Chargesagainst OrleansParishsheriff include malfeasance, conspiracy,obstruction of justice
BY MATT BRUCE and JAMESFINN Staff writers
Sheriff Susan Hutson, whorode
aprogressive wave to office on a pledge to reform New Orleans’ long-troubledjail, will leave that post under criminal indictment after agrand jury accused her Wednesday of dozens of state corruption counts.
The indictmentchargesHutson,59, with 30 counts inall:14 for malfeasanceinoffice, three forfilingormaintainingfalse
public records, threefor obstructionofjustice and 10 conspiracy charges for those crimes.
Bianka Brown, the chief financial officer of theSheriff’s Office, was charged with20similar counts. The23-pageindictment was secured bythe office of Louisiana Attorney General LizMurrill and released by her spokesperson late Wednesday. It reveals no details about the allegations against either Hutson or Brown. In each count against Hutson,
ä AttorneyGeneral LizMurrill tackles prosecutions of politicians. PAGE 4A
the indictmentlists thedate for thealleged crimes as May 2, 2022, to April 8, 2026 —her four-year tenure as sheriff. The charges against Brown also do not specify her alleged crimes or their dates, instead giving arange spanning her employment there.
ä
High court rejectsLa. election map
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON —Instriking down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district as an improper racial gerrymander,the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday weakened but did not kill the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The findinginLouisiana v. Callaisdoesn’t invalidate thelandmark, 60-year-old law. Butitunderminesthe legal tool that minority voters have used fordecades to challenge maps they arguespread their voters across districts to dilute their voting power
“At this point, the Voting Rights Act is not dead, but it is on life support, clearly.It’smuch, much harder to usenow,” MichaelLi, a redistricting expert with New York University Law School’sBrennan Center forJustice.
Breaking along ideological lines, the six conservative justices ruled the Republican-majority Louisiana Legislature sorted voters by race, which violatesthe EqualProtection clause of the Constitution.
“The Constitution almost never permits aState to discriminate on thebasis of race,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority.Creation of majority-minority districts are justified “only when the evidence supports astronginference thatthe State intentionallydrewits districts to afford minority voters less opportunity because of their race.” Louisiana legislators argued that the 6th Congressional Districtwas drawn to protect the districts that elect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Baton Rouge Republican Rep. Julia Letlow,formerly of Start, which is allowable. The Callais litigants, agroup of voters challenging that map, countered that the only reason lawmakers drew anew map in 2022 was to create
Bill mergingNew Orleanscourt clerks goes to governor
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
Louisianalawmakers have passed the controversial bill combining the operations of New Orleans’criminal and civil clerks of court into asingle office, amove that willabolish the seat of newly elected criminal clerk Calvin Duncan.
State senators on Wednesday approved aslate of House amendmentsto
SenateBill 256, by avote of 25-11 along partylines.
Proponentsofthe bill, whichabolishesDuncan’sseat and installs the Orleans Parish civil clerk of court as thecustodian over civil and criminal cases, have argued that consolidating the clerksoffices is necessarytoalign theNew Orleans trial court structure with the rest of Louisiana.
But the move to oust Duncan, aformer life prisoner, hasbeen alightning
rod for critics who argue it is simply a move by Republican lawmakers from outside New Orleanstostrip away the positionfrom himafter he was voted into office.
Gov.Jeff Landry hasvowed to sign thebill, which would take effect immediately.But theclock is ticking.
Duncan was elected to serve as Orleans’ clerk of criminal court in November,garnering 68% of the vote to defeat incumbent Darren Lombard.
He’sset to assumeofficeMonday, and if Landry signs the bill after Duncan is officially seated, he threatens to violate state laws against shortening an electedofficial’s term afterthey’ve taken office.
“If Idon’tget to take office, Ihope the person that does makes sure that what happened to me doesn’thappen to other people,” Duncan said during arecent
Duncan ä See CLERKS, page 4A
STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson makes her wayfrom anewsconference after speaking to themedia last year after 10 inmates escaped from the jail.
See HUTSON, page 4A
Man convicted of aiding Islamic State group
ALEXANDRIA, Va. An alleged Islamic State group militant from Afghanistan was convicted on Wednesday of aiding the terror organization that took credit for a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul airport, but a jury couldn’t agree on whether he bears some responsibility for that attack during the U.S military’s chaotic withdrawal from the country in 2021. Mohammad Sharifullah faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years after his one-count conviction.
Approximately 160 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were killed in the Aug. 26, 2021, attack at the airport, where U.S. troops were conducting an evacuation operation when a lone suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device near an entry point known as Abbey Gate.
A federal jury in Virginia convicted Sharifullah of providing material support to an Islamic State regional branch known as ISIS-K But the jurors deadlocked on whether any deaths at the airport “resulted from” that conspiracy Defense attorney Lauren Rosen argued that prosecutors failed to present any evidence tying Sharifullah to the bombing besides his own words during hours of FBI questioning. Rosen said Sharifullah told FBI agents what he thought they wanted to hear, possibly because he was afraid of being tortured in Pakistani custody before he was brought to the U.S. Justice Department prosecutor Ryan White said Sharifullah played a crucial role in planning the Abbey Gate bombing and was involved in several other attacks by ISIS-K.
Prosecutors say singer killed girl to silence her LOS ANGELES Prosecutors said Wednesday that singer D4vd killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared what they said the evidence would show in a document filed Wednesday that provided the first detailed allegations of efforts to dismember Rivas Hernandez’s body and get rid of evidence.
The court filing said D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began a sexual relationship with her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to reveal their inappropriate relationship.
“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out.” Her body was found decomposing in a Tesla towed from the Hollywood Hills in September of last year
The document says Burke bought two chain saws online that he used to cut apart her body in an inflatable pool. They said the girl’s DNA was found in his garage where they allege the dismemberment occurred.
Beijing bans sale, flight of drones within city
BANGKOK Beijing is banning all drones within city limits starting May 1.
The Chinese capital’s city government passed a series of ordinances in March banning drone sales and flights, although users have long been blocked from flying drones within the city
A search on Taobao, one of China’s top online shopping platforms, showed that users with a Beijing delivery address could not check out with a drone in their cart. An employee at a Beijing store of consumer electronics brand DJI told state-backed media outlet Jiemian that they have been told to get rid of any drones in stock by Thursday
Drone users in China already have to register an account on a government portal with their real name and identity before they are allowed to fly the machines.
Comey appears in court
Legal experts see significant hurdles for the prosecution
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va Former FBI Director James Comey made his first court appearance Wednesday in a criminal case against him that legal experts say presents significant hurdles for the prosecution and will likely be a challenge for the Justice Department to win. Comey was indicted in North Carolina on Tuesday on charges of making threats against President Donald Trump related to a photograph he posted on Instagram last year of seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.” The Justice Department contends those numbers amounted to a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Comey has said he assumed the numbers reflected a political message, not a call to violence, and removed the post once he saw some people were interpreting it that way The indictment is the second against Comey, a longtime target of
Trump’s ire dating back to his time as FBI director, over the past year The first one, on unrelated false statement and obstruction charges, was dismissed by a judge last November Now prosecutors pursuing the threats case face their own challenge of proving that Comey intended to communicate a true threat or at least recklessly discounted the possibility that the statement could be understood as a threat.
The indictment accuses Comey of acting “knowingly and willfully,” but its sparse language offers no support for that assertion.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has declined to elaborate on what evidence of intent the government has. But broad First Amendment protections for free speech, Supreme Court precedent and Comey’s public statements indicating that he did not intend to convey a threat will likely impose a tall burden for the government.
“Here, ‘86’ is ambiguous — it doesn’t necessarily threaten violence and the fact that it was the FBI Director posting this openly and notoriously on a public social media site suggests that he didn’t intend to convey a threat of violence,” John Keller, a senior Justice Department official who led a task force to prosecute violent
threats against election workers, wrote in a text message. The case was charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the location of the beach where Comey has said he found the shells He made a brief appearance Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the state where he lives.
Comey didn’t speak or enter a plea during the appearance But his legal team teed up at least one argument expected to be invoked, with defense lawyer Patrick Fitzgerald saying attorneys would argue that the prosecution is vindictive and selective and would ask prosecutors to save communications relevant for that motion.
U.S. Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick also rejected the government’s request to set conditions on Comey’s release, calling it unnecessary
As FBI director, Comey oversaw the early months of an investigation into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of that year’s election. Comey was fired by Trump months into the president’s first term, and the president and his supporters have sought retribution ever since over the Russia investigation.
Charles, Camilla visit New York
BY PHILIP MARCELO, ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE and DAVE COLLINS Associated Press
NEW YORK King Charles III and Queen Camilla paid tribute to victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks during a busy swing through New York City on Wednesday the first visit to the Big Apple by a reigning British monarch in 16 years.
Charles laid flowers at the National Sept. 11 Memorial and the royal couple spoke with victims’ relatives first responders and local dignitaries before traveling to other events midway through a four-day diplomatic trip to the U.S to mark 250 years of American independence. Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, traveled to New York in 2010.
The king and queen were accompanied by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg while walking to one of the memorial’s two pools, where parapets bear the names of the victims of the attacks. Charles placed an arrangement of flowers on a parapet before the couple silently bowed their heads in a moment of reflection
They then met with about 90 guests, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries. Some victims’ relatives held up photos of their lost loved ones The gathering came ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, including 67 British nationals.
The visit to the memorial took place under the usual security precautions New York affords visiting world leaders and heads of state. Small throngs of onlookers gathered at police bar-
ricades outside the secure perimeter, though it was hard to see the royals. The king and queen got in and out of their motorcade inside a tent, out of public view
Anthoula Katsimatides was among the Sept. 11 victims’ relatives who spoke with the royal couple. Her brother John Katsimatides, was a broker for Cantor Fitzgerald and died at the World Trade Center
“I found it extremely sweet that I was allowed to hug the queen,” she said.
“She was quite endearing, as was the king. I also told him that I thought he was adorable.”
She said Charles told her he was surprised at the memorial site’s transformation since he last visited it about 10 years ago.
She said Camilla asked her if she came to the memorial often. “I said that I do because I find it to be a place of peace and calm and also remembrance,” she said.
Before leaving the memorial, Charles and Camilla did not give any public remarks The plaza has
generally been off-limits to speeches by politicians or other public figures, with the annual commemoration ceremonies there featuring remarks only by the families and friends of the victims.
The king also toured an after-school, urban farming effort in Harlem that works with young people affected by food insecurity, and later planned to meet with business and financial leaders in Manhattan.
The queen, meanwhile, visited the New York Public Library Camilla was to deliver a new Roo doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year
The five dolls currently on display — Winniethe-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger Eeyore and Kanga — were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the reallife Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in
Suspect in student shooting pleads not guilty
BY TESS KENNY Chicago Tribune (TNS)
CHICAGO The man accused of fatally shooting Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman has pleaded not guilty to all charges, weeks after the killing became a lightning rod in the polarizing discourse over immigration policy José Medina, 26, entered a not guilty plea for all 18 felony counts charged against him in an arraignment hearing at Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, court records show Medina is charged with murder and aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, among other felonies. Prosecutors have alleged that Medina,
a Venezuelan national, shot and killed Gorman on a pier March 19.
The Department of Homeland Security announced it had lodged a detainer request asking Illinois officials not to release Medina, who — according to the agency was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on May 9, 2023, and “released into the country” under the Biden administration.
But Medina’s public defender, Julie Koehler has stated that after he turned himself in to authorities in Texas in 2023, Medina was held in a detention center and asked to be returned to Colombia, where he had been living. Instead, Koehler said, he was “placed on a bus and sent to Chicago.”
DOJ moves to roll back gun regulations
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press
WASHINGTON Justice Department officials moved Wednesday to roll back and modify a slate of gun regulations in a dramatic shift in firearm policy pushed by Second Amendment supporters in President Donald Trump’s base.
Gun control activists slammed the moves as dangerous and irresponsible just days after authorities say a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and kill the Republican president. Among the more than 30 changes is the proposed repeal of a 2024 Biden administration rule that sought to force thousands more firearms dealers across the U.S. to run background checks on buyers at gun shows or other places outside brick-and-mortar stores. That rule aimed to close what is sometimes called the “gun show loophole,” which allowed guns to be sold by unlicensed dealers who do not perform background checks to ensure the potential buyer is not legally prohibited from having a firearm. Gun rights groups and Republican-led states had challenged the rule in court, arguing it violated the Second Amendment and that Biden didn’t have the authority to implement it.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the slate of revisions the “most comprehensive regulatory reform package in the history” of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Blanche said the changes bring gun regulations in line with Supreme Court precedent while cutting down on unnecessary burdens on firearms sellers and lawful gun owners.
1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and the son of Kanga.
“For too long, regulations were written without any real understanding of how firearms businesses operate, how lawful gun owners handle their firearms, or what truly improves public safety,” Blanche said. The changes were signed shortly after Robert Cekada, a longtime law enforcement officer was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the ATF, the federal agency responsible for enforcing the country’s gun laws. Cekada, who joined the ATF in 2005, has been running the dayto-day operations of the agency for the last year as its deputy director
REUTERS POOL PHOTO By JEENAH MOON
Britain’s King Charles III shakes hands with a police officer Wednesday as he and Queen Camilla visit the Sept. 11 Memorial in New york.
Florida Legislature approves new congressional map
BY BILL BARROW Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map intended to maximize Republicans’ advantage in the state as part of the national redistricting battle that President Donald Trump launched ahead of this year’s midterms. The vote came just two days after Gov Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposal and the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The decision could make it harder for Democrats to challenge Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts in ways that limit the in
uence
of non-White voters. DeSantis’ map could increase Republicans’ advantage in Florida’s House delegation to 24-4, up from the current split of 20-8. The potential four-seat gain is the same as what Virginia Democrats expect from a recent redistricting referendum, which is being challenged in state court there.
Florida’s new districts are certain to face lawsuits as well, especially because the state constitution prohibits redistricting for explicitly partisan purposes. DeSantis and his aides believe those provisions will not be a legal barrier because they have been weakened previously by the Florida Supreme Court and again by Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court
ruling. Florida Republicans, comfortable in their supermajority in both legislative chambers, said little about the new districts during the whirlwind special session.
“I believe that there is a likelihood that that map will be upheld against legal challenge,” said Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers.
Democrats, activists and some citizens to decried the process as a partisan power play to satisfy Trump, boost DeSantis’ future ambitions and hurt the majority of registered Florida voters who are not Republicans.
“Y’all are doing this because y’all’s daddy in the White House is injecting national political objectives into what should be a state-
driven process,” Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, told her Republican colleagues before an 83-28 vote in favor of the measure. The Florida Senate later approved the plan in a 21-17 vote. The new map reshapes districts in Democratic areas around Orlando, the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and in south Florida around Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
DeSantis and his aides said before and during the session that a new map is necessary to account for population growth in suburban and exurban areas since the 2020 census and to ensure Florida has a “race-neutral” congressional plan. The proposal presumed
Man charged with trying to kill Trump took hotel room selfie, investigators say
BY ED WHITE Associated Press
The man charged with trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner and kill
President Donald Trump took a picture of himself in his hotel room just minutes earlier, outfitted with an ammunition bag, a shoulder gun holster and a sheathed knife, authorities said Wednesday in a new court filing.
Cole Allen wore black pants, a black shirt and a red tie as he snapped the image in his room at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and hundreds of journalists were meeting for a gala Saturday night, authorities say.
The 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was captured when he tried to race past security barricades near the hotel’s ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event, investigators say New details emerged in a court filing made by prosecutors who want Allen to remain in custody A hearing is set
“Apology and Explanation” attachment were sent at approximately 8:30 p.m.
“He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial. The defendant’s lack of criminal history and other personal circumstances do not alter this conclusion,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones wrote. Allen appeared in court on Monday and was charged with the attempted assassination of the president as authorities suggested an attack that disrupted one of Washington’s glitziest events had been planned for at least several weeks. Tezira Abe, a member of the defense team, said he “is presumed innocent at this time.”
the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wednesday decision, which specifically struck down a Louisiana congressional district drawn for the electorate to be majority Black. Historically, Black voters have aligned more with Democrats, while a majority of White voters lean toward Republicans. There’s no guarantee that new maps across the country will play out the way two parties hope. For example,
Texas based its revised lines largely on Trump’s performance in 2024, redistributing the president’s voters across more districts to pull them into the Republican column. But Trump’s popularity has waned since his reelection. Florida could face a similar conundrum. Creating more majority-Republican districts could leave margins thin enough to allow for Democratic victories.
for Thursday
The government said Allen repeatedly made online checks to keep track of Trump’s status that night, including live coverage of the president exiting his vehicle at the Hilton hotel Investigators said preset emails with an
An FBI affidavit filed Monday revealed other details about the planning behind the hotel assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Hilton where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California, checking himself into the hotel a day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.
Carbon capture andstorage: Powering the futureofLouisiana’sindustrial economy
is broughttoyou by ExxonMobil
Whatdothe oiland gas, chemical, agribusiness, steel,and informationtechnology sectorshave in common?Each play apartinLouisiana’sdiversifiedindustrial economy–and theyare allexploring howcarboncapture andstorage (CCS)technologycan support long-term,sustainable operations.
CCS –the processof capturingcarbon dioxide(CO2)fromindustrialfacilities transportingitvia pipeline, andpermanentlystoring it deep underground in geologic formations –reduces emissionsin responsetothe globaleconomy’scallfor lower-carbon products andservices
ExxonMobil hasbeen part of Louisiana’s energyevolutionfor 115 yearsand continuestobuild upon thestate’s strong industrial base with CCS,asittapsintothe next generationofinvestment.
Supporting our industrial economy
Louisiana’sindustrial economycreates opportunityfor local businessesand prosperityfor local communities.Today, companies areincorporating technologies like CCS to strengthen and adapt their indus-
tries forthe future.
CCS has already attracted newindustrial investments thatwill inject billions of dollarsintoour state.Economists,engineers, and businessleadersalikeare confidentthereare moreopportunities to come.
The Louisiana State UniversityCenter forEnergy Studies (LSU-CES) conducts research and analysis to addressenergy-relatedtopics thatimpact Louisiana’s economy, environment, and residents
LSU-CES recently took acloser look at CCS investments planned forthe Louisiana economyinits study, Economic Implications of Carbon Captureand Sequestration Projects forLouisiana.
LSU-CES determined thatbuilding out CCS infrastructuretoits full potential in Louisiana,includingthe CO2 wells and pipelines needed to service existing and announced projects,would, overthe 7-year construction period alone,generate:
•2,000 jobs per year
•$1.8billion to GrossState Product (GSP) annually
•$1billion in labor income annually
This only scratches the surface of the full economic impact of CCS.
The deep well of CCSrevenue
The economic impact of CCS extends far beyond the storagesite. LSU-CES’s study reports there arealready 13 announced industrial projects withaCCS component in Louisiana.Theseprojects areexpected to bring $48 billion in capital expenditure, and overthe construction period would:
•generate $2 billion in state and local tax revenues
•support morethan 39,000 jobs per year
•contribute$15.3 billion to labor income annually contribute$26.8 billion to GSP annually
After theseprojects arecompleted, they could generate $34.8million in annual state and local taxes,support 3,500 jobs per year,and contribute$240million to labor income annually and $423million to GSP.
After theseprojectsare completed, theycould generate $34.8 million in annual stateand local taxes,support3,500 jobs per year,and contribute $240 million to labor income annually and $423 million to GSP
Business is boomingfor Louisiana parishes
In addition to generating billions of dollars, CCS projects could support jobs for the local workforce and opportunities for Louisiana communities
“The peopleherehaveopportunity. It’s rooted in the data.Wehavethree of the top six paying parishes in the state of Louisiana,” said RayGregson, CEO of River Region Chamber of Commerce. “Thatcan’tbe done without industry.Period.
“Wewanttokeep local peopleearning revenue in our state and spending money in our state,” said Francois Boulanger, PresidentofBoulanger Services.“We all have families at home.Consistentwork herelocally is always important.
“This jobismylivelihood. It helps me provide formyfamily.We’re allheretohelp each other out.We’re all ateam,”said Jason Fontenot with TrafficControl Procedures “It’snice to knowthatwe’re doing things thatwill help not just our communitybut the economy.”
Opportunityfor landowners
According to the LSU-CES study,businessisnot only booming forlocal vendors and contractors; CCS projects create benefits forlocal landownersaswell. The study estimatesthatthe proposed CCS buildout would provide an estimated$230million in payments to landownersand generate millions in tax revenue forLouisiana parishes –including in rural parishes thathavenot previously had opportunities to directly benefit from Louisiana’sindustrial sector Mutually beneficial leaseagreements between landownersand oil and gascompanies arenot newtoLouisianians,and CCS porespace agreements operate similarly Landownersvoluntarily enterintoagreements to allowthe securestorage of carbon dioxide deep underground, while continuing to usetheir land on the surface. To date,ExxonMobil has signed carbon sequestration or CO2 pipeline agreements with morethan 1,500 landowners acrossLouisiana
“Asone of the landownersinvolved in ExxonMobil’sCCS projects,wesee this project as anatural fit with our mission to actively manageand conserveforestlands to maximizeimpact and remove and storecarbon from the atmosphere,”said John Furlow, General Counsel and Vice Presidentof BusinessDevelopmentfor Aurora Sustainable Lands,LLC.“When done responsibly, CCS gives landownersa waytouse subsurface rights in amanner thatfits alongside ongoing stewardship of the land. It canbring steady,long-term investmenttorural areas.” By supporting investments in CCS infrastructure, thestate is strengthening its existing industrial base, benefiting theworkforce, supporting high-wage jobs,and generating billions in state and local tax revenues
As Louisiana workstounlock the next wave of industrial development, CCS will continue to playakey role in meeting increasing global demand.
PHOTO PROVIDED By DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
This enhanced version of an image shows Cole Allen inside his hotel room on Saturday in Washington, using his cellphone to take a photograph of himself with weapons in the mirror
Allen
Thisstory
Attorney general tackles prosecution of politicians
Such cases used to fall to
the feds
BY JAMES FINN Staff writer
Sheriff Susan Hutson’s indictment Wednesday on malfeasance charges adds her to a laundry list of New Orleans elected officials to face corruption charges over the years. But her charges stand apart from those against other allegedly crooked Crescent City politicians in one significant way: They landed in New Orleans’ Criminal District Court building at Tulane Avenue and Broad Street, rather than at the federal courthouse in the Central Business District.
Hutson faces 30 felony counts including malfeasance in office, conspiracy and obstruction — all state counts brought by Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office, which has secured a series of corruption indictments in recent months against public officials across Louisiana. Such a prolific clip is unusual for
a state attorney general. Corruption probes, which tend to be time-intensive and require large amounts of resources, are historically the purview of the FBI, IRS and other federal law enforcement agents. Those agents work alongside prosecutors in local U.S Attorney’s Offices to build cases against politicians who they believe have violated federal laws.
Murrill’s corruption cases have often leaned on state statutes penalizing malfeasance and payroll violations. She said the strategy comes down to holding public officials to account.
“It’s certainly a commitment that I made not to avoid hard cases, or avoid cases that might have political implications,” she said in a recent interview “I fundamentally think it is a terrible thing to breach the public trust in that way when you’re a public official.”
Murrill, who has intentionally sought out high-profile cases that have frequently put her in the public eye, has shown a tack for taking on public corruption cases that have spread beyond New Orleans.
The Attorney General’s Office
CHRIS GRANGER
Attorney General Liz Murrill
charged Cleve Dunn, an East Baton Rouge City-Parish council member with corruption-related offenses in January The charges against Dunn are part of a widening probe by her office into public corruption in Louisiana’s capital city, leading to other indictments of City Hall officials there.
And state attorney general prosecutors also charged the mayor of Winnsboro last week with Medicaid fraud violations.
“Nothing has ever prevented the state AG from pursuing those cases, and they have done so from time to time throughout the de-
cades,” said Matt Coman, a veteran civil attorney and former assistant U.S. attorney who led the corruption prosecution of former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin. “But certainly, this seems to be more of an assertive pattern by (Murrill) to pursue those cases no matter where they are in the state.”
Producing a successful corruption case tends to hinge on resources — of which the feds simply have more than their state counterparts, attorneys say
The FBI, IRS and other agencies employ droves of analysts, special agents and accountants trained to scour bank statements and to run down leads in schemes that often cross state lines or misuse federal funds.
But Murrill said they aren’t the only ones who should bring those kinds of cases.
“When you see public officials engaging in some kind of public fraud or public corruption, it really undermines peoples’ trust in government and in the system as a whole, and I think it is our duty to hold them accountable,” Murrill said.
Former New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was charged in August in federal court for allegedly conspiring with her police department bodyguard and alleged paramour to cavort on romantic liaisons using taxpayer money, then lying to federal agents and destroying evidence.
Nagin, too, was charged and convicted in federal court for a postKatrina bribery scheme.
The U.S. Justice Department has de-prioritized public corruption cases under President Donald Trump’s second administration, though the New Orleans-area U.S. Attorney David Courcelle, has said such probes remain a priority for his office.
Coman, the former federal prosecutor, said questions of jurisdiction can actually pose advantages for state prosecutors seeking to build corruption cases because they don’t need a federal hook, such as proving that a scheme crossed state lines.
“In order for the USDOJ to pursue a crime, it has to impact a specific federal criminal violation,” Coman said.
Criminal District Judge Pro Tem Franz Zibilich set a $300,000 bond for Hutson. Brown, 40, had her bond set at $200,000 by Zibilich, who ordered both defendants to surrender their passports and remain in Louisiana, according to court records.
The sheriff, who has days left in office, did not respond to a phone message seeking comment. Records showed that she and Brown were being booked late Wednesday in Jefferson Parish. Hutson and Brown are due to appear in Zibilich’s court in Orleans Parish on Thursday morning, according to Murrill’s office Jail escape prompted probe
The indictment stems from the investigation Murrill’s office launched into last year’s May 16 mass jail escape, in which the 10 escapees crawled through a hole from a ripped-out toilet and fled the New Orleans jail All 10 were later captured over a span of months and currently face escape charges.
Murrill issued a statement after Thursday’s indictment.
“Nearly a year ago, I made a commitment to the people of New Orleans and the people of our state that those responsible for the Orleans Parish Prison break would be held accountable,” it states.
“While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal
CLERKS
Continued from page 1A
interview “It’s the most important department in this city because it deals with your life and liberty.
Following Wednesday’s Senate approval, Duncan filed a federal lawsuit that named Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill and Secretary of State Nancy Landry as defendants. Describing the efforts
to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape.”
Murrill expressed confidence in the incoming Sheriff-elect, Michelle Woodfork, who takes office
Monday
A spokesperson for Murrill, Lester Duhe, declined requests to provide additional details of the allegations against Hutson. “Though these indictments were issued today this remains an ongoing criminal investigation, and we cannot comment any further,” Duhe said.
The charges make Hutson, a Democrat, the second citywide official in New Orleans to be indicted while in office in less than a year
Former Mayor LaToya Cantrell
as an “unconstitutional campaign” that seeks to “illegally obstruct” him from taking his duly elected post, Duncan asked the federal courts to grant a temporary restraining order that will allow him to assume office at noon Monday
”They are targeting Mr. Duncan in order to prevent him from undertaking reforms he believes are necessary to protect criminal defendants, particularly those who are Black,” his attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union
was charged in August with federal crimes for allegedly conspiring with her police department bodyguard and alleged paramour to cavort on romantic liaisons using taxpayer money, then lying to federal agents and destroying evidence. She has pleaded not guilty Hutson’s indictment also marks the latest set of corruption charges secured by Murrill’s office in state courts in recent months. Cleve Dunn, an East Baton Rouge City-Parish council member, was charged with corruption-related offenses in January by prosecutors from Murrill’s office as part of a broader probe. Last week, the office secured charges against the Winnsboro mayor for alleged Medicaid fraud.
Murrill, whose office’s recent
stated in the lawsuit.
In an interview on WBOK radio on Wednesday, Landry said he would make a determination on when to sign the bill “when the legislation hits my desk.”
“This is not personal to him,” Landry said. “This is about rightsizing the city so that we can provide the services necessary to the people of that city who need it the most. It’s about recognizing that the city is out of balance.” Orleans Parish is the lone dis-
corruption cases have leaned on state statutes penalizing malfeasance and payroll violations, described the strategy as a matter of holding public officials to account.
“It’s certainly a commitment that I made not to avoid hard cases, or avoid cases that might have political implications,” she said in a recent interview “I fundamentally think it is a terrible thing to breach the public trust when you’re a public official.”
A difficult tenure
The city’s former independent police monitor, Hutson became its first Black female sheriff when she beat Marlin Gusman, the former sheriff, in 2021, joining a progressive wave into elected office in New Orleans. Her tenure was troubled by controversy over top staff, spending on hotel rooms for Mardi Gras and troubles controlling violence in a lockup plagued by broken doors and other problems since it opened a decade ago. Hutson struggled to maintain staffing levels as the jail population swelled beyond a soft 1,250-inmate cap set by the City Council. Federal monitors have cited backsliding on reforms under a 12-year-old federal consent decree.
Then came the jailbreak that Hutson said “tested us to the limits” under a national spotlight, as she issued a farewell address Wednesday reflecting on wins and “challenges” of a rocky term. Hutson said she was leaving the office with “gratitude.”
Brown, the agency’s chief finan-
trict court in the state that has two court clerks. That’s largely because the parish’s civil and criminal courts operate as stand-alone jurisdictions.
The bill to combine them was sponsored by state Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, who has also sponsored a pair of other bills that seek to shrink the Orleans Parish courts this legislative session.
Senate Bill 197 aims to reduce the number of 4th Circuit Court of Appeal judges from 14 to 12. Sen-
cial officer, won praise from Hutson in 2024 for exposing a scheme by two veteran employees to siphon tens of thousands of dollars from inmate commissary funds, as well as another scheme by an employee who was charged with siphoning agency funds.
Brown previously served as CFO for the Downtown Development District.
