The Times-Picayune 04-29-2026

plans$103M boostfor

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration expects to receive $103 million from the sale of lease payments for Caesars New Orleans casinoand hotel, amajor boost to thecity’sembattled budget.

The cash infusion stems from a deal between the city and Texasbasedprivate equity firm TPG. The firm would over the next nine years

collect the lease payments the casino would otherwisepay thecity In exchange, thefirmwould pay New Orleans $103 million this year —around $46 millionless than the full leaseamount over that nine-year period.

Thecity will use the funds to refill its depleted reserves, officials said Tuesday.The cityhas about $35 millioninthose reserves at present, downfrom more than $200 millionat thestart of 2025.

“I do not want to go intohurricane season …withouthaving these reserve emergencydollars in place,” saidMoreno, who on Tuesday was joined by aslew of other politicos at CityHallasshe announced the agreement.

“So instead of taking many,many years to build up our reservefund, what we are working on right now will fix our fund balance.”

JuliaLetlowovercomes tragedy,

Member of Congress well-liked in Washington

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

PresidentDonaldTrump wasplaying hostat theCongressional Ball at the WhiteHouseone evening in December

But before the festivitiesbegan,Trump had a special announcement: U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow had just gotten engaged with her beau,Baton Rouge lawyer/lobbyist Kevin Ainsworth.

“Julia, where areyou?Comeonup,”Trump called out.

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Editor’snote: This storyisthe third in aseries of profiles of major candidatesin theU.S. Senaterace.

She reached the stage.

“Do you want tosay something?” he asked. Letlow shook her head, clearly caught off guard by Trump’sinvitation.

“Yeah, go ahead,” Trumpencouraged her,grinning.

“Thank you so much …tothe best president

Nuclear fabrication operation moving to La.

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

BR-based Turner Industries adding 1,000jobsat2facilities ä See NUCLEAR, page 5A

Turner Industries, theBaton Rouge-basedindustrial contractor,will relocate its nuclear fabrication business, including the jobs and equipment needed to build the “guts” of nuclear power plants, from Texas to twoofits Louisiana locations. The move will involve expanding Turner’sfabrication yards in Port Allenand New Iberia and will bring 1,000 permanent jobs with an average salary of $77,000. It underscores how companies are responding to Gov.Jeff Landry’snew strategy to makeLouisiana amajor player in nuclear energy Turner Industries CEO Stephen Toups made the announcementonTuesday at anuclear power summit that Landry convened at The Windsor Court hotel in New Orleans. More than 200

Duoallegedly pocketed more than $3 millioninscheme

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

ANew Orleans-areacouple posedfor years as star college basketball and football players, including Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward and LSU alum Leonard Fournette, to pocket millions frominvestors as part of ayearslong loan scam, anewlyunsealed federalindictment alleges. The 10-count indictment accuses Albert “Paul” Weberand Cyntrelle Lash, who live in Jefferson Parish, of convincing investors to fork over cash forhuge “bridge loans” —investments they said

of my entire life …inthe entire United States of America!” she exclaimed haltingly Letlow cruised to victory without having to break asweat in herthree elections to theHouse. Sheiswell-liked in Washington,winning aseat on theinfluential House Appropriations Committee andsecuring endorsements from Trump, Gov Jeff Landry,AttorneyGeneral LizMurrill and other Republicans as she tries to unseat U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,afellow Republican.

ButLetlow hasseemed uncomfortable at times in the spotlight that comes with this big test. She has rejected televised debates and mostly avoided the press —and the scrutiny that comes with

ä See LETLOW, page 4A U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

MayorHelena Moreno discusses the city budget during anewsconference at CityHall on Tuesday.

U.S. will issue passports with Trump’s picture

WASHINGTON The State Department said Tuesday that it is preparing a limited release of commemorative U.S. passports celebrating America’s 250th birthday that feature a picture of President Donald Trump, who would be the first living president to be featured in the travel document.

The concept for the special passport, including a rendering of Trump’s stern-looking visage, had been under consideration for months before finally being approved late Monday Between 25,000 and 30,000 of the new passports will be available to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office beginning shortly before July 4.

The commemorative passport will be the default document for people applying in person at the Washington office, although those who want a standard passport will be able to get one by applying online or outside Washington, officials said.

The limited release passport will feature Trump’s picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature to an interior page, while the cover will feature the words “United States of America” in bold gold print at the top and “Passport” at the bottom — a reversal of the standard cover.

Czech man sentenced in attempted arson attack

PRAGUE A court in the second largest Czech city of Brno sentenced a man to seven years in prison on Tuesday over an attempted terror attack and attempted murder

The defendant was one of two teenagers under 18 who tried to set a synagogue in Brno on fire in January 2024 by using an improvised device. They also tried to kill a person, who survived the attack.

The convicted man, who is now 20, was also handed a twoyear prison term for promoting terrorism, which he committed over the age of 18.

His accomplice was under the eligible age to stand trial in court, for a hearing that was held behind closed doors.

The pair were part of a group of five teenagers who were arrested last year after allegedly being radicalized online by the militant Islamic State group, according to Czech authorities.

The five were promoting hate content on social media against minorities, LGBTQ+ community and Jews, officials said. During raids in Czechia and Austria, police seized some weapons, such as knives, machetes, axes and gas pistols.

Uganda detains 231 in crackdown on trafficking

KAMPALA, Uganda Ugandan authorities said Tuesday that they have detained dozens of foreigners in a crackdown on illegal migration that the internal affairs ministry suggested was linked to human traffickers and cyberscam operations.

At least 231 people have been detained since Monday in operations that targeted a group of Nigerians living in the country’s north, as well as another group of foreigners living together in a closed compound in Kampala, the capital.

The second group included people from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia, all of whom were staying in “a highly restricted, self-contained apartment complex equipped with its own restaurant and internal facilities designed to restrict movement,” according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Thirty-six of the 169 people found in the compound were women Authorities say they acted on intelligence showing large groups of foreigners living or working in Uganda without the necessary papers to do so. Many didn’t have passports the ministry said in a statement.

“Some individuals have claimed they were trafficked into Uganda with promises of employment,” the statement said.

“Others were engaged in cyber-scamming activities.

A few were found in possession of materials suggesting involvement in other criminal activities.”

Trump lifts federal ban on mining

President clears the way for a Chilean company to apply for permits

BY TODD RICHMOND Associated Press

President Donald Trump has lifted a federal ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, clearing the way for a South American company eyeing the region’s precious metals to begin applying for permits.

Environmentalists fear the move will create a precedent for wiping out other protections for public lands across the country Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Chile-based Antofagasta Minerals, has been looking to dig for copper, nickel and other precious metals in the Superior National Forest since 2019.

The canoe area lies in the national forest just downstream from the mine site, raising concerns that digging could create pollution that would contaminate one of the nation’s last remaining wild areas.

Former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2023 imposed a 20-year moratorium on mining in the national forest, putting Twin Metals plans on hold. But Trump has called for boosting domestic energy and mineral production, and congressional Republicans sent him a resolution to lift the moratorium earlier this month, promising the move would create jobs and reenergize the mining industry in Minnesota’s Iron Range. The president signed the resolution on Monday “Today is a dark day for America’s most beloved Wilderness area, the Boundary

Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and a stark warning call for public lands nationwide,” Ingrid Lyons, executive director the group Save the Boundary Waters, said in a statement. “Minnesotans and the American public writ large have been loud and clear — this iconic place needs to be protected. Today, by the very people who claim to represent them, they were ignored, and even worse, silenced. But of course, it’s not over, and we will always keep fighting.”

Twin Metals spokesperson Kathy Graul said in a statement to The Associated Press that lifting the moratorium creates an opportunity to strengthen mineral supply chains but stressed that the company still must go through a rigorous permitting process that could last years.

Indeed, the mine site stands on a patchwork of state, federal and private land, creating a regulatory labyrinth.

The first hurdle for the company is reestablishing a right to mine after officials in Biden’s Department of the Interior terminated its federal site leases in early 2022.

Twin Metals filed a federal lawsuit seeking a declaration that the leases are still valid but a judge threw the case out in 2023. The company is appealing that decision.

Twin Metals also would have to win a mining permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources by showing that the company can prevent water pollution, safely store waste rock and restore the land after the mine is played out.

The company also will need state water and air permits

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who voted against lifting the moratorium, could be a serious roadblock for the company if she wins her bid for the governor’s office in November.

Palestinian artists in Gaza exhibit impressions of war

Show explores impact of conflict, fragile ceasefire

ByTheAssociated Press

BUREIJ,Gaza Strip Young Palestinian artists in Gaza staged an impromptu exhibit on Tuesday, seeking another way to show the world what has happened during the war and the fragile ceasefire.

The row of paintings, like much of Gaza life itself, was displayed outdoors, open to the weather and curious stares. There was a painting of a dove, a bullet hole, a person’s silhouette in a territory where the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group has killed well over 70,000 people.

It was a sunny day in Bureij in central Gaza. Children shouted and played as admirers of the paintings took photos and reflected.

“They painted their feelings, their ambitions, their hopes their visions, over four months during a continuous workshop in my studio,” said Ghanem Al-Din, who organized the exhibit of dozens of paintings.

Obay Al-Qarshali, 21, was one of the artists. He said he fled his home in Gaza City in late 2023 after the war began, sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. He took only what he could in his hurry, leaving over 30 of his paintings behind They are now lost in the bombing and destruction, he said.

His painting on display showed broken glass, cars topped with mattresses and other belongings and the debris of buildings.

All are too familiar for him and hundreds of thousands of fellow Palestinians who have been displaced, often more than once.

Al-Qarshali said he had changed locations at least seven times in the war

“Because of how much we were displaced and suffered in moving and carrying our belongings, the tents the crowds, and so much more, I wanted to

express something that deeply troubled me: that we left our homes and our safe places, forced to flee, scatter, and change our location. This piece expresses so much,” he said.

The timing of next steps in Gaza’s ceasefire is unclear The disarming of Hamas is a major challenge before the territory’s shift in governance, stabilization and reconstruction can begin in earnest.

“Critical demilitarization talks with Hamas are continuing,” former British prime minister Tony Blair, a key member of the U.S.-created Board of Peace meant to focus on Gaza, told a U.N. Security Council meeting on Tuesday Reconstruction likely will cost over $70 billion and take a decade, a report by the United Nations and the European Union said last week.

It said Gaza’s economy has contracted by 84%. More than 371,000 housing units have been destroyed. Over half of Gaza’s hospitals are “non-functional.” Nearly all schools are destroyed or damaged in the territory of over 2 million people.

In a report on Tuesday, Doctors Without Borders said Israel has destroyed or damaged about 90% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. And a Mercy Corps study found only 7% of Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure remains functional.

While large-scale fighting has eased since the ceasefire took effect in October, Israeli forces have continued near-daily strikes and fire around military-held zones, killing over 800 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

On Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike hit a car in Gaza City killing four men, according to Shifa Hospital.

Agents execute search warrants in Minn. fraud probe

BY MARK VANCLEAVE and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Federal agents executed multiple searches in Minnesota on Tuesday, seizing records and other evidence in an ongoing fraud investigation by the Trump administration of publicly funded social programs for children, authorities said.

No details about possible crimes were disclosed, though armed agents were seen at childcare centers in the Minneapolis area.

KSTP-TV said one crew even had a battering ram.

The searches occurred months after right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a video that alleged members of Minnesota’s Somali community were running fake childcare centers so they could collect federal subsidies. It caught the attention of the Trump administration and conservative activists, though the claims were disproven by inspectors. Minnesota has been dogged by fraud: At least 65 people, many of them Somali Americans, have been convicted of ripping off a federal program that was meant to provide food to children. The investigation began during the Biden administration.

Separately, a federal prosecutor in December said as much as $9 billion in federal funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen.

Democratic Gov Tim Walz, who has been on the defensive about not doing enough to root out fraud, welcomed the raids Tuesday Minnesota’s child welfare agency said it shared key information with law enforcement to “hold bad actors accountable.”

“We catch criminals when state and federal agencies share information. Joint investigations work, and securing justice depends on it,” Walz said.

The searches were being conducted at daycares, businesses and some resi-

dences, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

Various state and federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, participated in searches, including a stop at one of the childcare sites in Shirley’s video. Officers from Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were removing boxes at some locations.

“The American people deserve to know how their taxpayer money was abused. No stone will be left unturned,” said DHS, which also noted the cooperation of local and state authorities.

On social media, FBI Director Kash Patel mocked Walz for taking credit “while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.” Jason Steck, an attorney who represents childcare centers, said the names of targeted businesses that were shared with him show they’re operated by Somali immigrants. They were not his clients.

“A few childcare centers, a few autism centers, a few healthcare agencies of some type,” Steck said, adding that it appeared to be a “particular sweep for fraud.” The executive director of Child Care Aware of Minnesota, a nonprofit that serves childhood educators, said the publicity will be unflattering.

“The majority are in business to do good business. You’re going to come across individuals who try to capitalize on systems that are broken and need to be fixed,” Candace Yates said. Walz ended his bid for a third term as governor in early January amid President Donald Trump’s relentless focus on fraud allegations and the state’s Somali community Trump has used dehumanizing rhetoric, calling Somali immigrants “garbage” and “low IQ.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO ByABDEL KAREEM HANA

People look at paintings by Palestinian artists during an exhibition in Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday.

ThreeDemocrats competetotakeonHiggins forseat

Congressmember

hasnoRepublican opposition

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette,faces no Republican opposition in the GOP primary for his sixth reelectionbid to represent Acadiana. But, come November,hewill facea Democratic opponent.

With the new closedcongressional primaries, it’ll be the first time since he beatScott Angelle in 2016, with the help of David Vitter’spoliticalaction committee, that Higgins will compete in the general election.

Three Democratsare competing in the May 16 Democratic primary, with the winner set to go up against Higgins. Early voting begins Saturday John Day,ofLake Charles, is a professional writer who is working with the Coushatta and Choctaw tribes.ANavy veteran, Dayhas

worked in insurance, healthcare, and financial consulting.

TiaLeBrun, of Sulphur,isaneducator and member of the United Houma Nation. She has amaster’s degree from the University of New Orleans and taught French at Lake Charles Boston High School,where shewas Teacher of the Year in 2007. Sheisonthe board of the Council forthe Development of French in Louisiana.

Caleb Walker, of Lafayette, is a U.S. Army veteran who saw combat in Afghanistan.He’sworked for Sam’sClub andhas adegree in Christianleadership.

The threecandidates have been appearing together at town hallsas well as campaigningontheir own.

They agree on some big issues.

Allthree support abortion rights.

They wouldabolishthe Immigration and CustomsEnforcement agency,which has been leadingeffortstodeportimmigrants.They backa single-payer healthcare system that covers everyone, similar to Medicare. They oppose requiringvoters to prove citizenship when registering, which Republicans in

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Congress are pushing.

Andtheyopposethe pugnacious ways of Higgins and President DonaldTrump

“These two men, in tandem,are the reason we have problems,”Day said He said that, on his first day in Congress, he wouldfile articles of impeachment against Trump; codify the law to protect human dignity; and undo theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included much of Trump’sdomestic agenda, including restrictions on healthcareand food assistancefor low-incomepeoplealong with sweeping tax cuts.

“We’ve been overlooked by some of our elected officials. We need people to focusonthe crises that affect oureveryday lives here,” LeBrunsaid.“Medical decisions are such apersonal, intimate decisionthat youhavetomakebetween atrained medical professionaland the person potentially receivingany

Ex-FBI Director Comeyindictedagain

Case basedononlinepost officialscallathreat

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Former FBIDirectorJames Comey was indicted againTuesday,this time over asocial media photo of seashells arranged on abeach that officials said constituted athreat against President Donald Trump. The criminal case is the second in months against Comey and is part of the Trumpadministration JusticeDepartment’srelentless effort to prosecute political opponents of the Republican president. The seashells photo was posted nearly ayear ago, but the indictment was securedata time when acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, a Trump loyalist who previously servedashis personal lawyer,aims to prove to thepresident that he is the right person to hold the job permanently

The fact that the Justice Departmentpursued anew case months after aseparateand unrelated indictment wasdismissed could expose thegovernment to claims of avin-

dictive prosecution and to arguments that it is goingout of itsway to targetComey, who as FBIdirector had overseen the early monthsofaninvestigation intowhether Trump’s2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’selection.

Comey was fired by Trump months into the president’sfirst term as thatinvestigation was underway,and they have openly feuded ever since.

The prosecution arises from aMay poston Instagram in whichComey shared aphoto of seashells he saw on awalk in the arrangement of “86 47.” He hassaid he assumed that thenumbers reflected apolitical message, nota calltoviolence. Comey deleted the post shortly afteritwas made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violenceofany kind so Itook the postdown.”

Nonetheless, Comey was swiftly interviewed by the Secret Service after Trump administration officials asserted that he was advocating theassassination of Trump, the 47th president.

The case was filed in theEastern District of NorthCarolina, thestate where Comey found theseashells.

treatment. Idon’t wantcouyonClay Higgins in my doctor’sofficewith me.”

“I want to bring community back to where it should be,”Walker said.

“At my core, Ibelieve in community.Ibelieve in showing up, listening, andworking with people from all walksoflifetosolve real problems.

My leadership has alwaysbeen about unity,respect, and getting things done —not forrecognition, but because it matters.

Dayand LeBrun each hasabout $5,000 to spendontheir campaigns as of March31, accordingtothe FederalElectionCommission. Higgins reported $535,502 on the same day. Walker did not raise enough moneytofile with the FEC.

Louisiana’s3rd Congressional District makesupall or part of 11 parishes along the coast from the Sabine River to theAtchafalaya River.Its voters haven’tbacked a Democratic presidential, gubernatorial, or Senate candidate since 2008.

Clay Higgins

Higgins eschewstraditional campaigning, buying littletime on commercialtelevisionand avoiding sit-downs with reporters from the mainstream media. Hence, he doesn’traise muchmoney when comparedwithmostCongress members, including othersinthe Louisiana delegation.

Instead, Higgins goes directly to voters with short video clips aired on social media.

SupportGaudanse’sPerforming Arts Programs,Sustainability for Creators andPerformers, and Wellness-based Arts Practices

it — during the campaign.

Letlow, 45, now faces two key questions: Is Trump’s support enough to power her to victory?

And how does she square her embrace of Trump now, when she previously decried the divisive politics that Trump practices?

Letlow is challenging Cassidy in the May 16 Republican primary, along with state Treasurer John Fleming and Mark Spencer Early voting begins on Saturday and ends on May 9.

The top two finishers in the primary will advance to a Republican runoff on June 27.

The three candidates in the Democratic primary are Nick Albares, Jamie Davis and Gary Crockett Personal tragedies and triumphs

All stories about Letlow’s political career must begin with her late husband Luke.

They met in Monroe when he was in ninth grade, a year ahead of her at Ouachita Christian School in 1995. But the relationship didn’t flourish until 2012, when Letlow was living in New Orleans and helping residents improve their communication skills at Tulane’s school of medicine. They married a year later

Letlow returned to the University of Louisiana at Monroe to work for the provost and figured she’d climb the ladder there and raise a family

By August 2020, she had risen high enough at the university to apply to be its president. She was one of six semifinalists but didn’t get the job.

That same year, U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham decided to forgo reelection to the 5th Congressional District Luke, his chief of staff, ran for the seat and won on Dec. 5 that year

He died of COVID-19 on Dec. 29.

Letlow announced 16 days later that she would vie for the seat, “to pick up the torch that my husband left behind,” as she explained later that year

“I’ve never been more sure about a decision since the day I married Luke,” Letlow said in the interview “I’ll go back to my faith. I needed to have that peace that this was the right decision moving forward. I’ve never felt more ready, more equipped, more determined to serve.”

Luke’s death was not the first tragedy for Letlow When she was a junior at University of Louisiana at Monroe, she lost her younger brother Jeremy, 17, to a car accident.

Letlow read widely to help her cope with the heartbreak and found plenty of writing on the loss of a parent or a child but not on siblings.

She tackled the subject in her masters thesis from UL-Monroe and in her 2011 doctoral dissertation from the University of South Florida, “Giving Meaning to Grief: The Role of Rituals and Stories in Coping with Sudden Family Loss.”

“It was cathartic,” Letlow recalled in 2021. “I could write about losing my brother, and that helped me through that season of life. I was also able to contribute to where there was a deficit in the literature on sibling grief and possibly help other surviving siblings who were hurting as well.”

A cautious campaign

Letlow easily won the 2021 special election and reelection in 2022 and 2024

She did not face tough questions in her three elections to the House That was in part because

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO ByALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump stands at the podium with Rep Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, during the Congressional Ball in December Letlow has Trump’s endorsement in her run for the U.S Senate.

she steered clear of the three Hanna newspapers in northeast Louisiana, according to publisher Sam Hanna She ended the 27-year tradition where the representative from the 5th Congressional District answered questions once a week from KEDM-FM, the public radio station in Monroe, according to the station news director She’s never agreed to appear with conservative talk radio host Moon Griffon on his program, Griffon said.

With only a handful of exceptions, reporters have not been allowed to cover her Senate campaign appearances.

Letlow’s approach with the media contrasts with that of Cassidy and Fleming during the race.

Cassidy holds regular news conferences with reporters and gives media outlets a heads-up before many of his public appearances.

Fleming, running an underfinanced campaign, talks to reporters at every opportunity

Cassidy proposed three statewide televised debates that Fleming quickly accepted. Letlow has agreed to only a debate on the program of Griffon, who regularly lampoons Cassidy as “Psycho Bill.”

“I like people to like me,” she said in a 2024 interview “I need tougher skin. That’s been the most challenging part for me — making everyone happy.”

Earlier this month, Letlow had a smile on her face as she spilled out of a white SUV along with her two young children. It was spring break, and Letlow had brought her kids to the next stop in her Senate campaign, a fundraiser at the Diamond Grill in downtown Alexandria.

Candidates typically alert local media outlets about upcoming appearances, to be able to offer a quick sound bite or two before attending their event.

But Letlow’s campaign hadn’t told anyone but potential donors.

With several energetic steps — Letlow was the state 2A high school long jump champ in 1998 she reached the front door at the Diamond Grill and disappeared inside.

A consensus builder

In a 2021 interview, Letlow described a political philosophy that harkened back to the pre-Trump Republican Party

“How about the (Ronald) Reagan days when you would just go have a beer with someone and sit down, look eye to eye and say ‘Let’s talk this through. We may not leave agreeing. We may agree to disagree,’” she said.

In the 2024 interview, she remained committed to that approach.

“The biggest challenge we face

is the divisive language,” she said, without mentioning Trump. “We need to tone that down. We need to start healing.”

Letlow was out of step with Trump when she was asked who won the 2020 presidential election

“Biden,” she said without hesitation.

“He’s our president.”

Trump, of course, has repeatedly claimed that Joe Biden took office only because of fraud.

Letlow disclosed that one of her heroes was Lindy Boggs, who succeeded her husband Hale in the House after he died in a plane crash in 1973. She went on to represent New Orleans until 1991 as a Democrat.

“I always heard she was a consensus builder,” Letlow said. “Anytime you see me wearing a scarf, it’s a nod to her I truly believe in working across the aisle.”

In January 2025, Letlow moved to Baton Rouge. Because of redistricting, she now represented Louisiana’s capital city, and Kevin Ainsworth lived there.

By July of that year, her next move had become the biggest question in Louisiana politics: Would she run for reelection as a heavy favorite, challenge Cassidy or apply to be the next president of LSU?

In September 2025, she announced she wouldn’t seek to be LSU’s president.

Speculation continued, however, about whether she would take on Cassidy, who had lost favor with Trump and many conservatives after voting to convict the president on impeachment charges of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol.

Trump settled Letlow’s plans on Jan. 17 this year when he announced his support for her She jumped into the race three days later forgoing reelection to her House seat.

Cassidy soon hit Letlow for having pledged to expand UL-Monroe’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs when she applied to be the university’s president six years earlier

In an interview, Letlow wanted to focus on the positive.

“What I said (in 2020) was DEI was presented to us at the time as a tool that would encourage people to go

achieve the American dream, that would help lift people up and not bring them down,” Letlow said. “I’ve always believed that people should be hired based on merit. I used the word anonymity in my interview if you watch the whole thing, that people shouldn’t be elevated on anything other than merit. DEI became something so much more. It became hijacked by the left.”

Standing with Trump

In a more recent interview, she was asked why she is standing tall with Trump given his polarizing language and policies.

“I’m always going to be an optimist and a positive person,” she said. “God creates personalities of all types. I so support President Trump and his policies. I see so much good that he’s done for Louisiana and the country.”

What is she most proud of during her five years in the House?

She cited bringing $200 million to her district through her position on the Appropriations Committee.

“We did a good job working with the people who we serve, with my parish presidents, our mayors, local elected officials,” she said, “if they needed a sewage treatment plant or a new water treatment plant or a helipad in Bogalusa, all of those things.”

Since Trump returned to office, Letlow has consistently voted with the president on his initiatives.

Trump demands loyalty Would she simply be a yes-person for him?

“If there was any issue where I had a concern, I would pick up the phone and call him and talk to him privately about it,” she said. “I would not bash him publicly.”

After all of her experiences, Letlow said she is ready to be Louisiana’s next senator

“I would never have imagined this small-town girl from northeast Louisiana would be able to work hard to build a relationship with a former and now sitting U.S. president and to be able to deliver for Louisiana,” she said. “That’s what’s so important to me about this race and his endorsement. He knows he needs someone he can work with who will work with him and not against him and also will work with future administrations.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, fields questions while attending an event at the City Club of Baton Rouge in 2024.

industry leaders, investors and regulatoryexecutives gathered to discuss the state’snuclear strategy and to promote development opportunities in the state.

“Turner Industries has been acornerstone of our state’sindustrial strength for decades,” Landry said in aprepared statement following the announcement.

“This expansion puts Louisiana workers at the center of building the next generation of nuclear power.”

Landry unveiled his nuclear energy strategy at aglobal energy conference last month in Houston.The initiative seeks to position Louisiana at the center of the country’snuclear supplychain andaligns with President Donald Trump’sfocus on nuclearenergy

The Trump administrationhas invested billions in nuclear energy andpushed to speedupthe regulatory approval process for new and expanded nuclear power plants.

That’slargely because the nuclear power supply chain is just beginning to ramp up,Toups said. “Itwill depend on how fast all this gets started,” he said. “No one knows until the first order comes in.”

The companydid notreceive any incentives from Louisiana Economic Development to relocate its nuclear fabrication business to the state, aspokesperson for the agency said.

Experience in the field

“Turner Industries has a 65-yearlegacy of supporting the energy

sector,and todayweare leaning into the future of American energy independence.”

STEPHEN TOUPS, Turner Industries CEO

Amongthose at thesummit Tuesday was U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Ho K. Nieh, who wasappointed by Trump in January and is overseeing the agency’sefforts to accelerate new reactor development.

“Turner Industries has a 65-year legacy of supporting the energy sector,and today we are leaning into the future of American energy independence,” Toups said.

It’snot clearhow quickly Turner will ramp up productionatthe two fabrication yards or how muchit willinvest in the expansion.

Turner Industries, founded in 1961, is one of the country’slargest industrial contractors, with 9,300 employees and six offices across the state. It helped build several nuclear power pla nts when theywere under construction inthe 1970s, Toups said. In recent decades, as the country shifted away from nuclear power,much of that workdried up, though the company continued to maintainits certification in the highlyspecialized fieldand work on smaller projects, mostly from its fabrication yard in Paris,Texas Now, that work will bedoneinLouisiana “Wedonot makea megawatt. We make the stuff that makes themegawatt,” Toupssaid. “Weare going to build the pipes, the modules, thesubassemblies that go in the nuclear reactors.” At its 95-acre New Iberia facility and 75-acre sitein Port Allen,Turner willproduce piping and equipment for older nuclear power plants that are being upgraded or expanded. It will also build components for small modular reactors— portable nuclear power plants built on-site forlarge industrial users that consume massive

amounts of energy,like chemicalrefineries, liquifiednatural gas export terminals andatrificialintelligence datacenters.

“Thisexpansion shows how our homegrown companies are evolving to meet newdemand,” Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said. “By building on what we do best, Louisiana is creating new opportunities, driving innovation and growing high-qualityjobsthatmove our economy forward.”

Cleanenergy?

While the renewedfocusonnuclear powermay come as asurprise to those who remember high-profile disasterslike Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in the 1970s and 1980s, energy experts say nuclear power is frontofmind again because it is reliable and does not emit the greenhouse gassesthatcause extreme weather

Though Trump has ignored such risks withpolicies that promote fossil fu-

els, the rest of theworldis looking for ways to mitigate climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

Environmentalists note that while nuclear power doesn’t producecarbon emissions andiscleaner in some respects than natural gasand other fossilfuels, its radioactive waste carries health and safety risks.

Industry groups saytoday’snuclear powerplants are safer and more reliable than in the past.

Turner Industries plans to partner with local communitycolleges on dedicated trainingprograms to create a“nuclear-ready” workforce.

“Weneed to look at the best of the best and build on their success,” saidToups, citing nuclear tech training programsinNorthCarolina’scommunity college system. “Workforce is going to be key.”

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

WAITLIST CLOSING

EffectiveFriday, May1 at 12:00PM, thewaitlistfor WynhovenApartmentswill close. No applications will be acceptedbymail, online or in-personafter this time

When the waiting listreopens,wewill announce it in the localnewspaperand on our website. Thebest wayto keep informedabout our waitinglists is to check our websitefrequentlyand/or our socialmedia sites

If youare alreadyonthe waitinglist, youwill not be impacted by the waiting listclosure.Wewill continueto processall applications in theorder they were received. Please keep the staffinformedofany changes to your mailingaddress,email address or phone number.Ifstaff attempts to contact youand youdonot respond by the deadline,your application will be removed.

Wynhoven Apartments (504) 347-8442

www.ProvidenceCommunityHousing.org

Family Fest is back!

West JeffersonMedical Center’s Family Fest is back foranother year!Celebrating over65years of caring forthe Westbanklikefamily, we’reexcited to offer free admission to livemusic: Louisiana Landfall, as well as Rockin’Dopsieand the Zydeco Twisters;deliciousfoodtrucks; andmore. While admission isfree, allproceedsraised from thefestival will go towardsthe West JeffersonHospital Foundation.Inraising thesefunds,you will help us fulfill ourmission of providing one-of-a-kind, compassionatecarefor the health andwell-beingofour Westbank community. We can’twaitto celebratewithyou and your entire family!

