The Times-Picayune 05-17-2026

N O L A.C O M

|

S u n d ay, M ay 17, 2026

$2.50X

ELECTION 2026

LETLOW TAKES BIG LEAD IN SENATE RACE

N.O. tourism industry adapting to new trends Visitor numbers are rising, but summer slump seems steeper

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

With Trump’s backing, she’ll face Fleming as Cassidy concedes loss INSIDE

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Backed by President Donald Trump’s endorsement, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow ousted Sen. Bill Cassidy Saturday in Louisiana’s hotly contested Republican Senate primary.

State Treasurer John Fleming finished second, with Cassidy running third.

“This is not the result I necessarily wanted,” Cassidy told a small crowd of supporters at Boudreaux’s Catering in Baton Rouge, shortly before 10 p.m., adding that he had conceded to Fleming and Letlow. His wife, Laura, stood by his side.

The results in the closed party primary mean that Letlow and Fleming will advance to the June 27 Republican Party runoff, while Cassidy’s bid for a third term will end. He is scheduled to leave the Senate in January, only the second senator in Louisiana to lose reelection in 94 years.

Letlow won about 45% of Cassidy the vote, compared to 28% for Fleming and 24% for Cassidy.

Polls in recent days have shown Letlow with an edge over Fleming in a hypothetical runoff between the two. She will likely have much more money than Fleming — as she did during the primary — which would

Roofing contractors install a temporary roof on a home in New Orleans East on Sept. 8, 2021, after damage caused by Hurricane Ida. Louisiana officials are reviewing recommendations for potential historic changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including increased state responsibilities and faster payments for disaster relief.

STAFF FILE PHOTO

By CHRIS GRANGER

WEATHER HIGH 85 LOW 76 PAGE 8B

ä All five amendments fail. Page 6A ä Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser narrowly

reelected. Page 6A ä Burris wins seat on state Supreme Court. Page 7A ä Cao, Schroder head to runoff for education board. Page 7A ä New closed party primary causes confusion at the polls. Page 8A

bolster her chances for becoming the first female Republican senator ever in Louisiana.

Letlow’s first-place finish — and Cassidy’s crushing defeat — shows the enduring power of Trump’s brand for conservative voters. She didn’t get into the race until three days after she received the president’s endorsement on Jan. 17, and she brandished his support afterward at every opportunity.

On Truth Social, Trump thanked “the Great People of the State of Louisiana” for “this Big Victory.”

“Bill Cassidy, after falsely using his ‘relationship’ with me during his political career, and winning Elections because of it, voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake

then, and now, are criminally insane!”

Trump wrote. “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!” While Cassidy didn’t address Trump by name, he clearly responded to the president’s dislike of him.

“Insults bother me only if they come from a person with integrity,” Cassidy said.

Saturday night’s result is a victory for not only Trump but also Gov. Jeff Landry, who backed Letlow as well.

Landry raised money for two outside groups that didn’t have to report their donors and began relentlessly attacking Fleming when his rise threatened to keep her out of the runoff.

Cassidy’s defeat — the first in his career after six victories, beginning with his election to the state Senate in 2006 — will be news throughout the country because media outlets outside Louisiana have reported on his fate as a litmus test of Trump’s influence and popularity.

Cassidy, 68, lost even though he and a pro-Cassidy super PAC outspent Letlow and her super PAC by about 4-1.

Three Democrats also competed in their party primary on Saturday. Jamie Davis, a corn, soybean and cotton farmer in northeast Louisiana who

ä See SENATE, page 6A

By some counts, 2025 was one of the best years on record for the New Orleans hospitality industry.

An estimated 19.4 million visitors poured into the city, according to a recent study by travel consultant MMGY Global, the most since before the pandemic. They spent an estimated $10.8 billion, 8% more than in 2024.

But in the heart of the city’s tourist district — the French Quarter and downtown — the record numbers didn’t translate into a boost for business at some of the city’s best-known hotels, restaurants and attractions.

At the Audubon Aquarium, where nearly 3 out of every 4 visitors is from out of town, ticket sales were off 17% last year, a slump that continued through the first quarter of this year, officials said. Hotel stays were down slightly, with occupancy in the 26,000 French Quarter and CBD hotel rooms averaging a little more than 61% compared to 64% in 2024, according to Smith Travel and Research.

And amid that mixed picture, some industry leaders are concerned about what’s ahead for this year, with potential visitors contending with rising prices, particularly for gasoline, as they decide whether to spend time and money in New Orleans.

“Walking around the French Quarter, you just don’t see the crowds,” said Ralph Brennan, whose restaurant portfolio includes Brennan’s, Napoleon House and Redfish Grill. “Especially during the week, it’s not what we would like it to be.”

Ahead of the annual summer slump, when visitor numbers drop off as temperatures rise, any sense of a possible downturn is particularly concerning, according to interviews with hotel and restaurant operators.

Local tourism officials acknowledge the city faces headwinds due to a nationwide drop in international visitors, higher travel costs and a more competitive market for meetings and conventions, whose attendees have typically booked

ä See TOURISM, page 12A

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

A driver helps a person with a suitcase at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans on Thursday. New Orleans’ tourism industry is bracing for the summer slump.

La. leaders mull plan to revamp FEMA Task force recommends states take on more responsibility, cost

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON — Louisiana officials are thankful that a Trump administration task force did not recommend shuttering the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but they are still working to un-

derstand a potentially historic revamp that could speed payments even as states shoulder more of the disaster response responsibilities and costs.

“There are some things that need to occur with FEMA, some things that need to occur to streamline the way FEMA works.

But the devil is in the details,” said Lafourche Parish President Mitch Orgeron.

Overall, he likes what he sees, such as sending disaster aid as a block grant directly to the states, but Orgeron said he’s waiting for the specifics on how FEMA will

Business ......................1E Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Classified ..................... 2F Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Commentary ................7B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

implement the suggestions.

“I can tell you that if Lafourche Parish had a 50% match on anything related to Hurricane Ida, it would bankrupt Lafourche,” Orgeron said. “If they’re not providing that last-resort assistance, you’re effectively not going to be able to have local government sustainable in the long run. And that’s going to be the key issue.”

President Donald Trump appointed a 12-member FEMA Review Council to do a deep dive into the agency’s capabilities and

ä See FEMA, page 10A

13TH yEAR, NO. 278

2A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. allows Russia oil sales waiver to expire

The Trump administration allowed a waiver that encouraged more Russian crude sales to lapse, even as the Iran war stokes concerns about global oil supplies and higher fuel costs.

The expiration effectively ends for now a brief period where the administration eased sanctions on some Russian oil, enabling purchases that would otherwise be barred. The Trump administration issued an initial waiver in March and a second after the first expired in April — both applying only to a subset of Russian oil that had already been loaded onto tankers.

The waivers have been controversial, especially with European allies who see sanctions as essential to starving Russia of crude revenue and depriving Moscow funding for its war in Ukraine. Critics say the sanctions relief has served to enrich Moscow — even though it’s been limited to waterborne oil — especially as crude prices surge.

But some countries, including India and Indonesia, had lobbied the Trump administration for extended sanctions waivers, as the Iran war and the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz deprive global markets of millions of barrels of crude daily.

The Trump administration has also pivoted on the issue, responding to entreaties from countries heavily reliant on crude imports. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in April initially said the U.S. would not renew the sanctions waiver allowing purchases of some Russian crude before ultimately issuing a new authorization two days later.

lll

Trump: Islamic State group head killed U.S., Nigeria carry out joint strike

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE and OPE ADETAYO Associated Press

WASHINGTON — U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a mission carried out Friday, President Donald Trump said.

Trump announced the joint operation in Africa’s most populous country in a late-night social media post. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second-incommand of the Islamic State group globally and “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.”

Al-Mainuki was viewed as the key figure in IS organizing and finance, and had been plotting attacks against the United States and its interests, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to share sensitive information.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the operation and said Al-Mainuki was killed alongside “several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.”

The joint operation is the latest by both countries since their new security partnership that kicked off last year after Trump claimed Christians were being targeted in Nigeria’s security crisis and threatened U.S. military intervention. Residents and security analysts have

said Nigeria’s security crisis affects both Christians, predominant in the south, and Muslims, who are the majority in the north.

According to the spokesperson for the Nigerian military task force that carried out the Friday operation, the mission was a “highly complex precision air-land operation” and was carried out during three hours of darkness early Saturday without any casualties or loss of assets.

“His elimination represents the single most consequential counterterrorism outcome” in the region since the inception of the operation in 2015, Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the task force, said in a statement.

United Nations experts in their latest report said IS had intensified efforts in West Africa, citing more than 500 attacks between

Rwandan genocide suspect dies in custody

KIGALI, Rwanda — A Rwandan suspect charged in connection with the 1994 genocide died in a hospital while in custody in The Hague, Netherlands, a U.N. court said Saturday, three years after the court declared him unfit to continue standing trial.

Félicien Kabuga, 91, was accused of encouraging and bankrolling the mass killing of Rwanda’s Tutsi minority. His trial began in 2022, nearly three decades after the 100-day massacre that left 800,000 dead.

In 2023, the judges declared him unfit to continue standing trial because he had dementia and said they would establish a procedure to continue hearing evidence without the possibility of convicting him.

On Saturday, the U.N. International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals said in a statement that Kabuga died while hospitalized in The Hague, and the medical officer of the U.N. Detention Unit was notified immediately.

have been “elevated to the position of Head of the General Directorate of States, placing him the second most senior leader within the ISIS global hierarchy.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said Al-Mainuki was the senior ISIS General Directorate of Provinces Emir — “the number two for ISIS globally — responsible for overseeing the planning of attacks, directing the hostage-taking and managing financial operations.”

There is no way to verify his position within IS independently. Analysts say AlMainuki was the deputy to Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the leader of the Islamic State West African Province who was reported to have died in 2021. He is regarded as one of the central proponents of the formation of ISWAP, after its split with Boko Haram in 2016.

Driver plows into pedestrians in Italy 8 injured as driver detained

BY GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press

Search suspended for 4 in underwater cave

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Maldivian authorities on Saturday suspended the search for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave, after a military diver died during a perilous mission to try to reach them.

The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 160 feet in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 98 feet.

Maldives presidential spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the search was suspended after Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.

Authorities are awaiting the arrival of three Finnish divers, experts in deep and cave diving, on Sunday, to rethink their search strategy, he said.

Mahudhee will be buried with military honors in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muzzu on Saturday night. The diver was part of the group that had briefed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.

“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” Shareef said.

Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.

January and October last year.

Born in Nigeria’s Borno province in 1982, al-Mainuki took the helm of the IS branch in West Africa after his predecessor, Mamman Nur, was killed in 2018, according to the Counter Extremism Project, which tracks militant groups.

Al-Mainuki was based in the Sahel area, the monitoring group said, adding that it is believed that he fought in Libya when IS was active in the North African nation more than a decade ago. He was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023.

Trump, in his social media announcement, said Al-Mainuki was “second in command globally,” hiding in Africa, a claim that some analysts say is off the mark.

The Nigerian military, in a statement, also said intelligence shows that earlier this year, Al-Mainuki might

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABDEL KAREEM HANA

Palestinians attend the funeral of Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, and his daughter and wife on Saturday in Gaza City. They were killed in an Israeli strike Friday evening.

Israeli strike kills Hamas’ military wing leader Palestinian flags as it was carried by Israel says he was an mourners at Saturday’s funeral in Gaza architect of Oct. 7 attacks City.

Al-Haddad joined Hamas when it was

BY SAMY MAGDY and SAM MEDNICK Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing who was one of the last surviving architects of the attacks that triggered the war in late 2023, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death.

Izz al-Din al-Haddad was killed on Friday, Israel’s army said, describing him as one of the senior Hamas military commanders who directed the planning and execution of the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw more than 250 taken hostage.

A Hamas spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, confirmed the killing on social media.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, and the top diplomat overseeing it says it has stalled because of the deadlock over disarming Hamas. Both sides have traded accusations of violations. Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire with more than 850 people killed in the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire went into effect in October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamasrun government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

The ministry overall says Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the war have devastated the Palestinian enclave and killed more than 72,700 people.

Israel said that al-Haddad had assumed the role of Hamas commander after his predecessor, Mohammed Sinwar, was killed. The army said that al-Haddad had surrounded himself with Israeli hostages during the war as a shield against an attack.

Al-Haddad’s family confirmed his death in Friday’s strike to The Associated Press. Six other people, including his wife and daughter, were also killed. His two sons were killed earlier in the war.

His body was wrapped in Hamas and

established in the 1980s, and was a member of the Qassam Brigades’ Majd section tasked to go after collaborators with Israel. He was also a member of Hamas’ Military Council, the highest group of commanders that played a key role in the attacks that sparked the war.

Israel’s army chief of staff called his killing a significant operation, and said that Israel would continue pursuing its enemies to hold them accountable.

Violence flared Saturday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops shot and killed a 34-year-old Palestinian in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Palestinian Health ministry.

Hassan Fayyad was fatally shot in a thigh, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

Israel’s military said that troops first fired warning shots at a person trying to infiltrate the camp and shot him when he didn’t comply. They provided him with medical treatment as he was transferred to a hospital, it said.

Israeli troops on Thursday shot and killed a 15-year-old boy in Eastern Lubban town in Nablus, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel’s military said that it identified three people hurling rocks toward Israeli vehicles and “endangering lives,” and troops fired at them, killing one.

On Friday, settlers set fire to a mosque and vehicles in the village of Jibiya, northwest of Ramallah, Palestinian religious authorities said. Security camera footage showed people pouring flammable material on the mosque and at least two vehicles, said Sabir Shalash, the head of Jibiya’s municipal council. Spraypainted Hebrew slogans were found on the mosque’s walls, he said.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs described the attack as “a cowardly terrorist act” and criticized the international community’s inaction over mounting Jewish settler attacks against Muslim and Christian sites in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Israeli military and police said that they were deployed to the area and didn’t locate any suspects, but were investigating. The army said that it “strongly condemns” attacks on religious institutions.

ROME — A driver plowed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them critically, before trying to flee and being detained by police, local authorities said. They said the man was known to officials for having mental disorders.

Authorities identified the driver as Salim El Koudri, a 31-year-old secondgeneration Italian born in Bergamo and living in the province of Modena.

El Koudri, who holds a degree in economics, is unemployed, authorities said. He was detained and questioned at police headquarters in Modena as investigators tried to determine whether he acted deliberately.

Investigators said at a news conference Saturday evening there was no

immediate indication the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

His home was searched as part of the investigation.

Modena Prefect Fabrizia Triolo said el Koudri had been known to local mental health services for schizoid disorders, while officials stressed that early findings pointed to possible mental instability but required further verification. No links to extremist groups emerged.

Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said no one was killed in the dramatic crash but four victims were in serious condition. He said a woman was pinned against a shop window and required the amputation of both legs.

Mezzetti said the vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and the man “drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying,” before crashing into the shop window.

Victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, including by helicopter for the most critical cases.

GET IN TOUCH Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 504-529-0522 News Tips / Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM Obituaries: 225-388-0289 • Mon-Fri 9-5; Sat 10-5; Closed Sun Advertising Sales: 504-636-7421 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111 • Mon-Fri 8-5 Subscribe: nola.com/subscribe E-Edition: nola.com/eedition Archives: nola.newsbank.com The Times-Picayune (USPS 18530) is published by Capital City Press at 840 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130 and at additional mailing offices. Periodicals postage paid at New Orleans, LA. ISSN: 2379-0008. Capital City Press, proprietor. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Times-Picayune, Circulation Accounting, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588. Newspaper carriers are independent contractors and not employees of Capital City Press.

All home delivery subscription sales are non-refundable. Should you discontinue your subscription during term, the subscription will end with the expiration date on your subscription, and there will not be a refund of a prorated amount. Subscribers who purchased their subscription before Feb. 1, 2023 and wish to cancel can request a refund of a remaining balance at https://www.nola.com/app/forms/refund-request-form/. Refunds are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of Capital City Press, LLC or its designee. All subscriptions purchased that include a special edition will have the special edition value deducted prior to any refund provided to subscriber upon cancellation of service. Standard subscription rates may be effective upon renewal. All standard subscriptions include digital access and e-Edition, a digital replica of the printed Advocate edition(s). The apps are free for tablets and smartphones. Smartphone apps may not be supported on all devices.

The Times-Picayune standard subscription rate is $80.89 per 4-week period, plus tax. Standard digital subscriptions include e-Edition with the rate of $31.15 per 4-week period, plus tax starting 1/1/25. Special editions included in home delivery subscriptions are 1/30/26, 3/11/26, 4/15/26, 5/27/26, 7/8/26, 8/19/26, 9/30/26 11/26/26, 1/22/27, 3/10/27, 4/14/27, 5/26/27, 7/14/27, 8/18/27, 9/29/27 and 11/25/27 and are billed at $6.23 each. The Thanksgiving Day edition will be billed at your regular Thursday rate plus $6.23. To opt out of special edition delivery, email help@theadvocate.com or call 225-388-0395. By opting out of special editions you will not receive that day’s newspaper. Thanksgiving Day is not a special edition and opting out for that edition isn’t permitted. Prices shown are in U.S. dollars. Prices subject to change. Other restrictions may apply. We no longer provide credit for temporary delivery stops of 14 days or less. During a temporary delivery stop donations are made to our News in Education program. This program provides newspapers and digital access to schools across Louisiana. This program is paid for by sponsors and temporary stops so that students may use the newspaper for educational purposes in the classroom. During a temporary delivery stop of the print edition subscribers have unlimited digital access to theadvocate.com, nola.com and the apps for tablet and smartphone. Seasonal delivery times from August 2025 through February 2026 will extend to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Subscribers may also choose to access our digital replica e-Edition of the printed Advocate, Times Picayune and Acadiana Advocate only. As a highly valued customer, we also value your privacy. All personal information collected by The Advocate will be used for administration and customer verification; it may be used for promotional purposes in accordance with The Advocate’s privacy policy. Please refer to our policy located at https://www.theadvocate. com/new_policy/ for information regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. By providing your phone number and email address you agree that we can call or email you to confirm delivery service, satisfaction and/or sales promotions as they may occur from The Times-Picayune.

The Times-Picayune: 840 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 70130 St. Tammany Bureau (NEWS only): 321 New Hampshire St., Covington, LA 70433 • 985-276-5054

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3A

lll

Trump’s comment on Taiwan raises anxieties U.S. president says island a ‘good negotiating chip’ with China

BY SIMINA MISTREANU Associated Press

Recent comments by President Donald Trump that arms sales to Taiwan are a “very good negotiating chip” in the United States’ dealings with China are heightening anxieties on the island democracy that Beijing claims as its own.

Trump made the comment in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier that aired right after the U.S. president wrapped up a high-stakes visit to China on Friday.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province, to be retaken by force if necessary. The U.S., like all countries that have formal ties with Beijing, doesn’t recognize Taiwan as a country but has been the island’s strongest backer and arms supplier.

Trump is now suggesting that is open to negotiation.

Asked if he would approve a $14 billion arms package to Taiwan that has been held up for months, Trump said that’s up to China.

“I’m holding that in abeyance and it depends on China,” he said. “It’s a very good negotiating chip for us, frankly. It’s a lot of weapons.”

The U.S. is bound by its own laws to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and sees all threats to the island as a matter of grave concern.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump walks with China’s President Xi Jinping on Friday at the Zhongnanhai leadership compound in Beijing.

By conditioning U.S. arms sales to Taiwan on his negotiations with China, Trump may play into one the island’s “nightmare scenarios,” said William Yang, a Northeast Asia senior analyst for International Crisis Group: that Taiwan, instead of being at the negotiating table, is on the menu.

Although Trump didn’t say specifically what he would want from China in return for denying Taiwan the weapons, he has been pressing Beijing to buy more American goods and to help put pressure on Iran.

Trump and the U.S. Congress already approved in December a separate $11 billion arms sales package to Taiwan. Beijing reacted furiously by staging live fire drills

around the island.

China has framed Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent summit with Trump. The visit is to be followed next week by a trip by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing.

In one of his strongest statements to date, Xi on Thursday warned Trump of “clashes and even conflicts” if the issue of Taiwan is not handled properly.

Taiwan’s presidential office on Saturday sought to smooth over the tensions by highlighting “that the consistent U.S. policy and position toward Taiwan remain unchanged.”

“The Republic of China is a sovereign, independent, democratic

country; this is self-evident, and Beijing’s claims are therefore without merit,” said Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo, referring to Taiwan’s official name. She added that the island remains grateful to Trump for his support and stressed that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan are stipulated by law.

Another statement that raised concerns on the island was Trump’s call for Taiwan’s microchip sector — the world’s largest and most advanced — to pick up and move to the U.S. “I’d like to see everybody making chips over in Taiwan come into America,” Trump told Fox News, describing such a move as “the greatest thing you can do.”

Trump has long pressed Taiwanese chipmakers, which produce more than 90% of the world’s most advanced chips, which are used for artificial intelligence, smartphones and military equipment, to base some of their production in the U.S. Taiwan’s leading chipmaker, TSMC, has committed an investment of $165 billion in a megacampus in Arizona. The island’s government, in a sweeping trade agreement with the U.S. earlier this year, pledged $250 billion in investment in the U.S. microchip sector, which included TSMC’s previous commitment.

Trump also reiterated older accusations that Taiwan “stole” its chipmaking sector from the U.S. decades ago.

While Trump during his summit with Xi did not alter U.S. policy wording on Taiwan — which many

observers had feared he would — he did seem to adopt some of the Chinese president’s own narrative about the island’s government.

Beijing has branded Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as a “Taiwan independence diehard,” and warned that he would bring war and destruction to the island.

Trump and other top U.S. officials don’t usually communicate with Taiwanese leaders but have shown support in the past for example by allowing former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to transit on U.S. soil en route to visiting Latin American countries. Lai, who is about to reach his presidency’s twoyear mark, has yet to set foot on the U.S. mainland, and some observers have interpreted that as a rollback of support by the Trump administration.

In his interview with Fox News, Trump stressed that he didn’t want to see a change of status quo between Taiwan and Beijing. “But they have somebody there now that wants to go independent,” he said, likely referring to Lai. “They’re going independent because they want to get into a war and they figure they have the United States behind them.” He added that he is not looking to fight a war thousands of miles away.

Trump’s worrying statements about Taiwan may be another instance of “his transactional rhetoric being turned up to the max,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with the Atlantic Council. “What matters more is the substance, which Taiwan is holding its collective breath for.”

Congolese report constant burials as ebola deaths rise At least 80 reported dead

ease. Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.

Meanwhile, Associated Press journalists in Ituri’s capital, Bunia,

By The Associated Press interviewed locals who recounted BUNIA, Congo — At least 80 deaths their fears and constant burials.

“Every day, people are dying have been reported in Congo’s new Ebola disease outbreak in the ... and this has been going on for eastern Ituri province, authorities about a week. In a single day, we said, as health workers raced Sat- bury two, three, or even more urday to intensify screening and people,” said Jean Marc Asimwe, contact tracing to contain the dis- a resident of Bunia. “At this point,

we don’t really know what kind of disease it is,” said Asimwe.

Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said late Friday that there have been eight laboratory-confirmed cases, among them four deaths.

Test results confirmed the Bundibugyo virus, a variant of the disease that has been less prominent in Congo’s past outbreaks. This is Congo’s 17th outbreak since Ebola first emerged in the country in 1976.

Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood, or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.

The suspected index case in the latest outbreak is a nurse who died at a hospital in Bunia, Kamba said.

He said the case dates back three weeks to April 24.

He did not say whether samples from the nurse were tested, but said the person presented symp-

toms suggestive of Ebola.

Uganda confirmed Friday an Ebola case that authorities said was “imported” from Congo. The person died at the Kibuli Muslim Hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, on May 14.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan.

4A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

USS Ford returns home after 11-month deployment

By The Associated Press NORFOLK, Va. — The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world largest aircraft carrier, returned home to Virginia on Saturday after an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam War, that saw it support the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Nicolás Maduro when he was Venezuela’s president.

The most advanced U.S. warship and two accompanying destroyers docked at Naval Station Norfolk with about 5,000 sailors waiting to see their families for the first time since June.

Besides combat operations and traversing continents, the sailors aboard the carrier faced a noncombat-related fire that left hundreds without places to sleep and forced lengthy repairs on the Greek island of Crete.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was on hand for

service during the Iran war, the Ford and the accompanying ships were awarded the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation, lauded for “outstanding performance in action” against “a determined enemy.” It’s the highest award a unit can receive and one typically reserved for significant achievement in combat.

The Ford’s 326 days at sea are the most for an aircraft carrier in the past 50 years and broke the record for the longest post-Vietnam War deployment, according to U.S. Naval Institute News, a news outlet run by the U.S. Naval Institute, a nonprofit THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT PHOTO By KENDALL WARNER organization. The only lonSailors make their way to their loved ones Saturday after disembarking from the USS Gerald ger deployments were the R. Ford at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Va., following an 11-month deployment.

1973 deployment of USS Midway at 332 days and the 1965 deployment of USS the arrival of the warships, “job well done.” a nation proud.” which included the destroy“You didn’t just accomHegseth also spoke to the Coral Sea at 329 days.

The Ford’s long time at er USS Bainbridge. plish a mission, you made crews of the USS Mahan, a sea has raised questions Hegseth commended the history,” Hegseth said on the destroyer, and the Ford. crew of the Bainbridge for a destroyer’s deck. “You made In recognition of their

Strike shuts down Long Island Rail Road Commuter system is largest in North America

BY PHILIP MARCELO and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, was shut down Saturday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades.

The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations just after midnight after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job.

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the public agency that runs the railroad, have been negotiating for months

on a new contract, with talks stalled over the question of workers’ salaries and healthcare premiums. President Donald Trump’s administration tried to broker a deal, but the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m.

Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no new negotiations have been scheduled.

“We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said early Saturday. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency “gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay” and that to him it was apparent the unions always intended to walk out.

The walkout, the first for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994, promises to cause headaches for sports

fans planning to see the Yankees and Mets battle this weekend or to watch the Knicks’ playoff run at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.

The station was devoid of its usual weekend bustle in the afternoon. Only a few dozen people were seen traversing the main concourse, many dragging rolling luggage from departing or arriving Amtrak trains, which are not affected by the strike.

Departure boards normally showing upcoming trains by destination instead listed ghost trains marked “No Passengers.” A few signs affixed to customer service windows explained that the railroad was shut down because of a strike.

Access to platforms was blocked off with bicyclerack style barricades and

MATTRESS

roll-down gates as MTA police officers stood sentry, directing people to alternative transportation.

If the stoppage continues into the workweek, the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system each weekday will be forced to find other routes to the city from its Long Island suburbs. For many that likely means navigating the region’s notoriously congested roads.

about the impact on service members who are away from home for long periods as well as about increasing strain on the ship and its equipment beyond the fire, which started in one of the carrier’s laundry spaces.

When the Ford first left Virginia’s coast in June, it headed to the Mediterranean Sea. It was then rerouted to the Caribbean Sea in October as part of the largest naval buildup in the region in generations.

The carrier took part in the military operation in January to capture Maduro. Then it would see more battle, heading toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalated. The Ford participated in the opening days of the Iran war from the Mediterranean Sea before going through the Suez Canal and heading into the Red Sea in early March.

Time for your next chapter?

Let Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

DONNA PISANI

Help make downsizing, selling & buying stress free with compassionate, expert guidance throughout the process.

504-491-2783

Call today for a no obligation consultation!

Servicing the Greater New Orleans & Northshore Areas

donna@reverealtors.com Licensed in LA & MS

504-300-0700 | 4827 Prytania St. | NOLA 70115

LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center reshapes healthcare with clinical trials that are at the forefront of medical innovation

SAVINGS EVENT Powered by

There are more than 100 clinical trials currently underway at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center as researchers and physicians search for new treatments for multiple forms of the disease.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.

Stearns & Foster ®

PLUS EARN A $300 DILLARD’S GIFT CARD †

Queen Lux Estate Tight Top Medium

On Ergo ® Smart Set Reg. $5,398; Sale $4,598

Powered by

M AT T R ES S S A L E

Tempur-Pedic ®

PLUS EARN A $300 DILLARD’S GIFT CARD ††

Queen ProBreeze Medium Hybrid

On Ergo ® Smart Set Reg. $6,598; Sale $6,098

SAVE UP TO $350 ON THE ALL-NEW

Sealy Posturepedic® Line Twin Mattress Reg. $1,099, Sale $874 Full Mattress Reg. $1,139, Sale $889 Queen Mattress Reg. $1,199, Sale $899 King Mattress Reg. $1,549, Sale $1199

FREE DELIVERY

†††

(OVER $799)

Available at Dillard’s Lakeside Shopping Center.

Selection varies by store. Call 1-800-345-5273 to find a Dillard’s store near you. *Offer valid May 5–June 2, 2026, at participating retailers only. Maximum savings of $900 requires purchase of a Reserve or Lux Hybrid Elite mattress and a TEMPUR-Ergo® Smart Base. Save $700 on any size Reserve or Lux Hybrid Elite Stearns & Foster® mattress. Save $600 on any size Lux Estate Stearns & Foster® mattress. Save $300 on any size Estate or Studio Stearns & Foster® mattress. Save $200 on any size TEMPUR-Ergo® ProSmart® Base or TEMPUR-Ergo® Smart Base. Save $100 on any size TEMPUR-Ergo® Power Base. Select adjustable mattress sets only. Savings realized at time of purchase. Certain offers may not be combined. Not valid on prior purchases.

See store for availability and details. Copyright 2026 Sealy, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions apply. See store for details. † Receive a $300 Gift Card with the purchase of any Stearns & Foster. **Offer valid May 5–June 2, 2026, while supplies last. Maximum savings of $500 requires purchase of a TEMPUR-LuxeAdapt® or TEMPUR-Breeze® mattress and a TEMPUR-Ergo® Smart Base. Save $300 on any size TEMPUR-LuxeAdapt® or TEMPUR-Breeze® mattress. Save $200 on any size TEMPUR-ProAdapt® mattress. Save $100 on any size TEMPUR-Adapt® mattress. Save $200 on any size TEMPUR-Ergo® ProSmart® Base or TEMPUR-Ergo® Smart Base. Save $100 on any size TEMPUR-Ergo® Power Base. Select adjustable mattress sets only. Savings realized at time of purchase. Certain offers may not be combined. Excludes previous purchases. See store for availability and details. Copyright 2026 Tempur-Pedic North America, LLC. All rights reserved. ††Receive a $300 Gift Card with the purchase of any Tempur-Pedic mattress. †††See store for details.

For Denise Phipps, a frightening trip to the emergency room for chest pain turned into a diagnosis that could have easily stripped away hope.

The lifelong New Orleans resident, a mother of six and a grandmother of more than 20, initially thought she might be having a heart attack. Instead, doctors discovered a mass in one of her lungs. Further testing revealed the mass was Stage 3 lung cancer that was already spreading to other parts of Phipps’ body.

In many hospitals, the focus would have shifted to palliative care – treatment designed to manage symptoms and extend life, rather than cure the disease. But, physiciansattheLSULCMCHealthCancerCentersaw another possibility.

Phippswaseligibleforanationalclinicaltrial,oneof morethan100activetrialscurrentlyunderwaythrough theLSULCMCHealthCancerCenter.Today,aftertreatmentthatincludedadvancedtherapiesandsurgery,she is in complete clinical remission.

“She had a remarkable response,” said Dr. Leonard Wudel,ChiefofThoracicSurgeryandAssociateProfessoratLSUSchoolofMedicine.“Almostallofthecanceroussitesweregoneafterherclinicaltrialwascomplete.

It’s amazing to see what can happen when you are able to treat a patient with curative intent, especially when you know as a physician that she probably would not havesurvivedifaclinicaltrialwasnotavailabletoher.”

‘Builders’ drive medical innovation and precision treatments The LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center has rapidly expanded its clinical trial portfolio in recent years as it positionsitselfasoneoftheGulfSouth’sleadingcancer research hubs and works toward achieving National CancerInstitutedesignation,astatusnotcurrentlyheld by any institutions in Louisiana or Mississippi.

“Medicine cannot advance without clinical trials.

Theyaretheonlywaytodeterminewhetheranewtreatmentoranewpreventativemeasurewillwork,”saidDr. Lucio Miele, director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.“Clinicaltrialsarenolongerseenastherouteyou takewhen you have no other options.Ourtrialsrun the gamut of cancer treatment from the very early phases to late phases. We have trials that investigate not only newinterventions,butnewstrategiestopreventcancer or detect it earlier.”

Dr. Miele said the ongoing clinical trials at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center address different forms ofthedisease,includinggynecological,breast,lungand pancreatic. The center is expanding its clinical trials into brain tumors, and plans to soon begin new studies on CAR-T therapy.

To be a candidate for a clinical trial, Dr. Miele said a patient must meet certain clinical and demographic criteria. Increasingly, researchers also ensure patients have tumors with specific molecular features that indicate a certain medication or treatment is more likely to be effective.

“What we are doing now is precision oncology. We are working to be at the forefront of medicine with the trialsthatusethisapproach,”hesaid.“That’swhyIlook for builders – high-energy people who are not content with doing things the way they have always been done.

Icameheretomakeadifferencebybringingthebestin cancer medicine to an area where it previously has not been available, and I’m looking to bring in people who share that goal.”

Treatment access spurs renewed hope and a fight for the future in Louisiana Unsurprisingly, Phipps said she had a deeply emotional reaction to learning about her cancer diagnosis.Therewereplentyoftearsfromherandherfamily.

AsalongtimecaregiverandCertifiedNursingAssistant formorethan40years,shehadseenfirsthandtheimpact that diseases can have on people.

“Wecriedalot,”shesaid.“Nobodyeverwantstohear that they have cancer. It hit all of us really hard.”

When Dr. Wudel and his colleagues recommended Phippsenrollinaclinicaltrial,therewasnohesitation.

“I was up for it right away,” she said. “I could tell that Dr. Wudel knew what he was talking about.”

Patientsalwayshavethefinalsayinwhethertoparticipate in a clinical trial, but Dr. Wudel said it is rare that someone decides not to enroll. When someone says yes toaclinicaltrial,Dr.Wudelsaidheandhiscolleaguesare intentionalaboutexplainingthedauntingcommitment thatliesahead–oftenatleastayearfulloftests,labwork, procedures, medical appointments and medications.

“We explain that this is going to be the focus of your life for at least the next 12 months,” he said. “It can be a difficult conversation because a more conventional treatmentpathisnotreadilyavailable,andpatientshave tounderstandthattheclinicaltrialmightnothelpthem.

But, the majority of patients want to do this. They want to give themselves a chance and have some hope where there otherwise might not be any.”

InPhipps’case,sheunderwentsurgery,chemotherapy and other treatments, and recently had another operation to address cancer that had spread to her thyroid.

Today,sheisdoingwellandisworkingtoregainhervoice soshecankeephavingconversationswithherchildren and grandchildren, including a new baby on the way.

“It was a big decision, but I prayed on it and I knew I was doing the right thing,” she said.

Phipps’ treatment was made easier by the fact that it took place in New Orleans. Dr. Miele said a key priority for the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center is to help morepeoplelikePhippsaccesscutting-edgetreatment without leaving the state.

“Travel is expensive and inconvenient, and not everyone can afford it. It creates a barrier to clinical trialparticipationthatwewanttoeliminate,”Dr.Miele said.“WewantLouisianapatientstohavejustasmuch of an opportunity for clinical trials as residents in any other part of the country.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 5A

lll

Earn more with a

4.18% APY* 1-Year Share Certificate.

8-#,+.!%+!24, '00:<9 *## 0#:!%'4%)9%267%#.+!;%'+# "2. $#+'!:,9 1#$#.'::< !4,).#$ &< /3(59

From competitive rates to memberexclusive benefits, it’s time to make every dollar go further with Pelican.

With Pelican, we help every dollar fly further: • 5% APY* on Stack Checking balances up to $30,000 • 2.50% APY* on Stack Savings balances up to $150,000 • 4.28% APY* on Money Market Account balances $250,000+

Learn more at: pelicancu.com/certificate

6A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

E LEC T ION 2026

Voters reject all 5 constitutional amendments

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana teachers stand to lose a $2,000 stipend they have received over the past several years and the state’s inventory tax will remain untouched after a set of constitutional amendments resoundingly failed to pass at the polls on Saturday.

The results also mean that the city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish will not get its own school district, and that the mandatory retirement age for judges will remain set at 70 instead of increasing to 75. Voters further rejected a measure that would have given the Legislature more power over the civil service status of state employees.

The amendments took a beating in an election cycle marred by controversy: Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the U.S. House races at the

last minute so that the state could redraw its congressional map to favor Republicans after a landmark Supreme Court ruling declared Louisiana’s existing map unconstitutional.

With Democratic turnout high during the early voting period, political pundits predicted backlash to the redistricting efforts could reduce the odds that the five constitutional amendments would pass.

Amendment 3, which would have made permanent a $2,000 stipend for teachers and given them another $250 to boot, fared best out of the five constitutional amendments, though it too did poorly. At 10:45 p.m., with most precincts reporting, only 42% of voters cast their ballots in favor of the measure, according to unofficial results on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.

All the other measures failed to get even 40% of the vote. At the

bottom of the pack was Amendment 1, which won only 22% of the vote, those results showed.

That change would have allowed the Legislature to decide which state government jobs should be at-will positions without civil service protections. Supporters said it would help make the government more efficient, while detractors argued it would leave state employees vulnerable to partisan politics.

Meanwhile, Amendment 2, which was fiercely fought in East Baton Rouge Parish, would have created a new school district in St. George, taking it out of the Baton Rouge public school system.

Voters in 2019 created the new city, and after a long legal battle, the courts allowed it to ramp up a government in 2024.

Proponents of a new school district for the new city contend it is a needed antidote to many of the parish system’s poor-quality schools.

Critics say it would exacerbate racial segregation and leave poorer students behind.

Amendment 3 would have liquidated state education trust funds to pay off teacher retirement debt, and then used the savings from that debt to permanently raise teacher salaries by $2,250.

Teachers received a $2,000 salary increase several years ago, but it came in the form of a temporary “stipend” as the Legislature declined to make a long-term commitment to fund it. Amendment 3 would have given teachers another $250 on top of the $2,000 they were already receiving.

Support staff, who had been receiving $1,000 stipends, would have gotten another $125.

Now, teachers might get $2,000 less each year — state Senate President Cameron Henry previously warned that if Amendment 3 failed, the Legislature would not

backfill the money.

In a major defeat for the business lobby, voters also shot down Amendment 4, which would have allowed parishes to stop taxing business inventory in exchange for one-time payments from the state.

It was pitched as a way to help parishes attract investors; parishes that opted to do away with the tax would not have been able to reinstate it down the line.

Amendment 5 would have raised the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75.

Currently, judges who turn 70 can serve out their terms, but they may not run for reelection.

Raising the retirement age would have allowed judges with expertise to continue serving, according to supporters of the amendment. Critics said the mandatory retirement age protects the public from judges who experience cognitive decline as they age.

Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser narrowly reelected Conley and City Council member Tommy Williams to be for District 3 Joey Lahatte both back their positions unopnext Slidell police chief won posed.

BY LARA NICHOLSON, MATT BRUCE and WILLIE SWETT

Slidell

Staff writers

In Slidell, Tommy Williams will be the next police chief of Slidell New Orleans-area residents cast after he bested Brian Nicaud with ballots for a host of local races 65% of the vote Saturday in an election that also featured Saturday, giving Kenner races for several Slidell Mayor Michael Glaser a City Council seats. second term, choosing a The race pitted two Renew police chief in Slidell and selecting judges in publican law enforcement Orleans Parish civil and officers against each othcriminal court. er, with both touting their In Kenner, Glaser nardecades of police work and promising to keep rowly won a second term Glaser Slidell a safe community. outright, securing just Williams, a Slidell native whose over 50% of the vote over his two opponents, Diane Schnell, a Demo- father was a career Slidell Police crat who came in second with 33% Department officer, spent 14 years in the city of Roswell Poof the vote, and Walt Bennetti, who isn’t registered lice Department in Georto a party and secured 16% gia before returning home of the vote, according to in 2007, where he served in preliminary results from the Slidell Police Departthe Louisiana secretary of ment until retiring in 2015. state.

He fills a vacancy that “I ran on my 36 years opened after former Slidell here in the city of Kenner,” Williams Police Chief Randy Fandal said Glaser in an interview won a special election in with WWL Louisiana. “And I do be- October to serve as Slidell mayor. lieve the residents of Kenner are Fandal was up again for mayor on happy with what we’ve done over the May 16 ballot, but no candidates stepped up to challenge him. the past four years.”

On the Slidell City Council, DemoIn addition to the mayor’s race, six of the seven council crat Leslie Denham and Reseats were determined in publican Tom Abney were Saturday’s election, with elected to at-large seats, state Rep. Joe Stagni, a Rewith Denham winning 27% of the vote and Abney winpublican, and George Branigan, also a Republican, ning 26% of the vote in a winning the two Kenner five-candidate race.

City Council at-large seats The race featured incumagainst their respective Dunn bent Jeff Burgoyne, a Reopponents, Brian Brennan publican, who was seeking and Gregory Carroll. reelection to anothIn the City Council’s er four-year term district races, Dee Dunn as an at-large counwon District 1 against cil member. The David Weathersby; Tom other current atWillmott won District 2 large council memagainst Mike Sigur; Kristi ber, Bill Borchert, McKinney won District 4 McKinney was term-limited. against Stacey Allesandro; In district races, Fuller and Danny Riehm won District 5 Democrat Landon Washagainst Kaylin Ramirez. ington beat Republican Rene ArcKenner Police Chief Keith emont in District A, winning 69%

SENATE

Continued from page 1A had the state Democratic Party endorsement, ran first with 48% of the vote.

In the race for the other runoff spot: As of 11:07 p.m., Nick Albares, a policy analyst in New Orleans who was backed by his former boss, ex-Gov. John Bel Edwards, was slightly ahead of Gary Crockett, who served 24 years in the Navy and owns four businesses in New Orleans had a narrow lead over. But only 393 votes separated the two, and two parishes had not reported early voting returns.

The top two will advance to the Democratic Party runoff on June 27.

The winners of the Democratic and Republican runoffs will meet in a general election on Nov. 3, with the Republican candidate heavily favored.

Polls closed on Saturday at 8 p.m. Ten minutes later, the Secretary of State posted initial results from absentee voting, the first sign that Cassidy would have a long night as Letlow took a big lead, and

the senator was in third place.

Mark Spencer, who owns a Mardi Gras online store in Belle Chasse and called himself a “Guns and Bible Albares conservative,” finished a distant fourth in the Republican primary.

Letlow, 45, who before her first run for office worked for the University of Louisiana at Monroe, said Crockett during the race that she never expected to be a high-level political candidate.