A sweeping state audit of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office released earlier this month by the Louisiana legislative auditor revealed a litany of security and operations issues at the jail ahead of the escape. Murrill said at the time that the problems highlighted in the audit were “of obvious concern.”
The audit found that deputies had completed fewer than a third of required security checks during the week of the jailbreak. It also found that deputies regularly reported working off-duty details at the same time as their standard shifts, in possible violation of state payroll fraud laws.
Between January 2022 and May 2025, auditors found that 179 deputies, or roughly a quarter of OPSO’s staff, reported working overlapping shifts more than 1,300 times.
Auditors also questioned OPSO’s management of funding and contracts, finding that the office lacked written purchasing policies or a contract management system Staff writers John Simerman and Sophie Kasakove contributed to this story
Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.
ate Bill 217 would cut three judges from Orleans Criminal District Court and remove one of the parish’s four juvenile court judges. The House Judiciary Committee considered both bills late Wednesday afternoon. Their next stop, if approved, is the full House floor House members moved SB256 forward with a slate of amendments April 23. That forced Morris to present the amendments for the Senate’s approval before sending it up to the governor
cious winds burst through the front door of Christopher Hester’sduplex apartment, then startedripping the roofapart. Hesterand his wife grabbed their dog and ducked into ahallwayto the sound of breaking glass, furniture hitting the walls and ahowl like amonstrous vacuum cleaner.
“It was kind of hard to see because of the debris,” Hester,33, said Wednesday, standing amid the ruins of his home. “I wasable to see the tornado. And all of my stuff go into the sky.”
Officials confirmed that atornado on Tuesday tore through this small Texas city,sending five people to a hospitalasit flattened buildings used for manufacturing and ravaged nearby homes. Police and firefighters said theyfearedthe worst when they first saw the damage in Mineral Wells.
“Weare most grateful for no loss of life in thisevent yesterday,” Mayor Regan Johnsonsaid Wednesday “When you see the destruction that’shere, you can tell that’sreally amazing.”
Hester and hiswife searched through over-
Wednesday.
turnedfurnitureand scattereddebrisWednesday for their twomissing catsand any belongings they could salvage. Their roofwas gone and the windows were blown out, along with the apartment’s frontand back walls.
“Bythe grace of Godwe are still standing here today,”Hestersaid.
Allison Prater,aNational Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth, said the tornadotouched down in Mineral Wells with winds of at least 120 mph.The weather service sentateam Wednesday tosurveythe destruction 80 miles west of Dallas.
TwopeoplediedinNorth Texas last weekend as thun-
derstorms spawned destructivetornadoes, and aMichiganman was killed on Monday by atree that toppled in astorm.
In Mineral Wells, local officials spoke with reporters Wednesday in asubdivision strewn with splintered lumber, fallentrees andother debris.
FireChief Ryan Dunn said five people injuredin the storm went to ahospital for treatment. Others were treated for minor injuries by first responders. “As we arrivedonscene, we noticed there was alot of debris, alot of roofs off,” Dunn said. “And then we started seeing buildings collapse.”
Hail stormkills emuatzoo,damages vehicles
BY HEATHERHOLLINGSWORTH
Associated Press
Glass shards flew everywhere as Eric Gockel waitedout one of the worst hail storms to hit Missouri.
One of the softball-size hunks of ice that hitthe Springfield area on Tuesday measured 4.75 inches. The hail killed an emu at the zoo, injured some drivers, knocked out power to thousands and damaged hundreds of vehicles and even some aircraft
“I feel blessed that Icame outunscathed,” Gockel, whose windshield wasbatteredas he waited in his car alongthe side ofa highway for the storm to pass, said Wednesday
At the Dickerson ParkZoo in Springfield, staff tried to move animals inside, including Adam, a21-year-old female emu. But an emu’snatural behavior is to lie down and take cover,a spokesperson said inanemailtoThe Associated Press. Adam died from head trauma.
Some ofthe worst damage was recorded at the Springfield-Branson National Airport. Dozens of flightswere delayed or canceled, and hundreds of vehicles had windshields or sunroofs busted out,said the airport public information officer
BY LEAHWILLINGHAM Associated Press
BOSTON Federal investigators say they believe the man who carried out amass shooting at Brown Universityand later killed aMassachusetts Institute of Technology professor did not act randomly
Instead, former Brown student Claudio Neves Valente, 48, appeared to target places and people for what they represented in his own life —institutions andindividuals he associated with personal failure, missed opportunity and perceived injustice.
In adetailed behavioral assessment released Wednesday,the FBI said Neves Valente, aPortuguese national, spent years planning the attack in isolation before killing two students and wounding nine others inside an engineering building on Dec. 13. Twodays later,hekilled MITprofessor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.Neves Valente was later found dead of an apparent selfinflictedgunshotwound inside astorage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, ending
amultistate search. The FBI described aman who spent yearsinisolation,rarelystaying in one place and lacking traditional support systems suchasfamily,peers andauthority figures whomighthaverecognized warning signs and alerted law enforcement.
Overtime,investigators said, he built anarrative of grievance and inadequacy, with “little to no opportunity forbystanderstoobserve andcontextualize the significance of his behaviors.”
“Heappearedtostruggle with howhe viewed his life achievements andfelthe was considerably marginalized by others,” the FBIwrote in the report.“As his failuresoutweighed successes, his paranoia increased, compounding his continued inability to thrive and leading to him being mentally unwell and committed to dying.” Authorities said the violence itself was “symbolic in nature.” BrownUniversity and Loureiro, investigators wrote, represented to theshooter “his personal failures and injustices he perceived were inflicted by others over time.”
Adam
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ People clear debris following astorminMineral Wells, Texas on
BRIEFS
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Oil prices rise, but U.S. stocks hold near records
NEW YORK More jumps for oil prices sent tremors through the U.S. bond market on Wednesday, along with hints that some Federal Reserve officials don’t want to cut interest rates any time soon. But fat profit reports from Starbucks and other big companies helped the U.S. stock market remain resilient despite that.
The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged and edged down by less than 0.1%, a day after slipping from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 280 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite inched up by less than 0.1%.
The action was more dramatic in the oil market, where the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in July jumped 5.8% to settle at $110.44 per barrel. That’s where most of the trading is happening in the Brent market, and it got as high as $111.84 later in the afternoon The highest price since the war with Iran began is $119.50 for the most actively traded Brent contract, reached last month. On Wednesday, the price for a barrel of Brent crude for delivery in June, which is getting less trading action than July’s contract, briefly breached that mark and got above $120. Visa jumped 8.3% after delivering stronger results than analysts expected.
Starbucks climbed 8.4% after likewise reporting better results than expected, while saying customers spent more at each visit, particularly at its North American stores
Housing increases despite concerns
New residential construction in the U.S. rose in March to the highest level in more than a year as homebuilders boosted production despite ongoing affordability concerns
Housing starts increased 10.8% to an annual pace of 1.5 million homes in March, the highest since December 2024, according to figures released Wednesday by the Census Bureau. That topped all estimates in a Bloomberg survey New single-family home starts rose 9.7% to a 1.03 million annualized rate, while multifamily groundbreakings also advanced. Wednesday’s report suggests residential construction is beginning to stabilize as builders continue to offer sales incentives to lure potential buyers into the market. But the war in Iran has added to economic uncertainty, pushing up not only materials costs but also mortgage rates. A gauge of homebuilder sentiment slumped in April to a seven-month low Building permits, a leading indicator of future construction, fell in March to an annualized pace of 1.37 million, the lowest level since August, the report showed. Single-family permits fell 3.8% Musk takes stand in day 2 of OpenAI trial
OAKLAND, Calif. — Elon Musk took the stand for the second day Wednesday in the landmark trial that pits the world’s richest man against Sam Altman, a fellow OpenAI co-founder he accuses of betraying promises to keep the company as a nonprofit dedicated to humanity’s benefit. The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion. It started Monday and is expected to last about three weeks. Musk, who invested about $38 million in OpenAI from December 2015 through May 2017, gave his account of OpenAI’s early years, recounting how he lost confidence that Altman would keep it a nonprofit. Questioned by his lawyer Steven Molo Musk said by late 2022 he was concerned he was trying to “steal the charity.”
“It turned out to be true,” Musk said on the witness stand, wearing his usual courtroom attire of a black suit and tie.
Powell plans to remain on Fed board
Chairman cites legal actions by Trump administration
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON Jerome Powell said Wednesday he plans to remain on the board of the Federal Reserve after his term as chair ends next month “for an undetermined period of time,” saying the “unprecedented” legal attacks by the Trump administration have put the independence of the nation’s central bank at risk.
“I worry these attacks are battering this institution and putting at risk the things that really matter to the public,” Powell said in
remarks at a news conference after the Fed announced its decision to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged.
Powell’s decision to stay — the first time a Fed chair will remain on the board as a governor since 1948 denies President Donald Trump a chance to fill a seat on the central bank’s seven-member governing board with his own appointee. The Senate Banking Committee earlier approved Powell’s successor as chair, Trump appointee Kevin Warsh, on a party-line vote Powell will continue as a Fed governor, possibly until January 2028. Warsh, if confirmed, will take a seat currently
held by Stephen Miran, a previous Trump appointee, whose term ended in January
Powell’s move could make it a bit harder for Warsh to engineer the rate cuts that Trump has demanded, and Warsh advocated for last year, economists say
“It probably means it will take Warsh a little bit longer to build the consensus he is trying to build,” said David Seif, chief economist for developed markets at Nomura, an investment bank.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X Friday that her office was ending its probe into the Fed’s extensive building renovations because the Fed’s inspector general would scrutinize them instead. But she added that her office could reopen the investigation if “the facts warrant doing so.”
Apparently that didn’t bring Powell the closure he felt is needed.
“I’m waiting for the investigation to be well and truly over with finality and transparency,” he said.
“I’m waiting for that and I will leave when I think it appropriate to do so.”
The Fed Wednesday left its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the third straight meeting but signaled it could still cut rates in the coming months, moves that attracted the most dissents since October 1992. Three officials dissented in favor of removing the reference to a future cut, while a fourth, Miran, dissented in favor of an immediate rate cut.
The dissents underscore the level of division on the Fed’s 12-member rate-setting committee ahead of the end of Powell’s term as chair on May 15.
Democrats urge Trump to keep Chinese autos out of U.S. market
Lawmakers push against ‘threat to American manufacturing’
BY GRANT SCHWAB The Detroit News (TNS)
WASHINGTON Ahead of a key U.S.-China meeting, several efforts are brewing on Capitol Hill to urge President Donald Trump to bar Chinese automakers from accessing the U.S. market.
One of those efforts, led by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, entered the public eye Tuesday as she announced a letter from 73 House Democrats on the topic some two weeks ahead of Trump’s anticipated talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
“As you prepare for your upcoming summit with the President of the People’s Republic of China, any effort to lower barriers for Chinese automobiles or otherwise facilitate their entry into the U.S. market would pose a direct threat to American manufacturing, workers, and national security,” the letter states. “This must remain a firm and nonnegotiable priority.”
There is a similar effort brewing among House Republicans; a forthcoming legislative proposal by U.S Sen Bernie Moreno to solidify a ban on Chinese autos; and a letter already sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week by Moreno and other Republican senators, according to Politico.
The missives come as concerns have deepened in Washington, Detroit and elsewhere in the U.S. automotive heartland over the growing global power of China’s auto industry, especially after Canada reached a new trade deal allowing the import and sale of a set number of Chinese electric vehicles.
“China, which subsidizes its manufacturing, manipulates its currency, and uses slave labor, among other things, cannot be allowed in. We have to play on a level playing field,” Dingell told The Detroit News in a Capitol Hill interview. The Ann Arbor Democrat is a longtime voice for the auto industry in Washington.
“We owe our workers that level playing field And China being allowed to manufacture in this country is not a level playing field,” she added.
The White House, reached for comment Tuesday dismissed the outcry from Dingell and Democrats “While the Administration is always seeking more investment into America’s industrial resurgence, any notion that we would ever compromise our national security is baseless and false,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement
The handwringing by some U.S. politicians over Chinese vehicles is also happening while the Beijing Auto Show plays out across the globe The event so far has been a revelatory showcase of how impressive
some Chinese models have become while keeping affordable price tags.
“China’s domestic car market is on the cusp of an involution, with vehicle prices down by a fifth over the past two years,” AlixPartners LLP auto analyst Dan Hearsch wrote last week in conjunction with a report suggesting that Chinese automakers plan to almost triple overseas production by 2030.
“But Chinese auto companies’ cost and speed remain world class,” he added, “and overseas rivals have to respond with a ruthless approach to product attributes that the customer really, truly cares about — while being ‘good enough’ on things the customer doesn’t care about or see.”
No Republicans signed on to the Democratic congresswoman’s letter, though there is bipartisan worry from lawmakers over Chinese autos. Moreno, an Ohio Republican, is expected to introduce a bill in the coming days seeking to ban Chinese automakers from selling in the U.S. market, though details of the proposal remain unclear
That goal from Moreno and other Republicans may be complicated by Trump’s past statements about the prospects of allowing Chinese car and truckmakers to set up shop stateside.
The president has repeatedly signaled an openness to allowing Chinese automakers to sell vehicles in the United States, so long as they build U.S. factories and employ American workers.
“If they want to come in, and build the plant, and hire you and hire your friends and
your neighbors, that’s great,” Trump told the Detroit Economic Club in January “I love that Let China come in Let Japan come in. They are, and they’ll be building plants, but they’re using our labor.”
Leaders in the U.S. auto industry, like Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley, have warned of such an outcome.
Allowing Chinese automakers into the rich U.S. market would be “devastating,” he told Fox & Friends in April. “We should not let them into our country Manufacturing is the heart and soul of our country, and for us to lose that to those exports would be devastating to our country.”
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the U.S. auto industry’s top lobbying group, has also consistently opposed allowing Chinese brands to make or sell vehicles in the United States.
The Alliance “urges Congress and the Trump Administration to prevent Chinese government-backed auto and advanced battery manufacturers from gaining entry to manufacture here in the U.S and we look forward to working with Congress to counter China’s influence and global strategy,” the group’s president and CEO, John Bozzella, said in written testimony to a U.S. House committee last year
He added: “China poses a clear and present threat to the auto industry in the U.S. The competitiveness of the domestic auto industry and its workers will be damaged if Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers are allowed to do in the U.S. what they have already been permitted to do around the world.”
T-Mobile ties up with Musk’s Starlink for new business broadband
BY MEGAN ULU-LANI BOYANTON The Seattle Times (TNS)
T-Mobile is teaming up with controversial billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink to launch a new business broadband network. Dubbed SuperBroadband, the business internet option pairs TMobile’s 5G Advanced network with Starlink, lauded as having “the world’s largest low-Earth orbit satellite fleet,” per a news release Tuesday The partnership announcement comes as T-Mobile is scheduled to release its first-quarter earnings Tuesday afternoon. The Bellevue-based wireless network operator recently made headlines over rumors of a potential merger with Deutsche Telekom, the German telecommunications giant that holds its majority stake. SuperBroadband relies on two independent sources T-Mobile and Starlink’s more than 10,000 satellites — to ensure online access during outages and other breaks in service. Starlink is owned by SpaceX, an aerospace company founded by Musk. The South African entrepreneur leads Tesla as its CEO and social media platform X as its owner He had a brief — and contentious — stint in American politics as President Donald Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency Several federal agen-
cies began utilizing Starlink under the current administration. Musk quit in May, returning his focus to his business ventures. SuperBroadband has been in
where downtime costs thousands per hour,” per a statement. He added that setup takes only hours.
Phoenix-based hospitality company Aramark Destinations and other businesses in the healthcare, retail and oil and gas industries are already implementing the new broadband alternative.
every ZIP code in the U.S.” Jason Fritch, vice president of Starlink Enterprise Sales at SpaceX, said SuperBroadband “brings reliable, high-performance broadband to businesses with mission-critical operations
“Across our destinations many in some of the most remote and complex environments in the country connectivity has traditionally been inconsistent and difficult to scale, creating real challenges for both our operators and our guests,” said Dimple Jethani, chief information officer at Aramark Destinations.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDy WONG
Models stand next to a latest EV car featuring My Little Pony edition from Chinese automaker
ByD showcased at the Auto China 2026, in Beijing on April 25. Lawmakers are concerned the introduction of Chinese electronic vehicles to U.S markets is a threat to American manufacturing and national security
La. looks ahead after voting maps decision
Leaders still working to understand ruling
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
The U.S. Supreme Court‘s ruling Wednesday that Louisiana’s congressional voting map is unconstitutional landed just days before voters are set to start casting ballots, raising a dilemma for state leaders: Should they push the elections back and try to draw a new map?
Louisiana is set to vote on May 16 in primary elections for Congress and other offices. Early voting begins Saturday Most state leaders said they needed time to process the court’s seismic ruling before deciding what to do.
“I think it’s gonna take
us at least 24 hours to pore through the opinion to understand what exactly that opinion is telling us,” Gov Jeff Landry said Wednesday morning.
“Certainly the Supreme Court said it loud and clear that the current map is unconstitutional,” he said. What our options are, we’re basically working our way through that, and I will be discussing those options with the attorney general — I’ve spoken to her twice now — and with the legislative leadership.”
The court ruled 6-3 that Louisiana improperly factored race into its decision to draw a second majorityBlack district. It sent the case back to a federal district court to address its decision.
Landry said it’s up to the Legislature to decide whether to redraw Louisiana’s sixdistrict congressional map
or reduce the number of majority-Democrat districts in Louisiana.
“Everything is on the table,” he said.
Attorney General Liz Murrill said the Legislature gets the first shot at drawing a new congressional map and does not have to wait for the district court.
Murrill said the Legislature still has time to redraw the maps for the ongoing 2026 midterm election cycle. Lawmakers could suspend the current primary election dates and “push them into the future,” she said.
“They’re dates that we set. I think that they can be changed, and the election is not actually until November,” Murrill said. “So there’s time if they want to change those dates.”
State and federal law would not prevent the Legislature from drawing a
new map this year, Murrill said. That’s different from judicial principles that limit a court’s ability to create a new map close to an election, she said.
“I’ll be looking to the Legislature to see which direction they want to go,” she said.
In a joint statement Wednesday morning, Louisiana Senate President Cameron Henry R-Metairie, and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, said they were still working to understand the ruling.
“We are aware of the United States Supreme Court’s ruling today in the Louisiana v. Callais case, striking down Louisiana’s second majorityBlack congressional district as unconstitutional and remanding the case back to the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana,” the statement says.
Henry and DeVillier added: “We are reviewing that ruling and meeting with our members, representatives from the executive branch, elections officials and counsel to determine next steps to be taken in the best interests of Louisiana voters and our state.”
If Louisiana does postpone primary voting, it’s not clear how that would affect its new election format.
At Landry’s urging, the Legislature in 2024 moved the state from open to closed party primary elections, which require primary elections take place earlier in the year
Under the new system, closed primaries for Congress are now held in the spring to determine which candidates will represent each party in the November general election. Under the previous open system, pri-
mary elections were held in the fall.
Secretary of State Nancy Landry, whose office oversees voting, said lawyers from her office are “analyzing the opinion.”
“We are limited in what we can say at this time as this continues to be active litigation, with the case remanded for proceedings back to the Western District,” she said. State Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, chairs the House and Governmental Affairs Committee and would play a key role in drawing any new congressional map Asked Wednesday morning about whether lawmakers will work to draw a map during the current legislative session, Beaullieu said, “We will be reviewing the decision and will know more once we know the particulars of the SCOTUS ruling.”
a second majority-Black district, therefore amounted to a racial gerrymander, which is not allowed. The majority found that the nation has changed since the 1960s, when Black voters since the end of Reconstruction were kept out of the polls through intimidation and qualification tests few could pass. Now minority voters are allowed to register and vote without clearing hurdles, Alito pointed out.
Similarly, time has shown the need to update the standards courts had used to determine if discrimination took place under the Voting Rights Act, the ruling states.
For instance, since the standards were created, the U.S. evolved into a vigorous two-party system In some states, Black people overwhelmingly voted for Democratic candidates and White people favored Republicans
“Litigants cannot circum vent tha their political-gerrymande ing claim the majority In their liberal justices jority c that guts of the Vo
“A state consequenc dilute minority ing power gan wrote Court’s decis the foundation gress granted ity in electoral The key plaintiffs prove is crimination
Critics gued that cult to clear “Most crimination quite crafty their int mean that but it is still nai Nelson, director-counsel Defense
voting rights cases. “We were just stripped of one of the most potent and transformative tools that this country has ever known, so I will not suggest that we are operating with the same arsenal that we once had and that just means we need to double down.”
U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, the Baton Rouge Democrat who holds the second majorityBlack district, pointed to Kagan’sdissent,whereshewrote courts had rejected an intentbased standard because requiring proof would make the law all but unenforceable.
“Today’s majority has resurrected exactly that standard — and the practical effect is to make it far harder for minority communities to challenge redistricting maps that dilute their political voice,” Fields said The majority’s ruling threw gasoline on the raging conflagration of Republicans and Democrats rushing to redraw congressional election maps in hopes of winning the House majority in the November midterm elections. Several states
A group of mostly Black voters, called the Robinson litigants, challenged that map, arguing it diluted minority votes, violating Section 2.
Chief U.S District Court Judge Shelly Dick, of Baton Rouge, sided with the plaintiffs, as did appellate panels.
Under threat that the courts would draw the congressional district maps, Gov Jeff Landry called a special session in which Republican supermajorities in the Louisiana Legislature drew a map with two majority-Black districts.
Lawmakers eschewed proposals that better met the traditional redistricting guidelines, such as grouping voters with like interests in tight geographical districts. Instead, they drew a district that linked predominantly Black precincts from Baton Rouge to Lafayette, then up Interstate 49 to Shreveport. Fields was elected to the new seat. Those maps prompted a challenge by the Callais voters, who asserted the new maps amounted to a racial
VOTERS ANNOUNCES EARLYVOTINGFOR THEMAY 16, 2026, CLOSED PARTY PRIMARY/MUNICIPALPRIMARY ELECTION
BY BEN FINLEY, STEPHEN GROVES, DAVID KLEPPER and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON Making his first appearance before Congress since the Trump administration went to war against Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced withering questioning Wednesday from skeptical Democrats over a costly conflict being waged without congressional approval
The war has cost $25 billion so far, according to Pentagon numbers presented to the House Armed Services Committee during a contentious hearing ostensibly focused on the administration’s 2027 military budget proposal. It would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion.
While Republicans focused on the details of military budgeting and voiced support for the Iran operation, Democrats grilled Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also questioned President Donald Trump’s dealings with allies and his shifting justification for the conflict.
Hegseth dismissed the criticism as political and rebuked lawmakers who pushed him for answers.
“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.
Democrats question rationale Wednesday’s hearing stretched nearly six hours as Democrats and some Republicans questioned Hegseth over the war and his ouster of several top military leaders.
In one tense exchange, Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in 2025 strikes by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war less than a year later
“We had to start this war you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith, the ranking Democrat on the committee. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”
Hegseth responded that Iran
“had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.
Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”
Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world’s oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has imposed a naval blockade of Iranian shipping and three American aircraft carriers are in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.
Democrats accused Hegseth of misleading Americans about the reasons for the conflict and said rising gas prices are now threatening the pocketbooks of millions of people in the U.S.
“Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president,” said Rep. John Garamendi of California, who called the war “a geopolitical calamity,” a “strategic blunder” and a “self-inflicted wound to America.”
Hegseth blasted Garamendi’s remarks.
“Who are you cheering for here?” he asked the lawmaker “Your hatred for President Trump blinds you” to the success of the war
Hegseth defends firing officers
The defense secretary faced intense questions from Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, about his decision to oust the Army’s top uniformed officer, Gen. Randy George, one of several top military officers to be dismissed since Trump took office again.
Houlahan said George was deeply respected by members of the military and Congress and asked why Hegseth fired him. Hegseth’s response that “new leadership” was needed failed to satisfy Houlahan.
“You have no way of explaining why you fired one of the most decorated and remarkable men,” Houlahan began, before Hegseth interrupted her “We needed new leadership,” he repeated.
The Pentagon also announced this month that Navy Secretary John Phelan was stepping down. Hegseth previously removed Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top uniformed officer, Gen Jim Slife, the Air Force’s No. 2 leader and others, while Trump fired Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska said that while Hegseth is empowered to make personnel changes, he shared what he called “bipartisan concern” about the firings.
“We had a huge bipartisan majority here that had confidence in the Army chief of staff and the secretary of the navy,” Bacon said.
“And I would just point out it may be constitutionally right but it doesn’t make it right or wise.”
Hegseth has said the changes are part of building a “warrior culture” at the Pentagon.
Republican Rep Nancy Mace of South Carolina defended Hegseth’s personnel moves, saying he is “trying to innovate and trying to change the way we do business.”
“I’m glad that you’re firing people,” Mace said. “There are people there that are getting in your way They need to go.”
Democrats ask about war’s cost
Hegseth detailed plans to increase pay for service members and upgrade munitions while also announcing that, as of Tuesday the Pentagon had released $400 million in previously appropriated military aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
But the Iran war dominated the debate.
While a fragile ceasefire is in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.
Republicans say they back Trump’s wartime leadership for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.
Democrats questioned Hegseth over the war’s economic impact and rising gasoline costs, noting Trump’s promise to lower consumer costs. Hegseth responded by citing the threat posed by Iran.
“What is the cost of Iran having a nuclear weapon that they wield?” he said.
Trump threatens Iran on social media
BY DAVE GOLDINER
(TNS)
New york Daily News
President Donald Trump threatened Iran in a predawn social media post Wednesday
Posting a fake image of himself carrying a machine gun with the caption “No more Mr Nice Guy,” Trump suggested Iran’s leadership is divided over reaching an agreement with the U.S.
“Iran can’t get their act together They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “They better get smart soon.” Despite the saber rattling, Trump unilaterally extended a ceasefire with Tehran indefinitely and appears to have little appetite for resuming the attacks on Iran let alone sending American troops into the fray
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump has instructed aides to prepare for a long blockade of Iran and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has also closed in response to the U.S.-Israeli war Trump reportedly defended the blockade and rejected an Iranian offer to open the strait and continue the ceasefire while resuming nuclear talks.
“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing,” Trump told Axios in a new interview “And it is going to be worse for them.”
The conflict with Iran has effectively shut off 20% of the world’s oil supply that is normally transported through the waterway Oil prices jumped by about 5% at the news and gas prices for American consumers are sitting at four-year highs of more than $4 a gallon. Market analysts, who previously shrugged off disruptions by using the acronym #TACO, or Trump Always Chickens Out, explained the jitters with a new hashtag: Not A Chance Hormuz Opens, or #NACHO.
Parish Council to choose fundingplan
Taxes, fees to bolstercriminaljustice system eyed
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
St.TammanyParish is in urgent need of additional money to fund the criminal justice system, officials said Wednesdayinanticipation of ameetingonThursday where the Parish Council will select one of three possible funding plans. The council will decidewhether to move forward with asales tax, a property tax or franchise fees to fill
THURSDAY
@ JAZZ FEST
Aculture bearer
FlagboyGiz blends traditionalchanting, social commentary
BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer
Widespread Panic will likely get thebiggest crowd of the New Orleans Jazz &Heritage Festival’s second weekend. But for Crescent City cultural devotees, the place to be is the Jazz &Heritage stage where Black Indian masker Flagboy Giz will deliver his signature blend of traditional chanting, contemporary rap and sly social commentary
The age-old Mardi Gras Indian culture, which harkens back to both African and Native American heritage, is unique toNew Orleans, and it’sone of the city’scalling cards when marketing itself. But there’slong been asimmering tension between those who create the Black masking phenomenon and thosewho attempt to profit from it. With the lyricsofhis rapping and the designofhis mostrecent suit, Giz slams into the topic headon, declaring that Mardi Gras Indian culture is “NotFor Sale.” His 2026 suit —which he’ll wear while performing Thursday —illustrates his attitude about the matter.Trimmedinglittering gold and aflutter with feathers the color of paper currency,Giz’s suit symbolizes the promise of riches. But there are subtle subversive touches. As Gizexplained, the central sequined patch on the
ä See FLAGBOY, page 2B
what parishofficialssay is alooming $22 milliongap in the parish’s generalfund, and help cover criminaljusticecosts.
“Our parish will fail without sustainable funding for our DA’s office, judges, correctional facility and maintenance operation of this facility,” said ParishPresident Mike Cooper at the media event at the courthouse inCovington on Wednesday. The three options underconsid-
eration,according to apresentation sharedbythe parish are: n A0.3% sales tax levied across theparish, whichwould generate $22 million annually n A7.33-mill property tax levied acrossthe parish, whichwould generate $22 million
St. TammanyParish
President Mike Cooper holds up a reportWednesday while he talks about different ways to fundthe criminal justice system at the St. TammanyJustice Center in Covington.
Campaignsfocus on Glaser’s performance during tenure
BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer
Three candidates are vying to representKenner as itsmayor in arace that’slargely centered around incumbent Mayor Michael
Glaser’sperformance over thelast fouryears. Running against Glaser,aRepublican, for his current seat are
Walt Bennetti,anoparty candidateand longtimecritic of Kenner politicians; andDiane Schnell, aDemocrat who said she is running to better represent Kenner’ssizable Hispanic population.
Debates and forums for the race so far have largely focused on issues including immigration enforcement,infrastructure and economic development, especially theredevelopment of thederelict Esplanade Mall. Early voting will run from Saturdaythrough May9,and the election will take place May 16. Kenner’sroughly 66,000 residentstend to vote strongly Republican and haven’telected anonRepublican mayor since Aaron
Broussard, aDemocrat, won the seat in 1982. But the suburbancity also has the highest Hispanic population percapitainthe state at about 30%, which put Kenner in thenational spotlight in December when U.S. Border Patrol focused its immigration crackdown, nicknamed “Catahoula Crunch,” on Kenner’s heavily Hispanic business corridors and neighborhoods.
