such a long way in this country,” he said. “Are we perfect? Absolutely not. Have we come a long way? 100%.”

North Baton Rouge leader seeks to restore community center

Director remembers facility’s glory days from her youth

BY IYAHNNA CARTER

Contributing writer

In the heart of a community long overlooked, Dina Johnson is leading a transformation that is not just structural, but also deeply personal. As the new executive director for the Jewel J. Newman Community Center in north Baton Rouge, she is cleaning up a neglected facility and reviving a legacy

When Johnson stepped into her new role in January the center was pure chaos, she said. There were boxes piled in showers, a rat infestation and a terrible sense of abandonment. With encouragement and financial support from the administration of MayorPresident Sid Edwards, Johnson and her staff immediately began to pick up the slack around the center These early efforts laid the groundwork for restoring the center back to a renewed sense of pride and purpose, she said.

“It was heartbreaking, but it was also a call to action,” Johnson said, who has a doctorate in public policy with concentrations in health care management, finance and environmental science. Her heartbreak quickly turned into determination Each task, no matter how small, was a quiet act of restoration for the building and the trust that had been lost over time The center began to feel less like a forgotten space and more like a promise being kept. Johnson is not just renovating a building, she is reigniting a spirit through infrastruc-

ture, programs and personal connection

Her first major initiative, a Martin Luther King Jr Day cleanup, put into perspective how much work there was to be done. Many community members contributed time out of their day to help pick up litter around the parking lot, wipe down surfaces and help clear walkways for hazards.

Come for hope

Johnson said her leadership approach is rooted in connection A lifelong resident of Scotlandville, she understands the strength of community.

“This center is the most needed resource in our community,” she says. “It’s where people come not just for help, but for hope.”

Johnson attended the center as a child and later found herself working there through the Job Training Program Administration. She recalled how beautiful and magical the center used to feel back then, and she’s determined to bring back that “top notch” standard

Under the new administration, the center secured funding for critical infrastructure upgrades, including a new roof, improved parking and hopefully a long overdue air conditioning unit.

Beyond upgrading new spaces, such as the play area outside in front of the center, Johnson and her staff also reinstated programs that are vital, like the food pantry, and is actively seeking a new tenant for a spacious, wellequipped clinic that is vacant. The clinic is set up to accommodate a medical professional, such as a family medicine practitioner, nurse practitioner, mental health professional, etc., and Johnson hopes to attract someone who can pro-

vide much-needed medical services to the community

Pouring into community

This community center team has been hands-on since day one, Johnson said. They work well together and share a deep understanding of the community’s needs. But Johnson’s aspirations stretch further than the center She dreams of bringing back a grocery store and sparking economic development in the area. Though she once considered running for state representative, her heart remains within her community

“This is where I can make the biggest impact,” she

says. She said she understands that revitalization does not happen alone; it takes a village. She hopes to build bridges with neighboring communities, such as Zachary and Baker, to encourage shared events and mutual support By strengthening these connections, she envisions a more unified region where resources are shared, voices are amplified and no neighborhood is left behind. Her team uses every opportunity, from food distributions to youth programs, to raise awareness about the center’s offerings and to invite residents to take part in shaping the center’s

future. Success, Johnson said lies in engagement, visibility and shared responsibility “We want to build a network of care,” she said.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Dina Johnson reaches for a box of food while preparing a care package at Jewel J Newman Community Center during a supply giveaway for pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Interns Kenmyria Carr, left, and Latoya Harvey walk out with bags of food to hand to a waiting family

PROVIDED PHOTO

Bestselling author Brendan Slocumb holds his book, ‘The Violin Conspiracy,’ that published in 2022, shortly before his

kidneys failed, leaving him with the real possibility of dying

SUNDAY, November 16, 2025

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE /byStephan Pastis

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

word game

instructions: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

todAY's Word — tHesAurus: thih-

SOR-us: A book of words and their synonyms.