Her entry into politics was born of tragedy. Her husband, Luke, Davis was elected to represent the 5th Congressional District House seat in December 2020 but died 24 days later, just before he took office.

Letlow ran in his stead and was elected in April 2021. She won re-

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Louisiana voters cast their ballots on Saturday. of the vote in a district that includes Olde Towne.

In District B, Sean Fadely, a noparty candidate, beat fellow noparty candidate Fabian Hartley to represent part of south Slidell.

In District C in a northwestern part of Slidell, incumbent Megan Haggerty, a Republican, staved off a challenge from no-party candidate Belinda Parker Brown, winning 70% of the vote.

In a northwestern part of Slidell, Shawn Jones beat Dominick “Nick” Spadoni III to fill a vacancy in District E left open by Kenny Tamborella. Jones won 54% of the vote.

In District G, the northernmost part of the city, Tim Rogers beat fellow Republican John Grigg.

Rogers won 62% of the vote. The incumbent, Cindi King, was termlimited and did not seek reelection.

Criminal Court New Orleans criminal defense attorney John Fuller won the race Saturday to finish out the last seven months of an unexpired term for the Section J judicial seat on the Criminal District Court bench.

Fuller, a Democrat, received from 65% of the vote to defeat his challenger, Andre Gaudin, Jr., according to preliminary results from the secretary of state.

election twice more and moved from Monroe to Baton Rouge with her two young children.

Fleming, 74, is a doctor who has served as the state treasurer since 2024.

Cassidy opposed the creation of the closed party primary in January 2024 by Landry and Republican legislators, with political analysts saying he faced a tougher path to victory if conservative Democrats could not cross over and vote for him.

Cassidy appealed to Democrats to switch to no party so that they could vote for him. Under the new election rules, no party voters could choose on election day to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.

But after Feb. 1, only 7,488 Democrats switched their party registration.

Cassidy, a doctor who specialized in treating livers before he got into politics, faced a very different political landscape this year in his third campaign for the Senate.

As a U.S. House member in 2014, he defeated then-U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat, by repeating over and over again that she

Fuller assumes the seat left vacant by former Judge Darryl Derbigny. Derbigny spent nearly 23 years presiding over Section J, but resigned last August amid scrutiny over how he was managing his criminal docket, one of the slowest in the state.

It’s all but certain FullBridges er will be looking for new work when the term ends Dec. 31. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 217 on Wednesday, which trims the number of criminal, civil and juvenile judges in Orleans Parish’s varying courts. Section J was one of the seats removed Howard under the legislation.

Fuller, 52, is a well-known defense attorney who is perhaps most recognized for representing Cardell Hayes through two highprofile trials, both of which ended with juries convicting Hayes of manslaughter for killing retired Saints defensive end Will Smith during a road-rage dispute in 2016.

Civil District Court

the right to finish out retired judge Ethel Julien’s Division N term, according to preliminary results from the secretary of state’s office.

In the race for Division M, Bridges narrowly defeated Richard Perque, winning the race by 634 votes out of 78,952 counted. Bridges will finish retired judge Paulette Irons’ term, which ends Dec. 31.

The Division M race featured two candidates who’ve strived for the bench before.

Bridges, 62, spent nearly 30 years as president and executive of the New Orleans Council for Community and Justice, an anti-discrimination nonprofit. She earned her law degree after Hurricane Katrina and has spent the past 20 years primarily as a civil attorney, practicing family law, handling personal injury claims and other cases.

This year’s election was her fourth run for office.

Her opponent, Perque, was backed by Democratic leadership and armed with a hefty war chest of about $340,000 — nearly four times the amount Bridges raised, campaign finance records showed. Perque, 47, was in his third run for office.

In the race for Division N, Howard, 62, noted her experience as a veteran of the Civil District Courthouse with the most experience of all the candidates. She ran to buoy the court at a time when at least two of its most experienced judges are set to age out under current law.

Howard said her extensive background in the downtown courthouse equips her to handle the barrage of complex litigation that traffics through New Orleans’s civil court.

The Division M and N seats aren’t expected to be jeopardized by pending legislation from state lawmakers intent on paring down the number of judges in Orleans Parish.

Sheryl Howard and Stephanie Bridges will be presiding over civil cases filed in New Orleans after winning two battles for a pair of civil court judgeships Saturday.

Howard collected 64% of the Email Lara Nicholson at vote to beat out Elroy James for lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

had voted with President Barack Obama “97% of the time.”

Cassidy won reelection in 2020 by trumpeting his conservative voting record and Trump’s endorsement.

But Cassidy’s fortunes changed when he voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by the president’s supporters.

Louisiana’s Republican Party immediately censured him, and Cassidy’s support among Republicans plummeted.

Only 26% percent of Republican primary voters had a favorable opinion of Cassidy, while 62% held an unfavorable view, according to a survey taken on May 11-12 by Greg Rigamer, a New Orleans pollster, for Alton Ashy, a major lobbyist who has raised money for Letlow.

The biggest question in Louisiana politics during the second half of 2025 was whether Letlow would give up an easy reelection race for her 5th Congressional District seat and challenge Cassidy.

While she mulled that over, state Rep. Julie Emerson of Carencro and state Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia jumped into the race.

But when Trump endorsed Let-

low, Emerson and Miguez exited, leaving Fleming as the only other major challenger to Cassidy.

After years in the House representing northwest Louisiana, Fleming finished fifth in the 2016 Senate race, so political analysts didn’t take his candidacy seriously in the early going for this year’s Senate campaign.

But Fleming showed enduring strength, powered by his staunch opposition to a new technology known as carbon capture and sequestration that he said threatened to poison waterways and strip landowners of their property rights.

Fleming showed such strength that Landry raised big money from energy industry executives to finance an anti-Fleming attack ad campaign.

The Accountability Project, one of the pro-Landry outside groups, said Fleming is soft on border security, didn’t serve as Trump’s deputy chief of staff in his first term and voted for carbon capture and sequestration bills as a member of Congress more than a decade ago.

Fleming called all those attacks “lies.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 7A

lll

E LEC T ION 2026

Burris wins seat on Cao, Schroder head to runoff for state Supreme Court education board

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

State District Judge Billy Burris was elected Saturday to the Louisiana Supreme Court, representing parishes in the southeastern part of the state.

Burris won 58% of the vote, defeating appeals court Judge Blair Burris Edwards, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office.

He will fill out the remaining two years of former Justice Will Crain’s term. Crain vacated

the seat after President Donald Trump named him a federal judge.

The district includes Livingston, St. Tammany, Washington, Tangipahoa and St. Bernard parishes, and a small piece of Orleans Parish.

The Supreme Court is the highest in Louisiana, with final authority over matters of state law.

Burris is a judge in the 22nd Judicial District covering St. Tammany and Washington parishes.

Edwards is a 1st Circuit Court of Appeals judge and former juvenile judge.

Both ran campaigns heavily focused on their conservative credentials in a district that is heav-

ily Republican. No Democrats ran for the seat.

Burris had the backing of business and industry groups, while Edwards had the support of influential plaintiffs’ attorneys.

The election was bitterly contested, with attack ads and ethics complaints. Earlier this month, the Louisiana Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee publicly chided Burris, saying he knowingly made a false claim about Edwards during a candidate forum.

Two sitting Supreme Court justices also qualified in February and ran for reelection unopposed: Jay McCallum, in north Louisiana’s 4th District, and Cade Cole, in west Louisiana’s 3rd District.

State representative, ex-parish president to face off for Public Service Commission

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, of New Orleans, and former Jefferson Parish President John Young advanced to the June 27 runoff in the Republican primary for a seat on the Public Service Commission.

They bested three other candidates: state Rep. Mark Wright, of Covington; Wayne Cooper; and John Mason.

Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will compete headto-head in June.

Whoever wins the primary runoff for the District 1 seat will advance to the November general election and face Democrat

Hilferty

Young

Connie Norris, of Slidell, who ran unopposed in her party’s primary, and Chris Justin, who qualified as a no-party candidate.

Hilferty has had a career in commercial real estate for nearly two decades. She was elected to the Louisiana House in 2015 and is term-limited in that chamber.

Young was Jefferson Parish president from 2010 to 2016. Before that, he served on the Jefferson Parish Council, and he was

also an assistant district attorney there. He has a civil litigation law practice.

The five-member Public Service Commission oversees utilities in Louisiana and regulates electric, water, wastewater, natural gas and some telecommunications services. It has played a critical role in approving power generation plans for Meta’s massive data center in north Louisiana.

District 1 of the PSC includes portions of Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans and St. Charles parishes. It also covers the parishes of Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington.

Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, a Republican, is vacating his seat due to term limits.

June 27 winner will face Angela Hershey

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder will compete in a June 27 Republican primary runoff for a seat on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which controls public school funding and policymaking.

Whoever wins Cao that vote will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, where voters will choose a board member to represent District 1, which includes St. Tammany Parish Schroder and parts of Orleans, Jefferson and Tangipahoa.

The GOP candidate will face off against Angela Hershey, the unopposed Democratic candidate.

The District 1 seat opened up after BESE Member Paul Hollis stepped down in December to lead the U.S. Mint. Gov. Jeff Landry appointed Cao to fill the seat on an interim basis. The election winner will serve the remainder of Hollis’ term, which ends in 2028.

The Republican primary drew three candidates with varying levels of name recognition. Cao, an attorney who lives in Metairie, is a former one-term congressman.

Schroder, a retired public schoolteacher and administrator who lives in Covington, is married to former State Treasurer John Sch-

roder. Mike Hollis, an insurance company executive who resides in New Orleans, was running to fill his brother Paul’s former board seat.

Cao had 47% of the vote and Schroder had 31% as of 10:55 p.m., according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office. Hollis had received 22% of the vote.

All expressed support for Landry’s signature education program, LA GATOR, which helps families pay for private education.

The Republican governor wants it to serve more students, but some top lawmakers say the state can’t afford to expand the program.

The candidates also sought to highlight their conservative values as they campaigned in the heavily Republican district. Cao and Schroder spoke about keeping transgender girls out of girls’ sports, and a flyer said Hollis “will stand with President Trump.”

Cao spent about $44,000 on his primary bid from April 7-26, the most recent reporting period in campaign filings, and had $93,000 remaining. Hollis spent about $500 during that period and had about $24,400 left. Schroder spent about $300 during that period and had nearly $120,500 remaining.

The 11-member education board oversees teacher certification, school ratings, student testing charter school authorization and other policies that affect the state’s roughly 660,000 public school students. It also adopts the schoolfunding formula that determines how much state money public schools receive.

Voters elect eight of its seats, and the other three are appointed by Landry. Nine of its current members are Republicans, and two are Democrats.

NEW ORLEANS-AREA ELECTION RESULTS Election results for the May 16 election. For more information, go to geauxvote.com.

Party Affiliations D = Democratic R = Republican NP = No Party NOTE: Races for the U.S. House of Representatives were on the ballot, but those votes will not be counted.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state’s voting map unconstitutional and Gov. Jeff Landry postponed the election, but it was too late for election officials to change the voting machines.

U.S. SENATOR 3,722 of 3,722 precincts

DEMOCRATIC PARTY Nicholas “Nick” Albares ...26% Gary Crockett......................26% “Jamie” Davis ......................48%

Blair Downing Edwards ....42%

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION DISTRICT 1 — REPUBLICAN PARTY Wallace “Wayne” Cooper II ...............................10% Stephanie Hilferty..............28% “Big John” Mason................. 7% Mark Wright.........................24% John Young...........................31%

BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION DISTRICT 1 — REPUBLICAN PARTY “Joseph” Cao .......................47% Michael Hollis......................22% Ellie Schroder ......................31%

JEFFERSON PARISH 268 of 268 precincts

MAYOR OF KENNER “Walt” Bennetti, NP ...........16% Michael Glaser Sr., R .........50% Diane Schnell, D..................33%

REPUBLICAN PARTY

KENNER CITY COUNCIL, AT-LARGE DIVISION A

“Bill” Cassidy.......................25% John Fleming .......................28% Julia Letlow ..........................45% Mark Spencer........................ 2%

Brian Brennan, R.................40% “Joe” Stagni, R.....................60%

KENNER CITY COUNCIL, AT-LARGE DIVISION B

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

George L. Branigan, R........59% Gregory W. Carroll, D.........41%

3,722 of 3,722 precincts

AMENDMENT 1

To allow the legislature to remove or add officers, positions and employees to the unclassified state civil service system.

YES .........................................22% NO...........................................78%

AMENDMENT 2

To grant the St. George community school system in East Baton Rouge Parish the authority to operate a school system.

YES .........................................36% NO...........................................64%

AMENDMENT 3

To fund a teachers pay raise by paying down the long-term debt of the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana. That would be achieved by redirecting funds from three educational trust funds.

YES .........................................42% NO...........................................58%

AMENDMENT 4

To allow parishes to reduce or eliminate property taxes on business inventory, but only if the sheriff, school board and parish governing authority approve. Parishes choosing to fully exempt inventory taxes could receive a one-time payment from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund.

YES .........................................34% NO...........................................66%

AMENDMENT 5

To change the mandatory retirement age of judges from 70 to 75 years of age.

YES .........................................23% NO...........................................77%

Multiple Parishes (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany)

ASSOCIATE JUSTICE SUPREME COURT, 1ST DISTRICT — REPUBLICAN PARTY William “Billy” Burris.........58%

KENNER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 Michael “Mike” Sigur, R....44% “Tom” Willmott, R ..............56%

KENNER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 Stacey Allesandro, R .........43% Kristi Katsanis McKinney, R .........................57%

KENNER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 Kaylin Ramirez, NP.............34% “Danny” Riehm III, R ..........66%

CITY OF GRETNA, FIRE PROTECTION RENEWAL

Renews 5 mills on all taxable property generating an estimated $854,924 per year for ten years beginning 2027 for fire protection.

YES .........................................46% NO...........................................54%

ORLEANS PARISH 349 of 349 precincts

JUDGE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, DIVISION M Stephanie Bridges, D.........50% Richard Perque, D ..............50%

JUDGE CIVIL DISTRICT COURT, DIVISION N Sheryl Howard, D................64% Elroy James, D .....................36%

JUDGE CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT, SECTION J

John T. Fuller, D ...................65% Andre Gaudin Jr., D ............35%

UPPER HURSTVILLE SECURITY DISTRICT PROPOSITION Renewal of annual fee of up to $650 on each parcel of land bounded

by Exposition Boulevard, Prytania Street, Nashville Avenue, and Magazine Street for eight years beginning 2027, an estimated $222,750 per year for security.

YES .........................................69% NO...........................................31%

CASTLE MANOR IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT PROPOSITION Imposes an annual fee of up to $100 on residential parcels and up to $200 on commercial parcels for the first three years and up to $125 on each residential parcel and up to $225 on each commercial for the next two years in the area bounded by Cerise Avenue, the south side of Chef Menteur Highway, Gawain Drive and the north side of Dwyer Road canal beginning 2027. The fee will generate an estimated $65,000 per year for beautification and improvements.

YES .........................................17% NO...........................................83%

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH 36 of 36 precincts

HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT Establishes annual compensation for parish council members equal to the average salary of those in St. Charles and St. James parishes.

YES .........................................29% NO...........................................71%

PARISHWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1 PROPOSITION 1 OF 2

Renews up to 4.33 mills generating an estimated $3.8 million per year for 10 years beginning 2027 to operate and maintain the school system and its facilities.

YES .........................................39% NO...........................................61%

PARISHWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1 PROPOSITION 2 OF 2

Renews up to 8 mills generating an estimated $7 million per year for 10 years beginning 2029 to provide additional support to public elementary and secondary schools. It would dedicate 1 mill to pay unfunded obligations for health benefits for retired employees and to establish a trust fund for that purpose; 4 mills to pay salaries and benefits of teachers and employees; dedicate 3 mills to implement a plan for academic school improvements.

YES .........................................39% NO...........................................61%

ST. CHARLES PARISH 42 of 42 precincts

PARISHWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1 PROPOSITION 1 OF 2 Renews 39 mills generating an estimated $100.1 million per year for 10 years beginning 2028 to operate and maintain the school system. It represents a reduction of 4.18 mills below the 43.18 mills authorized by voters on April 29, 2017.

YES .........................................49% NO...........................................51%

PARISHWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1 PROPOSITION 2 OF 2

Renews 4.92 mills generating an estimated $12.6 million per year for 10 years beginning 2028 to construct and improve school buildings.

YES .........................................49% NO...........................................51%

PARISHWIDE HOSPITAL SERVICE DISTRICT NO. 1

Renews 2.13 mills generating an estimated $5.4 million per year for 10

years beginning 2026 to construct, operate and maintain hospital facilities, including ambulance service.

YES .........................................53% NO...........................................47%

ST. TAMMANY PARISH 171 of 171 precincts

CHIEF OF POLICE, CITY OF SLIDELL Brian Nicaud, R ...................35% Thomas “Tommy” Williams, R ...........................65%

COUNCIL MEMBER(S) AT LARGE, CITY OF SLIDELL (Vote for Two) “Tom” Abney, R...................26% “Jeff” Burgoyne, R ..............14% Leslie Denham, D................27% David Dunham, R................15% “Kenny” Tamborella, R......18%

COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT A, CITY OF SLIDELL Rene Arcemont, R ..............31% Landon J. Washington, D..69%

COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT B, CITY OF SLIDELL Sean Fadely, NP ..................55% Fabian L. Hartley, NP .........45%

COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT C, CITY OF SLIDELL Megan Haggerty, R............70% Belinda Parker Brown, NP 30%

COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT E, CITY OF SLIDELL Shawn Jones, R ...................54% Dominick “Nick” Spadoni, III, R.......................46%

COUNCIL MEMBER, DISTRICT G, CITY OF SLIDELL John Grigg, R........................38% Timothy “Tim” Rogers, R...............................62%

LIGHTING DISTRICT NO. 16 PROPOSITION (MILLAGE)

“Shall St. Tammany Parish Lighting District No. 16 (the “District”), levy a 1.00 mill tax on all the property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $42,100 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for the purpose of contracting with any public utility company (or companies) to provide and maintain utility poles and electric lights on the Parish streets, roads, highways, alleys and public places in the District and that the revenues derived therefrom shall be subject to debt service and administrative charges thereagainst?”

YES .........................................39% NO...........................................61%

ROAD LIGHTING DISTRICT NO. 9 PROPOSITION (SERVICE CHARGE) “Shall Road Lighting District No. 9 of the Parish of St. Tammany, State of Louisiana (the “District), be authorized to assess and annual service charge of $50 per structure or lot (an estimated $123,300 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the service charge for an entire year) for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, to persons occupying residential and non-residential structures and per-

sons owning unoccupied structures located wholly or partly within the boundaries of the District and to persons owning lots located wholly or partly within the District upon which no structures is located for the purpose of paying utility charges for road lighting and maintaining and operating road lighting facilities and equipment within the District?”

YES .........................................32% NO...........................................68%

LIGHTING DISTRICT NO. 4 PROPOSITION (MILLAGE)

“Shall St. Tammany Parish Lighting District No. 4, (the “District”), levy a 3.80 mills tax on all the property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $466,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for the purpose of contracting with any public utility company (or companies) to provide and maintain utility poles and electric lights on the Parish streets, roads, highways, alleys and public places in the District and that the revenues derived therefrom shall be subject to debt service and administrative charges thereagainst?”

YES .........................................26% NO...........................................74%

TOWN OF PEARL RIVER PROPOSITION (SALES TAX RENEWAL)

“Shall the Town of Pearl River, State of Louisiana (the “Town”), be authorized to continue to levy and collect a sales and use tax of 0.25% (the “Tax”) (an estimated $300,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year), for a period of 10 years, beginning July 1, 2026, in accordance with Louisiana law, with the proceeds of the Tax (after paying the reasonable and necessary expenses of collecting and administering the Tax) to be used for the purpose of paying the costs of sewer maintenance and operations?”

YES .........................................68% NO...........................................32%

FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 11 PROPOSITION (MILLAGE RENEWAL)

“Shall the Fire Protection District No. 11 of the Parish of St. Tammany, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy and collect a tax of 10 mills (the “Tax”) on all property subject to taxation in the District (an estimated $617,400 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the Tax for an entire year) for a period of 10 years, beginning with the year 2027 and ending with the year 2036, for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and operating the District’s fire protection facilities, including equipment and paying the cost of obtaining water for fire protection, provided that a portion of the Tax proceeds is required to be contributed to the state and statewide retirement system as provided in R.S. 11:82?”

YES .........................................63% NO...........................................37%

8A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

New closed party primary causes confusion at polls party primary bill by then- any of the other Republican leading him to estimate that after he voted at Lakeshore Cancellation of Playground ELECTION 2026 the overall turnout would be state Rep. Julie Emerson, candidates. in Metairie. “I R-Carencro, who is now Adding to the confusion is less than 30%. understand why it exHouse races adds don’t The office of Secretary of Landry’s chief of staff, Landry’s April 30 decision ists except for the parties to exasperation trying to give themselves an semi-closed party primary to allow no-party voters to — following a court order — State Nancy Landry is pro-

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Louisiana’s new closed party primary system on Saturday left many voters confused and election commissioners exasperated.

Most of the angst centered on the new rules for no-party voters, who have to choose whether to vote Democratic, Republican or no-party on a one-page form called Declaration of Ballot Choice.

Election commissioners reported delays throughout the day from having to explain the new process to no-party voters and then having those voters choose which election to vote in.

No-party voters who checked the “no-party” box found when they went behind the curtain that they could not vote in the high-profile Senate election for one of the Republican or Democratic candidates. To do that, they had to check the box for Republican or Democratic.

Louis Perret, the clerk of court in Lafayette Parish, said one election commissioner was so frustrated that she went home for lunch on Saturday and didn’t return.

“I’ve been here 22 years,” said Diane Broussard, the clerk of court in Vermilion Parish. “By far, this has been the worst election. I’m on a text chain with other clerks of court. There’s confusion throughout the state.”

Broussard and other clerks of court reported another problem: Some people who have been registered as Democrat for years, but who typically vote Republican, showed up not realizing that, under the semi-closed party primary, they could only vote for a Democrat.

“The closed party primary is idiotic. It’s a waste of money,” said Harry LeBlanc, a retiree and no-party voter,

advantage.”

LeBlanc noted that, having chosen on Saturday to vote in the Republican primary, he will now have to vote for Republicans in the June 27 runoff as well.

“That takes away choices,” LeBlanc said.

Many polling stations reported no problems on Saturday. Early voting from May 2-9 also produced many problems.

In the Senate election, U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming are trying to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, as is little-known business owner Mark Spencer.

Three Democrats are on the ballot Saturday in a separate party primary. They are Jamie Davis, a farmer from northeast Louisiana who has the endorsement of the Louisiana Democratic Party; Nick Albares, a policy analyst in New Orleans who has the support of his former boss, ex-Gov. John Bel Edwards; and Gary Crockett, a business owner in New Orleans who spent 24 years in the Navy.

Cassidy held a news conference by phone with reporters on Friday to express concerns about the new

system.

Cassidy opposed moving from the open, or jungle primary, in January 2024 when Gov. Jeff Landry pushed the change through the Republican Legislature, with the senator citing the cost of having an extra runoff election under the new system.

On Friday, Cassidy warned that turmoil would disenfranchise voters and who would end up not voting.

“As Louisianans vote today, it’s becoming crystal clear that no-party voters are facing a disjointed, difficult process to actually cast a vote in the GOP primary,” he said Saturday.

On Friday, Cassidy noted that then-Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature switched to a party primary in 2008.

“It was a disaster,” Cassidy said. “So after one election, we went back to the open primary, which has served us well.”

Landry initially sought a completely closed party primary system where only Democrats could vote for Democrats and Republicans for Republicans.

But U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and others got the state Senate to amend the closed

A Living Legend in Luxury Real Estate

Eleanor Farnsworth CRS, GRI, BRC, HRS

Top Residential Producer 504.891.1142 504.669.0211

choose which party primary to vote in.

Kennedy said the change was necessary to allow the state’s no-party voters to participate in the primary.

As of May 1, no-party voters constitute about 813,000 voters, or 27% of the electorate, according to pollster John Couvillon, who conducted surveys for Fleming.

William Vandermeer, a retiree in New Orleans, thought he had changed his registration to no-party to be able to vote for Cassidy on Saturday.

But he learned when he went to vote at a fire station on Norman C. Francis Parkway that he was still listed as a Democrat.

Under the jungle primary, Vandermeer noted he could have voted for Cassidy or

to cancel the six U.S. House races in Louisiana but proceed with the races for Senate, Public Service Commission, state Supreme Court, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and local races.

“A lot of people think the whole election has been canceled,” Broussard said.

“Voters have been calling all week about that. There wasn’t enough time to get out the word.”

Perret agreed.

“All the education and outreach efforts that all of us put together seem to have made a small dent but not a big dent in voter confusion,” Perret said.

At 2 p.m., he found only 6.9% turnout of Lafayette Parish’s registered voters,

jecting a 28% turnout, which would be a big drop from the typical 50% turnout for past primary elections in nonpresidential, even years.

State Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman, a Democrat who represents Uptown New Orleans, said she found uncertainty when she went to vote Saturday morning at the St. Joan of Arc School on Cambronne Street.

She said she didn’t see a sign telling voters that their vote in the 2nd Congressional District wouldn’t count.

Freeman went ahead and voted anyway for U.S. Rep. Troy Carter.

“We need to go back to the jungle primary,” said Freeman, who voted two years ago against moving to the semi-closed party primary.

A Timeless Romance.

An Unforgettable Day. BEGIN YOUR STORY SURROUNDED BY HISTORY ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, JUST 20 MINUTES FROM NEW ORLEANS. Intimate mate Ev Events, Rehearsal arsal Din Dinners, & Wedding Weddings

Elegant egant Be Bed & Breakfast akfast Suites Su

Exquisite uisite On-Site On Cuisine

2727 Prytania Street Suite 15 in The Rink New Orleans, LA 70130

WWW.ELEANORFARNSWORTH.COM Licensed in Louisiana and Mississippi

Unlike any other.

Undeniably for kids. manningchildrens.org

Contact us today.

(985) 764-8544 | OrmondManor.net

lll

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 9A

10A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

FEMA

The panel’s suggestions — the council. at least the ones accepted On the other hand, priContinued from page 1A

by FEMA brass and Con- vate insurers have access gress — will take two to to modeling tools that more three years to fully imple- accurately reflect risk and operations, then come up ment. The 79-page report is better recognize mitigation, with ideas on streamlining going through its monthlong such as house elevation and and economizing disaster public comment stage. Then higher levees, that could be response.

FEMA officials will have to reflected in their premium Its report was released add specifics for how the rates.

“Today, there is not May 7 and included about proposals would actually 150 suggestions to simplify work. Some of the ideas can enough capacity in the priand expedite getting money be instituted with an ex- vate market to transition to victims and impacted ecutive order, but most will policyholders away from communities; transfer many need legislation approved by the NFIP, and significant current federal tasks to the Congress. work remains if we want to states; require states handle build the capital and marenvironmental impact stud- Potential insurance changes ket capacity needed to do ies and audits; raise the The FEMA panel wants so over time,” Temple said. damage threshold for FEMA NFIP to rely more on the “The most important steps to get involved; shrink the private sector. About a half- we can take center on longNational Flood Insurance million Louisiana home and term, consistent coordinaProgram, including in- business owners are re- tion among local, parish creased involvement of pri- quired to carry insurance and state agencies to invest vate insurance; embark on a issued through the federal in community and coastal strategic review of staffing government to cover dam- mitigation projects that measurably reduce risk.” and downsize by moving em- age from rising water.

But the rates of the fedployees in Washington to the regional offices. erally subsidized policies Post-disaster response It also said the agency have not kept up with the Changes to the three main should stop helping survi- risks of flooding, leaving post-disaster relief provors secure long-term hous- NFIP about $20 billion in grams will need legislative ing and focus on temporary debt and at a real risk of authority to deliver a major portion of the federal grants housing and rental assis- collapsing altogether.

One issue to consider, said to local and state governtance for those whose homes were destroyed and release state Insurance Commis- ments within 30 days. federal money to the states sioner Tim Temple, is that To accomplish that timein the form of grants rather very few companies write line, the council recomthan reimbursements. flood insurance in Louisi- mended calculations in“I have heard from count- ana. Temple testified before clude variables like the size less Louisiana families, small businesses and local officials who are frustrated with how FEMA delivers relief,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson. “I applaud President Trump for establishing this review council to put FEMA back on track, because Louisiana is no stranger to disasters.”

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, DNew Orleans, was less laudatory.

“Proposals to privatize flood insurance or shift more costs to states raise serious concerns, especially as LouMugs, shirts, hats, posters, books. isiana families already face soaring insurance premiums and private insurers continue pulling out of high-risk markets,” Carter said. “If these recommendations are implemented as proposed, they risk weakening FEMA and leaving Louisiana communities even more exposed when the next storm hits.”

Something for everyone at the T-P Store!

STORE.NOLA.COM

of the hurricane and impact on local communities to come up with an estimate that can be paid much faster than the current process of figuring out how much to pay after lengthy damage assessments.

The task force also suggested raising the threshold by more than 50% before FEMA gets involved.

About 29% of the disasters declared between 2012 and 2025 wouldn’t have qualified.

Sitting on the coast, with receding marshes bringing a storm’s fury further inland, Louisiana’s disasters tend to be worse than most, said Louisiana National Guard Brig. Gen. Jason P. Mahfouz, who is director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

“I’ve looked at nearly every major disaster declaration we’ve had for the last 10 years, and we would qualify even under the new per-capita threshold,” Mahfouz said.

State and parish emergency managers are analyzing the programmatic changes recommended in the report and applying the new variables to the existing one to give legislators and state officials a better understanding of “what position that we would be in and whether that can be an advantage or disadvantage,” he said.

Mahfouz said he wasn’t surprised by what he saw in the report. And he noted that the guidelines that reduced the federal footprint in disasters could be overridden by the president acting on circumstances of a particular storm, tornado, earthquake, wildfire or other disaster.

Mark Cooper, who was a member of the task force, said the panel’s goal was to make it easier. For instance, disaster survivors find help spread across 14 programs, requiring the individual to fill out 14 different applications with the same information.

“And we thought, ‘How

can we do it so it’s just a single program and give it to the state so they can get it to the individuals quicker?’ ” said Cooper, a Baton Rouge consultant who headed GOHSEP under Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal and was chief of staff to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

“Louisiana is going to have to do certain things. If they don’t have the staffing, they need to look at making those arrangements, going either through a nonprofit or through a for-profit agency to see if they can support like individual assistance, for example,” or seeking help from other states, Cooper said. “There’s a need for FEMA, especially at the federal level for catastrophic disasters, but pushing more of the responsibility down to the FEMA regions and to the states to get things done quicker and more effectively.”

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

T N E M E C A L P E R ROOF & REPAIRS WE’LL BE AT 30 YEAR

NEW ROOF $

ANY WRIT TEN ESTIMATE!

5,13000*

WITH SYNTHETIC FELT * BASED ON 1800 SQ. FT.

Fully Insured

ACME ONE CALL FIXES ALL NEW ORLEANS ROUGE EXTERIORS LLC BATON HOUMA 504-913-6535 2500 Houma Blvd., Metairie, LA

lll

Groups rally in Ala. for Black political representation Demonstration held in birthplace of Civil Rights Movement

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 11A

CUSTOM BLINDS, SHADES, SHUTTERS & DRAPERY

BY KIM CHANDLER Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Thousands of people rallied Saturday in the cradle of the modern Civil Rights Movement to mobilize a new voting rights era as conservative states dismantle congressional districts that helped secure Black political representation.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, called Montgomery “sacred soil” in the fight for civil rights. “if we in our generation do not now do our duty, we will lose the gains and the rights and the liberties that our ancestors afforded us,” Booker said.

The crowd was led in chants of “we won’t go back” and “we fight.”

“We are not going down without a fight. We are not going down to Jim Crow maps,” Shalela Dowdy, a plaintiff in the Alabama redistricting case said.

A crowd of thousands gathered in front of the city’s historic Alabama Capitol, the place where the Confederacy was formed in 1861 and where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in 1965 at the end of the Selma-toMontgomery Voting Rights March. The stage, set in front of the Capitol, was flanked from behind by statues of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and civil rights icon Rosa Parks — dueling tributes erected nearly 90 years apart.

Speakers said the spot was once the temple of the Confederacy and became holy ground of the civil rights movement.

Some in the crowd said the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE STEWART

Aaron McGuire sings a spiritual song Saturday during a voting-rights rally in Montgomery, Ala. effort to redraw lines has echoes of the past.

“We lived through the “60s.

It takes you back. When you think that Alabama’s moving forward, it takes two steps back,” said Camellia A. Hooks, 70, of Montgomery, Alabama.

The rally began in Selma, where a violent clash between law enforcement and voting rights activists in 1965 galvanized support for passage of the Voting Rights Act. It then moved to the state Capitol, where King gave his “How Long, Not Long” speech that same year.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving Louisiana hollowed out voting rights law that was already weakened by a separate decision in 2013 and then narrowed further over the years. That helped clear the way for stricter voter ID laws, registration restrictions, and limits on early voting and polling place changes, including in states that once needed federal preclearance before they could change voting laws because of their historical discrimination against Black voters.

Veterans of the Civil Rights Movement are alarmed by the speed of the rollbacks, noting that protections won through generations of sacrifice have been weakened in little more than a decade.

Kirk Carrington, 75, was

a teen in 1965 when law enforcement officers attacked marchers in Selma on what became known as “Bloody Sunday.” A White man on a horse wielding a stick chased Carrington through the streets.

“It’s really just appalling to me and all the young people that marched during the ’60s, fought hard to get voting rights, equal rights and civil rights,” Carrington said. “It’s sad that it’s continuing after 60-plus-odd years that we are still fighting for the same thing we fought for back then.”

Montgomery is home to one of the congressional districts that is being altered in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.

A federal court in 2023 redrew Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District after ruling that the state intentionally diluted the voting power of Black residents, who make up about 27% of its population. The court said there should be a district where Black people are a majority or near-majority and have an opportunity to elect their candidate of choice.

But the Supreme Court cleared the way for a different map that could let the GOP reclaim the seat. While the matter remains under litigation, the state plans special primaries Aug. 11 under the new map.

We Bring The Showroom To You!

FIT OF YOUR LIFE EVENT THURSDAY, MAY 21

DILLARD’S OAKWOOD CENTER

FRIDAY, MAY 22

DILLARD’S LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER DILLARD’S FREMAUX TOWN CENTER

Give us 15 minutes; we’ll give you the fit of your life.

Don’t change your body; just change your bra!

Do your bra straps slip? Does the back ride up? Is it just uncomfortable?

Come in and receive a fitting from an expert.

Our certified bra fitters will help you find the perfect bra for your figure. In addition, Dillard’s will donate $2* for every regular-price bra and shapewear piece purchased on the day of the event to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

*Dillard’s will donate an aggregate guaranteed maximum amount of $40,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.® in 2026.

BUY ONE GET ONE

50

% OFF

*

on Custom Blinds, Shades & Drapery

CALL TO SCHEDULE FREE in-home design consultation with no obligation!

(000) (504)000-0000 784-1670 SCAN ME TO BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY BRA FITTING!

BONUS: Receive a free Natori Jewelry Organizer when you make an $80 Natori purchase. While supplies last.

WE DESIGN, WE MEASURE, WE INSTALL, YOU RELAX!® *Offer valid on 3 Day Blinds brand products only, excluding shutters and special orders. Buy 1 qualifying window covering and receive the 2nd qualifying window covering of equal or lesser value at 50% off! Offer excludes installation, sales tax, shipping and handling. Not valid on previous purchases or with any other offer or discount. Offer Code BGXB. Expires 12/31/26. Images displayed are intended for inspiration only, products may not be available in/with the exact operating system, style, material, pattern, color or options shown. Check with Design Consultant for availability. Contractor Licenses and Registrations: AZ Contractor License ROC 321056. CA Contractor License 1005986. CT Home Improvement Contractor Reg HIC.0644950.

DE Contractor Reg DE-2025-000011783. ID Contractor Reg 1971243. LA Home Improvement Reg 566274.

MN Contractor Reg IR742667. NC Contractor License 107179. OR Contractor License 209181. PA Contractor License HIC PA107656. RI Contractor Reg GC-51237. TN Home Improvement License 10020. WA Contractor Reg 3DAYBDB842KS. Rockland County, NY Home Improvement Contractor License H-12401. Licensed through Great Windows Services, LLC: VA 2705172678. WV WV061238. Various city business licenses available on request. © 2026 3 Day Blinds LLC.

12A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

TOURISM

Visitors look for their hotel after getting off the bus Thursday at the end of Canal Street in New Orleans.

Continued from page 1A longer stays in downtown hotels than regional, drive-in visitors.

Still, they say the city has rebounded from a yearslong COVID-19 shock that upended business and leisure travel, and that New Orleans’ visitors economy is showing signs of growth.

“We’re seeing the return of regional visitors to the French Quarter, and we have momentum with the election of a new mayor,” said Walt Leger, president and CEO of New Orleans & Co. “We are trending in a positive direction.”

STAFF PHOTO

By SOPHIA GERMER

Dueling data?

Leger and others say part of the reason the estimated visitor count was up last year while hotel stays were down is because different companies measure different aspects of the tourism sector in vastly different ways.

MMGY conducts a random sampling online of 70,000 U.S. residents, questioning them on travel patterns, places they visited, where they stayed and how much they spent.

New Orleans & Co., and hundreds of other cities around the world, have used the firm since 2018. Before that, the University of New Orleans Hospitality Research Center was contracted to do visitor counts for the city and used a more conservative methodology, which resulted in lower numbers.

Hotel occupancy reports, compiled by Smith Travel and Research, are based on actual overnight stays as reported by the hotels, and track average daily rates as well as the amount of revenue generated by each room. That report shows that downtown and French Quarter hotels have yet to reach 65% occupancy and are still 10 points below their preCOVID high in 2019 of more than 74%.

Leger said part of the apparent contradiction is the rise in short-term rentals, which are not factored into hotel occupancy reports.

Though tougher city rules passed in 2025 forced platforms like Airbnb to delist hundreds of short-term rentals across the city, thousands of units are still available on any given night, according to online tracking sites.

“The growth of short-term rental units and usage continues to impact hotel occupancy levels, as many travelers now view short-term rentals as a primary lodging choice,” he said.

The proliferation of wholehouse rentals with multiple bedrooms that accommodate the wedding and bachelorette parties that flock to New Orleans have further squeezed hotels, Leger said, because “they can absorb a greater volume of travelers per booked unit.”

Another reason Leger believes hotel numbers are down while overall visitor estimates are up is that a growing number of tourists are regional or drive-in visitors, who may stay with friends and family when they come

“We’re seeing the return of regional visitors to the French Quarter, and we have momentum with the election of a new mayor.

We are trending in a positive direction.”

French Quarter restaurants, which include Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Tableau and Bourbon House.

“My weekend warriors, my longtime local and regional customers, are not coming down to the Quarter anymore,” he said. “Bottom line, they do not want to see vagrants on the street.”

WALT LEGER, president and CEO of New Orleans & Co. — if they spend the night at all.

“Hotel occupancy is a major indicator of success,” Leger said. “It is not the only one.”

Weekend warriors Under her umbrella in front of the Lower Pontalba on Jackson Square last week, artist Heather Widnier, who goes by “Aubery Zapabar,” said she has noticed more regional visitors to the French Quarter over the past 18 months.

“They come from Texas, Florida, Alabama,” she said, dabbing thick paint onto one of her textured acrylic works. “I know because I take a picture with them.”

But sales of her whimsical, New Orleans-themed works are down since foreign tourists cut back on U.S. travel after President Donald Trump took office.

“The Canadians and Europeans would spend more money than the people who come from nearby,” she said.

Chris Valentino, whose family owns seven hotels mostly concentrated in the French Quarter and downtown, said their occupancy overall is holding steady but that they’re seeing more lastminute bookings.

“We’re not as booked up in advance as we could be, and that has been the case since COVID,” he said. “We are not putting money in the bank before we have it.”

Brennan said his French Quarter restaurants have always drawn regional visitors and continue to do so, though not in any greater numbers than in the past.

His cousin, Dickie Brennan, who owns a separate restaurant group, said he’s seen a decline in regional and drive-in business at his

new events to the city to generate activity during the slow season.

And he points to five major medical conventions scheduled for the fall, on top of three held earlier this CAPSTONE AT COVINGTON PLACE spring, that promise to bring 441 Falconer Dr., Covington, LA thousands of well-heeled visitors to the city.

“Summer is just challenging, and August is the worst,” Positive trends he said. “It’s been like this Still, some establishments for 35 years. That’s why we have seen an uptick. Devel- prioritize the events that we oper Hammy Halum, who do have and make the most Seeking skilled tradesmen for positions opened the Mayfair hotel in of them.” with Milton J. Womack and our trade partners. the 1000 block of Canal Street in late 2024, said demand for Email Stephanie Riegel Come visit with us to learn more the luxury, multibedroom at stephanie.riegel@ about these opportunities. apartment-style units has theadvocate.com. outpaced expectations.

The Historic New Orleans Collection has also seen growth in the number of visitors to its museums and attractions in the heart of the French Quarter, with about 15% year over year increases on average since 2023. President and CEO Daniel Hammer said much of the growth has come from locals, not tourists.

Outside of the tourist district, demand for high-end boutique hotels in the Garden District and Uptown is strong. Zach Kupperman said occupancy at Hotel Saint Vincent, a luxury hotel in a historic building on Magazine Street, averaged 70% last year, far ahead of the market average.

“Spring has been really strong, too,” he said. “I think we hit a low point over the last two or three years and are on the way up.”

Robert LeBlanc, whose Smith + LeBlanc hospitality group owns several trendy new restaurants and hotels, said his properties overall have also performed well, “even in the French Quarter.”

But he’s also noticed some

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com changes in visitor counts in This article is brought to you by Nicholls State University. the summer months.

Gianelloni credited the Nicholls MBA program “The summer slump used The Master of Business Administration degree to start in late June and last program at Nicholls State University is designed with preparing her to become an executive at a until September,” he said. with core realities in mind – today’s professionals global fitness brand at age 24. Today, she is achiev“Now, things really slow need flexibility, practical business knowledge and ing her dream of being an entrepreneur with her down in May and don’t pick leadership skills they can apply immediately in the own marketing agency and a soon-to-launch athletic workplace. With that in mind, the Nicholls MBA talent agency. She also is a guest speaker and digital up again until October.”

