The Times-Picayune 01-30-2026 by The Advocate

CROP CARE

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Strawberry farmersinsoutheast Louisiana spent Thursday pulling back covers off rowsofplants to feed them, picking any ripe fruit and then covering them right back up again in preparation for the weekend’scold weather South Louisiana is bracing forits

La Petite Grocery owners plan venture in historic space

BY IANMcNULTY Staff writer

Upperline restaurant was among the most consequentialclosures for the New Orleans dining scene during the pandemic. In theyears since, the future of its historic Uptown property has stirred much speculation among local restaurant aﬁcionados. Finally,the wheelsare in motion for what will come next.

second consecutive freezing weekend, under an extremecold watch from Friday night through Sunday morning as another blast of arctic air sweepsthrough.

Strawberryfarmers in Livingston and Tangipahoaparishes prepped their farms last week and have kept their cold-weather coverage systems in place in anticipation of this weekend

Strawberry farmer Rhonda Landry-Poché usesa system of blankets, hooksand lines to create agreenhouse effect during thecold to protect thestrawberry blooms, apart of theplant that is essential for fruit development and makes strawberries in about 21-day cycles. Landry-Poché sprays the fruit with

See FARMERS, page

ShutteredUpperline gets newlife

Chef JustinDevillier and Mia Devillier,owners of theUptown restaurantLaPetite Grocery, have purchasedthe propertyat 1413 Upperline St. from JoAnn Clevenger and her husband, Alan Greenacre. They will develop anew restauranthere, with an opening date slated for late in 2026, perhaps in the fall.

Joel Dondis,a founder of La Petite Grocery and the couple’s longtime business partner in that restaurant, is also apartner in the newrestaurant Thenew owners weren’tready to discussdetailsofthe restaurant concept, includingits name.

But MiaDevillierconﬁrmedit wouldbea newrestaurant,and not areopening or continuation of Upperline. That’sa critical distinction. When arestaurantassigniﬁcant as Upperline is up for sale, one question is whether new owners will try to rekindleitastheir own or create something new

In this case, the Devilliers intend to open anew chapter foraspace with along history

“The building andthe location feel like adream to us,” Mia Devilliersaid. “We’re so excitedtobe carrying on the legacy and start

ä See UPPERLINE, page 4A

2arrested in shooting at Dooky Chase’s

BY MARCO CARTOLANO,KASEYBUBNASH and MISSY WILKINSON Staff writers

NewOrleans police have arrested two men in a recent shooting at Dooky Chase’sRestaurant that left one mandead and three patrons wounded, a major step toward bringing closure to ahighproﬁle tragedy that roiled residents and the city’s tourism and business communities.. NewOrleans Police Superintendent Anne KirkpatricksaidThursdaythatMakahiKelly,18, is accused of pulling the trigger outside Dooky Chase’s on Orleans Avenue the night of Jan.16and that Anthony Johnson, 22, is believed to have been his wheelman.

Kelly was booked into the Orleans Parish jail Wednesday on acount of second-degree murder, whileJohnson wasbookedwithprincipal to second-degree murder, according to police and online court records. If charged and ultimately convicted on those counts, both would face lifein prison without parole.

Kirkpatrick thankedthe FBI andother partners forhelping herstaff comb hours of surveillance and follow up on the tips that eventually led to the arrests. She also directly apologized to ashooting victim from California andtothe public,saying the tragic event wasnoreﬂection on the historic Dooky Chase’sorthe city as awhole.

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Upperlinerestaurant opened in 1983 and closed in 2020 during the pandemic.

Trump declares tariff on planes from Canada

President Donald Trump said he would charge a 50% tariff on aircraft from Canada sold in the U.S. and decertify all planes made in that country until Ottawa agreed to approve certain jets made by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., an American ﬁrm.

Trump said Canada had “wrongfully, illegally, and steadfastly refused to certify the Gulfstream 500, 600, 700, and 800 Jets,” in a social media post Thursday In response, he said the U.S. would decertify “Bombardier Global Expresses, and all Aircraft made in Canada, until such time as Gulfstream, a Great American Company, is fully certiﬁed.”

Trump claimed that Canada was “effectively prohibiting the sale of Gulfstream products in Canada through this very same certiﬁcation process.”

“If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America,” he added.

Earlier Thursday, Trump threatened to tariff countries that provided or sold oil to Cuba, in a move that could subject Mexico to higher levies.

Self-driving Waymo hits child near school

LOS ANGELES A Waymo selfdriving taxi recently struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school during dropoff hours, triggering an investigation into the incident by the National Highway Trafﬁc Safety Administration.

The child sustained minor injuries, Waymo said. After being struck, the child stood up and walked to the sidewalk, where witnesses called 911.

Santa Monica Police said ofﬁcers responded to the Jan. 23 incident close to Grant Elementary School. After being evaluated by responders from the ﬁre department, the child was released.

The investigation said the child was running across the street toward the school when they were hit. Waymo said the child appeared from behind a large SUV

“The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path,” Waymo said in a statement. “The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made.”

There were other children, a crossing guard and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity when the accident occurred, according to NHTSA.

Waymo reported the incident to the NHTSA Ofﬁce of Defects Investigation and said it would fully cooperate. The Waymo involved was operating on the company’s ﬁfth-generation automated driving system without a safety driver

Car rams into Chabad headquarters in NYC

A man was arrested after repeatedly crashing his car into the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters in New York City on Wednesday night while people were gathered for prayer at the deeply revered Hasidic Jewish site.

No one was injured when the driver struck a door of a building in the complex before reversing and striking it several more times. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the incident was being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Video of the crash that was posted online shows a car with New Jersey license plates moving forward and backward on an icy driveway leading to a building in the complex and ramming its basement-level doors.

The driver, who is wearing shorts, emerges, shouts to bystanders that “It slipped” and says something to police about trying to park.

The Chabad Lubavitch headquarters and synagogue in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood receives thousands of visitors annually Its Gothic Revival facade is very recognizable to adherents of the Chabad movement and has inspired dozens of replicas across the world.

Miss. nearer school cellphone ban

BY DEVNA BOSE Mississippi Today

Cellphones could soon become a rarer sight in classrooms, thanks to the Mississippi Legislature.

The House Education Committee passed a bill during its Wednesday meeting that would require local school boards to enact policies that restrict or prohibit the use of cellphones during the school day

The Senate Education Committee greenlit a similar bill during its meeting last week, which bodes well for the legislative success of the policy

Rep. Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany said similar bills have previously failed, but he’s optimistic that the Legislature can get the policy passed this year because it’s a priority for legislators in both chambers Creekmore also said he’s concerned about the amount of time students are spending on their phones and how that impacts their mental health.

Mental health issues among

teenagers have risen sharply since the early 2010s, coinciding with the widespread adoption of smartphones. “You just can’t ignore that,” he said.

Youth mental health concerns have sparked renewed interest in policies across the country Research links cellphone and social media usage among school-aged kids to negative mental health outcomes and instances of cyberbullying.

At least 33 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to ban or restrict students from using cellphones in schools, according to Education Week. A measure that would have done so in Mississippi died last session, even after Mississippi’s youth mental health task force recommended that all school districts implement policies that limited cellphone and social media usage in classrooms.

Still, districts have established their own policies — and seen the dividends. Creekmore cited the

success of a new school cellphone policy in Marshall County as an example, near his district. In 2024, Marshall County School District in Holly Springs became the ﬁrst district in north Mississippi to restrict students’ use of cellphones in school Upon arrival at school, students store their phones in lockable pouches, which blocks access during class.

After implementing the policy, 88% of teachers in Marshall County schools saw an improvement in student engagement, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Jackson Public Schools established a stricter cellphone policy this past school year, requiring students to keep their phones out of sight and off their person during school. Since updating the policy district spokesman Sherwin Johnson said teachers report improved classroom management, better transitions between classes and more meaningful teacher-student

interactions across schools.

A Pew Research Center survey found that most adults support cellphone bans in middle and high school classes, but those who don’t say it’s because their child can use their phone during emergencies.

Creekmore said he’s raised similar concerns to law enforcement, who say having a cellphone during an emergency could be distracting.

Brigette Whaley, a professor at West Texas A&M University and former middle school teacher, has studied classroom cellphone policies in several states. She found that at one rural high school in Texas during the 2024-25 school year, a bell-to-bell phone-free policy resulted in more student engagement, less “drama” among students and less student anxiety and cyberbullying.

“What I’m seeing with teachers is that they’re deﬁnitely excited about building those relationships and community in their classrooms again,” she said.

Venezuelan lawmakers ease state grip on oil

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

CARACAS Venezuela Ven-

ezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez on Thursday signed a law that will open the nation’s oil sector to privatization, reversing a tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.

Lawmakers in the country’s National Assembly approved the overhaul of the energy industry law earlier in the day, less than a month after the brazen seizure of then-President Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. military attack in Venezuela’s capital.

As the bill was being passed, the U.S. Treasury Department ofﬁcially began to ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil that once crippled the industry, and expanded the ability of U.S. energy companies to operate in the South American nation, the ﬁrst step in plans outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio the day before. The license authorization by the Treasury Department strictly prohibits entities from China, Russia, Iran, North Korea or Cuba from the transactions.

The moves by both governments on Thursday are paving the way for yet another radical geopolitical and economic shift in Venezuela.

“We’re talking about the future. We are talking about the country that we are going to give to our children,” Rodríguez said.

PHOTO By ARIANA CUBILLOS Workers of Venezuela’s state-owned PDVSA oil

Rodríguez proposed the changes after U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration would take control of Venezuela’s oil exports and revitalize the ailing industry by luring foreign investment.

Private companies

The legislation promises to give private companies control over the production and sale of oil and allow for independent arbitration of disputes.

Rodríguez’s government expects the changes to serve as assurances for major U.S. oil companies that have so far hesitated about returning to the volatile country Some of those companies lost investments when the ruling party enacted the existing law two decades ago to fa-

vor Venezuela’s state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA.

The revised law would modify extraction taxes, setting a royalty cap rate of 30% and allowing the executive branch to set percentages for every project based on capital investment needs, competitiveness and other factors.

It also removes the mandate for disputes to be settled only in Venezuelan courts, which are controlled by the ruling party Will change economy

Ruling-party lawmaker Orlando Camacho, head of the assembly’s oil committee, said the reform “will change the country’s economy.”

Meanwhile, opposition lawmaker Antonio Ecarri

Mattel shares Ken’s full name, bio

BY IRIS KWOK Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Barbie’s male counterpart, it turns out, is not “just Ken.” His full name is Kenneth Sean Carson, according to Mattel, which says the doll saw a uptick in popularity following the hit movie’s release in 2023.

Ahead of Ken’s 65th birthday, the El Segundobased toy giant shared a laundry list of niche biographical details about the doll, including his ofﬁcial “birthday” — March 11, 1961, making him a Pisces — as well as his relationship history with Barbie.

The company said in a statement Monday that Ken has “experienced a resurgence in recent years.”

A Mattel spokesperson cited the “Barbie” movie as a driving factor, as it showed a “different side” of Ken. In a meta move, the company later in 2023 released Ken dolls modeled after Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Ken.

The “Kenbassador” line launched last year was

a “great success,” the spokesperson said.

Mattel doesn’t break out sales of Ken dolls, but on average, girls have one Ken doll for every seven Barbies they own.

Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, named the original doll after her daughter, Barbara. The glamorous doll, unique in that it depicted a grown woman rather than a baby, was an instant hit when it debuted at the New York Toy Fair in 1959. Barbie has signiﬁcantly evolved in the decades since.

The Ken doll, created in 1961, was named after Handler’s son, Kenneth. He featured molded hair, wore red swim trunks and carried a yellow towel.

Kenneth Handler told The Times in a 1989 story that there were few similarities between him and the doll named after him He died in 1994.

“Ken doll is Malibu,” he said. “He goes to the beach and surfs. He is all these perfect American things.” But when Kenneth Han-

dler was at Hamilton High School in Beverlywood, he “played the piano and went to movies with subtitles.” He continued, “I was a nerd — a real nerd. All the girls thought I was a jerk.” Ken has dabbled in many different careers over the decades. There have been doctor pilot, tennis player, firefighter, lifeguard, barista and even Olympic skier Kens, among many others. In 2006, he received a “mid-life makeover” from celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch. According to the company, Ken and Barbie “met” on the set of their first television commercial in 1961 and soon began dating. After more than four decades, the doll couple broke up in 2004, but reunited in 2011. Mattel was founded by Ruth Handler; her husband, Elliot Handler; and Harold “Matt” Matson in 1945 in a Los Angeles garage. The toy maker became a publicly traded company in 1960.

urged the assembly to add transparency and accountability provisions to the law, including the creation of a website to make funding and other information public. He noted that the current lack of oversight has led to systemic corruption and argued that these provisions can also be considered judicial guarantees.

Those guarantees are among the key changes for-

eign investors are looking for as they weigh entering the Venezuelan market.

“Let the light shine on in the oil industry,” Ecarri said.

Workers support overhaul

Oil workers dressed in red jumpsuits and hard hats celebrated the bill’s approval, waving a Venezuelan flag inside the legislative palace and then joining lawmakers in a demonstration with ruling-party supporters.

The law was last altered two decades ago as Maduro’s mentor and predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez, made heavy state control over the oil industry a pillar of his socialist-inspired revolution. In the early years of his tenure, a massive windfall in petrodollars thanks to record-high global oil prices turned PDVSA into the main source of government revenue and the backbone of Venezuela’s economy In tearing up the contracts that foreign companies signed in the 1990s, Chávez nationalized huge assets belonging to American and other Western ﬁrms that refused to comply, including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. They are still waiting to receive billions of dollars in arbitration awards.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

plant food and coversthem again

“When it gets cold like this, that’swhat we’re trying to protect,” she said. “What we’re trying to do is save these bloomsbecause if not, we’ll be shut down for 21 days.”

Landry-Pochéhas about8 acres and 130,000 strawberry plants in the ground.

Several strawberriesatthe end of the rows that weren’tfully covered are half-white and half-red,a sign of freeze damage.

“The cold doesn’thurt the plants; it won’tkill the plant. It’sjust the fruit and the blooms,” she said. “Wehave the possibility oflosing that crop.”

Complicatingthe timing and strategy for protecting the blooms from freeze damage is that if the plants remaincovered for more than three consecutive days, they will attract strawberry mites.

Darryl Poché, astrawberry farmer,said January used to be when the strawberries were covered up the most for weather, but each year that cold frontgets pushed back.

“January would be the time that you would spend more time covered up, now it seemslikeit’s moving further back more in February,” he said.

Poché said he grows strawberries from October to May and doesn’tpick strawberries until all the cold weather hasmoved out later in the season or during bursts of good weather,suchason Thursday

“This year and last year have beenvery unusual. Iactually started picking last year the week be-

UPPERLINE

Continued from page1A

something new.”

Bistro with history

Upperline was nothing if not an original.Through four decades, Clevenger ranitassomething more than arestaurant. It was the distillation of her ideas of hospitality, and the place where her love of cuisine, art and community came together

It first openedin1983, taking over the one-time Uptown house that had previously been aneighborhood joint called Martin’sRestaurant and Oyster Bar

Upperline was achange of pace, emerging when interest in Americanregionalcuisine was growing. It developed its own unique lens on Louisiana cooking—alot Creole, alittle Southern, atouch of Cajun, with asprinkling of other things. Its touchstone dishesincluded duck étouffée, grillades and grits, and fried green tomatoeswith shrimp rémoulade, a

ARRESTED

Continued from page1A

“We are sorry that this event even happened to you as avisitor to our city,”Kirkpatrick said. “This is not who we are. We are acity where visitors can come and have ahigh degree of conﬁdence to know that we are doing everything we can to police aggressively.

The arrests cap afocused effort by lawenforcement to bring resolution to an ordeal that shockedthe city and made national headlines,well into aMardi Gras season that annually draws thousands of visitors to New Orleans.

The Creole restaurant knownfor itstiestothe Civil Rights Movement was serving guests when 19-year-old Kareem Harrisran in from the street, seeking to escape Kelly,police say.Bythe end, Harris lay dead on the ﬂoor TheCaliforniawoman was shot multiple times andin need of extensive surgery, and two other women, also tourists fromout of state, werewounded.

The event prompted an aggressiveresponse from the NOPD,the FBI, State Police and Crimestoppers that included a$13,500 reward for valuable information after businessleaders, alocal restaurant associationand others donated to increase the payout. Dooky Chase’s,which has welcomed everyone from civil rights leaderstoU.S.

fore Thanksgiving …and this year theweek after Thanksgiving when we had70- to 80-degreedays,” he said.“We have hadseasons that we didn’tpick anything until March.”

For other farmers with smaller operations, they will cover their plants, butjustwith ablanket sometimes.

FrankFekete,who ownsthe only farm left in Livingston Parish’s historic Hungariansettlement, hashad his beetsand strawberries covered with ablanket since last week.

Fekete grabbeda fewstrawberries that have now turned into “frogeyes,” whichhecalls straw-

dish created here and now aregional standard. Over the years, it evolved from atrendsetting new bistro to aNew Orleansinstitution with adevoted local following and aplace on bucket lists for travelers in the

know Upperline never reopened for regular service after the initial pandemic shutdownsin2020,and as themonths stretchedon, Clevenger came to termswithclosing thedoors for good. In late 2021, at

berries with deformedlumps from thecold weather

“You can makejelly out of them, but you’re really notsupposedto put them in the boxes,” he said.

Fekete ownsabout 10 acres of land, but only farms aportion of that. He expects to grow about 10,000 strawberries this year.The

age 82, she conﬁrmed she would retire and put therestaurantup for sale.

Clevenger said then that she would take her time andwanted more than just atransaction. She wanted to ﬁnd the right people to take on the place. Today,she says the Devilliers proved the perfect ﬁt

“I’mthrilled,” Clevenger said.

“What more could Iask forthan someonelike them to be in this building that gave so manypeople such joy,including me?”

Renovationsahead

Justin Devillierworked his way up through New Orleans restaurants in thepre-HurricaneKatrina era, including Bacco, Stella!and Peristyle. In 2007, he became executive chef at La Petite Grocery, andthree yearslater,heand Mia Devillier becameowners. They remade the restaurant in their own style and have steered it to become among the most consistent and satisfying of thecity’s contemporary Creole bistros(it was partofour 30 best restaurants for New Orleans in 2025).

farmertypically only sells his produceatthe RedStick Farmers

Market in Baton Rouge.

“It’stoo coldtoplant,” he said.

“We’re getting ready forspring.”

Email Claire Grunewaldat claire.grunewald@theadvocate. com.

Renovations are slated to start in the weeksahead.Mia Devillier said their aimistohonor the space, while making it their own with updates. The property comprises two buildings long ago joined together The ground ﬂoor,with its progression of intimate rooms, will keep muchthe same layout, she said. One of the biggest changes will be restoring thebuilding’ssecond ﬂoor.Previously used mainly for storage, it will becomeaspace for private dining.

Upperline wasknown forits art collection, amosaic of different styles and artists sharing aNew Orleans association, and enough of themtomakethe dining rooms feel like aneighborhood museum That collection is not part of the restaurant sale andisnow in storage. Clevenger said she is contemplating an auction forthe art at somepoint in the future.

While she misses Upperline, she’seager to see what the new owners do here next.

“It’sbittersweet,but the sweetness, that part comes from them,” Clevenger said.

presidents, reopeneda few days afterthe shooting and received an outpouring of public support.

Harris’ sister,Kia Simmons, and Michael Willis, a family friend,met outside the restaurant Thursday afternoon to extend their gratitude to theNOPD and sympathy toward the three surviving victims. There, too, they shared fond memories of the Livingston Collegiate Academy grad, whotheysaidwas acaring, courageous youth who cherished beinganuncle andwho took on astepfather role to his girlfriend’s 6-month-old babywhen he was just 15.

“I was theﬁrst person that held himafter thedoctor,so we really had that special bond,” Simmonssaid Shesaidshe knewKelly andJohnson, whohad spent time with her brotherinthe Lafitte area, and believed they were responsiblefor hisdeath.

“They knew each other,” she said. “Beyond that, Idon’tknow how deep it went.”

Neither she nor anyone in herfamily hasbeen able to determine themotive. Police have not provided manydetails regarding the reasoning for theshooting and did not specify apossible motive on Thursday, though they have reiterated that Harris was the intended target

“Wehave 100scenarios in our head on what happened, why it happened, whyitcould have happened,” Willis said.

“But we really don’tknow what took place thatday.”

“Wefeel like it wasjealousy andenvy,”Simmons said. “But were youreally that jealous of my brother to just kill him? That part I don’tunderstand.”

She saidthe arrests have helped bring her family closure, and now they’re looking to Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams for a successful prosecution.

Though theCalifornia woman’ssister this week pleaded publicly forthe shooter toturn himself in, Deputy Superintendent NicholasGernonsaidit

was good detective work, surveillance and community tips that ultimately led theNOPD to thesuspects.

Speaking with Kirkpatrick at anews conference, he also thanked residents, including parents of children who had information related to the case, for speaking out.

“Theycame forward and they pushed theirchildren to come forward andgive

us the information that we needed,” he said.

Law enforcementfound

Kelly in the 4600block of AmericaStreet, where they also discovereditems connected to the shooting after issuing asearch warrant.

They located Johnson in the 2700 block of North Galvez Street, and there seized the getaway car after issuing another warrant.

The arrests camehours

afterpolicereleasedphotos of two people of interest who they believed had valuable information in the case.

“The most importantthing that Iwant to state right from the beginning, is that therestaurantitself, Dooky Chase, was notthe target,” KirkpatricksaidThursday, “and…asweknew at the time that thehomicide occurred, that this was avery targeted homicide.”

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Farmer Rhonda Landry-Poché inspects the health of her strawberries on Thursday.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JEFF STROUT Justin Devillier and Mia Devillier,ownersofLaPetite Groceryrestaurant, have purchasedthe former Upperlinerestaurant with plans to develop a newrestaurant there.

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Democrats, WhiteHouse strike spending deal

Homeland Security funding will be separated

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and SEUNGMIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON Democrats and the White House struck adeal to avert apartial government shutdown and temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday as they consider new restrictionsfor President Donald Trump’s surge of immigration enforcement.

As the country reels from the deaths of two protesters at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, the two sides have agreedto separatehomeland security funding from alarger spending bill and fund the Homeland department for two weeks while they debate Democratic demands for curbs on theU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency

The deal comes after Democrats voted to block legislation to fund DHS on Thursday

“Republicans andDemocrats have come together to get the vast majority of the government funded until September” while extending current funding for Homeland Security,Trump saidin asocial media post Thursdayevening.Heencouraged members of both parties to cast a“much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ vote.”

Democrats had requested thetwo-week extension and say they are prepared to block the wide-ranging spending bill if their de-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, amember of the Senate Appropriations Committee,issurrounded by reporters Wednesdayfollowing aRepublican meeting at the Capitol in Washington on legislation that fundsthe Departmentof Homeland Security and other governmentagencies.

mandsaren’tmet, denying Republicansthe votes they need to pass it and potentially triggering ashutdown.

Republican leaders who had wanted alonger extension of the Homeland funding were still checking with their conference tomake sure there were no objections to the deal and it couldpass quickly.

In th e House, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,toldThe Associated Press on Thursday that he had been “vehemently opposed” to breaking up thefunding package, but “if it is brokenup, we will have to move it as quickly

as possible. We can’thave thegovernment shut down.”

Rare bipartisan talks

The rare bipartisan talks between Trump andhis frequent adversary,Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer,came after the fatal shooting of 37-yearold Alex Pretti in Minnesota over the weekend andcalls by senatorsinbothparties for afull investigation. Schumer called it “a momentoftruth.”

“The American people support law enforcement They support border security.They do not support ICE terrorizing our streetsand killingAmericancitizens,” Schumer said.

The standoff has threatened to plunge the country intoanother shutdown, just

Manimpersonating FBIagent triedtoget Mangione outofjail

BY MICHAELR.SISAK

Associated Press

NEW YORK Aman claiming tobeanFBI agent showed up to afederal jail in New York City on Wednesday nightand told officers he had acourt order to release Luigi Mangione, authorities said Mark Anderson, a36-year-old Minnesota native who has ahistory of drug and other arrestsand disclosed last year in court papers that he suffers from mental illness, was arrested and charged withimpersonatinga federalofficerina foiled bidtofree Mangione from the Metropolitan Detention Center.Mangione is being held atthe notorious Brooklyn lockup whileawaiting state and federal murder trials in thekilling of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Acriminal complaintagainst Anderson didnot identify thepersonheattempted to free.Alaw enforcement official familiar with the matter confirmed it was Mangione The official was not authorizedto speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity Anderson was ordered heldwithoutbail after an initial appearance Thursday in Brooklyn federal court. He was not required to enter aplea. He is now locked up inthe same jail as Mangione, accordingtofederal prison records. In alawsuitlast yearalleginginjuries from afall at acity homeless shelter,Anderson said he has “multiple disabilities” and has been ruled by theSocial Security Administration to be “fully disabled because ofmental illness.” He said he had no money and said he received state and federalassistance.

According to public records, Anderson has had numerous drug and alcohol-related arrests and convictions over the lasttwo decadesinhis native Minnesotaand in Wisconsin, where he has alsolived.

According to the criminalcomplaint, Anderson approached the jail intakearea around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday and tolduniformed jail ofﬁcers that he was an FBI agent in possession of paperwork “signed by a judge” authorizing the releaseofaspeciﬁc person in custody at the jail.

When the officersasked forhis federal credentials,Anderson showed them aMinnesotadriver’slicense, threwdocuments at them and claimed to have weapons, the criminal complaint said. The documentsappeared related to filingclaimsagainst the Justice Department, according to an FBI agent whoviewedthem and preparedthe complaint. Officers searched Anderson’s bagand founda barbecue fork anda circular steelblade, the complaint said. In a photo included in thecomplaint, the blade appeared to be asmall pizza cutter wheel. Anderson’sdriver’slicense listed an addressinMankato, Minnesota, about 65 miles southwest of Minneapolis. He moved to New York for ajob opportunity and started working at aBronx pizzeria when thatfell through,the law enforcement official said. Court records indicate he hadbeen living in thecityatleast since2023, including at motels,a shelter and aBronx apartment

Acting as hisown lawyer, he has ﬁled handwrittenlawsuitsagainstthe Pentagon,Chineseand Russian ambassadors andaMinnesota police department, all of whichhave beenthrown out.Another lawsuit,alleging a Bronx pizzeria forced him to work 70 hours a week with no overtime, is still pending.

Hours before Anderson’sarrest,the Manhattan district attorney’sofﬁce sent aletter urging the judge in Mangione’s state case, Gregory Carro, to setaJuly 1trial date.

On Friday,Mangione will be in courtfor aconference in his federal case. The judge in that case, Margaret Garnett, is expected to rule soon whetherprosecutors canseek the death penalty and whether they can use certain evidence against him.

Last week, Garnett scheduled jury selection in the federal case for Sept. 8, with the rest of the trial happening in October or January,depending on whether she allows prosecutorstoseek the death penalty.

Mangione haspleaded notguiltyinboth cases. Thestate charges carry thepossibilityoflife in prison.

Thompson, 50, waskilled on Dec. 4, 2024,as he walked to aManhattanhotel for UnitedHealthGroup’sannual investor conference.

two monthsafter Democrats blocked aspending bill over expiring federal health care subsidies.Thatdispute closed the government for 43 days as Republicans refused to negotiate.

That shutdown ended when asmall group of moderateDemocratsbroke away to strike adeal with Republicans, butDemocrats are more unifiedthis time afterthe fatalshootings of Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents.

Democrats’ demands

Democratshave laid out severaldemands,asking theWhiteHouse to “end roving patrols” in cities and coordinatewithlocal law enforcement on immigration arrests, includingrequiring tighter rules for warrants.

Schumer said agents should be requiredtohave “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identiﬁcation, as is common practice in most law enforcementagencies.

The Democraticcaucus is united in those“commonsense reforms,” and the burdenisonRepublicansto accept them, Schumer said.

“Boil it all down, what we are talking about is that these lawless ICE agents should be following the same rules that your local police departmentdoes,”

said Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota. “There has to be accountability.”

Stillfar apartonpolicy

Negotiations downthe road on aﬁnal agreement on the Homeland Security bill are likely to be difﬁcult.

Democrats want Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown to end. “If the Trump administrationresists reforms, we shut down the agency,” said ConnecticutSen.Richard Blumenthal. “Weneed to take a stand,” he said.

But Republicans are unlikely to agree to allofthe Democrats’ demands.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said he is opposed to requiring immigration enforcement ofﬁcers to show their faces, even as he blamed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for decisions that he said are “tarnishing”the agency’s reputation.

“You know,there’s alot of vicious people out there, and they’ll take apicture of your face, and the next thing you know,your children or your wife or your husband are being threatened at home,” Tillis said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham saidsome of theDemocraticproposals “make sense,” suchasbetter training and body cameras.

Still, he said he was putting his Senate colleagues “on notice”that if Democrats try to makechanges to the funding bill, he would insist on new language preventing local governments from resisting the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Uncertaintyinthe House Across theCapitol,House Republicans have said they do not want any changes to the bill they passed last week. In aletter to Trump on Tuesday, theconservative House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the Republican president and ICE. Johnson appeared open to thechanges, albeit reluctantly,and told the AP he would wanttoapprove the bills “as quickly as possible” once the Senate acts.

“The American people will be hanging in the balance over this,” Johnson said. “A shutdown doesn’thelpanybody.”

On Thursday evening, at a premiere of amovie about ﬁrst lady Melania Trump at the Kennedy Center, Johnson said he would have some“tough decisions” to make aboutwhentobring the House back to Washington to approvethe bills separatedbythe Senate, if they pass. “We’ll see what they do,” Johnson said.

Johnson

Border czar suggests possible drawdown

BY GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

The Trump administration could reduce the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota, but onlyifstate and local officials cooperate, the president’sborder czar said Thursday,noting he has “zero tolerance” for protesters who assault federal officers or impede the ongoing Twin Cities operation.

TomHoman addressed reporters forthe ﬁrst time since the president sent him to Minneapolis following last weekend’sfatal shooting of proteste r AlexPretti, the second this month by federal officers carrying out the operation. His comments came after President Donald Trumpseemed to signal awillingness to ease tensions in the Minneapolisand St. Paul area.

even more if the hateful rhetoric and the impediment andinterference will stop.”

Homan emphasized that the administration isn’trelenting on its immigration crackdown and warned that protesters could face consequences if they interfere with federalofﬁcers.

But he seemed to acknowledge there had been missteps.

“I do not want to hear that everything that’sbeen done here has been perfect. Nothing’sever perfect,” he said Homan hinted at the prospect of pulling out many of the roughly 3,000 federal officers taking part in the operation, but he seemedto tie that to cooperation from state and local leaders and a reduction in protester interference.

“The drawdownisgoing to happenbased on these agreements,” he said.“But the drawdown can happen

He also said hewould oversee internal changes in federal immigration law enforcement, but he gave few speciﬁcs. “The mission is goingtoimprove because of the changes we’re making internally,” he said “Noagency organization is perfect.And President Trumpand I, along with others in the administration, have recognizedthatcertain improvementscould and should be made.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters in Washington on Thursday he was “hopeful” that the number of federal ofﬁcers in thecity wouldbereduced. He said police woulddotheir jobs but not“somebody else’s,” referring to federal lawenforcement.

On Thursday, asmatteringof protesters braved thefrigidtemperatures to demonstrateoutside of the federal facility that has been servingasthe operation’s main hub

Pretti, 37, was fatally shot Saturday during ascuffle with the Border Patrol. Earlier this month, 37-year-old Renee Good was shot in her vehicle by an Immigration andCustoms Enforcement ofﬁcer

Homan doubleddown on the need for jails to alert ICE to inmates who could be deported, saying that transferringsuchinmates to the agency whilethey’re still in jail is safer because it means fewer officers have to be out looking for people who areinthe country illegally ICE hashistorically relied on cooperation fromlocal andstate jails to notifythe agency about such inmates. “Give us access to illegal aliens,public safety threats in the safety and security of ajail,” he said.

The border czar,whose arrival followed the departure of the Trump administration’son-the-ground leader of the operation, Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino also seemed to suggest a renewedfocus on what ICE calls “targetedoperations”

would conduct “targeted strategic enforcement operations” prioritizing “public safety threats.”

Sameera Haﬁz, policy director with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, said Homan’scomments seemed to reﬂect arecognition that public opinion has turned against ICE, but she questioned his argument that carrying out targeted operationswould make the country safer

ICUnurse, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis

focusedonapprehending immigrants who have committed crimes. Homan said theagency

“His comments still seem to be based on the false premise that deporting people or deportation will make ourcommunity safer,”she said. “All the evidence and data has shownthat deportations don’tmake our communities safer.They destabilize families, they tear communities apart, they hurt our economy.”

BY PAUL WALSH

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

MINNEAPOLIS— Additional peoplehavebeencharged with stealing government property from federal agents’ vandalized vehicles during unrest after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement ofﬁcer shot and wounded aman in north Minneapolis two weeks ago. ChargedinU.S.District Court in Minnesota with aiding and abetting the willful destruction of public property are: James Christopher Lauer,21, of St. Paul;Michael Wallace Johnson III, 32,ofEdenPrairie;Korey Carroll, 33, of West Concord, Minn.; andLanisha Latrice Taylor,27, of Minneapolis. All four were arrested,released on their own recognizance and are scheduledto appear in court on Monday

On Jan. 14,FBI personnelwere assisting Department of Homeland Security officerswith immigration enforcement when federal agentswere forced amid unrest toabandontheir vehicles and propertyatthe scene after an agent shot and wounded aman who allegedly attacked an ofﬁcer during anarrest attempt.

Federalofﬁcials havesaid several people stole from an unmarked FBI vehicle an assault-style riﬂe, its noise suppressor,a handgun, ammunition, body armor,a handheldcommunications radio and alaptop computer uniforms,other equipment and personal items.

