The Times-Picayune 02-14-2026

LIGHTUPTHE NIGHT

D’ETAT: The Krewe d’Etat parades Friday on the Uptown parade route in NewOrleans.

CARNIVAL 2026 INSIDE, 3B NOLA.COM

Qualifying forspring primary elections ends

Senate race sparks fierycomments

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

If there wereany doubts that this year’sRepublican primary election for U.S. Senate is going to be aslugfest, the finalday of candidate qualifying on Friday dispelled them

As U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Baton Rouge, arrived at the Louisiana Secretary of State’sOffice in Baton Rouge on Fridaytosign up to run, she hadtowalk past avan witha giant billboardonits side blasting “Liberal Letlow.” The ad, which accused Letlow of trading hundreds of stocks “like herpal Nancy Pelosi”and callingher a“champion of DEI policy” said it waspaid for by the campaign of incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge.

Theattackads highlighthow ferociously Cassidy,Letlow and Treasurer John Fleming are battling forthe mantle of “most conservative” as they seek the GOPnomination in Louisiana’snew closed party primary elections.

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

It was about aweek before Fat Tuesday in 2013 when then-Gambit editor Kevin Allman snapped the photo that would go on to defineterritorial behavior on Mardi Gras parade routes. There were still daystogountil Mid-City’sEndymion parade, and much of the Orleans Avenue neutral ground had already been divvied up into squares, with brightly coloredspray paintused to label the names of those hoping to save prime real estate. “KREWE OF CHAD” was scrawled inside oneparticularly gigantic green square. Long botheredbythe efforts to claim front-row spots for Endymion, Allmantook aphotoand wrote the first of many snarky Gambit articles poking fun at whathe dubbed “the Krewe of Chad.” He quicklyrealizedhe

See RULES, page 3A

Parade tailgating is a time-honored tradition

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

The tarp andladder tribes have arrived and have set up camponthe neutral grounds along New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parade routes. They’ve collapsed into camp chairs, relaxing after erecting aforest of viewing ladders. Their young ones scurry on the grass and in the blocked street,taking turns heaving rubber footballs as if they were Drew Brees.

Theparadesquattersgot thereearly,stocked with provisions such as fried chicken, king cake, beer,whiskeyand those tiny muffulettas. They’renot going anywhere until after Fat Tuesday

To some, staking out territories along the routes is a selfish appropriationofpublic space. To the tarp and ladder people, it’s awholesome, family-oriented tradition —the only waytocomfortably seethe parades without living near the route. What, theyask, are they doing wrong?

See TRADITION, page 3A

BYMARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —The family of the late LSU football legend Billy Cannon didn’t ask forit, but they’re delighted that President Donald Trump pardonedhim forhis 1980s counterfeiting conviction.

His daughter,Bunnie Cannon, said the White House phone call came out of the blue Thursday night.

“My mom and sisters andbrother were ecstatic,” Cannon said. Her mother and four siblings were aware thatsome friends had reached out to the White House, she said, but thefamilyhad never asked fora pardon.

STAFF PHOTOSBySOPHIA GERMER

HERMES: The KreweofHermes rolls Fridayonthe Uptown parade route in NewOrleans.

BRIEFS

Shooting at S.C. State kills 2 and wounds 1

Two men are dead and another was wounded after a shooting in a dorm room at a South Carolina State University just four months after another deadly shooting at the college campus.

Henry L. Crittington, 19, died at the scene of the Thursday night shooting at the Hugine Suites housing complex and Terrell Thomas, 18, died at the hospital, authorities said. The condition of the third man in the hospital was not known and his name was not released.

The Thursday night shooting happened a little over four months after two shootings during homecoming celebrations on Oct 4. One, which happened near the same residential complex, killed a 19-year-old woman. A man was injured in the other shooting. School officials announced new safety measures afterward.

Kaya Mack had just finished making a food delivery on campus when she heard gunshots and saw lots of police officers coming through a gate. She said she wasn’t sure where the shots were coming from “Their loud sirens kind of shook me,” she told WLTX-TV “We were looking around, me and other people on campus, we’re all looking around like ‘What’s going on?’”

The school founded in 1896 is South Carolina’s only public historically Black university, and has more than 2,900 current students, according to its website. Paris police fatally shoot knife-wielding man

PARIS A man wielding a knife and scissors was fatally shot by police in Paris on Friday when he tried to attack an officer during a ceremony at the city’s Arc de Triomphe monument, officials said.

The suspect, a French national born in 1978 who had previously been convicted in Belgium on terrorist-related charges, died at a hospital from his injuries, the French counterterrorism prosecutor’s office said. Authorities did not release the suspect’s name.

The attacker targeted an officer who was guarding the ceremony for relighting the eternal flame honoring unknown soldiers at the Napoleon-era landmark, according to a Paris police official. Another officer shot the attacker, the official said. No bystanders or police officers were injured in the incident, the official told The Associated Press.

Before the suspect had died, the French counterterrorism prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation on charges of attempted murder “in connection with a terrorist enterprise.”

The assailant had been sentenced to 17 years in prison by a court in Brussels in 2013 for attempted murders in connection with a terrorist enterprise against three police officers in the Belgian city of Molenbeek the previous year, according to the prosecutor’s office.

First incarcerated in Belgium, he was then transferred to France in 2015 to serve the rest of his sentence. He was released from prison on Dec. 24, 2025, and had since been subject to judicial supervision and surveillance measures, the statement said.

After 88 years, Gallup ends presidential poll

Gallup has scrapped its presidential approval tracking polls for good after 88 years

The venerable public opinion firm announced Wednesday that it would no longer publish any approval or favorability ratings of any political figures, but suggested the decision has nothing to do with President Donald Trump’s second-term slump

“Leadership ratings have been part of Gallup’s history,” Justin McCarthy a spokesman for Gallup, said in a statement. “At the same time, (they) no longer represent an area where Gallup can make its most distinctive contribution.”

Trump’s approval rating from Gallup peaked at 47% last February before plunging to just 37% in the December 2025 survey that the company now says will be its last.

Trump: Maduro raid showed ‘military might’

‘We are feared by the entire globe’

BY WILL WEISSERT and ALLEN G BREED Associated Press

FORT BRAGG, N.C. President Donald Trump celebrated the special forces members who ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying last month’s audacious raid means “the entire world saw what the full military might” of the U.S. can do and ensured “we are feared” by potential enemies around the world

Addressing soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg, one of the world’s largest military bases, Trump declared, “Your commander in chief supports you totally.”

Then, drawing on one of his own campaign slogans, he implored them, “When needed, you’re going to fight, fight, fight. You’re going to win, win, win.”

The president and first lady Melania Trump also met privately with military families. Trump said afterward that “we saw a lot of heroes” and that he is “going to be giving one person” a Congressional Medal of Honor for participating in the raid in Venezuela.

But the visit felt more like a political rally than an official visit to

celebrate the U.S. armed forces.

Trump’s lauding of the raid that toppled Maduro came only after he called to the stage Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee chair who has the president’s endorsement as he now runs for Senate in North Carolina.

Whatley thanked Trump and suggested that the president “is giving me an opportunity to represent you” even though the election isn’t until November

Later, Trump said of the raid on Jan. 3 that whisked away Maduro to face U.S. drug smuggling charges, “It was a matter of minutes before he was on a helicopter being taken out.” He called the forces involved “some of our greatest soldiers to ever live, frankly,” while dismissing Maduro as an “outlaw dictator.”

“That night, the entire world saw what the full military might (of) the U.S. military is capable” of, the president said. “It was so precise, so incredible.”

Trump also vowed, “As long as I’m president, we will be the best led the best trained, the best equipped, the most disciplined and the most elite fighting force the world has ever seen” and noted of would-be U.S. adversaries, “Everybody knows it.”

“They know exactly what they would be up against. Hopefully, we’ll never have to test them and, be-

cause of our strength, and because of what we do, we probably won’t have to be tested,” Trump said.

“America’s respected again,” he said. “And, perhaps most importantly, we are feared by the enemies all over the globe.”

“I don’t like to say fear,” he said. “But, sometimes, you have to have fear because that’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of.”

Trump lately has traveled more frequently to states that could play key roles in November’s midterm congressional elections. The White House has been trying to promote Trump’s economic policies, including attempts to bring down the cost of living at a time when many people are growing frustrated with his efforts to improve affordability

The president didn’t spend a lot of time on his economic policies on Friday though he did mention how a White House-backed tax and spending package is increasing funding for military housing.

As he left the White House to make the trip, meanwhile, Trump cheered data released Friday showing that inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month.

“The numbers were surprising, except to me they weren’t surprising,” Trump said. “We have very modest inflation, which is what you want to have.”

Trump says regime change in Iran ‘would be the best thing’

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN, AAMER MADHANI and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday that a change in power in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen” as the U.S. administration weighs whether to take military action against Tehran.

Trump made the comments shortly after visiting with troops in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and after he confirmed earlier in the day that he’s deploying a second aircraft carrier group to the Mideast for potential military action against Iran

“It seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” Trump said in an exchange with reporters when asked about pressing for the ouster of the Islamic clerical rule in Iran. “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.”

Trump said earlier that the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier is being sent from the Caribbean Sea to the Mideast to join other warships and military assets the U.S. has built up in the region The planned deployment comes just days after Trump suggested another round of talks with the Iranians was at hand Those negotiations didn’t materialize as one of Tehran’s top security officials visited Oman and Qatar this week and exchanged messages with U.S. intermediaries.

“In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it,” Trump told reporters about the second carrier. He added, “It’ll be leaving very soon.”

Gulf Arab nations have warned any attack could spiral into another regional conflict in a Mideast still reeling from the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Iranians are beginning to

hold 40-day mourning ceremonies for the thousands killed in Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests last month, adding to the internal pressure faced by the sanctions-battered Islamic Republic.

The Ford, whose new deployment was first reported by The New York Times, will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying guided-missile destroyers, which have been in the region for over two weeks.

It is a quick turnaround for the Ford, which Trump sent from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caribbean last October as the administration built up a huge military presence in the lead-up to the surprise raid last month that captured thenVenezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

It also appears to be at odds with the Trump administration’s national security and defense strategies, which put an emphasis on the Western Hemisphere over other parts of the world.

The Ford strike group will bring more than 5,000 additional troops to the Middle East but few capabilities or weapons that don’t already exist within the Lincoln group.

Given the Ford’s current position in the Caribbean, it will likely be weeks before it is off the coast of Iran.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program. He also threatened to use force over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman a week ago, and Trump later warned Tehran that failure to reach an agreement with his administration would be “very traumatic.”

Asked by a reporter about the new negotiations, Trump said Friday that “I think they’ll be successful. And if they’re not, it’s going to be a bad day for Iran, very bad.”

9

BY SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press

PARIS

The Paris prosecutors’ office on Thursday said that nine people were being detained as part of an investigation into a suspected decadelong, $11.8 million ticket fraud scheme at the Louvre, the world’s most visited museum.

The arrests took place on Tuesday as part of a judicial investigation opened after the Louvre filed a complaint in December 2024, the prosecutors’ office said.

Those detained include two Louvre employees, several tour guides and one person suspected of being the mastermind, according to the prosecutors’ office.

The museum alerted investigators about the frequent presence of two Chinese tour guides suspected of bringing groups of Chinese tourists into the museum by fraudulently reusing the same tickets multiple times for different visitors. Other guides were later suspected of similar practices.

The prosecutors’ office said surveillance and wiretaps confirmed repeated ticket reuse and an apparent strategy of splitting up tour groups to avoid paying the required “speaking fee” imposed on guides. The investigation also pointed to suspected accomplices within the Louvre, with guides allegedly paying them cash in exchange for avoiding ticket checks, it said.

A formal judicial investigation was opened in June last year on charges including organized fraud, money laundering, corruption, aiding illegal entry in the country as part of an organized group, and the use of forged administrative documents.

Investigators believe the network may have brought in up to 20 tour groups a day over the past decade.

Suspects are believed to have invested some of the money in real estate in France and Dubai. Authorities have seized more than $1.13 million in cash. The prosecutors’ office mentioned a similar ticket fraud is also suspected to have taken place at the Palace of Versailles, without providing further details.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

President Donald Trump dances as first lady Melania Trump watches after speaking to soldiers and their families Friday at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Earlybirdcatches beads

At lunchtime on Wednesday,18-year-old Nathan Higgins took bites from ahamburger he’d purchased at the Superior Grill as he and abuddystakedclaim to a 6-foot stretch of St. Charles Avenue. Higgins, a9th Ward resident, who sat at aplastic folding table, explained the friction between the tarp and ladder crowd and the other parade attendees in the simplest of terms.

“Theywant the front-row seats, but we get out early.”

“I took off work,” Higgins said. I’m just out here with my boys, we’ve got some beer,and we give awayeverything we catchtochildren, because we want good karma. This is aplace kids our age gather,and we’re not hurting anything.”

Like others, Derek Hlavac equates paradepicnicking with another time-honored custom. “It’slike SEC football tailgating,” he said, and the vibe is communal. “Nobody cares if you grab some peanuts or abloody mary.”

‘Thistarpismyland’

The neutral ground scene is territorial by nature. But it’shardly aturf war.Rose Boersma, who lives in Virginia, carried abakingpan full of red beans andrice as she attended to her tarp tribe. She said that there’s nothing wrong with staking out aspread, so long as you’reconsiderate about it. “You don’tneed acity block,”she said.

Anyway,“It’snot aproperty line, it’sa visual reminder not to plow into each other,” she said. Though “It’snot, this tarp is my land, this tarp is your land,” she playfully chortled.

At just past noon on Wednesday on St.Charles Avenue, Uptowner Burley Mills sat in afolding chair, waiting patiently for the

RULES

Continued from page1A

wasfar from the only one who found such behaviorirritating.

The story explodedonline, and it wasn’tjust the spray paint that had locals in an uproar.Itwas the walls of towering ladders on the Uptown route, the makeshift barriers and the furniture left behind to block streetcar lines.

“BeNice or Leave, as the sign says,” Allman said in an email this month. “If youcan’tenjoy aparade without achained-together ladder wall, or if you bring aportable toilet to the neutral ground andjustleaveit behind, you’re not in the real Carnival spirit.”

“Krewe of Chad” had a certain ring to it, and thanks to Allman and the late King Cake Hub founder Will Samuels, who popularized the phrase online, the nickname was born. Today,even city officials use the phrase to describe the parade stakeouts and battles for territory they hope to squash. With their catchy nickname and imposing campsites, Chads are thrust into the spotlight each Carnival season. Photos and videos of their temporary living rooms andconfrontations seem to go viral each year.They’ve been the focus of countless articles and debates over the years, and once madeThe Wall Street Journal.

Druids and Alla parades that wouldn’tappear for hours. Sometimes he’sout early enough toenjoy the sunrise, he said. He considers it a“beautiful, peaceful getaway.”

“It’stradition,and I’m notstopping,” Mills said. Thoughheunderstands the criticism of the excesses of the tarp and ladder crowd. “There’s an unwritten code,” he said.“Youhavetouse common sense. Just don’t be THATGUY.”

Though it’sagainst the rules forsafetyreasons, he sees nothing wrong with barbecuing or boiling crawfish on the route. “Itsmells so good, and it’slike afamily gathering.”

Blame thechildren

Weavingthrough the clusters of parade squatters at the start of last week’sChoctaw parade, the prominence of kids was apparent. Lakeview residentRay Clement’s 10-by-10-foot shadetent mayhave violated the city’s prohibition on tents, canopies, shelters, screens and awnings. But Clement said it was necessary.“Forus, the tent is for themoms and itty-bittys” among his 45-to 50-member group In time, Clement said, he won’t needthe homebase. When his two sons —ages 51/2 and 7years old —grow up,hewon’tgothrough the trouble of arrangingthe encampment.Clement said he and his group don’tblock anyone from entering their area.

“Honestly,itdoesn’t bother me,” he said, “we’renot a*******. We let people get through.”

One 12-family tarp tribe —that had gathered in the same spotfor 15 years— had arranged severalplastic picnic tables in arow at the back of their Carnivalcompound. Brad Smith,ofMetairie, said the tables “keep the riffraff out.”

“We’ve got kids.This is how we keepthem safe,” he said.

Butfor every Chad,there’s an equally passionateantiChad crusader,those workingtoput an end to thekind of behavior they saystirs up conflict andhampers city services.Whetherit’s through public shaming or actual city ordinances, their efforts to stop theChads are nearlyasferventas the attempts to claimslicesof neutral ground. Allmanwas among the first notableanti-Chads, but others have since taken up themantle. Satirical social media pages have been dedicated to documenting the worst of the spot savers, housefloatsmockingChads have been erected, andlocal Mardi Gras icons, influencers and city leaders go on the attack year after year, even likeningChadstocolonizers.

City Council member JP Morrell has been particularly outspoken, surfacing as a leader in the battleagainst Chaddery.Inaprofanityladen video posted to Facebook last week, he didn’t mince words

“You cannot claim land,” he said, comparingChads to European explorers Ferdinand Magellan and ChristopherColumbus. “Putting out laddersearly or putting out s*** early does not mean the landisyours. Theland is public land.”

‘ThingsthatChaddersdo’

The city’sattempts to tamp down onoverzealous paradegoers have ebbed and flowed in recentyears,

AndreaLeGrand said the tarps are simply meant to keep people off the ground, especially if it rains. Also, she said, the tarps “tell the littlekids where they can stay.”LeGrand said thatat the end of the evening, her crew folds up their tarp and ladders andrakesthe area of litter,“so there’snothing left to clean up. LeGrand lives in Metairie,but she said she’svery devotedtoNew Orleans. “I try to support New Orleans,” she said.

TheChadfactor

Asked whypeople referto parade picnickers as Chads, LeGrandsaid she wasn’t 100% sureofthe meaning of the word. “Maybe aChad is somebody who says you can’tcome intomyarea,” shemused. LeGrand was correct, though the word

but Morrell hasheldsteadfast in his campaign against theChads.

At thebehest of Morrell’sCarnival Committee, the city in 2024 banned mostlarge equipment from routes entirely,including tents, tarps, furniture and viewing platforms, which proponents argue block emergency responders and streetcar lines. But after theNew Year’sDay attack on Bourbon Street,the city’s focusshifted instead to enhanced securityfor Carnival 2025.

Though Morrell admitted enforcementwilllikely be spotty againthisyearamid abudgetcrisis, he encouraged paradegoerstodothe right thing andavoid participating in “a-holey things that Chadders do.”

Morrell emphasized that the rules are ultimately aimed at keeping thegreater community safe andin working order Grills and other open flames arebanned, for example, becausethey cause fires on the route “every damnyear,” Morrell said.

Confetticannons, too, werebannedafter Mylar strips blasted from aCleopatrafloat in 2023 hit apower line and caused an infamous Uptown power outage.

“Here’swhat I’mtelling you,”Morrellsaid,“your 10 seconds of enjoymentisnot worth putting your neighbors in thedark.

Apolarized climate

Still, despite the newrules,

hasamore judgmental qualitythanher definition implied.

Thesnide term “Krewe of Chad” became fashionable to refer to the tarp and ladder crowd. It was aderisive shorthand that spread among those who practice what theybelieved to be theproper,righteous way to enjoy apassing parade. The term wasnew,but thecustom of squatting on the route was not.

Lloyd N. Frischhertz, captainofthe Krewe of Tucks, has ridden in parades for more than 50 years, andhe saysstaking outprime parade spotshas gone on forever,though the details of thecustom has changed.

“Originally,there were just people, then ladders, then came sofas and barbecuepits andpeople putting tape on the ground and cord-

ingoff their territory,”he said. The newest innovation is the use of relatively short folding benchestoraise the height of paradegoers. Note: sofas, barbecue fires and ropes are now banned.

Abeautiful thing

At roughly the same time that the term Krewe of Chads cameinto vogue, the city consolidated mostfloat parades onto St. Charles Avenue. Processions that had formerly drawn crowdsto other neighborhoods were now concentrated on the sameUptownthoroughfare.

Only the small-ish NOMTOC and the enormous Endymion parades kept their originaloutlying routes. So, the congestion along the remaining few routes may have been only natural.

The uncountably large Endymion crowdisthe most

despitethe public shaming, forestsoftents andmeadows of tarps still crop up everyyear. Some saythe city isn’tdoing enoughtostop it. Others say the Chads are more emboldenednow than ever Vatican Lokey andEdward Cox, married actors who have been featured on WWL Louisiana as Carnivalcharacters Professor Carl Nivale and Grand Marshal Marty Graw for decades now,said implementing new rules is a delicatebalance of ensuring safety while alsomaintaining thelaissez-faire atmosphere that makes Mardi Gras special.

“Partofwhatmakes Mardi Gras the massive tourist

CRUSTWORTHCRAVING

draw that it has been since (the1800s), is whenpeople come down here, they do feel like they have thefreedom to do things they can’t do at home,” Lokey said.

Chaddery is athreat to that freedom, Lokey said, creating safety hazards and spurring complaints that city officials can’t ignore The rules are aresponse to those complaints, and as morerestrictions are enacted, Lokey said, “that is going to destroy alot of old family traditions that don’tget in the way.”

Lokey, who has regularly usedhis platform to call out Chads over the years, said the spray paint and stakeouts have been an is-

reviled among prim paradegoers. Clark Brennan, captainof the Krewe of Bacchus, who has attended parades for more than ahalf-century, said that he thinks there’s “no doubt” consolidationof parade routes played arole in the rise of the so-called Krewe of Chad. Brennan said that when he was akid,his family came to the route equippedwith ladders anda cooler.Brennan said he appreciates the safety and security issues involved in the tarp and ladder multitude. But, he said he considers it “a beautiful thing that we have families and traditions; it’s abeautiful thing in New Orleans.”

Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate. com.

sue since around the time he started reporting on paradesfor WWL in 1996. At that time, it wasmostly college kids camping out in Mid-City,sometimes more than aweek before Endymion. ButLokey saidthe mindset has becomeincreasingly intense over the years, in a way thathesaidstrangely mirrors thenation’spolarized andtribal politicalclimate today.You’re either a Chad or you’re not, andhe saidthere’sreal hatred for the other on both sides. Cox, anativeNew Orleanian who grew up in Metairie, is no stranger to big, family gras type of parade routesetups. Buthis family always welcomed strangers andpacked thingsupafter the parades, following a kind of leavenotrace principle. Or,Cox said, more like “leave no evidence.”

Cordoning off space and getting feisty when other revelers come through is what “Chadezoids” do, he said, and it’s“counterto everything Carnival is supposed to be about.” He and Lokey saidthey’ll continue to shine alight on this kind of behaviorwhenever they see it. “This leaving of furniture once it’s allover,”hesaid, “that just seems to be the most disrespect one can have forour Carnival celebration to me.”

Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By JULIA GUILBEAU

Ladders and chairs are placed Thursdayalong St.Charles Avenue before parades startrolling

STAFF FILE PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD

Cityworkers remove personal items fromthe Uptown parade route on Feb.19, 2020, in NewOrleans.

MalletttoleadLSU BoardofSupervisors

Calcasieu businessman named to replace ScottBallard

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry chose a new chairperson on Thursday for the LSU Board of Supervisors, and his pick was no surprise to political insiders.

The new chair is Lee Mallett, abusiness owner from Calcasieu Parish who has been amajordonor to Landry and the previous two governors who appointed and reappointed him to the board.