While those in the industry program is led by faculty members with vast business content creator. experience who make themselves available whether “The applicable knowledge and transferrable are bracing for a rough few students are taking classes in person, online or in a skills I learned in the MBA program gave me the months again, Leger said flex format. confidence to sit at the executive table and speak New Orleans & Co. has been “The best part about the Nicholls program is that with people three decades older than me,” she said. working to bring a variety of you can build relationships with your professors and

$50/ TICKET

IN THE HEART OF NEW ORLEANS

• Clawfoot Tub

3-BEDROOM 2-BATH HOME • Modern Kitchen

SCAN TO WATCH VIDEO TOUR & BUY TICKETS Support Gaudanse’s Performing Arts Programs, Sustainability for Creators and Performers, and Wellness-based Arts Practices

MAY 19, 2026 10:30AM-12:30PM

Nicholls MBA program catapults career growth with adaptable schedules, real-world knowledge and accessible educators

WIN THE KEY TO YOUR HeART !

ONLY

JOB FAIR

• Hardwood Floors

SPONSORED BY

Void where prohibited by law. Winner need not be present. |Must be 18+ to enter. LA OCG Lic. #4434 For More Info: (646) 863-8077 | Live Drawing on May 25, 2026

your fellow students,” said Rodney Finger, a student in the MBA program. “One of the first things the professors did was give us their cell phone numbers.

You don’t see those personal relationships at larger universities. I think it is a real advantage.”

Finger said he explored programs around the country when he decided to earn his MBA. A former furniture store owner in Houston, Finger has more recently worked in liquidation and hopes to shift his career into business restructuring. When he visited the Nicholls campus in Thibodaux, Finger said he was impressed at the chance to meet with the MBA faculty, the opportunity to take in-person classes in the Executive MBA program and a curriculum that emphasizes real-world knowledge.

“The Nicholls program leans more quantitative than most other MBA programs I researched,” he said. “You learn so much about accounting and economics. There are two finance classes, whereas most other programs only have one. I also appreciate that there is a focus on the practical side of business, rather than theoretical. I’ve been able to take things I have learned in class and apply them at work the very next day.”

Some of the courses in the Nicholls MBA program include topics such as market analysis, human capital, managing strategic resources, ethics and accountability, employment law, supply chain management, data visualization, machine learning and more. Amanda Gianelloni, who graduated from the Nicholls MBA program in 2021, said the breadth and depth of the program means Nicholls MBA graduates are prepared to handle even the most complex business matters.

“I came into the program already strong in creativity, leadership and strategy. The MBA program helped me develop the other side of my brain, the side that deals with finance, accounting and analytics,” Gianelloni said. “It made me a fully-rounded person.”

“I never would have been able to have meaningful conversations with CEOs and COOs without that education from Nicholls.”

Robert Billiot Jr. already had about two decades of professional experience when he chose to enroll in the Nicholls’ online MBA program. Billiot’s background is in marketing and business development, and while he has had success in those fields, he knew an MBA would make him more well-rounded and position him for higher-level roles. Billiot, who is scheduled to complete the Nicholls program this December, said the impacts were immediate.

“Within the first few months, I learned a lot about how to communicate with people and how to read a room. I’ve also learned about the nuts and bolts of business – how to analyze statistics and data, how to analyze profit and loss statements, how marketers promote companies,” he said. “It’s a lot of things that I somewhat knew just by being in the business world, but now I realize why things are done a certain way. I understand the big picture a lot better than I used to.”

While Finger and Gianelloni both said they enjoyed taking MBA classes in-person at the Nicholls campus, Billiot said the online format has been a major advantage. Between a full-time job and a busy family schedule that includes attending his kids’ sporting events and extracurriculars, the flexibility that Nicholls offered was essential.

“I’ve developed great relationships with my classmates, and the MBA office checks in on us regularly,” he said. “The professors are great. They respond quickly. I wanted to see what I missed on my business statistics midterm, and the professor went over the whole test with me on Google Meet. That accessibility is the norm for them. They truly want you to do well.”

Visit www.nicholls.edu/mba to learn more about the Master of Business Administration program at Nicholls State University.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 13A

lll

FRESH DEALS delivered to your inbox.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

@robertfreshmarket

OPEN 7AM TO 9PM • 7 DAYS A WEEK • PRICES GOOD 5/13/26 - 5/19/26 ARABELLA STORE ONLY • OPEN 7AM TO 8PM

SAVE EVEN MORE! SEE OUR FULL AD AT ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM OR PICK UP A FLYER IN-STORE MEAT & SEAFOOD USDA Prime Boneless Strip Steaks

$13.99

lb.

All-Natural Springer Mountain Farms Whole Chickens

$1.79

lb.

Boneless Half Pork Loins

USDA Choice Boneless Shoulder Roast

$1.99

Pork Spare Ribs

lb.

$2.49

70-90 Count

$2.29

$3.99

lb.

Bar-S Franks

Regular or Bun Length 12oz

16oz Assorted Flavors

$4.99

ea.

99¢

ea.

ea.

Kentwood Purified Water

2/$5

2/$7

$2.88

Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressings

Kraft Barbecue Sauce

Wickles Pickles, Relish, or Okra

$4.79

$3.49

2/$5

$3.49

Betty Crocker Cake Mix

Nature Valley Chewy Granola Bars

Hunt’s Tomato Sauce or Tomato Paste

Colavita Pasta

$2.88

88¢

2/$3

2/$4 Heinz White Vinegar Gallon

ea.

Selected 13.2-15.3oz Boxes

Selected 7.4-8.9oz Boxes

2/$3

Selected 8.9-12oz Boxes

ea.

16oz Salted or Unsalted

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Sweet, Unsweet, or Zero Sugar Gallon

2/$4

Deli Sliced or Shredded Natural Selected 5-8oz Packages

$2.99

ea.

$15.99

KendallJackson Sauvignon Blanc

Listel Rosé

ea.

750ml

$11.99

$8.99

Ruffino Prosecco

Pinnacle Vodka

ea.

1.75 Liter

$15.99

LALO Tequila

Coors Light

12 Pack Bottles

$39.99

$13.99

Parish Brewing Co. Canebrake Wheat Ale

Louie Louie THC Seltzer

$9.99

$14.99

BOILED CRAWFISH & SHRIMP IN-STORE DAILY! Order live crawfish sacks with 24 hours’ notice.

ARABELLA 899-9283

Mustard Potato Salad

$7.49

CARROLLTON 488-0536

lb.

ea.

ea.

BAKERY

Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

BelGioioso Burrata 4oz

Shaved Parmesan

$3.49 $5.99 $3.99 $10.99

LAKEFRONT 282-3428

lb.

lb.

MARIGNY 262-8888

ea.

4 Pack Cans All Flavors

GOOD TO GO Roasted Pork Loin

ea.

6 Pack Bottles

2/$6

ea.

$12.49

ea.

Sargento Cheese

Selected Pints

$2.99

$8.49

750ml

750ml

2/$7

Milo’s Tea

Mer Soleil Chardonnay

ea.

Selected 8 Count 11-13oz

2/$6

Food Club Butter

Charles & Charles Rosé

750ml

Pillsbury Cinnamon or Crescent Rolls

Selected 4-6 Count

2/$7

ea.

Selected 16oz

ea.

Pillsbury Toaster Strudel or Scrambles

Selected 18-20.1oz

$1.99

ea.

DAIRY & FROZEN Tony’s Pizza

2/$1

5lb Bag

750ml

Selected 16oz

Selected 6-8oz Cans

ea.

U.S. #1 Russet Potatoes

ea.

ea.

Selected 18oz

Selected 16oz

ea.

General Mills Cereal

24 Pack Half Liter Bottles

13-15oz Packages

Farm Fresh Cucumbers

750ml

Wonder Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns 8 Count

Selected 2 Liters

2/$5

WINE & SPIRITS

GROCERY Coca-Cola Products

$2.99

10oz

lb.

Conecuh Smoked Sausage

$3.49

NatureSweet Cherub Tomatoes

ea.

Peeled Gulf Shrimp

Family Pack

Fresh Express Baby Spinach or Spring Mix 5oz

$2.99

Boneless Pork Chops

12oz

lb.

Family Pack

lb.

John Morrell Sliced Bacon

$5.49

Sanderson Farms Chicken Wings

$5.99

lb.

lb.

85% Lean Ground Round

PRODUCE

OLD METAIRIE 831-6682

ea.

W. ESPLANADE 885-7005

WE DELIVER - ROBERTFRESHMARKET.COM

lb.

Our Own Sourdough Sliced Bread

Fresh Baked Macadamia Nut Cookies

$5.59

$6.99

ea.

12 Count

ea.

LAKEVIEW GROCERY

801 Harrison Avenue | 504-293-1201

14A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

LOUISIANA POLITICS Kennedy’s bill passes, hoping to stop another shutdown WASHINGTON — Because legislation by U.S. Sen. John Kennedy was unanimously approved last week in the upper chamber, senators won’t get paid when the government shuts down in the future because partisan bickering keeps Congress from passing spending authorizations.

The government was fully operational for only 103 days out of the last Mark 226 between Oct. 1, Ballard when the current fiscal year began, and Friday.

The Madisonville Republican predicts another shutdown before voters go to the polls and decide if Republicans will maintain majorities in the House and Senate.

But the pay ban won’t take effect until after the November midterm elections — a point to which Kennedy agreed to get his resolution passed.

Kennedy voiced concern “that my Senate colleagues on the Democratic side are going to try to shut down government yet again right before the elections to try to create chaos to affect the midterm elections.”

Without authorization to spend money, the federal government ceased many operations for a record 43 days in 2025, when Democrats demanded an extension of subsidies for those who would otherwise see their Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums double. Then, the government closed for another four days earlier this year because of delays on the votes necessary to continue operations.

The Department of Homeland Security then went without funding for another 76 days, from Feb. 14 to April 30, over Democratic demands for greater accountability in the Trump administration’s deportation efforts after federal officers fatally shot two U.S. citizens.

Legislature heading into home stretch

The Louisiana Legislature has until June 1 to finish work on several major issues, including congressional redistricting and a budget for state government.

The latter part of this year’s session has been dominated by a hurried effort to draw new districts for the U.S. House in the wake of a U.S. Supreme DeVillier Court decision that found the state’s current voting map unconstitutional.

After several marathon hearings and intense debate, the SenHenry ate has passed a map that would eliminate one of the state’s two majority-Black, Democratic controlled districts.

The House and Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to take up the bill this week, in a hearing that could mirror the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, center, speaks with reporters in the Ohio Clock Corridor at the Capitol earlier this year.

These shutdowns were over appropriations for the Fiscal Year 2026, which began Oct. 1, 2025, and expires on Sept. 30, 2026.

This week, the House hopes to consider legislation that clears up the short-term patches used to get government back to work in Fiscal Year 2026, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said at a Friday morning news conference. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Thursday that the Senate also would be advancing its version.

To end the last partial government shutdown, Congress began funding Department of Homeland Security offices such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Transportation Security Administration — but not the Immigration & Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs & Border Patrol officers. FEMA, TSA, and other parts of Homeland Security got caught up in a partisan battle over how the ICE and Border Patrol agents were carrying out the Trump adminis-

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, right, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Friday. tration’s deportation effort.

Democrats wanted agents to remove their masks, wear badges and body cams, as well as other provisions.

Republicans — at least most of them — refused to consider those changes. So Democrats refused to approve Homeland Security funding, knowing that the Sen-

ate would need 60 votes and the Republican majority held only 53 seats.

House and Senate GOP leadership opted to again go with a parliamentary procedure called reconciliation, which is only supposed to be used in emergencies when more money is needed than was originally approved. The

hourslong, emotionally charged tional costs, is also potentially on meetings in the Senate. A vote in the chopping block. the full House will likely While those two marhappen late this week or quee debates are happenearly next week. ing, lawmakers will also House Speaker Phillip be pushing over the next DeVillier has said he gentwo weeks to pass any other legislation they have erally supports the map proposed. That includes a the Senate passed, but Capitol bill that makes it illegal to members of his chamber Buzz sleep on the street, which may want to tweak some of STAFF supporters say is meant to the specific district lines. If REPORTS get homeless people into they do, the bill would have treatment or other help; to go back to the Senate for bills giving the Legislature more concurrence. power to remove judges and Meanwhile, the Senate will other elected officials from office; be figuring out how to trim the budget for state government that and a bill to get rid of inspection stickers, among hundreds of oththe House passed earlier in the session. ers.

The forecast for how much revenue the state has for the next fiscal year, which starts July 1, has shrunk by roughly $104 million.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, RSenate President Cameron Madisonville, has introduced a Henry has said his chamber will bill that would cap the price of remove Gov. Jeff Landry’s reinsulin, the drug used to treat diaquest to add to $43 million to the betes, at $35 a month. state’s LA GATOR school voucher Kennedy’s bill would set a price program. Other new spending in cap and require the Department the House version of the budget, of Health and Human Services to including new money for prisons, create a program reimbursing enpay raises for judges and intities for costs over the limit.

He argues the bill will ultimatecreased funding for school opera-

ly save the federal government money by reducing the expensive treatments that ensue when people skip doses of insulin due to cost, leading to much more serious health problems.

“My bill is not some new welfare program that spends money we don’t have. My bill saves money,” Kennedy wrote.

A 2024 law that capped the price of insulin at $35 for Americans on Medicaid reduced diabetesrelated medical expenses by 5%, Kennedy said in the release.

About 486,600 adults in Louisiana have diabetes, the release said. The federal government spends about $307 billion a year on diabetes-related healthcare.

Kennedy introduces bill to cap insulin price

Linda McMahon endorses increase to LA GATOR U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has endorsed Gov. Jeff Landry’s push to roughly double funding for LA GATOR, the state’s school voucher program.

“I urge Louisiana lawmakers to support @LAGovJeffLandry’s budget proposal to expand the incredibly successful GATOR school choice program,” McMa-

method is now frequently pulled out to get around the filibuster rules and pass budget items with a bare majority of 51 votes.

Congress has approved 24 budget reconciliations in the 46 years since the rules were established.

Last summer’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act was a reconciliation.

The massive measure included tax breaks, Medicaid work requirements, and other pieces of Trump’s domestic agenda, which no Democrat would support.

Reconciliation is a crooked path that requires beginning in committee, then passing by the parliamentarian to ensure that the language fits the strict reconciliation rules. Then, a series of procedural votes is necessary.

Thune wants a “thin reconciliation” that focuses only on funding ICE and Border Patrol without the concessions Democrats sought. Johnson is pushing a similar resolution in the House.

Conservatives in both chambers also want more tax breaks, more spending cuts and a requirement to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Others want to make adjustments to healthcare.

But leadership fears adding other elements would open the door for Democrats to try to include, say, an extension on subsidies that helped workers who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid pay medical insurance policies bought on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Additional issues also could create factions among GOP members. To avoid failure, leadership can’t afford but three Senate Republicans switching sides or three House Republicans.

Johnson and Thune say Republicans are considering a third reconciliation bill for later this summer to include those other issues.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

hon said in a post on X. “This expansion will empower more families and students across the Pelican State to choose the best possible education.”

Landry has asked lawmakers to add $45 million to the program, which gives McMahon parents money to send their children to private school or cover homeschooling expenses.

The state House has approved a budget that includes the increase, but the Senate is likely to remove it before the session ends June 1.

Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has been adamant that senators have concerns about unsustainable growth in the program’s cost. Also, legislators are having to cut money from the budget after recent revenue forecasts came in lower than expected.

Landry thanked McMahon for her support of LA GATOR in a response post on X. “Pro LA GATOR means pro student and pro family!” Landry wrote.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 15A

lll

Celebrate

Geaux

the

Grads!

PRICES VALID 5/13/26 - 5/19/26

save

BREAUXMART.COM

5 GREAT LOCATIONS | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK WHILE SUPPLIES LAST | THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING LOCAL

Meat + SEAFOOD BONELESS CC PORK LOIN ROAST (IN BAG)

$1

85% LEAN GROUND ROUND

SPRINGER MOUNTAIN WHOLE FRYERS

NATURE'S BEST IQF RED SHRIMP

CONECUH SMOKED SAUSAGE

$5

$1

$12

$4

FAMILY PACK

89

99

LB

16/25 COUNT 2 LB

89

LB

1 LB

99

LB

99

EA

EA

produce RUSSET POTATOES

WHITE SEEDLESS GRAPES

5 LB

NATURESWEET CHERUB TOMATOES

1 LB

CUCUMBERS

BABY BELLA WHOLE OR SLICED MUSHROOMS

10 OZ

8 OZ

$199

$339

EA

2/$5

LB

2/$1

2/$4

grocery HIDDEN VALLEY DRESSING

KRAFT BBQ SAUCE

MINUTE INSTANT RICE

FOOD CLUB PARMESAN CHEESE

HUNT'S PASTA SAUCE

$299

$199

$149

$299

$149

79¢

WICKLES PICKLES

BEAR & BURTONS SAUCES

KEWPIE ORGANIC MAYO

BETTY CROCKER CAKE MIX

BETTY CROCKER FROSTING

HUNT'S TOMATO PASTE

$299

$449

$499

2/$3

$249

$119

FANTA

SIMPLY DONE PAPER PLATES

HEINZ WHITE VINEGAR

GENERAL MILLS NATURE VALLEY FRUIT SNACKS 6-10 COUNT SNACK BARS

GENERAL MILLS CEREAL

$429

$299

$299

$249

GOLD PEAK TEA

KENTWOOD WATER

HAWAIIAN PUNCH

CAPRI SUN

2/$4

$3

$3

$3

16 OZ

EA

16 OZ

18 OZ

EA

EA

12 OZ

EA

SELECTED 12 PACK 12 OZ

EA

128 OZ

EA

2 LITER

$349

OR

OR

3/$12

2/$4

8-INCH BAKED APPLE PIE 24 OZ

$199

EA

24 PACK HALF LITER

99

EA

breaux to geaux

bakery ITALIAN BRAID BREAD

EA

59 OZ

EA

$599

EA

HOMEMADE CHICKEN SALAD

FOOD CLUB BUTTER

$899

$199

LB

750 ML

STOLI VODKA

1 LB

EA

1.75 LITER

$2799

EA

12-16 OZ

EA

EA

EA

6 OZ

EA

8.9-12 OZ

EA

10 PACK

128 OZ

29

EA

79

EA

STARBUCKS COLD COFFEE

MILO'S TEA

$549

$299

128 OZ

EA

EA

frozen PILLSBURY TOASTER STRUDEL

DR. PRAEGER'S PLANT BASED BURGER

BLUE BELL ICE CREAM

$299

$499

$299

4-6 COUNT

$999

EA

40-48 OZ

EA

JACK DANIELS

1.75 LITER

8 OZ

dairy

wine + spirits ANGELINE WINES

24 OZ

1.2-8.9 OZ

EA

LIMIT COKE 12 PRODUCTS

$599

EA

13.25-14.25 OZ

EA

2/$12 $249 6 PACK HALF LITER

EA

12 OZ

22-48 COUNT

LIMIT COKE 12 PRODUCTS

8 OZ

2 COUNT

HUNT'S TOMATO SAUCE

$3999

EA

EA

EA

PINT

EA

METAIRIE 504-885-5565 | RIVER RIDGE 504-737-8146 | GARDEN DISTRICT 504-262-6017 | CHALMETTE 504-262-0750 | BELLE CHASSE 504-393-1012 LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. Due to limited availability and fluctuations in our supply chains, we may experience shortages.

Supplies are based on availability. Thank you for understanding. Not Responsible for Typographical or Image-based Errors. Please Recycle. Quantity Rights Reserved.

16A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

EDUCATION Some parents don’t want kids to use tech at school But some districts are pushing back

a solution,” Seth Ruderman said.

Parental pushback

BY SHARON LURYE Associated Press

ARDMORE, Pa. — For high school senior Aliyah Pack, getting distracted during school is the norm. Kids in her Pennsylvania school district use iPads starting in kindergarten, switch to Chromebooks in second grade and get their own MacBooks in eighth grade.

Aliyah said she has difficulty focusing, and she finds it hard to concentrate when she’s learning from a screen. She’ll watch Netflix in class on her school laptop, hiding her earbuds behind her long, curly hair.

“It’s very hard to get into the mindset of being in school,” Aliyah said.

Aliyah’s mother saw her grades were falling and asked the school to take away her laptop. But she was told that wasn’t possible.

Across the country, parents are voicing concerns about excessive screen time in schools and lobbying educators to go back to pencil and paper.

In places like Lower Merion Township, where Aliyah goes to high school, some are taking it even further. Over 600 people in the affluent Philadelphia suburb have signed a petition asking to preserve parents’ ability to opt their children out of using digital devices during the school day. The public school district has pushed back, saying it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.

At a meeting last week, school board members said they were considering many ways to respond to parental concerns about technology, but allowing opt-outs was not one of them.

“There is not an option for us to not have technology in schools,” said Lower Merion School Board member Anna Shurak.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOE LAMBERTI

Members of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors speak with a student at a school board meeting on May 11 in Ardmore, Pa. The board was meeting to discuss updates to the district’s technology policies, including repealing a policy that allows optouts. Over 100 people showed up to protest, many wearing buttons that said “Screens Down, Pencils Up.” Many emphasized they’re not anti-tech — in fact, most parents agree that learning how to responsibly use computers is an essential life skill. They just don’t want tech to dominate the classroom.

“Teaching how to use technology is not the same thing as using technology to teach everything else,” said Sara Sullivan, a parent.

Technology inescapable The debate in Lower Merion raises the question of whether technology has become so intertwined with learning that it’s impossible to opt out.

Kids use devices to play educational games, submit their homework, access online resources and write essays — but parents are questioning the value of gamified edtech software.

Subashini Subramanian said the software her second-grade daughter uses for math, DreamBox, incentivizes rushing through levels to gain points. When she encouraged her daughter to think through the problems methodically, the 8-year-old said, “If I go through all the steps, it’s slowing me down. I have to click, click, click.”

At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time.

Adam Washington says his son struggles with screen addiction, so sometimes he takes away his phone or TV — only to find him watching YouTube on the school laptop instead.

“The screen is killing him. It is killing me, and him, together with our relationship,” Washington said.

Another parent at the meeting questioned what students would do instead of using their computers.

“Opting out is not a solution. It’s avoiding the hard work of finding

The pushback on technology in the classroom has gained steam around the country. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia, with four states — Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and Iowa — passing such legislation.

In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district said it will ban screens until second grade, require daily caps for screen time per grade, ban YouTube and require an audit of all education technology contracts.

In Vermont, proposed legislation would allow not just parents but also teachers to decline to use classroom tech. Democratic State Rep. Angela Arsenault, a bill cosponsor, said she’s responding to parents’ worries about edtech.

“Parents in many districts and states just aren’t being listened to or not being heard when they ask that their students not be forced to use these products,” Arsenault said.

The Lower Merion school district said it’s listening to community concerns and has already made changes, including blocking some problematic websites flagged by parents.

“We have wonderful teachers who have continuously prioritized human interaction and relationships,” Superintendent Frank Ranelli wrote in a letter to parents.

He declined to comment to the AP for this story.

The district said it is looking into possible changes, including stronger cellphone restrictions, not allowing the youngest students to take devices home and installing software to monitor students in class.

However, surveillance software can bring its own problems and poses risks to student privacy. In 2010, the Lower Merion School District paid $610,000 to settle lawsuits by two students who alleged the district had spied on them via the webcam on their school-issued

laptops.

High school student Mia Tatar, 16, raised concerns at the board meeting that there’s been an unintended consequence to the antitech backlash. The internet filters on school computers are now so strict, she said she’s been blocked while doing research on appropriate topics for school, like breast cancer.

Mia said students need to learn how to responsibly use technology, and adding filters or getting rid of laptops won’t do that.

“It doesn’t teach kids how to hold themselves accountable and how to be responsible for regulating their own screen time once they’re in the world,” Mia said in an interview.

Her friend Elliot Campbell, 15, said there should be strict limits on screen use in the youngest grades, but students should get more freedom as they get older.

“If we lose our laptops or if we lose the partial freedom we have on them, it’s not going to prepare us for college,” Elliot told board members at the hearing.

Fellow high schooler Joaquin Imaizumi takes a different view.

He said it’s “completely unfair” to expect children to regulate their usage of devices that even adults find addictive.

“This isn’t about learning to constrain yourself,” he said in an interview. “We don’t give someone drugs and say, ‘OK, now learn how to deal with this.’ ” His biggest concern is that devices make it far too tempting to access AI tools like ChatGPT, which he sees eroding his classmates’ ability to think for themselves.

“I’ve seen the atrophy of my peers’ thinking, which is existentially concerning,” Joaquin said.

The influence of AI starts early.

A second-grader named Lillian Keshet, who got up to speak at the board meeting, said Google Docs will give her “suggestions” about what to write in class.

“I’m a pretty good writer by myself,” Lillian said. “I don’t need your suggestions, Google!”

congratulations NOMMA Class of 2026!

Valedictorian: Kristian Chin Salutatorian: Celina Dinh Victoria Achee Julissa Alfaro Juelz Allen Roger Amaya Adriel Ardon Kensy Avila Flores Naidely Avila Torres Eddy Aviles Carl Jay Baldesco Dulce Barahona Shanice Batiste Amarie’n Belisle Nolan Boudreaux Christian Bourg Isabela Burciaga James Burnside Julion Burnside Caden Bussard Kymani Bynum Sinai Caceres-Ruiz Lina Caraballo Brian Casalegno-Suazo Ethan Caserta Alexis Cassie Allinson Castellanos Koralys Checo Almonte Gabriela Cherry Kristian Chin Javier Colindres-Fugon Jaedon Cone

Alayja Conerly Denero Cook Ashton Cooks Eli Cooper Angeline Coutino Cardenas Kendra Cruz Carcamo Ikel Cruz-Suarez Colin Dabney Cheyanne David Jhordin De Leon-Godinez Steven Dews Jr. Celina Dinh Mendelson Dorlus Payton Dupaquier Frederick Dwyer Jr. Caroline Edwards Madison Ennis Samuel Fernandes Jean Fernandez Benitez Amari Fielding Nahomy Figueroa Munguia Kymani Flores Bermudez Kenex Flores Herrera Juan Gabriel Jr. Dulce Gamez Maldonado Madalynn Gardner Freddy Gauthreaux Ashley Gendricks Aubrey Giardina Dennis Godoy-Cordova Skarleth Godoy Ochoa Cyniah Gordon Landon Gordon Celvin Granados Figueroa

Kenny Griffin Hailey Guevara Katherine Guzman Mejia Malinda Hardesty Jayden Harper Bryan Harrell Jr. Jairus Hawkins Jr. Madison Helmer Nyla Henry Carolina Hernandez Gomez Bryny Hernandez Gonzalez Nehemiah Hickman Sinai Hildebrand Kayla Janeau Tyler Johnson Michelle Jose Kyle Julian Jr. Mariyah Keith Gregory Kent-Williams Isabella-Rose Kent-Williams Gavin Koenig Landon Landry Avery Lapre’ Aaliyah Lewis Ahrnij Lewis Alaysha Lewis Cameron Lombard Gabriel Lopez Valery Lopez Calderon Jose Lopez Morales Kevin J Lopez Ramirez Kevin S Lopez Ramirez Ethan Maddalone Kai Magee

Caleb Mallard Gisel Martinez Drew Matthews Ligia Mazariegos Rossignoli Joel Melendez Jr. Drake Miller Dylan Mitchell Maluke Moorehead Jayden Morales Heath Mouton Jr. Rose Mouton Brody Muhoberac Gauge Murray Dalton Nason Graciela Nunez Medelin Nunez Lopez Fatima Oropeza Jordan Ortiz Trenton Ourso Davin Palmasino Kamila Paz Mildred Perrier Bermudez Lucas Pilie’ Jacob Plaisance Freddie Polk Mabiel Quiroz Calix Gerry Ramos Dayanara Ramos Rodriguez Karla Rangel Jernel Refuge Osman Rivera-Silva Jahmarley Robinson Eskarleth Rodriguez Sanchez Juan Rojas Culma

Leonardo Rome Elizabeth Romero Pineda Jeyzuris Rosa-Lorenzanaco Alexsander Roshto Hector Ruiz Tejeda Isaac Saballos Moises Sagastume Kevin Sepulveda-Bonilla Molly Simoneaux Marisa Slade Janiah Smith Steve Smith lll Michael Sterling-Killeen Demi Stogner Isabella Tanzey Asia Tobin Bryson Vallotton Malayna Varnado Daniela Vasquez Ximena Vasquez Alayah Vedros Khang Vo Lorielle Walker Bricen Warner Juane Washington Payton Watkins Jeremiah Watson Brayden Webb Nola Weil Benjamin Wellmeier Sean Williams Jyya Williamson Luis Zepeda Sarmiento Jr. Nilson Zuniga Palma

www.nomma.net | (504) 227-3810 NOMMA is an A-rated, open-enrollment public charter school requiring all students to participate in the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Program (MCJROTC). NOMMA has been designated a Purple Star School for its dedication to military families. Cadets may earn a TOPS University or TOPS Tech Career diploma through various pathways. NOMMA offers honors courses, AP courses, CLEP testing, dual enrollment courses, after-school tutoring, support for diverse learners, and participation at the Class 4A sports level. NOMMA is led by Commandant Col. Chris Schlafer, USMC (Ret.) and Principal Alexis Long.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 17A

lll

Locations

CAPTAIN SID’S

ESPLANADE 504-322-2595 CARROLLTON 504-766-0972 FILMORE 504-218-7048 ARABI 504-266-2059 METAIRIE 504-835-5979 JEFFERSON 504-503-0900

Fresh Boiled Crawfish

AVAILABLE EVERY DAY!

CANSECOS.COM

Three Day Sale

PRICES VALID 5/15 - 5/17

Assorted Bone In Pork Chops

Oscar Mayer Bacon

Mar Jac Bagged Wings

16oz

Sold in 5lb Bags

Fresh Mangoes

$189

$699

$1 20

99¢

Family Pack LB

Fresh Plantains

Fresh Yucca

79¢

$1 99

LB

Simply Done Paper Towels

Kentwood Water

$399

2/

LB

Egglands Best Large Eggs

$399

2/

Dozen

Zatarain’s Complete Seafood Boil

Camellia Red Kidney Beans

$399

$179

73oz

$7

EA

Food Club Soft Drinks

Selected 12 Packs

24 Pack

6 Roll

LB

Food Club Sugar

2lb Bag

16oz

Everyday Low Prices

$5 2/

$3

PRICES VALID 5/1 - 6/1

Patton’s Hot Sausage Links

Patton’s Hot Double D Sausage Patties Smoked or Links Sausage

Lump Crab Meat

2lb

3lb

Thibodeaux’s Crawfish Tails 12oz

(Imported) 16oz

Selected 15oz

$1899

$799

$1299

$499

$1299

2/

Claw Crab Meat

Food Club Butter

Tropicana Orange Juice

Full Circle Organic Milk

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Food Club Apple Juice

$399

2/

5lb

(Imported) 16oz

Quarters 16oz

46oz

64oz

8oz

$999

$399

$499

$549

Kraft Shredded Cheese

Blue Bonnet Spread Stick

Food Club Seasoning Blend

Pictsweet Farms Ore-Ida Seasoning Frozen Blend Potatoes

$399

$169

2/

Heinz Ketchup

Blue Plate Mayo

Kraft BBQ Sauce

Selected 8oz

Progresso Breadcrumbs

$5

64oz

$5

LeSueur Peas

24oz

32oz

Selected 15oz

$299

$499

$199

Selected 18oz

Ragu Pasta Sauce

16-24oz

Food Club Canned Vegetables

Food CLub Evaporated Milk

$5

$299

99¢

4/

Tony Chachere’s Frito Lay Creole Variety Seasoning Packs

Wish•Bone Dressing

Rotel Tomatoes

17oz

18 Pack

Kraft Mac & Cheese Dinner

10oz

Hunt’s Spaghetti Sauce

$349

$999

$149

$299

$169

$189

Zatarain’s Fish Fry

Duncan Hines Cake Mix

Food Club Broth

Gold Medal Flour 5lb

Bounty Double Roll

2 Roll

Gain Liquid Detergent

Selected 88oz

$349

2/

$5

$199

$519

$699

$1199

38oz

$599

24oz

16oz

30oz

$449

15.2oz

10oz

2/

$3

7.25oz

32oz

15oz

14.5-15oz

12oz

$5

24oz

LIMITS MAY APPLY. NOT ALL ITEMS WILL BE AVAILABLE. NO RAINCHECKS. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL OR IMAGE-BASED ERRORS. THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING.

18A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

THE GULF COAST Census data reveals slowing population growth But demand still isn’t letting up

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The rapid population growth transforming the Gulf Coast slowed down last year in most cities from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The data, released Thursday, suggests the extraordinary surge of newcomers who have arrived in the region over the last five years may be stabilizing. Many cities are still gaining new residents, but last year’s increases were less intense than in 2024.

Some of the region’s most significant shifts happened across coastal Alabama and Mississippi in cities popular with Louisiana visitors.

About 2,200 newcomers last year increased the population by about 8% in Foley, Alabama, which is growing more than 10 times faster than most cities of similar size around the country. But Foley’s growth last year was still slower than in 2024, when the population grew by 12%. Foley, however, was the 14th fastest-growing city in the U.S. last year and is now home to over 30,000 people.

Growth in Fairhope, Alabama, also slowed. The city’s population grew by 0.7%, or about 200 people, last year — down from 4% growth in 2024.

The population also stayed nearly flat last year in Pass Christian, Mississippi. In contrast, the small Gulf Coast city added about 200 residents and grew by 3% in 2024.

The shift is welcome news for some fast-growing cities and towns across the region, where leaders have been racing to widen roads and update infrastructure to accommodate the stampede of new citizens.

“Our growth was staggeringly high there for quite a while,” said Jack Burrell, a Fairhope City Council member. “We want some

Traffic makes its way along Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach, Ala. growth, but we want something that is sustainable.”

Despite the slowdown, demographers said interest from newcomers is still raising the population in cities across the Gulf Coast. They also cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions from one year of data.

“These are just estimates,” said Cliff Holley, a research associate at the University of Mississippi’s Center for Population Studies. He said ups and downs in Census estimates from year to year are common.

Local leaders and demographers pointed to several reasons why growth may be slowing down. Prices are rising in many beachfront cities, which have become more saturated with newcomers and development since 2020. Some cities have even placed moratoriums on dense subdivision projects in attempt to keep pace with the surge.

The Gulf Coast’s trends also mirrored patterns around the country, where average growth rates dropped last year in most cities

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JUSTIN MITCHELL

A man rides a scooter through downtown Gulfport, Miss.

including Waveland and Long Beach. In Gulf Shores, Alabama, the population stayed almost flat last year despite growing by 2% Some cities defy trend in 2024.

But the slowdown trend was not Growth slowed slightly last year in Panama City, Florida, and universal, and many cities across several Mississippi Coast cities, the Gulf Coast grew faster than

and counties. The Census Bureau has attributed some of that shift to less international migration.

national averages. Gulfport, Mississippi, grew by about 2% last year — about four times faster than most cities of similar size around the country. Population growth in the coastal Alabama cities of Daphne and Orange Beach also outpaced national trends.

Several small inland towns on Alabama’s Gulf Coast also saw striking growth.

The population in Summerdale, Alabama, just north of Foley, grew by 6% last year — a big increase for the town of about 1,700 people. Summerdale Mayor Randy Farris said many newcomers are coming from New Jersey and Minnesota, and are expanding the town’s economy and culture.

“We’re trying to keep control of it,” Farris said. “We want to keep our little piece of heaven.”

The population in a few Gulf Coast cities stayed the same last year or shrunk slightly. In Mobile, Alabama, the population is flat but local leaders say they are taking steps to improve quality of life and convince families to move in.

The population also stayed flat in the Florida Panhandle cities of Pensacola, Destin and Fort Walton Beach. And Bay St. Louis, Biloxi and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, saw little population growth, despite increasing tourism in the region.

But demographers say it is too early to tell if population growth across Gulf Coast cities is slowing down for good. The Census Bureau released data earlier this year that showed the population in almost every Gulf Coast county from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle rose at a faster pace than most other counties across the nation in 2025.

In the region’s fastest-growing cities, leaders argue that development moratoriums are preventing growth from spiraling out of control. But demand is not letting up.

“I don’t know that it’s going to subside,” Burrell, the Fairhope City Council member, said. “I think we’re going to see more of the same for quite a while.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

Peter Schissel Valedictorian

Jacob Guichard Valedictorian

Nicholas Dupre Salutatorian

Crux Spes Unica...The Cross, Our Only Hope!

Awarded over $14 million in scholarships f rom universities!

Holy Cross School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 19A

lll

After China trip, Trump returns to escalating inflation

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump returned from the spectacle of a Chinese state visit to a less than welcoming U.S. economy — with the military band and garden tour in Beijing giving way to pressure over how to fix America’s escalating inflation rate.

Consumer inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, higher than what he inherited as the Iran war and the Republican president’s own tariffs have pushed up prices. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains and effectively making workers poorer.

The Cleveland Federal Reserve estimates that annual inflation could reach 4.2% in May as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.

Trump’s time with Chinese leader Xi Jinping appears unlikely to help the U.S. economy much, despite Trump’s claims of coming trade deals. The trip occurred as many people are voting in primaries leading into the November general election while having to absorb the rising costs of gasoline, groceries, utility bills, jewelry, women’s clothing, airplane tickets and delivery services. Democrats see the moment as a political opportunity.

“He’s returning to a dumpster fire,” said Lindsay Owens, executive director of Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal think tank focused on economic issues. “The president will not have the faith and confidence of the American people — the economy is their top issue and the president is saying, ‘You’re on your own.’ ” The president’s trip to Beijing and his recent comments that indicated a tone-deafness to voters’ concerns about rising prices have suggested his focus is not on the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters Friday aboard Air Force One as he returns from a trip to Beijing, China.

American public and have undermined Republicans who had intended to campaign on last year’s tax cuts as helping families.

Trump described the trip as a victory, saying on social media that Xi “congratulated me on so many tremendous successes,” as the U.S. president has praised their relationship.

Trump told reporters that Boeing would be selling 200 aircraft — and maybe even 750 “if they do a good job” — to the Chinese. He said American farmers would be “very happy” because China would be “buying billions of dollars of soybeans.”

“We had an amazing time,” Trump said as he flew home on Air Force One, and told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview that gasoline prices were just some “short-term pain” and would “drop like a rock” once the war ends.

Trump departed from the White House for China by saying the

negotiations over the Iran war depended on stopping Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

That remark prompted blowback because it suggested to some that Trump cared more about challenging Iran than fighting inflation at home. Trump defended his words, telling Fox News: “That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again.”

The White House has since stressed that Trump is focused on inflation.

Asked later about the president’s words, Vice President JD Vance said there had been a “misrepresentation” of the remarks. White House spokesman Kush Desai said the “administration remains laserfocused on delivering growth and affordability on the homefront” while indicating actions would be

Business travel, family trips and cultural experiences boost Louisiana tourism economy

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Visit Jefferson Parish, New Orleans & Company and New Orleans Tours.

Tourism plays a vital role in Louisiana’s economic and cultural identity, supporting jobs, businesses and communities across the state.

From world-renowned festivals and cuisine to history and outdoor experiences, Louisiana attracts millions of visitors each year to both large cities and small towns.

In 2024, Louisiana experienced $16.2 billion in travel spending, and travel drove $990 million in tax receipts in the state, according to the Louisiana Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

The tourism industry supported approximately 107,700 jobs in the state, making it Louisiana’s sixth-largest job sector.

Regional tourism leaders recently spoke with The New Orleans Advocate | The Times-Picayune and nola.com about the travel trends they are seeing and what keeps people coming to the area.

Tourists enjoy coming to South Louisiana for vacation, but thousands of visitors each year are also making their way to the region as they attend business meetings, professional conferences and industry conventions. Walt Leger III, president and CEO of New Orleans & Company, said these range from 10-person meetings to international conferences with upwards of 25,000 attendees.

By the end of 2026, New Orleans will have hosted eight major medical conferences, Leger said, including one in December for which two Air France charter f lights have already been booked. While some organizations previously shied away from hosting events in New Orleans in the summer due to the threat of hurricanes, Leger said New Orleans & Company has allayed those fears by inviting attendees to see the state’s coastal restoration work and risk reduction technology firsthand.

“We’re able to show them that we are one of the most prepared communities along the Gulf Coast,” he said.

Corey Rosales, president and CEO of New Orleans Tours, said his transportation business works frequently with small groups of professionals who rely on locals to advise them on the best places to eat, drink and visit.

“They want to get involved with the culture.

Everybody has tourism, but they don’t have the New Orleans culture,” Rosales said.

Terrie Birkel, chief operating officer and vice president of marketing for Visit Jefferson Parish, said the agency shifted much of its work inwards during the Covid slowdown, taking time to highlight what they do and why tourism matters. The message resonated with locals, many of whom are now encouraging their friends and relatives from out of state to come spend some time with them.

“We’re seeing that pay off as more residents have gotten to know us,” Birkel said.

Birkel added that many residents are proud to showcase the area’s rich natural resources, including the Louisiana Oyster Trail and Grand Isle, which includes seven miles of sandy beaches, a state park and some of the best fishing in the world.

“Those are all great options for families who are looking for a great way to have a good time outdoors,” she said.

Leger added that more families are also traveling to the region to watch their children, grandchildren and other relatives play any of the growing number of youth sports tournaments that take place year-round.

“There’s one thing that people are always going to do, and that’s prioritize their kids,” he said. “If kids are traveling for sports, that means families are traveling with them.”

Watch the full discussion now at www. youtube.com/@NOLAtp. Visit Jefferson Parish is accredited through Destinations International for its high quality and performance. Its mission is to partner with the tourism and hospitality industries by marketing and selling the Jefferson Parish experience to visitors. New Orleans & Company is the official destination sales and marketing organization for New Orleans, with a vision to ensure the city remains remarkable, unique and welcoming. New Orleans Tours is a family-owned company with more than 50 years of experience in group transportation. It has a fleet of more than 300 modern vehicles to help guests get where they need to be on time, stress-free, safely and in style.

taken on grocery prices.

But as Trump appeared alongside Xi, new reports back home showed inflation rising for businesses and interest rates climbing on U.S. government debt.

His comments that Boeing would sell 200 jets to China caused the company’s stock price to fall because investors had expected a larger number. There was little concrete information offered about any trade agreements reached during the summit, including Chinese purchases of U.S. exports such as liquefied natural gas and beef.

“Foreign policy wins can matter politically, but only if voters feel stability and affordability in their daily lives,” said Brittany Martinez, a former Republican congressional aide who is the executive director of Principles First, a center-right advocacy group focused on democracy issues.

“Midterms are almost always a referendum on cost of living and public frustration, and Republicans are not immune from the same inflation and affordability pressures that hurt Democrats in recent cycles,” she added.