Stolenfrom asecond agent’s vehicle, accordingto federal officials, were FBI buildingaccess cards, an FBI identiﬁcation badge, body armor,aloaded ﬁrearms maga-

zine,clothing, credit cards, a driver’slicense, acellphone and apersonalmailbox key “Lauer,Carroll, Johnson and Taylor are observed interacting and/orconversing with one another and taking partinthe destruction and/ or theft” from the agents’ vehicles, the criminalcomplaint read.

Arrestshave been made and charges filed earlier against other people.

Brenna Marie Doyle,18, of Spokane, Washington, used stolen identification documents to threaten to killthe officer and his immediate family members, according to theFBI and prosecutors.

Raul Gutierrez, 33, of Minneapolis was charged in U.S. District Court in St. Paul with illegal gun possessionand theft in connection withallegedly breaking intoanFBI vehicle and stealing ariﬂe.

shownusgreatsupportandwe’rethankful.Wewillofferthesevehicles to our customers at incredibly low prices even if we sell select cars for only $99!”* Virtually all pre-ownedmakes&modelswillbeavailableforthisevent,includingcars,trucks,vans,andsportutility vehiclesfromtrade-ins,leasereturns,andprogramcars.

“Customerscanexpecttobuyatlowprices”Salibastated.Theeventbeginsat9:00amforviewing with the Super Sale Event starting at 11:00 am until noon. $99* vehicles will be sold on a first-come first-servebasistotheregisteredcustomers.Onlycustomerswhoareofficiallyregisteredattheregistrationtableareeligibleforthesevehicles.Pleasebringthisnewspaperclipping.

Homan

MPRNEWS PHOTO Posters depictingAlex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are displayed on awallThursday near the site where Pretti a37-year-old

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM GRAy

People participate in anoise demonstration Wednesday night outsidethe Graduate by Hilton Minneapolis hotel.

INSIDE WASHINGTONMARDI GRAS

It’s abig party, butpoliticsjusthappennaturally

Stephanie Grace WASHINGTON, D.C. Youcan’t walk

2feet at the annual Washington Mardi Gras —oreven on theway to it —without bumping into a politician, be it a major congressional figure (no other state has anything like Louisiana’s one-two punch of House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise) or a mayor,legislator,sheriff or local council member Case in point: People boarding the Wednesday morning nonstop flight from New Orleans toReaganNational Airport might have spotted ahigh-level consultation on criminal justice issuesinrows 9and 10, as two middle-seat passengers —Attorney General Liz Murrill and New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno —grabbed the chance opportunity to confer That the conversation between adie-hard Donald Trump Republican and aprogressive Democrat recently sworn in to office by Kamala Harris was friendly says much about the overall ethos of Louisiana’sannual Carnivalthemed extravaganza in the nation’scapital. This is atime when differences get put aside, andeveryone seeks out commonground and focuses on the state.Itwas both remarkable and not that Moreno’sjam-packed schedule of possible stop-bys listed afundraiser for Murrill and another for Republican Gov.Jeff Landry,who holds asecond, amorphoustitle as Trump’sspecial envoy to Greenland, theDanish semiautonomous territory thatthe presidentfor some reason desperately wantsas his own. Indeed, if there’s akeyword to describe the event, it’scamaraderie.

All that said, politics is never too far from the surface when so many pols and people who follow politics for aliving (or for fun) ﬁnd themselves in one place. It’scertainly lurking around U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S. Rep. JuliaLetlow,members of the state’sGOP delegation who suddenlyﬁnd themselves electoral adversaries. Trump’srecent endorsement of Letlow in the upcoming Senate Republican primary —obvious punishment for Cassidy’s2021 vote to convict Trump after his impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6attack on the U.S.Capitol —has put them in a zero-sum situation.

Nobody’sexpecting anyactual debate to break out, at least in public, but Letlow did hold afundraiser for her newly formed candidacy Wednesday night, even as Cassidy joined Johnson, Scalise andFrench ambassador Laurent Bili at his home in the elegant, snow-snarled Kalorama neighborhood to toast this year’sceremonial king and queen.

But among the masses,there wasdeﬁnitely private chitchat analyzingLetlow’scomments at some of the gathering’sevents —including her frequentnods to her work with the president, which at one time wouldbeseen as bland talking points from a longtime team player but arenow interpreted by some as strategy from acombatant.

For his part, asmiling Cassidy appeared to be anything butthe dead man walking some now consider him. While working the room at the ambassador’s reception, he insisted that allfelt entirely normal and noted that thisisn’t even the ﬁrsttime that amember of the congressional delegation had challenged acolleague. He should know.In2014, when Cassidy still served in theU.S House, he ran against incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. Politics found its way into the weekend then, too, as the two competing

lawmakers offered different versions ofaﬂood insurance ﬁx that was comingtogether on Capitol Hill.

Of course, there’sone big difference betweenthenand now: Landrieu was aDemocrat, so Cassidy’schallenge wasn’tcoming from inside the house.

Whoyou are, whereyou stay It’snot just in thesuddenly hotSenaterace where Trump’s shadow is sometimes intruding

over the festivities. Onedevelopmentinrecent years is aremnant of the president’sfirst term, when Republicans far and wide —definitely including those from Louisiana —basically turned the hotel in Washington’shistoric Old Post Office then flag-shipped under the president’s personal brand intoa GOP clubhouse. Trump’sname has since come off what’snow known as aWaldorf Astoria, butthe muscle memoryholds. Today it’s still

somethingofa secondary and morepartisan-minded hub for theweekend —and apopular location for Republican fundraisers —alongside the traditional headquarters at theWashington Hilton.

Also, despite all the warm words, current divisive events did sneak into the speeches at the French ambassador’shome.

For onething, Johnson noted that he’djust come from the WhiteHouse, where he’d been strategizing about avoiding apotential partial government shutdown prompted by widespread fury over something that did not get an overt mention: The Trump administration’sbrutish immigration practices andthe recent killings of two citizens at the hands of masked Border Patrol and ICE agents.

Andsprinkled into all the talk of our nation’sand our state’s very long friendship with France —presenttension between the U.S. and Europe notwithstanding —were acouple of lighthearted cracks about tariffs.

So even as Bili gave ashoutout to Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Monique Boulet to reminisce about his visit to the Marquis de Lafayette’snamesake city —“I was reminded of the how deeply French culture is woven into

Louisiana’sidentity,for its people, its spirits, its food; the boudin wasexcellent” —heslid in aquip about one of multiple Trumppolicies causing international tension. After drawing laughs with a line about France proving that it’s“still one of the world’sgreatest powers,” Bili added: “This is where usually Isay Ihope we reciprocate the tariff 50 to zero.” Bigparties meet bigbusiness Washington Mardi Gras has become amust-attend occasion not just forpolitical and government types, but increasingly forbusiness leaders with investments in our state. For all the homegrown companies on site, though, perhaps it says something about Louisiana’s perennial underdog status that the biggest corporate-sponsored event is put on by aHoustonbased ﬁrm,Cheniere Energy Still, Cheniere plays big in the liqueﬁed natural gas space, so its ties to Louisiana’senergy economy run deep. Each year it uses its party to makeasizable donation, this year of $100,000 to the McNeese Foundation to support its new LNG Center of Excellence.

It also drawsacrowdbyputting on an over-the-top show Wednesday’swinter-themed party at the National Portrait Gallery bordered on the otherworldly, with snowﬂakes projected onto the ceiling of the soaring courtyard, askater in amakeshift rink and so manywhite-clad acrobats that those seeking out the bigwigs (Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois, Louisiana House Speaker Phillip DeVillier and university presidents Michael Fitts of Tulane and Xavier Cole of Loyola, among manyothers) had to watch where they were going to avoid getting kicked in the head.

Nobody needs to fake winter conditions this weekinD.C., so the hosts did offer attendees someparting gifts: cups of hot chocolate to go along with pairs of Cheniere Carnival-themed socks. Here, Cheniere did offer anod to aLouisiana company: The socks were sourced from Bonfolk, a family-run small business, which the label says wasfounded in NewOrleans.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@theadvocate.com.

At the French ambassador’s home, live music is played during aWashington Mardi Gras party Wednesday.

House SpeakerMikeJohnson, left, greets U.S. Sen.Bill CassidyasMajority Leader SteveScalise joinsthem duringa Washington MardiGrasparty on Wednesday

Performers hang from the ceiling at the Cheniere Energyparty during Washington Mardi Gras at the National Portrait GalleryonWednesday

Performers roam the room at the Cheniere Energyparty for Washington MardiGras at the National Portrait Gallery.

CELEBRATING THE KING

Mardi Gras beads reflect off a wall as Sam Shannon, with the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, spreads them out on a table.

Lori Murphy, of Nederland Jewelers in Lake Charles, uses her fingertips to straighten the bow on a box holding a king’s pin as she helps get a table ready for the start of the King’s Luncheon at the Kennedy Center

Gov. Jeff Landry, center, shares a laugh with New Orleans businessman Fred Heebe, right, as Heebe’s daughter, Sarah, left, who is queen of this year’s Washington Mardi Gras, joins her dad in meeting the governor on Thursday.

Washington Mardi Gras Queen Sarah Heebe, center in pink, poses for photos with festival queens from across Louisiana near a layer of ice and snow on the rooftop of the Kennedy Center on Thursday. Guests at Thursday’s King’s Luncheon greet each other as they take their seats near where

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, left was working the room at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

Washington Mardi Gras King Gray Stream, left, gets a warm welcome from Gov. Jeff Landry, right, and his wife, Sharon, along with former U.S Sen. Mary Landrieu, center, as they greet each other for Thursday’s King’s Luncheon.

Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana Queen Linley Wilcox wears her elaborate tiara at the King’s Luncheon.

Washington Mardi Gras King Gray Stream wears an LSU championship ring as he stands with LSU President Wade Rousse during Thursday’s luncheon.

Washington Mardi Gras Queen Sarah Heebe is celebrated at the King’s Luncheon.

INSIDE WASHINGTON MARDI GRAS

As king, Gray Stream focuses on the economy

‘This

is not your normal event you’re in charge of’

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Lake Charles investor and philanthropist W. Gray Stream is from a storied family

His mother is the late country singer Lynn Anderson A portrait of his grandmother by celebrated Mexican artist Diego Rivera hangs in his father’s house.

Now as king of the 77th Washington Mardi Gras, Stream himself joins illustrious company His predecessors include Drew Brees, Richard Lipsey, Todd Graves and Roy O. Martin III, among other Louisiana titans.

Washington Mardi Gras is an annual event that draws thousands of Louisiana business and community leaders into a four-day retreat with local, state and federal politicians at the Washington Hilton, which dubs its bar the 65th parish Socializing around parties, hospitality suites and a formal ball lubricates business deals, Stream said He has an impressive résumé of volunteer work on the boards of a vast array of community organizations, from the Louisiana Innovation Council, which fosters growth for startups, to The National WWII Museum, which has become the top tourist attraction in New Orleans. But Stream said one of the biggest reasons for accepting the kingship is his present position chairing the Louisiana Economic Development Partnership Board, a panel of private sector advisers developing a strategic plan for economic development.

“I’ve been to a lot of Washington Mardi Gras,” Stream said. “I feel like it just continues the focus on improving the brand of the state and leveraging the opportunity to get so many of our state’s business leaders, civic leaders, political leaders, investors whether they are Louisiana-based investors or they’re investors that are putting

their capital to work here and getting them all in one place.”

As chair of the Washington Mardi Gras this year it fell upon House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, RJefferson, to choose the event’s queen and king — the public faces of the event.

“I’m sure everybody has their own formula I look for somebody who, number one, is going to really enjoy and celebrate the culture of Mardi Gras and bring that to Washington,” Scalise said. “It’s probably a nine-month process from when I asked and he accepted, to what’s going to happen this week. We talk a lot and you can feel the energy and the growth of kind of how he’s grown into this role.”

Additionally, Washington Mardi Gras is an expensive endeavor for the participants paying dues, ticket prices, hotel rooms and airline tickets.

For the king, who sponsors and attends numerous events over the year, the cost in coin is much higher and time away from business

much longer

“It’s got to be somebody who’s got the ability to do it You know, it costs a lot of money to put this event on,” Scalise said. “This is not your normal event you’re in charge of.”

Stream wouldn’t say how much he has spent, other than to note being king is “very” expensive.

“You play an important role in enhancing everyone’s experience and making sure that, you know, it’s memorable,” he said.

Stream has made $475,954 in political donations over the years, mostly to Republican candidates and political action committees, according to the Louisiana Board of Ethics and the Federal Election Commission.

After Scalise asked, Stream said he first spoke to his wife. Once she was on board, he went to his siblings, cousins and others in his extended family

“I work in a family company, so I wanted to talk with my family and just make sure that everybody

was comfortable with the fact that there’d be a lot of exposure and a lot of distraction, candidly,” Stream said. “I got everyone’s support.”

Since 2013, Stream has led his family’s Stream Companies and Matilda Stream Management, which oversees companies and administers holdings involving land, agriculture and natural resources, along with a sizable investment portfolio.

“For instance,” Stream said, “either in the early stage investing that we do or some of the operating companies that we’ve started, Stream Wetland Services, one of our companies, we just built and restored and rehabilitated tens of thousands of acres of coastal wetlands and done a lot of various environmental improvement projects.”

The Stream company attracting the most attention is Gulf Coast Sequestration, which Stream founded to handle industry’s carbon emissions.

Lake Charles and east Texas are home to a number of petrochemical plants, reﬁneries, electricitygenerating facilities, and other industries whose processes release large amounts carbon into the atmosphere. Companies are offered tax breaks for reducing carbon emissions.

The waste CO2 is shipped to Gulf Coast Sequestration in pipelines and pumped under pressure into geologic formations deep underground, where it turns to liquid and mixes with salt water in the rock.

The Washington Mardi Gras King’s Hospitality Suite will include landscape photos of the 30,000-acre Gray Ranch in Calcasieu Parish that his family has operated since 1896.

“That’s a big part of our family culture,” Stream said. “I mean, my catchphrase to our team is ‘Dedicated stewards, responsible pioneers’.”

His family has long been involved in public service, including contributions of art and money to the New Orleans Museum of Art.

But Stream credits Chris John, who was a congressman representing southwest Louisiana in the late 1990s and early 2000s, for inspiring an interest in public service along with business.

Stream joined John in Washington as an aide after graduating from Vanderbilt University and receiving his MBA in management and ﬁnance from Rice University

“It was a great kind of formative experience for me in getting my career started,” Stream said. “It really lit a spark of service for me to the state of Louisiana, for sure.”

He’s hoping to reconnect with the friends he made during those years in D.C. on John’s staff.

“We’re going to reminisce about how we were at the Washington Mardi Gras back then. How we worked the congressman’s suite. How we handed out tickets and did all the work necessary to make Washington Mardi Gras go smoothly How much fun we had,” Stream said. “And, now I’m the king.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

Sarah Heebe a queen who talks quantum computing

‘She’s a Louisiana girl through and through’

BY JAN RISHER Staff writer

New Orleans native Sarah Heebe does not ﬁt neatly into the traditional idea of a Mardi Gras queen — unless that idea includes conversations about quantum computing, a National Merit Scholarship and a deep interest in energy and climate policy

At 20, she’s also an accomplished trumpet player. She speaks Spanish. She’s a voracious reader who loves museums.

Her varied interests make complete sense to her

“It’s very New Orleans of me,” she said, laughing.

This year, Heebe will reign as queen of Washington Mardi Gras while juggling life as a sophomore at Yale University, where she is majoring in environmental studies.

“It was a very easy decision,” Heebe said. “I have such varied interests, and this felt like it was always going to be a magical experience.” Heebe was on summer break, taking classes through the London School of Economics, when she received the call naming her queen. She remembers being in a museum in Germany when she found out. She is bringing 24 fellow Yale students with her to the nation’s capital many of whom had never heard of Washington Mardi Gras before receiving her invitation

“I didn’t expect so many people would want to come,” she said. “It’s been a challenge trying to explain what Washington Mardi Gras is. There’s no real way to convey the sense of it. At ﬁrst, I think I did a poor job. Then they started Googling it that’s when the questions started.”

Her friends, many coming by train from Yale, are from across the country and around the world. Together, they will experience a Louisiana tradition that Heebe herself is still getting to know She’s attended once before in 2024, when her father, Fred Heebe, served as king.

She says she didn’t approach her role as queen with a lot of expectations and has enjoyed the process thus far

“I’ve enjoyed meeting people from all over the princesses and festival queens,” she said. “That’s been one of my favorite parts.” Behind the scenes, the logistics of Washington Mardi Gras brought some surprises, but with the help of her mother, Jennifer Heebe, Sarah Heebe has been able to balance a rigorous school schedule and the required prep for her reign as queen.

Meanwhile, her mom was back home in New Orleans with a kitchen table covered in index cards, trying to ﬁgure out charts for events — and enjoying the process. Jennifer Heebe was herself a Washington Mardi Gras princess in 1986. Sarah Heebe says she didn’t re-

alize “how many little things were involved.” Even so, her wardrobe planning has been stress-free. She built a spreadsheet for her necessary outﬁts, and with the help of New Orleans designer Suzanne Perrone, she’s ready to go. For Sarah Heebe, the wardrobe and the pageantry fit naturally alongside her academic life. She has a long history of taking things that seem intimidating and making them approachable including her award-winning capstone paper at Metairie Park Country Day School: “Quantum Armageddon or Elysium?: How Quantum Computing Might Change the World.”

“Once I learn how not to be in-

timidated by something, I can help other people learn the same,” she said. “Even with things people might think are frivolous.”

That instinct shows up in the details of her reign. Her breakfast theme is “Night at the Museum,” a nod to her love of museums and storytelling. The movie tie-in, she says, makes it more accessible for her generation. At Yale, Sarah Heebe says she is known among her friends for how often she talks about Louisiana.

“I never thought of myself as a classic Louisianan,” she said. “But the more I’ve grown, the more I want to represent my state — and do it in a positive way.” Being away from home has

sharpened that feeling. She misses the warm weather, oak-lined streets and po-boys. College, she said, gave her the distance to see Louisiana with fresh eyes.

“I’d certainly like to return,” she said. “Not just because the food is amazing, but because of the culture. It’s home.”

Her mother sees that same pull.

“She’s a smart girl,” Jennifer Heebe said. “But much more important than that, she has a heart of gold. She’s said all along that she wants to come home to New Orleans to work. She’s a Louisiana girl through and through.”

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

PROVIDED PHOTO

Gray Stream is king of the 77th Washington Mardi Gras.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Sarah Heebe is queen of the 2026 Washington Mardi Gras.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

King Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Heebe take pictures at the home of the ambassador of France to the United States, Laurent Bili, during a Washington Mardi Gras party on Wednesday.

Newcoldsnapaddsurgency to recovery

BY SOPHIE BATES, SUDHIN THANAWALA and RUSS BYNUM Associated Press

BELZONI, Miss.

Hundreds of National Guard troops in ice-stricken Mississippi and Tennessee mobilized Thursday to clear debris and assist people stranded in cars or stuck at homesstill without electricity asthe Southern states raced to recover from acrippling winter storm before another blast of dangerous cold hits Friday

The National Weather Service said arctic air moving into the Southeast will cause already frigid temperatures to plunge into theteenson Friday night in cities like Nashville, wheremore than 80,000 homes and businesses still had no powerfive days after amassive storm dumped snow and ice across the eastern U.S.

Glyn Alexander,73, endured three days without electricity before deciding to leave her home in Belzoni, asmall cityinthe Mississippi Delta. She was cozier Thursday at alocal warming shelter, where agenerator kept the indoor temperature at abalmy 82.

“Three days in the cold, sleeping in the cold, eating in the cold,” Alexander said “I just couldn’ttake the cold anymore.”

At least 85 people have died in areas affected by bitter cold from Texas to New Jersey. Roughlyhalfthe deaths were reported in Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.

The prolonged freeze left some residentsincreasingly desperate in aregion unaccustomed to such conditions.

Emergency dispatchersin Mississippi received calls from people running out of food and medications while stuck at home. In Tennessee, social workers coordinated with police and ﬁreﬁghters to check on residents who hadn’tbeen heard from in days.

“Noone really knew that it wasgoing to be like this, or how bad,” said CJ Bynum, who used his Jeep to help drivers stranded along Interstate 55 in northern Mississippi, where 18-wheel trucks still lined the icy highway two days after traffic ground to ahalt Harriet Wallace, who works for aNashville social services agency,said police and firefighters were

By The Associated Press

PORTLAND,Maine Federal immigration officials have ceased their “enhancedoperations” in Maine, the site of an enforcement surge and hundreds of arrests since last week, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday Collinsannounced the development after saying she had spoken directlywith Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

“There are currently no ongoing or planned largescale ICE operations here,”

Utility workers restore powertoaneighborhood WednesdayinNashville, Tenn., after awinter stormpassed through the area over theweekend

visitinghomes to check on older adults whose relatives couldn’treach themby phone. All were foundalive, shesaid.For those without power whorefused to leave, ofﬁcers helped charge phonesand get groceries.

“They are ﬁnding blankets and just sitting there with no TV,nopower,nothing,” Wallace said.“Some are alittle delirious.”

Majoroutages persist

More than 260,000 homes and businesses in states hit by the winter storm had no electricity Wednesday evening, according to the outage trackingwebsite poweroutage.us. The vast majority were in Mississippiand Tennessee,withroughly95,000 each Nashville Electric Service saidThursday that 963 linemen wererepairingdamage after thestorm snapped hundreds of power poles in the area. Autility vice president, Brent Baker,said Wednesday that full restorationcouldtake until the weekend or longer Interstates 55 and 22 remained closed in northern Mississippi as emergency crews used towtrucks and snowplows to clear thehighways.

Mississippi Gov.Tate Reeves said 650 National Guard troopswereclearingfallen trees from roads anddeliveringmeals,blankets and other supplies by truck and by helicopter.The Tennessee NationalGuard said about170 soldiers and airmen were assisting with

Collins said in astatement, referring to U.S.Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.“Ihave been urging Secretary Noem andothers in the administration toget ICEtoreconsider its approach to immigrationenforcement in the state.” Collins,a Republican, said ICE and Border Patrol officials“will continue their normal operations that have been ongoing here for many years.”

TheDepartment of Homeland Security said in astatement that it would “continue

recovery efforts, including helping more than 200 people stranded in vehicles and homes and providing rides to nearly 300 emergency and health care workers.

Warmingcenters in Miss Mississippiofficials say it’sthe state’s worst winter storm since 1994. About 80 warming centers were opened across the state, known as one of thenation’spoorest.But for some communities, theyweren’t enough.

In Batesville,Mississippi, where most of thecity’s 7,400 residents were withoutpower Thursday,Mayor Hal Ferrell said officials were dealing with outages at nursing homes,a shortage of generators for shelters and ice-covered interstates that slowed deliveries.

“We’rejust stymied with everything we’re trying to do,”Ferrell said.

Health experts warn that prolonged exposure to cold without heat posesserious risks, especially for young children, older adults and people with cardiovascular conditions.

“The body can handle cold temperatures briefly very well,” said Dr.Hans House, aprofessorofemergency medicine at the University of Iowa, “but the prolonged exposure is aproblem.”

As hypothermia sets in, the body shivers andreduces blood ﬂowtohands and feet to preserve heat,House said,raising theriskof frostbite. As exposure continues, people can become

to enforce the law across the country,aswedoevery day.”ICE said in astatement that it performed its duties despite meeting resistance from demonstrators.

Collins’announcement comes more than aweek after ICE began an operation it dubbed “Catch of the Day.”

Federal ofﬁcials said about 50 arrests were made the first day and that roughly 1,400 people were operational targets in the mostly ruralstate of 1.4million residents, 4% of whom are foreign-born.

Forecasters

sleepy and confused, and in severe cases theheart and

lungs can fail.

say the subfreezing weatherwill persist in the easternU.S.into February and there’shigh chance of heavysnowin

the Carolinas, Virginia and northeast Georgia this weekend, possibly up to a foot in parts of North Carolina. Snow is also possible along the East Coast.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGEWALKER IV

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBySOPHIE BATES

Sherry Miller, whoisstaying at the Humphreys County warming center,passes the time playing dominoes with others seekingshelter in Belzoni, Miss.,onThursday.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Zuckerberg, Musk vie for AI primacy

Meta Platforms Inc. will double capital spending to as much as $135 billion this year, an all-in bet on artiﬁcial intelligence as the U.S. tech giants battle it out for supremacy in the next wave of technological advancements Tesla Inc. will spend $20 billion this year on pursuits including AI, self-driving vehicles and robotics — almost double Wall Street estimates and plow another $2 billion into Chief Executive Ofﬁcer Elon Musk’s xAI startup Investors should look forward to “a major AI acceleration” that’s been brewing within the tech industry for over a year, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday’s earnings call. After an overhaul of the company’s AI program in 2025, Zuckerberg said Meta will soon release new models and products.

The availability of semiconductors will be a big bottleneck to growth. Musk said earlier this month that he’s weighed building his own factory for logic and memory chips and packaging for Tesla, in a podcast interview with Peter Diamandis, founder of the X Prize Foundation.

“We’re going to hit a chip wall if we don’t do the fab,” Musk said. “We’ve got two choices: hit the chip wall or make a fab.” Apple’s iPhone sales surge to quarterly high Apple’s iPhone sales soared to a new quarterly record during the holiday season.

The October-December results announced Thursday reflect the allegiance of Apple’s fans, who eagerly snapped up the latest iPhone 17 models even though the company still hasn’t delivered on its 2024 promise to smarten up the device’s Siri assistance with AI.

Apple tried to offset its AI miscues with a new “liquid glass” design for the iPhone 17 and older models installed by way of a free software upgrade released last September That formula helped produce iPhone sales of $85.3 billion, a 23% increase from the same time in the previous year It marked Apple’s highest iPhone sales for a threemonth period since the device’s debut in 2007.

The iPhone’s robust performance propelled Apple to a proﬁt of $42.1 billion, or $2.84 per share for the quarter, a 16% increase from the previous year Total revenue also rose 16% from the previous year to $143.8 billion Apple is tapping into Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 3, in a tacit acknowledgment of its own shortcomings in a technology that’s widely considered to be the industry’s biggest breakthrough since the iPhone’s introduction.

Royal Caribbean confirms news ships

Royal Caribbean is making waves in the cruise industry with big plans for the next several years, including a new class of oceangoing ships and 10 new river ships.

Royal Caribbean Group announced a series of agreements with the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in France to secure the construction of its new Discovery class. Jay Schneider, Royal Caribbean’s chief product innovation ofﬁcer, previously noted that the new ships would be smaller than the cruise line’s gigantic Icon class ships.

The news confirms two firm ship orders with options for four additional ships. The ﬁrst ship in the class is set to debut in 2029, while the second ship is scheduled for delivery in 2032

While details on the new ships are scant, Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley said the new Discovery class will put guests “at the center of it all.”

The confirmation of the Discovery class comes on the heels of an announcement of more vessels for Celebrity River Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Last September, Celebrity ﬁrst shared its foray into the world of river cruising with two new ships debuting in 2027

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Markets end near even after swings

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK A day of dramatic swings on Wall Street, including Microsoft’s worst drop in years and a sudden reversal for the price of gold, ﬁnished with only relatively modest moves on Thursday

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% after ﬂirting with its record high in the morning and dropping by as much as 1.5% later in the day The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 55 points, or 0.1%, after erasing an earlier loss of more than 400 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7%.

Microsoft was the heaviest weight on the market by far, and the tech giant tumbled 10% even though it reported stronger proﬁt and revenue for the latest quar-

ter than analysts expected. Investors honed in instead on how much Microsoft is spending on investments, whether growth in its Azure cloud business will slow and how long its push into artificial-intelligence technology will take to turn into big profits. Tesla also weighed on the market after falling 3.5%. It delivered a bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, but the results were sharply lower than from a year earlier Tesla’s leader, Elon Musk, has been trying to get investors to focus less on its flagging car sales and more on the company’s robotaxis and robots.

IBM climbed 5.1% after surpassing analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue. Southwest Airlines ﬂew 18.7% higher

even though its proﬁt fell short of forecasts. It gave a forecast for earnings in 2026 that blew past analysts’ expectations, saying it’s seeing strong momentum after making changes like charging baggage fees and having assigned seating.

Some of the wildest action in ﬁnancial markets was again for precious metals.

Gold’s price rallied near $5,600 per ounce in the morning before suddenly and briefly dropping back below $5,200. It then steadied somewhat and rose modestly to another record.

It was only on Monday that gold’s price topped $5,000 for the first time, and it had nearly doubled over the last 12 months.

Silver, which has been zooming higher in its own feverish run, had

a similar and sudden reversal of momentum before ticking higher again.

Prices for precious metals have been surging as investors look for safer things to own while weighing a wide range of risks, including a U.S. stock market that critics call expensive, political instability, threats of tariffs and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide. Oil prices rose roughly 3.5% on worries about potentially rising tensions between the United States and Iran, which could ultimately constrict the ﬂow of crude. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the U.S. military “will be prepared to deliver whatever the president expects,” just a day after President Donald Trump told Iran to “make a deal” on its nuclear program.

Starbucks sees room to expand

Company

plans hundreds of new U.S. stores, increased seating

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

NEW YORK Starbucks said Thursday that it plans to open hundreds of new stores across the U.S. and add seating capacity at thousands of existing locations, doubling down on a strategy of emphasizing the company’s cafes as community hubs even as consumer demand for drive-thru coffee grows.

The company unveiled its plans during a presentation in New York for investors. After announcing in September that it would close hundreds of less proﬁtable stores, Starbucks said it now expects to open up to 175 new U.S. coffee shops this year and around 400 in 2028. Its plans include smaller-format stores that are 20% cheaper to build but still offer comfortable seating, drive-thru service and mobile order pickup capacity

Chair and CEO Brian Niccol said Starbucks ultimately sees an opportunity to build at least 5,000 new cafes across the U.S., with the smaller store format presenting much of that opportunity. There are thousands of sites where no Starbucks operates within a mile of a competitor, he said. Starbucks is particularly eyeing the central, southern and northeastern U.S. for store development In some ways, Starbucks is running counter to a growing U.S. trend of drive-thru-only coffee shops like Dutch Bros and 7 Brew In September, the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group, found that 59% of U.S. coffee drinkers who bought coffee outside their home in the past week had used a drive-thru, which was an alltime high.

But Niccol said Thursday that over the last month, more than 60% of Starbucks’ customers came into a store to order their coffee, and he thinks it’s important for those stores to feel vibrant and inviting.

“Our cafes are our point of differentiation,” Niccol said. “We want people to be in our coffeehouses.”

Starbucks said it plans to add 25,000 additional seats to its U.S. cafes by the end of its ﬁscal year this fall. That’s part of an ongoing upgrade process that is intended to make existing stores warmer and more welcoming.

The improvements, which cost around $150,000 and are done overnight while stores are closed, have been completed at 200 locations and are expected to spread to 1,000 by fall. Starbucks expects to ﬁnish the retroﬁtting work in 2028. The company has

around 10,000 company-operated stores in the U.S. Niccol said Starbucks is seeing customers dwell longer in stores that are revamped.

Niccol, who joined Starbucks in 2024 to revive its ﬂagging sales, said the company’s turnaround is taking hold. Starbucks has been adding staff and equipment to stores to improve service times and give employees more time to connect with customers.

Among Starbucks’ priorities in the coming year is improving its afternoon business, which is weaker than its performance in the morning. In the spring, the company plans to introduce customizable energy drinks made with a proprietary green coffee extract. It’s also planning more snackable foods that are high in protein and ﬁber, like ﬂatbreads, cottage cheese and protein popcorn.

The company is also installing equipment designed to speed up service. A next-generation espresso machine will cut in half the 70 seconds it now takes to pull espresso shots and double capacity to eight shots at a time, the company said. The machines will begin rolling out to U.S. stores in 2027. Starbucks also expects changes to its loyalty program to boost sales. A three-tiered program set to start March 10 in the U.S. and Canada will have various beneﬁts for Green, Gold and Reserve members. Starbucks has 35.5 million active loyalty members in the U.S. alone. Green members will still earn one star per dollar spent, and stars can be redeemed for food and beverages. But they will earn a $2 credit faster than before and get free drink modiﬁcations once per month, the company said.

Minn. climate suit against oil industry can proceed

BY KRISTOFFER TIGUE

The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

A lawsuit from the state of Minnesota that aims to hold the oil industry accountable for allegedly misleading the public about climate change can move forward, a state appeals court ruled Monday

The ruling inches the case closer to trial after nearly six years of legal challenges. The decision affirms a lower court’s ruling, denying a motion by Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute to throw the case out. The case now heads back to the lower court to begin the discovery process if no other attempts to dismiss it are ﬁled

The three-judge panel rejected the oil companies’ arguments that the case lacked jurisdiction in Minnesota, violated federal

law that prohibits discrimination between in-state and out-of-state businesses, and broke Minnesota’s anti-SLAPP law SLAPPs, short for strategic lawsuits against public participation, are defined by the state as lawsuits with the express intent to harass or interfere with a person’s constitutional rights, such as free speech. Minnesota’s suit, filed in 2020, is among dozens of pending cases filed by cities, counties and states that allege oil companies misled the public by hiding and downplaying evidence that burning fossil fuels heats the planet. Research shows that extreme weather, exacerbated by rising global temperatures, has caused more than $3 trillion in damage across the United States since 1980. The suits, if successful, could have broad ramifications, including forcing oil companies to pay

states billions of dollars in damages and requiring warning labels on petroleum products to inform consumers about their connection to climate change.

But attorneys familiar with the cases say it could be years before any of them make it to trial. Minnesota’s lawsuit, for example, has been tied up for years over peripheral issues such as whether it should be heard in a federal or state court.

