The Times-Picayune 01-05-2026

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Rubio walks back talk of U.S. ‘running’ Venezuela

Administration to press for changes through oil blockade

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO, MATTHEW LEE, WILL WEISSERT and ERIC TUCKER

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yUKI IWAMURA

Federal law enforcement personnel stand watch outside the Metropolitan Detention Center as they await the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in New york on Saturday. ä Plan to seize Venezuela’s oil industry faces hurdles. PAGE 4A ä Trump’s military intervention sparks unease. PAGE 4A

Rubio’s statements on TV talk shows seemed deAssociated Press signed to temper concerns that the assertive action WASHINGTON — Secretary of State to achieve regime Marco Rubio suggested Sunday change in Venezuthat the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day Rubio ela might lead the other than enforcing an existing U.S. into another “oil quarantine” on the country, a prolonged foreign intervention or turnaround after President Donald failed attempt at nation-building.

Trump announced a day earlier that They stood in contrast to Trump’s the U.S. would be running Venezu- broad but vague claims that the ela following its ouster of leader U.S. would at least temporarily “run” the oil-rich nation, comments Nicolás Maduro.

‘Their memory will live on’

that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas would be controlled by Washington.

Rubio offered Maduro a more nuanced take, saying the U.S. would continue to enforce an oil quarantine that was already in place on sanctioned tankers before Maduro was removed from power

ä See VENEZUELA, page 4A

The need for speed Small but mighty internet company connecting state’s rural areas

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

People pray Sunday during a memorial for the victims of the Jan. 1, 2025, attack on Bourbon Street at Immaculate Conception Church in New Orleans.

Mourning period for Bourbon attack ends with interfaith memorial

BY RICH COLLINS

Families embrace as the names of loved ones who passed away during the Bourbon Street terror attack are named during the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy New year, New Hope Interfaith Prayer Service in New Orleans on Sunday.

Staff writer

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and other leaders gathered with mourners Sunday at a memorial to honor the victims of the deadly Bourbon Street attack on Jan. 1, 2025, with survivor Brittany Francois asking the crowd to make the event meaningful through their actions going forward.

“One year and three days ago, our lives changed forever,” Francois said from the pulpit of the Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church on Baronne Street, less than two blocks from the site of last year’s tragedy. “In a moment of violence, we lost loved ones, a sense of safety and a piece of ourselves. ... We owe it to those who are no longer with us to live fuller and braver lives. In each act of kindness and every embrace and in every voice that speaks out for peace, there is life.”

Hundreds gathered for the 2 p.m. remembrance ceremony, which was

WEATHER HIGH 70 LOW 60 PAGE 6B

followed by a short second-line to the corner of Canal and Bourbon streets.

The crowd was a mix of local leaders, family members of victims, first responders, law enforcement — including members of the National Guard — and other community members.

The event was led by New Orleans Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond and more than a dozen other spiritual

leaders, who prayed for the 14 people who were killed and dozens more who were injured when Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a military veteran from Houston inspired by the Islamic State, drove a truck through Bourbon Street crowds last year.

The ceremony included music from the Voices of Peter Claver Choir and

ä See MEMORIAL, page 5A

ABBEVILLE — At an event celebrating the completion of another project by Cajun Broadband, the little internet company that could, there were speeches by local officials, a video message from Gov. Jeff Landry and a ribboncutting.

And there was seafood gumbo, cooked the night before by Chris Disher, the company’s co-founder.

His grandmother made her gumbo with tomatoes, but Disher skipped them, knowing the crowd, and used shrimp and oysters harvested Disher from parish waters.

The gathering in Vermilion Parish, like much of what Cajun Broadband does, had a personal feel that belied a bigger truth: The company is among those leading Louisiana’s push to bring speedy internet to the state’s rural reaches.

ä See INTERNET, page 3A

La. farmers see $12B relief payments as a lifeline

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — With about half of Louisiana’s — and the nation’s — farmers facing dire financial straits, agricultural communities are hoping the $12 billion short-term relief ordered by President Donald Trump recently will be enough to offset losses from trade wars, tariffs, depressed commodity prices and increased planting costs.

“We’re struggling,” Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain said last month, after returning from a weeklong trip to London in search of new markets to sell Louisiana’s crops. “About 50% of our

Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

ä See FARMERS, page 3A

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Rain continues as Calif. reels from floods, high tides

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Drone strikes kill 2 in Russian border regions

Two people were killed in Ukrainian drone strikes in Russian border regions, local officials said Sunday, ahead of peace talks to end the nearly 4-year-old war in Paris this week.

Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said one person died and two others, including a young child, were wounded when a Ukrainian drone struck a car.

Another person was killed in a drone strike on a village in the Kursk region, regional Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said Sunday.

In Ukraine, three people were wounded in the Kharkiv region in drone strikes overnight into Sunday, the country’s State Emergency Service said.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile attack on the city of Kharkiv on Friday increased to five when body parts were found under the rubble of a building, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Sunday.

The latest attacks came after national security advisers from Europe and other allies visited Kyiv on Saturday to discuss security guarantees and economic support, as a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine intensifies.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, preparing to travel to Paris for a meeting with partners, said Saturday that work on the peace proposals could now accelerate as Ukraine has shared all documents under discussion with the 18 national security advisers, including those on security guarantees.

Trump: Ukraine didn’t target Putin’s residence

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump on Sunday told reporters that U.S. officials have determined that Ukraine did not target a residence belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a drone attack last week, disputing Kremlin claims that Trump had initially greeted with deep concern.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov last week said Ukraine launched a wave of drones at Putin’s state residence in the northwestern Novgorod region that the Russian defense systems were able to defeat. Lavrov also criticized Kyiv for launching the attack at a moment of intensive negotiations to end the war.

The allegation came just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had traveled to Florida for talks with Trump on the U.S. administration’s still-evolving 20-point plan aimed at ending the war, and had Zelenskyy quickly deny it.

Trump said that “something happened nearby” Putin’s residence but that Americans officials didn’t find the Russian president’s residence was targeted.

“I don’t believe that strike happened,” Trump told reporters as he traveled back to Washington on Sunday after spending two weeks at his home in Florida. “We don’t believe that happened, now that we’ve been able to check.”

North Korea launches missiles toward sea

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Sunday, its neighbors said, just hours before South Korea’s president left for China for talks expected to cover North Korea’s nuclear program.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected several ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s capital region about 7:50 a.m. It said the missiles flew about 560 miles and that South Korea and U.S. authorities were analyzing details of the launches.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry noted the launches violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban any ballistic activities by North Korea. It urged North Korea to cease provocative actions immediately and respond to South Korea’s push to restart talks and restore peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at least two missile launches by North Korea have been confirmed. “They are a serious problem, threatening the peace and security of our nation, the region and the world,” Koizumi told reporters.

By The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BAZ RATNER

Firefighters cry Sunday as they attend a memorial march in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, after a devastating fire in Le Constellation bar left 40 dead and dozens injured during a New year’s Eve celebration.

Hundreds march to honor bar fire victims 40 killed in New year’s Eve blaze in Switzerland

BY JOHN LEICESTER and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Hundreds marched in silence Sunday to honor the victims of the New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in the Swiss Alpine resort of CransMontana, which left 40 dead and many severely injured.

Somber mourners, many with reddened eyes, filed silently out of the chapel to organ music after the hourlong Mass at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe in CransMontana. Some exchanged hugs before marching up a hill to Le Constellation bar.

Many hundreds of people walked in the dense snaking procession in the bright sunlight past shuttered stores. Up on the mountain overlooking the town, snow machines sent plumes of white flakes into the air.

At the top of the street, in front of Le Constellation — which is still largely shielded from view by white screens — the swelling crowd stood in near total silence, some weeping.

Then they broke out into sustained applause for the rescue teams and police who rushed to the scene of horror, their hands in gloves and mittens against the cold. Mourners and well-wishers deposited bouquets at a makeshift memorial piled with flowers, cuddly toys and other tributes. Some firefighters wiped their eyes too.

“Through this tragic event, I believe we must all remember that we are all brothers and sisters in humanity,” Véronique Barras, a local resident who knows grieving families, said. “It’s important to support each other, to hug each other, and to move forward towards light.”

Cathy Premer said her daughter was out celebrating her 17th birthday on New Year’s Eve when she called in the early hours of the morning to say she was stuck because Le Constellation was cordoned off.

“For the young — but even for adults — it’s hard to understand things that seem inexplicable,” she said. “They went there to party, it’s a destination for Dec. 31, it’s very festive, there were people of many nationalities ... and it all turned into a tragedy.”

In the crowd, Paola Ponti Greppi, an 80-year-old Italian who has a house in Crans-Montana, called for safety checks in bars. “We need more safety in these places because it’s not the only place like this. Why didn’t the town do the proper checks? For me that’s terrible.”

During the Mass, the Rev. Gilles Cavin spoke of the “terrible uncertainty” for families unsure if their loved ones are among the dead or still alive among the injured.

“There are no words strong enough to express the dismay, anguish, and anger of those who are affected in their lives today. And yet, we are here, gathered because silence alone is not enough,” he said.

In the crowded pews, a grieving woman listened intently, her hands clasped tightly and sometimes clasping rosary beads, as speakers delivered readings in German, French and Italian.

Forty people died and 119 were injured in the blaze that broke out around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday at Le Constellation bar. Police have said many of the victims were in their teens to mid-20s.

By Sunday evening, Swiss authorities had identified all of the 40 fatalities.

One of the victims was 16-year-old Arthur Brodard, whose mother had been frantically searching for him.

“Our Arthur has now left to party in paradise,” a visibly shaken Laetitia Brodard said in a Facebook story posted on Saturday night, speaking to a camera.

“We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light.”

Brodard’s frenzied search for her son reflected the desperation of families of the young people disappeared during the fire, who did not know whether their loved ones were dead or in the hospital.

Swiss authorities said the process of identifying victims was particularly hard because of the advanced degree of the burns, requiring the use of DNA samples. Brodard also had given her DNA sample to help in the identification process.

In her Facebook post, she thanked those who “testified their compassion, their love” and to those who shared information as she anxiously searched and waited for news of her son. Other parents and siblings are still waiting in anguish.

Swiss authorities have opened a criminal investigation of the bar managers.

Gunmen kill at least 30, abduct others in raid in north Nigeria

By The Associated Press MINNA, Nigeria — At least 30 villagers have been killed and several others are missing after gunmen raided a village in northern Nigeria’s Niger state, police said Sunday, the latest in a cycle of deadly violence in the conflict-hit region.

The gunmen stormed the Kasuwan-Daji village in the Borgu local government area on Saturday evening and opened fire on residents. They also razed the local market and several houses, state police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said in a statement.

At least two residents put the death toll at 37 and said it could be much higher as some people remained missing as of Sunday. Locals also said the security forces are yet to arrive in the area, contradicting a police claim that they have deployed officers to search for those kidnapped.

The Rev. Stephen Kabirat, a spokesman for the Catholic Church of Kontagora Diocese where the attack happened, told local media that the gunmen killed more than 40 people and abducted several others, including children.

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and said he has directed security officials to hunt down the gunmen and rescue the hostages.

“These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people,” Tinubu said in a statement. “They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions. No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down. In addition, those who aid, abet, or enable them will also be brought to justice.”

The gunmen had been lurking around nearby communities for about a week before the attack, according to one resident who asked not to be named for fear of his safety. Now survivors are too afraid to go recover the bodies.

“The bodies are there (in Kasuwan-Daji village). If we don’t see any security, how can we go there?” the resident said, adding that the attack lasted for up to three hours.

Such attacks are common in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, where dozens of rogue gangs seeking control often target remote communities with limited security and government presence.

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Crews cleared mud from key California highways as forecasters warned Sunday that more thunderstorms were on the way after downpours and high tides caused flooding, road closures and rescues of people trapped in cars.

Five northern counties remained under a flood watch, with up to three inches of rain possible through Monday night in areas that have been drenched off and on since around Christmas, said the National Weather Service office in Eureka.

At least a foot of snow was likely in the mountains.

To the south near the San Francisco Bay Area, waters were slowly receding after roadways from Sausalito to San Rafael were flooded during heavy rain that coincided with record-breaking “king tides.” Such tides occur when the moon is in its closest position to the Earth, creating a stronger gravitational pull.

Some people kayaked along swamped streets, while others waded through water above their knees.

Authorities were called to assist when cars got stuck in water as high as 3 and 4 feet, Marin County Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Dobbins said

Saturday.

“I’ve been around here for the king tides and I’ve never seen it this high. Never,” Jeremy Hager of San Rafael told KTVU-TV. Flooding was reported across Marin, Sonoma, Alameda, San Mateo and San Francisco counties.

While the tides were waning, lingering thunderstorms on Sunday could cause additional problems throughout low-lying areas, forecasters said. “For anyone driving, slow down and allow extra time to reach your destination,” the Bay Area office of the weather service warned on social media.

Farther south in Santa Barbara County, a key highway was reopened Sunday after it was blocked for most of the weekend near Goleta due to a series of mudslides. A man died after he was swept into a creek during the storm, the sheriff’s office said Saturday.

Parts of Santa Barbara County received more than four inches of rain over two days, the weather service said Sunday.

After a mostly dry autumn, California has been hit by a series of powerful winter storms that brought the wettest holiday season to the state in years.

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE PHOTO By STEPHEN LAM

Brothers Connor and Brett Cardinal and friend Eli Ferrell kayak toward a flooded Mill Valley-Sausalito Path on Saturday during king tide in Mill Valley, Calif.

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The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 3A

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INTERNET

Continued from page 1A

This fall, it won $18.2 million in federal funding from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program, or BEAD, to connect another 4,000 homes and businesses. This month, they’ll be among the companies breaking ground with that funding: “We’re small, so we can build fast,” Disher said.

Already, the Broussardbased company provides fiber internet across Acadiana, in a doughnut-like shape surrounding Lafayette. In 2023, Inc. Magazine named it among the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. — landing at 603 out of 5,000 and fourth among those based in Louisiana.

“We kept doubling the size every year,” Disher said, “because we didn’t understand just how big this need was in the rural communities.”

Humble beginnings But it started in 2017 with an antenna in a pine tree.

Disher’s two then-teenage sons had been nagging him for years about the slow, spotty internet. One Sunday before church, they’d hooked up their Xbox for a software update, “and the game wasn’t even 5% done updating after being gone for like three and a half hours,” said his son Matthew.

FARMERS

Continued from page 1A farmers are facing significant challenges.”

China stopped buying American soybeans in retaliation for tariffs Trump imposed. Though China recently agreed to start purchasing soybeans again, “Louisiana experienced the greatest absolute decline, with agricultural exports to China down $1.85 billion,” the digital publication Farm Flavor noted in its analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture export data.

“The commodity prices, what the farmer receives, has declined dramatically since 2021, 2022,” Strain said. “But on the other side, production expenses, the cost of production, is still continuing to rise; it’s 12% above that five-year average.

So, the cost has gone up, but the price the farmers receive went down.”

Trouble for La. farms Strain is trying to persuade the financial community that, despite several unprofitable harvests for Louisiana farmers, the Trump money could be used to reduce producers’ debts and help obtain the loans necessary to plant next year’s crop in February and March.

Only about 46% of Louisiana farms are expected to be profitable in 2026, Strain said, citing a recent American Bankers Association survey of the lend-

Meanwhile, Disher’s friend, neighbor and now partner Jimmy Lewis, an IT professional struggling with his own internet service, had been driving by an empty tower on his way to work each day.

He wondered: What if we put an antenna on that?

They got the OK, grabbed a chain saw and mounted a dish. “And Chris is hollering up at me, ‘We’ve got 60 megs!” Lewis said. “We’ve got 60 megs!”

They hooked up one neighbor, then another, then 10.

They kept their day jobs, at first, working nights and weekends.

Within two years, they had more than 1,000 customers, said Daniel Romero Jr., operations manager. (Disher declined to give a current count, but the company’s website touts “nearly 10,000 customers across seven Louisiana parishes.”)

“We just kept going and kept building and kept working,” said Lewis, Cajun’s managing director.

When Louisiana’s Granting Underserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities, or GUMBO, program was announced, Disher bought a nice tie and went door-todoor, parish to parish. In late 2022, with nearly $20 million in GUMBO funding, Cajun Broadband installed some 90,000 feet of fiber in St. Martin Parish.

It was the first completed project in the state under GUMBO, whose mission is

ers who write agricultural loans. That percentage has dropped each year from 80% in 2023, according to the report.

The loans, of course, vary depending on the size of the spread, but average up to $1.5 million, Strain said.

Without the money to continue, more Louisiana farmers will leave the fields.

Louisiana already is losing farms — down to about 25,006 individual farms in census data from 2022, the latest available, before commodity prices declined and planting costs increased.

That’s why the banks will end up with the largest share of the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program money.

The money comes from the proceeds of tariffs and is aimed at helping farmers who have struggled to sell crops because of “unfair market disruption,” Trump said Dec. 8.

“This relief will provide much-needed certainty as they get this year’s harvest to market and look ahead to next year’s crops,” Trump said during the White House announcement.

Trump won voters living in rural areas by 40 points, 69% of the rural total, in the 2024 presidential election, according to the Pew Research Center.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law July 4, provides stronger protection for row crop farmers.

But those aspects of the law don’t take effect until October 2026, noted U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

Matthew Disher splices fiber in a Cajun Broadband truck for a Maurice home in December.

STAFF PHOTO

By JENNA ROSS

in its name. Cajun Broadband competed with and beat bigger companies to nab GUMBO funds, said Veneeth Iyengar, executive director for the Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.

“They bootstrapped this business,” he said. “They saw a need in their community that was not fulfilled, and they decided to bootstrap it through entrepreneurial capitalism and build a business which is now impacting thousands of lives.”

Still, the business has stayed small and nimble.

Ask an employee how many of them there are, and they’ll begin ticking off names, counting the number on two hands. It feels like family, said Steven Creduer, field supervisor. “I’m leaving

my house to go to my other house.”

Disher’s son, Matthew, works in the field as a splicer now. Romero’s daughter works for the company, too.

Employees exchange “Merry Christmas” texts with customers. Many of them had long struggled to use Zoom, to upload and to stream, and were thrilled to spot Cajun Broadband’s trailer on their rural roads.

Technicians see firsthand how people rely on the internet for necessities, from health care to homework.

“People are really happy you’re there,” Disher said.

said. “I never wanted to do anything on my own.”

For years, he worked for General Electric in the oil fields of Singapore and Brazil, eventually supporting six regions from Broussard — but traveling often. Then GE downsized, and Disher lost his job.

With his wife’s encouragement, he became Cajun Broadband’s first full-time employee, he said. “She just kept saying, ‘You can do it, you can do it.’ ” At first, he felt responsible to his family, his mortgage in mind. Then, he felt responsible for the company’s employees, their families in ‘Issues on top of issues’ mind. Now, he feels responA Louisiana-born-and- sible for the region and its educated engineer, Disher residents.

S e v e r a l b r o a d b a n d Email Jenna Ross at jenna. hadn’t yearned to be an entrepreneur, the 55-year-old customers were at the ross@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Donald Schexnayder walks past the storage silos that hold soybeans at R Schexnayder & Sons LLC in Erwinville recently. President Donald Trump’s $12 billion payments come as Louisiana farmers face serious headwinds.

Where does the money go?

The assistance will provide up to $11 billion of the $12 billion to be sent in February to producers who farm row crops, such as soybeans, corn, cotton and rice. The rest will go to specialty crops like sugar cane.

The exact amounts each farmer receives, up to $155,000, will be based on how many acres are planted with a particular crop using a formula. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will release the payment rates Monday.

National Farmers Union President Rob Larew was appreciative of the Trump initiative but warned it may not be enough.

“Short-term payments, while important, are only a first step,” Larew said in a statement. “What we truly

LSU AgCenter office in Abbeville for last month’s ribbon-cutting, which marked the completion of three broadband projects in Vermilion Parish comprising some 500,000 feet of fiber to 1,750 homes and businesses.

Among the beneficiaries: Michelle Romero, a 38-yearold mother, nurse and health coach who can now upload her workout videos in a few minutes, rather than several hours. (Disher used healthier oils in his gumbo, knowing she’d be in the crowd.)

And there’s the North Vermilion Youth Athletic Association, which for years had struggled to make credit card sales in its concession stand using Cox internet.

“We had issues on top of issues,” said Josh Broussard, the nonprofit’s president.

Cajun Broadband offered the athletic association free hookups, Wi-Fi service and boosters in exchange for some publicity. Now, the park has strong enough service to fuel live scoreboards and stream games, Broussard said, which means that they can host regional tournaments.

Broussard, who played sports at the park as a child, said the change is much needed.

“I saw what it was, and I just want to improve it,” Broussard said, “and make it better than what it was when we were there.”

need are long-term structural fixes that restore viability and stability to family farms and ranches for generations to come. In real time, we are experiencing the consequences of farm policy that is woefully outdated. The farm safety net can’t keep up with today’s economic realities. Input costs remain high, trade relationships are uncertain, access to affordable health care is in danger and the stress on rural communities continues to grow.”

The American Farm Bureau in October calculated that farmers have lost up to $50 billion in 2025 because of increased costs and lower prices. Breaking down losses per acre, per crop, the report concluded that, for instance, soybeans lost about $154 per acre.

Louisiana plants about 1.2

million acres of soybeans, costs, said Michael DeLibermost of which are sold to to, an agricultural economist China. at LSU. “That’s not counting Farmers in southwest Loui- machinery financing, that’s siana predominantly plant not considering family living rice, and are experiencing expenses, that’s not considersignificant losses per acre, ing land rent.” according to the American For example, he said, a Farm Bureau report. In north Louisiana farmer may spend Louisiana, producers primar- $1,000 to grow 190 bushels of ily grow corn, soybeans and corn per acre. The market cotton, also at a loss for the price needs to be between past two years. In south cen- $3.86 per bushel to pay minitral Louisiana, the main crop mal expenses and $5.42 to is sugar cane, which is doing cover all expenses, he said. better.

The price per bushel for West Baton Rouge Parish delivery in December was farmer Donald Schexnayder $4.80. says he and his two brothers “He’s going to be able to primarily grow soybeans, cover direct costs and his corn and some sugar cane. machinery costs. But he’s not They plan to use the Bridge able to cover general overAssistance to offset head. He’s not going the increasing exto make a profit,” Depenses.

Liberto said.

“Everything from His recent study of fertilizer to insurLouisiana agriculture paints the picture of ance to machinery farmers juggling low has gone up. So, commodity prices, this is going to help high input costs, inbridge some of that Schexnayder gap,” he said. flation along with The son of a farmer, market disruptions, trade unSchexnayder’s dad had in- certainty and a lack of comstilled in his sons to set aside petitiveness of U.S. exports money for down times, which overseas. come every seven or eight Many of those issues are beyears. ing addressed. But the ques“You plan for it,” Schexnay- tion is how fast.

“No farmer is set up to der said. “We’re not going to be spending money on new weather consecutive four or equipment or replacing five years of tight to nonexequipment that needs to be istent or negative margins,” replaced. … I think we can DeLiberto said. “Farmers are survive and others like us can optimistic, but I think, if 2026 survive.” is as challenging as 2025 was, Direct costs of operation 2027 is going to be very, very include fuel, labor, seed, concerning for farm survivchemicals, fertilizer, chemi- ability.” cal applications — whether that’s from an airplane or Email Mark Ballard at a sprayer — and irrigation mballard@theadvocate.com.

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Trump’s military intervention sparks unease

Venezuela mission tests Republican unity

BY STEVEN SLOAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela will pose a fresh test of his ability to hold together a restive Republican coalition during a challenging election year that could be defined by domestic concerns like health care and affordability.

While most Republicans lined up behind the president in the immediate aftermath of the stunning U.S. mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York to face criminal charges, there were signs of unease across the spectrum within the party. In particular, Trump’s comments about the U.S. positioning itself to “run” Venezuela have raised concerns that he is abandoning the “America First” philosophy that has long distinguished him from more traditional Republicans and helped fuel his political rise.

“This is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of that doesn’t serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks and the oil executives,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, a former Trump ally who is resigning on Monday, in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

Those concerns were shared by some who are not associated with the party’s far-right flank.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens on Saturday.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, of Pennsylvania, a moderate who is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the November midterms, said in a statement that “the only country that the United States of America should be ‘running’ is the United States of America.”

Those comments reflect the sensitive dynamics between Trump and his fellow Republicans at the outset of an election year in which their party risks losing control of Congress. While the president’s dominance remains undisputed, the ironclad grip that he has held over the party has faced unusual challenges in recent months. Blocs of Republicans have banded together to pressure Trump to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. Others have been vocal in encouraging Trump to take concerns about affordability more seriously.

Trump’s aggressive vision Few issues are as central to

Plan to seize Venezuela’s oil industry faces hurdles

BY JOSH FUNK

AP business writer President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a raid isn’t likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices.

Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions, so it could take years and major investments before production can increase dramatically. But some analysts are optimistic that Venezuela could double or triple its current output of about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day to return to historic levels fairly quickly.

“While many are reporting Venezuela’s oil infrastructure was unharmed by U.S. military actions, it has been decaying for many many years and will take time to rebuild,” said Patrick De Haan, who is the lead petroleum analyst at gasoline price tracker GasBuddy.

American oil companies will want a stable regime in the country before they are willing to invest heavily, and the political picture remained uncertain Saturday with Trump saying that the United States is in charge — while the current Venezuelan vice president argued, before Venezuela’s high court ordered her to assume the role of interim president, that Maduro should be restored to power.

“But if it seems like the U.S. is successful in running the country for the next 24 hours, I would say there would be a lot of optimism that U.S. energy companies could come in and revitalize the Venezuelan oil industry fairly quickly,” said Phil Flynn, a senior market analyst at the Price Futures Group.

And if Venezuela can grow into an oil production powerhouse, Flynn said “that could cement lower prices for the longer term” and put more pressure on Russia.

Oil isn’t traded over the weekend, so there wasn’t an immediate impact on prices. But a major shift in prices isn’t expected when the market does reopen. Venezuela is a

member of OPEC so its production is already accounted for there. And there is currently a surplus of oil on the global market.

Proven reserves Venezuela is known to have the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves of approximately 303 billion barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

That accounts for roughly 17% of all global oil reserves.

So international oil companies have reason to be interested in Venezuela. Exxon Mobil didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. ConocoPhillips spokesperson Dennis Nuss said by email that the company “is monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability.

It would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments.”

Chevron is the only one with significant operations in Venezuela, where it produces about 250,000 barrels a day. Chevron, which first invested in Venezuela in the 1920s, does business in the country through joint ventures with the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., commonly known as PDVSA. “Chevron remains focused on the safety and well-being of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations,” Chevron spokesperson Bill Turenne said.

But even with those massive reserves, Venezuela has been producing less than 1% of the world’s crude oil supply. Corruption, mismanagement and U.S. economic sanctions saw production steadily decline from the 3.5 million barrels per day pumped in 1999 to today’s levels.

The problem isn’t finding the oil.

It’s a question of the political environment and whether companies can count on the government to live up to their contracts. Back in 2007, then-President Hugo Chávez nationalized much of the oil production and forced major players like Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips out.

CLASSIFIEDS continued from Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF TRES MARINE CORPORA‐ TION AS OWNER OF THE VESSEL M/V MITCHELL C AND GULF LOGISTICS OPERATING, INC. AS OP‐ ERATOR FOR EXONERA‐ TION FROM OR LIMITA‐ TION OF LIABILITY CIVIL ACTION NO.: 252366 SECTION: “T” (1)

Legal Notices

handling of the Iraq War. During a 2013 speech before the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump said the U.S. should “take” oil from Iraq and “pay ourselves back.”

Frustration with the handling of the Iraq War contributed to major gains for Democrats in the 2006 election and helped create the conditions for Barack Obama to be elected to the presidency two years later. Given the baggage surrounding those wars, Trump allies insist that the actions this weekend in Venezuela are different.

“Venezuela looks nothing like Libya,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on “Meet the Press.”

“It looks nothing like Iraq. It looks nothing like Afghanistan. It looks nothing like the Middle East other than the Iranian agents that are running through there plotting against America, OK?” Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton argued that the 1989 ouster of Manuel Noriega in Panama is a better comparison.

“That was a successful operation,” Cotton said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I believe, in the long run, this will be too.”

Still, amid some of the pushback about the U.S. taking expansive responsibility for managing Venezuela, Rubio suggested a more limited role. He said that Washington would not handle day-to-day governance of the South American country other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on Venezuela.

Venezuela policy is emerging within the GOP. Instead, many lawmakers appear to be giving the Republican administration some room and, at most, offer some warnings.

Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, who faces a potentially challenging reelection campaign this year, called Maduro a “narco-terrorist and international drug trafficker” who should stand trial even, as she said “Congress should have been informed about the operation earlier and needs to be involved as this situation evolves.”

Even Sen. Rand Paul, of Kentucky, who often criticizes military interventions, did not specifically oppose Trump’s actions. He wrote on social media that “time will tell if regime change in Venezuela is successful without significant monetary or human cost.”

Many Democrats denounced Trump’s actions in Venezuela and the Democratic National Committee quickly sought to raise money by blasting “another unconstitutional war from Trump.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., rejected the administration’s argument that it was combating drug crimes, saying on X that the White House is instead focused on “oil and regime change” while seeking to “to distract from Epstein + skyrocketing healthcare costs.”

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the strike was part of an “old and obvious pattern” where an “unpopular president — failing on the economy and losing GOP opposition to the strikes his grip on power at home — decides It is not clear that any forceful, to launch a war for regime change organized opposition to Trump’s abroad.”

Trump’s political brand as ensuring that the U.S. does not get entangled in seemingly endless foreign conflicts at the expense of domestic goals. During a 2016 Republican presidential debate, for instance, he described the war in Iraq as a “big, fat mistake.”

But on Saturday, Trump said he was “not afraid of boots on the ground” in Venezuela if that was deemed necessary, and he framed his actions as prioritizing the safety and security of Americans. He articulated an aggressive vision of U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, and he told reporters it was important to “surround ourselves with good neighbors.”

However, much like the Iraq War, a president’s early confidence after a dramatic military action can sometimes meet more sobering realities that drain domestic political support.

In Venezuela, U.S. troops could be placed in harm’s way again as Trump warns that more military operations may be in the works. An ongoing conflict could worsen the hemisphere’s refugee crisis, something the White House has tried to tamp down with stricter border controls. In addition, there are questions about how much cooperation the U.S. will receive from officials still in Venezuela or how easily the country’s oil reserves could be tapped to fulfill Trump’s goal of extracting more energy with Maduro out of the picture.

Trump’s comments this weekend about revitalizing the oil industry in Venezuela are in line with some of the earliest critiques he made of the

VENEZUELA

Continued from page 1A early Saturday and use that leverage as a means to press policy changes in Venezuela.

“And so that’s the sort of control the president is pointing to when he says that,” Rubio said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We continue with that quarantine, and we expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking.”

The blockade on sanctioned oil tankers — some of which have been seized by the U.S. — “remains in place, and that’s a tremendous amount of leverage that will continue to be in place until we see changes that not just further the national interest of the United States, which is No. 1, but also that lead to a better future for the people of Venezuela,” he added.