Mallett, who has served on the board for 14 years, longer than any other currentmember,displayedhis political muscle last year when he worked behind the scenes to get the backingof Landry and his colleagues to select Wade Rousse as LSU’s new president in November Mallett replaces Scott Ballard, aTulane graduate who, with partners, owns the PJ’s Coffee chain.

Ballard oversaw the board during the past year, atime of dramaticchange when it choseRousse to be the new president and James Dalton to be executive vice president and chancellor of LSU A&M. They,inturn, made two high-profile hires: Verge Ausberry as athletic director and Lane Kiffin as the football coach, amove that generated headlines in the sports world.

Landry faced astormof criticism for calling forthe ouster of Ausberry’spredecessor,ScottWoodward, who then resigned, and for reproachinghim for the contract he negotiated with Kiffin’spredecessor,Brian Kelly Mallett, 69,spent the past year as the LSU board’s vicechair. He is so close with Landry that he was part of the group that went dove hunting in Argentina with the governorin December Mallett said he helped pay for the chartered plane they traveled on. As elfmademan, Mallettstands out becausehedoes not have acollegedegree. He said he attended McNeese Statefor asemester before dropping out and beginning toform various companies. He owns 10 of them today,whichcover awide range of activities, from providing drug and alcohol treatment to selling salvaged goods and providingframeworks forroofs. He operates from his hometown of Iowa, aburg in western Calcasieu Parish “Education comes in different forms,” Mallettsaid in aninterviewThursday. “Mine came from experience, responsibilityand real consequences. Your résumé is your reputation ” Past board members said previous boards blocked him from becoming chair They added that Mallett was so angry at being passed

over in July2023thathe skipped the board’snext three meetings. Mallett said he was busy withother commitments

In 2024, Mallett lobbied Landry and theLegislature to change statelaw to allow thegovernor to choose the chair of LSU’sboard.The bill passed by the Legislature was farmoreexpansive. It lets the governor makethat pick and choose thechairs of dozens of other boards. Until then, the board members themselveshad chosen their chairs, with thegoal of ensuring greater continuity in policyfrom governor to governor

With that power,Landry selected Ballard as chair a year ago and now Mallett. In the past, LSU’sboard chairs servedone year,but nowthe chair servesatthe governor’spleasure.

“I look forwardtoworking together to continue LSU’s strong momentumand build on the progress that has been made,” Landrysaid on Xinannouncing Mallett’s appointment Thursday

Jay Dardenne, aformer state senator,secretaryof state andlieutenantgovernor whohas both undergraduateand lawdegrees from LSU, figured that Mallett would becomethe chair followingpassage of the 2024 law

“He has been very involved andinfluential in the governor’sactionstoward LSU,” Dardenne said.

James Carville, thefamed Democratic political consultantwho alsohas undergraduate and law degrees from LSU, haslonghad nothing

Feds investigatingifICE officers lied underoath

BY MICHAEL BIESECKER, JIM MUSTIAN andJACKBROOK Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Federalauthoritieshave opened acriminal probeintowhether two immigration officers lied under oath about the shooting of aVenezuelan man inMinneapolis last month.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said Friday that his agency had openeda jointprobe with the Justice Departmentafter video evidence revealed “sworn testimonyprovided by two separate officers appearstohave made untruthfulstatements.”The announcement came as afederal judge ordered all charges dropped against Julio CesarSosa-Celis, who was shot in the leg by an immigrationofficer,aswell as another Venezuelan man, Alfredo AlejandroAljorna.

The officers, who werenot named,have been placed on administrative leave pendingthe completion of an internal investigation, he said.

“Lyingunder oathisaserious federal offense,” said Lyons, adding that the U S. Attorney’sOffice is activelyinvestigating.

Lyons said at the conclusionofthe investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.

Thedismissal of thechargesagainst Aljorna and Sosa-Celis follows astring of highprofile shootings involvingfederal immigration agents in which eyewitness statements and video evidence havecalled into question claimsmade to justify usingdeadly force. Dozens of felony cases against protesters accused of assaulting or impedingfederal officers have also crumbled

In ahighly unusual motion todismiss filed Thursday,U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel N. Rosen said “newly discovered evidence” was “materiallyinconsistent with the allegations”made against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis in acriminal complaint and at ahearing last month.

U.S. District Court JudgePaul A. Magnuson dismissed the case with prejudice,meaning the charges cannot be resubmitted.

Alawyer for Aljorna andSosa-Celis said Friday that they are “overjoyed” that all the charges have been dismissed.Had they

been convicted, the twoimmigrants would have faced years in federal prison. It is unclear whether themen could still be deported.

An FBIinvestigator saidinanaffidavit that U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcement officers attemptedtoconduct a trafficstop in Minneapolis on avehicle driven byAljorna on Jan. 14. He crashed the vehicleand fled on foot toward the apartment duplex where he lived. An immigration officerchasedAljorna who— according to the government— violently resisted arrest.

The complaint alleges Sosa-Celis and another manattacked the officer with asnow shovel anda broom handle as theofficer and Aljorna struggled on theground. The officer fired hishandgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh. The men ran intoanapartment andeventually were arrested.

Rosen’s motion seeking todrop thecharges did not detail what new evidence had emerged or what falsehoodshad been in thegovernment’sprior filings, but cracks began to appear in the government’scase during aJan. 21 court hearing to determine whether the accused men could be released pending trial.

In court, theICE officer’s account of the moments before the shooting differed significantlyfromtestimony from thetwo defendantsand threeeyewitnesses. TheICE officer’saccount that he was assaulted with abroom and snowshovel was also not corroboratedbyavailable video evidence.

Aljorna and Sosa-Celis denied assaulting the agent withabroom or asnow shovel. Neither video evidence nor testimonyfrom aneighbor and the men’sromantic partners supported the agent’saccount thathehad beenattacked with abroom or shovel or that athird person was involved.

FrederickGoetz, alawyerrepresenting Aljorna, said his clienthad abroomstick in hishand and threw it at the agent as he ran toward the house. Attorney Robin Wolpert, representing Sosa-Celis, said he had been holding ashovel but was retreating into the homewhen theofficer fired, wounding him. Themen’sattorneyssaidthe prosecution’s case relied wholly on testimony from the agentwho fired thegun. NeitherAljornaand Sosa-Celis hadviolent criminal records.

good to say about Mallett’s appointment.

“He’s not interested in having someonewho has a deep allegiance to LSUon the board,”said Carville, who had sharply criticized Landry’smoves with the athletics departmentand the selection of Rousse, whohad been president of McNeese State. “It’sbeen adeeply held conviction of lots of LSUpeople.”

Landry graduated from theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette as an undergraduateand from Loyola Law School.

Landry did notmakehimself available for an interview Thursday.Instead, his presssecretary,KateKelly, texted:“Lee has been on the Boardlonger than it takes to get acollege degree.”

Mallettsaid he is well prepared to be chair because of his long servicetoLSU, particularly on theboard’s audit, finance andgovernmental affairscommittees.

“I maynot be acareer academic, but Irespect academia, Iunderstandthe issues,” Mallettsaid. “The economy of this state is predicated on thedirection of LSU. It came closetomy heart as Ibegan to serve there.”

Mallett was first appointed to the LSUboard by thenGov.Bobby Jindal.Hecontributed at least$15,000 to Jindal’s2007 campaign.

WhenJindalwas termed outin2015,Mallett supported then-U.S. Sen. David Vitter,the Republican favorite to be governor.But then-state Rep. JohnBel Edwards, aDemocrat,unexpectedly wonthe race.

Edwards vetoed abill that Mallett wanted, and the two met,said Mallett.

When Edwards sought reelection in 2019, campaign finance records show that Mallett, family members and his companiesgave$45,000 to Edwards and $100,000 to GumboPAC, an outside group supporting him.

Edwards reappointed Mallett to serve on the LSU board.

In 2023, Mallett contributed at least $50,000 to Landry and groups supporting his gubernatorial campaign.

That year,Mallett began hosting weekly dinners at the lieutenant governor’s apartment at the Pentagon Barracksacrossfromthe Capitol forLSU officials and legislators to ensure that both sideskneweach other better,hesaid. Mallett paid for the food and the staff to prepare it.

Ballard, while stepping downaschair of LSU’s board,onWednesday became the board chair for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry,the state’smost powerful business lobby Asix-page memoprovid-

ed by Ballard detailinghis achievements said “the LSU Systemachievedrecord enrollment and research growth, historic athletic success, and strengthened accountability,while advancing higher education, workforce development and statewide economic impact.” Rousse and Dalton are continuing an effort by former PresidentWilliam Tate to elevate LSU into the coveted top 50 ranks of the National Science Foundation HigherEducationResearch and Development, or HERD, Survey. The flagship campus in Baton Rouge ranks 83rd, withthe health sciences centers in NewOrleansand Shreveport at 195th and 269th. Roger Ogden, adeveloper andphilanthropist in New Orleans whospent15years on the LSUboard, said Mallett’slack of acollege degree “is irrelevant. There are extraordinarily successful multi-millionaires and billionaireswho did notcomplete their college degree. What is importantisthat ourboard leadership understand their role and back the agenda of Dr.Rousse and Dr Dalton in theaspirational goal to becominga top50 research institution. That will make adifference for Louisiana.” Advocate reporter Haley Miller contributed to this article.

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Mallett

“Wenever thought it would ever come to fruition. So, noneofuspursued it,” said Bunnie Cannon, acting as the family’sspokesperson. “I just think he would be thrilledthat he got this clemency becauseinhis mind and in our mind, people saw him beyond the counterfeiting.”

Once theofficialcertificate arrives, Cannon said, she’ll haveit framed for her mother,Dorothy “Dot” Dupuy Cannon, who had been by Billy’sside since both attended Baton Rouge’sIstrouma High School in the mid-1950s. They married whileboth were freshmen attending LSU.

valry between thetwo schools Cannonin1959 became LSU’s first Heisman Trophy winner.He was integral to the school’sfirst national championship in 1958 and was first LSU footballplayertobe the topNFL draft pick.Heplayed for the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raidersand KansasCityChiefs and was atwo-time All-Pro. Cannon was the first professional player to earn $100,000.

medical system. He was able to reopen the pharmacy,animportant stepbecause medications could take weekstoarrive at theprison.

Cannonreduced thenumberofinmates who had to be transported to BatonRouge formedical care. Cannon worked at Angola until his death in 2018 at the age of 80.

just his failures.”

“They’re recognizinghim, not just for his prowess on the field, but for doing good in spiteofmessing up,” she said. “And that’shuge.”

“It’sher storytoo,” Cannon said. “She went through everything with him.” Cannon said her father and his family never shied away fromthe fact that he committeda crime but regretted how the conviction seemedtoblot out everything else he did that was positive,even his football career,his daughter said.

ELECTION

Continued from page1A

“I loathe the negativity that has to take place in campaigns,” Letlow said after qualifying Friday,when asked about the attack ads right outside. “I wish that we all couldrun positive campaigns on our records and our vision and our dreams for Louisiana.”

Letlow saidthat “President Trump would never endorse someone who is not atrue America-first conservative,” and that shehas battled against diversity,equity and in clusio n programs as amember of Congress.

President Dona ld Trump last month unexpectedly end orse d Letlow , prompting the Congress member to launch her Senate bid and shake up the race.

Candidate qualifying for spring prima ry election s ended Friday,which means the fields are also setfor important races like the U.S. House,the Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and state education board. But the Senate race is drawing the fieriest actionsofar Cassidy also officially joined the Senate raceFriday. During remarks to reporters in Baton Rouge, he didn’tdirectly address Letlow Rather,hesaid the contest is “about who has aproven track record of delivering for our state, and my track record is far better than anyone else running for thisoffice.”

“The endorsement that matters is theendorsement of the peopleofLouisiana,”

Anyone whohas livedinBatonRouge knows the Halloween tradition, apart from candy and costumes,ofrepeated showings of Cannon’s89-yard punt return against Ole Missin1959. Hiswas the only touchdowninthe matchup between the top-ranked Tigers and the third-rankedRebels. Thepuntreturn also is thecornerstone of the intense football ri-

he said when asked about Trump’sdecision to back Letlow

Fleming alsohas gone on theoffensive in hisSenate campaign.When he signed up to run on Wednesday,he said he was running against “twoliberal candidates” and accused Cassidyofflip-flopping on key issues. He also claimedGov.JeffLandry hadschemed to getLetlow into therace to further his ownpolitical ambitions

Landry later fired back at Fleming, saying “anyone whomakes stuffuplike that may not be fit for office.”

Now on the campaign trail, Letlow has thrown her own political punches.

On Thursday, she seized on aFox News storyabout a Louisiana judgewho ordered Immigrationand Customs Enforcementtorelease four detainees from custody

“The Middle District in Louisiana is one of the most liberal in thecountry andBill Cassidy has selected many similar judges during his time in theSenate,” Letlow posted on social media. “It is unforgivable thatthis radical judge forced ICEtorelease four criminal illegals, alreadyconvicted of murder andchild sexcrimes.”

Landry joined that line of attack on Friday,adding that Cassidy“spent his timelisteningtothe Never Trumpersand votingtoimpeach.” Cassidy responded that Landry should “check his facts,” and thatheis“proud of fighting forconservative results for Louisiana.”

AskedFridayifLandryintendedtoendorse Letlowfor U.S.Senate,aspokesperson for the governor said “he intends to follow the president.”

Three Democratsalso signedupthisweektorun in aseparate closed party primary.They include Nick Albares, who is from New Orleans andwas apolicyadviser for Gov.John Bel Edwards; Gary Crockett,who ownsanaerospace defense business and is from New Orleans; and Jamie Davis, a farmer from northeast Louisiana.

Republican primaries and Democratic primaries are

Afterretiringfromprofessional football in 1970, he became apopular orthodontist in BatonRouge. He ran into financial difficultiesand in 1983 pleaded guiltyto printing $6 million in $100 bills. He served half of afive-year sentence in aminimum-security federal prison in Texarkana, Texas.

In granting the pardon, the White Housepointed to work Cannon did after his release in 1986.

In 1995, Cannoncontracted to provide dentalcare forprisoners inside the LouisianaState Penitentiary at Angola. No other dentists would treat the inmates Then-Warden Burl Cain later put Cannon in charge of theprison’s

eachscheduled forMay 16.

If no candidate gets over 50% of thevote,primary runoffs will be held June 27.

The eventual Republican andDemocratic nominees will competeagainst each other in the Nov.3general election.

5thCongressional District

With Letlow running for Senate, theRepublicanleaning 5th Congressional Districtthat she currently representsand which covers the Florida parishes, partof the BatonRouge metroarea, Monroe and northeast Louisiana drew acompetitive field of candidates

State Sen. Blake Miguez, a Republican from Acadiana, is running with an endorsement from Trump.

So are Republican state Sen. RickEdmonds, aBaton Rouge pastorwho pushedfor the creation of the city of St. George, and GOP state Rep. Michael Echols, abusinessman from Monroe.

Misti Cordell, another Monroe Republican, is also running. She has strong personal andpolitical ties with Landry, aclose friend.

Ahandful of other Republican candidates are also running: Austin Mageeof Franklinton, Michael Mebruer of Francisville and SammyWyatt of Denham Springs.

AnumberofDemocratic candidates also signed up to run in the 5th District: Jessee Fleenor of Loranger; Larry FoyofWinnsboro;Lindsay “Rubia” Garcia of Walker; Dan McKay of Bunkie; andTania Nyman of Baton Rouge

OtherU.S.House races

Incumbents are expected to hold Louisiana’sfive other U.S. House seats.

U.S. HouseMajority Leader SteveScalise,R-Jefferson, signeduptoseek reelection in the 1stCongressionalDistrict. Three people signed up to run against him: Randall Arrington, aRepublican of Ponchatoula, LaurenJewett, Democrat of Metairie, and Jim Long, another Democrat from Metairie.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Troy Carter,ofNew Orleans,will seek reelection in the 2nd

Cannon wasnicknamed “Legend” by the inmates. His number 20 jerseywas retired. There’sastatue of Cannon outside LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

“This past week, as millions of Americans watched the Super Bowl, we wereremindedthat second chances are woven into the game itself —and into our national character,” Trump’spardons czar AliceJohnson said in astatement.

“The President affirmed asimple American truth: that accountabilityand mercy can stand together, and thatwhen secondchances are earned andextended, families are restored and the common good is strengthened.”

Bunnie Cannon saidthe pardon shows“that someone somewhere recognized that he’sbetter than

Congressional District. Just one opponent, Renada “Honey” CollinsofNew Orleans, signeduptorun there.

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, RLafayette, is running again in the 3rdCongressionalDistrict. He faces three Democratic challengers: John Day of Lake Charles, TiaLeBrun of Sulphur,and Caleb Walker of Lafayette.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, will again seek to represent the 4thCongressionalDistrict

Four candidates signed up in Johnson’sdistrict: Joshua Morott, Republican of Benton; Mike Nichols, Republican of Pitkin; Conrad Cable, Democrat of Farmerville; andMatt Gromlich, Democrat of Greenwood.

DemocraticU.S.Rep. Cleo Fields, of Baton Rouge, signedupinthe 6th CongressionalDistrict

No Democrats signed up to challenge Fields. But four Republicans did. They are: Monique Appeaning of St. George; Larry Davis of Livingston;Christian “Chris JohnsonofGreenwell Springs; and Peter Williams

Whyyou

of Lettsworth. Otherraces

Bunnie Cannon,assistantdean foroutreach andstrategic initiatives at theLSU School of Veterinary Medicine, noted that her father wouldhavebeen“thrilled”to learn that laws denying the right of convicted felons to vote have been changed.

She and her family are raising money for afilm about Billy Cannon that will open with the counterfeitingepisode andgothrough the rest of his life.

“It is not afootball film,” she said.

They’re also working to create a national award in his name for the most transformational play in acollege football season.

Meanwhile,Louisiana Public Broadcasting is producing adocumentary about Billy Cannon’slife.

“It is so important thatpeople know who he truly wasand not who the media has made him out to be,” she said. “And this clemency is one step to getting to that point.”

The field wasalso set for several other racesofstatewide interest Friday

Twositting justices on the state SupremeCourt will be reelected by default after no oneran againstthem. They are Justice Cade Cole, whose district covers western Louisiana, andJay McCallum, whose districtincludesnorth and central Louisiana. Both are Republicans. There will be acompetitive race in the Supreme Court district that Will Crainvacated to become afederal judge The 1stDistrictincludes Livingston, Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Tammany parishes. BlairDowning Edwards, an appeals court judge fromIndependence, and WilliamBurris, atrial court judge from Franklinton, are both Republicans. Acrowded field of candidates joinedthe race for the New Orleans-area District 1seat on the Public ServiceCommission, which regulates utilities. Democrat Connie Norris of Slidell is

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running alongside five Republicans: n Wallace “Wayne” Cooper II, of Robert n State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty,ofMetairie n “Big John” Mason, of Metairie n State Rep.MarkWright, of Covington n John Young, of Metairie. The racefor theDistrict 5seat on thecommission, whichcovers the Shreveport region, will have three candidates: n JohnE.Atkins, aRepublican from Shreveport n James Edward Green, a Democrat from Shreveport n AidenC.Joyner, aRepublican from West Monroe n AustinLawson, aDemocrat from Bossier City Four candidates qualified fora seat on the Boardof Elementary and Secondary Education. They include: n Angela Hershey,aDemocrat from Madisonville n Former U.S. Rep. Joseph Cao, aHarvey Republican n Michael Hollis, aRepublican from New Orleans n Elle Schroder,aRepublican from Abita Springs.

Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coveragefor their entire working life,through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock,leading peopletoput offoreven go without care.

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 Shop forcoveragewithnoannual maximumoncash benefits.Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

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Treatment is expensive especially theservicespeople over 50 often need

The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventive care. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkupstwiceayear.

Consider these national average costsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethiscan be areal burden, especially if you’reonafixed income

NOLA.COM | Saturday, February 14, 2026 1bN

Sheriff refuses ICE requests

Nine in custody may be in country illegally, officials say

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

Since President Donald Trump’s administration began its immigration crackdown in New Orleans last year, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has refused more than two dozen requests from immigration officials to turn over information on undocumented people in its custody, escalating a fight over the jail’s sanctuary policies that’s still being waged in federal court U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has identified nine men at the Orleans Parish lockup who may be in the country illegally After OPSO rejected “detainer” requests agreements to hold detainees past their release dates so ICE can arrest them — for each of them, ICE took the rare step of issuing subpoenas to compel OPSO to turn over the men for questioning, court records show The subpoenas also seek jail records documenting the men’s addresses and government ID, among other paperwork. ICE has also sought lists of other jail de-

Qualifying

closes for May 16 elections

Slidell mayor, Kenner police chief win new terms

BY LARA NICHOLSON and BOB WARREN Staff writers

Slidell Mayor Randy Fandal and Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley won new terms in office Friday when qualifying closed for the May 16 elections and no other candidate had stepped up to challenge them.

Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser, however, drew two opponents in his bid for a second term in office: Diane Schnell, a freelance journalist who served an interim role on the Jefferson Parish School Board for one year, and Walt Bennetti, a former mayoral candidate. The local political races came into sharper focus Friday evening as qualifying closed and the candidate fields were set. Voters in Slidell and Kenner will head to the polls to elect municipal government leaders. And in New Orleans, voters will decide three judgeships, two in Civil Court and one in Criminal Court

ä See QUALIFYING, page 2B

Brothers sentenced to hundreds of years in prison

Duo planned, executed several robberies

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

After an Avondale man was jailed in rash of armed robberies, authorities say his brother cooked up and executed a deadly plan to commit more holdups to get the cash needed to bond him out. A Jefferson Parish jury convicted Damon Bryant, 26, and Destin Smith, 28, in the robbery sprees, and on Tuesday they were sentenced to hundreds of years in prison, according to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office. Judge Donald Rowan Jr of the 24th Judicial District Court likened the pair to infamous bank robbers of old.

“I have to tell you that what you two did in this parish and in other

ä See BROTHERS, page 2B

tainees who, upon booking, didn’t have government ID “to ascertain the identities of potential aliens in (OPSO) custody who have not yet been encountered by immigration officials,” government lawyers wrote in a court filing. Mary Yanik, director of Tulane University’s Immigrant Rights Clinic, called the subpoenas “unprecedented.” She described

ICE’s tactics as an attempt to compel OPSO to hand over custody of the men so they can be deported. ICE began sending the subpoenas in October and continued doing so throughout “Operation Catahoula Crunch,” the government’s name for its Border Patrolled operation in south Louisiana in December, court records show. The subpoenas, written by ICE, aren’t signed by a judge, but are

GREASy GO-GETTER

discourage

a

annual ritual, more symbol than sport, that signals the city is entering the final stretch of the Carnival season. This year’s event was sponsored by Moët & Chandon and Hennessy

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Amanda Shaw reacts after winning the 56th annual greasing of the poles competition at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on Friday. The longstanding tradition is meant to

climbing on French Quarter balcony poles. Four contestants lathered grease on the poles as

crowd gathered to watch the

ä See SHERIFF, page 2B

NOPD:Man killed in shooting

Gunfire erupts near Boettner Park

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Aman was killed in a shooting nearBoettner Park in the St. ThomasDevelopment neighborhood Friday afternoon, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

Officers responded to a call about ashooting just before 12:55p.m.nearSt. Thomas andSt. Andrew

streets and founda man suffering fromatleast onegunshot wound, police said. Paramedics declared the man dead at the scene. Detectiveshad aportion of St. Andrew Street just past the Walmart SupercenteronTchoupitoulastaped off on Fridayas they investigated.Groups of residents and neighbors fromthe surrounding apartment building gathered outside to watch as the officers worked. No further information about the shooting was available.