“It’s good news for the state, but too early to pop the Champagne corks,” said Michael Gerrard, founding director of Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Minnesota’s lawsuit faces other legal challenges as well. Those include whether state courts have the authority to issue decisions that could have broad ramifications on national environmental

policy Oil companies have argued that the lawsuits amount to climate policy that would be written by judges rather than lawmakers. In a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune, American Petroleum Institute General Counsel Ryan Meyers called the lawsuits “baseless” and “a coordinated campaign” against the fossil fuel industry by Democrat-led states.

“We continue to believe that climate policy belongs in Congress, not a patchwork of courtrooms,” Meyers said.

The climate lawsuits aren’t novel. Many of them, including Minnesota’s, are adopting a legal strategy used by states to successfully sue tobacco companies in the 1990s. Those lawsuits ultimately forced tobacco companies to pay states billions of dollars and add labels to cigarette packs, warning that smoking can cause lung cancer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD DREW

Starbucks Chair and CEO Brian Niccol speaks Thursday during the Starbucks Investor Day event in New york.

Trumpsaysheasked Putinnot to target Kyiv during cold spell

BY AAMER MADHANI and SUSIE BLANN Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that President Vladimir Putin has agreed not to target the Ukrainian capital and other towns for one week as the region experiences frigid temperatures. There was no immediate conﬁrmation from the Kremlin that Putin has agreed to such apause. Russia has been pounding Ukraine’scritical infrastructure,hopingtowear down public resistance to the war while leaving many around the country having to endure the dead of winter

without heat.

“I personally asked President Putin notto ﬁre on Kyiv andthe cities and towns fora week during this …extraordinary cold,” Trump said during aCabinet meetingat the White House,adding that Putin has “agreed to that.”

Kremlin spokesman DmitryPeskov was asked earlier Thursday whether a mutual halt on strikes on energy facilities was being discussedbetween Russia andUkraine, and he refused to comment onthe issue.

Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy late Wednesday hadwarned that Moscow was planning another large-scalebarrage

despite plans for further U.S.-brokered peace talks. Trump said he was pleased that Putinhas agreedto thepause. Kyiv,which has grappled withseverepower shortagesthis winter,is forecasttoenterabrutally coldstretch starting Friday that is expected to last into next week. Temperatures in some areas will drop to minus22, the State Emergency Service warned.

“A lot of people said, ‘Don’t wastethe call.You’renot goingtoget that,’”the Republican U.S.president said of his request of Putin. “And he did it.And we’re very happy that they did it.”

Zelenskyy,for his part,

thanked Trumpfor his effort and welcomed the “possibility” of apause in Russian militaryaction on Kyiv and beyond. “Power supplyisa foundation of life,” Zelenskyy said in his social media post Trumpdid not say when the call with Putintook place or when the ceaseﬁre would go into effect.The White House did not immediately respond to aquery seeking clarity aboutthe scopeand timing of the limited pause in the nearly four-year war Russia has sought to deny Ukrainian civilians heat and running water over the course of thewar,which beganwithRussia’s full-scale

invasiononFeb.24, 2022. Ukrainianofﬁcials describe the strategy as “weaponizing winter.”

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate Russia is assembling forces for amajor aerial attack. Previous large attacks, sometimes involving more than 800 dronesaswellas cruise and ballistic missiles, have targeted the Ukrainian power grid. The ongoing attacks discredit the peace talks, Zelenskyy said. “Every single Russian strike does,” he said late Wednesday Negotiations between the twosides are poised to resume on Sundayamid

doubts aboutMoscow’scommitment to asettlement. The European Union’stop diplomat accused Russia of nottaking thetalks seriously,calling Thursday in Brussels formore pressure to be exerted on Moscow to press it into making concessions. “Wesee them increasing their attacksonUkraine because theycan’t make moves on the battleﬁeld. So, they are attacking civilians,” Kaja Kallas said of Russia at ameeting of EU foreign ministers. She stressedthatEurope, which sees its ownfuture security at stake in Ukraine, must be fully involved in talks to end the war

NewborncalfstrugglingindeepfreezeinKentuckybrought indoors

BY DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky.— AKentucky family battling extreme cold temperatures on their farm over the weekend opened their home to a newborncalf that was struggling in the deep freeze Hours later,the calf, fed and ﬂuffed, took aspot on thecouch with the Sorrell family’stwo children. Their mom, Macey Sorrell, snapped some photos and later posted them to social media, and the cuteness did not go unnoticed Thecalf was born outdoors in single-digit temperatures on Saturday. MaceySorrell said her husband, Tanner,went outside to check on the pregnant mother and

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA

NO:869-330

U.S. BANK,N.A AS TRUSTEE, SUCCESSORIN INTEREST TO WACHOVIA BANK,NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS TRUSTEE, SUC‐CESSORBY MERGER TO FIRSTUNION NATIONAL BANK AS TRUSTEE, FORMID-STATE TRUSTX VS TIMOTHYG BRISCOE, JR.

THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OPGROUND, to‐getherwithall the buildings and improvements thereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining.Lots28 and 29, Square 114, BroadwayAve Harvey, LA in South NewOr‐leans Subdivi‐sion, eatlot measuring25by 100 feet in Jef‐fersonParish, LA.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

foundthe calf, suffering in the cold

“She was just frozen. Herumbilical cordlooked like apopsicle,”

Macey Sorrell said Thursday from her home in Mount Sterling, Kentucky. “It was just frozen.”

After losingacalflastwinterto frostbite, thefamily moved quickly to bring the baby inside to clean her off and warmher up.

“When we brought her in, she had ice on her.The afterbirth was still on her,Ihad to wipe all that off,” Sorrell said. “I took out the blow dryer and warmed her up, and got her all ﬂuffed out.”

Soon thecalf was lying on the couch, cuddlingwithher young children

“Theycrawledupnext to her

NOTE: Allfunds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

KATE SOTOLONGO Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

The New Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:870-285

WILMINGTON SAVINGSFUND SOCIETY, FSBAS OWNER TRUSTEEOF CFS15 GRANTOR TRUST VS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOF GLADYSTINE LEWISA/K/A GLADYSTINE LEWIS

h d ll

p thereonand all the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe Parish of Jeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,towit:

In that part des‐ignated as Har‐vey CanalSub‐division, ac‐cording to plan ofsubdivision by Elbert G. San‐doz,C.E.& Sur‐veyor,dated September 10, 1927, revised December 21,1927, which saidportion is designatedas Lots35and 36 ofSquare60 which lots adjoin each other andmea‐sureeach25 feet frontonEs‐taloteStreet, similarwidth in therear, by a depth of 120 feet between equal andparal‐lel lines. Lot36 commences 200feet from the corner of Es‐taloteStreet and 38th Street

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE: Allfunds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson The New Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:870-431

INVESTAR BANK NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION VERSUS STEVEL JETHRO,JR

like it was just the most normal thing,” she said. Her 3-year-old son, Gregory,decided to namethe calf Sally,acharacter from his favoritemovie, “Cars.”

The family keepsabout three dozencows on their landand are used to bringing farm animals indoors from time to time. Sally was reunited withher mother thenext morning, and is doing well, Sorrell said.

Sorrell said she almost didn’t share the photos on social media, because it was nothing new to the family to bring an animal indoors when necessary.Several commented on the cuteness of the photos.

“It’sjustpartofwhatyou do,” she said.

That certain piece or portion ofground,to‐getherwithall the buildings and improvements thereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe Parish of Jeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,in thatpart thereof known asWoodmere Subdivision, SectionNo. 2, in accordance with thesubdi‐visionplanof J.J.Krebs & Sons,C.E dated May 5, 1975, ap‐provedbythe Jefferson Parish Council on June 12,1975, under Ordinance No 12035, regis‐tered in COB 839, folio 588 which said lotisdesig‐nated andde‐scribed as fol‐lows, to-wit: LOT618 SQUARE"M", which square is bounded by Paige Janette Drive,Paige JanetteDrive (side), Lynbrook Drive (side) and Oakmere Drive. Lot 618 com‐mences at adistanceof 409.42 feet from the corner of Paige Janette Drive andOak‐mere Drive. Lot618 measures thence 68.88 feetfront on Paige Janette Drive, awidth in

therearof59.70 feet, by adepth of100.00 feet between equal and parallel lines

Improvements thereonbear the Municipal No. 2476 Paige Janette Drive, Harvey, LA 70058.

Beingthe same propertyac‐quiredbyCathy Dicherson Mills, byact dated September 23.2019, recordedatCOB 3426, folio 209, further acquired byCathy Dich‐erson Mills andGregory Allen Mills, by act datedJuly 24, 2014, recordedatCOB 3335, folio561 Parish of Jeffer‐son,Louisiana TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

J. PATRICK GAFFNEY Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026

jan30-mar6-2t

BACK

Byvirtueofand inobedience to a Writ of SEIZURE AND SALEfromthe 24thJudicial DistrictCourt ParishofJeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,inthe above num‐bered andenti‐tledcause, dated Septem‐ber 19, 2025, I haveseizedand willproceed to selltothe high‐est bidder at publicauction atthe Jefferson ParishSheriff's Ofﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clock a.m. the following de‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: That certain piece or portion ofground,to‐getherwithall the buildings and improvements andimprove‐ments thereon, and allrights, ways, privi‐leges,servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining situated in the State of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son in that part known as Southwood West Subdivi‐sion, SectionB Accordingto a Subdivision Plan of J. J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,C.E.&S., dated July 10, 1974, revised December16, 1974, approved by the Jefferson Parish Council under Ordinance No 11923, adopted February 6, 1975, registered inC.O.B.830, Folio 776, which subdivision plan is recorded in Jef‐fersonParish PlanBook88, Folio 1, which ordinance was ratiﬁed and amendedbyOr‐dinance No 12299, adopted February19, 1976, registered inCOB 855Follo 659 and also ac‐cording to the surveyofJ.J Krebs &Sons, Inc.,dated 1-30-76, revised

2/12/76 and 3/17/76 and resurveyedto showimprove‐ments 6/23/76, said property is designatedas Lot 7ofSquare E,and said Lot commences 335.55 feet from thein‐tersectionof Sugarpine Drive, and theNorth Boundaryofthe subdivisionas shown on the saidsurveyof J.J.Krebs & Sons, datedJan‐uary30, 1976, andmea‐sures thence 60 feet fronton Sugarpine Drive, sameinwidth in the rear,bydepths of113.15 feet each.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

KATE SOTO‐LONGO Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:870-810 STANDARD MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS MICHAEL NICHOLAS ROOF Byvirtueofand inobedience to a Writ of SEIZURE AND SALEfromthe 24thJudicial DistrictCourt, ParishofJeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,inthe above num‐bered andenti‐tledcause dated Decem‐ber 4, 2025, I haveseizedand willproceed to sell to thehigh‐bidd

g estbidderat publicauction, atthe Jefferson ParishSheriff's Ofﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clock a.m. the following de‐scribed prop‐ertytowit:

ACERTAIN TRACT OF LAND, together with all thebuildings and improve‐ments thereonand all the rights,ways, privileges, pre‐scriptions, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe Parish of Jeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,des‐ignated as LOT 18ofTHREE OAKS SUBDIVISION ADDITION,ES‐TELLE PLANTA‐TIONSUBDIVI‐SION, in accor‐dance with theplanby Dufrene Survey‐ing &Engineer‐ing,Inc., dated August8,2003, and reviewed by the Jefferson Parish PlanningDe‐partmentonDe‐cember12, 2003, Summary No 21086, Docket No. WS-227-03 and approved bythe Council on December 3, 2003, Ordinance 22063.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certiﬁed Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

LGRAHAM ARCENEAUX Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

SORRELL

3, cuddles with acalfhis family brought indoors during extreme cold temperatures in Mount Sterling,Ky.,onSaturday.Atright is his sister,CharleeSorrell, 2.

| Friday, January 30, 2026 1Bn

Moratorium imposed on data centers

City Council seeks new zoning classification amid regulations

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

New Orleans ofﬁcials are exploring the potential impacts of data centers in the city and how best to regulate them after a community uproar doomed a proposed facility in New Orleans East.

The City Council this week im-

posed a temporary moratorium on new data centers and separately mandated that city planners come up with a new zoning classiﬁcation to deﬁne what they are. The moratorium, which could last up to two years, effectively killed a proposal by MS Solar Grid Data for a 17acre vacant lot near Interstate 10 and Read Boulevard.

Council President JP Morrell said the council needs to “ﬁgure out what the hell a data center is in the law.”

“We want to move quickly on deﬁning this (in order) to block this,” Morrell said. “It is going to detrimentally affect the livelihoods of people.”

Nearby residents first began

sounding alarms about the data center project earlier this month and some critics raised concerns that it would strain the electrical grid and water system.

Mayor Helena Moreno came out against the data center earlier this week, and the council followed with unopposed

votes on Wednesday The developer James Ramsey III, told WWL Louisiana after the council meeting he would build the data center somewhere else, though he did not say where.

“The council just announced to the world that we’re not smart enough to know the difference between a toxic waste dump and a building with computers in it,”

BY JAMES FINN and MISSY WILKINSON Staff writers

A New Orleans Police Department recruit detained this week by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is a Cameroonian man who has lived in the U.S for a decade and was married to an American citizen while the government processed his application for a green card, three people familiar with the case said The man, Larry Temah, arrived in the United States in 2015 on a temporary visa, the people said, then applied for a green card the following year in Georgia after marrying his U.S. citizen spouse. The U.S. government offers programs for spouses of citizens to obtain permanent residency The government gave Temah provisional authorization to live and work in the country while his green card application was

TEAMING UP

ABOVE: New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, center, rallies with participants during the fourth annual Battle of the Branches ﬂag football tournament at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie on Thursday Active-duty military members and veterans from all branches of service competed in tournament-style games honoring their service. Hosted by Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers in partnership with the New Orleans Saints, the event included special halftime activities, awards and appearances by Saints players.

ABOVE: U.S. Army Reserve soldier Mitchell Hutchinson competes in a relay during the tournament. ABOVE RIGHT: U.S. Navy sailor Angel Persaud hikes the ball while warming up. BELOW RIGHT: The trophy is seen near the ﬁeld as teams gather to play

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Morrell

HOSPITAL

Continuedfrom page1B

Uptown Car Wash and Express Lube on Tchoupitoulas Street is for sale.

CAR WASH

Continued from page1B

and Kevin Hilbert, the decision reflects arecognition that the land’svalue has outgrown the car washbusiness that has operatedthere for roughly 30 years.

“They operated the business fora longtime,and this is really the next generational step,”saidBill Kearney of the Ehrhardt Group, apublic relations firm advising the owners.

“As people approached them and expressed interest, they made the difﬁcult decision to look at what theoptions might be.”

While the car wash has long beena neighborhood staple, Kearney said the owners concluded that its “highest and best use” would likely be determined by another developer

“How many parcels of land do you see across the city being used as stand-alone car washes these days?”Kearney said. “They’re usually part of something bigger now.”

Apreservationbust-up

The sale comes just two years afterthe property became the center of one of Uptown’smost closely watched land-use disputes, when the owners sought permission to demolish three historic homes on the site to expand the car wash.

The buildings —two late 19th-century Eastlake-style shotgun doubles and aCreole cottage datingtothe mid-1800s —were located on ablock of Tchoupitoulas Street thatfalls within alocalhistoric district. Preservation advocatesargued the structures had been allowed to deteriorate through years of neglectand accused the owners of attempting “demolition by neglect.”

After the Historic District Landmarks Commission recommended rejecting the request, the New Orleans City Council unanimously approved the demolitions, citing concerns about safety and theheavily commercial character of the surrounding area. The buildings have since been torn down, though the car wash was never expanded.

Former City Council member Joe Giarrusso, whose district included the site, said at the time that the decision reﬂected thedifﬁcult balance between preserving historic architecture and addressing blight and public safety concerns.

Alarge Uptown platform

Now cleared and marketed for redevelopment, the property stands out as one of the largest contiguous sites left along the Uptown stretch of Tchoupitoulas Street, acorridor that has steadily evolved from portserving industrial uses to retail,medicaland neighborhood-oriented businesses.

“You justdon’tget platforms like this Uptown very often,” said Parke McEnery whose ﬁrm is handling the listing. “There aren’tmany sites left that canaccommodate asigniﬁcant serviceor retail presence.”

McEnery said buyers are expected to pursue afull redevelopment of the site ratherthan reusethe existing car wash, though he emphasizedthat no speciﬁc use

“We’ve been working to grow our program to the highest level, thegold standard,” Yu said.

Thedesignation follows a period of signiﬁcant expansionfor Manning Family Children’s, which ﬁnished a four-year,$300 millionrenovation in 2022 that included a28-room pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, 12 operating rooms, 45 emergency rooms, 24 rooms in the new cancer center and updated equipment for MRIs,CR scans and infusions.

It also comes amidthe growing competitionbetween LCMC Health, which operates Manning Family Children’s, andOchsner Health, which is building a freestanding children’shospital at its main campus in Jefferson Parish.

is being pitched.

“The sellers really don’t have avision for what it should be,” McEnery said.

“That’sgoingtobeuptothe next owner.”

Any proposal, he added, will need to navigate neighborhood concerns that have long shaped development alongTchoupitoulas.

“Thisisavocal neighborhoodassociation,” McEnery said. “Part of our jobasbrokersistowork closelywith theneighborhood and come up with something that’s sensitive but still represents thehighest and best use of theproperty.”

One advantage, he said, is the site’ssize.

“With 70,000square feet, you can build a10,000- or 15,000-square-foot building and stillhave alot of parking,” McEnery said. “That helps soften the impact of whatever useultimately goesthere.”

Acorridorstill in flux

Thelisting also lands at a moment of uncertainty for the surrounding commercial landscape. Next door, the Riverside Market Shopping Center’sanchor tenant,Winn-Dixie,iswidely expected to changeasthe grocery chain’sparent company,SoutheasternGrocers, winds down operations following its acquisition by Aldi.

McEnery said there has been market chatter that theWinn-Dixiespace could eventuallybe repurposed, though no plans have been conﬁrmed

Auburndale Properties, the New Jersey-basedowner of the shopping center, didnot respond to requests for comment.

The speculation underscores the degree towhich Tchoupitoulas Street, particularly through theIrish Channel and Uptown,remains acorridor in transition.

Once lined withmanufacturers,warehouses and port-related businesses, thestreet has gradually shifted over the past several decades toward serving nearby residential neighborhoods.Formerindustrialbuildings nowhouse breweries,fitnessstudios, specialty retailers and food producers, while large-scale infrastructure projects in the1990s separated the corridor from the port that once deﬁnedit.

That evolution has accelerated in pockets,but unevenly,leaving stretches of the street —including the block where the car wash sits —poised between past andfuture.

Nextchapter,developer Forthe carwashowners, thedecisionto sellreﬂects both the changing characterofthe corridor andthe increasing scarcity of large redevelopmentsites Uptown.

“They’ve coexisted with this neighborhood for along time,” Kearney said.“But things have changed, and themarket has changed.”

Asked whether theowners haveany preference for what ultimately replaces the car wash,Kearney was unequivocal.

“They really don’t,”he said. “That’sfor the next owner to decide—how they investtheir funds and what they envision forthe property.”

Ochsn er’ sn ew 343,000-square foot children’shospital, set to open in 2028, will include apediatric emergency departmentand aLevel IV surgical neonatal intensive care unit, the highestaccreditation available for neonatal units. LCMC alsohas this designation.

Manning Family Children’swill be oneof83

RECRUIT

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processed, the people said.In2022, though, Temah’sapplication was denied because his marriage had dissolved.

Department of Homeland Securityattorneys moved in aGeorgia immigration court last year to secure adeportation order against Temah, whicha judge granted, according to the people familiar with thesituation. The people spoke on the condition of anonymitybecause they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly It’s unclearhow much of that history was known to NOPD recruiters who hired Temah,who was set to graduate in June from the police academy’s 26weektraining course for newofﬁcers. Temah had no criminal background, according to the people familiar with thecase and local lawenforcementofficials. Records show he was hired by thedepartmentonSept. 28.

NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick announced Temah’s detention on Wednesdaywithoutidentifying him by name. She said the background check process showed he had adriver’s license and Social Securitynumber

He passed an employment screening through E-Verify,asystem authorizedbythe Social Security Administrationand U.S.Citizenship andImmigration Services. There is no internal NOPD policy barring theagency from hiring anon-U.S. citizen.

Claude Schlesinger an attorneyfor the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge, said Temah was a member andsought legal help less than aday before his detention. The ofﬁcer’s group doesn’tpractice immigrationlaw and couldn’t help before he wasquickly detained, Schlesingersaid. SchlesingersaidICE detained Temah at his home.

An ICE spokesperson did notimmediately respond to requests for comment.Attempts to reach Temah andhis family were unsuccessful.

It was unclear whether Temah remained in ICE detention on Thursday, though Kirkpatrick told reporters the previous day that “hewill be in the process of removal.”

Temah’sdetention highlights federal immigration ofﬁcials’ shift in focus underPresident Donald Trump toward detaining anddeporting immigrants wholackcriminal records andattempt to navigate the country’straditional avenues for obtaining lawful residency

Even people who en-

Level 1pediatric trauma centersinthe country.The next closestisTexas Children’sHospital in Houston OchsnerLSU Health Shreveport and Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in BatonRouge are Level 2pediatric trauma centers.

Both Level 1and Level 2 pediatric trauma centersare equippedtohandle severe, life-threatening pediatric trauma.

Level 1trauma centers, however, additionally work to improve pediatric research, injuryprevention programs and professional

tered that process and fell short, as Temah did in 2022, have long been allowed to live andworkinthe country providedtheyfollow the law. But the administration’s widening immigration dragnet—ahallmark of Trump’s2024 campaign and his secondpresidential term to date—has increasingly focused on people who had applied for permanent residency andreceivedtemporaryauthorization to work and live in the country while that processed played out.

An NOPD spokesperson did not immediately respond to emailedquestions Thursdayabout whatthe agency knew of Temah’s immigration history before his hiring. MattStone, aspokespersonfor New Orleans Police &Justice Foundation, said thatwhile an E-Verify screeningcan determinean individual’seligibility for work, it doesn’tnecessarily tell employers the person’s citizenship status.

The foundation in aThursday statement expressed support for the NOPD and highlighted theunderstaffed department’songoing recruitment efforts.

“This underscores the reality that background checksreﬂect amomentin time and that agencies must continuously respond when newinformation arises, as NOPD did appropriately and lawfully in this case,” thestatementread.

The NOPDdid not assist in Temah’s apprehensionand learnedabout it only after the fact,when ICE notiﬁed thedepartment Wednesday morning, according to director of communications Ofﬁcer Reese Harper. Kirkpatrick said thedepartment gave ICE Temah’sfile and accepted ICE’sguidance on immigration issues to look for in applicants.

education fortrauma care in their respective regions. They must also treat at least 200 patients under the age of 15 each year.Manning Family Children’searned its Level 2designation in 2023.

Onepartofthe recent improvements at Manning Family Children’sincluded whatLCMC Health said is the ﬁrst and only pediatric emergency fellowship program in Louisiana, which was established in 2023.

The children’strauma center is also equipped with child psychologists, child behavioral specialists and outpatientcare, includinga

The case highlights inconsistencies across police agencies’ policies for hiring people who aren’t U.S. citizens or green card holders. Louisiana Commission on Law EnforcementDirector Jim Craft, whose agency oversees police certificationsinthe state, said laws don’trequiresomeoneto hold citizenship to receive a state law enforcement certiﬁcation.

“Mostagenciesdecide whether they can hire aperson who’snot aU.S. citizen,” Craft said. “It’sanagency decision.”

Temah is amultilingual attorney with an extensive academic background and years of faith-based prison outreach work, according to an NOPD application obtained by TheTimesPicayune through apublic records request.

Conversational in French and English, Temah earned abachelor of law degree fromthe University of Dschang in Cameroon, adegree in maritime law from the World MaritimeUniversity in Sweden and adegree in organizationalleadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona.

He worked as an attorney in Cameroon from 2008 to 2014, when he lefttopursue maritime law studies in Sweden. After moving to Winston, Georgia, he opened an air duct cleaning company in 2022.

From 2002 to 2006, Temah provided legal aid and preached the gospel to inmates in Kumba, Cameroon, through Prison Fellowship International.

“I did this free forthe men who were incarcerated, following theinstructionsof God all mighty as is (in) the Bible,” Temahwrote in his application, citing Matthew 25:37-40.

network with both Orleans and Jefferson parish public schools. The aim is to be able to assist in treatment from the moment of injury, andthentoprovide rehabilitation and back-to-school activities.

“Wedidn’tpursue this to have aplaque on the wall,” Yu said.“This is not something youcan planfor.We wantparents to be assured that they are getting the highest standard of carewith doctors, nurses andstaff.” Thehospitalwillkeepthe designation through at least 2029, whenitwill undergo a reevaluation.

Rachel Taber, an organizer with Union Migrante, said ICE’sactions have underminedthe city’sability to police itself by eroding trust among potential informants and by removing arecruit from an already diminished force.

“Itseems plausibletome that ahardworking New Orleanians with no criminal recordwho wascleared to work here would have been arrested by ICE, because thathappens everysingle day,” Taber said. “Itshows the caliber of people ICEis attacking. It’s astounding, it’shorriﬁc,and it’sexactly par forthe course forICE.” U.S. officials’ efforts to deportpeople to Cameroon have been met with criticism from human rights advocates in recent years. A2022 report issued by Human Rights Watch,a nonproﬁt advocacyorganization, said authorities in the African nation had in recent years subjected dozens of asylum-seekers deported by the U.S.back to Cameroon to “serious humanrights violations” including arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, rape, extortion and “unfair prosecution.”

Former President Joe Biden’sadministration designated Cameroon aTemporary Protected Status nation in 2022, barring deportation flights theredue to unsafe conditions and broadening opportunities forresidents to seek refuge in theU.S The Trump administration rescinded thedesignation last year Federal officials have sent at least one deportation flight to Cameroon under the currentTrump administration, The New York Times reported last year Staff writer John Simermancontributed to this report.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Manning Family Children’s became the first hospital in Louisiana and the GulfSouth to become aLevel 1pediatric trauma center

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

MORATORIUM

Continued from page1B

Ramsey told the television station.

Awebsite for the New Orleans Eastprojectsaidit would be solar powered but didn’tprovide any other details, including the building size, construction plansor water needs.Aphone number Ramsey listed on ﬁlings with the city was out of service on Thursday.Hedid not respond to emails

Ramsey described the projectas“aModular Data Center,basically aprefab ofﬁce building for computers” in ﬁlingswith the city without providing any additional information about what it wouldbeused for. He did not speak at the council meeting on Wednesdayand it’snot clear if he attended “It’ssofake,” said Dawn Hebert, president of the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission, in an interview.“No one could actually get in touch with him.”

Data center construction has boomed across the U.S. in recent years as technology giants race to build artiﬁcial intelligence models that need massive amounts of computing power.Some cities and towns have welcomed the construction jobs, but critics have pointed to the strains they can puton electrical grids and their water usage.

The buildings account for more than 4% of U.S. electricity consumption, and that number could tripleby 2028, according to the Congressional Research Ofﬁce.

Amassive, $27 billion data center project is underway in northeast Louisiana for Meta, the Facebook parent.

State officials havewelcomed construction of Meta’sdata center,set to be the company’sbiggest worldwide, citing the economic development gains in one of Louisiana’smost impoverished areas. They say it will create 5,000 construction jobs and up to 500 permanent positions.

However,consumer advocates and environmental groups have raised caution over the facility’senormous electricity and water needs. Entergy will have to construct three new gasﬁred power plants, and huge amounts of water will be required to cool its servers.

‘Not apermitted use’

Asked in September 2024 about where data centersin Louisiana could be located Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeoissaid they were “unlikely in south Louisiana, deﬁnitely notbelowInterstate 10,” because of climate vulnerability.She saidcentraland north Louisiana are more suitablelocations.

Twoself-describeddata centers already exist in downtown New Orleans office towers, according to company websites —though they don’tnecessarily fit the mold of the massive AI data centers that are now sprouting up on barren ﬁelds across the U.S.

One is for Cogent New Orleans, an internetprovider at 650Poydras St.Another is for FOGO Solutions, an information technology company,at935 Gravier St.

“Somehow these places have popped up andnobody really seems to know about

them,” said resident John Brown, who drew attention to the Cogent and FOGOfacilities. It’snot clear if thecouncil’sactions on Wednesday will affect the Cogentand FOGOdata centers.Cogent and FOGOrepresentativesdid not respond to messages on Thursday

The city’schief zoning official, Daniel Macnamara, told council members on Wednesday that ofﬁcials had recently discussed plans for adata center with acompany eyeingspace in adowntown skyscraper

“It was my opinion that, because there was no data centerdeﬁned inthe code, thenthat use was not a permitted use in thecity of New Orleans,”Macnamara said at the council meeting.

That still allows wiggle room for data centers that don’tdescribethemselves as such in occupational license applications, and simply listallowable activitiesthatoccurwithin datacenters, hesaid

Thecouncil’s temporary moratorium is for “data centers, server farms, cryptocurrency mining facilities,” as well those “used primarily tohouse information technology infrastructureand equipment forthe storage, management,processing and transmission of digital data,”according to the motion.

The council also directed thePlanning Commission to propose azoning classificationfor data centers, alongwith appropriate regulations. The councilwould approve anychanges to the zoning code, includingwhether to allow datacenters at all once the classiﬁcationis created.

Morrell, along with council member Jason Hughes, tried to allay concerns that anew zoning classification would make it easier for data centers inNew Orleans. Morrell compared data centerstoshort-term rentals, which ﬂourished unregulatedbefore the city gave themazoning deﬁnition in 2017.

Illegal short-term rentals havecontinued to be a problem despite repeated attempts at more stringent regulations. Morrell likened theseefforts to “tryingto put toothpaste back inthe tube.”This time around, he said, the council wants to come up with rules before problems arise.

“Seldom do yousee an opportunity like this council is doingtoget ahead of the issue,”Morrell said. “Wesee theproblem comingdown theline.”

Staffwriters Stephanie Riegel and Mike Smith contributed to this report.

LOTTERY WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28, 2026

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Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Albarado,

Jewel Arguelles, Eddie Binder,Annie

Bingham, Gloria Chaplain,Ambra ClarkJr.,Murphy Connick,Barbara DeRouen, Gordy Eweni, Samuel GaraboldJr.,Alvin Givens,Robert GrantSr.,Olin

HarrisSr.,Kenneth Heinemann, Evelyn Howard,Mildred Jones, LaSwanda LandrySr.,Joseph Lovecchio Sr., George Lundy,Betty Lyons,Dorothy Matlock,Barbara Meyers,Richard Peterson, Gordon

Polk,Valerie Populis,Wayne Rayes, Kevin Roberts, Faullon Simmons,Sylvia Williams,Malaika

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Leitz-Eagan

Rayes, Kevin LandrySr.,Joseph

NewOrleans Charbonnet

Lundy,Betty Lyons,Dorothy Polk,Valerie

Dennis FuneralHome

Givens,Robert

DW Rhodes

Eweni, Samuel HarrisSr.,Kenneth Howard,Mildred Populis,Wayne Roberts, Faullon

Lake Lawn Metairie

DeRouen, Gordy Meyers,Richard

Majestic Mortuary

Binder,Annie Bingham, Gloria Matlock,Barbara

River Parish

Hobson BrownFH

Jones, LaSwanda

St Tammany

Grace Funeral

Chaplain,Ambra

Honaker

West Bank

Lovecchio Sr., George ClarkJr.,Murphy GaraboldJr.,Alvin GrantSr.,Olin Simmons,Sylvia Williams,Malaika

DavisMortuary Mothe

Albarado, Jewel

Robinson FH

Arguelles, Eddie

JewelErber Albarado, beloved mother andsister, entered peacefully into Heavenatthe ageof89, on January 25, 2026. Shewas surrounded by herloved onesasshe continuedher journey to thearmsof Jesus.BornonDecember2, 1936, Jewelspent herlife devoted to herthree girls and family, leavingbehind a legacy of love andfasci‐natingstories of her worldly travels. Survived byher loving daughters, Donna (the late Tommy) Darlene (the late Gary)and Anna (David). Jewelwas a proud Grandmothertoher 10grandchildren:Melissa (Daniel), Bradley(Sarah), David II (Nicole),Thomas, Jr. (Colette), Katie(Todd), Ashley(Eric), Stephanie (Chandler), Joshua (Rachal), Alexandra (Daniel), andJacob.Jewel was also aproud Great Grandmother to Gavin, Madison,Joseph, Molly, Daniel, Max, Olivia,Do‐minic,Eli,Luke, Abram, An‐thony,Bowen,Micah,Ben‐nett, Belle,Braxton,Lily, and Silas. Jewelisalsosur‐vived by herlovingsister, Susan (John),Godchild, Erica,her loving sister-inlaw,Beverly (the late Carlo Albarado),and devoted niece andnephew, Carla and Marc.She is also sur‐vived by alarge extended familyofnieces, nephews, aswellasmanydear friends.She waspreceded indeath by herhusband JosephAlbarado, Jr., and her parents, John andMary Belle Erber. Jewelwas born inNew Orleans, Louisiana. She wasa native of Gretna and graduatedfromGretna HighSchool.Jewel then be‐camea resident of Marrero for 66 years. Jewelwas a teacher at Visitation of Our LadySchool in herearly years,which sheenjoyed somuch. Then life chal‐lengestook hertoac‐countingwork. Sheretired fromthe privatepractice ofLSU Dentistry. Jewelwas a long time parishionerof VisitationofOur Lady Church andwas adevout Catholic andraisedher girls accordingly. Shewas anavidmemberofthe Har‐vey Golden AgeClubofJef‐fersonParishfor many years.Jewel lovedbeing withpeople, socializing withher friendsand hada zestfor life.She cherished her time with familyand enjoyed cookingand hav‐ing herfamilyover, espe‐cially cookingher annual crawﬁsh bisque,leaving behinda legacy of love She enjoyedtraveling to all parts of theworld.She al‐wayshad greatstories to tellofher adventures Jewel’s life wasa testa‐menttoher faith,family and friends. Shewillbe deeply missedbyall who had theprivilege to know her.Visitationand Mass willbeheldonWednesday February4,2026 at Visita‐tionofOur Lady Catholic Church,3500 Ames Blvd, Marrero,LA, with visitation from10amto12noon and massat12noon.Burialwill followatHook &Ladder Cemetery, 1000 Lafayette St.,Gretna, LA

Jones (Husband Barrett Jones),EddieMeyers, Lon‐donMeyersand Elegua Ragan. He was agrandfa‐ther to 5grandsons and3 greatgrandchildren.Ser‐viceswillbeheldonThurs‐day, January29, 2026 at OneAccord Ministries 713 S. JamieBlvd.,AvondaleLA. 70094. Thevisitationwill beginat10AMfollowedby an 11AMservice ofﬁciated by Pastor Andy Pellerano Intermentwillfollowin Woodland Park Memorial Cemetery9820 Nine Mile PointRd. W. Westwego, Louisiana70094. Foronline condolencespleasevisit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

Binder,AnnieRuth AnnieRuthBinderen‐tered into rest on Friday, January 16, 2026. AFuneral Service will be held on Sat‐urday,January 31, 2026 at 11:00am at CalvaryTaber‐nacle C.M.E. Church 3629 Dryades St,New Orleans, LA70115. Visitation will begin at 10:00am.Inter‐mentwillbePrivate.Pro‐fessional Arrangements Entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504)5235872.