Leaders in Venezuela have so far pushed back, at least publicly, calling on the Trump administration to release Maduro.

Even before the operation that nabbed Maduro, experts were already questioning the legality of aspects of the administration’s pressure campaign on Venezuela, including the deadly bombing of boats accused of trafficking drugs that some scholars said stretched the boundaries of international law.

Trump vows to ‘run’ Venezuela Trump’s vow to “run” Venezuela, repeated more than half a dozen times at a news conference in Florida on Saturday, sparked concerns among some Democrats. It also drew unease from parts of his own Republican coalition, including an “America First” base that is opposed to foreign interventions, and from observers who recalled past nation-building efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rubio dismissed such criticism, saying Trump’s intent had been misunderstood.

“The whole foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, everything is Afghanistan,” Rubio said. “This is not the Middle East. And our mis-

Legal Notices

sion here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere.”

Rubio also suggested the U.S. would give Maduro’s subordinates now in charge time to govern, saying, “We’re going to judge everything by what they do.” And though he did not rule out boots on the ground in Venezuela, Rubio said the U.S., which has built up its presence in the region, was already capable of stopping drug boats and sanctioned tankers.

A day earlier, Trump told reporters, “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” He later pointed to his national security team with him, including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and said it would be done for a period of time by “the people that are standing right behind me. We’re gonna be running it, we’re gonna be bringing it back.”

The White House declined to comment beyond what Trump said Saturday.

Maduro’s arrival Maduro landed late Saturday afternoon at a small airport in New York City’s northern suburbs following the middle-of-the-night operation that extracted him and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home in a military base in the capital city of Caracas — an act Maduro’s government called “imperialist.”

The couple faces U.S. charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

The dramatic seizure of the Maduros capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on Venezuela’s autocratic leader and months of secret planning, resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, demanded that the U.S. free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader as her nation’s high court named her interim president. So did the country’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, who said Sunday that the country’s armed forces “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” and will “maintain in-

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

Respectfully submitted, /s/ Alan J. Meche ALAN J. MECHE (#30631) ALLEN & GOOCH A LAW CORPORATION P.O. Box 81129 Lafayette, Louisiana 70508-1129 Telephone: (337) 291-1480 Facsimile: (337) 291-1485 alanmeche@allengooch. com Attorney for Petitioners, Tres Marine Corporation and Gulf Logistics Oper‐ ating, Inc.

COMPLAINT OF ASSOCI‐ ATED FEDERAL PILOTS AND DOCKING MASTERS OF LOUISIANA, LLC, FED‐ ERAL PILOTS, INC. AND ASSOCIATED FEDERAL COAST PILOTS OF LOUISIANA, INC. FOR EX‐ ONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

171061 Dec. 22, 29, 2025, Jan. 5, 12, 2026 4t $1,384.36

DIVISION “4” Magistrate Judge Karen Wells Roby

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

NOTICE OF ACTION BROUGHT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Legal Notices

ternal order and peace.”

Maduro is due to make his first appearance Monday in Manhattan’s federal court.

Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, and the Justice Department released a new indictment Saturday of Maduro and his wife that painted his administration as a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fueled by a drug-trafficking operation that flooded the U.S. with cocaine. The U.S. government does not recognize Maduro as the country’s leader.

The Trump administration spent months building up American forces in the region and carrying out attacks on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean for allegedly ferrying drugs.

Quiet falls in Venezuela Venezuela’s government kept operating as usual over the weekend as ministers remained in their posts.

The capital was unusually quiet Sunday with few vehicles moving around and convenience stores, gas stations and other businesses closed.

Maduro’s son, lawmaker Nicolás Ernesto Guerra, has not appeared in public since the attack. On Saturday, he posted on Instagram a government statement repudiating the capture of his father and stepmother.

The country’s incoming National Assembly is set to be sworn in at the legislative palace in Caracas.

The unicameral assembly will remain under control of the ruling party.

Under Venezuelan law, Rodríguez would take over from Maduro.

Rodriguez, however, stressed during a Saturday appearance on state television that she did not plan to assume power, before Venezuela’s high court ordered that she assume the interim role. Trump told The Atlantic in an interview Sunday that Rodríguez could “pay a very big price” if she doesn’t do what he thinks is right for Venezuela.

That contrasted with the Republican president’s comments about Rodríguez on Saturday when he said Rubio had spoken with her and she was willing to do what the U.S. thinks is needed to improve the standard of living in Venezuela.

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

Legal Notices

NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY NOTICE is given that Pe‐ titioners TRES MARINE CORPORATION as owner of the M/V MITCHELL C and GULF LOGISTICS OP‐ ERATING, INC., as Opera‐ tor, filed a Complaint pursuant to 46 U.S.C. §30501, et seq. claiming the right to exoneration from or limitation of lia‐ bility for all claims for loss, damage, death, in‐ jury or destruction al‐ leged caused, arising out of, or resulting from the events that occurred on or about September 29, 2024 wherein Steve Tomeny, Inc., Southern Pride Charters, L.L.C. and

M/V Louisiana allege damages and loss of business revenue result‐ ing from an allision be‐ tween the M/V Louisiana and the M/V Mitchell C in Camanada Pass.

All persons, firms, cor‐ porations or other legal entities asserting claims with respect to which the Complaint seeks limita‐ tion and/or exoneration are advised to file their respective claims under oath with the Clerk of Court at the United States District Court‐ house for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 500 Poydras Street, Room C151, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130, and to serve on the attorney for Complainant, Alan J. Meche, Allen & Gooch, 2000 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 400, Lafayette, Louisiana h f

y 70508, a copy thereof, on or before the 30th day of April, 2026, or be de‐ faulted. Personal atten‐ dance is not required.

Any claimant desiring to contest either the right of exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability shall file and serve an answer to the Complaint on or before the above date unless his claim has included an answer, all as required

by Rule 5 of the Supple‐ mental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims.

PLEASE PUBLISH IN THE TIMES PICAYUNE/ THE NEW ORLEANS ADVO‐ CATE ONCE A WEEK FOR FOUR SUCCESSIVE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE DATE FIXED FOR THE FILING OF CLAIMS.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA IN THE MATTER OF THE

CIVIL ACTION NO. 2:25-cv-2368 SECTION “A” Judge Jay C. Zainey

Notice is given that Limi‐ tation Petitioners, Asso‐ ciated Federal Pilots and Docking Masters of i i d l

g Louisiana, LLC., Federal Pilots, Inc. and Associ‐ ated Federal Coast Pilots of Louisiana, Inc., as cur‐ rent and/or former own‐ ers and operators of the M/V FEDERAL PILOT I and the M/V FEDERAL PILOT III, have filed a Complaint claiming the right to ex‐ oneration from or limita‐ tion of liability for all claims arising out of cer‐ tain alleged incidents of asbestos exposure in‐ volving the M/V FEDERAL PILOT I and the M/V FED‐ ERAL PILOT III from 1978 through 2000.

All persons having such claims must file them as provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule F, Supplemental with the Clerk of this Court, at the United States Courthouse, East‐ ern District of Louisiana, 500 Poydras St, New Or‐ leans, LA 70130 and serve

copies on or mail copies to Limitation Petitioners attorneys, Kent B. Ryan, Stephanie D. Skinner, and Miller Hahn, PLLC, 365 Canal Street, Suite 860, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130, on or before the 30th day of January, 2026, or be defaulted. Personal attendance is not re‐ quired.

Any claimant desiring to contest the right of Limi‐ tation Petitioners to ex‐ oneration from liability or the rights of Limita‐ tion Petitioners and cur‐ rent and former owners and operators of the M/V FEDERAL PILOT I and the M/V FEDERAL PILOT III to of liability limitation must file an answer to said Complaint, as re‐ quired by the aforesaid Supplemental Rule F, and must serve on or mail to Limitation Petitioners’ at‐ torneys a copy thereof, l hi h l i h

y py unless his/her claim has included an answer.

Date: Dec 02 2025 Carol L. Michel Name of clerk of court L. Guillot Deputy clerk's signature 170029-dec 5-4t $1,159.80

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STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Families of the Bourbon Street terror attack victims, survivors and first responders gather for a wreath-laying ceremony on Bourbon Street near Canal Street after the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy New year, New Hope Interfaith Prayer Service in New Orleans on Sunday.

MEMORIAL

Continued from page 1A Eric McCrary, but the most poignant moment of the day came when Patricia Giovingo, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy, read biographies of each of the 14 victims while their family members carried candles to the altar.

“Each is a symbol of the light they had been in the world,” Giovingo said from the pulpit as family members queued up at the back of the church for the ritual.

One victim, William DiMaio, had big plans for the future, which he kept track of in an Excel spreadsheet, Giovingo told the crowd. Another, Martin “Tiger” Bech, was a former wide receiver on the Princeton University football team.

Nicole Perez was a devoted single mother, and Reggie Hunter, also a father, had an outsized personality that made him “the one everyone looked for when they walked into the room,” Giovingo said.

The procession at Immaculate Conception, a popular site for weddings, took on extra meaning for Heather Genusa, the fiancée of victim Brandon Taylor. She walked up the aisle with a candle honoring his memory and walked out of the church alone.

“This was my wedding,” she said. “We were planning to move in together last Valentine’s Day.” The mood of the event grew more celebratory as the second-line began out-

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Kinfolk Brass Band performs after the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy New year, New Hope Interfaith Prayer Service at Immaculate Conception Church in New Orleans on Sunday.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Amy Levet, right, and Stephen Faucheaux, left, family of Hubert Gauthreaux, a victim of the 2025 New year’s terror attack on Bourbon Street, hold up photographs of Gauthreaux during the second-line after a memorial in New Orleans on Sunday. side. A brass band led the procession, as some family members wore T-shirts or carried oversized photos of their loved ones.

Moreno took pictures with family members at the foot of Bourbon, just a few feet away from new barricades put in place to prevent future vehicle attacks.

Moreno, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 12, echoed Francois’ remarks during a brief interview.

“These were really vibrant people that we lost during this terrible tragedy,” she

said. “It needs to be clear that their memory will live on in the city of New Orleans forever.”

The memorial capped four days of mourning in Louisiana that Gov. Jeff Landry called for to mark the first anniversary of the Bourbon Street attack.

Landry mandated that flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff from Friday through Sunday. He also encouraged churches and other organizations with bells ring them 14 times at 3:15 p.m.

Sunday. The order asked

Why do Neutral Grounds divide New Orleans streets?

Louisianans to incorporate green and yellow — signifying “harmony, renewal and happiness” — into their memorial displays. Many attendees of Sunday’s remembrance ceremony, including Moreno, complied, wearing colors that would normally look out of place on a Saints Sunday.

The ceremony followed other efforts to honor the victims of the attack, including the “Second Line in the Sky” display organized by French Quarter restaurant owner Katy Casbarian and several

partners. That colorful display, which was unveiled Dec. 1, features lights and handmade flags bearing the names and images of those killed in the attack. It will remain in place until Jan. 18.

The Bourbon Street attack brought a tragic start to 2025 and forced local, state and federal authorities to scramble to confirm that Jabbar was acting alone and to secure the tourist-heavy French Quarter before the Super Bowl and start of the tourist-heavy Carnival season.

The start of 2026, by contrast, was largely peaceful in tourist areas, as nearly 800 local, state and federal law enforcement personnel kept watch over the city, enforcing an enhanced security zone that required bag searches and traffic control measures.

Sunday’s ceremony was hosted by the Governor’s Office of Victims Advocacy, the

city of New Orleans and the Archdiocese of New Orleans in partnership with Alton Ashy, Cox Communications, Ochsner Hospital and the New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Foundation.

The governor has appointed a commission to plan a permanent memorial. That group may announce details later this year, a spokesperson said.

For Francois, efforts like that are part of what she expects to be a long healing process.

“I won’t pretend things have been easy,” she said during Sunday’s ceremony.

“There are days when the weight of the world feels unbearable, the memories come back suddenly, the noises, the fear, the silence after. Healing isn’t easy. It’s messy, it’s slow, it is deeply personal, but it is possible.”

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

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M o n d ay, J a n u a ry 5, 2026

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Former coastal agency leader honored Janice Lansing had pivotal, behind-the-scenes role

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

Janice Lansing heard the magic words while walking on a sand berm off Louisiana’s coast.

It was in 2010, not long after the massive BP oil spill, the reason the sand berm had been constructed.

She had recently been hired as chief financial officer of Louisi-

ELECTION 2026

Special election set for May 16

“We need auana’s nascent coastal agency and was on a visit to the site along with dits,” she recalled other state officials.

Milling bluntly R. King Milling, the longtime saying. chair of the Governor’s Advisory “I said, ‘Yes sir, Commission on Coastal Protection, we can do that,’ ” Restoration and Conservation, she said. “Little did made clear what he believed was Mr. Milling know, Lansing needed once he found out Lansing he was speaking had taken on the job overseeing my language.” the agency’s spending.

Fifteen years and many projects

later, Lansing is being honored for her behind-the-scenes work keeping a close eye on spending at the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. She was recently named the recipient of this year’s R. King Milling Distinguished Coastal Service Award, selected by the chair of the agency’s board from a list of nominees.

Lansing played a pivotal role in

the agency’s early years, when CPRA took shape in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, helping set out a mission that was “designed to be different.” She said that meant it would “move quickly, move nimbly, but always be transparent and demonstrate good fiduciary responsibility over those dollars.”

That was why she was glad to hear those words from Milling, the former Whitney National Bank executive who had become an early

ä See LEADER, page 2B

THE GIFT OF MUSIC

BESE, Supreme Court seats on primary ballot

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

New Orleans-area voters will cast ballots in May for a new state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education member to replace Paul Hollis, who stepped down last month to lead the U.S. Mint.

A special primary election will be held May 16 for the vacant board seat representing District 1, which covers parts of Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes, the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office said Tuesday. Primary elections for a vacant state Supreme Court seat and a U.S. Senate seat also will be held that day.

If no candidate gets a majority, a runoff will take place June 27 before the Nov. 3 general election.

In the meantime, Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to appoint an interim member to replace Hollis, said Ronnie Morris, the board’s outgoing president. A spokesperson for Landry declined to comment Tuesday on when the governor will announce his interim pick for BESE, whose 11 members set statewide education policy.

Hollis, a former Republican state lawmaker who was elected to BESE in 2023, resigned from the board on Dec. 19 after the U.S. Senate confirmed him as the 41st director of the U.S. Mint.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Hollis’ term, which ends in 2028.

Hollis said Tuesday that it was an honor to serve on BESE. “Setting policy and visiting so many classrooms over these years has been both productive and rewarding,” he said in a text message, adding that he was thrilled by Louisiana students’ recent gains on national reading and math tests. “With a solid educational foundation, our children can do anything, and I am so pleased to see the incredible progress.”

Voters in the May primary election will also choose a replacement for former state Supreme Court Justice Will Crain, who gave up his seat to become a federal judge. Also on the ballot is a high-profile U.S. Senate race, in which Sen. Bill Cassidy is running for reelection.

Under Louisiana’s new closed party primary system, Republican and Democratic Party candidates can sign up to run by paying a filing fee during the Feb. 1113 qualifying period. Third-party

ä See PRIMARY, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Brian Keating holds his 3-year-old son, Theo, on his shoulder to take a toy saxophone from a passing float in the Perfect Gentlemen Second Line Parade in New Orleans on Sunday.

Parish has millions in Firefighters on injury unpaid tickets, fines leave terminated St. Tammany asks state for help recovering money

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

There’s the $25 traffic ticket dating back to 1985. And a $1,500 fine for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute 30 years later.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office says that as of the end of its last fiscal year in June 2025, it was owed $47 million from thousands of uncollected traffic tickets and outstanding criminal court fines and fees dating back to 1985.

After spending more than six years trying to collect the money themselves, the Sheriff’s Office says it will now turn over some of those uncollected tickets and fines to Louisiana Office of Debt Recovery, which has the authority to suspend driver’s, hunting and fishing licenses and even go after state tax refunds in an effort to collect.

Collecting the debt has “unfor-

tunately been an ongoing challenge for decades,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Suzanne Carboni in a statement, adding that “resolution of the issue is exceptionally complicated for many reasons.”

Among the challenges: unreliable data because of software changes over the years; a lack of communication between criminal justice agencies about the outcome of criminal cases; and, the likelihood that some of those who owe money have died.

Partly for those reasons, Carboni said, the $47 million in uncollected traffic tickets and criminal court fines that her office has on the books is “very much overestimated.” A significantly higher debt number listed on recent audits was also wrong for some of those reasons, Carboni said.

In other words, although the Sheriff’s Office says it had 29,514 unpaid court fines and 40,851 unpaid traffic fines on the books at the end of calendar year 2024, the true number of collectible, unpaid tickets and court fines is unknown.

ä See UNPAID, page 2B

Union says action abuses civil service rules

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

On Friday, the New Orleans Fire Department terminated four veteran firefighters who had been on medical leave for line-of-duty injuries, a move the union president says abuses civil service rules.

“By this letter you are hereby given notice that you are being submitted to the Department of Civil Service for an involuntary retirement … from the New Orleans Fire Department effective Jan. 2,” stated a notice obtained

by The Times-Picayune, that the four firefighters received last month.

A fifth Fire Department employee, a captain with 34 years of experience, also received that notice but chose to retire voluntarily rather than be terminated, according to Aaron Mischler, president of the International Association of Fire

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The New Orleans Fire Department terminated four veteran firefighters on medical leave.

Fighters Local 632 labor union.

Department Superintendent Roman Nelson said the firefighters were terminated because their doctors couldn’t provide a timeline for when they might be cleared to return to work.

“The department will work with each person individually if and when they are medically cleared and ready to return to an active role in the department,” Nelson said in a news

ä See FIREFIGHTERS, page 2B

2B ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Plea entered in shooting of 15-year-old Incident led to retaliatory murder, authorities say

BY MICHELLE HUNTER

Staff writer

A Harvey man has admitted his role in the shooting of a 15-year-old boy, an act that Jefferson Parish authorities say led to a retaliatory killing just 30 minutes later.

Shawn Dubois, 19, pleaded guilty Dec. 18 to attempted second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, Jefferson Parish court records show.

Judge E. Adrian Adams of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Dubois to 10 years in prison for attempted murder and five years for obstruction.

Dubois had been charged with critically wounding an unnamed teenager on the morning of April 23.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives say witnesses identified Dubois as the gunman seen firing from the passenger seat of a vehicle as it drove down the 900 block

of Justice Court in Marrero about 9:30 a.m.

The 15-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and was taken to a hospital.

Investigators also linked Dubois’ stepbrother, Christian Burgau, 20, to the teen’s shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The two were walking in the 1100 block of St. Michael Drive in Harvey about 10 a.m. when they were spotted by Desmin Chaisson and Justin Smith, both 20, of Marrero, according to authorities.

Chaisson and Smith opened fire on the brothers, the Sheriff’s Office alleges. Residents of the neighborhood described hearing 15 to 20 gunshots. Some described it as sounding like a war zone.

Dubois managed to get away, but Burgau was shot multiple times. He collapsed in the front yard of a residence and was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a motion to reduce Dubois’ bail after his arrest, his attorney told the court the 15-year-old’s shooting was “the result of an altercation between Mr. Dubois’ brother and others they knew growing up,” according to court records. The mo-

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHELLE HUNTER

yellow police tape remains wrapped around a mailbox in the 700 block of Justice Court in Marrero hours after a 15-year-old boy was shot and wounded nearby on April 23. tion states that Chaisson and Smith “ultimately hunted down and murdered Mr. Dubois’ brother.”

Burgau would have faced an attempted murder charge in the 15-year-old’s shooting had he survived, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Chaisson and Smith were indicted with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in Burgau’s death. Both pleaded not guilty.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Janice Lansing, second from right, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’s chief financial officer from 2010-25, is awarded the R. King Milling Distinguished Coastal Service Award alongside CPRA’s Coastal Resources Administrator Greg Grandy, from left, Chair Gordon Dove and Executive Director Michael Hare.

LEADER

Continued from page 1B champion of coastal restoration. She agreed that ensuring the new agency’s accountability and effectiveness in addressing the state’s land-loss crisis was paramount.

And the brand-new agency had “to demonstrate to folks that we were going to manage our money well,” she said of Milling’s words that day.

‘Getting the plane built’ Lansing’s role at the CPRA was not one that put her in the spotlight. She was not designing marsh restoration projects or involved in constructing them. But her role was equally, if not more, important.

UNPAID

Continued from page 1B Still, the Sheriff’s Office, now with the help of the state, wants to clear the debt.

Residents of St. Tammany with outstanding tickets, criminal court fines or fees could soon receive a letter from the sheriff or recovery office. The Sheriff’s Office has to ensure the debt is still owed and make a final attempt to collect it before passing it off the state, it said.

The Sheriff’s Office contracted with the Debt Recovery Office over the summer, after it says it worked out a data-sharing agreement with the St. Tammany Clerk of Court’s Office. The Debt Recovery Office also charges a fee to the debtor, according to Jarrod Coni-

The same BP spill that put her on that sand berm was also responsible for sending billions of dollars in fines and settlement money to Louisiana for coastal projects. Keeping tabs on that spending — along with the full slate of other accounting, budgeting and contracting — fell under her purview.

Greg Grandy, the CPRA’s coastal resources administrator, remembered the early days of establishing the agency, “when we were building the plane while flying it.” He left his work with the state in 2009, but returned in 2019.

“From a business and leadership standpoint, Janice was responsible for getting the plane built that we fly today,” he said.

CPRA Chairman Gordon Dove said, “She’s the kind

of leader who quietly makes things work better for everyone.”

While the CPRA may not be a household name for many Louisianans, it’s difficult to argue against its importance. The state loses around a football field of land every 100 minutes on average, wiping out wetlands the size of Delaware over the last century.

Its annual spending plan has amounted to more than a billion dollars in recent years and includes everything from levee construction to marsh building and ecosystem restoration. It also has a 50-year master plan aimed at salvaging as much of Louisiana’s coast as possible.

Beyond BP funds, the state also receives federal money for coastal projects. State coastal leaders

have stressed the importance of showing that the money is being spent wisely to ensure it continues to flow.

glio, deputy secretary at the Louisiana Department of Revenue, which houses the Debt Recovery Office.

Office. In 2024, traffic and court fines and fees generated about $3.4 million, the data shows.

But St. Tammany Parish Council member Cheryl Tanner, who chairs the council’s Finance Committee, said the collections are “not nearly the windfall that we need.”

“It definitely won’t solve our problems, and I think people need to realize that,” Tanner said. She said she doesn’t expect the Sheriff’s Office to collect anywhere near $47 million.

Tanner also noted that any additional collections of long-overdue debt will not be a recurring source of revenue.

“It’s a one-time money,” Tanner said. “It may help next year a little bit, if that.”

By contrast, the parish is looking at an estimated $22 million deficit for its gen-

eral fund next year, Tanner said.

The fines and fees do not go directly into the parish’s general fund. The fines largely go to the parish’s criminal court fund to pay for the costs of criminal prosecution, while the fees are dispersed to nearly thirty different agencies and funds like the public defenders’ office, said St. Tammany Parish Finance Director Annie Perkins.

In general, traffic tickets and court fines and fees are “unreliable and inconsistent” revenue sources for criminal justice systems, said Priya Jones, the co-executive director of the national Fines and Fees Justice Center.

Fines and fees burden the people caught up in the criminal justice system, who tend to already be economically distressed, Jones said.

Criminal justice funding?

The sheriff’s current efforts come as some parish criminal justice agencies — the District Attorney’s Office, northshore judges and the jail — face major funding cuts in 2026 because of insufficient money in the parish’s general fund.

That might lead some people to think that collecting this debt could help solve the parish’s criminal justice funding problems.

Indeed, traffic tickets and court fines and fees already generate several million dollars annually, which is disbursed among various criminal justice agencies and specialized funds, according to data provided by the Sheriff’s

‘Very humbled by that’ That is a vision shared by Lansing, a Denham Springs native and mother of two who retired in September but continues to work parttime as an executive adviser at CPRA. With a master’s degree in public administration from LSU, she began her career as a fiscal analyst for the Legislative Fiscal Office. She later was undersecretary at the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and at the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

While still in school, employed as a student worker at Wildlife and Fisheries, she would go to the Capitol

every day to pick up copies of bills — at a time when they were not yet available on the internet. She was interested in how government worked and began to realize that would be her career.

“I remember standing at the gold elevators in the State Capitol one day, and I said, ‘This is where I will work,’ ” she said. “And I did. I love the public policy aspect of it. I love solving problems. I love getting things done.”

She said she was “shocked” when she found out she was receiving the award, and stressed she was part of a larger team that put the agency on track and kept it there.

“I’m still feeling very humbled by that,” Lansing, 57, said of the award. “Because it was totally a team effort to build this agency.”

That is not only unfair, she argues, but also means collections are often unsuccessful.

Jones’s organization advocates in favor of eliminating court fees — the extra cost tacked onto a traffic or criminal fine for doing business at the court — and eliminating the use of driver’s license restrictions as a debt collection method. “If this was reliable and people had money to pay,” there probably would not be so much outstanding debt, Jones said of St. Tammany.

The Sheriff’s Office says its efforts to collect traffic and court fines date back to 2018. It learned about the State Debt Recovery Office in May 2025, it says.

In the interim, it tried an amnesty program in 2023, in which people owing traffic tickets from 2005 to October 2023 could have

PRIMARY

Continued from page 1B candidates must submit petitions by Jan. 30 signed by qualified voters in their districts to make it onto the ballot.

Typically, candidates for BESE or the state Supreme Court would need to garner at least 1,000 signatures.

However, because the seats opened just a few weeks before the petition-filing deadline, Landry issued executive orders reducing the number of required signatures for those races to 150.

It remains to be seen whether Landry will appoint an interim BESE member before the board meets on Jan. 13-14, and BESE member Simone Champagne is sworn in as the board’s new president.

FIREFIGHTERS Continued from page 1B

release. He cited Civil Service Rule 9.1.1, which allows employees deemed unfit for duty to be relieved of their jobs, as the basis for the terminations.

But Mischler said that interpretation misapplies the rule by failing to account for the nature of first-responder work. He argues the firefighters were not unfit — they were injured, a reality of the job.

Doctors anticipated that all four firefighters would eventually be able to return to work but could not specify when, Mischler said.

“There’s no way to rush rehab for an injury. … Some were on leave due to acute physical injuries, and at least one was mental distress,” Mischler said. “He made a pretty damaging call and needed to seek help.”

The four terminated firefighters — two operators and two chiefs — had been on leave for periods ranging from five or six months to a little over a year. Together, they have more than 90 years of experience fighting fires.

“None of these guys were accused of abuse of the system,” Mischler said. “They have earned benefits in the bank that should protect their jobs.”

After being forced into retirement, the firefighters will lose their health insurance. They will be eligible to receive around 60% of their salaries through workers’ compensation for up to 10 years.

Mischler said the decisions were made by the department’s administration and are unrelated to the Cantrell and Moreno administrations and city budget issues. The department is staffed at around 642 employees, Mischler said, and is considered fully staffed at 700.

Since 2023, at least five New Orleans firefighters have died from job-connected diseases, Mischler said.

“It’s always an impact when you’re losing veteran firefighters,” he said.

All four firefighters subjected to “involuntary retirement” will appeal the decisions.

their late fees waived and bench warrants recalled.

But that brought in just around $128,000, Carboni said informal tracking showed.

Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

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New Orleans Area Deaths Cossich Jr., Philip DeBose, Dianne Grandpre, Rosemary Moradel Jr., Raul Plaisance, Rita Pyke, Lynn Vincent Sr., Elmo

E Jefferson Garden of Memories

Moradel Jr., Raul

New Orleans Greenwood Pyke, Lynn Lake Lawn Metairie

Cossich Jr., Philip

West Bank Davis Mortuary DeBose, Dianne Mothe Plaisance, Rita

Obituaries Cossich Jr., Philip Francis

Philip Francis Cossich, Jr., a resident of Plaquemines Parish, was born September 23, 1958 and passed away in his home on December 29, 2025, at the age of 67.

Phil was larger than life, and he inspired everyone he met. Always an athlete at heart, Phil approached everything in life as if he were walking onto a playing field. He was only satisfied with his performance if he felt he had left it all on the field—giving up was never an option. He fought and loved in the same way: fiercely, completely, and with everything he had.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Phil grew up on the water and spent most of his life immersed in the outdoors he loved so deeply. The bays, marshes, and coast of his home were not just where he lived—they were part of who he was. His lifelong connection to the water shaped his values, his passions, and ultimately his life's work.

Phil graduated from Tulane University, earning both his undergraduate and law degrees, and went on to become an extraordinarily successful national trial attorney. An incredible storyteller, competitor, and advocate, he devoted his professional life to championing the rights of the powerless and the wronged.

He believed deeply in the cases he brought and in the importance of his work, viewing the law as a way to protect and restore the people, communities, and environments he loved so much.

He represented clients during the most vulnerable and difficult moments of their lives, and each client became a friend for life. In a contentious profession, Phil was respected by both sides of the aisle and by the judiciary alike.

Phil was one of the attorneys responsible for two of the largest national environmental settlements in history: the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the PFAS drinking water settlements. Over the course of his career, he successfully represented thousands of individuals, counties, parishes, states, and businesses. In the final year of his life, he helped try a case on behalf of Plaquemines Parish that resulted in the largest jury verdict in the state. He was especially proud that all proceeds from that case will go directly toward coastal restoration in his beloved home parish. In his final months, Phil reflected often on how many people he had helped, taking great pride and comfort in knowing that through his hard work, he was leaving the world a better place.

Even more than his professional accomplishments, Phil was most

proud of his family. He married his high school sweetheart, Deena, and they shared 50 years together, including 46 years of marriage. They were inseparable and loved traveling the world side by side. Phil's favorite days were spent on his boat with Deena, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. One of his final wishes was to renew their wedding vows, which they did surrounded by their family—a beautiful moment that reflected a love story truly meant for the ages.

Phil cherished time with his children, coaching them, teaching them to fish, and instilling in them a deep love for the water and the outdoors. He never stopped being their father—always offering advice, encouragement, and challenges to be better, even into their adult years.

He was immensely proud of their accomplishments and especially proud of the families they built.

But nothing brought Phil more joy than his grandchildren. To them, he was lovingly known as "the Dude," a name that perfectly captured his largerthan-life spirit and easy warmth. He adored every moment spent with them—on the water, telling stories, teaching life lessons, or simply being present. He followed their lives closely, celebrated their milestones enthusiastically, and bragged about their achievements to anyone who would listen.

Phil believed deeply in showing up, and he showed up for his grandchildren with the same passion and commitment that defined every part of his life. He wanted them to know where they came from, to love the outdoors as he did, and to understand the importance of standing up for what is right. His stories, laughter, guidance, and fierce love will always stay with them.

Phil lived fully, loved deeply, and gave tirelessly of himself to his family, his clients, and his community. His legacy is one of strength, compassion, and unwavering commitment to protecting what he loved and doing what was right. He will be profoundly missed and forever remembered.