Democratic lawmakers are seizing on Trump’s comments before his trip as proof of his indifference to lowering costs. There is potential staying power of his remarks as Americans head into Memorial Day weekend facing rising prices for the hamburgers and hot dogs to be grilled.

“What Americans do not see is any sympathy, any support, or any plan from Trump and congressional Republicans to lower costs — in fact, they see the opposite,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Thursday.

Vance faulted the Biden administration for the inflation problem even though the inflation rate is

now higher than it was when Trump returned to the White House in January 2025 with a specific mandate to fix it.

“The inflation number last month was not great,” Vance said Wednesday, but he then stressed, “We’re not seeing anything like what we saw under the Biden administration.”

Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 under Biden, a Democrat. By the time Trump took the oath of office, it was a far more modest 3%.

The data tells a different story as higher inflation is spreading into the cost of servicing the national debt.

Over the past week, the interest rate charged on 10-year U.S. government debt jumped from 4.36% to 4.6%, an increase that implies higher costs for auto loans and mortgages.

“My fear is that the layers of supply shocks that are affecting the U.S. economy will only further feed into inflationary pressures,” said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY-Parthenon.

Daco noted that last year’s tariff increases were now translating into higher clothing prices. With the Supreme Court ruling against Trump’s ability to impose tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, his administration is preparing a new set of import taxes for this summer.

Daco stressed that there have been a series of supply shocks.

First, tariffs cut into the supply of imports. In addition, Trump’s immigration crackdown cut into the supply of foreign-born workers. Now, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off the vital waterway used to ship 20% of global oil supplies.

“We’re seeing an erosion of growth,” Daco said.

Workforce training programs at LCTC evolve alongside Louisiana’s industrial growth

The North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative is one example of how institutions like Baton Rouge Community College partner with local companies to teach students in-demand skills.

The River Parishes Community College Hyundai Training Center in Donaldsonville is expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028. Students will prepare for jobs in steel manufacturing.

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com This article is brought to you by Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges.

As the state’s industrial sector expands to include new job opportunities in automation, advanced manufacturing and steel production, Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges is working to ensure their programs adapt to meet current and future demands.

For Baton Rouge Community College students Jaiden Trahan and Hope Robertson, these programs represent pathways toward stable, long-term careers supporting the state’s economy.

“BRCC is affordable, close to home and has a good reputation for preparing students for real-world jobs,” said Trahan, who is studying process technology at BRCC. The program prepares students for careers in industrial plants, such as chemical, petroleum and manufacturing facilities.

Trahan said the BRCC process technology training has been robust, covering plant operations, safety procedures, equipment operation, process control and problem-solving. The education has also helped Trahan learn to work well under pressure and as part of a team. As he nears completion in the program, Trahan said he envisions a strong future in the field.

“My career goal is to work as a process operator in a plant,” he said. “I want to have a stable, well-paying job and possibly advance into higher positions over time, such as a lead operator or supervisor.”

Hope Robertson, another BRCC process technology student, said she was attracted to the program because of its accessibility and relevancy in the modern economy. The practical knowledge she is gaining, including how equipment such as distillation columns, cooling towers and control loops operate, will be applicable in multiple settings.

“My career goal is not only to become a process operator, but to excel in my field,” she said. “I am committed to developing the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed, provide for my family and build a stable and rewarding future.”

LCTC educators said that creating those types of viable career pathways reflects the broader mission behind the institutions’ workforce training initiatives. To fulfill that mission, LCTC works closely with industry partners to ensure that programs are aligned with workforce needs. A key win came in February, when officials broke ground on the new River Parishes Community College Hyundai Training Center in Donaldsonville. The center is expected to open in late 2027 or early 2028, although some steel manufacturing education is expected to be available at RPCC campuses sooner. The curriculum will focus on electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance and advanced manufacturing.

“We believe that the talented individuals trained here will play a vital role in the successful start-up of our steel mill and in achieving rapid and sustainable growth in the years ahead,” Hyundai Steel President and CEO Bo Ryong Lee said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“We are a company that invests in people, technology and the local community. We are deeply committed to working in harmony with the community and growing together, striving to make meaningful

contributions to its development.”

B.J. Bertucci, RPCC Dean of Career and Technical Education, said the partnership with Hyundai is a great example of how the college works with industries to develop programs that will train local students not only for existing careers, but for jobs that are expected to become available in the future as technology evolves. In addition to the Hyundai training center, RPCC is planning to launch a comprehensive advanced manufacturing program in the coming years. Meanwhile, Bertucci said RPCC instructors are weaving advanced manufacturing education into existing programs in process technology, welding, industrial maintenance and drafting.

“We’re having a lot of conversations with industry partners to learn more about what aspects of their manufacturing are now automated or on their way to being automated,” Bertucci said.

“We’re trying to look at what the needs will be three to five years in the future so we can address those now.”

As an educator, Ray Tanner uses that same philosophy each day. Tanner is a Polymer Major Machinery Specialist at ExxonMobil Product Solutions in Baton Rouge, and also serves as an instructor in BRCC’s millwright program. Tanner said his courses include basic knowledge about construction and millwrighting, proper tool usage, how to take accurate measurements and more. He also emphasizes safety procedures and how important it is to do things the right way, even if it takes a little longer.

“It’s very gratifying to see students who come in without any knowledge about millwrighting, then their eyes light up when they grasp the concepts and understand they have the ability to work in this field,” Tanner said. “They are learning skills they can use for the rest of their lives, and they start to see that there are career opportunities for them. I love to be a part of BRCC and stepping up to help students learn they have not only the capacity to do these jobs, but also an avenue to reach those goals.”

River Parishes Community College students were able to showcase their skills and meet with potential employers during a recent Industry Match Day.

20A ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

NOLA CANNABIS CO. DISPENSARY

Get access to medical cannabis in minutes!

It’s free, easy, and fast for anyone 21+ to apply for a medical cannabis recommendation through GoodCannaNow.com. Here’s how:

1

Sign up online

2

Clinician call

3

Get certified!

Scan here to get started!

GOODCANNANOW.COM

Shop New Orleans’ only real cannabis dispensary!

Kenner

Tchoupitoulas

100 W Airline Highway Kenner LA, 70062

1667 Tchoupitoulas St, Suite B New Orleans, LA 70130

Metairie

Carrollton

5055 Veterans Blvd Metairie, LA 70006

1407 S Carrollton Ave New Orleans, LA 70118

MORE LOCATIONS COMING SOON: HARVEY ◆ BOURBON STREET NOLACANNABISDISPENSARY.COM

JEFFERSON • NEW ORLEANS • ST. TAMMANY • RIVER PARISHES ST. BERNARD • TANGIPAHOA • PLAQUEMINES

METRO N O L A.C O M

|

S u n d ay, M ay 17, 2026

1Bn

St. Bernard superintendent to retire Voitier says farewell after 55 years

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Doris Voitier was sheltering inside Chalmette High School when Hurricane Katrina’s floodwater came rushing toward the campus, engulfing every home and building in its path.

Voitier, who had become superintendent of St. Ber-

nard Parish Public Schools just a year earlier, scrambled with her staff to get the roughly 250 parish residents sheltering in the school to move upstairs. When more people arrived in boats, Voitier helped pull them in through second-story windows.

After hunkering down in the school for several days

Tchefuncte River project breaks ground

with little food and water, they emerged to find a devastating scene.

“The entire St. Bernard Parish was wiped out,” Voitier, 76, recalled recently. “There was not a home, church, school or building that was intact.”

Just two months later, with scant assistance from national authorities and most

of the parish still shut down, Voitier pulled off an improbable feat: She brought back stuVoitier dents, opening a makeshift school inside trailers in the Chalmette High School parking lot.

Voitier’s determination to resume school in the face of utter destruction offered

some semblance of normalcy to students and teachers who suddenly were living out of tents and trailers. It also earned her national recognition and helped catalyze the rebuilding of the larger community.

“Doris is the reason St. Bernard came back so strong,” said Henderson Lewis, a former St. Bernard teacher who went on to lead the New Orleans school system. “She built it back better.”

Now after 55 years in the district, where she started as a teacher in the 1970s and served as superintendent for two decades, Voitier will retire next month.

It’s the end of an era for St. Bernard schools, which enroll about 7,000 students in the close-knit parish just east of New Orleans.

Voitier shepherded the district through decades of tumult, from the yearslong

ä See RETIRE, page 2B

JAZZ AND CIRCUMSTANCE

It’s expected to prevent Madisonville street flooding

BY WILLIE SWETT

Staff writer

Main Street snakes down from the center of Madisonville in St. Tammany Parish to the boat launch at the mouth of the Tchefuncte River.

It’s popular with boaters, and the street is home to restaurants, a library branch and a maritime museum.

The problem, according to Madisonville Mayor Jean Pelloat, is that when a strong wind blows from the southeast, it floods.

On Thursday, contractors started work on a new rock wall in Lake Pontchartrain near the mouth of the Tchefuncte River that Pelloat hopes will help prevent the waters from rising onto Main Street.

“This is very exciting,” Pelloat said at a groundbreaking ceremony at the boat launch for the new breakwater. He remembers as a kid how the land used to jut out past where the boat launch currently is. It’s since eroded.

“This will really help with surge and protect the roadway, launch,” Pelloat said.

The breakwater is “engineered to reduce wave energy and stabilize the shoreline and also designed carefully to maintain the natural flow of water of the river,” said St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper.

“This is a major step forward in coastal resilience and shoreline protection,” Cooper said.

The breakwater is one of 16 coastal projects that Cooper’s administration is paying for using bonds backed by GOMESA funds.

Completed projects include an artificial reef at Goose Point in Lake Pontchartrain made out of recycled Interstate 12 concrete and a breakwater protecting the 19th-century Tchefuncte River Lighthouse in Madisonville.

Many of the 16 parish projects are breakwaters, according to St. Tammany Parish spokesperson Michael Vinsanau, and are aimed at reducing flooding along the parish’s miles of vulnerable Lake Pontchartrain shoreline and also

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

Students celebrate during Tulane University’s Unified Commencement at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Saturday.

Oscar-nominated, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor Sterling K. Brown presents the keynote address during Tulane’s Unified Commencement.

A second-line marches to Tulane’s Unified Commencement.

ä See JETTY, page 2B

‘I didn’t leave without the picture’: Iconic photographer dies at 86 Jack Thornell, of Metairie, captured enduring civil rights images

BY LARA NICHOLSON

photo of a racist sheriff.

Jack Thornell, a longtime Jefferson Parish resident To get the photographs, he who died April 23 at East jumped over church pews Jefferson General Hospital, during Martin Luther King captured some of the most Jr.’s funeral, sneaked into a pivotal moments of the Civil cordoned off neighborhood Rights Movement as a photo witness a Biloxi school in- tographer in The Associated tegration and risked threats Press’ New Orleans bureau. at knifepoint for snapping a The photos shed light on

Staff writer

racial violence in the Deep South, and were made as he evaded threats from Klanaffiliated law enforcement and spared no effort to get the perfect shot.

Among his iconic images were King’s family surrounding his casket at his

ä See THORNELL, page 2B

The Rev. Ralph Abernathy, right, and Bishop Julian Smith, left, flank Martin Luther King Jr. during a civil rights march in Memphis, Tenn., on March 28, 1968.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

By JACK THORNELL

2B ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

RETIRE

THORNELL

Continued from page 1B rebuilding process after Katrina to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also served on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for eight years, often acting as a voice for educators in policy debates.

While Voitier rose to prominence for rebuilding the destroyed school district, she said that working with students — and her own time teaching — are what brought her the most pride and joy.

“Buildings are one thing,” she said, “but what takes place inside them is most important.”

Katrina recovery By the time Katrina hit in 2005, Voitier had been working in the school system for 30 years, rising from a Chalmette High School math teacher to district leader.

“When Katrina wiped us out and we had to rebuild the whole school system, that put all of my experiences to use,” Voitier said in a recent interview. “I knew every facet.”

Shortly after the floodwater receded, Voitier began the daunting task of reopening the schools in a parish where every building sustained damage and many schools took on eight feet of putrid water and had roofs torn off.

She worked on a borrowed computer, sending student records to families who had evacuated across the country. She was undeterred by bureaucratic roadblocks, including funding delays from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

She took out $17.8 million in loans and sourced trailers from North Carolina and Georgia, often opting to ask for forgiveness — and reimbursement — rather than permission. When FEMA said it could not pay for hot lunches for students, she hired a Chalmette restaurant owner to cook meals on a barge in the Mississippi River and sent FEMA a $27,000 bill. (The district was eventually reimbursed.)

The temporary school opened on Nov. 14, 2005, drawing 334 students across all grade levels. By the end of the school year, the “St. Bernard Unified School” had grown to more than 2,400 students, some of whom were moved into the upper floor of the high school, which was spared flood damage.

Voitier earned widespread accolades, including the 2007 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award

JETTY

Continued from page 1B helping to restore marshland.

Separately, officials announced earlier this year that federal funding had been allocated to study two proposed billion-dollar flood control projects in St. Tammany, including a plan to

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL DEMOCKER

Former first lady Laura Bush, left, is led on a tour of Chalmette High School by St. Bernard Schools Superintendent Doris Voitier while visiting with thenSecretary of Education Margaret Spellings, right, in 2006.

After the floodwaters of Katrina receded, Voitier headed the task of reopening and rebuilding damaged schools. for public officials. At the time, the Kennedy Library Foundation praised Voitier for her “courageous fight to rebuild the St. Bernard Parish Schools in the face of pervasive devastation and bureaucratic indifference.”

She eventually oversaw a $500 million rebuilding plan, replacing the district’s older schools with new and higherquality facilities while also downsizing from three high schools to one. Chalmette High School’s new campus included a 90,000-squarefoot performance venue and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Former U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, who advocated for recovery funds, called Voitier “the face and the muscle and the brains” of the rebuilding effort, arguing that the parish would not have rebounded as quickly without the school superintendent’s leadership.

“She was an extraordinary leader,” Landrieu said, “and she understood a fundamental truth: that great schools are the heart of any community.”

Lewis, who had been working in the district’s central office when the storm hit, returned to teach high school algebra in the Unified School. He credited Voitier for ensuring teachers kept getting paychecks after the storm and putting “care first, education second.”

“Under her leadership, St. Bernard continued to improve,” he said.

Statewide impact Voitier became the face of St. Bernard schools after the storm, but her impact extended beyond the parish.

In the 1990s, she helped create the funding formula the state uses to dole out money to schools. Voitier also was president of the state superintendents’ association and was appointed build a levee around Slidell and elevate thousands of homes in the parish, and a proposed Lake Pontchartrain storm surge barrier.

The first phase of the Tchefuncte breakwater will cost around $2.4 million to construct and will be 1,750 feet long, according to Vinsanau.

The funding that will be used to back the first phase of the project is from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Se-

by Gov. John Bel Edwards to serve on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from 2016 until 2024.

“Louisiana education reflects the work of Doris Voitier,” said state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley, calling her more than 50-year career in education “quite remarkable.”

Caroline Roemer, executive director of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, called Voitier a “walking encyclopedia” on Louisiana education history and policy and a “godmother of education” who understood how decisions at the state level impact classrooms.

“If you agreed with her or not,” Roemer said, “she commanded respect.”

In the St. Bernard school system, Voitier is known as a hands-on leader who makes decisions based on what’s best for students, and who will pick up the phone any time of day.

“She’s just phenomenal,” said Tiffani Glapion, principal of Joseph Davies Elementary School in Meraux, who taught at the St. Bernard Unified School. “She is 100% the reason we are here.”

Voitier said she was most proud of expanding the district’s career and technical education and dual enrollment programs, which give students a head start on careers or college. This week, 17 seniors graduated high school with associates degrees, she said.

After Voitier officially retires at the end of June, she plans to spend more time with her family and find some new hobbies.

But she said she’ll still help the district whenever she’s needed.

“People have to realize,” she said, “the quality of life in any community is largely dependent on the success of the public school system.” curity Act, or GOMESA, which directs money from offshore oil and gas leases to coastal projects. Another phase is expected to extend the breakwater further and will be paid for by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority next year, Vinsanau said.

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

course in picture-taking covered, and he eventually while the camera bug joined them on the last day Continued from page 1B learned to fix radios,” the as they entered Jackson. magazine interview states.

Meredith, now 92, was unHe was hired at Jackson available for an interview, funeral, New Orleans police officers swarming a Black Daily News in Mississippi in but his wife Judy said in a Panther headquarters and 1960, and moved to the AP in phone call he had great restudents at Jackson State 1964. spect for Thornell and “apCollege looking out from preciated him a lot.” bullet-hole-covered win- ‘Scared to death’ Thornell told the Smithsodows in the aftermath of a On his first day at the AP, nian magazine his one regret police shooting that killed he was assigned to cover that day was not stopping to two students and injured 12 the integration of a school help Meredith. more.

Another regret Thornell in Biloxi. Local authorities He won a Pulitzer Prize blocked the area off, but shared from his career was at 27 years old for a pho- Thornell, “scared to death” from King’s funeral, where tograph that captured the he would not get the picture, he showed up late after shooting of James Meredith, got in a taxi and told police rushing to Atlanta from New a civil rights activist whose he lived in the area, accord- Orleans.

Again panicked he’d miss enrollment as the first Black ing to his son. student at the University of That same year, Thornell the shot, Thornell climbed Mississippi sparked the Ole got the only shot of Klan- over church pews to reach Miss riot of 1962. The image, affiliated Neshoba County King’s casket.

“I had my eyes on the floor from 1966, shows Meredith Sheriff Lawrence Rainey on the ground peering at the as he was arrested for the because I knew everyone woods nearby, where the deaths of three civil rights was looking at me for my deshooter, Aubrey James Nor- workers. spicable behavior,” Thornell An associate of Rainey’s said in a 2018 AP interview. vell, can be seen just over threatened Thornell with a “But I didn’t leave without the grass.

In an interview, Thor- knife not to take a photo, so the picture.”

Thornell’s photography nell’s son, Jay Thornell, he quickly clicked the shutsaid his father never really ter button while the camera career ended around 1984, thought of his work as mak- was at his hip and captured when he went on disability ing history. He was driven Rainey being escorted into a leave for back pain caused by a constant fear that he’d car, his son said. The photo by lugging heavy equipmiss the shot, lose his job shows Rainey, still wearing ment. He officially left the and wind up back where he his uniform and cowboy AP in 2004. came from — an impover- hat, staring straight into the Deanie’s trips ished home in Vicksburg, camera.

It was two years later Mississippi.

Thornell lived in Metairie “Doesn’t ignorance and in Hernando, Mississippi, and Kenner for most of his incompetence — without when Thornell captured the life. Jay Thornell, who grew education in between — Pulitzer Prize-winning photo up in Jefferson Parish and breed ignorance and incom- of Meredith while he was now lives in South Caropetence?” Jack Thornell on a solo, 220-mile March lina, said that on the Friday wrote in an unpublished Against Fear from Mem- before his father’s death, manuscript obtained by phis, Tennessee, to Jackson, the family shared a meal at The New York Times. “And Mississippi.

Deanie’s Seafood Restausoon, after turning in an inThornell was in a car with rant in Bucktown.

Jack Thornell would bring ferior picture or two, won’t a rival photographer from the powers that be see that, United Press International his son, a sports fanatic, to too, and then send me pack- waiting for Meredith to ar- cover Saints games on the ing, and back to where I be- rive. A third photographer field of the Superdome. Jay from Life Magazine was off would run film to the top of long?” to get them Cokes after los- the building to be developed, Beginnings and keeps a photo in his ofing a coin toss.

A recounting of the shoot- fice of the two of them smilBorn Aug. 29, 1939, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, ing in a 2005 Smithsonian ing on the field.

Thornell grew up in ex- Magazine article said a man In retirement, Jay said his treme poverty. From sixth began shouting “I just want father came to appreciate grade until he was 18, he James Meredith!” when his work. He enjoyed receivspent nearly every day go- shots ran out, hitting Mer- ing mail asking him to autoing to school, getting a bar- edith in the head, neck, back graph copies of his photos, and loved laying out his old becue beef sandwich and and legs.

Thornell took two rolls of photographs and retelling a Coca-Cola from the local diner and then working in pictures with a pair of cam- the stories from his career the ticket booth of a local eras and fled back to Mem- to his granddaughter.

“I could hear the stories movie theater until 10 p.m. phis, frantic that he didn’t so he could afford food and capture Meredith or his over and over again,” Jay clothes. shooter. Until the film devel- said.

In addition to his son, He dropped out of high oped, he believed he would Thornell is survived by a school during his senior be fired. year despite making good Norvell, from Mem- daughter, Candy Gros, and a grades because he “could phis, was apprehended at granddaughter.

The Associated Press connot take the shame of his the scene and served 18 living situation anymore,” months of a five-year pristributed to this report. his son said, and joined the on sentence after pleading U.S. Army. guilty.

Lara Nicholson writes Thornell was originally Civil rights leaders Mar- about Jefferson Parish assigned to be a radio re- tin Luther King Jr., Stoke- for The Advocate | Timespairman, but his name got ly Carmichael and Floyd Picayune. Email her at mixed up with another re- McKissick continued the lnicholson@theadvocate. cruit who had signed up for march while Meredith re- com. photographic school, according to a 1967 AP World LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN WATER QUALITY Source: scienceforourcoast.org corporate magazine interCOVINGTON PONCHATOULA view.

MADISONVILLE “So Thornell, who didn’t MANDEVILLE know an aperture from a PEARL RIVER Reporting Site Tchefuncte Enterococci (MPN)* back focus, took the short River

LOTTERY

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2026 PICK 3: 7-8-0 PICK 4: 2-6-5-2 PICK 5: 4-8-4-5-6 MEGA MILLIONS: 17-23-25-52-61 MEGA BALL: 3 Unofficial notification, keep your tickets.

* Most probable number of of bacteria per 100 milliliters of water Enterococci Rating GOOD POOR N/A based on Beach Action Value (BAV) in EPA’s 2012 RWQC

Bogue Falaya River

109

248

Bayou Castine

1050

Bayou St. John

35

LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN

New Canal Lighthouse

86

Laketown Bonnabel Boat Launch 116

NORCO

KENNER

54

LACOMBE

Fontainebleau Beach

158

Old Beach

SLIDELL

Northshore Beach

2420

74

Pontchartrain Beach

26

Seabrook Harbor

79

METAIRIE

JEFFERSON

NEW ORLEANS CHALMETTE

Graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

Cleaner, safer water for healthier living.

Reduce contaminants in your homes water and enjoy the benefits of whole home filtration.

– Softer, cleaner water.

– Removes over 99% of harmful contaminants.

– One-day installation.

WE CANCEL TIMESHARES

Better Water in 3 Simple Steps

Many people think they’re stuck with their timeshare forever— but that’s often not the case. Wesley Financial Group has helped more than 50,000 families break free from unwanted timeshares, and we may be able to help you, too. If you were misled, pressured, or deceived during your purchase, you could qualify for cancellation.

How Does the Cancellation Process Work?

Start with a FREE consultation to tell us your story.

1. Schedule an appointment

2. Get a custom water analysis

3. One-day installation

Save up to

“As a mom with two young daughters, and a doula who stresses the importance of hydration, providing my family and clients with safer, cleaner water is very important to me.

I’m grateful for companies like Leaf Home that understand my needs and can provide the right solutions.”

Emmy Robins

Homeowner

25% off

A custom whole-home water system*

Schedule your free in-home water test

If we determine your case qualifies, you’ll be paired with a specialist to guide you through the process.

“Don’t think for another minute that you’re

Our Resolution Department works diligently to cancel your timeshare and help stop related maintenance fees—permanently.

your time-share, which may stop he

Thousands of timeshare owners have already found relief through our proven process. You could be just one phone call away from peace of mind. Our dedicated team is ready to help.

Call 1.888.653.0731

- Chuck McDowell Founder & CEO

“Wesley Financial was awesome to work with. They were profession and very understanding of the situation we were in.

Thank you all so much. This has been a huge burden and you all helped relieve that burden. Thank you.”

- Kyle S Wesley Financial Group, LLC client 4.3 based on 1,313 reviews

Promo: 402 - Exp: 06/30/26

ongoing debt and fees associated with it.”

Get your free information kit and see if you qualify:

1 (855) 456-5212 *Promotional offer includes 15% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/or seniors. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. MI 262100627, MN PC799379, NC 87823, L.33946, PA PA172050, TX 44085, WI 1423690

stuck with this. What we do is help cancel

4.9 based on 485 reviews

4.5 based on 2,096 reviews

*This is an Advertisement. Wesley Financial Group, LLC (“WFG”) and/or its affiliates, successors, or assigns are not lawyers and/or a law firm and do not engage in the practice of law or provide legal advice or legal representation. Actual results depend on each client’s distinct case, and no specific outcome is guaranteed.

lll

cal division broke off to form Cytec Industries in 1993. At that time, he relocated to Destrehan, Louisiana and worked for Cytec Industries at their New Orleans Fortier plant, where he was the technical manager of Acrylonitrile. He loved his work and spent his entire 34-year career with Cyanamid/Cytec Industries, retiring in 1998.

Pete enjoyed traveling to many locations around the world and reached his goal of going to all seven continents. He especially loved expedition trips and his favorite adventure was to Antarctica in 2008. An avid photographer, Pete loved capturing the beauty of nature on these trips.

Other interests included skiing, golf, and completing daily crossword puzzles.

Being born and raised in Canada, he also loved hockey.

Pete is survived by his beloved wife, Carolyn of 60 years. They met while he was in graduate school and were married in October 1965. He is also survived by his two children; Marc, his wife Courtney and their son, Sam of Ocean View, Delaware; Karen of West Milford, NJ and his sister, Marina Fairfield of Brantford, Ontario, Canada.

A private, family service and interment will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in West Milford, NJ. Donations may be made in Pete's memory to the City Park Conservancy or a charity of your choice.

and education. She dedicated 33 years to teaching mathematics in the Orleans Parish School System, first at Andrew J. Bell Junior High School and later at P.A. Capdau Junior High School. Throughout her career, she made a profound impact on both her students and colleagues through her wisdom, patience, and commitment to education.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Shirley relocated to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she remained until her passing. She was a proud alumna of both Southern University and Xavier University of Louisiana.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, Louis and Pearl Evans; her husband, James Everett; and her beloved son, Terrance Everett.

She leaves to cherish her memory her son, John L. Everett; her granddaughter, Jonelle Everett; and a host of loving family members and dear friends.

Shirley was a devoted member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the New Orleans Rotary Club, and the Council on Aging.

Deeply grounded in her Christian faith, she was active in both Catholic and non-denominational churches throughout her life.

Shirley Mae Evans Everett will be deeply missed and forever loved by all who knew her.

Riley, Steven

National Merit Finalist award. She spent her college years at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UNO. Dulany was a fearless and adventurous soul; in her early 20's she travelled alone across India, then with a woman friend throughout South America (often hitchhiking) to broaden her understanding of the world.

Her educational quests led to a masters in screenwriting (credits include two movies: "Vampire At Midnight" and "Danger Zone ll: Reaper's Revenge") and a masters in Marriage and Family Counseling which brought her to Los Angeles where she was invaluable to people who were experiencing severe life challenges.

Dulany spoke fluent Spanish, an asset when working with Latino families in need. She was respected by all.

Dulany loved humor, music, dancing, pets and conversation. She didn't "suffer a fool" but would go to any length to help friends or family members who fell on hard times.

In later years she reconnected with a high school friend, Richie Wichers, who moved to California to share life with Dulany. The onset of dementia four years ago put Dulany in need of constant care, eventually necessitating her return to New Orleans. Brothers Cranston and David received tremendous assistance from Richie, Sue, Lewis, and Coco Dupuy and Kathleen McDonald, Cranston and David's respective partners. Their invaluable help enriched the last year of Dulany's life back in New Orleans. We are grateful for the time we shared with her while negotiating the care she needed as she struggled with her illness. Love forever, Dulany, we will miss you always.

Greenwood

Dunshee, Lela 'Joyce'

Chuck was born on November 17, 1953, and died on December 31, 2025, after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease. True to who he was, he met his illness with grace and courage never complaining - not even once.

Chuck grew up in Gentilly and attended Holy Cross High School where he played in the band and played basketball. Later, he became an avid triathlete participating in hundreds of triathlons all over the country and was a 3time Hawaii Ironman finisher.

Chuck was the son of the late Edward and Mary Lou Farrell, husband of Janice Bernos, brother of Mary Kay Hamauei, Janice Evans, Pat, Billy, Louise Ingram, Lynette Blossman, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Janice would like to thank Marier Roberts, Lisa Holloway and St. Tammany Parish Health System Hospice for their amazing compassion and care of Chuck.

A service was held at Grace Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Tammany Health System Hospice at www.stfoundation.org/donate.

New Orleans Area Deaths Bouloucon, Peter Byrd, Patrick Clements, Dulany Dunshee, Lela Duplantis, Robert Evans Everett, Shirley Farrell, Edward Gilmore, Gary Grevemberg Jr., Alvin Guillot, Dale Jones, Mary Keeffe, Michael Mascaro, Jean Riley, Steven Rojas, George Schellhaas, Jennie Schiro Sr., Gerard Simmons III, Emerson Skorge, Suzanne Toups, Cheryl Viguerie, Maria Walling, Rita

E Jefferson Leitz-Eagan Bouloucon, Peter Schiro Sr., Gerard

New Orleans Charbonnet

Byrd, Patrick Ernest

Gilmore, Gary Guillot, Dale Toups, Cheryl Lake Lawn Metairie Dunshee, Lela Grevemberg Jr., Alvin Keeffe, Michael Mascaro, Jean Rojas, George Schellhaas, Jennie Simmons III, Emerson Skorge, Suzanne Viguerie, Maria Littlejohn FH Jones, Mary

St Tammany Audubon Walling, Rita

Obituaries Bouloucon, Peter

Patrick Ernest Byrd passed away peacefully on December 24, 2025 at his home in Pensacola, Fl. He was born on May 23, 1954, in Newellton, Louisiana.

Patrick was an avid sailor and a passionate world traveler whose work and journeys took him to Kazakhstan, Japan, and Qatar. Those who knew him loved him for his humor and kindness.

He graduated from Enon High School and went on to earn a degree in Microbiology from Southeastern Louisiana University, followed by a degree in Chemical Engineering from LSU and a Masters Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Tulane University.

He was preceded in death by his father, Vincent Culver Byrd; mother, Marjorie Rowan Fulton Byrd; brothers, Robert V. Byrd, and Michael F. Byrd.

Patrick will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. He is survived by his wife, Arlene Byrd; his daughter, Emily Byrd (Matthew Soja), stepson Daniel Broñola; and his grandchildren, Celeste and Selene. His sister Diane Byrd Irwin (George).

A celebration of life will be held May 23rd, upstairs at NOYC at 12:30 PM.

Clements, Dulany Ross Peter "Pete" Bouloucon of Destrehan, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on September 26, 1935, he was the son of the late Constantine and Blanche Bouloucon. He spent his childhood in Ottawa and graduated from McGill University in Montreal in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

After graduating, he went to work for Dow Chemical in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada for two years before returning to school to earn his masters and doctoral degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 1964.

Following graduation, he joined Cyanamid of Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. In 1968, he transferred to Cyanamid's corporate headquarters in Wayne, NJ. He was granted a 9-month leave in 1977 to be a visiting professor in the Chemical Engineering department at the University of Virginia, an opportunity he truly cherished. He returned to Wayne, NJ and continued to work for Cyanamid until the chemi-

Dulany Ross Clements Dulany Clements, daughter of Nelda Dierdorff Clements and Edward Lewis Clements, was born in New Orleans on New Year's Eve 1948, followed by brothers Cranston and David. After her parents' divorce her father remarried and she acquired six more siblings: Evelyn, Miles, Bonnie, Lewis, Marilyn and Robbie.

Her father married once more in Dulany's adult years; she developed a close friendship with her stepmother Sue Clements.

Dulany also loved her niece Annie Clements Beaty and her nephews Austin and Tyler Clements.

Dulany grew up in the uptown area and attended public schools. She was an avid reader, a gifted graphic artist and a diligent student who earned a

Mom died. She told her cancer to shove it and went on to Heaven to be with her mom and dad. She told her family, "I love you all, see you when you get there. I enjoyed my 87 years with you."

Duplantis, Robert 'Robbie'

Farrell, Edward 'Chuck'

Gilmore, Gary Lane Robert "Robbie" Duplantis of Metairie, LA passed away suddenly at home on May 13, 2026. He was born on September 17, 1969 to Ronald and Lucille (deceased) Duplantis in New Orleans, LA. He is survived by his brothers and sisters, Donna, John (Kelly), Elizabeth (Adam) and Katherine, as well as a niece, Emma Duplantis, and two nephews, John Duplantis, Jr. and Reid Greenbaum.

Robbie was a graduate of De La Salle High School, and his main interests were sports and politics.

Robbie lived with epilepsy most of his life and wanted his body to be donated to LSU School of Medicine for research.

God bless you, Robbie.

Evans Everett, Shirley Mae

Shirley Mae Evans Everett passed away peacefully on May 6, 2026, at the age of 85. She was born on September 19, 1940, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Louis and Pearl Evans.

Shirley developed a lifelong passion for learning

Gary Lane Gilmore, born on September 17, 1951, in Dallas, Texas, and who passed away on May 13, in Metairie, 2026, Louisiana, lived a life marked by faith, service, and devotion to others.

Gary was the beloved son of the late Edward Lane Gilmore and the late Sadie Ruth Kraemer Gilmore. He is survived by his brother, Everton Gilmore Paul (Brenda) and his sister, Gilmore Arcana Leslie (John, Jr.). He was prede‐ ceased by his longtime best friend and fellow evangelist, Ann Parker.

Gary also leaves behind his nephews, Jordan Gilmore, John Arcana, III, and Lane Arcana (Janae), as well as his nieces, Faith Gilmore, Gilmore Forman Hope (David) and Megan Arcana Maurin (Jonathan), and eight great nephews and nieces. His family and friends will long remember his steady spirit, his kind heart, and the sincerity with which he lived each day. Gary earned a Bache‐ lor of Science degree in Ge‐ ology, a testament to his discipline, curiosity, and commitment to learning.

His education laid a foun‐ dation for life that would include a variety of call‐

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3B

ings and opportunities to serve others. Over the years, he worked as a high school teacher, a Bible teacher, and in sales, and he also served with Teen Challenge and Alcoholics where his Anonymous, faith and compassion were evident in his encourage‐ ment and guidance of those around him. In each role, he brought empathy, integrity, and a genuine concern for the people he encountered. Gary will be for the remembered strength of his Christian witness. He was a true dis‐ ciple of God, and his life re‐ flected a deep and abiding faith. He was known for sharing the Word of God with anyone who showed interest, doing so with hu‐ mility, conviction, and a sincere desire to help oth‐ ers. Relatives and friends are invited to visit Munhol‐ land Methodist Church, Metairie Road, 1201 Metairie, LA 70002, on Fri‐ day, May 22, 2026, starting at 10:00 AM. A Funeral Ser‐ vice will follow the visita‐ tion at 11:00 AM. The burial will be at Greenwood Cemetery. We also invite to share your you thoughts, fond memories, and condolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com.

Your shared memories will help us celebrate Gary’s life and keep his memory alive.

Grevemberg Jr., Alvin Charles 'Chip'

Mr. Alvin Charles "Chip" Grevemberg, Jr., age 72 years, passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at St Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington, LA. Mr. Grevemberg was the beloved son of the late Alvin Charles Grevemberg, Sr. and Patricia Saxon Grevemberg, brother to the late Lyle Saxon Grevemberg Matthews, and uncle of Jude B. Matthews and Noah N. Matthews.

Mr. Grevemberg's education began at Holy Name for grammar school, then Sam Barthe for high school, class of 73. He received his Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of New Orleans.

He worked as a hydrogeologist in both private and public sectors. Chip began playing drums as a child and went on as a young man to play in a number of bands, most notably The LIFT which performed in the Greater New Orleans, Pensacola, and Atlanta areas. An album was produced in 1974 and is considered a classic in progressive rock circles. Chip also began sailing as a child at his dad's side at the Southern Yacht Club of New Orleans. He joined the Southern Yacht Club as a Junior Member in 1972 and continued being a member for 53 years. As a junior and senior member, he was an award-winning racer in the Rhodes 19 and Handicap class for most of his life. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home Chapel, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. (in Metairie Cemetery) on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 1:00 pm. Visitation will begin from 11:00 am until 01:00 pm. Interment will follow in Metairie Cemetery. To sign and view the Family Guestbook, please visit

www.lakelawnmetairie.co m.

Guillot, Dale Jude

Dale Jude Guillot was born on February 15, 1941, in New Orleans, LA, and was a resident of Albu‐ querque, NM, since 2003, where he passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026. Dale dedicated his life to education and ad‐ ministration. He retired as Associate Dean at ITT Technical Institute, where he was known as “Mr. G”.

Dale earned his BA at the College of Santa Fe and his MA at Loyola Chicago. His hobbies included tennis, reading, sports, and live theatre, as well as volun‐ teering during his retire‐ ment years. Dale was pre‐ ceded in death by his par‐ ents, Jules and May, his brothers Ronald and Milton (Stella), and his nephew Randy Blaise. He is sur‐ vived by his sister Rena Blaise (Bob), Guillot nephews, nieces, many great nephews and nieces, as well a great-great nephew and nieces. He is also survived by many friends and tennis buddies at the Tennis Club, where he played for many years.

Most grateful thanks to Odelia Sedillo for her con‐ stant and loving care of Dale for so many years. A memorial service will be held at St. Rita Church in Harahan, LA, on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10:00 am, followed by a Mass at 11:30 am. In‐ terment will be held at a later date. The family is asking that any donations be made to: Dale J. Guillot Memorial – Inhora House Hospice https://givebutter. com/giveinhora or mail to: Inhora House Hospice – 708 Tijeras Ave., Albuquerque, NM 87102. We also invite to share your you thoughts, fond memories, and condolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com.

Your shared memories will help us celebrate Dale’s life and keep his memory alive.

Jones, Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen Jones, age of New Orleans, 90, Louisiana, peacefully de‐ parted this life on May 5, 2026, surrounded by love and cherished memories.

She was a lifelong resident, having attended Albert Wicker Elementary, An‐ drew J. Bell Junior High, and Joseph S. Clark Sr. High School. Mary dedi‐ cated over 30 years of ser‐ vice to the City of New Or‐ leans, retiring as a Supervi‐ sor for the Department of of the Finance/Bureau Treasury. She was known for her warm spirit, love for family, and joyful presence.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Ellen DeCuire; sisters, Joycelyn Smith, Linda DeCuire,

How to place an Obituary Notice EMAIL:

obits@theadvocate.com OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION:

225-388-0289

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

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

4B ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

Juanita Osaya, and Carolyn DeCuire; brothers, Leo De‐ Cuire and Larry DeCuire; son, Karl Jones; grandson, Juan Smith Sr.; and god‐ son, Brian Ballard Sr. Mary leaves to cherish her loving memory her sisters, Gail Ford and Ann Washington; children, Jacquelyn Robin‐ son (Andre), Burnell Jones (Janet), Terese Jones, and Johnson (Ray‐ Bibiana mond); stepson, Bonnie Brown (Linda); grandchil‐ dren, Dale Jones (Schyan), Jasmine Williams (Alfred), Armand Johnson (Maci); great-grandchildren, Dale Yost, Kiera Jones, Kiara Jones, Kendale Theard, and Kaitlyn Conor, Juan Smith Jr., and Emory Williams; great-great-grandchild, King Jones; along with a host of extended family members and friends who will forever treasure her memory. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. fol‐ lowed by Mass of Christian Burial beginning 11:00 a.m. at St. Maria Goretti Church, 7300 Crowder Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70127. Entomb‐ ment Mt. Olivet Cemetery and Mausoleum. Profes‐ sional Services Entrusted Littlejohn Funeral to: Home, Cal K. Johnson, Manager/ Funeral Director.

Info: 504-940-0045.

Keeffe, Michael Joseph 'Mike'

Michael "Mike" Joseph Keeffe passed away peacefully at his home in Metairie, Louisiana, on May 12, 2026, at the age of 74, with his devoted wife, Lori Keeffe, by his side.

Mike was a loving husband, a devoted second father to Brandon Lobell, a proud and adoring grandfather, a dedicated son and son-in-law, and a loyal friend to many. He lived a life defined by faith, integrity, generosity, and unwavering dedication to his family, his friends, and his profession.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Mike spent his youth immersed in baseball and football, hunting, and cattle ranching with his parents and grandfather in D'Hanis, Texas. His childhood summers were often spent with his grandparents, where he shadowed his grandfather at the family hardware store and on the ranch—experiences that helped shape his strong work ethic and lifelong love of ranching.

A proud graduate of Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, Mike remained deeply devoted to the school throughout his life. He credited Marianist mentors such as Brother Harry Cornell and Brother Ed Shiermeier for their lasting guidance and influence. As a multi-sport letterman and team captain, Mike refined his leadership skills under dedicated coaches, forging lifelong friendships with teammates that endured throughout the years. His commitment to Central Catholic never wavered: he supported their mission and programs by funding numerous scholarships, and he served on its Board of Directors, ultimately becoming Chairman of the Board and Chair of the Finance Committee.

The Marianist values instilled during Mike's formative years—humility, service to others, and teamwork—left an indelible mark on his personal and professional life. In recognition of his exemplary leadership and compassionate service, Mike was inducted into the Central Catholic High School Hall of Fame.

Mike later attended Tulane University, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees. A gifted athlete, he was a multi-year letterman and football scholarship recipient and also played baseball for one season. His contributions to the 1973 team led to its induction into the Tulane University Hall of Fame, and Mike remained a steadfast supporter of Tulane's football and baseball programs throughout his life.

Following graduation, Mike began a distinguished 35-year career with Deloitte LLP, serving as a Senior Partner. He primarily worked with multinational SEC-reporting companies in the oil and gas and construction industries. Known for his professionalism, leadership, and sound judgment, Mike earned the deep re-

lll

spect of colleagues and clients alike and formed many lasting friendships throughout his career.

After retiring from Deloitte, he continued to lend his expertise as Audit Committee Chair on the Boards of Directors for Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. and Ultra Petroleum Corp.

One of Mike's greatest joys was time spent at his ranch in his beloved hometown of D'Hanis, Texas.

Together with Lori, he built their home on the ranch, continuing a proud multigenerational family ranching tradition. The ranch became a treasured gathering place for family, lifelong friends, Central Catholic brothers, and Deloitte colleagues.

Though a CPA by profession, Mike was a cowboy at heart. His true happiness was found walking among his cattle, surrounded by Lori, his close friends—fondly known as "the Keeffe Ranch Brothers"—and the land he loved.