Bingham, Gloria J.

Gloria J. Binghamen‐tered into rest on Saturday January 17, 2026. AFuneral Service will be held on Sat‐urday,January 31, 2026 at 10:00 am at Zion Hill Mis‐sionary BaptistChurch, 1126 N. RobertsonSt.,New Orleans,Louisiana 70116 Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 am. Intermentwillbein HoltCemeteryinNOLA. Professionalarrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

Chaplain, Ambra Goodyear

ClarkJr.,Murphy

Murphy Clark, Jr age 62, left this earthlyworld at his residenceonThursday, January 15, 2026. He wasa nativeofNew Orleans, LA and aresidentofHarvey, LA. Murphy wasa graduate ofL.B.LandryHighSchool Hewas formerly employed asa diesel mechanic anda constructioncontractor withvarious companies. His recent employment was with NewOrleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as a transportationspecialist, which broughthim great pleasure. Murphy hada passion forcooking partic‐ularlybarbequeand shrimpstew. Hisloveof driving lead to many im‐promptu tripsthroughout the southern andwestern UnitedStates. He andhis wifefound greatjoy in traveling andsightseeing together.Lovinghusband of24years to Gladys Gayle Hunt Clark. Devotedfather ofMurphy(Dejah) Clark, III, Corey (Ericka) Bryant, ShaRonHudson, Brandi NicoleClark,Monique Bowens, andthe late Lenzell “Lenny”Granville Cooper. Belovedson of MurphyClark,Sr. andAu‐dreyFusilierClark.Brother ofFarneshia Celetain and LucretiaClark.Nephewof the late OctaviaRedmond OreliaCarter, DorothyVic‐tor,GloriaJaudon, Harry James Clark, VincentClark, and Joseph Fezier.Godson ofthe late Lewisand Lillie Mae Robinson.Godfather ofAnita Weatherspoon and DominqueRoberson. Mur‐phy is also survived by his daughter-in-law Kizzy Cooper, severalgrandchil‐dren, agreat granddaugh‐ter,and host of nieces nephews,cousins,other relatives,and friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, also priest and parishionersofSt. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church andall neighboring churches areinvited to at‐tenda Mass of Christan BurialatSt. Joseph the WorkerCatholicChurch 455 Ames Blvd.Marrero,LA onFriday, January30, 2026, at10:00a.m. Father Sidney Speaks, celebrant. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9:00a.m.; Recitationofthe Rosary 9:00a.m.; Tributetofollow. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St.Gretna, LA.Toview and sign theguestbook pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com

Arguelles, Eddie

With deep love andsor‐row, we announcethe passingofEddieArguelles He wasa belovedFather, Brother, Grandfather, Uncle, Cousin andFriend, whodepartedthislife peacefully on Friday,janu‐ary23, 2026 at West Jeffer‐sonHospitalsurrounded by family andlove. He was ahardworker, always opti‐mistic,enjoyed spending time with family andloved hisCuban coffee. Eddie wasbornonAugust, 15, 1956 in Camaguey,Cubato parents; EnriqueArguelles andOlgaPellerano.Heem‐igratedtoNew Orleansat theage of 15, in December 1971. He didsowithhis uncle andaunt,Francisco andTrinidadPellerano and theirchildren, hiscousins Eddiewas father to four children,Arleen Arguelles Jones, (Husband Barrett

Ambra Goodyear Chaplain, born May29, 1976, passed away aftera long,courageousbattle with cancer on January 18, 2026. Sheissurvivedbyher belovedhusband Rickey A. Chaplainof18years, parents Deborah Goodyear Griffin,Richard F. Goodyear,Jr. and stepmother Melanie Goodyear, siblings Richard F. Goodyear,III &wife Nicole, Sean M. Griffin &wife Heather,Kelsey Musgrove &husbandCody, brotherin law Michael Genella & wife Karen.Alsosurvived by nephews& nieces Richard F. Goodyear IV andPhoebe Goodyear, Kailyn Griffin, Miller Musgrove, EmilySelf, Isabel Self, Ashley DiChiara, DanielChaplain III,NickGenella and Michael Genella,Jr. Preceded in death by grandparents David & Hazel Lansou, Richard F. Goodyear,Sr. &Marian Goodyear,mother-in-law Marilyn Rothwell,brotherin-law DanielChaplain, Jr andnumerous aunts &uncles. Ambra was adevoted wife, daughter, sister and endearing friendtoall who knew her. Herbeautiful natural smilealways litup theroom. Ambra wasemployed by AFirst Name Basis. Friends andfamilyare invited to attend visitation at GraceFuneral Home 450 Holy Trinity Drive Covington,LA70433 on January 31, 2026, between 11:00 AM -1:00 PM, followed by amass in the Chapel. In lieu of flowers, donationstoAmerican Cancer

BarbaraDickson Con‐nickwas born March21st 1934. Shepeacefullyen‐tered eternallifeJanuary 26th, 2026, as shefaithfully believedone day, she would meet herGod.She was preceded in deathby her husband, WilliamJ Connick.She wasa dedi‐cated wife andmother, and is survived by herfour children, CharlotteConnick Mabry,(Dr.Tom Mabry), Barbara ConnickChaney, (Jack Chaney,deceased), Edwin ToribioConnick (JulieAnn Schmedtje),and MillieConnick Gaines (DavidGaines) andsix grandchildren Barbarawas agraduateof Mount Carmel Academy and SouleBusinessCol‐lege. Shewas employed as anexecutive secretaryto the administratorofthe SaraMayoHospitalinNew Orleans.Inaddition,she servedasadministrative assistant to Dr.Theodore Simon,Chairmanofthe Or‐thopedicDepartmentat Charity hospital Shewas involved andquite activeinher children’s schools, namely Ursuline Academy andJesuitHigh School.She taught CCD to St. ClementofRome2nd graders,preparing them for their ﬁrstcommunion Barbarawas aeucharistic

Connick,Barbara Dickson

Friday, January30, 2026

Barbara was a eucharistic minister at St.Francis XavierParish, andpartici‐pated in numerous reli‐gious organizations that includedThe Daughtersof Isabella,The Marions, The RosaryPrayerGroup of Metairie, andThe Cenacle Retreat Housewhere she was afaithfulretreatant for 50 yearsand served as Captain for30years

In 1985,justfouryears after the ﬁrstapparitionof Our Lady Queen of Peace inMedjugorje,Barbara was one of the ﬁrstpeoplefrom New Orleanstotravelto the site of this mystical gift fromthe BlessedMother and herSon!Uponher re‐turn, pastorsfromvarious churches in Louisiana asked hertospeak to their congregations andshare her personal experience, which shewillingly did.

Shewas an enthusiastic and avid bridge player and her husband, Billy, would say,“Barbaraiscrazy for those damn cards!”She loved playingcards and coordinating teamsfor bridgeand barboo games. Cards were herabsolute pleasureand hobby.

Barbarashareda lifelong bondwithher friends through theStitches NeedlepointClub. Each of her adultchildrenstill has the Christmasstockings she lovingly made forthem hanging in theirhomes duringthe holidays

Barbarawas aNew Or‐leans andworldwide “foodie.” Many of her friends depended on heras their source forfun andso‐cialoutings.She wasthe coordinatoroftryingout the “hottest newrestau‐rantintown” and ﬁguring out whichplaceswere easytoaccessvia valet parking!She loved ﬁne din‐ing,often giving herexpert critiqueofthe food and ambiance. Sheloved hold‐ing courtatthe table, de‐lightinginconversations about wherethe next foodand-wineadventure would takeplace

Barbarawas asupporter of the arts andenjoyed the‐atre, holdingseasontick‐ets at theJefferson Per‐forming Arts SocietyinJef‐fersonParishand River‐townTheater in Kenner The theaterperformances wereoften followed by a beautiful Sunday brunch witha French 75 or an early dinner!

During her60-year mar‐riage to Billy, they enjoyed traveling extensively throughoutEurope, the HolyLand, andHawaii. Bar‐baraand Billyspent afew summers living in Ireland and celebrated their50th wedding anniversarywith their children in Dublin,Ire‐land. Theirgiving, gener‐ous soulsare nowtraveling together in love,inever‐lasting eternity,inOur Lord’sgrace,goodness, and peace.

Funeralserviceswillbe heldatSt. FrancisXavier Church on Tuesday, Febru‐ary 3, with visitation from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00p.m., Massat12:00 p.m.,and a reception at Metairie Country Club at 1:30 p.m. In lieuof ﬂowers, masses are requested.Burialand in‐termentwillbeprivate

DeRouen, Gordy John

Everly, Sophia, and Christina; as well as many cherished nieces and nephews. Aprivate funeral service willbeheld on February 3, 2026,atLake LawnMetairieFuneral Home. Acelebration of life willbeheldata later date. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to the charity of your choice.

Eweni, Samuel O. With sadnessweshare thepassing of Samuel O. Eweni, on November 11, 2025. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.com to view service information, sign online guestbook,send ﬂowers andshare condo‐lences

that union, four children were born: Robert David Givens III, Tanya GivensLeBlanc, Dwayne Anthony Givens, and Ronald Tyrone Givens.

Relatives and friends of thefamily are invitedtoattend aMass of Christian Burial at Blessed Trinity CatholicChurch, 4230 S. Broad St., NewOrleans, LA, on Saturday, January31, 2026, at 10:00 am. Visitation beginsat9:00 am. Interment:Providence Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangementsentrusted to Dennis FuneralHome, 1812 Louisiana Ave., New Orleans, LA.Please visit www.dennismortuaryservi ce.comtosignthe online guestbook.

GrantSr.,OlinDerek

Olin DerekGrant,Sr., age 59, transitioned into eternal rest on Friday,Jan‐uary16, 2026, at Ochsner Medical Center Main Cam‐pus.Hewas native of Gretna, LA (McDonoghville Community)and aresident ofAvondale, LA.Olinwas a formeremployeeofSilocaf USA LLC. He wasa faithful memberofSt. Paul Mis‐sionary BaptistChurch LovingfatherofOlinDerek Grant,Jr. Belovedson of the late Robert Anderson and Mureline Grant. Grand‐son of thelateWilliam Grant,Jr. andMaryGrant Devoted brotherofRev.Dr. OrinD.(FirstLadyMyrna A.) Grant, Sr.Uncle of TravisL.(Ariell) GalleII, RyanJ.(Nadia) Galle, and the late Orin D. Grant, Jr Great uncle of Morgan R. Galle andAidan J. Galle. Cherished nephew of Joyce L.Grant-Campbell, Josephine Gray-Hartman, RachelGray, andthe late WilliamGrant III andKath‐leen Boyer-Price. Olin is alsosurvivedbya host of cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,ofﬁcers,and members of St.PaulMis‐sionary BaptistChurch and all neighboringchurches are invitedtoattenda MemorialCelebration at St PaulMissionaryBaptist Church,1509 Monroe Street,Gretna, LA on Satur‐day,January 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Pastor Orin D. Grant,Sr.,ofﬁciating. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St., Gretna,LAToview and sign theguestbook pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com

Kirstie and Erin Harris Five grandchildrenKennisha, Kennietta,Roshon, Taniyah Harris &JacePerkins.One great-grandson Kayden Harris.Hewas also afa‐ther ﬁgure to many.Two sistersCynthia (& John) LeCour,Antoinette (& Wayne) Gooden.One brotherNolan Harris (& Al‐isha)Harris. Five nephews Jude,Nolan IV,Lawrence, Ashton andChad. Three nieces Shondreka, Chrishelle,and Enjoli. Many greatniecesand nephews, ahostofcousins he hada deep connection with andmanylife-long friends. Hisloveand com‐passionspanneddecades andspreadtoall he knew He hada nickname for everyone andhis personal‐itywas contagious.Ken wouldalwayssay "Itain't easy beingme” .but what he didn’t know was that it waseasytolove himjustthe wayhewas He fought agood ﬁghtand while we’relefttodeal with thedevastating loss, we take comfortinknow‐inghecan be at peaceand we’releftwithanabun‐danceofmemoriesto cherish. Relativesand friendsofthe family arein‐vitedtoattend hisFuneral ServiceatD.W.RhodesFu‐neralHome, 3933 Washing‐tonAvenue,onSaturday, January31, 2026 at 9:00 am Visitation will beginat8:00 am.The funeralcan be live-streamedbyvisiting www.facebook.com/D.W RhodesFuneralHome/live Interment: Providence Memorial Park Cemetery Please visitwww.rhodesf uneral.comtoshare con‐dolences,memoriesand sign theguestbook

On Saturday, January17, 2026, LaSwandaJones departedthislife. Daughter of thelateRosettaGreen wife of thelateJason Jones. LaSwanda leaves to cherish herpreciousmemorytoher siblings, aunts, uncles,nieces, nephews andahostofotherrelatives andfriend. Celebration Service will be held on Saturday, January31, 2026, at 11:00a.m. at Young Pilgrim B.C. 6176 Rev. Thomas Scott Street Convent, LA., Rev. Wilma Jaackson Officiant. Visitation on Saturday, January31, 2026, from 10:00am untilservice time (Only). IntermentSt. Michael Catholic Cemetery,Convent,LA. Professional Service entrustedtocaringstaff of Hobson Brown Funeral Home 134 Daisy Street Garyville,La70051

Lovecchio Sr., George Sclafani

AlvinPeter Garabold,Jr. passedawayonTuesday January 20,2026, at theage of48. He wasa native of New Orleans, LA anda resi‐dentofBridgeCity, LA Alvin wasa graduate of Jackson StateUniversity, where he earned hisbach‐elor’sand master’s de‐grees in science. He later earneda specialist certifi‐cationineducational lead‐ershipfromCapella Univer‐sity. In August 2023 he was named assistantprincipal ofSalmenHighSchool in St. TammanyParish, after previouslyserving as dean ofstudentsatBonnabel HighSchool in Jefferson Parish. As alongtimeedu‐cator anddedicated assis‐tantprincipal,Alvin played a crucialroleinleadership and studentsuccess. He willberememberedfor the significant difference he madeinthe liveshe served. Belovedson of Peter A. Garabold andAn‐toinette ChristineHolmes Garabold. Stepsonof Valarie Garabold.Grandson ofthe late John Holmes,Al‐fretta C. Holmes,Peter Garabold, Sr andLaverne Whitaker.Lovingbrother of Sheri LaverneGarabold Kelly,Anthony Allen Garabold, and thelate SherlitaR.Holmes. De‐voted uncle of ShereeseM Holmes, Charlonda Holmes, andTrevon Holmes, who he wasin‐strumentalinrearing after the passingoftheir mother; he also assisted withhis nieceand nephew Ebony A. Kelly andJames Garabold. Nephew of the lateJohnP.Holmes, Wilbert Whitaker,Doretha Williams,and Anthony Garabold. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,officers,and members of ThirdEm‐manuelBaptist Church and all neighboringchurches; faculty,staff andstudents ofSalmenHighSchool and BonnabelHighSchool;em‐ployees of St.Tammany and JeffersonParish School Boards areinvited toattendthe Celebration ofLifeatDavis Mortuary Service,6820 Westbank Ex‐pressway, Marrero, LA on Saturday, January31, 2026 at10:00 a.m. Dr.Joseph Dyson,Sr.,officiating. Visi‐tationwillbegin at 8:30 a.m.until servicetimeat the parlor.Interment:Will beprivate.Toview and signthe guestbook, please goto www.davismortua ryservice.com

HarrisSr.,Kenneth

on Monday, January19, 2026. He wasa proudnative of NewOrleans,Louisiana, andone of four children born to thelateRosemary Landryand HerbertLandry Sr ReligiousLife Joseph was adevoted member of Pentecost Baptist Church,where his faithplayeda central role throughout hislife.

Careerand Achievements Joseph brokebarriers as thefirst Blackwaiter at both Commander's Palace andCourt of TwoSisters, tworenownedestablishments in NewOrleans.His contributions to the communitywererecognized with acommunity service award from theNAACP

Family Joseph was preceded in death by twosons, Keith Landryand Kevinn Bland; onesister,Joycleyn Marie Bland; andtwo brothers, KeithLandry andGary Williams. He is survived by his belovedand devotedwife of 58 years, JoyceCeasar Landry.

Joseph leavesbehind fivedaughters: Ardtory Landey, Jonette Landry, Linda Bland (Lathia Price), Michelle Anderson (Timothy Anderson), and MoniqueLandry-James (Tiffany Landry-James).

He is also survived by twosons, Willie Bland (Marie Bland) and Joseph Louis LandryJr. (Tasher Landry).

George S. LovecchioSr. passedawayonFriday, January 23, 2026, sur‐rounded by hisfamily. He was adevoted husband,a lovingand steady father,a proud grandfatherand great-grandfather,and a cherished brother, uncle, and friend.Georgewas borninNew Orleansand retired to Covingtoninhis later years. As agraduate ofSt. Aloysius anda for‐mer seminarian,George was afamilyman through and through. He cared deeply forhis people,his neighborhood, anddoing right by both.Healsobe‐lievedinbeing practical and saving everypenny, sometimes twice. If there was asensibleway to ﬁx something or make it last longer, George alreadyhad a waythatdidn’tneed muchexplaining. Along‐sidehis father andbroth‐ers,Georgehelpedbuild and operatethe family’s grocery stores in NewOr‐leans andKennerand later his well-knowndeliinJef‐fersonParish. He took pride in hisworkasa butcher andgrocer. What began as afamilybusiness becameneighborhood sta‐plesthatservedgenera‐tions of families.Through longhours,familiarfaces and genuinecarefor cus‐tomers, theLovecchio fam‐ily businessesweremore thanplacestoshoporeat; theyweregathering spots built on trust, consistency, and treating people like family. George wasprede‐ceasedbyhis wife,Carolyn SingletaryLovecchio and his parents, Salvatore Lovecchio andAngelina SclafaniLovecchio andsur‐vived by hisbrothers, Frank andSalvatore.Heis survivedbyhis children Salvatore G. (Karen), GeorgeS.(Cindy),and Michelle “Missy”Montal‐bano; hisgrandchildren George, Anthony, Ryan, Mia,Brittany, Lauren,and Amber;and hisgreatgrandchildren.Heisalso survivedbymanynieces, nephews,and extended familywho lovedhim dearly. Aman of faith, Georgecarried hisCatholic beliefs quietlyand steadily throughouthis life,guided byprayer, humility,and de‐votiontofamily. He leaves behinda legacy of love, tradition,and persever‐ance, andhis familytakes comfort in knowinghehas been welcomed home in peace.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theCatholic FuneralMassatSt. Rita Catholic Church,2729 Low‐erlineStreet,New Orleans, LA. 70125 on Monday,Feb‐ruary 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Visitationatthe church on Mondayafter 11:00 a.m. until funeraltime. Inter‐mentwillfollowin LakelawnMetairieCeme‐tery. Please visitwww.hon akerforestlawn.comtosign guestbook.Arrangements byHonaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA

Gordy "Pete" John DeRouen, age 97, of New Orleans, Louisiana,passed away peacefully on January 8, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Gordy was agraduate of Holy Cross High School and proudly served his country as aUnited States Navy veteran. He was alicensed electrician who dedicated more than 50 years to his trade before retiring. Known for his strong work ethic, generous spirit, and warm sense of humor, Gordy was deeply devoted to his family and always put others before himself.Gordy shared an extraordinary life with the love of his life, Joyce Kline DeRouen. They weremarried for over 76 years, atestament to their enduring loveand commitment. He waspreceded in death by his parents, Charles and Pearl DeRouen; his brother, Lurry DeRouen; and his sisters, Yola Navarre and Edna Mae Clement.Gordy is survived by his beloved wife, Joyce Kline DeRouen; his daughters, Karen Taggart (Tommy) and Tere Labarre (Jay); his sisters, Iris Calogero and Pat Ligon; his grandchildren, Lauren (James) and Logan (Brooke); his great-grandchildren, Caroline, James,

Givens, RobertDavid

Mr. RobertDavid Givens Jr., affectionately known as "PictureMan"was born on July 26, 1949 in New Orleans,Louisiana,tothe lovingunion of the late Mr. RobertGivens Sr. andMrs. Willie Odessa Givens. He was called home to be with the LordonJanuary 11, 2026 Robertwas marriedto Regina Matherson Givens on November 23, 1970,and together they shared 56 yearsofmarriage.From

KennethA.HarrisSr. wasborninNew Orleans, LouisianaonMay 15, 1958 to Gertrude GloddHarris andNolan Harris Jr.Atan earlyage Kennethwas baptized at True Love Bap‐tist Church.Hespent his high school yearsatWar‐renEastonasa star foot‐ball player anda member of theband, going on to graduate in 1977. Post graduation,heenlistedin theUnitedStatesArmy whereheservedhis coun‐tryuntil beinghonorably discharged.Hewould go on to enroll at Moler Beauty Collegeand re‐ceived acertiﬁcation as a Barber andCosmetologist He worked at Lake Forest Plazainsecurityand later at Regional TransitAuthor‐ityasa busdriver. Oneof Kenneth'sgreatestpas‐sionswas music, with Jazz beinghis favorite genre. He movedtoPassChristian, Mississippi to liveonhis grandmother, Sadie’s, property whereheenjoyed ﬁshing, cookingand mas‐tering thegrill.Despite life’s challenges,hehelda strong will anddesireto overcome whichkepthim until he passedpeacefully in hishomeonJanuary 15, 2026. Kennethispreceded in deathbyhis father NolanHarrisJr.,his grand‐father NolanHarrisSr.,his grandmotherSadie Wash‐ington Harris,his nephew Nicholas Gooden andhis beloveddaughterKendra M. Harris.Heleavesto cherishhis memories:his devotedmotherGertrude GloddHarris, histhree chil‐dren-Kenneth Harris Jr, Kirstieand Erin Harris.Five

Evelyn Leopold Heinemann was born May 2, 1927, to Jonas Adrian and LucilleAddison Leopoldand passedaway Jan. 24, 2026, at 98 years. Graduating from Sophie B. Wright HighSchool, she attended Soule School of Business, then worked for Dun &Bradstreet. She and her future husband, Hans Heinemann, were literallythe girl and boynext door, living on Audubon Street,New Orleans. Evie corresponded with Hans during his WW II serviceinthe U.S. Navy and married afterward. AfterHans graduated fromTulane, they spent several years in Marshall, Texas,before returning to NewOrleans to spend the rest of their lives. Evelyn was aRed Cross Volunteer, an activemember of Shady Oaks Garden club since its founding in 1958, alifetime member of First Baptist Church of NewOrleans, helpinglead thesingles' department, and afounder of FaithBaptist Church. She wasa devotedsupporter of NewOrleans Baptist Seaman'sService and NewOrleans Little Theater. BothEvelynand Hans were activewiththe United Cerebral Palsy Association, whiletending to thedaily care of their daughter, Lisa. She wasprecededin death by her husband, Hans Norbert Heinemann, and daughterLisaAnn Heinemann. She is survivedbyson Norbert Heinemann (Debbie), Karen Heinemann Duncan (Glen), and Gerald Heinemann (Melynn), her grandchildrenand greatgrandchildren, who were thelights of her life Visitationat9:30 am Monday, Feb.2 with Service at 10 am, Lake Lawn Funeral Home Chapel,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd.,Metairie; followed by interment at Metairie Cemetery. In lieu of flowers,please honorEvelyn by donating to Global Maritime Ministries, portministry.com/give.

Howard,Mildred L. With sadnessweshare the passingofMildred L. Howard, on January15, 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send ﬂowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Joseph's legacy continuesthrough hisnine grandchildren, Patrice Alexander, Richard Davis Jr., Amber Bland, Sivia Lee, JoAnna Thomas, Kamara LandryLander,Donny Glass, DonteLandry, Davonte Landry, andnine great-grandchildren,as well as ahostofnieces, nephews, otherrelatives, and many friends Legacy Throughouthis life, Joseph served as amentor andteacher,deeply engagedinsupporting democracy and uplifting those around him. Thepositive impact he had on everylifehetouched will endure through thetest of time.Though hisphysical presence is gone, his spirit will remain ever presentin theheartsofall whoknew him.

Scripture Matthew 5:4 -"Blessed are those whomourn,for they will be comforted."

Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to celebrate Joseph'slifeat thePentecostal Baptist Church,1510 HarrisonAve., NewOrleans,LAon Saturday, January31, 2026 at 10:00am. Visitation will be held from9:00am until 10:00am.

"Sister" Jean Thomas Lundy, abeloved member of ourfamily, peacefully passedawayat herhomeonSaturday, Jan‐uary 17, 2026, aftera re‐markable 86 yearsoflife. Born on August 15, 1939 in Simmesport, LA,she was thecherished daughter of thelateWilliam andOllie S. Thomas.Froma young age, Betty embraced herfaith andwas baptizedatPil‐grim Rest BaptistChurch, laterbecominga devoted member of St.Peter Claver Catholic Church in NewOr‐leans, LA.Her earlylife wasspent in Simmesport, LA,where sheattended Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School,excelling in both,academics andbas‐ketball. In 1959, sheem‐barked on anew chapterin herlifebymovingtoNew Orleanstopursueher pas‐sion fornursing at Charity School of Nursing. Herded‐icationand hard work led hertobecomea Licensed PracticalNurse andshe

Jones, LaSwanda Green

Garabold Jr., AlvinPeter

Landry Sr., Joseph Louis

Joseph Louis LandrySr. aged 90, peacefully transitioned from this life

Heinemann,Evelyn

Lundy, Betty Jean Thomas 'Sister'

Betty

Practical

Nurse and she dedicatedher career to caring forpatientsatSara Mayo andTulaneDePaul Hospitals. Aftera fulﬁlling career,Betty retiredwith pride. Mrs. Lundywas a compassionatefosterpar‐ent, providinga loving home to children in need throughthe Department of Children andFamilySer‐vicesofGreater NewOr‐leans. In 1958 shewas joined in Holy Matrimony to JamesCharles Lundy andtogethertheyblessed theworld with threebeau‐tifuldaughters,Angela (Robert) Romance, Donna Lundyand JanetLundy. In addition to herdaughters Betty is also survived by hersiblings, DebraK Wright (Ronald) andMajor Thomas (Lona);grandchil‐dren,Shawn Lundy(Gwen), Robert Romance, III (LaKeisha) andJared Ro‐mance; great-grandchil‐dren,Ashanti Lundy, Tyler Romanceand Tyrell Green; Betty’s legacy extendsbe‐yond herimmediatefamily, as sheleavesbehinda host of nieces,nephews,a lifelong anddevoted friend,MiriamLytle,who will forevermissher,along with otherrelatives and friends. We will allcherish hermemoryand theim‐pact shehad on ourlives In addition to herparents Betty is also preceded in deathby ﬁve othersib‐lings, DorisDeanThomas, Audrey JuanitaWest, WilliamDouglas,Harold Nelson andCharlie Ray Thomas.A Mass of Christ‐ianburialhonoringthe life andlegacyofthe late Betty "Sister" Jean Thomas LundywillbeheldatSt. PeterClaverCatholic Church,1923 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Saturday,January 31, 2026 at 10 am.Inter‐ment Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery,2050 CatonStreet NewOrleans,LA70122. Vis‐itation9 am in thechurch. Repast will follow inter‐ment at St.Peter Claver Cafeteria, 1020 N. Prieur Street,New Orleans, LA 70116. Please sign online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors(504)581-4411

Dorothy

DorothyMae Broomﬁeld

y BaptistChurch,2130 Per‐dido St NewOrleans,LA 70112 on Saturday,January 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visi‐tation will at 9:00 a.m. Ofﬁ‐ciatingPastor: Rev. Dr Robert Turner Sr.Inter‐ment:Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery,4000 Norman Mayer Ave.,New Orleans, LA Please sign theonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors(504) 581-4411.

Matlock, Barbara Hutcheson

Barbara(Hutcheson) Matlock, August 28, 1955January5,2026. Barbara (Hutcheson)Matlock passedawaypeacefully on January5,2026 at theEast JeffersonHospital. She wasbornAugust28, 1955 in Flint, Michigan buta lifelong resident of St.Bernard Parish.She waspreceded in deathbyher late hus‐band Paul MatlockII. Sheis survived by andwillbe misseddearlyby3 chil‐dren,Ray Hutcheson, Leeann Matlock, andPaul (Butch)Matlock III; 9 grandchildren, Alyssa Mat‐lock,Chazz Matlock, Chase Matlock, GuageMatlock, Gatlin Matlock, Allison Matlock, RayHutcheson II, Samantha Hutcheson, Seth Hutcheson; and5 greatgrandchildren. AMemorial Servicewillbeheldat 11:00 am on Saturday,Jan‐uary 31, 2026 at St.Bernard BaptistChurch,2615 Jacob Drive, Chalmette Louisiana. Anyone is wel‐come to come andshow theirrespects. Professional arrangements entrustedto Majestic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872

by his brother, JamesJ Meyers and his parents, Jim and LizetteMeyers.He is survivedbyhis wife, Lynn McIlhenny Meyers; his daughters, Marilee Meyers; Katy Mizelle,her husband Sam, and their children Tyler and Emma; and Leslie Meyers,her wife Emily, and their daughters Winslow and Serette; as wellasLynnand Dick's dog, Gracie. Aservicewillbeheldat St.Martin'sEpiscopal Church in Metairieon Saturday, January31, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, thefamily requests donations be madetoSt. Martin's Episcopal Church or thecharityofyour choice

Peterson, Gordon Gordon Peterson, born April 3, 1958, in New Orleans, Louisiana to the parents of OwenSr. and Elouise Petersondeparted this life Thursday, January 8, 2026. Gordon received his early educational training in theOrleans Parish School System and graduated fromSt. Augustine High School of NewOrleans, Louisianaasa member of theClass of 1976. He attended Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas and was aClass of 1980 graduate. He was employed as a School Teacher in the Houston Independent SchoolDistrict (H.I.S.D.) in Texas and as aSchool Teacher in theOrleans Parish School District in NewOrleans, Louisiana. Later,Gordon worked as a laborer in NewOrleans Metropolitan area.

He was preceded in death by his loving parents, OwenSr. and Elouise Peterson; four brothers: PercyPeterson, Willie Peterson, Jr., Michael Peterson, and Owen Peterson, Jr.; six sisters: Catherine Pope,Johnnie Peterson, Anne Jean Milsap, Payola King Truman Peterson, and Marilyn PetersonPhillips. Gordon is survived by his sisters:Eloise Peterson, Yvonne Peterson, Paulette Peterson, and Marcella Luckett; brothers: Melvin Peterson(Michelle) Frederick Peterson (Esther), Paul Peterson (Ann), and Jules Peterson (Leona); Goddaughter NakiaPeterson; and ahost of nephews, nieces, cousins, otherrelatives and friends.

1615 St Philip St New Or leans, LA 70116 on Satur‐day, January31, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Visitation:12:00 p.m. IntermentPrivate Please sign theonline guestbook at wwwchar‐bonnetfuneralhome.com

Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors(504) 581-4411.

Lyonswas called home to herHeavenlyFatheron Sunday,January 18, 2026, at theblessedage of 89. Shewas born in NewOr‐leans, LA on September19, 1936 to EmilyThompson andLouis Broomﬁeld. She wasthe belovedwifeof RooseveltLyons Jr.; loving mother of MarleneMarie LyonsPerrault(David) and Carl Joseph Lyons(Joyce); andcherished grand‐mother,“Maw-Maw",toDr. Amanda Perrault Carter (Christopher), Kristy,Kia, Alexis Lyons, andher only grandson,David Michael Perrault II, whom sheaf‐fectionately called “the King”. Adored great-grand‐mother to Brooklynn Nicole,GageMichael and RowanRenellCarter, KadenTerrell Relaford,Levi MichaelLyons,Koa Marie Porter.She is also survived by herlastlivingsibling, EmilyNeddFranklin, whom Dorothylovinglycalled “Sister".Dorothy worked at D.H. Holmes andlater at Dillard’s in Lakeside Mall formorethan50years, whereeveryoneknewher name.Independent,wellknown, andwell-loved, she wasa no-nonsensehard worker whodid nottake “any foolishness".A gifted homemaker, Dorothykept apristinehomewithan eyefor design that felt worthy of amagazine spread.She wasa loving wife,mother, sister aunt cousin,neighbor, and church member.She en‐joyedhomedecorating, creating ceramics,garden‐ing, andputting herselfto‐gether with afashionable styleand sharpattention to detail.Dorothy wasalso an excellentcook anda talented baker, knownes‐pecially forher decadent cheesecakes that became afavoritethroughoutBap‐tist church circles. Dorothy wasa faithful memberof St.Mark’sFourthBaptist Church of NewOrleans,LA, for46years,serving as an usherwithHospitality UsherBoard #2.She warmly greeted members andvisitingfriends with care andkindness. Rela‐tivesand friendsare in‐vitedtoattend theCele‐brationofLifehonoring DorothyMae Broomﬁeld LyonsatSt. Mark’s Fourth

Gordon'slifewillberemembered with love,joy and peace.Hewillbe deeplymissedbyfamily and thosewho knew him.