Gretna teller foundwith $187,000,policesay

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

AGretnabank employee wasarrested afterauthorities say she stole $187,000 from avault before going on the run.

Whenauthorities pulled Alexa Braud’svehicleover in Walton County,Florida, on theafternoon of Feb. 4, they found $150,000 of the cash stashed in asmallcooler in her car,according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. Braud, 34, of Gretna, was abank teller manager at RiverLand Federal Credit Union, according to Gretna

QUALIFYING

Continuedfrom page1B

Police Deputy ChiefJason DiMarco. Police said Braudwent into the office at about 7:37 a.m. on Feb. 4, earlierthan her usualstart time. DiMarco said bank surveillance video wasrecording as awoman police have identified as Braud entered the vault and began throwing cash into a bag.

She also grabbed the money inside herteller drawer before leaving the office, police said.

Employeeswho arrived later that morning contacted police when they entered the vault and discovered that

moneywas missing. Gretna police identified Braud as a suspect andput outanalert for her red Toyota Corolla. AWalton County deputy spottedBraud’svehicle about 2:40 p.m. at the intersection of Florida Highway 285 andHighway90near Mossy Head. She had traveled more than250 miles. Braud was taken into custody to await extradition back to Louisiana. She was booked Thursday into the Jefferson Parish CorrectionalCenter in Gretna on one count of theftvalued over $25,000. No bond has been set

allowedunderfederal law. ICE hasoccasionally deployedtheminother parts of the country with sanctuary policies, including in Oregon, California andNew York, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association. After OPSO rejected ICE’slatestrequests last month, ICE filed apetition in the Eastern District of Louisiana asking afederal judge to order OPSO to fulfill them.

“I want to thank everyone that had confidence in me last October,”saidFandal, Slidell’sformer police chief who won aspecial election just last October to fillthe remaining months for formerMayor Greg Cromer’s term. “I’m excited to be able to continue the work that’sinfront of us andnot have to worry about acampaign.

Fandal’snew termwill begin in July

District 3race. Conley’suncontested election comes despite criticismheand his department have received over their participation in the controversial 287(g) program with immigration enforcementasU.S.BorderPatrol deployedinto the area in December In Slidell, City Council members Nick DiSanti and Trey Brownfield won new terms without opposition. Meanwhile, two candidates signed up for the police chief race: Brian Nicaud and Tommy Williams.

City Council, Dist. 2 Mike Sigur,R TomWilmott, R City Council, Dist. 3 Joey LaHatte III, R City Council, Dist. 4 Stacey Allesandro, R Kristy Katsanis McKinney,R City Council, Dist. 5 Kaylin Ramirez, No Party Danny Riehm,R SLIDELL

Mayor Randy Fandal, R Police Chief

“We’ve neverseen anything like this,” saidYanik, who co-represents theplaintiffs from a 2013 consent decree that overhauledthe jail’simmigration policies. The jail is also under aseparate, 13-year-oldconsent decree covering many otheraspects of itsoperations.

Glaser,aRepublican and former Kenner police chief, beat incumbentBen Zahnfouryearsago to win his first term. Schnell, a Democrat, is one of two Hispanic candidates who entered theKennerelections Friday with the backingoflocal immigration advocacy groups, as no Kenner elected officials currently identify as Hispanic despite thatdemographic making up roughlya third of the city’spopulation.

ORLEANSPARISH

Civil District Court, Div.M

Stephanie Bridges, D

Richard Perque, D Civil District Court, Div.N

Sheryl Howard, D Elroy James, D

Criminal District Court, Div.J

John T. Fuller,D Andre Gaudin Jr., D KENNER

Mayor “Walt”Bennetti, No Party

Michael Glaser Sr., R Diane Schnell, D Police Chief

The other,K aylin Ramirez, a21-year-old master’sdegree studentunder No Party,will runagainst Republican Danny Riehm III for the City Council’s District 5seat.

Conley,a Republican, was one of two Kenner candidates to go withoutopponents. Joey LaHatteIII was alone in the CityCouncil’s

BROTHERS

Continuedfrom page1B

Keith Conley,R Council At Large, Div.A

Brian Brennan, R Joe Stagni, R Council At Large, Div.B

George L. Branigan, R Gregory W. Carroll, D City Council,Dist. 1 Dee Dunn, D David Weathersby,D

to authorities.

Thomas“Tommy”Williams, R Brian Nicaud, R City Council,At Large(2elected) TomAbney,R Jeff Burgoyne, R Leslie Denham,D David Dunham,R Kenny Tamborella, R City Council, Dist.A Rene Arcemont, R Landon J. Washington, D City Council, Dist. B Fabian L. Hartley,No Party Sean Fadely,NoParty City Council, Dist. C Megan Haggerty,R Belinda ParkerBrown, No Party City Council, Dist. D Nick DiSanti, R City Council, Dist. E ShawnJones, R Dominick “Nick” Spadoni III, R City Council, Dist. F Trey Brownfield III, R City Council, Dist. G John Grigg, R Timothy “Tim”Rogers, R

cording to court records.

The case that ledto the consent decree over immigration policies was brought by apair of formerOrleansParish detainees whosaid they were illegally held for months at the request of immigration officials. The settlement from thatcaseprohibits OPSO from complyingwithICE detainer requests under most circumstances, and it alsoforbids OPSOfrom allowing ICE to conduct immigration investigations at the jail. Under adetainer request, ajail would hold adetaineefor up to 48 hours after their release so federal immigration agents can take them into custody.OPSO’spolicyistorejectthose requests unless the person is charged withmurder rape, kidnapping, armed robbery or treason ICE has sent 170 detainer requests in thepast four years, and OPSO has rejected all but 1% of them, lawyers for the federal government said in court filings. In rejecting ICE’slatest batch of subpoenas, OPSO’slawyers said in acourt filing this week that the agency is bound by the consent decree’s policies, which are overseen by afederal judge. Afederal magistrate on Wednesday scheduled a hearing on the matter for mid-March.

parishes,I mean,wemight as well go back in time and call youBonnie and Clyde. We might as well call you Dillinger.Wemight as well call youa wholebunchof names because you have no regard for human life. You terrorizedthem,” Rowan said.

Bryant was sentenced to 515 years after he was found guilty of carjacking andfive counts of armed robbery for astring of holdups committed in July 2017, theDistrictAttorney’sOffice said.

In vesti gators also learned that Bryant had been firedfrom both the Waffle House and Copeland’srestaurants. He was arrested in August 2017 in connection withthe cases. Bond scheme

Smith stood trial last month as Bryant’saccomplice in those July holdups. But the jurors found him not guilty, courtrecords said. They did, however, hold himresponsiblefor thehavoc that followed.

In 2019, Smith andMays pleaded guilty in Orleans Parish criminal court to sixcounts of armed robbery.Smith was sentenced to 12 years in prison while Maywas sentenced to 15 years, according to court records.

Parish sentences

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is waging herown court battleinanattempt to erase those policies, which she sayscontradict a2024 state law that effectively banned so-called “sanctuary cities” in Louisiana. Afederal judge hasn’truled on those arguments yet.

Jurors acquittedDestin Smithofthose July robberies. But he was sentenced to 227 years in prisonafter he was found guiltyof manslaughter,conspiracy to commit armed robbery, two countsofattempted armed robberyand obstruction of justice for the crimes he committed weeks later for his brother’sbond, authorities said. Robberyspree

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’sOffice investigators had accused Bryant of carjacking awoman on thenight of July11, 2017, in Terrytown. Prosecu tors al leg e Bryant thenrobbedtwo women inside aTerrytown Waffle House on July 20, 2017. He went on to steal another woman’svehicle at gunpoint seven days later,then drive that vehicle to Copeland’sRestaurant in Elmwood,where he held up thebusiness on the same day,authorities said.

Detectives used DNA to link Bryanttobothstolen vehicles andthe Copeland’srobbery, according

In an August 2017 recordedjailhouse call, Smithplotted with hisincarcerated brother to continuethe robberies and acquireenough cashtocover Bryant’sbond, according to courtrecords. Smith’sscheme got off to adeadly startonthe morning of Aug. 12, 2017, when authorities sayheused a sawed-offshotgun to kill 36-year-old James Thomas in the parking lotofan apartment complex in the 2300 blockofParkPace Drive in Terrytown. Smiththen crossedinto Orleans Parish, wherehe and accomplice Devante Mays, 27, used theshotgun to commit arash of muggings androbberies in a 16-hour stretch,authoritiessaid.

They returned to Jefferson Parish on the evening of Aug.13, 2017, and tried to rob aFamily Dollar storeinMarrero twice buttheywerefoiledbya locked door,authorities said.

New Orleans police detectives investigating the robberies in their jurisdiction searched Smith’s homeand found evidence linking him to those holdupsand some of thecrimes in Jefferson Parish, ac-

In Jefferson Parish, Mays wassentenced to 10 years in prison in 2019 when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery and twocounts of attempted armed robbery for his role in Smith’sbond-money scheme, according to authorities.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Thomas’ mother,Maple Thomas, and his fiancee, Tiffany Hiriams, gave victim impact testimony for Smith’ssentencing, according to court records. James Thomas, afather andUPS driver, lived with integrity and purpose, his mother said.

Rowan sentenced Smith to 40 years for the manslaughter and obstruction charges. He was sentenced to 49 yearsfor each count of robbery conspiracy and attempted robbery,court records said. All of the sentencesare to be served consecutively foratotal of 227 years.

Rowan sentencedBryant to 20 yearsfor the carjacking charge. But he handed down the maximum punishment, 99 years, for each of the five counts of armed robbery, court records said. Rowan then ordered the sentences to be served consecutively foratotal of 515 years.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

In the latest twist, the New Orleans Police Department hasrepealed its owndecade-old policy that restricted its cooperation with federal immigrationagents. Now, NOPD officerswho encounter people withan outstanding immigration warrant must transfer them into federal custody if the Orleans Parish jail won’ttakethem, The Times-Picayune reported this week.

That’sled to anew wave of concern among immigrationadvocates, who worry that OPSO’s refusals to honor detainers will be less of a shield.

“If OPSO says, ‘Why would Itakethis person? They’re notaccusedof anycrime,’ then they go back to NOPD,and NOPD holdsthemfor ICE,”saidJeremy Jong, aNew Orleans-based immigration attorney. Staff writer James Finn contributed reporting.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

HERMES: Hermes MMXXVI waves on theUptown parade route in New Orleans on Friday.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

D’ETAT: The Dictator rides in the parade on the Uptown parade route in NewOrleans on Friday

NewOrleans Area

Deaths

Ronald Lee

nola.com ✦ TheTimes-Picayune Louisiana,passed awayon December4,2025.Hewas bornonNovember 16, 1947, in Houston, Texas. Ron was agraduate of TexasA&M Universityand worked for the Jefferson Parish Wastewater Treatment Plant forover 40 years. Ron was preceded in deathby his parents, Leland and Alice Huffman, and his son, John Andrew Huffman. He is survivedbyhis beloved wifeof48years, Sharon Huffman; his children Mark Huffman, Elizabeth Carver (Joe Carver), Joanna Holland (JeffreyHolland), and Mya Frey (Nick Frey), as well as his grandchildren Devlin, Bryna, Rowan, Magnus, Emma, Lauren, Drew, Madelyn,Peyton, Leah, Eleanor,Magnolia, and Iona;his sisters Marilyn Wilson, Carol Bass, and Grace Standard;and many nieces and nephews. Services:A Celebration of Lifewillbeheldat Amazing Love Church, 222 Citrus Rd.,River Ridge, LA on Saturday, February14, 2026.Visitationbegins at 10:00AM, followed by a service at 11:00AM. In place of flowers, plants are

welcome, or the family requests that donations be madetoApple of His Eye Ministries (AOHE.org).

Taplette Sr., Claude Levi

Claude Levi Taplette Sr wasbornonOctober 25, 1952, to theunion of ChesterArthur Taplette Sr andEstherDella Charles Taplette.Hedepartedthis life on Thursday,February 5th, 2026, at East Jefferson GeneralHospital. He was 73 yearsold.Heaccepted Christ upon theconfession of hisfaith at an earlyage andwas baptizedat Fairview BaptistChurch in NewOrleans,LA. He re‐ceived hiseducation in the OrleansSchool District whereheattended George Huffman,

W. Carver High School in

1970. He received hisCDL at InternationalDriving School.Claudeworkfor J.B. Hunt Trucking Com‐pany,MarriottHotel,Char‐ityHospital, Le Richelieu Hotel, RoyalSonesta Hotel andhewas aPainter/Dry‐wall Sheetrock Finisher Claude Levi Taplette Sr was preceded in deathbyhis parentsChesterTaplette Sr andEstherDella Charles Taple4tte andhis brothers George “Butch”Taplette Sr, Ronald Taplette Sr,Chester Taplette,Percy Taplette Arnold MichaelTaplette, PatrickEugeneTaplette Jr andChester Arthur Ta‐plette Jr.Heleavesever‐lastingmemoriestohis belovedwifeAdrienne PayneTaplette.Their union produced ason,ClaudeTa‐plette Jr anddaughter CrystalTaplette He also leaves to cherishhis mem‐ories, four grandchildren, Calia, Cheyenne,Calis and Kyla Taplette andtwo brothers,Donaldand Cur‐leyTaplette.Relatives and friendsofthe family arein‐vitedtoattendthe Memor‐ialservice whichwillbe held on Saturday,February 14, 2026, at Robinson Fam‐

Huffman,78, of Bryson City, North Carolina, andKenner,

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street steadies after AI-induced selloff

NEW YORK U.S. stocks steadied on Friday after an encouraging update on inflation helped calm a Wall Street that’s been wracked by worries about how artificial-intelligence technology may upend the business world.

Stocks got some help from easing Treasury yields, which fell after a report showed inflation slowed last month by more than economists expected “It’s still too high, but only for now, not forever,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

Stock prices steadied for several companies that investors had earlier targeted as potential losers from AI disruption Trucking and freight companies tumbled Thursday after a small company, Algorhythm Holdings, said its AI platform helps customers scale freight volumes by up to 400% “without a corresponding increase in operational headcount.” After sinking 14.5% Thursday, C.H Robinson Worldwide rose 4.9% on Friday Such drops have been rolling through the market recently targeting industries that investors decide are under threat for disruption by AI. The reactions have been so aggressive and so quick that analysts have likened it to a “shoot first, ask questions later” mindset.

On the losing end of Wall Street was DraftKings, which dropped 13.5% even though its profit for the latest quarter topped analysts’ expectations It gave a forecast for revenue this year that fell short of expectations.

Nvidia fell 2.2%. Because it’s the largest stock on Wall Street, its moves carry more weight on the S&P 500 than any other company’s Wendy’s closing sites, focusing on value

Wendy’s is closing several hundred U.S. restaurants and increasing its focus on value after a weaker-than-expected fourth quarter

The Dublin, Ohio-based company said Friday that its global same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell 10% in the October-December period.

Wendy’s said it already closed 28 restaurants in the fourth quarter and ended 2025 with 5,969 U.S. locations. It expects to close between 5% and 6% of its U.S. restaurants — or 298 to 358 locations — in the first half of this year

Those actions come on top of the closure of 240 U.S. Wendy’s locations in 2024 At the time, the chain said many of its locations are simply out of date.

In January, Wendy’s introduced a permanent “Biggie Deals” value menu with three price tiers: $4 Biggie Bites, $6 Biggie Bags and an $8 Biggie Bundle.

Logistics giant replaces chair in Epstein files

CAIRO Dubai has announced a new chair for DP World, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, replacing the outgoing head who was named in the Jeffrey Epstein documents. The announcement by the government’s Dubai Media Office did not specifically name Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem. However, it said that Essa Kazim was named DP World’s chairand Yuvraj Narayan was named group CEO. Those were positions held by bin Sulayem.

DP World is a logistics giant that runs the Jebel Ali port in Dubai and operates terminals in other ports around the world.

The announcement comes a day after financial groups in Canada and the United Kingdom said they’ve paused future ventures with DP World after newly released emails showed a yearslong friendship between bin Sulayem and Epstein

The emails do not appear to implicate bin Sulayem in Epstein’s alleged crimes.

Ring scraps Flock Safety partnership

Amazon company to not use police surveillance after ad backlash

By The Associated Press

Amazon’s smart doorbell maker

Ring has terminated a partnership with police surveillance tech company Flock Safety

The announcement follows a backlash that erupted after a 30-second Ring ad that aired during the Super Bowl featuring a lost dog that is found through a network of cameras, sparking fears of a dystopian surveillance society

But that feature, called Search Party, was not related to Flock. And Ring’s announcement doesn’t cite the ad as a reason for the “joint

decision” for the cancellation.

Ring and Flock said last year they were planning on working together to give Ring camera owners the option to share their video footage in response to law enforcement requests made through a Ring feature known as Community Requests.

“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” Ring’s statement said.

“The integration never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.”

Flock reiterated that it never received Ring customer videos and that ending the planned integration was a mutual decision that allows both companies to “best serve their respective customers.” In a statement, Flock added that it “remains dedicated to supporting law en-

forcement agencies with tools that are fully configurable to local laws and policies.”

Flock is one of the nation’s biggest operators of automated licenseplate reading systems. Its cameras are mounted in thousands of communities across the U.S., capturing billions of photos of license plates each month. The company has faced public outcry amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement crackdown But Flock maintains that it does not partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or contract out with any subagency of the Department of Homeland Security for direct access to its cameras. The company paused pilot programs with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations last year

Still, Flock says it doesn’t own the data captured by its cameras,

its customers do. So if a police department, for example, chooses to collaborate with a federal agency like ICE, “Flock has no ability to override that decision,” the company notes on its website. Beyond the Flock partnership, Amazon has faced other surveillance concerns over its Ring doorbell cameras. In the Super Bowl ad, a lost dog is found with Ring’s Search Party feature, which the company says can “reunite lost dogs with their families and track wildfires threatening your community.” The clip depicts the dog being tracked by cameras throughout a neighborhood using artificial intelligence. Viewers took to social media to criticize it for being sinister, leaving many wondering if it would be used to track humans and saying they would turn the feature off.

Inflation falls to nearly 5-year low

Apartment rental price growth slows, gas prices fall, offering some relief

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases of the past five years

Inflation dropped to 2.4% in January compared with a year earlier, down from 2.7% in December and not too far from the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories, rose just 2.5% in January from a year ago, down from 2.6% the previous month and the smallest increase since March 2021 Friday’s report suggests inflation is cooling, but the cost of food, gas, and apartment rents have soared after the pandemic, with consumer prices still about 25% higher than they were five years ago. The increase in such a broad range of costs has kept “affordability,” a topic that helped shape the most recent U.S. presidential election, front and center as a dominant political issue.

And on a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.2% in January from December, while core prices rose 0.3%. Core inflation was held down by a sharp drop in the price of used cars, which fell 1.8% just in January from December “Inflation continues to decelerate and is not threatening to move back up, and that will enable more rate cuts by the Fed,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust. There were signs in the report that retailers are passing on more of the costs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs to consumers for goods such as furniture, appliances, and clothes. But those increases were offset by falling prices elsewhere. In other areas, Trump has delayed, scrapped, or provided exemptions to his duties.

Furniture prices jumped 0.7% in January from the previous month and are up 4% from a year ago Appliances rose 1.3% in January though are only slightly more expensive than a year earlier Clothing price rose 0.3% in January from December and have increased 1.7% in the past year

Some services prices also rose: Airline fares soared 6.5% just in January, after a 3.8% jump in November, though they rose only 2.2% from a year earlier Music streaming subscriptions increased 4.5% in January and are 7.8% higher than a year ago. Yet those increases were largely offset by

price declines, or much slower price growth, in other areas, including many that make up a greater share of Americans’ spending.

The cost of used cars, for example, plunged 1.8% in January the biggest decline in two years. Gas prices fell 3.2% last month, the third drop in the past four months, and are down 7.5% from a year earlier Grocery prices rose just 0.2% in January, after a big 0.6% rise in December, and are up 2.1% from a year ago. Hotel prices ticked down 0.1% in January and have fallen 2% from last year

Rental prices and the cost of owning a home, which make up a third of the inflation index, both rose just 0.2% in December, while rents increased only 2.8% from a year earlier That is much lower than during the pandemic: Rents rose by more than 8% in 2022.

The tariffs have increased some costs and many economists forecast companies will pass through more of those increases to consumers in the coming months. A study released Thursday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that U.S. companies and consumers are paying nearly 90% of the tariffs’ costs, echoing similar findings in studies by Harvard and other economists.

Yet the increases haven’t been as broadbased as many economists feared.

Tilley said that the higher tariffs have pulled some consumer spending away from other services, which has forced companies to keep those prices a bit lower as a result.

“We don’t think consumers are in a place to

take on price increases across the board, so you’re not seeing those price increases,” he said. Hiring was particularly weak last year, slowing wage growth, and many Americans remain gloomy about the economy

Some economists note that the rental figures were distorted by October’s six-week government shutdown, which interrupted the Labor Department’s gathering of the data. The government plugged in estimated figures for October which economists say have artificially lowered some of the housing costs. Companies are still grappling with the higher costs from Trump’s duties, though some have benefited from tariffs being delayed or scrapped.

If inflation gets closer to the Federal Reserve’s target of 2%, it could allow the central bank to cut its key short-term interest rate further this year, as Trump has repeatedly demanded. High borrowing costs for things like mortgages and auto loans have also contributed to a perception that many big-ticket items remain out of reach for many Americans.

Inflation surged to 9.1% in 2022 as consumer spending soared as supply chains snarled after the pandemic. It began to fall in 2023 but leveled off around 3% in mid-2024 and remained elevated last year

At the same time, measures of wage growth have declined as hiring has cratered. With companies reluctant to add jobs, workers don’t have as much leverage to demand raises.

Falling cocoa prices won’t mean cheaper chocolates

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN Associated Press

Cocoa prices have fallen nearly 70% since last Valentine’s Day, but that won’t make heart-shaped boxes of chocolate or even chocolate Easter bunnies more affordable this year

Chocolate prices at U.S. retail stores rose 14% between Jan. 1 and the first week of February compared to the same period last year, according to market research company Datasembly.

That’s on top of a 7.8% increase for the same period in 2025. Europe has seen even steeper price increases. In Germany, chocolate prices rose 18.9% in 2025, according to government figures.

Cocoa prices more than doubled in 2024 due to insufficient rainfall and crop diseases in West Africa, which supplies more than 70% of the world’s cocoa. Cocoa, which is made from the dried beans of the cacao tree, is the main ingredient in both dark and white chocolate.

Weather conditions have improved since then in Ivory Coast and Ghana, and cocoa production is increasing in Ecuador and other countries, according to an analysis by J.P Morgan. The resulting supply increase is one reason cocoa prices are coming down.

But they’re also dropping because of lower global demand. Chocolate getting more expensive has turned off consumers, so manufacturers have cut the amount

of chocolate they use or shifted to other products like gummy candies to keep prices in check, said Chris Costagli, a food thought leader at the market research company NIQ.

In the U.S., annual retail sales of chocolate rose 6.7% in 2025 compared to the prior year, largely because of price increases, according to NIQ data. But the number of individual products sold was down 1.3%, as consumers bought less chocolate overall.