He was a devoted and proud father to Christina Cossich (Michael), Philip Cossich III (Sarah), Melissa Myers (Will), and Tiffany Sands (Sam), and a deeply loved grandfather—affectionately known as " the Dude"—to Michael "Mickey" deYoung, Jr., Alexander "Alex" deYoung, Mary "Dory" Cossich, William Myers, Jr., Philip "Ford" Cossich IV, Katherine "Kate" Myers, and Eleanor "Ella" Sands.

He is also survived by his beloved mother, Miriam Mae Cossich; his sister, Joy Lobrano; and his brother, Dimy Cossich. He was preceded in death by his father, Philip Francis Cossich, Sr. The family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Jonathan Mizrahi for his exceptional care and support.

Family and friends will gather for visitation at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 11 am. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 2 pm. The interment will be private. Condolences may be expressed at lakelawnmetairie.com

mother of Dyaneshia Tiara and Christian Maurice. Lov‐ grandmother of ing Kameron Jawone, Katelyn Amyrie, and Kristopher Maurice DeBose. Daughter of the late Wilfred and Oceal Jacobs. Granddaugh‐ ter of the late Louis Minor and Suzie Harris. Sister of Karen (Robert) Saul, and Balinda (Randolph) Vance.

Aunt of Brandon Vance, and Maegan Saul. Niece of the late Ruby Jones, also survived by a host of other relatives and friends. Rela‐ tives and friends of the family, also pastors, offi‐ cers, and members of Household of Faith, and all neighboring churches are invited to attend the Cele‐ bration of Life at House‐ hold of Faith 2074 Paxton St. Harvey, LA on Tuesday, 6, 2026, at January 10:00a.m. Visitation will begin at 9:00a.m. until ser‐ vice time at the above named church. Interment: Woodlawn Park Memorial LA. Cemetery-Westwego, Arrangements by Davis Mortuary Service 230 Mon‐ roe St. Gretna, LA. To view and sign the guestbook, please go to www.davismo Face rtuaryservice.com.

Masks Are Recommended.

Grandpre, Rosemary Norma

Rosemary Norma Grandpre entered eternal life on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at the age of 91.

Born on July 15, 1934, to the union of the late Ulyess and Victoria Coste, she was raised in a loving and faith-filled home. She graduated from Corpus Christi Elementary School and Joseph S. Clark High School, and shortly after met her lifetime love, Gerald Grandpre, Sr., whom she later married in 1963. Rosemary, affectionately known as "Norma" touched the lives of everyone that she encountered.

She was known for her kind heart, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of prayer. Norma was a great cook who didn't hesitate to feed family and friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents Victoria and Ulysses Coste, her sisters Theresa, Mary Ann, Lorraine, Bernadine, and Marcella her brothers, Ulysses, Alvarez and Herman Coste.

Norma leaves to cherish her memory to her beloved husband, Gerald Grandpre, Sr., and her beloved sons, Gerald Jr. and Mark Grandpre. The family extends heartfelt thanks to all who have supported and loved Norma throughout her life. Her legacy of love, kindness, and faith will continue to inspire all who had the privilege to know her.

Relatives, friends, also priests and parishioners of Corpus Christi Catholic Church, are invited to attend the funeral services on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at Professional Funeral Services, 1449 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116.

Visitation at 12:00, Service at 1:00PM.

Moradel Jr., Raul Antonio

DeBose, Dianne Christina Jacobs

Dianne Christina Jacobs passed away DeBose peacefully surrounded by her family at her residence on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at the age of 62. She was a native of New Or‐ leans, LA and a resident of Harvey, LA. Dianne was a graduate of L. W. Higgins High School, and she at‐ tended Phillips Junior Col‐ lege. She was employed as an Independent Insurance Adjuster. “Lola,” as she was affectionately known by family and friends, poured endless love, wis‐ dom, and warmth into her family, leaving a legacy that will live on through generations.

Beloved

Raul Antonio Moradel Jr., a cherished father, son, brother, and friend, passed away peacefully on De‐ cember 26, 2025, in Kenner, LA. Born on June 30, 1984, in New Orleans, LA, Raul's infectious smile and gener‐ ous spirit were a blessing to all who knew him. He was a man of integrity and honor, whose legacy will be remembered by many.

Raul was the beloved son of Raul Moradel, Sr. and Lourdes Mencia Moradel.

He was a guiding light in the life of his adored daughter, Ava Moradel, who was the apple of his eye. His brothers, Jose Moradel (Stacy) and Jef‐ frey Moradel, will fondly remember Raul's unwaver‐ ing support and brotherly love. He was a cherished grandson to the late Elvia Reed, the late Ada Marina Moradel, the late Jose Ramirez Soto, and the late

Rene Mencia. His aunts and uncles, Gabriella Lai‐ tano (Leonard Cline), David Laitano, Arturo Mencia (Lourdes), Ricardo Mencia (Sara), and Daisy Rosales (William), will miss his warm presence at family gatherings. Raul's nieces and nephew, Kadence, Mila, and Kai Moradel, will hold dear the memories of their fun-loving uncle. His numerous cousins, includ‐ ing Isabella Laitano, David Shockley, Michael Vance, Alexis Vance, Leonard Cline, Ricardo Mencia Jr., Melania Mencia, Andrea Mencia, Rene Mencia, Van‐ nesa Mencia, Arturo Men‐ cia Jr., and Alejandra Men‐ cia, will remember Raul for his kindness and the joy he brought to their lives. A proud graduate of Arch‐ bishop Rummel High School and the University of New Orleans, Raul ex‐ celled in his studies and formed lifelong friend‐ ships. His professional life was marked by his entre‐ preneurial spirit; he was a successful realtor with United Real Estate, the owner of NOLA Home Prop‐ erties, and the CEO and Owner of RAM Renova‐ tions. Raul's dedication to his work was only sur‐ passed by his commitment to his clients and employ‐ ees, whom he treated like family. Raul's service as a proud Marine in the U.S. Marine Corps was a testa‐ ment to his love for his country. His bravery and discipline were evident in all aspects of his life, and his military values deeply influenced his personal and professional endeav‐ ors. Raul's zest for life was contagious.

He ap‐ proached every day with enthusiasm and a can-do attitude that inspired those around him. His ab‐ sence will be deeply felt, but the memories he cre‐ ated will continue to bring comfort and smiles to those who were fortunate enough to cross his path.

As we bid farewell to Raul Antonio Moradel Jr., we celebrate a life lived to the fullest. His spirit, love, and laughter will forever echo in the hearts of his family, friends, and all who were touched by his remarkable presence. Raul's journey on earth may have con‐ cluded, but his story will be told for generations to come. Funeral Services will be held at Garden of Mem‐ ories Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4900 Airline Drive, Metairie, LA 70001 on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

Visitation will begin at 11:00 am with services starting at 2:00 pm fol‐ lowed by burial. To order flowers or offer condo‐ lences, please visit www. gardenofmemoriesmetairi e.com.

Plaisance, Rita Mable Williams

Rita Mable Williams Plaisance, age 88, was called home to her eternal resting place on January 1, 2026. She passed away in her home surrounded by the love of her family and caregivers. Rita was born on December 14, 1937 in Golden Meadow, LA. She grew up in Laffitte, LA and resided in Marrero for the last 64 years. She was mar‐ ried to the late Corbert J. Plaisance, Sr. from West‐ wego, LA for over 64 years.

Rita was preceded in death by her father, Omer Smily Williams, her mother Marie Naquin Williams, sister Gloria Williams Badeaux, and brothers Joseph Dar‐ dar and Jimmy Williams, Sr. She is survived by her daughter Stacey Plaisance Waguespack (Warren), son Corbert J. Plaisance, Jr, her brother Roy Williams, and grandsons Warren Oliver Jr., and Waguespack, Nicholas Joseph Wagues‐ pack. She is also survived numerous nieces, by nephews, and loyal friends.

She was the Godmother and cousin to many and treasured frequent family gatherings both large and small. Rita was a lifelong devoted Catholic. She was a parishioner and sup‐ porter of St. John Bosco Church in Harvey, LA, St. Borromeo in Charles Picayune, MS, Visitation of Our Lady in Marrero, LA, and Immaculate Concep‐ tion in Marrero, LA. Rita was known for her enjoy‐ ment of life and selfless generosity with others. She enjoyed the activities of Louisiana life including trawling, fishing, and crab‐ bing. She was an avid ten‐ nis player. She enjoyed many local pleasures in life

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 3B

including sewing, dancing to the beats of swamp pop music, and all the flavors of local cuisine, whether home cooked or in local She was restaurants. known to cruise with fam‐ ily and friends. She en‐ joyed trips to the casinos.

She enjoyed shopping. She enjoyed early morning cof‐ fee or late evening dinner and dances with her life‐ long friends, and was never afraid to share her thoughts. She is however, most remembered as a lov‐ ing wife, mother and and the grandmother; biggest supporter of her family and friends. The family wishes to express its deepest and sincere thanks to Passages Hos‐ pice, especially Anthony, Starr and Lynette; Life Good Homecare Services, Chiquite, especially Melanie, Sandra and Ms. Q; and family friend Marlo for their help and care over the last 2.5 years. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Mothe Funeral Home, 2100 Westbank Expressway in Harvey, LA on January 8, 2026 at 12:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Mothe Funeral Home at 1:30 PM. Intern‐ ment will follow at West‐ lawn Memorial Park Ceme‐ tery in Gretna, LA. May her beautiful soul rest in eter‐ nal peace. In lieu of flow‐ ers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Friends and family may offer condo‐ at mothefu‐ lences neral.com.

Pyke, Lynn Eugene

On December 28, 2025, Lynn Eugene Pyke passed away peacefully at home, two days after his 75th birthday. Born December 26, 1950 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to Harold and Myrle Pyke, he was the fourth of five children; with siblings Carolyn (Robert) Mann, Lyle (Jeanne) Pyke, Neal (Carol) Pyke, and Larry Pyke. He proudly from Penn graduated State– sorry, THE Pennsyl‐ vania State University– be‐ fore venturing to Botswana to serve two years in the Corps teaching Peace math. His sense of adven‐ ture (and somewhat inex‐ plicable love of math) led him to New Orleans in 1974 where he began the actu‐ arial career to which he would dedicate himself for the next 45 years, boasting titles such as Enrolled Ac‐ tuary, Fellow of the Confer‐ ence of Consulting Actuar‐ ies, and President of AEBP (twice!). In 2002 he would indulge his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Gulf Ben‐ Consultants, with efit heartfelt thanks to Pam Reinhardt for her unwaver‐ ing commitment to the en‐ deavor. More importantly, it was also in New Orleans that he met and married Dr. Teresa Santa Coloma, by whom he is survived along with their children Alexandra (Matthew) Lip‐ pert and Austin Pyke; and their grandchildren Maxim, Maggie, Nolan, and Carson Lippert. In addition to being a successful busi‐ nessman, Lynn was also (affectionately, we believe) known on his block as the “Mayor of Octavia” for his steadfast support of his community, from clearing catch basins to tutoring math to installing smoke detectors with the Red Cross. He treated his end‐ less stream of home im‐ provement efforts as art projects, and he lovingly

kept a native plant garden in his yard. He was an avid traveler, Saints fan, and dessert enthusiast. His wit was razor-sharp, and he liked to make his opinions known: you may have en‐ countered one of his vari‐ ous Times-Picayune opeds, penned under his own name as well as cheeky pseudonyms. As Lynn bat‐ tled lymphoma since 2021, the family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Benson Cancer Center (to which Lynn him‐ self also donated gener‐ ously). Alternatively or ad‐ ditionally, mourners can donate blood in honor of Lynn’s long-held habit of donating blood whenever possible. There will be a fu‐ neral service held at the Tulane Catholic Center on January 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. Condolences and trib‐ utes can be shared at greenwoodfh.com.

Vincent Sr., Elmo James

Elmo J. Vincent, Sr., a Contractor entered into eternal rest on Monday, December 22, 2025, at the age of 68. He is the son of the late Emile Johnson and Rosemary VincentWashington. He leaves to cherish his memory, his sons: Elmo Vincent, Jr., Terrance Vincent, Sr., (Lesley) and Marvin Vincent, (Cameron): his beloved and cherished partner: Sylvia Denson; his grandchildren; Terrance Vincent, Jr., Miya Vincent, Ryan Vincent, Jaiyana and Macai Vincent: his siblings; Troy Vincent, Sr., Michael Bryant, Frederick Bryant, Janice Bryant, Evelyn Harrell, and Karen Barnes and a host of nieces, nephews, godchildren, cousins, friends and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents: Emile Johnson and Rosemary VincentWashington: his grandmother; Rita Vincent: two brothers: Lance Ford and Mark Vincent: his aunt; Doretha Bailey: his uncle; Paul Vincent and Julius Vincent; his cousins Zelda Bailey-Townsend, John Bailey, Jr., and Kevin Bailey. Employees of EJV Construction, Audi New Orleans, JLJ Construction and Elevated places LLC. are invited to attend the Homegoing Celebration on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 9:00am at Professional Funeral Services, 1449 N. Claiborne Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116, of which has been entrusted with said services.

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

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

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

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YOUR VIEWS N O L A.C O M/opinions

Nungesser shows patriotism by speaking out on immigration raids

Democrats fight for working families while Republicans just cut programs Prices aren’t coming down.

Prices ratchet up and stay there.

A few groceries might dip, but the total at the register never budges. Insurance never goes backward. Utilities only rise. The real crisis isn’t inflation — it’s that Louisiana families don’t have the resources to survive an economy designed to squeeze them. And the Republican leaders who run our state and country are ideologically incapable of helping.

They’re promising something that cannot be delivered.

Inflation doesn’t mean prices are going down — it just tells us how fast they’re still going up.

The biggest costs families face — housing, health care, insurance, utilities — hardly ever fall. So if prices won’t drop, the only way life gets easier is if our resources go up: higher wages, public investment and accountability for corporations with too much power. Republican ideology blocks all of this.

Their “free market” approach has cost working people dearly: suppressed wages, disappearing competition, subsidies for corporations and political power for the wealthy. And those interests overwhelmingly fund Republicans to keep it that way.

Democrats offer real solutions that raise people’s resources: a higher minimum wage, labor protections, stronger FEMA, Medicare for All and fairer taxes on the super-wealthy to rebuild the public goods that once made life affordable — Social Security, Medicare, the GI Bill, rural electrification, interstate highways and public universities.

Republicans try to cut the programs Louisiana relies on most: Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, FEMA, hospitals. These federal transfers keep families and towns afloat.

Cutting them sucks billions from Louisiana and redirects it upward as tax breaks for the rich. These cuts make everything more expensive.

For decades, Republicans have made promises that never come true while families fall behind.

Democrats are offering something different: higher wages, safer communities, stronger schools and leaders willing to fight for working families.

DUSTIN GRANGER Lake Charles

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are

published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and TO SEND US A LETTER, phone number SCAN HERE 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.

Sunlight shines on the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

End the charade over health care, national debt

The Affordable Care Act, the first successful attempt to assure all Americans access to adequate health care, was signed into law on March 23, 2010, after 427 days of debate, 11 hearings and 11 different proposed bills.

It was a lengthy struggle, opposed every step of the way by Republican ideologues.

Then, in 2025, funding for the subsidies the ACA provided was cut by the Republicans’ in the name of cutting government spending and thus, the debt.

Then those same Republicans made a slapdash effort to pass a bill, in a matter of weeks, to save themselves from the consequences of what they’ve done. What type of solution could have been expected from such an effort?

Of course, if the roles were reversed, the Democrats would be doing the same thing.

Recently, both parties approved a defense

budget of a record $901 billion.

Yet, according to the Government Accounting Office, the Department of Defense is the “only one of 24 federal agencies” that has failed to pass a financial audit since the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 and, according to the GAO, is expected to fail audits through 2028, allowing it continue to face “significant fraud exposure.”

This, despite the efforts of the “Department of Government Efficiency” and Republicans’ persistent, shrill cries to reduce government debt.

I don’t recall a desire being voiced by the Democratic Party to reduce federal debt, so, going into the midterms, I suppose they can claim they are not hypocrites.

At least, not where the budget is concerned.

WAYNE PARKER Baton Rouge

Stop giving illegal immigrants a pass Letter writer Betsy Kyle Burke’s letter on Dec. 10 about the alleged mistreatment of immigrants is unfortunately replete with inaccurate information.

All illegal immigrants have the benefit of U.S. law to come to the U.S. legally, but make the deliberate choice to come illegally.

The Immigration and Nationality Act allows 675,000 immigrants each year, in addition to an unlimited number of asylum applicants.

According to President Joe Biden’s Border Patrol, all illegal immigrants crossing the southern border pay thousands of dollars to human traffickers to cross into the U.S., a felony, rendering them ineligible for citizenship. Asserting that they commit fewer crimes than Americans is ludicrous. Paying human smugglers to cross the border, stealing Social Security numbers, failing to file state and federal tax returns, using false identification and lying on their I-9 forms, claiming to be citizens to obtain a job, are all felonies. It is illegal for an illegal immigrant

to work in the U.S. and a misdemeanor to evade a border inspection point. They have a nonviolent crime rate of 100%.

Illegal immigrants do work in hotels, assist in building houses and some pick crops, but they do not do any jobs for Americans. They do it for money, for themselves. However, it is simply illegal for illegal immigrants to work in the U.S. To do so is an immediately deportable offense.

If U.S. citizens paid a criminal organization to commit a crime, stole a Social Security number, used false government identity documents or failed to file tax returns, they would be prosecuted. If an illegal immigrant commits any of these crimes, they do not, for the most part, face prosecution but are simply deported — two systems of justice. What is unfair is that Americans are prosecuted for these crimes and illegal immigrants are not.

JOSEPH IAFET Fairhope, Alabama

End false narrative that immigrants are dangerous I am compelled both morally and ethically to respond to the recent letter to the editor praising Gov. Jeff Landry’s immigration enforcement. Unfortunately, the letter focuses on what is described as a “disastrous Biden administration” but neglects or refuses to recognize that many, if not most, of the immigrants who are presently being arrested under Landry’s orders have been in this country for decades under the policies of both Democratic and Republican presidents.

Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of these people have been hard-working and law-abiding, contrary to the one or two examples cited in the recent letter. In addition, contrary to the claims in that letter, the overwhelming number of immigrants who

came to our state and city are responsible for helping to rebuild New Orleans after our devastating hurricanes. They have not been harmful as the letter writer implies, but rather they have been very helpful.

Instead of trying to project an image of a “tough guy,” if Landry really was interested in law and order he would be working with the president to find a pathway to citizenship for those immigrants who have been in this country for over 10 years, working hard, with no criminal record, instead of the current campaign of indiscriminate harassment, arrest and deportation based on the color of their skin.

MIKE GERTIER New Orleans

On behalf of all of our good citizens and our true patriots who believe in the creed outlined in our amazing Pledge of Allegiance, our national anthem and our Declaration of Independence, I want to thank Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser for his vocal opposition to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations which have plagued our beautiful New Orleans during the past several weeks.

Nungesser Many good persons who are here legally (either via valid work permits, visas, etc.) have been wrongfully detained by ICE agents in New Orleans — in gross violation of their constitutional rights. Also, several U.S. citizens have been wrongfully detained or harassed by those agents. These are all people who have played by the rules and followed the law of the land, only to be violated by those who, under the color of a “uniform,” see fit to violate our Constitution and our laws as one nation under God. In speaking out against these horrific injustices, Nungesser has proven to be a great patriot and public servant of our people. Thank you, Billy.

JASON SAVOY Mamou

What if other countries start following U.S. lead on sinking boats?

Mexico is among the top five countries in gun violence, even though Mexico has only two gun manufacturers and one gun store.

Strict regulations make it next to impossible for Mexicans to purchase and possess guns if they are not police or military.

In the aftermath of horrible gun violence and police raids, Mexican authorities display the thousands of guns recovered which are made in the United States and smuggled into Mexico.

To discourage the smuggling of guns into Mexico that cause the death and misery that drugs cause in the United States, Mexico should adopt the precedent, pretext, logic and “right” set by the United States in the Caribbean to discourage drug smuggling.

The Mexican military should indiscriminately blow up small fishing boats leaving the U.S. coast entering the Gulf of Mexico on suspicion that the boats and passengers are smuggling guns. Small fishing boats leaving the U.S. coast, allegedly smuggling guns, can easily reach Mexico compared to the impossibility of small fishing boats allegedly smuggling drugs from the Caribbean reaching the U.S. After all, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Right?

Happy tuna fishing, Louisianans!

CHARLES MOSLEY Morgan City

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COMMENTARY Science-based coastal restoration is out, managing surrender is in

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 18 outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington.

A tale of two congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene’s early publican leadership, where she ranked exit from Congress reveals that her No. 3. tough-broad persona was very much Before Trump erupted into his 2020 an act. After she angered Donelection lies, Cheney had supald Trump by demanding the ported about 93% of Trump’s release of the Epstein files, she positions. She was a loyal Rebecame the target of the slings, publican but an even more loyal arrows and threats unleashed American. by the president and his enforcThe amoral Kevin McCarthy, then-Republican House minorers.

Froma Her response? Flight. leader, warned the party’s Harrop ity “Once I left her, she repolitical consultants that they’d have to choose between worksigned,” Trump said. “She would never have survived a primary.” ing for her or for him. The Morning Maybe. Maybe not. But the woman Group, a fundraising firm that Cheney who posted a picture of herself holding had hired to help prepare for the next a rifle alongside photos of three liberal primary, immediately refused to work congresswomen turned tail. Greene further on her campaign. held a good number of lunatic beliefs, A spokesman for Cheney said, “It’s but her push to get to the bottom of Jef- sad but not surprising that Kevin Mcfrey Epstein’s sex trafficking of girls Carthy is continuing down the morally was well-founded — and, evidently, bankrupt path of embracing House Reshared by most Republicans. publicans who are White supremacists Greene could have learned a lesson and conspiracy theorists but attacking in courage from a very different ReLiz Cheney for telling the truth and standing with the Constitution.” publican congresswoman, Liz Cheney Add to that the anonymous threats of of Wyoming. Cheney is about as ideopersonal harm. Cheney did not flinch. logically conservative as they come, She ran for reelection in 2022. When but she regarded Trump’s violenceasked whether she expected to lose, fueled attempt to halt the official vote Cheney said that if defending the Concount in an election he had lost as an attack on democracy itself. And that’s stitution cost her the seat, it was a sacwhat the 2021 Capitol riot was. rifice she’d accept. She ended up losing Cheney joined a handful of patriotic to a MAGA clone.

Republicans in supporting Trump’s imThe coup attempt was OK with Greene, though she later found courpeachment. For her brave stance, the so-called Freedom Caucus demanded age elsewhere. But the moment Trump her resignation from the House Recalled her “a traitor,” she threw on her

sneakers and ran away.

Another party member, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, is now bravely facing a primary challenge after being one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 riot. Cassidy is a physician who has long criticized Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., over his fringe theories linking vaccines to autism. He’s running in an election he might lose.

When Greene announced her sudden retirement, she warned, “If I am cast aside by the president and the MAGA political machine and replaced by Neocons, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Military Industrial War Complex, foreign leaders and the elite donor class that can never, ever relate to real Americans, then many common Americans have been cast aside and replaced as well.”

She cast herself aside. In any case, if Greene believes all that stuff, why doesn’t she run for reelection and use it in her campaign?

Because she’s chicken.

It happens that both Cheney and Greene crossed Trump for good reasons. But Greene fled. Outside of her entertainment value, she will not be widely missed. But Cheney keeps fighting, armor still on. And if she comes back to run again, plenty of good Americans will be cheering her on.

Froma Harrop is on X, @ FromaHarrop.

‘Never again’ could become ‘ever again’ last weekend’s shootings that appears How many more Jews must die not to be true. before the world wakes up and does If the Australian government had something about it? Maybe that’s the been paying attention and intensifying problem: The world doesn’t want to security to meet the threat, this terwake up as too many people are fine with hating Jews. rible incident might have been The murder of at least 15 avoided. While Australia has an Jewish Hanukkah celebrants estimated 117,000 Jews (among and the wounding of many its population of 28 million), the more in Australia recently Executive Council of Austracould have been prevented lian Jewry reports antisemitic if the government had estabincidents have reached historic Cal highs and are at “almost five lished a security presence at Thomas times the average number Bondi Beach. Instead, it was before October 7.” The organireported that police officers stood by during the shooting rampage zation documented 1,654 anti-Jewish conducted by a Muslim father and son, incidents between Oct. 1, 2024, and who were reportedly inspired by the Sept. 30, 2025.

Islamic State. For two years, Sydney Since biblical times many have tried has been shut down every weekend and failed to understand and explain by pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel the hatred directed toward Jewish demonstrators. Did no one anticipate people. consequences from those who em“Allegations of well poisoning were a major theme in Jewish persecubraced and openly spouted extremist ideology? tion in Europe throughout the Middle After the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Isra- Ages and into the modern period.

They were a central component in the el by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, there development of modern antisemitism have been fire-bombings, arson, grafin the 19th century. Blood libel accufiti and hate speech directed at Jews, their organizations and buildings in sations often led to pogroms, violent Australia. riots launched against Jews and freThe director-general of Australia’s quently encouraged by government Security Intelligence Organization, authorities.” Read more at the United Mike Burgess, has stated that address- States Holocaust Memorial Museum ing antisemitism is a top priority when from which this quote was taken.

Many are praising the courageous it comes to threats to life. In light of

man who was wounded while tackling one of the gunmen and preventing him from committing additional murders.

His name is Ahmed al-Ahmed. He is a Muslim from Syria and a father of two. His parents told the media he came to Australia in 2006 because he has a “passion to defend people.”

When he recovers from his wounds he should be invited to Israel and given an award for his selfless bravery.

Australia recently passed a law requiring certain popular social media platforms to block users under the age of 16.

The stated reason by lawmakers is to protect children from harm that includes cyberbullying and predators.

Why can’t the country ban websites that promote hate, including and especially antisemitism? If protection is to be granted for young people, why not do more to protect its Jewish population? Isn’t the principle the same?

Antisemitism must be fought with more than statements of horror, flowers, and “thoughts and prayers.” Because of its aggressive nature, it must also be characterized by an aggressive response. Otherwise, the slogan “never again,” which was invoked after the Holocaust, is likely to become “ever again.”

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub.com.

Welcome to 2026 and a whole new direction for Louisiana’s coastal future.

What had been a multiyear science-tested plan to sustain some part of the state’s bottom third against the rising Gulf of Mexico has been redesigned by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry.

At the governor’s urging, the board is now focused on managing surrender to the Gulf but producing as much seafood as possible in the process.

Here are the three steps in that process.

Bob The first step — once again, Marshall at the governor’s urging — was taken late last year by removing large river sediment diversions from the master plan and transferring that funding to projects rebuilding marshes by pumping sediment from the Mississippi River into the wetlands. Half the funding had always gone to this method.

Since taking office, Landry has sided with shrimpers and oyster fishers opposing diversions. While the influx of fresh water from diversions might restore the natural balance to the estuary that existed before levees were raised, it would also drive their target species further south. Those species have only moved into current fishing grounds since the system devolved into higher salinities.

By now, everyone knows the trade-offs.

The pump-and-dump method can quickly rebuild marshes but must be repeated every 20 to 30 years because the deltas will always continue to sink. Diversions are much more expensive, but they can build wetlands and extend the life of pump-and-dump projects as long as the river runs. They are the definition of sustainability.

The fishers want marshes rebuilt because that’s the habitat producing their targets. But they only want a few small freshwater diversions — just enough to keep salinities ideal for the species they catch and sell.

Step 2 was announced at the CPRA board’s December meeting: They are giving the fishermen just what they and the governor want.

They plan to move funding from diversions to rebuild wetlands as quickly as possible and spend more money on levees, flood walls and the like. Basically, they will be managing the coastal zone as a large fisheries farm for as long as the money holds out as the Gulf moves ever closer.

Which brings us to Step 3: They will do this while not just ignoring the biggest threat to the coastal zone but increasing it.

I’m talking about the “threat that must not be mentioned” by the political rulers of this state and the master they worship: climate change caused by fossil fuel emissions, and President Donald Trump, who calls it a hoax.

That this is here, is happening and could remove much of the state below Interstate 10 in the decades ahead and is backed by evidence and recognized by the science in the master plan the board is effectively abandoning.

Sea levels are rising at record levels, caused by ocean warming due to fossil fuel use. Federal research shows that Louisiana has seen 17 inches of rise just since 1970 and could see 2 feet by 2050 due to warming alone. Add our subsidence and those estimates soar as high as 5 feet by 2100.

Indeed, the master plan shows that some wetlands currently being rebuilt could be flooded by sea level rise and sinking before 2050.

Sea level rise will continue for centuries, but the rate can be slowed beyond 2050 if the world is successful in dramatically reducing emissions over the next two decades. That can only be done by a steady transition to renewable energy.

Yet Trump is waging war on all programs designed to reduce emissions, canceling emission regulations and stopping even private green energy projects on land and the ocean, while ramping up permits and programs for oil production and even coal.

Our governor is Trump’s loud and loyal supporter and controls the board, which is refocusing our coastal survival plan to one of surrender.

Maybe the price of an oyster po-boy will drop — but you may have to eat it in Baton Rouge.

Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on X, @BMarshallEnviro.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

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with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny and pleasant

Sunny to partly cloudy

Partly sunny

A couple of afternoon showers

Thunderstorms possible

Clouds and sun; not as warm

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

LOW

70°

60° 78° 61°

LOW

79° 65°

HIGH

LOW

79° 67°

LOW

79° 55°

We will wake to some areas of patchy fog in parts of southeast Louisiana this morning.

Otherwise, expect a partly to mostly cloudy morning to give way to a mostly sunny afternoon. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 60s to low 70s. The humidity is on the rise, but our rain chances will remain at zero. For the rest of the week, expect afternoon temperatures to rise into the upper 70s to low 80s. Rain chances will rise with the next cold front towards the end of the week.

LOW

67° 50°

YESTERDAY

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Sunday

TEMPERATURE

Monroe 67/57

Shreveport 71/61 Longview 70/59

High/low Normal high Normal low Record high Record low

Jackson 70/56

FLOOD SUN. 24-HOUR

Port Arthur 72/61

Baton Rouge 71/58

Lafayette 71/60

Beaumont 73/59

New Orleans 70/60

Lake Charles 70/59 Houma 73/60

Shown is today’s weather.

Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

City

Austin Boston Dallas Denver Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami

Hi

TODAY

Lo W

75 61 pc 26 25 sn 73 55 pc 60 35 pc -9 -13 c 79 71 sh 62 44 pc 58 45 pc 81 65 s

Hi

TUE.

Lo W

85 55 pc 35 33 c 76 48 s 56 34 s -3 -15 sn 79 71 sh 58 42 pc 61 41 c 81 64 pc

City

PRECIPITATION

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

0.00” 0.02” 0.74” 0.02” 0.74”

MODERATE

READING 75 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

Hattiesburg 71/55

Alexandria 70/58

Many 68/57

60°/56° 62° 46° 80° in 1952 25° in 2001

TODAY

MODERATE

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

Hi

TODAY

66 76 38 70 45 58 58 66 75

Lo W

51 s 55 s 32 c 53 pc 33 c 42 pc 46 s 56 pc 59 s

Hi

66 79 45 69 49 65 58 66 78

TUE.