Mike is survived by his beloved wife, Lori Keeffe; his stepson and daughterin-law, Brandon, and Sarah Lobell; his grandchildren, Zoë, Presley, and Liv Lobell; his sisters and brother-in-law, Kathleen Kliewer and Linda and Larry Trojan; along with nieces, nephews, and many dear friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Edmund Keeffe, and his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Jean Keeffe.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to Central Catholic High School in support of The Michael J. Keeffe '70 Scholarship.

Donations may be made online www.cchs-satx.org/ give or by check to Central Catholic High School, Attn: Advancement Office , 1403 N. St. Mary's Street, San Antonio, TX 78215 or to the St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church Forward in Faith Capital Campaign, https://scschurch.com/for ward.

Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Mike's life at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 105 Bonnabel Boulevard, Metairie, Louisiana, on Friday, May 22, with a Funeral Mass at noon.

Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Burial will be private at a later date.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit http://www.lakelawnme tairie.com

Mascaro, Jean Betz

Jean Betz Mascaro, age 82, passed away at her home in Metairie, Louisiana, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Jean is survived by her four loving children, Jillian Betz, Kelli Mascaro (Allison Knipper "daughter of Jean's heart"), Paige Gerdes (Gene), and David Mascaro; her nephew, Donald Meunier; her ten grandchildren, Katherine Bordelon (Christian), Shane Gerdes (Lacey), Justen Mascaro (Alexis Walker), Courtney Gerdes (Micah Evans), Christopher Mascaro, Cameron Mascaro, Emily Mascaro, Olivia Touchet, Owen Touchet, and Jace Meunier; and her four great grandchildren, Jackson Bordelon, Dylan Bordelon, Lily Gerdes, and Mia Gerdes. She is also survived by a host of cousins and extended family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Ruby Betz, and her sister, Joan Betz Meunier (Marcel, Jr.).

Jean was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on May 11, 1944, and was a graduate of East Jefferson High School (class of 1962). She was a program administrator with Stewart Enterprises; a proud career that spanned over 40 years. Jean was a loving mother and enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren.

A private service will be held for the family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Jean's memory to the charity of your choice.

To view and sign the on-

line guest book, please visit LakeLawnMetairie.com.

Riley, Steven Edward

Steven Edward Riley, beloved son, brother, and friend, passed away peace‐ fully at home in New Or‐ leans, LA on Wednesday, May 5, 2026, after facing multiple sclerosis with re‐ courage and markable grace. He was born on No‐ vember 5, 1963, to Emile E. Riley, Jr., M.D. and Jacque‐ line Cerf Riley in Heidel‐ Germany.

Steven berg, grew up in New Orleans alongside his four siblings, building the deep roots in family and community that would define his life. He was a man whose gener‐ spirit and quiet ous strength touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. He attended St. Fran‐ Cabrini Elementary cis School, Holy Cross Middle School, and Brother Martin High School, where he truly came into his own. He car‐ ried those same qualities and attributes and care with him to Howard Univer‐ sity, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in History.

Though the progression of illness prevented his Steven from pursuing the Ph.D., he had dreamed of, he channeled his intellect, warmth, and devotion into something equally mean‐ ingful — his family. Steven was predeceased by his beloved father, Emile E. Riley, Jr., M.D., and his dear sister, Debra L. Riley. He is survived by his mother, Cerf Riley; Jacqueline brother, Wayne J. Riley, sisters, Michelle M.D.; Riley-Brown and Monique Riley Cyprian; sister-in-law, Dewey Riley; Charlene Roy J. brothers-in-law, Cyprian, Jr., and James E. Brown; nephew, Brett R. Cyprian; and nieces, Syd‐ ney V. Cyprian, Erin E. Riley, Alexis C. Riley and Sarah E. Brown. He is also survived by a wide and cherished circle of cousins and friends, near and far, whose lives were made richer by his presence.

Family and friends are in‐ vited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial honoring the life and legacy of Steven E. Riley at Brother Martin High School Chapel, 4400 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans, LA on Tues‐ day, May 19, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Visitation at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel. Interment Mount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman Mayer Ave., New Orleans, LA. Please sign the online guestbook at www.charbonnetfuner alhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Steven Ed‐ ward Riley Scholarship Fund established in his honor at Brother Martin High School https://www. givecampus.com/ campaigns/30305/ donations/new?amt=500.

00 or by calling 504-2846700, ext. 3212. Charbonnet Labat Glapion Directors, (504) 581-4411.

A cornerstone of St. Benilde Parish since 1964, George's efforts enriched the church, school, and parishioners' lives. He represented the parish at the Vatican for St. Benilde's canonization, coordinated Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel activities, served as a reader and Eucharistic minister for decades, and was deeply involved in parish fair activities, Men's Club, and Holy Name Society.

He thrived in leadership roles for parent organizations at Jesuit and Dominican High Schools and for Boy Scout Troop 227. Furthering his commitment to community service, he was a lifelong member of the Dawn Busters Kiwanis Club in Metairie.

He loved to travel, share his culture, laugh, tell stories, and celebrate events with family and friends who immediately felt like family. Wherever he went, he was the life of the party.

Family and friends are blessed to have shared in the joy of his life.

George is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Joy; his parents; his sister, Joe Ann, and her husband, Ernest Feigler; his brother, Joseph; and his son, Jeffrey. He is survived by his children, Stephen (Rory Centanni), Karen Rojas Terry, and David (Michael Burns); his grandchildren, Francis Rojas, Jeffrey Rojas, and Joel Terry; and his great-granddaughter, Ollie Sue Rojas. He is also survived by his sister-inlaw, Mona Rojas; a throng of cherished nieces, nephews, and cousins; and countless people whose lives he touched along his vibrant 91-year journey.

Visitation will be held at St. Benilde Church on Monday, May 18, 9:3011:30am, followed by a remembrance at 11:45 and mass at 12:00. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

Memorial contributions in George's name may be made to St. Benilde Church (https://stbenilde.org/egiving) or the Dawn Busters Foundation (https: //dawnbusters.org/dawnbusters-foundation).

To view and sign the online guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

Schellhaas, Jennie Catanese

Jennie Catanese Schellhaas passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026 after a long and happy life.

She was 98. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Jennie was a resident of Metairie for over 60 years. Upon graduating from John McDonogh Girls' High School, she attended Joseph A. Maybin School for Graduates and received a General Clerical Certificate.

After World War II, Jennie married Bill, her childhood sweetheart, and they welcomed three children. Her family was her greatest joy. She was a devoted and loving daughter,

sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt. True to her Italian heritage, Jennie's spaghetti and meatball dinners on Sundays and elaborate holiday festivities were her signature.

She was a devout Catholic and longtime parishioner of St. Angela Merici Church. Her faith was paramount.

Jennie was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William Lionel Schellhaas, Jr.; and parents, Anthony J. Catanese and Mary Moschitta Catanese. She is survived by her children, Cynthia S. Oliver (Glenn), Jerry T. Schellhaas (Pamela) and Terry G. Schellhaas (Janet); sister, Diane C. Pizzo; grandchildren, Scott Oliver, Ashley Oliver, Amy McClellan (Matthew), Mark Schellhaas (June), Donald Schellhaas, and Matthew Schellhaas (Alexa); step granddaughter, Alexandria McKee (Blake); 10 great grandchildren; and four step great grandchildren.

Jennie will be sadly missed and will remain in her family's hearts forever.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Lacey, Pepper, Heather, and the staff of Compassus Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, please consider having Masses said in her honor.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd in New Orleans, on Monday, May 18, 2026.

Visitation will begin at 10 AM with a Mass following in the chapel at 12 PM. Jennie will be laid to rest in St. Louis Cemetery #3 immediately after the chapel service has concluded.

To view and sign the family guestbook, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com

Schiro Sr., Gerard James 'Jerry'

Gerard "Jerry" James Schiro Sr., a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and godfather, passed away on May 10, 2026. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 27, 1940, and lived a life devoted to faith, family, friendship, and service.

Jerry is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years,

The Times-Picayune The New Orleans Advocate Obituary Department

Memorial M i l Day D H Hours

Due to the Memorial Day Holiday our office will be closed Monday, 5/25/26.

EARLY DEADLINES FOR OBITUARIES

DEADLINE

RUNDATE

SATURDAY 5/23 @ 3PM........................... SUNDAY 5/24 MONDAY 5/25 TUESDAY 5/26

Email obits@theadvocate.com or call (225) 388-0289

Rojas, George Francis

STAY IN THE HOME YOU LOVE WITH A STILTZ HOMELIFT

NOW WITH

$555 OFF LIMITED TIME OFFER

George Rojas drifted peacefully into spirit on Saturday, May 9, surrounded by family at home. Son of the late Joseph Edwin Rojas and the late Carroll Ann Buhler Rojas, he was a devoted husband & father, a devout Catholic, and a fun-loving New Orleanian.

George attended Sacred Heart of Jesus School, Jesuit High School, and Loyola University.

He served in Army Intelligence before running Scheuering Security Service until retiring last summer. A longtime member of the GNOEA and a member of American Legion Metairie Post 175, George also paraded with the Krewe of Endymion for two decades and hosted carnival celebrations at his offices near parade routes Downtown and in Metairie.

Carol Macaluso Schiro, and their three children: Gary Schiro (Jorge Munoz), Shari Schiro DeVille (Barry), and Gina Schiro Bankson Woolley (Jim). He was also blessed with four grandchildren: Giavanna DeVille Auduong (Adam), Sophia Bankson Martin (Samuel), Francesca DeVille (Vincent Signorelli), and Roman Bankson. He was fortunate to have several lifelong and devoted friends, and family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Schiro and Mildred Credo Schiro Schexnayder Montalbano; his stepfathers, Philip Schexnayder and Joseph Montalbano; his sister, Judy Coniglio; and his son-in-law, Kelly Bankson.

Jerry was a proud member of De La Salle High School's Class of 1958, where he formed many lifelong friendships and earned letters in several sports. A devout Catholic, he lived his faith through years of dedicated service to St. Ann Church and School. He played an important role in the success of the school fairs, especially through his management of the food booth, and he also served as president of the Men's Club. At St. Ann Church, he served as both an usher and Eucharistic Minister. In recognition of their many years of service, he and Carol received the Order of St. Louis Medallion from Archbishop Schulte, the highest honor awarded to a layperson by the Church.

He also served on the school board at Archbishop Chapelle and inspired his daughters to help prepare the St. Joseph's Day dinner for the school altar.

Jerry took great pride in his Italian heritage and was deeply involved in the local Italian American Community. He was a founding member of the Italian American Marching Club and served several terms as its president. He also became the final president of the Italian American Cultural Society.

Through his membership in the Contessa Entellina Society, he was honored with the Outstanding Member Civic Award.

In 1976, Jerry fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening his own deli, La Cucina, on Veterans Boulevard. In 1985, he expanded his passion for cooking by opening a full-service restaurant, Schiro's La Cucina.

After retiring from the restaurant business, he began a new chapter in real estate.

Jerry cherished being surrounded by his family.

He loved the history of New Orleans, watching football and the Saints.

His appreciation for local music and dancing was passed along to his children. Jerry always had a story to share.

Our home elevators can fit in almost any home

A Stiltz Homelift is a safe, attractive, & affordable alternative to stairlifts. It requires no supporting walls, has a small footprint and uses less power power than a coffee maker.

®

Affordable Small Footprint Full Safety Features Low Power Consumption Freestanding Design Wheelchair Accessible Fast Installation Full Warranty

For a FREE BROCHURE or no-obligation home visit

Call 1-844-813-0691

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 5B

lll

He suffered a paralyzing stroke in 2010. He didn't let that stop him from living life to the fullest. He lived the motto that he often quoted, "Winners never quit and quitters never win."

The Schiro family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Phalon Cornist and Karen Lugo for their care and assistance.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services at St. Ann Catholic Church, 3601 Transcontinental Drive in Metairie, on Thursday, May 21, 2026. Visitation will begin at 10 AM with a Memorial Mass at 12 PM. Interment to follow at All Saints Mausoleum located in Metairie Cemetery.

The family invites you to share your thoughts, fond memories, and condolences online at www.leitz eaganfuneralhome.com.

Simmons III, Emerson W.

In the early morning hours of May 13, 2026, our father, Emerson Wilbern Simmons III, peacefully entered into the arms of the Lord. He was born on July 27, 1950, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and lived a life defined by hard work, deep faith, lasting relationships, and an unwavering love for his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emerson "Boots" W. Simmons, Jr. and Anna Mae Ridenour Simmons.

Survived by the love of his life, his wife Lori P. Simmons, his children: Priscilla Peltier (Marc), Emerson Simmons IV (Kelsey), Christopher Simmons, Laney Blakemore (Sidney), and Lindzie Lawrence (Gary), along with his beloved grandchildren: Jessica Boyd-Trahan (Dustin), James Boyd IV (Hannah), Nicholas Peltier, Matthew Peltier, Belle Blakemore, Bennett Blakemore, Bailey Blakemore and Baby Lawrence. He is also survived by his brother, Lawrence Simmons (Sheila), his niece, Nicole Simmons-Cox (Chad), his nephew, Craig Simmons, his great-nephew, Craig Simmons, Jr. and his loyal companions, Bingo and Bella.

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will be from 12 p.m. until service time.

Interment will be private.

To view and sign the online guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

Skorge, Suzanne Homberg

Suzanne Homberg Skorge, 71, of Mandeville, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on May 10, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana, after a brief illness, surrounded by family, love, singing, and joyful storytelling. Born on February 21, 1955, in Florence, New Jersey, a wonderful little town on the Delaware River, Suzy was the beloved daughter of Bill and Teddy Homberg. She was raised in a big boisterous family, surrounded by her siblings, cousins and many, many friends.

Though she grew up in a small town, she carried within her a huge spirit of adventure that shaped the course of her remarkable life. As a little girl, she regularly slid on trays from the riverbank down the long steep incline to the water's edge. Her mother insisted she wear bright winter jackets as her love for playing in the snow regularly caused her to fall deep into the snowbanks hugging the roadside. At age 16 she talked her mom into letting her go to Peru along with her exchange sister, Martha Seijas to have the great adventure of climbing the mountain to Machu Picchu and taking a train through the Andes into the Amazon jungle. At just 19, Suzanne moved to New Orleans and began an adventurous career at sea, first working on river cruise lines and later on ocean cruises that carried her around the world. It was during her years at sea that she met the love of her life, Finn Skorge. They married and shared thirty-five wonderful years together before Finn's passing in 2021. As Suzy and Finn began planning for their family, Suzy came ashore and discovered her true calling: caring for children. She first worked at a daycare center before opening her own in-home childcare business, where for nearly 40 years she lovingly cared for generations of young children. Suzanne adored babies and poured her heart into helping them grow, nurturing them with patience, kindness, and endless energy. Families trusted her completely, and many of the children she helped raise remained part of her life well into adulthood. Suz was the proud and devoted mother of Christopher Julius Skorge, Alexander Vidar Skorge, and daughter-inlaw Alayna Skorge, as well as her Norwegian stepchildren, Finn Morgan and Ann Karin Skorge.

Nothing brought her greater joy than her children, their lives, their education, and their successes. She loved telling tales of their latest exploits, with immense pride. Her boys loved their Mama dearly, and share wonderful tales of their many adventures. She is also survived by her loving siblings, Fredericka Wicker (Carey Wicker), Martha Seijas Hayden (Paul Hayden, deceased), and Rich Homberg (Tracey Homberg), along with her cousins, nieces/nephews and countless lifelong friends whose lives were enriched by Suzy's loyalty, h i d

humor, generosity, and fierce devotion. Those who knew Suzy knew a woman who never met a stranger and never stopped caring for others. She was tireless, relentless in helping those around her, and always worried more about everyone else than herself.

She was funny, energetic, caring, helpful, and instantly made friends wherever she went. Suzanne was a warrior in every sense of the word — resilient through hardship, steadfast in love, and endlessly devoted to family and friends. She was a hustler through and through, could fix almost anything, solve nearly any problem, and make people feel welcome and cared for the moment they met her.

Even through loss and difficult times, Suzy remained deeply connected to the people she loved. She treasured lifelong friendships, delighted in joyful storytelling, and filled every gathering with warmth, laughter, and song. Her family and friends will remember her as a woman of extraordinary heart — loyal, generous, adventurous, and full of life — whose love and care shaped generations of children and touched countless lives.

She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Suzy's Family and friends will be coming together to celebrate her life on Saturday, June 13th. Folks will be gathering from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Wicker home, located at 2600 Labarre Lane in Metairie, to share memories, laughter and loving reflection of Suzy's vibrant and caring life and enduring spirit. Please join them.

Dearest Suzy, we love you and will always miss you.

her faith with quiet strength and sincerity. She was a faithful parishioner of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Covington, Louisiana, where her devo‐ tion and gentle spirit were known and appreciated.

Her life was a beautiful re‐ flection of kindness, humil‐ ity, and steadfast love.

Cheryl was the beloved wife of Lanny Toups, Sr. for 62 years, and together they shared a lifetime of love, companionship, and devo‐ tion. She was the cher‐ ished mother of Lanny Toups, Jr. and his wife Josephine “Jo Marie,” and the proud grandmother of Cullen Toups and his wife Katie, as well as Emily Marie Krummel and her husband Preston. She was also a loving great-grand‐ mother to Mia Claire Toups and Jackson James Toups.

She is also survived by her twin brother, Gene Terra‐ nova and his wife Arleen.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pietro “Peter” Terranova and Mary Rita Tanisia Terra‐ nova, and by her beloved furbaby, Bosco. Her family and friends will forever cherish the memory of her loving nature, her kind heart, and the joy she brought into their lives.

Though she will be deeply missed, the example she set and the love she shared will remain a lasting bless‐ ing to all who were fortu‐ nate enough to know her.

Family and friends are in‐ vited to attend the Funeral Mass on Monday, May 18, 2026, held at Greenwood Funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124 beginning at 1:00 p.m. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. until service time. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery.

Those attending are also invited to a Celebration of Life Reception being held after the burial at the Greenwood Funeral Home Boulevard Room. To sign the online guestbook, as well as leave memories and condolences, please visit www.greenwoodfh. com.

cherished hours were spent among dear friends.

An avid lover of yellow labrador retrievers, Maria was a fixture on St. Charles Avenue, sometimes walking up to three large dogs at a time. Along the way she greeted neighbors and strangers alike and often turned a simple hello into a wonderful exchange.

Those walks reflected who she was — joyful, social, and deeply connected to her community.

Maria will be remembered for her generosity, her quick wit, her love of silly pranks, and the genuine interest she took in everyone she met. Her legacy lives on in the countless friendships she formed and the love she shared so freely.

She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her friends and family, and all whose lives were brightened by knowing her. Family and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Mass at noon on Thursday, May 21st at St. Rita's Catholic Church, 2729 Lowerline Street in New Orleans.

Visitation will be from 10am until service time.

Interment will follow in Lake Lawn Park Cemetery.

Contributions to SPCA New Orleans, 1700 Mardi Gras Blvd. NOLA 70114 are preferred.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.c om

Walling, Rita Kay Westover

Toups, Cheryl Ann

Viguerie, Maria Pratt

Cheryl Ann Toups, a lov‐ ing and kind woman whose radiant spirit touched everyone she met, passed away on May 12, 2026, in Jefferson, Louisiana, at the age of 79. Born on August 14, 1946, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Cheryl lived a life marked by devotion, generosity, and unwaver‐ ing love for her family and faith. She spent most of her life in River Ridge, Louisiana, and later made her home in Covington, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Through every season of life, she re‐ mained a steady source of warmth and encourage‐ ment to those around her.

Those who knew Cheryl will remember her as someone who was always smiling and who made everyone else smile as well. She radiated positiv‐ ity and light, and her pres‐ ence had a way of lifting the spirits of those around her. She had a big heart and was deeply selfless, living for others and espe‐ cially for her family. She did everything in her power to make others happy, and she gave of herself freely and lovingly throughout her life. Cheryl was a devout Catholic who prayed every day and lived

Maria Pratt Viguerie passed away on April 24, 2026, surrounded by family and friends who were blessed to know her warmth, kindness, and unmistakable spirit. She was 84 years young.

Maria was the beloved wife to the late Peter Viguerie and loyal sister to the late Anne Pratt. She was a devoted mother to Michael Viguerie, David Viguerie and Anne Viguerie Villere (Sandy). Maria was the most wonderful grandmother to Peter Viguerie, Marianne Villere, Saint Villere and Collier Villere.

Her grandchildren were the loves of her life.

Maria lived life with an open heart and a welcoming smile, truly never meeting a stranger. She had a gift for making people feel instantly at ease, whether through a lively conversation, shared laughter, or a simple act of kindness. She found great joy at the bridge table, where friendships flourished alongside spirited competition, and many

Rita Kay Westover of Slidell, Walling, Louisiana, passed away on May 6, 2026, at the age 79.

Born on August 13, 1946, in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Rita leaves behind a legacy of kindness, faith, and love.

Rita was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Walling, with “Chuck” whom she shared 59 mem‐ ory-filled years until his passing; her cherished son, Michael P. Walling; her pre‐ cious grandson, Nicholas Sean Walling; her parents, Perry Westover Jr. and Eve‐ lyn Josephine Westover; and her sister, Mary Butler.

She carried the memory of each of close to her heart.

Rita is survived by her daughter, Marla Jo Walling McCloud, who will forever cherish her mother’s

warmth, wisdom, and un‐ wavering encouragement.

She also leaves behind to cherish her memory, her Godson, Gerald D. “Jerry” Jones, whose Confirmation she attended this Easter, as well as a host of ex‐ tended family members and dear friends, all of whom she loved dearly.

Rita was formerly em‐ with Hallmark ployed where her Greetings, friendly spirit and atten‐ tion to detail were appreci‐ ated by those around her.

She also served as head teller at Home Bank, a role in which her professional‐ ism and integrity left a impression.

A lasting parishioner of St. Luke Catholic Church, faith was an important part of Rita’s life. She was a member of the Saint Margaret Mary Altar Society and found joy in being part of a faith community that reflected her devotion and service.

Her Catholic faith guided her daily life and gave her strength, comfort, and pur‐ pose. Rita loved gardening and took pride in caring for the beauty she helped cre‐ ate. She enjoyed playing Pokeno and treasured the fellowship it brought. Rita was a cat lover and was af‐ fectionately known as the Cat Whisperer, a title that suited her gentle nature and special connection with animals. She was also an avid traveler and espe‐ cially enjoyed a recent trip to the Tennessee moun‐ tains, where she delighted in the beauty of God’s cre‐ ation. Above all else, Rita was family oriented. She gave her love generously and unconditionally, and she will be remembered for her kind heart and the deep affection she held for those closest to her. Her legacy lives on in the fam‐ ily she cherished, the friendships she nurtured, and the many lives she touched with her compas‐ sion and enduring love.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visita‐ tion on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Slidell, followed by a Fu‐ neral Mass at noon. Rita will be laid to rest in Audubon Memorial Gar‐ dens Cemetery following services. Memories and condolences may be ex‐ pressed at www.Audubon FuneralHome.com.

In Loving Memory of

ALBERT “PUNK” LAQUE May 18, 1934 October 27, 2018 A Life Well Lived

Happy 92nd Heavenly Birthday Dad! You are so loved and missed by so many: Your Family, relatives and countless friends.

Keep watching over us all until we meet again!

Love always - Children, Grandchildren and Great-Grandchildren.

Michael, Nolan, Quinn, Jack and Owen

Inogen® Portable Oxygen Concentrators

Leave the tanks at home.

Safety that lets you enjoy the little things.

Call Now to Redeem Over $230 in Savings!

1 (877) 542-1978

Convert the air around you into medical-grade oxygen.

At just under 3 lbs.*, Inogen® lightweight and compact portable oxygen concentrators easily deliver your prescription oxygen on-the-go. * Inogen Rove 4 weighs 2.9lbs. with a standard battery

CALL US NOW 1-877-760-2294

SM250015 EN_EX_USA | Rx Only. © 2024 Inogen, Inc. 859 Ward Drive, Suite 200, Goleta, CA 93111. Inogen® is a trademark of Inogen, Inc. The usage of any Inogen, Inc. trademark is strictly forbidden without the prior consent of Inogen, Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners or holders.

6B ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

H

lll

OPINION N O L A.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

FEMA panel has good ideas, including keeping FEMA We admit we were concerned when President Donald Trump convened a task force to recommend potentially seismic changes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

How could we not be, given that the president was talking openly about dismantling FEMA and shifting responsibility for disaster response to states and localities? No state knows better than Louisiana that some disasters are so widespread and severe that they overwhelm the ability of those on the ground to effectively respond without a federal backstop.

So we were pleased that the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council’s final recommendations, released earlier this month, called for a transformed FEMA to continue to respond during catastrophes. And as we read the report further, we found even more that sounds promising.

Big picture, the panel proposes dismantling some of the bureaucratic barriers to quick response and recovery that we in Louisiana have seen up close. It envisions shifting responsibilities from Washington to states, localities and FEMA regional offices familiar with the areas they cover, and building up local capacity and a network of states to come to one another’s aid — all while preserving a strong federal role for the most dire situations.

Among specific recommendations are getting hazard mitigation money to areas struck by disaster up front rather than as reimbursements, so that it can be better incorporated into rebuilding. The report also suggests combining 15 individual assistance programs, which panel members deemed “overly slow, confusing, and inefficient,” into one, the quicker to get money into the hands of those in need.

The recommendations coincide with the nomination of former acting administrator Cameron Hamilton to hold the job permanently. Hamilton had been fired last year after he made public comments about the agency’s ongoing importance.

Mark Cooper, a member of the council that produced these recommendations and a former chief of staff to Gov. John Bel Edwards, acknowledged the initial rhetoric surrounding the council but said that once the group convened, killing FEMA was never seriously considered.

He said that the panel included people with emergency experience from both parties across the country, and that it made a point of soliciting broad public input, including at a listening session in New Orleans last August on the Katrina anniversary.

“The American people should know these kinds of processes still happen across party lines,” he said.

The report does leave us with some lingering concerns, including the future of the National Flood Insurance Program, which is housed in FEMA. The report notes that the program is unsustainable on its current course and envisions shifting to a private sector model, if the markets can be convinced to take it on. It also embraces Risk Rating 2.0, a controversial mapping system that has caused premiums to spike for many Louisianans.

We’ll continue to monitor whether any cost and staff reductions impede the agency’s ability to act when needed.

But if one outcome of the process is more timely and efficient help following hurricanes and other disasters, we’re optimistic.

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

identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence.

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

In Greene case, money is good but it’s not justice No amount of money can equal jusage saying “That s*** hurts, doesn’t it?” to a bloodied, battered and cuffed tice. But $4.8 million is about as close Greene. as the family of Ronald Greene is Troopers later told his family likely to get. he died from injuries sustained That’s the amount his family in a car accident after a car will receive as part of a wrongchase, an explanation so implauful death settlement that’s coming almost exactly seven years sible that the emergency room since Green, a 49-year old Black physician who saw Greene man, was dragged from his car, he was brought to the hosFaimon when beaten and taunted by a handful pital didn’t buy it, writing “does Roberts not add up” in his notes. of White police officers alongNevertheless, State Police side a rural north Louisiana brass publicly maintained that fiction road as he shouted “I’m scared” and for two years until The Associated “I’m your brother.”

Green initially fled when the officers Press obtained and published the body camera footage from the stop, revealtried to pull him over for an undisclosed traffic stop in May 2019. But ing publicly the horror that transpired then he stopped running and tried to on that road. surrender.

Even after state and federal invesThat didn’t matter to the officers tigations, the four troopers (one died who rushed his car, hit him twice with in a car crash before the investigation a stun gun, put him in a chokehold, was completed) and one Union Parpunched him in the face, beat him ish sheriff’s deputy largely escaped with a flashlight and dragged him, criminal sanctions. The federal invesface down, by his ankles across the tigation ended with no indictments, pavement while he was cuffed and and most charges in state court were shackled. either tossed or reduced.

One of the officers present — there In the end, one trooper and a Union were five Louisiana State Police troop- Parish Sheriff’s deputy ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor baters and one Union Parish Sheriff’s Deputy — could be heard on the foottery counts in Greene’s death. None of

them served time behind bars for killing Greene.

A broader federal investigation concluded in January 2025 that the Louisiana State Police had a pattern of using excessive force, but those findings were later rescinded by the Trump administration.

Now the Louisiana State Police has agreed to pay nearly $5 million to Greene’s family to settle a federal lawsuit over his death. The settlement is the closest the Louisiana State Police will ever come — and the Greene family will ever get — to an admission of guilt.

Obviously, it’s not enough. Not enough to undo the night of horrific violence that Ronald Greene endured.

Not enough to undo the years of lies and obstruction the agency fed his family. Not enough to achieve a facsimile of justice.

And given that the State Police has a nine-figure budget, the pain of the settlement won’t be that bad. Not as bad as Ronald Greene got that night, and not as bad as his family has felt for the last seven years.

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

As time passes, how to be forgotten online We sometimes get requests from for articles involving serious crimes, readers asking if their names or phowe believe there is continuing public interest in knowing who was arrested tos can be removed from articles we and/or convicted. In the same have published online. This usuway, for public figures, we have ally involves someone who has to consider the public’s right to turned their life around after know. being arrested for an infraction But generally, we recognize or someone seeking to maintain that once people have turned privacy for safety reasons. their lives around, having an We take such requests seriArnessa unfavorable digital footprint ously. We know these days that Garrett can be burdensome as they online articles can have a long pursue new goals or even try to reach, with search engines beget a date. ing able to surface content published As for photos, if you are in a public decades ago. place, such as a park or festival, you do In recent years, the newspaper has not have to consent for your photo to established a process for readers who be taken and placed online. However, want their names removed from arif there is a reason that having a photo ticles. There is a form on our website on our website puts a person at risk, that anyone can fill out explaining we will consider requests to remove it. the situation and why they want their In the digital age, we have come to name removed. (Search for “Reviewaccept that lots of our personal inforing the Record project.”)

We have a panel that reviews remation will be online. But there is a quests weekly and responds quickly to line where individuals should have protection against continuing exposure readers. Generally, we grant requests to remove information involving minor to harm from past actions. In Europe, nonviolent infractions, such as posses- they call this “the right to be forgotsion of illegal substances. However, ten,” and I think that’s a very apt term.

It is an evolving area of digital rights that we are navigating, as are other publications.

Turning to our letters inbox for the week of April 30-May 7, we received 79 letters.

This was the week that the Supreme Court issued a historic ruling regarding the Voting Rights Act, and that was the top issue in the letters we received.

Nine letters discussed the ruling itself and another two focused on the flurry of redistricting efforts that followed.

Then we had four letters on the Senate race, which was then sprinting to a close. And there were four letters on various bills being considered by the Louisiana Legislature.

Last week, we issued a call for letters from readers: What is a quintessential text of American history and why? We all know the Declaration and the Constitution are on that list.

But what are others that explain our American experience? Send your responses to letters@theadvocate.com.

We will publish a selection of the best letters as America’s 250th birthday approaches.

FIVE-TIME WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

KEVIN HALL

President & Publisher

RENE SANCHEZ

ARNESSA GARRETT Managing Editor/ Opinion

JUSTIN MITCHELL

VP/News, Executive Editor

Managing Editor/ Audience

KARYN KEARNEY

HANK STUEVER

EVP/Strategic Partnerships

Managing Editor/ Enterprise

FRED KALMBACH

JENNIFER BROWN

JERRY DICOLO

EMMA DISCHER

Managing Editor

Managing Editor, New Orleans

KRISTIN ASKELSON Managing Editor, Acadiana

BARBARA LEADER Managing Editor, Shreveport

Senior Editor Senior Editor

ANDREA GALLO Senior Editor/ Investigations

JESSICA WILLIAMS Senior Editor

ROGER HOLMES Executive VP, Operations

LOU HUDSON

VP/Majors & Nationals

JIM MYERS

VP/Finance

ROBERT STOLL

VP/Distribution

ASHLEY WHITCHER VP/IT

KYLE WHITFIELD

VP/ Consumer Sales

ROBERT YOUNG

General Manager/ Advertising

G

GEORGES MEDIA GROUP JOHN D. GEORGES Owner

JUDI TERZOTIS

Chief Executive Officer Editorial Page

DAN SHEA

Chairman

ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 7B

lll

COMMENTARY Congress can creatively solve redistricting mess member system effectively gave The Supreme Court continues little voice to what was then a to bollix up congressional redisBlack minority in the city. tricting. Congress should fix it.

Once the 1982 language was Constitutional textualists — the term the late Justice Antonin Sca- added, many Democrats, aided by court rulings that wanlia applied to his jurisprudential approach — note dered from that actual persuasively that a close text, often have tried turnreading of the language ing the “one circumstance” and history of Section 2 that “may be considered” of the Voting Rights Act into a near-absolute mandoes not mandate any pardate for so-called “opporQuin ticular racial thresholds tunity districts” for Black Hillyer or results. Instead, it says voters. For years, their inthat if electoral results terpretations have skewed are consistently and suspiciously ever farther from the actual 1982 skewed, that “is one circumlanguage.

Contrarily, many Republicans, stance which may be considered” including legislators in Louisiana when assessing if a violation has occurred, “provided, that nothing and Alabama in the wake of last in this section establishes a right month’s Supreme Court decision in the Louisiana v. Callais case, to have members of a protected are guilty of ignoring the imporclass elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the populatance and intent of Congress’ 1982 amendment to Section 2. tion.” (The italics were mine, for That amendment wasn’t a mere emphasis.) piffle; it clearly did add someThe language was added to a simpler, earlier version of Secthing to the landmark 1965 civil rights legislation. tion 2 that Congress, with PresiTo wit: Legislators still tread dent Ronald Reagan’s assent, amended in 1982 in response to a dangerously if they draw weirdly configured districts that shoeSupreme Court decision, Mobile v. Bolden. That ruling said courts horn geographically separated had no grounds to overturn multi- groups of Black voters into a member districts in Mobile, single district in ways that dilute Alabama, even though the multithose voters’ influence in the rest

of the state. Remember: The animating goal of the Voting Rights Act is indeed to safeguard minority rights.

The 1993 decision in Shaw v. Reno, widely celebrated by conservatives, reaffirmed that “traditional districting principles such as compactness and contiguity” shouldn’t be flouted. Yet the new Louisiana plan produced by the GOP-dominated state Senate last week arguably violates those principles, especially in appending a predominantly Black section of East Baton Rouge to a district to which it has only the slimmest geographical connection.

Yes, that’s bad.

Alas, the Callais decision — whose conclusion I supported, but not its reasoning — did little to stop the endless parsing of what is and isn’t a racial “result” or a racial “intent” in drawing district lines, or of how to adjudge if districts are compact and contiguous enough to pass muster.

A half-century of confusion and discord over redistricting, combined with the past year’s abominable re-redistricting across the country, is too much. Louisiana’s former Sen. Mary Landrieu and

former U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, in an essay I saw only after I began writing this piece, are right to suggest nearly the same thing I propose here. Namely, Congress must take charge.

After all, while the Constitution gives state legislatures primary authority over the “times, places and manner” of holding federal elections, it then gives plenary power to Congress “at any time by law [to] make or alter such regulations.”

Therefore, Congress should do two things. First, completely ban mid-decade redistricting except in response to a specific court order. Each state should redistrict only once after each decennial census. Stop the partisan bloodsport.

The second congressional action would be more complicated, perhaps necessitating a special commission’s help. It would require taking redistricting away from state legislatures entirely and permanently. (A constitutional amendment doing so might be even better). Instead, completely without regard to racial considerations pro or con — and without regard to Section 2, which would no longer apply to redistricting but still apply to all other vote-

related practices — Congress could make each state abide by the exact same, utterly neutral computer algorithm in drawing districts.

Essentially, the algorithm would be programmed to start in one corner of each state and, following parish or county lines in contiguous order and to the maximum degree of compactness, create the state’s districts in compliance with one-person/ one-vote principles.

No human intent. No political considerations. Just a combination of pure, blind math and already-established political boundaries.

If Black citizens (or Hispanic ones, or whoever) live in enough proximity to each other to form a majority in a district, as they quite often will, fine. If not, then not. Regardless, the rules would be neutral, all discriminatory intent removed and gerrymandering would be eliminated forever.

If Congress doesn’t do something like that, the vicious political brawls, admixed with racial grievance, will only intensify.

Congress must act.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com

Murrill’s threats to N.O. officials make ugly situation even uglier Liz Murrill’s got some kind of nerve. might take that as a compliment. It most The Republican attorney general added definitely is not.) insult to injury when she threatened to unUntil now, Murrill wasn’t a visible player seat seven Democratic elected ofin the supermajority Republican Legislature’s mad dash to negate ficials in New Orleans and replace Calvin Duncan’s landslide Novemthem with appointees of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. ber victory for clerk of Orleans ParTheir alleged offense? They ish Criminal Court by disappearing dared to raise legitimate questions the office before he could take it. over the new state law that effecStephanie But nor, for reasons she has never satisfactorily explained, is she a tively removed another elected Grace neutral legal observer. official from an office to which he’d Back when Duncan, a former jailbeen overwhelmingly elected.

Murrill’s targets were not just run-of-the- house lawyer who spent years locked up at mill elected officials. I’m talking about the the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola mayor, the district attorney, both at-large before his conviction was tossed out, was members of the New Orleans City Council challenging incumbent Darren Lombard, and three district members — basically Murrill threatened to take legal action the city’s power structure. And for good against him for saying he’d been exonermeasure, Murrill threatened to put a high- ated — a nonlegal term that most agreed was well within bounds. ly respected retired judge — an innocent Her attack, along with Lombard’s, stoked bystander, she conceded, appointed by the sympathy among fair-minded voters for council to hold down the fort while mulDuncan and surely contributed to his 68% tiple lawsuits get sorted out — in prison. showing.

As Mayor Helena Moreno marveled in a Rather than accept the voters’ decision, video vowing to not back down in the face lawmakers led by West Monroe Republiof these bizarre threats, Murrill actually put it all down in writing in a downright can Sen. Jay Morris — with strong backing Trumpian display of weaponizing the state from Murrill’s former boss, Jeff Landry — Department of Justice against political ad- pushed a bill to merge the office into that of the clerk of Civil District Court before versaries. (Knowing Murrill’s politics, she

Duncan’s term was set to start earlier this month.

Confusion followed and lawsuits started piling up.

And then the City Council, with support from Moreno and DA Jason Williams, passed a resolution saying the existing civil court clerk’s office had been redefined enough so that it was effectively a new office, one that was vacant and therefore needed to be filled with a new election.

That created even more collateral damage, including Chelsey Richard Napoleon, who’d been elected civil court clerk without opposition last fall and assumed new duties under the new law before the council made its move. Napoleon said she didn’t support the legislation, but she’s now associated in the public’s mind with a deeply unpopular policy imposed from Baton Rouge.

Also caught up in the mess is Calvin Johnson, the retired judge who agreed to fill the post on an interim basis, only to be threatened with jail by the AG. There’s a real basis for legal confusion here, and it’s the courts’ job to work through it. Thursday, the state Supreme Court agreed to do so quickly.

That’s what should happen. Bullying from the AG’s office should not.

For Murrill to say that the chaos caused by her own team could require — her word — that she go after Johnson for usurping Napoleon’s job and all those other elected officials for helping him would be simply gratuitous if it happened in a vacuum.

It didn’t. It happened after the Legislature voted to eliminate the criminal clerk’s office without even consulting New Orleans officials, or backing up their claim of efficiency with any data, or building in time to plan such a major transition. It happened as the clerk’s office was getting ready to oversee an election that, thanks to the introduction of new party primaries, was already shaping up as complicated.

It happened even as Murrill’s Republican allies in the Legislature are pursuing an equally rushed drive to eliminate one of the state’s two Black majority congressional districts, and after Landry canceled U.S. House elections despite votes already having been cast.

And Murrill has the audacity to suggest that the New Orleans officials reacting to the Legislature’s and governor’s actions are the only ones playing fast and loose?

Spare me. Spare us all.

Email Stephanie Grace at sgrace@ theadvocate.com.

Hantavirus passengers are witnessing a cruel reality In the hellscape of my worst nightmare, I’m trapped on a cruise ship. And that’s without a rodent-borne virus, three dead passengers, others showing symptoms of the disease and dozens aboard who could become infected.

On top of this worst-case scenario, no country will allow us to dock.

This nightmare is only in my imagination. But for several days, it was been reality for nearly 150 people who beKathleen came hostages to a relatively Parker rare disease — hantavirus — and a world seemingly uninterested in helping them as they floated in limbo off the West African coast near Cape Verde. Officials there have declined to welcome the weary travelers, though three sick passengers were airlifted from the ship last week.

Officials in port cities, meanwhile, have been bickering about how to deal with this floating petri dish. Following days of confusion about how the disease got on board and uncertainty about whether the virus can be passed from human to human, Spain finally agreed to let the ship dock in the Canary Islands, against local officials’ wishes.

Hantavirus can be found anywhere rodents live, but most often in North and South America. Usually, the virus is passed from rodent droppings to people, not from human to human. But the Andes strain of hantavirus, which has been identified on the ship by authorities, can be contagious among humans.

The Dutch cruise ship, MV Hondius, departed April 1 from Argentina, where a

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARTURO RODRIGUEZ

The hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius is seen at anchor at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on May 11. rodent known to carry the Andes strain is common. The first passenger became ill on April 6 and died on board on April 11.

Weeks passed between that death and confirmation of the hantavirus, according to an Associated Press timeline.

Whether a rodent was a stowaway or a passenger was infected before boarding is a question yet to be answered. This uncertainty surely contributed to fears about releasing a boatload of possibly infected people into one’s community.

Moreover, a 65-year-old German passen-

ger who was evacuated was in close contact with one of the people who died. This fact increases the likelihood of further contagion.

Obviously, there are ways to mitigate the risks posed by possibly infected people — reasonable isolation, testing and monitoring, and fumigation of the ship among them. The World Health Organization, which helped coordinate the ship’s transit to the Canary Islands, insists that the overall public health risk of the hantavirus “remains low.”

That’s nice. But imagine being cloistered in a cabin on that boat, waiting and won-

dering. Am I next? While no one should be paralyzed by fear, an abundance of caution is not irrational. Leaving people indefinitely trapped on a sick ship, however, is cruel and unusual by any humanitarian standard.

I keep thinking of the young man on the cruise ship, Jake Rosmarin, who made a tearful video of himself explaining how he and the other passengers were coping. He said they only want to be safe, to have clarity and to go home. It was heartrending to watch. Surely nothing scalds the soul like rejection. To know that the world doesn’t want you because you might be sick must feel like a little death with each passing day.

In full disclosure, I’m biased against cruise ships, which I prefer to see departing rather than arriving wherever I might be.