Bennetti
Glaser Schnell
Parents Sumer Simone, left, and JoyFarrae open the doors to St. Catherine of Siena CatholicChurchonWednesday as students line up for aparade followinga special Mass commemorating the Metairie
STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH Mardi Gras Indian rapper Flagboy Giz attends the2026 Downtown Super Sundaymarch.
2 plead not guilty in parlor probe
Couple accused of allowing prostitution at businesses
BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office formally filed charges against a Metairie couple accused of allowing prostitution at the Jefferson Parish massage parlors they own, according to court records.
Jie Li, 59 and her husband, Zhiyong Dong, 55, were charged with one count each of pandering, maintaining a place where prostitution is habitually practiced, records showed. Li was charged with an additional two counts of pandering.
Both pleaded not guilty Monday
In a separate case, Zhengai Wu, 61, of Gretna, was charged with committing prostitution by massage at a parlor linked to one of the defendants, authorities said She has not yet been arraigned
FLAGBOY
Continued from page 1B
suit illustrates Uncle Sam’s failed 19th-century attempt at governmental fairness called the Dawes Act, which was designed to induce Native Americans to take official ownership of the parcels of land they already occupied.
Trouble was, Giz says, some unscrupulous non-Native Americans claimed Indian ancestry in order to snap up the property, hiring lawyers with small sums of money to aid in the swindle. Such cheats were called “five-dollar Indians,” Giz said.
If you look closely, you’ll notice that beneath the jewels and feathers, Giz’s suit is coated in a continuous pattern of $5 bills, with Giz’s face replacing Abraham Lincoln. On the apron of his suit, a Native American holds a sign that reads “Not For Sale.”
The suit is all about outsiders trying own what isn’t theirs.
As Giz rapped in a 2025 recording, “If somebody’s going to make money off of me, it’s going to be me.”
Giz’s artistry and social activism has occasionally put him in the national spotlight.
He recently rapped on the Tamron Hall talk show He was featured in The New York Times in 2024, and the year before, he received one of the great American pop culture tributes when he was
MAYOR
Continued from page 1B
Walt Bennetti
Bennetti, 64, has been an outspoken critic of Kenner city government for over a decade, especially during former Mayor Mike Yenni’s administration when Bennetti headed the group Citizens for a Better Kenner
He said he is running because he hasn’t seen enough positive change in Kenner
“I never thought I would run for office again, but I felt compelled this time, as I’ve not been happy with the progress that Kenner has made under Mike Glaser, and I think we should be a lot further along,” Bennetti said.
Bennetti said economic development in Kenner has been “nonexistent,” especially when it comes to the vacant Esplanade Mall He said he highly opposes the city’s current plan for the mall, which is to let the parish apply for a state grant so it can purchase the mall property from its various owners and remediate it.
Bennetti would prefer to move city hall back into the empty Macy’s department store, where it had been located after Hurricane Ida until Glaser took office, and have the city, rather than the parish, purchase the Esplanade.
Bennetti also criticized Glaser’s handling of firefighter pay, arguing that Glaser took back millions of general fund dollars from the department’s budget and eliminated annual pay raises for new
firefighters even after voters approved in 2023 to more than double property taxes for the department. If elected, he would form a committee to restructure the pay plan, his website states.
Glaser responded that the new pay plan put the Fire Department in compliance with state firefighter pay laws, resolved a longstanding $3.8 million lawsuit settlement
Li Massage was the focus of a yearlong investigation by
Parish authorities. Its owners pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of pandering and allowing prostitution.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators first arrested Li and Dong in March following a nearly yearlong investigation prompted
by a CrimeStoppers tip, authorities said. Li operates Li Massage, 5608 Citrus Blvd. in Elmwood. Her hus-
band, Dong, runs Rose Massage & Spa, 505 Gretna Blvd. in Gretna, though he has ties to his wife’s east bank business, according to the Sheriff’s Office Detectives accused Li and other staffers at her massage parlor of offering sexual services. Dong was aware that similar acts were going on at his location, according to authorities.
Wu was living at Dong’s Gretna massage parlor, according to court records.
Investigators arrested and booked Li and Dong with promoting prostitution and human trafficking, among other charges. The Sheriff’s Office accused the couple of bringing a woman to Jefferson Parish from another state, making her work at the massage parlor and keeping the money she earned.
The District Attorney’s Office did not charge the pair with trafficking. No details were immediately available about the decision.
Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.
mentioned on “Jeopardy!” Seeking the answer “Mardi Gras,” the host asked “To respect native people who aided runaway slaves, artists like Flagboy Giz wear beaded suits for this event
over firefighter pensions and increased the starting wage by 42%.
Bennetti has also criticized Glaser for accepting campaign donations from city contractors, particularly garbage hauler Ramelli Waste, which the council approved for another five-year recycling contract in January Bennetti promised not to accept campaign donations from any city vendor and has personally funded his own campaign thus far
Michael Glaser
Glaser, 60, became mayor in 2022 after serving two terms as Kenner police chief. Prior to that he had worked for the Kenner Police Department since 1990, working his way up to the secondin-command role of deputy chief.
He said he wants voters to understand that “government isn’t glamorous.”
While his opponents have criticized that they haven’t seen much change in the city, Glaser said that his office has made strides toward vital infrastructure improvements for neglected city roads and sewers, repairing major thoroughfares, designing new bike paths and obtaining an $8.1 million federal grant to improve the city’s wastewater treatment system.
“I get it. I’m as frustrated as every other citizen in the city of Kenner when you drive around and you want to snap your fingers and have things happen overnight,” Glaser said. “One of my opponents said things aren’t going fast enough. Well, they weren’t going at all when I took office.”
Glaser has occasionally hit back at his two opponents for their criticisms, and in a recent interview said they both “have no idea how government works.”
If reelected, Glaser hopes to continue the economic development projects started during his first term, including the relocation of the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League affiliate from Birming-
on Feb. 21.”
In addition to a range of songs from his past albums, Giz’s set at 5:50 p.m. Thursday will include the Jazz Fest debut of his upbeat rap titled “We Outside,” an epic
account of trekking through New Orleans neighborhoods on a chilly Mardi Gras morning.
Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.
CANDIDATES
WALT BENNETTI
64; born in Erie, Pennsylvania; lives in Woodlake South
EDUCATION: Mercyhurst Preparatory School
EMPLOYMENT: Former owner and publisher, JeffParishNews.com; former media consultant; former talk show host,WGSO; former threestate division manager RaceTrac Petroleum
EXPERIENCE: No Party; former member of the Republican and Libertarian parties; former president of Citizens for a Better Kenner; former Kenner mayoral candidate in 2014; former Jefferson Parish Council District 4 candidate in 2011; former member of the Kenner Code Enforcement Advisory Committee
WEBSITE: walt4kenner.com
MICHAEL GLASER
60; born in Kenner; lives in CannesBrulees
EDUCATION: Archbishop Rummel High School; bachelor’s of arts in criminology & justice, Loyola University
EMPLOYMENT: Kenner mayor;
ham, Alabama, to the Pontchartrain Center, the renovation of the Rivertown dock for American Cruise Lines and Jefferson Parish’s development of a $12.5 million amphitheater in Laketown. Glaser also plans to build upon the infrastructure upgrades he’s already started, as Kenner currently needs about $150 million worth of water and sewerage upgrades, he said. Diane Schnell Schnell, 55, put her freelance journalism career on pause so
Officials testify in BR corruption probe
BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER Staff writer
Former Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome said Wednesday she has not received a target letter from prosecutors who subpoenaed her to testify before a grand jury probing corruption during her administration.
Though subpoenaed, the former mayor did not show up to testify before the grand jury, which met Wednesday Over the past few days, prosecutors with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office had subpoenas issued to Broome and former or current East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council members, sources said.
Broome said she has never received a target letter from either the FBI — which passed its 2024 probe on to state prosecutors — or the Louisiana attorney general.
A spokesperson for Murrill’s office declined to comment Wednesday on whether Broome is a target in the probe.
Five current Metro Council members — Brandon Noel, Denise Amoroso, Rowdy Gaudet, Anthony Kenney and Darryl Hurst — showed up for the grand jury
But only Hurst, Kenney and Gaudet gave testimony Wednesday and said they did so as subject-matter experts. Council members said they were unable to discuss their grand jury testimony and offered little additional information.
“As has been reported, I was asked to be a witness and provided input and testimony to the best of my abilities,” Gaudet said. “Beyond that, we’ve been asked to not speak on any of the proceedings inside, but again I was solely called here as a witness.” Hurst echoed those comments and clarified that a subpoena to testify does not indicate any wrongdoing.
“The one thing that I want people to know, is that if you get subpoenaed to testify for a traffic accident, that is no different than what happened today,” Hurst said. “You’re a potential witness or an expert in a certain area. A subpoena is not an indictment, and this was just to be a witness.”
former Kenner police chief, deputy chief, legal affairs officer, detective and patrol officer for the Kenner Police Department
EXPERIENCE: Republican; mayor of the city of Kenner since 2022; Kenner police chief from 2014 to 2022
WEBSITE: glaserformayor.com
DIANE SCHNELL
55, born in Kenner; lives in Chateau Estates
EDUCATION: Ridgewood
Preparatory School; bachelor’s of arts in philosophy, University of New Orleans; master of laws in international business, St.Thomas University
EMPLOYMENT: Freelance journalist; co-founder National Association of Hispanic Journalists Louisiana Chapter; former news consultant, Telemundo
EXPERIENCE: Democrat; former Republican Party member; former interim Jefferson Parish School Board District 6 member; former candidate for Jefferson Parish School Board District 6
WEBSITE: dianeschnell.com
she could pursue the top seat in Kenner government. Schnell previously served one year as an interim Jefferson Parish School Board member in 2022 for District 6, located in Metairie. She ran as a Republican for the seat the same year but lost. She said she is running to rebuild transparency and community trust in city government while offering representation to Kenner’s Hispanic population. Schnell is bilingual and has two Honduran parents, and if elected would be the only official in Ken-
ner or Jefferson Parish that identifies as Hispanic. She said she would like to overhaul the city’s permitting and communications departments to help economic growth, bolster bilingual staff and resources to better accommodate Kenner’s Spanish speaking residents, and revive the city’s internal audit department to maintain accountability
She’s also joined Bennetti in saying there’s been a lack of vision for economic development in Kenner and with the Esplanade Mall.
Schnell said she decided to run in response to Glaser and other city leaders’ silence during the U.S. Border Patrol’s operation in the New Orleans area last December, which led to over 500 arrests, accusations of racial profiling and fear among Hispanic residents who stayed home from work and school to avoid being targeted.
“People aren’t even reporting crimes because they’re afraid they’re going to end up being in jail or deported,” said Schnell. “It was just a public safety issue. I felt that maybe we needed a leader that had more of a vision, that could understand the culture of the city.”
She also criticized the Police Department’s 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which gives KPD officers the ability to enforce some immigration activity during routine police duties and to see whether jail suspects have immigration detainers placed on them.
Glaser has repeatedly stated that the Mayor’s Office has no control over that program. He also said the city already assists Spanish speaking residents through its Conchita Lacayo Sulli Hispanic Resource Center, as well as bilingual staff in every public-facing city department.
Lara Nicholson writes about Jefferson Parish for The Advocate | Times-Picayune. Email her at lnicholson@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By DOUG MacCASH
The message of Flagboy Giz’s 2026 suit was clear Mardi Gras Indians are ‘Not For Sale.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHELLE HUNTER
Jefferson
School Board member apologizes for cursing
Censure vote canceled over ‘hot mic’ moment
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
A St Tammany Parish School Board member on Tuesday apologized for a “hot mic” moment when he used an expletive last month following a vote over a union contract.
Brandon Harrell, who represents Abita Springs Elementary, Abita Springs Middle and Fifth Ward Junior as the District 5 board member, said that the lan-
guage he used in response to the contract extension was inappropriate and that he took responsibility for his words, which he said weren’t directed at school employees.
“I should not have allowed my emotions to get the best of me and make the comment that I made,” Harrell said. The apology on Tuesday came as School Board members were poised to vote on whether to formally admonish him for his comments. But following the apol-
ogy, School Board President Amanda R. Martin decided against bringing the question to a vote during the special meeting
Tuesday
During the April 16 School Board meeting, the School Board had been considering whether to approve a one-year extension of a labor union agreement with the St Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees.
School Superintendent Frank Jabbia and Brant Osborn, the head of the federation, told the board that although some of the details of the contract were still being worked out, the board needed to approve the one-year extension to keep the contract from
expiring altogether. Harrell argued the one-year extension should have been brought to the board’s attention earlier He ultimately joined the rest of the School Board to unanimously approve the extension, but after the crowd erupted in applause, Harrell could be heard saying “go f*** yourselves,” according to a recording of the incident obtained by The Times-Picayune.
Martin said Tuesday that had she known Harrell was going to apologize, Tuesday’s special meeting wouldn’t have been necessary Still, she encouraged members of the public to share their thoughts about Harrell’s comments. Over a dozen people spoke, in-
FUNDING
Continued from page 1B
n A 5% franchise fee in unincorporated St. Tammany, which would generate $13 million or $15 million.
A franchise fee is a fee the parish can charge to utility companies.
A consultant that the parish has hired, PFM Financial Advisories, will detail the three options at the council’s meeting on Thursday at the Council Chambers in Mandeville, before an expected council vote on a funding mechanism. The meeting can also be streamed Officials at the event on Wednesday declined to say if they had a preference for any one of the options. The sales and property taxes would have to be put on the ballot by the council and approved by voters. Council Chair Cheryl Tanner said the council would likely vote in July whether to actually put the tax on the ballot. Campaign consultant Sam Caruso Jr said they would aim to put the tax on the November ballot. If the council decides to move
forward with raising franchise fees, it would not require a vote of the public, and Caruso said his services would not be needed.
The bind
After six unsuccessful attempts to pass a tax dedicated to help fund the criminal justice system in the last decade, the parish now has to rely on its general fund to fund those costs.
But the general fund has limited revenue and the council says the general fund will have a shortfall of $16 million in 2027, and, after money dedicated for the Coroner’s Office runs dry, a shortfall of $22 million in 2028.
A recent report from the state Legislative Auditor’s Office found that, compared to economically similar parishes, St. Tammany Parish collects fewer undedicated taxes per person — the kind of taxes that go into the general fund A representative from the Legislative Auditor’s Office is also scheduled to speak Thursday at the council meeting.
This year, the parish cut funding for northshore District Attorney Collin Sims’ office, the courthouse
and the jail by 30% compared to the previous year and parish officials said that even higher cuts can be expected in 2027.
“What we’ve built is worth saving, and there’s a lot of efforts being done to make sure that saving this doesn’t cost you more,” said Sims, adding that the 22nd Judicial District Court is one of the busiest jurisdictions in the state.
Tax-neutral
Officials contend that because of some property taxes that recently expired, such as the public health millage and coroner’s tax, and other taxes being reduced, such as the tax for the mosquito abatement district, the parish has the ability to put forward an overall net-neutral tax plan
“No one’s looking to increase the total burden on the taxpayer,” Sims said. “We’re looking to grab offsets, cancellations, reductions and things of that nature that have either immediately happened or plan to occur.”
Caruso said parish officials aim to present a unified front. For instance, he said that parish government and Sims’ office had resolved their dispute over legislation that Sims was
seeking to stop future budget cuts to his office.
“We’re all on the same page about what’s required to run these agencies. The issue is, where do we get the money?” said Judge Vincent Lobello of the 22nd JDC. Sheriff Randy Smith’s seat was empty at the meeting on Wednesday. In a statement, Lt. Suzanne Carboni, a sheriff’s spokesperson, said “The Sheriff is not focused on the St. Tammany Parish Government’s proposed tax at this time. His priority is rather on the Sheriff’s Office’s law enforcement tax renewal, which will go before voters in June.”
Council member Jeff Corbin, who was not at the meeting, said he was leaning toward the sales tax and suspected other council members were as well, since the franchise fee wouldn’t raise enough money to cover the general fund deficit and the property tax millage wouldn’t begin generating revenue until 2028.
“It’s the only thing that’s viable,” Corbin said of the sales tax.
Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.
cluding teachers and union representatives, with many saying Harrell’s language was disrespectful. Stephanie Underwood, a leader in the teachers union, argued that school employees who lose their cool, as Harrell did, rarely enjoy similar leniency
“Our employees are held accountable everyday It’s time that y’all are too,” she said. An attempt on Tuesday by another board member Michelle Hirstius, to bring the censure to a vote also failed, with five voting yes, seven voting no, and two abstaining.
Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.
Man, 31, dies days after beating
BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer
A 31-year-old man died from injuries he suffered last week during a fight near a Bayou St. John gas station, according to the New Orleans Police Department. Nicholas Enclade died Saturday of blunt force injuries, according to the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office. Angel T. Nobles, 25, has been arrested in connection with Enclade’s killing, according to officials. She was booked on a count of second-degree murder, one count of simple burglary and one count of simple battery, police said.
On Friday, Enclade and Nobles got into a fight at a gas station near the intersection of Toulouse and North Broad streets, New Orleans police said. Enclade was later seen running after the Nobles’ car as she drove down Toulouse Street toward North White Street, according to officials.
Officers were called to the scene at around 6:36 p.m. Enclade was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
NOPD did not say what started the fight between Enclade and Nobles. Nobles was being held at the Orleans Parish jail as of Monday afternoon, according to records. She was scheduled to appear in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court on Wednesday afternoon.
LOTTERY
TUESDAY,APRIL 28, 2026
PICK 3: 3-5-4 PICK 4: 3-8-1-2 PICK 5: 4-7-9-8-7
MEGA MILLIONS: 14-36-41-47-66
MEGA BALL: 15 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.
Harrell
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
From left, Judges Alan Zaunbrecher Vincent Lobello Parish President Mike Cooper District Attorney Collin Sims and council member Cheryl Tanner talk about different ways to fund the criminal justice system during a meeting with the media at the St. Tammany Justice Center on Columbia Street in Covington.
AdamsJr.,Harold
Allen, Laura
Chauvin, Sandra
Davis, Walter
Gammage,Aaron
GerarveJr.,Frank
Holliday,Silionel
Jackson, Leroy
June,Valerie
Kussmaul, Nathalie
LaFrance, Ramona
Lagarde, Thyra
Levie, Shirley
Lipps,Margaret
Mackie,Joan
Mclendon, Myra Meyer, Maria
Olivier, Garrett Owens Sr., Thomas Pollard,Robert Royal, Judy ScottJr.,Claiborne EJefferson Garden of Memories
LauraAnn Allen, Age60, passedawaypeacefullyat her home on Saturday April 18, 2026. Daughter of the late Leonard, Sr.and AnnieHillAllen. Also pre‐ceded in death by her 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, ahostofnieces, 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 arrangements entrustedto CharbonnetFamilySer‐vices (504)302 1520.
Gammage,Aaron Chauvin, Sandra Boudreaux'Sandy'
Olivier, Garrett
Charbonnet
Holliday,Silionel
DW Rhodes
AdamsJr.,Harold
Gertrude Geddes
Davis, Walter
Pollard,Robert Royal, Judy Greenwood
GerarveJr.,Frank
Meyer, Maria
Majestic Mortuary
Mclendon, Myra St Bernard CharbonnetLabat
Allen, Laura Jackson, Leroy West Bank
Mothe
Chauvin, Sandra Robinson FH
LaFrance, Ramona
Davis, Tatiana Riley, and Waltniqua Davis.Devoted siblings AreyelleSmith, AdamSmith,and Waltdell Davis.Hewas also survivedbya host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. He was preceded in death by his grandfather LesterCharles Smith;his cousins AshantianLacey Smith, Charlie CheeSmith;and his uncle Charlie Bert Smith.Relatives and friends of thefamily are invitedtoattend the Celebration of Life Service on Friday, May 1, 2026 at Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home,2120 Jackson Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70113 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Interment Holt Cemetery, 527 City Park Avenue,New OrlenaS, la 70119. Youmay sign theguest book on www.gertrudegeddeswilli s.com. Gertrude Geddes Willis FuneralHome, Inc in charge(504) 522-2525.
Gammage,Aaron Jarred
School andattended Louisiana StateUniversity. Frank wasa devotedhus‐bandof40years to Marion Morvant Gerarve, who pre‐ceded himindeath.Heis survivedbyhis children Jeanne GerarvePichon (Richard),Frank E. Gerarve, III, andMatthew Gerarve; his grandchildrenMatthew Gerarve,Jr. (Lindsey), Julia Gerarve Hess (Benjamin), Phillip Gerarve(Autumn), Jacob Pichon andJoshua Pichon; andhis great granddaughter LillianGer‐arve(Matthew Jr.).Heis alsosurvivedbyhis brother Dennis M. Gerarve, and numerous family members whomheloved dearly. He wasproceeded indeath by hisbrother GerardGerarve.Frank was a hardworkingman who built acareer as an archi‐tect, designinghomes and buildings that standasa testament to histalents Hewas theprincipal of his own architectural firm CoachFrank”was also a volunteer coachatLittle Farms PlaygroudinRiver Ridge forcountless years. ServiceswillbeheldonFri‐day,May 1, 2026, at Green‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd.New Orleans, LA, with visitation from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm,fol‐lowed by aCatholicMass inthe chapel at 1:00 pm Intermentwillfollowat Greenwood Cemetery.In lieuof flowerspleasemake donations to theLSPCA in Frank’s memory,inthathe was an avid animal lover and caredfor many pets through theyears
June, Valerie Marie
Ramona (Mona) Hingle
ScottJr.,Claiborne
Adams Jr., Harold Joseph Harold Joseph Adams, Jr. departed this life on Friday, April 17, 2026 at the age of 76. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend aFuneral Service at D. W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave. New Orleans, La 70125 on Friday, May 1, 2026 at 9:00 am. Visitation willbeginat 8:00 am. Interment: Restlawn Park Cemetery Arrangements by D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook Funeral can be live streamed @ www.face book.co m / D.W.RhodesFuneralHome/ live
Sandra “Sandy Boudreaux Chauvin, 78,of Gretna, passedawayunex‐pectedlyonApril 22, 2026, ather home.Sandy was bornonJanuary 6, 1948, in Algiers to thelateMurphy and Dorothy“Dot” Boudreaux.She wasthe Matriarch of an extremely close knit family. Sandyis survivedbyher children Michelle Quiram,Troy Reilly(Amanda), andDaina Mamolo(Romeo).Her Grandchildren,Kristen Mamolo, Megan LeBour‐geois,ShelbySwear (Daniel), HeatherMamolo (Sam),TaylorLeBourgeois (Cory), Troy (TJ) Reilly Jr Preston Mamolo (Alayna), Sarah Reilly andJacob Reilly. HerGreat Grandchil‐dren, Tony Terrebonne Jr Axell Lacoste, Landen Bil‐liotand RykerLacoste.Her siblingsRodneyBoudreaux (Cindy),Stacy Boudreaux and Clay (Marevel) Boudreaux.She is also sur‐vived by ahostofrelatives and friends. Shewas pre‐deceasedbyher parents, her brotherMurphy Boudreaux Jr.and her Great GranddaughterHunt‐ley Mamolo.Familyand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralMassin the chapel of MotheFu‐neral Home,2100 Westbank Expwy Harvey,LAonFri‐day,May 1, 2026 at 11am Visitationwillbeheldon Fridaymorning from 9am until 11am to honorand celebrate Sandy’slife. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe familycan view andsign the online guestbook at www.mothefunerals.com “Toliveinthe hearts of those we love is neverto die.” –ThomasCampbell.
Davis, WalterLee
AaronJarredGammage wenthometobewiththe LordonSaturday, April18, 2026, at theage of 34. A man of deep faith andcon‐viction,Aaron wasa dedi‐cated member of Next GenerationFGBC. He faith‐fully served theministryas a drummer, sharinghis rhythmicgiftand passion for musictoupliftthe con‐gregation.Aaron wasalso a fierce advocate forhis community,particularly duringthe yearsfollowing Hurricane Katrina. As a memberofthe Fyre Youth Squad,a young people’s socialjustice organization, hewas instrumental in the grassroots fighttoreopen New Orleanspublic schools. Hisleadershipand commitmenttoeduca‐tionalequityinthe wake of the stormlefta lasting markonthe city he loved. Mostrecently, Aaron brought hisvibrant energy toFleming’s Steakhouse and Wine Bar, where he was knownasthe "Swiss ArmyKnife"ofthe team Serving in multiple capaci‐ties—includinghost, server, andbackwaiter— hewas amainstayofthe restaurant, always greet‐ing coworkersand cus‐tomersalike with ahuge, infectioussmile.Aaron is survivedbyhis loving and devoted mother,Alice Craft-Kerney; hisfather, JohnGammage;his two cherished daughters, Ce‐cilia PurcellGammage (ChrissyPurcell,mother) and HarmonyCunning‐ham-Gammage (Brianna Cunningham, mother); and his threebrothers, Seiji Gammage,Christopher Gammage,and IanGam‐mageSr. He also leaves be‐hinda foreverfriend, MariahLucineo,along with a host of extended family members anddearfriends Hewas preceded in death byhis maternal grandpar‐ents, Simand HattieCraft Family, friends, andmem‐bersofNextGeneration FGBC, NewIsraelBaptist Church,PressingOnward Baptist Church,St. Augus‐tineHighSchool,and the staff of Fleming’sSteak‐house areinvited to attend a CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceonSaturday, May2 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at New Israel BaptistChurch,6322 St. Claude Avenue,New Or‐leans,Louisiana.Visitation willbegin at 10:00 a.m. Apostle Tyrone Smithwill officiate. Intermentwillfol‐low at Providence Memor‐ial Park andMausoleum 8200 AirlineDrive,Metairie, Louisiana.Guestbook On‐line: www.anewtraditionbe gins.com(504)282-0600 LinearBrooksBoydand Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/FuneralDirectors
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, Vernon Selestan (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, May1,2026 at 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.
Valerie Marie Hill June 76, departed this life on Monday, April 20, 2026. Daughter of the late Samuel Hill, Sr.and Angela Hill. Wife of thelateErrol AnthonyJune, Sr.Mother of ErrolAnthonyJune, Jr, LeishonJuneDarby (Brian), EricJune, andLeah June.SisterofEdward Hill andLeonHill(Eva), andthe lateSamuel Hill,Jr (Bernadine)and Sidney Hill (Patrice).Precededin death by great granddaughterHeaven Chavez. Survivedby10 grandkids, 8great grandkids, 5Godchildren, anda host of nieces, nephewsand cousins. Valerie is remembered for herexceptional dedication to caringfor the elderly, steadfast faith, andprofounddevotion to herfamily. Aprivate familyservice will be held to honor Valerie's life.
Nathalie "Nat" Kussmaul passed away peacefully in hersleep on April 19, 2026, surrounded by lovedones. She was born on September 30, 1935, in NewOrleans, daughterofthe lateBen andLenaVoinche. Nat graduatedfromDominican High School in 1953 and thenattendedGarners Secretarialand Business School. Sheworkedfor a few local businessesuntil hermarriage to James "Jim"Kussmaul on December 10, 1959. They celebrated 59 happy years together. Nat always put familyfirst. The family movedfrom NewOrleans to Atlantaand backand she workeddiligentlyto make sure that herfamily established connections in eachcommunity. During those early years she was active in organizations such as PTA,GirlScouts, Altar societies andteam parentfor multiple sports teams. Later she took up golf with Jimand spent many fondyearsonthe course at Colonial Country Clubaswell as in the card room with friends. Nat was also aproud memberof theDAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). Her final connection wasvolunteeringwith Anvoi Hospice whichshe took great pride in
LaFrance, born August 26, 1956, went home to our HeavenlyFatheronApril 19, 2026. Shewas preceded indeath by herparents, AdamRaymond Hingle and Betty Lightell Hingle and her brother, Paul Joseph Hingle. Sheissurvivedby her husband, Roland LaFranceand herchildren, NicholasPaulLobrano (Flora) andSamanthaJane LaFrance. Sheisalsosur‐vived by hersisters,Anna Marie Hingle Giummo (Lawrence,deceased) NinaHingleGuillot(War‐ren), Annette Hingle Williams (Edward),and Yevette Rachel Hingle.She was thelovinggrand‐motherofZoey& Madison Lobrano.Monaisalsosur‐vived by many nieces and nephews.Age 69, anative ofNew Orleans, she resided in Terrytownfor the past 28 years. Mona diedpeacefullyamongst her loving family. Private serviceswereheldonFri‐day,April 24, 2026. Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home. Online condolences can be shared at Robinson‐familyfuneralhome.com
On February 8, 2026, in Los Angeles, CA.,Thyra AnnLagarde, transitioned to herheavenlyhome Thyra is preceded in death by herparents, Roland F. and AgnesG.Lagarde,her brothers, ArmandF Lagarde,Sr.,Roland F. Lagarde,Sr.,Gerald G. Lagarde,Sr.,and Wendell A. Lagarde,Sr. Thyra is survived by her sisters, Ursula L. Christopher, Sr.Mary Roland Lagarde,S.B.S., her brothers, IrwinA.Lagarde, Sr.and Kenwyn D. Lagarde andher sister-in-laws Barbara J. Lagarde and Linda S. Lagarde. Sheleaves to cherish hermemories withher nieces, nephews, cousins, 1957 classmates of Xavier University Preparatory High School and other relatives andfriends Allare invited to attend theMemorialMass held at 11:00 a.m. on May2,2026 at Corpus ChristiEpiphany Catholic Church,2022 St Bernard Ave in New Orleans, LA 70116. Visitation willbeginat 10:00 a.m. Recitation of theHoly Rosary willbegin at 10:15 a.m. Interment will be at St.Louis #3 Cemetery
GerarveJr.,Frank Edward
Walter LeeDavis,Jr. age 37 was bornonAugust 26, 1988inNew Orleans, LA departed this earthly life on Sunday, April5,2026. Walteristhe loving son of Lesley Smith and Walter Lee Davis, Sr. Beloved grandsonofEvery Smith. Adoring father of Waltiana
On April23, 2026, Frank EdwardGerarve,Jr. passed peacefullyfromthisworld, atthe ageof85. Frankwas borninNew Orleans, Louisiana to hisparents Frank andElizabeth GenusaGerarve.Hewas a graduate of DeLaSalleHigh
Jackson, Leroy
LeroyJackson,age 75, departedthisearthly life onFriday, April17, 2026 Son of thelateBerthaJack‐son.A resident of St Bernard Parish,Leroy lived a life full of joyand happi‐nessand wasanemployee ofthe St.Bernard Recre‐ation Department formany years.Heleavestocherish his memory,a loving fam‐ily anda host of caring friends.A Celebrationser‐vicehonoringthe life and legacyofthe late Leroy Jackson will be held in the ChapelofCharbonnetFam‐ily Services,4917 E. Judge Perez Dr Violet,LA70092 onSaturday, May2,2026 at 11am. IntermentMerrick Cemetery. Visitation 10 30 aminthe chapel.Please signthe online guestbook atwww.charbonnetfuner alhome.com. Finalarrange‐mentsentrusted to Char‐
Nat is survived by her cherished sister Antoinette (Voinche) Jesclard, her daughters KimSugrue, Linda Smith (George Flynn Smith III), Carol DiMaggio (DuaneDiMaggio)and her grandchildrenGeorge Paul, Ryan (Cammie),Reid, Aidan andLena.