West JeffersonFamily Fest Friday,May 8, 5-11pm 920AvenueB,Marrero

Learn more

PHOTO PROVIDED ByTURNER INDUSTRIES

Turner Industries says it will produce pipingand equipment forolder nuclear powerplants that are beingupgraded or expanded at its 95-acre NewIberia facility as well as building components for smallmodular reactors.

The deal comes as city officials have driven down spending through furloughs and overtime cuts, among other measures. Without action, the city would have been on track for a $220 million deficit for this year, Moreno’s team has said.

The deal would be one of the biggest boosts to the city’s budget since officials revealed a $160 million spending deficit last year. It is supported by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack, who has been auditing the city’s spending at state leaders’ request since the budget crisis emerged last year

“This is a good solution for the city It really solves a crisis situation with the fund balance,” said Waguespack, who joined Moreno on Tuesday City Council members Eugene Green, Jason Hughes, Aimee McCarron and JP Morrell also showed up Tuesday to support the agreement. The council will consider an ordinance to authorize the deal at a meeting next week, and once approved, the deal could close within the next couple of weeks, Moreno said.

A copy of the ordinance provided by council member Lesli Harris’ office lists all seven council members as co-authors

“New Orleans families deserve a government that is fiscally sound and positioned to deliver the services they count on every day,” said Harris, adding that the agreement is a “responsible, forwardthinking solution.”

A dwindling reserve

In selling the lease payments, Moreno is attempting to rectify a problem highlighted by Waguespack, city officials and budget watchdog Bureau of Governmental Research in recent years: New Orleans’ dwindling cash reserve.

The city’s total emergency reserves amount to roughly $35 million, Moreno said, far below the $160 million officials hope for to align with the minimum recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association. The group advises that cities hold around 17% of their general fund operating budgets in their reserves.

Voters in 2017 approved a charter amendment requiring the city to set aside a much smaller amount — 5% of its general fund — for its reserves. BGR and others have said the city should seek to align with best practices instead.

But the past four years have seen New Orleans draw from reserves to backfill deficit spending, a practice deployed by former Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration and the previous City Council, on which Moreno, Morrell, Green, Freddie King III and now-Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso served.

Rating agencies Moody’s, S&P and Fitch recently slapped the city with downgrades, with Moody’s knocking the city’s use of its reserve funds in that practice in February

“Governance is a key driver of this rating action, reflecting budget management practices that have led to escalating reliance on reserves,” Moody’s said.

Now Moreno is attempting to build that reserve back up, and get the city’s all-important bond rating

— a measure of its creditworthiness that, if too low, can make the cost of borrowing expensive up from Baa2. That is the second rung from the bottom of its investmentgrade scale, just two steps above junk status.

Doing so comes at a cost. The city plans to sell the leases at a discounted rate, and it would lose $46 million on lease payments over the nine-year period.

“Yes, we will be receiving less money, roughly about $4.7 million less a year I hate it, too,” said Moreno. “But ultimately, we do need this huge amount of money coming in up front to help us build our reserves.”

Officials said Tuesday that they were not aware of any similar lease deals made by the city in recent years.

Bond rating could rise

Since the $103 million is going to a reserve fund, the city will keep up, at least through this year, the furloughs and other cost-saving measures it deployed to avoid a cash deficit.

The revenue lost from selling the lease payments at a discounted rate will be made up as the city ramps up enforcement of parking rules and collects unpaid fees and fines, said Giarrusso. The city is also going after unpaid federal reimbursements.

Waguespack said he is optimistic that the city’s bond rating will see a boost from the deal.

“It’s really going to change the minds of, hopefully, these bond rating agencies,” said Waguespack.

He said it could take six months for bond rating agencies to review the deal and change ratings accordingly

Waguespack said overall, the city is in a stronger financial place than when the budget crisis came into view last year

“There’s more eyes on the ball, and there’s more management, and I think we’re a good spot going forward,” said Waguespack.

“I’m feeling better about it.”

Moreno pointed to the city’s downtown leases as a potential source of revenue as she prepared to take office in the fall, directing

The deal has been in the

Moreno

but is reviewing other properties to potentially put up for

“This is really the largest lease that

The

“This money is going essentially into our

Giarrusso.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Audibelis NOW Offering...

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday weighed the impact of arecent ban on “sanctuarypolicies forillegalimmigration” on a federal court settlement that for yearshas limited how the Orleans Parish sheriff respondstodetainer requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Afederal judge in New Orleans asked the state high court to address the question before she rules on a bid by Attorney General Liz Murrill to end aconsent decree on immigration holds that former Sheriff Marlin Gusman endorsed in 2013.

The agreement barred the Sheriff’s Office from heedingdetainer requests for immigrants unless

thejailed person was charged with murder,aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, armedrobbery with afirearm, or treason.

It settled acase in which two men, MarioCacho and Antonio Ocampo, suedGusman’soffice afterbeing jailed formonthspast the end of their criminal sentences on immigration holds. Murrill argues thatAct 314, enacted twoyears ago, effectively ended the consent decree under its terms but thatSheriff Susan Hutson hasrefused to abandon it.

Under Act 314, jailers must “use best efforts to support the enforcement offederal immigration law.”

Justice Department attorneys claim Hutson’s office hashonored aminusculeshare of ICE detainer requests.

On Tuesday,the justices debated whether the consent decree amounts to Sheriff’sOffice policy that Act 314 would trump, or if the two edicts could “coexist.”

AlyssaBarnard-Yanni,anattor-

take center stageathearing

ney for the plaintiffs, argued that the consent decree falls outside the 2024 anti-sanctuary law. She pointed to alegislative record in whichits author,Sen.Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, said his bill wouldn’trequireasheriff to defy afederal order

ChiefJusticeJohnWeimer recalled “numerous statements to thateffect, that there’s no conflict here” in debateover thebill.

Justice John Michael Guidry saidthat thefederal consent decree is “not apolicy” and suggested that it doesn’tfall under theact.

Zachary Faircloth,anattorney for Murrill’soffice, argued that thelegislative debate made no difference, because theresulting bill was clear thatthe OPSO consent decree on immigrationholds was obsolete.

“Why did they pass it other than to get it in New Orleans?” asked Justice Cade Cole.

He argued that if lawmakers meant to exclude the jail agree-

mentfrom the anti-sanctuary bill, they would have said it. Instead, theLegislature voted downafloor amendment to exemptfederal consent decrees. Faircloth argued that the plaintiffs were “running circleshere” with semantics to skirt the new statelaw

“The state has avested interest in how we control criminal detainees across the state,” Faircloth said. “Consent,acquiesce,adopt, implement —wethink we’re playing word games here.”

Cole dismissed other arguments by the plaintiffs, including questionsabout the cost to the city or thesheriff for holding immigrants longer under the state law

Justice JayMcCallumalso wasn’tbuying aclaim that the new lawimposed an unfunded mandate on the sheriff.

“Isn’tthat the inherent purpose of jails,todetain people who have been arrested and accused of crimes?” he asked.

Barnard-Yanni, the plaintiffs’ attorney, counteredthatsuchdetentionshaveincluded immigrants withdroppedcriminal charges or even acquittals, and others who werebooked on minorcharges. Immigrationdetention,she argued, “isn’tastate power at all.” In any case, “Act 314 is completelydisproportionate to whatever the interest is the state might be serving,” she said. Hutson’soffice was not involved in Tuesday’sarguments. The sheriff is leaving officenextweek,with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork scheduled to be sworn in Monday As she ran for office last year, Woodfork describedNew Orleans as “a sanctuary city,and so we’re looking outfor those who arenot from thiscountry.And Ithink we have to treat them humanely.”

Aspokespersonfor Woodfork’s transition declinedimmediate comment Tuesday on her plans for responding to ICEdetainers once in office.

Landry,LED confirmLIV Golf tournament is off

Eventhad been plannedfor City Park in June

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The LIV Golf tournament planned for City Park’sBayou Oaks Golf Course this summer is officially canceled, stateofficials said Tuesday,confirmingearlier reports that the event was being called off amid questions about the financial future of the Saudi Arabian-backedleague.

Gov.Jeff Landry and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said in ajoint statement on Tuesday that LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil told Bourgeois in aphone call Friday that the league wanted to postpone the June 25-28 tournament and potentially reschedule ascaled-down event in September or October

No dates or financial terms for asmaller event have been dis-

COUPLE

Continued from page1A

would cover high-profile athletes’living, training and debt costs as they left collegeand preparedtoenter the NBA and the NFL.

The investors thought they would be made whole, plus interest, once the athletes’ pro paychecks started flowing. But the returns on their investments nevercame.

The indictmentalleges Weber and Lash made pitches to lenders using fake email addresses,driver’s licenses and W-2forms, often posing online and in phone calls as the athletes, their family members or associates. Once lenders wired money, they wouldlaunder it through acompany owned by Lash, who shares achild with Weber, accordingtothe feds. In total, the pair are accused of pocketing more than $3 million.

Both are charged with wire fraud, conspiracy, money laundering and six counts of aggravatedidentity theft.

Weber,who ran afirm called Weber Music & Sports Entertainment, faces two additional counts of interstate communication of a threat.Afederal public defender assigned to the case, Annalisa Miron, declinedto comment Tuesday because she was still reviewing the charges.

Some of the allegations against Weber and Lash became public last fall when the Jefferson ParishSheriff’s Office arrested them on state counts of forgery and identity theft. At the time, officials said thecouplehad posedasWard, theTitans quarterback and last year’s first overallNFL draft pick, and Ward’sfather to secure $250,000 in bogus loans. A player described in thenew indictment appears to be Ward based on the timing of the alleged scheme and amounts the feds say were stolen, though none of the athletes are identified by name An FBI memo identifies Fournette, aNew Orleans

cussed, and LIV’sseason ends in August.

LIV hasagreedtorepay the $1 million in cashithas already received fromthe state as part of a broader incentivepackage thatalso included upgradestothe Bayou Oaks course, the statement said.

“Weappreciate LIV’sgood-faith efforts andlook forwardtomaintaining our partnership as we continue conversations around an event later thisyear,” thejoint statement fromLandry andBourgeois said

Asked about the league’s decision Tuesday,Landry said there were still benefitstothe attempt to bring them to the city

“It doesn’tmatter.We’ve been able to clean upCityPark and give it aface-lift,” said Landry on the sidelines of aconferenceabout nuclear energyinNew Orleans.“You

native and Buffalo Bills running back, as theother pro football player whose identity Weber used.

Thescope of the alleged fraud detailed in theindictment,which agrand jury returned Friday and ajudge ordered unsealed Monday, appears far broader than the initial allegations suggested. Sixathletes, includingtwo each who would go on to theNFL and NBA, and ahandful of sportsagents aresaid to be victims of the scheme that ran from 2016 throughlast year.The FBI beganinvestigating Weber in 2023, an agent wrote in court documents. Weber and Lash sometimes also sometimesused fake identitiestolure lessprominent aspiring professional basketball players and agents into paying for bogus overseas trips meant to set them up with business opportunities, according to theindictment.

Yearslongscheme College athletes were forbiddenfromacceptingcompensation outside ofscholarship money until 2021, when theNCAA introduced its new“name, image andlikeness” policy.Spokespeople forthe NFL and the NBA didnot respond to requests for comment, and theNCAA didnot respondtoinquiries.

The fourpro prospects aredescribed in theindictment as “FootballPlayer 1,” who the document says left an NCAA footballprogram in 2017; “FootballPlayer 2,” who left college in 2025; “BasketballPlayer1,” who left college in 2021; and “BasketballPlayer2,” who left in 2023.

Football Player 1appears to be Fournette,according to an FBI memothatdescribes portions of Weber’s allegations as “TheLeonardFournette Scheme.”

Football Player 2appears to be Ward, last year’stop NFL draft pick whom Sheriff’s Office officialspreviouslyidentified as avictim of the alleged scheme. Lash and Weber secured more than$250,000 by impersonatingWard alone, according

can’texpect 100% of your business deals to pan out ” It is unclear what thelocal cancellation means for the remainder of LIV’sseason. LIV could notimmediately be reached forcomment. In astatementTuesday,City ParkPresident and CEO Rebecca Dietz said theparkis“grateful to thestate for investing $2.2 million for delivering improvements at Bayou Oaksand delivering lasting upgradestothe park’s public golf facilities.”

“These upgrades improve course design andfunctionalityand enhanceplay for thousands of golfers at the Park,”she said. Touristdraw?

Cancellation of the tournament leaves ahole in New Orleans’ hospitality calendar, though it was never clear howmuchvisitoractivity an outdoor event in late June would bring to thecity

to Sheriff’sOffice officials and the federal indictment. Ward’sfather toldThe Guardian newspaper that he sensed something may have been amiss after learning a lien hadbeen taken outon his homewithout his knowledge.

Three“victimlenders” whoinvestedinwhatthey thought were bridge loans arealsodescribed in theindictmentasvictimsofthe scheme. So aretwo sports agents who helped aspiring professional athletes connectwith opportunities in foreign leagues, as well as two “aspiring professional basketballplayers” in Florida and Texas.

Thefeds say thescheme started in 2016, when an investorlent Weber $300,000 for the player whoappears to be Fournette, with the money intended to help him close out debts and pay off a sportsagency contract.The lender wired money to an account belonging to an unnamed associateofWeber’s The associate withdrew the deposit in cash and gave most of it to Weber, according to the indictment.

Fournette’s name appears to be redacted in portions of the FBI memo thatnames him as an identitytheftvictim. He left LSUand was drafted fourth overallby theJacksonville Jaguars in 2017, the same year Football Player 1left the NCAA, according to theindictment. The memo states Weber posed as his “mentor ”Fournette could not immediately be reached.

In 2021, Weberand Lash impersonated Basketball Player1and hisfatherusingfakeemail addresses,

“We’ve been able to clean up City Park and giveitaface-lift. Youcan’texpect 100% of your business deals to pan out.”

GOV. JEFF LANDRy

Landry estimated in August that the tournament would generate $60 million in tourist spending.

Thecity’stop tourism booster, New Orleans and Co. CEO Walt Leger,said while the development was adisappointment, “We will continue to work diligently to bring adiverse portfolio of events and meetings to thecityoverthe next several months,building on themomentum of thefirst two quarters of 2026.”

LIV Golf receiveda $7.2 million incentive package to be funded from thestate’smajor event fund, whichincluded a$5million hosting fee for LIV and $2.2 million for CityParkfor upgradestothe

driver’slicenses anda forged agreement notarized in the athlete’sname in New Orleans, according to theindictment. The lender agreed to pay $950,000 and wired them the money.Lash and Weber then wired more than $850,000 of themoney to aGulf CoastBank account registered to afirm owned by Lashcalled iPrestigio.

In 2023, the indictment states the pair set up abank account, forged adriver’s license anda drafteda fake W-2form in Basketball Player 2’sname, then used the forgery to secure more

course. Of the $2.2 million earmarked for City Park, all but about $300,000 has been paid to thepark and spent over the past fewmonths on regradingsurfaces, improving drainage, anew layer of sand andimprovements to the turf and greens at Bayou Oaks. The work is nearly complete. The state is not entitled to go after City Park’sshare of the funds in the event of adefault, but state officials have said the improvements to the course will benefit the public.

Were LIV to reschedule its local tournament for the fall, it would have to work around atight schedule of festivals andeventsthat seek to take advantage of the city’s typically more temperate climate in late September and October

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

than $2 million from several lenders.

Former player himself

Weberisalso chargedwith threatening two victims in Oregon whohebelieved had “stirred up this shit,” telling them he knew “gangsters” wholived near the victims.

Weber appears to be aformer athlete himself.College athletics records list an Albert Weber as amember of the AlabamaCrimson Tide men’sbasketball team during the2004-05 season. Weberplayedshooting guard andaveraged2.2 points in

nine minutes per game. Atop playerinthe 2023 NBA draft class, Brandon Miller,played forWeber’s almamater and was picked second overall in the draft by theCharlotte Hornets that year —the same year “BasketballPlayer2”left college forthe pros, according to the indictment. Miller did not respond to an Instagram message. Court records show Weber is set to enter apleainfederal court on Friday.Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Moses is prosecuting the case against Weber and Lash.

fordaysorweeks if ahurricane damages infrastructure, propane-poweredsystems cancontinuetooperate in theaftermath of a storm.Thatmeans families canuse propane to cook meals, heat waterand maintain a senseofnormalcyevenwhencircumstances arechallenging

As Louisianaheads into anotherhurricane season,residents acrossthe stateare encouraged to beginpreparations. In addition to weather-relateddamages,extendedpower outages, supply disruptionsand challenging recovery conditions areall possible if astorm does strike.While traditional measures like stocking supplies andmedicationand having communicationdevices readyare stillessential propaneisbecominganimportant part of a well-rounded stormreadiness plan

“I thinkpropane usageismoreprevalent now than ever becausethe awarenessabout it has increased. As more people useitand tell others aboutit, they realizehow many benefitsithas,” said John Alario,chairmanofthe Louisiana Liquefied PetroleumGas Commission.“You canget propaneahead of time andstore it for alongtime. If theelectricity goes out, it’s ready to usetopower generators andcooking.It’sa greatitemtohaveinyourstorm preparationkit.”

Unlike gasoline,which canbedifficult to obtain in thedaysleading up to astorm due to long linesand supply shortages, propane canbepurchased severalweeks in advance andstoredsafelyfor extended periods. Larger propanetanks canstore an averageof80to100 gallonsofthe fuel

“Propane canbestoredfor yearsand you don’thavetoworry aboutitgoing bad. It hasa very long shelflife,”saidRonnieIstre,service managerfor Lake Arthur Butane andPropane Alario addedthatpropane should be stored in an outdoorbuildingand away from anyheat sources. Customersshouldalsomonitor the date on theirtanks,since thosetanks must be recertified every12years

Theability to storepropane long-termgives homeowners asignificant advantagewhen storms approach quickly. IstresaidLakeArthur Butane andPropane,aswellasother providers, work proactivelytofill residential tanksahead of hurricaneseason.

“Weliketokeepthemfilled steadily so we canavoid hectic rushes if astorm formsand starts heading this way,”hesaid. “Wehavewhat we call our‘generatorroute’fromthe Texas/ Louisianaborder allthe waytoLafayette.We hitthe road severalweeks aheadofhurricane season as much as possible to fillthose tanks up.Itmakes it easier on us andeasier on the customers. Unlike electricity, whichcan be outofservice

“We’re seeing that most newhomes have large generators installedduringconstruction. We’ve also seen them addedtoolder homesaspeople realize theadvantagesofthem,”Istre said “Propane is agreatoptionfor thosegenerators becauseyou canstore it aheadoftimeand it canbedelivered to your houseafter astorm if roadsare passable.Itcan be easier to getthan gasoline in some circumstances.” Istresaidpropane dealersalsodeliver thefuel to commercial businesses,suchassupermarkets andretailoutlets,thathavestationslocatedon theirpremisesfor customerstorefill smaller propanecylinders. Dealersalsoservice some companiesthatuse propanetopower heavy equipment, such as forklifts. As hurricanesremainanannualrisk, Louisianansunderstandthatplanningahead and diversifying energy sources arecrucial to weatheringthestormandbuildingbackstronger. From powering generators andcooking meals to supporting communicationand recovery propaneoffersaflexible andreliablesolutionto help navigate theuncertainties of stormseason. “Hurricane season starts on June 1, and we allknowastorm canhappenatany time,” Alario said.“This is thetimeofthe year to get agameplan, andpropane should be apartof your emergencykit andpreparations.

BRIEFS

Consumer confidence inches higher in April

WASHINGTON U.S. consumer confidence rose modestly in April despite growing anxiety over soaring energy prices brought on by the war in Iran

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index inched up to 92.8 in April from 92.2 in March.

Though the gauge measuring American consumers’ confidence has ticked up the past two months, the reading remains mired near its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Respondents’ comments about prices, oil, gas and the war increased in April as the national average for a gallon of gas in the U.S. rose to $4.18 this week, up more than a dollar since before the war began. The last time U.S. drivers were collectively paying this much at the pump was nearly four years ago, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The largest monthly jump in gas prices in six decades caused a sharp spike in inflation last month, creating major challenges for the inflationfighters at the Federal Reserve.

Starbucks reports higher quarterly sales

Starbucks said Tuesday that customers are responding to improved service in its stores, which saw better-than-expected sales in the company’s fiscal second quarter

The Seattle coffee giant said global same-store sales for the January-March period rose 6.2%. That was higher than the 4% increase Wall Street was anticipating, according to analysts polled by FactSet. In the U.S., same-store sales jumped 7%.

Over the last year, Starbucks has been adding employees to stores during rush times and using technology to better sequence its in-store and mobile orders. It has also encouraged friendlier service and is redesigning stores to give them a cozier, coffeehouse feel.

Starbucks has also gotten leaner, and vowed to plow those savings back into its turnaround Last year the company closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe and laid off at least 2,000 non-retail employees.

In a video message to employees Tuesday, Starbucks Chair and CEO Brian Niccol called the quarter “the turn in our turnaround.”

“Put simply, more customers are getting back to Starbucks as we deliver the best of Starbucks more consistently,” Niccol said.

Starbucks said its revenue rose 9% to $9.5 billion for the second quarter That was also ahead of analysts’ forecast of $9.2 billion.

GM expects $500M tariff refund from levies

NEW YORK General Motors is expecting a $500 million tariff refund after the Supreme Court struck down some of President Donald Trump’s most sweeping levies. That’s boosted the Detroit auto maker’s outlook for 2026. On Tuesday, GM said it’s now looking to rake in $13.5 billion to $15.5 billion in earnings before interest and taxes this year up from previous forecasts of $13 billion to $15 billion. The refund is set to ease the company’s total tariff expenses some GM anticipates paying $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion in tariff costs for 2026, the company said Tuesday, down from an original estimate of $3 billion to $4 billion.

“We are clearly operating in a very dynamic environment, which isn’t unusual for this industry,” CEO Mary Barra wrote in a letter to shareholders. Still, she maintained the company was seeing solid growth and a strong balance sheet “to achieve our long-term goals.”

For the first quarter of 2026, GM reported earnings of $2.63 billion and a revenue of $43.62 billion.

AI, oil weigh on Wall Street

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Sinking AI stocks and another climb in oil prices because of the Iran war helped pull Wall Street off its record heights on Tuesday

The S&P 500 fell 0.5% from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 25 points, or 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.9% from its own record.

Stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry led the way lower.

Chip company Broadcom was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after sinking 4.4%. Drops of 1.6% for Nvidia and 3.9% for Micron Technology also undercut the market.

The weakness came after a report in The Wall Street Journal said some leaders at OpenAI are concerned about whether it can support its massive spending on data centers after missing targets for new users and revenue. If the maker of ChatGPT pulls back on its investments, it could bolster criticism that the entire AI industry is in a bubble of over-the-top

spending that may not produce the profits and productivity that would make it all worth it.

The drops came just a day before several of the biggest spenders on AI are scheduled to report their latest results for the start of 2026. They could offer more clues on whether all the investment in AI is producing the kind of returns that shareholders care about.

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft are all reporting their latest quarterly results on Wednesday. Also weighing on the stock mar-

ket was another rise for oil prices on continued uncertainty about what will happen with the Iran war

The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil to be delivered in June climbed 2.8% to settle at $111.26. Brent to be delivered in July, which is

Trump pursues new import taxes

Levies to replace tariffs the Supreme Court rejected

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON When the Supreme Court killed his favorite tariffs in February, President Donald Trump promptly rolled out temporary import taxes to replace them But those stopgap levies expire in less than three months.

Now the administration is scrambling to put more durable tariffs in place to keep revenue flowing into the U.S. Treasury and to shore up the president’s protectionist wall around the American economy

Starting this week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will begin hearings in two investigations that are expected to lead to a new round of U.S. tariffs — taxes paid by importers in the United States and usually passed on via higher prices to consumers who are already fed up with the high cost of living Trump’s newest tariff push is sure to face more challenges in court but is likely to prove sturdier than the one the Supreme Court tossed out.

First up is a hearing Tuesday and Wednesday into whether 60 economies — from Nigeria to Norway and accounting for 99% of U.S. imports do enough to prohibit the

trade in products created by forced labor.

“For too long, American workers and firms have been forced to compete against foreign producers who may have an artificial cost advantage gained from the scourge of forced labor,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in March. The administration could punish scofflaws with new tariffs.

Then, next week, the administration will hold hearings on whether 16 U.S trading partners — including China, the European Union and Japan — are overproducing goods, driving down prices and putting U.S. manufacturers at a disadvantage. The economies being investigated account for 70% of U.S. imports, according to Erica York of the Tax Foundation. Again, the probe could result in new tariffs.

Most major economies, including China, the EU and Japan, are on both lists.

The administration has brought the cases under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which authorizes tariffs and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.

U.S. Trade Representative Greer, who is overseeing the investigations, has insisted he won’t prejudge them.

But importers and foreign countries have doubts the process will be fair After all, Trump’s Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, did not wait for the investigations to be

completed to proclaim that the U.S. government will replace its original tariff revenues with new import taxes, including ones to be imposed under Section 301. The president himself has said that new tariffs “are going to get us more money.”

“If you believe the Treasury secretary and the president, then the cake is already baked,” said Scott Lincicome of the libertarian Cato Institute’s Center for Trade Policy Studies. “These investigations will result in tariffs that approximate what the Supreme Court overruled in February.”

On Feb. 20, the high court ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority by invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose double-digit tariffs on almost every country on Earth. Trump had used the act to plaster taxes on imports with eager abandon. For example, he conjured up a new tariff on Canada (though he never actually imposed it) because he didn’t like a Canadian television ad criticizing his trade policies.

He used the threat of IEEPA tariffs to strong-arm top U.S. trading partners — including the EU, Japan and South Korea — into accepting lopsided trade agreements. The levies also brought in a lot of revenue — $166 billion — before the Supreme Court shut them down, ruling that IEEPA couldn’t be used to impose tariffs. Now the federal government must refund money to importers who paid those tariffs.

Paramount

asks FCC to approve increased foreign ownership

Middle Eastern royal families invested in Warner Bros. Discovery deal

BY MEG JAMES

LosAngelesTimes (TNS)

Paramount Skydance has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to exceed foreign ownership rules for U.S. media companies to pave the way for its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery David Ellison’s media company

is expecting to receive $24 billion from three Middle Eastern royal families, who would become part owners of the combined ParamountWarnerBros.Discovery Paramount on Monday asked the FCC for authorization to include the royal families and other foreign investors to help finance the company’s proposed $81-billion transaction.

U.S. law restricts foreign investors from owning more than 25% of a company that holds an FCC broadcast license — unless the commission determines that such an ownership structure would “serve the public interest.” The FCC disclosed that Paramount had asked for such a “public interest” ruling and said Paramount wants the agency’s blessing to exceed the 25% foreign ownership cap. The FCC, which did not indicate whether it will go along with Paramount’s request, initiated a review Paramount in a statement, described the move as a “customary petition,” one that was required because of “the recent equity syndication.” The Larry Ellison family will retain control of the company through its voting interests, the company said.

The Ellisons must come up with $47.2 billion in equity and more than $60 billion in debt financing to pull off the deal, which is valued at $111 billion, including Warner Bros. Discovery’s existing debt.

The $24 billion expected from the sovereign wealth funds — representing the royal families of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar — would together represent about 49% of the equity in the new company

“When the transaction and equity syndication close, the Ellison family and RedBird (Capital Partners) will collectively hold the largest equity stake in the combined company and continue to be the sole owners of Class A Common Stock, representing 100% of the voting shares,” Paramount said.

KyODO NEWS FILE PHOTO ByTAKUTO KANEKO

Containers are stacked at a port in yokohama, near Tokyo, in August.

UAE announces exit from OPEC effective Friday

Move strips cartel of third-largest producer

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

United Arab Emirates

DUBAI,

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday it will leave OPEC effective Friday, stripping the oil cartel of its thirdlargest producer and further weakening its leverage over global oil supplies and prices.

The UAE’s decision had been rumored as a possibility for some time, as it pushed back in recent years against OPEC production quotas it felt had been too low — meaning it wasn’t able to sell as much oil to the world as it had wanted.

“Having invested heavily in expanding energy production capacity in recent years, the bigger picture is that the UAE has been itching to pump more oil,” Capital Economics wrote in an analysis “The ties binding OPEC members together have loosened,” it said, particularly after Qatar withdrew from the cartel in 2019. Regional politics are also likely at play. The UAE has had increasingly frosty relations with Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, over political and economic matters in the Mideast, even after both came under attack by fellow OPEC member Iran during the war No immediate impact

The UAE’s withdrawal from OPEC won’t necessarily have any immediate effects in markets. That’s because world oil supplies are sharply constrained by the war in Iran, which has closed off the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which one-fifth of global oil supplies — including much of the UAE’s — is transported. On Tuesday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded above $111 a barrel, or more than 50% above its prewar price. OPEC accounts for roughly

40% of the world’s oil output, but its market power had been waning in recent years as the United States ramped up production. While Saudi Arabia had been producing more than 10 million barrels of oil a day before the war, the U.S. pumps more than 13 million barrels a day

U.S. President Donald Trump has been a steady critic of the cartel during his two terms in the White House.

The UAE, which joined OPEC through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967, had been producing around 3.4 million barrels of crude a day just before the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began on Feb. 28.

Analysts say it has capacity to produce roughly 5 million barrels a day In its announcement on Tuesday, made via its staterun WAM news agency, the UAE said it also would leave the wider OPEC+ group, which Russia had led to try to stabilize oil prices.

“This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production,” the UAE said, adding that it would bring “additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions.”

The UAE’s withdrawal removes one of OPEC’s few members with the ability to quickly increase production, said Jorge Leon, head of geopolitical analysis at Rystad Energy.

“A structurally weaker OPEC, with less spare capacity concentrated within the group, will find it increasingly difficult to calibrate supply and stabilize prices,” he said.

Increasingly at odds Saudi Arabia and the UAE increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. The two countries had jointly fought against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 2015. However, that coalition broke

down into recriminations in late December when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE.

As tensions rose in recent months, Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom.

“This exit of OPEC fits into the UAE need for flexibility with key energy consumers as well including a future relationship with China and a more competitive relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said Karen Young, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy

While Saudi Arabia and OPEC had no immediate reaction, Emirati Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei insisted his country’s decision did not stem from any dispute with its Gulf neighbor

“We’ve been working together for years and years We have the highest respect for the Saudis for leading OPEC,” al-Mazrouei told CNBC.