Amemorial servicewill be held Saturday, January 31, 2026, 11:00am at Professional Funeral Services, Inc.,1449 N. Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reverend CrealJames, pastorofMt. Triumph Baptist Church of New Orleans

WayneJohn(BigDaddy) Populis anativeofEdgard, LAand aresidentofNew Orleans,LA. enteredinto his Master’s hand on Sat‐urday,January 24, 2026, at the ageof70. He leaves to cherish hismemories, his childrenDeonne Mercadel (Allan),Wayne Boston,and Carlton Coleman. Three grandchildren,Allan Mer‐cadel,Jr.,Ny’LahMercadel, and Nevaeh Mercadel.His siblings, Walter Populis, Jr (AnnieMae), MichaelPop‐ulis(Dianna), andJill Darensbourg (Carey). One stepbrother,Orlando Pop‐ulist andtwo stepsisters, StaciaPopulistLewis (Wilbert) andShemica Populist(Terrence). His stepmother, SelmaPop‐ulist.Seven aunts, three uncles, andone great uncle.Wayne is also sur‐vived by ahostofnieces, nephews,and otherrela‐tives andfriends.Heispre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐entsLuverda Favorite Perkins andWalterPopulis Sr. Andstepfather, Delma Perkins.One sister,Julie Perkins andtwo brothers, Calvinand Darren Populis. Relatives,friends of the family, also pastors, ofﬁ‐cers, andmembers of Greater Mount Carmel Bap‐tistChurch areinvited to attendhis FuneralService atGreater Mt.CarmelBap‐tistChurch,3721 N. Clai‐borne Ave.,New Orleans, LA. 70117 on Saturday,Jan‐uary31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visitationbeginsat8:00 a.m.Interment:Mount OliverMausoleum,4000 NormanMayer Avenue New Orleans, LA.Rev JonathanSmith,Pastor, of‐ﬁciating. Arrangements by D.W.RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 Washington Avenue Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtosignthe guestbook

nette) Kenny Fontenot (Pam), JeffreyBertoniere, Brittany Bertoniere,Kelly Engolia Hartdegen, Katie Engolia,Ian Rayes, Brienne RayesDeHarde,Monty Fontenot,NicoleFontenot, Paul Fontenot,TaraRan‐dazzo,Janel Randazzo,Tia Randazzo,Stephanie Fontenot,JoeyFontenot, andChristina Burleigh.He wasprecededindeath by hisgrandparents, Clarence Rayes, Althea Rayes, and Warren Bertoniere.Kevin is also survived by hisgrand‐mother,LouiseCain (Richard), andhis greatun‐cles,JeremyPowersand Daniel Powers.Relatives andfriends areinvited to attend Kevin’smemorial services on Saturday,Janu‐ary31, 2026, at St.Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, locatedat6425 West Metairie Avenue,Metairie, Louisiana70003. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.,followed by Mass at 12:00 p.m. Inter‐ment will follow mass at Garden of Memories Ceme‐tery,4900 AirlineDrive, Metairie,Louisiana 70001. Areception will be held afterservicesatthe Ken‐nerLions Club,located at 2001 18thStreet,Kenner, Louisiana70062. In lieu of ﬂowers, donationsmay be made in Kevin’smemoryto https://pages.lls.org/ltn/ msla/NOrleans26/inmemor yofkevinrayesToofferthe family online condolences, send ﬂowers, or planta tree in Kevin’smemory please visitwww.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

Roberts, Faullon

With sadnessweshare the passingofFaullon Roberts,onJanuary 5, 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send ﬂowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Simmons,SylviaEllis

Richard "Dick" Moore Meyers, 78, of Metairie, Louisiana,passed awayon January 24, 2026 after being diagnosedwith cancer justone month earlier During his briefillness, he told his physician, "Doc, I'm not interested instatistics. Ihavemyfaith and my family." Dick graduated from NewOrleans Academy in 1966 and from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport. He beganhis career working in his father'scoffee businessand later builta longand meaningful careerasa life insurance agent at NorthwesternMutualLife He was proud to have earned aCLU.Atwork, Dick'sfocus was alwayson doingthe right thing and truly helping people- an approach that reflected the way he livedinevery partofhis life. In retirement,Dickdevoted himself to hisfaith and his community.He was an active member of St. Martin'sEpiscopal Church in Metairie and the Church of the Good Shepherdin Cashiers, NorthCarolina. He served as aEucharisticMinister and found deep joyinbeing of service. Hewas a member of the Boston Club,the Pickwick Club New Orleans CountryClub, The ChattoogaClub, Cowbellian de Rakin Society, and the School of Design. Whenhewasn'tat church, volunteering, or spending time with family, Dickcould often be found on the golfcourse. An avid golfer fordecades, he won numerous tournaments. Many willalsoremember him forhis fun-loving, welcoming personalityand his well-timedpracticaljokes. In 1974, Dickmet his wifeof51years,Lynn McIlhenny Meyers, after being setupona blind date by her sister. Dick and Lynn weremarried andlater welcomed three daughters: Marilee,Katy, and Leslie Dick was predeceased

ValerieButlerPolktran‐sitioned peacefully sur‐rounded by herhusband andloved ones on Satur‐day, January17, 2026, at theage of 64. Shewas raised in thehistoricTreme neighborhood andat‐tended Joseph S. ClarkSe‐nior High School,where shedeveloped alovefor hercommunity andlife‐long friendships. Shewas thedaughterofthe late GeraldineMorrisand the belovedstepdaughter of thelateHermanMorris. BelovedwifeofJohn“June Polk.Jr. Loving mother of Jonell M. CheriSingleton of SanDiego, California and thelateGregory“Rico”A Butler.Proud grandmother of 5, Toreyene Cheri, Tierra Jackson, King Balentine, Envy Mather andKe’Juan Butler.Cherished sister of Ventriss andTerry Butler, Cecile Morris,the late Avonie,the late Brianand thelateHermaleeMorris. Aunt of Lucretia and Chantell Butler,Anthony Bassett, Jr., Keyanna, Shawnand Coreyyion Mor‐ris. Daughter-in-LawofAu‐drey Polk andsister-in-law of Lynette (Willie) Aper‐white. Devotedfriendof Evangelist Sherleen Cooper,Stephanie Carey andWanda Rivers.Devoted cousin of Courtney (David) Polk.Alsosurvivedbya host of othercousins,rela‐tivesand friends. Family andfriends, thestaff of FirstStudent BusCom‐pany,RegionalTransit Au‐thorityand Compassusare invitedtoattendthe HomegoingCelebration in theChapelofRoses at Charbonnet FuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipSt, NewOr‐l A 0 6 S

KevinMichael Rayes, age43, passedawayon January16, 2026. He was born on June 1, 1982, in Kenner,Louisiana,and was alongtimeresidentof Chalmette,Louisiana Kevinattended St.Mary Magdalen andOur Lady of Divine Providence,and graduatedfromArch‐bishop RummelHigh School,Class of 2000. He latertrained at theChef John FolseCulinaryInsti‐tute at Nicholls StateUni‐versity. Kevindedicated over 20 yearsofservice to Southern Recycling/ EMR, wherehewas knownfor hisstrongworkethic and dedication.Hewas aproud member of theBearCreek HuntingCluband Tau KappaEpsilon(TKE) frater‐nity.Heenjoyed hunting, ﬁshing, cooking, traveling, watching movies,and most of allentertaining family andfriends.Hewill be remembered forhis generosity,loyalty,and love forthose closestto him. Kevinissurvivedby hisdevoted wife of six years, Jill Lotz Rayes; his beloveddaughter, Joelle Zengarling;his parents, Clarence “Rance”Rayes andKaren Bertoniere Rayes; hisbrother,Steven Rayes(Rachael);and his sister-in-law, JulieBell (Jeff).Hewas aloving uncle to Wyattand Sawyer Rayes, as well as Jeffrey andJacob Bell. Kevinalso leaves behind numerous aunts, uncles,and cousins includingBobby Bertoniere (Susan), Mike Bertoniere Donna Engolia (Stan),Jerry Rayes(Jerri Lynn),M.J Fontenot (Marsha),Valerie Randazzo (Santo andJean‐nette), KennyFontenot (P ) J ff B t i

Sylvia EllisSimmons, age 74, enteredintoeternal restatWestJefferson Med‐icalCenteronMonday, January 19, 2026. Shewas a nativeand resident of Mar‐rero, LA.Sylviawas a1969 graduateofLincoln High School,and sheattended SouthernUniversityatNew Orleans for2 years. She was aretired employee of the StateofLouisiana Sylviawas an honorary memberofFirst NewTes‐tamentBaptist Church of Marrero,LA, pastored by Rev.SterlingJones.De‐voted mother of Anissa M. Simmons,and Millicent A. Simmons.Lovinggrand‐motherofTracy L. Green Jr.,ClaudellR.Anderson, IV,and Kaylon M. Ander‐son.Great grandmotherof Tracy L. Green,III. Beloved daughterofthe late Ed‐wardEllis,Jr. andFlora StarksEllis.Granddaughter ofthe late Martha Simms SisterofTamie E. Leeand the late Edward Ellis, III, MarthaAnn Barnes,Ava E. Dorsey, KathyE.Diggs,and James E. Ellis. Greataunt of the late Akeem J. Dorsey Sylviaisalsosurvivedbya hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,ofﬁcers,and members of FirstNew Tes‐tamentMissionaryBaptist Church andall neighboring churches;members of Lin‐colnHighSchool Classof 1969; employees of Inspire NOLACharter Schools, UNO Upward Bound,and Southwest Airlines arein‐vited to attend theHome‐going CelebrationatSt. Stephen MissionaryBap‐tistChurch,1738 L. B. LandryAvenue,New Or‐leans,LAonSaturday, Jan‐uary31, 2026, at 10:00a.m. PastorNormanFrancis, hostpastor; Rev. Damien J. Brown, pastor of Little Zion and Second St.JohnBap‐tistChurches of Avondale, LA, ofﬁciating. Visitation willbegin at 8:30a.m. until service time at thechurch. Interment: WoodlawnPark MemorialCemetery-West‐wego, LA.Arrangementsby Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe St.Gretna, LA Toviewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com.

MalaikaReginaWilliams passedawayonWednes‐day,January 14, 2026, at the ageof45. Shewas a nativeofNew Orleans, LA and aresidentofMarrero, LA. Shewas agraduateof XavierUniversityPrepara‐toryHighSchool andcon‐tinuedher academic pur‐suits at LouisianaState University. Malaikaearned her Bachelor’s degree in History from theUniversity ofNew Orleans. Shewas a memberofAlpha Phi Omega ServiceFraternity. Malaika wasalsoa faithful memberofMacedonia Baptist Church andThe CityofLove. Formany years,Malaika served as a History TeacheratWest Jefferson High School with Jefferson Parish Schools, where shetouched count‐lesslives.Her commitment toher students extended far beyond theclassroom She served as Flag/Ma‐jorette Coach, Junior Class Sponsor,SeniorClass Sponsor,Young Audience Coordinatorfor afterschool andsummerpro‐grams,and Homecoming Coordinator. Through these roles, shebecamea mentor, advocate,and guiding lightfor genera‐tions of students who looked up to herwisdom, warmth, andunwavering dedication. Malaikawillbe rememberedfor herradi‐ant spirit,her dedication to education,her servant's heart,and theprofound impactshe made on every‐one fortunateenoughto knowher.Devoted mother ofRamsesKahoWilliams. Beloved daughter of Elvera B.Williamsand thelate ReginaldK.Williams. Granddaughter of thelate Georgeand Ella V. Williams,Zekeand Alberta K.Brown, andRev.M.B Meacham.Cherished sister ofMatthew W. Williams and Darryl (Brenda) Adams.Lovingcompanion ofDiriki“Rik” Guillory Doing aunt of Alexis Colby (Ryan)Welch,Brandi(Jon) Carter, Malaysia Smith, and Elijah Smith. Nieceof Carolyn Brown, VernaM Brown, AnnHamilton, Robin Brown, Norma Brown, Rodney (Garrilyn) Brown, Sr Horace (Cather‐ine)Brown, Sr., andthe lateZeke, Jr Charles, Thomas, Ed,and Theodore Brown, andThomasHamil‐ton.Cousinofthe late Gina Brown. Goddaughter of Celia Blanchardand Glenn Patrick White. Godmother ofAlexisColby Welch, Jor‐dyn Mylia Ray, Aaliyah Kylie Daniels, Jarrod Collins,Jr.,and JoyCollins Malaika is also survived by her beloveddog, Panda Williams,and host of cousins,colleagues, stu‐dents,other relativesand friends.Relatives and friends of thefamily, also pastors,officers andmem‐bersofMacedonia Baptist Church,Boynton United Methodist Church,Empow‐ermentChurch NOLA,The CityofLove, andall neigh‐boringchurches;faculty staff, students,and alumni ofWestJefferson High School andYoung Audi‐enceofLouisiana After School Program;members ofAlpha PhiOmega Ser‐viceFraternityand Xavier PrepClass of 1998 arein‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life at Rock of AgesBaptist Church,6533 AcreRoad, Marrero, LA on Saturday, January31, 2026 at10:00 a.m. Pastor T. A. Ranson,Sr., host pastor; PastorAlbertMickel, offici‐ating.Visitationwillbegin at8:30a.m.until service timeatthe church.Inter‐ment: Restlawn Park Cemetery, Avondale,LA. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St Gretna,LA. To view and sign theguestbook, pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com.Inlieu of flowers, thefamily kindlyrequestsmonetary contributions be made to helpsupport thecareand futureofBabyRamses. Do‐nations canbemadeusing the following: CashApp: $BabyRamses Venmo: @Ramses_Kaho(last four -8035)

Williams,Malaika Regina

Populis, Wayne John 'Big Daddy'

Lyons,

MaeBroomﬁeld

Meyers, Richard Moore 'Dick'

Rayes, KevinMichael

Polk,Valerie Butler

OPINION

NOLA.COM/opinions

Offshore leasesaleopens door to energy dominance

Dec. 10 marked apivotal moment for American energy: the ﬁrst federal Gulf of America lease sale in nearly two years, generating $300 million in winning bids, and, hopefully, the start of anew era of American energy dominance.

Mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill, this sale was the ﬁrstof30lease sales theUnited States willhold in the Gulf of America over the next 15 years, with additional sales in offshore Alaska. After an unprecedentedleasing gapthat injecteduncertainty into long-term investment decisions, the door to America’soffshore energy future has ﬁnallyreopened.

This is more than aroutine bureaucratic process; it is anational strategic action.

Offshore energy is one of America’smost powerful tools for securing reliable, long-term production, reducing dependence on foreign suppliersand strengthening our industrial and defense base

President DonaldTrump’sday

one executive orders prioritized exactly this outcome: restoring predictable access to U.S. offshore resources and ensuring the United States, not geopolitical rivals, sets thepace for global energy development and security.

Forthe past two years, offshore energy companies have faced aleasing drought unlike anything in modern history

Traditionally,the United States holdstwo offshore lease sales per year

Going 24 monthswithout a single lease sale has forced companies to reconsider future investments, delayed exploration timelines and diverted capital to globalregions whereinvestment is actually embraced.

Offshore projects require billions of dollars upfront and years, sometimes more than adecade, of planning, engineeringand execution. Predictable leasing is the starting point that makes American developmentpossible.

The return of regular leasing brings enormous opportunity for

Nonsensicalbid for Greenlandlinks Louisiana, Denmark

Louisiana and the Kingdom of Denmark, where Iamacitizen, have alot in common. We sharealove for rémoulade, though Louisiana’s version is spicier,and ageneral love for food, football (different types), freedom and fairness.

In 2026, the U.S. will celebrate its 250th year as an independent nation, and Denmark will celebrate its 1,075th birthday.Both your President Washington and our King Gorm the Old would have been proud to see how our nations have worked together over the years.

Louisiana. Economic analysis shows that consistent offshore activitycould support 111,000 Louisiana jobsand generate$9.4 billion in annual state GDP by 2040.

That’sengineers, shipbuilders, welders, offshore workers, vessel operators, small business owners and thousands of men and women whose livelihoods depend on avibrant offshore supply chain.

The beneﬁts are not just economic; they’re entwined in the well-being of states like Louisiana.

The OneBig Beautiful Bill increases the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) revenue sharing cap from $500 million to $650 million annually from 2025 through 2034, directing billions moretoward Louisiana’s coastal restoration, hurricane protection, conservation programsand community projects over the coming years. These investments help ensure thestate remainsresilient and competitive for decades to come.

The way this process works is that companies bid competitively for lease blocks, pay substantial rentsand royalties and commit vast resources to evaluating and developing them responsibly.In

nese investors have already bought in American Treasury securities. Ultimately,itisthe American taxpayers who are expected to paythe investors back —with interest.

2024, activities related to offshore energy development generated $7 billion in direct government revenue.

Abroad inventory of available leases improves the odds of commercially viable discoveries that support long-term production. Onedeepwater project can produce stable, reliable energy for 20-30 years or morewith remarkably small surface impacts. Additionally,the Gulf of America produces someofthe cleanest barrels in the world. U.S. Gulf production has acarbon intensity 46% lower than the global average.

Every barrel produced here displaces higher-emission barrels from countries with weaker environmental protections and fewer labor safeguards. Offshore U.S. energy doesn’t just power our economy,itstrengthens global climate performance and keeps America’sallies supplied with dependable, responsibly produced fuels.

At atime when global political threatsare rising, it has become so much clearer that energy security is national security.This momentcould not be moreconsequential.

DOJlooks away as

Regular lease sales send aclear signal: America is the global leader,not afollower,inthe global competition forenergy investment. Nations with predictable access and clear permitting frameworks earn the conﬁdence of investors. Nations without them watch capital and inﬂuence moveoverseas.

With the reinstatement of regular offshore leasing, the United States is reclaiming its role as the world’smost attractive destination foroffshore investment, innovation, and energy development.

President Trumpmade adeliberate and consequential decision. He chose American resources, American workers and American leadership over foreign dependence.

With this lease sale, and the 29 that are following, the Gulf of America is once again at the forefront of America’senergy future.

Eric Zimmermann is the chief operating ofﬁcer of LLOG Exploration and vice chairof National OceanIndustries Association. Erik Militoisthe president of theNational Ocean Industries Association

Louisianastill incarcerates prisonerspastrelease date

So,what the United States can get access to for free (or on mutually beneﬁcial terms) from one of your closest allies in Europe, it instead wants to buy for afortune ﬁnanced by one of your clear adversaries. Is that the art of agreat deal?

During World WarII, more soldiers from Louisiana (around 5,000) lost their lives to secure ourfreedom than Danish soldiers andsailors (around 4,000). Iam, as well as many others, very grateful for that sacriﬁce on European soil.

The strong American commitment to NATO, where Denmark wasone of the founding partners in 1949, has secured peaceand stability(with theBalkan Warof1992-1995 and the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 as recent exceptions) in Europe. America’srecent support for Ukraine is admirable and second-tonone. Did Europe contribute itsfair share over the years?Asembarrassing as it is to admit, we did not. Luckily,this is changing.Our nation has committed 5% of its GDP toits defense. Additionally,inclose partnership with U.S. leaders, Denmark has always granted the U.S.the right to operate in Greenland. When we and other European countries send additional troops to Greenland,we arebeing punished by the U.S. with the threat of an extra tariff of 10%.

The governor of Louisianahas recently been appointed as an “envoy” with the mission (using “culinary diplomacy”) to “buy Greenland.”A sales price of $700 billion has been mentioned. This will have tobe ﬁnancedthrough the sale of bonds. The amount is close to what Chi-

If we donot agree to what your “envoy” offers, President Donald Trumphad warned us that you might invade our Kingdom,though he hasrecentlybacked down from these threats.

Our old Kingdomhas been invaded before.The last envoy we had as part of an occupation force was a jurist turned politician.His formal title was Plenipotentiary (or in German: Reichsbevollmaechtigter). His name was Werner Best, and he was adevoutNazi. Iamsorry to say, but this is what we thinkofwhen we hear theconcept of an envoy on Danish soil.

What American presidentsdo in the U.S.isnone of my business. However,with respect to peace and prosperity in Denmark and Europe, my opinion is that Dwight D. Eisenhower andRonald Reagan did the right things for the right reasons. Barack Obama did thewrong things for the right reasons. President DonaldTrump appears to do thewrong things for no reason. It simply doesnot make any sense. Speaking ofculinary diplomacy: Some years ago, aDanish bartender educated in Las Vegas, decided to innovate on your classic Sazerac. Therefore, Ihope Ican still welcome our Louisianan friends over a“Sassy Sazerac”(as shenamed her cocktail). Or,ifeverything goes south, a “Greenland Libre.”

Søren Jensen is abusiness creator based in greater Copenhagen, Denmark.

Brian Humphrey was kept behind bars in a rural Louisianajail for 27 days pasthis courtordered release date. Ellis Ray Hicks was incarcerated for 60 days beyond his Louisianaprison sentence. AndRobert Parker was forced to spend 337 days behind bars even after aLouisiana judge ordered him released —nearly ayear of freedom stolen by thestate.

These cases are not isolated incidents. They reveal acriminal justice system that routinely ignores thelaw Louisianahas one of the world’shighest incarceration rates.Weare former federal attorneys and our investigation while at the U.S. Department of Justice found that since at least 2012, more than 25% of people in state custody have been held past their release dates.

Despite over adecade of warnings, theLouisiana DepartmentofCorrections has failed to stop what the Constitution clearly forbids —the government depriving people of their liberty without legal authority Every year,thousands of Louisianansremain behind bars for weeks, monthsoreven years beyond their court-ordered release.

The Justice Department opened its investigation intooverdetention in Louisiana during President Donald Trump’sﬁrst administration, after state ofﬁcials admitted that thousands of people were being held past their release dates. We were part of ateam of federal lawyers who spent years documenting the problem and, in January 2023, issued apublic report detailing systemic constitutional violations by the state.

Louisianafailed to act. Nearly two years later,inDecember 2024, the Justice Department sued to force reform.But after the new Trump administration took ofﬁce the following month, ofﬁcials froze thecase, citing a“transition” at theJustice Department

Later,President Donald Trump’sJustice Department claimed Louisiana needed more time to ﬁx aproblem that thestate itself had identiﬁed morethan 12 years earlier.Afederal judge has since ruled that the case remains administratively closed, effectively putting justice on hold.

Watchingthe Justice Department voluntarily pause itsown efforts to hold Louisiana accountable for clear constitutional violations— ongoing since at least 2012 —isdeeply troubling. Ending federal oversight now would signal that states can escape accountability even when they acknowledge, through their own data, that constitutional violations persist.Itwould

reward noncompliance and abandon the very people the Constitution is meanttoprotect. Reasonable people may disagree about the scope of manyconstitutional rights, but not this one. The 14th Amendment’sDue Process Clause protects every person from the governmentarbitrarily restricting their liberty,and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in an overdetention case that it is “clear as day” that the government cannot incarcerate an individual without legal authority In 2018, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and thenLouisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry condemned the state’scorrections department for maintaining “a layer of incompetence so deep” that it didn’teven know when people should be released. Yetwhen Landry becamegovernor, he reversed course —dismissing the Justice Department lawsuit as “Grinch Joe Biden’s parting Christmas present” and actively supported its dismissal.

The Justice Department’sefforts to stop overdetention, however,were not partisan but stemmed from alengthy investigation pursued across administrations, beginning under President Donald Trumpand continuing under President Biden.

This Trumpadministration prides itself on efficiency and cost-cutting. Yetitcontinuesto ignore these constitutional violations that have already cost Louisiana taxpayers $30 million Much of that money flows to local parishes to house state prisoners, manyofwhich have expanded their jails over the past fifteen years.

Louisiana’sown data underscores the depth of the crisis. As of September 2025, the state wasnowhere close to resolving its overdetention problem.Despite years of scrutiny,people whoshould be immediately released remain behind bars. The numbers tell aclear and troubling story: the problem is ongoing, widespread and unresolved.

The mission of the Department of Justice is to “uphold the rule of law,tokeep our country safe, and to protect civil rights.” That mission demands morethan words. It requires action. While civil rights attorneys are doing vital work to challenge unlawfuldetention, private litigation cannot substitute forsustained federal oversight. Only the Justice Department has the authority and responsibility to ensure meaningful, systemic reform.

Allowing Louisiana to incarcerate thousands past their release dates is cruel. It erodes faith in our legal system.And it sends aclear message that the poor and powerless are not protected by the Constitution.

We must not let this injustice continue.

DavidHowardSinkman and Matthew Underwood are former U.S.Departmentof Justice attorneys

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK GREENLAND

President Donald Trump’s fixation on acquiring Greenland has baffled many in the internationalcommunity The semiautonomous territory has been controlled by Denmark for hundreds of years.yetTrump arguesthe U.S. needs to ownitfor our national security.Attimes, the president’swords have been seen as athreat to the NATO alliance,ofwhich Denmarkisa member,asEuropean countries have vowed to come to Denmark’said should theU.S.moveto take Greenlandmilitarily.While the president seems to have ruled out that step, what’s behind Trump’s stance on this issue? Is thepresidentusing bluster as astrategytogain greater leverageinthe Arctic? Here are twoperspectives.

President’soutrageous threatsget practicalresults

Think about it. Heads of government do not normally reveal the texts of private communications from other headsofstate Yetthat is what Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway did on the first weekendofthe World EconomicForum in Davos, where the international press would have no difficulty finding appalled foreign leadersto comment. Youcould think of this as ahostile act of astatesman appalled that the American head of government does not know that the governmentofNorway does not decide who getsthe NobelPeace Prize. It is probably better to think of it as an intervention, by asympathetic observer who has noticed that Donald Trump backs downfrom untenable positions in response to ructions in political and financial markets.

mands have alienated him from sympathy and empowered theforces against him. Other leaders have ﬁgured out that he requires gushers of praise to permeateevery dialogue, and they’re probably ready with encomiums for his avowals in his Davos speech that he won’tuse violence to obtain Greenland.

Does Trumpneeda portrait of JamesK.Polk?

Which is what Trump hasdone between the publication of hisletter and his speech at Davos. He seemed to be threatening war with Denmark, and Europeancommentators, not without reason, lamentedthathe was risking breakingupthe NATOalliance out of pique of not being awarded aprize by acommittee that was never going to honor anon-leftist American president.

Proof of which was the granting of that prize to Barack Obama in 2009 for what even Obama himself admitted was forno tangible accomplishment.

Actually,Trump has somevalid points on Greenland. It sits astridemissile, drone and air transportroutes between North America and western Russia andeastern Europe. The United States would have even more ﬂexibility thanitdoes under current agreements withDenmark if it were to become U.S. territory.That’sone reason the U.S. holds on to Guaminthe west Paciﬁc and has spent billionsupgrading military facilities there.

All that said, Trump’susual negotiating technique of starting off withextravagant demands was, in the careful wordsofsocial scientist Charles Murray,“next-level crazy.” Denmark has been an activeally of the United StatesinAfghanistan andIraq, has increased its rate of defense spending above levels Trump demanded,and has adoptedimmigrationpoliciesinline with Trump’sadvocacy With Denmark as with Canada, as with fellow Republicans in Georgia and other states, Trump’sobnoxious maximalist de-

And it has to be said that Trump’s bluntness and braggadocio have hadsome of its intended effect. The American Enterprise Institution’s YuvalLevin,inaninterview withThe New York Times’Ezra Klein, makes the point that manyofTrump’slurching policy changes, not codified into law,can easily be wipedaway by thenext Democratic administration, perhaps even by aDemocratic House of Representatives next year Butdespite his own preference for procedural regularity in making institutional change, Levin admits that “they’ve driven alot of change that will be durable.” Initial pollingreaction to Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, has been negative. But there’snodoubt that Trumphas provedthat the border can be controlled undercurrent legislation —which would increase the political cost of any subsequent administration adopting the open border policy of Joe Biden’s We learn from experience, and just as theformer real estate developer sometimesseems to accept discipline from financialmarkets,sothe former reality TV show host sometimes seems to accept disciplinefrom theratings. On Greenland, he has responded to thecues of the markets andthe ratings and backed off from threats of force, while retaining thepossibility of increasing the already significant U.S.presence there. Meanwhile, the NATO alliance remains in place,withits increased number of European members spending increasing percentages of their economies on defense. Three more years of this Trumpadministration will strain and irritate foreign leaders andAmerican politicians, with wild threats and childish petulance driving one crisis after another.But it may continue to getthem,often grudgingly,doing things Trump’sway MichaelBarone is on X, @ MichaelBarone.

Donald Trump has apainting of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Ofﬁce, but as he tries to browbeat Denmarkinto coughing up Greenland, maybeheshould add aportraitofaJackson acolyte —James K. Polk.

If cold-eyed American expansionism is the theme, there are fewer better representatives than the 11th president.

He added more than 1million squaremiles to U.S.territory and extended the country all the way to thePaciﬁc, making him the most successful president notcelebrated as partofthe American pantheon.

Trump’simpulse to throw his weight around and assume control of sparsely populated, strategically desirable territory recalls Polk.

Athoroughgoing Jacksonianpopulist, he unexpectedly won the Democratic nomination for president in 1844 (much of what Irelate here,bythe way,isdrawn from my book, “The Casefor Nationalism”).Heran on aplatformurging what Democrats called the “re-annexation” of Texas and the “re-occupation” of Oregon. Texas was aﬂash point. Anglos settled there when it was aprovince of Mexico, rebelled against the dictatorship of Santa Anna, and won independence.

Texans wanted to be partofthe U.S., but aMexican threat to ﬁght over annexation helped stay our hand.

When we eventually moved, Mexico was furious. It also insisted that its border with Texas was at the Nueces River,two hundred miles north of theRio Grande.

When Polk sent troopsintothe area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande, Mexican cavalry ambusheda party of U.S.dragoons.

We ended up occupying MexicoCity and forcing adeal. Mexico conceded to theUnited States aborderatthe Rio Grande, running all the way to the Paciﬁc giving us California inclusive of San Diego, in exchange for the assumption of Mexico’sdebts and the price of $15 million.

There’snodoubt that Polk hadbeen spoiling for aﬁght. The view of the war as simple U.S. plunder is much too simplistic, though.

We were within our rights to deal with an independent Texas, whichhad achieved independence via ajust revolu-

tion, andMexico— in the grips of afoolish warfever —firedthe first shots. In his book on the war,“ACountry of Vast Designs,” Robert W. Merry describesthe underlying dynamic. Mexico, he notes, “was adysfunctional, unstable, weak nation whose population was insufficient to controlall the lands within its domain.” The United States, on the otherhand, “wasavibrant, expanding, exuberant experiment in democracywhose burgeoning population thrilled to the notion thatitwas engaging in something big and historically momentous.” This created adrive “toward expansion into largely unpopulated lands thatseemed to beckon with irresistible enticement.”

Today, it is Trump personally,rather thanthe nationatlarge, tempted by historic acquisitions of territory.He, too, could be aThomasJefferson, or aWilliam Seward —ora Polk, although hopefully without the war

But there’s adifference between a young 19th-century country surging into looselygoverned territory around its perimeter—orbuying territory that European nations areeager to sell —and amature 21st-century world power invested in stable borders and important alliance systems.

Mexicocirca1846 wasn’tatreatyally of the United States, and there were enormous beneﬁts to actually acquiring the Southwest, whereas we can presumably getthe military bases and mineral extractionwewantout of frozen Greenland without formal ownership.

If Trump is going to look to Polk, amore aptantecedentishis handling of the dispute with the Brits over the Oregon territory

Aftermaking maximalist demands, Polk agreed to an equitable compromise at the 49thparallel. Polk’sexample is worth marking in anotherrespect.Hereally did play3D chess. There’s no wayhe’d let ego or emotion getinthe wayofpursuing the national interest, whichinthis case includes notneedlessly alienating long-time allieswhenothermeans are available to achieve ourstrategic ends.

Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry.

Michael Barone

Rich Lowry

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByEVANVUCCI

President Donald Trump,right, meetswithNATOSecretaryGeneral Mark Rutte on the sidelines of theannual meeting of the WorldEconomic ForuminDavos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21

LSU gymnastics heads to Missouri looking to shake off road woes

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

LSU has had little trouble in recent years doing big gymnastics on the big stages.

Performing in front of packed home crowds at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, performing in big meets like the NCAA and SEC championships, the No. 2-ranked Tigers have excelled Case in point was its ﬁrst-place tying performance in the Sprouts Collegiate Quad to open the season in Utah against three other preseason top-ﬁve teams. Another was LSU’s 198.050-195.775 shellacking of Kentucky in this past Friday’s home opener at the PMAC, the Tigers’ best score ever in a home regularseason opener. Shining on the road against some Southeastern Conference opponents in regular-season dual meets? That hasn’t always been quite the same. The Tigers (3-1-1, 1-1 SEC) stumbled in their SEC road opener two weeks ago

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

MOBILE, Ala. — Joel Thomas called plays at the Senior Bowl last year, so when the chance arose to be involved in this year’s game, the New Orleans Saints running backs coach knew he wanted to participate again. But this time, the opportunity came with a promotion. Thomas jumped at the chance to be the head coach of one of the two teams participating in the college prospect all-star event.

“(Last year was) the ﬁrst time I’ve ever called plays,” Thomas said “So you get that itch.” But as he’s gone through Senior Bowl week, Thomas has seen an even greater beneﬁt to coaching in the game — one that extends beyond his personal ambitions He knows that this week is extremely valuable for the Saints, too. In addition to Thomas serving as the head coach of the American Team, Saints quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien (offensive coordinator), linebackers coach Peter Sirmon (defensive coordinator) and special-teams assistant Kyle Wilber (special-teams coordinator) are contributing in key roles on Thomas’ staff.

at Georgia, forced to count two scores of 9.65 or lower in a 197.200-196.850 loss to the Bulldogs.