The Trump administration’s tariffs were another reason U.S. chocolate prices increased last year

The administration put a tariff averaging 15% on cocoa-producing countries last February which raised the price of U.S. cocoa im-

ports, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. In November, the administration removed tariffs on cocoa and other commodities that can’t be grown in the U.S., including coffee, spices and tropical fruit. But tariffs of 15% or more on products from the European Union, including chocolates, remain in place. So far, declining cocoa prices haven’t necessarily let chocolate lovers pay less.

Costagli compares the situation to gas prices. Even when the cost of oil goes down, prices at the pump don’t immediately follow because companies need to use up the oil they bought at a higher price.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAM y. HUH

Shoppers browse at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., on Monday Americans are starting to see relief from the sharp cost increases over the past five years.

ANOTHERVIEW

Sixpaths to fiscal disaster

As the national debt is afew monthsfromreaching$39 trillion, andperhaps $40 trillion by the end of this year, it is puzzling how unperturbed the political classis. Or perhapsnot.Writerand politicalagitatorUpton Sinclair (1878-1968)said: “It is difficult to geta mantounderstand something, when his salary depends upon hisnot understanding it.” Or pretending not to. Abipartisancongressional consensus, more alarming thanpartisan rancor,is: There are no long-term fiscal gains without intense short-term politicalpains. So, becausetoday’scongressional careers do not yet seemlikely to coincide with coming direconsequences,let them come In 2016, abudgetexpertwas allotted20 minutes to brief Donald Trump onthose possible consequences. After5 minutes, Trump said, “Yeah, but I’ll be gone.” He was perfectly in sync with the politicalmainstream he professes to supplant.

Nevertheless, the undiscourageable Committeefor a Responsible Federal Budgetpersists. Although few others think mere information cangalvanize congressional action to forestall adarkening fiscal future, the committee recently described six possible crisis scenarios.Five are dramatic. The sixth is lessso, butmostalarming, and most likely

Upwardly spiraling debt could provoke afinancialcrisis.Investors anxiousabout the U.S. fiscaloutlookwould demand sharply higher interest ratestoenticethem to purchaseTreasurys. This would ignite aself-reinforcing debt spiral: Higher interest rateswould slow economic growth, reducing government revenue whileincreasing government spending on debt service.Higherinterest ratesonnew debt wouldreduce the value of the much larger amount of existing debt. This would weakenthe balance sheets of banks andother financialinstitutions. Because these would be deemed“too big to fail,” bailouts and spending to stimulatethe sputtering economy would exacerbate the financial crisis

An Everest of debt is an incentive for an inflationcrisis to reduce the value of existing debt by paying lenders with debased dollars. But inflation wouldbecomebaked into the expectations of investors, who would demand higher interest rates. ThenR&G would bite: Wheninterest rates paid on debt exceedthe rate of economic growth, acrisis intensifiesasrising interestrates depress economic growth.

An austerity crisis would occur with alarge andabrupt combination of tax increases and spending reductions Unemployment would increase,and the Federal Reserve would have little ability to combat economic contraction by reducing interest rates. Austerity is, however,rare in nations accustomed to assuming its opposite —anunendingexpectation,indeedentitlement,toopulence. The Economist says that “only onceinthe eraofuniversal suffrage has aG7economy” —aleading developed nation —“achieved abig fall in debt primarily by tightening its belt” (Canada in the 1990s).

Acurrencycrisis would result from adepreciating dollar incentivizingforeign governments andprivate investors to diversify away from U.S.debt. Adefault crisis, although unlikely, would have the merit of bluntness: continuing to repay principalbut notinterest, or “restructuring,”which is government-speakfor notrepaying some debt.

The most probable, and mostominous, outcome would be agradual crisis. In 2021, debt serviceconsumed less than 10% of federal revenue. In 2025: 18%. By being gradual, aprotractedcrisis wouldmean ademoralized nation slowly accommodating perpetualeconomic sluggishness, waning investments in researchand development, social stagnation, diminished contribution from the entrepreneurial energiesoftalented immigrants, and waning U.S. geopolitical influence.

Agradual crisis would be anesthetizing, rather than an action-forcing, cymbal-crash event that could stimulate recuperative reforms of U.S. politicalculture. Instead, this culture would become more toxic. Political power would be fought for,and wielded, with the desperate ruthlessness of azero-sumcompetition in whichone faction’sgains must equal otherfactions’losses

So, government would simultaneously become more powerful, more divisive and less legitimate. The currency is how everyone meets the government everyday through the unstated —becausepresumablyobvious government promise that the currency it issues is trustworthy.Nothing unsettles amiddle-class nation more rapidlythaninflation,acomponent of allofthese crises. By it, people are reminded daily that the currencyisfailingasastore of value. This unnervesthe public as much as crime, today’sdeportation mayhem and other disorders. Inflation is disorder.Its quiet ubiquity is especially sinister,making everyone feelpowerless. “Dystopian” is the antonym of“utopian.” “Utopia” was derived from Greek roots to denotesomething imaginary —“nowhere.” The dystopian consequencesofU.S. debt could someday be everywhere

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Changestoplanmadebehindcloseddoors

Southeast Louisianaislosing land as fast as anywhere in the world, with communities facing greater risks every year.The state’slatest coastal funding plan is akin to fiddling while Rome burns.

This plan should have centered around two science-backed, publiclysupported, and, until recently,stateendorsed riverre-introduction projects: Mid-Barataria and Mid-Breton.

The cancellation of these projects and their removal from this year’s spending plan leaves communities at risk and wastes two things in short supply: time and money

The state spent around $700 million on Mid-Barataria before its cancellation last year —achunk of the

Many of Louisiana’sresidents are having to leavework or stop working altogether to take care of their children.

This has resulted in the loss of income revenue to our state of over $1 billion ayear In arecent commentary in this newspaper,Walter Isaacson talks about “the commons,” which is aconcept that says certain things in our societyneed to be available toall of us commoners, like schools, libraries,

“Why deny theobvious child?”

Likethe lyrics of Paul Simon’ssong, Quin Hillyer’scolumn recently articulated what has been disturbing many of us.

After seeing graphic videos from virtually every angle of asenseless killing, how can anybody deny the obvious? After hearing theSecretary Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino’scomments,would you trust them?

Ourcongressional delegation is supposed to provide checks and balances for other branches of government. I thinkU.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy’simmediate call for afull investigation is certainly in order.But Hillyer should not single out Congressman Steve Scalise. Where was therest of our Republican delegation? Has U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow

one-time Deepwater Horizon oil spill funds to throw down thedrain. But what’sworse is the years we’ve lost as our coast continues to erode. In Plaquemines Parish, we see this land loss with our eyes and we feel it in our wallets. We’ve watched our favorite fishing spots disappear and driveways flood after alight rain.

The wetlands built by these twoprojects would have protected communities from Empire to NewOrleans.

The new plan also wastes timeand money we don’thave by focusing solely on building land with dredges instead of utilizing the power of the Mississippi River

These decisions weren’tmade with us in mind. These canceled projects

fire departments and police departments.Ithink that early childhood education should be in ”the commons” because it is in the common good to provide for it It pays for itself over timeinmoney, healthcare and decreased poverty, as shown in the North Carolina study called The Abecedarian Project. OurLegislature needs to fully fund early childhood education now CLAUDE TELLIS Baton Rouge

or any other Republican congressperson had the courage to go on record?

Pleasepublish their statements, even if alittle late. Scalise and Speaker Mike Johnson have done an amazing job working with thesmallest majority to pass transformative legislation and they deserve our thanks forthat. But these are very volatile times in our country and the world. Trust is ascarce but critical commodity.Itis, however,the glue that holds our democracy together.Silence is not leadership and does not engender trust Truthbuilds trust and when it is obvious, it is hard to deny BYRON LEBLANC Metairie

were developed with public input but canceled behind closed doors at the behest of asmallgroup who put short-term profits over our parish’slongevity.Moreover,Gov.Jeff Landry and CPRA Chair Gordy Dove continue to promote alternative projects that are simply not as effective and years away

The state needs to fill this gaping hole in its plan. At aminimum,we deserve transparency on how the loss of these two keystone projects affects our safety and future. Youcan comment on the draftannual plan until Feb. 17.

MICAH DENESSE Coastal Conservation Association STAR tournament director

Iamwriting in response to Ellen Holliday’sFeb. 2guest column on pluralism.Holliday claims pluralism is a morerealistic and durable framework than one in which individuals workintheir own self-interest (aka capitalism). She does not recognize that capitalistic Western societies have been the mostsuccessfulthe world has ever seen and that the standard of living of our poorest exceeds that of their pluralist society counterparts. Collectivism has reduced the quality of lifefor tens of millions of Russians, Chinese and North Koreans. Ithink her mistake is in assuming that humans will makeasmuch of an effort in their workifthere is no linkage between their effort and their reward. She berates a“hierarchical, ruthless individualist” approach while failing to recognize that the pluralist societies are also hierarchical and have areputation of ruthlessness characterized by punishing and disappearing individuals who do not conform.

PETERGAMBEL NewOrleans

George Will

LSUkeeps opening-day streaks intact

Tigers uselate-inning surge to getpastMilwaukee

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Jay Johnson had never lostonopening day as ahead coach.

During four seasons at LSU, sixatArizona, two at Nevada and one atPointLoma Nazarene, Johnson’steam alwayshas started witha 1-0 record.

ä Milwaukee at LSU 1P.M.

SATURDAy,SECN+

Thatstreakwas in jeopardy FridayatAlexBox Stadium, the beginning of his fifth seasonin charge of LSU. The Tigerstrailed Milwaukee 5-2 heading into the sixth inning, and their offense flailed the previous two innings.

Then Johnson turned to his bench, summoning Kansas State transfer Seth Dardar to hit forBrayden Simpson withone outand arunner at third base. Dardar fellbehind in the count 1-2,but he jumpedonthe next pitch —afastball up and in —and deposited it over the right-center fence tocut the LSU deficit to 5-4.

The blast was the spark LSU needed. After putting up two runs in thesixth, the Tigers scored six more in the seventhtotake the lead. They never lookedback, earning a15-5 win in eightinnings by invoking the 10-run mercy rule after afive-run eighthinning.

“I don’tthink this says aton about our character,actually,” Johnson said,reflecting on the comebackwin.“Ithinksome

ä See LSU, page 3C

ANALYSIS

Extending

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

ChrisOlave alreadyhas establishedthat he would like to remain with the New Orleans Saints, and the organization has reciprocated its interest in gettinga long-term deal done withits star widereceiver Now the two sides justneed to figure out what that actually looks like.

Olave is entering the final year of his rookie contract, playing on the fifth-year option theSaints exercised last offseason. Heis set to count about $15.5millionagainst the 2026 salary cap, and thatnumber is certain to grow wheneverOlave signs his newdeal. So,what mightthat look like? Usingrecent precedent, it’s safe toassumeOlave is going to command more than $30 million annually basedonhis history of production and what other similar players have agreed to in contract extensions.

The timing is workingout in Olave’sfavor He is coming off of his best professional season, having set careerhighs in receptions

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

STRONG OUTING

U.S. womenroutItaly to advancetohockeysemis, Page 4C

aturday, February 14, 2026 1CN

‘Amazing theater’

Fulwiley focalpoint of LSU-S.C. rivalrygamethathas nation’s attention

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

It’sbeen three monthssince MiLaysia Fulwiley grabbeda smoothie, retreated to anearby corner and explained at atable inside thePete Maravich AssemblyCenter’strainingannex— herLSU practice jersey still damp withsweat —why she washere.

Fulwiley knew sheneededtoget better. That if she really wanted to make it to theWNBA, she needed to step outside of her comfort zoneand challenge herself. Aftershe decided to enter thetransfer portal, she wanted to find ateam that would helpher become amore complete player.Just notatthe expense of her desires to command an uptempo system andcompete fora national championship

“I feltlike this was one of those programs,”Fulwiley said then. Now the annual LSU-South Carolina showdown arriveswith even more intrigue. Fulwiley,anathletic guard known for dazzling fast breaks, decided last Apriltoleave herhometownGamecocks andjoin their top adversary,putting herself at the center of the fiercest rivalry in

women’scollege basketball. When theseries’ latest installment tips off at 7:30 p.m. Saturdayinthe PMAC, all eyes will turn to Fulwiley She’splaying for theNo. 6Tigers (213, 8-3 SEC) now,though she’ssettled into arole that’slargely the sameas the one she filled in the two seasons she spent at SouthCarolina. Coach KimMulkeyisgiving the

Saturday’sLSU-SouthCarolina women’sbasketball game will be morethan agame. It will be ahappening. The Pete Maravich Assembly Center is ahard sellout. Folksare online asking for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market —inat least one case morethan $2,300 —something unthinkable for an LSU women’sgame even ahalfdecade ago.

5-foot-10juniorsome ballhandling responsibilities, but she’sstill bringing her off of the bench, putting her on the wing and helping her figure outhow to minimizethe mistakes she tends to make.

Careless turnovers. Needless fouls. Mindless defensive lapses.

ä See LSU, page 3C

ESPN’s“College GameDay” show is coming to do alive broadcast, and the 7:30 p.m. showdownwill not be on ESPN2 or theSEC Network, but ABC. The LSU players are wearing special black uniforms (even though one of South Carolina’sprime colors is black) and therewill be commem-

orative black T-shirts draped on all the lower bowl seats sure to be filled brimming with fans cometipoff. Youknow those other T-shirts, the ones that say

“Everyone watches women’s sports”?

Better believe it, mister

Especially this Saturday

One night after the premiere of adocumentary on legendary LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux, chronicling her 43-year fight to build and sustain what is nowa nationalpowerhouse program, Kim Mulkey and her Tigers get the spotlight. For allofher detractors, Mulkey is an unquestioned championof

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE Saints wide receiver Chris Olave runs with the ball during agame against the New England Patriots on Oct. 12

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

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All-Star ‘Point God’ Paul retires

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

Chris Paul, the “Point God” who was a 12-time All-Star selection and two-time Olympic gold medalist announced his retirement on Friday in the capper of a 21-season career that will surely merit induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Paul made the announcement on the first day of the NBA’s All-Star weekend at the home of the Los Angeles Clippers in Inglewood, California. Paul spent his final season — an abbreviated one — with the Clippers, who sent him home in December and wound up trading him to Toronto earlier this month.

The Raptors knew Paul would never play in Toronto, and that begged the question about whether the Wake Forest legend would try to finish the season with another team in pursuit of the thing he never got — an NBA title.

The answer came Friday He’s done He said last summer that he has hated missing events with his children over the last few years, and now he can devote himself much more to his family and other interests.

“It’s time for me to show up for others and in other ways,” Paul wrote on a social media post, announcing the decision.

He strongly hinted earlier this season that this year was going to be his last. Paul was a fourtime All-NBA first team selection, and he ranks second in NBA history with 12,552 assists and 2,728 steals. He was the first player to score at least 20,000 points while recording at least 10,000 assists; LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have both since done that as well.

“It feels really good knowing that I played and treated this game with the utmost respect since the day my dad introduced me to it,” Paul wrote. “It was the very first relationship I ever knew.”

Paul played for New Orleans, Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State, San Antonio and the Clippers during his career, spending the last four years with four different teams.

He also was a past president of the National Basketball Players Association — instrumental in getting the league through the

bubble season when the pandemic struck in 2020 — and championed the NBA establishing better ties with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

“From the moment he entered the league, Chris distinguished himself with his savvy playmaking skills, elite competitiveness and intense work ethic,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, in which he called Paul “one of the greatest point guards in NBA history.”

Paul is 15th all-time in regularseason games played and 36th in

points, was a six-time steals champion, five-time assists champion, a nine-time All-Defensive team pick, 11-time All-NBA selection and was part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s one of six players in NBA history to have reached $400 million in career earnings.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was 4 years old, and there’s nothing other than my family that brings me more joy than the hard work and all that stuff that goes into it,” he said in 2024. “Yeah, that’s why we get to play a child’s game and say it’s my way of life.”

Paul became arguably the most accomplished player in Clippers franchise history while leading the team to six winning seasons from 2011-17, including the Clippers’ first two Pacific Division titles and three playoff series victories. Paul returned to Los Angeles as a free agent last July, rejoining a franchise where he is loved by fans — but it went bad quickly, and Paul’s last game with the Clippers was Dec. 1

It turned out to be his last NBA game, period.

“While this chapter of being an ‘NBA player’ is done, the game of basketball will forever be engrained in the DNA of my life, spanning three decades,” Paul wrote. “It’s crazy even saying that!! Playing basketball for a living has been an unbelievable blessing that also came with lost of responsibility I embraced it all.”

Paul is one of seven players to have an NBA career span at least 21 seasons. And he’s already in the Hall of Fame: the 2008 Olympic ‘Redeem Team’ was enshrined as part of the 2025 class. It won’t be long before he goes in on his own as well.

LSU men aim to right spiraling season

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU’s 29-point home loss to No 21 Arkansas on Tuesday was its most lopsided defeat of the season With LSU (14-10, 2-9 SEC) desperate for wins, coach Matt McMahon’s team was down by as many as 36 points and was within 10 points for less than five minutes of the game.

LSU’s first field goal from a starter arrived with 10:14 left in the first half. Graduate student Pablo Tamba said in the postgame news conference that confidence is what the team needs to improve the most.

“Obviously, there’s great disappointment in where we’re at from a record standpoint in SEC play,” McMahon said after LSU’s 12-point home loss to Georgia last Saturday.

“Certainly not where we envision being at this point.”

LSU, which is tied for last in the Southeastern Conference, now faces Tennessee (16-7, 6-4) at 5 p.m. Saturday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee. LSU’s situation is the product of poor execution in winnable games and costly injuries. McMahon entered the season saying how much he loved his team. The fourth-year coach also said the program’s “North Star” was reaching the

ä LSU at Tennessee.

5 P.M.SATURDAy. SECN IN BRIEF FROM

NCAA Tournament, a goal it has not achieved during his tenure.

I get an opportunity to build this team essentially from scratch and max it out, become the very best we can be,” McMahon said at SEC media day “I’m all in on that, and I believe in it with all of my heart that we’re going to have a successful year.”

The early returns were impressive.

The Tigers won by at least 25 points in four of their first five games and finished nonconference play with a 12-1 record. LSU played four high-major opponents before the SEC slate — DePaul, Boston College, Texas Tech and SMU — and won three of those games.

LSU failed its first test against Texas Tech, falling 82-58 at a neutral site in Fort Worth, Texas The team’s next game was an 89-77 victory over SMU in New Orleans.

Outside of the Texas Tech loss, the only down moment in the nonconference was the second straight season-ending injury for forward Jalen Reed The redshirt junior injured his left Achilles tendon in the sixth game He averaged 11 points on 60.6% shooting and 6.0 rebounds before going down.

LSU’s spiral began the day before the SEC opener at Texas A&M. Dedan Thomas, the team’s top player and crown jewel out of the transfer portal, injured his left foot in practice Jan. 2. The 6-foot-1 point guard from UNLV was averaging a teamhigh 16.2 points on 49.3% shooting, an SEC-high 7.1 assists and only 1.8 turnovers at the time. In the next five games that Thomas missed, LSU dropped the first four before beating Missouri 78-70 at home. After a three-point loss to the Aggies, the Tigers had a winnable home game against South Carolina, the lowest-rated team analytically in the SEC still. LSU performed far below its standard, trailing 24-5 before losing 78-68. LSU had another head-scratching home loss against Mississippi State 80-66 on Jan. 28 as part of a three-game losing streak. McMahon said his team’s preparation was good prior to both losses. “For whatever reason, I didn’t have them ready to go,” McMahon said after the South Carolina loss. Another costly defeat was a heartbreaking 75-74 loss to Kentucky at home on Jan. 14. With 1.6 seconds left, the Wildcats executed a successful full-court pass, and 7-foot freshman center Malachi Moreno drained a game-winning

Early deficit too much for LSU softball to overcome

The LSU softball team got in an early hole it couldn’t climb out of Friday afternoon in a 5-3 loss to No. 22 Duke at the Children’s Clearwater Invitational.

The No. 12 Tigers (7-2) fell behind 4-1 after two innings to drop the second of three games at the tournament in Clearwater, Florida. Duke (6-1) scored two in the top of the first and added two in the second to win its sixth straight game.

Highlighted by Alix Franklin’s solo homer, LSU got as close as 5-3 with a two-run fourth inning.

Jalia Lassiter led the Tigers at the plate by going 3 for 4. Jayden Heavener went the distance, allowing five runs on 10 hits with four walks and five strikeouts. LSU will next play Central Florida at 9 a.m. Saturday The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Rebels QB Chambliss given injunction for extra eligibility

PITTSBORO, Miss. — In saying “the NCAA ignored its own rules,” a Mississippi judge granted Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss a preliminary injunction Thursday against college athletics’ governing body, allowing him to receive an extra year of eligibility

The NCAA denied Chambliss’ waiver request Jan. 9, and after Chambliss appealed, the organization’s Eligibility Subcommittee upheld the denial on Feb. 4 Judge Robert Whitwell explained his decision that he agreed with Chambliss’ argument that the player’s medical history was not properly considered by the NCAA. The 23-year-old Chambliss has been in college for five years, but was healthy enough to play just three years.

Judge allows Flores suit vs. NFL to head to open court

NEW YORK The Brian Flores-led discrimination lawsuit against the NFL can proceed to open court and avoid the league’s arbitration process, a federal judge ruled Friday Flores, who is joined in the lawsuit by Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, sued the league and three teams in February 2022 after he was fired the previous month by the Miami Dolphins. Now the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, Flores alleged in his original suit that the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches.

The NFL argued Flores should go through the league’s arbitration process rather than the legal system, but Judge Valerie Caproni of the Southern District of New York sided with the plaintiffs.

Bhatia,

Hisatsune share lead at Pebble Beach

mid-range jumper as time expired

The first SEC win against Missouri followed, and LSU’s chance for a turnaround seemed more feasible as Thomas returned to play the next game at then-No. 16 Florida.

He played 17 minutes in the 18-point loss to the Gators, followed by an encouraging 85-81 road loss to then-No. 20 Arkansas. But Thomas reaggravated his foot during his third game back against Mississippi State, and LSU’s only win since was at South Carolina 92-87 in overtime.

McMahon was asked where he finds optimism after the latest Arkansas loss.

“I think when you’re in coaching, it’s a lot of fun when you’re 12-1 at new year’s as we were and everything seems to be rolling smooth,” he said “But this is also a part of coaching. And so working to keep our players connected, stick together

“While we’re disappointed in the results, find ways to get better, come back to practice and move on to the next most important thing, which is preparing for our game on Saturday And that’s the only way I know to do it. Just to have a laser focus on those things, helping our players navigate these challenging times from a basketball standpoint.”