However, the UAE sent its foreign minister rather than its ruler to a Gulf Arab leaders’ meeting held Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The UAE hosted the United Nations COP28 climate talks in 2023, a conference that ended for the first time with a pledge by nearly 200 countries to move away from planet-warming fossil fuels. But the UAE still plans to increase its production capacity in the coming years, even as it pursues more clean energy at home, a move decried by climate activists

“The demand for power is going to go up and up and up,” U.S Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told an Abu Dhabi oil conference in November “Today’s the day to announce that there is no energy transition. There is only energy addition.”

He drew widespread applause from his Emirati hosts.

Judge questions plan to close Kennedy Center for 2 years

BY GARY FIELDS Associated Press

WASHINGTON A federal judge overseeing a lawsuit that could decide whether Washington’s Kennedy Center closes in July for renovations questioned the Trump administration’s plans for the storied performing arts venue, asking Tuesday why the center needed to be closed entirely and whether the administration had done the research to back that decision.

The hearing Tuesday was the first of two back-to-back court hearings on lawsuits over changes at the Kennedy Center. It ended with U.S District Judge Christopher Cooper taking no action after firing questions at plaintiff and defense attorneys alike, making it difficult to predict how he might rule. Cooper asked the government’s attorney, Brantley Mayers, where in its argument or submissions was the administration’s analysis of the cost of the closure so the

center can be renovated, including the loss of sponsorships, bookings and revenue. “I didn’t see any numbers,” he said.

Cooper also wanted to know why the government might oppose renovating the building in stages, an attitude he said had been the “status quo” until it suddenly changed its mind and opted for closure.

Tuesday’s hearing centered on a lawsuit filed last year by Rep. Joyce Beatty The Ohio Democrat sued President Donald Trump and other members of the administration in her capacity as an ex officio trustee of the Kennedy Center Beatty’s lawsuit expanded to include the decision in February to close the center for two years for renovations starting in July Cooper spent more than half of the two-hour hearing grilling Nathaniel Zelinsky, senior counsel at the Washington Litigation Group, with technical questions relating to Beatty’s ability to

bring forth the lawsuit.

The judge held off on taking any action, including a possible injunction against the center’s name change.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Norm Eisen, a board member at Democracy Defenders Action who is co-counsel with Zelinsky, pointed to dozens of statutory refences that made clear the name was intended to be the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Following the hearing, Beatty said she was “very fearful that we’ll see what happened with the East Wing and what happened with the Rose Garden” if the center is closed, referring to major changes the president has made at the White House. Despite statements from its new executive director, Matt Floca, that work would be done appropriately, Beatty said she doesn’t trust the president. “We went through the same thing at the White House. I was right outside there when we saw the bulldozers.”

Senate rejects attempt to end blockade of Cuba

BY STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

WASHINGTON Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats on Tuesday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the U.S. energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress.

The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba — one of the U.S.’s closest neighbors yet a longtime adversary

Democrats have repeatedly forced votes on

legislation to put a check on the president’s ability to deploy military force in those conflicts, but none have succeeded. Tuesday’s vote was the first pertaining to Cuba and would have forced the president to get approval from Congress before launching any attacks on the island nation.

To dismiss the resolution, Republicans said that it was out of order because the U.S. is not engaged in outright hostilities with Cuba. Their maneuver to dismiss the legislation succeeded on a 51-47 tally Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who voted to dismiss the resolution, while Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and

Rand Paul of Kentucky were the only Republicans to support it.

The Caribbean island is suffering from water and power outages as the U.S. imposes sanctions and interrupts oil shipments from Venezuela. The Trump administration is pressing Cuba’s leadership to end political repression, release political prisoners and liberalize its ailing economy Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who introduced the war powers resolution, said the blockade had caused “humanitarian crises across Cuba,” including disrupting medical care leaving millions of people without clean water and spiking food prices

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King Charles highlights

U.S.-U.K. bond in speech

British monarch encourages leaders to remain collaborative

BY STEVEN SLOAN, JOSH BOAK and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON King Charles III

marked the 250th anniversary of American independence from Britain with gratitude that the two countries united to build “one of the most consequential alliances in human history” while urging “that we ignore the clarion calls to become ever more inward-looking.”

Speaking on Tuesday to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, Charles repeatedly highlighted the historical and cultural ties that he said have cemented an enduring bond between the United States and the United Kingdom But even as he spoke in unifying, optimistic terms, he delivered a series of nuanced warnings encouraging leaders in the U.S. to remain collaborative and engaged in global affairs. He said the alliance between the U.S. and the U.K., tested anew by President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, “cannot rest on past achievements.” Charles urged “unyielding resolve” in backing Ukraine against Russia and heralded the NATO alliance that Trump has consistently undermined.

The king praised religious pluralism and interfaith dialogue in terms that are rare in Trump’s Washington. As the White House rolls back regulations aimed at denting climate change, the king encouraged those in power to “reflect on our shared responsibility to safeguard nature, our most precious and irreplaceable asset.”

At one point, the king traced the notion of checks and balances on executive power to the Magna Carta, the foundational legal document sealed by King John in 1215 Trump told The New York Times earlier this year that he was constrained only by “my own morality.”

GOP pushes for ballroom after shooting at dinner

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON Republicans in Congress launched new efforts Monday to approve and pay for President Donald Trump’s proposed ballroom at the White House, arguing that it would help avert security breaches like the shooting at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner

A new bill introduced by Republican senators would authorize $400 million roughly the cost of the project — for construction and security infrastructure underneath. Trump has said that private money would pay for the ballroom, but Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of the sponsors, said Monday that he believes those private dollars should only pay for “buying china and stuff like that.”

“It is an embarrassment to the strongest nation on earth that we cannot host gatherings in our nation’s capital, including ones attended by our president, without the threat of violence and attempted assassinations,” Sheehy posted on X.

It is unclear, though, whether the effort could get enough support. Democrats have opposed the ballroom’s construction since Trump demolished part of the White House to make way for it without permission from Congress, and as it has faced lawsuits. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that the president should be focused on ending the war with Iran, healthcare and other measures to drive down living costs.

“These are the things that we should actually be focused on,” Jeffries said.

Senate Democratic Leader

And acknowledging a scandal that has roiled politics in both the U.S. and U.K., he subtly alluded to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender with ties to British officials, including the king’s brother, Andrew Repairing a frayed relationship

Charles is on a four-day visit to the U.S intended to both celebrate American independence and to repair the country’s fraying relationship with the U.K. He hardly arrived in Washington as an oppositional figure to Trump. Joined by Queen Camilla, Charles had a warm greeting with the president and first lady Melania Trump at the White House earlier Tuesday In his welcome remarks, Trump also highlighted the shared history between the two countries.

“American patriots today can sing, ’My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,’ only because our colonial ancestors first sang, ‘God save the king,’” Trump said.

The leaders met privately in the Oval Office for a meeting Trump later described as “really good,” adding that Charles is a “fantastic

person.” Trump will host the royal couple for a state dinner later Tuesday before they continue their U.S. tour with stops in New York City and Virginia.

The 20-minute speech to Congress may amount to the most extensive public remarks Charles will deliver during his trip. And though the king, who is expressly apolitical, never directly criticized Trump, the contrast was apparent at times. Some British commentators described his speech as more political than they had expected.

Just two months earlier Trump stood at the same lectern and chided Democrats for not standing during part of his State of the Union address. The king, for his part, elicited multiple standing ovations from Democrats and Republicans who listened with rapt attention.

Charles is just the second British monarch to address a joint session of Congress His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991 highlighting the historic ties between both countries and the importance of their democratic values.

Graham said at a news conference that some people may think the ballroom was Trump’s “vanity project,” but said it is necessary to allow the president to hold events safely and avoid much less secure venues like the Washington Hilton, where Saturday’s event was held The man who authorities say tried to storm the dinner with guns and knives had reserved a room in the hotel, according to an FBI affidavit filed in the case.

“It would be insane” to hold the dinner there again, Graham said, adding that he would advise any president not to do it, even as Trump has said he would like the dinner to be rescheduled.

Cole Tomas Allen appeared in court Monday to face federal charges of attempting to assassinate Trump after the encounter Saturday in which shots were fired outside the ballroom. The president was evacuated off the stage as thousands of guests dived under tables and ducked for cover Other lawmakers said they would push their own measures to approve the ballroom, including Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tim Sheehy of Montana.

Chuck Schumer said Monday that Trump wants to seclude himself in a “walled palace, literally.” He said Republicans should instead pass a spending bill that includes money for the U.S Secret Service, which is part of the Homeland Security Department and has been shut down for more than two months. The House has yet to act on two spending bills for the department that were approved by the Senate.

“If Republicans truly want to improve security, they should join Democrats in funding the Secret Service, not Donald Trump’s luxury ballroom,” Schumer said.

Republicans also used the incident to call for the Homeland Security funding, blaming Democrats who have blocked money for immigration enforcement agencies since mid-February

The chaos at the annual dinner came after Trump has faced two attempts on his life and as members of Congress in both parties have received an increasing number of death threats in recent years.

Graham said the times are unusual.

“I’ve been up here a while now, and I’ve never felt the sense of threat that exists today,” he said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO ByALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump and Britain’s King Charles III meet in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday in Washington during a state visit with Britain’s Ambassador to the U.S Christian Turner from left, Britain’s Foreign Secretary yvette Cooper Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

NOLA.COM | Wednesday, april 29, 2026 1Bn

UNO plans to raise tuition by 6%

Move comes as school joins LSU system

increase in an email last week, said the higher cost reflects improvements the university is making.

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

The University of New Orleans will raise student tuition by 6% next school year the second consecutive annual increase, which comes as the financially challenged university prepares to officially join the LSU system, UNO officials confirmed Tuesday

Residents report uptick in crow attacks

Experts

say birds likely protecting young

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Mary Munger was half awake on a walk with her dog one Sunday morning in March when she stopped to look at her phone and felt something slam into the back of her head She whipped around to find a surprising culprit: a crow

“And I thought, ‘Well that was a clumsy crow,’” Munger said.

The bird was flying off by the time she caught a glimpse of it. So, coffee in hand, she continued on her way, assuming the unusual run-in near the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Magazine Street was nothing more than a fluke.

“And then I realized I was under attack,” she said.

Seconds later, the crow circled back and swooped toward her again. She took off running with her dog, the crow chasing after them even as she rounded a corner She screamed and her dog barked

The crow made contact a total of three times before landing on a nearby roof, where it watched as Munger and her dog fled.

About a week later, she noticed a crow perched on a gutter outside her home office window A guest arriving around the same time told her the bird had followed her onto Munger’s property, hovering closely overhead as she walked It stared at them from the gutter

It was all reminiscent of a horror movie one horror movie in particular

“It was really scary, honestly,” Munger said, though she was able to laugh while retelling the story on April 15. “It was very frightening.” Munger isn’t the only New Orleanian to fall victim to crow violence in recent weeks Several others in her Uptown neighborhood were harassed or straight up attacked by a crow near the same block, including The Times-Picayune’s video producer Hannah Levitan, who fortunately had been forewarned of a deranged crow in the area and captured the ambush on camera.

In March, several Reddit users reported crow attacks more than 2 miles away on Audubon Boulevard near Tulane University It’s not clear if the aggression is being carried out by a single suspect or many, since all crows look almost exactly the same.

“Not sure if it is defending a nest or if it just has hate in its heart,” one social media user wrote about a recent crow encounter, “but be warned.” Wildlife experts say it’s likely the former causing the crow attacks. Though crows are famously intelligent birds that are thought to be able to recognize human faces

See CROW, page 2B

UNO President Kathy Johnson, who told students about the tuition

Beginning this fall, students at the soon-to-be LSUNO will pay an additional $22.95 per credit hour, or about $550 more per year for a full-time student taking 12 credit hours. The university’s $9,720 annual tuition for Louisiana residents is about $2,800 less than the cost at LSU’s main campus, but more than twice the price at its other satellite campuses. The planned tuition hike follows a 3.9% increase this school year, putting UNO just shy of the 10% tuition increase allowable over two years under state law LSU’s tuition also will go up this fall. Many of UNO’s roughly 6,000 students have been bracing for tuition to go up when the university officially transitions to the LSU system on July 1, a move intended in part to shore up UNO’s finances

“This decision reflects our continued investment in academic programs, student support, and the overall quality of the educational experience,” Johnson said, “while preserving access and value for our students.”

State lawmakers last year approved UNO’s move from the University of Louisiana system to the LSU system, which supporters hoped would stabilize the univer-

sity’s finances and boost enrollment, which has stagnated since Hurricane Katrina. UNO, which reported a $15 million budget deficit last year, recently announced plans to consolidate or close several degree programs to cut costs and increase efficiency In a UNO survey of students this school year, most of the respondents said they feel neutral to positive about the transition to LSU. However, 60% said they were

See UNO, page 2B

Blighted site cleared

5.2 acres of vacant warehouses in the historic 9th Ward demolished

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Demolition of a complex of derelict old warehouses along the riverfront levee in the Lower 9th Ward is nearly complete, clearing 5.2 acres of long-vacant property on the edge of the Holy Cross neighborhood.

The eight-warehouse complex is owned by the Port of New Orleans and takes up two square blocks bounded by Alabo, Bienvenue and Tricou streets.

Known as the Brandon International site, after its most recent tenant, the structures date to the 1920s and have been deteriorating for years, contributing to blight and safety concerns in the neighborhood.

Port officials, who had been looking to raze the structures for years before taking ownership of the property in early 2025, said the demolition is long overdue and that it presently has no

plans to build anything new at the site.

“It will remain vacant for the foreseeable future,” spokesperson Kimberly

See DEMO, page 2B

RTA board tightens control on agency

Moreno calls for added oversight

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

The new board overseeing the Regional Transit Authority approved a pair of measures Tuesday aimed at exerting more control over agency operations, after New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno instructed her appointees to take a more active role in governing the public transit agency The new rules require RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins to obtain board approval for expenditures

above $25,000 — stricter than the current threshold of $100,000 — and also place a temporary restriction on hiring for certain management roles. The measures were approved during a marathon meeting of the full board Tuesday, the first since the new board took over April 8.

Throughout the five-hour meeting, board members peppered Hankins’ leadership team with questions on how the agency plans to improve service, describing the status quo as unacceptable. The board also approved a proposed redesign of bus routes in Algiers, pending a meeting with the agency’s union.

Board member Barbara Major pointed to agency data from March showing that buses in Lakeview arrived on time more often than those in New Orleans East. “I want us to be more conscious of the fact that our most vulnerable, usually our poorest, and I’ll say it, our Blackest population, is not receiving” the best service, Major said. “People are angry and I understand. These numbers tell me why.”

The board also spent nearly two hours in executive session, where members were briefed on pending litigation and also discussed Hankins’ employment contract

At one point, reporters could hear raised voices from inside the closed-door meeting. In a brief interview following the meeting, board Chair Ann Duplessis confirmed that no action was taken on Hankins’ employment contract She said board counsel is reviewing an extension to Hankins’ contract that the previous board chair approved in October but never appeared on a public agenda or came up for a full board vote. Looming over Tuesday’s meeting was a federal lawsuit, filed earlier this month by a dozen

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Demolition continues Tuesday at the Brandon International site on the riverfront in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans

A worker sprays down the area as machinery is used to remove debris.

Orleans Parish sheriff reflects on turbulent term

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

In an emotional farewell address that began with a joke about forgetting tissues and ended with a love letter to her staff, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson reflected upon the wins and “challenges” of her checkered term. Among the former: pay raises for deputies; a long-overdue upgrade to a clunky, circa-1980s jail management system; full accreditation for

the jail and its Corrections Training Academy; expanded academic and vocational programming for detainees; and the creation of a new bureau to bring the jail into compliance with its federal consent decree.

Among the latter: aging infrastructure, understaffing, a major cyberattack and “a jailbreak that tested us to the limits and caused national headlines,” Hutson said.

“Each time, this team responded with professionalism, urgency and resilience,” Hutson said at a Tuesday morning ceremony at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Training Academy

“Serving as Orleans Parish sheriff has been the greatest honor of my life I truly hope, from the bottom

of my heart, that I served you well.”

Hutson became the first Black female sheriff in Louisiana’s 210-year history when she was elected in 2021. A former independent police monitor for the Los Angeles Police Department and the New Orleans Police Department, Hutson ran on a platform of criminal justice reform. Her four-year term spanned a tumultuous period marked by a postpandemic surge in violent crime and an ensuing uptick of arrests that strained the population of a jail Hutson described as “aging and broken” when she took office.

In January 2025, the average monthly jail population reached 1,494 a 64% increase from when

Hutson took office and well above the city’s mandated cap of 1,250.

“Our population got to almost twice the limit that we have deputies for,” Hutson said. “We were at almost 1,600 people, and we have deputies for 800.”

Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork, who was the first Black woman to lead the NOPD when she was appointed interim superintendent in December 2022, won with 53% of the vote, avoiding a runoff. She will be sworn in Monday

“We have teed up the ball nicely for the next administration,” Hutson said. “I’m so proud of what we built together As I prepare to leave office, I do so with gratitude.”

Horror movie set to film in French Quarter

Extras,

doubles sought for ‘The Candy House’

BY LESLIE CARDÉ Contributing writer

The horror/thriller film “The Candy House” is about to begin shooting in New Orleans, and if you can play a clown, or happen to look like one of the actors, you could be an extra or stand-in.

The film is described as an assemblage of terrifying tales, one in which an old woman offers to help characters Josh and Allison as they arrive at an isolated “candy house” following an accident. With shades of Hansel and Gretel, this entire production pays homage to ancient fairy tales over more than just one storyline.

A24 is the American independent film and distribution company behind this project, which also launched “Marty Supreme,” its highest grossing film to date,

DEMO

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Curth said. Work on the site began in February. So far, four of the eight buildings have been demolished. A fifth, the largest, is currently being dismantled, and the three smallest are expected to come down by the end of June, according to Curth

The site is located just upriver from the Alabo Street Wharf, which is the epicenter of a controversial project to build a planned organic grain transloading terminal Sunrise Foods International signed a 15-year lease with the port in June 2024.

Holy Cross residents have organized a coalition called Stop the Grain Train and packed meetings to share concerns about health risks of grain dust, the noise and disruption of planned once-a-day train trips through the neighborhood, vibrations along the track

CROW

Continued from page 1B

and hold grudges for years when wronged, two local scientists said it’s more likely that the crow — or crows — in question are protecting their young. Most birds in Louisiana, crows included, breed in the spring.

As Deputy Al Malone said in “The Birds,” Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film: “I mean, birds just don’t go around attacking people without no reason, you know what I mean?”

Scoldings, mobbings, murders

In 2011 study published in peerreviewed journal “Proceedings of the Royal Society B,” researchers at the University of Washington wore masks as they trapped and banded several crows near Seattle. The same crows reacted negatively to the same masks, scolding those wearing the masks, for years to come.

“Scolding” is when a crow divebombs, caws at and otherwise harasses a perceived threat. When a bunch of crows team up to scold a target, that’s called “mobbing.” And let’s not forget that a group of crows is already called a “murder.” The terrifying vocabulary we use to discuss crows isn’t helping their case. Researchers in Washington also found that even unbanded crows in the area scolded those wearing the masks, suggesting they’d learned about the threat from birds that had been captured.

Nick Mason, an assistant profes-

pulling in $179 million in box office earnings. That particular film was the recipient of nine nominations at this year’s Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture.

“The Candy House,” written and directed by Nicholas David Lean (“Siren”), is a contemporary fantasy which delves into three of Grimm’s fairy tales in one frightening narrative of captivity, abandonment and sacrifice It blends multiple fairy tale elements into a single unsettling narrative, rather than telling just one story

that emphasize physical presence and often a menacing atmosphere over dialogue

The film is shooting both in Vancouver and New Orleans (including the French Quarter), and begins shooting locally this week and into May for some night shoots.

more concerned about tuition increases than any other possible negative impacts, including the loss of UNO’s identity and the consolidation or ending of programs.

Louisiana’s public colleges and universities previously had to seek legislative approval before raising prices, but a 2024 state law allowed schools to set their own tuition rates. The governing board of each university can also decide whether to apply “differential tuition,” or higher charges for certain degree paths.

Johnson said the state Board of Regents approved UNO’s latest tuition increase, and that the LSU Board of Supervisors supported it. In her April 23 email to students, Johnson said UNO’s tuition has gone up 11% over the past decade — less than the 18% average increase across all public universities in the state.

The production is looking for blond female photo doubles (ages 18 to 30s), stand-ins, specific character types, extras and a clown for overnight shoots in the end of April and into May. Apply by emailing CANDY@ Caballerocasting.com with the subject line “PHOTO DOUBLE” or “CLOWN.”

PHOTO PROVIDED ByA24

Producers say the stories that warmed your heart as a child will turn you stone cold when relived as an adult. If it sounds bone-chilling, that’s exactly the vibe the production is going for Starring Sylvester McCoy (“The Hobbit”), Ian Whyte (“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire”) and Jon Campling (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”), “The Candy House” may be about childhood stories, but they lean into much darker textures and adult overtones. Think “The Brothers Grimm” meets indie horror McCoy has said he’s attracted to roles with dark humor and unsettling edges, gravitating toward eccentric, morally ambiguous figures, which fits the film’s Grimminspired tone. Whyte is best known for physically imposing or creature roles (“Alien vs. Predator,” “Game of Thrones”) and said he loves parts

damaging historic homes and safety concerns over the activation of more than 20 level crossings along the route.

Port and Sunrise Foods representatives have both emphasized that the demolition of the Brandon International warehouses is not connected to the grain transloading terminal.

“Those two things are not connected,” said Loren Marino, Port NOLA chief of staff and vice president for external affairs.

The port has no plans for the site and is evaluating potential uses for the site, she said

Demolition of the historic complex comes nearly a decade after engineering consultants hired by the port warned that the slowly collapsing buildings presented a potential danger to the public.

“Portions of the mezzanine could fall at any moment, which could potentially trigger a larger collapse,” H. Stephan Bernick, a professional engineer hired by the port told the property owner in the

sor in LSU’s Department of Biological Sciences and curator of birds at the Museum of Natural Science, said it’s not crazy to surmise that “if you’re someone that the crows don’t like, and they recognize you, maybe you would get targeted.”

But, since Munger can’t think of anything she might have done to get on a crow’s bad side, Mason said it’s more likely that many of the city’s crows are breeding and on high alert, protecting their nests and territory with the vigilance of any new parent.

Though Mason said many urbanized crows have adapted to reproduce outside of their historically natural breeding season, most birds in Louisiana still start to ramp up breeding in March and April. Some species already have hatchlings by this time of year

“If they feel like a human is encroaching onto their territory, it’s probably because they’ve got a nest nearby or something like that,” he said.

If you do begin to feel threatened by a crow, Mason said to just keep calm and keep moving. Most animals will avoid a fight if they can, he said.

“I wouldn’t be too worried about crows harming people,” Mason said.

Steven Whitfield, director of terrestrial and wetlands conservation at Audubon Nature Institute, agreed with Mason’s hypothesis, though Whitfield too noted the University of Washington study, a sense of awe and wonder in his voice. Maybe a tinge of fear, too.

Whitfield said there’s a crow’s nest across the street from his house Uptown, and he’s doing what

2017 letter

At the time, however, the port did not own the warehouses, having signed over a long-term ground lease for the site to Brandon International. It took several years for the two sides to reach a deal that ultimately allowed the port to take over the property

“After assuming ownership, the port immediately began planning for safe demolition due to the buildings’ advanced deterioration,” Curth said.

Though the buildings are historic, the port, as a state entity did not need to seek permission from city regulators to tear them down Since demolition began, crews have been separating and stacking reusable bricks suitable for salvaging from the buildings.

The Brandon International site is one of three adjacent portowned riverfront properties undergoing changes in recent months.

Demolition of the St. Maurice Wharf, just across North Peters

Candidates should include their name, age, city/state, contact phone number, height/weight, updated wardrobe sizes and recent unfiltered photos (headshot and full body).

No specific date has yet been announced for the premiere of “The Candy House.” Active casting is still ongoing with Ryan Caballero of Caballero Casting in New Orleans.

Street from the Brandon International warehouses, was completed in October 2025.

Work updating the shed at the Alabo Street Wharf for the Sunrise Foods grain terminal project is about 75% complete, port officials said. But construction on the next stages of the project is on hold, pending U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits. The project is also being challenged in court.

Immediately upriver from the Alabo Street Wharf is the Andry Street Wharf. According to port representatives, it is vacant.

Elliot Robinson, who lives nearby, said the demolition of the Brandon International warehouses marks a missed opportunity for adaptive reuse.

“I don’t think anybody has every considered this a blighted site. While it’s in disrepair, it’s also very beautiful and historic,” he said.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

he can to stay in the family’s good graces. Their ability to recognize faces goes both ways — if you feed one, it’ll likely remember But then it might harass you for food.

“You have to be nice to crows,” he said with a laugh, “but not too nice.”

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.

“Providing a high-quality, affordable education remains our top priority,” she wrote. “Over the past decade, we have taken a measured approach to tuition, with increases that have stayed well below the state average.” She also noted that UNO’s tuition remains well below that of LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, which next year will cost Louisiana students $12,514, an increase of about $300 from the year before. Tuition is lower at LSU’s satellite campuses LSU Alexandria charges in-state students $3,470 per year, while LSU Eunice charges $4,730.

Continued from page 1B

current and former RTA employees, alleging rampant workplace discrimination and wage theft and accusing Hankins of stifling free speech.

Moreno, who took office in January, has said for months that she wants to see major changes at the RTA. But her calls for reform sharpened after the lawsuit was filed, saying it underscored why “meaningful reform and structural change” are necessary Moreno, in an interview Thursday, said it seemed that the RTA’s problems stemmed from the fact Hankins has been “calling the shots,” with previous boards “rubber-stamping” her decisions. She said it should be the other way around.

The new board also heard a presentation Tuesday on the RTA’s paratransit service for disabled and elderly riders, which has faced repeated criticism for missed pickups and excessively long trips.

The board later approved a one-year, $157,373 contract with ADA Ride to help the agency evaluate the eligibility of riders seeking to use the paratransit service.

The board rejected a cooperative endeavor agreement with the city to install electric bus charging infrastructure at the East New Orleans Regional Library, instructing the agency to do more outreach on the proposal.

The board also shot down a proposed redesign of four bus routes in Algiers, before backtracking on the decision later in the meeting.

RTA planners said the changes, which don’t involve additional buses or operational expenses, would speed up travel to downtown New Orleans and provide additional access to grocery stores, in line with what they heard from riders during public outreach.

But the board rejected the plan after Ronald Horn, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1560, said the union wasn’t consulted.

After exiting the executive session, the board voted to approve the Algiers Service Improvement Plan on the condition that the agency meet with the union in the next three weeks. The changes are expected to go into effect in September

3: 9-4-3

PROVIDED PHOTO

Video producer Hannah Levitan runs as a crow driven to violence chases her near the intersection of Cadiz and Chesnut streets.

Huston

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’sOffice has filedcharges against aformerEastJefferson High School teacher accusedof having asexual relationship with his 15-year-old student.

BlakeHazeltine,27, was charged Monday with felony carnal knowledge of ajuvenile and indecent behavior with ajuvenile, accordingtocourt records. Hazeltine was working as amathteacheratEast Jefferson High School in Metairie.Hewas previously selected as teacher of the month there in December 2024, according to the school’sFacebook page He met the victim,an East Jefferson student, at the school, though it’snot clear when. At some point, Hazeltineand the girl de-

terminedtheyhad feelings for one another, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Officerecords.

Hazeltine met with the victim’sparents, andthey agreed to condone therelationship as long as Hazeltine kept things “cordial,” according to theSheriff’s Office. The girl’sparents toldHazeltine he could pursue aromantic relationship with her after she turned 18,authoritiessaid.

Hazeltine regularlyvisited herresidenceand communicated with her viasocial media, according to the

Anotherarrestedin murder case

Remains recoveredfrom Marrerobackyard

BY MICHELLEHUNTER

Staff writer

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators have arrested asecond suspect in the deathofa father of fourwho authorities believewas killed andburied in thebackyard of aMarrero home.

John Lopez, 45, of Marrero, was booked Monday with second-degree murder,unlawful disposal of remainsand obstructionof justice, according to court records. He and Dustin Billot, 32, are accused in the deathofEddie TillmanJr., 37. Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said investigators recovered skeletal remains in the backyard of ahome in the 1200 block of Gaudet Drive in Marrero last week and believe they belongtoTillman. Authorities are awaiting forensic confirmation on the identity of the remains throughDNA and dental records. Tillman, afather of four, was reported missing in August 2023. His relatives say he disappeared after a

friend called to ask for his help. Tillman’smother and sister heard rumorsthat he’d beenbeaten to death andsharedthe information with law enforcement

The missing person case gained traction in Novemberwhenthe department received aCrimestoppers tip aboutTillman,according to Lopinto. As detectives followed theleads, they began to suspect foul play

“Wegot additional information …whichled us to the possibility thatMr. Tillman would be found dead and buried in thebackyard of 1221 Gaudet,”Lopinto said. The Sheriff’sOffice, joined by ateam from the LSU ForensicAnthropology and Computer Enhancement Services Lab, began digging in the backyard on April20and recovered the remains.

Lopinto and neighbors identified Billot as aformer resident of theGaudet Drive home. Lopez’ssuspected ties to the house and Tillman’scase were not immediately available. When arrested, Lopezwas already being held at Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He has been in custody there since Aug. 6, when he was booked with attempted second-

degree murder, armed robbery and being aconvicted felon in possession of a firearm, accordingtocourt records.

Lopez is chargedwith shooting at aman and trying to rob another in the 2000 block of Manor Heights Drive in Marrero on thenight of July 29, 2025 according to the Sheriff’s Office.One of thevictims suffered agraze wound to his head. He pleaded notguilty in thecase in February

Lopezalsohas a2022 conviction for aggravated assault with agun in Jefferson Parish,whichbars him from possessing agun, according to court records. No bail information was immediately available for Lopez. Billot was being held on a$575,000 bail.

Anyone with information about the death of Tillman is asked to call theSheriff’s Office investigations bureau at (504) 364-5300.

The public can also call Crimestoppersat(504) 8221111 or toll-freeat(877) 903-7867. Callers do not have to give theirnames or testify andcan earn a$2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

Sheriff’s Office. Authorities became aware of the relationship in September when the girl was being treated at ahospital. Hazeltine had come to visit,and anurse noticed him holding her hand, kissing her and caressingher,according to officials.