The frequent incidents of troubled voyages, stricken with illness or tainted by passengers gone missing, make the popularity of cruises all the more baffling. Just last year, 23 incidents of gastrointestinal illness were reported on cruise ships by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Though nothing like the hantavirus in potential lethality — and representing only a fraction of the total number of cruises each year — the risk-reward ratio might give one pause before hitting the high seas.

The poor folks on the MV Hondius signed up for an expeditionary voyage with an itinerary that included Antarctica, the Falklands and various other small islands throughout the Atlantic. It was, briefly, a naturalist’s dream — though not, as the expression goes, one to die for.

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

8B ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

A shower and t-storm; humid

Partly sunny and humid

Mostly cloudy and humid

Showers, heavy thunderstorms

Showers, heavy thunderstorms

Humid with a few showers

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

85° 76°

LOW

HIGH

87° 76°

LOW

90° 76°

Beaumont 86/78 Port Arthur 85/78

High/low Normal high/low Last year’shigh/low Record high Record low

Hattiesburg 86/68

Alexandria 86/74 Baton Rouge 84/74

Lafayette 85/75 Lake Charles 86/76

10s

20s

30s

YESTERDAY

Houma 83/76

50s

60s

70s

80s

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

90s 100s 110s

FIRST

MAY 23

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

LAST

MAY 31

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

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

HIGH

8:25p 2:11p 6:45a 9:53a 10:00a 9:24a 11:08a

6:07 a.m.

7:49 p.m.

6:28 a.m.

9:22 p.m.

FULL

City

PRECIPITATION

83°/71° 85°/69° 91°/77° 95° in 2018 46° in 1978

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

New Orleans 85/76

40s

LOW

87° 73°

TEMPERATURE

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

0s

HIGH

85° 72°

Jackson 85/69 Many 86/75

LOW

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Saturday

Longview 87/75

-0s

87° 73°

Monroe 87/74

Shreveport 88/76

-10s

LOW

Our weather will start changing up a bit today. While temperatures will stay about the same, winds will increase, and rain chances will go up a bit as well. Overall, expect a partly cloudy, warm, humid and breezy day. Temperatures this afternoon will be right about where they should be, rising to the mid-80s. Winds will be out of the south at 10 to 15 mph, bringing lots of moisture from the Gulf. Rain chances will be right around 30 to 40%, so expect some scattered showers and a few storms.

Hi

TODAY

87 89 85 88 86 87 66 88 89

Lo

67 76 57 66 71 75 40 78 58

NEW

JUN 8

W

t c s pc t pc t c s

JUN 14

Hi

88 89 68 91 83 89 45 86 77

MON. Lo

68 76 60 65 71 76 31 78 62

W

t t s s t t r t s

FT.

LOW

0.00” 5.74” 2.79” 17.86” 21.68”

FT.

HIGH

0.9 7:29a -0.2 2.0 12:11a -0.2 2.6 9:19p -0.8 2.1 12:23a -0.1 1.6 9:29p -0.4 2.0 7:57p -0.6 2.0 10:31p -0.5

---------------

FT.

---------------

MODERATE

READING 80 MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

---------------

FT.

---------------

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 11:42a 6:02a 12:18p 6:35p Monday 12:54a 7:11a 1:28p 7:44p Tuesday 2:06a 8:23a 2:39p 8:55p Wednesday 3:18a 9:33a 3:48p 10:04p Thursday 4:24a 10:38a 4:52p 11:06p Friday 5:23a 11:36a 5:48p ---Saturday 6:14a 12:02a 6:37p 12:26p

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

Hi

73 88 91 86 90 94 88 70 63

TODAY Lo

60 78 67 66 67 67 74 62 47

W

pc t s s s s pc s pc

TODAY

MODERATE

Hi

77 88 92 80 93 86 86 78 66

MON. Lo

58 78 73 66 71 70 73 52 49

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

W

pc sh s s s s t s pc

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SAT. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

10.90 34.40 37.00 21.40 13.30 10.27 6.50

-1.00 -1.08 -1.00 -1.00 -0.80 -0.51 -0.38

40

24.76

-0.34

19

-1.05

-0.27

18 29 8

0.15 14.80 3.41

-0.35 -4.83 -1.58

13 15

2.49 4.81

-0.34 -6.06

47 34 29 20 12 6

18.82 14.03 11.68 9.92 6.30 3.25

-0.87 -0.63 -0.56 -0.29 -0.10 -0.04

data as of 7 a.m. Saturday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

ADVERTISEMENT

Why you need dental insurance in retirement.

Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coverage for their entire working life, through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock, leading people to put off or even go without care.

Simply put — without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in your healthcare coverage.

When you’re comparing plans ...  Look for coverage that helps pay for major services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures — or pay for preventive care only.  Look for coverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocket before benefits are paid.  Shop for coverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Medicare doesn’t pay for dental care.1

Previous dental work can wear out.

That’s right. As good as Medicare is, it was never meant to cover everything. That means if you want protection, you need to purchase individual insurance.

Even if you’ve had quality dental work in the past, you shouldn’t take your dental health for granted. In fact, your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2

Early detection can prevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.

The best way to prevent large dental bills is preventive care. The American Dental Association recommends checkups twice a year.

Treatment is expensive — especially the services people over 50 often need.

Consider these national average costs of treatment ... $274 for a checkup ... $299 for a filling ... $1,471 for a crown.3 Unexpected bills like this can be a real burden, especially if you’re on a fixed income.

1 “Medicare & You,” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2025. 2 “Aging changes in teeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov, 4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dental fees. Data current as of July 2025; subject to change.

DENTAL Insurance from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company, Inc.

Get help with big bills!

Go to any dentist you want Helps pay for over 400 procedures

“Absolutely love” “I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dental office files the claims, leaving me with very little balance to pay.”

Dorothy P., TN

No deductible, no annual maximum

Get your FREE Information Kit! Call or Scan today

1-844-806-4781

Dental50plus.health/Picayune

Product/features not available in all states. Contact us for complete details about this insurance solicitation. To find a network provider, go to physiciansmutual.com/ find-dentist. This specific offer not available in CO, KS, NY, OR – call 1-800-969-4781 or respond for a similar offer in your state. Certificate C254/B465, (ID: C254ID; PA: C254PA); Insurance Policy P154/B469 (GA: P154GA; OK: P154OK; TN: P154TN).

6371

Safety. Style.

Stress-Free Installation.

CALL NOW 1.844.882.6601

SPECIAL OFFER

Waiving All Installation Costs!

Add’l terms apply. Offer subject to change and vary by dealer. Expires 12/27/26.

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

SPORTS N O L A.C O M

|

S u n d ay, M ay 17, 2026

1Cn

BATON ROUGE REGIONAL L S U V S . V I R G I N I A T E C H • 1 P. M . S U N D A y • E S P N +

ON A ROLL

Tulane falls to Rice in extras

Wave gets swept, drops to last place in conference

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Already eliminated from American Conference tournament consideration, the Tulane baseball team found a way to heap more misery on a horrible finish to the year.

The Green Wave committed a season-high five errors and blew two-run leads in the ninth and 10th innings, falling 6-5 to Rice in 11 on Saturday at Reckling Field while locking up sole possession of last place.

The damage to Tulane’s postseason hopes had already been done in 12-0 and 10-6 defeats on Thursday and Friday. Saturday was about salvaging some type of positive feeling for the bus ride back to New Orleans, but the Wave could not quite do it.

A two-out, two-RBI single off Caden Tarango tied the score at 3 in the bottom of the ninth. After little-used freshman Bryson Ayala put the Wave ahead 5-3 with a two-out double that hit off the painted foul/fair line on the wall in left field in the top of the 10th — only his third hit in 26 at-bats — the Owls tied it again when Jude Abbadessa threw a wild pitch right after coaxing a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom half.

ä See TULANE, page 7C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU pitcher Cece Cellura delivers a pitch against Virginia Tech in the third inning of an NCAA regional game on Saturday at Tiger Park. LSU run-ruled Virginia Tech 8-0.

LSU blanks Virginia Tech to advance to regional final

BY JIM KLEINPETER Contributing writer

Another day, another dominant performance.

The LSU softball team tightened its grip on the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional with a second consecutive 8-0 runrule victory, this one against No. 2 seed Virginia Tech, at Tiger Park on Saturday.

LSU (39-17) advances to the championship round set for 1 p.m. Sunday, needing only one victory to advance to the Super Regional round. The Tigers will play the winner of Saturday’s Game 5. LSU run-ruled Akron 8-0 on Friday, also in six innings.

The Tigers (39-17) got an efficient two-hit pitching performance from Cece Cellura, who walked one and struck out three while throwing 73 pitches, 50 for strikes, to keep the dangerous Hokies bats in check.

Senior catcher Maci Bergeron was the offensive

catalyst with a second-inning, two-run homer — her first since March 7, a streak of 28 games — to stake LSU to a 2-0 lead. She also had her second three-hit game of the season and was on base in all four plate appearances.

“We talked all year about searching for our best game and trying to find a complete game and I think that was darn near as close to it as we can be,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “We executed our plan beautifully and to do that against such a quality opponent such as Virginia Tech is really something special. We know what a good team they are from top to bottom.

“I can’t say enough about Cece’s performance. She continued to control a really dominant offense. It’s so easy to celebrate for Maci to have a day like that. It makes my heart want to explode, it’s so cool. She’s the ultimate Tiger.”

ä See LSU, page 7C

Napoleon Solo holds off Iron Honor to win Preakness

BY NOAH TRISTER

AP sportswriter

LAUREL, Md. — Napoleon Solo reemerged as a colt to watch with a victory in the Preakness Stakes.

Now trainer Chad Summers wants a shot at Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, whose absence left an underwhelming field at Laurel Park this weekend.

“We wish he was here in the Preakness.

We were rooting for them when they were thinking about it,” Summers said. “Unfortunately, they didn’t make it here. That’s fine.

Hopefully, we can see him down the road somewhere.”

Napoleon Solo held off Iron Honor down the stretch on Saturday, rebounding from a pair of fifth-place showings for his first victory of the year. Golden Tempo was held out of the race, leaving a wide-open field of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NICK WASS

Paco Lopez, right, aboard Napoleon Solo, leads the pack to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. It was the first victory ä See PREAKNESS, page 5C in a Triple Crown race for Lopez and trainer Chad Summers.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Tulane pitcher Julius Ejike-Charles pitches in relief in the second inning against LSU on May 5 at Alex Box Stadium. On Saturday, Ejike-Charles pitched in Saturday’s game against Rice.

The good, bad and ugly of Saints’ 2026 schedule NFL officials are telling us something with the league’s 2026 schedule. They still don’t believe the Saints are prime-time players.

The presence of Tyler Shough and a fleet of new offensive weapons wasn’t enough to convince the NFL’s schedule-maker and network partners the Saints are ready for the spotlight. The Saints are one of just seven teams to have one or fewer primetime games on their schedule this season.

One year after having no prime-time TV games, the Jeff Saints will have just one Duncan this season: a Monday Night showcase against the Atlanta Falcons at the Superdome in Week 4. Otherwise, the Saints were shut out from the national spotlight.

That Falcons game, which will come a week after the 20th anniversary of the historic Domecoming game, and the Saints’ Week 7 trip to Paris to play the Steelers are the highlights of the 17-game slate.

On paper, the schedule appears to be user-friendly. The Saints play just four teams that qualified for the playoffs last season — the Carolina Panthers (8-9), Chicago Bears (11-6), Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) — and just two other

ä See DUNCAN, page 5C

2C ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV AUTO RACING 6:30 a.m. Grand Prix of Catalunya FS1 Noon NASCAR All-Star Race FS1 Noon NTT IndyCar Series practice FS2 3 p.m.

NTT IndyCar Series qualifying Fox MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE 11 a.m. Penn St. vs. Princeton ESPNU 1:30 p.m. Georgetown vs. Duke ESPNU COLLEGE ROWING 8 a.m.

Big Ten Tournament champ.

BTN COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD 12:30 p.m.Big Ten Tournament champ.

BTN FISHING 8 a.m.

Bassmaster Elite FS1 GOLF

8 a.m.

9 a.m.

Noon 2 p.m.

German Masters Golf PGA Championship ESPN PGA Championship CBS LPGA: Queen City Champ.

Golf HORSE RACING 11:30 a.m.America’s Day at the Races FS2 2 p.m.

America’s Day at the Races FS2 MEN’S IIHF HOCKEY 5 a.m.

Great Britain vs. U.S. NHLN 9 a.m.

Denmark vs. Sweden NHLN 1 p.m.

Germany vs. Latvia NHLN MLB 11:15 a.m.Miami at Tampa Bay NBCSN 3:05 p.m. San Francisco at Athletics NBCSN 6 p.m.

San Diego at Seattle Peacock NBA PLAYOFFS 7 p.m.

Cleveland at Detroit, Game 7 Prime

IN BRIEF

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

MEN’S SOCCER 6:30 a.m. Nottingham at Man. United USA 7:55 a.m. Kilmarnock at Livingston CBSSN 9 a.m.

Sunderland at Everton NBCSN 9 a.m.

Brighton at Leeds USA 11:30 a.m.West Ham United at Newcastle USA WOMEN’S SOCCER 5 p.m.

Angel City at Portland ESPN2 TENNIS 10 a.m. Rome-ATP Tennis 3 a.m. (Mon.) Roland Garros Qualifying Tennis UFL Noon Columbus at Birmingham Fox WNBA 12:30 p.m.Las Vegas at Atlanta NBC, Peacock 5 p.m.

Seattle at Indiana NBC, Peacock

Smalley leads but title up for grabs PGA Championship still tight heading into final round

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The PGA Championship where no one could take control Saturday is now the major that practically everybody can win.

Alex Smalley at least gets a head start thanks to his sublime play on the back nine at Aronimink Golf Club, with six birdies over his last 10 holes for a 2-under 68 and a two-shot lead.

His finishing kick kept this PGA Championship from having the largest 54-hole logjam in major championship history. There was a seven-way tie for the lead with an hour to go in the third round, and players with highest pedigree were all within range.

Fourteen players had at least a share of the lead Saturday. Midway through the third round, 28 players were separated by two shots. And not just any players.

Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy were among those tied at one point. Xander Schauffele and and Patrick Reed were right behind.

About the only one who failed to seize on the moment was reigning champion Scottie Scheffler, who missed six putts inside 10 feet, four of them for birdie.

Smalley’s final birdie putt from just inside 15 feet put him at 6-under 204, two shots ahead of Rahm and three ahead of McIlroy Schauffele and Reed.

Scheffler made a 9-foot bogey

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER

Alex Smalley hits from the fourth tee of the PGA Championship on Saturday at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa. putt on the last hole and was five behind.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Scheffler said. “I’ve never seen a leaderboard like this, this bunched up. Going into tomorrow, it’s quite literally anybody’s tournament.”

But it starts with Smalley, the 29-year-old who lives in North Carolina and is playing only his fifth major, never cracking the top 20. He’s also never won on tour, but he’s been rounding into form lately. He is coming up on three straight finishes in the top 20.

He looked like he might crack early, playing in the final group with Maverick McNealy, spraying the ball off the tee and opening with three bogeys in four holes to disappear from the enormous crowd atop the leaderboard.

But even amid the big gusts and fast, scary greens, Smalley was resilient as ever. He took the lead with a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-4 15th — 551 yards into the wind — stretched it two shots by reaching the par-5 16th in two for another birdie and then had a bogey-birdie finish.

Rahm had a careless three-putt bogey on the final hole that slightly soiled his 3-under 67, but he was part of the five-way tie for second with Ludvig Aberg of Sweden (68), Matti Schmid of Germany (65), Nick Taylor of Canada (65) and Aaron Rai of England (67).

“That was a fantastic round of golf and thrilled to be in a good position for tomorrow,” Rahm said.

McIlroy began the third round five shots behind but with 29 players ahead of him. He blasted his

way to a 4-under 66 — his 25th score in a major at 66 or better.

He wasn’t sure where that would leave him when he finished, except that did what he needed.

“I feel like I still did enough to think I have a chance going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said.

Schauffele had a 66 and Reed bounced back with a 67, two shots behind along with McNealy, who bogeyed the final hole for a 71.

The pin positions were far more accessible than the previous two days, as McIlroy had predicted.

No one shot better than 65, though Chris Kirk had a double bogey on the 18th for one of those rounds.

Justin Rose was outside the cut line on Friday until holing a chip from deep rough for eagle on his last hole to make it with one shot to spare. He shot 65 and was among those four shots behind.

“When you have a set of greens like this, you can start to frustrate people pretty easily,” McIlroy said. “It’s frustrating to us, but at the same time, it creates a hell of an entertaining championship.”

If I wasn’t playing this tournament, I’d love what’s going on this week.

“But watching and playing are two different things.”

What a show, indeed.

The leading 10 players come from seven countries, four of them major champions. Taylor saw the leaderboards across Aronimink and kept right on walking.

“It’s so bunched, it’s kind of pointless,” Taylor said. “I’ll definitely be aware late tomorrow, if I’m in that position. But with so many things going on, it’s just a distraction if you start looking at it.”

NASCAR’s All-Star prize remains stuck at $1M

BY DAN GELSTON Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — There is a classic scene from the first “Austin Powers” movie where the fictional supervillain Dr. Evil suggests stealing a nuclear warhead and holding it hostage for ransom.

Dr. Evil puts his pinky near his mouth, and says the price for releasing the warhead: “One million dollars.”

After a beat of awkward silence, Dr. Evil’s second-in-command, Number 2, suggests a higher dollar amount for the ransom.

“Don’t you think we should ask for more than a million dollars?” the villain says. “A million dollars isn’t exactly a lot of money these days.”

The time frame for the movie was 1997.

Here it is in 2026, and a million dollars isn’t exactly a lot of money in sports these days and hasn’t been in NASCAR since the days when Jeff Gordon swept the series full throttle into the national spotlight. Yet in an era when a $10 million annual baseball salary seems like a discount, NASCAR drivers will race for the same measly $1 million prize as they have since 2003 in Sunday’s All-Star race at Dover Motor Speedway.

Just as No. 2 suggested, NASCAR drivers are openly asking, shouldn’t they ask for more than a million dollars for winning the All-Star race?

“I think an increase would be great, for sure,” said Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s most popular driver. “I mean, I think it would be awesome to make that number bigger, what that number needs to be, where it should be, I’m not sure. But certainly, yeah certainly, with the time and all the things that have changed over the years, I guess it would seemingly make sense for that to adjust.”

Adjusted for inflation, that same prize from 2003 would be

Delaware for years to come.

“When you’ve never done this before, you don’t know what to expect and fans vote really with their pocketbook,” Tatoian said.

“We’ve been really pleased with all aspects from camping to premium hospitality to ticket sales.

We’re looking for as big or bigger crowd than we’ve had the last couple of years.”

Without a Cup points race this season, the urgency to return one to the schedule in an era where NASCAR leadership has been bolder this decade in trying new cities and venues could be lessened in the future.

“We’ll get a points race back,” Tatoian said. “Honestly, I just ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LM OTERO don’t know when that will be.”

Driver Chase Elliott signs autographs before a NASCAR Cup Series race on May 3 in Fort Worth, Texas. worth about $1.8 million today.

Consider the rising team costs of fuel, engines, tires — well, just about everything on or in a stock car — and it seems only fair the prize should fall in line to assist with the added expenditures. The All-Star event — and by All-Stars, NASCAR means every single driver in the field that races every single week in the series — has been defined by annual format changes that can often lead into a bit of a mystery for fans watching the race.

Drivers have long grumbled that an increase is overdue and a $7.7 billion TV deal that stretches through the 2031 season means NASCAR can afford to loosen the winning purse strings. The charter deal that guarantees spots in the field gives the teams a lump sum of money which is spread throughout the year.

“I will say to the credit of the sport, the team owners have certainly elevated the prize money on the other races,” 2012 NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski said.

Speedway Motorsports, which owns the Delaware track, said

through a spokesman it was unaware of any immediate plans to raise the winner’s purse.

“Don’t get me wrong, the payday’s nice and stuff like that,” 2023 NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney said. “But yeah, I feel like as a competitor, I think it should be at least double.”

Hey, Bubba Wallace tossed out $5 million last year as a suggested prize, so NASCAR would get off easy with Blaney’s suggestion and a $1 million bump.

Dover’s future in doubt Dover Motor Speedway had a points race on the schedule every year since 1969 and was the site of two Cup weekends through 2020.

The All-Star race is being run in the Northeast — Christopher Bell won last year at North Wilkesboro Speedway —for the first time in the event’s history, but that’s not necessarily good news for the mile-concrete track.

Dover president Mike Tatoian said the track will have a place on the schedule in some form in 2027 and he remained confident NASCAR would still thrive in

Complicated format One of the primary complaints about the All-Star race is that there is nothing really “All-Star” about the event.

The full 36-driver field will race in the first two segments of the All-Star race before a final 200lap segment that will consist of 26 drivers.

Oh, and 19 drivers are already locked into that final segment because they are either a former All-Star race winner, a former Cup Series champion competing full-time this year, or full-time driver who has won a Cup Series points race in either the 2025 or 2026 season.

Six drivers will race their way into the final segment based on performance during the opening two segments, while one more driver will advance through the NASCAR All-Star fan vote.

“It’s complicated on how to make it work,” Keselowski said.

“You’ve got the whole charter situation, TV wants a full field, so NASCAR has really got to pull together a lot of different stakeholders with maybe not aligned interests. I think they’re doing as good a job of that as you can. I think the race has a place in the sport.”

Hamlin rebounds from spin to win all-star pole

DOVER, Del. — Denny Hamlin overcame a spin on his warmup lap Saturday to win the pole position for the NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover Motor Speedway.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver looped his No. 11 Toyota shortly after pulling onto the banking on the oval, but he recovered for a two-lap time of 1 minute, 49.298 seconds that included a four-tire pit stop.

Brad Keselowski qualified second, followed by Erik Jones, Ross Chastain and William Byron at the concrete track known as the “Monster Mile,” which will become the sixth oval to play host to the AllStar Race.

Connor Zilisch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also spun, and there were 10-second speeding penalties for Zane Smith, Michael McDowell and Kyle Larson.

First day of qualifying for Indy 500 washed out

INDIANAPOLIS — The first day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying was rained out, race organizers announced Saturday.

It’s the first time since 2008 a full day of qualifying was lost because of weather. The decision prompted some significant schedule changes for Sunday.

A short practice, held in two groups, will begin at 9:30 a.m. for each driver trying to make the 33-car starting grid. The four-lap qualifying runs will begin at noon.

But the plan to hold a series of elimination rounds between the 15 fastest cars has been scrapped, and organizers will revert to the 12-car format used in recent years.

The top six cars advance to the final round, which determines the pole winner for the May 24 race.

Svitolina wins Italian Open; Sinner reaches men’s final

ROME — Elina Svitolina claimed a third Italian Open title on Saturday by beating Coco Gauff, who lost in the final in Rome for the second straight year.

In the men’s final on Sunday, home favorite Jannik Sinner will face Casper Ruud.

Svitolina took nearly three hours to prevail 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 and win her first WTA 1000 title since lifting the title in Rome in 2018. The Ukrainian also won in 2017.

Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 when their rain-delayed semifinal resumed on Saturday and is one victory away from becoming only the second man after Novak Djokovic to win all nine Masters 1000 titles. Djokovic has won each Masters tournament at least twice.

Yankees’ Cole nears 100 mph in sixth rehab start

MOOSIC, Pa. — Gerrit Cole reached 99.6 mph with his four-seam fastball, throwing 86 pitches over 51/ 3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre against the Syracuse Mets on Saturday night in likely his next-to-last minor league injury rehabilitation start before rejoining the New York Yankees.

Returning from reconstructive elbow surgery on March 11 last year, Cole threw 56 pitches for strikes and averaged 97 mph with his fastball.

He allowed one run and six hits with six strikeouts and one walk his sixth minor league start.

A 35-year-old right-hander, Cole is a six-time All-Star and the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner.

He made his first minor league rehab start on April 17.

Woad leads Kroger Queen City; Korda 9 shots back

CINCINNATI — Lottie Woad left Nelly Korda and everyone else behind on a rainy and breezy Saturday in the Kroger Queen City Championship.

Woad shot a 5-under 65 — a day after a 64 — to get to 11-under 199 and take a three-stroke lead over Amanda Doherty into the final round.

Korda was nine shots back in a tie for 19th after a 2-over 72 in her bid for a third straight victory. She was in the final group in all six of her previous starts this year, winning the Chevron Championship and Riviera Maya Open in the last two.

Play was delayed for about 21/2 hours in the morning at Maketewah Country Club, the firstyear venue that features par-3 closing holes on each nine.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3C

lll

LHSAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Newman wins crown in nail-biter

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

DIVISION III SELECT

SULPHUR — The fly ball that ended the state title game came with the bases loaded and Newman ahead by three runs.

With University High down to its last out after scoring four runs in the seventh, Newman finally secured its first state title since 2003 with a 15-12 victory Saturday at McMurry Park.

George Loop camped under the ball in center field and caught it before sprinting to the infield so he could be the last player to jump on the dogpile near second base.

“It got a little sticky at the end with the bases loaded, tying runner on first,” Loop said after Newman won the Division III select championship series that went three games.

Newman (30-8) overcame a 5-3 deficit with 12 runs over the final four innings,

including five in the fifth.

Of the 15 runs, 10 were unearned with the help of four U-High errors.

Jack Falgoust, the LHSAA outstanding player selection, drove in four runs over the final three innings — his first two-run single putting Newman ahead 7-5 in the fifth before doing it again in the seventh.

The game was filled with heroes. Charles Wilson’s two-run homer run padded the lead in the fifth. Malcolm Scheirer had three hits, including a two-run single in the first. No. 9 hitter Tanner Robert’s single drove in a run in the sixth.

“I think a lot of people could have gotten (the outstanding player award), not just me,” Falgoust said.

“We had so many earned runs and hits over the last two games, it’s been really amazing.”

Collier Villere and Au-

Staff writer

Newman 15, University 12

Newman 300 153 3 — 15 12 2 University 032 003 4 — 12 10 4 W — Collier Villere, L — Grant Vollmer. Top hitters: Newman: Charles Wilson 3-4, 3 RBIs, HR; Malcolm Schairer 4-4, 2 RBIs; Jack Falgoust 2-4, 4 RBIs, 2 BBs. University High: Jaris Hamilton 2-4, 4 RBIs, HR; Shepherd Gammon 1-5, 2 RBIs, 2B; Trey Sotile 3-4, RBI.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

Newman players form a dogpile after their 15-12 victory over University High after the Division III select state championship game on Saturday at McMurry Park in Sulphur. gie Sauska took tuns on the mound with Villere starting, moving to shortstop in the third inning and returning to the mound in the sixth.

Peter Barras, a sopho-

more, moved from first base to pitch with two runners on base and two outs in the seventh. The next batter walked. The final batter flied out.

U-High (30-11) scored seven runs over the final two innings. Jaris Hamilton’s three-run home run in the sixth and Shepherd Gammon’s two-run double in

the seventh keyed the comeback attempt.

“I was kind of freaking out in the last inning a little bit,” said Christian Sauska, the winning pitcher in Game 2.

Newman’s 28 runs over the final two games started with a nine-run explosion in the first two innings of the second game. That surge continued with a strong finish in a game that took more than three hours to complete.

“We haven’t put that many runs up all year in a series, I can tell you that,” Newman coach Pat Adams said. “So, they came to play. My guys just had a great approach and just fed off each other.”

The offensive onslaught and the nerve-racking finish gave Newman its third

Catholic overcomes gaffe in 9th to win title over Brother Martin

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

St. Charles players jump into a dogpile after their 6-5 victory over Vandebilt Catholic in the Division II select championship game on Saturday at McMurry Park in Sulphur.

St. Charles rallies again to take Division II select title

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE

DIVISION II SELECT

SULPHUR — One pitch made all the difference for St. Charles Catholic in the state championship game.

Two pitches, actually — if you count the two called balls that Gabe Kugler took over the outer edge of the plate with two outs and two strikes in the seventh inning in the state championship game.

Kugler resisted swinging at those two pitches and belted a two-run double down the line that kept the Comets from losing. Then, with a one-run lead and the tying run on second base and nobody out, Brayden Cortez capped his complete game with a called third strike in the Comets’ 6-5 victory over Vandebilt Catholic on Saturday at McMurry Park.

“A lot of people use words like ‘lucky’ and ‘horseshoe’ to describe our program,” said St. Charles coach Wayne Stein, whose football and baseball teams won state championships this academic year by slim margins. “The truth is we got unmatched grit. There’s nobody that can match our grit.”

That showed with Kugler’s at-bat in the seventh inning.

St. Charles trailed 3-2 when Kugler fell into an 0-2 count before taking the next two pitches over the outer edge of the plate.

“I looked at (the first) one

and I was like, ‘Oh, thank God,’ ” Kugler said. “God didn’t let me swing at that one.”

The two pitches — both sliders, Kugler said — were close enough to the zone to draw loud partisan reactions from both sides of the bleachers.

The senior catcher fouled off a fastball on the next pitch and turned on an inside pitch that drove in two runs.

Ben Bordelon’s RBI single and Dax Pregeant’s walk with the bases loaded sent home two more runs for a 6-3 advantage.

“I knew (Kugler) was the one guy that could maybe take the lead with one swing,” Stein said. “He competed. Fouled off. Found a way to lace it down the line.”

The lead held, even after Thomas LeCompte’s two-run double to the left-field corner drew Vandebilt to within one with nobody out.

“I went to the mound and said, ‘Do you want to give the ball to someone else?’” Stein said. “(Cortez) said, ‘Hell, no.’”

The next two batters popped out to the second baseman and hit a checkswing comebacker back to the pitcher, which put Cortez one out from victory.

“I knew I had to lock in,” Cortez said. “I knew my team and my family was counting on me to do it. It’s a mental

Staff writer

St. Charles 6, Vandebilt 5 St. Charles 001 010 4 — 6 7 0 Vandebilt 011 001 2 — 5 10 0 W — Brayden Cortez, L — Jonas Bergeron. Top hitters: St. Charles: Dax Pregeant 3B, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB; Gabe Kugler 2 RBIs, R. Vandebilt: Corey Bouregois 2 R, 2 H; Thomas LeCompte 2 RBIs, 2B.; Henri Lapeyre, 2H, 2 RBIs.

thing. I just had to do it.”

Cortez threw his 108th pitch for a called third strike that hooked over the inside part of the plate, and St. Charles players ran from all directions for a dogpile on the infield.

Asked about the two called balls against Kugler, Vandebilt coach Chad Menard went with the umpire’s call.

“From where I’m sitting, there’s no way to tell,” he said. “There’s no way to tell.

I just got to trust the integrity of the umpire.”

St. Charles won the series with two late comebacks.

Pregeant’s two-run homer tied Game 1 in the seventh and Brooks Monica’s threerun double keyed a four-run eighth for a 6-2 win.

Pregeant’s Game 3 showing included one triple and two runs scored, sealing his LHSAA outstanding player award selection. He reached base four times. Also in Game 3, Kole Hurst legged out an infield hit to drive in a run in the third, and Drew Aucoin added an RBI single in the fifth.

But only after a clutch St. Charles batter faced two strikes with two outs in the last inning could the Comets rally for a title-clinching win.

REPORT At McMurry Park, Sulphur.

Nonselect DIVISION I

No. 8 Dutchtown vs. No. 2 S. Houston Game 1: Dutchtown 5, Sam Houston 1 Game 2: Sam Houston 3, Dutchtown 1 Game 3: 5:30 p.m. Saturday

DIVISION III

No. 1 Sterlington vs. No. 2 Westlake Game 1: Westlake 5, Sterlington 3

Game 2: Sterlington 18, Westlake 7 Game 3: Westlake 7, Sterlington 2

Select DIVISION I

No. 1 Brother Martin vs. No. 2 Catholic-Baton Rouge Game 1: Catholic 6, Brother Martin 2 Game 2: Catholic 3, Brother Martin 2, 15 innings

DIVISION II

No. 1 Vandebilt Catholic vs. No. 2 St. Charles Game 1: St. Charles 6, Vandebilt 2, 8 innings Game 2: Vandebilt 6, St. Charles 4 Game 3: St. Charles 6, Vandebilt 5

DIVISION III

No. 1 University vs. No. 2 Newman Game 1: University 4, Newman 2 Game 2: Newman 13, University 6 Game 3: Newman 15, University 12

DIVISION I SELECT

Catholic 3, Brother Martin 2

SULPHUR — Tyler Durand in this game, something else held the baseball in his crazy happens.”

Said Catholic coach Brad glove after the last pitch was called ball four, sending Bass: “Just when you think home the apparent champi- you’ve seen everything, onship-clinching run for you haven’t seen anything.

But look, that’s a mistake.

Catholic-Baton Rouge.

But what appeared to a That’s a coach’s fault. Not a game-ending walk with the player’s fault. Our coach has bases loaded in the ninth in- got to tell him. That’s not on ning turned into 15-inning him.”

Brother Martin’s Drake marathon that ended on Harrison Kidder’s RBI dou- Amedee threw ball four on ble for Catholic’s 3-2 victory the last of his 115 pitches over Brother Martin late and stood bent over with his hands on his knees, thinking Friday at McMurry Park.

The ninth-inning run was he had lost the game.

“I look over, and everydisallowed after Catholic’s Jude Schneider failed to body started cheering,” touch first.

Amedee said.

“Whenever you Instead of “I look at the going to umpire, and he say you’ve seen first after called him out. I everything in this the walk, he game, something else mean, I started joined his screaming. I crazy happens.” celebrating blacked out for teammates a second. What JEFF LUPO, as they ran was happening?”

Brother Martin coach from the Said Lupo: third-base “The guy dugout — leaving open the walked, and their guy (at chance for Brother Martin third base) touched home to get him out on an appeal. plate, but (the batter) had “I saw their coach yelling never reached first base. He at the players like, ‘Get off ran straight to the mound to him,’” said Durand, Broth- celebrate. Crazy things haper Martin’s catcher. “And pen. I thought that might then everybody was saying, give us a chance. It did. We ‘Throw the ball to first.’ I felt got some guys in scoring polike we had a second chance, sition and just couldn’t get a and I thought we were going big hit.” to win.”

Junior reliever Nolan Coaches from both teams Amato pitched the final six immediately recognized the innings and kept Catholic mistake.

(37-5) from scoring until “I’m sure it will go viral,” Kidder’s double scored MylBrother Martin coach Jeff es Auxt from second.

Lupo said. “Whenever you What could have been a disay you’ve seen everything sastrous outcome for Cath-

BM 200 000 000 000 000 — 2 10 1 C-BR 000 200 000 000 001 — 3 9 3 W — Tanner Forbes, L — Nolan Amato. Top hitters: Brother Martin:Brady McCluskey 4-4, 2 BB, R; Brody Shannon 2 H; Dominic Toten 2 H; Catholic: Harrison Kidder GWH; Dekohta Jones 2-6, 3B, R; Kooper Childs 2B; Hayes Segar 1B, R.

olic resulted in a win that clinched the school’s third consecutive state title.

“Something that could have absolutely destroyed a team,” Bass said. “And then they go play another baseball game and win it.”

Brother Martin scored two runs in the first inning.

Brady McCluskey, who reached base six times, started the game with a single and stole second to set up Durand for a bunt that resulted in a two-base throwing error as McCluskey scored. Bronson Leaumont’s RBI double made the score 2-0.

Catholic drew even with two runs in the fourth.

Dekohta Jones tripled over the head of the centerfielder and scored as Hayes Seger reached on an error ahead of Kooper Child’s RBI double. Catholic’s Tanner Forbes pitched the final six innings in relief of starter Mills Richardson.

Brother Martin, without a state title since 1996, reached the state finals for the second year in a row.

“These kids competed their tail off,” Lupo said.

“At the end of the day, we just ran out of outs, and they made one more play than us.

It’s not that we did anything wrong. They just executed at the end.”

SPORTS

RADIO • 24/7 •

The biggest names in sports talk are here!

Dan Patrick • Jude Young • Eric Asher Deke Bellavia • Ken Trahan • Colin Cowherd Join the action on 1067 The Ticket. www.theticket1067.com Download the FREE app.

Look for 1067 The Ticket in the app store.

HOME OF TULANE FOOTBALL

4C ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Game 7s have been kind to Cavaliers, Pistons but one will fall on Sunday

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ABBIE PARR

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama celebrates a score with guard De’aaron Fox during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoffs series on Friday in Minneapolis.

Spurs focused on the conference finals

BY DAVE CAMPBELL

ä Spurs at Thunder.

MINNEAPOLIS — The San Antonio Spurs weren’t supposed to be this far along at this point in their development, entering the Western Conference finals with confidence, momentum — and just about everything they need on the court except for significant NBA playoffs experience.

The Spurs aren’t concerned about everybody else’s timeline.

They’ve got another series to play soon against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and they’re aiming to win it.

“I understand the general expectations of what we were supposed to do in October aren’t necessarily aligned with where we’re at right now,” coach Mitch Johnson said after the 139-109 romp past the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night that finished the secondround series in six games. “We never talked about what we were going to be or what we were going to do.

We just knew that we had a lot of potential and we were going to try to be the best team we could be.”

Drafting Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in 2023 was the most obvious step toward this moment for a proud franchise that collective five NBA championships over coach Gregg Popovich’s storied tenure from 1997-2024, but the way they’ve assembled a strong, smart, speedy and slickshooting backcourt around him has proven to be a masterpiece in roster building.

Stephon Castle, who led the Spurs with 32 points and 11 re-

bounds in Game 6 and went 5 for 7 from 3-point range, was the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Dylan Harper, whose energy off the bench was a consistent edge in the series, was the second overall pick in the 2025 draft. Six of their nine primary rotation players were first-round draft picks by the Spurs.

Then there was the trade for two-time All-Star De’Aaron Fox last year, adding a steady veteran for Castle and Harper to emulate.

“They’re as coachable as anybody we have,” Johnson said.

“They listen when we tell them stuff, and they get on the court and they’re just like attack dogs and they just go. I think the one thing I can give them both credit on and praise them is they don’t make a lot of repeatable mistakes.”

The Timberwolves had far more collective experience in the playoffs and overall over the Spurs, but they were the ones who made far more of those correctible gaffes.

The younger Spurs looked like they had the better on-court habits, starting and ending with their determination and ability to get out on the fast break and beat the Timberwolves back in transition.

“We’re a really talented group that plays together and plays very selfless, and we’re all young,” Castle said. “I think we can beat anybody on any given night. Us just being very selfless in the way we move the ball, it’s just fun to play.”

Wembanyama in particular ma-

AP sportswriter

7:30 P.M. MONDAy, NBC

tured a lot within the series, after his ejection early in Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck. He came back with a measured vengeance in Game 5 and was content to play a supporting role in Game 6 while Castle and Fox did most of the damage for a machine-like offense that scored 36, 38 and 36 points over the first three quarters.

“It feels like it’s connection between each other in the first minutes of the game,” said Wembanyama, who had 19 points in 27 minutes in Game 6. “This team, whenever we’ve hit first and taken an early lead, we’ve beat them. Really, whenever we beat them it was by like 30 every time. The way they play also makes it that they get tired because they play so physical, and we try to beat them with pace.”

Even though this group has logged only 11 playoff games together, the Spurs clearly don’t look out of their element on the big stage.

“The nature of the playoffs makes it that we’re going to play against better and better teams.

There was already a leap between the first and second round. It’s going to be probably an even bigger leap between the second and third,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve got guidance. We’ve got a good coaching staff — the best, actually.

So we can trust them.”

Starting on Monday night in Oklahoma City.

“Just the words ‘conference finals’ is crazy. It’s like something I heard my whole life, and now being in it is just special,” Wembanyama said. “ It’s hopefully many more conference finals to come.”

Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, Jokic finalists for NBA’s MVP award

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

The NBA will reveal this season’s Most Valuable Player on Sunday, which just happens to be the day before Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs.

Thunder guard Shai GilgeousAlexander is the reigning MVP and he’s one of the three finalists for the award this season — along with Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Amazon Prime Video announced that it would reveal the MVP winner during its pregame show Sunday, which starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT. No matter who wins, it’ll be the eighth consecutive season in which a player who was born outside the U.S. takes the MVP trophy.

This international run of MVPs started with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (born in Greece, of Nigerian descent) in 2019 and 2020, then Denver’s Nikola Jokic (Serbia) in 2021 and 2022, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (born in Cameroon but has since become a U.S. citizen) in 2023, Jokic again in 2024 and Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) last year.

Wembanyama would be the first

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes a pass while under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round playoffs series on Monday in Los Angeles.

French player to win MVP, and Jokic is seeking a fourth MVP — something only Kareem AbdulJabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four) and LeBron James (four) have done.

It’ll also be the 12th MVP award overall for an international player.

Before this current run, Nigeria’s Hakeem Olajuwon won in 1994, Canada’s Steve Nash won in 2005 and 2006, and Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki won in 2007.

The scheduling of the an-

nouncement may be a hint that Gilgeous-Alexander might be the winner, because it would have the same time-frame that the MVP reveal followed a year ago. In 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the winner May 21, and he was formally presented with the trophy before Game 2 of the West finals in Oklahoma City on May 22.

This year, the Sunday announcement comes a day before the Thunder plays host to Game 1 of the West finals on Monday night.

Game 7. That’s a phrase that surely brings back a lot of good memories for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

Of course, only one of those groups will be happy on Sunday night.

For the second consecutive round, the Cavaliers and Pistons are heading to a winner-takeall contest. Detroit plays host to Cleveland on Sunday night in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, with the winner set to face New York in the East finals starting Tuesday.

Detroit is 6-1 in Game 7s since 1990, while Cleveland is 5-0 in Game 7s since 2016 — with two of those wins coming in road games.

“I’ve seen this movie before,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s tough. It’s hard. And it should be hard. The good thing is we’ve put ourselves in a position to have a Game 7. But this is what it’s about. Playoffs are hard. We’ve got to close it out in Game 7.”

Cleveland’s seven-game win in Round 1 this season was over Toronto; Detroit’s seven-game win in Round 1 this season was over Orlando. The Cavaliers and Pistons both got to be at home for those games; Cleveland doesn’t have that luxury this time around.

The Cavs won Game 5 in Detroit to take command — albeit briefly — of the series, then lost 115-94 with a chance to close out the series at home on Friday. So, back to Detroit they go.

“It’s one game on the road.

There’s no other way to put it,” Cavaliers guard James Harden

ä Cavaliers at Pistons.

7 P.M. SUNAy, PRIME

said. “You’ve got to be detailed, you’ve got to get off for a really good start, and you’ve got to maintain and sustain it for an entire game, however long that takes. It really is just one game.

Not saying you’ve got to be perfect, but we’ve got to do the details that we’ve been preaching.”