Lo W

45 c 57 s 39 c 52 c 37 r 51 pc 38 pc 53 pc 62 s

MISSISSIPPI STAGE STAGE CHANGE Memphis 34 -2.09 +0.05 Vidalia-Natchez 48 14.83 -0.40 Red River Landing 48 18.45 -0.55 Baton Rouge 35 6.72 -0.18 Donaldsonville 27 4.11 -0.21 Reserve 22 2.42 -0.18 New Orleans 17 1.76 -0.71 OHIO Cairo 40 13.76 -0.07 COMITE Near Olive 19 -1.43 -0.01 AMITE Near Darlington 18 -1.01 -0.04 Denham Springs 29 10.12 none Port Vincent 8 1.00 +0.33 TICKFAW Montpelier 13 1.66 -0.04 Holden 15 0.82 -0.02 ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport 47 6.28 -0.43 Melville 34 4.14 -0.27 Krotz Springs 29 3.78 -0.54 Butte La Rose 20 3.02 -0.22 Bayou Sorrel 12 2.50 -0.50 Morgan City 6 2.74 -0.08

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

data as of 7 a.m. Sunday

TODAY’S TIDES HIGH FT. LOW FT. Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 8:43a 0.6 8:37p -0.3 Shell Beach 2:49a 1.4 2:08p -0.6 South Point, Marsh Island 2:30a 1.5 9:26a -1.0 Cypremort Point 10:12p 1.1 1:28p -0.8 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 11:17p 0.9 9:50a -0.6 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 10:28p 1.1 8:03a -0.7 Wine Island --- --- 10:52a -0.8

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

6:58 a.m.

5:15 p.m.

7:59 p.m.

8:56 a.m.

LAST

NEW

FIRST

FULL

JAN 10

JAN 18

JAN 25

FEB 1

HIGH

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OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

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M o n d ay, J a n u a ry 5, 2026

19

FALCONS

SAINTS

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17

OUT OF GAS SEASON RECORD: 6-11

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half on Sunday in Atlanta. The Saints ended the season with a 19-17 loss to the rival Falcons.

Saints can’t overcome all that was missing, fall to Falcons in season finale

New Orleans lost final game of season, but 2025 season felt like a victory

BY LUKE JOHNSON

NFC South title, which is The New Orleans Saints what would have happened made the Atlanta Falcons had they upset Atlanta. Rework and the Carolina Panthers sweat Sunday. gardless, the Saints put up an Ultimately, their efforts admirable fight to the finish weren’t enough to overcome and made the Panthers wait a more talented and experiuntil the game’s final seconds Jeff enced Atlanta squad on its Duncan before celebrating their first division title in a decade. home field in a gritty 19-17 While there are no moral loss, but the Saints made sure victories in the NFL, it certainly felt the NFC South title was earned and like one for the Saints at Mercedesnot given.

Benz Stadium.

I’m sure they hated the idea of Because of injuries and attrition, helping their fierce division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in any ä See DUNCAN, page 5C way, especially gifting them another

Staff writer

ATLANTA — When Tyler Shough dropped back and scanned the field for an open receiver late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons, he had thrown 148 consecutive passes without an interception.

He didn’t make it to No. 149.

The New Orleans Saints were in striking distance, trailing by six and facing a third-and-7 from the Atlanta 20-yard line, and they called a double slant. Falcons nickel defender Dee Alford recognized what was happen-

ing, and as Shough was releasing the ball, he came off his man to pick the pass off.

Alford returned it 59 yards, flipping the field and setting Atlanta up in field goal range. The Falcons kicked a field goal, and those points ultimately ended up deciding the game. The Saints lost their season finale, 19-17, snapping a four-game win streak.

“Just an unbelievable play by Alford,” Shough said. “I’ve got to see that … but credit to their defense, credit to him, great play in that

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

LSU struggles with turnovers, falls to Vandy

With 2:20 left in the fourth quarter, need to keep the Commodores (15-0, 2-0) off Tigers drop second straight freshman ZaKiyah Johnson gave LSU a the boards. The Tigers’ loss to Kentucky lead with a layup. Then Vanderbilt on Thursday doubled as one of the worst game, start 0-2 in SEC play 58-57 freshman guard Aubrey Galvan canned a rebounding games of the Mulkey era. That for first time in Mulkey era corner 3-pointer at the other end, and star night, the No. 11 Wildcats grabbed more

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

First it was the rebounding. Then it was the turnovers.

The LSU women’s basketball team tried to address one problem, then saw another one surface Sunday in a 65-61 road loss to No. 12 Vanderbilt.

In their second straight defeat, the No. 5 Tigers turned the ball over 22 times — the sixth-most giveaways they’ve tallied in a game they’ve played under coach Kim Mulkey.

sophomore Mikayla Blakes finished a pair of driving layups, bringing her scoring tally to a game-high 32 points. The Tigers (14-2, 0-2 SEC) committed two turnovers around those shots — one by MiLaysia Fulwiley and another by Mikaylah Williams.

No Mulkey-coached team — at either LSU or Baylor — had ever started 0-2 in conference play before this season.

“It’s a possession game,” Mulkey said, “when you get to conference (play). We’re not talented enough to beat people like we have been, so possessions matter.”

LSU began Sunday’s contest with a clear

than four times as many offensive boards as LSU did.

Things improved on Sunday. The Tigers corralled more offensive rebounds in the first quarter of their game against the No. 12 Commodores (five) than they did in their entire matchup with Kentucky (four), and they eventually won the rebounding battle by 20 boards — a decisive edge that allowed them to recover a nice chunk of the possessions they gave away. But not enough to get a win.

Fulwiley keyed the turnaround on the glass. She rebounded three of LSU’s misses

AP PHOTO By CAMDEN HALL

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams tries to shoot past Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes during ä See LSU, page 3C the first half on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

2C ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 5:30 p.m. Nebraska at Ohio St. FS1 6 p.m.

Will. & Mary at Charleston So. CBSSN 6 p.m.

Oregon at Rutgers Peacock 7:30 p.m. Southern Cal at Michigan St. FS1 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Michigan BTN 7:30 p.m. Iowa at Northwestern BTN

FCS CHAMPIONSHIP 6:30 p.m. Illinois St. vs. Montana St. ESPN IIHF WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP 3:30 p.m. Bronze Medal: Sweden vs.TBD NHLN 7:30 p.m. Gold Medal: Finland vs.TBD NHLN NBA 6 p.m.

New york at Detroit Peacock 7:30 p.m. Denver at Philadelphia Peacock 9 p.m.

Golden State at L.A. Clippers Peacock

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

SPEED SKATING U.S.Winter Olympic Trials USA TENNIS 5 a.m.

United Cup,ATP,WTA Tennis 5:30 p.m. United Cup,ATP,WTA Tennis UNRIVALED BASKETBALL 12:30 p.m. Mist vs. Hive TRUTV 1:45 p.m. Vinyl vs. Laces TRUTV 7 p.m.

Lunar Owls vs. Rose TNT,TRUTV 8:15 p.m. Phantom vs. Breeze TNT,TRUTV 4 p.m.

LSU FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Receiver commits; OT leaves portal

BY WILSON ALEXANDER

Staff writer

Former Hawaii wide receiver Jackson Harris committed to LSU, a source confirmed Sunday with The Advocate, making him the first transfer to choose the team since Lane Kiffin became the head coach.

Harris had a breakout season this year with 49 catches, 963 yards and 12 touchdowns while playing in 11 games to earn firstteam All-Mountain West honors.

He visited LSU this weekend soon after the transfer portal opened. He has two more years of eligibility.

LSU has to rebuild its wide receiver corps entering the first season with Kiffin and a new offensive staff, and it has targeted multiple transfers. The Tigers have only three wide receivers who have not left the team, and they signed three incoming freshmen in the 2026 class.

Harris, a native of Berkeley, California, is listed at 6-foot3 and 205 pounds. He caught six passes for 86 yards and one touchdown in two seasons at Stanford before transferring to Hawaii.

In his one season with the Rainbow Warriors, Harris was tied for the most 60-plus-yard receptions in the country with five, and four of those went for 70-yard touchdowns. He averaged 19.7 yards per catch, which ranked eighth in the FBS.

OT transfers… then does not LSU redshirt freshman offensive tackle Weston Davis entered the transfer portal Sunday morning, but it was brief. Davis withdrew his name within an hour of it appearing in the database and plans to stay at LSU next season.

Davis came to terms with LSU and wanted to have his name removed from the transfer portal before it showed up, according to a report from Matt Moscona of WNXX, 104.5-FM. Davis has three more years of eligibility.

Davis played in 12 games this season with 10 starts. LSU re-

Fury says he is coming out of retirement in 2026

MANCHESTER, England — Tyson Fury is returning to the ring after announcing on Sunday that he will step out of retirement.

The former heavyweight world champion confirmed his comeback in a post on social media, which sets up the prospect of a longawaited showdown with Anthony Joshua.

“2026 is that year. Return of the mac,” Fury posted on Instagram.

“Been away for a while but I’m back now, 37 years old and still punching. Nothing better to do than punch men in the face and get paid for it.”

Fury retired last year after losing for a second time to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. Before his two bouts with Usyk he was unbeaten in 35 fights, winning 34 and drawing one.

Speedskater Stolz starts but doesn’t race 1,500

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU offensive tackle Weston Davis, center, and offensive lineman Tyree Adams take the field before kickoff against South Carolina on Oct. 11. Davis briefly entered the transfer portal on Sunday before leaving it. placed him at right tackle for two games with redshirt freshman Ory Williams, who later entered the transfer portal, before Davis regained his spot.

A four-star recruit in the 2024 class from Beaumont, Texas, Davis was the No. 111 overall prospect in his class and a top 10 offensive tackle on the 247Sports composite rankings. He flipped from Texas A&M to LSU late in the recruiting process.

LSU has two starting offensive linemen who have remained with the team to this point in Davis and redshirt junior center Braelin Moore, as well as five backups and two incoming freshmen. It has to sign multiple transfers who can start and provide depth.

Seven LSU offensive linemen have entered the transfer portal since it opened Jan. 2: Williams, redshirt freshman Ethan Calloway, freshman Carius Curne, redshirt sophomore Paul Mubenga, redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams, redshirt freshman Coen Echols and redshirt sophomore DJ Chester.

LSU also lost right guard Josh Thompson, a fifth-year senior who exhausted his eligibility.

Cooley comes back LSU secured a key piece of the defense as the team announced Sunday redshirt sophomore safety Tamarcus Cooley will stay.

Cooley could have entered the NFL draft, but he has two more years of eligibility. He established himself as a starter in his first season at LSU, finishing with 70 tackles, 11/2 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

LSU has to replace safety AJ Haulcy and star cornerback Mansoor Delane, who both exhausted their eligibility, but it will bring back Cooley, safety Dashawn Spears, cornerback DJ Pickett and cornerback PJ Woodland, setting a solid foundation in the secondary.

Cooley, a native of North Carolina, was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class who began his career at Maryland. He transferred to NC State after one season, and in his only year with the Wolfpack, Cooley played in every game while making nine starts at nickel. He recorded 43 tackles and two interceptions.

Cooley, who’s listed at 6-foot and 198 pounds, moved to deep

safety at LSU. He started every game and played a team-high 777 snaps.

At the other safety spot, Spears will have a chance to become a starter for the first time in his career next season. He said at one point he would enter the transfer portal, but he changed his mind a few hours later after conversations with the LSU staff.

Latest in the portal Former Boise State junior safety Ty Benefield visited LSU on Sunday, a source said. Benefield was named first-team All-Mountain West this past season after recording 107 tackles, 8 1/ 2 tackles for loss and two interceptions. He played in 41 games over the past three seasons, starting 33 times.

Benefield has one more year of eligibility.

LSU also hosted Old Dominion wide receiver Tre Brown, a source confirmed. He caught 38 passes for 762 yards and four TDs this past season after transferring from a junior college. He ranked seventh in the country with an average of 20.05 yards per catch.

He’s also set to visit Ohio State.

MILWAUKEE — Star speedskater Jordan Stolz figured some extra rest was more important than competing in an event he didn’t need to with an Olympic berth already assured, so after finishing first in the 500 meters at the U.S. trials Sunday, he decided to just line up at the start of the 1,500 instead of actually racing.

The 21-year-old Stolz, twice the world champion at the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 and expected to be one of the faces of the Milan Cortina Games, took a couple of strides from an upright position in the outside lane, then took a hard left and skated toward the sideline. He shrugged as he came off the track.

Emery Lehman, who is from Chicago, won, and Casey Dawson was second.

American Britcher wins another WC gold in luge

USA Luge’s Summer Britcher is flying into the Olympics.

Britcher got her second women’s singles luge win of the season on Sunday, moving her atop the World Cup standings and further cementing her status as a medal contender for the Olympics next month.

She prevailed in Sigulda, Latvia, rallying in the second heat to top Lisa Schulte of Austria and Julia Taubitz of Germany. Britcher’s two-run time was 1 minute, 23.840 seconds, while Schulte finished in 1:23.877 and Taubitz in 1:23.931.

It was Britcher’s seventh career singles win, extending her alltime record for USA Luge sliders.

The women’s singles win was one of two medals on the day for Britcher, who also helped USA Luge capture the bronze in the team relay.

cuts ties with Miami gets inspiration from echoes of its past Djokovic players’ org he co-founded ä Miami vs. Ole Miss

BY TIM REYNOLDS

Associated Press

6:30 P.M.THURSDAy, ESPN

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. doesn’t say much. He just plays.

That’s part of the reason why Bain giving a short, impromptu and unexpected halftime speech to teammates during Miami’s win over Ohio State in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl last week was a moment that went viral.

“They don’t got the energy we got, bro,” Bain said. “They don’t want it how we want it.”

And with that, Bain got his “Joaquin said dominate” moment that surely will go into Hurricane lore.

Miami (12-2, CFP No. 10 seed) had more than enough of the energy that Bain was speaking of, beat Ohio State 24-14 and moved into Thursday’s CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl against Mississippi (13-1, CFP No. 6 seed).

It was at a game in 2001 — Miami’s last national championship season — when eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed gave a now-famous speech to teammates at halftime in Tallahassee, a game the Hurricanes were leading rival Florida State 21-13. Reed’s shoulder was banged up, and the Seminoles seemed to have the momentum.

Reed turned and faced his teammates before they returned to the field, quoting offensive lineman Joaquin Gonzalez for emphasis.

“I’m hurt, dawg. Don’t ask me if I’m all right. Hell, no,” Reed shouted. “Joaquin said dominate, and we’re not doing it.” He said a little more, turned and ran out of the tunnel. What happened over the next few minutes showed how

Miami sideline for the past couple of seasons, and Cristobal has welcomed the energy he brings. When running back Mark Fletcher fumbled the ball early in the Ohio State game, it was Edgerrin James — another Hall of Famer — who got into his ear and calmed him down. And when Beck was warming up for the game, he was starstruck when he saw Ray Lewis — another Hall of Famer — just a few feet away.

“I literally just looked at him and just shook his hand and he introduced himself,” Beck said.

“And then he’s like, ‘Yo, go win us the ball game.’ And I was like: ‘Well, now I have to. We literally have to go score. Like, I can’t let this dude down.’ ” Sometimes, the impact of those past Miami stars comes even when they’re not physically there.

Keionte Scott, the standout from Miami’s secondary who had a game-changing pick-six against Ohio State, slept inside the indoor practice facility during fall camp and found himself gazing at the roof over the field at the banners showing the names of all the Hurricanes’ past All-Americans.

He was looking up at those same banners Sunday when he explained the story.

“It’s a different feeling,” Scott said. “It’s a testimony to how much The U means to them. It just shows me how much The U was able to do for them. They could be doing anything in the world and they’re supporting their team and they’re supporting their college.

It’s just something that makes you want to go harder.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Former NFL players Ray Lewis, left, and Michael Irvin celebrate after a Miami touchdown during a Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal game against Ohio State on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. much Reed’s words mattered to his teammates.

Miami scored four touchdowns in the third quarter, blowing out Florida State and eventually finishing the season as 12-0 national champions. Reed didn’t seek the spotlight in those days, much in the same way Bain doesn’t seek it now.

“To come out and speak in front of the entire team, when that’s not necessarily something that he does all the time, you know he means it,” Miami quarterback Carson Beck said. “I think there’s weight behind that. That’s something that’s coming from the heart, something that you know he needs to say to the team. Shoot, it had me juiced. I was ready to roll out there and go die for those boys. Obviously, I think it’s an iconic moment that we’ll always

remember as a team.”

It’s a balancing act for Miami coach Mario Cristobal, who played on two national title teams when he was a Hurricanes offensive lineman. He welcomes back the alumni, while simultaneously making sure the current team keeps looking forward.

“I think just the entirety of the Miami Hurricanes family from years past, showing up and supporting our team and getting back involved with the university, is absolutely awesome,” Cristobal said.

“It also gives our players a chance to experience that brotherhood that we have always spoken about so strongly of.”

At Miami, the names from the past — like Reed — still inspire.

Michael Irvin — another Hall of Famer — has been a regular on the

Novak Djokovic is cutting ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association, a group he cofounded that sued the sport’s governing bodies last year, writing on social media Sunday that “my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organization.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced at the 2020 U.S. Open that he and now-retired Canadian player Vasek Pospisil were launching the PTPA. They said they were aiming to offer representation for players.

One of the goals made clear along the way was to become a sort of full-fledged union that negotiates collective bargaining agreements like those that exist in team sports, although that sort of thing hasn’t happened.

Royals manager agrees to 3-year contract extension

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro has agreed to a three-year contract extension though 2029.

His deal includes a team option for 2030, the Royals said Sunday.

Quatraro replaced Mike Matheny after the 2022 season and has led the Royals to a 224-262 record in three years.

Kansas City improved from 56106 during Quatraro’s first season to 86-76 in 2024. The Royals then went 82-80 last year for their first consecutive winning seasons since 2013-15.

Quatraro finished second to Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt in 2024 American League Manager of the Year voting.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 3C

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Defense carries Tulane to pivotal win over FAU

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU coach Matt McMahon, shown throwing his hands up during a game against Prairie View on Dec. 22, said he was disappointed but not discouraged by the Tigers’ 75-72 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.

McMahon laments missed chances in loss to Texas A&M

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Disappointment is one word coach Matt McMahon used to describe LSU’s loss.

The Tigers fell 75-72 to Texas A&M on Saturday at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. What loomed before and after the outcome of their first Southeastern Conference game was the absence of Dedan Thomas.

The lefty point guard is day-today with a lower leg injury, McMahon said after the game. The ESPNU broadcast said the junior had a foot injury, and he was seen wearing a boot on his left foot.

Thomas’ playmaking and ballsecurity talents were desperately needed as LSU committed a season-high 16 turnovers against the only conference opponent that employs a full-court press for an entire game.

Even still, McMahon wasn’t consumed by the letdown of dropping a winnable game.

“Obviously disappointed in the result for us, but certainly not

LSU

Continued from page 1C in the first half — a team-high — then wrapped up her night with 13 points, seven boards, six assists and two steals. Sophomore point guard Jada Richard added 13 points of her own. Williams finished with 12 points, eight boards and six assists, but she turned the ball over four times. Fulwiley gave away five possessions.

Seven of the eight LSU players who saw the floor Sunday committed multiple turnovers.

Transfer center Kate Koval had nine points and 10 rebounds, and ZaKiyah Johnson had 10 points and eight boards. Flau’jae Johnson finished with zero points in 19 minutes, going scoreless for just the second time in her four-year career. She took only four shots.

discouraged. Very encouraged by the toughness, the effort, the intentions of our group,” the fourthyear coach said in the post-game press conference. “We had our chances.”

Those chances to get an improbable victory without the SEC’s leader in assists at 7.1 per game were eye-catching.

A sequence that was “painful” for McMahon was three straight turnovers in the backcourt that turned a tie game into a 69-66 deficit with 1:58 remaining.

Even when the errors zapped much of LSU’s offensive flow, it had a chance to tie the game down 72-70 with nine seconds remaining.

However, freshman point guard Jalen Reece threw a difficult pass from half-court that was too high for the 6-foot-10 Mike Nwoko to snag.

“We wanted to get Jalen Reece on the run there,” McMahon said.

“If we had Mike over the top, we would take it. If not, we were just trying to get downhill and get our shooters space down, down two there with nine seconds to go,

“We’re not tough enough,” Mulkey said. “And toughness is, you either have it or you don’t.

And we’re not tough enough, and that’s all (the) players in that locker room tonight. You’re not tough enough to make a play when you need it. You’re not tough enough to get that rebound when we need it.

“It’s not just one or two. It’s the whole locker room at different times.”

In the first quarter, LSU gave away six of its first 11 possessions and missed eight of its first 11 field goals. The game started to turn in the Tigers’ favor only after they began to force more misses and took better care of the ball. An 11-0 second-quarter run propelled LSU to a 28-22 halftime lead.

Then Galvan started hitting 3-pointers. She drained three of the four long-range shots the

which was plenty of time. And Jalen, he did a lot of great things today. I know he’s very disappointed in a couple of the turnovers late, but this will be a great learning experience for him, and he’ll keep getting better moving forward.”

Reece finished with four points, a career-high seven assists and three turnovers in 36 minutes. The most playing time he had previously was 23 against Prairie View.

The Tigers also had a decent lastsecond 3-pointer that missed short from freshman Mazi Mosely, who only played the final 3.7 seconds, that could’ve sent the game into overtime.

McMahon emphasized that his players’ mettle was tested and their intensity reached a required standard to create winning chances when it trailed by as many as 10 points with 8:53 remaining in the game.

“I can’t fault our energy, our effort or our togetherness. All those things (were) fantastic,” McMahon said. “Just didn’t execute well enough to find a way to get the win at the end.”

Tulane struggled to find any offensive rhythm in its American Conference home opener against Florida Atlantic on Sunday, shooting below 40% for most of the afternoon.

No matter. Tenacious defense saved the Green Wave again.

Forcing turnovers on four of the Owls’ final five possessions, Tulane (11-4, 2-0) closed with a 7-0 run to win 69-66 in a pivotal early-season matchup between two teams that hope to contend for the league championship.

Florida Atlantic (9-6, 1-1), which had scored more than 100 points in three of its past five games, settled for its lowest total since November. Leading scorer Devin Vanterpool hit his first shot from the floor and never made another, finishing 1 for 8 while committing four of the Owls’ 18 turnovers.

“Our defense was really good, and it has been all year,” Tulane coach Ron Hunter said. “We don’t want to talk about being the best defensive team in the league. We want to actually show it, and the last seven minutes of the game our defense was incredible.”

Point guard Rowan Brumbaugh’s steal at the 1:53 mark gave the Wave the ball with a 66-65 deficit, leading to his tying free throw. A contested Florida Atlantic pass landed in the backcourt for a violation with 1:13 left, setting up Asher Woods’ goahead 3-point play 17 seconds later.

Brumbaugh then swiped a ball away from FAU’s Kanaan Carlyle that Woods corralled.

After an empty Tulane possession, the Owls’ Xander Pintelon missed a would-be tying 3 that went out of bounds off Brumbaugh’s hand with 2.5 seconds left. Given one final chance, Carlyle lost control of the ball on an inbounds pass that went directly to Tulane’s Tyler Ringgold standing in front of him as time ran out.

Brumbaugh paced the Wave with 20 points despite hitting only two of his eight 3-point attempts.

Woods scored 13 of his 16 in the second half, but his decisive basket reflected the difficulty both teams had scoring late. Vanterpool blocked his driving attempt

“These five games are as tough a bunch of games in a row that I think I’ve ever coached in.

We know what we face, and we gotta keep working. Gotta get better.”

KIM MULKEy, LSU coach Commodores canned in the third quarter to shave five points off the Tigers’ lead and begin the fourth down just 43-42.

But LSU’s rebounding issues reappeared throughout the final 10 minutes. Vanderbilt turned five offensive boards into 10 second-chance points in the fourth quarter alone. Two of those opportunities came off missed free throws.

In the waning seconds of the fourth, officials did not see Blakes step out of bounds when LSU trapped her near halfcourt.

The ball should’ve gone to the Tigers, who were down 64-61, but Blakes instead ended up at the free-throw line, where she iced the win for the Commodores.

Mulkey used a new starting lineup on Sunday. She gave Fulwiley her first start of the season — and just the fourth of her career — in place of Richard. In the frontcourt, she swapped the Koval for the shorter, more athletic forward ZaKiyah Johnson — a freshman who started 10 of LSU’s 14 nonconference contests.

Senior transfer Amiya Joyner re-

before Woods caught it in front of the rim and laid it in while being fouled.

“I thought I got fouled initially, but I just tried to keep playing through it when the whistle wasn’t there,” Woods said. “We knew the game was going to come down to stops. We hung our hat on that today.”

This one was tight from start to finish. Tulane led 16-9 early, getting 3s from Scotty Middleton, Ringgold, Brumbaugh and Curtis Williams for its first 12 points, but the rest of the game was not pretty offensively. Neither team hit a 3 in the second half until Carlyle connected on a pull-up with 6:53 left that Woods answered immediately with his own trey.

FAU led for the last 4:33 of the first half and most of the second half, taking its largest lead, 5346, on Maxim Logue’s dunk off a steal from Brumbaugh with 8:45 left.

Points were hard to come by the rest of the way, with reserve Tulane center Percy Daniels blocking one 3-point attempt out of bounds while also controlling the paint. The Wave outscored the Owls by 12 in his 16 minutes on the court, and he even scored five points in a quick stretch during the second half — well above his average of 1.5.

“Percy was a monster,” Hunter said. “I don’t know how many baskets they scored when he was in the game.”

One hoop Daniels allowed came on an incredibly difficult attempt by FAU guard Isaiah Elohim, who challenged him with a baseline drive and shot the ball on his way down to tie the score at 60. Vanterpool followed with four free throws, but Middleton drained a huge 3 to pull the Wave within 66-65 at the 2:16 mark.

It was reminiscent of the dagger trey he sank late in Tulane’s 79-70 win at East Carolina on Wednesday.

Tulane plays at Texas-San Antonio next Saturday with a chance to reach 3-0 in league play for the first time since 1996-97 in Conference USA. Just getting to 2-0 was huge in Hunter’s eyes.

“We needed to have this win,” he said. “Florida Atlantic’s not going to lose many games at home.”

mained in the other forward spot.

LSU has now dropped back-toback games for just the fourth time since Mulkey’s tenure began in 2021.

Things won’t get much easier for the Tigers in the next couple of weeks of SEC play. They’ll next face Georgia Thursday on the road, then return to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a showdown with No. 2 Texas on Sunday before going back on the road to take on No. 8 Oklahoma on Jan. 18.

“These five games are as tough a bunch of games in a row that I think I’ve ever coached in,” Mulkey said. “We know what we face, and we gotta keep working.

Gotta get better.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

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4C ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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FALCONS 19, SAINTS 17

BY THE NUMBERS

SANTS NOTEBOOK

Atlanta 19, New Orleans 17 New Orleans 0 7 3 7 — 17 Atlanta 7 3 3 6 — 19 First Quarter Atl— D.London 15 pass from Cousins (Gonzalez kick), 3:02. Drive: 2 plays, 5 yards, 00:16. Atlanta 7, New Orleans 0.

Second Quarter Atl—FG Gonzalez 40, 10:19. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 3:54. Key Plays: Cousins 11 pass to D.London on 3rd-and-5; B.Robinson 12 run.

Atlanta 10, New Orleans 0.

NO—Shough 1 run (Smyth kick), 4:31. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:48. Key Plays: Shough 11 pass to Austin; Shough 19 pass to Estime on 3rd-and-6; Shough 22 pass to Pettis.

Atlanta 10, New Orleans 7.

Third Quarter Atl—FG Gonzalez 51, 8:50. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:13. Key Play: Cousins 37 pass to D.London. Atlanta 13, New Orleans 7.

NO—FG Smyth 29, 2:15. Drive: 15 plays, 56 yards, 6:35. Key Plays: Hull kick return to New Orleans 33; Shough 15 pass to Austin; Shough 6 pass to Hill on 3rd-and-10; Shough 14 pass to J.Johnson on 4th-and-4; Estime 1 run on 3rd-and-4; Shough 13 pass to Hill on 4th-and-3. Atlanta 13, New Orleans 10.

Fourth Quarter Atl—FG Gonzalez 38, 10:43. Drive: 14 plays, 45 yards, 6:32. Key Plays: Drummond kick return to Atlanta 36; Cousins 15 pass to D.London; Cousins 10 pass to Mooney on 3rd-and-10; Cousins 6 pass to Pitts on 3rdand-6. Atlanta 16, New Orleans 10.

Atl—FG Gonzalez 38, 2:52. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 00:22. Key Plays: Alford 59 interception return to New Orleans 27; Allgeier 1 run on 3rd-and-4. Atlanta 19, New Orleans 10.

NO—Bell 16 pass from Shough (Smyth kick), 1:11. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 1:41. Key Plays: Shough 5 pass to Estime on 3rd-and-6; Estime 2 run on 4th-and-1; Shough 26 pass to Pettis; Shough 12 pass to Pettis. Atlanta 19, New Orleans 17.

A—69,512.

NO Atl FIRST DOWNS 16 14 Rushing 5 2 Passing 10 11 Penalty 1 1 THIRD DOWN EFF 5-16 4-14 FOURTH DOWN EFF 3-3 1-1 TOTAL NET YARDS 340 208 Total Plays 65 61 Avg Gain 5.2 3.4 NET YARDS RUSHING 108 49 Rushes 26 25 Avg per rush 4.154 1.96 NET YARDS PASSING 232 159 Sacked-Yds lost 4-27 4-21 Gross-Yds passing 259 180 Completed-Att. 23-35 18-32 Had Intercepted 1 1 Yards-Pass Play 5.949 4.417 KICKOFFS-EndZone-TB 4-0-0 6-4-2 PUNTS-Avg. 5-40.6 4-57.25 Punts blocked 1 0 FGs-PATs blocked 0-0 0-0 TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE 106 158 Punt Returns 3-28 3-26 Kickoff Returns 3-78 3-73 Interceptions 1-0 1-59 PENALTIES-Yds 6-40 5-42 FUMBLES-Lost 1-1 0-0 TIME OF POSSESSION 31:19 28:41 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING—New Orleans, Estime 21-63, Shough 3-34, Hull 2-11. Atlanta, B.Robinson 15-33, Allgeier 7-16, Cousins 3-0.

PASSING—New Orleans, Shough 23-35-1-259.

Atlanta, Cousins 18-32-1-180.

RECEIVING—New Orleans, Pettis 5-60, Estime 5-43, Austin 4-37, Johnson 3-61, Hill 3-32, Bell 2-23, Toure 1-3. Atlanta, Pitts 6-58, D.London 4-78, Mooney 3-20, B.Robinson 3-10, Sills 1-11, Allgeier 1-3.