Thenurse,aware that Hazeltine was not one of herrelatives,asked himto leave. Whenasked about Hazeltine, the girl told the nurse he washer boyfriend and advised that her parents knewabout the re-

lationship, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The nurse contacted law enforcement.Atfirst, the victim denied any physical contactwithHazeltine beyond kissing.

But investigators found evidence of asexual relationship thatbegan around August2024, according to court records. Detectives accused Hazeltine of havingsex with the girl “multiple times,” authorities said.

Hazeltine wasarrested Dec. 5and booked with molestation of ajuvenile, carnal knowledge of ajuvenile

and indecent behavior with ajuvenile, according to arrest records

The District Attorney’s Office charged him under Louisiana’sfelony carnal knowledge law,which makesitillegal fora person over 17 to have consensual sexual intercourse with a personwho is older than 13 but younger than 17. Hazeltine wasreleased from jail Jan. 6onan $80,000 bail.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

Sheriff: GrandIsleman killed during robberyattempt

18-year-old arrested, accusedofbeing accomplice

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A19-year-old killed in a Grand IsleRVpark last week wasshotwhenhe tried to commit an armed robbery,according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto. The person who shot Drevon Mixon will not face any criminal charges in the homicide, Lopinto said Monday. “Webelieve that the shootingitself was justified in that particular case,” he said. Detectives did, however, arrest WalletLedet, 18, of Grand Isle, who is accused of being Mixon’saccomplice in the robbery.He was booked on countsof manslaughter,conspiracy to commitarmed robbery andattempted armed rob-

bery. The manslaughter count stems from Mixon’sdeath during thecommission of aviolent crime, Lopinto said.Heidentified Ledet as the stepson of an unnamed Grand Isle police officer

The shooting was reported about 11:20 p.m.on April21inthe 3100 block La. 1. Mixon wasstaying in the RV park, according to authorities

Three unidentified people drove to theRVpark with theintention of buying drugs, Lopinto said. But the deal wasaruse, part of Mixon’splan to robthe would-be buyers at gunpoint, police said.

“The three individuals in thevehiclehad theirown firearm and endedupfiring at the suspect that was committing the armed robbery,”Lopinto said.

Mixon was shot and later found lying on the ground in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead at thescene. One of thepeople in thevehicle

called911 to report the shooting, accordingto Lopinto. Thecase is still under investigation. Ledet was being held Monday at the JeffersonParishCorrectional Center in Gretna. Bail was setat$900,000. Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Tarps are used Mondaytoenclose and make abackyard area private in the 1200 block of Gaudet DriveinMarrero, where aburied bodywas recently recovered.

BuressMoore,Lilliean May

Allen, Laura Angelica, Jean Obituaries Buress Moore, Lilliean Allen, LauraAnn

Condoll, Jean

Forstater, Gerald

Harton, Gary

Holliday,Silionel

Lockhart,Jules

Rogers III, Philip

Ronquillo Sr., Prentis

Wilson, Tricia

EJefferson

Richardson FH

Harton, Gary

NewOrleans

Boyd Family

Rogers III, Philip Charbonnet

Holliday,Silionel Greenwood

Angelica, Jean

Condoll,

Allen,

LauraAnn Allen, Age60, passedawaypeacefullyat her home on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Daughter of the late Leonard, Sr.and AnnieHillAllen. Also pre‐ceded in deathbyher beloved companion, JosephGlenn Mosley,Sr. Survivors includeher chil‐dren, JessicaAllen Smith, Demond(Katisha),Donald, Ida(Lauren)and Glenn Allen;siblings, Cassandra Sanchez (Tyrone),Leonard Allen Jr., NicoleBush, and Danielle Algere;aunt CaffieHillSolomon and uncle,OliverHillSr. (Bev‐erly),aswellas five grand‐children, a host of nieces, nephews,other relatives and friends. ACelebration service honoring thelife and legacy of thelate Laura AnnAllenwillbe heldinthe Chapel of Char‐bonnetFamilyServices, 4917 E. JudgePerez Dr., Vi‐olet, LA 70092 on Friday May 1, 2026 at 11 am,Pas‐tor Merlin Flores,Sr.,Offici‐ating.Interment Private. Visitation10aminthe chapel. ARepasswillfol‐low at GrandOaks5009 E. St. BernardHwy,Violet, LA 70092. Please sign online guestbook at charbonnet‐funeralhome.comFinal arrangementsentrusted to CharbonnetFamilySer‐vices (504)302 1520.

Jean HedrickAngelica, age 81 of Metairie,LA, wenthometobewiththe LordonFriday, April24, 2026. Jean wasbornon January 24, 1945, in New Orleans,LAtoGerald Hedrick Sr.and Maud GaudinHedrick.Jeangrad‐uated from Redemptorist HighSchool,and she workedasa pre-school teacher at Metairie Ridge PresbyterianChurch’s Mother’sDay Outprogram for many years. Sheloved tocook.She wouldwatch the Food Networkevery weekendand tryout the recipes on herhusband Her greatest achievements werebeing awife, mother grandmother,and great grandmother.Jeanwas precededindeath by her parents,Geraldand Maud, and herbrother,Donald Hedrick.Survivors include her loving husband of 61 years,ThomasAngelica, Sr.,her children,Kim An‐gelicaColley(Robert), ThomasJr. (Denise),and David,her grandchildren, Hayden, Gavin, Seth,Lulu, Brielle,Michael,Julian, Gemma,Roman,and Do‐minic,her greatgrand‐child,Luca, andher sib‐lings,GailHulse andGerald Hedrick Jr.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend thevisita‐tionat9:00amonThurs‐day,April 30, 2026, at Greenwood FuneralHome, followedbya Mass at 11:00 am. Intermentwillbeat Greenwood Cemetery.We inviteyou to shareyour thoughts, fond memories and condolencesonlineat www.greenwoodfh.com

It is with heavyhearts that we announce the passing of Lilliean May Buress Moore.Abeloved wife, sister, and cherished "Titi," on December7,2025

After alongand courageous battle,Ann is now reunitedwith her parents. She liredalife marked by lore,strength, and deotion to God and her family.She was known for her kindness, warm smile, and unwaverierfaith

Annissurvivedbyher loving sisters and brothers,aswellasher many nieces, nephews, greatnieces, and greatnephews, all of whom she adored

She willbedearly missed by her family and all who knew her.

With full hearts we an‐nouncethe passingofour belovedmother, Jean Pierre Condoll, on April 22nd, 2026. Jean wasborn on September18th, 1939, in NewOrleans,Louisiana to herlovingparents Melvin Pierre andThelmaLewis Pierre.Asanonlychild, shewas nurturedand adored,not only by her parents, butbyher grand‐parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Jean cherished andtreasured herfamily! With family supportand high aspirations, she earned herbachelor’sde‐gree from Dillard Univer‐sity of NewOrleans Shortlyafter,she married

theloveofher life,Paul CamilleCondoll, on Decem‐ber1,1961, andwas a faithful wife for55years Jean’s journeyonthis earthwas signified by her unwavering commitment to caring forothers, which ledher to acareer in social work.Through herposition as asocialworkerwiththe StateofLouisiana,she spenther career serving andsupportingvulnerable individualsand families Outsideofwork, Jean also steppedintothe role of caregiverasshe lovingly caredfor hermother Thelma until herpassing in 2010. Shealsocared forher husband Paul afterhis dis‐abling stroke,until his passingin2016. In herre‐tirementyears,Jeanfound joyinplaying theslotma‐chines at thecasino, gar‐dening,and spending qual‐itytimewithfamily& friends. Jean served as a dutifulmemberofthe KnightsofPeter Claver Ladies Auxiliary. Hercom‐passionate nature will have alasting impact on all who have hadthe privilege of knowingher.Jeanissur‐vivedbyher children, Dawn (Bret),Blair (Nicole), andtwograndchildren Cameronand Sydney,as well as ahostoflovingand caring cousins, nieces, nephews, andfriends.Rel‐atives andfriends of the family,Priests andparish‐ioners of St.Maria Goretti Catholic Church andall neighboringcatholic churches,members of the

KnightsofPeter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary, andstaff of Majestic Mortuary and Life Insuranceare allin‐vitedtoattenda Mass of ChristianBurial, which will be held on Thursday,April 30, 2026 at St.Maria Goretti Catholic Church 7300 Crow‐derBlvd..Visitationwill beginat10:00 am.Massof ChristianBurialwillbegin at 11:00am,Reverend Daniel H. Green.Interment will be at Lake Lawn Park Metairie Cemetery.Profes‐sional Arrangements En‐trustedtoMajesticMortu‐aryService,Inc (504)5235872.

Angelica, Jean Hedrick

Forstater, Gerald 'Uncle Jerry'

Gerald "Uncle Jerry" Forstater,husband, father, Navy Vietnam veteran and patriot, died in New Orleanson3/28/26.

Condoll, Jean Pierre

Survived by wife Constance, son Maurice,3 grandchildren, 3greatgrandchildren and extended family. TrustedtoGod by his family and brothers in arms. Amemorial service will be held from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM on 2026-0502 at Hosanna Church, 2215 Barataria Blvd.

Harton, Gary

Gary Harton, 64, of Destrehan, Louisiana passed away on Sunday, April 19,2026. He was born on May 18, 1961 in New Orleans, LA agraduate of John McDonogh High School, he began hiscareerinthe hospitality industry and spent many years as the General Manager of Ursuline Guest House. After leaving the hospitality industry,hefinished his career at ADM where he worked for 17 years. Gary enjoyed running, fishing, grilling and eating crawfish in his backyard surrounded by all of his plants and flowers. He is survived by his loving wife Katherine Harton, their only child Maya Harton-Nora, Son-inlaw Brennen J. Nora and two grandsons Orion & Onyx Nora. Five Brothers: Richard, Kenneth &wife Terry, Rodney &wife Cleo, Troy &Al. One sister, Lisa and many nieces and nephews whom he loved. He was preceded in death by his mother Joan Johnson, his father Levi Harton and stepfather Alexander Johnson. Acelebration of life will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Richardson Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 9am, Service at 10am, 11112 Jefferson Hwy. River Ridge LA. Followed by the cemetery procession at Jefferson Memorial Gardens 11316 River Rd. Saint Rose, LA. Richardson Funeral Home of Jefferson, River Ridge, LA is in charge of arrangements. www.richards onfuneralhomeofjefferson. com.

Holliday,Silionel

Silionel Holliday,64, of New Orleans, LA,passed awayonApril 22, 2026.She was born October19, 1961 and sheattendedWalterL Cohen High School.She is survivedbyher mother, ElaineColby;brother,Isaac Selestan; loving daughters, Jamilah H. Pelrean (Damien)and Shamekah Hayes (Marcel, Sr.);three grandchildren,MarcelJr., Denim andCody; devoted niece andbonus daughter, Kytahia Holliday;aunts, Doris Martin (Dwayne),Re‐becca Lyons; anduncle, VernonSelestan (Suzanne). Sheisalsosur‐vived by ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins and friends.Familyand friends are invitedtoattenda Homegoing Celebration honoringthe life and legacyofSilionelHolliday atCorinthianMissionary Baptist Church #2,2601 Jackson Ave. NewOrleans LAonFriday, May1,2026at 11:00 a.m. Visitation at 10:00 a.m. Interment, Mount Olivet Cemetery 4000 Norman MayerAve., New Orleans, LA.Please signthe online guestbook atwww.charbonnetfuner alhome.com. Charbonnet Labat GlapionDirectors, (504) 581-4411.

Lockhart,Jules Carey

JulesCarey Lockhart, Sr. passedawaypeacefully on April 26 at the age of 92. He was born on Friday the 13th, 1934 in NewOrleans Louisiana. Jules was preceded in death by his loving sweetheart, Elizabeth DavisLockhart. She was his best friendfor 70 years andtheyweremarriedfor 67 years until her passing in 2020. He was one of 14 childrenraisedbyhis parents,Josephand Mary Lockhart. He is survived by two brothers: Orlanand Gaynel. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Joseph Jr., Myron, Eugene, Donnelly, andMeredith and his sistersLillianMarx, Muriel Daughdrill, Beryl Seeling, Carol Schexnaildre,ElinorMcKearan and HelenLaGarde. Those who wereproud to callhim Dad or Paw Paw are: Children: Jules Carey Lockhart, Jr. (Susan), CathyAllen (Greg), and Janet Anderson (Fritz). Grandchildren: Jamie Lockhart (Brian Armstrong), BlairLockhart (Bryan Sanson), Lauren Arteaga (Adam), Brett Allen (Katie), Caroline Westwood (Sheldon),Conrad Anderson II (Mary Catherine), and Fritz WilliamAnderson III (Caley).Great-grandchildren: Iza and Jack Jules Armstrong; Jules,Porter and Elle Arteaga; Josie, Evie and AnnieAllen; Conrad III and Cate Anderson; Ada Anderson. Jules attended school in Metairie and graduatedfromMetairie High School.Hewentto night schoolatTulane while working forShell Oil Company. In January1956 Elizabeth and Jules moved to Hammond forJules to attend Southeastern. He began working forBillups Western Petroleum (later becoming CharterMarketing).Jules graduated from Southeasternwith adegree in Business. While at Charter he was responsible for managing the computerization of the accounting functions in the early 1960's and eventually was promoted to Vice President and Controller. In 1960,Jules began keeping books part time for Robert A. (Bob) Maurin, Jr. Mr. Maurin was adeveloper and home builder.After Charter closed theHammond office,hebegan workingfor BobMaurin full time. In 1986, George Solomonmoved hisoperationsinto Mr. Maurin's offices and Julesbeganmanaging the accountingfor Mr. Solomon's video stores, whichgrewto67 stores throughout the south. Mr.Solomon sold the videostoresand then bought 3theatersand Jules continued to manage the accounting. Then later the 3theatersweresold and he went back to work forthe Maurin's fulltime. In 2021 Robert (Bobby) Maurin III and James (Jimmy) Maurin establisheda scholarship fund at Southeasterninthe name of Elizabeth and JulesLockhart, which givesa scholarship d i i

to a deserving accounting student each year. Jules continued to do accounting workinBobby Maurin's businesses until his recent illness. The Maurin family was always very important to Jules. Jules feltvery blessed to havefound Elizabeth and to be able to spend most of his life with her. He had adeeplove for hischildren, grandchildren,and great-grandchildren.His prioritywas to always do everything he couldfor his family.Jules and Elizabeth set agreat example of love and selflessness that willliveon throughtheir descendants and others who shared times withthem. Jules was amember of Holy Ghost Catholic Church. Avisitation willbeheldatHoly Ghost Catholic Church, 600 NOak Street,Hammond Louisiana 70401, on Thursday, April 30, 2026, beginning at 10:30 AM until the funeral mass begins at 11:30 AM. Interment will follow at Rose Memorial Park Cemetery, Hammond, Louisiana. Arrangements havebeenentrusted to Harry McKneely &Son Funeral Home and Crematory of Hammond and Ponchatoula. An on-line guest book is availableat www.harrymckneely.com.

Philip Rogers IIIwas bornDecember24, 1946, in New OrleanstoPhilip Rogers Jr.and Priscilla Blackstone. He wasedu‐cated in NewOrleans Pub‐lic Schoolsand graduated fromGeorgeWashington CarverHighSchool.He servedinthe United States Armyand laterattended Delgado Community Col‐lege. Philip marriedBetty JeanWalker, andtheyhad fourdaughters:LaVonsell Yolanda,Felicia,and Tosha. HealsofatheredPhilipIV and Amy. Grounded in faith,Philipwas baptized atPentecost Baptist Church.Heheldvarious jobs, includingworkwith NOPS, SouthCentral Bell the U.S. Post Office,and as anelectrician.Hepassed onApril 15, 2026, leavinga legacyoffaith,love, and laughter. He is survived by six children,sixteen grand‐children, eighteen greatgrandchildren,siblings, ex‐tendedfamily, andfriends Hewas preceded in death byhis parents, sister Bev‐erly, andgrandsonJohn MiguelPetersJr. Philip was known forhis humor,wis‐dom,and vibrantpersonal‐ity.Hewillbedeeply missedand foreverre‐membered. Family and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe Memorial Service inhis honoronSaturday, May 2, 2026, for1:00p.m.at The Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy NewOrleans,LA 70126. Visitation will begin at12:30 p.m. Pastor Bennie Scott, officiating. Inter‐mentisprivate.Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditi onbegins.com(504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd

andDonavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/FuneralDirectors

RonquilloSr.,Prentis Anthony'Putty'

Prentis“Putty”Anthony Ronquillo Sr., born on No‐vember12, 1963, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,entered eternal rest on April17, 2026. He wasthe beloved husband of ShandraRon‐quillo, with whomhe shared26years of love Duringhis life,hegave birth to five loving chil‐dren: Ingrid Washington (Kevin),RhondaAdams, Prentis “Lil Putt” Ronquillo Jr. (precededindeath), Brent Ronquillo, andDen‐zel Hampton. He also lov‐ingly cherishedhis stepchildren—Keirra Mitchell,Daurielle Miller,Alex Ronquillo,and Alexis Ron‐quillo. Prentiswillalsobe fondlyrememberedbyhis siblings, Victor “Good Lookin”, Sandra,Alfred Mumu”, Ronald,and Rhonda, as well as by a hostofgrandchildren and other loving relatives. He was preceded in deathby his mother,Pearl Perez; his father, LeoRonquillo;his stepfather, LeroyPerez; and hissiblingsAnthony “Dougie”, Diana, Cherlene, Norma,David,Leo,Donald Peanut”, andLisa. Prentis graduated from Marion AbramsonSeniorHigh School in 1982. Following highschool,heattended Delgado Community Col‐lege. He wasa dedicated employeeofTerese’sTop Works Inc.,where he proudly served formore than20years.Heenjoyed spendingtimewithhis family, fishing, andcheer‐ing on hisfavoriteteams the NewOrleans Saints and theNew OrleansPeli‐cans. Prentis’ legacy is one oflove, laughter,and gen‐uinecarefor everyone he encountered.Hewillbere‐memberedasa manwho lived life to thefullest and lovedjustasdeeply.His in‐

fluencelives on through the people he helped shape andthe many lives hetouched.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tenda CelebrationofLife onThursday, April30th, 2026, at St.James Methodist Church,1925 Ur‐sulines Avenue,New Or‐leans,Louisiana 70116, be‐ginning at 10:00 a.m.,with PastorDeljuaneMitchell officiating. Visitation at the church will beginat9:00 a.m.until thehourofser‐vice. Privateburial. Repass willbeheldatthe Luxury Hall, 9301 Lake Forrest Blvd, NewOrleans Louisiana 70127, beginning at12:00 p.m. Allguestsare invited to attend.Profes‐sionalServicesEntrusted to Littlejohn FuneralHome.

Tricia MarieWilsonen‐tered enteralrestatEast Jefferson GeneralHospital onTuesday,April 21, 2026, atthe ageof59. Shewas nativeofNew Orleans, LA and aresidentofMarrero LA. Devotedmotherof MitchellWilson, Michelle Wilson,and La’Ditrell Wil‐son.Lovinggrandmother ofTrinede Wilson,Joseph Cole, Kai'RonFlagg, MalaysiaWilson, Zahrell Wilson,and MariyahWil‐son.DaughterofRoseWil‐son andthe late Fred Wil‐son, Jr.Granddaughter of

thelateMorrisand Lorenza Favorite.Sisterof Andrill Wilson,Angleak Walker, Trishawn Houston, and thelateKenneth Wil‐son,and HerbertWilliams, III. CompanionofMitchell Wilson.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life at Davis MortuaryService,6820 WestbankExpressway, Marrero,LAonThursday April 30, 2026, at 10:00a.m. PastorTonyofficiating. Visitationwillbegin at 8:30a.m.until servicetime atthe parlor.Interment: Woodlawn Park Memorial Cemetery-Westwego, LA To viewand sign theguest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com.

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

Simplyput —without dental insurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcarecoverage

Whenyou’recomparing plans ...

 Look forcoveragethat helps pay formajor services. Some plans maylimit thenumber of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoveragewithnodeductibles. Some plans mayrequire you to pay hundredsout of pocket before

are

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

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1

That’s right. As good as Medicare is,itwas never meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection, youneed to purchase individual insurance.

Early detectioncan prevent small problemsfrom becomingexpensive ones

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

Previous dental work canwearout

Even if you’ve hadqualitydentalworkinthe past, youshouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dentalproblemonly go up as youage.2

Treatment is expensive especially theservicespeople over 50 often need

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

Wilson,TriciaMarie

Rogers III, Philip

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Recommendations forConstitutional Amendments 1, 2

Louisiana voters willweigh in on five proposedconstitutional amendmentsinthe May 16 election, with early votingbeginning Saturday,May 2and concluding the following Saturday,May 9. The Times-Picayune and Advocate newspapersmake these recommendations on Amendments 1and 2. Recommendations for the remaining ballot questions will be published Thursday

Amendment 1: Jobcreation outside the state civil service system. No. Louisiana’s state employees fall into two categories,classifiedworkers whose employment is overseen by the state CivilService Commission and who have certain jobprotections, andunclassified employees whoserve at will.Amendment 1wouldallow theLouisianaLegislature to shift jobs from classified to unclassified without commission approval

The idea behind the proposal is to make state government agencies more nimble; among other things, putting more jobs into theunclassifiedcategory wouldmake it easier to hire and fire workers.

We support the goalofmaking government work better for citizens, but we are concerned thatthe amendment as written has no guardrails; we worry that its passage could lead to large scale disruptionsofthe workforce and reintroduce the sort of political influence that the civil service system was designed to prevent.

Abetter approach, we believe, wouldbefor the Legislature to do acomprehensivestudy of what problems the current systemcreates and howtobest institute well-thought-out reforms. That’swhy we recommendanovote on this amendment.

Amendment 2: New public school district in the city of St. George. Yes.

The fight overa potential school district for the St. George region of East Baton Rouge Parish has raged for more than adecade; in fact, it is what led to the incorporation in 2024 of anew city withinthe parish. Now, after years in court, supporters of that original school district idea have finally gottenitback on theballot.

Amendment 2asks voters statewide to allow the new districttoraise local revenue and to draw downmoneythrough thestate financingformula for public schools, key steps toward making the long-sought breakfrom theEastBaton Rouge Parish schoolsystem We have expressedconcerns in thepast over what the effects of anew school district wouldbeonthe otherstudents in theparish We concede that, especially in the short term, those effects are likelytobedeleterious.

But we also note that St. George school system supportershave been steadfast in thepursuit of this objective. They have gone through the process laidout before them,and have done everything that legislators, the courts and so far the voters have asked. In order for the new district to be created andfunded, theamendment must winmajority approval statewide as well as in East Baton Rouge Parish. We recommend ayes vote.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

True help forcancer patients notinSenatebill

As theLouisiana Legislature moves to fast-track Senate Bill 155, Iamcompelled to share aperspective you won’t hear from lobbying groups:the view of apatient who has lived through thesystem twice. While SB 155 is framed as avictoryfor cancer patients, it essentially sacrifices long-termsurvivorsfor aone-time “pre-treatment” mandate.

In Louisiana, we see roughly 1,200 new diagnoses annually,but we have a cumulative pool of 6,000 to 10,000 treatment survivors, myselfincluded, living with life-threatening injuries like bone death, tooth lossand vascular damage. SB 155, as currently constructed, is the wrong path for head and neck cancer patientsbecause it prioritizes “coverage on paper” to passabill rather than establishing the actual care infrastructure required to sustainapatient’slife yearsafter theinitial battle.

My personal “bucket list” of post treatmentinjuries and the databehind them illustrate agrimreality: Withouta

focus on comprehensive, ongoing care, patientsface potentialfinancial ruin and/or permanent physical harm. A bill that only mandates the lowvolume front-end pretreatment clearance while ignoring themany thousands of us on theback end who require lifelong medical supportfor the collateraldamage caused by thetreatmentsthatsaved us.

We need an immediate amendment to SB 155 that addresses this gap. We cannot settlefor apolicythatoffers acheck markatdiagnosis but leaves treatmentsurvivors to navigate bone deathand vascular decay alone. The Legislature has an opportunity to move beyond symbolic wins andbuild asystem that protectsLouisiana patients for thelong haul.

Let’schooseapath thattruly serves our survivor community by addressing thefull, grueling scopeofour posttreatment medical needs.

DAVID JOHNSON Mandeville

Public needstoknowdataoncorrections system

Louisiana taxpayers deserve asimple answer to asimple question: Are we getting the public safetyoutcomes we’re paying for?

Right now, we can’tsay that withconfidence.

Each year,Louisiana incarcerates roughly 30,000 people, and the Department of Public Safetyand Corrections representsa significant and growing share of the state budget.Yet despite thatinvestment, policymakers and the public lack consistent,accessible data to evaluatewhether thesystem is working —either from apublic safetystandpoint or afiscal one.

That should concernall of us.

House Bill 525 offersa straightforward, bipartisan fix. Building on a unanimously passed 2024 resolution, the bill requiresthe Department of Public Safety and Corrections to publish data it already collects—how manypeople are incarcerated,why theyare there, how long they stay and when they arereleased —along withclear definitions in a format the public can actually use. Today,much of this information is difficult to access, often buried in limited

dashboards or delayed through public records requests. That means lawmakers aremaking decisions without afull picture,and taxpayers are funding asystem without clear visibility into results.

HB 525 solvesthat problem without creating new costs or burdens. In fact, by reducing repeated records requests, it can improve efficiency within the department itself.

At atimewhen Louisiana is considering major increasesincorrections spending, transparency isn’toptional it’sessential.

Overthe past decade, the state has made —and rolled back —significant criminal justice reforms. Regardless of whereyou stand on those changes, one thing should be clear: We should be measuring theirimpact. Are we safer? Are we spending more effectively? Without reliable data, policymaking becomes guesswork. HB 525 ensures accountability —and gives Louisiana the tools to make smarter,more responsible decisions.

ASHLEY CRAWFORD associate director,Vera Louisiana

Courtconsolidation notabout race

Once again, Will Sutton has chosen to unnecessarily inject race into an otherwise complicated and difficult discussion —whether or not to consolidate the court system in Orleans Parish and in other parishes around the state.

While there are very significant pros and cons to consider,regardless of which side of the issue one may be on, Sutton has chosen to commence his argument against consolidation by stating that “New Orleans will lose 14 judges, and mostofthem are Black.”

What he does not reveal to his readers —and what exposes his owndisingenuous argument —is that of the 26 judges that makeup Orleans Parish civil and criminal district courts, 25 of those 26 judges are Black. It doesn’ttake amath whiz to determine that the removal of any number of judges from those courts will lead to the removal of a majority of Black judges. His statement, then, was irrelevant as to the merits of the ultimate decision and only served the intended purpose of crying “racism”like young Peter too often cried wolf.

JOE MASELLI

NewOrleans

Agreat placetohouse City Hall alreadyexists MayorLaToyaCantrellhad one great ideainher term as mayor of New Orleans— to move CityHall to thehistoricMunicipalAuditorium.

Sadly,itwas shot down by some politicians andspecial interest groups who hadnoproblemwith agambling casino on that historic site. It is centrally located and accessible by ourpublic transit system forthose that don’tdrive or own avehicle As forthe presentCityHall, a possibilityistobuild acity-owned parkinggarageonthatsite, which would bring alot of much needed revenue foryears to come.

IknowMayor HelenaMoreno lovesNew Orleans. Ihope she takes aserious look at awonderful idea.

JOHN BENFATTI Slidell

YOUR VIEWS

ArtemisIImadea giant leap beyond‘onesmall step’

Samedestination, different country

The nation that dared to send an Orion spacevessel to apioneering orbit around the moon is afar different place from the one that first ventured there and placed the original footprints on the lunar surface.

It is bigger,and yet its dreamsare smaller It is richer,and yet the character of its civic life is poorer.Itismore powerful, and yet its influence is more constricted. It is smugger,and yet its confidence has been compromised.

No one who trod the earth in 1969 would recognize the United States in 2026.

Comparing the United States of Apollo 11 andthe United States of Artemis II provides insights into ourown time even as it illuminated the distance the country has travelled from theArchies (“Sugar,Sugar”) to Taylor Swift (“The Fate of Ophelia”), from the median purchase price of ahome of $25,900 to $405,300, from TomSeaver to Paul Skenes, from Richard Nixon toDonald Trump, from atypewriter ribbon (roughly $2.50inastationery store) to atwo-pack USB CFast-Charger Block foralaptop ($21.99 on amazon.com).

Along the way,gasoline at 39 cents (roughly $3 in today’sdollars) has been replacedbygas soaring beyond$4, presidentialviews have shifted from Mr.Nixon’sstate-dinner toasttothe Shah of Iran(honoring “a nation and apeople with whom we are proud to stand as friends and allies”) to Mr Trump’scharacterization of Iran’s theocratic leaders(“a vicious group of very hard, terrible people”), from mainframe vacuum-tube computers occupyingvast air-conditionedroomsto iPhonesthatslipintopurses and pockets (and, now, vast AI data centers requiring massive cooling operations).

The gap between Apollo 11 and Artemis II is so wide that conservatism, the social and political creed that once wasa

shorthand for resistance to change, has changedindramatic fashion.

The conservatism of 1969 was led by figures such as Ronald Reagan (then thegovernor of California), Barry Goldwater (back in the Senate after losing the1964 presidential election) Gerald Ford (House minority leader whose farthest horizon of imagination didn’tinclude thepresidency he would occupyfive years later) and William F. Buckley Jr.(involved that year in a heateddebatewith left-leaning Noam ChomskyonVietnam and still feuding with Gore Vidal).Inthe WhiteHouse wasMr. Nixon, whose brand of conservatism intersects with that of Mr Trumpmainly in their visceral hatred of communism.

ButNixon’sconservatism had room for supportinganincome floor for all Americans, anotion that would be anathema to Trump. The two presidents’ temperaments couldn’tbemore different:one an introvert and brooder (but,asthe WhiteHouse tapes showed, only temporarily tethered to the textbookpersonalreserve and sense of private “correctness” of many conservatives),the other avoluble figure (prone to explosions of withering commentary and public denunciation of his foes).

While both were admirers of the fixer and dirty trickster Roy Cohn, Nixon, who courted a“silent majority” and often, though in vain, spoke of national unity, would have been repelled by the public combativeness of Trump’sMAGAsup-

The Artemis II crew— clockwise from left, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Reid Wiseman and Victor Glover— takes aphoto inside the Orion spacecraft on their wayhomeApril 7.

PROVIDED PHOTO

porters. Both presidencies were marked by war,though Nixon was aNavy veteran of World WarIIwhile Trumpin1969 had just received aVietnam-era medical deferment from militaryservice.