Friday’s meet at No. 7 Missouri (6:45 p.m., SEC Network) presents a similar challenge. While LSU has traditionally dominated Mizzou, especially in Baton Rouge, it has lost its last two trips to Columbia, Missouri, with good but hardly great efforts: 197.325-197.225 in 2024 and 197.350-197.200 in 2022.

LSU coach Jay Clark said the task in front of his team Friday is to ﬁnd the internal motivation when there isn’t a title on the line or when a full house has his Tigers’ back. “You look at the regionals or you look at SECs, these competitions when there is a lot on the line,” he said. “It’s easy to ﬁnd external motivation other than 13,000 screaming Tiger fans.

“We’ve got to get to where we’re not dependent on anything external. There are times when we’ve been able to

ä See GYMNASTICS, page 2C

Recurring shooting problem plagues LSU in loss

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Assembly Center, the Bulldogs buried 7 of 14 from beyond the arc. They entered the game

ä See LSU, page 5C

defends Wednesday at the Pete

Assembly Center

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

LSU gymnast Madison Ulrich flips between the bars during her routine on the uneven bars at a meet against Kentucky last Friday at the PMAC. STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

ä LSU at South Carolina NOON SATURDAy SECN+

Sabalenka to rematch Rybakina

The Australian Open will have a repeat of 2023 matchup for women’s singles final

BY JOHN PYE AP sportswriter

MELBOURNE, Australia Not even a point penalty for hindrance slowed Aryna Sabalenka’s run to a fourth consecutive Australian Open ﬁnal.

The top-ranked Sabalenka overpowered Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 Thursday night to move within one victory of a third Australian Open title in four years.

A rematch of the 2023 final against Elena Rybakina was set up when the No. 5 seed ousted No. 6 Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (7) in the second semiﬁnal.

Her semifinal was mostly one way until Rybakina had match point. The 2022 Wimbledon champion missed three match points on Pegula’s serve and then was broken twice while serving for the match.

Pegula rallied and had two set points in the tiebreaker but wasn’t able to convert, and Rybakina ﬁnally clinched it 29 minutes after her ﬁrst match point.

“Really really stressful,” Rybakina said. She admitted to ﬂashbacks from the 2024 Open when she lost the longest women’s tiebreaker ever at a Grand Slam to Anna Blinkova 22-20 in a three-set defeat.

“I’m proud no matter the situation. It got very tight, I stayed there,” she said of the win over Pegula. “I was fighting for each

point.”

For Pegula, it became a matter of swing or miss out

“Sometimes when you’re on the brink of losing everything you get a little clarity because you’re kind of just like ‘Screw it, I’m just going to try and stay in this,’” she said. “I played a couple of really good points to save the match points, and, you know, she missed a couple short balls a couple free points to take some pressure off.

All four players reached the semiﬁnals without dropping a set in Australia for the ﬁrst time in 56 years and Sabalenka and Svitolina were each on 10-match winning streaks to start the season after titles in warmup events.

Sabalenka kept both of her streaks alive. As has become customary for Ukrainians against players from Russia and Belarus, there was no handshakes at the net. There was also no group photo before the match.

Sabalenka is the third woman in the Open era to reach four consecutive singles ﬁnals at the Australian Open after Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Martina Hingis.

“It’s an incredible achievement but the job’s not done yet,” an emotional Sabalenka said in her on-court TV interview “I’ve been watching her game, (Svitolina) was playing incredible I felt like I had to step in and put as much pressure as I could back on her. I’m glad the level was there. I think I played great tennis.”

Rematch

Rybakina is back into a major final for the first time since ‘23, and says she learned a lot from that match She’s also coming off

a win over Sabalenka in the deciding match of the WTA Finals last November, when she picked up a record $5.2 million in prize money “I could take only positive from that week,” she said. “This is what I’m trying to do remembering some good stuff from this WTA Final.”

Svitolina’s exit

After reaching her first semifinal in Australia and winning a title in a warmup tournament in New Zealand, Svitolina will return to the top 10 for the first time since she took a maternity break in 2022.

The Auckland title was her ﬁrst foray back on tour after an early end to the 2025 season for a mental health break. She said the rest and time out prolonged her career

“Definitely very, very happy with the two weeks here and in New Zealand, as well, winning,” she said. “Gutted to not make it through tonight but it’s very difﬁcult when you’re playing the world No. 1, who is really on ﬁre.”

“It was really complicated for me today,” she added, “but, yeah, I just want to take positives from the past weeks and just carry them through for the season.”

Dispute over stripped medal goes to court

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR and WILL GRAVES

AP sportswriters

GENEVA American gymnast

Jordan Chiles may reclaim the bronze medal on floor exercise from the 2024 Paris Olympics that was stripped from her following an appeal by Romania after all Switzerland’s supreme court said on Thursday its judges sent the “highly exceptional circumstances” of the bronze medal awarded in the women’s ﬂoor exercise back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to examine new evidence.

The outcome of an event that created a celebrated Olympic photo featuring Chiles, ﬂoor exercise silver medalist Simone Biles and gold medalist Rebeca Andrade of Brazil — all women of color — rests on just a handful of seconds: Can the U.S. team

GYMNASTICS

do that and, historically, times when we haven’t. That’s on us to create that mindset. Our leadership within has to be able to control that.”

Perhaps a change of venue will help LSU. This year’s meet will mark LSU’s ﬁrst time competing in Mizzou Arena, where the Missouri gymnastics program moved most of its home meets in 2025.

The 15,061-seat facility replaces the older Hearnes Center as the home of the Missouri gymnastics program, a place where LSU lost its previous two visits.

“We’ll be in their basketball arena this time,” Clark said, “which will be a different environment that we’ve never been in.”

It might be overstating things to say LSU’s start to the season has been the Kailin Chio show, but not by much. The superstar sophomore is No

prove it made a timely appeal in the Olympic arena on behalf of Chiles?

The federal judges’ ruling — highly unusual in cases of this nature — suggested Chiles could regain the bronze medal she originally got in Paris after challenging her judged score.

Chiles’ third-place finish was overturned within days on appeal by the Romanian team to the CAS’ Olympic court in Paris. The medal was awarded in Bucharest the next week to Ana Maria Barbosu.

The federal court wants CAS to examine a recording that could show the original U.S. challenge of the judged score was within a one-minute deadline on the ﬁeld of play

“In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question,” the Swiss Federal Tribunal said in a statement, “it considers that there is a likelihood for the

1 in the nation on balance beam after the ﬁrst perfect 10 on that event this season against Kentucky (9.967 average). She’s also No. 3 on vault (9.925) and fourth in the all-around (39.467), with seven individual titles in three meets. Four other LSU gymnasts rank in the top 10 nationally: Konnor McClain (fourth uneven bars, 9.925), Courtney Blackson (seventh, uneven bars, 9.917), Kaliya Lincoln (ninth, floor, 9.908) and Amari Drayton (10th, beam, 9.925). Missouri (4-2, 0-2) is led by Hannah Horton (eighth nationally on vault, 9.906) and Addison Lawrence (ninth on beam, 9.931). Clark shook up his lineup a bit from the Georgia meet to the Kentucky meet, with four Tigers competing in events for the ﬁrst time He spoke of trying to balance his gymnasts between rest from the week-to-week grind for all-arounders like Chio and Madison Ulrich, who only performed one event against UK, but also the need to put out a winning lineup

audio-visual recording of the ﬁnal on Aug. 5, 2024 to lead to a modiﬁcation of the contested award in favor of the applicant (Chiles).”

The CAS said in a statement Thursday it “can now ensure a thorough judicial review of the new evidence that has since been made available.”

The court based in Lausanne, across the Olympics’ home city from the supreme court, gave no timetable for the review It likely will take at least one year to prepare and process before a verdict is ready

Still, the federal court’s decision has given Chiles renewed hope of keeping her medal and putting the controversy behind her

“We are delighted that the Swiss Federal Supreme Court has righted a wrong and given Jordan the chance she deserves to reclaim her bronze medal,” Maurice M. Suh, part of the legal team rep-

resenting Chiles, said in a statement. “As the Court recognized, there is ‘conclusive’ video evidence that Jordan was the rightful winner of the bronze medal.”

Suh added that Chiles will “ﬁght vigorously” and is grateful to have a “full and fair opportunity to defend her bronze medal.”

USA Gymnastics praised the court for recognizing “the ﬂaws in the initial process and that Jordan’s case can now be heard inclusive of all relevant evidence.”

Chiles, now 24, has pressed forward with her life after dealing with signiﬁcant online backlash some of it racially tinged in the immediate aftermath.

She returned to compete collegiately at UCLA while also leaning into her burgeoning celebrity, participating on the reality competition “Dancing With the Stars,” posing for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

good lineup out there. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean it’s the same lineup as Friday night. There could be multiple changes.” LSU is back home next Friday for a non-conference meet against Penn State.

SEC Championship tickets

Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 SEC Championships, Saturday, March 21 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tickets are $30-45 plus service fees, good for both afternoon and evening sessions of the meet. Student tickets are $17. Tickets are available at SECSports.com or through the BOK Center box ofﬁce.

Seeds 5-9 will compete in Ses-

NBA reschedules four games due to winter storm

NEW YORK The NBA has announced new dates for four games as a result of the winter storm’s impact on the Memphis and Dallas areas.

Poor weather last weekend forced the postponement of two scheduled Sunday games: Dallas at Milwaukee and Detroit at Memphis. The Nuggets-Grizzlies game has been rescheduled for March 18, while the Mavericks-Bucks game now will take place March 31. The dates have been changed for two other upcoming games to accommodate the weather-related schedule shifts. Memphis will host Dallas on March 12 rather than April 1. A Grizzlies home game with the New York Knicks will be April 1 instead of March 18.

Falcons hold second GM interview with Cunningham ATLANTA The Atlanta Falcons completed a second interview with Ian Cunningham for their general manager position on Thursday Cunningham is the ﬁrst candidate to interview twice for the job. He previously interviewed for the president of football position a role that went to former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta is seeking a GM to work under Ryan and alongside new coach Kevin Stefanski.

Cunningham has served as the Chicago Bears’ assistant general manager for the past four years. He spent ﬁve seasons in various scouting and player personnel roles with the Philadelphia Eagles before landing in Chicago. His first NFL front-office role was in Baltimore.

Hataoka of Japan leads Tournament of Champions

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nasa Hataoka of Japan shot 6-under 66 and had a one-shot lead over LPGA player of the year Jeeno Thitikul, Chanettee Wannasaen, Lottie Woad and Linn Grant following the ﬁrst round of the season-opening Tournament of Champions.

Hataoka played the back nine at chilly Lake Nona Golf & Country in 4 under to pick up where she left off at the end of last season. She won the Japan Classic in a playoff with Yuna Araki in November for her ﬁrst LPGA victory in two years. Thitikul is coming off her best season and one of the best in LGPA history Defending champion A Lim Kim was in a group at 3 under that included Lydia Ko and Ingrid Lindblad.

Mets sign reliever Kimbrel to minor league deal

NEW YORK The New York Mets signed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a minor league contract Thursday with an invitation to big league spring training, giving the ninetime All-Star an opportunity to pitch for his 10th different team should he make the club.

The 37-year-old Kimbrel was 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA while pitching in 14 games for the Braves and Astros last season. He also spent time in the Rangers organization, appearing in 24 games for their Triple-A afﬁliate before being released without a call-up.

Kimbrel is 56-48 over 16 seasons, including stints with the Padres, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies and Orioles. The former NL Rookie of the Year ranks fourth among relievers.

Reed extends European Tour to include Qatar

AL MAZROWIAH, Bahrain Patrick Reed decided to extend his Middle East stay and then salvaged a 1-under 71 in the Bahrain Championship, where Alejandro Del Rey and Freddy Schott shared the lead at 65 when the ﬁrst round was halted by darkness on Thursday.

Reed, who won the Dubai Desert Classic and then chose to leave LIV Golf so he can return to the PGA Tour entered next week’s Qatar Masters. That would give him four straight starts in the Middle East to start the year on the European tour His goal now is to

against a quality Missouri team. “We can’t go to Missouri and get too cute and expect to win,” Clark said “We’ve got to put a

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DITA ALANGKARA

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus celebrates after defeating Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in their semifinal match at the Australian Open on Thursday in Melbourne, Australia.

NFL

Billscoach Bradyembracesexpectations

BY JOHN WAWROW AP sportswriter

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y Joe Bradydid not dismiss the past while looking ahead to leading the Buffalo Bills into the future as their head coach. Before outlining his vision to bringthe same attacking element to defense as he introduced toBuffalo’sJosh Allen-led offense as its coordinator for the pasttwo-plus seasons, Brady ﬁrst paid tribute to his immediate predecessorduring his opening news conferenceon

Thursday

Brady acknowledged he’d otherwise be starting from scratch without Sean McDermott laying thefoundation of sustained success and awinning culture over anineseason tenure that endedwith his ﬁring last week.

The challenge now for Brady is taking afranchise that’saccomplished everything but reach the Super Bowl one step further

“I understand that I’m walking into this role in amuch better position than Coach McDermott did. I’m not naive to that,” Brady said.

“I also understand that the expectations are higher as well. Ididn’t take this job to shy awayfrom expectations. Isure as hell did not do that,” he added. “I’m embracing it.

I’m understanding it. And I’m meeting it full on.”

The36-year-old Brady hasbig shoes to ﬁllafter McDermottwent 98-50 in the regular season and 8-8 in the playoffs —ranking second on the team in wins behind only Hall of Famer Marv Levy —and transforming the Bills from long-time losers to perennial winners

And Brady has achallenge in addressing the team’spostseason

shortcomings.

OwnerTerry Pegula believed the Bills had reached “the proverbial playoff wall” in deciding to ﬁre McDermott twodaysafter a33-30 overtime loss at Denver in the divisional playoff round. It marked Buffalo’sthird consecutive playoff loss to be decided by three points. And the Bills becamethe NFL’s ﬁrst team to win aplayoff round in six straight years but notreach the Super Bowl.

Bradywas hired on Tuesday followingasix-day search process in which theBillsheldnineinterviews before deciding to hire theironly in-house candidate.

Though he has no previous head coaching experience,Brady brings an element of continuity and familiaritytoateam on aseven-year playoff run, and led by an elite quarterback in Allen.

“Weall know Joe. Joe is abrilliant offensivemind,” general manager Brandon Beanesaidofanoffense thatproduced the AP NFL MVP in Allen ayearago, and featured the NFL’s rushing leaderinJames Cook this season

“Joe’soffenses know how to attack in many different ways,” Beane added. “But what Iand our team learned through this process wasJoe’svision forhow he would runanentire football team.”

Brady is from Florida, played collegiately at William& Mary,and broke into the NFL coaching ranks as an offensive assistant on Sean Payton’sstaff in New Orleansfrom 2017 and ’18. Brady thenlefttobecome passing gamecoordinatoron an LSUteam —featuring Joe Burrow at quarterback—thatwon the 2019 national championship.

Bradyreturned to the NFL as the

Carolina Panthers offensivecoordinator beforebeingﬁredbefore completinghis second season in 2022,and hiredasthe Billsquarterbacks coach ayear later

Brady credited Payton, now coaching in Denver,for providing him “a doctorate degree on offense.”And it’s an approach he wants to carry over to the entire team.

“The mentality as we go forward that it is anameless, faceless opponent that we’re going against, and they’ve gottoplayusand not the other wayaround. AndI mean that with everything,” Bradysaid.

“It does not matter the day of the

Patriots QB Maye hasnormal practice despiteshoulderissue

BY KYLE HIGHTOWER

AP sportswriter

FOXBOROUGH,Mass. Drake Maye

wasn’tshocked by the attention paid to the shoulder issue that landed him on the Patriots’ injury report less than two weeks before the Super Bowl.

“No, Iwouldn’tsay Iwas surprised,” Maye said Thursday “It’sthe right shoulder of astartingquarterback on an NFL team. It’spretty simple.”

Although Maye was listed as limited on Thursday,hesaid he went through anormal practice sessionasNew England returned to the ﬁeld to beginpreparing to face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. He was added to the injury report on Wednesday when thePatriots estimated him as alimited participant.

Speculation about Maye’sinjury begantospread the dayafter NewEngland’s AFC championship game win at Denver,with observers pointing to ascramble by Maye late in thethird quarter that ended with himmaking an awkward slide on his right side.

Maye grabbed at his throwing shoulder after the play.Followingahandoff to Rhamondre Stevenson on the next play,hethen shrugged his shoulder slightlyin thehuddle, as if loosening it up. On the ensuingplay,Mayecompleted a31-yardpass to Mack

Hollins.

Maye insistedduring aradio appearance on Tuesday that any issue withhis shoulderwas the resultofseason-long wear and tear and that he didn’thurt it duringthe game. He reiterated that stance

Thursday

“Got out there moving around foragood bit today,” Maye said. “Wedid ajog through, so I’m feeling good and looking forward to being ready to go. This is the game you dream of playing, so looking forward to getting out thereand playing in theSuper Bowl.”

Maye went 10 of 21 for86yards against the Broncos. He also ran 10 times for 65 yards and atouchdown. Thesecond-year QB has not missed agamethis season Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said his concern about Maye’sshoulderwas minimal “Notmuch. Itry nottohave awhole lot of concern,” Vrabel said.“Ijustwanttotry to prepare the football team, make sure that everybody’sready, that we allhavea plan We’vetried to map out the week here, week andahalf, and not look at theend of it,but focus on whatwecan do today.”

The Patriots practice again on Friday and are off Saturday before traveling to Santa Clara, California, forSuperBowlweek

week. Thetimeofthe day. Is it outside? Is it inside? It doesn’t matter. Just put the damn balldownand let’sgoplay.”

Bradytookthe podiumwithAllen seated in the front row,and with the silhouette of the Bills new $2.1billion stadiumevidentthrough the shaded windows of team’straining facility

“Culture startswith them,” Brady said, pointing to Allen andseveral teammates in the crowd.“Themen in the locker room set theculture, regardless of whothe head coach is. And it’smyjob to makesure I’m allowing themtobetheir personality, allowing them to play to their

personality.”

Allen, walking with crutches afterhavingsurgery fora broken bone in his right foot, played arole in thesearch processbysittingin on candidate interviews. The quarterback lamented playing arole in McDermott’sﬁring.

“If Imakeone more play that game in Denver,we’re probably not havingthispressconference right now.We’re probably not making a change andinall honesty,”hesaid, before backing Brady. “I’m very lookingforward to Joe and guys gettingbehindhim andrallying behind himand understanding his vision because Idobelieveinit.” Brady’s immediatepriority is building outhis staff with openings at defensive,offensive andspecial teams coordinator andvariousother positions

Brady’shiringstill raised questions over the team’s vision. Though he brings continuity andhas atight relationship with Allen, Brady’s also spent fourseasons as part of acoachingstaff that fellshort of SuperBowl aspirations.

ThoughBuffalo’soffensescored 24 or more points in each of itspast threeplayoff losses,the unit has struggled in the clutch.

Buffalo’sfinal drives in each of those losses ended with an interception in overtime against Denverearlier this postseason; turning the ball over on downs at midfield in a32-29 loss to Kansas City last season;and amissed field goal in a27-24 loss to Kansas City in 2023.

“I’m justasresponsible, right?” Bradysaid, noting the five turnovers theBills committedagainst Denver were on him, notthe players. “Josh Allen is the best player in the NFL, andIhavetogrow.”

Broncosowner Penner is conﬁdent in GM Paton, coachPayton

BY ARNIE STAPLETON

pro football writer

ENGLEWOOD,Colo. Denver Broncos owner andCEO Greg Penner expressedconﬁdence in general manager GeorgePaton andhead coach Sean Payton as he took stock of afruitful season that came up short after quarterback Bo Nix broke an ankle in the playoffs.

“We’d love to have both of them herelong-term,” Penner said. “I think the partnership they’ve created and howtheywork together is very complementary.”

In theirthree yearsworking together,the Broncos have improved from8-9 in 2023 to 10-7 in 2024 and 15-4 this season, which included adivisional-round win over Buffalo and a10-7 lossto NewEngland in the AFCchampionship with backup QB Jarrett Stidhamunder center Paton hasone yearleftonthe six-year deal he signed in 2021 and Payton has two seasons left on his ﬁve-year deal.

of ablizzard helped derail their Super Bowl dreams.

“Obviously the result on Sunday was disappointing and not what we wereexpecting,” Penner said. “The ﬁnalityofitistough.This is our fourth season and twogoing out in the playoffs. It hitsyou pretty hard. Thatbeing said, Ithought it wasapretty unforgettable seasonthat we’ll look back on. There werealot of successes.”

The Broncos hadsix All-Pro players, produced an 11-game winning streak and reestablished astrong homeﬁeld advantage, going9-2 at EmpowerField at Mile High.

“The main message is that we are not satisﬁed,” Penner said. “We know that we have alot of work to do.Wehaveobviously made alot of progressinthe lastfour years, but we are going to work our tails offthis offseason and come in next year ready to go.”

Unlike some other owners, Penner isn’tone to publiclydelve into the team’sfootball decisions.

Thehope —and perhaps belief —isthatgetting thechancetoactually coach the prospects in this year’sSenior Bowl willserve as an advantage come April when the Saints are tasked with following up last year’s successful draft class with another transformative haul.

“The more knowledge we get, that knowledgeispower,” said Jeff Ireland, theSaints’ assistant general manager and collegescouting director.“The more knowledge we have, the more comfortable we are in our convictionthat we have as astaff collaboratively to take the player.” Ireland said nothing significantly changed aboutthe team’s process that ended with last year’shaul. But the reality is the Saints had arguably their best draft since 2017, coming away

with potential cornerstones at quarterback(Tyler Shough) and left tackle (Kelvin Banks Jr.) and at least two defensivestarters (Quincy Riley,Jonas Sanker) ESPN ranked the Saintsashavingthe league’s mostimpactful draft class in 2025. But if there was one significant difference, it was theSaints’ new coaching staff. Ireland praised thegroup —led by first-year coach KellenMoore —ashaving a“great vision” on whattype of player would fit theirroster.That vision also changed because of thenew scheme inplace. Ireland, for instance, noted edge rushers in defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’sdefense don’tneed to be nearly as big and powerful as what former coach DennisAllen preferred. “Theclearer the vision of what they can give to us, the better we can go out and findit,” Ireland said. “Theywereveryclear in what they wanted.” The Senior Bowl mayhelp fur-

“I think that’swhy you spend time and why youhavegood trainers,” Maye said. “It’sone of thosethings whereit’sa long season,and sometimes things show up. Idowhatever Ican to feel 100 percent. I’msure I’ll get, if notthere,asclose as youcan 99 percent.”

ther develop that vision. While the Saints’ coaches have preconceived preferences for what they want in

The Broncos tied afranchise record with 14 wins in theregularseason and beat Buffalo in overtimefor their first playoff triumph since Super Bowl 50. But Nixbroke his right ankle on the game-winning drive and gave way to Stidham on Sunday,when Payton’sfourth-down gamble ahead

“I’ll leave the speciﬁcs of where we fell shorttoour coaching staff and front officebecausethat’s their joband that’s what they do really well,” Penner said.“The process we’ll go through in the next couple weeks: We’ll startthe evaluationofour roster,evaluating our coaching staff.”

on the campus of South AlabamainMobile, Alabama.

Name WT.HT. POS Aaron Anderson 177 5-8WR Barion Brown176 5-11 WR Chris Hilton* 190 6-0WR Garrett Nussmeier 202 6-10 QB *lateaddition

aplayer,thisweek allows those participating to get an up-close look at prospects. Rather than spending 20 minutes with aplayer in aformal interview,members of theSaints staffhave this week to see how they react in various settings, Thomas said. And the Saints will trust their coaches. Ireland said he andhis scouts are focusedlargely on the National team, since they will referback to the insights Thomas and Co. gleaned from coaching the American squad.

“It is agood advantage for us, because we getalot of good information on the players that are

here,” said Saints generalmanager MickeyLoomis, whonoted New Orleans has nine assistants participating between theSenior Bowl and the recently concluded East-West Shrine Bowl.

If they hit as well as theydid last year on another draft, Ireland knowsthe difference it could make.OnWednesday,the executive wasasked aboutthe leap the New England Patriots made from going4-13 in 2024 to 13-4 in 2025 withaSuper Bowlappearance on tap. Like New Orleans will have next year,the Patriots had apromising quarterback (Drake Maye) enteringYear2.And that offseason, the Patriots found the right pieces to support him Does Ireland see aparallel between the situations?

“Man, Ihopeso,” Ireland said. “That’d be great. That’d be fantastic. I’dbelying if Iwasn’tthinking it already.”

Email Matthew Parasatmatt. paras@theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByJEFFREy T. BARNES

JoeBradymeets with reporters after beingintroduced as head coachof the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.y.,onThursday

AP PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

NewEngland Patriots quarterback DrakeMayesmiles during practice on Thursdayin Foxborough, Mass.

Shaw’s ‘diamond in therough’

Williamsgoesfrom basketball-onlyto LSUfor football

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Jackson Williams watchedquarterbackArch Manning operate the Newmanoffense and felt apang of regret —afeeling that told him he should be on that ﬁeld,too.

But with basketball as his selfproclaimed first love, Williams decided as ahigh school freshman to pour allhis energy into excelling on the hardwood.Doing so meant giving up football, anothersport he had played since early childhood.

Now,after transferring from Newman to Shaw in the summer of 2024 andjoiningthe football team while continuing to play basketball, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior defensive back is on the brink of signing afootball scholarship with aprogram he once could only dreamofjoining.

National SigningDay is next week, and the three-star-rated Williams will signwith LSUafter previously signing inDecember with Washington State following his summertime commitment to Tulane. All three schools experienced coaching changes,which caused Williams to twice alterhis plansbefore landing an opportunity to join the LSU program now headedbyLane Kifﬁn.

“It’sbeen crazy,the recruiting process,” Williams said.

Go back two years,and Williams had little reason to believe he would become acollege football player.His focus was on basketball at Newman, where the Greenies won state championships during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

Basketball became ayear-round commitment.Williamsplayed

for Newman during the fall and winter,then joined atravel team coached by then-Newman coach

Randy Livingston in the spring and summer

His primary role for Livingston was defending the opposingteam’s best ball handler the length of the ﬂoor —a taskthatdemanded quick feet and ﬂuid hips.

“That was one of thebig things that correlated over to football frommybasketball stuff,” Williams said. “It’smydefense.” Williams decidedtoleave Newmanafter atumultuous basketball season that included an LHSAA ruling that initially stripped the school of three seasonsofwins while Livingston was coach.Sev-

NewFlorida coachSumrall making players‘earn the logo’inoffseason workouts

BY MARK LONG AP sportswriter

GAINESVILLE, Fla. Jon Sumrall

for Sumrall’sdebut season

“Clearly,the most important thingtomewas trying to retain our best players,” Sumrall said.

eral players departedfor other schools following that season.

“I feltlike it wasagoodﬁtfor me to make achange too,” Williams said.

With Shaw,Williams became an immediate starter in the defensive backﬁeld, playing amix of free safetyand cornerback —positions he hadnever played before.

Williams’ past football experience came on theoffensive side In eighth grade at Newman,he played quarterback, running back andreceiver.

At Shaw,coach Hank Tierney quickly saw howWilliams was a “great athletewho canrun and jump andlooks great physically,”

he said. “He looks like an SEC player physically.”

LSUsafetiescoach Jake Olsen saw the sametraits.

During avisit to Baton Rouge earlier this month, Olsen showed Williams twovideo clips from Shaw’s2025 games that caught hisattention.

One came whenDeLaSalle threw apassacrossthe middle withWilliams playing in the center of athree-high safety coverage. Williams closed quickly and delivered ahit that jarred the ball loose from the receiver

The other occurred against Rummel, when atight end wheeled towardthe sideline and Williams flipped hiships quick enough to

makeaplay on the ball, forcing an incompletion.

“Theyfeltlikethings that Iput on film, it’ssomething you can’t teach,” Williamssaid.

Williamsannounced his commitmentJan. 18.

“They got adiamond in the rough,” said Tierney,who said LSU might redshirt Williamstogive him another year of development. “But man,he’sgot skills.”

Williams hasanolder brother, Jordon Williams, who played defensive endfor Rummelonits 2019 state championship team. He enlisted in the Army and is stationed in Poland.

Theirfather, Byron, attended ahigh school (Phoenix) that did not offer football but walked on at Northwestern State andbecame an undrafted free agent withthe San Francisco 49ers.

“It’slike,ifIwould have played one or two years of high school football, where would Ihave been?” Byron said. He told his son, “You’replaying oneortwo years of high school and look where you are.”

Their mother,Y’Esha Williams, competed in the 400 meters on the Northwestern State track and ﬁeld team

Williamswill stay active at Shaw for the remainder of the school year.He’sona basketball team that hasbeen to thestate tournament four years in arow.This spring, he planstotry the long jump and high jump for the track and ﬁeld team —something he has never competed in.

“I’ve always beentold I’m really athletic,” saidWilliams,who dunkeda basketball forthe ﬁrst time in thesummerbefore ninth grade.

That athleticism has translated to the football ﬁeld —and soon will give Williamsa chance to runout of the tunnel at LSU, apossibility he once never imagined.

Contact Christopher Dabeat cdabe@theadvocate.com

Cehajicexpectedtotake bigjumpasnew Tulane ace

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributingwriter

hadnoidea one of his ﬁrst major moves as Florida’sfootballcoach hadbeen done beforeinGainesville —more than two decades ago.

Sumrall gave his players shorts, shirts and other gear without any Gators logos. It was reminiscent of Hall of Fame coach Urban Meyer’sapproach in 2005, which paid off with two national titles in his ﬁrst four seasons at Florida.

“Not going to keep themall, ever There’sacoachingchange. There’s going to be somechange and some transition, but thatpartwas critical for ustohaveany opportunity to have successnext year.”

“Gotta earn it. Gotta earn the logo,” the former Tulane coach said.“We ain’t earnedityet.We haven’tearned adamn thing. All we’ve got is our name. …Towear theFlorida Gatorlogo, to wear the Gators across your helmet,to wear the Gator head,you got to earn that.”

Sumrall said he’sunsure how or when the players can earn logos.

“I haven’tthought about that yet,” he said.

Florida hired Sumrall in late November,days after it became clear to athletic director ScottStricklin that topchoiceLaneKiffinwas headed to LSU. Sumrall signed a six-year,$44.7 million deal to replace Billy Napier and potentially get the once-proud program back to national prominence.

Sumrall’scoachingresumeincludes four consecutive league titlegames.Hewon back-to-back Sun Belt championships in two seasons(2022-23) at Troy and then led Tulane to the American title game both seasons (2024-25) there. The GreenWave won the league last year and earned aspot in the College Football Playoff.

The Gators are hoping for similar results.

Sumrall’sfirst steps included keeping five top-tier players in Gainesville: linebackerMyles Graham, running back Jadan Baugh, defensive endJayden Woods, and receivers Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson. Some of them considered hitting the transfer portal, but all ofthem ended up back at Florida —ata combined costof$5.2million

Sumrall and general manager Dave Caldwell thensigned Georgia Tech quarterback Aaron Philo, reuniting him withnew offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner,as part of aportal class that includes more than two dozen newcomers.

Theyformally joined the returninggroup in mid-Januaryand have since been running and lifting weightsin plain, black or blue workout attire.

Meyer’smotivational version includedkicking playersout of thelocker room and notallowing them to even wear school colors.

He also removed alargegator head that players touch for luck on their way into the stadium. They eventually regained access and logos. But the gator head didn’treturn until the day of the 2005 season opener Florida basketballcoach Billy Donovan borrowed theideaa few years later.After his twotime reigning nationalchampion Gators lost eight of their ﬁnal 11 games in 2008 and missed out on theNCAA Tournament for the ﬁrst time in adecade, he banned them from their practice facility andtoldthemtheycouldn’twear any Florida attire.

Playersspent days shuffling between theO’Connell Center practice ﬂoor and the antiquated Florida Gym while preparing for the NIT.They responded by winning three consecutive games and making the semiﬁnals at Madison Square Garden in New York City

So there’s precedentfor Sumrall’sarrangement to work. His ultimate goal: “Toughness, confidence, discipline, accountability,grit, just themindset we’regoing to work hard,” Sumrall said. “We’re never goingtobackdownanythingwe ever do. We’re going to put them through some things that they have not experienced. “Theyalready have seensome of that. It’sgoing to be real.It’sgoing to be live.”

Tulane baseballcoach Jay Uhlman has been banging thedrum for pitcherTrey Cehajic since fall practice, and someone ﬁnally heard thebeat.

This week, Perfect Game named the imposing 6-foot-8 Green Wave graduate student andsoon-to-be Fridaystarter a ﬁrst-team All-American. Cehajic has to take the mound and prove himself worthy of the honor, but Uhlman has liked everything he has seen to this point.

“Wefeel strongly he’sthat kind of pitcher,” Uhlman said. “He’sin areally good place. Icontinueto say he’shad the kind of ramp-up thatChandler Welch and (Tayler) Montiel) and (Michael) Lombardi hadinterms of notalwayspitching perfect but the consistency of how they’re training. He’sreally taken another step that way.”

Welchled theWave in innings pitched(89) andwins(seven) in 2024, allowing only six earned runs in his finalfive startsenteringNCAAregional play before getting taken in the sixth round of the MLB draft. Montiel tied for the team lead in victories (five) as amiddle relieverlast season, finishing with an ERA of 3.43 while striking out 54 in 431/3 innings before being drafted in the12thround. Lombardi emerged as aspectacularcloser andspotstarter,earning firstteam All-American Conference honors withanERA of 2.14 while striking out73in42innings on his waytobeing draftedinthe secondround.