PUNT RETURNS—New Orleans, Pettis 2-17, Miller-Hines 1-11. Atlanta, Thompkins 3-26.

KICKOFF RETURNS—New Orleans, Hull 3-78.

Atlanta, Thompkins 2-42, Drummond 1-31.

TACKLES-ASSISTS-SACKS—New Orleans, Granderson 5-5-1.5, Taylor 4-0-0, C.Young 3-3-1.5, Jordan 3-1-1, Riley 3-1-0, McKinstry 3-0-0, Stutsman 3-0-0, D.Davis 1-5-0, Williams 1-3-0, Sanker 1-1-0, Werner 1-1-0, Boyd 1-0-0, Burgess 1-0-0, Ridgeway 0-3-0, Bullard 0-1-0, Reid 0-1-0, Rumph 0-1-0. Atlanta, Alford 5-4-0, Watts 4-3-0, Henderson 3-4-0, Street 3-1-1, Terrell 3-1-0, Elliss 2-4-0, Pearce 2-1-2, Bates 2-1-0, Deablo 1-7-0, Onyemata 1-5-0, L.London 1-3-1, Walker 1-1-0, Bryant 1-0-0, Bertrand 0-2-0, Garcia 0-2-0, Kareem 0-2-0, Floyd 0-1-0, Orhorhoro 0-1-0.

INTERCEPTIONS—New Orleans, Granderson 1-0. Atlanta, Alford 1-59.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—New Orleans, Smyth 56.

OFFICIALS—Referee Ron Torbert, Ump Barry Anderson, HL Frank LeBlanc, LJ Brian Bolinger, FJ Ryan Dickson, SJ Keith Washington, BJ Courtney Brown, Replay Kevin Stine.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C crucial moment.”

The Falcons’ win upended the division. They were one of three teams in the NFC South to finish with an 8-9 record, meaning the division title went to the Carolina Panthers via tiebreaker. The Saints, at 6-11, finished last in the NFC South for the second consecutive season.

But even the loss and the lastplace finish could not dampen the optimism for what’s on the horizon in New Orleans, and a big part of that is because of the player who threw the interception late with the game on the line.

Consider this: Every single running back or receiver that played for the Saints in Week 18 began the season either on a practice squad or unemployed. As a group, that group of players entered Sunday’s game with a combined 408 yards from scrimmage this season — nearly half of which had come from running back Audric Estime, who initially signed to the practice squad in October.

Making matters more challenging, standout rookie left tackle Kelvin Banks left the game for good in the second quarter with an ankle injury, and jack-of-all-trades quarterback Taysom Hill, who has so often come up big against the Saints’ most hated rival, exited in the third quarter.

“It’s the journey of what an NFL season usually looks like,” said

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier carries between New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan and safety Jonas Sanker in the first half of a game on Sunday in Atlanta.

2026 schedule is set after 4th-place finish

BY ROD WALKER, LUKE JOHNSON AND MATTHEW PARAS Staff writers

ATLANTA — The New Orleans Saints know their opponents for next season.

The Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons 19-17 in Sunday’s season finale, meaning the Saints finished fourth in the NFC South for a second straight year.

In addition to their games against their division opponents, the NFL schedule rotation for 2026 has the Saints playing all four teams from the NFC North and AFC North.

The remaining three games are dependent on each team’s finish. Because they finished fourth, the Saints will face the fourth-place finishers from the NFC West (Arizona Cardinals), the NFC East (New York Giants) and the AFC West (Las Vegas Raiders).

The Saints are scheduled to play nine home games and eight road games next season. The NFL’s international schedule hasn’t been announced. The dates and order of games will be announced in May.

coach Kellen Moore. “You’re going to have to navigate stuff.”

Or, as Shough said, “Screw it, let’s go play, man. This is why you play football. … We want to go freakin’ win. That was the most fun I had throughout this whole week, communicating with guys — and throughout the game.”

All that was missing ended up being too much for the Saints superb rookie quarterback to overcome.

But Shough played a strong game, considering the circumstances, and he responded to his interception by breathing one last gasp of life into the Saints’ sails.

Trailing 19-10 with no timeouts and 2:52 remaining, Shough completed four of his five pass attempts for 63 yards while guiding the Saints’ hamstrung offense down the field. The last of those passes found Ronnie Bell, who entered Sunday’s game having played two offensive snaps all season, for a 16-yard touchdown to cut the lead to two.

New Orleans was not able to recover the ensuing onside kick, however, and Atlanta was able to kneel out the remainder of the game clock.

Shough finished the day completing 23 of 35 attempts for 259 yards and a touchdown, adding 34 yards and a score on the ground. He led five drives that pushed inside the Atlanta 40-yard line, but two of them finished with no points.

The offense’s struggles to cash in on its chances negated an otherwise excellent game from the Saints defense, which kept Falcons

Eighth in line The loss also locked in New Orleans’ pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Saints will have the No. 8 selection after finishing 6-11 with a worse strength of schedule than any other team that could finish with that record.

If the Saints make their selection at that spot, it’ll be their highest pick since they took Sedrick Ellis at No. 7 in the 2007 draft. Last year, New Orleans picked offensive tackle Kelvin Banks at No. 9.

The draft is scheduled for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.

Banks injured An already short-handed Saints offense lost one of its few remaining premier players early in Sunday’s game.

Banks hobbled off the field in the second quarter with an ankle injury. After a brief examination in the injury tent on the Saints’ sideline, Banks rode a cart back to the Saints locker room. The team ruled him out for the remainder of the game during the halftime break.

After the game, Saints coach Kellen Moore said he didn’t believe Banks’ injury came with any longterm concerns.

Banks, the No. 9 overall pick in this season’s draft, had turned in an impressive rookie season to that point. He was replaced in the lineup by Asim Richards.

About the only regulars the Saints had in the lineup Sunday were quarterback Tyler Shough, tight end Juwan Johnson and the regular starting offensive line. New Orleans went into the game without any of the receivers or running backs that it opened the 2025 season with.

Haener active

The Saints had a different backup quarterback for Sunday’s season finale.

Spencer Rattler was among the team’s inactives for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons after missing practice all week with a right finger injury. In Rattler’s place, Jake Haener served as Shough’s primary backup after New Orleans elevated him from the practice squad on Saturday.

Rare company Rattler started the first eight Cam Jordan wrapped up his superb games of the season before being 2025 season with another sack, benched for Shough, who made putting him in some elite histori- his ninth start of the season. cal company.

With his first-quarter sack of Kirk Odds and ends Cousins, Jordan notched his sevThe Falcons outscored the enth career season with at least Saints 7-0 in the first quarter 10 sacks. In doing so, he became Sunday, putting a bow on what the first player to notch a season has been a bad statistic for the with 10-plus sacks at age 36 or Saints all season long. They older since 2017, when Julius Pep- finished the regular season bepers did it. ing outscored 122-29 in the first He became the eighth player quarter. Their 29 first-quarter to record 10 or more sacks in a points this season … Johnson season at age 36 or older since became the second tight end in sacks became an official statistic Saints history to record at least in 1982. Of the previous seven to 75 catches in a single season, do it, six are Hall of Famers — joining Jimmy Graham, who topped Peppers, Michael Strahan, Bruce Smith, that mark in four straight seaReggie White, Chris Doleman and Kevin sons.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DANNy KARNIK

Saints wide receiver Ronnie Bell catches a pass for a touchdown during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. star running back Bijan Robinson in check and harassed Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Robinson came into the game as the NFL’s yards from scrimmage leader, averaging 140.9 yards per game over the first 16 games.

Against the Saints on Sunday, he turned his 15 carries into just 33 yards and three catches into 10 yards.

Greene.

“Just relentless effort in the run game,” Moore said. “... Really special performance by those guys; it took all 11 (players).”

Robinson’s 43 total yards from scrimmage were the third-lowest single-game total of his career.

With Robinson bottled up, the Saints turned their defensive front loose on Cousins. Chase Young, Cam Jordan and Carl Grander-

son combined for four sacks, and Granderson added a diving interception on a screen pass. When the Saints weren’t dropping Cousins behind the line of scrimmage, they were making things tough on the back end, and Cousins completed just 56.3% of his passes.

“Find a way to win is the name of the game, and I think our defense put ourselves in position to do that a few times,” Jordan said.

But Atlanta took advantage of some premier opportunities.

Falcons special-teamer Jammie Robinson streaked through the heart of the Saints’ punt protection in the first quarter to block a Kai Kroeger punt. Atlanta recovered at the Saints’ 5-yard line and scored two plays later, when Cousins found a wide-open Drake London for a 15-yard touchdown.

Two other Atlanta drives started in prime field position — one near midfield after Charlie Smyth missed a 56-yard field goal, another at the Saints’ 27-yard line following Alford’s interception.

Both of those drives resulted in field goals.

The result was the 11th loss of the season for New Orleans in its first year under Moore. But despite the record and the last-place finish, the Saints ended the 2025 campaign feeling confident about which direction their organizational arrow is pointing.

“I know I’m going to give everything I have this offseason to make sure we’re in the playoffs and fighting for a Super Bowl next year,” Shough said.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 5C

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FALCONS 19, SAINTS 17 THREE AND OUT: ROD WALKER’S TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM THE SAINTS’ SEASON FINALE LOSS

1

SHOUGH’S THE MAN Five weeks from now, the NFL will announce the winners of the postseason awards. That includes, of course, the Offensive Rookie of the year. I don’t know if Saints quarterback Tyler Shough will win it, but he sure made a strong case for himself. Shough finished the year completing 221 of 327 passes for 2,384 yards and 10 touchdowns (6 interceptions). Even more impressive is what he did Sunday (23-35, 259, 1 TD, 1 INT) with a receiving corps consisting of the likes of Kevin Austin, Dante Pettis and Ronnie Bell. This is a game the Saints had no business even being in. Shough gave them a legitimate chance in a game that wasn’t decided until the final minute.

2

GAME BALLS Kellen Moore likes to give out game balls.The Saints didn’t win Sunday, but Brandon Staley deserves a game ball.The best decision Moore made when hired was getting Staley to come to New Orleans to run his defense.When the offense struggled, Staley’s defense played well enough to give the Saints a chance. Staley’s unit did enough for the Saints to win Sunday, holding the Falcons to just 19 points (one TD and four field goals).And since Moore doesn’t mind giving out more than one game ball, you have to give one to defensive ends Chase young, Carl Granderson and Cam Jordan.young missed the first five games, but was the Saints’ best defensive player this year.

3

THAT’S A WRAP Let’s start with the bad news. For the fifth consecutive season, the Saints will miss the playoffs.And for the fourth time in five years, the Saints (6-11) finished with a losing record.They finished fourth in the NFC South.The good news? Nobody, coming into the season, thought the Saints had a chance to finish with a winning record anyway.The Saints falling just short of finishing on a five-game winning streak after a 1-8 start says a lot for Moore. Mickey Loomis and the Saints have plenty to do this offseason to make this roster better. But one of the main objectives this season was to see if they had their quarterback of the future on the roster.They do.

Saints ruin Bucs’ playoff hopes ‘Unique’ situation put NFC South’s fate in Saints-Falcons hands

Sept. 7

L

20-13

Sept. 14

L

26-21

Sept. 21

L

44-13

Sept. 28

L

31-19

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

ATLANTA — In a span of two months, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went from seeing their general manager roast New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan online to watching several players — including their quarterback — openly admit they’d be rooting for the black and gold to help get them into the playoffs.

The NFC South was on the line Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But not for the teams playing in it.

In the end, the Carolina Panthers prevailed as the division champs, thanks to New Orleans’ 19-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons to conclude the season.

Carolina made the postseason despite finishing below .500 and losing Saturday’s contest to Tampa Bay because they held a three-way tiebreaker over the Buccaneers and Falcons after each team ended up with an 8-9 record.

The stakes heading into the game were clear: Carolina needed Atlanta to win. Tampa Bay needed New Orleans.

The dynamic created an unusual situation for the players involved.

“It was really unique,” Saints safety Justin Reid said, laughing. “This is the first time in my career where we played a game that it decides the fate of two other teams in the same division.

“I thought it might have been fun to ruin the Panthers’ day three times in one year, you know what I mean? But hey, it is what it is.”

Here’s how unique it was: Sunday’s crowd featured small pockets of fans wearing Panthers and Buccaneers jerseys, cheering when the results went their way. On the Fox broadcast, the game’s producers would cut to patrons’ reactions at bars in Charlotte and Tampa.

A day earlier, an unidentified Tampa Bay player even yelled, “Tyler Shough!” as linebacker Lavonte David broke down the team’s huddle after beating the Panthers. The Buccaneers understood that their postseason hopes would rest on the rookie quarterback.

It was ironic that Tampa Bay even

RESULTS

Oct. 5

W

26-14

Oct. 12

L

25-19

Oct. 19

L

26-14

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DANNy KARNIK

Saints defensive end Chase young wraps up Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in the first half on Sunday in Atlanta. found itself in this position. On Oct. 26, after a 23-3 win over New Orleans improved his team to 6-2, Bucs general manager Jason Licht tweeted an old clip of Jordan insisting Tampa Bay would “probably go back to where Tampa Bay has been” following Tom Brady’s retirement, spliced with a screenshot of the defensive end’s unproductive box score from that game.

At the time, Tampa Bay seemed to be well on its way to winning the division for a record fifth straight time.

Since then? The Buccaneers lost seven of their last nine games.

“Never thought I’d see a day where I’m rooting for the Saints,” David told reporters, according to ESPN. Jordan, too, was among those who provided Tampa Bay a glimmer of hope as Sunday’s game unfolded. The 36-year-old recorded a sack, giving him 101/ 2 for the season, and New Orleans’ defensive line created enough havoc to keep the Saints in the game, even when they fell behind in a 10-0

hole early. Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins took four sacks.

But the Saints, who beat the Panthers twice in the regular season, couldn’t ruin Carolina’s season for a third time.

Shough, throwing to a depleted supporting cast, committed a costly interception that set up Atlanta’s ultimately game-sealing field goal with 2:57 left in the fourth.

Still, the rookie did his best to make the Panthers uncomfortable. After that turnover, Shough responded with a 16yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Ronnie Bell — who made a spectacular one-handed catch with his left hand.

“They would have been really nervous if we had got that onside (kick),” Bell said.

Bell and several others said the NFC South implications didn’t necessarily push the Saints to play harder. The rivalry of Falcons-Saints sells itself, they said, and there’s always motivation in chasing a win. Reid, though, was disappointed that New Orleans couldn’t get

the “two for one” by ruining Carolina’s season and ending Atlanta’s year on a down note.

Ruining Tampa Bay’s playoff chances provided no comfort, he said.

As a result of their loss, the Saints finished fourth in the division at 6-11.

But remarkably, New Orleans and Atlanta might have been the ones playing for the NFC South if a game or two had gone its way. The Falcons closed the year on a four-game winning streak, while New Orleans rebounded from a 1-8 start and also rattled off four straight wins before that streak was snapped Sunday.

“All I can say is they got lucky,” defensive end Carl Granderson said. “Everybody got lucky. If we would have won an extra game back then, then it would have been a different turnout.

But good luck to them guys.

“But next year, we’ll see ’em again.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

Oct. 26

L

23-3

Nov. 2

L

34-10

Nov. 9

17-7 W Nov. 23

L

24-10

Nov. 30

DUNCAN

one that started 1-8, and the one that finished 5-3.

Continued from page 1C Ultimately, the Saints won only one more game than they did in 2024, but the vibes around the team and the perception of the organization are they were undermanned and overdramatically different than a year ago matched in terms of talent and per— night-and-day different. sonnel. The offense was reduced to “There’s a lot to be excited about,” rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, said Davis, who then rattled off the Juwan Johnson and a collection of names of nearly every young player castoffs and street free agents. And on the roster, starting with Shough. they even lost prized rookie left tack“(We’re) heading into the offseason le Kelvin Banks to injury early in the with a lot of momentum. What you game. And yet, they still managed to have is no longer ‘potential,’ but you push the Falcons to the limit. have guys who are answering the call It wasn’t always pretty or perfect, and becoming who they were projectbut they played with intensity and ed to be. When you have all that hapenthusiasm for four quarters despite pening at one time, it’s a good thing.” unfavorable odds and circumstances.

The Saints entered the season with The effort was evident, even if the innumerable questions. They had execution wasn’t always there to the most inexperienced quarterback match it. room in the league, and their roster “Screw it, let’s go play,” Shough said was widely viewed as the worst in the when asked about his mindset entering NFL. But in the end, they exceeded Sunday’s game without seven offenthe expectations of most analysts and sive starters. “Who cares what people pundits, including yours truly. And are saying? This is why you play footASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DANNy KARNIK along the way, they found answers ball. (It was) an unbelievable job of Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, left, celebrates a touchdown with offensive to questions at the game’s most imeverybody stepping up. Credit to our tackle Asim Richards during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday portant spots: quarterback and head guys for showing up and battling.” coach. For those reasons alone, the Granted, these aren’t the Boy season was a win. for this organization,” veteran linefalling to 2-10 in Week 13. Instead, Scouts. No one awards participation In Shough and Moore, the Saints they played their best football of the backer Demario Davis said. “I love trophies in the NFL. The players are have a promising young battery to paid handsomely to do their jobs. But season down the stretch and finished the coaches they brought in and the build around. They have altered the culture that has been established.” the season with four wins in their the reality is, teams often pack it in perception and the trajectory of the All things considered, it might be once they are eliminated from playoff final five games. That’s a credit to entire franchise. A future that once contention. See: Las Vegas, Tennessee the culture established by the team’s the best six-win season in franchise looked hopeless now seems hopeful. history. The glass certainly felt halfleaders, head coach Kellen Moore and New York (Jets) as examples.

And their days of playing spoilers in and his staff. It’s also a positive sign full after the way the season ended.

And it would have been easy for the NFC South just might be a thing Indeed, it felt like the Saints were for the future. the Saints to follow suit. They could “There’s a lot to be optimistic about two different teams this season — the of the past. have easily folded their tents after

L

21-17

Dec. 7

W

24-20

Dec. 14

W

20-17

Dec. 21

29-6 W

Dec. 28

W

34-26

Jan. 4

L

19-17

6C ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

NFL ROUNDUP

Streaking Jaguars clinch AFC South title

By The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence’s teammates gave him a light-hearted present in the locker room after the quarterback broke the franchise record for total touchdowns in a season and led the Jacksonville Jaguars to the AFC South title: a diamond-covered mouth grille.

Lawrence gladly slipped it into place and posed for pictures, mimicking an AI-generated image that went viral weeks ago. It seemed to fit perfectly alongside championship hats and T-shirts.

Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, breaking the club’s single-season mark for total scores, and the Jaguars earned a home playoff game with a 41-7 drubbing of Tennessee on Sunday. It was the most lopsided outcome in series history.

And now Lawrence has some mouth jewelry to remember the occasion.

“Pretty funny,” Lawrence said.

“It’s just been awesome this year with the team and just how close we are.”

The Jaguars (13-4) clinched their third division title in nine years, swept the Titans (3-14) for the third time in four seasons and topped a dozen wins for just the second time in the team’s 31-year history.

BROWNS 20, BENGALS 18: In Cincinnati, Myles Garrett set the NFL’s single-season record with his 23rd sack and Shedeur Sanders led a late scoring drive that was capped by Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal as time expired to help the Cleveland Browns rally for a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale.

Garrett sacked Joe Burrow with 4:09 remaining in the fourth quarter for the record-setting sack, surpassing the 221/2 by Michael Strah-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence runs the ball past Tennessee Titans outside linebackers Truman Jones, left, and Jaylen Harrell, far right, on Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla. an and T.J. Watt. Burrow was in the shotgun formation on first-and-10 at the Browns 45-yard line.

VIKINGS 16, PACKERS 3: In Minneapolis, J.J. McCarthy had a productive first half before he was injured again, fullback C.J. Ham rushed for a short touchdown, and the Minnesota Vikings finished a frustrating season by beating the resting Green Bay Packers.

GIANTS 34, COWBOYS 17: In East Rutherford, New Jersey, New York Giants owner John Mara got a seasonending gift from his team three months into his cancer treatment.

Mara got a game ball in an emotional locker room scene after the

Giants beat the rival Dallas Cowboys to finish their lost season on a two-game winning streak.

RAMS 37, CARDINALS 20: In Inglewood, California, Matthew Stafford passed for 259 yards and threw two of his four touchdown passes to Colby Parkinson, and the Los Angeles Rams secured the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Tyler Higbee returned from injury with five receptions for 91 yards and a key fourth-quarter TD for the Rams (12-5), who will visit the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers (8-9) in the wild-card round.

RAIDERS 14, CHIEFS 12: In Las Vegas,

Daniel Carlson made a career-long 60-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give Las Vegas a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and end the Raiders’ 10-game losing streak.

Carlson and Kansas City’s Harrison Butker each made four field goals, with Butker hitting a 41-yarder with 1:01 left to give the Chiefs a short-lived 12-11 lead.

COMMANDERS 24, EAGLES 17: In Philadelphia, the Eagles’ backup plan backfired, and the Super Bowl champions will start their postseason defense of the title as the No. 3 seed in the NFC. With Jalen Hurts, Saquon Bark-

ley and most key Eagles starters sitting out even with playoff seeding at stake, the Washington Commanders got fourth-quarter passing and rushing touchdowns from Josh Johnson to beat Philadelphia.

PATRIOTS 38, DOLPHINS 10: In Foxborough, Massachusetts, Rhamondre Stevenson ran for two touchdowns and caught another from MVP contender Drake Maye, and the New England Patriots completed their remarkable turnaround season with a win over the Miami Dolphins.

Stevenson rushed seven times for 131 yards as New England posted its first sweep of the Dolphins since the 2016 season. TreVeyon Henderson added touchdown runs of 2 and 5 yards.

LIONS 19, BEARS 16: In Chicago, Jared Goff led five scoring drives, Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired and the Detroit Lions regrouped to beat the NFC North champion Chicago Bears after blowing a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter.

The Bears (11-6) stumbled into the playoffs with back-to-back losses, though they secured the No. 2 seed in the NFC with Washington beating Philadelphia. Chicago will host Green Bay in a wild-card game next week and would have homefield advantage in the divisional round if it beats the Packers.

BRONCOS 19, CHARGERS 3: In Denver, the Denver Broncos secured the AFC’s top playoff seed with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers’ bevy of backups, a victory fueled

by Ja’Quan McMillian’s 45-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Wil Lutz was 4-for-4 on field goals as the Broncos (14-3) tied their franchise record for most victories in a season and earned their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2015, which they parlayed into a third Super Bowl title.

Panthers win the NFC South thanks to help from Falcons

BY ROB MAADDI

AP Pro Football Writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Houston Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai, left, celebrates his touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts with head coach Demeco Ryans, right, during a game on Sunday in Houston.

Texans clinch No. 5 seed in AFC playoffs with win

BY KRISTIE RIEKEN AP sportswriter

HOUSTON — The playoff-bound Houston Texans got their starters some rest on Sunday and the backups helped them get another win.

C.J. Stroud accounted for two touchdowns before sitting down at halftime and Ka’imi Fairbairn made a go-ahead field goal with 12 seconds left to lift the Texans to a 38-30 win over the Indianapolis Colts that extended their winning streak to nine games.

The victory gives the Texans (12-5) the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai scooped up a fumble on the final play and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown to pad the lead.

The Texans clinched a third straight postseason berth last week and they had a chance to win the AFC South with a victory and a Jacksonville loss. But with the Jaguars up big over the Titans at halftime, coach DeMeco Ryans opted to rest quarterback Stroud, defensive stars Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Derek Stingley and several other starters after the break.

Houston is the fifth team since 1990 to open a season 0-3 and reach the playoffs and the first team to do it twice after the 2018 Texans also achieved the feat.

“Our guys were able to accomplish a lot of great things,” Ryans said. “No matter how dim it looked to start the season, I’m proud our guys for continue to battle every single week and finding a way to win games. Now we finish on a high note to win against a really good team.”

Stingley said the mindset that got them where they are now was

a simple one.

“We treated every game like it was a playoff game,” he said.

“So that’s how we went on our streak.”

The Colts led 30-29 after a field goal with about 21/2 minutes to go before Fairbairn’s 43-yard kick put the Texans on top 32-30 and gave him a career-high six field goals in the game.

“We can’t be where we are right now without (Fairbairn) and what he’s been doing,” Ryans said.

Rookie Riley Leonard had 270 yards passing with two TDs and he ran for another score. But he also lost a fumble and threw an interception in his first NFL start after the 44-year-old Philip Rivers started the past three games for the Colts after coming out of retirement.

“I learned that he can definitely play in this league for a long time,” coach Shane Steichen said of Leonard. “To go out and do it against the top defense like he did was pretty impressive. He’s a competitor.”

It’s the seventh straight loss for the Colts (8-9), who were eliminated from postseason contention with Houston’s win last week.

“It was frustrating,” Steichen said. “The last half of this season, for sure. That’s what it’s been — not finding ways to finish. We’ve got to work tirelessly on getting that fixed.”

Stroud had an 11-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and added a 2-yard run in the period to put the Texans up 20-10.

The Texans trailed 27-26 early in the fourth when Alijah Huzzie picked off Leonard to give them great field position. They failed to move the ball and settled for a 44-yard field goal to take a 2927 lead.

The Carolina Panthers are NFC South champions for the first time in 10 years.

The Panthers (8-9) clinched the division title when the Falcons beat the Saints 19-17 on Sunday to eliminate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Led by second-year coach Dave Canales and third-year quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers are the NFC’s No. 4 seed and will host either the Rams (11-5) or 49ers (12-5). It’s their first playoff appearance under owner David Tepper and first since 2017, when they lost a wild-card game two years after they went 15-1 and lost the Super Bowl.

The Buccaneers (8-9) beat Carolina on Saturday to stay alive for an extra day but lost a three-team tiebreaker with the Falcons also finishing 8-9. Tampa Bay started 6-2 before losing seven of nine, failing to win its fifth straight division title.

The Jacksonville Jaguars won the AFC South with a 41-7 rout of Tennessee. Rookie coach Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence led the Jaguars to a 13-4 record, a major turnaround after going 4-13 in 2024.

The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Seattle.

The Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed and won the NFC West with a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in a showdown that had major ramifications. The 49ers could have won the division but instead will be the No. 5 or 6 seed.

While Sam Darnold and the Seahawks (14-3) earned a first-round bye, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the injury-depleted 49ers missed an opportunity to play at home the rest of the way. Levi’s Stadium, which is San Francisco’s home field, hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.

Thirteen of the 14 playoff berths have been secured. The AFC’s No. 1 seed is still up for grabs and there’s a winner-take-all game for the AFC North between the Ravens and Steelers to wrap up the regular season.

The Broncos (13-3), Patriots (133), Jaguars (13-4), Texans (12-5), Chargers (11-5) and Bills (11-5) have secured playoff spots in the AFC. The Seahawks (14-3), Bears (115), Eagles (11-5), Panthers, Rams (11-4), 49ers (12-5) and Packers (96-1) are heading to the NFC playoffs.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS O’MEARA

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker reacts after his touchdown catch over Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Benjamin Morrison during a game on Saturday in Tampa, Fla.

NOTEBOOK Raiders LAS VEGAS SECURES NO. 1 OVERALL PICK IN NFL DRAFT: The Las Vegas Raiders will pick first in this year’s NFL draft after the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 on Sunday.

The Giants’ victory assured that the Raiders, who were 2-14 entering their Sunday home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, would have the worst record.

If the Giants (4-13) had lost to Dallas, Las Vegas only would have secured the top pick with a loss to the Chiefs. New York’s victory made that outcome irrelevant for the Raiders as it relates to the draft.

This is just the second time the Raiders have had the top pick. The then-Oakland Raiders selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell out of LSU with the No. 1 choice in 2007. He became one of the franchise’s top draft busts.

Falcons ATLANTA FIRES COACH MORRIS AND GM FONTENOT: The Raheem Morris era is over in Atlanta.

The Falcons fired Morris as their head coach Sunday,

just after concluding his second consecutive 8-9 season.

Also fired was general manager Terry Fontenot, whose tenure will be remembered for taking two big swings for quarterbacks by signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix, and missing on both those big swings.

Morris was hired by the Falcons two years ago in the hopes that he could turn around a franchise that hasn’t had a winning record since 2017, but he kept the Falcons where they always seem to be, mired in mediocrity.

Morris now has an overall record of 36-56 as a head coach, which includes the last two seasons in Atlanta, three seasons as head coach of the Buccaneers, and a previous stint as the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020.

It seems unlikely that Morris will get another shot at a head coaching job.

Now the Falcons will begin a search for a new head coach and GM, who will inherit a roster that has plenty of talent, but also has a large question mark at quarterback. Until a general manager gets the quarterback situation figured out, it’s going to be hard for any coach to win in Atlanta.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 7C

lll

Murphy’s big night not enough to beat Heat Pels forward breaks franchise record in sixth consecutive loss

BY ROD WALKER

Sports writer

As Trey Murphy was shooting his way into the franchise record book Sunday, the New Orleans Pelicans were busy shooting themselves in the foot.

Murphy became the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers Sunday, surpassing CJ McCollum.

But it wasn’t enough to stop a sloppy Pelicans performance that led to a 125-106 setback to the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center.

It was the seventh consecutive loss for the Pelicans (8-29). The losing streak has included losses where the Pelicans struggled with rebounding or couldn’t make free throws. In this loss, it was turnovers that did the Pels in.

The Pelicans committed 17 of their 26 turnovers in the first half and trailed 70-62 at the break. The Heat (20-16) then outscored the Pels 23-15 in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 93-77.

“The turnovers cost us,” said Pelicans interim coach James Borrego. “That was the game. Some of that was carelessness. Some of that was their aggression. Some of that was rim decisions. Paint decisions. … We’ve got to be bet-

numbers. I’m proud of him. He’s fantastic and keeps growing every year and adding to his game. He’s tremendous and deserves all the credit for that.”

Murphy knocked down a seasonhigh seven 3-pointers in the game on 15 attempts. He finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Miami’s Norman Powell was even hotter, making 9 of 12 treys to finish with a game-high 34 points.

The Pelicans are allowing an average of 127.1 points per game during the losing streak that started when defensive stopper Herb Jones suffered an ankle injury that has sidelined him.

Derik Queen, who also returned after missing Friday’s game, scored 13 points to go with six rebounds. Williamson, who had scored at least 30 points in each of the last three games, finished with 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting. Those were the only three Pels in double figures.

“They made it tough on him at the rim,” Borrego said about WilASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL liamson’s night. “We’ll try to do a Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III charges forward between Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, left, and guard better job of opening up the floor and getting him some easy looks.

Davion Mitchell during a game on Sunday in Miami.

He’s been tremendous during this ter there. The challenge for us missing Friday’s game against the the half on an assist from Zion run, and I expect him to bounce defensively is present enough. We Portland Trail Blazers with a back Williamson. Murphy, in his fifth back Tuesday night.”

The Pelicans will try to end their don’t need to help our opponents injury, needed just two quarters to season, needed just 285 games to set the record. seven-game losing streak Tuesday by turning it over and giving them rewrite the record book.