Mackie,Joan Levie, ShirleyDabney
Nat relied heavilyonher faith, and herfamilyisat peace knowing sheiswith all theangelsand saints she spoke to regularly. The Kussmaul familywishesto thank Anvoi Hospice and thewonderfulcaregiversPhyllis, Lisa, Glory and Shelleywho lovingly attended to herinher final months.
Aservice of remembrancewill be held on Tuesday, May5,2026, at St Clement of Rome Catholic Church,4317 Richland AvenueinMetairie Visitation from 10:30-11:30, Memorial Mass at 11:30. Intermentwill follow in St PatrickCemetery No. 1.
ShirleyDabneyLevie age 88, passedaway peacefully on April17, 2026. Shewas born on March 15, 1938, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,tothe late Georgeand EffieDabney. Shirley wasprecededin death by herparents;her beloved husbandof52 years,EdwardJosephLevie III; herchildren, Raymond Levie (Victoria) andLeonie Levie;and hercherished companion,LeonGiaccone. She leaves behind herlov‐ing children:Jennifer Goldring(Marc), Steven Levie,Barry Levie(Penny), and Edward LevieIV(Seni‐tra). Sheisalsosurvived byher belovedcousin, JohnBartram,whomshe loved as ason.Shirley was a devotedMawmawtoher grandchildren:Maggie O’Quinn (Timothy), Ashton Goldring, EmiliePatron (Stephen),AndrewLevie and Olivia Guidry (Delvin), and aproud Great-Maw‐mawtoElena O’Quinn, Lan‐
Kussmaul, Nathalie Voinche 'Nat'
Holliday,Silionel
Levie, Shirley NewOrleans
Boyd Family
Lagarde, Thyra Ann
donO’Quinn,and MarinPa‐tron. Sheisalsosurvived byher nieces and nephews:GingerFelice (Mike), PamSchellhaas (Jerry), BobbyLevie (Kat), Christine Vinson (Chris), Jimmy Boyle(Barbara), and PatBoyle (Shannon), along with numerous great-niecesand greatnephews.Shirley will be deeply missedbyher dear friends DarleneLeBreton, RosemaryGiaccone, and DebbieDavis.The family extends theirheartfelt ap‐preciationtoStephanie Brown forthe love,com‐passion,and care shepro‐vided during Shirley’stwomonth stay in thehospital. Shirley wasthe proud owner andoperatorofa preschool formanyyears In herfreetime, sheen‐joyed travelingand spend‐ing time at thebeach with her family. Sheespecially loved visiting the fishing campwithher late com‐panion, Leon Giaccone.She had adeep love fornature, particularlybutterfliesand flowers. Shirleyalsoloved cookingand took greatjoy infeeding everyone who cametovisit—noone ever lefther home hungry. Above all, shecherished the time shespent with her familyand friends. Rel‐ativesand friendsare in‐vited to attend thememor‐ial services on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at St.Cather‐ine of SienaCatholic Church,1643 Metairie Road, Metairie,Louisiana 70005. Visitation will begin at12:00 p.m.,followedbya Massat1:00p.m.Following mass, abutterflyrelease willbeheldoutside the church, as well as arecep‐tioninsidethe Saint Catherine of Sienaparish center. Thefamilykindly requeststhatall who at‐tendthe memorial services wearpastelcolorsinhonor ofShirley.Tooffer online condolences,send flowers tothe family, or planta treeinmemoryofShirley, pleasevisit www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com
Lipps, Margaret Crutchfield
Margaret Crutchfield Lipps, acherished family member, peacefully passed away at home on April 23, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Born Margaret Marie Crutchfield on June 20, 1930, in Yoakum, Texas, she was the daughter of Cicero Cohron Crutchfield, Sr. and Melba Cannan Crutchfield. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents and two brothers, Cicero "C.C." Crutchfield, Jr. (known affectionately as "Buddy") and John R. Crutchfield.
Margaret's journey began in Austin, Texas, where she moved in the first grade. She graduated from Austin High School in 1947 and later pursued higher education at the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in English in 1950 Her passion for teaching led her to Freeport, Texas, where she dedicated her career to educating senior high school students in English. Beyond her teaching, Margaret was atalented musician. She began piano lessons at the age of six and continued to nurture her musical gifts throughout her life. She found immense joy in sharing her music with others, performing at church services, family gatherings, neighborhood holiday celebrations, and social events. Her musicality was especially evident in the duets she played with close friends.
Gardening was one of Margaret's greatest joys. Over the years,she actively participated in various garden clubsand took immense pride in cultivating beauty, both in her home and in the world around her. At the spring nursery shows, she was often among the first to arrive, eagerly searching for new and exotic plants that would set her garden apart. Margaret was an active and devoted member of St. Timothy on the Northshore Church. She served on the Memorial Garden Committee since its inception, arole that beautifully reflected her love for her Creator and her deep joy in gardening. Margaret was involved in numerous organizations, including serving as
adirectoronthe Beau CheneHomeowners AssociationBoard, amember of the St. Timothy on the Northshore Administrative Board, and aparticipant in various garden clubs, an investment club, aduplicate bridge group, and aladies' golfing group. Margaretand her husband, Delbert, shared a love for time on the water. Their boat, Tulips, held special significance—both forher love of the flower and as aplayful nod to "TwoLipps," areflectionof their life together.She cherished time spent boating,traveling, andcreating memorieswith theirchildrenand grandchildren. Summers at CrystalBeach, Texas, held aspecial place in her heart
Margaretalsoenjoyed golf, playingduplicate bridge, and the challenge and camaraderie she found through her investment club. She wasanavid football fan, especially cheering on herTexas Longhorns, and delighted in the simplejoy of watching Jeopardy!and Wheelof Fortune
Above all, Margaret was most proud of her family. Known affectionately as "Granmargaret" to her grandchildren, she was deeply grateful for her lovedones and found immense joyinknowing that her children,grandchildren, and great-grandchildrenwerehealthy, happy, and mostimportantlyto her—caring individuals. Sheembodieda life markedbygenerosity, gratitude, creativity, and an unwavering love for others.
Margaret is survivedby her devoted husband, Delbert; their two sons, Gary (Barbara) and Randall (Kathy); thirteengrandchildren; and twenty-four great-grandchildren In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to the Memorial GardenatSt. Timothy on the Northshore Church or to the Northshore FoodBank in Covington, Louisiana
The family extends heartfelt gratitudefor the compassionate care provided by Egan Hospice and Ladybug Sitters. Amemorialservicewill be held on Saturday, May 30, at 11:00a.m.atSt. Timothy on the Northshore Church in Mandeville Louisiana.Visitation will begin at 10:00a.m., andall areinvited to areception following the service.
Joan Ann(Walters) Mackie passedawayon Saturday, April18, 2026, at the ageof65, just oneday after celebratingher birth‐day.BornonApril 17, 1961 toAudreyJean Walters, Joanwas awoman of strengthand faith.She is survivedbyher beloved daughter, CandaceWal‐ters. Joan nowjoins the loveofher life,the late ManuelMackie, andher late sons,AlbertFeazell and Jabari Walters,ineter‐nal rest.Familyand friends are invitedtoattend ser‐vices at 10 AM on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Second Zion Baptist Church,6520 Sec‐ond Zion Ave, Marrero, LA BishopJames Nelson Brown will officiate. The visitationwillbegin at 9AM.The Waltersfamily appreciatesyourprayers and supportduringthis time. Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family FuneralHome. Foronline condolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com
Myra AnnMclendonwas
borntothe late Robert and LilaMcClendon,Sr. on June 18, 1961. Shewas the fourthofthe five children theyshared. Myra wasa lifelongresidentofNew Orleans.She enteredinto eternal rest on Friday,April 17, 2026 while at home at the ageof64. Myra con‐fessedand acceptedChrist asher Lord andSavior early in herlife. Renewing her commitment,she joinedSt. Luke's Episcopal Church where shewas a faithfulmember. Myra was a valued administration workeratCharity Hospital and LSUMedical Center She retiredafter 30 years ofservice.Myrawas a beloved daughter,sister, aunt,friendand neighbor She wasa pillar of her community andwillbe greatly missed. Myra leavestoCherish one Brother RenoldaMcClen‐don;two sisters-in-law Cynthia andCherylMc‐Clendon;one aunt,Edith Francisco;niecesand nephews AnthonyMcClen‐don,Jr.,Pandora S. Craig, Kenneth E. Craig, Sr., Shon‐tell(David) Craig-Young Renaldo McClendon, Re‐neetra(Gregory) McClen‐don Smith, WailearMc‐Clendon,RenataMcClen‐don,Iesha McClendon, Lila McClendon,Darnell C. Jackson,Crystal Ruiz, Bobby N. Johnson, andBilal N.McClendon.She also leavestocherish ahostof cousins andother relatives and friends. Myra waspre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Robert andLilaMc‐Clendon,Sr.;three Broth‐ers,RobertMcClendon,Sr., Anthony McClendonSr. Bobby N. McClendon, Sr.; and onesister, Sandra Craig.A FuneralService willbeheldonSaturday, May 2, 2026 at 10:00am at St. Luke’s EpiscopalChurch 1222 NDorgenois St.New Orleans,LA70119. Visita‐tionwillbegin at 9:00am Intermentwillbein Resthaven Memorial Park ProfessionalArrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504)5235872.
MariaSchiroMeyer,age 94, of NewOrleans, Louisiana,passedaway peacefullyathomeon April 27, 2026. Born on April 20, 1932, in NewOrleans, Maria wasthe beloved daughterofLillieGuzzardo Schiroand Gasper Schiro She grew up in NewOr‐leans andgraduated from JohnMcDonogh High School,where shewas honored as salutatorian of her graduating class. Be‐forededicatingherself to raising herfamily, Maria workedfor Bell Telephone and laterfor Blue Cross. She wasa womanofmany interests andpassions, findingjoy in allthings plantsand flowers, espe‐cially tendingtoher or‐chids.Maria wasa lifelong memberofthe Lake Vista GardenCluband theLake Vista Women’sClub. She deeply cherishedher Wednesday cardsgroup, where sheespeciallyen‐joyed winning.She also looked forwardtoweekly drinkswithher lady friends andtreasured her monthlyNAIMgroup at St
Pius X. Shewas an avid reader, lovedthe sym‐phony andopera,and never missedher daily crossword puzzle.Above all,Maria’s greatest joy was herfamily. Shewas immenselyproud of her childrenand lovedspend‐ing time with herfour grandchildren,who affec‐tionately called her“Re.” Cookingfor herfamilydur‐ing theholidaysalso brought hergreat joy, es‐peciallywhenpreparing the dishes that reflected her cherishedItalian fam‐ily heritage.She will be re‐memberedbyall who knewher forher warm em‐brace,her gift of engaging conversation, andher won‐derfulsense of humor. Maria is survived by her children, DianaRachel Meyer,David Charles Meyer (Lizbeth Ecke), and Helen MariaMeyer;and by her four grandchildren, Matthew,Lillie, Emilie, and Olivia. Shewas preceded in death by herson,PaulRan‐dolph Meyer, andher for‐mer spouse,Jacob Joseph Meyer.Visitationwillbe heldfrom10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday,May 1, 2026, at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 CanalBlvd. New Orleans, LA.A private familyburialwillfollow. In lieuof flowers, thefamily requeststhatmemorialdo‐nations in Maria’smemory bemadetoCityParkCon‐servancy(neworleanscity‐park.org)
passedawayonApril 12, 2026, at theage of 40. Gar‐ret is survived by hiswife, Elida Olivier, children: Chloe andNoahOlivier, and godparents, Desiree and DeAngelo.His siblings, Ariel,Charles,Dominique and Joshua will miss his humor,loveand wit. Also survivedbya host of other relatives andfriends.Pre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐therGlenn Olivier, mother Ethel Daniel,and brother, Glenn Olivier, Jr.DeDe calledNew Orleanshis homefor yearsbut always found hisforever home withhis family. Garrett was adecorated,devoted airmanwho served his country with prideand honor.Throughouthis dis‐tinguishedcareer,hecom‐pletedtwo deployments and twooverseastours, demonstrating unwavering dedication, strength,and commitment. He wasnot onlyanAirman, buthewas somuchtosomany. Fam‐ily andfriends areinvited tothe CelebrationofLife Service on Friday,May 1, 2026, at TheBoydFamily FuneralHome, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy.,New Or‐leans,LA. Please contact the familyfor furtherde‐tails.Visitationwillbelim‐itedtofamilymembers only. Foreverinour hearts, Garrett BrentOlivier Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors
Thomas JamesOwens, Sr.enteredeternalrest on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the age of 73. He wasthe belovedson of Irma Wroten Owens andthe late Willie Hamp Owens, Sr Thomas was adevoted father to Thomas Owens, Jr.and aproud grandfather to TahymusOwens He leaves to cherish his memory hislovingand devotedsisters, Doreen Owens Saizan,Debra Owens Summers, and MicheleOwens Johnson (Michael). He is also survived by hisnieces and nephews: Remonda Edmond; TalindaBell Bender(James), hisgoddaughterand niece; Deanna Cole; Claude Owens, Jr.(Chassler); Kimberly Owens; Lloyd Bell, Jr.; Renika McKinstry; Raven Summers;Jessica Saizan;DanielleSaizan Houston (Bilal); and ThaddeusSummers.
Avisitation willtake place at 10:30 AM followed by afuneral service at 11AM on Saturday May2, 2026 at Prestige UndertakingCo. locatedat 419 PresentStreetMissouri City, TX 77489.
Robert Edward Pollard, age 77 was born on November 25, 1948 in New Orleans, LA, transitioned on Friday, April 17, 2026. He proudlyservedhis country in theUnited States Navy from 1967 to 1969 andwas honorablydischarged at therankofFireman (E-4). He continuedhis service in theUnited States Naval Reservefrom1969 to 1973. During his militaryservice he wasawarded the NationalDefense Service Medal. During his time in themilitary, Robert demonstrated an extraordinarylevel of discipline andcommitmenttohis family. Followinghis militaryservice,hebecame a certifiedforklift operator andworkedwithdedication,including histime with LeidenheimerBaking Company. Ahardworking
anddependable man, he later retiredand held variouslabor positions throughout his career Robert leaves to cherish hismemory hischildren: Dr.Tammi Fleming(Felton White),Robert"Bob" Pollard Jr., Celeste Hollins (KevinHollins), Bobbie Jean Pollard, Candace Pickett(AlbertPickett); andDevinPollard. He is also survived by his siblings: JamesPollard, John Pollard, Barbara Jean Brumfield (James Brumfield), Belinda Coleman (Nathen Coleman), Lorenza "Virgie" Dorsey,Samuel Pollard, TerrancePollard; and his aunt, Sallie Davis, thecherished matriarch of the family. Hislegacycontinuesthrough his15grandchildren, onegreat-grandchild, anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended lovedones. He was preceded in death by his parents, JoePollard and Estelle BrownPollard Dorsey; hissiblings, Dorothy Stampley, JosephineFaulk, Betty Wilson, andVeronica "Claudette"Pollard; and hisgrandson, Michael Sykes. Relativesand friends of the familyare invited to attendthe Celebration of Life Service on Friday, May1,2026 at Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home, 2120 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113 at 12:30 p.m. Visitation from 11:30 a.m. until12:30 p.m. FollowedbyInterment on Monday, May4,2026 at Southeast Louisiana VeteranCemetery,34888 Grantham CollegeRoad, Slidell,LA70460. Youmay sign theguest book on www.gertrudegeddeswilli s.com.GertrudeGeddes Willis Funeral Home Inc.,in charge (504) 522-2525.
Judy S. Royal,age 76, wasbornonOctober 24, 1949, passed away on Monday, April 20, 2026, surroundedbyher children, family, andfriends.She wasa native of Thibodaux, LA anda resident New Orleans, LA. Judy was a parishionerofSt. Katherine DrexelCatholic Church,formerly Holy Ghost Catholic Church since arriving in New Orleansuntil herpassing SheattendedC.M Washington Elementary School and Thibodaux High School in Thibodaux, LA. Sheearned an Associate Degree in Arts in Early
Mclendon,MyraAnn
OwensSr., Thomas
Olivier, Garrett'DeDe
Pollard, Robert Edward
Royal, Judy S.
Mackie,JoanAnn Walters
Meyer, MariaSchiro
See more DEATHS page
OUR VIEWS
Recommendations forConstitutional Amendments 3-5
Louisiana voters will weighinon five proposedconstitutional amendments in theMay 16 election, with earlyvoting beginning Saturday andconcludingthe followingSaturday,May 9. TheTimes-Picayune and Advocatenewspapers make these recommendations on Amendments 3-5. Recommendations for Amendments 1and 2 were published Wednesday Amendment 3: Dissolve educationtrust fundsand raise teacher pay.Yes.
Louisiana’sperennially underpaid educators would get amodest but permanent raise,rather than the one-time stipends lawmakershave been doling out in recent years,ifvotersapprove this amendment.
Money for an additional annual $2,250 for teachersand $1,125for support staff would be freed up by dissolving three education trust funds and using the cash to pay down retirement debt. Interest and investment returnsfromthese funds are currently used forvariousneeds, including higher education andearly childhood education. Legislators indicatethey’ll find other resources to keep funding these priorities, and we certainly hope theydo.
This is not the first timevoters havehad a chance to weigh in on this question.In2025 they rejected an overly broad constitutional rewrite that included teacher raises,and we argued at the time that it should go before voters as a standalone question. We’reglad that lawmakers decided to break up lastyear’sdeeply flawed Amendment 2intosmaller parts, andrecommend ayes vote this timearound.
Amendment 4: Local option on business inventoryproperty tax.Yes.
This amendment wouldallow local parishes, at their own discretion, to reduce or eliminate the tax now assessed on business inventories.
In general, Louisiana’sinventory tax is an anachronistic and costly administrative burden that puts Louisiana jurisdictions at acompetitive disadvantage to the 41 states thatimpose no such levy.Indeed, because thetax applies not to profits but to in-stock inventories, some businesses withsmall profitmargins areforced to pay taxes as high as their net earnings.That’s an obvious deterrent to small business, anda job killer
Because afew heavily industrializedparishes rely on the inventory tax for alargepartof theirgovernment funding, this amendmentdoes not eliminatethe tax automatically butinstead givesparishes achoice.
This is exactly as it should be: Localities should decide which revenuesystemsbest fit local needs.
Like the teacher pay raise, thisproposal was part of last year’sfailed constitutionalrewrite We think it too deserves passage.
Amendment 5: Raise mandatory retirement agefor judges. Yes. Amendment 5would raise the mandatoryretirement agefor judgesinLouisianafrom70to 75. This would allow judges to run for terms as long as 10 years, dependingonthe court, as long as they have not reached their 75thbirthday. We think this is areasonable proposalgiven that people are generally livinglongerthanthey didwhen the original limit wasenacted,and that many retiredjudges still work on an ad hoc basis.
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
YOUR VIEWS
Allcitieswould be better withoutpeople
Recently,Iread aletter by Chris Williams of New Orleans, and upon reading his French Quarter grievances, Icould not help but thinkofsome of theinjustices I’ve witnessed in my own city of Baton Rouge —acity Ilove. Whenever Ivisit LSU’sbeautiful campus, full of stately live oaks and breathtaking Italian Renaissancestyle architecture, Iamdistraught to see thesheer number of college studentswalking the streets and sidewalks. These audacious studentsdilly dally throughout the otherwise stunning campus as though they have areason to be present at an academic institution. Furthermore, Ihave noticed that
during lateAugust through November, traveling in the area is darn near impossible as amotorist on manySaturday evenings. Isimply cannot navigate thestreets to collect my Torchy’stakeout order; on someoccasions,Torchy’sitself has switched off the online ordering portal on their app, obviously noticing the inexplicable hullabaloo. Iknow our LSU police forces are already stretched thin, but Iwould hope they can find it in their budget to do something about the problem of students on LSU’scampus so that we natives can enjoy it fora change.
HILLARYWARREN-STEVENS Baton Rouge
Tulane needstoleave Ted’sFrostop alone
I’veonly been to Ted’sFrostop once or twice with my grandparents, but Iremember twothings: the juicyburgers and the nostalgic atmosphere.I’vethought about going there again sometimeinmylife, but now Imay not be able to thanks to Tulane’sdecision to replace the beloved roadside diner for yet another residential hall.
While Iunderstand the need to find aplace for more students to live, the thought of demolishing an iconic landmark to obtain thatgoal is unsettling. Couldn’tTulane have picked abetterplace for the residence hall without pulverizing history?
I’maware thattheyplan to incorporatethe diner into the new complex, but let’s be honest, knocking down the original architecture, only to replace it with abuilding that
During French Quarter FestIhad the privilege of assisting withthe recycling and composting effortled by thelocal organization REALCYCLE. Kudos to French Quarter Festmanagement for dedicating resources so that attendees could recycle bottles and cans as well as composttheir food waste. We all know that New Orleanscan
heavily reeks of corporate minimalism,doesn’tmake it better.The diner is fine as it is, so why change it when it doesn’tneed fixing? It’s no surprise that the Historic District Landmarks Commission and abunch of locals and visitors are againstthis endeavor Ted’sFrostop is more than just aburger and root beer joint; it’s a place for visitors and localstosocializeand create memories in asetting reminiscent of asimpler time. If we keep doing away with historic buildings and cultural settings, whatwill become of New Orleans? It’llbecome another generic citystripped of its charm and personalityinthe name of “progress” —and that doesn’t sound like progress to me.
GRACIE WISE Destrehan
Honorour past during Confederate HistoryMonth
AprilisConfederate History Month.In thepast, mostofthe country andpresidents have supported veteransonboth sidesofthe Civil War. Here are someexamples: Woodrow Wilson attended the50th Gettysburg reunion in 1913; FDR attendedthe 75th Gettysburgreunionin1938, dedicated amonument to Robert E. Lee in Dallasand visited Beauvior Homefor Confederate Veterans in 1937; Harry Trumanwas amember of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and it took him, aSoutherner,to finally desegregate the “Union” military in 1948 (83 years after the war);Dwight Eisenhower kept apicture of Robert E. Lee in theOvalOffice; JFK celebrated the100th anniversary of thewar in 1961; Richard Nixon plannedtoattendthe dedicationofthe Stone Mountaincarving in 1970, but duetothe Kent State shooting, Spiro Agnewwentinhis place; GeraldFordreinstatedRobert E. Lee’scitizenship in 1976; Jimmy Carter reinstated Jefferson Davis’ citizenship in 1978; Joe Biden, as asenator, voted in favor of restoring both Lee’sand Davis’citizenships; Bill Clinton congratulated theUnited Daughters of theConfederacy on their100th anniversary in 1994; andeven Barack Obamacredited the Confederacy with the origins of Memorial Dayin2010. Locally,in2006 Mitch Landrieu, as lieutenant governor,welcomed the Society of Confederate Veterans to the city fortheir annual convention and in 1989 the City Council proclaimed Jefferson Davis Day. In Marie Laveau’s1881 obituary it states that she was“loyal to the South” during the war.
Thatsupport forall veteransofthe war endured forwellover 100 years andhas only lately been disavowed anddismissed by the newly fashionablehate andintolerance policies of theleft. It’s time to endthe hate andsupport our Confederate history andveterans.
TOMLONGMIRE NewOrleans
showcase itsability to host large events, and now we should strive towarddoing so in the mostenvironmentally friendly way possible. Let’s hope thefestivalgoers took amoment to appreciate the army of workers who sorted plastic and aluminum behind thescenes and who sifted tirelessly through themountain of food waste to
ensure that only organic waste headed to the industrial compost site. An enormousamount of waste was diverted from landfills this year thanks to those workers. Let’skeep improving each year and makeNew Orleans amodel in festival sustainability KEVIN FITZWILLIAM NewOrleans
In the early 1980s, Republican Gov. Dave Treen fought strenuously but unsuccessfullytocreate aCoastal Wetlands Environmental Levy —a feeonoil and gas transported through pipelines in Louisiana, to pay for damage to wetlands caused by those pipelines. The CWEL idea has popped up again intermittently since then, mostnotably in longtime Democratic officeholder FosterCampbell’sraces respectivelyfor governor and U.S. senator in 2007 and 2016 (and also in these columns). Because of the unanimous April 17 Supreme Court ruling that, for now,wipes out a$745 million judgment against the Chevron oil company,Louisiana is along, long way from being abletouse bigmoney court judgments against energy giants to pay for coastal restoration. Rather than continuing to fight for jackpotjustice in lawsuits thatwill drag on for years and may fail entirely,the state and its parishesshould offer an eminently logical “grand bargain”ofsorts.
Rather than trying to force oil companies to pay for long ago activity that quite arguably was legal at thetime,let’s just put alow,predictable fee on their activity —per unit volumeofoil orgas transported through pipelines —going forward. End the legal bills, end the allor-nothing risk for both sides: Just provide transparent, consistent, affordable levies. It would be awin-win for everybody,especially for coastal communities that need projects sooner rather than later,and with expectations rooted in actual legislation rather than in pie-in-the-sky promises from trial lawyers.
Granted, there would be hurdles, but they could be overcome.
Alittle history is in order
First, it is almost undisputed that pipeline canals contribute significantly to wetlands loss. Then again, that conclusion was far less obvious back in the 1940s, when oil giants responded to federal government directives to produce jet fuel by hugely ramping up energy production in Louisiana and off its shores.Itisproblematic to impose retroactive penalties on companies for
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Aold logging canal cuts through BayouSorrel in the Atchafalaya River Basin. It is almost undisputed that pipeline canals contribute significantly to wetlands loss.
long-ago operations.
By thetime the conservative Treen took office in 1980, though, it was clear that the pipelines were doing damage. Fresh from pushing through an individual income-tax cut —Treen was certainly no “big-government” liberal —hequite reasonably believed it madesensetoask companies to payfor harm caused by future production.
Alas, his firstattempt, which was enacted into law,had afatal flaw.Called the firstuse tax,” it essentially taxed the users of natural gas transported through Louisiana, while the state’sown residents enjoyed various exemptions and credits. In thecase of Maryland v. Louisiana, a 7-1 U.S. Supreme Court ruled the tax violated the federal Commerce Clause because it “impermissibly discriminates against interstate commerce in favor of local interests.” Treen respondedwiththe CWEL proposal thatalmostcertainly would pass constitutional muster because it gave no particular advantage to Louisiana consumersand because it was structured as auserfee for specificdamage caused by the pipelines. By then,though, the oilcompanieshad rallied, and they quashedall Treen’slegislative efforts on CWEL.
Decades later,various Louisiana entitiestriedtorecoup damages via lawsuits. Firstcame suitsbylevee boards The Legislature tried to kill thesuitsvia legislation, but statecourtsruledthey
couldn’tinvalidate suits already filed. On the other hand (and as predicted), those suits were thrown out by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now,under different arguments, we have the parish lawsuits which this month lost the major procedural battle at the SupremeCourt Enough is enough. Everyone should proceed in prearranged steps, agreed to by all parties. As notedinthe state court rulings on the levee board suits, the state legislature cannot invalidate already-filed suits —but it probably can writealaw effectively barring new suitsonsimilar grounds. Therefore, Step Awould be for all Louisiana entities now suing the oil companies to withdraw their suits, perhaps with avery nominal “settlement” fee from the companies. Step Bwould be concurrent legislative actions on twofronts: first, bar any new suits and, second, finally pass alow-fee CWEL or something like it, written under the careful guidance of constitutional lawyers and withoil company agreement. The corporations would be spared millions of dollars of lawyers’ bills and potentially adverse judgments costing billions of dollars. Louisiana would be able to count on another steady stream of cash for itswetlands projects. Quell the drama. Quell the risks. CWEL now,for dependable rewards.
Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com
Legislaturewants to abolishjudicial position.Thisiswhy it shouldn’t.
Will Sutton Quin Hillyer
Attorneys John Fuller and André Gaudin Jr.are likely doomed. Or at least theycould be almost done before they really get started. Fuller andGaudin are competing in aMay 16 special election to succeed former Orleans Parish Criminal Court Section J Judge Darryl Derbigny But if the Louisiana Legislatureapproves abill that would abolish the seat, whoever is elected would serve forno more than afew months. Or maybe whoever wins the judgeship might have it snatched from him before he can even take office —justas the Legislature is poised to do with Orleans Parish Clerk of CriminalCourt-elect Calvin Duncan.
Y’all better pay attention.
Whispers about the Republican legislative majorityslashing the number of civil, criminal and juvenile judges in Orleans started swirling earlier this year. As the three-dayqualifying period came, Fuller,Gaudin and others considering judicial campaigns had to weigh whether to runfor seats that might beeliminated In normal times, Derbignywould have completed his term on Dec. 31. In normal times, he might have chosen to pursue another six-year term. In normal times, he would have been successful, as many incumbent judges are But these are not normal times. Unfortunately for Derbigny,heand other criminal court judges have faced more intensescrutiny in recent years. More conservative peoplehave identified the Orleans Parish criminal court system as aplace where far too many people get off far too easily,far too often Derbigny didn’thelp.