Space exploration is entering anew phase —nolonger to notch milestones but instead to practice repeat operations thatlay the groundwork for the creation of alunar infrastructure.

“We’re no longer doing things in space to prove we have great technology,” said Michelle Hanlon, executive directorofthe Air and Space LawProgram at the UniversityofMississippi School of Lawand its Center for Air and Space Law. “It’snot about national prestige anymore. It’s about building something —afuture for all of humanity.Wehave to createafirm foothole on the moon to be able to harness the vast resources of space.”

The British novelist L.P.Hartleypublished abook titled“The Go-Between” thatopened with this sentence: “The past is aforeign country: they do things differently there.” It was published in 1953, the year Scott Crossfield, piloting the rocket-powered D-558-2 Skyrocket, became the first person to fly twice the speed of sound. The world seemsto have changed at about twice the speed of sound between Neil Armstrong’s1969 small step and the 2026 giant leap that ArtemisIInow has taken.

Email DavidShribman at dshribman@post-gazette.com.

Is theSPLCindictmentabout fraud?

make these charges stick.

When it comes to the U.S. Justice Department’s stunning announcementof criminal charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center,asanold saying goes,where you stand depends on where you sit. If you sit with the broad section of Americanswho revere the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and who look with distaste on the resurgence of White nationalismin American politics, it may come as no surprisethat President Donald Trump’sDOJ is going after an organization with along history of standing up to organized racism.

If you sit with the Trump administration’sJustice Department, you may regard this latest example of prosecutorial “lawfare” as another opportunity to confuse the publicwhile destroying an institution you regard as apolitical enemy. Most of us, me verymuch included, likely find the details of theindictment murky

Last week, the DOJ announced that agrand jury approved an indictment chargingSPLC with “11 counts of wire fraud, falsestatements to afederally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.” That sounds like serious trouble forthe Montgomery,Alabama-based nonprofit. In its 55-year history of civil rights advocacy and publicinterest litigation, it has gained alot of enemies thanks to its success at suing hate groups and otherwise exposingthem in its public information programs such as Hatewatch and publications suchas“Intelligence Report.” Among its many distinctions, SPLC is known forbankrupting theKuKlux Klan. In recognition of its work, the organization’soffices have been firebombed and its personnel have been targeted by conspiracies to commit violence.

So how,you may be wondering, did SPLC come acropper with the feds?

Let’sgoback to the DOJ press release: “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justifyits existence,” said acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked.”

“The SPLC allegedly engaged in amassive fraud operation to deceive their donors, enrich themselves, and hide their deceptive operations from the public,” said FBIDirectorKash Patel. “They liedtotheir donors, vowing to dismantle violent extremist groups, and actually turnedaround and paid the leaders of these very extremistgroups —even utilizing the funds to have these groups facilitate the commission of state and federal crimes.”

So if I’m reading this correctly,the FBI alleges that SPLC is running afraud that takes money from unsuspecting donors to fightracist extremism,but is in fact spending donor money in ways prosecutors allege may have inadvertently strengthened the very extremist groups it claimedtomonitor The case has generatedsome talking points that are easy enough to understand that even Donald TrumpJr. is able to regurgitate them on social media. For example, SPLC over anumber of years made payments totaling more that$3 million to individuals associated with extremist groups such as the Klan, Unite the Right and various neo-Nazi groups. That may sound bad, unless you also understand that infiltrators are key conduits of intelligence —intelligence thatSPLC shared withothers, including the FBIuntil the Trumpadministration severed ties.

Icontinue to be curious about information theindictment leaves out,such as how much the FBI knew about SPLC’s intelligence gathering over the years and how the bureau used thatintel to monitor groups connected to violence and planning more mayhem Akey question will be whether prosecutors can distinguish SPLC’sinformant practices from those long used by law enforcement, which Iexpect to come up if the case goestotrial. False statements, wire fraud and conspiracy are serious charges for any nonprofit to face in federal court. On theotherhand, the question may be asked whether Trump’sDOJ is aserious enough and ethical enough entityto

Isay thatbecause this indictment has all the hallmarks of political ploy.Yes, the investigation began during the Biden administration, which declined to file charges, before being revived under Trump officials. And this is hardly the first time SPLC has comeunder fire for allegedly attempting to police speech and unfairly maligning conservatives for their viewpoints, not necessarily their actions, through the organization’s“Intelligence Project.”

Forexample, the conservative religious organization Focus on the Family was added to the Intelligence Project’s list partly because of its anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. The FBI field office in Richmond, Virginia caused apolitical firestorm by associating “radical traditionalist Catholics” with potential extremist actsinaninternal memo, based in part on SPLCresearch.

But in Trump’ssecond term,federal officials took amore jaundiced view of the group. In 2024, the Guardian reported, it described Turning Point USA, conservative activist Charlie Kirk’sorganization, as “A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”

Of course, Kirk was widely credited withwinning widespread youth support for Trump’s2024 election campaign. A month after Kirk was assassinated in September 2025, according to the Guardian, FBI Director Patel charged thatthe organization had been turnedinto a“partisansmear machine,”and criticized its use of a“hate map” thatdefames “mainstream Americans.” He announced that the bureau would sever its relationship withthe center Iwould not argue, and Ithink few would, thatSPLC is perfectly virtuous as an organization or unerring in itsjudgments. Its speech and actions must be subject to the same scrutiny it applies to others. But if this turns out to be apolitical indictment, it is nothing less thata frontal attack on free speech and the rest of our cherished Bill of Rights.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com.

CouldAI unmask anonymous internet users? Itestedit.

“On the Internet,” says the famous NewYorker cartoon, “nobody knowsyou’re adog.” In hindsight, the artist should have added “yet.” Recently, KelseyPiper, who writes about technology forthe Argument, tweeted: “I have abunchofsecret AI benchmarks Ionly reveal when theyfall, andtoday one did. Igive the AI 1000 words written by me and never published, andask themwho the authoris.”Claude Opus 4.7, an advanced thinking model, correctly identifiedher as the authorofa1,000-word heist scene from an unpublished novel. Like many journalists, Ihave abunchofunpublished fiction lying about, so Itried Claude on the first chapterofaromance novelthatIstartedalmost 20 yearsago,during the hysterical, mawkish phase of aparticularly bad breakup. “Megan McArdle,” said Opus 4.7, after afew seconds of thought. Fascinated, Ikeptfeeding it smallerand smallerpassages to seehow little prose it needed for identification. The answer, apparently,was 1,441words. Would Claude do better or worse with something more modern? Ifed Claude adifferent opening chapterfromanunpublished science fictionnovel Istarted right before the pandemic —Icontain multitudes—and this time Claude needed only 1,132 words. The eulogy I gave formymother, lightly edited to remove some too-specific biographical details, was even faster: Depending on the passage,Claude was able to pegmeasthe author in as few as 124 words. Ishouldn’thavebeenasstartled as Iwas. I alreadyknewthat writing is as distinctively individualasa fingerprint, because as afellow writer once pointed out to me, Googling for an exact match on ashort sentence fromyour work will usually turn up justone result:your work. This is not quite the end of internet anonymity.After all, Piper and Iare professional writers, so Claude had alot of starting material to workwith. Still, it seemslikely that the end is near foranyone whose personal writing is stored on the internet somewhere: blogs, social media posts, academic writing. Artificial intelligence companies may try to restrict our ability to use models this way,asthey have restricted other potentially antisocial queries, such as instructions forbuilding bombs. Alas, that won’t stop determined individuals and governments from training open-source models as writing sleuths. Even if you’ve never written apublic wordunder your own name, given the ease with whichcorporate systems keep getting hacked,you can’t be sure your anonymous musings aresafefrom detection.

It’snot as if ending anonymity would end harassment, or sociopaths taking advantage of credulous people,sincesome of the worst offenders on both counts operateproudly under their ownnames.And whatabout allthe other stuff anonymity allows us to say?

Journalism oftenreliesonanonymous sources.Sodoes law enforcement. What do we do whena strayquotation could pinpoint who’s speaking? Political dissidents under authoritarianregimesare obviously vulnerable if the government can echolocate them through their writing. Theycan try to anonymize the prose —perhaps by passing it through AI but the sanitizedversion will lose much of its individualhumanpower.And whatabout all the people who have already spoken up anonymously andnow face unmasking?

Or what aboutpeople seeking help? Iperformed these experiments while Iwas attending aconferencewith best-selling writertherapist Lori Gottlieb, who writesanadvice column forThe NewYorkTimesand previously the Atlantic. Gottlieb pointedout that many of hercommenters say raw,vulnerable things thattheycould never write under their ownnames Others do the same in Reddit threads or otherforums. Those comments can be alifeline forstruggling people who feel theycan’t confide in those closest to them.That lifeline seems likely to be cut. We stand to lose muchmore from de-anonymization thanwegain from shaming internet trolls into silence. Unfortunately,atthis point, there’s no waytostop it. Like nuclear weapons, as soon as such power became possible,it also became inevitable. So we’ll have to take what comfortwecan.Wemay be losing the ability to airprivate thoughts publicly.But at leastwhenwedospeak, there will be less frenzied barking from the anonymous dogs of the internet.

Megan McArdleinonX,@asymmetricinfo

Clarence Page

McArdle

M n

David Shribman

SPORTS

CautionLane

Kiffinexits spring with reserved demeanor that belies reputation

If you don’tknow Lane Kiffin well from his pre-LSU coaching stops— including Ole Miss, which herefers to as the “last place” —you probably would be surprised, or even disappointed, by his typicaldemeanor

In person, Kiffin isn’t thebrash provocateur he is on social media or thefootball field. He has interestingthings to say,hejust doesn’tsay them loudly Typical, then, was thetone Tuesday of Kiffin’spost-springpractice news conference. He was measured,cautious even,while discussingwhere hisfirst LSU football team is at theend of spring practice and where it stillneedstogrow

LSU quarterback

before theharvest time that is the Sept 5season opener against Clemson in Tiger Stadium Onething that was clear from Kiffin’s comments, sincehementioned it more than once (as aseasoned reporter,Itend to pickuponsuch things),ishis wish

that college football still had aspring transfer portal. Not the most reassuring sign for an LSU fan base starving to get back intothe College Football Playoff for thefirst time since theTigers’ 2019 national championship run.

“You’dlike to have aspring portal now that we’ve been able to assess the roster,” he said. There isn’tone, so based on that he added: “There’snowhere to go, so let’s makesure we develop theguys we have as best as we can.”

If theTigers are in that “let’sdothe

ä See RABALAIS, page 5C

Leavitt’sprogresspleases Kiffin

BY REED DARCEY Staffwriter

When Sam Leavitt wasn’t practicing this spring, he’d slip on apairoftennis shoes anda jersey.The LSU quarterback didn’tneed to pop on ahelmet, but he did anyway Then Leavitt would just stand on the sidelineand watch. His surgically repaired foot wouldn’tlet him run or throw or plant,which meant that the onlyway he could learnthe intricacies of coach Lane Kiffin’s offense was by

observing his teammates rehearse it.Sohepeeredthrough his facemask and soaked up as much as he could.

“He’staking it very seriously,” Kiffin said. “It’salot to learn, withinthe system, and he really spends alot of time up here, and that’snot easy.”

Crucially,Leavitt still managed to squeeze in some onfield work before LSU wrapped up spring practices Saturday Kiffin revealed Tuesday that theArizonaState transfer participated in a7-on-7drill during the Tigers’ 15thand fi-

LSUaccumulates 14 hits, hammersMcNeese State

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

LSU softball coach BethTorina is looking for a late-season push, and judging by Tuesday’svictory against McNeese State, the whole team is getting the message.

The No. 20 Tigers matched their season high in runs as eight differentplayers knocked in at least one in a16-0 win againstMcNeese State at Tiger Park. The game was shortened to five innings by the mercy rule. Every LSU starterhad at least one hit, and three pitchers combined on aone-hitterfor the team’s10th shutout. Destiny Harrisand Jalia Lassiter had three RBIsapiece,with Lassiter hitting her eighth home run. LSUwas one off its season high in hits with 14. Cece Cellura (7-5) started and allowedone hit

in threeinnings. Freshmen Cali Deal andAshlin Mowery threw one hitless inning apiece.

“It was great to get everybody in and get everybody alittlework in alive game headed to the postseason,” Torina said. “We’re continuing to be aggressive. That’s what works well for this team, they attack pitches. Theydid agood job of having aplan for all the pitchers and making good adjustments and being aggressive at the plate

“I thought Cece set thetonefor us really well. She hadhigh velocity numbers, andwegot exactly what we neededfrom her.Everybodyon theteam was pulling forthe freshmentoget in.

LSU (34-16) started quickly after Cellura retired the side in order in the first. The first three batters reach base against McNeese starter

See LSU, page 5C

nal session, whichwas closed to reporters. On Saturday in Tiger Stadium, Leavitt took abouteight snaps—asmall set of reps but still enough work to double as some of the most significant on-field activity he’sdone since he underwent season-ending foot surgery in November

At the start of springpractice,all Leavittcould do was throw to receivers who were running routes on air. Then he underwent ascheduled

ä See LEAVITT, page 5C

BY ERIC OLSON AP collegefootball writer

In the eight years since the Supreme Court cleared theway forlegal sports gambling acrossthe country,the bad headlines for college sports have picked up. Co ach es be ing taintedbyscandalsat their programs. The social-mediapressure on athletes to perform for gamblers. The arrests andindictments of players, former players and associates betting on the outcome of games few remember.The back-and-forth over whether to allow collegeathletes, who can now earn millions, to bet on pro or college sports.

This week, the problems were underscored in adramatic way: Brendan Sorsby,set to becomethe well-paid quarterback of Big 12 reigning champion Texas Tech, stepped away to seek treatmentfor agambling addiction.Investigations are reportedly under way involving aHeisman Trophy hopeful and his stays at Indiana and Cincinnati before histransfertoTexas Tech ahead of next season.

Details have not been released about Sorsby’sgambling. But experts estimate that thousands of athletes in men’scollege sports are engaged in compulsive gambling.

“Statistically,Ithink this is still only thetip of theiceberg,”saidKeith Whyte, agambling industry consultant and former executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. “Given the elevated risk factors foryoung, male college athletes to demonstrate ahigh propensity to bet on sports and take on other risk-taking behaviors, there’sprobably alot more guys that have problems. So in some ways, Ireally admire his decision to publicly seek help for agambling problem.”

The NCAAisthe largest organization in college athletics, with some500,000 athletes across1,100 schoolsinthree divisions. Itsmost recent survey of athlete gambling behaviors, released in January 2025, asked 13,306 male athletes across all divisions about their wagering habits.

Some21.5% (2,861) acknowledged having placed at least one sports wager in the previous year; 10.7% (1,424) acknowledged having done so in the previous month. In Division I, 12.6%of the men (619 of 4,913) reported having gambledatleastonceinthe previous year,4.7% (231) in the previous month and 1.9% (93) in the previous week. Across the three divisions, mobile onlinesports wagering platformswere by farthe preferredvehicle forplacing bets, and college football ranked behind the NFL, NBAand college basketball among mostpopular sports for betting.

TheNCAA, extrapolatingfromsurveyresults, estimatedabout6,000 mostly male athletes across the three

Sorsby

Scott Rabalais

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU first-yearcoach Lane Kiffinlooksonduring the first dayofspring practice on March 24 at theLSU practice facility. The Tigers wrapped up spring practice onSaturdayand nowlook toward the season opener against Clemson on Sept. 5inTiger Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

SamLeavitt walks across the field during spring practice on March26.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU first basemanTori Edwards catches ahigh throwtonab McNeeseState runner JadaMunoz in thesecond inning of theirgame TuesdaynightatTiger Park. The Tigers

innings.

NL Central full of winning records

BY JAY COHEN AP baseball writer

CHICAGO The NL Central has reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. It has some of the majors’ most promising rookies, like Sal Stewart, Konnor Griffin and JJ Wetherholt. It has young stars like Elly De La Cruz and older ones like Christian Yelich.

Maybe this strong start from all five teams isn’t that big a surprise after all.

“I think it’s a really good division,” Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman said. “Obviously, good pitching, good offenses, and all the teams have gotten off to a good start. So we know that we’ve got our work cut out for us in this division.”

Heading into Tuesday, the NL Central is the only division in baseball in which every team has a winning record. It’s the secondlatest date in a season that every NL Central club has been over .500, according to Sportradar trailing May 29, 2004, when the division had six teams and each one was 23-22 or better.

The NL Central and NL West each had a composite record of 80-61, followed by the AL East at 73-69 The NL East (64-79), AL Central (66-79) and AL West (66-80) all had losing records as a division.

It’s impressive territory for an NL Central that had four teams among MLB’s 12 smallest payrolls on opening day “There are good athletes in the NL Central. The style of play is interesting,” St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. You see how collectively they

play the game and where their record’s at right now.”

Powered by Cruz and Stewart, the Cincinnati Reds lead the way with an 18-10 record. The Cubs are 1 ½ games back, followed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in third at 16-13. The Cardinals are 15-13, and the Milwaukee Brewers are last with a 14-13 mark. Milwaukee won the division in 2025 for the third consecutive year Chicago and Cincinnati also made the playoffs as wild cards

“We had three teams in the playoffs last year We were the only

division in the National League to have three,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “In previous years, we’ve never had respect. The (division) has been very good and last year was evidence. This year is not surprising.”

The Cubs signed Bregman to a $175 million, five-year contract in free agency and the Reds and Pirates also made significant offseason additions. But the Central also has benefited from the arrival of a group of promising young hitters. Stewart, 22, leads the majors

with 29 RBIs in 28 games for the Reds. Moisés Ballesteros, 22, is batting .387 in 25 games for the Cubs. Wetherholt, 23, has connected for a solo homer in each of his last three games.

Griffin, who signed a $140 million, nine-year contract with Pittsburgh on April 8, is showing signs of shaking off his slow start.

He hit his first career homer on his 20th birthday Friday

“A ton of young talent in the division, and I feel like that’s really exciting,” Bregman said.

The Central also has been helped by a patient approach at the plate.

The Cubs lead the National League with 130 walks, followed by the Brewers at 126 and the Reds at 119. The Pirates are fifth with 110, and the Cardinals have 103 walks so far

“It’s about trying to put together quality at-bats and those are leading to walks,” Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell said.

“It’s part of our identity, putting together quality at-bats.”

It remains to be seen how the standings shake out once the NL Central starts seeing more of each other St. Louis played its first division game Monday night when it rallied for a 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh. Cincinnati, Chicago and Milwaukee have played just three division games apiece.

“It’s a lot of really good teams,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said.

“When you look at the way we got three teams into the playoffs last year and the way we’ve started out this year with all five teams playing good baseball, it’s been a lot of fun. It’s cool to see the division be so strong. There’s going to be a lot of really good games.”

Phillies fire manager Thomson after losing 11 of 12

Bench coach

Mattingly named as interim manager

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA Manager Rob Thomson, who led the Phillies to four straight playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series, was fired on Tuesday after Philadelphia lost 11 of 12 games and began the day tied for last place in the majors.

Bench coach Don Mattingly was named interim manager through the end of the season and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach. Mattingly will now officially work for one of his sons — Preston Mattingly is the Phillies general manager — in what is believed to be the first father-son GM/manager combination in baseball history Thomson went 355-270 and led a Philadelphia team loaded with high-priced talent that included Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner to consecutive division titles. The 62-year-old Thomson, a baseball lifer finally promoted to his first managerial stint in 2022, signed a contract extension in the offseason running through the 2027 season and was again expected to lead the Phillies into World Series contention Instead, the Phillies and their $300-plus million payroll have been one of the biggest flops in baseball and lost 10 straight games before ace Zack Wheeler led them to a win against Atlanta on Saturday The Phillies lost to Atlanta on Sunday and fell to 9-19 overall, tied with the division rival New York Mets.

Thomson is the second manager fired in baseball this season after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora and five coaches on Saturday Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, gave Thomson a vote of confidence last week while they were in the midst of their losing streak. Dombrowski stood behind Thomson’s work and said he’s been a good manager since replacing Joe

Girardi in 2022.

Dombrowski said Tuesday that he talked to Cora about becoming the next manager

“We never got down to the nuts and bolts of things,” Dombrowski

said “He called me Saturday night as a friend. I guess he calls me one of his mentors and we talked because he never had been through that before. We talked Sunday morning.

“I came to the conclusion that if he took it, I would make a change. I thought he would take it. Until Monday morning it was apparent from his perspective he wanted to take time with his family He wanted to be a father first and foremost and so that’s what he had decided.”

Thomson led Philadelphia to the 2022 World Series after taking over for Girardi, losing to the Houston Astros in six games. Since then, the club has regressed in the postseason. It lost in the NL Championship Series in 2023 in seven games, and the NL Division Series in 2024 and ’25 in four games.

Nicknamed Topper, Thomson has been with the club since the 2018 season, when he was first hired as bench coach under former manager Gabe Kapler

He was with the New York Yankees from 1990-2017, including 10 seasons on the major league coaching staff as bench coach (2008, 2015-17) and third base coach (2009-14). He earned his nickname in the Yankees organization for always being on top of details.

Thomson became only the fourth manager in big league history to reach the postseason in each of the first four full seasons to begin a managing career, joining Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone and Mike Matheny. He became only the third manager in Phillies history to win consecutive division titles, joining Charlie Manuel and Danny Ozark.

The Phillies have been awful in what was supposed to be a celebratory season with the franchise set to host the All-Star Game and its surrounding festivities. Instead, they have collapsed in every aspect of the game, with regulars

Alec Bohm and Schwarber both hitting under .200, while starters Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter all have 5.00-plus ERAs.

The Phillies just released highpriced bust Taijuan Walker in the final year of a four-year, $72 million contract and outfielder Nick Castellanos was released in February as he entered the final year of a five-year, $100 million deal.

The Phillies haven’t won the World Series since 2008 and had last made the playoffs in 2011 until Thomson led them a surprise run to the World Series in 2022 dubbed Red October that rejuvenated the fanbase and made 90plus win seasons the norm.

The Phillies now will turn to Mattingly, the former New York Yankees great, to resuscitate their season and try to at least keep them in the hunt for an NL wildcard spot.

Mattingly, spending his 23rd straight season as a major league manager or coach, had his mind set on retirement after he left his role as Toronto’s bench coach under manager John Schneider following the World Series.

He reversed course after a talk with his family and latched on with the Phillies, enticed by the chance to work with his son and with Thomson, his friend from their Yankees days.

Bossier City native lands with LSU women’s hoops

The LSU women’s basketball team announced Tuesday that it has signed transfer guard Chloe Larry Larry, a 5-foot-8 guard from Bossier City, was teammates with senior guard Mikaylah Williams at Parkway High School. She was a starter at Tennessee Tech for the first two seasons of her collegiate career, and now she’s returning to her home state so she can play for coach Kim Mulkey Larry started 57 games across two years at Tennessee Tech — an Ohio Valley Conference team that soon will join the Southern Conference. As a sophomore, she averaged 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 37% from the field and 35% from 3-point range. She has two years of eligibility remaining.

Reaves hopes to return to Lakers for pivotal Game 5 EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers will wait until game time Wednesday night to determine whether he is ready to return from nearly four weeks on the sidelines with a strained oblique muscle.

Reaves expressed cautious optimism Tuesday when he spoke to reporters for the first time since getting hurt April 2 at Oklahoma City The Lakers’ second-leading scorer was listed as questionable for the past two games of their first-round playoff series against Houston, but ultimately didn’t play while Los Angeles split the contests to take a 3-1 series lead. Luka Doncic isn’t yet close to a return, but both teams could be without their top scorers once again in Game 5.

Boston’s Stevens wins NBA Executive of the Year award

Brad Stevens built a Boston roster that earned the No 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, then had to part ways with four members of that roster to escape what could have been a massive luxury tax bill. The result? Boston was No. 2 in the East again — and remains a legitimate championship hopeful in a season when many likely expected otherwise.

It all earned Stevens the NBA Executive of the Year award on Monday, his second time winning that trophy in the past three seasons. He’s the 12th two-time winner and the sixth person to win twice within a three-year span. Stevens got 11 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives.

Baptiste stuns world No. 1 Sabalenka at Madrid Open

MADRID — American Hailey Baptiste earned the biggest win of her career by saving six match points and beating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Madrid Open on Tuesday

The 32nd-ranked Baptiste rallied to a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) victory — her first over a top 5 opponent. She will play in a WTA 1000 semifinal for the first time.

Mattingly managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22. He was the 2020 NL Manager of the Year after he led the Marlins to their first playoff appearance since 2003.

He said when the Phillies hired him in the winter that he no longer had interest in managing again.

“I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly played 14 seasons as a first baseman in the major leagues, all for the Yankees, from 1982-95. He was a six-time American League All-Star and the 1985 AL Most Valuable Player before retiring Mattingly captained the Yankees in his final five seasons.

There’s a loose father-son baseball hierarchy connection in Philadelphia baseball history Hall of Famer Connie Mack managed and owned the Philadelphia Athletics and his son Earle managed 125 combined games in 1937 and 1939 when his father was ill.

Mattingly was thrilled in January at the chance of possibly winning his first World Series ring while working for the same franchise as his son.

“To be able to do it with him,” Mattingly said, “would be incredible.”

So, at this point, would be leading the Phillies to the postseason.

The result ended a 15-match winning streak for Sabalenka, who was the defending champion in Madrid.

The 24-year-old Baptiste is the first player to beat Sabalenka from match points down since Iga Swiatek did it in the 2024 final in Madrid. Baptiste will face No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, who advanced to her first Madrid semifinal with a straight-set win over Leylah Fernandez.

Seahawks release running back Akers from contract

SEATTLE The Seattle Seahawks released running back Cam Akers on Monday The 26-year-old Akers appeared in three games last season for Seattle, which went on to win the Super Bowl. He was signed to the practice squad in November after an injury to George Holani. He returned two kicks for 54 yards in a 27-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in December Akers was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, and won a Super Bowl with them in 2022.

Seattle has several running backs on the roster, including

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KAyLAWOLF

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws during the fifth inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday in Milwaukee.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAMy.HUH

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson looks to the field before a game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago on April 20.

NBAmoves closer to anti-tanking measures

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

TheNBA movedclosertoa slightly expanded 16-team lottery Tuesday,one that willflatten odds of winningthe No.1 pick and try to deter tanking by drastically lowering the chancesof winning for the teams that finish with the three worst records.

The “3-2-1Lottery” proposal, which was reviewed by the league’sgeneral managers, will be further discussed before it goestothe Board of Governors for afinal vote that is expected next month.Itwill not change the current format, whichwill likely be utilized forthe final time when the lottery for thisyear’s draft is heldMay 10. Thiswould go into effect next year.

Theproposed planwillbediscussed again at acompetition committee meeting on Thursday It would add two teams to the current 14-team lottery structure and incentivizes winning even for teams that aren’tstill in the race for play-in or playoff spots

The 16 teams in thisproposal would all get somewhere between one and three lottery balls —hence the 3-2-1 namethat has beenattached to the plan —and the awarding of those balls would be broken down thusly:

The losersofthe No. 7vs. No. 8play-in games in both conferences would get onelottery ball each.

The No. 9and No. 10 seedsgoing into theplay-in tournament would get two lottery balls each.

The remaining 10 teamsthat miss the playoffs and the play-in would all get three lotteryballs —with the exception of the three worst teams in the standings

GAMBLING

Continued from page1C

divisions would meet standard diagnostic criteria for problem gambling in any given year

College-agedmaleathletes check alot of boxes in acompulsive gambler’sprofile, according to Michelle L. Malkin, lead research scholar of the Gambling Research and Policy Initiative at East Carolina. Those athletes are in their 20s, highly competitive, aggressive and typically havea refuse-to-lose mentality

“Just think about the person who’sdown 20 points going into the fourth quarter and being told, ‘Keep going, you canstillwin this game.’ So the lifetime exposure of ‘If Ijust keep going, it’sgoing to turn around for me’ is the type of thing that leads to that lower risk aversion, which also leads to this (gambling addiction),” Malkin said.

The introductionofrevenuesharing and name, image and likeness compensation have put extra money in athletes’ pockets, significant amounts in some cases. Sorsby,for example, signed atwo-year NIL agreement with Cincinnati that paid him $875,000 last year,according to alawsuit filed by the school seekinga$1 million buyout from Sorsbyfor transferring to Texas Tech.

Whyte said athletes earning hundreds of thousands ormillions of dollars wouldn’tplace a lot of importance on losing afew dollarshere and there.

“Thatcan lead to somerisky decisions,” he said. Eligibility can be at stake for

They would enter “draft relegation” and have one of their lottery balls taken away,which the NBA hopes would keepteams from trying to lose as many games as they can for the worst possible record. That practice, the so-called “tanking,” hasbeen rewarded in the current system by better lotteryodds.

The league was furious this season at how some teams were clearly prioritizing their draft spot over winning,even fining the Utah Jazz $500,000 “for conduct detrimental to the league” over the way two top plays were held

“The NCAAneeds to take time andstudywhat is a reasonableapproach, what is somethingthat protects integrity of thegameand then, at the same time and the bigger issue, is what resources are they providing to athletes that might experience problems with gambling?”

JOHN HOLDEN, Indiana professor

NCAA athletes found to have gambled, and that can keep them from disclosing an addiction.

Malkin said there should be a confidentialavenuefor an athlete to ask for help,aslong as theathlete didn’tbet on hisown team. About the onlyoption an athlete wouldhave is to connectwith an online therapist.NCAA rules require anyone who works in an athleticdepartment to report gamblingactivity

John Holden, an associate professor of business law and ethics at Indiana and agaming law expert,said the NCAA is in adifficultposition becauseitmust balance punishment of athletes who bet on college sports with providing help to those who come forward to ask for help.

“TheNCAA needs to take time and study what is areasonable approach,what is something that protects integrity of the game and then, atthe same time and thebigger issue, is what resources are they providingtoathletes that might experience problems with gambling?” Holden said.

out of the fourth quarter of apair of games —one of which the Jazz actually won

There was aclear race to the bottom this season withfive teams —Washington,Indiana, Utah,Memphis and Brooklyn —all having winning percentages below .180 after the All-Star break. There has never been a season in NBAhistory,until now where so many teams lost that often after the break.