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Far removed from the false hopes Taylor Swift would make an appearance at Pebble Beach, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune went about their business quietly at Spyglass Hill and wound up with a share of the lead Friday in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am. Bhatia was bogey-free over two days at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill, both dry days with a mild breeze and soft greens that allowed for good scoring on both courses. He had six birdies and chipped in from 50 feet for eagle on the 14th hole on his way to a 64. Hisatsune, who opened with a 62 at Pebble Beach, stumbled in the middle of his round with consecutive bogeys, which he offset with enough birdies (and one eagle) before and after for a 67

Toronto trades OF Loperfido for Houston OF Sánchez

DUNEDIN, Fla. The Toronto Blue Jays acquired outfielder Jesús Sánchez from the Houston Astros for outfielder Joey Loperfido on Friday

The 28-year-old Sánchez, a tradedeadline acquisition last July, hit .237 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in 134 games last season between Miami and Houston. The left-handed hitter has 73 home runs in 580 games over the course of six major league seasons. Loperfido, 26, is going back to the Astros, who at the trade deadline in 2024 sent the then-rookie outfielder and two other players to Toronto to acquire left-hander Yusei Kikuchi. The deal also follows news this week that Blue Jays outfielder Anthony Santander will have surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By PHELAN M. EBENHACK

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul drives to the basket during a game against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 20 in Orlando, Fla.

good, talented players didwhat they were supposed to do or what they’ve been trained to do. And because the talent was in our favor in that situation, we won thegame.”

Johnson’sundefeated streak is safe, and the victorymarkedLSU’s 25th straight openingday win.The last timethe Tigers lost came in 2001, a9-8 defeat to Kansas State. “I don’twant to discredit coming back because Idothink it builds confidence,” Johnson said,“but I don’twant to sit here and say we have that part figuredout.”

LSU’sbig seventh inning began on consecutive doubles from juniors Steven Milam and Jake Brown to tie thescore. Twobatters later, sophomore Cade Arrambide broke the dam with a106 mph three-run blast into the Left Field Landing.The homergave LSUan8-5 leadbefore the Tigers added two more runs in the inning on an error

“You can make an argument(Arrambide) was the best player on the field,” Johnson said.“Andthat’s not asurprise to me.”

It was aslow start for LSU, but theTigersstill finished with 15 hits, including nine extra-base knocks and three homers.

Along with his homer, Dardar doubled and drove in three runs. Arrambide went 3for 4, and Brown had apair of doubles. Freshman Omar Serna entered the game as apinch hitter in the eighth inning and hit arun-scoring double.

“I think the depth is kind of the strength of our team,” Dardar said. “It’sbeen up to this point, alot of competition, kind of iron sharpens iron. And now that we finally get to play somebody else, we kinda

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(100), receiving yards (1,163) and receiving touchdowns (nine) on his way to second-team All-Pro honors fromThe Associated Press. All of those figures ranked top 10among NFL players, regardless of position. It was important for Olave to reestablish the upward trajectory of his career after an injury-plagued 2024 seasonthat left his future in doubt. Even if there are fair arguments to make about whetherOlave

LSU

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They can all undo the effects of the spectacular plays Fulwiley frequently creates on bothends of the floor

“I think she’sgrown,” Mulkey said afterLSU beat Arkansason Jan. 29. “I thinkshe’scome along way Some of the things she does, you do live with, but not until you continue to make herbetterincertain areas Youdon’tjust look the otherway and let it cost you agame.”

The thing aboutFulwiley isthat she can almost singlehandedlywin games. She tallied18points, four blocks and two steals in a21-point winoverGeorgiaonJan.8.Then,two weeks later,she nailed three 3-pointers in just a90-second first-quarter stretchatTexasA&M,propellingthe Tigers to a44-point victory.

Fulwiley has scored more than 10 points in seven of the 11 league games LSU has played so far.She’s had multiple steals in all buttwo of those matchups. Sheblocked a shot in all butthree of them

This season, the Tigers are scoring 29.1 points per game off of turnovers —the second-highest average any Division Iteam has posted across the last 10 years, according to ESPN.

Fulwiley is alarge reason why. She can turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye.

ESPN executives likely envisioned her making those kinds of plays when they scheduledthis year’sLSU-South Carolina clash

Play-by-play commentatorRyan Ruocco is calling the game, and he’s been chomping at the bit to take on that assignment since at least October,when he discussed the matchup on aconference call with reporters.

“Welooked at our programmers,” Ruocco said then, “and said, ‘Make sure that’sata quality time, at abig programming slot.’ ” SEC women’steams usually play on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays, but this game is on aSaturday. Thenetwork paired it with two ranked men’srivalry matchups to formaspecialValentine’sDaytripleheader on ABC. LSU-South Carolina got the prime-time slot instead of the men’sgames, even though one of them is atop-10 clash between Kansas and Iowa State

“For (Fulwiley) to go to LSU with theway that rivalry has been over the last couple of years,”Ruocco

get to showcase how much depth we have.”

Sophomore left-handerCooper Williams struck out fivehittersand allowedjustone hit in 22/3 innings of relief to allow LSU to come back. The only mistake he made came in the fifth inning when he allowed asolo home run on ahangingslider that extended Milwaukee’s lead to 5-3.

Redshirtjunior right-hander

Gavin Guidryreplaced Williams in the seventh. He struck outthe first fivebatters he faced in his first appearance since June 2, 2024 —the Chapel Hill Regional against North Carolina—and finishedthe day with just one hit allowed in two innings.

is atrue No. 1widereceiver —a nebulous term with plenty of room for interpretation —there is no doubt Olave proved he can produce like apremier NFL wide receiver Nine NFL wide receivers make at least $30 million per year.Afew extension-eligible players should join those ranks soon. StarsPuka Nacua and JaxonSmith-Njigba are newly eligible to sign extensions, andGeorgePickenscould become afree agent after abreakout 2025 season (although reports suggest theDallas Cowboys will use the franchisetag on Pickens, giving himabout a$28 million salary).

STAFF

LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley

dribbles the ballupcourtagainst

TexasonJan. 11 at the Pete

Maravich Assembly Center

said, “from an entertainment standpoint, it’samazing theater.”

AndFulwiley is thelead actress. She’s playinga different partnow,though mostofher lines are the same.

In two years at South Carolina, Fulwileyscored 12.5 ppg on 42% shooting in the 20 minutes she played, on average, against SEC opponents.

Now,atLSU, Fulwiley is logging 23 minutes anight, andshe’s still scoring only 11.1 ppg on 39% shooting.Her assist,steal and block averages areup, but so is her turnover rate. She gave away 1.6 possessions per game with the Gamecocks, and now she’sturning the ball about2.6 times each night for the Tigers.

FulwileytransferredtoLSU,in part, because she wantedtoplay more point guardthan she would haveatSouth Carolina. Mulkey’s handing her the reins to her offense, but onlywhen JadaRichard comes off the floor.Richard is the Tigers’ clear-cut lead ballhandler, ajob she earned in preseason practices andnonconference play “(Fulwiley’s) never ever saidanything uglyabout South Carolina,” Mulkey said. “She doesn’thave a bitterness. She’sanswered y’all’s questions.She justwanted to go somewhere whereshe would have an opportunity to learnthe point guard position. She liked our style of play,and Idon’tthink there was any animosity orhard feelings.

Aback injury sufferedduring thefirst week of the season forced Guidry to sit out all of 2025.

“I was trying to soak itin, slow my heartbeat down and take some deep breaths,” Guidry said. “Yeah, really just alot of gratitude, just grateful to be back out there.”

Sophomore right-hander Casan Evans startedfor LSU after posting a2.05ERA in 522/3 innings a year ago, but he struggled in his fourthcareerstart.After striking outseven batters and not allowing arun through the first three innings, he hit abatter,surrendered three singles and gave up adouble as Milwaukeetook a4-2 edge.Evans musteredjust one out in the in-

Olaveshouldn’tbeinthe conversation to reset the market in the waythatNacuaand Smith-Njigba maybe, but he occupies the same tier as playerssuch as Jaylen Waddle ($28.3 million average per year), Terry McLaurin ($29 million APY) and his college teammate at Ohio StateGarrett Wilson ($32.5 million APY).

Waddle signedhis extension in May 2024, while Wilson and McLaurin signed theirs ayear ago. The salary cap is expected to make another record jump this year,with thenumber likely clearing $300 million for the first time

“If there is, Idon’tknow about it.”

The last time she spoke to reporters, Fulwiley said she wasn’t having a“perfect”season but that shewas “proud” of the ways she’s improved. Most of her growth, she said, won’tshow up on astat sheet

That appearance was two weeks before Fulwiley turnedinanuneven performancelast Thursday in LSU’sroad loss to No. 4Texas. In thefirst quarter,she forced twoturnovers, assisted aFlau’jae Johnson 3-pointer and banked in a difficult, euro-stepping layup past Longhorns star RoriHarmon.

Fulwiley madethosewinning plays, which sparked an 11-2 first-quarter run thatLSU used to take an early lead, throughoutthe game. Butshe also threw three errant passes, missed awide-open layup and committedacouple of needless fouls. One gave Texas apairoffreethrows late in the third. Another compounded one of herturnovers earlyinthe fourth, leading Mulkeytopull heroff of thefloor right before theLonghorns went on their decisive run.

Fulwiley finished withnine points, fiveassistsand two steals Shealsoturned theballovera career-highsix times. Texasoutscored the Tigers by fivepoints in the23minutes she played.

“She was trying to makethings happen,”Mulkey said. “She’strying to play two positions. Oneminute,I’vegot heratthe point, and the next minuteIhave her on the wing. I’m glad Iget to coach her.”

Fulwiley next needs to figure out how she can play her best basketball against SouthCarolina. If she can provide astrong, clean scoring punch off thebench, then she’ll boost LSU’schances of snapping its 17-game losing streak in the series.

The Tigers last beat theGamecocks in 2012. TenSEC teams have knocked offSouth Carolina more recently than they have.

Fulwiley played arole in LSU’s last three losses. Now she stands at thecenter of the rivalry,where she’ll findher first, best chance to show whyshe made hermove— not explain it

“(Fulwiley)willbefine,” Mulkey said, “except she’sprobably internally going to be alittlebit excited, have butterflies. But she’sreally a valuable part of our team, and she’s really allowing me to teachher a little bit about bothpositions.”

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

ning before Williams replaced him andescaped thejam.

None of the six hits Evans allowed were hit particularly hard.

“I don’tthink it was like apoor outing or anything,” Johnson said of Evans. “I think maybe he missedsome pitchesthat he would like to (get back). Ithink they competed in the game, too. Ifelt like we needed to change the look, and Cooper did that.”

The Tigers recorded 17 strikeouts overall andgaveupjusttwo hits after the fourth inning. The home run was the only ball the Panthershit hard all day

“I thought (Williams) found another gear,and Idon’tknowhow many

in league history,which is going to lead to bigger contracts forstar players. Olaveand Wilson have put up similar numberssincetheywere selected with back-to-back picks in the2022 NFL Draft. McLaurin has outpaced Olave’sproduction since Olaveentered the league in 2022, but he was 29 years oldwhen he signed his recentextension, while Olaveturns 26 in June. So $30 millionfeelslike thestarting point. As is typically the case, it would benefitthe Saints to get adeal wrapped up sooner rather thanlater because of the way

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women’s sports. As aplayer she pre-dated NCAAwomen’sbasketball, helpingLouisianaTech win an AIAW national titlein1981 before being thepoint guard on the Lady Techsters’ team that won the first NCAAwomen’scrowna year later

To say the excitement, buildup and anticipation forthis version of Saturday night live does her heart good is an understatement.

“I’m so happy foreverybody,” Mulkey said. “I’m happy forthe recognition it brings to LSU Certainly happy forwhat it brings to our program

“But it’s not thefirst time. It’s becoming aregular occurrence and Iloveit. Ilovethat it’snot afly-by-night deal. We’vebuilt a program that hassustained excellence.”

For some reason the networksalways preselect games forthe entire college basketball schedule before theseason begins, unlike collegefootball where mostofthe slotsare filled on a week-to-week basis. That means ESPN/SEC Network whiffed on Thursday night’stopfive matchup between Texas and Vanderbilt, which could have been viewed online only

outs he got afterthat(homer),” Johnson said, “but there was agood runofatleast like fiveina row.”

LSU’sfirst run and home run of the season came in the second inning when Grand Canyon transfer Zach Yorke lifted aball 378 feet into the DiamondDeck in right field. The blast gave LSU a1-0 lead that it turned into a2-0 advantage the next inning.

LSU’sthree-game series with Milwaukeecontinues on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is slatedfor 1p.m., and the game will be available to stream on SEC Network+

Email Koki Rileyat koki.riley@theadvocate.com.

contract negotiations work —although it may not be up to them if Olave and hisrepresentatives wish to let the market do somework for them As previously referenced,both Nacuaand Smith-Njigba areeligible to sign extensions this offseason. Currently,Ja’Marr Chase is the NFL’s highest-paid receiver by asignificant margin, with his $40.3 million APYaround $5 million per year more than his former LSU teammate, Justin Jefferson. But that could change this offseason, which might further shift the goal posts in Olave’sfavor

back in the day whenthe team was known, if you younger folks can believe it, as the Ben-Gals. Fortunately, alot of things have changed in women’sathletics, like that nickname. Unfortunatelyfor LSU, onethinghas not lately, and that is beating SouthCarolina. “I don’treally know the definition of arivalry anymore,” Mulkey said. “They’re always good games (with South Carolina). Ilook at it as they’re one of the top teams in the country Ifeel we’re one of the top teams in the country

“Ifa rivalry is supposed to be twoteams playing extremely hard and respecting each other Iguess it’sarivalry.”

“If arivalryis supposed to be twoteams playing extremely hardand respecting each other,I guess it’s arivalry.”

KIM MULKEy, LSU coach

The folks in Bristol nailed this one, though. How could you not?

Both the Tigers and Gamecocks were preseason top-five picks (Vandy,tobefair,was 19th), and theheat and intensity forthis rivalry rivals anything going in thewomen’sgame. Neither side has much love forthe other

That said, for arivalry to truly hit all of the right notes, both sides have to win —at least once in awhile. South Carolina, aprogram that had a nonexistent women’sbasketball pedigree before Dawn Staley arrived, has won awhopping 17 straight games against LSU since 2012, including fivestraight on Mulkey’swatch since 2022. Even Tennessee, the former belle of the women’sbasket-ball in the Southeastern Conference, can “only” claim a14-gamewinning streak over the Tigers. That was

There will be intensity and emotion by the bucket full in the PMAC, especially between LSU guard MiLaysia Fulwiley and her former team. Not only did she play the previous twoseasons at South Carolina but she’salso from Columbia. Her high school is about 10 miles from the Gamecocks’ homecourt. Something always will happen when Fulwiley is in the game. She can make adazzling move, an over-the-head shot, a disruptive steal or turn the ball over in traffic or transition with little or no pressure. Despite all that’sinvolved, Mulkey said she isn’tworried about trying to keep her top reserve’semotions in check.

“What can Isay?” Mulkey asked. “I can’tsay anything to calm her downormake her play better or worse. Just go play.” ESPN analytics gives LSU a54% chance of winning Saturday,but because of South Carolina’slong winning streak it feels like the Tigers are the underdog regardless. That said, LSU doesn’thave to play aperfect gametowin. The Tigers do have to cut downon the turnovers (19 in each of the past twogames at Texas and at Auburn), finish around the basket and get astrong offensive gamefrom at least twooftheir four backcourt stars: Fulwiley, Flau’jae Johnson, Mikayla Williamsand Jada Richard.

It’s women’s basketball’stime to shine, forsure. Will it be LSU’s timeaswell?

STAFFPHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU left fielder Chris Stanfield greets first basemanZach yorkeafter scoring arun against Milwaukee on Friday at Alex Box Stadium. LSUwon its season opener 15-5.

PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

MI LA N CO RT IN A OL YM PI CS

Disaster strikes‘Quad God’

U.S.WOMEN’S CURLING TEAM

BEATS CANADAFOR FIRST TIME IN OLYMPICS: In Ortina D’ampezzo, Italy, theU.S.women’scurling team was surprised to learnthat its victoryover Canada on Fridaymarked an Olympic first.

“If that’strue,”said Minneapolis nativeTaylor Anderson-Heideafterthe 9-8 nail-biter,“Ithink we just played areally good game.They’re No. 1in the world.”

Tara Peterson (above photo) of Shoreview, Minnesota, chimedin: “It justalways feels really good to beat (Canada captain) Rachel Homan. So anyteam to beat them, that’spretty impressive.”

Until Friday, the American women had neverbeaten Canada —a perennial favorite thathas medaledin everyWinter Games since curlingwas added to the Olympics in 1998.The U.S. men beat the Canadiansfor the first time in the 2018 round-robin and again in the semifinals en route to their gold medal victoryinPyeongchang

WESTON GETS FIRST OLYMPIC

SKELETON GOLD: In Ortina D’ampezzo,Italy,Matt Weston doesn’t always win. It only seems that way. And at the Milan Cortina Olympics, the28-year-oldsliderfrom Britain left no doubt —he’sthe best skeleton racer in the world.

Capping afour-year runthat featured one remarkable finish after another,Weston wonthe men’s skeleton gold medal on afrosty Fridaynight in Cortina d’Ampezzo. He finished four runs over twodaysin 3minutes, 43.33 seconds, posting atrack-record timeinall four of those heats and building an almostinsurmountable lead going into a final slide that became avictorylap “I expect everytime Istand at the top of the startline, I’m goingthere for onereason and one reason only,” Weston said.“And that’stowin.”

FINLAND EARNS FEISTY WIN OVER SWEDEN: In Milan, Finland showed plenty of fight in reviving its Olympic campaign.

Joel Armia scored ashort-handed goal and the Finns outmuscled archrival Sweden in a4-1 group-stage victoryFriday—20years after the sides squared off in the gold medal game at theTurin Games. Finland’swin —after losing its opener at the Milan Cortina Games to Slovakia —leavesthe group’s quarterfinal spot up for grabs Saturday.

“Everybodywas fired up for this, andI’m sure theywere,too,”Finland defenseman Olli Maatta said.“These are unbelievable games to playin, and I’mveryhappywith the win today. We’vejust gottobuild off that.”

VONN HOPES TO GO HOME AFTER ANOTHER SURGERY: In Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy,LindseyVonnwill have another surgeryonher broken left leg Saturdayatthe Italian hospital treating her “and thenI can potentially leave and go back home.”

Vonn posted avideo messageon Instagram on Fridayfollowing her horrificcrash in the Olympicdownhill race at the Milan Cortina Games. Vonn is being treated at ahospital in Treviso. —TheAssociatedPress

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByASHLEy

Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the men’s free skate program on FridayinMilan, Italy.The 21-year-old fromVirginiafell twice duringhis free skate routine to allowMikhail ShaidorovofKazakhstan to claim astunning gold medal

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

MILAN Ilia Malinin, theAmerican figure skatingsensation known as the “Quad God,”proved to be amere mortal after all.

The 21-year-old from northern Virginia fell twice during adisastrousfree skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Fridaynight sending him tumbling all the wayoff thepodiumand allowing Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan to claim astunning gold medal.

“I blew it,” Malinin said afterward, poised and magnanimous in defeat.“That’s honestlythe first thing that cametomymind.”

Malinin led by acomfortable margin after the short program andmerelyhad to deliver amediocre performance Friday night to addindividual gold to his team gold medal. Instead, the two-time reigning world champion was trying to hold back thetearsafter oneofthe worst nights of his career,one that left astar-packed crowdinside Milano Ice Arena sitting in stunned silence.

“Honestly,yeah, Iwas not expectingthat,” Malinin said. “I felt going into this competition Iwas so ready.I just felt ready goingon

“I blew it.That’shonestly the first thing that came to my mind.”

ILIA MALININ, United States skater

that ice. Ithink maybe that might have been thereason, is Iwas too confident it was going to go well.”

Shaidorov finished with acareer-best 291.58 points to give his nation itsfirstgoldmedalofthe Winter Games, while Yuma Kagiyama earned his second consecutive Olympic silver medal and Japanese teammate Shun Sato took bronze.

Then there was Malinin, who dropped all the way to eighth place.Hefinished with 264.49 points, his worst total score in nearly fouryears, andone that ended atwo-plus year unbeaten streakthat covered 14 full competitionsaround the world.

“The nerves just went so overwhelming,” Malinin said, “and especially going intothatstarting pose, Ijust felt like all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head,and there’sjustlike, so manynegative thoughts that just flooded into there and Ijust did not handle it.”

Much of Malinin’sjourney in theMilan Cortina Gameshad felt alittle bit off. Butbythe timeofhis individual short program Tuesdaynight, Malinin’s fearless swaggerand unrivaled spunk seemed to be back. He took afive-point lead over Kagiyama and Adam Siao Him Fa of France that seemed insurmountable going into Friday night Malininhad decided to practice early in the day at U.S. Figure Skating’salternate training base in Bergamo, just outside of Milan, allowing him to escape the Olympic bubble and avoid sitting in the arena allnight.And he wasthe essence of calmthroughout his warmup, never once falling in all of his practice jumps while wearing his familiar glittering black and gold ensemble. Then came aperformancethat might wellhaunt Malinin forthe rest of hiscareer As theatmospheric musicwith

place

his own voice-over began to play, he opened with aquad flip, one of arecord-tying seven quads in his plannedprogram, then appeared to be going after thequadaxel only he has ever landed in competition and had to bail out of it. Malinin recovered to land his quad lutz before his problemsreally began. He only doubleda plannedquad loop,throwing his timing off. He fell on aquadlutz, preventing him from doing the second half of the quad lutz-triple toe loop combination that would have earned him big points. And in his final jumping pass, which was supposed to be ahigh-scoring quad salchow-triple axel,Malinin only could muster adouble salchow and he fell on that. By the timethe music stopped, Malinin was left trying to mask his sorrow for acrowd that includedNathanChen, the 2022 Olympic champion, along with seven-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, actor Jeff Goldblum and his wife, Emilie.

“I’ve been through alot,” Malinin said.

“Being the Olympic gold hopefulisreally just alot to deal with, especially formyage.”

U.S. routsItaly to advancetowomen’s semis

BY JOHN WAWROW AP hockey writer

MILAN Kendall Coyne Schofield scored twiceand top-seeded United States routed Olympic host Italy 6-0 in alopsided, festive andsometimes chippy women’shockey quarterfinal at the Milan Cortina Games on Friday night

Megan Keller, Laila Edwards, Hannah Bilka and Britta Curl-Salemme also scored in an outingduringwhich theU.S. had five goals in thesecondperiod.

GwynethPhilipsfinished with sixsavesas the Americanspostedtheir fourthstraight shutout.

TheGroup A-winning U.S. has outscored its opponents by acombined 26-1 in winning all five games, with thelone goal allowed in a5-1 tournament-opening win over Czechia. With Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein and Grace Zumwinkle making the scoresheet Friday,the U.S. has only two skaters —defenders Cayla Barnes and Rory Guilday —without apoint

The tournament-favored Americans ad-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Britta Curl-Salemme, left, of theU.S.celebrates with Megan Keller after Curl-Salemme scored against Italy on FridayinMilan.TheU.S.won 6-0.

vance to thesemifinal roundonMonday

They’ll play either Sweden, after the Group Bwinner upset Czechia 2-0 earlier in the day, or Germany,should theseventh-seeded team knock off Canadainits quarterfinal on Saturday

Finlandfaces Switzerland on Saturday in a

TV HIGHLIGHTS

matchup of Group A’sfourth- and fifth-place teams.

The game featured dueling chants, with each chorus of “USA! USA! USA!” met with an even louder “EEE-TA-LIA!” And Italian fans kept their spirits up even as the score gotout of hand by cheering foreach andevery scoring opportunity Italy stood little chance while making its second Olympic appearance, each timeas thehost team. Advancing to the knockout round was consideredanaccomplishment for the Italians, who went 2-2 in the preliminary round, andafter going 0-4 at the 2006 Turin Games.