“He deserves a ton of credit,” when they host the Los Angeles Murphy tied McCollum’s record easy ones.”

Miami scored 31 points off turn- of 692 3-pointers with 3:58 left in Borrego said. “He’s put the work Lakers. overs, enough to ruin Murphy’s the second quarter on an assist in. He’s a tremendous worker. He’s from Jordan Poole. He broke the going to have a wonderful career Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ record-breaking night.

Murphy, who returned after record with 39.8 seconds left in here. He’s already put up some big theadvocate.com.

SCOREBOARD Odds College Football Fiesta Bowl Glendale, Ariz.

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Miami (FL) 3 3½ (51½) Ole Miss

Friday

Peach Bowl Atlanta FAVORITE OPEN TODAY O/U UNDERDOG Indiana 4 4 (46½) Oregon

NBA Monday

FAVORITE LINE O/U UNDERDOG New York 2½ (235½) at DETROIT at TORONTO OFF (OFF) Atlanta at BOSTON 10½ (236) Chicago at HOUSTON OFF (OFF) Phoenix at OKLAHOMA CITY OFF (OFF) Charlotte at PHILADELPHIA OFF (OFF) Denver at LA CLIPPERS 1 (223½) Golden State at PORTLAND 5½ (243½) Utah

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Monday

FAVORITE LINE at CORNELL 1½ at OHIO STATE 1½ Milwaukee 1½ Oregon 4½ Lamar 1 Yale 9½ at PRINCETON 1½ at HARVARD 6½ at CHARLESTON (SC) 1½ at MCNEESE 10 at MICHIGAN STATE 10½

UNDERDOG Columbia Nebraska at GREEN BAY at RUTGERS at SE LOUISIANA at BROWN Pennsylvania Dartmouth William & Mary SFA USC

NHL FAVORITE at WASHINGTON at N.Y RANGERS at OTTAWA at CALGARY at LOS ANGELES

LINE -156 -127 -156 -164 -115

UNDERDOG Anaheim Utah Detroit Seattle Minnesota

LINE +132 +107 +131 +138 -105

Detroit 114, Cleveland 110 Orlando 135, Indiana 127 Brooklyn 127, Denver 115 Miami 125, New Orleans 106 Minnesota 141, Washington 115 Oklahoma City at Phoenix, n Milwaukee at Sacramento, n Memphis at L.A. Lakers, n

Miami 125, New Orleans 106 NEW ORLEANS (106)

Matkovic 2-5 0-0 4, Williamson 6-10 0-0 12, Queen 5-11 3-4 13, Fears 8-13 1-2 21, Murphy III 10-19 0-0 27, Peavy 2-5 0-0 4, Missi 3-5 0-0 6, Alexander 0-0 0-0 0, Alvarado 2-7 0-0 6, Hawkins 0-1 0-0 0, McGowens 1-3 2-2 5, Poole 3-11 0-0 8. Totals 42-90 6-8 106.

MIAMI (125)

Adebayo 5-14 1-1 12, Wiggins 4-9 2-2 10, Ware 7-13 1-2 16, Mitchell 3-10 0-0 9, Powell 11-15 3-4 34, Fontecchio 0-0 0-0 0, Gardner 1-5 2-2 4, Jovic 7-16 3-4 19, Jakucionis 1-4 0-0 3, Larsson 7-15 1-3 16, Smith 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 47-102 13-18 125.

New Orleans 39 23 15 29 — 106 Miami 43 27 23 32 — 125 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 16-40 (Murphy III 7-15, Fears 4-6, Alvarado 2-6, Poole 2-6, McGowens 1-2, Hawkins 0-1, Queen 0-1, Matkovic 0-3), Miami 18-44 (Powell 9-12, Mitchell 3-6, Jovic 2-8, Jakucionis 1-2, Adebayo 1-3, Ware 1-4, Larsson 1-5, Gardner 0-2, Wiggins 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—New Orleans 43 (Murphy III 8), Miami 43 (Ware 12).

Assists—New Orleans 28 (Poole 8), Miami 30 (Adebayo, Larsson, Mitchell 6). Total Fouls— New Orleans 14, Miami 14. A—19,600 (19,600)

NBA conference glance

Bowl glance

EASTERN CONFERENCE

College Football Playoff

L 9 12 12 15 14 16 16 17 18 20 20 23 22 25 30

Pct .743 .657 .647 .583 .576 .556 .556 .541 .486 .459 .429 .343 .333 .265 .167

GB — 3 3½ 5½ 6 6½ 6½ 7 9 10 11 14 14 16½ 20½

W Oklahoma City 30 San Antonio 25 Denver 23 Houston 21 L.A. Lakers 21 Minnesota 23 Phoenix 20 Golden State 19 Portland 16 Memphis 15 Dallas 13 L.A. Clippers 12 Utah 12 Sacramento 8 New Orleans 8

L 5 10 12 11 11 13 14 17 20 19 23 22 22 27 28

Pct .857 .714 .657 .656 .656 .639 .588 .528 .444 .441 .361 .353 .353 .229 .222

GB — 5 7 7½ 7½ 7½ 9½ 11½ 14½ 14½ 17½ 17½ 17½ 22 22½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Saturday’s games

Minnesota 125, Miami 115 Toronto 134, Atlanta 117 Philadelphia 130, New York 119 Charlotte 112, Chicago 99 Portland 115, San Antonio 110

Sunday’s games EAST

New York at Detroit, 6 p.m.

Atlanta at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

Chicago at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Phoenix at Houston, 7 p.m.

Denver at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Golden State at L.A. Clippers, 9 p.m.

Utah at Portland, 9 p.m.

College football

W 26 23 22 21 19 20 20 20 17 17 15 12 11 9 6

Men’s national scores

Monday’s games

Pro basketball

Detroit New York Boston Toronto Philadelphia Orlando Miami Cleveland Chicago Atlanta Milwaukee Charlotte Brooklyn Washington Indiana

Lamar at Southeastern, 6 p.m.

Prairie View A&M at Southern, 6:30 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin at McNeese, 6:30 p.m.

NW State at Nicholls, 6:30 p.m.

Texas Southern at Grambling, 6:30 p.m.

East Texas A&M at UNO, 7 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Thursday

Monday

Monday’s games

Dallas 110, Houston 104 Boston 146, L.A. Clippers 115 Golden State 123, Utah 114

Canisius 82, Sacred Heart 78 Central Connecticut 72, New Haven 61 Delaware 67, Kennesaw State 52 Fairfield 83, Niagara 75 Marist 83, Iona 38 Mercyhurst 74, Le Moyne 60 Merrimack 73, Manhattan 66 Quinnipiac 80, Mount St Marys 69 Richmond 83, Fordham 75 Seton Hall 56, Creighton 54 Siena 74, Rider 65 St. Francis (PA) 85, Fairleigh Dickinson 82 Stonehill 69, Wagner 60 UConn 73, Marquette 57

SOUTH

Florida International 76, UTEP 64 Liberty 78, Jacksonville State 69 Middle Tennessee 68, Sam Houston 67 Murray State 86, Bradley 66 Northern Kentucky 94, Youngstown State 79 Southern Illinois 68, Belmont 67 Tulane 69, Florida Atlantic 66 UAB 109, South Florida 106, 2OT Western Kentucky 66, Louisiana Tech 61

MIDWEST

Drake 74, Indiana State 72 Missouri State 89, New Mexico State 82 Northern Iowa 62, Evansville 48 Oakland 96, Robert Morris 73 Purdue Fort Wayne 74, Cleveland State 71 St. Thomas 92, Denver 88 Valparaiso 66, UIC 59 Wright State 81, IU Indianapolis 77

SOUTHWEST

North Texas 72, Tulsa 67

FAR WEST

LIU 74, Chicago State 55 Pacific 74, Pepperdine 69 San Francisco 73, Portland 68 Santa Clara 98, San Diego 70

Women’s state scores, schedule Friday’s games

Sam Houston at LA Tech, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Quarterfinals Wednesday At Cotton Bowl, Arlington, Texas No. 10 Miami 24, No. 3 Ohio St. 14

Arkansas State 89, UL-Monroe 71 McNeese 65, Lamar 57 Northwestern State 50, Nicholls 46 Stephen F. Austin 87, Southeastern 72.

Grambling 85, Prairie View 60 Tulane 70, Wichita State 60 Southern 64, Texas Southern 45 East Texas A&M 72, UNO 63 South Alabama 81, UL 56

Thursday At Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens, Fla. No. 5 Oregon 23, No. 4 Texas Tech 0 At Rose Bowl, Pasadena, Calif.

No. 1 Indiana 38, No. 11 Alabama 3 At Sugar Bowl, New Orleans No. 6 Ole Miss 39, No. 2 Georgia 34

Sunday’s game

Monday Frisco, Texas Illinois State (12-4) vs. Montana State (13-2), 6:30 p.m., ABC

College basketball Men’s state scores, schedule Friday’s games

Joyner 2-4 0-0 4, Fulwiley 6-13 1-4 13, ZaKiyah Johnson 4-9 2-4 10, Flau’jae Johnson 0-4 0-0 0, Williams 5-11 0-0 12, Knox 0-0 0-0 0, Koval 3-7 3-3 9, Richard 5-10 2-2 13, Totals 25-58 8-13 61 Pissott 2-7 0-0 6, Washington 2-5 0-0 4, Blakes 10-25 9-12 32, Galvan 4-16 2-3 14, Mwenentanda 1-2 1-1 3, Mitchell 0-0 2-8 2, Black 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 1-2 1-2 4, Totals 20-57 15-26 65 LSU 12 16 15 18 — 61 Vanderbilt 15 7 20 23 — 65 3-Point Goals—LSU 3-7 (Fulwiley 0-1, F.Johnson 0-1, Williams 2-3, Richard 1-2), Vanderbilt 10-27 (Pissott 2-5, Blakes 3-9, Galvan 4-10, Mwenentanda 0-1, Brown 1-2).

Assists—LSU 15 (Fulwiley 6, Williams 6), Vanderbilt 12 (Blakes 4). Fouled Out—None.

Rebounds—LSU 48 (Koval 10), Vanderbilt 28 (Washington 7). Total Fouls—LSU 23, Vanderbilt 13. Technical Fouls—None. A—6,576.

Saturday’s games

Southern Miss 74, UL 67 Texas State 84, UL-Monroe 79 Texas A&M 75, LSU 72 Nicholls 80, East Texas A&M 58 Stephen F. Austin 73, Southeastern 63 Northwestern State 74, UNO 68 Grambling 76, Prairie View A&M 72 Southern 84, Texas Southern 73

Sunday’s games

Tulane 69, Florida Atlantic 66 Western Kentucky 66, Louisiana Tech 61

Alabama 77, Arkansas 48 Belmont 75, Illinois State 68 Charleston 85, Northeastern 58 Clemson 70, Miami (FL) 55 Duke 82, Notre Dame 68 Elon 84, Hampton 75 George Mason 68, VCU 58 Georgia 64, Texas A&M 56, OT Hofstra 54, UNC Wilmington 46 Kansas 83, UCF 68 Kennesaw State 78, Western Kentucky 64 Kentucky 74, Missouri 52 Louisville 85, Virginia Tech 60 Middle Tennessee 69, Jacksonville State 52 Missouri State 80, Florida International 69 Monmouth 61, North Carolina A&T 55 North Carolina State 71, California 60 Northern Kentucky 75, Detroit Mercy 57 South Carolina 74, Florida 63 Stanford 77, North Carolina 71, OT Stony Brook 73, William & Mary 57, OT Syracuse 73, Wake Forest 58 Tennessee 73, Auburn 56 Vanderbilt 65, LSU 61 Virginia 91, Florida State 87, 2OT

MIDWEST

Baylor 72, Iowa State 70 Creighton 67, Butler 59 Green Bay 64, Robert Morris 43 Marquette 85, Villanova 69 Michigan State 81, Illinois 75 Milwaukee 66, Cleveland State 58 Nebraska 78, Purdue 62 Northern Iowa 91, Southern Illinois 64 Ohio State 71, Rutgers 49 Providence 69, DePaul 59 UIC 70, Indiana State 57 West Virginia 60, Kansas State 58 Wisconsin 74, Penn State 73 Georgia Tech 67, SMU 59 Liberty 86, UTEP 66 Oklahoma 95, Mississippi State 47 Texas 67, Ole Miss 64

Pro football

Pct .647 .441 .294 .235

PF 379 471 356 381

PA 325 511 451 439

y-Carolina e-Tampa Bay e-Atlanta e-New Orleans

W 8 8 8 6

L 9 9 9 11

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .471 .471 .471 .353

PF 311 380 353 306

PA 380 411 401 383

y-Chicago x-Green Bay e-Minnesota e-Detroit

W 11 9 9 9

L 6 7 8 8

T 0 1 0 0

Pct .647 .559 .529 .529

PF 441 391 344 481

PA 415 360 333 413

W L T Pct *-Seattle 14 3 0 .824 x-L.A. Rams 12 5 0 .706 x-San Francisco 12 5 0 .706 e-Arizona 3 14 0 .176 e-Eliminated from playoffs x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division *-clinched home-field advantage

PF 483 518 437 355

PA 292 346 371 488

North

West

Saturday’s games

Tampa Bay 16, Carolina 14 Seattle 13, San Francisco 3

Sunday’s games

Atlanta 19, New Orleans 17 Cleveland 20, Cincinnati 18 Houston 38, Indianapolis 30 Jacksonville 41, Tennessee 7 Minnesota 16, Green Bay 3 N.Y. Giants 34, Dallas 17 Buffalo 35, N.Y. Jets 8 Denver 19, L.A. Chargers 3 Detroit 19, Chicago 16 L.A. Rams 37, Arizona 20 Las Vegas 14, Kansas City 12 New England 38, Miami 10 Washington 24, Philadelphia 17 Baltimore at Pittsburgh, n

At ASB Tennis Centre Auckland, New Zealand Purse: $283,347

Women’s Singles

Round of 32 Sara Bejlek, Czechia, def. Panna Udvardy, Hungary, 7-5, 6-1.

Iva Jovic (3), United States, def. Gabriela Knutson, Czechia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Women’s Doubles

y-New England x-Buffalo e-Miami e-N.Y. Jets

W 14 12 7 3

L 3 5 10 14

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .824 .706 .412 .176

PF 490 481 347 300

PA 320 365 424 503

y-Jacksonville x-Houston e-Indianapolis e-Tennessee

W 13 12 8 3

L 4 5 9 14

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .765 .706 .471 .176

PF 474 404 466 284

PA 336 295 412 478

Pittsburgh Baltimore e-Cincinnati e-Cleveland

W 9 8 6 5

L 7 8 11 12

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .563 .500 .353 .294

PF 371 400 414 279

PA 363 372 492 379

*-Denver x-L.A. Chargers e-Kansas City e-Las Vegas

W 14 11 6 3

L 3 6 11 14

T 0 0 0 0

Pct .824 .647 .353 .176

PF 401 368 362 241

PA 311 340 328 432

West

T 0 1 0 0

Monday

New Mexico State 64, Delaware 57, OT Portland 74, Pacific 53 Saint Mary’s 57, San Diego 49 San Francisco 85, Loyola Marymount 82, OT Santa Clara 77, Gonzaga 73 UC San Diego 65, Hawai’i 54 Washington State 73, Seattle 69

North

L 6 9 12 13

WTA ASB Classic results

FAR WEST

South

W 11 7 5 4

Pro tennis

SOUTHWEST

AMERICAN CONFERENCE East

No. 12 Vanderbilt 65, No. 5 LSU 61

y-Philadelphia e-Dallas e-Washington e-N.Y. Giants

South

SOUTH

None scheduled.

VANDERBILT (15-0)

McNeese 82, Lamar 70 Middle Tennessee 88, Louisiana Tech 51

Campbell 62, Drexel 51 Fairleigh Dickinson 73, St. Francis (PA) 28 LIU 60, Chicago State 51 Mercyhurst 89, Le Moyne 72 New Haven 70, Central Connecticut 51 Wagner 62, Stonehill 59 Xavier 52, Georgetown 51

NFL glance

LSU (14-2)

NATIONAL CONFERENCE East

Sunday’s games EAST

Vanderbilt 65, LSU 61

Monday’s games

FCS glance Final

Women’s national scores

Round of 16 Maia Lumsden, Britain, and Isabelle Haverlag, Netherlands, def. Laura Pigossi and Ingrid Martins, Brazil, 6-2, 6-7 (1), 12-10.

Magda Linette, Poland, and Shuko Aoyama, Japan, def. Sabrina Santamaria, United States, and Qianhui Tang, China, 6-3, 7-5.

Transactions BASEBALL

Major League Baseball American League KANSAS CITY ROYALS — Agreed to terms with manager Matt Quatraro on a contract extension and with SS Michael Braswell III on a minor league contract.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League FLORIDA PANTHERS — Recalled D Tobias Björnfot from Charlotte (AHL).

SAN JOSE SHARKS — Signed F Alexander Wennberg to a three-year contract extension.

SOCCER

Major League Soccer D.C. UNITED — Signed F Gabriel Segal to a two-year contract.

SUNDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS RESULTS POST TIME: 12:45 PM Track Condition: fast

First Race — Purse $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile

7-Regatta Bay (Castillo I.) $2.40 $2.10 $2.10 2-Hudson’s Day (Rea H.) $4.00 $3.40 6-Saucy Argument (Inirio J.) $6.40 Also Ran: Contraband Early, My Dad’s Guitar, Triple Four.

Late Scratches: Byathread Race Time: 1:40.47 Exacta (7-2) $5.60; Superfecta (7-2-6-4) $19.93; Trifecta (7-2-6) $13.00

Second Race — Purse $14,000, Claiming $5,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards

3-Steel Venom (Castillo I.) $3.40 $2.80 $2.40 2-License to Steal (Rea H.) $8.80 $5.80 6-Crecencio (Cannon D.) $5.80 Also Ran: Lil Bro Coop, Dr. Niko.

Late Scratches: Concentration, Battleoflexington Race Time: 1:44.59 Daily Double (7-3) $2.50; Exacta (3-2) $15.30;

Superfecta (3-2-6-5) $14.96; Trifecta (3-2-6) $39.00 Claimed: Steel Venom ($5,000.00, Owner: Paw Paw Pretty Girls Racing LLC, Trainer: George Leonard III)

Third Race — Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo’s & up, Seven And A Half Furlongs

3-Thebabes. (Graham J.) $2.60 $2.20 $2.10 5-Global Honor (Vives S.) $10.20 $5.40 2-Victory Prince (Magnon D.) $5.80 Also Ran: Lil Central, Jus Surprise Me, Musical Band, Eskenforave and Ak, Alwaysfreaky, Temple of Peace, Metairie, Zong’s Favor.

Late Scratches: Reach for the Aces Race Time: 1:30.63 Daily Double (3-3) $3.10; Exacta (3-5) $12.00; Superfecta (3-5-2-11) $56.46; Trifecta (3-5-2) $30.70; Pic 3 (7-3-3) $1.90

Fourth Race — Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 4 yo’s & up, Six Furlongs

1-Miz Chris (Curtis B.) $9.60 $3.20 $3.00 2-(dh)Sister Lily (Lopez P.) $2.10 $2.40 3-(dh)Texas Queen (Conc. A.) $2.10 $2.10

Also Ran: Olympic Star, Cloud Number Nine, Relevate.

Race Time: 1:11.46 Daily Double (3-1) $9.50; Exacta (1-2) $7.50; Exacta (1-3) $7.00; Superfecta (1-2-3-4) $3.21; Superfecta (1-3-2-4) $3.14; Trifecta (1-2-3) $5.95; Trifecta (1-3-2) $5.80; Pic 3 (3-3-1) $9.05

Fifth Race — Purse $19,000, SOC $10,000-$5,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile

8-Roar of Silence (Loveb. J.) $5.60 $3.20 $3.00 3-True Blue Sky (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $5.00 $4.20 1-Deal’em and Weep (Murrill M.) $5.80 Also Ran: Irish Kitten, Gypsan, Desert Glow, Start Singing, All About Me, Spicy Italian, Talksalot, April’s Gem. Late Scratches: Im Singled Up, Blueberry Eyes, Berlaine, Reimagine Race Time: 1:38.03 Daily Double (1-8) $16.00; Exacta (8-3) $14.30; Superfecta (8-3-1-4) $78.15; Trifecta (8-3-1) $40.35; Pic 3 (3-1-8) $15.45; Pic 4 (1/3/4-3/121-5/6/8/14/15) $28.55; Pic 5 (3/7-1/3/4-3/121-5/6/8/14/15) $40.75 Claimed: Roar of Silence ($10,000.00, Owner:

Eduardo Rodriguez, Trainer: Eduardo Rodriguez)

Sixth Race — Purse $30,000, Maiden optional claiming $50,000, 3 yo, Six Furlongs

1-S S Radio (Concepcion A.) $7.80 $5.20 $3.60 6-Halo Music (Castillo I.) $8.20 $4.80 9-Kazoom (Lopez P.) $2.60 Also Ran: A Cab On the Rocks, Emancipation, Rudie Won’t Fail, Outlaw Empire, Awesome Magic.

Late Scratches: Straitshootinlarry, Chicanery Race Time: 1:10.38 Daily Double (8-1) $23.70; Exacta (1-6) $29.10; Superfecta (1-6-9-10) $79.12; Trifecta (1-6-9) $95.10; Pic 3 (1-8-1) $28.95

Seventh Race — Purse $22,000, Maiden Claiming $30,000, 4 yo’s & up, One And One Sixteenth Miles

9-Carc Brothers (Geo. F.) $37.60 $10.40 $5.80 8-Denizen (Lopez P.) $2.40 $2.20 2-Royal Irish (Cannon D.) $7.00

Also Ran: McGinnis, Zun Reyder, Don Pablo, Rivage, Film At Eleven, Greasepaintgroucho.

Late Scratches: Where Y’at Race Time: 1:43.14 Daily Double (1-9) $67.70; Exacta (9-8) $45.40; Superfecta (9-8-2-1) $84.93; Trifecta (9-8-2) $188.45; Pic 3 (8-1-9) $149.30

Eighth Race — Purse $54,000, Maiden special weight, 3 yo, One Mile

9-Braken Poppa (Lopez P.) $5.80 $3.40 $2.20 $9.20 $3.80 8-What’s Love (Hernandez C.) 10-Fade to Gold (Hernandez, Jr. B.) $2.10 Also Ran: Simple Spice, Our Castle Queen, Restless Mind, Stella Guitar, Rainy Day. Late Scratches: Lost Art, Sweet Aurora G, Bistineau Beauty Race Time: 1:39.97 Daily Double (9-9) $46.30; Exacta (9-8) $15.50; Superfecta (9-8-10-6) $15.23; Trifecta (9-8-10) $15.90; Pic 3 (1-9-9) $58.75; Pic 4 (5/6/8/14/15-1-9-9) $364.30; Pic 5 (1-5/6/8/14/15-1-9-9) $1,883.10; Pic 6 (3/12-15/6/8/14/15-1-9-9) $1,864.12 Handle: $0

8C ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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ALL-METRO SWIMMING

GIRLS OUTSTANDING SWIMMER

BOYS OUTSTANDING SWIMMER

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Avery Daigle, of Mandeville, rests after winning the 100-yard butterfly during the Metro Championships on Nov. 8 at Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville. Daigle set composite meet records in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke at the state meet in November.

Aidan Villars, of Jesuit, swims the 100-yard butterfly en route to winning the event at the Metro Championships on Nov. 8 at Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville. Villars went on to post composite meet records in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke at the LHSAA state meet.

AVERY DAIGLE MANDEVILLE, SOPHOMORE

AIDAN VILLARS JESUIT, SENIOR

Mandeville sophomore Avery Daigle could have entered the same two events she dominated as a freshman at the LHSAA Division I state championships.

Instead, the All-America swimmer chose two other events and won those just as convincingly.

Daigle posted All-America times and set composite state meet records at 54.02 seconds in the 100-yard butterfly and 54.14 in the 100-yard backstroke at the state meet in November, making her the TimesPicayune Swimmer of the year for the second consecutive season.

“Those were not actually her top events,” Mandeville coach Robby Fritscher said, adding that “she wants to go to a top-notch, top-three school in the country,” and to do so,“she’s going to have to swim more than a couple events.”

Daigle, whose father, Patrick, is a former

Jesuit coach Brett Dipuma told senior Aidan Villars on the morning of the Allstate Sugar Bowl New Orleans metro championships in November that he needed to make a lineup change that would put more stress on the standout swimmer.

What Villars did later that day only solidified the coach’s belief that Villars could grind through any challenge put before him.

He excelled again two weeks later while at the LHSAA Division I state championships, where Villars posted two All-America times in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke events, making him the Times-Picayune’s All-Metro Swimmer of the year for 2025.

“He’s just a gutsy swimmer,” Dipuma said.

“He’s a hard worker, and just the stuff he has done the past four years, he knows what he wants, and he gets after it and goes for it. He’s intense. He just loves swimming.”

Villars posted composite state meet records

Brother Martin standout who swam for LSU, won the 100 and 200 freestyle races as a freshman.

“I’ve just kind of been focusing not necessarily on the time, but focusing on the technique,” said Daigle, who has welcomed the challenge of excelling at multiple strokes.

Fritscher could have Daigle compete in the 200 freestyle again next season so that she can possibly break the state-meet record in that event, something she did not achieve as a freshman.

He might also have her try the 500 free, something the coach said would be “a really big step” into an “extremely uncomfortable zone” for the swimmer whose best events are the 50 and 100 free.

“My commitment is to give her the opportunity to swim anywhere she wants in college,” Fritscher said.

Christopher Dabe

GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR

TIFFANY HOOKS HILL POPE JOHN PAUL II

from senior Emma Mae Smith, who won two individual events and swam on two winning relays as SSA won the Division II title with 293 1/ 2 points, ahead of runner-up Haynes (263).

Christopher Dabe

ZOE McEVOY Ben Franklin, Jr. 200 IM (2:12.03), 100 backstroke (59.09)

EMBRY PALMISANO Dominican, Jr. 50 freestyle (24.29), 100 freestyle (52.79)

SYDNEY EAGAN Mandeville, So. 200 freestyle (1:57.48), 500 freestyle (5:20.73)

BLAIR FOSS Dominican, Sr. 200 IM (2:09.75), 100 breaststroke (1:07.77)

TERESE VOCKE Dominican, Jr. 500 freestyle (5:14.06)

RYLEIGH McCREARY Northshore, Sr. 100 breaststroke (1:07.56)

LILA UNSER Hayes, Fr. 100 butterfly (59.92)

MARTA GIARUSSO Dominican, Jr. 500 freestyle (5:25.28)

AVERY DAIGLE Mandeville, So. 100 butterfly (54.02), 100 backstroke (54.14)

KENDALL JOLLANDS Dominican, Jr. 200 freestyle (1:52.49), 100 butterfly (54.71)

EMMA CATE DOBIE Mandeville, Sr. 200 IM (2:10.67), 100 breaststroke (1:03.99)

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The Pope John Paul II boys won a sixth consecutive state championship, taking the LHSAA Division IV crown with strong contributions from senior Eric Ring, who won two events and set school records in

the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events.

His 1 minute, 39.41 seconds in the 200 freestyle earned him All-America consideration.

Christopher Dabe

BOYS ALL-METRO TEAM

GIRLS ALL-METRO TEAM

ANNALISE GAGLIANO Dominican, Jr. 500 freestyle (5:25.28)

Christopher Dabe

BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR

CHRIS PRATOR ST. SCHOLASTICA Another year, another championship for St. Scholastica and coach Chris Prator.The Doves have won 15 consecutive state titles, and Prator has been the coach for all of them.

The latest came with a heavy contribution

of 47.84 seconds in the 100 butterfly and 48.38 in the 100 backstroke. He also swam on the 200 medley relay that set a composite state meet record at 1 minute, 33.56 seconds.

His 100 butterfly time broke the record he set in 2024 as a junior at 48.54.

The lineup changes at the metro meet had Villars swim three times in a span of four events, all to help Jesuit win the metro team championship.At that meet,Villars won the 100 butterfly and then swam the 200 freestyle relay, won the 100 backstroke and swam the 400 freestyle relay in quick succession.

“That’s kind of the goal of the team, for everyone to buy in, put the team first,” Dipuma said.“That’s what we’re shooting for at the end of the day, to swim for something greater than ourselves.”

ADDISON PROVENZANO Northshore, Jr. 100 backstroke (58.8) BRAYLEE LADNER Pope John Paul II, So. 50 freestyle (24.32) EMMA MAE SMITH St. Scholastica, Sr. 200 freestyle (1:57.52), 100 freestyle (53.36)

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GASPAR COULON Ben Franklin, Sr. 500 freestyle (4:49.72) ALEX CHEHEBAR Fontainebleau, Sr. 200 freestyle (1:45.96), 100 butterfly (50.9)

AIDAN VILLARS Jesuit, Sr. 100 butterfly (47.84), 100 backstroke (48.38)

ERIC RING Pope John Paul II, Sr. 200 freestyle (1:39.41), 500 freestyle (4:34.35)

ROBBY EUTSLER John Curtis, Sr. 100 backstroke (52.02)

COLE STOKEY Rummel, Jr. 200 IM (1:58.41), 100 breaststroke (58.23)

DANIEL LONG Holy Cross, Sr. 50 free (21.03), 100 freestyle (46.48)

GUSTAVO CASTILHO Northshore, Jr. 50 free (21.02), 100 freestyle (45.82)

BEN BRIETHAUPT Jesuit, Sr. 100 freestyle (48.0), 100 breaststroke (58.01)

SAM NAFFA Northshore, Sr. 100 breaststroke (58.0)

GRANT CASTILLON Jesuit, Sr. 200 IM (1:56.73)

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GORDON BAIO Ponchatoula, Fr. 50 free (21.67), 100 butterfly (52.01)

JAKE BERGERON St. Paul’s, Jr. 200 freestyle (1:41), 500 freestyle (4:45.87) CHRISTOPHER LOBUE St. Paul’s, Jr. 200 IM (2:01.62) Note: All-Metro selections are based on times and placements from the LHSAA state championships in Sulphur.

ONE great state FOUR great apps

LIVING

N O L A.C O M

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M o n d ay, J a n u a ry 5, 2026

1dn

ALZHEIMER’S Q&A

From red donkeys to vibrant art, Fernando Dávila’s color ful journey as a colorblind painter

Accept your loved one at every stage of disease journey Any words of wisdom for Alzheimer’s caregivers for the new year?

Seeing believing

Fernando Dávila, a colorblind painter, shows his glasses designed to help see color at his gallery in Doral, Fla. AP PHOTOS By CODy JACKSON

BY CODY JACKSON

Associated Press

DORAL, Fla. — When Fernando Dávila was 8 years old in Colombia, he failed a drawing class because he painted donkeys red.

There was a reason for that: He is colorblind.

Now the 72-year-old Dávila is an established and respected artist whose vibrant paintings have been exhibited in South America, Europe and the United States.

“I have the most wonderful job in the world, which is painting every morning,” Dávila said from his studio in a Miami suburb. “To mix colors. To have joy to share with the world, that’s really my passion.”