Clearly,Uhlman believes Cehajic, from Shreveport, can join that all-star band after an up-anddown junior year when he went 5-2withanERA of 4.89 as aSundayand then aSaturday starter

“He’stightenedupacoupleof the off-speed pitches, andhe’s been able to command the fastball alot better,too,” Uhlman said. “When thecutters and thesliders come out of the same window as thefastball, it makes it more difﬁcult on the hitter.And of course he’sahuge dude, so he provides challenges that way,too.”

As was thecasewith Welch, Lombardi and Montiel, Cehajic needs to make asigniﬁcant jump. Welch had a6.83 ERA in 2023.

Lombardi wasat3.89 in 2024, and Montiel’swas an astronomical 10.24.

Cehajic’sERA in league play last year was 6.68. He yielded46 hits in 321/3 inningswhile adding 16 walks and three hit batsmen.

“I got somegood starting experience, butIdidn’tget too deep into games very much,” Cehajic said. “That’sabig focustomake sure my body’sinagood spot and to have the amount of pitches where Ican face an ordermultiple times through.”

The sixth inning in particular was his bugaboo. He opened 2025 by blanking Omaha through five innings before failing to retire thethree batters he faced in the sixth. He shut out Loyola Marymount forfive innings in his next appearance but was lifted after the first two batters reached in thesixth. Later in the year,he loaded the bases against Memphis to start the sixth and got the hook. He recorded an outinthe sixth only once in 13 starts, hitting a mental andphysical wall.

“Obviously me going further into games gives us abetter chance to win, so that’sthe main motivation,” he said. “I’m not really worriedabout getting to the sixth and the seventh, but if I’m rolling,itwillsave ourpitching forlater in the weekend, which will be the best part.”

His burgeoning confidence could be pivotal. While recognizing preseason accolades mean little once the games start, Uhlman expects Cehajic to feed off his Perfect Game validation. Entering his third year with the Wave after excelling at McLennan Junior College, he carries himself like an ace.

“He’sgot moundpresence,” Tulane catcherHugh Pinkney said. “Obviously,itwill be nice to go out Friday nights and see maybe alittle intimidation for the other team when you’re looking over and you see big Trey on the bump.”

Lagniappe

Uhlman said Oklahoma transfer Beau Sampson, aleft-hander who performed well in the Cape CodLeague over thesummer, was set to be the Saturday starter.Two weeks from the opening series at Loyola Marymount, Tennessee Tech transfer Jack Brafa, Liberty transfer Jack Frankel, Connecticut transfer Jude Abbadessa and Denison transfer Sam Larson are competing forthe Sundayand midweek slots. …Senior Jacob Moore, trying to bounceback fromarough 2025 aftera solid 2024 as acloser, likelywillmiss the opening weekend as aprecaution while recovering from a wrist injury

STAFF FILE

PHOTOByBRETT DUKE

Shaw’sJackson Williams, right, closes in on St.Charles Catholic’sWalker LeBlanc during the Division II select state championship game on Dec. 12 at the Caesars Superdome.

STAFFFILE PHOTOBySCOTT THRELKELD

Tulane pitcher Trey Cehajicpitches against yale in the ninth inning of a game on March 3, 2024, at TurchinStadium.

Sumrall

Pels leaningintosize

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

New Orleans Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego useda brandnew starting lineup on the team’srecent three-game road trip.

The lineup of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy,Herb Jones, Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen went 2-1, beating the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spursbeforelosing Tuesdaytothe OklahomaCity Thunder.

The new lineup pushed rookie guard Jeremiah Fears to the bench andhas limited JordanPoole‘s playing time.

Poole —acquired in the offseason in the CJ McCollumdeal didn’tplay against the Spurs or Thunder It was the ﬁrst time Poole hadn’t

playedwhenhealthy this season.

He missed 18 games due to injury in November and December

The sit-outsfor the team’ssecond-highest paidplayer ($31.8 million 2025-26 salary) behind Zion Williamson ($39.4 million)come amidreports the Pelicanslook to be active in this year’sNBA trade deadline on Feb.5

Borrego was asked about the decision not to play Poole after Thursday’spractice.

“Just thelineup,” Borrego said. “I felt likethis group gives us a chance out there toget after it defensively. Ithink we are just going to lean intoalittle bit of size right now and physicality and defense.”

Poole has played in 28 games this season for thePelicans (1237). He’saveraging 14.5 points and 3.1 assists. The guard, now in

hisseventh NBA season,isonly shooting 37% from the ﬁeld and 34%from3-point rangefor New Orleans.

“Obviously,Poole will stay ready andhe’llbereadytogo,” Borregosaid. “(He was) back at it todayinpractice and so we expect him to stay ready. Younever know when your number is going to get called. Everybody whohas steppedinfor us this year has madeanimpact. Iexpect him to do thesame.”

Guard Jordan Hawkins also didn’t play in thepasttwo games. Borregosaidthe reason was the same.

ThePelicanshost theMemphis Grizzliesat6:30 p.m. Friday at the Smoothie KingCenter.It’sthe team’sﬁnal homegame before the NBA trade deadline.

Mavs puthopeinhealthas1-year anniversaryofDoncictrade approaches

BY SCHUYLERDIXON

AP sportswriter

DALLAS P.J. WashingtonJr. sat on the stage in the Dallas Mavericks interview room, fresh off another loss with adecimated lineup fora club facing asecond consecutive long summer at home since the stunning trade of Luka Doncic. Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving didn’tplay in that 118-105 loss to Minnesota —and might notbein aMavericks uniform on thesame night again —while it wasa temporary injury absence for fourtime NBA champion Klay Thompsonand Cooper Flagg, therookie No. 1pick who landed in Dallas by crazy luck and is seen as the next face of the franchise after Doncic. Days shy of ayear since theMavs shipped their global superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis and rocked the core of ateamthat wasjustninemonths removed from playing in the NBA Finals, Washington’shope for areturn to contention rests with those four teammates being healthy alongside him

“I don’tthink our rosterisa bad roster.Ijust think it’saninjured roster,” Washington said.“Once everybody’shealthy, then there will be alot morepeople in here recording us with the media. Once Kai get backs and AD gets back, we’ll be adifferent team forsure And Klay also.”

As he sat in front of amodest gathering of reporters covering

PELICANS

Continued from page1C

room by Pelicans’ security ofﬁcer Sherman Mushatt and Jordan Dumars, son of executive vice-president of basketball operations Joe Dumars.

“It was atough situation,” Fears said Thursday after practice.“I feel like it could have been avoided alittle bit. Obviously,itwas afoul there late in thegame. I thinkifitwas called afoul late in the game, it would haveavoided all that.” Pelicans’ interim coach James Borrego and OKC coach Mark Daigneault both agreed with that

an also-ran in theWestern Conference, Washington must have been thinking back to the throng that grew with each playoff series victory 20 months ago. No way hecould have predicted backthen what he has been dealing withsince Nico Harrison,the general manager at the time, did what Dallasfansconsideredunthinkable by trading Doncicright around midnight on Feb. 2lastyear Davis joinedthe Maverickswith along history of injury issues,and aggravated an abdominal strain in hisDallas debut. Hissix-week absence,during which Irving sustaineda season-ending knee injury, fueled the anger toward Harrison. Washington made afutile effort to tell fans to stop chanting “ﬁre Nico in the waning weeks of last season.

The Mavericks hoped fan discontentwould ease after they wonthe rights to Flagg despite just a1.8% chance in the draft lottery,but the chants continued thisseason. Harrisonwasﬁredaftera3-8start,andDallascurrently hasinterim co-general managers in Michael Finley, aformer Mavericks player,and Matt Riccardi.

“I just look at the moment, continue to do my job. Iknowmyteammates feelthe same way,”saidNaji Marshall, who wassigned by Harrisonasa free agentthe offseason after the ﬁve-game loss to Boston in the NBA Finals. “It wasn’tus who got traded or ﬁred, so it’s not really somethingweshould focus on much. Iknowyou build relation-

assessment. Daigneault said after thegame that afoulshould have been called on Dort.

“I think that’safoul on Dort,” Daigneaultsaid. “If it was, they shouldput awhistle on thatplay regardless of the score and the time.Becauseifthey do that, everybody stops playing and you legislate the situation as younormally would. Butbecause they didn’tput awhistle on it,it’sthe endofthe game and they can do nothing about it and you end up with that situation.”

Borrego echoed similar sentiments after Thursday’spractice

“Looking back, it could have been handled much better from theofficials’standpoint,”Borrego said. “They are human be-

Policy aims to keep fans from leaving LSUhoops games

Giveaway policy only appliestostudents

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

LSU athletics created anew policytoprevent students from leaving the Pete Maravich Assembly Center before the start of basketball games that feature free giveaways.

“Anystudent thatleaves the PMAC prior to tip-offwill be exit scanned and will lose the privileges to their LSU Basketball student tickets for the remainder of theseason,” an LSU athletics email from Jan. 12 stated.

This memo, first reported by The Reveille, arrived in an email before the men’sbasketball home game against Kentucky on Jan. 14. LSUathletics gave freeTshirts to theﬁrst500 students at thearenathat night.

Kelsey Dulinski, director of fan experience at LSU, didn’t provide The Advocate any further comment besidesthe emailedanswers she gave to The Reveille’s questions, explaining the reasoning behind this new rule.

“This policyisintendedtoensure giveaways arerewarded to students andfanswho are genuinely there to support the team,” Dulinski said. “The goal is to prevent individuals from collecting giveaway itemsand leaving before the game begins, and instead reward fans who arrive

early, stay andactively cheer on the Tigers.”

The policy that jeopardizes students’season ticketswill be included in promotional emails before basketballgames that offer agiveaway.Dulinski said that exit scanning at these games will happen “only before tip-off.”

BeforeLSU’sgame against Missouri on Jan. 17, the ﬁrst 500 students receivedaGEAUX hat.

At LSU’smost recent 80-66 loss to Mississippi State on Wednesday, the ﬁrst 1,500 fans had achance to pick up amini replica of the Shaquille O’Neal statue on the plazainfront of theLSU basketball practice facility

This new rule will apply to LSU women’sbasketball games featuring giveaways as well, Dulinski said. She also said there is potential that this will be “implemented with other sports in the future.”

“While thishas been an ongoing issue in past seasons, the increased popularity and improved design of recent giveaways have led to anoticeable rise in students leaving immediately after receivingitems,”Dulinski said. “This policy helps ensure giveaways reach fans who are staying to support the team.”

Students will not be exitscanned at games that don’tfeature agiveaway.This policy only applies to students with free season tickets because of their status as full-timestudents.

ships with those people,you wish the best for them. Worrying about thatstuffis(like)having somebody elsedoyour job for you.”

Flagg, who has been nursing a sprained left ankle, is living up to thepromiseafter leading Duke to the Final Four as just the fourth freshman to be namedthe AP men’s basketball player of the year.He andformer Blue Devils teammate KonKnueppelare neck-and-neck in the NBA Rookie of theYear race. Thompson,who sat against the Timberwolves this week with asore left knee, has soldiered throughseveral rough patches since the trade. He joined theMavericksinlarge part because of Doncic after spendinghis first 13 years with Golden State,where he andStephen Curry were the“Splash Brothers.”

Davis is out until after the AllStar break with ligament damage in his left hand, and he has missed more games thanhehas played for Dallas because of various ailments.There is talk of trading the 10-time All-Star,which would be another way to move on from Harrison’sill-fated decision.

At the same time, there’snoquestion the Mavs would love to see an extended stretch with alineup that includesDavis,one of thebesttwoway big men in league history,and Irving, anine-timeAll-Star as a playmakingguard.The pair had just2 1/2 quarters together before Davis gothurt against the Houston Rockets last Feb. 8.

ings, too. It could have been handled better and I’m sure the NBA hasmadethatclear,and they are handling it internally.Theyhave made theirdecisionand we move forward.”

There were no suspensions issued, so Fears will be available for Friday’shomegame against the MemphisGrizzlies.

“I’ve had time to kinda think aboutitand relaxand calm down,” Fears said. “It’sgoing good.Italkedtomycoaches and teammates as well and they told me don’tworry about it and just move on and getreadyfor this next game.”

EmailRod Walker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.

and

Wednesdayatthe

LSU

Continued from page1C

second-to-last in the SEC in percentage (29.8).

LSU’s3-point issue was once againexacerbated as itsattempts mostly clanked off the rim, ﬁnishing 4of20, as MississippiState was 10 of 21.

“It’s been multiple halves,” McMahonsaid. “Bottom line, math doesn’twork forus. We’re not an elite3-point shooting team.SoI thinkagainst Missouri, we made 10, but theyplayeda zone,sowe gota lotofhigh-volume,alot of open looks. But when we’re only making four and opponents are making 10, that you’re minus 18 (points) from behind the arc.

“I don’tknowthatwe’re ever going to be in the positivesthere from the3-point line. But we’ve got to be alot closer to anet zero.” McMahon entered the season feelingconﬁdentabout the team’s 3-point shooting talent as it welcomed multiple transfers with a track record formarksmanship. Those shooters wereﬁfth-year seniorMemphis transfer PJ Carter, 22-year-old freshman, former pro in Israel, Ron Zipperand senior Portland transfer Max Mackinnon. Since LSU has shortened its core rotation to eight players, theonlyone of the group playing is Mackinnon, who is shooting 41.2% from the 3-point line. Besides forward Pablo Tamba, who hasmade half of his 12 3-point attempts, no other rotation player is shooting 30% on the season. Thecoldperimeter shooting,

LSU-SOUTH CAROLINA

UPDATES START TIME

LSU’s road game againstSouth Carolina on Saturdayhas been moved to noon, the men’sbasketball program announced Thursday. The tip-off time was changed because the Columbia, SouthCarolina, area is expecting multiple inches of snow throughout the day, the releasestated. The game will air on SEC Network+. LSU (13-8, 1-7SEC) was originally settoplaySouth Carolina (11-10, 2-6) at 5p.m. at Colonial Life Arena. ToyloyBrownIII

especially on open looks, persisted against Mississippi State.

“The 3-point line continuestobe an issue forus,”McMahon said.

“We’re struggling from an efficiency standpoint to make 3s, and we’re giving up waytoo many on theotherend.So,averydisappointing performance, andgreat credit to Mississippi State. Ithought they played exceptionally well tonight.” LSU’smisses from deep spread to ghastly numbers overall, especially at the free-throw line.Inthe ﬁrst half, theteam was 2of8 and ﬁnished the contest 12 of 23, which was aseason-low percentage and tied aseason-lowfor makes “I thought our mentalspirit coming in off the loss Saturday in Fayetteville (against Arkansas), thetwo days of prep going into the game,” McMahon said whenasked if the misseswere mental or linked to frustration. “I thought it was whatweneeded to be,but clearly, they were the aggressor and had theurgencythatwinningrequires.”

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU forward PabloTamba attempts to getalayup past Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Flemingand over LSUforward Robert Miller,right,

Mississippi State forward Sergej Macura on

Pete Maravich AssemblyCenter

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

Pelicans guard Jordan Poole tries to dribble past Newyork Knicks forward Guerschon yabusele duringthe second halfofa game on Dec. 29 at the Smoothie King Center

After a fall, Red Panda retraces what went wrong

BY ALANIS THAMES AP sportswriter

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Rong Niu’s pink sequined dress shimmered under the arena lights at a recent Miami men’s basketball game.

The popular halftime performer known as “Red Panda” ﬁnished her signature seven-minute set, looked up at a crowd of fans chanting her name and ﬂashed a smile before dismounting.

Cameras rose instantly A Hurricanes band member shouted “I love you, Red Panda!” A security guard shook his head in disbelief as a nearby fan asked aloud, “How does she do that?” Members of the Hurricanes’ dance team lined up for photos with her before she made her exit.

Niu has grown somewhat accustomed to the fanfare over decades performing at NBA, WNBA and college basketball games her ﬁrst halftime show was a Los Angeles Clippers game in 1993. Still,

even after sports fans rallied around her following a frightening fall during a WNBA game last July, she can hardly put words to what

the support means to her “I feel so much support,” Niu said after performing at Miami’s home game against Stanford on Wednes-

day “It’s beyond support — I don’t know I don’t have a better word to describe that feeling. That was beyond appreciation.”

Niu comes from a family of performing acrobats. She’s been doing it since age 7, when her father ﬁrst discovered her talent by helping her balance bowls and bricks on her head at their home in China’s Shanxi province.

Her act is composed of her riding a custom-built unicycle, which stretches about 8 feet above the court, and balancing custom-made bowls on her lower leg before ﬂipping them atop her head.

During intermission of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup ﬁnal between the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, Niu fell off her unicycle and crashed to the court a minute into her performance. She remained down for several minutes, was eventually helped off by wheelchair and later diagnosed with a broken left wrist.

“I now realize I was disoriented.

0-1 0-1 0, Grace 3-4 0-0 8. Totals 28-55 14-20 80. LSU (13-8) Nwoko 2-5 0-0 4, Sutton 1-7 2-2 4, Tamba 3-5 4-10 10, Mackinnon 6-11 2-2 15, Thomas 6-13 0-1 14, Reece 0-3 1-2 1, King 5-9 3-4 14, Miller 2-5 0-2 4, Mosley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-58 12-23 66. Halftime—Mississippi State 44-21. 3-Point Goals—Mississippi State 10-21 (Epps 3-4, Grace 2-2, McGhee 2-3, Achor 1-2, Jones 1-2, Hubbard 1-6, Macura 0-2), LSU 4-20 (Thomas 2-4, King 1-4, Mackinnon 1-5, Reece 0-1, Tamba 0-2, Sutton 0-4). Fouled Out—Miller. Rebounds—Mississippi State 39 (Macura 10), LSU 18 (Tamba 5). Assists—Mississippi State 14 (McGhee, Epps 4), LSU 7 (Thomas 4). Total Fouls—Mississippi State 17, LSU 15. A—7,501 (13,215). Late Wednesday South Florida 97, Tulane 83 SOUTH FLORIDA (14-7) Nelson 3-10 5-8 11, C.Brown 4-7 2-5 10, Enis 7-13 6-7 25, Omojafo 2-5 1-1 5, Pinion 6-12 2-2 17, Collins 0-1 0-0 0, Nyorha 4-6 1-2 10, Haid 1-5 2-2 4, Jones 1-2 0-0 3, Beckford 2-3 4-6 8 Hightower 0-0 2-2 2, Sanders 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-65 25-35 97. TULANE (12-9) Ringgold 5-9 1-1 14, Brumbaugh 4-14 3-5 12, Rasmussen 4-9 1-3 11, Williams 4-11 0-0 12, Woods 4-9 5-8 14, Greene 1-3 0-0 2, Daniels 1-1 2-2 4, Middleton 3-5 1-2 9, J.Moore 1-1 3-3 5. Totals 27-62 16-24 83. Halftime—South Florida 52-39. 3-Point Goals—South Florida 10-30 (Enis 5-10, Pinion 3-8, Jones 1-2, Nyorha 1-2, C.Brown 0-1, Nelson 0-2, Omojafo 0-2, Haid 0-3), Tulane 13-34 (Williams 4-7, Ringgold 3-4, Middleton 2-4, Rasmussen 2-7, Woods 1-4, Brumbaugh 1-7, Greene 0-1). Fouled Out—Ringgold. Rebounds—South Florida 42 (Nelson 12) Tulane 26 (Brumbaugh 6). Assists—South Florida 17 (Pinion, Nyorha 4), Tulane 19 (Brumbaugh, Greene 5). Total Fouls—South Florida 20, Tulane 21. A—1,279 (4,100) State women’s schedule Wednesday’s games Old Dominion 85, UL-Monroe 62 Thursday’s games James Madison 96, UL 45 Lamar 57, Southeastern 44 Southern 67, Jackson State 43 McNeese 70, Stephen F. Austin 64 Louisiana Tech 72, Kennesaw State 44 East Texas A&M 90, UNO 73 Northwestern 57, Nicholls 47 Friday’s games None scheduled. Saturday’s games UL at Marshall, noon UL-Monroe at Appalachian State, noon Southern at Alcorn, 1 p.m. Grambling at Jackson State, 1 p.m. Southeastern at Stephen F. Austin, 2 p.m. Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech, 2 p.m. Temple at Tulane, 2 p.m. Northwestern State at UNO, 2 p.m. Nicholls at East Texas A&M, 2:30 p.m. McNeese at Lamar, 3 p.m.

6-3. Elena Rybakina (5), Kazakhstan, def. Jessica Pegula (6), United States, 6-3, 7-6 (7). Men’s Doubles Semiﬁnals Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans, Australia def. Luke Johnson, Britain, and Jan Zielinski, Poland, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (6), Britain, def. Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (3), Argentina, 6-3, 7-6 (7). Women’s Doubles Semiﬁnals Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia, and Anna Danilina (7), Kazakhstan, def. Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Stefani (5), Brazil, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4. Zhang Shuai, China, and Elise Mertens (4), Belgium, def. Vera Zvonareva, Russia, and Ena Shibahara, Japan, 6-3, 6-2. Pro basketball NBA Conference glance EASTERN

FRIDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS ENTRIES

Late Scratches: Speightful One Race Time: 1:10.72 Daily Double (4-2) $10.00; Exacta (2-3) $19.10; Superfecta (2-3-7-5) $11.42; Trifecta (2-3-7) $33.15; Pic 3 (7-4-2) $26.85 Claimed: Prodigy Paradise ($12,500.00, Owner: Joe Hackler Racing LP, Trainer: Shane Wilson) Fourth Race — Purse $28,000, Claiming $30,000, 4 yo’s & up, One Mile 2-Contemplation (Graham J.) $11.00 $4.00 $2.60 9-Polar Bear Plunge (Concepcion A.) $5.40 $2.80

10-Enlighten (Ortiz J.) $2.20 Also Ran: Bold Discovery, Bebedouro, Hard to Fathom, Skipper’s Pride, Baltimore Heart.

Late Scratches: Raising Kane, Steppin Silver, Interlock Empire, Big Salt Lick, Machine Gun Man Race Time: 1:38.50 Daily Double (2-2) $10.50; Exacta (2-9) $21.20; Superfecta (2-9-10-6) $28.60; Trifecta (2-9-10) $25.20; Pic 3 (4-2-2)

$31.70 Fifth Race — Purse $15,000, Maiden Claiming

$12,500, 3 yo’s & up, One Mile Seventy Yards

5-Y City (Pedroza, Jr. M.) $12.60 $3.00 $2.20

4-Jailhouse Religion (Ortiz J.) $2.20 $2.10

Race Time: 1:45.64 Daily Double (2-5) $28.40; Exacta (5-4) $11.80; Superfecta (5-4-3-1) $11.72; Trifecta (5-4-3) $11.50; Pic 3 (2-2-5)

$30.15; Pic 4 (4-1/2-2-5) $176.65; Pic 5 (3/7-4-1/2-2-5)

$1,029.30 Sixth Race — Purse $55,000, Allowance, 4 yo’s & up, Five And A Half Furlongs

3-Amoudi Bay (Lopez P.) $6.60 $4.00 $2.80

4-Vesture (Concepcion A.) $3.80 $2.80

2-Snare (Hernandez, Jr. B.) $5.00

Also Ran: Bosun, Vamos Carlitos, Sassi D, Mega Magic, Marcus Gift. Race Time: 1:03.41 Daily Double (5-3) $27.00; Exacta (3-4) $12.40; Superfecta (3-4-2-1) $16.89; Trifecta (3-4-2) $36.30; Pic 3 (2-5-3) $38.60 Seventh Race — Purse $30,000, Maiden optional claiming $50,000, 3 yo, Six Furlongs 4-Bird the Legend (Geroux F.) $7.60 $4.60

It was not just pain right here,” Niu said Wednesday, pointing to her left wrist, which she recalled being swollen and in immense pain. “I wasn’t very clear because of the impact. They said, ‘Can you walk?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ and then I tried to stand up and walk. And then, I think I was passing out.” She spent 11 hours in a Minneapolis hospital, with a pair of Lynx staffers there with her the entire time. As she lay in the hospital bed, she wondered what could have gone wrong during the act she’d performed so many times.

“I’m not saying I’m that good or anything,” she said. “I generally don’t fall. Bowls fall, because the bowls are going into the air and sometimes I’m not able to control (them). But riding the unicycle it shouldn’t be out of control.”

Niu returned to the arena after being released from the hospital. Her unicycle was in the same place she’d left it in her dressing room.

$4.00 $2.80 $2.40

3-G’wildcat (Concepcion A.) $4.40 $3.00

7-Late September (Lopez P.) $3.00 Also Ran: Myglorybee, Our Determination, Prodigy Paradise.

3-Lady Dixie (Vives S.) $2.40 Also Ran: Promesa Divina, Keen Gal, Moor to Conquer, Lyla’s Golden Gal Late Scratches: Kisses for Cooper

THURSDAY’S FAIR GROUNDS RESULTS

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

Red Panda performs as Miami’s mascot Sebastian the Ibis looks on during halftime of a game between Miami and Stanford in Coral Gables, Fla., on Wednesday

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU forward Kate Koval fights for control of the ball against Arkansas guard Bonnie Deas, left, and Arkansas forward Maria Anais Rodriguez, right, on at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Up to date

TheMetersadd second show during 2026 NewOrleans Jazz Fest

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Iconic New Orleans funkband

The Meters’May 2reunion at the Saenger Theatresold out the same daytickets went on sale, but the band has now announced asecond reunionshow during the 2026 New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival. That’snot surprising. What is surprising is how one member of TheMetersfound out about the new date —during an onstageinterview aboard the cruise ship Eurodam somewherebetweenthe mouth of the Mississippi River and Cozumel. On the morning of Jan. 22, Iinterviewed Meters bassist GeorgePorter Jr.and percussionist/vocalist Cyril Neville during the Big Easy Cruise, an annual, weeklong New Orleans music festival at sea. At the outset of our conversation in front of acouple hundred fans in the Eurodam’sRolling Stone Lounge, Icongratulated Porterand Neville onhow quickly the May 2show sold out

Porter then sharedsomething he’d just learned: The Meters would play another show,thisone during Jazz Fest’sfirst weekend. That wasnews to Neville.He hadn’tbeen told about the new concert yet. He turned to his wife,Gaynielle, who was standing to the sideofthe stage andasked her if he was evenavailabletoplay withthe Meters on thefest’s first weekend. She assured him he was available. On the ship, Porter andNeville were still alittle fuzzy on the details. But at noon Tuesday, promoters Live Nation and Dayglo made the official announcement: TheMeters will perform at the Fillmore in New Orleans on April 24. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m.

Friday These will be the Meters’ first performances since the death of founding keyboardistArt Neville in 2019. The current incarnation of The Meters includes Porter,original drummer Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste and original guitarist LeoNocentelli,plusCyril Neville, who officially joinedthe band ahead of the classic 1975 album“Fire On theBayou.” Ivan Neville will fill in for his uncle Art on keyboards and vocals. Ivanwilldodoubledutyon April 24. Hisband Dumpstaphunk —which includes Art’sson Ian Neville on guitar —will open for the Meters at the Saenger.

Sailingwithmusicians

Producers of the Big Easy Cruise hire me to interview musicians as we sail. In addition

ä See METERS, page 2D

BY KEITHSPERA Staff writer

Vince Vance’senthusiasm is as high as his hair

Alarger-than-life rendering of hisheadand famousfollicles greetsRock’n’ Bowl patrons and rides in the Okeanos andMadHatters Mardi Gras parades.

His55years as an entertainer spans 8,000 performances in 30 countriesand 34 states, including acouple WhiteHouse gigs in the 1990s. Along the way he crafted thenoveltyhit “BombIran” and the holidayseason favorite “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

“I’m exhausted from hearing all the stuff I’vedoneinmylife,” he joked recently On Saturday, Jan. 31, Vance hosts his “annual 39thbirthday party”at the Jefferson Orleans South (2536

times. That’salong time to be 39.”

He remains upbeat and optimisticevenafter Santa —more specially,a federal judge in Los Angeles— gave himalump of coal for Christmas in his legalbattlewith Mariah Carey

HisNew Year’s resolution was “to be an example to people to be young. Because there’snoother alternative. You’re here. You’re blessedwith alonglife.Keep going. Youwant to be an inspiration to others.”

BourbonStreetstart

Edenborn Ave. in Metairie). He and his band will perform with their usual silliness and spectacle. Tickets are$20 general admission, $50 VIP; call (214) 931-3617 to purchase. He estimates he’s celebrated his 39th birthday“forty-something

He was born Andrew FranichevichJr. in Oakland, California. His mother was fromNew Orleans, which is where the Franichevich family movedwhenAndrewwas awee lad.

Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

series

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

Andy‘Vince Vance’ Stone rides as the Krewe of Okeanos parades on the Uptown route in 2024.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Meters, from left, George Porter Jr., Zigaboo Modeliste, ArtNeville and Leo Nocentelli, pose for apromotional image used on the back of their 1969 second album, ‘Look-Ka Py Py.’

Maintaininglove across adivide

DearAnnie: Inever imagined I would be writing to you about this, but I’m at aloss and worried sick. One of my adult sons has become deeply involved in farright political activism. What began as strong opinions has hardened into something extreme and all-consuming.His social media is anonstop stream of posts about the latest controversies, many of them angry.Politics now seems to define his entire identity It’sall he wants to discuss.Familygatherings feeltense, and Ifind myself walking on eggshells, afraid that acasual comment willturn into alecture or argument. If Ipush back, evengently,heaccuses me of being “brainwashed” or part of the problem. If Istay silent, Ifeel as though I’m condoning views that trouble me deeply Ilove my son. But Idon’trecognize him much of the time anymore, and Iworry about how isolated and consumed he seems. How do Imaintainarelationship with my child without endorsing beliefs Ifind disturbing? Is it possible to keep family ties intact when politics has taken over someone’sentire life? —A Worried Mother Dear Worried Mother: Youcannot argue your son out of these beliefs,and trying will only strengthen his sense that he’s embattled and misunderstood Save your breath. What you can do is set clear calm limits. It’sfair to say,“I love you, but Iwon’tdiscuss politics.” Make room for the partsof him that stillexistoutside ideology.Ask about work, hobbies and ordinary life. Extremes thrive when people are reduced to asingle identity.Quiet reminders of family and belonging matter more than winningan

By The Associated Press

argument.

Dear Annie: I’m in myearly 40s andtired of beingalone. Itried onlinedatingand got ahit.

After talking to this guy for a bit, we found out we aresecond cousinsonmydad’sside. For context, Ididn’tgrow up around my dad’sfamily andonly vaguely know them. He didn’treally grow up around them either.Neither of us carry the last name, although technically we should; our mothers didn’tgive us that last name at birth. We have continued to talk andbeintimate with each other.Iknow it isn’t right, butIdon’twant to stop. Do you have any advicefor me?

—Cousins Courting

Dear Cousins Courting: Ihear the loneliness in your letter,and I don’tdismiss it. Wantingconnection,especially after years of being alone,can make even complicated situations feel tempting. And for the record, second cousinsmarryingisn’tillegal or unheard of.

Butthe heart of your question isn’tabout rules. It’s about the tension you’reliving with. You say you don’twant to stop,and in the same breathyou say you knowthisdoesn’tfeel right. That matters.

So the question isn’twhether you can stay. It’swhether you’re contentstayinginsomething that already gives you pause, or whether you believethat somethingthat feelsfully right is still outthere for you.

You’re in your 40s. You’re not outoftime, and you’re not so short on options that you can’t walk away for something else. Being alone for awhile is hard. Beingtangled in something you don’tfeel good about is harder

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

TODAYINHISTORY

Today is Friday,Jan. 30, the 30th day of 2026. There are 335 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Jan. 30, 1948, Indian political and spiritual leader MohandasK.Gandhi, 78, was shot and killed in New Delhi by Nathuram Godse, aHindu extremist

Also on this date:

In 1933, Adolf Hitler was named chancellor of Germany In 1945, during World WarII, a Soviet submarine torpedoed the German ship MV Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic Sea, killingover 9,000 people, most of themwar refugees; roughly 1,000 people survived.

In 1968, the TetOffensive began during the Vietnam War as Communistforces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese towns and cities. In 1969, The Beatles staged an unannounced concert atop Apple headquarters in London that wouldbetheir last public performance.

DOLLARS

Continued from page1D

smitten that the band was invited to appear in theconcertseries anyway The episode premiered on NPR’swebsite Monday as the ﬁrst in a“takeover” series spotlighting favorite contest entrants. Frontman Salvatore Geloso, clad in arakish red hat,and his bandmates swing through four songs. Theopening “I Got No More Tears Left To Cry” was the song the band initially submitted to the Tiny Desk Contest.With its surging horns, swayingmelody and pleading vocals, it sounds like alost track from thegolden age of New Orleans rhythm &blues.

“Weare elated to be wit’chu, make it all the way up northhere to Washington, D.C.,” Geloso says in hisdistinctive patter, ablend of accentsand attitude. “Weare going to give you all abeautiful amulet of protection. Because headed into this new year,wegot many trials ahead, y’all. Ifeel like we are always at the precipice of something. So we need protection. We need ashield to walk through the ﬁre. So Ioffer you this, the ‘Devil’sShoe String.’ A little hoodoo to help what youdo.

METERS

Continuedfrom page1D

to Porter and Neville,thisyear I chatted with Samantha Fish, Marc Broussard, Preservation Hall’s BenJaffe,members of Cowboy Mouthand Little Feat, andasouthwestLouisiana all-startrio consisting of Chubby Carrier,Wayne Toups andBeauSoleil frontman Michael Doucet. Ialso hosted the “Pianorama” concertfeaturing Jon Cleary, John “Papa” Gros,Oscar Rossignoli and Kyle Roussel. They performed individually then collectively in a four-keyboard ﬁnale. That wasthe “work”partofthe trip.