The Metropolitan Crime Commission focuses its work on Orleans criminal district courts, monitoring effectiveness and efficiencies, including backlogs, delays, lapses and costs. Arecent commission report estimated thatseveral courts were costing the city of New Orleansmillions, because people awaiting adjudication were being held longer than normal in theOrleans Parish jail. This newspaper carefully uncovered problems with thecourts, including one that thecommission said was costing more than$5million, almost double the court average to house those in the parish jail.
Thecourtroom? Section J.
The judge:Derbigny Soon after,Derbigny decided to retire Fuller and Gaudin had nothing to do with what happened in his court. Yetthe Legislature wants them to pay for someone else’s poor performance. That’snot right. The abolishment measure is scheduled for floor debate on Tuesday.Things can change. Maybe, just maybe, enough Republicans might realize thatit’swrong to put candidates and voters through an election with no intention of allowing the winner to compete for afull term Start ajob and finish it by Dec. 31?
Legislators are on track to end Duncan’sfour-year criminal court term before it’sscheduled to start Monday
If theywant to be as mean as theyhave been to Duncan, theycan amend the bill to take effect immediately as the governor signs it. That would mean voters can choose Fuller or Gaudin during the May 2-9 early voting period and the guv could see that the man declared the winner on May 16 wouldn’teven start the job.
In separateinterviews, Fullerand Gaudin said they arewatching. Each said they’ll do good work even if they
have only six months. Gaudin is focused on datareform and transparency.Fuller is focused on moving dockets fairly and quickly Forlegislators’ consideration, remember thatRepublican AttorneyGeneral Liz Murrill has taken responsibility for the prosecution of all Troop NOLA cases By chopping one or more judicialseats, you can be sure thatthere would be complaintsabout backlogs, delays and slow justice. Does Murrill support slow justice?
If the drafted legislation doesn’t change, Fullerwould hold the shortest professional jobofhis career.Helasted about twoyears as aPendleton Security guard in Jackson, Mississippi. If he wins, Gaudin would hold the judgeship for less time thanthe various hospitality jobs he held as awaiter and aserver
In an interview on the “Good Morning Show” on WBOK 1230 AM Wednesday morning, Gov.Jeff Landry told me getting rid of this open seat and other Orleans judgeships isn’tpersonal. It’s about doing what’s right, he said. Asked about the fairness to these twoguys and Orleans voters, he said, “They can pick another one of the judicial seats thatare coming up to run.”That’snot the point. They’re running for this seat
One of these mendeserves to serve voters for the balance of this unexpired term, thenseek reelection for afull sixyear term this fall —unless athorough legislative review shows the jobshould disappear
The legislators pushing this ill-advised plan don’tseem to care what theyorOrleans voters want. Butthey should.
Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.
The shrinkingofAmerica’spopulation —perhaps probable,certainlyregrettable —isnot inevitable It is preventable, but requires an attitude adjustment among Americans who do notunderstand that peopleare resources immeasurably more valuable than rare earth minerals. In 2025, America’sfertilityrate (birthsper womenofchildbearing age), decliningsince2007, reached a record low. Happily,the fertilityrate forteenagers is down 81% since its 1991 peak.And therate hasrisen amongwomen delaying childbearing until their30s and40s, reflecting women’sexpandedlife choices.
Butanew report by theAmerican Enterprise Institute’s NicholasEberstadt indicates that an ominous question markhaunts the nation’s future: “Can aDepopulating America Still Flourish?” He says“wrenching changes” that “depopulation will unforgivingly impose” mightcome with“stunning speed.”
Some have alreadycome. Higher education,a source of overheated anxiety aboutpopulation “pressure” threatening theplanet’s“sustainability,”will sufferfrom a“birth dearth”and perhaps curtailment of legal immigration.Economist Tyler Cowen, writing forthe Free Press, notes that a shrinking cohort of college-age Americanswill accelerate this: Since 2013, morethan700 —about 15% —ofU.S. colleges have closed.
The Congressional Budget Office projects Americabecoming whatEberstadt calls apermanently “net mortality” society —deathsexceeding births —in four years,witha million moredeaths than birthsby2046. Immigration will delaydepopulation until 2056, when theU.S.population will peak at 364 million —just4% morethantoday because of 0.1% growth from 2037 to 2056.
Adepopulating America will be increasingly aged.Inperhaps just three years, therewill be more65-plus Americansthan children under18. Thefastest-growing cohort, the“super-old” (80plus), will more than doubleby2050.
Longevityhas fueledglobal flourishing, andvice versa. Since1968, worldpopulation hassoared from 3.5 billiontoover 8billion, life expectancy at birth has increased from 56 years to 74 years, and theworldisbetter fedand healthier than ever.This is because, Eberstadt says, “human beings arethe uniquelyadaptable,ingenious,problem-solving animal.” Population increase means increased “consumers, workers, taxpayers, investors.”
Long-term population decline,coinciding with theincreasing life expectancy of an aging population, would require peopletowork longer. This can compensate foranincreasingly adverse ratioof workers to retirees that threatensthe entitlement (essentially,Social Security andMedicare) state. Population declinemakes it imperative to reverse the declineofthe laborforce participation rate of Americansaged 15 to 64. This rate is nowlower thaninanti-workaholic Europe. If today’srate were what it wasatits 20th-century peak in 1998, theworkforce would be 5millionlarger. Instead, the rate forprime-age men (25-54) is slightly lower thaninMarch 1940, when thenational unemployment rate wasabove 14 %. So,Eberstadtsays, for prime-age men we have today a“Depression-scale problemwithwork.”
This resists remediation because it involvessome intractable and entangled social pathologies, particularlycriminality andexcessive dependenceon government.Eberstadt’seducated estimateisthat 25 million —1 in 7adult men —havefelonyconvictions, so there are morethan10ex-convicts for every onecurrentlyincarcerated Anddependencyongovernment is disincentivizing work. Eberstadt: “By 2024 nearly oneinfour prime agemen without childreninthe household lived in homes taking at least one means tested benefit: triple the fraction back in 1985.”Disability benefits are implausibly rife among prime-age menwho are neither working nor looking for work.
Population aging depresses the saving rate, hence investing, hence productivity,a particular threat to American households (36 million, in 2023) with networths less than $25,000, including 40% of Hispanic American and almosthalfof Black households.
Adepopulating society cannot thrive withthe chronic dependence that accompanies thebreakdown of family structure: Since 1960, thepercentageofbabiesborn to unmarried mothers has surged from 5% to almost40%.By2023, more than one-fifth of children were in one-parent homes. America, Eberstadt says, has had “the most robust demographic growth of any developed society.” The Social Security Administration, predicting what it must desperately desire, projects another 100 millionAmericans by 2100. But intractable pathologies —including government’s fiscal incontinence and “pay-as-you-go entitlements” —spell catastrophe for anationwith an upside-down “population pyramid,” where each generation is smaller than the previous one. There is one promising solution. Increasing skilled immigration intoour nation,whichhas,as Eberstadtsays, “an unusually good knack forturning newcomers intoloyal andproductive citizens.” Email George Will at georgewill@washpost. com.
George Will
Childhood Education from Delgado Community College in 1986. She earned service awards from the Urban League Parent Child Center and Total CommunityAction, Inc. Judy retired from St. Michael's Special Schoolin New Orleans after 31 years of service. She loved prayingthe Rosary, going to the Stations of the Cross, gardening, crosswordpuzzles, watching Perry Mason, lemonpie, and Coca Cola. She leaves to cherish her memories her devotedchildren, Christina,Tina, Murphy (Junko), Crystal (Kenneth Terrence), Nathaniel, and Emanuel; grandchildren, Murphy, Larrielle, and Jasmine; siblings Linda (Gilbert), Harold (Pat), and Robert (Karen), and ahost of nieces, nephews, godchildren, and other family and friends. She is preceded in deathbyher loving husband, Murphy of (55 years); parents Haroldand Myrtle Shanklin; and siblings, Gertude Nelson and WarrenShanklin. Relatives, friends, priest, and parishioners are invited to attend the Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, May 1, 2026 at St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church, 2015 Louisiana Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115 at 10:30 a.m. Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Interment St. Louis #3 Cemetery, 3421 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, La. 70119. In lieu of floral arrangements, please donate to St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church or her beloved St. Michael's Special School in her memory. Please sign the guest book on www.gertrudeged deswillis.com .Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home Inc. In Charge (504) 522-2525.
DEATHS continued from tal. AnativeofNew Or‐leans,Louisiana,Claiborne was born on July 4, 1955, to the late DorisDeanand Claiborne Scott, Sr.Hewas baptizedat5th African Baptist Church andac‐ceptedChristatanearly age.Claiborne attended New OrleansPublic Schoolsand graduated fromBooker T. Washington HighSchool.Shortly after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1972 alongsidehis cousin, ShedrickToney,under the buddy system.Duringhis service,hetouredover‐seasinSpain andserved duringthe VietnamWar Following his honorable discharge,Claiborne and his cousin went into busi‐nesstogether,working in constructionon homesand businessesthroughout New Orleansand Texas. He alsoworkedatthe Kaiser Aluminum Plantand was known as adedicated en‐trepreneurwho took great pride in hiscraftsmanship Claiborne hada deep love for hisfamilyand enjoyed spendingtime dancing withhis sister,Cynthia.He was knownfor hisjoyful spirit, hisloveofgood food,and hisfrequentre‐minders that hisbirthday fellonthe Fourth of July With rootsinChicago, Illi‐noisthrough hisfather, Claiborne also spent meaningfultimethere over the yearssharing memo‐rieswithhis othersiblings. Thoughheisnolonger withus, thepride he car‐riedfor hisloved ones and the memories he created willliveonforever in the heartsofall who knew him.Heleavestocherish his memory hissiblingsEu‐gene(Tiffany) Dean,Terrol Kimble, CynthiaNewman and Cori Orsby; nieces, Penny(James) Tate
TiffanyNewman, and Princetta Vessel;nephews, Eugene(Toya)Vessel, Theophilus(Jada)Vessel, JerimyahDean, Robert Parker, Kellie OrsbyJr.,Isa‐iah Orsby, ChaseKimble, and Morgan Kimble;along witha host of greatand great-great nieces nephews,cousins,an uncle,and friends, Michelle,David andWoody. Heisprecededindeath by his parents, DorisDeanand Claiborne Scott, Sr.; his grandparents; hissister, Princetta Vessel;and his nephews,GeraldNewman, Henry Newman,and Cor‐neliusVessel. Celebration ofLifeIsraelBaptist Church 1612 Esther Street Harvey, Louisiana70058 Saturday, May2,2026 Visi‐tation: 10:00 a.m. Service: 11:00 a.m. Officiating: Pas‐tor DarrellMcKinnies.In‐terment Veterans Ceme‐tery34888 Grantham Col‐legeDrive Slidell, Louisiana 70460. Arrangements En‐trusted To Robinson Family FuneralHome. Online con‐dolencesRobinsonfamily‐funeralhome.com
SPORTS
LSU
26
KIT STARTERS
Pels center Jordan named best teammate in NBA
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
New Orleans Pelicans center DeAndre
Jordan didn’t put up the numbers he was accustomed to when he was a three-time All-NBA player
But his value to the Pelicans outside the box scores this season didn’t go unnoticed. Jordan was named the 2025-26 TwymanStokes Teammate of the Year by the NBA on Wednesday
The award recognizes the player deemed the league’s best teammate, based on selfless play, leadership and commitment to the team.
Jordan, who just completed his 18th NBA season, signed with New Orleans in October He wasted little time becoming the ultimate teammate.
“I just always wanted to encourage my teammates,” Jordan said late in the season.
“We are an extension of each other The better they are, the better we are as a team. It’s still a competition at the end of the day because you’re playing for shots and minutes and contracts and all that stuff. That is a big deal. But it’s also a love of the game and wanting somebody else to succeed. When we win, everybody wins.”
Jordan played in just 12 games, averaging
through a
First-team LSU defenders have strong holds on spots after spring
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
The LSU defense has made steady improvements in the first two years of Blake Baker’s tenure as defensive coordinator
Now coach Lane Kiffin and his staff hope they’re on the verge of taking another step forward on that side of the ball. Continuity will help them do it. So, too, will the few key players they’ve added from both the transfer portal and high school ranks.
“It was really critical to keep (Baker),” Kiffin said on March 31, “because he has done a great job continuing to improve them, and now we want to go to another level and play really physical, dominant defense that creates a lot of havoc and turnovers but at the same time plays with great discipline.” Will LSU accomplish that goal? It’s too early to tell. But what is clear, now that the Tigers are done with spring practices, is that Kiffin, Baker and the rest of the coaches may have most of their defensive starters in place. Here’s a projected defensive depth chart based on everything we gathered from spring practices.
Geralds (Fr.)
Defensive end
Starters: Princewill Umanmielen (Sr.), Jordan Ross (Jr.)
Rotation: Dylan Carpenter (R-Jr.), Lamar Brown (Fr.)
In 2025, only two SEC defenders recorded more sacks than he did (nine), and neither of them played for LSU.
The Tigers’ top two edge rushers — Patrick Payton and Jack Pyburn combined to register only three sacks
Defensive tackle
Starters: Malik Blocton (Jr.), Deuce
LSU’s depth took a hit here when Gabe Reliford suffered a torn ACL in spring practice. His injury will force the Tigers to rely more heavily on both Ross and Brown as they try to create a more disruptive fourman pass rush than they did last season.
Rotation: Dominick McKinley (Jr.), Stephiylan Green (R-Jr.)
Also: Richard Anderson (Fr.), Shone Washington (R-Sr.)
Brown and Anderson grabbed most of the headlines when LSU signed its freshman class in December Perhaps we should’ve paid more attention to Geralds, who was one of spring’s standouts. It looks like he’s
See
LSU wants to burnish resume vs. Auburn
BY JIM KLEINPETER
Contributing writer
LSU softball enters the final weekend of Southeastern Conference play trying to keep its eyes on the prize and off of the scoreboard.
ä Auburn at LSU 6 P.M. THURSDAy ESPN+
With a chance to play host to an NCAA regional, the No. 20 Tigers are in good position to solidify their chances with a No. 11 RPI and facing an Auburn team tied for second-to-last in the conference The two teams open the three-game series at 6 p.m. Thursday at Tiger Park. LSU (34-16, 10-11 SEC) has won 11 of 15 games and most recently took care of business with a 16-0 midweek win against McNeese State. Coach Beth Torina said the key is for her players to keep their heads down and not assume anything “We just need to play well this weekend and play well in the (SEC) tournament,” Torina said when asked whether her team has a “magic number”. “We have put forth a strong resume. I told the team we’ve won the games we should win. Are there some we could have won? Of course, but there’s not a bad loss on the schedule. Eleven Quad
See LSU, page 3C
BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — D Wayne Lukas always talked up his latest crop of 2-year-old horses with an eye toward the next Kentucky Derby, telling his wife to get her dress for Oaks day
“This was what he lived for,” said Todd Pletcher, now an accomplished trainer himself after working for Lukas beginning in 1989. Lukas’ eternal optimism about the future was an annual tradition that lasted until June, when the Hall of Fame trainer was hospitalized with a severe blood infection and died at age 89. The horse racing community gathers this week for the first Kentucky Derby without Lukas, though his presence lingers over everything around the biggest event in horse racing.
“I miss Wayne. I miss talking to him,” twotime Triple Crown-winning trainer and longtime friend Bob Baffert said. “The thing is, without him here, it’s a different little vibe.” His name remains a part of Churchill Downs, with a sign marking the “Lukas Gap” impossible to miss on the way between
STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE
Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan, left, chats with center Derik Queen as the team took on the Utah Jazz on April 7 at the Smoothie King Center
PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS LSU starting pitcher Cece Cellura warms up before the third inning against McNeese State on Tuesday at Tiger Park.
safety Dashawn Spears works
drill with defensive coordinator Blake Baker at spring practice on March
at the team’s practice facility STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
On TV
COLLEGE BASEBALL
6p.m. Louisville at Wake ForestACC
6p.m.Vanderbilt at Alabama ESPN2
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
6p.m. Arkansas at Texas SEC
8p.m. Oklahoma at Texas A&M SEC
MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE
2p.m. Michigan vs. Johns Hopkins BTN
6p.m. Maryland vs. Penn State BTN
GOLF
5a.m. DP WorldTour:TurkishOpen Golf
9a.m. LPGA Tour:MayaOpen Golf
11 a.m.Champions: Regions Tradition Golf
2p.m. PGA Tour:Cadillac Championship Golf HORSE RACING
Noon America’s Dayatthe Races FS2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
11 a.m.Detroit at Atlanta MLB
3p.m Kansas
6:10
7p.m.Boston
8:30 p.m.DenveratMinnesota
9p.m.Edmonton at Anaheim TNT TENNIS
6a.m.Madrid-ATP/WTATennis UFL
7p.m.St. Louis at Louisville FS1
Southern Miss droughtover
Tulane ends dryspell againstGolden Eagles with huge comeback
BY GUERRYSMITH
Contributing writer
Tulane scratchedaneight-year itch on Tuesday night.
Late Tuesday
Nine-hole hitter Tanner Chun singled in Johnny Elliott withtwo outs in the eighth inning as the Green Wave went ahead for the first time after trailing 5-0, and closer Sam Larson pitched around aone-out walk in theninth to close out a7-6 victory against 12th-ranked Southern Missat Turchin Stadium.
Never mind that midweek games are supposed to be of secondary importance in college baseball.Thiswas ahugedeal for the players and coach Jay Uhlman, who was 0-8 against the Golden Eagles as Wave head man or assistant.
“It’sagreat feeling,” he said. “They didn’t hand us this game. We had to earn it.”
Tulane (23-23) had notbeaten Southern Miss (31-14) since winning in Hattiesburg on May 1, 2018,and its last victoryathome against the Golden Eagles was April 19, 2017.
The losing streak appeared destined to continue when Southern Miss went ahead 4-0 on solo homersoff starter Jude Abbadessa in the first and Jack Brafa in the third around atwo-run second, then added a fifth run in the third on athrowing error by third baseman James Agabedis. This time, the Wave responded immediately,sending ninebatters to the plate in the bottomofthe third and cutting the deficit to 5-4 on Matthias Haas’stwo-out, tworunsingle right after first Southern Miss first baseman stabbed a line drive by Trent Liolios to save two runs.
The Golden Eagles brought in lefty reliever Kros Sivley,who threw 51/3 no-hit innings of relief in last Tuesday’s 5-4 win against the Wave, and he retired five in arow
before Haas homered to left field with two outs in thesixth.
“It was achangeup,but Iwas just stepping up to the plate trying to be aggressive to my zone,” Haas said. “It was agood pitch to hitand Iwentfor it.”
That homeranswered one from USM’sMatthew Russo in the top of the fifth. Liolios tied it in the seventhwith another two-out homer off Sivley,his second of the year
Tulane pitchers Caden Tarango, Aidan Rath, Jacob Moore,Julius Ejike-Charles TomVincent limited Southern Miss to one run after its early outburst, setting up the big finish. Catcher Johnny Elliott singledoff Teague Brookhead with oneout and advanced to secondonawild pitch
Chun then found ahole on the left side of the infield for the
Wave’s fifthconsecutive two-out run, withElliott beating thethrow home. “I was just sticking with my approach, staying within myself and putting agood swing on the ball,” Chun said. “That’swhatI’ve been working on the past few weeks. This win just showed the resilienceofour teamand howwe’re never out of the fight.” Larson (2-2), who gotthe final outofthe eighth, madesure the Wave’s firstlead stood up. Evan Burg, who entered as adefensive replacement forTye Wood in left field, ran up from ano-doubles position near thewalltocatch a fly forthe second out.Shortstop KaikeaHarrison fielded agrounder andthrew to Lioliosat first base to end it.
Tulane overcame its slow start andthree bad throws by Agabe-
dis. He committed his second errorwith two outs in the seventh and nearly made athird that Liolios scooped up nicely to end the inning.The contributionscame from everywhere. Haas hadhits in his first three at-bats. Nate Johnson reached base in his first three plate appearances.Chun, who entered with a.197 batting average, singled in the Wave’s firstand last runs. Jacob Moore retired all four battershefaced Ejike Charles allowed no hits in theseventh.
“I’m extremely impressed by the entire deal,” Uhlmansaid. “Our resolve was good. We didn’t flinch and we picked teammates up pretty well, andthen Samdid what Sam does. He gives us the best chancetowin at the end of thegame.
“It was good.”
Just when he thoughthewas out
Proddedbyhis son, Mattinglygives baseball anothergo as Phillies manager
BY DANGELSTON AP sportswriter
PHILADELPHIA Don Mattingly
thew in the towel on his managerial career and had all but retired from baseball after he left his bench coach job with Toronto following the World Series. Prodded by his son, Mattingly decided to give baseball another go, and he accepted ajob overthe winter as bench coach in Philadelphia, where he would be reunited with old friendRob Thomson from their New York Yankees days.
But manage again when the Yankees great known as Donnie Baseball was about to turn 65?
“I don’tthink Ihave theenergy forthatanymore,” Mattingly said in January Mattingly seemed candid about his future at the time because all logic and recent history showed that he was joining aheavyweight World Seriescontender in Philadelphia. Why even toss around theidea of ever filling out alineup card again, especially with ahigh-priced,postseason-tested roster brimming with talent including Bryce Harper,Trea Turner,Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler?
Fast forward four months and the Phillies’ season has come to this: Mattingly’slast best shot at winning his first World Series ring
after more than 40 years in baseballstarts with managing one of the worst teams in the National League.
Mattingly is indeed the manager for therestofthe season, taking the interimjob Tuesday after thePhillies firedThomson— and openly flirted with the ideaofreplacinghim with former RedSox manager Alex Cora —with the stout belief that achampionship team beats in the heart of thisunderachieving roster
The job either comes with aperk or the potential for awkwardness with Mattinglyalso the fatherof his new boss, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly Also give 11-year-old sonLouis Mattingly the bulk of thecredit for flipping dad’sdecision in the offseason Mattingly— whowore awhite pinstriped suit in the1980s Hit Man poster that wasastaple in many an ’80s New York kid’sbedroom —is off to a fine start in Philly Thomson, who led thePhillies to four straight postseason berths, including the 2022 World Series, might still have his job had Philadelphia regularly played as well at it didina7-0 win over SanFrancisco in Mattingly’sdebut on Tuesday Thomson surely enjoyed the result —even if it perhapscame with abit of frustration that the Phillies failed to play more consistent complete games throughout April. Turner becamethe first Phillies player all season with afour-hit game. Jesús Luzardo, just two starts after the lefty allowed nine runs and12hits against the Cubs, tossed two-hit ball, struck out eight andwalked none over seven
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly grimaces as he speaks during anews conference before agameagainst the SanFrancisco Giants on TuesdayinPhiladelphia. The Phillies won7-0
innings. He teamed withtwo relievers forthe Phillies firstshutout of the season. The Phillies lost 10 straight games and 11 of 12 in Thomson’s final stretch of an otherwise successful tenure. Mattingly kept the coaching staff intact —notably beleaguered hitting coach Kevin Long, who took most of the heat forthe Phillies’ woes —and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach.
“I don’tknow if I’m awhole lot different from Rob, honestly,”
Johnson: LSU RHP Evans healthy aftermissingstart
LSUright-handerCasan Evans is healthy despite missing his start Friday because of arm discomfort, coach Jay Johnson said Tuesday Evans wasscratched from his start less than an hour before Friday’smatchup against Mississippi State. Johnson is unsure whether he will be available this weekend against South Carolina since he hasn’tthrown abaseball in nearly aweek.
With Evans’ status in flux, Johnson said LSU will start right-handers William Schmidt and Marcos Paz this weekend against South Carolina.Johnsondoesn’tknow whowill start on which day,partly because of Evans’ status.
LSUgot swept by Mississippi State last weekend without Evans. The Tigers are 2-10 over their past 12 games.
No. 1Sinner beats rising star Jódar in Madrid Open
MADRID Top-ranked Jannik Sinner proved too muchfor Rafael Jódar,the latest tennis sensation from Spain.
Jódar’srun was halted by a6-2, 7-6 (0) loss to Sinner in the quarterfinals of theMadridOpenon Wednesday.The 19-year-oldJódar has been quickly rising in the rankings andhad impressed in Madrid with victories against better-ranked opponents.
“Whataplayer,”Sinner wrote on the lens of the on-court camera after the match.
The 24-year-old Sinnersaidthe 42nd-rankedJódar has “everything that’s needed”tobeamong thetop players. He had already becomejustthe thirdSpaniard after Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz —toearn amain-draw win in Madrid before turning 20.
Pickens signs $27.3M franchise tag with Cowboys FRISCO,Texas— Dallas Cowboys receiverGeorge Pickenssigned his $27.3 millionfranchise tag Wednesday, making it almost certainthe ProBowler will showup for mandatory offseason work while the club remains adamant it has no plans to trade CeeDee Lamb’ssidekick.
Pickens informed the Cowboys just hours before the start of the NFL draft last week that he intended to sign the one-year tender
The 25-year-old, acquiredlast year in atradewithPittsburgh, hadcareer highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns(nine)for oneofthe best offenses in the NFLlast season.
Dallas finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in arow
Alabama guardwaitingon outcome of marijuana case
Mattinglysaid. “I trust players, I believe in players, Ilike players. ButI want us to play better baseball.”
Mattingly,who managedthe Dodgersfrom 2011-15 andthe Marlins from 2016-22, also didn’t seem to mind he was Philadelphia’ssecondmanagerial choice.
Dave Dombrowski,the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, made it clearTuesday that Cora was his first choice to succeed Thomson. Dombrowski ran the frontoffice in Boston when Cora managed theRed Sox to aWorld Series championshipin2018. A Philly reunion madesense on paper,though Cora ultimately passed.
“I came to the conclusion that if he took it, Iwould make achange Ithoughthewouldtake it,” Dombrowski said. “Until Monday morning it was apparent fromhis perspective he wanted to taketime withhis family.Hewanted to be afather first and foremost and so that’swhat he haddecided.”
ThePhillies, of course, have been here before, notablyin2022 when Dombrowski fired Joe Girardi after a22-29 start and theywent 65-46 the rest of theseason under Thomson. The schedule worksin Mattingly’sfavor to duplicate that run, with nine of thenext 13 games at home,withonlythe Athletics (out of three other teams) holding awinning record.
Mattingly thought he was out He’snow allthe way back in —and thePhillies’ World Series hopes are firmlypinned on amanager who’snever won one.
“This is notabout howI’m going to do,” Mattingly said. “It’sreally about club.”
Alabamahas ascholarship waiting for suspended guard Aden Hollowaydepending on theoutcome of his marijuana case, coach Nate Oats said Wednesday Holloway was arrested on felony drug charges and subsequently banned from campus days before thestart of theNCAATournament. His arraignment wasscheduled forJune 16,but Hollowayhas waived that court date and his attorney, Jason Neff, plannedto file aformalpleaofnot guilty on his behalf, according to an AL.com report. Depending on the outcome, Holloway could end up back with the team
Holloway,second on the team in scoring at 16.8 points agamelast season, was arrested March 16 after authorities found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in his apartment.
Pro Bowl safety Simmons announces hisretirement
DENVER Two-timePro Bowl safety Justin Simmonshas retired following anine-year career,including eight seasons with the Denver Broncos. The Broncosannounced Simmons’retirementonWednesday and noted the newscame exactly 10 years after the team selected the safety in the third round from Boston College in 2016. Though Simmons started 16 games for the Atlanta Falcons in his final season in 2024, when he had two interceptions, he enjoyed most of hissuccess with Denver Eachofhis two Pro Bowl seasons camewith the Broncos. He also wasa four-time second-team AllPro forDenver Simmonsintercepted at least two passes in each of his nine seasons and finishedhis career with 32.
STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Tulane baserunner Tanner Chun steals second base as the sunglasses worn by Southern Miss infielder Seth Smith flyinthe air on Tuesdaynight at Turchin Stadium
1wins, we’ll put that up against anybody
“We’re sitting at No. (11) in RPI. We’re feeling like if we can do somegoodthings moving forward, we’ll be in goodshape. This team has areally strong resume with the Quad 1wins.”
The Tigers are tied for eighth in the SEC with Georgia in the perennially strong conference, butthe Tigers are pitching, hitting and playing defense better than during any other stretch of the season. Asweep of Auburn likely would put them alone in eighth with Georgia facing No. 6Florida in athreegame series.
“It’sthat time of yearitdoesn’tmatter how it gets done or who does it, we just need to find away to win theseries,” Torina said. “They’re ateam fighting, too. They’re trying to keep their postseason hopesalive They’ve battled and foughtand will do that this weekend.”
The top LSU hitters are outfielder Jalia Lassiter (.340) and shortstop KyleeEdwards (.338),but thehottest hitteris firstbaseman Tori Edwards. She is on aseven-gamehitting streak during which she is 10 for 19 (.526) with four homers, adouble and 12 RBIs The pitching enjoyed amonthlongstretch
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas watches a workout at Churchill Downs on May1in Louisville, Ky
ASSOCIATED
of effective performances until the past two weekends,but it found abullpen ace togo with starters Jayden Heavener andCece Cellura. Paytn Monticelli won all three games against Ole Miss twoweekends ago while pitching acombined seven shutout innings.
“There are somepitches we’d like to have back over the past couple of weeks, but we went on an incredible run forabout five weeks before that,amazing, amazing pitching numbers,” Torina said. “Hopefully,we can make someadjustments, attack this offense and get back to wherewewere a couple of weeks ago.”
Auburn (25-24, 4-17 SEC) is in the second year under the marriedcouple coaching tandem of Kateand Chris Malveaux. The visitors haveimpressive wins over No. 11 Oregon and Floridabut struggled through a 13-game SEC losing streak during whichit was swept four times.