He started off painting only in black and white until he was around 30 years old because of his colorblindness, a congenital condition which makes it difficult for people to tell the difference between certain colors, particularly red and green, and shades of color. There is no cure for the condition, which for Dávila also makes the colors pink, violet, turquoise and yellow-green confusing.

Since the mid-1980s, Dávila has painted in color through the help of glasses

ä See COLORBLIND, page 2D

Fernando Dávila, a colorblind painter, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at his gallery on Dec. 18. Since the mid-1980s, Dávila has painted in color through the help of glasses developed by an ophthalmologist in New york.

Pick up the slack We asked nutritionists what they eat during the winter.

Here’s their grocery list

BY AVERY NEWMARK

Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS) The holidays may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the time when the sniffles return, cold medicine is a mainstay on your nightstand and you catch yourself side-eyeing every cough within a 10-foot radius.

Handwashing and sleep are still the real MVPs for dodging a cold, but what you eat can help your body get through winter a

little more smoothly with everyday choices that support how your body functions.

To figure out which foods are worth prioritizing, we spoke with Lauren Manaker, a Charlestonbased registered dietitian, and Kip Hardy, manager of food & nutrition services at Emory Healthcare. Here’s what they lean on when the colder months hit.

ä See LIST, page 2D

GETT TTTy IMAGES PHOTO

Most often, caregivers are “told” what they should or could be doing in the care of their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, sparking confusion and an onset of emotions such as frustration or resentment.

Suggestions and recommendations from health care professionals and well-meaning friends are meant to educate and ease the caregiving journey, not provoke defensiveness in the caregiver or instill doubt about their methods of caregiving.

For the Alzheimer’s caregiver, accepting the affected individual in the present moment is paramount. Focus energy on the person behind the disease instead of what the disease is doing to him or her. The affected individual is always changing, is different in many ways, but accepting that person at every stage of the disease eases the circumstances and makes the journey enduring.

As written in the familiar Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

The progression of Alzheimer’s disease in an affected individual will not change. It is up to the caregiver to change his or her own behaviors, ways of looking at the disease and the individual, and to be comfortable with that acceptance of everything.

Patience is essential to daily life and having patience means being able to wait calmly in the face of exasperation or adversity. The caregiving journey, for the most part, is filled with stress and anxiety, and the caregiver should know when to step away from a situation and find ways to channel self-care and relaxation, which are critical for the caregiver to be patient and loving with their loved one.

In the upcoming new year, find ways to create meaningful experiences for yourself and for your loved ones. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, Holocaust survivor and writer, once wrote that there were three ways to make life more meaningful: 1) through what we give; 2) through what we take (experiences); and 3) through the stand we take toward a fate we no longer can change, such as an incurable disease like Alzheimer’s.

Find times of meaning during caregiving through stories and find times for reflection and celebration that can be woven during the caregiving journey.

Be forgiving of yourself and the disease. Offer your loved one the best version of yourself (which is why self-care is so important). Redefine success by making more moments that really matter with your loved one and identifying what is most important for the both of you for the new year.

Trust your instincts. Avoid being a people pleaser. Appreciate

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2D ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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UTIs reflect underlying biology, not cleanliness Dear Doctors: I get frequent UTIs and was shocked you said they are caused by lax hygiene or sexual contact. I am meticulous about hygiene and have no sexual contact.

My urologist said it is not the case all the time. This should have been worded differently in your article.

Now my friends think I should take better care in cleansing myself. It’s quite frustrating.

Dear reader: We regret that our discussion of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a recent column did not include enough context to make clear that they can happen due to multiple causes. As we wrote, most uncomplicated UTIs happen when bacteria enter the urinary tract through common anatomical routes. Often, this is due to accidental transfer from

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

the rectum, or during sexual activity. However, that’s not true for everyone. The focus of the column you are referencing was the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance in treating UTIs. Your letter gives us a chance to take a closer look at other ways UTIs can happen. We hope we can help ease the concerns of other readers like yourself.

When it comes to UTIs, anatomy is destiny. About half of all women will have at least one UTI in their lifetime. Only about 10% of men will have one. Part of the reason is that in women, the urethra is much shorter than it is in men. In men, the urethra is about 20 centimeters long. In women, it’s about 4 centimeters. This is a much shorter distance for bacteria to travel to infect a female bladder.

Add in how close the urethra is to the rectum. This increases the risk of bacterial transfer even more, even with good hygiene.

Other factors can play a role in being susceptible to UTIs. One cause is the hormonal changes that occur during perimenopause and menopause. During these phases, the tissues of the urinary

TODAY IN HISTORY In 1972, President Richard Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program, diToday is Monday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2026. There recting NASA to produce a are 360 days left in the year. reusable vehicle that would Today in history: boost manned space exploOn Jan. 5, 1933, construc- ration while bringing down its costs. (The first shuttle tion began on the Golden Gate Bridge; the bridge was launched in 1981 and the last in 2011.) completed in May 1937.

In 1980, “Rapper’s DeAlso on this date: In 1896, an Austrian news- light,” by The Sugarhill Gang, became the first paper reported the discovhip-hop song to reach the ery by German physicist Billboard Top 40, helping Wilhelm Röntgen of a new type of radiation that came to popularize the emerging musical genre. to be called “X-ray.”

In 2022, Australia deIn 1925, Democrat Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming nied entry to tennis star took office as America’s Novak Djokovic, who was first female governor. seeking to play for a 10th In 1957, President Dwight Australian Open title later D. Eisenhower proposed in the month; authorities assistance to countries to canceled his visa upon help them resist communist his arrival in Melbourne aggression in what became because he failed to meet known as the Eisenhower the requirements for an Doctrine. exemption to COVID-19

By The Associated Press

LIST

antioxidant support they bring.

Continued from page 1D And don’t overlook zinc.

Hardy calls it a “workhorse nutrient” that often gets What the pros reach for overshadowed by vitamin C. “Beans, lentils, chickManaker keeps things simple, focusing on nutrient- peas, nuts, seeds (especially dense staples. pumpkin seeds), and whole “Citrus fruits like oranges grains are good sources of and grapefruits are a go- zinc. Pairing these foods to for their vitamin C,” she with vitamin C — rich insaid. She’ll toss spinach or gredients like citrus, tomakale into smoothies and reg- toes, or peppers can also ularly reaches for tuna (she help with zinc absorption,” likes Safe Catch) because she said. it’s packed with protein and Throat tickles set in omega-3s.

Vitamin C helps support Staying hydrated isn’t normal immune function, just a summer thing. Mild leafy greens deliver anti- dehydration can make your oxidants that protect cells mucous membranes (your from seasonal stress, and body’s first barrier against omega-3s help support a germs) less effective. Warm healthy inflammatory re- liquids keep things moving, sponse — exactly what your and research shows they can immune system needs when help your body clear out irit’s working overtime. ritants and viruses.

Hardy’s winter staples are Hardy leans heavily on similar. soups and stews because “My everyday staples are “they’re hydrating, comfortcitrus fruit and dark leafy ing, filling, and an easy way greens … berries, garlic, to get lots of nourishment in ginger, beans, and whole a meal.” She sticks to warm grains,” she shared, adding liquids, including herbal tea that polyphenols — the com- with lemon or ginger, brothpounds behind the bright based soups and even warm colors in foods like berries, water.

Manaker reaches for red cabbage and greens — deserve more love for the “warm teas with honey and

COLORBLIND Continued from page 1D

developed by an ophthalmologist in New York, where Dávila was living at the time. One lens is transparent and the other is shaded red, and they help him discriminate between contrasting shades that normally blur together. With the lenses, he can see almost two-thirds of the colors, but without them he only sees around 40% of the colors.

Dávila compared his condition to having a box of chocolates but only being able to eat a sample of the selection.

He says he has such a strong

STAGES

Continued from page 1D and value yourself. Let go of things you can’t control.

Understand that the need will always be greater than the resources. Never give up

vaccination rules.

In 2024, a door plug on Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, forcing the 171 passengers and six crew to don oxygen masks before the pilots made an emergency landing. No one was seriously hurt, but the sudden depressurization left a gaping hole in the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Robert Duvall is 95. Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is 85. Actor Vinnie Jones is 61. TV personality Carrie Ann Inaba is 58. Rock singer Marilyn Manson is 57. Actor-filmmaker Bradley Cooper is 51. Actor January Jones is 48. Actor Brooklyn Sudano is 45. Actor Mike Faist is 34. Actor and model Suki Waterhouse is 34. Actor Walker Scobell is 17.

lemon” and often makes a tea with slippery elm bark and a little Manuka honey when her throat needs soothing. Honey has been shown to help reduce coughing in both kids and adults.

Don’t overcomplicate it Between work, kids and the general winter blues, convenience matters.

Hardy’s solution is to prep a few basics ahead of time — extra grains, a sheet pan of roasted veggies or dips like hummus you can grab from the fridge. Those building blocks, she says, make it easy to mix and match meals throughout the week so you don’t get bored, and they turn eating well into something that feels manageable instead of like a chore.

Manaker suggests snacks, such as apple slices with almond butter or a quick trail mix with sunflower seeds and dried fruit.

“These options are simple, kid-friendly, and full of immune-supporting nutrients,” she said.

In the end, it’s about consistency, not perfection.

Balanced meals, plenty of hydration, good sleep, and a little prep go a long way during cold and flu season.

desire to see every color.

“It’s something that I miss in my life, that if somebody says, ‘Look at this flower,’ which is bright, bright pink, I want to do it,” he said. “It’s something that comes from my heart so passionately.

I can feel the vibration of color.”

Colorblindness runs his family. A grandfather and some great uncles only saw in black and white, while his mother and her three sisters also were colorblind even though the condition is rarer in women. His two brothers also have trouble discriminating between colors.

Dávila has spent his career in Colombia, New York and Florida. He was awarded

the “Order of Democracy” by the Colombian Congress in 1999 for his contribution to the arts. He also has published two hardcover books and many catalogues about his paintings, and his work has appeared at major auctions including Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

His paintings include romantic images of men and women embracing and landscapes, often using the color blue as a foundation.

“I think color is one of the most important things in life,” he said. “And especially for me.”

on your hopes and dreams.

Remember to take care of your mind, body and spirit so that there is something left to give to your loved one.

Seek ways to reach out to your loved one through their long-term, joyful memories and enjoy that present moment together.

Above all, for the new year, simply, love always!

Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida, contributed to this report.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author. She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

tract and the vagina change in ways that are favorable to harmful bacteria. Constipation, diabetes, inability to fully empty the bladder, catheter use, anatomical abnormalities and a weakened immune system can increase chances of getting a UTI. Vaginal and urinary microbiome composition and some spermicidal products can also play a role in UTI risk.

Another risk factor for UTIs brings us back to the topic of the original column, which is antibiotic resistance. This is when bacteria adapt to survive the antibiotics that would normally kill them. It’s a widespread problem that makes infections of all types even more difficult to treat and control. With UTIs, there’s an epidemic of recurrent infections due to antibiotic

resistance. This is when a drug is unable to completely kill the bacterium at the source of the infection. The surviving microbes then replicate, allowing the infection to persist or recur. Around 20% to 30% of women who have contracted their first UTI go on to experience a bounce-back infection.

The takeaway here is that UTIs reflect underlying biology rather than personal habits. It’s a distinction that can lead to improved diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

Why the obsession with being thanked all the time? brutal and draconian.

Dear Miss Manners: Why Usually, that is the claim is it that people see it as mandatory to send a thank- of people who are on the receiving end of presents. you for a gift? It seems It is unusual for a generous like people give gifts with giver, as you seem the sole purpose of to be, to make that being appreciated. argument. But you This seems conhave in common trary to the whole with them the idea idea of giving a gift. that the act of givTo explain further, let me tell you ing should be a sufJudith how I give gifts. I ficient reward.

Martin have a large family Don’t you want MISS that is pretty farto know that your MANNERS flung. Some years present was a I’m in touch with success? Or even certain members; other just that it was actually years I’m in touch with received? Would it not be others. When the holidays rewarding to hear that the come around and I am recipients of your thoughtshopping for gifts, I look fulness were pleased? for things that remind me It’s called feedback. of them and of conversaDear Miss Manners: My mother told me, long ago, tions we’ve had. why table knives are Gifts, to me, are not a placed with the cutting chore and not an obligaedge toward the plate, but tion. If I get a thank-you card, it is nice, but I do not I have forgotten. Would see any obligation on their you be so kind as to remind me, as my mother is no lonpart to send me one. I got my reward already. ger available?

Why are thank-you cards Gentle reader: It was to so brutal and draconian? avoid the knives being Gentle reader: What’s that? used to attack fellow dinPeople are sending bruers — or at least to lessen that possibility. Really. tal, draconian thank-you In cruder times, if you cards? can imagine such a thing, Well, that would be wicked. But Miss Manners people brought their huntguesses that you mean that ing knives to the table, you consider the requirewith which to tear into the animals they’d hunted ment to send them to be

(now cooked).

But as they were no more immune than we to strongly held differences of opinion, diners were sometimes known to express their contempt for the beliefs of others.

But blood on the table can ruin a dinner party. So it was decreed that the cutting edges of knives should be turned toward their owners, thus symbolizing their peaceful intent.

Dear Miss Manners: Unfortunately, in all my etiquette books, there is no reference on the time interval between receiving a wedding/baby shower gift and sending a thank-you note.

Is there a too soon/too late window?

Gentle reader: That is because there is not supposed to be an interval. Too early is before the present is received, and too late is any interval afterward — although not while the donor is still standing there.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Those who can donate should John Smith.” Many times, Dear Heloise: I have ena comforter and duvet at home rather than taking joyed your (and your moth- we come across names or it to a dry cleaners, you er’s) column for decades. I companies in our phone contact list, and we forget can place it in a dryer for was recently upset by the who they are. This 1 hour, then finish drying person who recomway, if you need it by placing a clean sheet mended not giving a plumber, you over a clothesline or fence to charities because can just search and placing the comforter the money all went for the category over the sheet. to administration “plumbing” in your This allows fresh air costs. This is simply contacts, and your to circulate through the not true.

Hints from phone will display comforter, and it usually There are thouHeloise John Smith and his dries rather fluffy without sands of charities in company’s name. a chemical scent to it. It the United States, It’s also helpful to enter works well for me, and and many depend on volunperhaps it will work for teers only. However, there dates so that you know when John Smith last some of your other readare scammers, and it is easy to check out a charity cleaned out your drain ers. — Connie S., in Clawson, or whatever the situation at CharityNavigator.org.

Michigan was. The Notes section They study each charity’s Quick menu in your cellphone conwork and their financial statements, and they rate tacts can be very helpful Dear Heloise: Several years them according to their for endless reasons, like ago, my husband and I impact and efficiency with names and birth dates of made a list of dinners that contributions. a friend’s grandchildren, I normally prepare, such At this critical time in the hours and days that a as spaghetti, pot roast, our country when so many certain business or restau- tacos, etc. Then whenever people are finding themwe are stuck on what we rant is open, etc. — Leo G., in want for dinner, we look at Kenosha,Wisconsin selves without paychecks the list and pick one that or public assistance proCleaning a comforter matches the ingredients grams, it is especially imwe have on hand. We’ve portant for those who can Dear Heloise: I have read added to this list as we give to support others. I both your mother’s and think of something we have met many people who your hints for many years forgot or if I find a new faat some time in their lives and thank you for all of needed help to support your wonderful hints. vorite meal. — Joan A., in West themselves or their chilMany of these hints saved Covina, California me time and money! dren, and with this help, Now I have a hint to they were able to become Send a hint to heloise@ share: If you like to wash self-supporting contribuheloise.com. tors to our society.

It’s not just the wise thing to do; it’s the right Mugs, shirts, hats, thing to do. — M.Arnold, via email posters, books.

Categorizing contacts

Dear Heloise: When you’re entering a person or company’s name, address and phone number in the Notes section of your contacts, add a category for the contact name. For example: “Plumbing —

Something for everyone at the Advocate Store!

STORE.NOLA.COM

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

For better or For WorSe

zodIAC CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Consider how to get the most out of whatever situation you encounter. Compromise and incentives will lead to positive change and a better understanding of what's possible.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Channel your energy into activities that help to dissipate emotional and domestic difficulties. Anger is not the answer, but rational thinking and behavior will help you achieve what you set out to do.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Stay on track.

Don't mince words. Discipline is an asset that can help you redeem a situation that goes wrong or is misconstrued. Work your magic, and you'll gain respect.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Make wise choices. Participate in social settings that give you space to regroup and reset your options. Close encounters will be taxing and leave you vulnerable. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Check your emotions at the door and proceed with confidence. Use your intelligence, experience and charm to create opportunities and make things happen. Become the master of your destiny.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Adjust whatever isn't working for you. Distance yourself from anyone applying pressure. Concentrate on making your surroundings more functional. Put personal gain first.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Look at the big picture, ask questions and change only what's feasible. Follow the rules

and regulations, and pay attention to the fine print. Partnerships require definitive protections.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't need. Trust your instincts and avoid overkill. You don't need change; you need stability, comfort and peace of mind.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Pay attention to what's happening around you. A change someone makes will influence your position. Networking, meetings and interviews will pan out well for you.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Bide your time, and invest in making your life run smoothly. Rearrange your schedule and surroundings to ensure efficiency and comfort. Don't take on too much, or you will fall short. sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Travel, teach, communicate and socialize with people who can offer you something in return.

Working alongside like-minded people will spark your imagination and encourage you to diversify. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Observe, learn and take notes. Temptation is overpowering, and excess, indulgence and poor choices are likely if you don't have discipline. Pace yourself; time is on your side.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's CLuE: s EQuALs B

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

Sudoku InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 5D

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Matthew Arnold, an English poet who died in 1888, said, “Journalism is literature in a hurry.”

Inexperienced players often find it difficult to sacrifice a trick when it can be won. This deal, as you have no doubt surmised, is an example.

South is in four hearts. West leads the spade ace: five, seven, four. West continues with the spade king: jack, two, 10.

West perseveres with the spade queen.

How should South proceed?

West had an excellent hand for a weak two-bid in this age of the flimsy pre-empt.

North overcalled three clubs. Then South might have bid a forcing three hearts, but he decided that four hearts rated to be the best contract.

West noticed East’s high-low in spades and was not distracted by South’s falsecard with his 10. West led a third spade, hoping East could overruff the dummy.

And at the table, that was exactly what happened. Declarer ruffed the third spade with dummy’s heart eight.

But East overruffed with the 10 and shifted to the diamond king. Suddenly, South saw that he was stranded on the board. Whether he returned a diamond or played three rounds of clubs, discarding his last diamond, declarer had to lose another trick and go down one.

South, of course, complained he was unlucky that East had the heart 10. But

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

given the 6-2 spade break, East was more likely to hold that trump.

Instead, South should have discarded from the dummy at trick three. He could have won whatever West led next, drawn trumps (the heart eight still being in the dummy), and run the clubs.

Consider the possibilities carefully. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD = gOOD aFTErnOOn

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuCtIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — PEttIER: PEH-tee-er: Having less importance.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 12 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in PETTIER? sAtuRDAy’s WoRD — sQuABBLInG sail sang sign signal sing slab slain slang sling slub slug

slung snag snail snub snug squab squib subbing suing sung quail

quasi ulna using abusing align bail bang basil basin basing bias

blab blain blin bling bluing bulb bung busing lain lasing ling

lung nail gain glib

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 Jesus made it possible to trade our sin for His righteousness because He died in our place for our sins. — G.E. Dean

6D ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

muttS

roSe iS roSe

lll

Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus.

“Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

InstructIons: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ 7D

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classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM

Announcements Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Ariaun Ford, please contact Atty. Alex J. Bellow at 504544-4055.

172591-1/3-4-5-3t $85.00 We are applying to the Commissioner of the Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for a permit to sell beverages of High and Low Alcoholic content in the Parish of Orleans at the following address: Baroness de Pontalba LLC D/B/A Baroness, 512 ConƟ Street, Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70130.

Walter Baudier III. 172568-1/5-1t $100.12

ESPLANADE RIDGE The Carson Company, Inc. 5900 Hayne Blvd., 1Bd/1Ba..........$695 2900 Third St. #10, 1Bd/1Ba.........$700 616 S. Alexander St., 2Bds/1Ba....$795 5301 Burgundy St., 2Bds/1Ba.......$895 2731 Bruxelles St., 3Bds/1Ba......$1195 2441 N. Robertson St., 2/1...........$1200 2300 N. Broad St., 1Bd/1Ba.........$1236 753 S Genois St., 2/1 (Sec 8 Ok).$1384 2924 Mandeville 3/2 (Sec 8 OK).$1592 5737 Franklin Ave., 3/2 (Sngl)....$1795 821-1858 * 822-8432 * 427-4646 GENTILLY 2544 ALLEN TOUSSAINT BLVD. NEWLY RENOVATED!!!

1-2 Bdrm Apts * From $800/mo Parking * Sec Gate 504-250-1446 * 504-454-1333

METAIRIE

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Merchandise WANT TO BUY I Buy Books Will drive to U Today! $1 (504) 226-1398

CEMETERY PLOTS Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, in the Chapel. Corr IV, Tier A, holds 6 interments $18,000. 504-259-0505 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beautiful 10k gold diamond wishbone ring. $300. 504-994-7385

METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2 Block off Vets * by Paretti Jaguar 1 Bed * Prkg * Pool * Rent $675/mo 504-320-6958 * 504-454-1333

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale

METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg 2 Bed, 1 Bath * $925 * Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 * 504-885-8060 504-454-1333

CENTRAL CITY

METAIRIE

New Orleans Rental

For Lease...

1, 2, 3, Bedrooms 504-455-3939

DOGS Teacup POODLES POMS MALTIPOOS YORKIES miniature/Toy GOLDENDOO‐ DLES CAVALIERS - 504-259-2222 2yr guarantee UTD S/W Tcups $995 up $495.00 up

Automotive

METAIRIE HOLIDAY SPECIAL!!!

Luxury/Spacious Safe/Quiet 3207 Belmont Place, Apt 106. 2/1 1st Flr, $1,000..Price Ends 1/4/26.

New Price will be $1300 * Patio, Fenced Yd, Off St Prkg, Wtr Paid.

NO Smoking or Pets. 700+Credit Score. 504.442.1873 * 504.237.5200

ALGIERS 5708 A-Tullis Dr., 4BR/2BA, ADA Compliant, w/d hkup, ref, stove, Off St. Pk, 504-454-3847 504-512-2814

CLASSIFIEDS WORK

Precious Raised Cottage between Met Rd & railroad tracks.

2BD/1BA. Lrg Liv Rm w/wd flrs.

Wooden fence separating home f/ N. Labarre for privacy. Gated Yd. Refrig/Oven + W&D are available.

Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616.

Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

IMPORT CARS 2013 Lexus LS 460 Exc Cond, $16,950, Dk Blue Int, 130k+mi, appt (504) 915-2440

Pets

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50) DOGS CKC YORKIES or SHORKIES - (yorkies are with papers) all are vet checked with shot and worming, shorkies $450 will meet in Gulfport yorkies $600 (334) 467-3416

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

DOGS Shih Tzu pups, 3 M 9wks $400, 1 F 4mos $400 Cash Only. Call 504-418-3046

Corinne Fox REALTOR®

504-466-3712

www.hurricanefenceneworleans.com All types of Fences Exclusive Pre-Stained Cedar Fences Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement is Your JellyFish Lighting Dealer All In One Exterior Lighting Solution Controlled from your smart device anywhere Security-Accent-Holiday-Game Day Lighting Trim - Patio - Landscaping FREE ESTIMATE • 504-466-3712 1 yr no interest financing

“Connecting You to the Soul of New Orleans One Home, One Neighborhood, One Passion at a Time!”

m 504.239.1481

o 504.861.7575

corinne.fox@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/corinne-fox

7934 Maple St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Licensed by the State of Louisiana

ABLE TREE SERVICE AB R CE

Tree Trimming & Removal Storm Preparedness & Storm Removals

We recycle W l your trees t

A1 accredited ditt d BBB

504-828-1532 49 years local service 504-628-3558 ABLETREEFORME.COM Licensed i d arborist b and fully insured.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

No bid may be with‐ drawn for at least fortyfive (45) days after scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

Sealed bids marked "Sealed Bid - Grand Isle Port Commission Shrimp Facility - Phase 2" will be received at the Grand Isle Port Commission of‐ fice located at 2757 LA 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. Such actions will be in accor‐ dance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

All bidders must sign: (I) the Bid; (2) Certificate of Corporate Principal and Surety; (3) any Addenda issued; and (4) Bid Bond which MUST always accompany the bid in the correct amount.

A Corporate Resolution authorizing a representa‐ tive of the corporation to sign the bid MUST ac‐ company the bid if the bidder is a corporation.

Sealed bids to be marked "Sealed Bid - Grand Isle Port Commission Shrimp Facility - Phase 2". Any bid received after the specified time and date will not be considered.

The sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 2:00 P.M. local time on Thursday, Janu‐ ary 22, 2026, at Grand Isle Port Commission office located at 2757 LA 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 3:00 P.M. on January 8, 2026, at the Grand Isle Port Commission office located at 2757 LA 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358. At‐ tendance of the Pre- Bid Conference is manda‐ tory.

The information for Bid‐ ders, Form of Bid Pro‐ posal, Form of Contract, Plans, Specifications, and Forms of Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Payment Bond, and other contract documents may be examined at the office of Professional Engineer‐ ing and Environmental Consultants, Inc., 46148 Hwy 445, Robert, LA 70455, (504) 347-1900 (En‐ gineer) (mo@peecinc. com), and are open for public inspection be‐ tween the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A set of such documents may be obtained from the Engi‐ neers by prospective bid‐ ders upon payment of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($150.00) de‐ posit. This deposit will be refunded upon request in accordance with R.S. 38:22I2. An electronic set of Contract Documents, Technical Specifications and Drawings may be ob‐ tained by submitting a james@ request to peecinc.com. All ques‐ tions must be submitted in writing by email to j i

The Contractor shall begin mobilization and procurement of materi‐ als within ten (I0) work‐ ing days of receipt of the Notice to Proceed.

The Attention of Bidders is called particularly to the requirements for conditions of employ‐ ment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the Con‐ tract, Section 3, Segre‐ gated Facilities, Section I09, Executive Order II246, and all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal Government and State of Louisiana and bonding and insurance requirements.

The successful bidder will be required to exe‐ cute the OWNER'S Stan‐ dard Form of Agree‐ ment/Contract for con‐ struction together with the Performance and Payment Bonds within ten (I0) working days after normal award of contract.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Any person with disabili‐ ties requiring special ac‐ commodations must contact the GRAND ISLE PORT COMISSION AT 985787-2229 no later than seven (7) days prior to bid opening.

The OWNER hereby noti‐ fies all bidders that in re‐ gard to any contract en‐ tered into pursuant to this Advertisement, that Minority Business Enter‐ prises will be afforded equal opportunity to sub‐ mit offers in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, na‐ tional origin or disability in consideration for an award.

IN PARTICULAR, BIDDERS SHOULD NOTE THE RE‐ QUIRED ATTACHMENTS AND CERTIFICATIONS TO BE EXECUTED AND SUB‐ MITTED WITH THE BID PROPOSAL. Advertisement Source and Dates: www.centralauctionh ouse.com The Advocate Friday, December 22, 2025 Friday, December 29, 2025 Friday, January 5, 2026 171224-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $187.92 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS GRAND ISLE PORT COM‐ MISSION (herein referred to as the "Owner") Sealed bids marked "Sealed Bid - Grand Isle Port Commission - Re‐ pairs to the Oak Lane Dock Facility West Slip" will be received at the Grand Isle Port Commis‐ sion Office Building lo‐ cated at 2757 LA Highway l, Grand Isle, LA 70358.

Electronic bids should be submitted to www.cen tralbidding.com.

Bids shall be addressed to the Grand Isle Port Commission and deliv‐ ered to the Grand Isle Port Commission Office Building located at 2757 LA Highway 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358 or electronically submitted at www.cen tralbidding.com no later than 2:00 P.M. local time on Thursday, January 22, 2026.

Sealed bids to be marked

CEMENT AND BRICK

CONTRACTOR NO JOB TOO SMALL!

SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS

504-236-2375 TRIPLE BBB

CONSTRUCTION CO. INC. Pool Enclosures • Patio Covers • Roofing Siding • Glass Rooms • Screen Rooms Soffit • Fascia • Windows & Screens

JAMES H. BALL, SR.

P R ES I D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

504-467-6998 Fax 504-467-6708

o D e e ct o

r

Tr

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS Make your holidays a lot easier with the Versa Lift Attic Elevator Prices start at $2795 12 month no interest financing available CALL 504-466-3712 Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Bids shall be addressed to the Grand Isle Port Commission and deliv‐ ered to the Grand Isle Port Commission office located at 2757 LA 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358 no later than 2:00 P.M. local time on Thursday, Janu‐ ary 22, 2026.

NEW ORLEANS EAST 4518 Lafon Dr., 4BR/2BA, W/D HU, Off St. Pkg., Sec 8 acc. 504-577-5833

NEW ORLEANS EAST LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

Each Bidder must de‐ posit with his/her bid, security in the amount, form and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bid‐ ders. Sureties used for obtaining bonds must appear as acceptable on the U.S. Department of Treasury Circular 570.

GRAND ISLE PORT COM‐ MISSION (herein referred to as the "Owner")

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $700up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

518 N. LABARRE RD $1,600/Mo

g y james@peecinc.com.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

METAIRIE

2203 John Raphael Jr. Lg 2 BR/1BA, W/D On bus line. $999. 504-915-2440

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices

Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding 504 -570 - 6683

3030 Lausat Street, Metairie, Louisiana 70001 Website: twomenandatruck.com/neworleans Licensed, Bonded and fully Insured with a 96.5% approval rating

To advertise here, please call (225) 383-0111

*Must Dial Area Code*

504-341-2006 FREE ESTIMATES!

License and Insured and Professionally trained

GONZALES CONCRETE

Any size job Servicing New Orleans & Northshore area

Sidewalks, Patios, Driveways, etc.

Ray Gonzales 504-458-7278

8D ✦ Monday, January 5, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune Public Notices Bids/Proposals

"Sealed Bid - Grand Isle Port Commission - Re‐ pairs to the Oak Lane Dock Facility West Slip" Any bid received after the specified time and date will not be consid‐ ered. The sealed bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 2:00 P.M. local time on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Grand Isle Port Commis‐ sion Office Building lo‐ cated at 2757 LA High‐ way, Grand Isle, LA 70358 The information for Bid‐ ders, Form of Bid Pro‐ posal, Form of Contract, Plans, Specifications, and Forms of Bid Bond, Performance Bond and Payment Bond, and other contract documents may be examined at the office of Professional Engineer‐ ing and Environmental Consultants, Inc. at 46148 LA Highway 445, Robert, LA 70455. If you would like to examine a set of plans or pick up a set, please contact Jeff Mey‐ ers at (225) 268-6925 or jeff@peecinc.com to set up a time. A set of such documents may be ob‐ tained from the Engi‐ neers by prospective bid‐ ders upon payment of ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS ($150.00) de‐ posit. This deposit will be refunded upon request in accordance with R.S. 38:22l2. An electronic set of Contract Documents, Technical Specifications and Drawings may be ob‐ tained by submitting a request to james@ peecinc.com and is avail‐ able on www.centralbidd ing.com.