The Pistons are now 4-0 this season when facing elimination after Friday’s victory. They won four elimination games — total — in the last 20 seasons combined, though in fairness most of those years came and went without Detroit even making the playoffs.

But this team is different. A 14-win laughingstock of a club two seasons ago held the No. 1 seed in the East for almost this entire season, and a sense of poise seems to have grown from that success.

“We stay in the moment,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. “We don’t get ahead of ourselves. But most importantly, we stick together. When things get ugly or whatever, we come together, we talk, we get back in the moment and then we move forward from there.”

Added Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff: “They just don’t quit.

The resolve that they have, the belief that they have in one another, they just have the ability to bounce back mentally where they don’t hang onto things. Quarters don’t bother them. Halves don’t bother them. They just move on to the next play, stay moment to moment and try to win what’s in front of them.”

Kerr remains committed to coaching Warriors following some doubts

BY JOSH DUBOW AP sportswriter

SAN FRANCISCO — Once Steve Kerr came to the realization that there was nothing he’d rather do than coach the Golden State Warriors and the team figured out there was no one better to guide the organization through Stephen Curry’s final seasons, the final decision for both sides was easy.

The four-time championship winning coach will remain in charge of the Warriors after signing a two-year contract.

“I still love what I do,” Kerr said Friday. “If I were tired and burned out, then I would not be doing this. But I love my job, I love coaching the Warriors, being in this city, being in the Bay.” That was in doubt at the end of a 37-win season that left Golden State out of the playoffs for the fourth time in seven seasons.

Kerr thought it might be time to step away and at times it appeared like he might after his emotional embrace of Curry and Draymond Green at the end of a season-ending loss to Phoenix in the play-in tournament.

Kerr took about a week after the season before deciding with his wife, Margot, and the rest of his family that he wanted to remain as coach. He then met several times with general manager Mike Dunleavy and owner Joe Lacob before the sides finalized a two-year deal.

“I’m happiest when I’m on the court with my players, when I’m collaborating with Mike and the organization,” Kerr said. “I love this, and even through the struggles this year, I love the struggle, I love that challenge. Margot said to me, you know, if you leave, you can come back and coach, but you can never coach the Warriors again. That was the most meaningful thing.”

Kerr has been one of the NBA’s most successful coaches since being hired by Golden State in 2015. He won the title in his first season, helped the team set a record with 73 wins in the regular season in 2015-16, won back-toback championships in 2017 and ’18 and won it all again in 2022.

This past season was quite the challenge as Kerr dealt with an aging roster that included several players whose practice and playing time needed to be managed closely, an injury that side-

lined Curry for a large portion of the second half of the season and season-ending injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody that left Golden State too short-handed to make the playoffs.

But Kerr saw the possibilities when Curry helped lead a thrilling comeback win against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first play-in game. While Kerr acknowledges this current version of the team isn’t able to compete for championships, he wants to make sure the team can play meaningful games once again.

“The idea is let’s see how good we can be next year,” he said.

“We think we can still be good.

We have to get some guys back from injury. We have to make some moves. I have to do some things. Let’s run it back and see how good we can be. I think we’re all excited about that.”

Kerr said he believes Dunleavy and Lacob can improve the roster in the offseason and acknowledged that he needs to be a better coach.

Both Kerr and Dunleavy stressed the importance of cutting down on turnovers after the Warriors finished with the fourth highest turnover rate in the NBA this season.

Kerr said that starts with him.

“We got a little too loose,” he said. “Literally loose with the ball. But because of our age, because of our injuries, we spent a lot of time resting. So I’ve got to tighten the ship up next year.”

Now that Kerr is in place, the next task is upgrading a roster that wasn’t good enough to make the playoffs after the injuries to Butler and Moody, which will keep them out for significant time next season.

“This just isn’t about the roster, frankly,” Dunleavy said. “This year, I don’t think we came up short because of the talent on the roster. It was injuries and things we can control.”

Golden State also has the No. 11 pick in what is considered a deep draft, along with a secondrounder. Kerr said he is “totally” committed to developing and using young players after sometimes being hesitant in the past when the Warriors had a more proven roster.

“We’re in a different place now,” he said. “It’s obvious where we are with the injuries to Moses, Jimmy, look at our depth on the wings. That guy has to play. He has to earn it.”

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 5C

lll

My Miss Mo wins Black-Eyed Susan race

BY NOAH TRISTER AP sportswriter

LAUREL, Md. — After she was scratched from the Kentucky Oaks, My Miss Mo had to wait a couple more weeks to shine.

It was worth it for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. “It was the right decision,” he said. “This was a better spot for her.”

My Miss Mo won the Black-Eyed Susan on Friday at Laurel Park, holding off a spirited effort from Jumping the Gun to win the 1 1/8mile race for 3-year-old fillies that takes place a day before the Preakness.

Laurel is hosting both races this year while Pimlico is being rebuilt.

A 5-2 favorite, My Miss Mo was around the front the whole way.

Savor It showed some early speed as a 62-1 long shot, but in the end Jumping the Gun was the main threat and My Miss Mo was able to hold her off and win by 1 3/4 lengths.

“I thought we were going to run on by, but the winner still had horse,” said Luis Saez, Jumping the Gun’s jockey. “We were second best today.”

A. P.’s Girl was third.

“It’s just a combination of things,” jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. “Experience, maturity and more confidence in herself.”

Her lone victory before Friday was a 12-length rout at 7 furlongs at Gulfstream in November.

“This filly, we liked her from the beginning. We thought she showed so much speed that she was going to be a sprinter. We were wrong,” Joseph said. “We didn’t see the goodness until we stretched her out. She is a different filly going longer.”

Jumping the Gun was the morning-line favorite at 3-1 but ultimately went off at 6-1. Andrew Simoff, her trainer, said he’s eyeing the Delaware Oaks next month as her next challenge.

“I thought I had it, but she just hung that last sixteenth a little bit. But she’ll do that,” Simoff said. “I was talking to Luis and he said maybe wait a little longer, don’t make the lead at the quarter pole, just see what happens.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH Majestic Lucia was fourth, folTyler Gaffalione, atop My Miss Mo, leads the pack during the 102nd running of the Black-Eyed Susan race on lowed by Miss Fulton Gal. Holly’s Holiday and Braken Poppa, Friday at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. two horses among the favorites, The win capped an impressive the Pimlico Special the race be- in the Gulfstream Park Oaks in ended up sixth and seventh, the double for Joseph after another fore. My Miss Mo won for the first late March and second in the Da- latter after stumbling out of the of his horses, Navajo Warrior, won time this year. She finished second vona Dale the previous month. gate.

DUNCAN

PREAKNESS

teams with a winning record from a year ago — the Detroit Lions (9-8) and Minnesota Vikings (9-8).

Five of the Saints’ opponents finished last in their respective divisions in 2025. In addition to the Lions and Browns, who finished last in the NFC North and AFC North, respectively, the Saints will play the fourth-place finishers from the NFC East (Giants), NFC West (Cardinals) and AFC West (Raiders) in the NFL’s scheduling formula.

Here’s what stands out about the slate:

14 horses to contest the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, which was held at Laurel Park this year because Pimlico in Baltimore is being rebuilt.

Taj Mahal was the top choice at 9-2 — the longest odds for a Preakness favorite since the race moved to its current distance of 13/ 16 miles in 1925. Iron Honor had been the morning line favorite at 9-2, but he was an 8-1 shot by the time the horses entered the starting gate.

Taj Mahal broke to the lead early and covered the first quarter-mile in 22.66 seconds, but the pace quickly slowed and trainer Brittany Russell’s unbeaten colt couldn’t hold on. He was passed by Napoleon Solo (7-1) near the top of the stretch. Iron Honor was a threat late but came up 11/ 4 lengths short.

“He was a bit wide on both turns and it probably took the starch out of him a little bit when it mattered late,” said Chad Brown, Iron Honor’s trainer.

Chip Honcho (11-1) was third.

Previously a rowdy event with throngs of fans and live music on the infield, the Preakness was contested in a subdued atmosphere this year at Laurel, with attendance capped at 4,800. The track’s future is uncertain — it may be converted into a training facility.

“It’s a shame and it’s a tragedy that racetracks like Aqueduct and Laurel are no longer going to be around, because they’re foundation racetracks,” Summers said.

“I would just hope that we get the opportunity as an industry to rally and save some of these tracks. We can’t allow this to keep happening, and there’s only going to be three or four tracks left at the end of the day.”

The Preakness has long served multiple purposes: It’s obviously a necessity for a horse to win the Triple Crown, but it’s also a second chance of sorts for those that didn’t make it to the Derby for one reason or another. This time, it was primarily the latter, when only three horses that ran in the Derby

Continued from page 1C

Continued from page 1C

Toughest stretch

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By KAMIL KRZACZyNSKI

Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai runs with the ball against WEEKS 1-2 AT LIONS, RAVENS The Saints will be underdogs in Saints safety Justin Reid during a game on Oct. 19 in Chicago. The Weeks 1 and 2, as they are forced Saints return to Soldier Field in November.

to open the season with backto-back true road games for the first time in 12 years. And their mettle will be tested. The Lions and Ravens are two of the most physical teams in the league, and each features a high-powered offense. The Saints have a losing record in both Detroit and Baltimore. Another 0-2 start is a real possibility.

Easiest stretch WEEKS 3-5,VS. RAIDERS, FALCONS, VIKINGS After the brutal doubleheader to open the season, the Saints return home to play three consecutive games in the Superdome against three beatable opponents. The Raiders, Falcons and Vikings went a combined 20-31 a year ago, and all have unresolved quarterback situations.

Even if the Saints stumble out of the game, this stretch gives them ample opportunity to recover.

Most intriguing game WEEK 6 AT GIANTS A matchup of top young quarterbacks — Shough vs. Jaxson Dart — should make this a fascinating contest. The Saints have had the G-men’s number, having

beaten them each of the past three seasons. But this Giants team figures to be a tougher out under first-year head coach John Harbaugh.

Least intriguing game WEEK 9 VS. BROWNS I grew up a Browns fan, but they might be the least exciting team in the NFL. Their roster is as boring as their uniforms, and they appear to be positioning themselves for a run at Arch Manning or Dante Moore in the 2027 draft. At kickoff, most local fans will still be scratching the cobwebs out of their heads from the Alabama-LSU game the night before.

Most anticipated game WEEK 7 VS. STEELERS C’mon, this is a no-brainer. The first NFL game in France has the makings of a classic — especially if Aaron Rodgers elects to play a 22nd season. The Steelers are one of the league’s marquee franchises, and there are interesting subplots with former Saints Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan as head coach and general manager in Pittsburgh.

Game that could get ugly WEEK 11 AT BEARS Playing at Soldier Field is never easy, especially in late November when the winds off Lake Michigan often wreak havoc on the playing conditions. The Bears whipped the Saints 26-14 at Soldier Field a year ago, and the game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated. The loss served as the nadir to the Saints’ season. It dropped them to 1-6 and greased the skids for a quarterback change two weeks later. The Bears went on to win the NFC North and are expected to be one of the league’s best teams again.

Game that looks like a lock WEEK 4 VS. FALCONS I was told the Falcons wanted no part of being the opponent for this game, which will be one of the highlights of the Saints’ home schedule. Emotions will be skyhigh as the Saints and NFL celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Dome-coming game and Steve Gleason’s iconic blocked punt.

The Falcons will have no chance in this one. They’ll be sacrificial lambs just as they were in 2006.

Preakness Stakes results Final results from the 151st Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico race course in Baltimore.

Purse: $2 million ($1 million to Napoleon Solo); Distance: 13/ 16 miles. Winning time: 1:58.69.

First place: Napoleon Solo (Jockey Paco Lopez) — Win: $17.80, Place: $9.80, Show: $7.40 Second place: Iron Honor (Flavien Prat) — Place: $9.20, Show: $6.60 Third place: Chip Honcho (Jose Ortiz) — Show: $8.20 4. Ocelli (Tyler Gaffalione) — 6-1 odds 5. Incredibolt (Jaime Torres) — 5-1 6. Bull By The Horns (Micah Husbands) — 30-1 7. The Hell We Did (Luis Saez) — 15-1 8. Great White (Alex Achard) — 15-1 9. Robusta (Rafael Bejarano) — 30-1 10. Taj Mahal (Sheldon Russell) — 5-1 11. Corona De Oro (John Velazquez) — 30-1 12. Talkin (Irad Ortiz Jr.) — 20-1 13. Crupper (Junior Alvarado) — 30-1 14. Pretty Boy Miah (Ricardo Santana Jr.) — 15-1

showed up.

So it came to be that Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor, who hadn’t raced since finishing fifth and seventh in the Wood Memorial in early April, went head to head again for much higher stakes.

Third-place Chip Honcho was coming off its own fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby in March.

Napoleon Solo finished in 1 minute, 58.69 seconds and paid $17.80 on a $2 bet. It was the first victory in a Triple Crown race for both Summers and jockey Paco Lopez.

The colt won his first two starts last year by impressive margins, prevailing in the Champagne Stakes by 61/ 2 lengths in October.

He couldn’t maintain that form, however, finishing fifth in both the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial this year.

“All year long, fifth place, fifth place. Everyone said he wasn’t as good as he was in the Champagne,” Summers said. “This was a win here. People will say it wasn’t against the best of the best. We’ll find out the rest of the year.”

Now Napoleon Solo is being pointed toward the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park in July.

The three horses who did race in both the Derby and Preakness this year — Ocelli (7-1), Incredibolt (51) and Robusta (25-1) — finished fourth, fifth and ninth Saturday.

The race included a maximum of 14 horses, marking its largest field since 14 also ran in the 2011 edition.

No more cleaning out gutters– Guaranteed †

SAVE UP TO*

25

%

OFF

*Promotional offer includes 15% off plus an additional 10% off for qualified veterans and/ or seniors. See details below!

LIMITED TIME OFFER! Have been thinking about having gutter protection installed for a number of years since every year it becomes more of a pain to climb up on the roof and get the clean-out done. Called LeafFilter on a Thursday, the salesman came on Friday and the installation was done the next day. Easy-peasy.

-Anthony.

FINANCING THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET1!

100,000+ Reviews.

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE & INSPECTION!

1-844-304-8973 | Promo Code: 561

1 Subject to credit approval. Ask for details. *For those who qualify. One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. Offer valid at time of estimate only. †See Representative for full warranty details. DC 420223000087, AZ ROC 344027, AR 0366920926, CA 1035795, CT HIC.0671520, FL CBC056678, ID RCE-51604, IA C127230, LA 559544, MD MHIC164488, MA 213292, MI 262300331, 262300330, 262300329, 262300328, 262300318, 262300173, MN IR2025-810524, MT 266192, NE 50145-24, NV 0086990, NJ 13VH13285000, NM 408693, ND 47304, OR 218294, PA PA179643, RI GC-41354, TN 10981, UT 10783658-5501, VT 174.0000871, VA 2705169445, WA LEAFFLH763PG, WV WV056912, WI 537-DCFRR

Instant shade at the touch of a button.

Call 1-877-361-0825 now to

Enjoy more quality time with family and friends.

Up to 10-Year Limited Warranty.

6C ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Astros hit 4 home runs off Rangers’ deGrom in 4-1 win

By The Associated Press

AP PHOTO By KEVIN M. COX

Houston Astros designated hitter yordan Alvarez runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a game against the Texas Rangers on Saturday in Houston.

HOUSTON — Yordan Alvarez hit his 15th homer and the Houston Astros matched a season high with four longballs in a 4-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday night that left Texas’ Jacob deGrom stuck at 99 career wins.

Jose Altuve sent deGrom’s third pitch of the game into the Crawford Boxes in left field for the 42nd leadoff homer of his career. Alvarez also went deep in the first.

Altuve left the game in the ninth inning with an undisclosed injury.

Christian Walker opened the third inning with his 11th homer, and with two outs, Zach Cole homered to make it 4-0.

DeGrom (3-3) allowed four homers for just the second time in 257

career starts. The first time was on April 22, 2017, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He surrendered just one other hit over six innings and did not walk a batter.

Kai-Wei Teng (2-3) struck out seven over five scoreless innings.

It was the third time in Teng’s career he’s completed five innings, and his 76 pitches were a career high.

After Steven Okert retired the side in order in the sixth, Joc Pederson drove in a run with a single against Enyel De Los Santos, but Bryan King got pinch hitter Andrew McCutchen to fly out to center with the bases loaded to end the threat.

Bryan Abreu stranded two runners in the eighth inning, and then got Ezequiel Duran to ground into a fielder’s choice with two on in the ninth for his second save.

SCOREBOARD Odds

x-Game 7 — No. 4 LSU vs. No. 5 Virginia Tech, TBA

Bryan-College Station (Texas) Regional Friday’s games

MLB Sunday

American League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Toronto -134 at DETROIT Texas -118 at HOUSTON National League FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at PITTSBURGH -138 Philadelphia Arizona -156 at COLORADO Interleague FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG at TAMPA BAY -157 Miami Baltimore -132 at WASHINGTON at ATLANTA OFF Boston N.Y Yankees -112 at N.Y METS at CLEVELAND -169 Cincinnati Chicago Cubs -145 at CHI. W. SOX at MINNESOTA OFF Milwaukee at ST. LOUIS -118 Kansas City at ATHLETICS -135 San Francisco LA Dodgers -136 at LA ANGELS at SEATTLE -160 San Diego

LINE +113 +100 LINE +117 +130 LINE +132 +112 OFF -107 +142 +121 OFF -102 +113 +115 +135

Pro basketball

Saturday’s games

Game 3 — No. 5 Arizona State 4, No. 4 Texas A&M 3 Game 4 — UConn 5, McNeese 1 Game 5 — UConn vs. No. 4 Texas A&M, n

Sunday’s games

Game 6 — No. 5 Arizona State vs. Winner of Game 5, 2 p.m. x-Game 7 — Game 6 opponents, TBD

Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Regional Friday’s games

Game 1 — No. 1 Alabama 8, USC Upstate 0 Game 2 — Belmont 2, No. 8 Southeastern 0

Saturday’s games

Game 3 — No. 1 Alabama 3, Belmont 0 Game 4 — USC Upstate 5, No. 8 Southeastern 4 Game 5 — USC Upstate 10, Belmont 1

Sunday’s games

Game 6 — No. 1 Alabama vs. USC Upstate x-Game 7 — Game 6 opponents, TBD

Austin (Texas) Regional Friday’s games

NBA Playoff SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Game 1 — No. 8 Wisconsin 2, Baylor 1, 9 innings Game 2 — No. 1 Texas 9, Wagner 1

Eastern Conference Cleveland 3, Detroit 3

Tuesday, May 5: Detroit 111, Cleveland 101 Thursday, May 7: Detroit 107, Cleveland 97 Saturday, May 9: Cleveland 116, Detroit 109 Monday, May 11: Cleveland 112, Detroit 103 Wednesday, May 13: Clev. 117, Detroit 113, OT Friday, May 15: Detroit 115, Cleveland 94 Sunday, May 17: Cleveland at Detroit, 7 p.m.

New York 4, Philadelphia 0

Monday, May 4: New York 137, Philadelphia 98 Wednesday, May 6: New York 108, Phila. 102 Friday, May 8: New York 108, Philadelphia 94 Sunday, May 10: New York 144, Phila. 114

Western Conference

Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio

Monday, May 18: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, May 22: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 24: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 8 p.m. x-Tuesday, May 26: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, TBA x-Thursday, May 28: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, TBA x-Saturday, May 30: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, TBA

WNBA glance

EASTERN CONFERENCE Chicago Atlanta New York Washington Indiana Toronto Connecticut

W 2 2 3 1 1 1 0

L Pct 0 1.000 0 1.000 1 .750 1 .500 1 .500 1 .500 3 .000

GB — — — 1 1 1 2½

Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Phoenix Dallas Seattle Portland Los Angeles

W 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 0

L 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2

GB — — — 1 1 1 1 1½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Saturday’s games

Game 3 — No. 1 Texas 9, No. 8 Wisconsin 0 (6 innings) Game 4 — Baylor 9, Wagner 0 (5 innings) Game 5 — Baylor 5, No. 8 Wisconsin 2

Sunday’s games

Game 6 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, TBD x-Game 7 — Game 6 opponents, TBD

Athens (Ga.) Regional Friday’s games

Pct .667 .667 .667 .333 .333 .333 .333 .000

Las Vegas 101, Connecticut 94 Washington 104, Indiana 102, OT Los Angeles 99, Toronto 95 Phoenix 91, Chicago 83

Saturday’s games

No games scheduled.

Sunday’s games

Las Vegas at Atlanta, 12:30 p.m.

Seattle at Indiana, 5 p.m.

Chicago at Minnesota, 6 p.m.

Toronto at Los Angeles, 6 p.m.

Hockey NHL Playoff SECOND ROUND (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE Montreal 3, Buffalo 2

Wednesday, May 6: Buffalo 4, Montreal 2 Friday, May 8: Montreal 5, Buffalo 1 Sunday, May 10: Montreal 6, Buffalo 2 Tuesday, May 12: Buffalo 3, Montreal 2 Thursday, May 14: Montreal 6, Buffalo 3 Saturday, May 16: Buffalo at Montreal, 7 p.m. x-Monday, May 18: Montreal at Buffalo, TBA

Carolina 4, Philadelphia 0

Saturday, May 2: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 0 Monday, May 4: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2, OT Thursday, May 7: Carolina 4, Philadelphia 1 Saturday, May 9: Carolina 3, Philadelphia 2, OT

WESTERN CONFERENCE CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Colorado vs. Vegas

Wednesday, May 20: Vegas at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 22: Vegas at Colorado, 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 24: Colorado at Vegas, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 26: Colorado at Vegas, TBA x-Thursday, May 28: Vegas at Colorado, TBA x-Saturday, May 30: Colorado at Vegas, TBA x-Monday, June 1: Vegas at Colorado, TBA

Florida LSU (36-18, 17-12 SEC) (29-26, 9-20 SEC) ab r h bi ab r h bi Cyr lf 4 0 0 0 Braun rf 3 0 0 0 Lawson ss 2 3 1 2 Serna c 3 0 0 0 Surowiec 3b 3 3 2 3 Curiel cf 3 0 1 0 McDonald dh 3 1 1 0 Arrambide dh 3 0 0 0 Strayer rf 4 1 1 4 Milam ss 2 1 1 1 Bowen c 4 0 0 0 Dardar 1b 3 0 0 0 Stripling 1b 2 2 1 1 Stanfield lf 3 0 0 0 Kurland 2b 4 1 2 0 Ruckert 2b 2 0 1 0 Yost cf 2 0 0 1 Simpson 3b 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 28 11 8 11 TOTALS 24 1 3 1 Florida 230 020 4 — 11 8 0 LSU 000 100 0 — 1 3 0 LOB — Florida 4; LSU 3. 2B — Surowiec (12).

HR — Lawson (14); Surowiec (10); Strayer (4); Stripling (5); Milam (9). HBP — Lawson.

SF — Yost (3). SB — Lawson (12).

Florida IP H R ER BB SO Peterson (W, 2-5) 7 3 1 1 1 11 LSU IP H R ER BB SO 1 4 7 7 4 5 Paz (L, 1-4) 5 ⁄3 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 Plog 2 3 3 2 2 Evans 12⁄3 1 ⁄3 2 1 1 0 0 Theophilus WP — Paz (5). HBP — by Paz (Lawson).

Inherited runners/scored: None.

Umpires — HP: Scott Letendre 1B: William VanRaaphorst 2B: Jordan Ferrell 3B: Brian Hale Start — 6:34 p.m. Time — 2:20 Attendance — 10759

Game 6 — No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Clemson

Durham (N.C.) Regional Friday’s games

Game 1 — Duke 10, Howard 1, 5 innings Game 2 — No. 6 Arizona 7, Marshall 5

Saturday’s games

Game 3 — No. 6 Arizona 10, No. 3 Duke 1 (5 innings) Game 4 — Marshall 4, Howard 2 Game 5 — No. 3 Duke 11, Marshall 1

Sunday’s games

Game 6 — No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 3 Duke, 11 a.m. x-Game 7 — No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 3 Duke 5, TBA

Fayetteville (Ark.) Regional Friday, May 15

Game 1 — No. 2 Arkansas 8, Fordham 0, 6 innings Game 2 — South Florida 3, No. 7 Washington 1

Saturday, May 16

Game 3 — No. 2 Arkansas 9, South Florida 1 (6 innings) Game 4 — No. 7 Washington 5, Fordham 2 Game 5 — S. Florida vs. No. 7 Washington, n

Sunday, May 17

Game 6 — Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, TBD x-Game 7 — Game 6 opponents, TBD

College baseball Southland Conference tournament (Double elimination; x-if necessary)

Hammond bracket Thursday’s games

G1: No. 5 McNeese 11. No. 4 Nicholls 3 G2: No. 1 Southeastern 3, No. 8 Houston Christian 2

Friday’s games

G3. Houston Christian 6, No. 4 Nicholls 5 G4: No. 5 McNeese 15, Southeastern 9

Saturday’s games

G5: No. 1 Southeastern 8, No. 8 Houston Christian 4 G6: No. 5 McNeese vs. No. 1 Southeastern, n

Sunday’s games

x-G7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, 1 p.m.

Beaumont bracket Thursday’s games

G1: No. 6 Northwestern State 6, No. 3 UTRGV 5 G2: No. 7 SFA 3, No. 2 Lamar 0

Friday’s games

G3: No. 2 Lamar 3, No. 3 UTRGV 2 G4: No. 7 SFA 6, No. 6 Northwestern State 4

Saturday’s games

G5: No. 2 Lamar 8, No. 6 Northwestern State 4 G6: No. 7 SFA vs. No. 2 Lamar, n

Sunday’s games

x-G7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, 1 p.m.

Championship Series May 21

G1: Winner of No. 1 Seed Bracket vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed Bracket

May 22

G2: Winner of No. 1 Seed Bracket vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed Bracket

May 23

x-G3: Winner of No. 1 Seed Bracket vs. Winner of No. 2 Seed Bracket

State schedule

NCAA Tournament glance

UL 7, Coastal Carolina 2 Southern 9, Alabama A&M 8 Florida 11, LSU 8 Rice 12, Tulane 0

(Double elimination; x-if necessary)

Game 1 — No. 5 Virginia St. 6, South Alabama 0 Game 2 — No. 4 LSU 8, Akron 0

Saturday’s games

Game 3 — No. 4 LSU 8, No. 5 Virginia Tech 0 Game 4 — South Alabama vs. Akron, n Game 5 — No. 5 Virginia Tech 7, Akron 6

Sunday’s games

Game 6 — No. 4 LSU vs. No. 5 Virg. Tech, 1 p.m.

Florida LSU (37-18, 18-12 SEC) (29-27, 9-21 SEC) ab r h bi ab r h bi Cyr lf 5 1 0 0 Milam ss 5 2 2 4 Lawson ss 3 3 1 0 Curiel cf 5 2 2 0 Surowiec 3b 5 1 4 3 Arrambide c 6 2 3 4 McDonald dh/p 6 0 1 0 Braun dh 4 1 3 2 Strayer rf 5 1 1 0 Dardar 2b 5 0 2 1 Bowen c 4 1 2 0 Simpson 3b 5 2 2 0 Stripling 1b 6 2 3 1 Yorke 1b 5 1 1 0 Kurland 2b 5 2 2 2 Stanfield rf 3 0 1 0 Yost cf 5 4 4 5 Reaves lf 3 0 0 0 Yamin ph/lf 1 1 0 0 TOTALS 44 15 18 14 TOTALS 42 11 16 11 Florida 003 102 036 — 15 18 1 LSU 001 030 043 — 11 16 0 Florida — 2B — McDonald (1) 3B — Bowen (1) HR — Kurland (2); Yost (3) SB — Lawson (1) HBP — Lawson (3); Bowen (1) E — Sandford (1) DP — 1 LSU — 2B — Braun (1); Simpson (2); Stanfield (1) HR — Milam (1); Arrambide (2) SB — Yamin IV (1) HBP — Yamin IV (1) DP — 1 Florida IP H R ER BB SO 6 3 3 2 4 Sandefer 41⁄3 Reeth 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 Sandford (W, 2-0) 11⁄3 McDonald 2 2 4 4 1 2 6 3 3 0 2 Walls (S, 1) 11⁄3 LSU IP H R ER BB SO Cowan 3 7 4 4 0 4 3 2 2 0 3 Fontenot (L, 0-2) 21⁄3 Guidry 2 3 2 2 0 3 1 ⁄3 0 1 1 0 1 Garcia 1 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 1 Noot 2 ⁄3 3 5 5 1 1 Sheerin Dathe 0 1 1 1 3 0 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 Plog HBP — McDonald, Cowan, Fontenot, Garcia, Sheerin PB — None Umpires — Home Plate: William VanRaaphorst First: Jordan Ferrell Second Base: Brian Hale Third Base: Scott Letendre Start — 2:04 p.m. Time — 3:56 Attendance — 11,036

Game 3 — No. 3 Georgia 8, UNC Greensboro 0 (5 innings) Game 4 — No. 6 Clemson 3, College of Charleston 1 Game 5 — No. 6 Clemson 4, UNC Greensboro 1

College softball Baton Rouge (La.) Regional Friday’s games

Florida 15, LSU 11

Late Friday Florida 11, LSU 1

Sunday’s games

Thursday’s games

Friday’s games

Coastal Carolina 6, UL 0 Southern 13, Alabama A&M 7 Florida 11, LSU 1 Rice 12, Tulane 0

Saturday’s games

Rice 6, Tulane 5 Florida 15, LSU 11 UL 3, Coastal Carolina 2 Southern 15, Alabama A&M 13

American League glance East Division

National League glance East Division

Tampa Bay New York Toronto Baltimore Boston

W 29 28 20 20 18

L 15 17 25 26 26

Pct .659 .622 .444 .435 .409

GB — 1½ 9½ 10 11

Atlanta Philadelphia Washington Miami New York

W 31 23 23 21 18

L 14 23 23 25 26

Pct .689 .500 .500 .457 .409

GB — 8½ 8½ 10½ 12½

Cleveland Chicago Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

W 25 22 20 20 19

L 22 22 25 26 27

Pct .532 .500 .444 .435 .413

GB — 1½ 4 4½ 5½

Chicago St. Louis Milwaukee Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 29 27 25 24 24

L 16 18 17 22 22

Pct .644 .600 .595 .522 .522

GB — 2 2½ 5½ 5½

Athletics Seattle Texas Houston Los Angeles

W 23 22 21 18 16

L 21 24 23 28 29

Pct .523 .478 .477 .391 .356

GB — 2 2 6 7½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 27 26 21 18 18

L 18 18 23 27 28

Pct .600 .591 .477 .400 .391

GB — ½ 5½ 9 9½

Central Division

West Division

Friday’s games

Central Division

West Division

Friday’s games

Washington 3, Baltimore 2 Detroit 3, Toronto 2 Tampa Bay 7, Miami 2 Milwaukee 3, Minnesota 2 Atlanta 3, Boston 2, 10 innings Cincinnati 7, Cleveland 6 N.Y. Yankees 5, N.Y. Mets 2 Houston 2, Texas 0 Chicago Cubs 10, Chicago White Sox 5 St. Louis 5, Kansas City 4, 11 innings Athletics 5, San Francisco 2 L.A. Dodgers 6, L.A. Angels 0 San Diego 2, Seattle 0

Washington 3, Baltimore 2 Tampa Bay 7, Miami 2 Milwaukee 3, Minnesota 2 Atlanta 3, Boston 2, 10 innings Philadelphia 11, Pittsburgh 9, 10 innings Cincinnati 7, Cleveland 6 N.Y. Yankees 5, N.Y. Mets 2 Chicago Cubs 10, Chicago White Sox 5 Arizona 9, Colorado 1 St. Louis 5, Kansas City 4, 11 innings Athletics 5, San Francisco 2 L.A. Dodgers 6, L.A. Angels 0 San Diego 2, Seattle 0

Toronto 2, Detroit 1, 10 innings St. Louis 4, Kansas City 2 Washington 13, Baltimore 3 Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox, n Milwaukee at Minnesota, n Texas at Houston, n Boston at Atlanta, n N.Y. Yankees at N.Y. Mets, n San Diego at Seattle, n Miami 10, Tampa Bay 5, 10 innings Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 4 L.A. Dodgers at L.A. Angels, n San Francisco at Athletics, n

St. Louis 4, Kansas City 2 Colorado 4, Arizona 2 Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 0 Washington 13, Baltimore 3 Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox, n Milwaukee at Minnesota, n Boston at Atlanta, n N.Y. Yankees at N.Y. Mets, n San Diego at Seattle, n Miami 10, Tampa Bay 5, 10 innings Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 4 L.A. Dodgers at L.A. Angels, n San Francisco at Athletics, n

Miami (Pérez 2-5) at Tampa Bay (Rasmussen 3-1), 11:15 a.m.

Baltimore (Young 3-1) at Washington (Mikolas 1-3), 12:35 p.m.

Boston (TBD) at Atlanta (Holmes 2-1), 12:35 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 2-3) at Cleveland (Williams 5-3), 12:40 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Weathers 2-2) at N.Y. Mets (Peralta 3-3), 12:40 p.m.

Toronto (Gausman 2-3) at Detroit (Flaherty 0-4), 12:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Rea 4-2) at Chicago White Sox (Fedde 0-4), 1:10 p.m.

Milwaukee (Sproat 1-2) at Minnesota (Ober 4-2), 1:10 p.m.

Texas (TBD) at Houston (Lambert 2-3), 1:10 p.m.

Kansas City (Kolek 1-0) at St. Louis (Pallante 4-3), 1:15 p.m.

San Francisco (Houser 1-4) at Athletics (Springs 3-3), 3:05 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Sasaki 1-3) at L.A. Angels (Rodriguez 0-0), 3:07 p.m.

San Diego (Giolito 0-0) at Seattle (Kirby 5-2), 6:20 p.m.

Miami (Pérez 2-5) at Tampa Bay (Rasmussen 3-1), 11:15 a.m.

Baltimore (Young 3-1) at Washington (Mikolas 1-3), 12:35 p.m.

Boston (TBD) at Atlanta (Holmes 2-1), 12:35 p.m.

Philadelphia (Wheeler 2-0) at Pittsburgh (Skenes 6-2), 12:35 p.m.

Cincinnati (Singer 2-3) at Cleveland (Williams 5-3), 12:40 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Weathers 2-2) at N.Y. Mets (Peralta 3-3), 12:40 p.m.

Chicago Cubs (Rea 4-2) at Chicago White Sox (Fedde 0-4), 1:10 p.m.

Milwaukee (Sproat 1-2) at Minnesota (Ober 4-2), 1:10 p.m.

Kansas City (Kolek 1-0) at St. Louis (Pallante 4-3), 1:15 p.m.

Arizona (Soroka 5-2) at Colorado (Lorenzen 2-5), 2:10 p.m.

San Francisco (Houser 1-4) at Athletics (Springs 3-3), 3:05 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Sasaki 1-3) at L.A. Angels (Rodriguez 0-0), 3:07 p.m.

San Diego (Giolito 0-0) at Seattle (Kirby 5-2), 6:20 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Sunday’s games

Game 1 — UNC Greensboro 1, No. 6 Clemson 0 Game 2 — Georgia 5, Charleston 2

Saturday’s games

CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Friday’s games

Game 1 — No. 4 Texas A&M 17, UConn 3 Game 2 — No. 5 Arizona 8, McNeese 0

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Saturday’s games

Sunday’s games

BOX SCORES Toronto 2, Detroit 1

Cleveland 7, Cincinnati 4

Toronto

Cincinnati

ab r h bi ab r h bi Springer dh 4 0 0 0 McGon. ss 5 0 2 0 Piñango lf-rf 4 1 2 1 Dingler dh 4 0 0 0 Guerrero 1b 4 1 0 0 Lee 3b 1 0 0 0 Okamoto 3b 4 0 0 0 Work. ph-3b 3 0 0 0 Varsho cf 3 0 2 1 Vierling cf 4 1 2 1 Sánchez rf 3 0 0 0 Greene lf 4 0 1 0 Straw ph-lf 1 0 0 0 Torkelson 1b4 0 1 0 Sosa 2b 4 0 1 0 McKins. 2b-rf4 0 1 0 Giménez ss 3 0 0 0 Pérez rf 3 0 0 0 Clement ph-ss10 0 0 Keith ph 1 0 0 0 Heineman c 2 0 0 0 Short 2b 0 0 0 0 Schneider ph 1 0 0 0 J.Rogers c 3 0 0 0 Valenzuela c 0 0 0 0 Totals 34 2 5 2 Totals 36 1 7 1 Toronto 000 000 100 1 — 2 Detroit 000 001 000 0 — 1 E—Guerrero (4). DP—Toronto 0, Detroit 1.

LOB—Toronto 4, Detroit 8. 2B—Varsho (8), Sosa (4). HR—Piñango (1), Vierling (3).

IP H R ER BB SO Toronto 0 0 3 Fluharty 11⁄3 1 0 0 2 5 Miles 32⁄3 2 0 Fisher 1 1 1 1 0 2 Nance 1 0 0 0 0 1 T.Rogers 1 1 0 0 0 1 Varland W,2-1 2 2 0 0 0 2 Detroit Mize 6 2 0 0 0 4 Finnegan BS,1-4 1 1 1 1 1 0 Seabold 1 0 0 0 0 1 Jansen 1 0 0 0 0 1 Holton L,0-2 1 2 1 0 0 0 WP—Miles.

ABS Challenge—McGonigle (StrikeOverturned to Ball); Dingler (StrikeOverturned to Ball); Schneider (StrikeConfirmed); Varland (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Pitch timer violations—Fluharty (pitcher).

Umpires—Home, Dan Merzel; First, Dan Bellino; Second, Mark Ripperger; Third, Shane Livensparger.

T—2:32. A—38,295 (41,083).

Cleveland ab r h bi ab r h bi Myers cf 4 1 1 1 Schnee. cf 3 0 0 0 De La Cruz ss 3 1 1 0 Hoskins ph 0 0 0 1 Stewart 1b 2 0 0 1 Halpin cf 1 0 0 0 Steer lf 4 0 1 2 Ramírez 3b 4 1 2 0 Bleday dh 4 0 0 0 DeLauter dh4 0 0 0 McLain 2b 4 0 0 0 Manzardo 1b5 1 2 0 Dunn rf 3 1 2 0 Bazzana 2b 5 0 1 0 Benson ph 1 0 0 0 Kwan lf 3 2 1 0 Trevino c 1 0 0 0 Martínez rf 4 3 2 2 Stephen. ph-c1 0 0 0 Hedges c 2 0 0 0 Hayes 3b 2 1 0 0 Rocchio ss 3 0 2 2 Lowe ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 30 4 5 4 Totals 34 7 10 5 Cincinnati 001 030 000 — 4 Cleveland 020 002 21x — 7 E—Phillips (1). LOB—Cincinnati 5, Cleveland 12. 2B—Steer (8), Martínez (8). HR— Myers (3), Martínez (8). SB—Stewart (10), Dunn (2), Hayes (1), Rocchio (8), Ramírez 2 (20). SF—Hoskins (3). S—Trevino (2).

IP H R ER BB SO Cincinnati Paddack 5 6 2 2 1 3 Mey H,1 1/3 1 2 2 2 1 Moll L,1-3 BS,0-2 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 2 Johnson 1/3 1 1 1 1 0 Phillips 1 1 1 0 2 2 Cleveland Cantillo 5 4 4 4 4 4 Holderman 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 1 Sabrowski W,2-1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 Gaddis H,4 1 0 0 0 0 0 Smith S,14-16 1 0 0 0 1 2 HBP—Paddack (Martínez). WP—Paddack, Mey. ABS Challenge—Cantillo (Ball-Confirmed); Bleday (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Bazzana (Strike-Confirmed); Phillips (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Pitch timer violations—Moll (pitcher); Phillips (pitcher).

Umpires—Home, Tyler Jones; First, David Rackley; Second, John Libka; Third, James Hoye.

T—2:48. A—33,331 (34,788).

Boston 3, Atlanta 2

St. Louis 4, Kansas City 2

Boston

Kansas City St. Louis ab r h bi ab r h bi Garcia 3b 4 1 1 0 Winn ss 3 1 0 1 Witt ss 3 0 1 0 Herrera dh 3 1 1 0 Pasquan. 1b 4 0 1 1 Walker rf 4 0 1 0 Perez dh 4 0 0 0 Burleson 1b 3 0 1 2 Jensen c 3 0 0 0 Fermín 3b 4 0 0 0 Marte ph 1 0 0 0 Saggese 2b 3 1 1 0 Díaz c 0 0 0 0 Church lf 3 1 2 0 Caglianon. rf 4 1 2 1 Pagés c 3 0 0 0 Collins lf 3 0 1 0 Scott cf 3 0 2 1 Massey 2b 4 0 1 0 Isbel cf 3 0 1 0 Totals 33 2 8 2 Totals 29 4 8 4 Kansas City 000 010 001 — 2 St. Louis 100 020 01x — 4 E—Díaz (1). DP—Kansas City 1, St. Louis 1. LOB—Kansas City 7, St. Louis 4. 2B— Garcia (13), Isbel (5), Herrera (12), Church (6). HR—Caglianone (5). SF—Burleson (2), Winn (3).

IP H R ER BB SO Kansas City Cameron L,2-3 6 5 3 3 0 4 Falter 2 3 1 1 1 0 St. Louis Leahy W,5-3 6 5 1 1 3 2 Graceffo H,3 1 1 0 0 0 0 Bruihl H,6 1 0 0 0 0 0 Soriano S,2-3 1 2 1 1 0 0 WP—Falter.

ABS Challenge—Cameron (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Bruihl (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Umpires—Home, Ryan Additon; First, Ryan Wills; Second, Lance Barksdale; Third, Will Little.

T—2:07. A—32,379 (44,494).