Ialso enjoyed onboard performances and/or conversations with John Boutte, Helen Gillet, Anders Osborne, theall-female Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band, southern rock sister act Larkin Poe —one of ahandful of non-Louisiana artists on the bill —the Honey Island SwampBand, Susan Cowsill, the TinMen, Omari Neville &the Fuel,the Pine Leaf Boys, the Soul Rebels, Johnny San-

VANCE

Continuedfrom page1D

In 1972, 13 Catholic civil rights marcherswere shotand killed by British soldiers in Northern Ireland on what became known as “BloodySunday.”

In 2017, PresidentDonald Trumpﬁred ActingU.S. Attorney General Sally Yates after she publicly questioned the constitutionality of his refugee and immigration ban and refused to defend it in court.

In 2020, health ofﬁcials reported the ﬁrst known case in which the new coronavirus was spread from oneperson to another in theUnitedStates

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Vanessa Redgrave is 89. Musician Phil Collinsis75. Actor Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”) is 75. Golf Hall of FamerCurtis Strange is 71. Actor Ann Dowd (“TheHandmaid’s Tale”) is 70. Comedian Brett Butler (“Grace Under Fire”)is 68. Singer JodyWatley is 67. U.S. House Speaker MikeJohnson, R-Benton, is 54. Actor Christian Bale is 52. Actor Olivia Colman is 52. Actor Wilmer Valderrama (“That ’70s Show”) is 46.

After “Devil’sShoe String,”the band swings through“Gargoyle” and“DowninNew Orleans,” namedfor the city Geloso has called home for 18 years now

TheNPR taping also features ZachValentineonbass, Steve DeTroy on piano, Trenton O’Neal on drums, AurélienBarneson percussion, NathanWolmanon trumpet, JamesBeaumont on tenorsax and Oliver Tuttleon trombone.

Sally Baby’s Silver Dollars was one of the most buzzed-about acts at the2025 New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival.On the Lagniappe Stage in the Fair Groundsgrandstand’spaddock area, thebandput afresh, streetsmart, Frenchmen Street/Bywater spin on early jazz and rhythm &blues tradition via Geloso’sconvivial songs andhis bandmates’ musical dexterity TheJazz Fest setincluded an exceptionally listenable history lesson about famed Storyville madam Lulu White called“The Riseand Fall of the Diamond Queen,”aswellas“IGot No More Tears Left To Cry.”

TheTiny Desk appearance will likely build on that JazzFest buzz nationally

Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com

He graduatedfrom FrancisT NichollsHigh School in the mid1960s and majored in English and music at Southeastern Louisiana University.Heworked as the band director and chorus teacher at DonaldsonvilleHighSchool while moonlighting as apiano player at aBourbonStreet bar called Andy’s. In summer 1971, agroup of waiters from thenearby Your Father’s Mustache approached him about their new, ’50s-style doo-wop act, Vince Vance &the Valiants. He signed on as thekeyboardist and musical director.The Valiants’ ﬁrst gig was Sept.18, 1971, at Your Father’s Mustache.

Less than fourmonths later VinceVance &Valiants opened for theAllman Brothers Band and REO Speedwagon at the famously grungy New Orleans concert venue the Warehouse on Dec. 31, 1971.

“The keyboard player from REO Speedwagon said, ‘You’ve got the fastest right hand in the business,’”Vance recalled.

He believes he has synesthesia he experiences onetypeofsensory experience as another —which allows him to “visualize”music. “It’s like tasting green or hearing delicious or smelling blue,”hesaid.

After Franichevichbecame the Valiants’ frontman, he remade the “Vince Vance” character as awild, Jerry Lee Lewis-like firebrand. Prior to a1975 gig in Phoenix, he brushed his hair straight up and sprayed it in place. That up-do became his visual trademark. Hair spray is hisfriend, humidity his enemy For years, theband played more than 150 shows annually,often at corporate and other private functions. Vancetraveled with multiple cases of props and costumes. Dozens of Valiants and Valiantettes passed through theranks; he is the oneconstant.

Years ago, he changed his legal nametoAndy Stone, his songwritingpen name.His “BombIran,”a parody of the Regents’ 1961 single “BarbaraAnn” —which later became ahit for theBeach Boys was omnipresent during the Iran hostagecrisisof1979-81. He later cooked up BombIraq,” based on theCoasters’ “Yakety Yak.”

‘Christmas’battlewithMariah

While in Hershey,Pennsylvania,for ashow, he andsound man Troy Powers co-wrote “All IWant for Christmas Is You.” Vance had prayedfor the ability to write

sone andburlesque dancer Trixie Minx. As on previous Big Easy Cruises, it was fun to be sequestered at seawith asegment of the New Orleans music community and a couple thousand fans. The shared experience only enhancedwhatis alreadyatight-knit, collaborative community of musicians.

When Anders Osborne’s voice gave out on the second-to-last night,Samantha Fish, Johnny Sansone and theHoney Island Swamp Band’sAaron Wilkinson stepped in to cover the vocals for him.Osborne returned the favor by sitting in on guitar during Fish’sclosingnight set Thereweremanyother sit-ins throughout theweek,and notjust during the late-night jamshosted by the TinMen’s AlexMcMurray. During John “Papa” Gros’ tribute to Dr.John, longtimeDr. John guitarist John Fohl and Porter —who, with his fellow Meters, backed Dr John on several classic recordings —joined in.

Secretsrevealed

During my interview with Fish, shesaid she plans to attend this

Sunday’sGrammy Awards in Los Angeles; her 2025 release “Paper Doll” is nominated for best contemporary blues album.Inresponse to afan’squestion, she also revealed that she has alive album in the works. But nobody else surpriseda bandmate quite like Porter did with Cyril Neville.

PorterwentontosayhehopesThe Meters showcase songs they rarely, if ever,performed throughout the band’snearly60-year history

That complicated history is full of twists andturns, highs andlows. Getting theprincipalmembers of the band together is no easy task Business-wise,they arenot asingle,cohesive unit —each musician was apparently contracted individually forthe upcoming concerts. But as evidenced by the Saenger show sellingout the sameday tickets went on sale, love for Meters music remains strong.

And as Porter let slip aboard the Big Easy Cruise, fans now have a second chance to hear that music come alive again during Jazz Fest. Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

asongthat atheists would sing as enthusiastically as his fellow Catholics. Recorded in Nashville with Lisa Layne on lead vocals, the Valiants’ “All IWant forChristmas Is You” was ﬁrst released in 1989. It appeared on Billboard’scountry singleschart six times in the 1990s, climbing as high as No.31. LeAnn Rimes and Sammy Kershaw covered it, as did Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson released her version in 2020;itthenappeared as abonus track on her 2021 album “When Christmas Comes Around…”

Meanwhile,superstar Mariah Careyco-wrote adifferent “All I Want ForChristmas Is You.”Released in 1994, Carey’s is oneof themost popular Christmas songs of the past 30 years.

Vance thought Carey’ssong was alittle tooclose to his. When fans triedtobuy sheet musicfor his song, they were often directed to Carey’s.

When the old Travel Channel show “Only In America” produced a20-minute episode on Vance titled “The Showman,” he wastold he could only sing his owncompositions, for licensing reasons. He and the band performedhis “All IWant For Christmas Is You,” among other original songs.

Butyears later,whenheposted theepisode on his YouTube channel, it gotﬂagged forallegedly violating Sony’scopyright of Carey’s song. “If the computer can’ttell it’smy song, maybe it is my song,” Vance said. “So Igot some high-dollar

music experts, and theyagreed with me, and we went to court.” Vance initially ﬁled suit against Carey and Sony in federal court in Louisiana in 2022. He withdrew that lawsuit, then reﬁled it in 2023 in California, seeking $20 million forCarey’s allegedinfringement on his copyrighted song. Federaldistrictjudge Mónica Ramírez Almadani ruled in March 2025 that Vance’sclaim lacked merit and dismissed his suit. Then, on Dec. 23, she ordered Vance and his attorneys to pay $109,000 to Careyand Sony forwhatAlmadani describedas“misconduct”bythe attorneys and“frivolous” legal claims.

“I guess (Carey) won the contest,” Vance said. “Itwas never acontest to me. It was just the idea that Ifelttheyreallytried to squash me.” The legal battle may not be over

“My attorneys want to continue it,” Vance said. “I’m for the little guy in life. Even though I’ve got big hair,I’m just this little boy out there trying to do somemusic and have agood time.I resent other people trying to step on me.” Meanwhile, he’s gearing up for his birthday party andCarnival, allinserviceofwhathebelieves is his God-given purpose. “He wanted me to makepeople happy.Itseemsasthough that is whatmymain value has been: to make peoplefeelgoodinsome way.”

Email KeithSpera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

Annie Lane

DEAR ANNIE

STAFFFILE

PHOTOBySCOTT THRELKELD

Guitarist Leo Nocentelli, from left, singer Cyril Neville and bassist GeorgePorter Jr of the Meters, performon the Acura Stageduring the 2015 NewOrleans Jazz &HeritageFestival

STAFFFILE

PHOTOBySCOTT THRELKELD

Vince Vanceperforms as the French Quarter Easter Paraderolls in the French Quarter in 2023.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Clear a path and lead the way. Change will motivate you to engage in what brings you the most joy. Stop letting others choose for you when you have the power to decide for yourself.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Stop vacillating and start putting your thoughts and ideas to work for you. Peace of mind comes from getting things done, and happiness from feeling good about what you do.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) It's what you accomplish that counts. Be creative when lending a helping hand, and use your skills and experience to sidestep anyone who tries to take advantage of you.

TAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Take a greater interest in establishing facts and researching the possibilities. Refuse to let someone lead you in a direction that exceeds your budget. Protect your reputation and meaningful relationships.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Use your powers of persuasion to gain acceptance. Call in favors and keep the momentum flowing. Don't be shy; if you want to get to know someone better, use your charm and chat them up.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Take care of responsibilities first and then enjoy your downtime. Make plans to participate in an event that sparks your interest or promises to help you hone or update your skills.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Don't hide behind a blank smile when you have something

on your mind that needs to be said or done. Choose your words wisely, and you'll get your point across without offending anyone.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Examine your position, purpose and prospects, and consider what you want to do next. Trips, talks and negotiations about what you wish to pursue personally or professionally are encouraged.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Share information carefully. If you are too blunt, you'll send the wrong message. There is kindness in honesty that you cannot duplicate by sparing someone's feelings.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Set a budget and consider your options. Surrounding yourself with people who bring out the best in you will point you in a positive direction and encourage you to distance yourself from elements that drag you down.

SAGITTARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Choose the most obscure path, and you'll discover something or someone you find entertaining. Make domestic choices that encourage you to live life your way.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Get together with someone who makes you think and encourages you to be yourself. What you gain by surrounding yourself with those who have much to offer will make you feel invincible.

FAMILY CIrCUS

ToDAy'S cLuE: H EQuALS V

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. Theobject is to place thenumbers1 to 9inthe emptysquares so that each row, each column andeach3x3 boxcontains thesamenumber only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Oneofthe arts of defense is painting thewrong pictureofadeal for declarer. He thinks thecards lie one way when they actually liedifferently.

The 2013 International Bridge Press Association Gidwani Family Trust Defenseofthe Yearaward was won by Fredrik Nystrom fromSweden. The journalist prize went to Micke Melander fromSweden.

The deal occurred during the 2012 World Mind Sports Games (formerly WorldTeamOlympiad)final in Lille, France. (These were held too late to be considered for that year’s awards.) A natural auction ledtoSouth’s playing in four hearts. West ledhis third-highest club.

The contract didnot look too testing. South, expecting to lose at most two heartsand one diamond, won with dummy’s clubace (Eastdropped the queen, promising the jack as well) and played a trump to his king. West took his ace and returned alow club. Declarer ruffed away East’s jack and continued with the heart jack.Whatdid Nystrom (East) do after winning with his queen?

South, CezaryBalicki from Poland, the world’s 14th-ranked player, needed to gettohis hand to draw East’s last trump. We can see that he could have done that in diamonds.However,Eastcashed his diamond ace,then led his spadenine. To declarer,itlooked as though East had begun with asingleton diamond ace. South, thinking that he had to enter his hand by ruffingthe third round of spades,won with dummy’s spade queen and tried to cash the spade ace. East’s ruff was aconsiderable shock.

Each Wuzzleisaword riddle which creates adisguised word,phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

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 EXERTIon: ek-SER-shun: Alaborious effort.

Averagemark32words

Timelimit 45 minutes

Canyou find 41 or more words in EXERTION?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —MARGIns

magi main margin agism amir arming arms ragi rain rang rani ring gain gamin gnar grain gram grim grin sang sari sarin sigma sign sing snag

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

This describes our world today. Lord,helpus. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a2-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. allthe words arein the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition. For more informationontournamentsand clubs, emailnaspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiriescontact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within theheavily outlined boxes called cages, must combine using thegiven 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.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanTliTTlE gamEthat will give

the numberofletters is

left to right. Then read

Scrabble GramS

roSe

BANK,N.A vs DERRICK AN‐

THONYMARTIN A/K/ADERRICK A. MARTIN

A/K/ADERRICK MARTIN

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber13, 2024, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Ofﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on Febru‐ary4,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ad‐vantages andappurte‐nances there‐untobelonging or in anywise appertaining situated in the Stateof Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in that part knownas Floral AcresSubdivi‐sion Addition No.1 formerly desig‐natedasa por‐tion of Area H, Live OakPlanta‐tion,in accordance with survey by AdloeOrr, Jr., & Associates,C.E datedAugust 12, 1963, beingresubdi‐videdbythat plan of resubdi‐vision by Adloe Orr, Jr., &Asso‐ciates,C.E., datedOctober 9, 1963, ap‐proved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder ordinance no.6566 adoptedApril 9, 1964, recorded in COB590, folio 940, andasre‐visedby plan of resubdi‐vision by DonA Garland, C.E., datedJanuary 22, 1982, ap‐proved by theJefferson Parish Council on February 17, 1982, under emergencyordi‐nanceno. 15060 recorded under entryno. 1005497 in COB 1021, folio 405, in conjunction with ordinanceno. 15088 approved by theJefferson Parish Council on March17, 1982 recorded under entryno. 1007502 in COB 1022, folio 434; beingfurther re‐subdivided by plan of Krebs, LaSalle, LeMieuxConsul‐tants, Inc., datedDecem‐ber14, 2001, revisedMarch 15, 2002, ap‐proved by Jef‐ferson Parish Councilunder ordinanceno. 21576 adopted May22, 2002, ﬁledinCOB 3077, folio 491 Beingfurther resubdivided by plan of Krebs, LaSalle, LeMieuxConsul‐tants, Inc., datedJune 21, 2002, approved by Jefferson Parish Council under ordinance no.21671 adopted October9,2002, ﬁledinCOB 3085, folio 918 andmorepar‐ticularlyde‐scribedas follows:

Lot2G, Square 13, Floral Acres SubdivisionAd‐dition No.1 is bounded by

y Primrose Lane,Dandelion Drive, Jasmine Lane (side) and Azalea Drive (side) andmea‐sures 50 feet fronton Primrose Lane hasthe same width in the rear by adepth of 100feet between equal andparallel lines. Allinac‐cordance with survey by John‐son Professional Land Surveyors, Inc.,dated Sep‐tember 19, 2003 resurveyed No‐vember 4, 2003,tolocate forms, resur‐veyed Novem‐ber13, 2003, to locate slab, resurveyed February 8, 2004,a copy of which is an‐nexedtoact registered in COB3120, page 297.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:849-008 FIRSTHORIZON BANK VERSUS JAREDJ FOUSCH

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the above num‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 25, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisianaand more fully described belowasfol‐lows:LOT “A SQUARE 7, BEV‐ERLY KNOLL SUBURB SUBDIVISION, As perthe resubdi‐vision of Lots 1 and2,Square7, BeverlyKnoll Suburb Subdivision into LotA perthe re‐subdivisionmap approved on June 9, 2010 under OrdinanceNo. 23825 and recorded July 2, 2010 at COB 3265, folio 196. Togetherwith d ll

g anyand allpre‐sent andfuture buildings, con‐structions,com‐ponent parts, improvements, attachments, appurtenances, ﬁxtures,rights, ways,privi‐leges, advantages, batture, and batturerights, servitudes and easementsof everytypeand description nowand/orin thefuturerelat‐ingtothe Prop‐erty,and any andall items and ﬁxtures at‐tached to and/or forming integral or com‐ponent partsof thePropertyin accordance with the LouisianaCivil Code ThePropertyor itsaddress is commonly knownas817 ATHERTON DRIVE, METAIRIE, LA 70001

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

KREIGA BREAUX Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-482

NOLA FUNDING, LLC. VERSUS MADISONLEE HOLDINGS,LLC ANDASHLEIGH MADISON

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 15, 2025,I have seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,onFebru‐ary4,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ACERTAIN PIECE OR POR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all of thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ad‐vantages there‐untobelonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as STONE‐BRIDGE SUBDI‐VISION,inac‐cordance with a plan of resubdi‐vision of J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc. datedAu‐gust 31,1981, approved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder OrdinanceNo. 15014,recorded COB1019 folio 674, andaccord‐

ingtowhich said lotisdesig‐natedasLOT 348, SQUARE 14, bounded by Par‐cel2a, Lake Lynn Driveand Bayou Barataria, and measures 80 feet fronton Lake Lynn Drive, same in the rear, by adepth of 170.00 feet between equal andparallel lines.

Improvements bear Municipal No.3425 Lake Lynn Drive, Gretna,LA

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

IRLR SILVERSTEIN

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:852-147

WELLSFARGO BANK,N.A VS DAWN HOLLAND ANDMANUELA RODRIGUEZ WHITNEY

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 13, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that part thereof knownas SOUTHAVON‐DALE HOMES SUBDIVISION, SECTIONII, ac‐cordingtoa plan of William Maier, C.E. datedMarch 10, 1964, approved by theJefferson Parish Councilunder OrdinanceNo. 6565 and ﬁled forrecordas EntryNo. 287491, registered in COB589, folio 77, andinPlan Book 49, Plan 42, of therecords of the ClerkofCourt

forthe Parish of Jefferson, ac‐cordingto which thesaid Lothas the followingdi‐mensions and designations: LOT17in SQUARE 12, bounded by Mil‐lie, Ursula andRuth Drives and JamieBoulevard andmeasures 54 feet fronton Millie Drive, thesame in width in the rear,bya depth of 100 feet be‐tween equal and parallel lines. Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 165 Mil‐lieDrive,Avon‐dale,LA 70094.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

PENNY M. DAIGREPONT

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-335 SERVBANK,SB VERSUS ETHANPAUL SMITH(A/K/A ETHANSMITH)

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 9, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Febru‐ary4,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Acertain piece or portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Ridgeﬁeld Subdivision, all as perplan thereofmadeby J. J. Krebs& Sons,C.E dated February 5, 1965, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 7040, registered in COB611, folio 438, andasper actofdedica‐tion registered in COB615, Folio 645, said prop‐erty is de‐scribedasfol‐lows:

LotNumber3 Square D, bounded by Caminada Drive,

BayAdams Drive, Bastian Drive andVer‐millionDrive, commencing 105 feet from thecornerof BayAdams and Caminada Dri‐ves, measuring 50 feet fronton BayAdams Drive, same in width in the rear,bya depth of 100 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines.

In accordance with asurveyby J.J. Krebs& Son, Inc.,dated June 4, 1966, said lot commences 55 feet from the corner of Bast‐ianDrive and BayAdams Drive.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:866-863

BANK OF AMER‐ICA, N.A. VERSUS KENNETH DERENBECKER (A/K/A KEN‐NETH P. DEREN‐BECKER)AND JODY VICKNAIR DERENBECKER (A/K/A JODY V. DERENBECKER, JODY C. DERENBECKER, JODY VICKNAIR CRAIGDEREN‐BECKER,JODYV CRAIG DERENBECKER, JODY VICKNAIR C. DEREN‐BECKER,JODY V.C. DERENBECKER, JODY CRAIG DERENBECKER, JODY DEREN‐BECKER,JODY VICKNAIR,JODY VICKNAIR CRAIG, JODY V. CRAIG, JODY CRAIG)

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly21, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Febru‐ary4,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Acertain piece or portionof ground,to‐gether with all theimprove‐mentsthereon andall the rights,ways, privileges servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longing or in i

g g anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, designated by theNo. 19 in Block160, Sec‐tion "G"ofthe Bridgedale Sub‐division.Said BlockNo. 160 bounded by Carnationand West Metairie Avenues, Teal Street and Transcontinen‐talDrive.Said Lot19measures 50 feet fronton CarnationAv‐enue,by a depthof120 feet between equaland paral‐lellines,and be‐gins at adis‐tanceof250 feet from thecorner of Teal Street andCarnation Avenue.All in accordance with aplatof Sections"G" and"H" of said subdivision made by F.B. Grevemberg, C.E.,inJuly, 1929, and recorded in Plat Book 11, folio 13, in theClerk's of‐ﬁce in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, andall as more fully shownona plat of survey by DavidA.Moy‐nan, Jr., C.E., datedDecem‐ber26, 1961.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

AMYR.ORTIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-480

LONGBRIDGE FI‐NANCIALLLC VERSUS ESTATE OF JOHN EDWARD HAR‐RIS

of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as RIDGEFIELD EXTENSIONSUB‐DIVISION,and accordingto plan of subdivi‐sion made by J. J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,dated May 5, 1969, ap‐proved by Ordi‐nanceNo. 9361, recorded Au‐gust 21, 1969, EntryNo. 467418; said property is lo‐catedand mea‐suresasfol‐lows:Lot 11-A, Square "G", measures 48 feet frontonMt. Shasta Lane by awidth in the rear of 48 feet, by adepth of 119.19 feet on thelinecom‐monwithLot No.10-A, andby adepth of 119.90 feet on theopposite line;all as more fullyshown on thesurveybyJ J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,C.E., dated September17, 2969, resur‐veyedOctober 1, 1969, andac‐cordingto which,Square "G"isbounded by Mt.Shasta Lane,Mt. Kennedy Drive, Drainage Canal opposite Mt Kennedy rive andDrainage Canalinthe rear;and Lot11Acommences 281.52 feet from theintersection of Mt.Kennedy Driveand Mt Shasta Lane

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

KATE

SOTOLONGO

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-622

U.S. BANK TRUSTCOM‐PANY,NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOTINITS INDIVIDUAL CA‐PACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS IN‐DENTURE TRUSTEEOFCIM TRUST2025-NR1 VERSUS MARY LOUISE COSTANZA GIOIELLO AND PHILIP A. GIOIELLO

g scribed prop‐erty to wit:

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE IM‐PROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLTHE RIGHTS, WAYS,PRIVI‐LEGES, APPUR‐TENANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGINGORIN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING, SITUATED IN THECITYOF KENNER,PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART THEREOF KNOWNASUNI‐VERSITYCITY SUBDIVISION, ACCORDINGTO APLAN THEREOFBY FRANKS.FOS‐TER, JR.,C.E.& S, DATEDSEPTEM‐BER30, 1971, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE IN THERECORDS OF THEPARISH OF JEFFERSON, ENTRYNO. 537835, COB747, FOLIO974. LOT 18, SQUARE 94E BOUNDEDBY DARTMOUTH PLACE, EMER‐SONDRIVE,FUR‐MANCIRCLE, NORTHWEST‐ERNDRIVE AND GEORGETOWN DRIVE, SAID LOT COMMENCESAT ADISTANCEOF 483.26 FEET FROM THECOR‐NEROFNORTH‐WESTERN DRIVE, AND GEORGETOWN DRIVEAND MEASURE THENCE 50 FEET FRONTON GEORGETOWN DRIVE, SAME WIDTHINTHE REAR,BYA DEPTHOF100 FEET BETWEEN EQUALAND PARALLEL LINES, AS PERSURVEY OF FRANKS FOSTER,JR.,C.E &S., DATED 2/1/72, ANDAC‐CORDINGTOA SURVEY MADE BY GILBERT, KELLY& COUR‐TURIE, INC., SURVEYING& ENGINEERING, DATEDMAY 28, 1988; subjectto restrictions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty

THEIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREONBEAR THEMUNICIPAL NO.137 GEORGETOWN DRIE,KENNER, LOUISIANA 70065.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-460 CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SER‐VICES, LLC VERSUS

THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF DIAMONIQUE WHALEY,DE‐CEASED

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 29,2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Febru‐ary4,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all theimprove‐mentsand buildings thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servitudes,ad‐vantages,and appurtenances thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in JEFFERSON PARISH LOUISIANA, in that part thereofknown as COUNTRY CLUBHOMES SUBDIVISIONin SQUARE NO.9 thereof, bounded by Page Drive, Meadowdale Street,Green AcresSubdivi‐sion andKawa‐neeAvenue, designated as LOTNO. 6on a plan of survey made by J. J. Krebs& Sons CivilEngineers &Surveyors datedJune 27, 1961, resur‐veyedand certi‐ﬁed correcton April15, 1964, a copy of which is annexedtoan actpassedbe‐fore Jerome Me‐unier,Notary, datedMay 14, 1964, andac‐cordingto which said Lot No.6 com‐mences at adis‐tanceofThree hundred thirty feet from thein‐tersection of Page Driveand Meadowdale Street,and com‐mences at adis‐tanceofThree hundred and sixty-sevenhun‐dredthsfeet from theinter‐sectionofPage Driveand Kawa‐neeAvenue, measuring thence seventy (70')feet front on Page Drive, thesamein width in the rear,bya depth between equal andparallel linesofone hundred twenty-ﬁve (125) feet.All in accordance with asurvey made by Gilbert, Kelly andCou‐turie, Surveyors, datedSeptem‐ber3,1978, a copy of which is annexedtoan actbeforeEarl WebsterSi‐moneux,Notary Public,dated September14, 1978, recorded under EntryNo. 841407and in COB938, folio 444, which showsthe here‐inabovede‐scribedprop‐erty ashaving thesamesitua‐tion,location, boundaries, designations andmeasure‐mentsashere‐inaboveset forth.

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe

NOTE:All

FOERSTNERG

MEYER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-959

LEONARDFAM‐ILYINVEST‐MENTS, LLC VS WARREN JOSEPH ROGERS

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theSTATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,inthe subdivision knownasTIM‐BERLANEVIL‐LAGE,PHASE I, accordingto a plan of re-sub‐division by J. J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,dated March24, 1981, approved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder OrdinanceNo. 15041, dated February 3, 1982, registered in COB 1021, folio 157, more particu‐larlydescribed as follows: LOT27, in SQUARE C, allas more fully shownonsur‐veymadeby BFMCorpora‐tion datedJuly 28, 1983, im‐provements lo‐catedonAugust 23, 1983.

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear municipal no.: 1933 KILLINGTON DRIVE, HARVEY, LOUISIANA 70058.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check

with Bank Letter of Credit.

TIMOTHYF HAND Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: December 26, 2025, January 30, 2026 dec26-jan30-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:861-817

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC VS PATRICKJ URCIAA/K/A PATRICKURCIA

That certainlot of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Terrytown Subdivision, No 8, in Square No.140, bounded by MatadorDrive, Guardian Av‐enue,and Mys‐ticAvenue designated as Lot10-Aonsur‐veybyGilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,Sur‐veying & Engineering, datedMarch 5, 1974,a copy of which is an‐nexedtoanact of sale before ManuelI Fisher,N.P., datedMarch 20, 1974,and ac‐cordingtosaid survey said Lot10-A commencesat a distance of 545.17 feet from thecorner of Matador Driveand Guardian Drive, andmeasures thence 60 feet frontonMata‐dorDrive, same width in therear, by a depth of 115 feet,between equaland paral‐lellines TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter ofCredit.

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew

Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:857-170

U.S. BANK TRUSTCOM‐PANY,NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE, AS SUCCESSOR-ININTEREST TO U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE, SUC‐CESSORININ‐TEREST TO WACHOVIA BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEEFOR AEGISASSET BACKED SECURI‐TIES TRUST 2005-2MORT‐GAGE BACKED NOTES VS KENNETHAN‐DRES A/K/A KENNETHC.AN‐DERS

That certainlot of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,and advantages thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as OakCove Subdivision, Section Two, accordingto a plan of resubdi‐vision made by Harris & Varisco, C. E., datedMay 30, 1977, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under ordinance no.12939, adopted on June 30, 1977, registered in COB898, folio 945 accordingto asurveyofHar‐ris& Varisco, C. E. datedMarch 9, 1979, resur‐veyedonMay 14, 1979 said lot is designated and measures as follows: Lot14, Square 19A which said square is bounded by TulipCourt, PritchardRoad, southboundary of subdivision (side),and Nature Drive (side),which said LotNo. 14 commences 750 feet from thein‐tersection of TulipCourt andPritchard Road.Saidlot from thecorner of TulipCourt andNature Drive(side), and measures thence 60 feet frontonTulip Court, same width in the rear,and by a depth andfront on Nature Drive (side) of 95 feet,

and by adepth on theopposite sideline.All as more fully shownonsur‐veybyR.P Fontcuberta, Jr., Land Surveyor datedFebruary 6, 1987.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-141

CITIBANK,N.A., NOTINITS INDI‐VIDUAL CAPAC‐ITYBUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEEOF BRAVORESIDEN‐TIAL FUNDING TRUST2024NQM1 VERSUS ALVINWOOTEN INTERNA‐TIONAL,LLC ANDALVIN WOOTEN

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly30, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belonging, situ‐ated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in Terrytown Subdivision, SectionNo. 3, beingpartof OakdaleSubdi‐vision,Section 8, FirstWard, allinaccor‐dancewithplan by AdloeOrr, Jr andAssociates, C.E.,dated Octo‐ber9 1959, revised July 15, 1960, ap‐proved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder ordinanceno. 4707, adopted August 25, 1960, registered in COB514, folio 345, plan book 40, folio 37, ofﬁce of the clerkofcourt, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Louisiana, and according thereto, said portion of ground is more fully described anddesignated as follows: Lot29, square no.61, which square is bounded by

y Farmington Place, Fredrica Street,Terry Parkwayand DanielsRoad. Lot29measures 60 feet fronton Farmington Place, thesame in width in the rear,by adepth be‐tween equal andparallel linesof110 feet Lot29com‐mences at a distance of 528.33 feet from thecornerof Farmington Placeand FredricaStreet all in accordance with survey made by Gilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,dated September 11, 1997.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026

March6,2026

jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-596

ROCKET MORT‐GAGE,LLC F/K/A QUICKEN LOANS, LLC VS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOF DANIEL J. RACHALA/K/A DANIEL J. RACHALA/K/A DANIEL RACHAL By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedAugust 14, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Stateof Louisiana; Parish of Jeffer‐son, City of Ken‐ner, in that part thereofknown as ChateauEs‐tatesLakefront Subdivision, ex‐tensioninac‐cord with a plan of subdivi‐sion by J. J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,C.E.& S., dated6/27/76 approved by theCityofKen‐nerunder ordi‐nanceno. 1916, dated9/27/76, reg. in COB874, folio 958. According to said plan of subdivision,

said lots are designated measures as follows: Lot19ofSquare 8, bounded by MeursaultDrive, MercureyDrive Brouilly Drive and Echezeaux Drive. Lot19 formsthe cor‐nerofBrouilly Driveand Echezeaux Drive, measures a ﬁrst frontof17.37 feet,thence a second frontof 115.11 feet on Echezeaux Drive, 52.62 feet in widthinthe rear,bya depth on itssouthern sideline of 122.63 feet anda depthof 100 feet on its opposite side‐line.All also in accordance with survey of Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc Surveying &En‐gineering, dated 5/22/86, acopyofwhich is annexed hereto and made part hereof

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:863-573 PHHMORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS EDWARD J. SHIELDS, SR ANDKATHERINE P. SHIELDS (A/K/A KATHER‐INE PARKER SHIELDS) By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 15, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe rights ways,privi‐leges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywise appertaining situated in the Stateof Louisiana, PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,CITY OF KENNER,and in that part thereofknown as UNIVERSITY CITY SUBDIVI‐SION, SECTION2,and in SQUARE

bounded

LOUISIANA

STATEDRIVE,E RICE PLACE, OLE MISS DRIVEand E. PURDUE PLACE, said lot is designated as LOTNO. 3-A, commences at a distance of 127 feet from thecorner of E. Louisiana StateDrive and E. Rice Place, andmeasures thence in thedirection of E. Purdue Place62feet frontonE LouisianaState Drive, same in widthinthe rear,bya depth of 110 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-977

ASSURANCEFI‐NANCIAL GROUP, LLC VERSUS ANISHKA CHANTELL DE‐GRUY AND TYJUAN V. CARTER By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 30, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOfﬁce Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on March 11, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways privileges, servitudes and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, TERRY‐TOWN SUBDIVI‐SION,SUBDIVI‐SION NUMBER NO.7, being part of OakdaleSubdi‐vision,Section "B", FirstWard, allin accordance with thesurvey of AdloeOrr, Jr., andAssociates, CivilEngineers, dated May10, 1960, approved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder Ordinance4921, adoptedFebru‐ary16, 1961, registered in C.O.B. 524, folio 586, Parish of Jefferson, Louisiana, on February 23,

y 1961, andin Plan Book 42, folio 50, Ofﬁce of theClerk of Court,Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, said lotisdesig‐natedasLOT 15 in SQUARE 107, bounded by SouthGlencove Lane,GaryLane, thenortherly boundaryofthe subdivisionand Romona Lane Said lotcom‐mences at adis‐tanceof61feet from thecorner of SouthGlen‐cove Lane andRomona Lane,and mea‐suresthence60 feet fronton SouthGlencove Lane, same widthin therear, by a depthof120 feet between equal andparal‐lellines,all as more fully shownonthe survey of Gilbert, Kelly andCouturie, CivilEngineers, dated April19, 1979. Said measure‐mentsare more fully shownon a Plan of Survey by Wilton J. Dufrene, Land Surveyor datedJanuary 29, 1985, andac‐cordingtosaid survey,Lot 15 is bounded by SouthGlencove Lane,Romona Lane,GaryLane andthe South‐ernLine of Subdivision

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certiﬁed Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January30, 2026 March6,2026 jan30-mar6-2t