Goalie Gabriella Durante stole the show by stopping 19 of 20 shots through the opening period, and 45 overall. Her best save came with 14 seconds leftin thefirst periodbyreaching back andusing the paddle of her stick to deflect away Abbey Murphy’sone-timer from the leftcircle. Keller opened the scoring with arising shot from the top of the right circle, beating Durante on the stick side 13:31 in.

LANDIS

with meteorologist DamonSingleton

JokicgetsNuggets teammate Murray at All-Star weekend

BY ARNIE STAPLETON

AP sportswriter

DENVER Nikola Jokic will finally see avery familiar face at the NBA All-Star Game.

The Denver Nuggets superstar center was named an All-Star for the eighth consecutive season and will start for the sixth straight year.And for the first time,he’ll have ateammate tagging along as Jamal Murray earned thefirst AllStar berthofhis nine-yearcareer thanks to career-high averages across the board.

“It feels really good,” Jokic said. “He’sbeenplaying at areally high level the last two years. It’s good for him to be there because he’s supposed to be there.”

Jokic, athree-time NBAMVP, is again in the midst of an historic season.He’sthe first player in NBA history to reach the All-Star break having hit the followingmarks: 1,000 points, 475 rebounds,400 assists, 250 converted free throws,75 3-pointers and 30 blocks. And he did it despite missing 16 games with aknee injury and often havingtowrap andice hisaching right hand after games like he did Wednesday night following Denver’s122-116 win over Memphis in which he posted anothertripledouble.

Murray is having acareer year, himself, averaging careerbestsin points (25.8), assists (7.6) and rebounds (4.4) per game. He’salso had 13 30-point games and 11 times he’sdished out double digits in assists.

The Nuggets went into the AllStarbreak in thirdplace in the Western Conference at 35-20despite an injury-riddled season that has seen all five starters miss time and six of their top rotation players go out for significant stretches

After losing to eventual champion Oklahoma City in seven games in the playoffs last year, theNuggets bolstered their depth, which has been tested way beyondwhat they could have imagined back in October

“We’ve had everybodyonour roster contribute at some point this

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVIDZALUBOWSKI

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray,left, blocks ashot by Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr.during agame on Wednesday in Denver.

ä NBA All-StarGame. 4P.M. SUNDAy,NBC

season,”Jokic said. “Some guys won us acouple of games thatdon’t play big minutes right now.Injuries definitely hurtus, but Ithink they gave us something too.”

Of course, Jokic and Murray are at theirbest when they’reonthe court together,especiallyinthe fourth quarterwhere their twoman game is one of thebestsince KarlMalone and John Stockton.

“Wedefinitely help each other throughout our careers and definitely made each other much better,”Jokic said.

Murrayhas long said that if he weretomakeanAll-Star Game, he’d take it competitively andseriously,suggesting he’d rathervacation thanplay in thegameifit’sjust ano-defensedisplay of teamsburning up the nets.

“I’m downtoplay 1-on-1, Idon’t care, I’mjust acompetitor,” Murray said.“So Iwant to be known as one of those guyswho’sgoing to play hardeverytime he steps on thecourt.”

The All-StarGame is nothingnew for Jokic but Murray is anovice on this stage.

“Just the experience,” coach David Adelman said when askedwhat he hoped Murraywould get out of thefestivities. “I’vegottentodoit as an assistant coach. Ithink it’s just the experience being around the other guys. They have the glorified practicebut youreally getto know these other peoplethat you competedagainst at areally high levelinthe playoffs and all those other things. I’llbeinterested to see what the newformat’s like,but just for him to get the notoriety of what it is and he deserves it.”

The new format pits international players and Americans.

“It’sanhonor to go and represent your team,” Adelman said, “Represent the league and nowrepresent the world, it’scool the way they’re doing this, Ihopeitworksout, I hope the guys are competitive but it’sjust so deserved.

“I’m just happy forhim to go get the experience,Ithink Nikola’snot as excited. It’scool for twoofour guys to go. It really says alot about what ourseason’s been. Those guys go and they representthese other players, what these other players did for them during the first half of the season to get us to wherewe’re at,toput us in positiontobeapart of the conversation.

LeBron becomesthe oldest player to have triple-double in NBA

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES Deep in the 23rd season of the longest career in NBAhistory,LeBron James is still dropping triple-doubles —onthe Dallas Mavericks andonFather Time.

James became theoldestplayer to have atriple-double Thursday night, accomplishing thefeat at 41 years and44days oldduring the LosAngelesLakers’ 124-104 victory over theMavs.

Jameshad 28 points and12assists when he grabbed his 10th rebound with 2:06 to play.Hegot astanding ovationfrom theLakers’ crowdwhenhechecked out moments later withhis 123rd career triple-double, thefifth-most in NBAhistory James broke therecordheldfor the past 22 years by Karl Malone, whorecorded hisfinal triple-double for theLakerswhenhewas 40 years and127 daysold.

“I guessI’m more appreciative of moments likethisinmycareer, understanding whereI’m at,atthe later stage of my journey,” James said. “You definitelytake it in a little bit more.”

While merestatisticsand longevity records don’tdomuch for James at this stage in his historic career,herespects triple-doubles as aparticularly good measure of the high level he is maintaining on the court. Although he has missed 18 games this season due to injury James was no charity case when he waschosenfor his22ndAllStar Game this weekend, andhe proved it by dominating theMavs while Luka Doncicwas out witha hamstringstrain James’play hasremained largely outstanding when healthy thisseason, and he repeated his belief that he couldcontinuealmost indefinitely at this level.

James entered this game averaging21.8 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds, and the Lakers arein

the thick of the Western Conference playoff race despite playing only10games with James,Doncic and Austin Reaves simultaneously healthy.

Butthe topscorer in NBA history hadn’thad atriple-double since Feb. 1, 2025, in New York.That day is betterremembered forthe latenight breaking news of theseismic trade that brought Doncic to the Lakers.

Malone had held the record as the oldest player with atripledoublesince he had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on Nov.28, 2003, duringhis final NBA season James recorded thenext 15 tripledoubles on that list, andherepeatedly came close to setting the record over the past year,but didn’t quite reach it until the Lakers’ final game beforethe All-Starbreak. With Doncicout when hisformer team visited, James was aggressive andactive from the opening tip as he returned from hisown injury absence during theLakers’ loss to San Antonio on Tuesday After dancing gleefully in pregame warmups andscreaming his way down thetunnel when he took the court, James put up 14 points and six assists in the first quarter alone against Dallas.Hefactored into the Lakers’ first 23 points of thegame.

James had 18 points, eight assistsand four rebounds by halftime. He toppeddoubledigitsin assists during the third quarter, but he didn’tcome outofthe game during thefourthquarter before he grabbed the three rebounds necessary to get the triple-double. He almost had it afew possessions earlier, but Reaves beat him to aboard— andgot an earful fromthe rest of theLakers.

“Everybody on theteamyelled at me,”Reaves said.“Idon’t catch myself looking at the stats during the game, so we went to the bench andeverybodylet me know about it. He didn’t, but everybody (else), and Ilooked at him and said, ‘Shoot,myfault.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your finger on the pulse, and you'll not lose sight of your goal.Balance and equality are your best choices if you require outside acceptance, help or funding.

PISCES(Feb. 20-March 20) To make a difference, follow through. Network, socializeand shareyourthoughts with people who can contribute to whatyou aretrying to achieve. Let your charm kick in and attract those you want by your side.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Engaging in physical activity will help quell the emotionalanxiety that's brewing. Discipline, willpowerand usingyour strengths to navigate your way forward will benefit you the most

TAURUS (April20-May 20) Cozy downtime will invite talks that offer something to look forward to. Opportunity is more readily available than you realize. Asuggestion will tweak your imagination.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Lendahelping hand, offer your skills or donatetoa foundation that supports something you believein. Don't hold back if someone you comeacross interests you; makethe first move.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) You'll find what others say or do misleading. Don't hesitate to be bold and ask direct questions. Personal connections, love andromance areall favored, so dig deep andsee what transpires.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Areunion will lead to romantic sparks. Explore thepossibilities and engage in social events that

interest you, andsomething magical will unfold. Agreatershow of affection will play in your favor

VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept. 22) Sort out mixed emotionsthrough honestcommunication. You areoverdue for achange, a commitment or something thatinspires you to get on with your life and longterm plans

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Get in themood, socialize andtakeyoursparkle to the party. Engage in talks, make your moves and baskinthe magic of theevening. Live in the moment andsee what transpires.

SCORPIO(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Negativity will lead to unwanted change. Bring your lighterside to any conversation that develops, andyou'llavoid feeling vulnerable. It'satime to be considerate, not forceful or demanding.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't overload your plate with promises you'llnever keep. It'sOKtotake aback seat and let someoneelsemake the firstmove. Be fun to be around, and everyone will want to hang out with you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Yourcharm will captivate and draw attention if youhost agathering or participate in activities you enjoy. Love and romance are looming. Live in themoment and enjoy.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by nEa, inc dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are createdfrom quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'SCLUE: SEQUALS G

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the samenumber only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City, said, “In action, be primitive; in foresight,a strategist.” Itrequiresforesighttoseethestrategy necessary to make this six-spade contract. What should Southdoafter West leads the club king?

WhenNorth raisedtothree spades, promisingsomepoints (usually 4to7), SouthusedRomanKeyCardBlackwood. Northshowedonekeycard(anaceorthe spadeking).ThenSouthaskedforspecific kings, Northdenying any.(Note that the heart king would make agrand slam sure, but the club king wouldnot.)

Southhas two possible heart losers. He also has only11top tricks: seven spades, one heart, twodiamondsand oneclub. So at first glanceitlooksasifdeclarer needs theheart finesse to work. However, assuming West has the club queen behindhisking-lead,heisacandidatefor an endplay.

South, though, must have theforesight to ruff aclub at tricktwo, and not to ruff with the spade two. Southneedsthree dummy entries (two forclubruffs and one for the endplay), which mustbethe club ace and twointrumps.

After the club ruff, declarer takes his spadeace,overtakesamiddlespadewith dummy’s jack, ruffsanother club high, cashes histop diamonds,and playsthe spadetwotodummy’sfour.Withthepreliminariescomplete, Southcallsfor the club jack and discards his heart five. West is trapped, forced either to lead away from theheart king or to concede aruff-and-sluff(Southruffsontheboard and sluffs his heart queen). ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzleisawordriddle which creates adisguisedword, phrase,name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the additionof“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 PHYsIcAL: FIZ-ih-kul:Having material existence.

Average mark 29 words

Time limit 50 minutes

Can you find41ormore wordsinPHYSICAL?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —FLIPPAncY

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C. PiCKles

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letterword from theletters in each row. add pointsof each word, using scoring directions at right.Finally, 7-letterwords get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. allthe words arein theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5thEdition. For more information on tournamentsand clubs,emailnaspa –north

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit

kenken

WiShinGWell

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes called cages mustcombine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is aplEasanT liTTlEgamEthat

the

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

Krewe of Iris

February14, 2026

1. IRIS CAPTAIN –The Captain of Iris welcomes revelers to thebiggest krewe in Carnivaland theoldest all-female krewe, with themighty, winged Pegasus heralding her arrival.

2. QUEEN –HAIL, IRIS! Bright purples and blues and a drapedcrown showcase our Queen, representing Iris, Goddess of theRainbow and Messenger of theGods

3. IRIS’ GARDEN –Beautiful butterflies aboundinasea of irises, thepurple flowerthat is named in honorof thekrewe’s namesakegoddess.

4. TITLE FLOAT: “WHATANIRIS WANTS” –Withits spectacular and colorful 2026 parade, theKrewe of Irisexplores what itsmembers mostdesireonthis Valentine’s Day.

5. TRAVEL –Thisthree-tandem float serves as alist of exciting and exotic possible destinations forany Irismember, including NewYork,London, Beijing, Moscow,Paris, Rome and Sydney.

6. MONEY –Abig bank account won’t buy you happiness, but it couldn’t hurt, especiallyifanIris memberwants adesigner purse or some other fab fashion accessoryatthe mall.

7. THEHOLIDAYS –Iris can’t wait to celeb holidays withfamily, opening gifts and ornaments on thetree.

8. SPORTS CAR –Every Iris memberlooks lovely when behind thewheel of afasts Corvette,aLamborghini or aPorsche

9. LOVE –Onthis Valentine’s Day, theKre youtobeour valentine as we search fort

10. COOKING –The ladiesofIris arequitea kitchen, but they alsonotetwo of ourcit chefs–the lateLeah Chaseand Ella Brennan women.

11. MUSIC –The Iris ladieshavealways enjo musicthat makes them dance including jazz, funk,disco,Cajun,zydeco and hip

12. SPORTS –Iris salutes ourhometownpro teams: theNBA’s New Orleans Pelicans beloved New Orleans Saints of theNFL

13. BEACHTIME –The ladiesofIris have alwa time they spend lounging on thebeach rays and maybe enjoying acocktail or tw

celebrate the placing ks even more portscar likea we of Iris wants rtruelove. eathomeinthe ity’sgreatest ennan –were enjoyedthe ding traditional hop. rofessional and our always lovedthe soaking up the two.

14. DIAMONDS –The Krewe of Iris have long prized agirl’s bestfriend; theenduring symbol of love, commitmentand eternal beauty:the diamond.

15. MAKEUP –The krewe members believe in makeup as away of enhancing their inner beauty.

16. BALLET –The Krewe of Iris delightsinthe sights and sounds of seeing both traditional and modernballet performances

17. CAKE –Attractivetothe eyes and tantalizing to the tongue, there’snomoreguiltypleasure than cake. Yes, please!

18. PAINTING –ManyIris members areavidcollectors of objects d’artbut some of ourtalented krewe can alsorender amasterpiece withpaints,brushes and a canvas.

19. BROADWAY SHOW –The ladiesofIris love the Great WhiteWay and count “Wicked” and “The Lion King” among their favoriteBroadway musicals

20. SPA –Like anylady, every Iris memberneeds occasional pampering witharelaxing treatmentat aspa

21. PETS –There’snothing like theunconditional love Iris members receivefromtheir pets. FormanyinIris, their pets areanextension of themselves.

22. SEEA MOVIE –Two of thetop movies Iris members love areDisney’s“The Princess and theFrog” set in NewOrleans and theblockbuster “Titanic.”

23. SHOES –There’snothing like finding theright shoe to brighten an Iris member’s dayand if those shoes are on sale, it’s an even bigger win!

24. IT’S CARNIVAL TIME –The Krewe of Iris has been an activepartofthe Carnivalscene formorethan 1 00 years.But be suretoyell out “Throw me something, lady!”

25. FIESTA –The Krewe of Iris celebratesthe musicand cultureofour neighbors to thesouthwithmargaritas and other cocktailsonthis festiveday

26. YACHT –Sail or motor away in astatelycraft atop the tranquilwaters with an Iris ladyasthe skipper

27. FLOWERS –Flowers alwaysbring asmileand joyas expressions of love to our Iris members,especially todayonValentine’sDay

28. GLAMPING –Acombination of “glamor”and “camping,”glamping has grown in popularityfor many of our Iris members who love thegreat outdoors, but dislikeroughing it

29. CHAMPAGNE –Irisagrees that nothing makes a celebration morespecialthan to add abottleof champagne to themix

30. CHOCOLATE –Scientists sayeating chocolate (especially dark chocolatehigh in cocoa) can have multiplehealthbenefits, but Iris members love how good it tastesand how happytheyare when savoring it

31. FASHION –When it comes to accessorizing, the members of Iris know what to wear and how to wear it, but arehappiest wearing purple, green and gold!

32. THE PALACE OF IRIS –Irisisproud to present itsdepictionofthe fictional grand dwelling of the goddess and namesake of our krewe.

33. THE IRIS BUTTERFLY –The beautiful butterfly drawn to thepurple iris flowers is among thefavorites of thekrewe and especially beautiful on anyday that Iris parades.

State Fair of Texas Dallas

Harley Davidson Café

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

Houseparty,gardenparty

You’d expect to see afabuloushouse float at the Mandeville home of adesigner whose company creates them. And Coco Darrow delivers, with an image of goddesses that honors her young daughters. The interior is warm and inviting in away that also honors family life. Jyl Benson take us insideon Page 12.

figuring outjust how to start?Ifso, read Dan Gill’scolumn on Page 8, whereheexplains the process.

Karen Taylor Gist

Ever consider remaking your yard for spring but becomeoverwhelmed

This week’sOne in aMillion housefor sale is in thesame neighborhood as Beyoncé’s mansion. The dusty pink stucco home, built in 1975 —about 50 years after Queen Bey’s place —isdesigned to suit the historicGarden District area. That’s on Page16.

The InsideOut home and gardensection is published every Saturday by TheTimes-Picayune Questions about InsideOut should be directed to the editor

INSIDEOUT EDITOR: Karen Taylor Gist, kataylor@theadvocate.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Louis J.Aubert, Jyl Benson, Dan Gill, Jenna Ross

COVER DESIGN: AndreaDaniel

COVER PHOTO: Jeff Strout

TO BE FEATURED: Send information and photos to insideout@theadvocate. com

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

New Garden District book is afeastofhistory,photos.

PAGE 4

GREENTHUMB

Planning your landscape from scratch. PAGE 8

GARDEN ADVICE Whattodoaboutweeds, and when to do it. PAGE 9

InsideOut’smission is to give readers peeks inside themanydifferent ways that peopleinthe New Orleans area live. We profile spaces that are opulent,orjustoffbeat; sophisticated or simple;functional or lighthearted; historicorbrand-spanking new. Andanything in between. Please help us by sending information andJPEGphotos of your home, or specific spaces inside it,toinsideout@theadvocate.com. We love gardens and outdoor spaces, too. And we’re waiting to hear from you.

COVERSTORY

ACarnivaldesigner’s Mandeville home. PAGE 12 ONEINAMILLION

A$1.5M house near Beyoncé’splace. PAGE 16

INSIDE STORY

Orchidsput on awinter show. PAGE 18

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 20

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

The DuganHouse on St.Philip Street was built in the 1890s in what’s been labeled the Shingle Style, ‘a texture-rich surfacetreatment consisting of wood shakeshingles placed in awovenpatterninstead of asmoothplastered wood or masonryfacade.’

Lush photos and detailed histories fill Garden District book

The Garden District Association hasput together anew book that offers acomprehensive history of the iconic,landmarkneighborhood. And what better time to consider “New Orleans Garden District: Profiles in Preservation” than when eyes areturnedtothe neighborhood while Carnivalparades roll down St. CharlesAvenue?

Aseven-year laborofloveby dedicated souls whocherish the city’s history,the book was pro-

duced by the association as part of its Profiles in Preservation Program, chaired by Andrea St. Paul Bland.

The project created individual house histories for each of the 100 participating homeowners, describing each home’spath from bare earth to the present. Bronze plaques were created to

PROVIDED PHOTOS By DAVID SPIELMAN

Louis Aubert

share that history withneighborhood visitors.

In time, aself-guidedtour will be mapped out so visitors can locate thehouses with the plaques and learn their stories.

The coverof‘NewOrleans Garden District’features the circa 1860 Bosworth Hammond Fox house on WashingtonAvenue.

Also featuring more than 300 pagesoflush photographs,this tome goes well beyond most coffee table books of historic homes.

The history of each home begins with the story of its owners, bringing to life, among others, the stories of women who were able to own property free of their husbands thanks to our French- and Spanish-based law.There are also histories of property ownership by free people of color in antebellum New Orleans.

Like most historic neighborhoods, theGarden District has periods of boom and bust. Several pages are devoted to archival photographs of buildings lost to redevelopment.

Most demolitions occurred between 1950 and the mid-1970sbeforethe creation of historic districts or,atthe very least, ademolition review process.

ä See AUBERT, page 6

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

ABOVE: The Soria Creel House on Prytania Street is alate Italianate-stylehome built in 1875. Over itsnearly 150-year history, only twofamilieshaveowned it.

LEFT: The Abraham Kahn House on Seventh Street, built circa 1900, ‘isneither Greek Revival, likeone neighboring home, nor asymmetrically Queen Anne like the other.’

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

GARDEN DISTRICT TIMELINE

1832: Marie Celeste Marigny Livaudais sells land to a group of Americans who plan a suburb that would become the Garden District.

1833: The subdivided land becomes the city of Lafayette, laid out by New Orleans architect,planner and surveyor Barthelemy Lafon.Each square block is divided into four lots to accommodate large homes set in lush gardens.

1852: Lafayette is annexed into New Orleans as the city’s Fourth District.

1939: Residents form the Garden DistrictAssociation to preserve the residential integrity and quality of life of the neighborhood.

1971: The Garden District is placed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its great number of well-preserved 19th-century homes representing a range of architectural styles.

The American way

The American influence on this neighborhood is visible in many ways.The large plots with homes set back from the street were a distinct change from earlier neighborhoods, which were more densely developed in a more Old World manner.

Even the streets in the Garden District were named in that most American manner: with numbers.

Drawing the lines

The Garden District is one of the most distinctive of the city’s 63 neighborhoods,as recognized by the Planning Commission.Its boundaries are most often recognized as St.CharlesAvenue to Magazine Street between Jackson and Louisiana avenues.It remains very much the garden suburb envisioned in 1832 but now set within an urban context.

AUBERT

Continued from page 5

On the bright side, what remains is a fantastic architectural collection in a shaded garden setting. The neighborhood has bloomed in recent years with many new homeowners joining long-term residents in maintaining this special place. Prior to 1870, the most popular architectural styles in the neighborhood were American cottage, Greek Revival, Italianate and a smattering of Gothic Revival. The final quarter of the 19th century witnessed the rise of Queen Anne, Eastlake and Shingle Style homes.

The Neoclassical Revival and Colonial Revival styles appeared as we rolled into the 20th century

Photographer David Spielman took thousands of images over the seven-year period but said there actually was a surprisingly small window for his work. For exterior shots, he had

PROVIDED PHOTOS By DAVID SPIELMAN

The Gilmour Parker House on Prytania Street dates to 1853 and is an early example of the Italianate style in New Orleans.

The Camors Waters House on Chestnut Street is notable for its perfect symmetry and proportions. The classic raised American cottagewas built in the early 1850s.

to find periods whenhomes were not in holiday dress for Halloween, Christmas or Carnival, he explained, andbefore midsummer heat began to play havoc with gardens.

Interior photographyalso required working withinthe schedules of 100 homeowners.

The interior photos were taken without additional lighting. The results are softly lit images with highlights and shadows that offer anatural appearance.

Other members of the Garden District Association committee behind the project include Shelley Landreau, program director and theassociation’sexecutive director; historians Sally Reeves and Hilary Irvin; and graphicdesigner Laura Moise.

Abook signing is scheduled at 5p.m. Feb. 27 at Garden District Book Shop at TheRink, 2727 Prytania St. Signers will include Spielman, Reeves and Irvin, and historian Howard Hunter.The book, published by 83 Press, is $95.

It can also be purchased at gardendistrictassociation.com.

Louis J. Aubert is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an avid preservationist. Some of his most visible New Orleans projects include making interior color selections for Gallier Hall, TrinityEpiscopal Church and the Louisiana SupremeCourt RoyalStreet Courthouse, andboth interior and exterior selections forSt. Stephen’sBasilica. Contact him at mrcolour@aol.com.