All questions must be submitted in writing by email to james@peecinc. com.

Each Bidder must de‐ posit with his/her bid, security in the amount, form and subject to the conditions provided in the Information for Bid‐ ders section. Sureties used for obtaining bonds must appear as accept‐ able on the U.S. Depart‐ ment of Treasury Circular 570.

No bid may be with‐ drawn for at least fortyfive (45) days after scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. Such actions will be in accor‐ dance with Title 38 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

All bidders must sign: (l) the Bid; (2) Certificate of Corporate Principal and Surety; (3) any Addenda issued; and (4) Bid Bond which MUST always accompany the bid in the correct amount.

A Corporate Resolution authorizing a representa‐ tive of the corporation to sign the bid MUST ac‐ company the bid if the bidder is a corporation.

A Mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at the Grand Isle Port Commis‐ sion Office Building lo‐ cated at 2757 LA Highway 1, Grand Isle, LA 70358.

The Contractor shall begin mobilization and procurement of materi‐ als within ten (l0) work‐ ing days of receipt of the Notice to Proceed.

The Attention of Bidders is called particularly to the requirements for conditions of employ‐ ment to be observed and minimum wage rates to be paid under the Con‐ tract, Section 3, Segre‐ gated Facilities, Section l09, Executive Order ll246, and all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal Government and State of Louisiana and bonding and insurance requirements.

The successful bidder will be required to exe‐ cute the OWNER'S Stan‐ dard Form of Agree‐ ment/Contract for con‐ struction together with the Performance and Payment Bonds within ten (l0) working days after normal award of contract.

Any person with disabili‐ ties requiring special ac‐ commodations must contact the GRAND ISLE PORT COMMISSION AT 985-787-2229 no later than seven (7) days prior to bid opening.

The OWNER hereby noti‐ fies all bidders that in re‐ gard to any contract en‐ tered into pursuant to this Advertisement, that Minority Business Enter‐ prises will be afforded equal opportunity to sub‐ mit offers in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, na‐ tional origin or disability in consideration for an award. lN PARTlCULAR, BlDDERS SHOULD NOTE THE RE‐ QUlRED ATTACHMENTS AND CERTlFlCATlONS TO BE EXECUTED AND SUBMlTTED WlTH THE BlD PROPOSAL.

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

and the Louisiana.

g State

of

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 934-46 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 29, 2025, January 5 and 12, 2026 NOCP 8836 172100-dec 25-jan 5-12-3t $126.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department TITLE: Service for Freightliner Vehicles SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4619 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Materials, Equipment, Supplies DBE OPPORTUNITY: NO RELEASED ON: December 22, 2025 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 12, 2026 4:00 PM CST PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 5, 2026 11:00 am CST Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 288 900 494 787 19 Passcode: HG9Kc22C Dial in by phone +1 504-356-4110,, 517127593# United States, New Orleans Phone conference ID: 517 127 593# Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 928-47 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer

Advertisement Source and Dates:

Advertising Dates: December 22, 29, 2025 and January 5, 2026 NOCP 8825

www.centralauctionh ouse.com

171515-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t

The Advocate Friday, December 22, 2025 Friday, December 29, 2025 Friday, January 5, 2026 171219-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $227.50

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

TITLE: Service for Caterpillar Engines

ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS

SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4620

SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department TITLE: John Deere Equipment and Repair SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4623 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Materials, Equipment, Supplies DBE OPPORTUNITY: NO RELEASED ON: December 29, 2025 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 12, 2026

The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information this sourcing about event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 22, 29, 2025 and January 5, 2026 NOCP 8824 171513-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $125.49 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Capital Projects TITLE: NOPD Real Time Crime Monitoring Center Phase I Building Hardening

DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 12, 2026 4:00 PM CST PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 5 2026 11:30 am CST Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 211 421 892 382 54 Passcode: iR3FJ9YE

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected h f ll i di

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 22, 29, 2025 and January 5, 2026 NOCP 8827 171519-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $126.48 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department TITLE: Service for Freightliner Vehicles SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4618 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Materials, Equipment, Supplies DBE OPPORTUNITY: NO RELEASED ON: December 22, 2025 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 12, 2026 4:00 PM CST PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 5, 2026 10:30am CST Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 247 252 168 432 50 Passcode: Mp7Zt2Go

TYPE OF SOLICITATION: CONSTRUCTION

Dial in by phone +1 504-356-4110,, 67132927# United States, New Orleans

DBE OPPORTUNITY: YES (35%)

Phone conference ID: 671 329 27#

RELEASED ON: December 22, 2025

Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4615

DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 27, 2026 PRE-BID CONFERENCE via TEAMS: January 12, 2026 Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 220, 465-60, 906-38, 912-68 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James C. Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 22, 29 and January 5, 2026 NOCP 8828 171520-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $108.30

PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Equipment Maintenance Department TITLE: Service for Caterpillar Engines

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 928-86 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 22, 29, 2025 and January 5, 2026 NOCP 8826 171517-dec 22-29-jan 5-1t $125.49 PUBLIC NOTICE --ADVERTISEMENT TO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: Stormwater and Green Infrastructure TITLE: Joe Brown Solar, Battery and Generator Microgrid SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4617 TYPE OF SOLICITATION: PUBLIC WORKS DBE OPPORTUNITY: YES (35%)

SOURCING EVENT NO.: 4616

RELEASED ON: December, 29 2025

TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Materials, Equipment, Supplies

DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January, 28 2026

DBE OPPORTUNITY: NO RELEASED ON: December 22 , 2025 DEADLINE TO RESPOND: January 12, 2026 4:00 PM CST PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 5, 2026 9:30 am CST Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 228 396 537 347 92 Passcode: Ss6Fx7PE Dial in by phone

Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government d h f

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

RELEASED ON: December 22 , 2025

Passcode: df29t6jd

Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

COMMODITY CODE(s): 934-46

Phone conference ID: 885 146 700#

Phone conference ID: 333 329 153#

Phone conference ID: 347 806 633#

pp “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

DBE OPPORTUNITY: NO

Meeting ID: 271 529 134 870 73

+1 504-356-4110,, 347806633# United States, New Orleans

y the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event:

+1 504-356-4110,, 885146700# United States, New Orleans

Microsoft Teams

Dial in by phone

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

TYPE OF SOLICITATION: Materials, Equipment, Supplies

Dial in by phone +1 504-356-4110,, 333329153# United States, New Orleans

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 5, 2025 9:30 am CST

lll

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 928-87 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under &

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: January 14, 2026 Dates are subject to changes via an adden‐ dum posted by the Bu‐ reau of Purchasing on the City’s supplier portal.

If this solicitation is fed‐ erally funded, prospec‐ tive bidder/respondent must pay particular at‐ tention to all applicable laws and regulations of the Federal government and the State of Louisiana.

The Bureau of Purchas‐ ing uses commodity codes to notify suppliers of the release of a sourc‐ ing event and subse‐ quent modifications via addendum. Note that you would receive those noti‐ fications if you selected the following commodity code(s) before the re‐ lease of the sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 285-39, 290, 925-31, 939-38 The City of New Orleans strongly encourages mi‐ nority-owned and women-owned busi‐ nesses, socially and eco‐ nomically disadvantaged businesses and small businesses to respond to this solicitation, or to participate in subcon‐ tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐ tion.

For more information about this sourcing event, go to www.nola. gov and click on “BRASS Supplier Portal” under “BIDS & CONTRACTS”.

Once on the Supplier Por‐ tal, search “Open Events.”

Thank you for your inter‐ est in doing business with the City of New Or‐ leans.

James Simmons, Jr. Chief Procurement Officer Advertising Dates: December 29, 2025, January 5 and 12, 2026 NOCP 8840 172119-dec 29-jan 5-12-3t $107.31

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --INVITATION TO BID Project No. O2640166 LPV-111 BYPASS BRIDGE The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Author‐ ity – East (a.k.a. FPA, a.k.a. Owner) will receive sealed bids at the Front Reception Desk, located at 6920 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122, on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 until 2:00 P.M. local time.

All Bids must be in accor‐ dance with the Bidding Documents on file with and issued by N-Y Asso‐ ciates, Inc. Following this time, the bids will be opened, and publicly read aloud. Bids received after the above specified time will not be consid‐ ered.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause. In ac‐ cordance with La. R. S. 38:2212, the provisions and requirements of this Section, those stated in the advertisement for bids, and those required on the bid form shall not be considered informali‐ ties and shall not be waived by any public en‐ tity.

Bids shall be submitted on forms provided by the Owner. Envelopes con‐ taining bids and bid guarantee shall be sealed, marked with the Project Name, and with the Contractor’s name as it appears on the License and the Louisiana con‐ tractor’s license number (Unless a contractor’s li‐ cense is not required).

The work consists of fur‐ nishing all labor, mater‐ ial, and equipment for selective bridge removal, blasting cleaning and painting of bridge super‐ structure and piles, new reinforced concrete deck, new railing and barrier rail, as well as, any related and inciden‐ tal materials and work, as per the drawings and specifications provided in this bid document. The site is located approxi‐ mately 1.65 miles from US 190 down Recovery Dr., crossing the adjacent canal, at 30.03049 N, 89.86842 W in New Or‐ leans, Louisiana.

The opinion of probable con‐ struction costs for the project will be made available at the time of bid opening, either by posting such estimate electronically or an‐ nouncing aloud such es‐ timate at the bid open‐ ing.

Complete Drawings, Specifications, and Con‐ tract documents may be obtained from the N-Y Associates, Inc., 2750 Lake Villa Dr. Metairie, LA, 70002 on a payment of a non-refundable fee by check or money order only, payable to N-Y As‐ sociates, Inc. In accor‐ dance with La. R.S. 38:2212. Fees for these sets shall be set at a rate of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00). Bidders may also check to see if https://www.centralauct ionhouse.com/ or if www.floodauthority.org website contain down‐ loadable electronic ver‐ sions. See Instructions to Bidders for details. The FPA make no assertion that all bid documents, addenda, etc. are avail‐ able online. It is the re‐ sponsibility of the bidder to ensure they have all said documents via the directions spelled out above.

Any addenda, documents, Q&A, etc that are available after this letting are only avail‐ able via the contact listed above and will be issued to the Official Plan Holder list, main‐ tained by said contact.

Deposit on the first set is fully refundable to all bona fide prime Bidders upon return of the docu‐ ments, in good condition, no later than ten (10) days after receipt of bids. Fifty percent (50%) of the deposit of all other sets of documents will be refunded upon return of documents, in good condition, no later than ten (10) days after re‐ ceipt of bids, as stated above.

If a request for Contract documents is made through U.S. mail or other delivery services, bidder must furnish a street mailing address and will be responsible for service and postage fees.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE. A pre-bid conference will be held at 6920 Franklin Ave, New Orleans, LA 70122, on Tuesday, Janu‐ ary 20, 2026, at 10:00 AM Local Time.

• Bidders are urged to at‐ tend. This is NOT a mandatory meeting.

PRE-BID SITE VISIT. • There will be a Site Visit.

This visit is not Manda‐ tory Visitors are responsible for furnishing their own (as needed and required) P.P.E. for any Site Visits, e.g.: hard hat, safety vest, protective safety glasses, proper foot at‐ tire, etc.

The Flood Protection Authority assumes no re‐ sponsibility or liability for the safety of those in attendance.

This site is a gated ac‐ cess and is locked at all times.

TWIC REQUIRMENTS A TWIC Card is not re‐ quired for this Project.

LICENSING Bids will only be ac‐ cepted by those contrac‐ tors complying with state licensing laws for La. R.S. contractors, 37:2163. On any bid sub‐ mitted in the amount of $50,000 or more, Contrac‐ tor shall hold at the time of bid opening, a valid li‐ cense issued by the Louisiana Licensing Board for Contractors for the required classifica‐ tion of work This project is classified as, Heavy Construction AS INDI‐ CATED AT http://www. lslbc.louisiana.gov/exa msclassifications/.

It is the responsibility of the bidder to determine the proper job classifica‐ tion and to possess the proper license.

Upon demand by the FPA, Contractors desiring to bid shall submit evi‐ dence that they hold li‐ cense of proper classifi‐ cation and in full force and effect.

Objection to the required classification should be filed in accordance with La. R.S. 37:2163 as stated by the Louisiana Licens‐ ing Board for Contrac‐ tors.

BID AND PERFORMANCE BONDS All bids must be accom‐ panied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the cost of the Contract price of work to be done for the Base Bid plus all additive Alter‐ nate Bid prices, by certi‐ fied check, cashier's check or Bid Bond Form written by a surety com‐ pany licensed to do busi‐ ness in Louisiana, signed by the surety’s agency or attorney-in-fact.

The Bid Bond shall be in

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

favor of the following, as applicable: • “Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Author‐ ity – East” (for all Pro‐ jects) and • “Orleans Levee District”

The District will host a Virtual Pre-Proposal meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. (CST). The Virtual link can be found below:

The Bid Bond shall be ac‐ companied by appropri‐ ate power of attorney. No Bid Bond indicating an obligation of less than five percent (5%) by any method is acceptable.

Register in advance for this meeting:

use good-faith efforts to utilize such certified en‐ tities in the performance of those contracts.

The Board desires to achieve, to the greatest extent possible, commer‐ cially meaningful and useful participation by EBEs. By providing equi‐ table opportunities for EBEs, The Board derives multiple benefits, includ‐ ing contributing to the economic vitality of our communities and ensur‐ ing a broader selection of competitively priced goods and services

The bidder to whom the Contract is awarded shall also be required to furnish a performance bond equal to 100% of the total amount of the bid. The bid bond must be furnished in accor‐ dance with the require‐ ments of La. R.S. 38:2218, and the performance bond in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 38:2219.

The furnished Payment and Performance bond shall be at no cost to the FPA. The Bond shall be signed by the surety’s agent or attorney-in-fact.

SUBCONTRACTORS, DIS‐ ADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (DBE), AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTER‐ PRISES (SBE) AND WOMEN’S BUSINESS EN‐ TERPRISE (WBE) Work in the amount of at least sixty percent (60%) of total amount of Con‐ tract as awarded shall be performed by the Prime Contractor at the con‐ struction site or within its own shop, plant, or yard with its own em‐ ployees.

FPA is an equal opportu‐ nity public entity and as such, invites and encour‐ ages DBE(s), SBE(s), and WBE(s) to submit bids on its projects. See General Conditions on DBE(s), SBE(s), and WBE(s).

BIDDING AND WITHDRAWAL OF BID Bidder is required to comply with provisions and requirements of La. R.S.38:2212. Bids may be withdrawn or revised by the bidder prior to bid opening. Bids may only be withdrawn after bid opening due to patently obvious, unintentional, and substantial mechani‐ cal, clerical, or mathe‐ matical errors, or errors of unintentional omis‐ sion of a substantial quantity of work, labor, material, or services made directly in the compilation of the bid, if clear and convincing sworn, written evidence of such errors is fur‐ nished to the public en‐ tity within48 hours of bid opening in accordance with La. R. S. 38:2214.

LOCAL ADVERTISEMENTS This advertisement will be published in the fol‐ lowing periodicals: PERIODICAL(S): DATE: THE NEW ORLEANS ADVOCATE January 5, 2026 and January 12, 2026 and January 19, 2026 171443-jan 5-12-19-3t $325.14 PUBLIC NOTICE --ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION TO BID NO. 26-FAC-0075 LEASE OF SPACE FOR MAHALIA JACKSON ELEMENTARY Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 11:00 A.M. (CST) on Tuesday, Janu‐ ary 27, 2026.

Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com.

The District will host a Virtual Pre-Proposal meeting to be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. (CST). The Virtual link can be found below: Register in advance for this meeting: https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/6HS ziAzVS4Ci40Q-q7Ad0Q After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived.

NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings.

https://us06web.zoom. us/meeting/register/aVR BoqADRUuvAJKnhMR sMQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing infor‐ mation about joining the meeting.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all Responses to Request for Proposal whenever such rejection is in its best in‐ terest in accordance with law. The provisions and requirements of this ad‐ vertisement shall not be waived.

NOLA Public Schools shall make every effort to provide reasonable ac‐ commodation for people with disabilities. The re‐ quests for any reason‐ able accommodation shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Director of Procurement, no less than seven (7) days in advance of any meetings.

Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement FIRST INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2025 SECOND INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2025 THREE INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 171093-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $130.27

PUBLIC NOTICE --REQUEST FOR PROFES‐ SIONAL SERVICES: As-Needed Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Profes‐ sional Services Notice is hereby given that The Board of Com‐ missioners for the Port of New Orleans is soliciting proposals for the AsNeeded Mechanical Engi‐ neering, Electrical Engi‐ neering, and Professional Services. Official bid doc‐ uments are available for download from Central Bidding at www.central bidding.com and the Se‐ bconnect App. The Board strongly en‐ courages the acquisition of goods and services from and direct partici‐ pation of eligible busi‐ ness entities (“EBEs”) as defined in the Board’s Small Business Opportu‐ nity Program. The Pro‐ gram is a race- and gen‐ der-neutral program in‐ tended to provide addi‐ tional contracting and procurement opportuni‐ ties for certified eligible businesses by encourag‐ ing contractors who re‐ ceive state contracts to use good-faith efforts to utilize such certified en‐ tities in the performance of those contracts.

The Board desires to achieve, to the greatest extent possible, commer‐ cially meaningful and useful participation by EBEs. By providing equi‐ table opportunities for EBEs, The Board derives multiple benefits, includ‐ ing contributing to the economic vitality of our communities and ensur‐ ing a broader selection of competitively priced goods and services Bidders should present a responsible plan that provides for participation of qualified EBEs. Bidders should clearly state EBE participation goals and their plan for implemen‐ tation of the same in their bid. Bidders should also include information relative to the participa‐ tion levels Bidder has managed on other prior projects.

Participation shall be counted toward meeting the contract goals only by business entities cer‐ tified designated in the Program. The direct par‐ ticipation goal can be achieved through direct ownership, joint venture participation, owner/op‐ erator agreements, or sublease agreements for operations. Participation shall include work oppor‐ tunities in planning, de‐ velopment, construction, and operation of the Pro‐ ject.

The Board accepts the following certifications: (1) the SLDBE program run by the City of New Orleans, (2) the state of Louisiana’s Department of Economic Develop‐ ment’s SBE Hudson Ini‐ tiative program, (3) The Louisiana Unified certifi‐ cation Program, or (4) the Federal Small busi‐ ness Enterprise Program.

Bids shall include evi‐ dence of a current certi‐ fication.

BID SUBMISSION: PONO will accept electronic bids for this Project until 11:30 a.m. CDT on Friday, January 30, 2026 (the “Bid Submission Deadline”).

Any bid received after the Bid Submission Deadline will not be con‐ sidered.

Bidders must be submit‐ ted electronically at www.centralbidding.com For any questions relat‐ ing to the electronic bid‐ ding process, please call Central Bidding at 225810-4814.

BID OPENING: Immedi‐ ately following the Bid Submission Deadline, bids will be opened in ac‐ cordance with the bid documents.

FIRST INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2025 SECOND INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2025 THREE INSERTION DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

PONO CONTACT: Respon‐ dents must submit Ques‐ tions in writing to pro‐ curement@portnola.com

by Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CDT. As necessary, addenda to this RFP will be issued to all respondents receiv‐ ing this RFP. Questions, answers, and all forms required will be posted on www.centralbidding. com.

171094-dec 22-29-jan 5-3t $131.29

172567-JAN -14-21-3T $158.82

Paul A. Lucius Executive Director of Procurement

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

ORLEANS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD Procurement Department 2401 Westbend Parkway, Suite 5055 New Orleans, Louisiana 70114 ADVERTISEMENT

REQUEST FOR PROPOS‐ ALS- NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES – SECURITY GUARD SER‐ VICES AND RELATED ASNEEDED SERVICES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 26-0074 STEM PROGRAM PROVIDER SERVICES Electronic Responses to Request for Proposal rel‐ ative to the above will be received via email sub‐ mission to the Procure‐ ment Department for the Orleans Parish School Board (“OPSB” or “the District”) until 10:00 A.M. (CST) on Tuesday, Janu‐ ary 27, 2026.

Specifications and quali‐ fications are found in the RFP documents and may be obtained by visiting the District’s website at www.nolapublicschools. com. All questions re‐ garding this RFP shall be directed to the Executive Director of Procurement procurement@nol at apublicschools.com.

Notice is hereby given that The Board of Com‐ missioners for the Port of New Orleans is soliciting proposals for the Secu‐ rity Guard Services and Related As-Needed Ser‐ vices. Official bid docu‐ ments are available for download from Central Bidding at www.central bidding.com and the Se‐ bconnect App. The Board strongly en‐ courages the acquisition of goods and services from and direct partici‐ pation of eligible busi‐ ness entities (“EBEs”) as defined in the Board’s Small Business Opportu‐ nity Program. The Pro‐ gram is a race- and gen‐ der-neutral program in‐ tended to provide addi‐ tional contracting and procurement opportuni‐ ties for certified eligible businesses by encourag‐ ing contractors who re‐ ceive state contracts to

Bidders should present a responsible plan that provides for participation of qualified EBEs. Bidders should clearly state EBE participation goals and their plan for implemen‐ tation of the same in their bid. Bidders should also include information relative to the participa‐ tion levels Bidder has managed on other prior projects.

Participation shall be counted toward meeting the contract goals only by business entities cer‐ tified designated in the Program. The direct par‐ ticipation goal can be achieved through direct ownership, joint venture participation, owner/op‐ erator agreements, or sublease agreements for operations. Participation shall include work oppor‐ tunities in planning, de‐ velopment, construction, and operation of the Pro‐ ject.

The Board accepts the following certifications: (1) the SLDBE program run by the City of New Orleans, (2) the state of Louisiana’s Department of Economic Develop‐ ment’s SBE Hudson Ini‐ tiative program, (3) The Louisiana Unified certifi‐ cation Program, or (4) the Federal Small busi‐ ness Enterprise Program.

Bids shall include evi‐ dence of a current certi‐ fication.

BID SUBMISSION: PONO will accept electronic bids for this Project until 10:00 a.m. CDT on Friday, January 30, 2026 (the “Bid Submission Deadline”).

Any bid received after the Bid Submission Deadline will not be con‐ sidered.

Bidders must be submit‐ ted electronically at www.centralbidding.com For any questions relat‐ ing to the electronic bid‐ ding process, please call Central Bidding at 225810-4814.

BID OPENING: Immedi‐ ately following the Bid Submission Deadline, bids will be opened in ac‐ cordance with the bid documents.

PONO CONTACT: Respon‐ dents must submit Ques‐ tions in writing to pro‐ curement@portnola.com

by Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CDT. As necessary, addenda to this RFP will be issued to all respondents receiv‐ ing this RFP. Questions, answers, and all forms required will be posted on www.centralbidding. com.

172569-jan 5-14-20-3t $155.82

Legal Notices

LEGAL NOTICE Hancock Whitney Bank, as Trustee for the Owners of The Finance Authority Of New Orleans Multifamily Housing Rev‐ enue Bonds (GMF-The Willows Apartments) Se‐ ries 2014A, Plaintiff Versus MOF-Willows, LLC (Formerly, GMF-Willows, LLC), Defendant United States District Court, Eastern District Of Louisiana Docket No.: 25-cv-01152 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that, pursuant to a Writ of Execution dated No‐ vember 3, 2025 issued in the above referenced proceeding (the “Pro‐ ceeding”) by the Clerk of Court for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and directed to the United States Mar‐ shal for the Eastern Dis‐ trict of Louisiana (the “U.S. Marshal”), the U.S. Marshal has seized all of the right, title, and inter‐ est of Defendant, MOFWillows, LLC (formerly GMF-Willows, LLC), in and to the following de‐ scribed property: (a) ONE CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, to‐ gether with all the build‐ ings and improvements thereon, and all of the rights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurte‐ nances and advantages thereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the THIRD DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, ORLEANS PARISH, STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that part thereof known as LAKE FOREST (formerly known as LaKratt Tract and the New Orleans Lakeshore and Company Subdivi‐ sion), designated as LOT 1-D-1 in accordance with a survey prepared by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie, Inc., Surveying and Engi‐ neering, dated March 1, 1984, approved by the City Planning Commis‐ sion under date of Sep‐ tember 24, 1984, regis‐ tered in COB 795, folio 224, and according to which said Lot l-D-1 is in the area bounded by CROWDER ROAD, CROW‐ DER ROAD INTERCHANGE, INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I10 (N. I-10 Service Road), LAWRENCE ROAD AND LAKE WILLOW DRIVE and measures as follows, towit: Commencing at a point of intersection of the east line of Lawrence Road and the north line of the U.S. 1-10 (N. I-10 Service Road), which point is the point of be‐ ginning, run thence along the east line of Lawrence Road North 24 degrees, 29 minutes, 35 seconds West, a distance of 167.46 feet to a point; thence tum right and run along a line bearing North 47 degrees, 27 min‐ utes, 32 seconds East, a distance of 493.90 feet; thence tum left and run along a line bearing North 27 degrees, 57 min‐ utes, 32 seconds East, a distance of 383.16 feet to a point; thence turn right and run along a line bearing North 35 de‐ grees, 7 minutes, 38 sec‐ onds East, a distance of 58.38 feet to a point; thence turn right and run along a line bearing North 64 degrees, 23 min‐ utes, 43 seconds East, a distance of 196 feet to a point; thence turn left and run along a line bearing North 25 de‐ grees, 36 minutes, 17 sec‐ onds West, a distance of 120 feet to the south line of Lake Willow Drive; thence run along the south line of Lake Willow Drive North 64 degrees, 23 minutes, 43 seconds East, a distance of 74 feet to the northwest comer of Lot 1-C; thence turn right and run along a line bearing South 25 de‐ grees, 36 minutes, 17 sec‐ onds East, a distance of 407.77 feet to a point; thence turn left and run along a line bearing North 64 degrees, 16 min‐ d

Legal Notices

g utes, 53 seconds East, a distance of 23.58 feet to a point; thence turn right and run along a line bearing South 25 de‐ grees, 42 minutes, 20 sec‐ onds East, 68.30 feet to a point; thence tum right and run along a line bearing South 5 degrees, 36 minutes, 34 seconds East, a distance of 99.65 feet to a point; tum right and thence run along a line bearing South 34 de‐ grees, 35 minutes, 07 sec‐ onds West, a distance of 99.65 feet to a point; thence turn right and run along a line bearing South 54 degrees, 40 min‐ utes, 57 seconds West, a distance of 388.17 feet to a point; thence along a curve to the right having a radius of 1,879.86 feet a distance of (553.70 feet Present Title) 549.63 feet Original Title & Actual to a tangent; thence contin‐ uing along a curve to the right having a radius of 7,489.44 feet, a distance of (74.51 feet Present Title & 78.51 feet Original Title) 78.57 feet Actual to the point of beginning.

Said lot is a portion of former Lot 1, Section 22 and former Groves 18, 20, 22, 24 & Section 22; (b) together with the im‐ provements constructed thereon, consisting of a residential rental facility known as The Willows Apartments, and all re‐ lated support facilities, including, without limita‐ tion, all buildings, struc‐ tures, and other improve‐ ments now or hereafter constructed thereon; (c) together with all rights, ways, privileges, and appurtenances per‐ taining, or otherwise re‐ lated, thereto or in favor thereof; (d) together with all leases, executory con‐ tracts, licenses, permits, and certificates pertain‐ ing, or otherwise related, thereto; (e) together with all fix‐ tures, machinery, equip‐ ment, furniture, furnish‐ ings, and other personal property (whether tangi‐ ble or intangible) here‐ after attached to, located in or on, or used in con‐ nection with, any such structures, buildings or other improvements; and (f) together with all addi‐ tions thereto, substitu‐ tions therefor, and re‐ placements thereof, whether now owned or hereafter acquired; (the foregoing described land together with all such other property (im‐ movable (real) and mov‐ able (personal), corpo‐ real (tangible) and incor‐ poreal (intangible)), rights, and credits, col‐ lectively, the “Project”).

NOTICE IS HEREBY FUR‐ THER GIVEN that, the U.S. Marshal has scheduled a U.S. Marshal’s judicial sale of all of the right, title, and interest of De‐ fendant, MOF-Willows, LLC (formerly GMF-Wil‐ lows, LLC), in and to the Project, subject to the absolute right of Plain‐ tiff, as foreclosing credi‐ tor in the Proceeding, to cancel or postpone any judicial sale.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the U.S. Mar‐ shal’s judicial sale is scheduled for January 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. prevail‐ ing Central Time in the lobby of the Hale Boggs Federal Building – Court‐ 500 Poydras house, Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. The U.S. Marshal’s judicial sale is to be with the benefit of appraisement, with the minimum bid at the firstconducted judicial sale of the Project to be not less than two-thirds of the appraised value of the Project, on an “AS-IS, WHERE-IS” basis, for cash to the highest bid‐ der, with the full pur‐ chase price to be paid by the successful bidder by 1:00 p.m. prevailing Cen‐ tral Time on the day of the sale in cash or by cashier’s or certified check or by credit-bid if Plaintiff is the successful bidder.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the U.S. Mar‐ shal’s judicial sale date or the manner in which the sale will be con‐ ducted may change. You may contact the U.S. Marshal’s office by call‐ ing (504) 589-6079 to find out the new date when the property is sched‐ uled to be sold. If applic‐ able, the new sale date will also be published in the local newspaper in accordance with La R.S. 43:203. /s/ Enix Smith, III, United States Marshal, Eastern District of Louisiana PUBLIC NOTICE --(NOTICE OF INTENTION TO INTRODUCE BILL) Public notice is hereby given that there may be introduced at the session of the Legislature to be convened on March 9, 2026, a bill relative to a local, state, or statewide retirement system; to provide for the member‐ ship of the Constable of the New Orleans Second City Court; to provide for the membership of cer‐ tain position(s) within the office of the Consta‐ ble of the New Orleans Second City Court; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.

172565-JAN 5-6-2T $168.76 PUBLIC NOTICE --Pursuant to La. R.S. 22:691.4.E.(2) notice is hereby given that on Monday, January 26, 2026, the Louisiana De‐ partment of Insurance, located at 1702 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, will hold a public hearing con‐ cerning the acquisition of The Gray Casualty & Surety Company by Palo‐ mar Holdings, Inc. The Hearing will begin at 10:00 AM in the Poydras Hearing room located on the first floor.

Any written comments or questions must be sub‐ mitted to the above ad‐ dress marked attention "Company Licensing" and be received no later than two days before the Hearing date. Email com‐ ments or questions can be submitted to public‐ comments@ldi.la.gov.

Interested parties may also participate electron‐ ically by going to ldi.la. gov/public-hearings and clicking on the link pro‐ vided therein on the date and time stated above.

Timothy J. Temple Commissioner of Insurance Louisiana Department of Insurance 172005-jan 5-6-7-3t $66.31

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