“The incentives are not necessarily matched here,”NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in February when discussingthe

correlation between theteams with the worst records having the best lotteryodds.“Ithink thetraditioninsports wherethe worst-performingteam receives the first pick from their partners, whenany economist comes and looks at oursystem, they always point out youhave the incentives backwards there. That doesn’t necessarily makesense.” Silverhas vowed that the league —which has changed thelottery systemseveral times over thepastdecades —would strongly address thetanking issue beforenextyear

Odds of winning

Theteams that finishwiththe three worst records would all have a5.4% chance of winning the No. 1pick, and could not fall below theNo. 12 pick.

But the bestodds of winning No.1 wouldgotothe other seven teams that missthe play-in and the playoffs —with thoseclubs all having an 8.1% chance of finishing withthe No.1 selection. The No.9 and No.10play-in seeds would also have a5.4% chance of winning thelottery, andthe losers of theNo. 7vs. No 8play-in games would both have a2.7%chance.

Majorchanges to odds

Thethree worst teamsthis season —Washington, Indiana and Brooklyn —have 14% odds of winning the lottery and are guaranteed atop-seven pick. (In Indiana’scase, if the Pacers finishwith the fifth or sixth pick, it would convey to theLos Angeles Clippers becauseofaprevious trade.)

In theproposed system,those teams would have a5.4% chance of winning and could fall as low as 12th in the first-round draft order There would be a72% chance that those teams would fall outside the top five.

“This is adecision that needs to be made at theownershiplevel,” Silver saidearlierthis year. “It has business implications, has basketball implications, has integrity implications for the league. It’sone that we take very seriously.Weare going to fix it,full stop. Iwant to saythat directly to our fans. Incentives need to be fixed. We will fix them. I’m looking forward to that.”

ByTheAssociated Press

TheNCAAisstill deliberatingexpanding MarchMadness on both the men’sand women’s sides to 76 teams for next season—amuch-expected development that’sbeen in the works for years.

TheNCAA released abrief statement Tuesday in the wake of an ESPN report thatcited unnamed sources saying adecision to add eight teams to the bracket is amere formality that’sexpected in May

“Expandingthe basketball tournaments would require approval from multiple NCAA committees,including the men’sand women’sbasketball committees, and no final recommendations or decisions have been made at this time,” the statement said.

Earlier this month at the Final Four,NCAA President Charlie Baker said the committees would, in fact, return to discussingthe expansiononcethis year’stournament was over

The tournaments have beenat 68 teams since 2011, when four play-in games were added to the beginning of thefirst week of play.The newformat would add eight more at-large teams and take eight moreteams out of the main bracketfor play-in games

The expansion isn’texpected to generate alot more income

because it will only add games early in the first week. Thecurrent TV deal runs through 2032 and could be tweaked slightly

Regardless of finances, the expansion would give power conferences more chances to

place teams in the bracket —a growing concern as those conferences seek morepower and control overcollege sports in the era of name, image and likeness compensation andthe transfer portal.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOBySUE OGROCKI

Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper,left, goes to the basketpast Cleveland Cavaliers forward Olivier Sarr, right, during agameinCleveland on April 12.

All-Newman doubles final securesanother team title

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

Staff writer

An all-Newman doubles state

final clinched another team title at the LHSAA state tennis championships.

The Greenies won the Division III girls team championship for the sixth time in seven seasons as Frances Casbarianand Macy Montgomery won the doubles title by defeating another Newman pairing of Eleonore Hooper and Lillyan Pollack 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday at Forsythe Park in Monroe. Newman won the team title with 14 points. The Greenies clinched the championship by winningthe two doubles semifinal matches both against rivalSacred Heart, the runner-up with 10 points

“It was really cool that we got to play our Uptown rival in thestate championship semifinals,” Newman coach Logan Bueche said “Tobeable to beat both of those teams was pretty special.” Casbarian, asophomore, has reached the doubles finalsthree years in arow.She won last season with Gwendolyn Gray as her playing partner SacredHeart earnedthe runner-up trophy with Elise Scafidel and Charlotte Jenkins, and Laine Suhren and GeorgiaDazet reaching the doublessemifinals.

In the singles bracket,Newman’sAdalie Guth reached the

PROVIDED PHOTO

Newman girls tennis players pose with the LHSAA Division III state championship trophy on TuesdayatForsythePark in Monroe.

semifinalsand lost to eventual champion Lauren Longmire of University High. Elizabeth Aragon ofHaynes was the runner-up. In the boys tournament, Newmanhad semifinalistsinthe singles (Arjun Walvekar)and doubles (Peyton Dang and Miles Ogden) brackets and finished second with eight points. St. Louis Catholic won with 111/2 points. Reigningsingleschampion Brody Matherne of St. Charles lost in the finals againstEvangel Christian’sAlexander Jayroe 6-2, 7-5. TopNew Orleans-area perform-

ers in DivisionIVinclude semifinalists Max LaForge of St. Martin’s in theboys draw and Maggie XiongofChrist Episcopal in the girls field.

From Country Day,Joseph Hereford and Porter Sinnottreached the boys doubles semifinals, and BeatriceSchwarz andParker Leopold reached thegirls doubles semifinals.

The Divisions Iand II statetournamentsare Thursday and Friday Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

Nelly Kordacelebrates after winning the

Bigyearcould be aheadofKorda

HOUSTON Rory McIlroy spent 17 yearstrying to winthe Masters, and when he faced the media forthe first time wearing his green jacket, he asked, “Whatare we going to talk aboutnext year?”

It wasn’t that bad for Nelly Korda, even if it felt thatway The questions about alifetime goal she was chasing didn’t come every year at one tournament.Theywere crammed intoa single season, asking whether she could live uptothe past.

thefat of thegreen over the last three hourstoget to thefinish line andcannonball into the pool.

Kordahad thelead for the last57holes of the tournament.

Notsince Amy Alcott in the 1991 Nabisco Dinah Shore has a player led bytwo shots or more after each of thefour rounds at amajor

What are we going to talk about now?

Saints sign youngCB to shoreupdefense

BY ZACH EWING StaffWriter

After an NFL draft weekend in which they used most of their top picks on offense and added two veteran edge rushers, the New Orleans Saints have turned their attention to the defensive backfield.

The Saints are signing veteran cornerback Martin Emerson, accordingtomultiple reports. The NFLNetwork was thefirst to report thenews.

Emerson is a25-year-old who started 33 games over three seasons for the Cleveland Browns, though he missed allofthe 2025 season with atorn Achilles tendon.

When healthy,Emerson was productive. The 6-foot-2 corner was athird-round draft pick from Mississippi State in 2022 and had 29 passes defended in his first two seasons, including four interceptions in 2023. His numbers went down in 2024, presumably as teamsstopped throwing his way That season he had acareer-high 80 tackles, five passes defended and aforced fumble.

He sufferedthe non-contact Achilles injury early in training camp last year

Emerson joins agroup of Saints cornerbacks that lost nickelback Alontae Taylor to free agency and

returns starting outside corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley. Emersonalso hasplayed primarily outside.

At safety,the Saints return starters Justin Reid and Jonas Sanker, as well as Julian Blackmon, who suffereda season-ending torn labrum injury in last year’s season opener

The Saints also drafted safety LorenzoStyles from Ohio State in the fifth round and cornerback T.J. Hall from Iowa in the seventh round.

BY STEPHENWHYNO Associated Press

Mike Smith hugged DenaGlatt in thewinner’scircle after riding So Happy to victory in the San Vincente Stakes at Santa Anita ParkinJanuary,ajoyous sign that theunheralded horse trained by her husband, Mark,might be better than expected

“Wewere all excited about it,” Smithsaid. “And then tragedy struck.”

Dena Glattdiedofheart failure just over amonth later at the age of 57. Mark now wears abracelet with some of her ashesinitso “she’ll always be with me.”

So Happy is Mark Glatt’sfirst Kentucky Derby horse in more than 30 years in the business, potentially the second-generation horseman’s shining career achievement coming at atime of overwhelming grief.

ä Kentucky Derby. 5:57P.M.

so many years, me andmywife andmychildren.”

So much better

The Millerhouse wasunusually silent when So Happy randown thestretch in theSanta Anita Derby on April 4, beating Bob Baffert-trained favorite Potente and erasingany doubt about being aDerby contender

“He provedhimself around two turns(and) improvedtremendously,” Glatt said. “He wasactually pulling away late in therace. Youcouldn’tsay that distance was really aproblem for him off of sucha strong effort.”

Smith, who at 60 is aiming to become the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby,said he thought Dena Glattwas pushingthem along that day.Healso does not think anyone hasseen the best yet from So Happy,who opened at 15-1inthe field of 20.

Korda won seven times in 2024, the most on theLPGA Tour in 17 years. And then last year she didn’twin at all, even though her statistics were similar, if not better,insome areas.

“A super frustrating year,” she said.“Iwouldcome intoa room likethisand everyone would be like, ‘Your stats aregreat, better thanlast year,but you have zero trophies under your name this year.’ I’m like, ‘I see that,yes.’ It wears on you becausethat’s what you’reworking for.” Frustration led to too much thinking, too much analyzing She wasn’ttrying to reinvent the wheel, but her wheelswere spinning without going anywhere.

“That was paralyzing me,” she said. “I told myself Idon’t ever wanttofeel like that on agolf course.”

Korda looked nothing like that over four days at Memorial Park when she won the Chevron Championship with adominance not seen at an LPGA major in 35 years. She looked free, apowerful place to be when possessing one of themost athleticswings in the game. Korda won by fiveshots, amargin that could have been anything had she not aimed for

Kordaisback to No. 1in women’sgolf and already back to work,onthe course Tuesday at Mayakobafor thenext tournament

She alreadyhas two wins this year —the first one when the final roundwas canceled because of extreme cold in Florida, the lastone herthird career major In between were atrio of runnerup finishes. She hasplayed in the final groupatall five tournaments shehas played.

Comparisons with 2024 are becominginevitable, even though Korda cares little about them.

That’s the maturity the27-yearold American has brought into thisyear,lessonsfrom amost frustrating 2025.

“I would say the only thing that’s similar is whenyou get intoazone likethis, you’re kind of in your own little bubble,” she said. “And that’swhat Iwas feeling in 2024. Iwas in my own little bubble.But as for the way that I am mentallyin2024 versus what Iammentally right now,they’re almost two different people.”

If there was aweakness in her game it was shortputting. She missed atrio of 4-footers— one forbirdie,two for par —on Saturdaythat keptthe Chevron from beingablowout.

“I’m going to make mistakes andmiss short putts,” she said.

“The lesson IlearnedonSaturday is that Istarted thinking like last year alittle bit where

Istarted overanalyzing. AndI kind of popped my bubble myself. Ineeded to get back into that bubble.” She had alittle of that in the final round when Korda played ultra conservative withafiveshot lead and began aiming to safe spotsonthe green. That left her long putts,and then afew 6-foot par putts. She missed one of them, and the lead was down to four with six holes to play Strange thingscan happen in golf, particularly between the ears. Korda never let anyone get closer than four shotsofher theentire weekend, but miss one putt and thelead can seem smaller Doubts began to creep in. She recalls telling her caddie: “I don’t want to feel like Ifelt on Saturday.Iwant to go out and play golf.” Andthen she opted against asafe shot on the13th and fired awedge at the pin, leaving her a tap-in birdie. Back in thebubble. Andnow the race is on, even if she doesn’thave any real targetsbeyond the next tournament, which this week is the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. She is theonly player from the top 10 in the world in thefield, and the only other players from the top 20 are reigning champion Chizzy Iwai and her twin sister,Akie. Korda is moreabout puttingin thework, looking only at the next tournament.She speaks from the same vein as Scottie Scheffler, who is dominating men’s golf. Her concern is puttingintime on thecourse and in thegym to be at her best, nothing more. She took abig leap for that cannonball intothe makeshift pool in Houston. Everything else about Korda is small steps. Abubble doesn’tleave room for much else.

“Some of it’s amazing. Some of it’s so sad,”Smith said Monday.“It’s just an emotional roller coaster,I can imagine, forMark. He’ssohappy on onehand, and then he’ssosad on theother because Dena’snot with him.But she is. Ireally feellike she is. I feel her presence, andIknow how much she liked this horse.”

Nearly everything about this underdog journey makes So Happy afan favorite, starting before he was even foaled. Decades ago, longtime breeder Leverett Miller bought his wife, Linda, afilly she named So Divine

He then took asuggestion that oneofhis mares, So Cunning, would be agood match withsire

Runhappy

“I said ‘OK, we’ll try it,’ ”recalled Miller,now 94.

Theresulting colt wasSoHappy,initially sold for $12,000 and then$20,000 at ayearling saleas recently as October 2024. Even the$150,000 Glatt paid for him as a2-year-old in training in March 2025 is abargain fora thoroughbred of Triple Crown quality

“The horse doesn’tknowwhat you purchased him for,thank goodness,” said Ana Maron,who co-owns the horse with husband Hans and Robert Norman’sNorman Stables.

Combining the parents’ names alongwitha jokeabout Glatt’s stoic public disposition led to the moniker So Happy,whichiswhat he hasmadeeveryonearound him since his first race at Del Mar on Nov. 22. He finished first in afield of 10, leading Smith to wonder: “Who is this guy,man? Where is this coming from?”

Miller said the success was a shocker.Runhappywas achampion sprinter,but So Happy showed he could handle longer distances, which madethe 11/4-mile Kentucky Derby arealisticpossibility. Hisonly loss came March7,on the five-year anniversary of Linda Miller dying of cancer at age 70

So Happy is afour-leggedpiece of the Miller family’slegacy “It’shard to put into words, isn’t it?” Leverettsaid. “He’s so much a partofwhatwe’vebeendoing for

“He gets betterwith each and everyrace, it seems like, whichis good,” Smith said. “He’snot flashy in the morning at all. He kind of just does what he has to do, but, man,when he gets there in the afternoon, it’s like he knowsthe difference between practice and game time.”

Hans Maron, whoalong with his wife startedSaints or Sinners racing stable, is accustomed to watching ahorse run, talking aboutitand moving on. So Happy hasput him and Anaona surreal path to Churchill Downs on the first SaturdayinMay thatneither could have anticipated.

“This one’salittle different,” Hans said.“It’s been adaily discussion, worry.It’sjust alittle bit of ajourney, but at the same time amazing. The horse hastaken us here, we’re super excited and we’re just looking forwardtoget to the race healthy andsound and just hope he shows up for us.”

What wouldmakethemhappy

Asked whatitwould mean if So Happy wins the Kentucky Derby, Miller chuckled andpointedout oneofthe cruelrealities of the sport.

“Ohmygosh,”hesaid. “I certainly wish thata great deal. But I also realize thatit’svery unlikely.” Only one horse will get that honor, and Todd Pletcher-trained Renegadeand Brad Cox’sCommandment andFurtherAdo look like better bets. But So Happy has exceeded every expectation so far and, in turn, put Glatt’snameon the map.

Growingupinthe Pacific Northwest, winning the Derby was a dream. If it happens, he’d consider it the biggest thrill of his life behind only his children being born,and So Happyhas made it possible

“He’staken me to my first Kentucky Derby,” Glatt said. “He’s been very successful to this point, so,yeah,he’shigh on the priority list at the moment.”

AP FILEPHOTO By DAVID RICHARD Cleveland Browns cornerback MartinEmerson takes off hisjersey after apractice last summer in Berea, Ohio. Emerson has been signed by the Saints

Doug Ferguson

RABALAIS

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best we can with what we’ve got” mode, then so is everyone else to asimilar degree. LSU leaned heavily into the transfer portal, signing 43 transfers along with 16 high school prospects, allegedly spending lavishly on this roster to both attract and retain talent. Former LSU coach Brian Kelly said in arecent interview that LSU spent $40 million on this roster.That dwarfs the $18 million he once said his staff spent to build the 2025 roster,but stillafew bank vaults shy of his $54 million buyout the school oweshim. Money doesn’tbuy wins, Kiffin said, though obviously it givesyou abetter chance than if you don’t spend at all. Schedule and timing are big factors, as they were for the “last place”during its run to an

11-1 regular season and subsequent Kiffin-less trip to theCFP semifinals

Lestanyone thinkKiffin was Mr.Doom and Gloom aboutthe spring as awhole, that wasn’t thecase.

“I think the guys did a good job,” he said,“working hard.Buying in “It’sgood to know we have players inthe right spots, not just havingthem there because we’rerunning asystem.”

Ithink deep down, Kiffin believes he’s got thepotential to have apretty good team, though one thatneeds some good fortune. Quarterback SamLeavitt has to get healthy and be effective, hisreceivers have to be productive, etc. The Tigers sufferedtwo injuries in the spring anddon’t need those to multiply in thefall, thoughmore injuries will certainly come.

Someone askedKiffin whether hewished he had another week of spring practice. His answer was no, but he knows there are

still numerous questions to answer

“There are lotsofthose,” Kiffin said. “Wehaven’t tackled yet. We’ve got players who have to come back from injuries. It was really good to have (spring practice), but we still need the summer andfall camp to get to where we need to be.”

Sorsby situation

Kiffin was asked Tuesday in ageneral sense about the Brendan Sorsby saga unfolding at Texas Tech as it pertains togambling education for his players.

Sorsby is therecent transfer quarterback who allegedly placed thousands of sportsbets while at Cincinnatiand Indiana, a1000% violation of NCAArules.

He is reportedly entering atreatment program,with thewhole episode seriously puttingatrisk his eligibility to play for thereigning Big 12 champion Red Raiders this season, if ever “I don’tknow thedetails of it,” Kiffin said. “But we

trytoeducateour guys with speakers coming in, examples over time, trying to prevent it.”

What Kiffin didn’tsay was that LSU dodged apotentially huge problem in early January when Sorsby picked Texas Tech over theTigers. LSUpivoted to Leavitt to be itsstarting quarterback, despitelingering effects from November foot surgery,aswell as signing quarterbacks Husan Longstreet andLanden Clark. There are questions about Leavitt’sreadiness to play by September and what his grasp of the Kiffin/Charlie Weis Jr.offense will be by that time. Butit’sless of aproblem than what Texas Tech, expected to again contend for aCollege Football Playoff berthwith Sorsby,isfacing now Former LSUcoach Les Miles never liked to say his team lostagame, just that they finished second. Sometimes, that is thebetter outcome.

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Brookelyn Taylor. One run scored on awild pitch andanother on afielder’s choice by Maci Bergeron. Char Lorenz and Harris then camethroughwith run-scoring singles.

The Tigers got eight more in the second. Bergeron andLorenzhad run-scoring hits, andHarris belted a two-run double to left-center.Lassiter then followed arun-scoring single by Avery Hodge with ahomer over the left-field wall.

“Wedoitfor each other, especially games like this when we getahead,we continue to push runs so we can get everybody in,” said Harris, whose hits and RBIs were career highs.

“It always feels good to get ahit and score runs for theteam. We’llgointothis weekend with alot of confidenceineach otherand trust to perform well. The plan is to be disciplined, see pitches and hit them hard.”

Alexis Dibbley got the only hitfor theCowgirls

“It alwaysfeelsgood to geta hit and scoreruns forthe team.We’ll go into this weekend with alot of confidence in eachother and trust to performwell. The plan is to be disciplined, see pitches and hit them hard.”

DESTINyHARRIS

LSU outfielder

(35-19) in the third inning. Cellura walked one and struck out one on 53 pitches, 30 of them strikes.

“Everything was working, everything wassharp It wasa good night,” Cellura said. “It’sbuilding off of what we’ve been doing, coming out with alot of energy.These gamesdomatter. These past couple of weekends have been awesome, leaning on each other and trusting and knowing we’regoing to get the job done.”

LSUplays itsfinalconference series against Auburn at home beginning Thursday at 6p.m.

LEAVITT

Continued from page1C

procedure to remove the pins in his foot on April 6, and he was fully sidelined until LSU’slastspring practice.

Leavitt was outonthe field everyday,though, watching quarterbacks Husan Longstreet andLanden Clark compete forthe right to be his backup.

Kiffin said that Leavitt “did agood job”whenhe was finally abletoput on apair of cleats and rejoin practice. His first 7-on-7 repwas adeep completion that“probably wouldhave went for atouchdown,” Kiffin said.

“When we decided to take Sam,” he said, “part of that was having to realize, OK, he was notgoing to, forthe most part,bethere in the spring.

“And thenthat would have you have acertain feeling about spring —that he’snot there.But understand it’sabout the long term and what that looks like.”

KiffinsaidTuesday that few things areasimportant in college football as quarterback production. Generally,the best teams have the best signal-callers —the type of passers who can help teams overcome any deficiencies they may have on offense or defense

The problemfor Kiffin andhis staff is that they’ll have to figure out howthey can bring out the best versionofLeavitt in arelativelyshort period of time. Because he hardly took onfieldrepsinthe newsystem with hisnew receivers, he’ll have to squeezeall that work into preseason camp in August. LSU has 12 new wide receivers, four newrunning backs, three newtight ends andninenew offensivelinemen around Leavitt. It’sa talented bunch, one that’s chock-full of playersfrom the nation’s No. 1transfer class.

But itsstarting quarterback hasn’tbeen healthy for awhile. Leavittemerged

as one of the nation’stop dual-threat passers in 2024, when he ledArizona State to theCollege Football Playoff, but in 2025, his production dippedthrough seven injury-plagued games before he underwent foot surgery

Which version of Leavitt willsuit up forLSU in September? Kiffin hassaid he’s confident it’llbethe former, though he acknowledged Tuesday that most of the Tigers’ fortunes rest on the chances that theredshirt junior can reclaimhis preinjury form.

“Look at thedraft,” Kiffin said. “There aresome teamsthathavea tonof draft picks. Didn’thave great quarterback playand then theirrecord’sreflective of it.

“Wins and lossesare never rankedbypayroll. You’ve gottodoalot of work within that andget the right guys,and they gotta mesh together.” Those reps to mesh have gone to Longstreet and Clark instead of Leavitt, and they each made significant stridesasspring rolled along.

KiffinsaidTuesday that the offense “was in areally good rhythm” againSaturdaywhenthe Tigers scrimmaged. Leavitt watched that part of practice fromthe sideline, but he was healthy enough to participate in another,whichbodes well for his chances to acclimate quickly when LSU ramps up again in advanceofthe 2026 season.

“He’sreally competitive,” Kiffin said. “He wants to be great, wants the team to be great. He’sinareally good place that way. Just still working through his foot (injury) andgetting out there and being able to play with the guys more.” Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

LSU coach Lane Kiffin, right,watches quarterbacks SamLeavitt, left, and Husan Longstreet go through drills duringthe first dayofspring practice on March 24.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS LSUoutfielder DestinyHarris celebrates her two-run doubleinthe second inning against McNeese State on TuesdayatTiger Park.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Tulane baserunner Tanner Chun triestostealsecond baseasSouthernMiss infielder Seth Smith waitsfor theball during theGreen Wave’s four-run thirdinning on Tuesday night at Turchin Stadium.Chun wassafe on theplay. The game ended after deadline. Forfull recap, pleasevisit nola.com.

SCOREBOARD

Monday, April 20: Cleveland 115, Toronto 105

Thursday, April 23: Toronto 126, Cleveland 104 Sunday, April 26: Toronto 93, Cleveland 89 Wednesday, April 29: TorontoatCleveland, 6:30 p.m. Friday, May1: Cleveland at Toronto, TBA x-Sunday, May3: Toronto at Cleveland, TBA

Western Conference

L.A. Lakers 3, Houston 1

Saturday, April 18: L.A. Lakers 107, Houston 98

Tuesday,April 21: L.A. Lakers 101, Houston 94

Friday, April 24: L.A. Lakers 112, Hou. 108, OT

Sunday, April 26: Houston 115, L.A. Lakers 96

Wednesday, April 29: Hou. at L.A.Lakers, 9p.m.

x-Friday, May1: L.A. Lakers at Houston, TBA

x-Sunday, May3: Hou. at L.A. Lakers,TBA

Minnesota 3, Denver2

Saturday, April 18: Denver116, Minn. 105

Monday, April 20: Minnesota 119, Denver114

Thursday, April 23: Minnesota 113,Denver96

Saturday, April 25: Minnesota 112, Denver96

Monday, April 27: Denver125, Minnesota 113

Thursday, April 30: DenveratMinn., TBA x-Saturday, May2: Minn. at Denver, TBA

Oklahoma City 4, Phoenix 0

Sunday, April 19: OKC119, Phoenix 84

Wednesday, April 22: OKC120, Phoenix107

Saturday, April 25: OKC121, Phoenix109 Monday, April 27: OKC131, Phoenix122 San Antonio 3, Portland1 Sunday, April 19: San Antonio 111, Portland 98 Tuesday,April 21: Portland 106, S. Antonio103 Friday, April 24: S. Antonio 120, Portland108 Sunday, April 26: S. Antonio114, Portland 93 Tuesday,April 28: Portland at San Antonio, n x-Thursday, April 30: San Antonio at Portland, TBA x-Saturday, May2: Portland at San Antonio, TBA Hockey NHL Playoffs FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if

2:07 p.m. Houston (Lambert 1-1) at Baltimore (Bassitt 1-2), 5:35 p.m. Detroit (Skubal 3-2) at Atlanta (Ritchie1-0), 6:15 p.m. Kansas City(Wacha2-1)atAthletics (TBD), 8:40 p.m. NATIONAL LEAGUE Monday’s Games St. Louis 4, Pittsburgh 2 San Diego 9, Chicago Cubs 7 L.A. Dodgers5,Miami 4 Tuesday’s Games Philadelphia 7, SanFrancisco 0 Cincinnati 7, Colorado 2 St. Louis 11, Pittsburgh 7 N.Y. Mets 8, Washington 0 Detroit at Atlanta, n Arizona at Milwaukee, n Chicago Cubs at San Diego, n Miami at L.A. Dodgers, n Wednesday’s Games Miami (Alcantara3-2)atL.A. Dodgers (Glasnow3-0), 2:10 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Taillon1-1)atSan Diego (Waldron 0-1), 3:10 p.m. Colorado (TBD)atCincinnati (Williamson 2-2), 5:40 p.m. San Francisco (Webb2-3)atPhiladelphia (Sánchez 2-2), 5:40 p.m. St. Louis (Pallante 2-2) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 4-1), 5:40 p.m. Washington (Cavalli 0-1) at N.Y. Mets (TBD), 6:10 p.m. Detroit (Skubal 3-2) at Atlanta (Ritchie1-0), 6:15 p.m. Arizona (Rodriguez2-0)atMilwaukee (Sproat 0-1),6:40 p.m. College baseball Tuesday’s games Nicholls State

LIVING

Rise and shine

NewMexican breakfastspot opensinBywater, next from Acamayachef

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

The opening menu at Casimiro, 800 Louisa St., initially looks like astraightforward mix of Mexican breakfastand lunch dishes. But this new Bywaterrestaurant is from chef Ana Castro and Lydia Castro, the sisters who run Acamaya (3070 Dauphine St.) just down the street. So that menu is full of interestingingredients and backstories, often tied to their roots in Mexico City.It’scomfort food with its own character Acamaya is an upscale modern Mexican restaurant that haswon wide acclaim, and it’searned Ana Castro afinalist berth this year for the regional James Beard award for Best Chef, South. Casimiro opened this week as amuch more casual neighborhoodspot for Mexican breakfastand lunchdishes, housemade tortillas and drinks ranging from coffee to cocktails.

dals Resorts Jamai ca Cultural Exchange Pavilion and brings acelebration of theisland nation with music, art and food. That was theentry point to the fest for theGentilly restaurant Afrodisiac. It’sserving jerk oxtails with rice and peas, escovitchcatfishand jerk oyster mushrooms, while the pavilion’s barpours One Love Punch, made with Jamaica’s Appleton Estate rum Within viewofthe pavilion,atthe Congo Square food area, Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine has been part of Jazz Fest through fourdecades and three generations. It’sbackagain thisyear with its chicken and fish platters, steamed vegetables with rice, curry chicken patties (a hand

pie) and spicy beef patties, anew item this year Behind the flavorfuldishesat each booth are stories of Jamaican rootsinNew Orleans and manifestations of the city’sreputation as thenorthernmost port of theCaribbean.

Keeper of thespicy flame Cecil Palmer wassoserious about his Jamaican chicken recipe he very nearly took it to thegrave.

BY IANMcNULTY Staff writer

He just didn’ttrust anyone else to do it justice, explained his granddaughter,Jessica Dandridge. But, on his deathbedin2019, he did relinquish it to her.Three weeksafter hispassing,Dandridge was cooking this stewed chicken with jerk sauce at Jazz Fest. Along withher mother,DinahCampbell, and their loyal booth crew,she has kept Jamaican flavorpartofthe

Shaka Garel and KayGarel brought Jamaican dishes fromtheir Afrodisiac restaurant to Jazz Fest in 2026.

STAFF PHOTO By IAN McNULTy Casimiro, aMexican breakfast and lunch cafe in the Bywater neighborhood, serveshuevos con machaca, mango micheladasand cafedeolla.

Hold firmon boundaries with estrangedfamily

Dear Annie: Iamawoman in my early 40s, living several states away from the town where Igrew up. My relationshipwith my parents has always been complicated, especiallywith my mother,and for the last 25 years Ihave also been estranged from my older sister.She still lives near my parents, while Ibuilt my life far away The issue comes up whenever Iconsider visiting. If my parents know I’m coming, my mother almost always tellsmysister and tries to arrange some kind of family get-together. Whatshe doesn’t seem to accept is that Idonot want contact with my sister Our estrangement is not about some petty misunderstanding or old sibling rivalry.She hurtme deeply years ago,and despitethe

ByTheAssociated Press

Todayinhistory:

Annie Lane DEARANNIE

passage of time, Ihave no desire to reconnect Ihave tried explaining this calmly,but in my family,boundaries only seem to register when Imakethem impossible to ignore. Iamatthe point where Ifeel Imust be very direct: If Icome to visit, my sister cannot be invited over while Iam there. If my parents can’t respect that, then Isimply won’tstay with them or see them during my trip. Idohaveclose friends in town, so Iamnot without options. In fact, Ihavevisited before and chosen not to see my parents at all because thestress did not feel worth it. How do Imake this boundary clear withoutturning it into an even bigger family drama? And if they ignore me,how do Ihold

TODAYINHISTORY

weapons and mandating the destruction of existingchemical weapons, went into effect.

Today is Wednesday,April 29, the 119th day of 2026.There are 246 days left in the year

On April 29, 1992, ajury in Simi Valley,California, acquitted four Los Angeles police officers charged with assault and using excessive force in the videotaped beating of motorist Rodney King; the verdicts were followed by six days of rioting in Los Angeles that destroyed hundreds of businesses and resulted in over 60 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1862, aUnion naval force commanded by Flag Officer

David Farragut captured New Orleans in the Civil War, striking ahardblow at the Confederacy The North would eventually take controlofthe entire Mississippi River and drive awedge through the South.