One of Auburn’sleading hittersisafamiliarfaceinformerLSU outfielder McKaela Walker,who transferredthere in theoffseason. Walker is batting .301 with ateam-best
37 RBIs.She’s tied with teammate Ma’Nia Womack for the team lead in homers with11.
Shortstop Alyssa Hastings is batting .380 with six homers and 33 RBIs for Auburn.
TheAuburn pitching ace is Ella Harrison (11-12, 3.65 ERA),who threw a4-0 completegame shutout against Florida.
DERBY
Continued from page1C
the fabled track and barn 44, whichheoccupied for more than fourdecades. Baffert wanted it badly,hesaid, but it’snow where Mike Maker’shorses are kept.
It’sfitting becauseMaker is one of countless horsemen now thriving after learning under Lukas. Pletcher,who has wonthe Derby twice and has the favorite this year in Renegade, is one of the strongest branches on Lukas’ racing version of acoaching tree.
“It’sanincredible tree, really,when you look at all the different branchesand how many people arecurrently trainingthateither worked for Wayne or worked forme or worked for one of the other assistants (who worked) for Wayne,” Pletchersaid.
“It just shows you how many lives Wayne directly or indirectly touched.”
Among them is now-retired jockey Jerry Bailey,whose second of two Derby victories came aboard Lukas-trained Grindstonein1996.Theirconnection traced back to Lukas’ days training quarter horses in New Mexico before getting into thoroughbreds and becoming one of the faces of the sport.
LSU
Continued from page1C
already earned significant snaps inside the defensive tackle rotation, which is no small feat for an early enrollee. It’srare for an interior lineman to start during his freshman year Linebacker
Weeks’ health will be oneofthe top storylines of preseasoncamp. He was limitedtoindividual drills in spring practices because he’s still recovering from abroken foot that abbreviated his junior season. If healthy, Weeks can form apotent duo withDottery,the OleMiss transfer wholed the SEC intackles lastyear LSU has solid depth behindthem, too
Star
Starter:Dashawn Spears(Jr.)
Backup:CJJimcoily (Soph) Spears decided to enter the transfer portal in December,then changed his mind. Now he’sset to take over for Harold Perkins at Star —aposition that Kiffinthinks is a“really critical” piece of the LSU defense. Baker willask him to defend the run, blitz anddrop backinto coverage, so it’simportant for Spears to prove that he can step into an every-down role
Cornerback
Starters:DJPickett (Soph.), PJ Woodland (Jr.)
Backups:Michael Turner(R-Soph.), Ja’Keem Jackson (R-Jr.)
Kiffinwishes he had aspring transfer portal window this year,inpart because he’d like to shore up the cornerback depth. The Tigers already were somewhat thinatthat spot before spring practice, then they lost sophomore
Bailey recalledonceriding ahorse for Lukas that finishedupthe track, nowhere close to winning, andthinking afterward that he never wouldget aboard again. Lukas changed his mind in theirconversation on the way back to the jockeys’ room.
“He was such aglass-half-full, positive guy,”Bailey said.“He had me believing this horse was the next comingofSecretariat by thetimeIgot back And that’s reallywho Wayne Lukaswas: always Mr Positive.And Ithink the game was better off for him.”
Lukas was still riding his pony himself into his late 80s, showing no signs of slowing down the get-up-earlywork ethic that made him successful. Still, Bailey made it apoint to visit every time he got the chance, not knowing when it wouldbethe last time they gottotalk.
Fellow jockey-turned-NBC Sportsanalyst Donna Brothers, who rode for Lukas in the 1990s, also was aregularvisitor, eagertoget his perspectiveonnot just his horse and stablebut anynumberofthings leading up to abig race.
“It’squite avoidtowalk by Wayne’s barn and not see Wayne’s pony sitting out there and knowthatyou’re notgoing to be able to go by Wayne’s barn andtalktohim about whohelikes forthisyear’sDerby and why,” Brothers said.
LSU linebacker Whit Weeks takesa water breakafter adrill during spring practice on April14atthe school’spractice facility
AidanAnding to an Achilles tear in ascrimmage. Pickett and Woodland are each capable starters, but if oneofthemhas to misstime, the Tigers will have to rely on someone who doesn’thave much starting experience.
Safety
Starters:TyBenefield (Sr.), TamarcusCooley (R-Jr.)
Backups:FaheemDelane(Soph.), Jhase Thomas (R-Fr.)
Theback end of the defense figures tobe astrength. Cooley is areturningstarter Benefieldhas thelook of an early-round NFL draft choice. AndDelane, the younger brother of first-round draftee Mansoor Delane, is alittle overqualified to be asecondteam safety.He’sa former top-100 recruit who rotated intoOhio State’ssecondaryas atrue freshman in 2025.
The group also has positional versatility Benefield excelled around theline of scrimmage lastyearatBoise State, so he could dropdown to Star,and Spears could slide to safety.Baker has options.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByCHARLIE RIEDEL
Silent Tactic is first Kentucky Derbyscratch
BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter
LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Silent Tactic is out of the Kentucky Derby because of afoot injury, trainer Mark Cassesaid Wednesday,the first change tothe field of 20 horses forthe first leg of the Triple Crown.
Silent Tactic opened at odds of 13-1 on the morningline.HisexitmeansGreatWhiteisin.
“You can’t runinthe Kentucky Derby andnot be 100%,” Casse said at his barn at Churchill Downs. “It’svery,very slight. It’s very slight,sothat’s thegoodnews. The timing’spoor,but it’s not abig deal and that’sthe mostimportantthing.”
Casse compared thehorse’s ailmenttoa fingernail separation, which is painful and enough to lead to him and owner John Oxley to make thedecision to scratch Silent Tactic more than 72 hours before the race.
“It wasn’ta tough decision,” Casse said. “It’snot tough because we’re always going to try to do what we feel is best forthe horse, Mr.Oxley and our entire group.”
The most difficult part for Casse is this meansjockey Cristian Torres will have to wait to ride in theKentucky Derby forthe
first time. Casse saidthe call to skip the Derby was made early to allow preparations to begin to run Silent Tactic in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16.
“Today we start preparing forthe Preakness,” Casse said. “And the quicker we madethe decision —wecould’ve held on
foranother day or two —but then it would slow down our chances of getting to the Preakness.”
The timing is beneficial forthose around GreatWhite,who wasfirst on thealsoentered list and was initially set as a50-1 long shot.
“We’re just delightedtohaveconfirmation that we did get in and we draw in so early,” trainer John Ennis said. “It’sonly Wednesday,soeverybody’sthrilled and over the moon.”
Thebig,and stillgrowing, gray colt is coming offa fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 4.
“He didn’tneed to be on the lead,” Ennis said. “Wekind of thought he’d run big in the Blue Grass, and he kind of disappointed. He was flat the week prior,ofthe Blue Grass. He was kind of quiethimself and lacking in energy.”
It hasbeen an uncertain week forEnnis and his stable, not knowing if Great White would get to the starting gate Saturday “Itcan be toughmentallyinyourmindto straighten things outand getthings squared away,” Ennissaid. “It’snot easy whenyou’re kind of sitting on thefence like that.”
Jockey Alex Achard will makehis Kentucky Derbydebut aboardGreat White, whobyall accounts is doing well.
“The horse is fitand healthy and strong,” Ennis said. “Yes, he has to improve, but it’s the Kentucky Derby and if you’re not in, you can’twin.”
THE VARSITYZONE
Friendly rivals
Former Little League WorldSeriesteammates
BY SPENCER URQUHART
Staff writer
JohnCurtis senior Jeffrey Curtis and Jesuit senior Derek DeLatte shared aonce-in-a-lifetime experiencehaving won the 2019 Little League World Series championship.
Curtis and DeLatte were teammates on the champ ionshipwinningEastbank Little Leagueteam and cherish the memory to this day.The two have gone on to have success playing baseball at the varsity level and are the lasttwo 2019 Eastbank All-Stars still playing in high school.
The two seniors will take the field against each other for thefinal time this week in abest-of-three Division Iselect quarterfinal series betweenNo. 3-seed John Curtis (30-7) and No. 6Jesuit (26-8) DeLatte made asignificant impact in 2019 for theNew Orleansbased Eastbank team, settingthe tone in the LLWS championship game with aleadoff hit.
“(The LLWS) was an experience like no other,”DeLattesaid. “Being able to leadoff with ahit was pretty electric.”
Beingonthe LLWS stagehas helped DeLatte, athree-year starteratsecondbasefor Jesuit who will play baseball atDelgado Community College next year,stay calmand deliver in big moments.
“There’sa lot of pressure on us (at Jesuit),but I’ve beenthere(on the national stage),” Delatte said DeLatte’sknackfor coming through in the clutch was on display recently.Hehad ateam-high five RBIs in Jesuit’sregional-round series sweep of Tioga to advance to thequarterfinals.
“(DeLatte)has come up with a number of timely hits for us,” Jesuit coach Kenny Goodlettsaid.
Much of the 2019 Eastbank Little League team is now playing college baseball. However,this spring marks Jeffrey Curtis’last year wearing abaseballuniform
afterhavingcommitted to Tulane for football.
Curtis began starting forthe John Curtis baseball team during his sophomore year and has become avocal leader as the starting catcher.The Patriots have atight senior class that includes all-district playersConnor Micheu and Kolston Martinez.
“(The LLWS) set me up for success,” Curtissaid.“I’ve grown up around(senior teammates) my wholelife, so it’s special to play my last year of baseball with them. I couldn’t havegotten to this point withoutthem.”
JohnCurtis lost the first gameof last week’sregional-round series against Evangel but managed to rally andwin,scoring double-digit runs in each of the next two games.
Senior MasonLeBlanc threw anohitter in Game 3.
“In the first game,wehit some hard balls, but they just found gloves,” John Curtiscoach Jeff Curtis said. “Wewere fortunate in thesecond game to get off toahot start. It just propelled itself from there.”
Jesuit trailed Tiogainthe first inning of Saturday’s Game 2but wentontoscore15runs in a fiveinning win. DeLatte and senior Brennen Jeansonne combined for four hits and eightRBIs
“The seniorsall have hadtheir moments (this season),” Goodlett said.“They knowwhat’sexpected from years of experience.”
Curtis andJesuit playedeach other twice this season in adistrict series, withJesuit taking the first game and Curtis taking the second.
DeLatte andJeffrey Curtis remain friends to this day.Friendly back-and-forth banter usually occurs between them during games.
“Weknowit’sour last year,so it’s apretty big deal,” DeLatte said. “Both sides areheated, but (Jeffrey and I) know we’rebuds. It makes thegame fun.”
“(DeLatte) is still agood friend of mine,” Jeffrey Curtis said. “We keep it cordial, but there’sdefinitely some tension on the field trying to beat one another.”
The Jesuit vs. Curtis quarterfinals series is set to begin Thursday,with Game1 scheduled for 4:15 p.m. at Harahan Playground. Game 2isscheduled for 5p.m. Friday,and an if-necessary Game3is lined up for 1p.m. Saturday
The Jesuit-Curtis winner will see its season continue next week in the semifinals against the winner of No. 2-seeded Catholic-Baton Rouge and No. 7Holy Cross.
Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.
BigTen takestop spot forthe most first-round picks
Nigerian native Uar Bernard in theseventh round as partof the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
BY JOSH DUBOW AP profootballwriter
TheSEC’sreign as theking of the first round of the NFL draft was toppled by the BigTen. But the conference that coined the mantra“It JustMeans More” forits dominance of college football in the 2010s remained in the topspot for theentiredraft after the SEC seta recordfor the number of players picked over the three days Thanks to recent national champions Indiana andOhio State,the Big Tenled theway with 10 first-round picks, marking the first time theSEC didn’t have the most players taken in round one since 2015. The SEC hadonly seven —downfrom a record 15 last year —and the lowest totalfor the conference since that 2015 seasonwhenthe ACC and Pac-12 ledthe waywith nine first-rounders each and the SEC had seven. The firstplayerdrafted from an SECschool came whenLSU cornerback Mansoor Delane went sixth overall to Kansas City, marking the first draft without atop five SEC player since2018 whenRoquan Smith was the first taken at No. 8overall by the Bears. But the depthofthe SEC shined on the final two days with the conference leading the way with 29 day two picks in rounds two and three and 51 more over the last four rounds on the final day of thedraft. The 87 players in totalwerethe most ever and easily beat thetotal of 67 from the Big Ten. The SEC has had themost playerspicked for 20 straight drafts since the ACC took top honorsin 2006. Florida won thenational title the following season, starting astretch where the conference won 13 of 17 national championships Thatrun of dominance ended when Michigan wonitall in 2023 with fellow Big Tenmembers Ohio State and Indiana following that up withtitles of their own. The other two power conferences were far behind with the Big12and ACCeach having six first-rounders and 38 players picked in all.
Therecentrealignmentthat addedmore schools to all four powerconferences, along with reduced restrictions on transfers and theadvent of NILpayments, all have combined to consolidate thetalent at the biggest schools.
San Diego Statecornerback
Chris Johnson was theonly player whodidn’t finishhis college career in the SEC, BigTen, Big 12, ACC or Notre Dame who was taken in the first round after going 27th to Miami.
Thenext GroupofSix player off theboard wasToledosafety
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 58 to Cleveland and only one other was picked on the first two days, with Georgia State receiver TedHurstgoing 84th to Tampa Bay
In all,just14playersfromthe Group of Six were drafted with the American and MAC leading the way with four each. There were39others who transferred from aGroup of Six school to a Power Four conference, according to ESPN.
Seven playerscamefromFBS independents with NotreDame having sixand UConnone.
There were four players who came from FCS-level schools and one who didn’tplay college at allwithPhiladelphia taking
Record lowdraft forRBs
The first round of the draft provided some memorable milestones for running backs with Jeremiyah Love becoming the first top-five back in eight years whenArizona took him third overall. HisNotre Dame teammate Jadarian Price went with the final pick of the round to Seattle.
That marked the sixth time in thecommon draftera starting in 1967 when two running backs from the same college were taken in the firstround of thesame draft. It last happened in 2008 with Arkansas’ DarrenMcFadden and Felix Jones
Running backs were mostlyan afterthought after that.
The next back offthe board camenear the end of the third round when San Franciscotook Indiana’sKaelon Black 90th overall, marking the fewest running backs taken in the first three rounds of the common draft. Only 10 more running backs went on thefinal day with the 13 totalthe fewesttaken in any draft.
Tight ends had abanner weekend with 22 picked, themost since 2015, according to Sportradar,when there were also 22 selected as theleague’strend of more multi-tight end formations put apremium on the position. Thetrenches as usual were dominant with teamsdrafting 51 defensive linemen and 50 offensive linemen.
There were also 46 defensive backs, 36 wide receivers, 26 linebackers,10quarterbacks and three specialists.
Ohio Stateleads theway Ohio Statewas the third-fastest school to havefour players picked in adraft with Carnell Tate, Arvell Reece, Sonny Styles and Caleb Downsall going in the top 11.
The only schools ever to have four playerspicked that quickly were Michigan State, with four of the topeight in 1967, and Notre Dame, with four of the top 10 in 1946.
The Buckeyes didn’tslow down from there withseven more players drafted, giving them the most of any school this year with 11. Alabama and Texas A&Meachhad 10,followed by Clemson, Miamiand Texas Tech with nine apiece.
This alsomarked the 88th straight draft that bothMichigan and USChad aplayer picked for the longeststreaks of any school. Notre Dame has missedonly one year (1977) of having aplayer picked in the regular draft since 1938 but did have running back Al Hunter taken in the supplemental draft that year Wisconsin had itsstreak of at leastone player pickedeach year since 1979 snapped.
Speeding up thedraft
The NFL shortened thetime between picks in the first round from10minutes to eight minutes,cutting the total duration of the round to under three hours.
The league said the first round took 2hours, 53 minuteson Thursday night, down36minutes from last year and 40 minutes lessthan the average of the previous five drafts
The duration of the first round has been cut in half since Commissioner Roger Goodell’s first draftin2007. Teams that year had 15 minutes to make their picks in the opening round, leading to a6hour,8minute round in 2007.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRADBOWIE
Jesuit infielder Derek Delatte throws to firstbase during agameagainst St.Thomas More on May3 in Lafayette. Jesuit will face John Curtis in aDivisionI selectquarterfinal series starting ThursdayinHarahan.
FILEPHOTOS JeffreyCurtis, left photo, and Derek DeLatte were part of the Eastbank Little League team that wonthe 2019 Little League WorldSeries.
Pels hire Nebraska’s strength, conditioning coach
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
The New Orleans Pelicans are hiring the strength and conditioning coach from the University of Nebraska, according to a report by The Omaha World-Herald
Kurt Joseph, who just completed his fifth season at Nebraska as director of strength and conditioning, is leaving to take on the same role with the Pelicans
It will be a return to the NBA for Joseph.
Prior to his time at Nebraska, Joseph was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the
Joseph
Minnesota Timberwolves. He also spent time as the strength and conditioning coach for the Timberwolves’ G League team. Before that, he worked with the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
In April 2025, Joseph was one of six presenters at the Performance-4 Clinic in San Antonio during the Final Four He spoke to more than 100 college coaches and NBA personnel at the conference that focused on sports performance.
Inexperience doesn’t hinder San Antonio in NBA’s first round
BY RAUL DOMINGUEZ Associated Press
SAN ANTONIO The San Antonio Spurs’ lack of postseason experience was not much of a factor in their first playoff series since 2019. San Antonio held Portland under 100 points three times in capturing its Western Conference firstround playoff series in five games.
Victor Wembanyama had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks; De’Aaron Fox added 21 points; and San Antonio never trailed while eliminating Portland 114-95 on Tuesday night in Game 5.
“This is a great basketball team,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said. “They’ve got a superstar (in Wembanyama) that changed the game. They deserved it. They played better.”
It was the first playoff series for Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and more than half of the team’s youthful core.
The Spurs were constantly reminded about their lack of postseason experience even while earning the West’s second seed. Most saw this as a detriment, but San Antonio viewed it as a progressive step after finishing 62-20 in the regular season.
“We don’t care about that,” Castle said. “We’ve seen these teams throughout the regular season multiple times. We know what other teams like to do against us. We have nothing but confidence in each other.” San Antonio advances to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2017 and will face the winner of the Denver-Minnesota series. The Timberwolves lead the series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night.
“We gain experience all the time,” Wembanyama said “And that was just one example of how a series can go. And that’s a good way to start the playoffs. But, yeah, we gain experience, and I’m still hungry for even better matchups.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, himself in his first postseason, stressed that while the intensity increases in the playoffs, they needed to remain who they are San Antonio finished third in both offensive and defensive efficiency during the regular season and is led by the Defensive Player of the Year in Wembanyama.
The Spurs averaged 112.4 points while holding the Trail Blazers to 100 points. Wembanyama averaged 21 points, 8.8 rebounds and four blocks in 28.3 minutes, and San Antonio averaged five players
“This is a great basketball team.They’ve got a superstar (in Wembanyama) that changed the game.They deserved it.They played better.”
TIAGO SPLITTER, Trail
Blazers coach, on Spurs
in double figures in each game.
“We did discuss about not changing what we do, just correcting little things and doing everything the same but better,” Wembanyama said. “And we kept trusting the game plan. And what I like is we resorted to going back to the game plan and going back to trusting each other in moments where it was hard. So that’s the statement of how much we trust each other and how much we trust the process.”
The Spurs were prepared for it all, but rookie forward Carter Bryant was among those hoping for some “oomph” as well.
“I grew up watching Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant absolutely duking it out, elbows to the throat, elbows to the rib cage, all that stuff,” Bryant said. “Dudes head-butted each other and like those guys played on the Olympic team together to represent our country but they knew when it was time to get to the nittygritty and to win some basketball games. Like, they didn’t care who was across the line from.” San Antonio also had to fight through losing Wembanyama in the first half of Game 2. Wembanyama fell, his right cheek and jaw hitting the court squarely after he was fouled by Jrue Holiday with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter Wembanyama did not return, and Portland rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat San Antonio 106-103 in Game 2.
Wembanyama was immediately placed in the league’s concussion protocol and was not cleared to return until Game 4, although he took exception to how the NBA handled his absence in Game 3. Without Wembanyama the Spurs rallied from a 15-point deficit to win Game 3 on Friday
“I feel like it brought the best out of us, especially after Game 2 being to where they won that game just being more physical than us, getting more offensive rebounds than us,” Julian Champagnie said “I felt like it was a wake-up call that we needed, especially this early on in the playoffs. So I felt like it brought the best out of everybody.”
Nebraska just completed the best basketball season in school history
The Cornhuskers finished 28-7, their most wins ever, and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg credited Joseph for much of their success, according to a story by “Husker Corner.”
After a win over Vanderbilt in the second round of the tournament, Hoiberg had this to say:
“This is a really mentally tough team,” he said. “We were in one of the last media timeouts, and we were down a couple of points. I was really tired I thought back to the summer workouts. The reason we
did this for this time of the year to stay mentally tough. Shout out Kurt Joseph for that.”
Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars often has discussed wanting his team to be tougher The Pelicans often struggled down the stretch in games this season.
“I would add more toughness to this team,” Dumars said when he spoke to the media after the season. “We have to be able to compete every night. We cannot get banged around, pushed around. We have to be physical and compete every night.”
Hoiberg spent 10 seasons play-
NBA PLAYOFFS
ing in the NBA and also was head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2015-18. He had high praise for Joseph as the Cornhuskers were preparing for an NCAA Tournament game.
“Kurt, he’s the best I’ve ever been around,” Hoiberg said to the Nebraska media. “And I’ve been around some great ones at all different levels with the NBA and certainly with different things at this level. Kurt just brings such a unique perspective. He’s so cutting edge for everything he does.”
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.
Cunningham scores 45; Pistons beat Magic to force a Game 6
BY LARRY LAGE AP sportswriter
DETROIT Cade Cunningham scored a franchise playoff-record 45 points, including a step-back jumper with 32 seconds left, and the top-seeded Detroit Pistons beat the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic 116-109 on Wednesday night in Game 5 of their firstround series to stave off elimination. Orlando leads the series 3-2 and will get a second chance to advance at home on Friday night. The Magic fell to 0-10 in franchise history on the road in a Game 5.
Detroit never trailed and went ahead by 15 early in the final quarter The Magic made one more run, pulling within three points on Paolo Banchero’s sixth 3-pointer with 1:09 left. Banchero matched Cunningham with 45 points, also a playoff career high but he
JORDAN
Continued from page 1C
4.4 points and 6.3 rebounds this season. But it’s the wisdom he poured into his teammates that was needed the most He was often seen coaching his teammates from the bench or offering them advice on professionalism in the locker room.
“I’ve never seen a veteran like him in all my years,” said Joe Dumars, the Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations. “I’ve never seen a veteran pour into other players like he does. Invaluable. You can easily sit there and do that in front of the cameras and with people in the stands and all. He’s doing that at shoot-around. He’s doing that on the bus When nobody else is looking, he’s pouring into those young guys. He’s that every day.”
James Borrego, who became the Pelicans interim coach 12 games into the season, appreciates Jordan’s presence.
“He’s an extension of our staff,” Borrego said earlier this season. “Maybe I should put him on staff. He’s got a great voice. Wisdom. The guys respect him. So it’s like having another coach out there on the floor.”
Count rookie guard Micah Peavy among the young players who grew this season because Jordan was around.
missed 7 of 12 free throws. The Pistons are hoping to bounce back from the brink of elimination as they did against the Magic two-plus decades ago.
Detroit’s comeback in 2003 as a No. 1 seed against eighthseeded Orlando was the first of seven times NBA teams have come back from a 3-1 deficit this century The Denver Nuggets were the last team to pull off the feat in 2020, when they became the first franchise in the league to do it twice in one postseason.
Magic forward Franz Wagner was sidelined with a strained right calf. He had 19 points in two-plus quarters before he departed late in the third quarter on Monday night and averaged nearly 17 points and 5.5 rebounds over the first four games of the series.
Cunningham was 13 of 23 from the field, making a playoff
Teammate of the Year winners
2012-13 Chauncey Billups (Clippers)
2013-14 Shane Battier (Heat)
2014-15 Tim Duncan (Spurs)
2015-16 Vince Carter (Grizzlies)
2016-17 Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)
career-high five 3-pointers, and was 14 of 14 at the line in what proved to be the difference in a duel with Banchero, also a former No. 1 overall pick.
Tobias Harris scored 23 points for the Pistons, All-Star center Jalen Duren snapped out of a slump with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Duncan Robinson also scored 12.
Anthony Black had a playoff career-high 19 points, Desmond Bane scored 18 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 for the Magic. The Pistons played with a sense of urgency at the start after being rusty or flat early in previous games.
Detroit led by 17 in the second quarter, but the Magic cut the deficit to six points by halftime. Orlando pulled within two points early in the third and Cunningham’s fifth 3-pointer late in the quarter helped the Pistons take an 89-79 lead into the fourth.
ceived 66 first-place votes to Holiday’s 39. Jordan understands the importance of having a veteran like himself in the locker room.
“He’s the big brother,” Peavy said. “Off the court, he helps you a lot. He’s been in the league a long time, so he’s someone I go and talk to about anything. Not just basketball. Life. Investments. Anything. He’s been in this thing a long time.” The Teammate of the Year Award which began in the 201213 season, is named after former Rochester/Cincinnati Royals teammates Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes. Jordan was one of 12 finalists announced in late March. The winner was voted on by players in the league.
Jordan is the second Pelicans player to win the award. Former guard Jrue Holiday won it in the 2019-20 season Holiday went on to win it two more times while playing with the Milwaukee Bucks. Holiday, now with the Portland Trail Blazers, came close to winning it a fourth time this year, but Jordan edged him out by eight votes (1,445-1,437) Jordan re-
“It’s huge,” he said. “The league is only getting younger When I came in the league, it was an older league back then. Now it’s getting younger and younger so I think it’s good to have guys around who can help keep the locker room in good spirits and keep that oldschool, hard-nose-tough mentality with the guys and help them understand the ways of the league that they don’t know yet.”
The other finalists were Holiday, Desmond Bane (Magic), Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Pat Connaughton (Hornets), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), Jeff Green (Rockets), Duncan Robinson (Pistons), Marcus Smart (Lakers), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Garrett Temple (Raptors) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder).
ButitwasJordanwhocameouton top in his first season with the Pelicans. Dumars knew he was signing a leader in October, but he admits Jordan exceeded expectations.
“It’s not easy being a guy who was first-team All-NBA one year, an All-Star and NBA champion, and turn that off and pour into other people,” Dumars said. “I knew he was going to be great for the locker room and knew he was a really good guy with a great spirit I didn’t know it was going to be to the level we ended up seeing. It was off the charts what he did.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy San Antonio Spurs wing Keldon Johnson, center celebrates with teammates after winning Game 5 of a first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers in San Antonio on Tuesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DUANE BURLESON
Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham drives against Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter during the first half in Game 5 of a first-round series on Wednesday in Detroit.
LIVING
Za’atar spiceblend addszip to pork chops
BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER
Tribune News Service (TNS)
The seasoning za’atar gives these pork chops adelicious Middle Eastern flair
Za’atarisa spice blend popular throughout Eastern Mediterranean countries and usually includes dried oregano, thyme, sumacand sesameseeds.Conveniently,itis widely available in the spice section of most supermarkets. You may also find za’atar blended with olive oil, whichworks just as well in this recipe.
As an easy accompaniment, fresh zucchini cubes are mixed with rice and cooked inthe microwave, creating aquick, lightside dish.
Za’atar Pork Chops with Zucchini Rice Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer
4cups (¼-inch) zucchini cubes 1package microwaveable basmati rice to make1½cups cooked Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2tablespoonscilantro leaves
1. Mix za’atar,olive oil, lemon juice, garlic andchicken broth together in asmall bowl.
2. Place pork on acutting board. Remove visible fat from pork and pound until about ¼- to ½-inch thick. This can be done with the palm of your hand or the bottom of asturdy skillet. 3. Heat anonstick skillet just large enough to hold the pork in one layer over mediumhigh heat. Add the pork andbrown 3minutes. Turn pork over and add the zaatar sauce to the skillet and cook 3minutes. Ameat thermometer should read 145 F. If za’atar sauce runs dry, add alittle more broth.
4. Meanwhile, place the zucchini in amicrowave-safe bowl and microwave 2minutes. Remove from microwave and addthe basmatirice to the microwave oven for 1minute or accordingtopackageinstructions. Measure 1½ cups andreserve any remaining ricefor another meal. Add the rice to the zucchini and mixwell. Addsaltand pepper to taste.
5. Divide the rice between 2dinner plates. Place the pork over the rice. Spoon the sauce over the pork and rice.Sprinkle cilantro on top.
NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 554calories (33 percentfromfat), 20.6 gfat (3 6gsaturated, 8.6gmonounsaturated), 96 mg cholesterol, 47.3 gprotein, 46.7 gcarbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 349 mg sodium.
FBYLINDAGASSENHEIMER
Tribune News Service (TNS)
These quesadillas hide adelightful surprise inside that pairs well with the creamy,melted cheese.Thinly sliced apples and aswirl of figjam add a gentle crunchand atouch of natural sweetness,creatinga delicious contrasttothe rich filling. Cut into golden triangles and served with cool, creamy guacamole, they makea simple yet satisfying vegetarian meal that comes
BY KERRI WESTENBERG | Contributing writer
or $2, you can buy boxed cake mixes to turn out asheet or layer cake.
Butplease don’t.
Instead, for less money,you can create amade-fromscratch wonder usingingredients already in your kitchen and without much extra effort.
Boxed cake mixes aremade for convenience and long stays at thegrocery store, not necessarily flavor.That is why the finished products taste overly sweet —sugar helps extend shelf life. It also explains the artificial flavors that hint at its origins.
Insidethat box, besides theexpected flour and other key ingredients, areextras not found in homemadeversions: xanthan gum, corn syrup, modified cornstarch, food coloring, artificial flavors and other food additives. Nothing is sweetabout that. ä See SCRATCH, page 2D
thecon-
TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER
By The Associated Press
Today is Thursday, April 30, the 120th day of 2026. There are 245 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On April 30, 1975, the Vietnam Warended as the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to Communist forces.