Average mark 42 words

Time limit 60 minutes

Can you find 59 or more words in THESAURUS?

ken ken

instructions: 1 -Each rowand each column must contain thenumbers 1through4 (easy) or 1through6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, called cages, must combine using thegiven operation (inany order)toproduce the target numbersinthe top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fillinthe single-boxcages withthe numberinthe top-left corner

instructions: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The object is to placethe numbers 1to 9in theempty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficultylevel of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

directions: Complete thegridso that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally

Sudoku

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Leading away from the king

East’s flimsy one-heart bid might have gotten his partner off to a heart lead, but West was likely to have led a heart anyway. The lead was an obvious singleton after East’s bid. South won the heart lead in dummy and led the king of spades, holding the trick. He cashed the king and queen of diamonds before leading the jack of spades from dummy West did not want to be stuck on lead with the ace, so he won the second spade and continued with a third.

super Quiz

Declarer won in hand with the queen and led the ace of diamonds, discarding a low club from dummy He knew that West held the ace of clubs for his opening bid, so he made no effort to lead a club toward his king. South simply led a low club away from his king. West still did not want to be on lead so he played the two from his hand, which forced East to win the trick. East led the queen of hearts to dummy’s king and South led a

club to his king and West’s ace. West was end-played and forced to give up a ruff-sluff. West led a club, so South ruffed in dummy while discarding a heart from his hand. Making four!

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2025 Tribune Content Agency goren Bridge

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Rearrange your space to ensure greater productivity Discussions will shed light on what’s possible personally or professionally Don’t share personal information or your intentions prematurely CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Concentrate on travel or reuniting with someone from your past. Whoever or whatever you encounter will help you realize what’s missing in your life and how to reinstate some of the pastimes that bring you joy AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Listen to your body, and research how you can reach your optimum health. Spend more time with those who motivateyoutobeyourbest,andsay no to those who promote indulgent behavior PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to your health and well-being, and set personal goals that make you feel good about who you are and what you do. Surround yourself with peopleyoulove,andlivethelifestyle you desire.

purpose.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Participate in events and social activities, and expand your interests and circle of friends. You can gain insight into new possibilities Revamp your resume to suit upcoming prospects.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Connect the dots and adjust your current situation to abandon what isn’t working for you anymore. It’s time to take control and to promote longevity and peace of mind.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Research will spark your imagination. Learn somethingnewthatyoucanincorporate into your expertise to enhance

your skills and pursuit of happiness and increase your wealth.

CANCER(June21-July22)Putdramaon hold.Personalandphysicalimprovements are within reach, along with love and romance, growth and selfimprovement. Socializing will lead to prosperity and happiness. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take better care of yourself. Say no to indulgent behavior and yes to expanding your mind, skills and friendships. Leave nothing to chance, and you will gain momentum.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Say less and do more. Initiate change and strive to stay ahead in a fast-paced envi-

ronment. It’s what you do and how inventive you are when marketing yourself and your talents that will spark interest.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Put your energy where it brings the highest return or happiness. Heart-to-heart conversations will clear any uncertainty you are experiencing with someone and offer insight into how best to move forward.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

wuzzLes

1. Piano.2.JDVance. 3. Smile, Smile, Smile. 4. Alaska. 5. A&P.6.Tariffs. 7. ElonMusk. 8. Cat 9. Joe Louis. 10. Li'l Abner.11. The LibertyBell. 12. Sauerkraut.13. ChiefJoseph.14. Hopi. 15. Pluto.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points —congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points—honorsgraduate; 13 to 17 points —you’replenty smart, but no grind; 5to12points —you really shouldhit the booksharder;1point to 4points —enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0points who reads thequestions to you?

Saturday's Cryptoquote: Idon'thave petpeeves like some people.I have whole kennels of irritation. —Whoopi Goldberg

jeFF mACnelly’sshoe/ by Gary Brookins &Susie MacNelly

by BillAmend