In 1916, the Easter Rising against English rule in Dublin collapsed as Irish nationalists surrendered to British forces.

In 1945, during World WarII, American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration campin Nazi Germany In 1991, apowerful tropical cyclone made landfallinBangladesh, creating astorm surge that resulted in more than 138,000 deaths.

In 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention, aworldwide treaty banning the use of chemical

In 2008, Democratic presidential hopeful BarackObama denounced hisformerpastor,the Rev.Jeremiah Wright, for what he termed “divisiveand destructive”remarks on race.

In 2011, Britain’sPrince William andKate Middleton were married in an opulent ceremony at London’sWestminster Abbey

In 2022, aBritish judge sentenced retired tennis star Boris Becker to 2½ years in prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding assets after he was declared bankrupt. (The three-time Wimbledon champion served eight months and was deported to his native Germany.)

Today’sbirthdays: Musician Willie Nelson is 93. Baseball Hall of FamerLuisApariciois92. ConductorZubinMehtais90. Singer Tommy James is 80. Golf Hall of Famer JohnnyMiller is 79. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is 72. Actor Kate Mulgrew is 71. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis is 69. Actor Michelle Pfeiffer is 68. SingerTV personality Carnie Wilson is 58. TennisHall of Famer Andre Agassi is 56. Actor Uma Thurmanis56. Actor Megan Boone is 43. NHL center Jonathan Toews is 38. Pop singer Foxes is 37. Golfer Justin Thomas is 33. TV Actor Grace Kaufman is 24. Actor and performer Shahadi Wright Joseph is 21.

firm without feeling like the villain? —Drawing the Line Dear Drawing the Line: Aboundary is not apunishment;itisa condition for peace. Say it plainly and kindly: Youwould love to see your parents, but you will not visit if your sister is included. Then comes thehard part: meaning it. If they ignore your wishes, do not argue. Just make other plans. People who do not respect boundaries are often shocked todiscover they are real. Youare not thevillain for protectingyourself. Sometimes the healthiest family visit is theone with afirm exit plan.

Dear Annie: Ihave become the person in my family whoremembers everything. Iremember birthdays, makethe holiday plans, check in on relatives, send thethank-you notes, buy thegifts and somehow keep track of who

is upset with whom. If someone forgets an anniversary or aschool event, it often falls to me to smoothitover

The problem is, Inever exactly agreed to this job. It just sort of happened,little by little, until I becamethe one holding the whole family together with acalendar, asmile and agrowing sense of resentment.

What makes this especially hard is that everyone seemstoassume Iamhappy to do it. If Imiss one thing,people notice immediately Butwhen Idoeverything right, no one says aword. Ilove my family,but Iamtired of feeling like the unpaidcruise director of everyone else’slives.

Partofmewants to drop the rope completelyand see what happens. Another part feels guilty even thinking that waybecause I know some things would simply

fall apart. How do Istop feeling responsible foreverything without becoming bitter toward the people I love? —Trying to Hold it All Together

Dear Trying: When one person does all the remembering, everyone else gets the luxury of forgetting. That may be common, but it is not fair

Youdonot have to drop the rope in anger; just set someofitdown. Let afew birthdays be someone else’sjob. Let amissed detail teach the family that you are a person, not aplanning department. The people wholove you can learn to carry alittle more. And the ones whocomplain may be volunteering without realizing it. Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

JAMAICA

Continuedfrom page1D

Jazz Fest experience. Cecil and his wife, Betty Palmer brought their Palmer’sJamaican Cuisine to thefest in 1986.

At the time,they ran arestaurant nearby in Mid-City.Later,inthe early 2000s, Palmer was ajoyful presence on the then-nascentFrenchmenStreet nightlife scene, cooking in the open kitchen at the bar Café Negril. His hot sauce, made from peppers he grew in his backyard, was the stuff of legend (that recipe was one he never divulged, alas) Dandridge works in community advocacy,asexecutive director of the local nonprofit the Water Collaborative (her mother leads another community group as executive director of Dress For SuccessNew Orleans). But Dandridge long felt aconnection to Jamaican cultureinher grandfather’sfood, andthat’swhat keeps hercooking at Jazz Fest each spring.

“It’s important for me to continue my grandfather’s legacy,” she said. “I was always so proud to be his granddaughter. He emigrated here in the 1970s and worked really hard.Hewas everyJamaican stereotype; he was hot headed. But he was alsosoloving and caring. Isaw that my entire life, howhecared for people. Ifeel that he lives on in my food and in my work.”

The other side of Dandridge’s family tree is Louisiana Creole, from Breaux Bridge, and she feels aconnection shared by thetwo cultures.

“There’s the passion for music and food, and there’s alevel of spirit and energy between the people.There’sadeep sense of

CASIMIRO

Continued from page1D

neighborhoodspots during their upbringing.

It has breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, quesadillas, flautas and tamales.

It also has huevos con machaca, abreakfast plate basedaround machaca, atype of dried,shredded beef that’s rejuvenated when cooked with scrambled eggs for a deeply beefy flavor. Tuck abit of this into acrinkly,warmflour tortilla with salsa, the creamy-tasting black beans and avocado for build-your-own breakfasttacos.

Another different dish istetela de hongos, atriangle of delicately crisp masa filledwith roasted mushrooms and stretchy cheese, like aMexican samosa.

Ana Castro said the “Don Manuelito breakfast” comes from her father’sown go-to morningmeal, acombination of the redrice found in any Mexican home kitchen with fried egg and bananas. Lunch dishes, servedatany hour,include molletes, which the

chef described as every student’s snack in Mexico City,anopenfaced sandwich on bolillo bread (from theRalphBrennan Bakery in this case) spread withrefried beans, cheese anda heap of fresh pico de gallo.

Drinks,sweets

AGreek yogurt is arrayed with fruit, candiedpumpkin seeds andpuffed amaranth for anuttysweet crunch.

Caneles arecork-sized sweets of darkly caramelized masa, and these are two-bite delights to end ameal or nibble withadrink.

Casimiro serves coffee (including acafedeolla with an earthysweet cinnamon flavor) andthis daytime spotalso tempts with a full bar

Micheladas (mixing beer and juice) are aspecialty, including amangoversion bright with lime andTajin.

Amongthe cocktails,one called pepigin(basically:cucumber and gin) smuggles its spirits behind an electrolyte veil of cucumberlime Gatorade. It makes alight, bright hair of thedog at acafe fulloffresh ways to greet theday

TRUE SOUTH

Continuedfrom page1D

St.) and, for thepast threeyears, Liuzza’sRestaurant&Bar (3636 Bienville St.), the Mid-Cityinstitution for Creole-Italian food, iced schooners of beer andthe Frenchuletta sandwich.

Adifferenttakeonsandwiches is acentral part of True South. True Southtakes inspiration from awide swath of theSouth, as reflected on different types of music it will host, and on thetavern menutoo.

“It’sacelebration of theSouth drawingeverything together,the music, the flavors, thatculture and feeling of welcome,” partner Joel DeCastro said.

In abreak from the past, True Southisopentoall ages,while DMac’s andthe bars precedingit had been late-night places. It’s a place to dropbyfor asandwichduring the dayand abar scene at night. Live music is nowstarting up,

community,” she said. “Growing up in both households, it always felt natural to go between them.”

From food trucktofest

That Jamaica-to-Louisianaconnection is foundational forAfrodisiac. Shaka Garel is afirst-generation Jamaican American who grew up in ahomesurrounded by island culture. His wife, Caron “Kay” Garel,grew up in Lafayette and cametoNew Orleans to attend Dillard University

Their whole life together plays outasa blend of Jamaican Creole heritage,and that inspiredtheir approach to food. They started withafood truck, aone-time bread delivery van they painstakingly converted themselves.

This regal purple rig was popular at festivals and community celebrations. When the pandemic hit in 2020, they turned it into aportable kitchen for the city’seffort to feed homeless people. But later that year,HurricaneZeta felled atree

with aschedule Thursday through Saturday evenings to begin.

Southern sandwiches

The latest renovation gives it a look of aweathered honkytonk, withabit of sports bar mixed in between vintagesports memorabilia and manyTVs.

Themenu is composedofsandwiches based on traditional dishes of Southern cities and states.

TheNashville hotchickenisa massive fried cutlet with cayenne oil and slaw on abrioche bun.

From Louisville, there’sariffon theDerby sandwich. This oneis not open-faced,but instead layers turkeyand bacon between thickcuttoast, smothered withcreamy Mornay sauce.

ACuban sandwich represents Miami, naturally,and achicken-fried steak from Texas is on Texas toast.

An inevitable Elvis Presley tribute mashes up banana,peanutbutter and bacon forthe Memphis King.

There arealso shrimpand catfish po-boysinplay and astraightup bar burger,among other sand-

outside that crumpled the truck. It seemed like theywere wiped out, but not forlong.

The calamity inspired an outpouring of community support, including fundraisers at other restaurants and cafes, and this propelled their business, leading them to open their Gentilly restaurantin2022.

Afrodisiacisa cottage-sizedrestaurant that reveals alarge, terraced patio in back, lushly fringed by gingerand palmetto. There’sa bar with tropical cocktails and a menu of traditional Jamaican dishes andfusion versions, like jerk BBQ shrimp and jerk boudin balls. For Jazz Fest, their Cultural Exchange Pavilion menu keeps its focusonthe home country.A particular highlight is the oxtail stew, witha complexlayering of spice that unfolds and builds. It’s aclassicexample of inexpensive ingredients coaxed to incredible flavor, an equation familiar acrossCreolekitchens, whether of Louisiana or the Caribbean.

wiches.

Musicmakingcomeback

Food andmusic have gone hand in hand at this corner address for manyyears. Before Hurricane Katrina, it was the shabby but delightfully funky Delta Blues Club, and it then housed astring of businesses. David “DMac” McGee turned it into his namesake bar in 2012, and it became aneighborhoodfixture and crosstowndestination to catch local bands andperformersina small,laidbackvenue.AMonday night open mic-style blues jam led by guitarist Danny Alexander was aweekly highlight. McGee died in 2024, and DMac’s closed the sameyear DeCastro said as soon as the True South sign wentupatthe property, musicians have been dropping by to ask about potential gigs. He said he and hispartnersare eager to bring the small stage back to life. True South has adaily happy hour with drink specials from 4p.m. to 7p.m.

STAFFPHOTOSByIAN McNULTy

Jerk oxtails, escovitch fish and jerk mushrooms are servedbyAfrodisiacatthe Jazz Fest in 2026 as part of the event’scelebration of Jamaica.

STAFF PHOTO By IANMcNULTy yogurtcon algeria, made with fruit,candied pumpkin seedsand puffed armanath, is on the menu at Casimiro, aMexican breakfast and lunch cafe in the Bywater neighborhood of NewOrleans

Aspicy beef patty is partofthe menu at the Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine food stand at Jazz Fest, continuing afamily tradition.

Nell Nolan SOCIETY

Contact:nnolan@theadvocate.com

TropezArceneaux, Kewana Pate, Dinah Campbell

n Clothes Encounters

“Vintage Vogue: Empowering through the Decades,” titled the recent Dress for Success New Orleans’Styled for Success Luncheon at theHyattRegency and chaired by TanzaniaJones and Dr Claire Melancon.Andrea Gilich Roussel, DianeRiche, Dr Angelle Gelvin and Rena Jolly teamed as auction and décor chairs, while AiméeGowland, Colleen Snyder Filostrat, Dinah Campbell, Erin Primeaux, Jessica Doyle, Dr Lisa Tropez-Arceneaux, LoisSutton, Dr Missy Hopson, Sarah Martzolf and Tracee Dundas composedthe committee. Tracee did double, maybe tripleduty,asprograms director and spouse of ArnoldBaker, whomodeled in the fashion show Decorations nodded to both vintage, with frocksofyears ago on dress forms, as well as to the contemporary,thanks to achicentrancearrangement of balloons in colors of black, whiteand soft goldstrungwith huge pearls. The for-sale centerpieces incorporated those colors and often included fascinatorsand pearls as accents. Twoprofusions of spring posieswereplaced at the end of the runway, where DFSNO clients (and afew friends) showedoff latest looks from adozen noted stores. Escorting anumberofthe female models in the 2026 Empowerment Fashion Show were EntergyLineworkers, who helped represent Entergy,the Title Sponsor.Aimée Gowland wasthe show coordinator and Greer Cordora,the assistant. As mistress of ceremonies, Gina Swanson of WDSU NBC6opened the program that continued with awelcomebyEntergy’s Kimberly Fontan.Additional program principals were DFSNO board presidentDr. Arie Roth Kaller, Tracee Dundas, Kristin Dickinson and Elise Glasman (Volunteers of theYear), and Shametria Gonzales, Nantrell Malveo,Leila Waller and Shahidah Rahman (A Success Story—Clientsofthe Year) More top sponsors were theGayle and TomBenson Charitable Foundation, Ochsner,and Audubon Facial Plastic Surgery.Listedinthreeremaining categories were 51 more sponsors.A remaining onewas NOLA Throws, Photo BoothSponsor

Among the hundreds gathered whorelishedthe redfish main course, as well as the starter and dessert, were DFSNO executive director Dinah Campbell, Cindy Roth, Cassie Worley,Neel Sus, Rosie and SonnyLee, Suzy Faucheux, Daniel Harris (ofWinston Rhea scholars), Kristin Gisleson Palmer, MaryNellNolan-Wheatley,Janice Chenier Taylor,John Pope and scores more.They came together en masse to supportDress for Success New Orleans, which was founded more thanaquarter century ago by Hope Encalade to empower unemployed andunderemployed women to achieve economic independence and to thrive in work andlifevia no-fee programs, development tools and professional attire. Not only didtheir pre$ence addtothe figurative DFSNO purse, but the luncheon legionspackedthe premises andhad agreat time.

n No shades of gray

“AnEvening in Black and White” titled the 2026 Dominican Gala. That’sSt. Mary’sDominican High School, where the fundraiser unfolded at its Walmsley Avenue campus The top sponsors were The Azby Fund, The Blanchard Family,Dominican Sistersof Peace, and Schiro’s, “uniforms and much more.” Praise was pervasive for the gala committee, whosevision transformed Siena Gym“into a breathtaking dreamscape —an atmosphere of lights, luxury,and old-school charm worthy of the silver screen.” T-Raythe Violinist welcomed guests at the patron party, where Dominican’sJazz Band set asophisticated, cinematic mood for the night ahead. Bites from Toulouse Gourmet and signature cocktails sponsored by Blue Ridge Spirits &Wine Marketing and Jorge Lauriano pleased the palate. More

taste treats camelaterfrom F&LCatering NothingBundt Cakes Prytania, Haydel’sBakery, and Rolls and Bowls. The auction produced thrilled“winners,” including Tara Boland, Melanie Virgadamo, LynScaffidi, Kristen Ramsey, Denise Douglass, Rachel Bezdek, and Matthew Theriot, whopurchased aBourbonTastingwithJorge Lauriano,along with silver-plated flatwareby1847 RogersBros., formerlyused bythe Dominican Sisters in their Motherhouse. Many pieces were engravedwiththe latter’snames or initials,asitwas the customfor each to provide her

ADDRESSING NOTABLES

n Centennial Tribute

The New Orleans Bar Association held its 101st annual Dinner Meeting in the Audubon TeaRoom and honored Phillip A.Wittmann,recipient of the Centennial Leadership Award. Congratulations also extended to the2025-2026 board members, starting with Lawrence G. Pugh III, president; Angelina Christina, president-elect;vice presidents Judge Nakisha Ervin-Knott, Kelly G. Juneau Rookard,and Judge EvaJ Dossier;and respective secretary and treasurer, Cayce C. Peterson and CoryJ.Vidal.ThomasM.Flanagan is the past president.Additional board names are those of Bar Foundation President Sharonda R. Williams, Young LawyersSection Chair Jennifer Gordon Lampton, and with terms expiring in 2026, Jennifer R. Buckingham,Valerie E. Fontenot, Cherrell Simms Taplin,and Richard E. King Termsexpiring 2027 lists thenames of Nairda “Lesa”T. Colon, Francis V. Liantonio Jr.,Tessa P.Vorhaben, and Nicholas J.Wehlen,and those for 2028, Cassie P. Gailmor,Christopher K. Ralston, Eric Winder Sella, and Paula M.Wellons. Helena N. Henderson is NOBA’s executive director Pleasantweather invited thethrong to mingle in the TeaRoom’spatioarea, before they took their seats inside for the program anddinner. Aspringmix salad with strawberries, amain course of braised beefshort ribs, and crème brûlée combined forafine menu. Opening the agenda was acall to order,followed by the invocation of the Rev Michael Schneller.One of the program’searly highlights was the recognition of the 50-years members with“Bestwishes for continued service to the cause of justice.” They were Judge Lance M.Africk,WiltonE.Bland III, MichaelE.Botnick,Madeleine Fischer,DarrylJ.Foster, Judge John J. Lee Jr., Juan J. Lizarraga,RobertC.Loew,John G. Munoz, J.VanRobichaux Jr., Peter S.Title, R. Patrick Vance,and John W.Waters Jr Anumber were joined by spouses, such as Judge Sarah Vance with Patrick and Sheryl Title with Peter Business concerning theYoung Lawyers Section hailed outgoing chair Katherine L. Swartout and the incoming Jennifer Gordon Lampton. The Bar Foundation business included the election of Sharonda R. Williamsaspresident, succeeding JanM.Hayden,and, as officers Monica J. Manzella, Kimberly R. Silas, Hayden, and Kenneth C. Bordes. Also, as directors, William B. Gaudet, Jose R. Ruiz, Matthew R. Slaughter, and James C. Gulotta Jr The New Orleans Bar Foundation was founded in 2001tosustain the good works generated and supported by theNew Orleanslegal community James R. Morton wasthe first president

Further activityofthe meeting included reports, electionsand theinduction of president Pugh, along withrecognition of predecessor Thomas Flanagan. The newly-dubbed president Pugh gave theclosing words.

The event’smajor tribute was the presentation of the Centennial Leadership Award, which honored “the leader of the century —afigurewhose vision,integrity,and steadfast commitment to therule of law haveshapedthe legal profession forgenerations.” Acaptain in the Marine Corps, Phil Wittmann went on to receive undergraduate and law degrees from Tulane University,and in 1961, joined the law firm that now bears his name: Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC. He remainsthere today.Hewas acknowledged that for more than six decades, he “has stood as apillar of integrity,intellect, and professionalism within the legal profession.” Among those joining him wereStone Pigman colleagues Judy Barrasso (the Sept. 25, 2025, recipient of NOBA’s Presidents’ Award, which Wittmannreceived adecade earlier), RachelWisdom,and spouses James C. “Jay”Gulotta and Susan Talley. Congratulations abounded.

Munch

chairs Jessica and Roddy Palazzo for sponsorship, Kristin LaGraize for social

From the school were president Dr Cynthia A.Thomas, Carolyn F. Favre, Jamie GaubertLassere, Katey Alexander,Lindsay Huber, and ShannonHauler. Noted, too,

were Amyand Trey Palmisano, Cari and Terrel Rhoton, Kristin and RyaCasey, Kathyand Paul Pastorek, Maureen and Xavier Angel, and Jeanne and RaymondKenney Reel time, as pertained to the chromatic themeand films of yore, was abetted musically

long after the opening social scenes, whenthe No Idea band

the dance floor alive with, according to aparty principal, “energy worthy of any Hollywood finale.”

PHOTOSByREAGANLAQUE

Tanzania Jones, Neel Sus,StephanieBurks, Colleen Snyder Filostrat

Lisa

Victoria Smith, Arie Kaller

Tracee Dundas, Martin Jackson, Claire Melancon

PHOTOSByREAGAN LAQUE JayGulotta, PhilWittmann, Susan Talley

Jennifer Gordon Lampton, JudgeNakisha Ervin-Knott, Thomas Flanagan, SharondaWilliams

Angie Christina, Judge Lance Africk

Ninaand Larry Pugh

PHOTOSByREAGANLAQUE

Jamie Lassere, KathyPastorek, Jeanne Kennedy, Max Moreno

Ken and Jane Blanchard

RobertMunch, CynthiaThomas, Kelly Scairono

CandaceHutchinson, Carolyn Favre, DavidScaffidi

TAURUS (April 20-May20) Direct your attention to any matter that has time restraints or institutional or governmentagencyaffiliations. Charm yourway forward. Make plans and updates

GEMINI (May21-June20) Stop talking and start doing. You'llgainground if you focus on your achievements. Get serious and committed. Give good advice, and you will make abig difference.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Slow down, relax, live in the moment and observe what's unfolding aroundyou.Don'tbuy into someone else's plans whenyou owe it to yourself to follow your heart and to do your own thing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Youhave what it takes to lead the way forward. Refuse to get bogged down by trying to fit too much into your day. Concentrate on the goal and the path to victory.

VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept. 22) Participate in functions that address acause or concern you have, and you'll gaininsight into what you can do to make adifference. Rethink how you use your money.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Put aplan together, make cold calls,and most of all, follow your heart and dictatewhat youwant to see unfold. Don't neglect your heart andyour emotional wellbeing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Dedicateyour time to elaborating on your thoughts and turning your ideas into something tangible. Traveling, studying and pro-

moting what you want to pursuewill be met with approval.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.23-Dec. 21) Delight in socializing, networking and chitchattingwith people who can offer constructive ideas and solutions. Personal relationships will gain momentum.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.19) Be careful while traveling or when dealing with sensitiveissues. Chooseyour words wisely and verify factsbefore passing information along. Refuse to let your ego or emotions interfere with common sense.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Rise up, positionyourself and make things happen. Focus on making alifestyle change and adjusting yoursurroundings to meet your demands. Dedicationand hard work will resultinliberationand personal happiness.

PISCES(Feb. 20-March20) Social events that don't exceed your budget will take your mind off annoyances and stressful situations. Refuse to let what others do or say interfere with your needs and plans.

ARIES (March 21-April19) Rely on yourself andwho youknowtoadvanceyour plans.Apartnershipwill offerthe support you require to enhance your life and agenda. Keep your plans simple and affordable.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letterinthe cipher stands for another.

TODAy'SCLUE:Z EQUALS P

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLYForth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number 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 PHILLIPALDER

Mark Twain said, “I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If aman shouldchallenge me, Iwouldtake himkindlyand forgivinglybythe hand and lead himtoaquiet place and kill him.”

Sometimes, in bridge,itisthe lead that tells partner how to kill the contract —as in thisdeal

What shouldWest lead against three no-trump?How would that steer East in the right direction?

Some players like to open two notrumpwith19high-card points.I will do that,but only if thehandisfullof plus-values:lots of aces and kings, good intermediates and, preferably, afivecard suit. This North hand has toomany minuses, especially with respect to aces and kings

South does not like to respond one notrump, but has no choice.

West should lead the spade nine, top of nothing. (Remember, if youlead low from length in an unbidsuit, you guarantee at leastone honor in thatsuit.)

Southtakes thetrick with dummy’s jack and calls foralow diamond. What shouldhappen now?

East must be wide awake. Since South has the spade ace and king, he cannot also holdthe heartace.

Westwins with his ace and returns the heart seven, giving the defenders five tricks.

Note that if East plays second hand low at tricktwo, Southcan sprint for home with three spades, one diamond and five clubs. ©2026 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

So East shouldwin immediatelywith hisdiamond ace and shift to the heart three, the lowcardsaying thathehas at leastone honor in this suit and is trying to take tricks there.

EachWuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOngOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the additionof“s,” suchas“bats” or “dies,” are notallowed. 3. additional wordsmade by adding a“d” or an “s” may notbeused. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are notallowed.

toDAY’s WoRD BEcKonED: BEK-und: Summoned with awave or nod.

Average mark 22 words

Time limit 35 minutes

Canyou find 29 or more words in BECKONED?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD—RELAYs

sear slay slayer slyer

hagar

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition. For more information on tournamentsand

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) withoutrepeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

WiShinG Well

Scrabble

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

Johnston.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called for the vote, the vote was as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES

Approval of the Minutes of the Planning &Zoning Meeting

February 4, 2026. Motion by Councilman Budde to approve the minutes.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened thepublic hearing. No one spoke. Mayor Pro TemChatelainclosed the public hearing.

Seconded by CouncilmanJohnston.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called for the vote, the vote was as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/MINUTES APPROVED

Reading of the Minutes of the Planning &Zoning Meeting

March 4, 2026. Motion by Councilman Johnston to dispense with the reading of the minutes.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened the public hearing. No one spoke.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed the public hearing.

Seconded by CouncilmanBudde

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called for the vote, the vote was as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES

Approval of the Minutes of the Planning &Zoning Meeting

March 4, 2026. Motion by Councilman Johnston to approve the minutes. Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened the public hearing. No one spoke. Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed the public hearing.

Seconded by Councilman Budde. Mayor Pro TemChatelain called for the vote, the vote was as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None

MOTION PASSES/MINUTES APPROVED

RESOLUTIONS PROPOSED RESOLUTION 2026-4

The following Resolution was offered by Councilman Chatelain. AResolution of the City Council of the City of Harahan, Louisiana, accepting thecontract with TEH Enterprises, LLC for the Harahan Wastewater Treatment Plant Slab for New Centrifuge as being substantially complete. Councilman Chatelain made amotion

called for the vote, the vote was as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/RESOLUTION DEFERRED

ORDINANCES FOR APPROVAL

CITY OF HARAHAN LEGALS

Chairman Nate Lepre opened themeeting.

ROLL CALL

Present: Chairman Nathan Lepre, Brandi Boudreaux, Michael Centola, Linda Domangue, GinaLatour,Darlene Manson, Patrick Peppo

Absent: Krisa Exterstein, Dennis Hoffman

AlsoPresent: Steve Villavaso,Board Attorney and City Planner

Paul Johsnton

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/ORDINANCEAPPROVED

ORDINANCE FOR INTRODUCTION (FIRSTREADING)

None OLD BUSINESS None

NEW BUSINESS

Councilman Chatelain madeamotion to amend theagenda by adding New Business #4 to consider adatechange forthe

April Council Meeting Second by Councilman Johnston.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened thepublic hearing.Noone spoke.

Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed thepublic hearing

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None

MOTION PASSES/AGENDA AMENDED

The council took up New Business #4 at this time.

Consider April Council Meeting datechange.The April

meeting is currently scheduled forApril 16, 2026.

Council Discussion 1. Eric Chatelain 2. Tommy Budde Carrie Heustisspoke. 3. Paul Johnston 4. Tommy Budde Motion by Councilman Johnstontomove theApril meeting to the 23rd. Seconded by Councilman Budde

Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened thepublic hearing.Noone spoke. Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed thepublic hearing

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/APRIL CPUNCIL MEETING IS NOW APRIL 23, 2026 1. Monthly Financials –NoDiscussion. Deferred to theApril council meeting.

2. Letter from Judith Roman,onbehalf of St Rita, requesting assistance in planning theannualMay CrowningProcession

The Procession is scheduled forSunday, May 3, 2026, after the 9:30AM Mass. In thepast, theCity of Harahan has been most gracious to provide barricades and/or aPolice escort as we process around theblock. Irespectfully request theinclusion of this event on theCity Councilagenda to obtain the necessary approvals.Thank you foryour continued support of our Parish. Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened thepublic hearing.Noone spoke. Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed thepublic hearing Council Discussion 1. Eric Chatelain 2. Tommy Budde

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/PERMISSION GRANTED

3. Letter from Judith Roman,onbehalf of St Rita, requesting assistance in planning theannualFeast of Corpus Christi Procession. TheProcession is scheduled forSunday, June 7, 2026, after the 9:30AM Mass.Inthe past, theCity of Harahan has been most gracioustoprovidebarricades and/ora Police escort as we processaroundthe block. Irespectfully request the inclusion of this eventonthe CityCouncil agenda to obtain the necessary approvals. Thank you foryour continued support of our Parish. Mayor Pro TemChatelain opened thepublic hearing.Noone spoke. Mayor Pro TemChatelain closed thepublic hearing

Council Discussion

1. Tommy Budde

Mayor Pro TemChatelain called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows: YEAS: Budde, Chatelain, Johnston, NAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/PERMISSION GRANTED

ADDRESS THE COUNCIL

1. Spike Kittock

2. Eileen Hagardorn

3. Spike Kittock

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Secretary’sreport forFebruary2026 Total revenues

$694,897.41

REPORTS Police Chief Leprespoke and read themonthly statistics.

Councilman Asbill -absent. Councilman Budde –noreport. Councilman Chatelain –noreport. Councilman Johnstonspoke. Councilman Ricks –absent.

Mayor Baudier –absent.

PAYBILLS Bills paid in February2026 Total expenditures

$414,478.55

EXECUTIVE SESSION None

ADJOURN Motion by Councilman Budde andseconded by Councilman Johnston to adjourn themeeting at 7:16PM.

Mayor Baudier called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows:

YEAS: Budde, Chatelain,JohnstonNAYS: None

ABSENT:Asbill, Ricks

ABSTAIN: None MOTION PASSES/MEETING ADJOURNED

A. The following matter involvingpending litigation may be considered (Court, CaseNumber, Parties):

1. Wood Materials LLC, Wood Resources LLC v. Cityof Harahan, 24th JDC, Case 761-783, Div: “K”

2. Melanie Seelingv.City of Harahan,etal, No C-734196 19th JDC, Div ?, Case 734-196

3. Adams v. CityofHarahan,USDistrictCourtfor the EasternDistrict of Louisiana, Section H, Div 1, Civil Action Number 20-2794

4. B&M Properties LLC v. CityofHarahan,etal, 24th JDC, Case 854-700, Div: “G”

5. 1600 Hickory AveLLC v. City of Harahan,etal, 24th JDC, Case866-373, Div: “G”

B. The following matter involvingprospective litigationfor which formal written demandhas been made, may be considered.

C. The following matters involvingdiscussion of the character,professional competence, or physical or mental healthof: Name:

Submitted by:Carrie Heustis Carrie Heustis, City Clerk (Electronically Signed)

City of Harahan 6437 Jefferson Highway Planning andZoning Commission Meeting Minutes

Date: February4,2026 Time: 7:00 P.M.

There was no audio forthis meetingand no action was taken.

Master Plan Draft Review Steve Villavaso and Andrew Tritch presented theMaster Plan

Draft Review and answered questions. This presentation was conducted as an open discussion withthe citizens and the board.

Meeting adjourned.