Also on this date:
In 1789, George Washington took the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York as the first president of the United States.
In 1803, the United States completed itspurchase of the 828,000-square-mile Louisiana Territory from France for 60 million francs, the equivalent of about $15 million at the time; the acquisition roughly doubled the size of the United States.
In 1900, engineer John Luther “Casey” Jones of the Illinois Central Railroad died in atrain wreck near Vaughan, Mississippi,staying at the controls to slow his passenger trainbefore it struck astalled trainnear an approaching station; Jones was the only fatality of the accident.
In 1945, as Soviet troops
approached his Berlin bunker, AdolfHitler took his own life, as did EvaBraun, whom Hitler married the previous day In 1973, as the Watergate scandal deepened President Richard Nixon announced theresignations of top aides H.R. Haldemanand John Ehrlichman, Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst and White House counsel John Dean (thoughDean was actually fired by Nixon). In 1993, top-ranked women’stennis player MonicaSeles was stabbed in the back during amatch in Hamburg, Germany, by a manwho describedhimself as afan of second-ranked German player Steffi Graf. (The man was convicted of causinggrievous bodily injury,and wasonly given atwo-year suspended sentence.)
In 1993, theEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced that theWorld Wide Web, which was invented at CERN four years earlier by TimBerners-Lee, was free for anyone to use, and released its source code tothe public domain In 2013, millions of Dutch
people dressed in orange flocked to celebrations for a once-in-a-generation milestone for the Netherlands’ ruling House of OrangeNassau: after a33-year reign, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander,who becameking.
In 2019, Japan’s85-yearold Emperor Akihito abdicated his throne, ending his three-decade reign; his son Crown Prince Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne. (Japan’s last abdication was when Emperor Kokaku abdicated in 1817.)
Today’sbirthdays: U.N.
Secretary-General António Guterres is 77. Filmmaker Jane Campion is 72. Filmmaker Larsvon Trier is 70. Basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas is 65. Actor Johnny Galecki is 51. Actor Sam Heughan is 46. Actor Kunal Nayyar is 45. Rapper LloydBanks is 44. Actor Kirsten Dunst is 44. Basketball Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus is 42. Actor Gal Gadot is 41. Actor Dianna Agron is 40. Actor Ana de Armas is 38. Rapperproducer Travis Scott is 35. Rapper Lil Tjay is 25. Actor Emily Carey is 23.
BlueberryUpside-Down Cake
Serves 6-10. Recipe adapted from “Baking:FromMyHome to Yours”byDorie Greenspan.
1¾ sticks unsalted butter
14 tablespoons sugar (a little less than 1cup)
2cups blueberries, freshor frozen
2eggs
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup milk 1cup flour
1teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼teaspoon salt
1. Preheatthe oven to 350 F.
2. Melt6tablespoons of butter in asmall saucepan Add 6tablespoonsofsugar and stir until the mixture comestoaboil.Carefully pour this mixture into an 8-inch cake pan.
3. Scatter the berries in an even layer atop the butter mixture.
4. Use astand or hand mixer to beat the remaining stick of butter on medium until smooth.
5. Add the remaining ½cup sugar (8 tablespoons) and continue to beat until light and creamy,about 3minutes.
6. Add eggs one at atime, then add the vanilla and milk.
7. Stir in the remaining dry ingredientsand mixon low speed just until incorporated.
SCRATCH
Continued from page1D
Cakes made withamix are so notoriouslyunremarkable that many recipes guide users to doctor them for abetter end product. What is the point, I’ve always wondered, since bakerscould instead apply the same effort to bake a
8. Spoon thebatterover the blueberries and smooth the top.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cakeisgolden anda toothpickinserted into the center comes out clean.
caketruly from scratch?
Formygo-to chocolate cake,for instance,Ijust toss all the ingredients into amixing bowland beat. I measure afew more components thanI might if Iused amix, but the bit of extra work pays off withbetter taste and texture, purer ingredients and the joy of creatingadelicious dessert from afew handy staples My chocolate cakeisthe
10. Runaknife between the cake andthe panand immediately,and carefully turn the warm cake onto a platter.Ifberries stick to the pan, simply scrape them off and return them to the cake.
basis for arange of frostings, but my favorite is astraightforward cream cheese version. The second cake, ablueberry upsidedown cake, requires no frosting. Flavorful, dark purple berries top this stunner
These two recipes are easy and easier.Also, great and greater.Make them yourself and you can decide which is which.
Theunderappreciated, often-in-the-way cart
fellow cart at you, missile-
Dear Miss Manners: Where should Ipark my shopping cart while browsing agrocery section and/or reading ingredient labels? Ipark my cart in themiddle of the aisle, thereby allowing other shoppers to view thesame items. This also lets me step out of theway to allow passersby through. Ifeel that other shoppers feel hurried when Iwait for them to finish in asection, as we cannot both be there with our carts at the same time. Iknow that Ifeel hurried being in that same position.
together in minutes HELPFUL HINTS:
n Any type of 8-inch to 9-inch tortilla can be used
n Look for guacamole in the produce or refrigerated sectionofthe market.
n Ant type of jam such as strawberry can be used.
n To make four tortillas using one skillet, make one at atime and coverwith foil to keep warm.
Skillet-Toasted Cheese Quesadillas
Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer
By LINDA GASSENHEIMER
My husband maintains that leaving my cart in the middle of the aisle is rude, and that Ishould stay with it.
Gentlereader: Shopping carts do not have an easy life: vegetables to deli to canned goods to checkout and back again all day it’sdizzying. There is no truly safe place to park them: Aspace that may be clear in the moment is crowded with shoppers the next
It’sall very well to say thecart can rest in the parking lot roundup, but it seemsunlikely,knowing that any minute, adeparting shopper may hurl a
like. While Miss Manners does not therefore ban separating from your cart, she does feel that any parting should be brief Wherever you leave it, you will need to be close enough to be aware of other customers to ensure that the cart has not becomea roadblock. Besides, you do not wantittoget lonely
Dear Miss Manners: Despite the best of intentions, there is alot of acrimony between my ex-husband and me, and since our children are all legal adults, I have no contact with him
Contact between my ex and our children is also limited due to alack of effort and engagement (their choice).
When my oldest child and his fiancée hosted a party to celebrate their engagement, my ex was there when Iarrived with my partner.Who should have initiated introductions?
In hindsight, Iguess the groom-to-be (our son) should have introduced his father to my partner
My partner had no issue with introducing himself, but did not feel it was his place.
There will be other events coming up. Ialready feel like navigating this wedding (and the time leading up to it) will be a minefield, so please help to clarify Gentle reader: Primary duty formaking introductions does lie with the hosts, although in this case, that meanteither your son or his fiancée. This is why mosthosts do not stray far from the door as the party starts and the guests descend in aclump. One or two inevitably get missed, in which case introductions would be taken over by anyone whoknows all the parties —presumably you or your ex. Miss Manners is unclear whythat did not happen, but she applauds your partner forstepping up. She is sure you agree that the coming events will go moreeasily if everyone jumps in when needed, rather than hanging back to see whofails to act when called upon.
Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite www.missmanners com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
Reviving stalesnack chips
steady from start to finish.
Dear Heloise: Stale chips used to end up in thetrash at my house far too often. Now Ibring them back to life with aquick oven trick that really works: Spread thechips in asingle layer on abaking sheet so that they heat evenly.Slide the pan into an oven set to 300 F for about 5minutes
The gentle heat removes extramoisture and restores thecrisp texture. Keep a close eye on them since chips can go from perfect to overdone pretty fast. After tossing out one too manyhalf-eaten bags, I started using this method regularly.Let the chips cool for aminute or two before serving. This short rest helps them crisp up even more. The flavor comes back nicely,and thecrunch is surprisingly close to fresh. It’sa simple habit that cuts down on waste and saves money Andhonestly,itfeels nice not to throw away perfectly good snacks. —Daniel P.,in Tulsa,Oklahoma
Before you start prepping, place adamp paper towel or athin dishcloth under the cutting board. The slight moisture creates just enough friction to hold the board firmly in place on the countertop. Idiscovered this trick after nearly sending sliced tomatoes to the floor one busy evening. This close call was enough forme! Now Iuse this method every time Icook, especially when I’mworking with tougher ingredients that require morepressure. It makes chopping feel much safer and farmore comfortable. Check the towel during longer prepping sessions and re-dampen it if it starts to dry out. Asecure cutting surface not only prevents accidents but also helps you workfaster and with better control. It’s such asmallstep, but it makes abig difference in the kitchen. —Linda S.,in Albany, New York
Refreshthe microwave
Stop slidingcutting boards
Dear Heloise: Chopping up vegetables can turn into a slippery messwhen acuttingboard won’tstay put I finally found asimple fixthat keeps everything
Dear Heloise: Food splatters inside the microwave can leave behind lingering odors. Aquick steamcleaning trick clears it up fast: Fill amicrowave-safe bowlwith water and add a
fewslices of lemon. Heat it up forabout 3minutes until it steams. Let it sit foranother minute before opening the door.The steam loosens stuck-on food, and the lemon helps neutralize smells. Finally, wipe downthe interior with acloth, and everything comes off easily! After dealing with one too manymystery odors, this becamemygo-to solution. It’s simple and natural, and it leaves the microwave smelling clean. —RachelT., in Boise, Idaho Remove pethairfast
Dear Heloise: Pet hair seemstocling to every surface, especially couches and chairs, but aslightly damprubber glove works wonders forcleanup! Just run your hand over the fabric, and the hair gathers into easy-to-remove clumps. Itried lint rollers and brushes, but nothing worked as quickly as this. After one shedding season, my sofawas nearly covered. Ikept apair of gloves nearby just forthis task. Rinse the glove as needed and keep going. It only takes afew minutes and saves me alot of frustration. —JamesD., in Scranton, Pennsylvania Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
Hints from Heloise
TNSPHOTO
Skillet-Toasted Cheese Quesadillas
PROVIDED PHOTO By KERRI WESTENBERG Blueberry Upside-DownCake
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Be open to suggestions, but do only what's affordable and feasible. Set high standards and make anamefor yourself. Now is not the time to be amartyr. Choose your battles wisely.
GEMInI (May 21-June20) Gossip, exaggeration and emotional manipulation will lead to trouble. Pay more attention to helping, volunteering and having a positive impact. Choose to be kind and considerate.
cAncER (June 21-July22) Refrain from letting negativity take control when patience, understanding and positive input arewhat's necessary.Overreacting and letting temptation lead you down the wrong path will lead to emotional regrets.
LEo(July23-Aug. 22) Sidestep anyone who gets in your way. You'll gain momentum if youconcentrate on what you want. If youcan express yourself colorfully without embellishing the truth, you'll gain support.
VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) Examine situations thoroughly beforeyou offer to help anyone.Balance is necessaryif youwanttomaintain good relationships. Be on guard and ready to walk away from unstable, costly environments.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Be direct, thorough and passionate, and you'll resolve sensitive issues. Control the rhetoric with compassion and compromise, and you'll avoid anger and resentment.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Don't fold underpressure. Know what youwant and focus on reaching your destination. Avoid volatile people eagertoargue instead of meeting you halfway.
sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec.21) Achange will be uplifting. Rearranging your space, lending ahand or giving insight to someone who needs reassurance will be gratifying.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Meditation, deep breathing and silence will do you a world of good. Refusetolet theactions of others get to youortotakeonresponsibilities that don't belong to you.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Less talk and more action will pay off. Home improvements and lifestyle changes are in your best interests. Shared expenses will requirepatienceand compromise.
PIscEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Update timesensitive documents,subscriptions and investments. Whenindoubt, discuss your options with an expert. Problems with joint ventures will surface if you have ignored the signs.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Choose your wordswisely,and you'll dazzle those youencounter. Howyou treat and respond to others will have an impact on you and how you feel about yourself
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
ToDAy'scLuE: JEQuALs o
For better or For WorSe
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.
Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
Bridge
By PHILLIP ALDER
Edith Wharton was aPulitzer Prizewinning novelistwho was nominated forthe Nobel Prize in Literature in 1927, 1928 and 1930. She said, “One knows one’s weak points so well, that it’srather bewildering to havethe critics overlook them and invent others.”
One of the weak points of most bridge players is the inability to track the highcard points —and that is arguably the mostimportant thingtocount duringa deal.
How would thathelp East to find the right defense here?
South is in fourspades. Westleads the heart ace. What should happen?
The auction follows Standard American. If you have taken up two-over-one game-force, Northmight rebid three spades(forcing). Then South would probably settleintofour spades, since he hasa minimum opening bid. However, hissecondary club fit might make him wonder about aslam. Note that if, for example,North’s diamond king were the heart king,six clubswouldbeanexcellent contract.
SinceEastdoes not want his partner to shiftsuits, he should encourage enthusiastically with his heart eight. Then West should cash his heart king and lead his third heart.
EachWuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn
Previous answers:
word game
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.
ToDAy’s WoRD MARInE: muh-REEN: Of or relating to the sea.
Average mark 16 words
Time limit 30 minutes
Canyou find 24 or morewords in MARINE?
yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —BEcKonED
beckon bedeck been bend bock bode bond bone encode cede code
coed coke cone keen kendo keno knee knob once neck need nock node debone deck dock done donee
loCKhorNs
Amen! Jesus is coming back. Areyou ready? G.E. Dean
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles hidato
mallard
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.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
Formoreinformationontournamentsand clubs, emailnaspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated logo,the design of thedistinctive sCraBBlE
gamecard, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in
InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each columnmust containthe numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes, calledcages, mustcombine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages withthe number in the top-left corner.
WiShinG Well
HErEisaplEasanT liTTlE gamEthat will give
numericalpuzzle designed to spell out
thenumberoflettersis6ormore,
is yourkey number. start at the upper left-hand corner and
bers,left to right. Thenread the message the
Scrabble GramS
Get fuzzy
jump Start
roSe iS roSe animal crackerS
DuStin
g Bank of theMississippi River, in whatisknown as VICTORYSUBDIVISION anddesignatedas LOTS NUMBERS29, 30, and31, in theeastsideDivision of Plot “B”asper plan of HenryL.Zander, C.E. datedOctober 1, 1926, a copy of which is at‐tached andmadepartof ActofSalebySuperior Realty Co Inc. to Paul B. Cassangne, by actbefore S.J. McCune,lateNotary Public,dated November 6, 1926, andaccording to which said lots measure as follows, to-wit: LOT29, measures Thirty (30')Feetfront on Victory Drive(late CelotexAve.) same width in therear, by adepth of OneHun‐dred Thirty-five and 23/100 (135.23')Feeton thesidelinenearer Fourth St.Hwy (lateJef‐ferson Hwy),and adepth on thesidelineofLot 30 of OneHundred Thirtyfive and41/100 (135.41') Feet LOT30, measures Thirty (30')Feetfront on Victory Drive(late CelotexAve.) same width in therear, by adepth on sideline of Lot29ofOne Hundred Thirty-five and41/100 (135.41')Feetand adepth on thesidelineofLot 31 of OneHundred Thirtyfive and59/100 (135.59') Feet (135.7feet, Title)
LOT31, measures Thirty (30')Feetfront on Victory Drive(late CelotexAve.) same width in therear, by adepth on sideline of Lot30ofOne Hundred Thirty-five and59/100 (135.59')Feet(135.7Feet Title),and adepth on the sideline of Lot32ofOne HundredThirty-five and 78/100 (135.78')Feet (135.9feet,Title). Improvements thereon bear MunicipalNo. 604 VictoryDrive,Westwego, LA 70094. 185695-apr28-may 4-7t $329.57
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANSMINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2026
AREGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE PORTOFNEW ORLEANS, HELD IN THE FIRSTFLOOR AUDITORIUM AT ITS OFFICE LOCATED AT 1350 PORTOFNEW ORLEANS PLACE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WASCALLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN MICHAELA.THOMAS AT 1:42 P.M.
MEMBERS
PRESENT:Jeanne E. Ferrer,Vice-Chair
Michael A. Thomas, Chairman
Darryl D. Berger,Secretary-Treasurer
Sharonda R. Williams, Member
Todd P. Murphy,Member
Dale S. Revelle, Member
MEMBER James J. Carter,Jr.,Member
ABSENT:
STAFF:B.Branch, President &Chief Executive Officer
J. Escudier, Chief Legal Officer
L. Marino, Chief of Staff&Vice-President External Affairs
Chief M. Montroll, Chief Public Safety & Emergency Management Officer
A. Laurie, Chief Financial Officer
K. App, Chief Commercial Officer
C. Gilmore, Chief Engineering Officer
M. Jensen, Chief Operating Officer
S. Gauthier,Vice-President, Cruise
C. Labat, Director,Procurement
A. Dawson, Director,Emergency Management
T. Black, General Counsel
C. Donze, StaffAttorney
B. Bailey,Information Technology Specialist
E. LeCompte, Manager,Environmental
M. Sulser,Director,Engineering
G. Brown, Vice-President, People &Culture
N. Dietzen, StaffAttorney
E. Gondek, Manager,Terminal Operations
A. Romanov,Manager,Engineering
K. Mills, Manager,Government& Community Affairs
A. Every,Manager,Accounting
A. Randolph, Manager,Communications & Community Engagement
S. Abu Naser,Controller
A. Taylor,Procurement
E. Federer,Director,Sustainable Development
K. Curth, Press Secretary
B. Skaggs, Manager,Sustainable Development
S. Hodges, BoardSecretariat
GUESTS:T.Bryant, NOPB
C. Kocur,NOPB
M. Scelson, NOPB
B. Richards, NY Associates
A. Thompson, Holly Cross Resident
L. Edwards, Lower 9th Ward Resident
W. Edwards, Lower 9th Ward Resident
C. Antrum, The Hackett Group
C. Robles, Volkert
K. Braud, The Covent Collective
R. Chauvin, Infinity Engineer
S. Cali, Arcadis
K. Boulton, Kiewit
M. Bowers, Kiewit
P. West, EJES Inc.
R. Branch
I. Roll Call &Determination of Quorum
Following aroll call of Boardmembers, Chairman Thomas confirmed a quorum and called the meeting to order at 1:42 p.m.
THE BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS OF THE PORTOFNEW
ORLEANS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARDMEETING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY26, 2026
AREGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARDOFCOMMISSIONERS OF THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANS, HELD IN THE FIRST FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT ITS OFFICE LOCATED AT 1350 PORTOFNEW
ORLEANS PLACE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, WASCALLED TO ORDER BY CHAIRMAN MICHAEL A. THOMAS AT 1:40 P.M.
MEMBERS Michael A. Thomas, Chairman
PRESENT:Jeanne E. Ferrer,Vice-Chair
Darryl D. Berger,Secretary-Treasurer
Sharonda R. Williams, Member
Todd P. Murphy,Member
DaleS.Revelle, Member
James J. Carter,Jr.,Member
STAFF:B.Branch, President &Chief Executive Officer
J. Escudier,Chief Legal Officer
L. Marino,Chief of Staff& Vice-President External Affairs
Chief M. Montroll, HarborPolice Department
A. Laurie, Chief Financial Officer
K. App, Chief Commercial Officer
C. Gilmore, Chief Engineering Officer
A. Coates, Vice-President, CargoDevelopment
S. Gauthier,Vice-President, Cruise
C. Labat, Director,Procurement
J. Mansour,Director Trade Development
K. Gilmore, Director,Real Estate
A. Dawson, Director,Emergency Management
T. Black, General Counsel
C. Donze, StaffAttorney
B. Bailey,Information Technology Specialist
M. Austin, Information Technology Specialist
J. Passaro, Manager,Engineering
Lt. C. Cummings, HarborPolice Department
K. Curth, Press Secretary
N. Carter,Manager,Central Records
B. Skaggs, Manager,SustainableDevelopment
A. Bierman, Manager,Insurance &FEMAAdministration
M. Singley,Executive StaffOfficer
S. Hodges, BoardSecretariat
GUESTS:T.Bryant, NOPB
C. Kocur,NOPB
M. Scelson, NOPB
A. Thompson, Stop the Grain Train
L. Edwards, Lower 9th Ward Resident
W. Edwards, Lower 9th Ward Resident
C. Antrum, The Hackett Group
M. Moore, MOREO
A. Johnson, Cohn Reznick, LLP
A. Gaines, WSP
M. Valenti, WSP
C. Robles, Volkert
P. Vandercook, Global MaritimeMinistries
J. Toomy,Commissioner Emeritus
I. Roll Call &Determination of Quorum
Following arollcall of Boardmembers, Chairman Thomas confirmed aquorum and called the meeting to order at 1:40 p.m.
II. Public Comment
Chairman Thomas called forpublic comment and Ms.Hodges announced that three (3) individualshad requested to make public comment on matters not listed on the agenda.
Priortoinviting the speakers to the podium, Ms.Hodges read the Board’spublic comment parameters.
Beforecalling the first speaker,Chairman Thomas recognized Mr Joseph Toomy,Commissioner Emeritus and Chairman of the Special Committee forthe Louisiana Ports and Waterways Investment
Amanda Thompson, Lindsay Edwards, and William Edwards expressed their oppositiontothe lease agreement with Sunrise Foods International, Inc.,the establishment of an organic grain terminal at the Alabo Street wharf, the rehabilitation of rail crossings, and the demolitionofthe Board property on Bienvenue Avenue.
III. Reportbythe President and Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Branch presented an overview of the February 2026 volume and productivity statistics, along with asummary of the month’skey highlights.
IV.Approval of the Meeting Minutes for February 2026
Chairman Thomas called fora motiontoapprove the public meeting minutes for February 2026, as previously circulated. Commissioner Ferrer moved to accept the minutes and Commissioner Revelle seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY
V. Action Items:
A. Acceptance of the Consolidated Financial Statements for February2026.
Mr.Laurie presented the consolidated financial statements for themonthofFebruary,a copy of which is made apart of these minutes. Commissioner Ferrer moved to approve the consolidated financial statementsand Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTIONCARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY
B. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter intoanAgreement with US Customs and Border Protection in the Amount of $393,720.76 for Equipment Upgrades at the Eratoand Julia Cruise Terminals.
Mr.Gauthier presented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Ferrer moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Revelle seconded. MOTIONCARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
C. Consider Approval of aResolution for the Purchase of Mitigation Bank Credits, withaNot to Exceed Amount of $30,000,000 for Bottomland Hardwood Mitigation Creditsfor theLouisiana International Terminal (LIT).
Mr.Gilmorepresented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Murphy moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIEDUNANIMOUSLY
D. Consider approval of aResolution for the Purchase of Mitigation Bank Credits, witha Not to Exceed Amount of $4,000,000 for Brackish Marsh Mitigation Creditsfor the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT).
Mr.Gilmorepresented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Revelle moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
E. Consider Approval of aResolution Awarding aContract to Boh Bros. ConstructionCo., L.L.C. in the Amount of $964,000 for the Florida Avenue Bridge Span Guide& Counterweight GuideRepairs.
Mr.Gilmorepresented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Ferrer moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Williams seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
F. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and Chief Executive Officer to Executea Second Amendment to the Lease Agreement with Entergy New Orleans, LLC for the Properties Located at 5000 France Road and 4600 Jourdan Road, New Orleans, Louisiana. Commissioner Williams recused herselffromvoting on this item
Mr.Serio presented and recommended approval of the resolution. Commissioner Murphy moved to approve the resolution andCommissioner Revelle seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
Commission, andinvitedhim to speak to the Board.
Mr.Toomy providedanupdate on the development of ajoint marketingstrategy designedtopromote opportunitiesacross the five ports along the LowerMississippi River.Heexpressed his appreciation to ChairmanThomas, BethBranch,and Boardstaff for their contributions to the project andcontract management. He also notedthe marked improvement in communication andcollaboration among the ports, along with increased support andengagement from local andstate agencies.
ChairmanThomasand otherCommissioners commendedMr. Toomy for his leadership andhis dedication to aproject thatwill generate transformative economic growth.
LindsayEdwards, Amanda Thompson, andWilliamEdwards expressed their opposition to the leaseagreementwith Sunrise Foods International, Inc., the establishment of an organic grain terminal at the Alabo Street wharf, the rehabilitation of rail crossings, andthe demolition of the Boardproperty on Bienvenue Avenue
III. Reportbythe President and Chief Executive Officer Ms. Branch presentedanoverview of the January 2026 volume and productivity statistics, along with asummary of the month’skey highlights.
IV.Approval of the Meeting Minutes for January 2026
ChairmanThomascalledfor
G. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter intoaContract with Nola Protection Group, to Provide Security GuardServices for a Period of Three Years with TwoOne-Year Renewal Options, for an Estimated Cost of $655,000 per Year During the Contract Term ChiefMontroll presentedand recommendedapproval of the resolution. CommissionerFerrer movedtoapprove the resolution andCommissionerWilliams seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
H. Consider Approval of aResolution Declaring the Board’s Intention to Reimburse Itself for Capital Improvement Expenditures out of the Proceeds of Bonds to be Issued in the Future; and Providing for Other Matters in Connection Therewith.
Mr.Escudier presentedand recommendedapproval of the resolution. CommissionerBergermovedtoapprove the resolution andCommissionerFerrer seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
I. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter intoanEntity/State Agreement with the State of Louisiana, through the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to Serve as the Cost SharePartner for the Stage 1Study in Connection with the St.BernardTransportation Corridor Project.
Mr.Gilmorepresented andrecommendedapproval of the resolution. CommissionerFerrer movedtoapprove the resolution andCommissionerRevelle seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ChairmanThomascommendedBoard stafffor their diligent efforts andclose partnership with the State of Louisiana andthe Department of Transportation andDevelopment in advancing this essentialproject
VI. ClosedExecutive Session Convened in Accordance with La R.S.42:17A(2), to Discussthe Matter Entitled: •Inre: AlmonasterAllisions
Chairman Thomasread the agenda itemaloud andcalledfor amotion to enterinto aclosedexecutive session, convenedinaccordance with La R.S. 42:17(A)(2) to discuss the abovematter
CommissionerWilliams movedtoenterinto aclosedexecutive session and CommissionerFerrer seconded. The MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY andthe Boardenteredinto closedexecutive session at 2:16 p.m.
Following the conclusion of the discussion, ChairmanThomascalled for amotion to endthe closedexecutive session andreturntothe open meeting. CommissionerWilliams movedtoend the closedexecutive session andCommissionerFerrer seconded. The MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLYand the closedexecutive session concludedat2:32p.m.
VII. Consider Approval of aResolution Authorizing the President and Chief Executive Officer to Enter intoaSettlement Agreement with ExcellMarine Corporation in the Matter Entitled In Re: Almonaster Allisions.
Mr.Escudier presentedand recommendedapproval of the resolution. CommissionerWilliams movedtoapprove the resolution and CommissionerRevelle seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
VIII.Chairman and Commissioners’Comments
ChairmanThomasasked for Commissioners’ comments but there were none
IX Adjournment
There being no furtherbusiness to come beforethe Board, Chairman Thomascalledfor amotion to adjourn. CommissionerWilliams so moved andCommissionerFerrer seconded. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY andChairmanThomasadjournedthe meeting at 2:33 p.m.
/nolalibrary @nolalibrary
Main Library
219 Loyola Avenue (504) 596-2570
Algiers Regional Library
3014 Holiday Drive (504) 596-2641
Alvar Library 913 AlvarStreet (504) 596-2667
Central City Library
2020 Jackson Avenue,Suite 139 (504) 596-3110
Children’s ResourceCenterLibrary 913 Napoleon Avenue (504) 596-2628
Desire /FloridaSatelliteLocation 3250 Industry Street
East New Orleans Regional Library 5641 Read Boulevard (504) 596-0200
Cita Dennis Hubbell Library 725Pelican Avenue (504)596-3113
Rosa F. KellerLibrary and Community Center 4300 South BroadAvenue (504) 596-2660
Milton H. Latter Memorial Library 5120 Saint Charles Avenue (504) 596-2625
Norman Mayer Library 3001 GentillyBoulevard (504) 596-3100
Mid-City Library 4140 CanalStreet (504) 596-2654
Nora NavraLibrary 1902 Saint Bernard Avenue (504) 596-3118
Nix Library 1401 South CarrolltonAvenue (504) 596-2630
REACH Center
2022 St.Bernard Avenue,Building C (504) 256-6983
Robert E. Smith Library 6301 Canal Boulevard (504) 596-2638
EARLY LITERACY EVENTS
The NewOrleans Public Library offers storytimes for children from birth to age 5and playtimesfor ages 2–5 at all of our locations. Visit nolalibrary.org/ early-literacy for more information
BUDDINGARTISTS:
ANATURE-INSPIRED ART AND LITERACY PROGRAM
Create sustainable art projects inspired by nature.Athree-week program series designed forchildren 2–5years oldand their caregivers
Register at nolalibrary.co/buddingartists
Monday,May 4, 11, 18
from 10:30am –11am
Rosa F. Keller Library &Community Center
MUSIC ANDMOVEMENT
Dance,wiggle,and stretch as we use music andmovementtopractice early literacy skills. This program is designed for childrenages 2–5 and their caregivers.
Friday,May 8 from 4pm –4:30pm NoraNavraLibrary
BLUE HOUSEMUSIC
Explore natural connections between language andmusic throughsinging and storytelling during this musicand early literacy workshop.
Saturday,May 9 from 10:30am –11am Alvar Library
LP LPO am harm along children Sixto of Saturday from Milton CR JO Pr skills and prog their Friday from Cita
SENSORYSATURDAY STORYTIME &PLAYTIME
Families looking for awelcoming and comfortable space forneurodivergent children can join us for an inclusive and interactive storytime or playtime. Space is limited foreach program.
Register at nolalibrary.co/sensory.
Saturday,May 16
from 10:30am–11:30am &2pm –3:30pm Rosa F. Keller Library &Community Center
LITTLE STEAMERS
Aseries designed for children ages 3–5 years old to explore Science, Technology,Engineering,Arts,and Mathematics (STEAM) at the Library
Register at nolalibrary.co/little-steamers.