INSIDESTORY

Wheretostart when budgetingfor home

BY ANGIE HICKS Ask Angi (TNS)

Budgeting is one of the most important skills a homeownercan have. Planning ahead and budgeting for homeprojects can help prevent unexpected costs and ensure your projects go smoothly from start to finish.

Thefirst step when creatinga budget istoevaluate the currentstate of your home anddetermine which projectsneed to be completed and when.Walk around your homeasifyou were a buyer, with acritical eye for things you want or need to change. Write downevery potential project you want to complete —noproject is too small (or large!).

Once you haveyour full project list, you can sort the projectsfrommost to least important.Structural and safety projects, like roof repairs, smoke detector replacements or rewiring, should be at the top of the list. Maintenance projects, like HVAC tuneups and gutter cleaning should be in the middle of the list.Finally,aesthetic projects, like painting, new countertops

Structural and safety projects

likeroof repairs should be at the top of ahomeproject list.

or updated fixtures,should be lower on the list. Then, do someresearch to figure out roughly how much each of these projects could cost. This is also the time you should determinehow much you want to set aside for your home projects this year.

Many homeowners forget to set aside extra money for unexpected costs and emergency repairs. Agood rule of thumb is to set aside 1% of the value of your home each year for maintenance andrepairs. You should also set aside an additional 10% for each project in case unexpected costs pop up, like fixing water damage in themiddle of abathroom renovation. For example, if you

tell your contractor that your project budget is $1,000, plan for theproject to cost around $1,100.

Compare your project list with your budget to determinewhich projects fit within your budget.Try to complete as many of the top-priority (structural and safety) projects as possible. This will ensure you do the mostimportantprojects before moving on to the less critical, but often morefun, projects.

If you are on the fence about whether alarge project (roof

replacement, foundation repair,etc.) fits in your budget this year,contact acontractor

Large-scale project costs depend on alot of factors, so it’s important to get apro to quote your specific projects. Getting an in-person estimate from a local pro will give you the best information on your expected cost.

Staying on top of budgeting is the key to awell-maintained home. Budgeting consistently allows you to take better care of your homeand avoid emergency costs.

GREENTHUMB

GARDEN TIPS

COLOR CORRECTION: In areas with alkaline soils,likethe south shore, hydrangeas tend to produce flowers that are pink or pinkish lavender.For blueflowered hydrangeas,addaluminum sulfatetothe soil around your bushes now.In areas of the statewithacidsoils, hydrangeas tend to produce blue flowers. If youwant pink flowers,apply lime to the soil around your plants now(and again in October).It maytakeseveral years of applications to cause complete color change.Flowerbuds are alreadypresentso do not prune until after they bloom in May.

POND MAINTENANCE: Clean out your aquatic garden if youneed to.It is best to getthis done while the weather iscool, the plants are dormant,and the fish are less active.Pond cleaning isthe best time to divide and repot water and bog plants that aredormant or semidormant.Do not divide those in active growth such as Louisiana irises and callalilies.

PEAS IN APOD: Pick snowpeas in the vegetable garden frequently.Ideally the pods should be harvested when flat beforethe seeds begintoenlarge.Pea flowers maybedamaged by hard freezes, so production maybereduced after temperatures in the mid-20s. WITH OR WITHOUT THE CRUST: Lichens are harmless organisms that forma gray (greenish when wet) crusty or hairy growth on thebark of woodyplants like trees and shrubs and wooden fences. Theyoften grow prolifically on dead or low vigorbranches of shrubs,but theydonot attack or hurtthe plant they are growing on.Lichensare harmless and no control is needed.Prune out dead branches and fertilize shrubs to increase vigor.

thedrainagesystem and potted plants that

People oftenwaituntil the frenzy of spring planting arrivesinApril to plant trees,shrubs, ground coversand vines in their landscapes. I guess onereason for thatiswaiting until cold weather is past to plant. But planting in Februaryismuchbetterthan waiting.

The trees,shrubs, ground coversand vines

FILE PHOTO By JEFFSTROUT

This landscape was planned withpotential flood water in mind. It includes abioswale to guide stormwater to

are easy to move.

Dan Gill GREEN THUMB

GREENTHUMB

STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Wait

until grass

is

growing to apply the weed killer

BY DAN GILL

Contributing writer

I now have my Celsius herbicide ready for application in late March. Typically, I apply my annual lawn fertilizer in early April. Is there any problem applying the Celsius herbicide in addition to the fertilizer? Any recommended order for applying these? My goal is to get a jump on Virginia buttonweed and other summer weeds. — Richard Virginia buttonweed is one of our leading lawn weeds and control can be challenging. It’s a good idea to be planning on how you will deal with the weed this summer, particularly if you had problems last summer. There is no problem with using Celsius in addition to fertilizing. Lawns generally begin

to emerge from dormancy here in March. In south Louisiana, it is best to make the first fertilizer application in late March after the grass has greened up. Fertilizing earlier pushes the grass to produce leafy growth at the time it needs to be focused on growing roots. You can fertilize again in July

As to applying the Celsius weed killer, it is best not to apply a weed killer to the lawn when it is emerging from dormancy in March. Wait until April to apply a lawn weed killer after the grass past waking up. Later application of weed killers also allows the summer weeds like Virginia buttonweed to wake up from winter dormancy and begin to grow and seeds to germinate. This makes the herbicide application

more effective in killing the weeds. At that time the weeds are also young and more vulnerable to control. Monitor your lawn through the summer It is likely you may still see some Virginia buttonweed or other summer weeds. If needed, you may apply Celsius during the summer. There is no temperature limitation to using Celsius once it gets hot. So, I would recommend you fertilize in late March and apply the herbicide in early to mid-April.

I’m trying to grow some sprouted mirlitons. I have potted them up and they have about 12 inches of growth. I intend to plant these in a planter in spring, and I’m wondering about their tolerance of low temperatures.Any info would be appreciated. — Chris

Continued frompage8

we useinour landscapes are coldhardy and not bothered by freezes (it is tropical plants that have issues with the cold). And planting now allows these plants tosettle in andbegin to get established beforethe torrid heatofsummerarrives.

Before you purchase and plant, however,it’sbest to develop aplan for creating a landscape that fits your taste andneeds.

When it comes to home landscaping, many people remain confused about how to create what they want.Efforts at landscaping can be disappointing despite spendingasubstantial amount of money.The important thing to remember is that developing an attractive, properly functioning landscape is best done using aprocess.

Early on, you need to decide on thestyle your garden will have—formal, informal or naturalistic. Look at other gardens and figure out what styleyou are most comfortable with. Gardeningbooks, magazines andbooks on landscaping present photographs that can inspire you and help youmake adecision.

The style you choose is gen-

GREENTHUMB

have decidedfor the garden.

I’ve oftencompared landscapedesign with interior design because many of the decisions thatneed to be made aresimilar. Basically,the artistic elements of design, such as space, line,shape and color, arethe same whetheryou’re working inside or out.

If you areable to select the style of furniture,fabric for upholstery,carpetand curtains, coordinate the colors, arrange the furniture and chooseaccessories for aroom indoors, it’snot radically different to select plants that have the characteristicsyou desire andwill thrive in the growing conditions where theywill be planted, coordinate the colorsofflowers and foliage andarrange them in a functional, visually pleasing way

erally amatter of taste, but it should strongly be influenced by the architecture of the house. Thechosen style will guide the more aesthetic aspects of the landscape design. Think about yourselfand your family and decide what your landscape needs to include to provide for their needs. Then,study your prop-

erty and become familiar with thegrounds.Notice light conditions and drainage, as they will influence plant selection. Note existing features such as trees, buildings,beds, fences, walks and the like.

Next, based on what your landscape needs to provide for your family,decide how much space different activi-

ties andareas will needand where in the landscape they will be located.

Finally,design the specific shapes and sizes of activity areas and beds, andselect the building materials and plants you will useinthe design. This is acreative stage. It will be guided by the previous stepsaswell as the style you

Whenyou look at it thatway, creating apleasing landscape design maybecome less intimidating. Most of us have at leastsome experience picking outfurniture, carpets, curtains, appliancesand wall colors. Admittedly,the analogy can only be pushed so far, and there are, of course, numerousdifferencesbetween interiorand exteriordesign. In interior decorating you can design aroom, andit’s finished. Although wearand tear or achange in taste may eventually meanredecorating, your initialeffort will stayfor alongtime looking just the way it did whenyou created it.

Gardens, of course,are very different. Fromthe moment atree, bedorlandscape is planted, it begins to change. The plants we put in ourlandscapes areyoung andalways have alot of growing to do. We anticipate this and look forward to thatgrowth. That’s why we must always space plants properly to allow for the expected mature size. One of the most important lessons agardener must learn is to understand howmuch their plants will change over

FILEPHOTO By JEFFSTROUT

This total landscape redesign includes clusters of several different types of plants, from ferns to flowers.

Continued from page10

time. When it comes to gardening, you can never say, “There, that’sjust theway I want it.” What we usually end up saying is, “There, Ihope that turns out to be just the way Iwantit.”

Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t. Experienced gardeners can, of course, generally do abetter job at this than those just starting out. As anovice, I was often as surprisedasI was delighted when aplanting turned out the wayIex-

ADVICE

Continued from page9T

Mirlitons are very sensitive to cold. If temperatures go below 32 degrees, they will be severely damaged or killed. So, it’sbest to wait until freezes are unlikely and plantinlate March or early April.

People storing mirlitons to plant in the spring oftenfind they have sprouted by now.If you just leave them as is, the growth of the vine will deplete the stored water in the fruit. Eventually the fruit shrivels up and the vine may die beforeit is time to plant in the garden. So, if the fruit has sprouted, it is best to pot them up and grow them in pots until planting in the spring.

Get apot large enough to accommodate the mirlitonand fill it half-full of potting soil. Place the mirliton, sprouted end down, in the pot and addmore potting soil to cover the lower two-thirds of thefruit

Place in asunny spot outside when temperatures are mild. If temperatures in the 30s or lower are predicted, move the plant indoors on those nights.

The vines will grow vigorously.Trim them back as needed to keep the vines manageable. Stop pruning when you plant

GREENTHUMB

By the time plantsare purchased,you should have an idea of where youintend to place them

pected it to. Cometothink of it, thatfeeling never really goes away no matter how long

them in the spring.

Acommon misconception is that there are male fruit and female mirlitons,and you must plant one of each toget fruit. This is nottrue. Mirliton vines produceboth male and female flowers onthe same vine. One vine growing alonewill producefruit in thefall.

Dan Gill is aretired consumer horticulture specialist with the LSU AgCenter. He hosts the “Garden Show” on WWLAM Saturdays at 9a.m Email gardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter.lsu. edu.

you’ve been gardening. Youwill sometimes hear it saidthat agarden or land-

scapeisnever finished, and there is alot of truth in that statement. Butitwould be more accurate to say that working on alandscape or garden is never finished. Youcan draw up alandscapeplan, install it and honestlysay that it is done. Butitcertainly is not finished like your newkitchen is finished. Five years later, your new kitchen will likely look just aboutthe same.The landscape, on the otherhand, will have been transformed intosomething quite different from theway it was. It is this transformation that we must work so hard to anticipateand planfor

More thananything else, this involvesunderstanding that plants will grow. Plants never actually stopgrowing until theydie,but as they reach maturity growth slows substantially.You need to know what size theywill be when thathappens.

So,ifyou arethinking of planting anew landscape or significantly adding to an existing landscape, planning can make your efforts more effective andrewarding. And don’tforgetthatwemust anticipate the growth our plants will make and plan for it. Otherwise, we may end up saying, “Oh no,that’snot at all the way Iwantedit.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

FILEPHOTO

ABOVE: Coco Darrow of Stronghold Studios designed and installed a house float on the façade of her three-bay cottage in Mandeville. The likenesses of two goddesses frame the steps up to a galleried porch.

RIGHT: The dining table is crafted of white oak. The blackand-white textile art was found at a thrift store.

CENTER: Both the natural cypress beams and the cypress-clad fireplace hood are original to the home, which was built in 1985. The rusticity of the wood contrasts with the airy window coverings and an abundance of natural light.

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

In the kitchen, stained-concrete counters pair with faux marble panels used as a backsplash. The Midcentury Elk schoolhouse pendant lights were found in a thrift store.

COVER STORy

VINTAGE APPEAL

Designer’s home is warm and welcoming with a sense of fun

BY JYL BENSON Contributing writer

Loaded with moxie and creativity, Coco Darrow designed and installed a house float named “Vivian Ruey” on the façade of her circa 1985 three-bay cottage in Mandeville.

“Both of my daughters have birthdays one day apart during the Carnival season,” Darrow said of Vivian, 15, and Ruey, 9. “I wanted something with loving, flowing feminine energy.”

The fabrication work was

done by Stronghold Studios, of which Darrow is the creative director and an owner She purchased the business, established in 1997 as a fabrication house for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the film industry, in 2019, with a partner

The float, with the likeness of two goddesses, frames either side of the steps that lead up to the family’s wooden front door via a galleried porch. The feminine figures are accompanied

ä See VINTAGE, page 14

An eclectic collection of artwork adorns a wall opposite the staircase in the entry hall.

Darrow recently transformed an underused room into a family room/office/guest room. ‘The

The drapes are from Ikea. The original painting by Covington artist John

VINTAGE

Continued from page 13

by flowers, butterflies, the sun, foliage, a crescent moon and a pair of balloon arches in shades of blue, accented with silver balloons shaped like Moravian stars.

“One is meant to suggest night; the other, day,” Darrow said. “My daughters are as different as night and day, but they really love each other. It’s a sister thing.”

Throughout Carnival, Darrow estimates working 60 to 80 hours a week, leading a crew that installs themed panels on houses using zip ties. After Mardi Gras, a crew returns

to remove the panels, which Stronghold stores for the following year.

The installation on Darrow’s home is a vivid sight, secured as it is on a home set back in the woods and distinguished by a sloping metal roof punctuated by a pair of dormer windows.

Darrow, a native of Kennewick, a small town on the Columbia River in Washington state’s wine country, visited a friend in New Orleans in 2009 and simply never left. Though her business is in Mid-City, she loves the Mandeville home she bought in 2019 for its abundant natural elements, a sense of space and the quality of the public schools for her daughters.

Storage is built into the front of the kitchen counter.

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

orange couch in a box from Amazon also converts to a guest bed,’ she says.

Bloemer was nabbed at a thrift store.

The sun-splashed primarybathroom features natural wood cabinetry. The linear room includes agenerous walk-in showerand awalk-in closet.

“I also just really love this particular house,” shesaid of the two-storied home withan abundance of natural woodwork and bright natural light that allows her collection of houseplants to thrive

She designed her open kitchen with stained concrete counters and adeep, recessed farmhouse-style sink,all of which were fabricatedat Stronghold Studios.Faux marble panels forma kitchen backsplash. A4-foot by 8-foot seated island, also of stained concrete, divides the kitchen from abreakfast area.Both spaces have expansive views of the verdant woods.

“I love to look at the trees and the sky.Itisalso abeautiful drive in the morning and the evening,” she said. “It would take me the same amount of time to driveacross town that it takes me to getto the office from here.”

Darrow recently transformed aroom “wherewe would just throw things we didn’tknow what to do with” into afamilyroom/office/guest room.

Darrow found the classic cherrywood American of Martinsville lowboydresser at athrift store for $40. Similar pieces are selling online for thousands of dollars. The artbehind the bedisofNative Americanheritage.

“I wanted aroom where the kids and Ican play agame or work on apuzzleand justleave it for later,” she said. “But the orangecouch in abox from

stores,”she said —Darrow’s favorite haunts are Habitat ReStore, Goodwill and the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary Thrift Store in Mandeville. clothing.

She builds out her thrifted spaces withoriginal art much of it acquired on travels —pottery and pieces she picks

ONEINAMILLION

Be Beyoncé’s Garden District neighbor for $1.5M

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

The home at 1507 Harmony St. was built in 1975. But you might not guess that at first Clad in a dusty pink stucco, the house’s hints of Greek Revival architecture blend with its historic Garden District neighbors — Beyoncé among them. Her mansion, too, sits on Harmony Street just south of the iconic St. Charles Avenue.

Real estate agent Sarah T. Aucoin suspects that the superstar and her security detail appreciate how Harmony Street lots extend across the block from Harmony to Eighth Street, a rare footprint for the area. So no backyard neighbor

Inside the home, listed at $1.49 million, crown moldings and ceiling medallions evoke craftsmanship from another era.

Turns out the glossy, wide pine floors are indeed from another time; they were reclaimed from 1800s houses, Aucoin said.

“All this wood came out of old New Orleans homes,” she said.

Hand-painted wallpaper animates the dining room, which also features a fireplace, graceful archways and a canary yellow ceiling.

A simple white, galley kitchen leads to a small but brightly lit space for a table and chairs.

A family room with built-in shelving offers a casual space away from the formal parlor for watching TV and reading.

It opens up to a back courtyard with a healthy citrus tree and functioning fountain.

Each room in the home reflects the seller’s comfort with color Nowhere is that more evident than in the primary suite, one of four bedrooms on the second floor

There, the sage paint extends to the crown molding, built-in shelving and into the

The house’s primary suite features a private balcony that looks over the property’s courtyard and its Garden District neighbors.

ABOVE: Off the dining room, a galley kitchen leads to a space for a small table. LEFT: Hints of Greek Revival help the home at 1507 Harmony St. fit in with its historic Garden District neighbors. Lush landscaping adds beauty as well as privacy

PROVIDED PHOTOS

A working fireplace warms up the dusty pink living space off the dining room.

ONEINAMILLION

attached bathroom.

The seller renovated that bathroom, one of three, since buying the home in 2022, Aucoin said. There, a deep-yetpetite tub delights.

The primary suite opens up to a private balcony overlook-

ing the front courtyard, mature trees and the property’s neighbors. (Beyoncé’s house, a Spanish-baroque-style mansion that was once a Presbyterian Church, is not among the sights.)

The property includes three

In the courtyard’s center stands a citrus tree.

The primary bath, which the seller renovated, has a charming bathtub

side-by-side parking spots, another rarity for the neighborhood.

The four-bedroom house, listed in early February, was snatched up after just a few days on the market, Aucoin said.

While New Orleans’ wider real estate market had a tough 2025, the luxury market did better, said Aucoin, a New Orleans native who left her career as a court stenographer to become a Realtor in 2017.

The home, with a sale now

Hand-painted wallpaper animates the formal dining room.

pending, is listed by Aucoin, of Coldwell Banker TEC, (504) 704-9192.

One in a Million is an occasional series featuring upscale homes for sale in the metro area.

Orchids adorn a Volkswagen Beetle Feb. 6 at the Chicago Botanic Garden ahead of the 12th annual Orchid Show in Glencoe, Ill. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By

Orchid show brightens Chicago winter

BY ERIN HOOLEY Associated Press

CHICAGO A soft layer of white snow blanketed the grounds outside of the Chicago Botanic Garden. The air was chilly, the sky gray Inside, however, the air was warm and lights illuminated more than 10,000 vividly colored orchids as staff members moved in and out of greenhouses, preparing to open the garden’s 12th annual Orchid Show, which was held recently This year’s theme was “Feelin’ Groovy” with several installations calling back to the 1970s, including a yellow Volkswagen Beetle filled with orchids.

ERIN HOOLEy

Staff members walk through a doorway with sunbeams made of orchids.

APaphiopedilum orchid is on display.

“It’sjust areallygreat way to get out of the winter cold and come into our greenhouses,” said Jodi Zombolo, associate vice president of visitor events and programs. “I think people are really lookingfor something to kind of bring happiness and something that they will enjoy and find whimsyin.”

The orchidfamilyisone of the largest in the plant world and some of the species in the show are rare,exhibits horticulturist Jason Toth said. One example is the Angraecum sesquipedale,also known as Darwin’sorchid, on display in the west gallery.

Toth said the orchid led Darwin to correctly concludethat pollinators have adapted in order to reach down the flower’s very long end.

“It has agreat story andit’s quite remarkable-looking,” said Toth.

Elsewhere, massive, gnarly roots dangled from purple, pink and yellow Vanda orchids in the south greenhouse. These epiphytic orchids grow on the surface of treesinstead of in soil.

“I think everyone’stired of the winter,” said Toth. “So having some kind of flower show at this point is what we’re all craving. And ‘Orchids’ fits the bill.”

Miltonidium orchids are on display.

Phalaenopsis orchids growsinthe greenhouse.

An orchid is painted with glowin-the-dark paint.

Apeace sign is adorned withorchids as the annual showpresents the theme ‘Feelin’ Groovy.’

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR JAN. 30 TO FEB. 5

HARAHAN

E. SHANNON LANE 319: Dale D. Davis to Melody K. Kovatch, $150,000.

MACQUE ST. 197: Stephen J. Bordes to Christopher J. Bowlin, $379,000.

MAYO AVE. 272: David A. Deibel to James A. Barnes Jr., donation, no value stated.

JEFFERSON

DODGE AVE. 322: Lori C.T. Lorino to Venture Restorations LLC, $215,000.

NO ORLEANS TRANSFERS

Orleans transfers were not received by press time.They will return next week.

KAREN AVE. 4408: Roy E. Brandhurst III to Revamp Investments LLC, $115,000.

KENNER

CAMERON COURT 628: Gaylynn A.M. Fradela to Richard C. Boover, donation, no value stated.

CORONADO ST. 76: Joy B. Pecoraro to Wayne Pecoraro, donation, no value stated.

DARBONNE COURT 10: Mauricette B. Massett to LS Realty LLC, $137,000

ELEGANTWAREHOUSE LOFT LIVING

528BARONNE STREET UNIT 504

ITSMARDI GRAS TIME!Walktoparades from your condoin the middle of theaction!Top floorresidence with in-demand architectural features.Adjacenttothe Virgin Hotelw/deeded garage parking! 1Bed /1 Bath w/ room to add2nd bed/study. Over 1328sf of tastefully designed spacethatoffersaflexible floorplan &livingoptionson1level.Wideplank heartpinefloors, exposedbrick walls. Double insulatedwindows.Openkitchen w/ 48”maple cabinets,stone counters,SSkitchen appliances Intimate& quietbuilding in theconvenient LafayetteSquare HistoricDist. 1block to PoydrasStreet&Rouse’s Market and ashort walk to all of theeventsatthe Superdome andArena

$519,500

SHAUNTALBOT

(504)975-9763

EMERSON ST. 349: Gail S. Ruppert to Lindsi N. Godfrey, $175,000.

FURMAN CIRCLE 25: Daja Realty LLC to Angie B. Serrano, $230,000.

MARTINIQUE AVE. 3572: G1st Construction & Renovation LLC to GID Investments LLC, $820,000.

RICHLAND ST. 2239: Future Property Investments LLC to C&C Investment Holding Group LLC, $600,000.

W. LOUISIANA STATE DRIVE 3628: Margarita K. Pou to Selyn I J. Rodriguez, $125,000.

METAIRIE

47TH ST. 3408: Ryan J. Rogers to Smanatha A.C. Simoneaux, $245,000.

ABADIE AVE. 2108: PHH Mortgage Corp. to Federal National Mortgage Association, $156,667.

ACADEMY DRIVE 4008: Mtlaurel Properties LLC to Luis F.P. Jimenez, $249,000.

ANNETTE DRIVE 3733: Sylvia A.H. Turner to Sarah F. Johnson, $285,000.

ANNETTE DRIVE 3748: Joseph C. Segari to Cynthia S. Bryan, $281,390.