Submitted by: Carrie Heustis Carrie Heustis, City Clerk (Electronically Signed)

City of Harahan 6437 Jefferson Highway Planning andZoning Commission Meeting Minutes

Date: March 4, 2026 Time: 7:00 P.M.

CASE Z-1-26 -PROPOSED ORDINANCENO. 2026-1

An Ordinance approving theresubdivision of 370 OakAve, Lots 36, 37, &38, Square N1, Harahan City Subdivision, Cityof Harahan,Parish of Jefferson, StateofLouisiana, as per aplan madebyKLS Group Inc, datedOctober22, 2025.

Chairman Lepre opened public hearing

1. Judy Kelley

Chairman Lepre closed public hearing. Theboard then broughtupMichelle Abadie, theowner of 370 Oak to give some backgroundonher case and answer boardquestions. Theboard then broughtupChris Marino,CBO, to answer boardquestions. Zane Janicki was allowed to speak.

BoardDiscussion

1. Nate Lepre

Chairman Lepre then called forthe vote, thevotewas as follows; Yea: Lepre, Boudreaux, Centola, Domangue,Latour,Manson, Peppo Nay: None Absent,Exterstein, Hoffman MOTION PASSES/RECOMMENDATION APPROVED

Master Plan Draft Review

Steve Villavasoand Andrew Tritch presented theMaster Plan

DraftReview andanswered questions. Thispresentationwas conductedasanopen discussion with the citizens and the board.

Chairman Lepre asked foramotion to adjourn Motion by Pat Peppo. SecondedbyLinda Domangue. Meeting is adjourned.

Submittedby:

Nate Lepre

CITY OF HARAHAN LEGALS

NOTICEISHEREBYGIVEN THAT aregular meeting of the BoardofAdjustments andAppeals of the CityofHarahan, State of Louisiana, willbeheld on Wednesday,May 20,2025, at 7:00pm at 6437 JeffersonHighway,Harahan, Louisiana, 70123 forthe followingcase: (CASE 1-26) –MichelleRigney, 7918 Ferrara Dr.Harahan, LA 70123 Requestingapproval of existing16.75’ setbackinsteadofthe required 20’. THIS NOTICEISTOADVISE SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS OF THE VARIANCE REQUEST APPLIED FOR BY THEIR

commentsconcerning theproposedchanges areencouraged. TheCPC hasestablished public hearingrules within its Administrative Rules, Policies,& Procedures whichare availableon theCPC website(www nola.gov/cpc) Writtenpublic comment: Youmay also submit writtencommentstothe ExecutiveDirectorinad‐vancebymail(1300 Per‐dido Street,7th floor NewOrleans LA 70112) or email(CPCinfo@nola gov).All writtencom‐mentsmustbereceived by 5p.m.onMonday, May4 April22, April29, and May6,2026

Robert Rivers ExecutiveDirector NOCP 9026 189169-apr22-29-may53t $221.49

porated into a future hotel development after thestreet dedication is revoked. THECITYPLANNING COMMISSION, IN ACCOR‐DANCEWITHITS RULES, POLICIES ANDPROCE‐DURES,WILLHEARALL PROPONENTS ANDOPPO‐NENTSTOTHE ABOVE PROPOSED PROPERTY DISPOSITION. ALLINTER‐ESTEDPARTIES AREEN‐COURAGED TO ATTEND ANDALL RELEVANT COM‐MENTSCONCERNINGTHE PROPOSED CHANGESARE ENCOURAGED.YOU MAY ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTSTOTHE EX‐ECUTIVEDIRECTORIN ADVANCEBYMAIL(1300 PERDIDOSTREET,SUITE 7W03, NEWORLEANS,LA 70112) OR TO CPCINFO@ NOLA.GOV.ALL WRITTEN COMMENTSMUSTBERE‐CEIVED BY CLOSEOF BUSINESS ON THEMON‐DAY, EIGHTDAYSPRIOR TO THEHEARING DATE April22, 29, and May6,2026

Robert D. Rivers ExecutiveDirector NOCP 8993 183599-apr8-15-22-29may6-5t $167.05 file

date of this publication. 185861-apr29-1t $94.32 PUBLIC NOTICE

TheAnnualReportfor

LANE,

IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:JPMOR‐GANCHASE BANK,NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATIONVERSUS NANCY KATHLEEN WAR‐RENJAYNES A/K/ANANCY KATHLEEN WAR‐RENJAYES,IN‐DEPENDENTAD‐MINISTRATRIX OF THESUCCES‐SION OF LINDA DIANEWARREN, A/K/ALINDA DIANESCHOLL WARREN CI VI L DI

for the Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock h f l at 12:00 o clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of l i h

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILD‐INGS ANDIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREON, AND ALLOFTHE RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGINGORIN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING DESIGNATED AS UNIT 41, IN‐CLUDING AN UN‐DIVIDED2.083 PERCENTOWN‐ERSHIP INTER‐ESTEACHIN THECOMMON ELEMENT, AS MORE FULLY SETFORTH IN THECERTAIN DECLARATION OF CONDO‐MINIUM BY ACT

NOTICE OF ELECTION

26, boundedbyS.Peters St.and Convention Cen‐terBlvd. Thesaleisalso to includea 2.38' x307.14' sectionof350 John ChurchillChase St.(Mis‐sissippi RiverHeritage Park)inSquare26up to thefence line of thepark. Thestreet andthe 731 square foot sectionof theparkare to be incor‐porated into afuture h l d l f

Pursuanttothe provisions of ResolutionR-26-76, adopted by the City Council of New OrleansonFebruary 12,2026, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an election will be heldinNew Orleans on Saturday,June 27, 2026 and at theelection therewillbesubmitted to all registered voters (who arequalified and entitledtovote at the said election under the Constitution and Lawsofthe StateofLouisiana and the Constitution and Laws of the UnitedStates) residing in the Garden District’sSecurity District (“Distr ct ), which is comprised of theareaofthe City of New Orleans located within and including the following boundaries: both sides of Carondelet Street, Jackson Avenue, Magazine Street, and LouisianaAvenue, to wit: GARDEN DISTRICT’S SECURITYDISTRICT PROPOSITION

Shall the City of New Orleans be authorized to imposeand collect an annual feenot to exceed nineteen mills (subject to the homestead exception) on each parcel of landlocated within the Garden District’s Security District (“District ), delineated by La. R.S.33:9091.2(B) as the area bounded by and including both sidesofCarondelet Street, JacksonAvenue, MagazineStreet, and Louisiana Avenue, foreight(8) years,beginning January 1, 2027 and ending December 31,2034, which fee(estimated tobe$852,000 in the first year of collection) shall be set by the resolution of the District boardofcommissioners and used exclusively,subject to a1%City collectionfee, to promote and encouragesecurity within the District?

Pursuant to La. R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(iii), notice is further given that if implemented, aportion of the monies collected from thespecial tax or feeshall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law

Said election shall be held at the pollingplaces located within the precinctsdelineated hereinbelow.The pollsin such precincts will open at seven o’clock in the morning (7:00a.m.) and closeateighto’clock inthe evening (8:00 p.m.), in accordance with theprovisionsofLa R.S.18:541. Registered voters in each of the followingprecincts who areresidents of the District shall be eligible to vote on said proposition: POLLING PLACES WARD PRECINCT LOCATION

108(P), 9(P) Renew Sci Tech Academy at LaurelSite 820 Jackson Avenue

10 11(P) Dryades YMCA 2220Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard 11 5(P), 8, 9(P) Engine#1,

9(P)Lawrence D.

The estimated cost of this election,asdetermined by the Louisiana Secretary of State, based upon the provisionsofTitle 18,Chapter 8A of theLouisiana Revised Statutes and the actual costs of similar elections is $20,500. The Council, acting under thepowers granted to it by theCity Charter and state statutes, shall meet at its regular meeting place, the Council Chamber,City Hall, 1300 PerdidoStreet, New Orleans, Louisiana on Thursday,August 6, 2026 beginningatten o’clock (10:00) a.m. and shall then and thereinopen andpublic session proceed to examine and canvass thereturnsand declarethe result of said election.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA FLOOD PROTECTIONAUTHORITY–EAST BOARDMEETING

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2026

Theregular monthly BoardMeetingofthe Southeast Louisiana FloodProtection Authority-East (AuthorityorFPA)was held on April 16, 2026, in theSt. Bernard ParishCouncilChambers,St. BernardParishGovernmentComplex, 8201 West Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, Louisiana, after duelegal notice of themeeting was senttoeach Board member andthe news media andposted Mr.Vicaricalled themeeting to orderat10:00 a.m.and led thepledgeof allegiance. Mr.Marsiglia called theroll andaquorumwas present:

PRESENT: Peter G. Vicari, President RoyM.Carubba,P.E. –Vice-President David Martin,P.E.-Treasurer GregoryMarsiglia, Secretary RonaldSchumann,Jr.,P.E Elton J. Meyers

ABSENT: KerwynKing,P.E

ADOPTION OF AGENDA RESOLUTION NO. 04-16-26-01 -APPROVAL OF THE MINUTESOFTHE PUBLIC HEARING AND BOARDMEETING HELD ON MARCH24, 2026.

On themotionofMr. Meyers, SecondedbyMr. Martin,the followingresolution was offered: BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED,that theSoutheast Louisiana FloodProtection Authority-Eastapprovesthe Minutes of thePublic Hearing andBoard Meeting held on March 24 26, 2026. The foregoing was submitted to avote; thevotethereonwas as follows: YEAS: Mr.Vicari, Mr.Carubba,Mr. Martin,Mr. Marsiglia, Mr.Schumann, Mr.Meyers

NAYS: None

ABSENT:Mr. King

OPENING COMMENTS BY PRESIDENT AND COMMISSIONERS

PUBLIC COMMENTS PRESENTATIONS REPORT BY REGIONAL DIRECTOR REPORT BY DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING

COMMITTEEREPORTS NEW BUSINESS:

RESOLUTION 04-16-26-02 –ARESOLUTION LEVYINGAND IMPOSING MILLAGE RATESAND ASSESSMENTS FOR TAXYEAR 2026 ON ALL THE PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION IN THE LAKE

DISTRICT On themotion of Mr.Martin, SecondedbyMr. Carubba,the

MINIUM BY ACT BEFORE CAMILLEA CUTRONE, NO‐TARY PUBLIC DATEDSEPTEM‐BER29, 1980, REGISTERED IN COB7738, FOLIO 486, ENTRYNO. 389703, TO‐GETHER WITH THESURVEY PLAT AND OTHERINSTRU‐MENTSAND DOCUMENTS ANNEXED THERETOAND INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN, WHICHESTAB‐LISHES THE HERITAGE LANE CONDOMINIUM ANDWHICH IN‐CLUDESAMONG THECOMMON ELEMENTS THEREOFSITU‐ATED IN THE FIFTHDISTRICT OF THECITYOF NEWORLEANS, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN GARDEN

BernardParish Assessor and to theSt. BernardParish Sheriffand ex officiotax collector as complete authority to levy and collect thetaxes and assessment herein provided. SECTION 4.Publication.Thisresolutionshall be published onetimeinthe official journalofthe District in themanner provided by law

SECTION 5.Effective Date. This resolutionshall become effective immediately The foregoing resolutionwas read in full;the roll was called on theadoption thereof, and thevotethereupon was as follows: YEAS: Mr.Vicari, Mr.Carubba, Mr.Marsiglia, Mr.Martin, Mr.Schumann,Mr. Meyers NAYS: None ABSENT: Mr.King

RESOLUTION NO.04-16-26-03 –SOUTHEASTLOUISIANAFLOODPROTECTION AUTHORITY-EAST (FPA) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A50YEAR INTEGRATED CAPITAL ANDFINANCIAL MODEL AND STRATEGIC PLAN. On themotionofMr. Martin, Seconded by Mr.Schumann,the following resolutionwas offered: WHEREAS,the Southeast LouisianaFlood ProtectionAuthority-East(FPA) Board has determined that thedevelopment of a50-year strategic plan is vital forthe long-term financial sustainability and vision of theorganization;and WHEREAS,the development of a50-year

BE IT FURTHERRESOLVED,that theSoutheast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-EastBoard authorizes theissuanceofaRequestfor

WHICH SQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY

DEGAULLE DRIVE, GARDEN OAKS DRIVE, SEINEDRIVE ANDTHE WEST‐ERN BOUNDARY OF THESUBDIVI‐SION;SUBJECT TO RESTRIC‐TIONS, SERVI‐TUDES, RIGHTS OF WAY ANDOUTSTAND‐INGMINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AF‐FECTINGTHE PROPERTY WRIT AMOUNT:

$44,759.38

Seized in the above suit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

which said lot is designated by theNo. 6of Block"A" and measures 30 feet fronton College Court, by a depthonthe side line of Lot No.5 of 81 feet 8 inches 6lines andonthe side‐line of LorNo. 7of80 feet 11 inches 4 linesbya width in therearof30 feet 0inches1 line

Forinforma‐tional purposes only:Property addressis knownas 2918 CollegeCourt New Orleans, Louisiana70125

WRIT AMOUNT:

$248,000.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 2 ADAMS& REESE LLP 504 5813234

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 2918

COLLEGE COURT, IN THE CITY OF NEWORLEANS, IN THEMATTER

ENTITLED: US MORTGAGE LOAN TRUSTIII VERSUS THE AMBASSADOR GROUP, LLC

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-6249

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil DistrictCourt forthe Parish of Orleans, in the above entitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City onJune 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 7016 COLAPISSAST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S TRUSTCOM‐PANY,NATIONAL ASSOCATION, AS TRUSTEEFOR THE VELOCITY COM‐MERCIALCAPI‐TALLOAN2024-3 VERSUS LUXURI‐OUSPPROPERTY GROUPLLC

the balance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 18 MCCABE LAW FIRM,LLC 504782-3436

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/25/2026 & 4/29/2026 mar25-apr29-2t

PUBLICNOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 5110 LOUISA DR,CITY OF NEEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:FED‐ERAL HOME LOAN MORT‐GAGE CORPORA‐TION,AS TRUSTEE FOR FREDDIEMAC SEASONED LOANSSTRUC‐TUREDTRANS‐ACTION TRUST, SERIES 2021-1 VERSUS JEWEL R. BRUMFIELD (A/K/A JEWEL RAYBRUMFIELD JR,JEWEL R BRUMFIELD JR, JEWELBRUM‐FIELD) AND CHERRYL LEE BRUMFIELD (A/K/A CHERRYL YLEE)

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-252

cate Date (s): 3/25/2026 & 4/29/2026 mar25-apr29-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBERS4247 AMERICA STREET,CITYOF

OR

S Case No: 2025-10149 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil DistrictCourt

District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public

ON JOINTMOTIONBYALL COUNCILMEMBERSPRESENT, THEFOLLOWING

ORDINANCES/RESOLUTIONSWEREINTRODUCEDINSUMMARY FORPUBLICATION AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO BE HELD ON FRIDAY,MAY 22, 2026 AT 11:00 A.M. AT HERITAGE HALL 303WILLIAMS BOULEVARDKENNER, LOUISIANA. COPIES OF THEPROPOSED ORDINANCE/RESOLUTIONSARE AVAILABLEINTHE OFFICE OF THECLERK OFTHE COUNCILPLEASECALL(504)468-7254 FORANAPPOINTMENT BETWEEN THEHOURS OF 8:30 A.M. AND4:30P.M.MONDAYS THROUGHFRIDAYS,HOLIDAYSEXCEPTED SUMMARY ORDINANCENO. 14,114,ANORDINANCE ADOPTING THEOPERATINGBUDGET FOR THECITYOFKENNERFOR THEFISCALYEAR BEGINNING JULY

INVITATION TO BID Sealed Bid No. 26-6965

TheCityofKenner(also referenced as “Kenner” and“Owner”)will receive sealed bids for: A.P.Clay Community Center Reconstruction

Theproposed work (“Work”) includes:

TheWorkconsists of anew 1-story approximately 8,634 sf community resource center which will houseamedicaloffice building. Work includes selective demolition, site improvements, pile supportedconcrete slabfoundation, wood structure, exterior walls of stucco, metalwallpanels, andaluminum storefront, interiorpartitions, doorsand frames, finishes,casework, equipment, mechanical, electrical, sprinkler,communications, and fire alarm work for acomplete andfully functional medical office building.

Sealed bids will be received until May12, 2026 at 9:45 AM by the City of Kenner in the Finance Departmentlocatedat: 1610 Reverend Richard Wilson Drive BuildingD Kenner,Louisiana 70062

All interestedparties are invited to attend the BidOpeningonthe same dayat 10:00 a.m. in the City of Kenner,BuildingD Auditorium, 1610 Rev. Richard Wilson Drive, Kenner,Louisiana,atwhich time the bids will be publicly read.

There will be apre-bid meetingonApril28, 2026 at 10 AM at City of Kenner

BuildingD Auditorium, 1610 Rev. Richard Wilson Drive, Kenner,LA70062.All

interestedbiddersare encouragetoattend

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-10608 By virtueof a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction on theground floorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April30, 2026, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 7016COLAPISSA ST (A/K/A 70147016 COLAPISSA ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70125 LOT22- SQUARE 32 6THMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1431754 MARYVILLE SUBDIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $169,659.18

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on April30, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 5110 LOUISA DR NEWORLEANS, LA 70126 LOTNNSQUARE 27 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1392512 GENTILLY WOODSSUBDI‐VISION WRIT AMOUNT: $67,746.74

All bids must be in accordance with the Contract Documents (which include, but are notlimitedto, alldocuments, sections, terms, provisions, andany requirements provided for in thisbid)on file with VergesRome Architects, 320Carrollton Ave. Suite100,New Orleans, LA 70119, the Design ConsultingProfessionals(also referenced as “Design Professional”) for thisproject.

Copies of Contract Documents for revieworfor useinpreparing bids maybe obtainedfrom VergesRome Architects, 320Carrollton Ave. Suite 100, NewOrleans, LA 70119atwww.Centralauctionhouse.com.

Biddersmay also obtaincopiesofContract Documents for reviewand mayalso submit bids electronically by visiting www.centralauctionhouse.com.

CITY OF KENNER

/s/Elizabeth Herring ChiefFinancialOfficer

Advertisement:April15, 22,& 29,2026

PUBLICNOTICE RFP26-6967

CONDUCT ACOMPREHENSIVE CLASSIFICATION AND SALARY PLAN STUDY

7-26 –2719 MariettaStreet –Anappeal to Ordinance No. 11,062 Section6.11(a) SpecialIndustrial District (S-I): 2) Specialrequirements: The uses permitted in thisdistrictshall be subject to the following specialrequirements:

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

ACERTAIN LOT OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, and allofthe rights ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theSixth Dis‐trictofthe City ofNew Orleans, Parish of Or‐leans, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as CollegeCourt Subdivision, runningfrom PritchardStreet to theY.& M. V. Railroad, bounded by Panama andTu‐lane line, which said lotis d i d b

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 13 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 AMYR.ORTIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date ( )

TheCityofKennerisinterestedinconducting acomprehensive classification and salary plan study

Interested individualsor firms can obtainacopyofthe Requestfor Proposal packetbyemailing theCityofKennerFinance DepartmentatFINContracts@ kenner.la.usorvisitingwww.Kenner.la.us. RFPpackets may

DISTANCE OF 257.92 FEET TO A POINT;THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTIONOF 242.22' FEET TO APOINT

THENCE IN A NORTHERLY DI‐

RECTIONA DISTANCE OF 27.96' TO A POINT; THENCE IN ANORTH‐EASTERLY DI‐RECTIONA DISTANCE OF 60.83' FEET TO A POINT;THENCE IN ANORTHERLY DIRECTIONA DISTANCE OF 140' FEET TO A POINT,THENCE IN ANORTHERLY DIRECTIONA

DISTANCE OF 106.55' FEET TO THE POINTOF BEGINNING, ALL ASMOREFULLY SHOWNONA SURVEY OF WALKER & AVERY, INC., DATEDAPRIL 25, 980 REVISED AUGUST 12, 1980 &MAY 1, 1981. TOGETHER WITH ASERVITUDE OF PASSAGEOVER PARCELSC 1 ANDB 2IN FAVOROFFOR‐MERLOT 56 (NOW APART OF LOT56A) CREATEDBY ACTBEFOREIVY A. SMITH, JR., NOTARY PUBLIC DATEDAPRIL 24, 1960, REGISTERED IN COB635, FOLIO 222, OF THE CONVEYANCE RECORDSFOR THE PARISH OF OR‐LEANS, STATE OF LOUISIANA; SUBJECTTORE‐STRICTIONS, SERVITUDES, RIGHTS OF WAY ANDOUTSTAND‐INGMINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AFFECTINGTHE PROPERTY

WRIT AMOUNT:

$71,913.97

Seized in the above suit TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order.NoPer‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 4 DEAN MORRIS, LLC318 3881440 CANDACEA COURTEAU

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 3/25/2026 & 4/29/2026 mar25-apr29-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBERS82628 N. ROBERT‐SONST, CITY OF NEWORLEANS, IN THEMATTER ENTITLED: CITY OF NEWOR‐LEANSVERSUS REGINALD YOUNGBLOOD CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-12148

By virtue of a Writ of FieriFa‐cias directed to me by theHon‐orable Judges of CivilDistrict Courtfor the Parish of Or‐leans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court

District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

826-28N ROBERTSONST NEWORLEANS, LA 70116 LOT8 -SQUARE 179 2NDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1459433 WRIT AMOUNT: $4,760.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, ParishofOr‐leans

RB 1 CITY OF NEW ORLEANS504658-4346 ANNA T. LEE

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3807 NORTHTEAK AVENUE,THIS CITY IN THEMATTER ENTITLED: PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC VERSUS TAU‐RELLE KEITH THOMAS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-10932

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court for theParishof Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 3807N TEAK AV NEWORLEANS, LA 70131

FIFTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT SQUARE 118, LOT287 ACQ MIN:1264481 WRIT AMOUNT: $157,113.71

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson

Susan Hutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 4

HALLIDAY WATKINS& MANN P.C. AT‐TORNEYSAT LAW318-3881440

ASHLEY E. MOR‐RIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 202 WARRINGTON DR,CITYOF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SER‐VICING VERSUS SHAWNSCOTT (A/K/A SHAWN NICHOLAS SCOTT, SHAWN FELICIASCOTT)

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-625

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 202 WARRING‐TONDRNEW ORLEANS, LA 70122 LOT2 -SQUARE A 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1121142 GENTILLY PARK WRIT AMOUNT: $70,399.21

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 17 LOGS LEGAL GROUP LLP 504838-7535 EMILYA MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBERS57715777 TULLIS DRIVE, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTER EN‐TITLED:METRO‐POLITANTOWER LIFEINSURANCE COMPANYVER‐

COMPANY VER SUS SPENDID DWELLINGSLLC ANDDANIELP CHATTERS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-9999

By virtue of a Writ of FieriFa‐cias directed to me by theHon‐orable Judges of CivilDistrict Courtfor the Parish of Or‐leans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 5771-5777 TULLIS DR NEW ORLEANS, LA 70131 LOT: 10, SQUARE:203 FIFTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT WRIT AMOUNT: $354,871.12

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 5

HALLIDAY, WATKINS& MANN P.C. AT‐TORNEYSAT LAW318-3881440 ZACHARYG YOUNG

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3720 CADILLAC STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:U.S BANK TRUST NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION, NOT IN ITSINDIVID‐UALCAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEEFOR RCAF ACQUISI‐TION TRUST VERSUS DARREL WILSON AND THADDEUS J. SENTMORE A/K/ATHAD‐DEUS SENT‐MORE

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-6448 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock

at 12:00 o clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

3720 CADILLAC ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70122 SQUARE 2498, LOTD-1 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQ MIN:1378882 WRIT AMOUNT: $304,833.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified Checkor Money Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

BD 10

LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373

COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3215-17

LOUISIANAAV‐ENUE PARKWAY, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:NOLA FUNDING, LLC VERSUS TYSON GROUP, LLC F/K/A 2511 LASALLE LLCAND TERRY TYSON

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-10314

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 3215-17

LOUISIANAAV‐ENUE PW NEW ORLEANS, LA 70125 LOTD -SQUARE D 6THMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1381349 WRIT AMOUNT: $178,748.24

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

Parish of Or leans RB 24

THESILVER‐STEINLAW FIRM,A PLC504362-3692

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 6049 SAINTANTHONY AVENUE,THIS CITY,INTHE MATTER ENTI‐TLED:ADMINIS‐TRATOR,U.S SMALLBUSI‐NESS ADMINIS‐TRATION, AN AGENCY OF THEUNITED STATES GOV‐ERNMENTVER‐SUSWARREN JOSEPH POPE A/K/AWARREN J. POPE A/K/A WARREN POPE ANDRUBY RAINBOWBELLE A/K/ARUBYR BELLE A/K/A RUBY BELLE,AS THEHEIRS OF WARREN VICTOR POPE A/K/AWARREN V. POPE A/K/A WARRENPOPE

Case No: 2025-6019

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 LoyolaAvenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 6049 ST AN‐THONYAVNEW ORLEANS, LA 70122 LOT: F, SQUARE: 4 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 850875 PONTCHAR‐TRAINBOULE‐VARDSSUBDIVI‐SION WRIT AMOUNT: $68,718.97

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks.

sonal Checks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 25 TREVATHAN LAWFIRM, APLC 225-334-9222 ALLISONN BEASLEY

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLICNOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4790 EUNICE ST,CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE,LLC VERSUS MERY YOLANY LABORIEL PITIO A/K/AMERY YOLANY LA‐BORIEL A/K/A MERY Y. LA‐BORIEL A/K/A MERY LABORIEL A/K/AMERY YOLANY PITIO A/K/AMERYY PITIOA/K/A MERY PITIO A/K/AMERYLA‐BORIEL PITIO A/K/AMERYL PITIOAND VICTOR LENYN

ST.TAMMANY PARISH MICHAELB.COOPER PARISH PRESIDENT

ST.TAMMANY PARISH NOTICEFOR STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS 2026

VICTOR LENYN VELASQUEZ A/K/AVICTORL VELSAQUEZ A/K/AVICTOR VELASQUEZ CI VI L

S Case No: 2025-8755 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 4790 EUNICE ST NEWORLEANS, LA 70127 LOT167SQUARE 8 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1424104 DONA VILLA SUBDIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $3,721.00

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance

St.Tammany Parish Government (the “Parish”) is nowaccepting Statement of Qualifications (“SOQ”)submissionsfromindividualsand/or firms interestedinproviding servicesinany of the categories below:

•Airport Engineering

Civil Engineering •EnvironmentalStudy andReview

•Architectural: Vertical/Horizontal/Landscape

•Electrical Engineering• Planning

•Environmental Engineering• Appraisal

•LandAcquisition,Legal andAbstract

•Mechanical Engineering

•Other Engineering Specialty• Surveying

•Engineering Management

•Grant ProgramManagement (BenefitCost Analysis)

•Laboratory and/or Field Construction Testing

This notice is to inform anyindividualsand/or firms that theParish is currentlyaccepting submissions for the Parish’s pre-qualified professional serviceslist(“PPSL”).Ifyou would like to submit aresponse for anyofthe categorieslisted above,you maydosoatthistimein accordance withthe proceduresbelow.The deadline for submitting yourSOQ will be no later than 4:30 p.m. on May 7, 2026

Current pre-qualified Individuals and Firms MUST RESUBMIT for evaluation to be considered as apre-qualified vendor for SOQ2026.

Once the submission deadline is closed, allSOQ’sreceivedwillbeformallyevaluated. A SOQreceiving

St.

Parish andonanas-needed basis.

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐

•SOQ’s

or via other electronic media to ShawnHoover, Director of Procurement, St. TammanyParish Government,21454 Koop Drive,Suite 2F Mandeville, LA 70471, or by email to soq@stpgov.org,Subject: “Statement of Qualification

Submission 2026” • •Only electronic media andemailed submissionswillbeaccepted. No printed copieswill be accepted.

• •Nosubmissions will be accepted afterthe deadline

SOQs will be rejected by anyindividual or firm that is not“In Good Standing” andlicensed to dobusinessinthe State of Louisiana(copy of State License(s) shall be includedwiththe SOQ). SOQs must include acompleted W-9 Form (a copy canbefound at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/ fw9.pdf)

It is important to note that submission of aSOQ does not implythat the individual or firm

who submitsa SOQ will be notified of any work awardedorcontract(s)issuedbythe Parish, nor does the submissionofa SOQbyanindividual

Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground

floorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 1414MAZANT ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70117

& 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

LOT: B, SQUARE: 595 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN:202514524 WRIT AMOUNT: $58,426.90

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACEMASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

GH 13 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC(225) 7560373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS,JR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date

cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

1391610 WRIT AMOUNT:

$296,411.58

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

VERSUS MORRIS AND1 SON HOLDINGS LLC

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-11120

1606

BARTHOLOMEW ST,CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:NEWREZ LLCD/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SER‐VICING VERSUS MICHAELJOHN REYNOLDS A/K/AMICHAEL J. REYNOLDS

A/K/AMICHAEL REYNOLDS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-4757

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale di‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 1606

BARTHOLOMEW ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70117 LOT2 -SQUARE 725 3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1391610

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

RB 15 LAWOFFICESOF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR., LLC(225) 7560373 DENNISF.WIG‐GINS,JR.

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

By virtueof a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: 4618 PRESS DR NEWORLEANS LA 70126 LOT: 3, SQUARE: 19 THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 1446530 GENTILLY WOODSSUBDI‐VISION WRIT AMOUNT: $80,735.37

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- 100% CASH AT THE MOMENT OF AD‐JUDICATION

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans GH 18 MCCABE LAW FIRM,LLC 504-

FIRM, LLC 504 782-3436 RYAN MCCABE

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t

PUBLIC NOTICE SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT PORTION OF GROUND BEARINGMU‐NICIPALNUM‐BER3614 DELACHAISE ST, THIS CITY,IN THEMATTER ENTITLED:CITI‐MORTGAGE,INC VERSUS JOSEPH JOHNSON, JR. BELVASTEWART A/K/ABELVA STEWART JOHNSONA/K/A BELVAS.JOHN‐SONA/K/A

LA 70125 LOT10, SQUARE 11, SIXTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT, ACQMIN: 453280 WRIT AMOUNT: $33,289.35

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans BD 23 THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on June 4, 2026, at 12:00 o'clock noon,the fol‐lowing de‐scribedprop‐erty to

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 4/29/2026 & 6/3/2026 apr29-jun3-2t