Saturday,May 23
from 10:30am–11:30am Alvar Library
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
STEAMCLUB
Experiment, create,orcraft at this hands-on STEAM event for children ages 6–12.
This month’s activities include:
•Dungeons and Dragons
•Geodes and Geology
•Strawberry DNA
•Art Smarts: Koinobori
•Pequeñascreaciones /Small Creations: Esculpir en arcilla
•Tangrams
•Game Day
•MakeBatik Prints Like Kame Kngwarreye
•Art Smarts: Whimsical Whirligigs
•DIY Lava Lamp
•Rock Painting
Visit nolalibrary.co/STEAMfor times and locations.
Thank you, VaundaMicheaux Nelson and Dr.Leona Tate!
The author and the CivilRights pioneer participated in Books&Breakfast in April, to celebrate the culmination of our fourth NOLA Readers 2.0,acollaboration between the New Orleans Public Library and the Louisiana Children’s Museum.NOLA Readers 2.0 provided aliteracy experience around one book, Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors for School Equality,for second grade students in New Orleans, through field trips to the Louisiana Children’s Museum and the Main Library.
Visit any Library location to geta free comic and checkout ourcollection of graphic novels and manga.
FRENCH AND KREYÒL KONEKSYON FORSUCCESS
Free French and HaitianKreyòl classes for children and teenagers. Koufranse ak kreyòl ayisyèn gratispou timoun ak jèn jan.
Register at nolalibrary.co/kreyol.
Saturday,May 2
from 10:30am –11:30am Algiers Regional Library
CATURDAY: CATMEET&GREET BY LOUISIANASPCAWITHTHEMED CRAFTS
Louisiana SPCAcatsand kittens are headed to the Library.Kidsand families canmeet these fluffy visitors, craft toys to go back with them to the shelter,and leavewith an animal themed book.
Saturday,May 9
from 2pm –3:30pm Rosa F. Keller Library &Commnity Center
BAILAMONOS CON RITMEAUX KREWE/DANCE WITH RITMEAUX KREWE DIVERSIÓN BILINGÜE EN FAMILIA / BILINGUAL FAMILYFUN TIME
Tiempo para pasar juntos Actividades gratuituas que merienda ylibros de regalo Hang out time for Spanish-sp bilingual families with free snacks, and books.
Register at nolalibrary.co/diversion-biling to help us plan supplies
Wednesday,May 20 from 5pm –6:30pm Central City Library
CHESSCLUB
TEEN&TWEEN EVENTS
TEEN VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: CHESSCLUBFOR KIDS
Earn service-learning hours while helping out at our chess club for kids ages6– 12 Knowledge of chess is abonus, but not required.
Registerat nolalibrary.co/chess-volunteers.
Wednesday,May 6 from 4pm –5:30pm Algiers Regional Library
EXPRESSYOURSELF! MONTHLY TRANS & QUEER TEEN HANGOUT WITH THENEW ORLEANS PRIDECENTER
FORTWEENS WITH JESUITROBOTICS
Design and programrobots to create a new and exciting city.Open to tweens ages 9– 12.
Register at nolalibrary.co/robotics.
Saturday,May 16 from 2pm –4pm Mid-City Library
TEEN DROP-IN
Hang out, playgames, makeart, learn anew hobby,orexplorenew tech at this programfor teens ages 11 -18. This month’s theme is comicbook magnets
Register at nolalibrary.co/teen-drop-in to help us plan supplies.
Beginner and experienced players are welcome at ChessClub.Each session includes instructionasneeded but focuses on playing against other participants or Library staff Practice problem-solving and develop critical thinking at this hands-on STEAM program for ages 6–12.
Wednesdays from 4pm –5pm
Algiers Regional Library Nix Library
Thursdays from 4pm –5pm Cita Dennis Hubbell Library
Enjoy games, activities, and pizza each monthatthis drop-in eventfor teens ages 11 -18. This month’stheme is Be Kind 2Your Mind: Focusing on Mindful Creation &Awareness. Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month with avariety of sensory crafting activitiesthat create arelaxing space through hands-on creativity.Participants will use slime-making and modeling clay materials to craft and sculpt what’sontheir minds with peers.
Registeratnolalibrary.co/express-yourself to help us plan supplies.
Thursday,May 14 from 4:30pm –5:30pm Main Library
Tuesday,May 19 from 4pm– 5pm Mid-City Library
HOOKED ON BOBA:TEEN CROCHETWORKSHOP
Crochet aboba keychain with instructor Emily DieuofStitch Ems. All supplies will be provided. For teens ages 11-18.
Register at nolalibrary.co/teen-crochet.
Thursday,May 21 from 3:30pm –4:30pm Robert E. Smith Library
ADULT EVENTS
PLANTSWAP
Bring your clippings, propagations, cast off plants, and spare pots to swap and share with others.Makeyour ownseed bomb to propagate local wildflowers.
GETMOREOUT OF YOUR LIBRARY CARDMUSICAND MEDIA
Movies, music, magazines, and media education are all available free from your Library.Learn how you can access media resources using your Library card.
Period Poverty Awareness Week is May11–17
dPoverty Awareiod poverty and struate.
ducts at allLibrary ck up afree ller Library & Library.Fill out hen bringhome vided by the
Thankyou to ourpresenters, partners, and participantsfor agreat GenFest! Thank you NORDC forletting us useMilne RecCenter! We can’t wait to seeeveryone in 2027!
LD PREPARING EMERGENCIES, ES emergencies,things confusing fast. Paperwork piles conflicts, and risk of more about what to aster and how to ay 20 –12pm Library
RPROJECT ION
GUIDETOTHE INDIE T Indie Author Project his introductory session ssions, library access to royalty earningpotential, IAP contest.
The gala is a chance for “party animals” to escape their cages for noshing and a nocturnal wander around the majestic oaks at Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St. Starting at 7 p.m., folks donning black tie or white linen suits can raise a glass in support of the local attraction while touring its lush grounds to the sounds of entertainment by Bon Bon Vivant. Tickets start at $195. audubonnatureinstitute.org.
full moon paddle
The waters of Bayou St. John will glow with lighted kayaks, paddle boards, canoes and anything that “safely” floats Friday under a full moon. The free aquacraft gathering meets at 7 p.m. and will push off from the Deutsches Haus, 1700 Moss St., by 7:30 p.m. Nola Paddles and Pedals is the sponsor. facebook.com
air force band
kentucky derby watch party st. bernard
While the local horse race track is packed with music and food, Louisville’s Churchill Downs will see the running of the roses, and New Orleanians can get in on the fun with a hat contest, signature bourbon cocktail and hors d’oeuvres starting at 3 p.m. Saturday at Galatoire’s Bar 33. Chef Nicole Theriot will provide derby specials. “Box seats” start at $30. galatoires.com.
bird festival
Avian enthusiasts are invited to take part in guided birding tours and hear from experts on migratory fowl, native plants and more from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Los Isleños Museum Complex, 1357 Bayou Road, St. Bernard. Also find woodcarvers, members of the St. Bernard Art Guild and even air boat tours. saintbernardbirdfestival.org.
Airmen of Note, the jazz ensemble from the U.S. Air Force Band, will perform at 7 p.m. Friday at Tulane University. The free performance will be in Dixon Hall on Newcomb Circle at the Uptown campus. Created in 1950, the band continues its legacy of Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force dance band. The 17 active-duty musicians and one vocalist are station in Washington, D.C. music.af.mil/usafband/.
ABOUT LAGNIAPPE
The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Marco Cartolano, Doug MacCash, Ian McNulty, Keith Spera
GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE
Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.
ON THE COVER
Illustration by Doug MacCash. Ian McNulty has lists of culinary standouts at this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, from new dishes to sleeper hits, plus a new area to satisfy your sweet tooth on Pages 7-13.
don’tmiss don’tmiss don’t miss
‘embarrassed by night’ maythe 4thbewithyou
Laughterand noodles go well together at the debutofthe allVietnamese comedyshowcaseat 5p.m. Sunday at the St.Claude Arts Park,6619 St. Claude Ave., Arabi. FunnyladyRosie Tran is joined by MaiLG, SeanPorter, Viet Nguyen and Binh Ngo forthe laughterand NOLA Noods provides the noshes. The eventispartofthe closing weekend of “NewVoices, NewVisions: VietnameseCinemaWeek” with Gulf Coast AsianArts +Culture, and it also ties in with screenings of “The Empathizer,” adocumentary co-produced by Tran. Admission is $35. nola.cembarrassedbynight.com.
Take the plunge into thegalaxy of “Star Wars” on Saturday at the Audubon Aquarium at the foot of Canal Street for an underwater celebration of themovies and characters. There will be lightsaber duels, photo opportunities with activities, appearances and a chance to don costumes. Dressing the partisencouraged. Hours arefrom 10 a.m. to 5p.m., with special times for the duels. audubonnatureinstitute.org.
MAY 8–10 | MAY 15–17
Rosie Tran
Starring Cristina Perez Edmunds with Script by Denise Altobello
The story behind the woman who became The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat. PRESENTS
SCAN FOR TICKETS
stages stages stages
ä Forshows in production, visit nola.com.
Imitatinglife2shows explorethe good times
Pulitzer is thename of theweek in theatrical circles as two local companies delveintoaPulitzer Prize winner and aPulitzer-penned play
One show is aregional premiere that looks at life from alonely pointofview.The other show,written by aquartet of New Orleanians, is being revived in aJefferson Parish space that is undergoing abit of arevival as well.
‘PrimaryTrust’
For its main stageshowthis season, Crescent City Stagewill head to the Contemporary Arts Center,900 Camp St., to present Eboni Booth’s“PrimaryTrust,”the storyofaman whose simple life gets upended when he loses the only job he’s ever known. Through amix of humor,heartbreak and the unexpected, Kenneth learnstolet theworld in all while havingdaily mai taiswithBert.
“New Orleans is acitythat has always known how to hold grief andjoy in the same breath,” director Michael A. Newcomer said.
“’PrimaryTrust’ speaksdirectly to thatspirit. It’sastory aboutaman learningtostep outside the safe, familiar walls he’s built around himself and discover that connection, friendship, and belonging arestillwithinreach.
“Eboni Booth has given us aquiet masterpiece, and Iamproud to bring it here for New Orleans to experience.”
Veteran CrescentCityStage players Jarrod Smith (“Ms.Holmes &Ms. Watson —2B” and “Bard atthe Batture”) andDoug Spearman (“A Doll’sHouse”) play Kennethand Bert. The cast also includes Nicole Collins,Mark Cosby andSteveGilliland.
The show May 7-24, at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays throughSaturdaysand 2:30p.m.Sundays. A gala openingMay 8will include small bites and beverages before anda post-show toast with thecast. Also, thegalleriesofthe CAC will beopen for pre-show viewings each night.
Tickets start at $35. Visit crescentcitystage. com.
Jarrod Smith, left, and Doug Spearman takethe lead roles in Crescent City Stage’s ‘PrimaryTrust.’
‘CherriesJubilee’
For five friends who met as students at Tulane University,asweeping journey through their lives is the recipe for stage magic at Westwego Performing Arts Theatre.
Joyce Pulitzer,Harriet Nelson, Lynne Goldman andMarcy Nathan wrote the “autobiographical” play that was originally produced 25 years ago at Southern Rep Theatre for a three-monthrun.
Directed by Gary Rucker,the show starts in the1960s as the five meet outofhigh school. Over the years, they gather to go over life’s events —both good and bad.
“If you like ‘Steel Magnolias,’you’ll love this
show,because it is very homegrownand it’s, Ithink, very autobiographical,” said Rucker, creative and managing director forthe West Bankoperation of Jefferson Performing Arts.
The 40-year-span sees “someofthem have been divorced, someofthem have grandchildren; so you’re just gonna watch the relationships of these women evolve over time.”
Michael Vaughn, co-director,echoes much of the samesentiments.
“Regardless of when the show was written, the heart of its storytelling still feels remarkably current,” said Vaughn. “At its center are six women whose friendships, humor and honesty reflect experiences audiences continue to recognize today.”
PROVIDED PHOTOS By ELIZABETH NEWCOMER
Victor Andrews Collins
Cosby
Gilliland
stages stages stages
An advantage for Rucker is having the playwrights close by during rehearsals for the production and having a chance to get to know them, particularly Pulitzer
“When Imet Ms. Joyce, she’s like this little old lady,and you sitdown and you start talking to her, and she cracks me up,” he said. “She’ssogenuinely funny and loves theater,and theprocess andisjustsuch a fan of it all. It’sreallywonderful watching her watch our rehearsals because she’sjust enamored of it.
“It’scontagious, her lovefor it.”
Getting in on the contagion are Savannah Chiasson,Lorna Dopson, Michaela Brown,LaurenSmith, Lauren Gauthier and Dana Panepinto.
“The cast is agroup of very talented women who have been willing to share their ownper-
“I read it and I’mlike, ‘Ow, wow.It’sactually really good.’
Iwas pleasantly surprised,” he recalled.
“I’m really excited to be able to put it on the mainstage in Westwego,” he said, adding Pulitzer’ssupport has been exceptional.
“She’ssuch asweet lady,and she’ssosupportive of it, and she’sbeen very good about kind of letting us tell the story our way,which is incredible cause I’veworked with alot of playwrightswho are like, ‘No, do it this way,’ but she’sbeen really wonderful.”
sonal stories with oneanother, and that spirit of trust and connection has really become the true heartbeat of the show,”
said Vaughn.
Rucker said when he was first approached toread the show,hedid so as acourtesy
The fruits of the collaboration will be onstage May 8-17, at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturday and 2p.m. Sundays, at 177 Sala Ave. in Westwego. Tickets start at $42. Visit jpas.org.
Email Victor Andrewsat vandrews@theadvocate.com.
PROVIDED PHOTO By JEFFERSONPERFORMING ARTS SOCIETy PlaywrightJoyce Pulitzer,left, works withthe cast of ‘Cherries Jubilee.’
Chiasson
Panepinto Brown
Gauthier Dopson
Smith
Free screening of TomHanks’ newWWII documentary setatmuseum
BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer
The National WWII Museum in New Orleans is preparing to host acohort of history buffs next month for an early look at actor Tom Hanks’ newdocumentary series about the war
The free screening of the premiereepisode of the History Channel’s “World WarII with Tom Hanks” will be May 20
The event is ticketed, and spots will be limited to 600people.
Attendees will be treatedtothe first episode of a20-hour series hostedbyHanks
The new show will capture the “full arc” of the war,includingthe rise of European fascism and the fall of Berlin, the U.S. entryinto the war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the war’saftermath,accordingtothe History Channel’swebsite. After the screening, there will be a panel discussion featuring abehind-thescenes look at the docuserieswith historian Rob Citino and Kirk Saduski, aproducer with Hanks’ productioncompany Playtone. There willalso be remarks from History Channel Executive Vice President and Head of Programming Eli Lehrer. WWII remains aripesubjectfor filmmakers despite the scores of documentaries, feature films and television series that have focused on it overthe decades.
Hanks, whohas starredinnumerous WWII-inspired movies, is alongtime supporter of the New Orleans museum and has appeared at several museum events.
The screening begins at 5:30 p.m. at the U.S. Freedom Pavilion’sBoeing Center, 945 Magazine St., in the CentralBusiness District. Areception will startat4:30 p.m. Advance registration is required.
The show will premiere to the public on the History Channel on MemorialDay, May 25.
Some scenes in ‘The Drama,’starring Zendaya and RobertPattinson, were
Parish.
Area school hascameo in Zendaya, Robert Pattinson’s‘TheDrama’
BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer
Thenew movie “The Drama,” starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, has stirred audiences with its big twist, andaJefferson Parish high school is at the center of it
TheA24 film was mostly filmed around the Boston area, where it’s set. But the crew also shot in the New Orleansarea last year,largely at Riverdale High School in thecityofJefferson, themovie’sproduction designer Zosia Mackenzie toldCondé Nast Traveler
“Wefell in love with the midcentury architecture of the building, and were fortunatethat the students and staff were welcoming and supportive of our work,”
Mackenzie said.
Severalkey scenes take place at Riverdale’scampus, whichdoublesasthe Catholic high school thatZendaya’s character,Emma, attends as ateen.The school and Emma’s time at the campus play apivotalrole.
New Orleansisfurtherfeaturedasthe setting for Emma’s childhood home.Even Lil Wayne gets abriefshoutout in the form of aposteronthe wall of Emma’s teenagebedroom.
“The Drama” portrays Zendaya andPattinsonasa young couple planning their wedding when a surprise revelation threatens to derail the nuptials.
The movie, which premiered April 3, was directed by Norwegian screenwriterKristoffer Borgli.
Hanks
IMAGE FROM GOOGLEMAPS
filmed at RiverdaleHigh School in Jefferson
jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest
Don’t sleep on these lesser-known food offerings
BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer
Some dishes rock the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival food world like main stage headliners. Others are more like that delightful, lesser-known act that got the nod for the Lagniappe Stage and turned into your own fest highlight. Consider these when you want something a little different, or don’t want to wade into the cochon de lait po-boy line.
CRAWFISH STRUDEL
Food Area 2
Crawfish tails with trinity and green onions in a lightly creamy, flavorful sauce — it sounds like a Louisiana stew to slurp up with a spoon. Instead, this Jazz Fest creation from Cottage Catering is encased in delicate sheets of phyllo dough, making it an easily portable snack with a rich flavor.
YAKINIKU PO-BOY
Food Area 2
This Japanese-style po-boy is like a marriage of a banh mi and a cheesesteak. The bits and strands of meat give a delicious jus, cucumber and carrots add crunch, and an (optional) overlay of chunky garlic chile sauce brings the heat. The Vietnamese-style French loaf holds it all together and completes this multicultural mashup
STAFF FILE PHOTOS By IAN McNULTy e Festival, check out standbys like, from Cottage Catering, fried oyster spinach an tacos at the United Houma Nation stand.
so don’t start feeling too virtuous with your salad.
CHOCOLATE ECLAIR
Between Gentilly Stage and Louisiana Folklife Village
If you love chocolate, this dessert or snack (or however you justify it) is a thing of beauty. Served chilled, the crisp pastry shell yields a mother lode of mellow dark chocolate filling. If pastry could talk this one would be saying cheers to another great Jazz Fest.
Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.
‘sweet street’ jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest
Walking on
Desserts and other treats are now all in one spot
BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer
It’s easy to spot newcomers to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. They’re the ones studying maps of the Fair Grounds, while the Jazz Fest faithful just intuitively know their way around. They could find their favorite food booths in the dark.
But this year, there’s been a shuffling of the deck for a number of longtime vendors, specifically those serving sweet treats. Vendors that were once arrayed separately are now clustered in a little arcade of desserts close to the Gentilly Street entrance and near the Kids Area. Walking through is a tour of sweet temptations. Call it “sweet street” and dig in.
Loretta’s Authentic Pralines has long held down this area of the fest, and for many people, a plastic-wrapped praline is a nobrainer for a snack on the way out of the fest (or even an edible souvenir to bring home). The classic Creole candies are still there, along with sweet potato cookies and praline “shoe sole” pastries. Now, right next door, there’s also Mr. Williams’ Pastries, maker of delicious palm-sized pies. The Williams family once sold these pies at the French Market and continue their homestyle recipes today
That includes the bean pie, a mellow-sweet custard in a buttery, flaky crust. Note: This vendor does not open on Saturdays for religious reasons.
ABOVE: Ron Kottemann sells Roman Chewing Candy from the cart during the 2025 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
RIGHT: Affogato, hot espresso poured over ice cream, is a treat with a caffeine kick from Francofante Catering
STAFF FILE PHOTO By IAN McNULTy
FILE PHOTO By ANN MALONEHy
Look for pralines at Loretta’s Authentic Pralines’ booth, a Jazz Fest standby.
Next to the pies, there’snow Angelo’sBakery.Its chocolate eclair is abeauty.Served chilled, the crisp pastry shell yields a mother lode of mellow dark chocolate filling. Don’tmiss the fudgy, deeply chocolatey brownie, too, which is big enough to share.
Across the“street” is thenewly relocated gelato and sorbetto stand from FrancofanteCatering. The chocolate Azteca gelato gives a flicker of chile pepper heat and with deep, dark chocolate flavor
Make the gelatoanaffogato with ashot of hot espresso over the top that meltsintoan even-more-flavorful caffeinated dessert sauce and atasty pickme-up. The creme brulee flavor works especiallywell as affogato. This same areaiswhere to find longtime vendors Plum Street Sno-balls and the Roman Chewing Candycart for sticks of taffy and aglimpse of old New Orleans.
There’samocktail bar from TapTruckNOLA, bars withfulloctane drinks, ageneral store and even aLucky Dog cart for asavory snack next to all the sweets.
FILEPHOTO By MATTHEWHINTON
Mr.Williams’ Pastries sells palm-sized pies with flavorsthat include the beanpie, a mellow-sweet custard in abuttery, flaky crust.
The chocolateeclair from Angelo’sBakeryisa cool, indulgentdessertatJazz Fest.
STAFF FILEPHOTO By IANMcNULTy
jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest
PERFORMERS KNOWN UN
2026 vendorsadd newdishesfor consideration
Regulars at theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have theirpersonal must-eat dishes, and firsttime visitors have bucket lists of dishes they’veheard all about.
Butevery year,there are some changes to the vendors and dishes, andas usual, this year Isweptacross theFair Grounds tryingevery new item. With so manydishes that are tried and trueparts of theJazz Fest experience, it takes alot for anew dishtobreak into thetop tier as amust-trydish. Butthere were afew this time around. Turn thepage for my takes
Charbroiled
Oyster Farm
Turtle soup, TCA
Brocato
Spicy beef patty, Palmer’s
Jamaican Cuisine
REVIEW
Continued from page 10
CHARBROILED OYSTERS
jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest
Lady Nellie Oyster Farm, Heritage Square
Lady Nellie Oyster Farm serves raw oysters from Grand Isle, grown “off bottom” in enclosures (rather than the conventional reef-harvested type). This year, farmer Justin Trosclair and his crew of shuckers are back with charbroiled, too. Run to this dish. They are exceptionally good, still plump and full of juice, snapping with chile butter sauce and topped with exceptionally good parm and pecorino (Trosclair was a cheesemonger before taking up oysters, after all). Remember to recycle the shells in special bins by the stand.
SPICY BEEF PATTY
Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine, Congo Square
The Palmer family has been bringing a taste of Jamaica to the fest through four decades. Patties are savory hand pies, and the chicken curry version has been on the fest menu for many years. The beef patty is new this year, and so is the butter sauce added to both chicken and beef.
Picture a spicy stew that’s been slow cooking on the back of the stove folded into a hand pie of buttery-flaky dough for a quick, portable street food snack. Now picture someone dabbing it with an herbflecked butter sauce, because they love you. This is Jamaican soul food and a keeper
OXTAIL STEW, ESCOVITCH FISH, JERK MUSHROOMS
Afrodisiac, Cultural Exchange Pavilion
The Gentilly restaurant Afrodisiac is the one new vendor at the fest for 2026, part of the fest’s celebration of Jamaica.
The meat is incredibly tender, and working it from the crags and crevices of the oxtails mixes its thick, peppery stew with the rice and peas beneath. Grab some napkins and don’t miss this new dish.
Jerk mushrooms have a great flavor and texture off the grill and are
(scatter batter!) for extra crunch. Splash on some hot sauce and this is a spicy, fresh, crunchy, creamy bit of street food.
Fried green tomatoes and shrimp remoulade are served by Café Dauphine.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
Café Dauphine, Food Area 2
Café Dauphine made a brilliant debut to the fest last year, with modern Creole dishes direct from the restaurant Tia Henry and her family once ran in the Holy Cross neighborhood. They’ve added to the menu in year two.
Frying is an art in New Orleans, and these people are artists. The coating is flaky crisp over tomato slices that burst with juice. The boiled shrimp are left largely alone, lightly dressed, the way we all should be at Jazz Fest.
Cajun duck sliders and duck is served by CCI Catering
CAJUN DUCK SLIDERS
CCI Catering, Food Area 1
This vendor missed last year due to family health issues, but they’re back now and so is their way with duck.
The duck is a debris style, a mix of
pulled leg and thigh meat. It’s juicy, intensely savory but still lean The slider makes a good, smaller sandwich option.
Still, my go-to duck dish is their duck and shrimp pasta, back this year after a hiatus. The pasta is radiatori, a radiator shape that gives lots of texture to pick up the sauce, a buttery, peppery jus. Duck and shrimp doesn’t sound like a natural pairing, but the fresh and hearty contrast works for this hunting camp kind of dish.
CRAWFISH BOUDIN BALL
Papa Ninety Catering, Food Area 1
A link of boudin or a clutch of boudin balls is grab-andgo Louisiana food incarnate, from gas station butcher shops to this long-running Jazz Fest booth
Crawfish boudin balls are served by Papa Ninety Catering
The crawfish boudin ball has good flavor but is missing the pop of tail meat. It’s like a dressing that’s been fried up, and more of a side item than a headliner
Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.
jazzfest jazz fest jazz fest
TIREDYET?
Keith Spera SOUND CHECK
THURSDAY
Wilco kicks off the first of twoconsecutive nights at the Saenger Theatre. Tickets startat$60.
Gov’tMule guitarist Warren Haynes presides over“Warren Haynes— Dreams &Songs Symphonic Experience” with the LouisianaPhilharmonic Orchestra at theOrpheum Theater.Tickets startat$49.
Blues-based guitarist SueFoley lets rip at the New OrleansJazz &Blues Market on Oretha Castle Haley BoulevardinCentral City. Tickets start at $36.
Daniel Donato’s“Cosmic NOLA” show at the Civic Theatre features GeorgePorter Jr., Kanika Moore and others; tickets start at $45.
KarlDenson’sTinyUniverse and La Lom celebrate the music of reggae legend Jimmy Cliff at the Fillmore.
Thesecondweekend of the2026New OrleansJazz& Heritage Festival is as jam-packed as the first, with musicclubs,theatersand othervenues across thecitybeefing up theirbookingsinhopes of attracting the hordes of musicfansintown. Here arehighlightsofthe upcoming week.
John ‘Papa’ Gros
and local keyboardist John “Papa” Gros and slide guitarist MarcStone.Showtimeis8p.m.; tickets start at $41.
Wilco is back at the Saenger for night two.
Guitarist Warren Haynes is back at the Orpheum Theater,this time with his band Gov’tMule.Tickets start at $60.
TheHeavyweights hit the Joy Theater with bassist OteilBurbridge;tickets start at $53.
Dan Penn wrote someofthe greatest songs in soul music, including “Dark End of the Street,” “I’m Your Puppet,” “Doe Right Woman Do Right Man” and “Cry Like AMan.” He and his longtimeco-writer and pianist Spooner Oldham,alegend of Memphis, Tennessee, soul music in his own right, team up forthe 8p.m. Friday show at Chickie WahWah, a reprise of their 2025 Jazz Fest show at the samevenue. Tickets start at $45.
In aseparate show,jazz saxophon-
Wilco
jazz fest jazz fest jazz fest
ist Ravi Coltrane holds court at Chickie Wah Wah starting at 10:30 p.m.; tickets are $40. Then, guitarist Papa Mali’s rock steady band Shantytown Underground grooves at Chickie Wah Wah starting around 1 a.m.; tickets are $25.
Southwest Louisiana slide guitar ace Sonny Landreth and Dustin Dale Gaspard share a bill at Rock ’N’ Bowl; tickets start at $30.
Drummer and vibraphonist Jason Marsalis hosts a tribute to his late father, the great jazz pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis Jr., with special guests Jon Cowherd and Victor Goines at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro at 8 p.m and 10 p.m. Tickets are $50.
Following a sold-out Galactic show at Tipitina’s, keyboardist, singer and songwriter Neal Francis takes over at Tip’s for a show starting at 2 a.m.; tickets are $44 plus fees.
SATURDAY
It’s “Queens Night” at the Joy Theater with a triple bill of Tank & the Bangas, Big Freedia and Dawn Richard Showtime is 10 p.m. Tickets start at $64.
Modern jazz saxophone legend Kenny Garrett plays two shows, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., at the New Orleans Jazz & Blues Market. Tickets start at $31.
New Orleans guitarist and songwriter Anders Osborne’s “NOLA Birthday Bash” at the Civic Theatre opens with the Rebirth Brass Band and features Dave Malone of The Radiators, Jackie Greene, Lindsay Lou and other guests. Tickets start at $56.
New Orleans modern jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, whose résumé includes a bevy of film scores for Spike Lee, Oscar nominations and Grammy Awards, is at Chickie Wah Wah at 8 p.m.
$35.
TUESDAY
Havana-born, New Orleans-based percussionist Alexey Marti powers his AfroGumbo ensemble at Snug Harbor at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.
WEDNESDAY
Martha Reeves was the lead name in Martha and the Vandellas, the 1960s girl group whose run of hits for Motown Records included “Heat Wave,” “Dancing in the Street,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Jimmy Mack,” among others. A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Reeves later became a council member in Detroit. On Wednesday, she’ll sit down at the New Orleans Jazz & Blues Market with a moderator for Come and Get These Memories: An Evening of Conversation with Motown Legend Martha Reeves. Instead of performing, she’ll offer candid stories and insights about her time as a Motown star and all that has followed, including the role New Orleans played in the creation of her forthcoming album.
“I’m very excited to come to New Orleans for an evening of intimate conversation at the Jazz and Blues Market,” Reeves said in a provided statement. “It’s going to be a night filled with laughter, love and so many memories. I have spent the last three years working on my new album, frequently traveling to and from New Orleans. I have a great fondness for the musicians and the people.”
Tickets for Come and Get These Memories start at $36. Showtime is 7 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, Floetry — the duo consisting of Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart — brings its first tour in nearly 10 years to the Saenger Theatre. The bill for “Say Yes The Tour” also includes Raheem DeVaughn with special guest Teedra Moses Tickets start at $80.
Keyboardist Jon Cleary does a solo show at Chickie Wah Wah. Tickets are $20.