ARGONNE ST. 4900: Bertucci Investment Group LLC to Casa Nola Investments LLC, $183,000.

BETZ PLACE 435: Stephanie S. Smith to Parker Babcock, $1,350,000.

BISSONET DRIVE 3609: Daniel M. Lagrange to Maci T. Mannina, $245,000.

BONNABEL BLVD. 303: Frances S. Webre to Charles Dominique, donation, no value stated.

CANAL ST. 201: Andrew G.B. Hoang to Ceyda K. Galatonov, $151,000.

CARROLLTON AVE. 619: Wendy

Ventura to Alexandra M. Howell, $225,000.

CLEARLAKE DRIVE 4500: Helena M. Faro to Svitlana Baranivska, $410,000.

CONLIN ST. 4721: John J. Gaspard Jr. to Ryan Boudreau, $765,000.

DEMOSTHENES ST. 1715: D.M. Lipani to Bernard L. Baisier, $555,000.

DIVISION ST. 4063: Xiong F. Zou to Nan Jiang, $80,000.

E. WILLIAM DAVID PARKWAY 202: Reboul Investments LLC to K&S Homes LLC, $475,000.

EDINBURGH ST. 342: Jose C. Simosa to Leah Bourgeois, $665,000.

EMILY ST. 1604: William G. Deris to Callie Mcdaniel, $290,625.

FRANCIS AVE. 1805: Sharon T. Souther to John Rodriguez, $185,500.

HENICAN PLACE 4712: Three60 LLC to J&J Quality Construction LLC, $260,000.

HESSMER AVE. 4508: L Rogers to Marshall Lee, $405,000.

IONA ST. 416: Wendy P. Herschman to Dardel Properties LLC, $1,080,000.

JAMES DRIVE 3705: Kevin J. Desrochers to Ashton Machicek, $418,000.

METAIRIE COURT 2809: Gladys S. Cazalot to Cynthia Leblanc, donation, no value stated.

METAIRIE COURT PARKWAY 3547: Ryan Xiao to Rennard Meade, $412,000.

N. SIBLEY ST. 2308: Carole J.M. Willet to Mark A. Morel, donation, no value stated.

N. SIBLEY ST. 904: Harry M. Block to John E. Ladner, $259,000.

NORA ST. 6404: Daja Realty LLC to Jose Cerritos, $249,000.

N. UPLAND AVE. 1700: Gidget M.

S. Dupaquier to Henry J. Schorr Jr., $325,000.

NURSERY AVE. 1152: Joseph F. Scamardo Jr. to Thomas M. Scamardo, $166,666.

ORPHEUM ST. 1438: North American Mission Board of The Southern Baptist Convention Inc. to Rebecca J. Lloyd, $245,000.

RIDGELAKE DRIVE 1508: Diane P. Brockmeyer to Marian P. Walker, $312,000.

RIDGELAKE DRIVE 1516: One Thousand Five Hundred Sixteen Ridgelake LLC to Marian P. Walker, $312,000.

RIDGEWAY AVE. 146-148: Director Investments LLC to Erin Songer, $480,000.

RIVERSIDE DRIVE 6320: Veronica C.G. Rojas to Naath Real Estate LLC, $57,000.

ROSALIE COURT 6300: J Koenig to Nathan Koenig, $325,000.

S. STARRETT ROAD 1023: Green Prairies LLC to R&I Investments LLC, $98,000.

SENA DRIVE 508: Bobbie J. Cella to Ross E. Brown, $360,000.

TRANSCONTINENTAL DRIVE 3516: Jesse T. Poole III to Muaath Hammad, $145,000.

VERNON ST. 3821-23: Alice P. Henican to Yan Y.L. Dong, $340,000. WALTHAM AVE. 717: Elise W. Benezech to Julia A. Enos, $460,000.

W. WILLIAM DAVID PARKWAY 804: Lauren Haro to Jackson Dagata, $370,000.

RIVER RIDGE

MOSS LANE 159: Laurie B. Matherne to Katherine Moore, $399,000.

ROBIN LANE 9728: Darrell Jordan to M.F. Jordan, donation, no value stated.

WEST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR JAN. 30 TO

5

CAPITOL DRIVE 441: Mary B.G. Little to Courtney Hall, donation, no value stated.

RETREAT DRIVE 3722: Dsld LLC to Sivi V. Domango, $292,260.

SENATE DRIVE 325: Regina Jarrell to Lr Investments LLC, $70,000.

See WEST, page 21

(504)525-9763 www.talbot-realty.com

Continued from page 20

BRIDGE CITY

SECOND ST. 192: Jessica J. Pugh to Belijohnne B.P. Mccarty, donation, no value stated.

GRAND ISLE

GILBERT LANE 121: R. Hartley to LJH L.T.D., $60,000.

JACKSON LANE 107: Thomas B. Tanner to James S. Perkins II, $70,000.

TOURO LANE 133: Lauren M. Rogers to E.J. Petit, $80,000.

GRETNA

CAROL SUE AVE. 2473: Hannah P. Higgins to E&K Tran Properties LLC, $288,000.

ST. TAMMANy

n TRANSFERS FOR JAN. 20-23

ABITA SPRINGS

ABITA SPRINGS DRIVE 73274: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Joseph Celino, $185,000.

ANTHONY AVE. 202: Adolfo Rodriguez III and Cashel B. Rodriguez to Zachary Bourgeois, $206,000.

CHEROKEE DRIVE 105: Charlene P. Borel to Neil E. Guillot and Martha M. Guillot, $319,500.

HILLCREST COUNTRY CLUB

SUBDIVISION, LOT 8, SQUARE 13: Tamprop Inc. to Jesuar M. Pena Mejia, $10,000.

HILLCREST COUNTRY CLUB

SUBDIVISION, LOT 16, SQUARE 74: Tamprop Inc. to Alexandra Linares-Pena Mejia and Jesuar M. Mejia, $10,000.

HILLCREST COUNTRY CLUB

SUBDIVISION, LOT 17, SQUARE 74: Tamprop Inc. to Alexandra Linares-Pena Mejia and Jesuar M. Pena Mejia, $10,000.

NEAR ABITA SPRINGS, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Nevlin F. Luke and Joyce B. Luke to Christopher W Fotta and Chloe B. Fotta, $380,000

NORTHWOODS DRIVE 569: Dawn W. Bourgeois and Carl A. Bourgeois to Kenneth E. Rome and Constance S. Simmons Rome, $1,300,000.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

DOLHONDE ST. 923: Dane N. Falterman to C. Franovich, $241,000.

GULF DRIVE 608-10: Wendi M. Sancho to Santos Property Group LLC, $220,000.

HARVEY

LONGLEAF LANE 3729: Chari M. Rios to Tutu Holdings LLC, $308,000.

LYNNBROOK DRIVE 2433: Fred L. Mondy to Trishawn Carter, $189,000.

MARION AVE. 505: Sara E.L. Mcmickens to Ayden Cosgrove, $155,000.

MORRISWOOD DRIVE 3733: V. Manglona to Destiny Manglona, donation, no value stated.

N. DELLS ST. 4072: Raymond Fino to Scott P. Milroy, donation, no value stated.

REDWOOD DRIVE 1640: Dustin J. Ussery to Dawson C. Ussery, $177,000.

S. DUNDEE LOOP 3061: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to SV Holdings LLC,

TATTERSALL DRIVE 2433: Sandra D. Perrilloux to Whitney Dickerson, donation, no value stated.

LAFITTE

SHELL ROAD 5059: Lloyd A. Simon Jr. to Scotti H. Chachere, $5,000.

MARRERO

ALANA LANE 2928: Lauren B. Hyland to Osiel T. Luna, $314,900.

AVE. B 428: John J. Pertuit Jr. to Sammie L. Holmes, $76,000.

BAY ADAMS DRIVE 2640: Anthony E. Nuccio to Fredrick P. Nuccio, donation, no value stated.

BRIANT DRIVE 4040: Kaylin Camp to Daniel C. Johnson, donation, no value stated.

LAPALCO BLVD. 6220: Kermit Mogilles to AS Property Investment LLC, $399,000.

MONTBATTEN DRIVE 1801: Nakia M. Henry to Lydia S.P. Johnson,

$189,000.

NORWOOD DRIVE 1608: Kathleen L. Lamy to One Thousand Six Hundred Eight Norwood Dr LLC, $75,000.

SANTA MARIA DRIVE 1141: Cecilia P. Le to Dat H. Nguyen, $235,000.

SHAWN DRIVE 4052: Ryan A. Camardelle to Horizon One Services LLC, $58,500.

TAFFY DRIVE 2401: Finance of America Structured Securities Acquisition Trust 2018 H.B.1. to Pelicans Realty LLC, $95,000.

TERRYTOWN

GIBSON ST. 2132: Raymond Waguespack Sr. to Mylinh K. Tran, $245,000.

HOLMES BLVD. 249: Horton Inc. Gulf Coast D.R. to Thi N. T. Phan, $305,900.

HOLMES BLVD. 401: Horton Inc.

Gulf Coast D.R. to Iiesha K. Rousell, $288,900.

HOLMES BLVD. 413: Horton Inc. Gulf Coast D.R. to Rodney J. Collins, $289,000.

TERRY PARKWAY 419: Tynia G. Dinet to Phillip Huskey, $191,000. W. MARLIN COURT 676: Cynthia B. Hollingsworth to Elegant Houses LLC, $150,000.

WAGGAMAN

DUFFY ST. 48: Irian D. Ridgley to Shaylynn Palacio, $185,000. N. DARYL COURT 5: Linda C. Orgeron to Ntc LLC, donation, no value stated.

WESTWEGO

PINTAIL DRIVE 116: CT Homes LLC to Darry Delaune, $580,113.

DIVISION OF NEW COVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOT 10, SQUARE

Continued frompage21

LAKESIDE COURT221: Lemuel W. Bowers II to Bruce A. Weymouth and Deborah A. Weymouth, $565,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Jonatan Lopez Alfaro to Nicholas M. Nelson, $55,000.

OLD LANDING SUBDIVISION, LOT 139A: Reid P. Sheaand Christine K. Shea to HenryJ.Miltenberger Jr. and Cheryl G. Miltenberger, $235,000.

OX BOWCOURT1024: Joel Koch and Andrea Koch to Shannon A. McDougald, $699,000.

PENN MILL ROAD 73231: SaraM. Vrettos to RachaelW.Vrettos, donation, no value stated.

RIVER OAKS DRIVE 717: Matthew W. Estrade and Neely R. Estrade to BernardB.Ali and Samantha L. Ali, $468,000.

RIVER ROAD 75303: KathleenG. Ballon to Hayden Emery Adams, $225,000.

ROSALIE COURT1840: DSLD Homes LLCtoMisty Theriot, $336,470.

S. ORCHARD LANE 243: Denise H. Boudreaux to Dale J. Jackson and MaureenI.Jackson, $315,000.

SOMERSET COURT513: Logos &Rhema LLCtoBailey Kennedy and MichaelJ.Compton, $345,000.

STONEWOOD DRIVE 723: Maria P. Vargas to George A. Springer,

$317,500.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

SYDNEY DRIVE 75348: DSLD HomesLLC to Robert S. Ferrara and Patricia L. Ferrara, $300,805.

TALLOW CREEK SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1-I-2,LOT 350: Landon D. Dixon to RobertL.Dixon and Doris E. Dixon, $25,000.

TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1A13, LOT302: TerraBella Group LLCtoSusanWilliams, $200,000

TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1A13, LOT304: TerraBella Group LLCtoJohn J. Finan Jr., $200,000.

W. 20TH AVE. 1420: Secretary of Housing andUrban Development to Branch J. SmithJr.,$130,000.

WALNUT ST.150-52: Hannah L. Arceri to Brad C. Manson, $305,000.

WILKINSON ST.72363: Thomas G. Bramlette and succession of ClaraIleen AndrewsBramlette to James Hilburgerand Laurie A. Caccard, $571,000.

FOLSOM

BRUHL ROAD 15070: Valerie W. Fuller, RichardL.WaitsJr. and TimothyA.Waits toLincoln J. Gros, $390,000.

N. WILLIE ROAD 80327: Succession of Walter E. Morgan to Kenneth G. Soniat and Martha A. Trahant Soniat, $300,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Pine Plantation LLCto Reel Estate HousingLLC,$37,500.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTIONOF

GROUND: Judith A. Navasto Barkers Corner LLC, $30,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Brenda A. Sharpto Madeline Chexnayder, $186,666, donation.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: KatherineM.Moise to DavidT.Acquistapace and Mary M. Acquistapace, $375,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Jeffrey S. Biggers, Wesley P. Biggers and Theresa Biggers to MCJJ Properties LLC, $70,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Martin VB Mapes Jr.,Archie D. Mapes and Ronald N. Mapes to Michael G. Montgomery,$450,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Lacombe Properties LLC, succession of Stephen F. Stumpf and Wildwood Trust to Philip D. Westmoreland and Lynette F. Westmoreland, $237,555.

TRAINING CENTER ROAD 82333: John Taft Ney and Gina F. Ney to Roxanne D. Zamin, $48,000.

LACOMBE

ADELE ST.28797: PamelaE.Harris to Johnathan Montgomeryand Courtney A. Conley,$225,000.

CYPRESSPARK SUBDIVISION, LOT 8, SQUARE 12: Burgess Inc. to Peffley Construction LLC, $500.

CYPRESSPARK SUBDIVISION, PORTION OF GROUND: Burgess Inc. to BGMHousing LLC, $34,500.

JUDYST. 62436: Erica Ann Sohl to Jay’s NBrothers LLC, $20,000.

$1,610,000.

NEAR MADISONVILLE,LOT 2: JeremyR.James to James F. Harrell Jr.and Christine A. Harrell, $115,000.

NIGHT HERON LANE 583: Bissonnette Builds LLCtoMark F. Mentel Jr. and Savannah J. Mentel, $580,000.

SECRETARIATDRIVE 211: Gwendolyn K. Gardner Tappinto RomainJ.Brousse andTerri N. Brousse, $293,500.

SPIKEDRIVE 71513: DSLD Homes LLCtoEmily Ashley,$210,855.

TAVERNY COURT69413: Jennifer W. Duran to Juan Carlos VargasUrquiaga, donation, no value stated.

MANDEVILLE

CLEARWATER DRIVE 1215: Julie W. Mann to Curtis E. Mann, donation, no value stated.

COUNTRYCLUBESTATES,LOT 3, SQUARE M: Keith J. Luminais Jr. to TimothyL.Noel, $600,000.

DUPRE ST.2098: Caroll Danos Sr. and Beverly B. Danos to Andrew Raspino Jr., $245,000.

JULIETTE LANE 407: Kelly P. Vega to EricksonCerqueira and Brittan Cerqueira, $249,000.

MONTMARTRE ST.680: PennyL. CarrontoCarson J. Bergeron, $142,000.

N. COURTVILLA DRIVE 56: Scott R. Gutterman to Caroline S. Bryan, $215,000.

CARR DRIVE 343: William D. Rau and Leslie Kline-Rau to Thierry T. GaubertIII, $10 and othergood and valuable consideration.

CENTRAL PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS 36, 37, SQUARE 11: Norman H. Vance and Juneitte Divincenti Vance to HankA.Maciel, $50,000. CLAIRISE COURT 1128: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Orlando Pondsand Liberty Housing LLC, $10 and othergood and valuable considerations.

E. U.S. 190 42256: Loreto L. Migliore to Jason Migliore, donation, no value stated.

JANE DRIVE 121: Dorothy B. Prezbindowski to HildaA.Cooper, $240,000.

MARGON COURT 311: James L. Pear and Kathleen D. Pear to Andrew J. Pear, donation, no value stated.

MARINERS COVE BLVD.1057: Jose A. SilvatoHienChau, $500,330.

MARTIN LANE244: Shane E. Vidrine and Jennifer F. Vidrine to Kevin Krul II andEmily W. Krul, $210,000.

MORROWDRIVE 129: Chris A. Neal to Paola L. Camacho Escamilla, $30,000.

N. FERRYLAKE COURT 800: TabathaEdwards to FelipeLardizabal, donation, no value stated. PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 4512, UNIT 6: Regina Alphonso to Keith Alphonso testamentarytrust, $110,880.

STEMEN DRIVE 60120: Charlie Rick Investment LLCtoWilliam B. Pearson, CaraLee Pearson and others, $135,000.

STEMEN DRIVE 60162: Paul J. MolinaryJr. to William B. Pearson and CaraLee Pearson, $43,000.

TAMMANY FOREST SUBDIVISION, LOT3,SQUARE 10: Secretary of Housing and UrbanDevelopment to MichaelKollar and Wallace Degennaro, $115,001.

MADISONVILLE

BLACK OAKLANE 208: Timothy J. Burke and Anna S. Burke to Walter Frey Jr. and Stephanie L. Metzler Frey,$1,149,000.

DEER PARK COURT1277: Mark F. Mentel Jr. and Savannah Schmalz to Deborah B. Probst, $332,000.

KELLYLAKE LANE 4024: Alvarez ConstructionCo. LLCtoGayle Juneau, $435,040.

MABEL DRIVE 125: Brandon S. McGehee and Rachael T. Smoot McGehee to MarkDelesdernier III and Melanie O. Delesdernier,

OAKWOOD DRIVE 269: TylerM. Lawrence to Demelo Team LLC, $10 and other good and valuable consideration.

TIMBER CREEK CONDOMINIUM, UNIT 3A: Michael W. Ferrer to DTRLand LLC, $182,500.

VIREODRIVE 351: NAF CashLLC to Nicholas Stephens andJanelle Stephens, $431,883.

PEARLRIVER

CHRIS KENNEDYROAD67395: Todd M. Galiano andSkylar E. Frey GalianotoJoseph H. Frey and NikoW.Frey, donation, no value stated.

LA. 41 67179: Carol M. Stutes and Rhonda N. Stutes to Gary D. Weeks, $239,000.

LA. 41 71013: Loan Partners LLC to Trevor Nixon andDestanie Woods Nixon,$114,500.

SLIDELL

ADMIRAL NELSON DRIVE 1833: Bruce A. Sherman to Gina C. Triay, donation, no value stated.

CARA MAE ST.40620: D.R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoNeilWeicks and ShelbyWeicks,$282,900.

RIVER DRIVE 170: Maureen L. Garnica to Damien T. Drouant and Kristi B. Drouant,$80,000.

RUE LEMANS1513: Raymond J. SpicuzzaJr. and Donna V. SpicuzzatoScott A. King II, $245,000.

SPARTANDRIVE 505: Gary Mayeuxand Janette Mayeaux to BrianaN.Cooks,$138,000.

TAG-A-LONG LOT17: ClayD. Nichols Sr. to Wright Choice Construction LLC, $20,000.

WHITNEY DRIVE 632: Kenneth C. Armond Sr. to Joshua Land, $384,000.

YESTER OAKS SUBDIVISION,LOT 95: 1st Choice Commercial and Residential Environmental ServicesLLC to Carolyn S. Wilson, $137,000.

SUN/BUSH

FRIENDSHIP LANE80462: Crystal P. Steimle to Marshal Morere, $60,000.

LA. 40 22095: Kristen A. Luscher and succession of MarjorieR. Donnell to James Willis, $195,000. NEAR SUN,PORTION OF GROUND: Ronald R. Holliday to RobertE. Spell, $5,000.

Look forloveinthe little things

entine’scard: Most of the love that steadies us is ordinary.

Dear Readers: Valentine’sDay has afunny way of making people take attendance of who remembered the holiday,who didn’t, who has plans, who pretends theydo, who smiles at the grocery store display of roses and who speeds past it like it might ask apersonal question.

If today feels joyful foryou, wonderful. Enjoy every bitof it. If today feels tender,lonely, complicated or just plain annoying, you are not alone. Love is not aneat holiday.Itisa living thing, and it shows up in far more places than afancy dinner reservation.

We haveall been taught in one wayoranother to treat love like aprize. Find it, secure it,prove it,post it, and if you do not have it, you must be behind. But love is not astatus symbol. Loveis apractice. It is the daily decision to be kind when you could be sharp, to be honest when it would be easier to disappear and to be present when distraction is calling your name. And here is the quiet truth that never makes it onto aVal-

It is thefriend who texts, “You crossed my mind,” and means it.

It is the partner who notices youare running low and takes something off your platewithout being asked.

It is the adult child who calls justtohear your voice.

It is the neighbor who shovels your steps withoutmaking a speech about it.

It is the teacher who sees a struggling kid and chooses patience

It is the co-worker who says, “I’ve got this,” on the day you can’t do it.

It is the way someone stays when it would be easier to drift

If you want tomake Valentine’sDay brighter,start by widening your definition of love.Romance is lovely,but it is notthe onlymeasure. Love also lookslikefriendship,loyalty, forgiveness, compassion, respect and the courage to show up.

In the spirit of the day,here are afew simple ways to put love into motion,evenifyou are notfeelingparticularly festive.

Write asmall, specific thank you. Not, “You’rethe best”but “Thank youfor sitting with me

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,Feb. 14, the 45th day of 2026. There are 320 days left in the year.This is Valentine’sDay

Todayinhistory:

On Feb. 14, 2018, aformer student opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people in the nation’sdeadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack in Newtown, Connecticut, more than five years earlier. (Nikolas Cruz pleadedguilty to murder in October2021 and was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) Also on this date:

In 1779, English explorer James Cook was killed on the

when Iwas overwhelmed,” or “Thank you for making me laugh when Iforgot how.” Specific gratitude lands like a warm blanket.

Offer love in aform people can actually receive. Some people feel loved through words. Others through help, time or touch.Ifsomeone you care about is exhausted, flowersare nice, but awarm meal, aride to an appointment or aquiet hour together can mean morethan any card.

Make peace withimperfect love. Lovedoes not always arrive withtrumpets. Sometimes it arrives withsomeone who tries, who learns, who apologizes and who stays. Sometimes it arrives after you decide to treat yourself moregently. Sometimes it arrives in ahard season, not as asolution but as a companion.

Let yourself receive it.Ifyou are thecaretaker,the fixer, the“I’m fine” person, you may be great at giving love and awkward at taking it in. Today, practice saying, “Thank you” instead of “You didn’thave to.” Let kindness reach you.

Sendyourquestionsfor Annie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

island of Hawai’i during aconfrontationafter Cook’sattempt to kidnapHawaiian monarch ‘Kalani‘opu‘u as leverage to recover aboat stolen from one of Cook’sships.

In 1876, inventors Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray applied separately for patents related to the telephone. (The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled Bell the rightful inventor.)

In 1929, the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” took place in aChicago garage as seven rivals of AlCapone’sgang were gunned down.

In 2013, double-amputee Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp,athis homeinPretoria, South Africa, saying he mistook herfor an intruder; he was later convicted

of murderand served nearly nine years of asentence of 13 years and five months before being released from prison in January 2024.

Today’sbirthdays: FormerNew York City Mayor and businessmanMichael Bloombergis84. Saxophonist Maceo Parkeris 83. Journalist Carl Bernstein is 82. Magician Teller (Penn and Teller) is 78. Opera singer RenéeFleming is 67. Actor Meg Tilly is 66. Football Hall of FamerJim Kelly is 66. Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno, of Ohiois59. ActorSimon Pegg is 56. Rock singer Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) is 54. FormerNFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe is 54. ActorDanai Gurira is 48. ActorFreddie Highmore is 34. ActorMadison Iseman is 29.

Annie Lane

DEAR ANNIE