Detroit

Pro golf PGA Championship par scores Saturday

At Aronimink Golf Club Newtown Square, Pa. Yardage: 7,394; Par: 70 Third Round Alex Smalley, United States Ludvig Aberg, Sweden Jon Rahm, Spain Aaron Rai, England Matti Schmid, Germany Nick Taylor, Canada Rory McIlroy, N. Ireland Maverick McNealy, USA Patrick Reed, United States Xander Schauffele, USA Bud Cauley, United States Chris Gotterup, USA Max Greyserman, USA Ben Griffin, United States Martin Kaymer, Germany Chris Kirk, United States Min Woo Lee, Australia Hideki Matsuyama, Japan Joaquin Niemann, Chile Kristoffer Reitan, Norway Justin Rose, England Cameron Smith, Australia Sam Burns, United States Harris English, USA Rickie Fowler, USA Brian Harman, USA Brooks Koepka, USA Mikael Lindberg, Sweden David Puig, Spain Scottie Scheffler, USA Padraig Harrington, Ireland Daniel Hillier, New Zealand Tom Hoge, United States Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark Stephan Jaeger, Germany Dustin Johnson, USA Michael Kim, USA Si Woo Kim, South Korea Andrew Novak, USA Aldrich Potgieter, S. Africa Andrew Putnam, USA Justin Thomas, USA Cameron Young, USA Rico Hoey, Philippines Hao-Tong Li, China Taylor Pendrith, Canada Jordan Spieth, USA Chandler Blanchet, USA Ryan Fox, New Zealand Kazuki Higa, Japan Denny McCarthy, USA Daniel Berger, USA Michael Brennan, USA Daniel Brown, England Patrick Cantlay, USA Corey Conners, Canada Matt Fitzpatrick, England Ryo Hisatsune, Japan John Keefer, United States Keith Mitchell, USA Sam Stevens, United States Sahith Theegala, USA

67-69-68—204 -6 72-66-68—206 -4 69-70-67—206 -4 70-69-67—206 -4 69-72-65—206 -4 69-72-65—206 -4 74-67-66—207 -3 69-67-71—207 -3 68-72-67—207 -3 68-73-66—207 -3 69-72-67—208 -2 72-65-71—208 -2 68-69-71—208 -2 71-70-67—208 -2 67-75-66—208 -2 73-70-65—208 -2 67-70-71—208 -2 70-67-71—208 -2 69-73-66—208 -2 71-72-65—208 -2 70-73-65—208 -2 69-71-68—208 -2 70-72-67—209 -1 71-67-71—209 -1 70-71-68—209 -1 70-73-66—209 -1 69-72-68—209 -1 71-71-67—209 -1 71-67-71—209 -1 67-71-71—209 -1 74-69-67—210 E 71-69-70—210 E 72-70-68—210 E 69-75-66—210 E 67-70-73—210 E 72-70-68—210 E 73-70-67—210 E 71-67-72—210 E 69-70-71—210 E 67-70-73—210 E 69-71-70—210 E 69-69-72—210 E 71-67-72—210 E 70-70-71—211 +1 71-69-71—211 +1 72-72-67—211 +1 69-72-70—211 +1 69-73-70—212 +2 70-70-72—212 +2 71-71-70—212 +2 71-71-70—212 +2 74-70-69—213 +3 72-72-69—213 +3 68-75-70—213 +3 70-69-74—213 +3 68-73-72—213 +3 70-72-71—213 +3 67-73-73—213 +3 72-72-69—213 +3 73-69-71—213 +3 69-73-71—213 +3 68-73-72—213 +3

Atlanta

ab r h bi ab r h bi Duran lf 4 0 1 0 Baldw. dh 3 1 2 2 Gasper c 4 1 1 0 Albies 2b 4 0 0 0 Narváez c 0 0 0 0 Olson 1b 4 0 0 0 Abreu rf 4 1 2 0 Riley 3b 4 0 0 0 Contreras 1b 4 1 2 2 Mateo pr 0 0 0 0 Yoshida dh 3 0 0 1 Dubón lf 3 0 0 0 Rafaela cf 4 0 1 0 Harris cf 3 0 0 0 Mayer 2b 4 0 0 0 Kim ss 4 0 0 0 Monasterio ss4 0 0 0 León c 3 0 0 0 Durbin 3b 3 0 0 0 Azócar rf 3 1 2 0 Totals 34 3 7 3 Totals 31 2 4 2 Boston 000 100 020 — 3 Atlanta 100 010 000 — 2 E—Monasterio (2), Riley (4). LOB—Boston 5, Atlanta 5. 2B—Duran (7), Rafaela (6), Abreu (7), Azócar 2 (2). HR—Contreras (9), Baldwin (13). SB—Mateo (5). SF—Yoshida (1).

IP H R ER BB SO Boston Tolle W,2-2 8 4 2 2 1 3 Chapman S,10-10 1 0 0 0 2 0 Atlanta Elder L,4-2 8 7 3 3 0 3 Pérez 1 0 0 0 0 2 ABS Challenge—Yoshida (Strike-Confirmed); Elder (Ball-Confirmed); Elder (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Rafaela (Strike-Confirmed); Pérez (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Umpires—Home, Nic Lentz; First, Hunter Wendelstedt; Second, Edwin Moscoso; Third, Vic Carapazza.

T—2:06. A—39,336 (41,149).

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL May 17

1925 — Cleveland’s Tris Speaker got his 3,000th career hit, off Tom Zachary, in a 2-1 loss to the Washington Senators.

1970 — Hank Aaron scratched out an infield single against Cincinnati’s Wayne Simpson to become the ninth player with 3,000 hits. The hit came in the nightcap of the Atlanta Braves’ doubleheader loss to the Reds in Cincinnati.

1977 — The Chicago Cubs hit seven home runs in beating the San Diego Padres 23-6 at Wrigley Field. Larry Biittner, Jerry Morales and Bobby Murcer hit consecutive home runs in the fifth for the Cubs.

1979 — Dave Kingman of the Cubs hit three home runs and Mike Schmidt of the Phillies hit two, and Philadelphia beat

Chicago 23-22 in 10 innings at Wrigley Field. Bill Buckner had a grand slam and seven RBIs for Chicago. The game included 11 home runs and 50 hits.

1992 — Toronto surpassed the 1 million mark in attendance earlier than any team in major league history. It took the Blue Jays 21 dates to draw 1,006,294.

The previous record was shared by the 1991 Blue Jays and the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers.

1992 — Catcher Gary Carter, back with the Montreal Expos, joins Bob Boone and Carlton Fisk in the exclusive 2,000 games caught club.

1998 — David Wells pitched the 13th perfect game in modern major league history as the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins 4-0.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 7C

lll

TULANE

Continued from page 1C Aric Anderson’s sacrifice fly off Michael Devenney (0-1) in the 11th, when the bases were loaded again with no outs, finally ended the four-hour-and-12-minute affair.

Tulane (25-31, 10-17) fell to 3-12 on the road in league play, getting swept for the third time in five conference series away from home. The Wave entered the weekend hoping to earn its way into the American tournament, but as it turned out, even two victories would not have been enough to punch a ticket to Clearwater, Florida.

Zero wins left Tulane all alone in last place for the first time since it went 4-16 in the Metro Conference in 1990 — an unexpected descent after the league’s coaches tabbed the Wave third in a preseason poll.

Rice (34-22, 16-11) was locked into the third seed for the tournament during the game when East Carolina clinched the second seed by beating Florida Atlantic.

The Owls ended a string of eight losing seasons under former Tulane coach David

Pierce, who guided the Wave to regionals in both of his years in New Orleans (2015-16) and is in his first full year with the Owls.

Thursday’s defeat got out of hand immediately. The Wave could not make key plays when it mattered on Friday. Saturday, it could not make the final play when it had two chances.

“It changes the complexion of games when you don’t execute,” fourth-year coach Jay Uhlman said after Tulane’s elimination on Friday night. “It’s pretty much the way the season’s gone.

We’ve needed everything to go your way and it really hasn’t all year, honestly.

Baseball doesn’t treat you kindly when you don’t help yourself. It’s unfortunate.

Beyond unfortunate.”

Playing for pride, Tulane took a 2-0 lead Saturday on Jason Wach’s team-leading ninth home run in the third inning and almost made it stand up the rest of the way, getting a season-long 42/ 3 shutout innings from starter LuisPablo Navarro. Rice got one back in the seventh when left fielder Tye Wood bobbled a ball for the first of four late-inning Wave errors, but Tulane regained its two-run lead courtesy of

four free passes in the top of the ninth.

Julius Ejike-Charles, seeking his first save, left with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom half before Caden Tarango gave up the tying single.

It was rinse, wash, repeat with the 5-3 lead in the 10th.

One out away from victory, Abbadessa spiked three consecutive pitches with the tying run on third. Catcher Johnny Elliott blocked the first but had no shot on the third one, and the tying run scored easily as he raced after the ball.

Tulane lost first baseman Trent Liolios in the fourth inning after Rice’s Garet Boehm plowed into him as he tried to catch a short pop-up down the first base line. Boehm was called out on interference, and Liolios stayed down on the ground for a few minutes before walking slowly to the dugout.

His dazed look reflected the general feeling around the program. After winning the American Tournament in each of Uhlman’s first two years as a full-time coach and losing in the title game at the end of his third, Tulane will not even get to participate in year 4.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU catcher Maci Bergeron celebrates after hitting a home run against Virginia Tech in the second inning of an NCAA regional game on Saturday at Tiger Park.

LSU

Continued from page 1C Bergeron, a senior captain from Rayne, playing her final weekend at home, hit the first pitch she saw from starter Emma Mazzarone (16-6), who didn’t survive the inning. She issued five of the nine walks by Tech’s three pitchers. Jalia Lassiter added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 3-0.

“I had prepared well all week for her drop ball,” Bergeron said. “I took a risk swing at the first pitch, and it paid off for me. It’s trusting my preparation and being disciplined in the box.

“It’s awesome; I’ve been working hard all year long for this moment for my team. It means a lot in the regional, where you need a

win to move on.”

Kylee Edwards had a runscoring double to pad the LSU lead to 4-0 and singled home a run in a four-run sixth inning. Alix Franklin had an RBI grounder, Tori Edwards a sacrifice fly and Char Lorenz finished it with a run-scoring single to plate the eighth.

Cellura, a transfer from San Diego State, handed the Hokies their first shutout of the season. Tech entered the game with 107 home runs, but Cellura coaxed six grounders to account for seven outs. Jordan Lynch led off the fourth with a single, but with one out, Kylee Edwards fielded a smash up the middle by Kylie Aldridge, stepped on second and threw to first to end the inning.

“The double play was so well timed,” Torina said.

“Cece throws a lot of ground balls, which gives us the opportunity for things like that. It was a well-timed moment to get us off the field.

She did a great job and the defense did a great job.

It was the first loss in seven games against SEC teams for the Hokies, who were also run-ruled for the first time this season. They entered the series fifth in the nation in home runs in the best offensive season in program history, according to coach Pete D’Amour.

“We didn’t play clean today,” D’Amour said. “We had nine walks. So, we’ve just got to pound the strike zone and make our defense, let them work and get quick innings.

“It’s not just like we laid down. We hit some balls hard. We’ve just gotta get through.”

Find Us on the List of “FORTIFIED” APPROVED Contractors & Schedule a FREE ESTIMATE! ScogginsRoofing.com

WE HAVE FINANCING AVAILABLE W/ APPROVED CREDIT! Ask About Our

0 FINANCING %

OPTIONS!!!

HAND NAILED ROOF • STATE LICENSED • CLASS 4 IMPACT SHINGLES

LSU falls to Florida in regular-season finale

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Welcome to Pluto, Jay Johnson.

Besides his first season at Nevada, LSU’s coach can’t recall another time when his team entered the final weekend of the year with nothing to play for.

The fate of LSU’s season would be determined next week at the SEC Tournament, and there was nothing the Tigers could do against Florida (37-18, 1812 SEC) this weekend to change that.

This was uncharted territory for Johnson.

“I don’t want anybody to think that winning is not important every time,” Johnson said on Friday. “…This is like Pluto.”

Therefore, on Senior Day at Alex Box Stadium, Johnson inserted five seniors into the lineup and used three seniors on the mound in the Tigers’ 1511 loss to the Gators to finish the regular season.

With the result, LSU (2927, 9-21) got swept in four of its past five series in Southeastern Conference play.

For some of the seniors, Saturday was the last time they’d play in a game in their careers.

“Today, it was like, ‘Hey, man, let’s give the guys their flowers,’ ” Johnson said. “And some of them deserve it with what they accomplished last year collectively.”

Among the seniors, fifthyear senior Seth Dardar, senior Brayden Simpson and senior Chris Stanfield had the best days at the plate. Dardar had two hits and drove in a run, Stanfield walked twice and doubled and Simpson hit two doubles.

PHOTO By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI

LSU pitcher Zac Cowan started Saturday’s game against Florida and allowed four earned runs in three innings.

Sophomore Cade Arrambide was still responsible for most of LSU’s offense on Saturday, smashing his 17th and 18th home runs of the year. The second blast cut LSU’s deficit from three to one.

“Every great coach that I’ve had in my life has always pushed me to be the best possible player I can be,” Arrambide said. “I think coach (Johnson)… he really gets on me. He’s really hard on me, and I think — and I’ve told him to his face and I’ve said it to everyone — that’s how I thrive.”

Senior right-hander Zac Cowan started Saturday’s game for LSU, allowing four earned runs in three innings in his final appearance at Alex Box Stadium.

Fifth-year senior righthander Grant Fontenot and redshirt junior right-hander Gavin Guidry followed him, combining to surren-

der six hits and four earned runs over 41/ 3 innings.

The problem for LSU on the mound wasn’t walks; it was the long ball. The Tigers surrendered five home runs despite not walking a batter until there were two outs in the ninth inning.

Florida second baseman Cade Kurland and center fielder Hayden Yost were responsible for all five homers, and Yost hit three of them.

His first homer was the biggest, smashing a backbreaking two-run shot in the sixth inning that gave the Gators a 6-4 lead. Yost also cracked a two-run shot in the ninth that helped seal the victory.

LSU’s next game is at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama. The Tigers will face Oklahoma and will play at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. The game will be available to watch on the SEC Network.

8C ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

OUTDOORS CALENDAR TUESDAY

LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call (337) 232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

WEDNESDAY

LA. OUTDOORS FOREVER TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD MEETING: 9 a.m., state Wildlife & Fisheries Headquarters, 2000 Quail Dr., Baton Rouge.

LA. OYSTER TASK FORCE MEETING: 10 a.m., Lakefront Airport, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., New Orleans. Task Force Research Committee meeting, 9 a.m., same venue.

IATT LAKE PUBLIC MEETING: 6 p.m., Wildlife & Fisheries office, 1995 Shreveport Hwy., Pineville.

Aquatic vegetation control information. Email Shelby Richard: srichard@wlf.la.gov FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7-9 p.m, Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Casual flytying. Open to public. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@ gmail.com

THURSDAY STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

With his dog as co-pilot, a boater navigates the Vermilion River on March 19, 2024, near Palmetto Island State Park in Vermilion Parish. National Safe Boating Week, which runs through Friday, serves as a reminder to brush up on safety skills, check mandatory gear and stay prepared before heading out on the water.

TIME TO PLAY IT SAFE National Safe Boating Week reminds us that safety, fishing fun must go hand-in-hand FISHING RESULTS

BY JOE MACALUSO Contributing writer

The renewal of the S.T.A.R. begins Saturday and runs through Sept. 7 (Labor Day) to usher in a summer filled with rodeos, tournaments and all sorts of fun on the water.

This annual event, sponsored by Louisiana’s Coastal Conservation Association, opens on the heels of National Safe Boating Week and brings with it a warning that safety needs to go hand-in-hand with fishing and fun.

All sorts of folks provide information about safe boating, including our own Department of Wildlife and Fisheries — the BoatUS Foundation, too — and all the advisories tell us safety on the water begins before we get on the water.

At all levels, a safety checklist begins with the boat owner and the boat to make sure “all required safety equipment is on board and that vessels are in good working condition.”

To be sure, that starts with life jackets — personal flotation devices in Coast Guard lingo — are serviceable, which means the PFDs are usable, not torn or too worn to be able to do what they’re supposed to do — and that keep the wearer’s head up and floating.

Know too, each boat must have a throwable device, a floating cushion, something that can be tossed to someone in trouble and outside the boat.

It’s like this: Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement has worked hundreds of boating accidents between 2021 and 2025 with 87 recreational boating fatalities. The average age of the deceased is 50. In just four months this year, we have had five fatal boating accidents in our state.

What’s worse: among the 87 fatalities, 71 were not wearing a life jacket So, to be legal, each boat must have enough serviceable life jackets for everyone aboard, and anyone 16 and younger must wear a life jacket while underway in boat less than 26-feet long.

There’s more required equipment like a signaling device and fire extinguisher, but if you need

DOWNLOAD

Bassmaster Elite

FILE PHOTO By JOE MACALUSO

Along with serviceable life jackets and other on-the-water life-saving items, a fire extinguisher, left, and signaling devices like an air horn, signal flares and a whistle are items needed to fulfill safe-boating regulations in Louisiana waters. Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries joined in National Safe Boating Week that began Saturday, and state Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement agents will be on patrol this week and throughout summer’s height of the fishing and boating season. all the boating requirement go to the agency’s website: wlf.louisiana.gov/go-boating.

There’s more, and it involves those among us who cannot venture onto our waterways without alcohol in the boat.

Staying sober while driving a boat is a must. Every agency and NGO involved in safe boating talk about alcohol being one of the leading causes of boating crash incidents and waterborne fatalities. Several times each year, local and state enforcement agents take to lakes, bayous and rivers and patrols yield dozens of impaired boat drivers who face the same DWI penalties as those convicted of the same while driving a vehicle — loss of driver’s licenses and boating privileges.

Remember of those 87 boating fatalities, Wildlife and Fisheries tells us alcohol was a factor in 23 fatalities.

It’s time to remind boaters that this agency offers free boating safety classes, a schedule of which can be found at this website: www. wlf.louisiana.gov/page/boater-education.

DOWNLOAD

About inflatables What’s clear in this discussion is the statement, “The best PFD is the one you wear” — but there’s a little more to this than just wearing it.

Lots of fishermen have gone to the inflatable life jackets because they’re easy to wear and aren’t bulky.

But the inflatables take much more maintenance than the older types, especially in Louisiana’s high-humidity climate.

Inflatables have a built-in compressed-air cylinder designed to inflate the life vest when the wearer enters the water.

The cylinder is connected to something the industry calls an “inflator” (although “activator” would be a better description) and water is the trigger to release the gas in the cylinder to inflate the life jacket and keep the wearer buoyant.

There are couple of documented instances in south Louisiana when the inflator didn’t release the gas when the wearer either was ejected from a boat or fell

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Final top five from the four-day Bassmaster Elite held on Lake Murray with anglers, their hometowns, number of bass weighed in parentheses (five-bass daily limit), total weight in pounds and ounces and prize winnings. Also listed are Louisiana anglers, the big-bass & contingency winners. Only the top 50 in the 101-angler field moved to the third round, and only the top 10 advanced to the final round: Top 5: 1, Paul Marks, Cumming, Georgia (20) 90 pounds, 14 ounces, $100,000. 2, Sam Hanggi, Knoxville, Tennessee (20) 87-5, $20,000. 3, Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, South Carolina (20) 86-7, $15,000. 4, Robert Gee, Knoxville, Tennessee (20) 85-11, $12,500. 5, Trey McKinney, Carbondale, Illinois (20) 84-7, $12,000.

Louisiana anglers: 17, Greg Hackney, Gonzales (15) 61-0, $6,500. 61, Tyler Rivet, Raceland (10) 34-1. 95, Caleb Sumrall, New Iberia (10) 23-13.

Phoenix Boats Big Bass: Alex Redwine, Blue Ash, Ohio, 7-15, $2,000.

Rapala CrushCity Monster Bag: Cobb, 26-10, $2,000.

from a boat.

Why? Because humidity rendered the inflator inoperable.

Now, inflatable makers have issued a maintenance list for these life jackets, to include: n Inspect your PFD for damage or excessive abrasion, wear, tear, or contamination, and check stitching, straps, and hardware. n Ensure all “lobe closures,” the breakout zipper or Hook & Loop tape, are securely fastened. n Check the waist belt to make sure it’s not twisted, and check the oral-inflation dust cap to make sure it’s in the “stowed” position. n Perform a leak test. Using the inflation tube, blow up the inflatable and let stand for at least two hours — 16 hours is better — to make sure the PFD holds air, then deflate and repack the jacket. n Check the inflator, and if the service indicator is red, then you need to re-arm the inflator. n Read all instructions.

A float plan This is a must for those you leave behind.

Write down where you’re going, including travel route and the launch site; the tow vehicle make, model and color; where you plan to fish; what time you expect to return; and, your cellphone number.

And, please check the weather.

We want you to return to your loved ones.

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org

SATURDAY

STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Opening day Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long fishing event through Labor Day (Sept. 7).

Tagged redfish, coastal/offshore species categories & youth division. CCA membership required.

Website: ccalouisiana.com/star

HUNTING SEASONS

SQUIRRELS: Through May 24, statewide, private lands only.

AROUND THE CORNER

MAY 24 — SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC & F-Class match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50rounds match course. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) & Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call Mike Burke (337) 380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com MAY 25 — RED STICK FLY FISHERS FLY-TYING SESSION: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge.

Open to the public. Materials and tools available for beginners.

Website: www.rsff.org.

MAY 28 — ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly-tying and local beers provided.

Open to the public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com.

Website: www.packpaddle.com MAY 29-30 — NSCA SPORTING CLAYS EVENTS: Wilderness Club, Lafayette.

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season open; all outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Private recreational red snapper; gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers & wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath & Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.

LDWF UPDATE

CLOSED: Hope Canal Road/boat launch (Maurepas Swamp WMA, levee construction); Pearl River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) & shooting range (flooding, Pearl River gauge above 16.5 feet); Lake Charles field office (May 19, electrical work) EMAIL: jmacaluso@theadvocate. com

ONE great state FOUR great apps

WHAT’S COOKING: Fun, funky, tasty ... gone? Quarter spots face murky future 4D

LIVING N O L A.C O M

At this new karaoke joint, you can ByOB and sing your heart out in private rooms

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Ian McNulty sings with a group from The Times-Picayune at Rockabye Karaoke in New Orleans on April 2.

‘It’s joy’

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

It wasn’t too long ago that Cajun dance halls were at the center of social life in rural Louisiana, dotting the landscape between rice fields and providing a place where smalltown folk could gather to celebrate another week of hard work finished.

So it’s only fitting that 44-year-old Ben Miller, born and raised in Vermilion Parish, named his new karaoke club after one such bygone establishment. Singing Cher with 15 friends and dancing to zydeco for hours have more in common than you might think.

ROCKABYE “Just watching people really KARAOKE let go and have some serious 1050 Calliope connection with St. l 4 p.m. to their people is midnight Thursdayreally hard to find, I think, in Saturday, 4 p.m. to a lot of places 10 p.m. Sunday l now,” Miller 21 and over only said. “And really after 6 p.m. necessary.”

The idea for Rockabye Karaoke, which opened in the Lower Garden District in late 2025, has been churning in Miller’s mind for well over 20 years now, ever since he overheard his grandparents reminiscing on the rural dance halls and bars of their prime.

When they mentioned Forked Island’s historic Rock-a-Bye Club, the name stuck with him.

Years later, while living in New York and Portland, it clicked. There, Miller was treated to the joys of singing at the top of his lungs in dimly lit, private rooms among friends and co-workers rather than on a stage in front of strangers.

Private-room karaoke, or karaoke boxes, originated in Japan decades ago and are now readily accessible in major cities across the U.S. But in the New Orleans area, the options are few and far between.

“I would come to New Orleans and I’d be like, ‘It’s a music-first city, why is there no private-room karaoke?’” he said. “And so I was just really thinking about how to make that happen.”

He moved back to New Orleans in 2015, but it wasn’t until late last year that the perfect space opened up at 1050 Calliope St. behind Merchant House, where Miller has a design and holiday decor studio. He jumped at the opportunity.

ä See KARAOKE, page 7D

“What I’ve seen over and over again is this is a place for celebrations. This is birthday parties, this is bachelorette parties, this is kids’ birthday parties on the weekends during the daytime.”

BEN MILLER, owner of Rockabye Karaoke

|

S u n d ay, M ay 17, 2026

1dn

THE TEST OF TIME Multiple renovations across New Orleans have won 2026 historic preservation awards

A

BY LEE CUTRONE | Contributing writer

whopping 19 projects representing nearly 300 years of architectural history in Orleans Parish are recipients of the Louisiana Landmarks Society 2026 Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation.

And this year’s list, honoring outstanding restorations and rehabilitations completed in 2025, demonstrates how thoughtful preservation is thriving across architectural styles and neighborhoods. Residential and commercial properties, school campus landmarks, a former funeral-home-turned-hotel, and a defunct hospital adapted for mixedincome housing are among the winners in a dozen neighborhoods.

“From the Lower 9th Ward to Uptown, these projects prove that preservation and progress go hand in hand,” said Sandra Stokes, chair of the preservation awards committee.

According to Stokes, there were 32 entries submitted this year, an uptick from years past. Current emphasis on sustainability, sense of place and cultural identity helps drive the popularity of historic preservation. State and federal historic tax credits, secured by many of the winning design teams, make projects economically viable.

In addition to underscoring that historic preservation is alive and well in New Orleans, the 2026 awards represent a cross section of residential styles. A Craftsman shotgun double, a circa 1900 two-story shotgun double, and a late 19thcentury Creole cottage offer a look into the early domestic architecture of the working class.

ä See LANDMARKS, page 7D

1. The Josephine, 2400 Napoleon Ave. 2. Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Ave. 3. Holy Cross Apartments, 4950 Dauphine St. 4. 2318 St. Andrew St. 5. 2015 Kerlerec St. 6. 1401 Delachaise St. 7. 1100 Ursulines Ave. 8. 632 Esplanade Ave. 9. 621 Kerlerec St. PROVIDED PHOTOS FROM THE LOUISIANA LANDMARKS SOCIETy

2D ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

ART & CULTURE ‘Resisting Slavery’ exhibit opens at Whitney Plantation Its focus is on day-to-day resistance

AT AREA MUSEUMS

For the enslaved people on Louisiana plantations, resistance took many subtle and perilous forms.

The new Whitney Plantation exhibit “Amongst Ourselves: Resisting Slavery at Whitney Plantation” catalogs several: worDave ship, maintaining Walker blood or acquired kinship, education, sharing folktales and foodways, even cultivating herbal remedies.

In the case of Prince and Alex, two French-speaking 14-yearolds, it took the form of escape. A classified advertisement, placed in a New Orleans newspaper by plantation owner J.J. Haydel, offered a $50 reward for their capture. The ad is reproduced at the start of the exhibit, and continues on panel displays throughout the property.

Setting the narrative for the exhibit, the introductory panel asks: “Who taught them?” and “What did they learn?”

“I think we had a very unique opportunity here,” said Mary Niall Mitchell, history professor and director of the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies at the University of New Orleans, which collaborated on the exhibit.

“I’ve brought teenagers through (to the Whitney Plantation) for various projects and things, and they’re often tempted to say, ‘If it were me, I would run away.’

And you want to break it down for them and explain what all of the conditions meant, how difficult that was to do, even though thousands and thousands of people would do it.”

She teaches, “how dangerous it was, how courageous you had to be, how knowledgeable you had to be.”

PHOTOS By DAVE WALKER

A panel in the exhibit ‘Amongst Ourselves: Resisting Slavery at Whitney Plantation’ introduces Prince and Alex, two 14-year-old boys who escaped a plantation owned by J.J. Haydel.

A visitor takes in information at the Whitney Plantation.

THE WHITNEY PLANTATION MUSEUM 5099 La. 18, Edgard Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, closed Tuesdays

A three-year collaboration

slavery maintained by Cornell University.

“Honestly, historians have argued for decades about what resistance looks like, what it means,” Mitchell said. “Was it really resistance, or was it just accommodation, or was it a negotiation?

“Amongst Ourselves” is a culmination of a three-year collaboration between the Whitney and the Midlo Center’s faculty, students and graduate students.

It also draws on “Freedom on the Move,” a digital database of fugitives from North American

Since its 2014 opening, the Whitney has focused exclusively

May is for New Beginnings

700 MAGAZINE STREET, UNIT 204

600 PORT OF NEW ORLEANS

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT

UNIT 6F • ONE RIVER PLACE / FRENCH QUARTER

$1,150,000

Elegant 2 Bed, 2.5 Bath, 2,639 SqFt. Corner Unit w/ Breathing Panoramic. Views of Iconic French Quarter & Mississippi River.

321 S. SAINT PATRICK MID-CITY $1,550 (1 Unit)

8623 ZIMPLE STREET HEART OF RIVERBEND $739,000

Behindaprivwall&irongate beneathastatelycypresstree, newlyrenovatedcamelback shines.2,500sfofN.O.charm &modernluxury-orighdwd flrs,stunningnewprimsuite& spa-inspiredbath+2breezy porches.Secureoff-stprkg,& fullsecurity.1blkfromOakSt.

Beautifully renovated 1st Flr unit in quiet Banks & Carrollton corridor of Mid-City. Enjoy perks of neighborhood, in-unit laundry, D/W & ample bkyd. Pets are considered.

GRI, CRS

C: 504-236-6834 • O: 504-866-2785 letty.rosenfeld@compass.com lettyrosenfeld.latter-blum.com

504.451.4274 Chris@Char-Realty.com 4018 Magazine St. NOLA 70115 504.799.1702

Now is the time to buy and sell!

W NE

ICE PR

Beautiful Victorian condo across the street from Coliseum Square. Magnificent architectural details- pine floors, 13 foot ceilings, 3 gorgeous fireplaces, and carved wood wainscotting on walls and celing. Breathtaking, huge great room, bright and airy newly renovated kitchen, 2 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, gated parking adjacent to condo front door, large pool and tree-shaded brick patio.

1330 square feet living area. Come enjoy easy living with plenty of charm!

` 5833 FONTAINEBLEAU DR. • $785,000

FANTASTIC LOCATION! 1 BLK TO ST CHARLES, 1 BLK TO NAPOLEON, CORNER LOT, GATED PARKING. LIVE & POTENTIAL $2700 MONTHLY INCOME.

2721-23 CALHOUN | $650,000

G DIN N PE

LARGE DUPLEX 6 BD, 4 BA W/ 2 DRIVEWAYS. STEPS TO AUDUBON PK, STREET-CAR & UNIVERSITIES.

NEW PRICE!

2831 CALHOUN ST | $550,000 FABULOUSLY RENOVATED 4 BD, 3 BA, 1 STORY HOME & GATED PARKING.

3519 OCTAVIA • $375,000 3 BED, 3 BATH, W/ OFFICE BIG BACK YARD

NEAR OCHSNER HOSPITAL

703 AUDUBON TRACE #703 | $299,000 3-STORY TOWNHOUSE STYLE CONDO. FRESHLY PAINTED INTERIOR, 3BD, 2BA W/ POOL, GARAGE & DRIVEWAY.

2314 CALHOUN B • $275,000 1 BED, 1 BATH STEPS TO UNIVERSITIES.

\2820 CALHOUN ST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $699,000 4626 ST. CHARLES AVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,300,000 7463 DOMINICAN ST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,255,000 2100 JEFFERSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,150,000 2202 WIRTH PLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $875,000 1507-09 JEFFERSON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $825,000 132 DROLLA PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SOLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $505,000

/ AL CI I A L R E NT M M DE CO ESI R

1629 COLISEUM #3 • $495,000

• Co-owners of 5 offices • Your Local and Global Luxury REALTORS! An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC

Love Where You Live

TOP PRODUCER with Latter & Blum for over 40 YEARS!

Charlotte Dorion

504.237.8615 Charlotte@Char-Realty.com Char-Realty.com

1502 GENERAL PERSHING ST | $1,100,000

Dave Walker focuses on behindthe-scenes coverage of the region’s many museums here and at www.themuseumgoer.com. Email Dave at dave@themuseumgoer. com

$2,390,000

“TheKalorama”Sophisticated 1-Bd,1.5BaCondow/huge gardenterrace,398 SqFt, fullylandscapedoverlooking GirodStw/viewsoftheriver.

Primaryen-suite,gourmet kit,whiteoakhdwdflring +1interiorpkngspace.

Chris Dorion

of different places to tell this story about resistance, but when you see the okra flower, it’ll tell you something about people who lived here.”

LETTY ROSENFELD

4827 Prytania St., NOLA 70115 504-300-0700 Licensed in Louisiana

LICENSED BY THE LREC

504-913-8665

toni@reverealtors.com

A visual departure

Thisbeautifulhomeisonagorgeous,widetree-linedUptownboulevard!Itfeatures gleamingoakfloorsthroughout,9footceilings,andspaciousroomswithwonderfullight.

Builtin1931andrecentlyrenovated,ithas5bedrooms,3.5baths,largefamilyroom, spaciouskitchenwithanisland,andalovely,shadedbackyard,plus2carwidedriveway.

2713 DUBLIN • $385,000 Charming Uptown cottage 1 block from Carrollton Ave. Beautiful oak floors throughout, 9 foot ceilings, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, spacious, light-filled rooms, large back yard, driveway and sturdy garage for storage.

Fantastic location- the utmost in convenience and quiet, attractive area.

| O: 504.861.7575 FRANCHER PERRIN GROUP 7M:9 3504.251.6400 4 MAPLE STREET NEW ORLEANS, LA 70118 LUXURY PROPERTIES

TONI VAN ZANDT

They decided to focus the exhibit on day-to-day resistance, “that day-to-day effort to carve out emotional space for yourself, physical space for yourself, in order to get through ... the day-today reacting to the psychological trauma of things.”

The two teens, Prince and Alex, help illustrate the point for visitors. “In terms of a narrative, it’s about resistance being something that’s learned,” Mitchell said.

on the people enslaved there.

Their lives were already a part of the visitor experience, imparted by tour guides and an audio tour.

“In all of those experiences, we try to emphasize the role of resistance in the story of American enslavement,” Whitney Executive Director Ashley Rogers said.

“Of course, it is things like the 1811 German Coast uprising and these organized, large-scale, militarized type revolts, but it’s also these small ways.

The “Amongst Ourselves” panels, with colorful graphic illustrations by Langston Allston, are especially accessible for the field-trip demographic.

“From a curatorial perspective, it’s a visual departure from what we’ve done in the past,” Rogers said.

“It’s been really great to see people engaging and getting these different stories that maybe we don’t always have time to talk about on the tour.”

The plantation’s mission to tell its own story also is carried over into the new exhibit.

“Whenever you see that okra flower, there will be narratives about people enslaved at Whitney,” Mitchell said.

“We’re using voices from lots

n An artist talk by James Michalopoulos was scheduled for the Cabildo in April, but a power outage scrubbed it.The rescheduled opportunity to hear the artist in the exhibit “Michalopoulos: Mystical Expressionism” will take place at 5:30 p.m.Tuesday. louisianastatemuseum.org. n A Dinner with a Curator event at the National WWII Museum at 6:30 p.m.Tuesday will explore the theme “WWII in the Shadows: Espionage and Counterintelligence in New Orleans.” nationalww2museum.org. n Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kathleen DuVal will explore the impact of the American Revolution on Louisiana and the Gulf South at 6 p.m.Thursday at the Historic New Orleans Collection.The program is free but registration is suggested. hnoc.org. n The first three episodes of the History Channel new documentary series ”World War II with Tom Hanks” will premiere at 7 p.m. May 25. Scholars from the National WWII Museum are interviewed throughout its 20 episodes. history.com. n The exhibit “Cut from a Different Cloth: Fashion Selections from Tulane Special Collections” will close May 29. library.tulane.edu. n The Cabildo will host a free Family Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 30 with a theme of Bernardo de Gálvez and America’s 250th anniversary.

The event is free but registration is suggested. louisianastatemuseum. org.

3206 ST. CHARLES AVE. $2,400,000

717 TOULOUSE ST. $1,695,000

928 ST. ANN $1,998,000

604 ESPLANADE #102 • $465,000 S AR ND N E RO U G IR FA

1022 TOULOUSE BC-22 • $458,000

818 MOSS #101 $265,000

SIX DOUBLES AT 3305 LOYOLA SOLD AS A PACKAGE $998,000

SOLDS

1410 JACKSON AVE $3,062,500 1530 FIRST ST $2,375,000 908 ST. LOUIS ST $2,249,000 1013 RACE ST $1,998,000 918 ST. PHILIP $1,550,000 539 BURGUNDY $1,175,000 1131 DAUPHINE $1,125,000

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3D

lll

SPRING IN OUR STEPS

Nell Nolan

Barrie Benson, Marilee Hovet, Tyson Geary, Anne Woodard

SOCIETY

PHOTOS By KENNy MARTINEZ

Contact: nnolan@theadvocate.com

Kate Orff, Jacqueline Terrebonne, Renee Royale

n Ship Shape The on-site Longue Vue Design Symposium 2026, the spring fundraiser, celebrated the design legacy of landscape architect Ellen Biddle Shipman. Titled “SHIPMANIA: In the spirit of a pioneering woman,” it hailed the above landscape architect (1869-1950) as one of the first American women to lead a major design studio.

Shipman was also “a single mom building a career in a professional environment unfavorable to women.” Furthermore, she was the principal designer of Longue Vue’s eight-acre campus and the interior designer of the 22,000 square-foot historic house. The result: “one of the most important garden estates of the 20th century.”

The opening reception in the Portico Garden featured hors d’oeuvres by Magasin Vietnamese Café, a preview of a new exhibit by artist-in-residence Renee Royale in the LV Playhouse, and a conversation in the Spanish Court (and under a tent hung with string lights) addressing the topic “Design and the Natural Environment” led by native New Orleanian Jacqueline “Jackie”Terrebonne, editor in chief of Galerie magazine, with Renee Royale and landscape architect Kate Orff. The following day, a Thursday, “Setting the Stage: Design and the Theatrical Arts” featured a performance by OperaCréole and a conversation with Givonna Joseph,Aria Mason, and A.J. Allegra. The program closed with a “behind the scenes” of a fashion shoot with The Fashion Council of New Orleans (and DeAndre Beverly).

The day’s activity thanked Mark Brown and Stephen Brint (in honor of Catherine Brown) and Lucianne “Lucie”Whitley (in honor of Andrew T. Whitley) as sponsors.

Friday’s “Design and Interior Environments,” sponsored by Mathilde Currence, Elly Lane, Shelley Massengale, and Marilee Keenan Hovet and Elizabeth Keenan Thompson, featured program principals Renee Royale, Barrie Benson, Martine Chaisson Linares, and a book signing, along with a garden picnic and a closing reception. Community Design Day bannered the Saturday session, which was sponsored by The Erin and Jean Paul Hymel Family Foundation. Free admission to the gardens

n Appreciation In celebration of our Armed Forces, the Greater New Orleans Council of the Navy League of the United States held its annual Military Appreciation Bobbie and David Whiddon Day luncheon at the Metairie Country Club. Several of the enlisted for each branch of the service — Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard — were honored.

Council president John Kelly opened the program that featured retired Captain U.S. Navy William “Bill” Baraldi, chairman of Military Appreciation Day; the Marine Forces Reserve Color Guard for the Parade of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance; and the invocation by chaplain Lt. Jeffrey Owens. Guests then enjoyed a menu of house salad, herb-roasted chicken, and New York-style cheesecake. An impressive arrangement of red roses bedecked the head table.

The program continued with the address by Lt. Gen. Leonard F.Anderson IV, Commander, U. S. Marine

DeAndre Beverly, Lucie Whitley occurred all day.

Headliners included the above, along with Design Symposium 2026 Honoree Judith Tankard, event chairs Tyson Geary and Anne Lykes Woodard, past chairs Catherine Makk and Lauren Doussan, and, from the LV board of directors president Marilee Hovet, vice president Lauren Favret, secretary Dave Maher, treasurer David Gerber, and past presidents Ryan Flanagan (immediate) and Suzanne Dumez. Twenty-five additional directors and 29 host committee members – with some overlap – added social and supportive heft to the happenings. Peggy Floyd was the symposium’s Presenting Sponsor.

After the conclusion of the first day’s “Design and the Natural Environment,” Longue Vue House and Gardens Executive Director Baty Landis, who sported a Shipman scarf, closed with a tribute to both the conversation’s threesome and the attentive audience, saying “All of you are an inspiration… in this commitment to the environment.” Attendees applauded and then huddled and chatted as they admired the tablescapes and reached for the Magasin Vietnamese Café taste treats, such as salad, vegan “crab” cakes, and avocado wraps.

Richard Dragisic, William Brock Schmidt

John Kelly, Lt. Jeffrey Owens, Rear Adm. Erin Acosta, Lt. Gen. Leonard Anderson

Corps Forces Reserve & U.S. Marine Corps Forces South. At the conclusion of his talk, president Kelly and First Ex-Officio Jim Letten Jim Letten, Capt. Andrew McGinly, presented him with a traBill Baraldi ditional gift instituted by the late Lt. Gov. Jimmy Fitzmorris. It was a large four-star Admiral’s Flag with the Louisiana State Pelican, as an honorary symbol of the Louisiana “Navy.”

Others in attendance included Brig. Gen. John Plunkett, Louisiana National Guard; Col. Ryan Reeves, Louisiana Air National Guard; and LTC Nathaniel Weaner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. All thanked Corporate “Star” Sponsors the Marcel J. Damiens Family Foundation and Capt. and Mrs. David Whiddon, USN Ret.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Martha Whitehead, Maj. Gen. David Mize

n Sparkle, Sparkle “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was the attraction for De La Salle’s Maroon and White Gala that had welcoming words in the attractive printed program by school president Paul Kelly and event co-chairs Dana Jamero and Jennifer Radka. The top committee names were those of Monique Bayard and Kady Lamb (auction), Tillie Labbie (class baskets), Karen Evanoski and Heidi Lutz (decorations), Lisa Gonzales (sponsorships), Jazz Davis (beverage and spirits), Barbara Williamson and Karla Petrovich (raffles), and Tillie Labbie and Joanna Maynard (volunteers).

Committee members — almost all were noted — included from A-Z, Chedaphne and Erroll Audrict, Susan Berzas,Ava Bolton, Helen Coello, Shontell Dolliole, Juwanda Ford, Roxanne Huesman, John Jacobs, Holly MacKenna Graffagnini, Diedra Mathis, Shawna Meyer, Larry Michiels, Glenia Palacios,Anila Siddiqui, Maartje van Krieken,Tricia Wallace, Joe Ward, Sherry Watters, and Karen Zollinger. The development team counted STAFF PHOTOS By NELL NOLAN Renée Haasé (a Diamond Tiara Sponsor with alumnus Jennifer Radka, Paul Kelly, Dana Jamero husband Edmond), Caroline Laurent Huber, Cheryl Jarrott, Samantha Joseph, and Frankie Taffaro. They and scores more delighted in the excitement of the silent auction, the Treasure Chest, the fine cuisine, the Tiffany Twist libation station, the band, and the decorations of white drapery, huge pearls, garlands with touches of pink, and Tiffany blue uplighting. Holly Golightly would have nodded in approval.

D PEN

ING

Sandy and Allen Borne

Marsei Marseilles

Chestnut Chestnu

$

$

1.78m

Renee and Edmond Haase Bob and Laure Mineo, Peggy and Ricky Serio

1.84m

D L O S CHRIS AGUGLIA C

$

399k

Constance nstttance ance

$

749k

Laurel

504 250 0335 504.250.0335 5 AgugliA-Homes.COM

LIC CENSED IN LA NEW ORLEANS, LA 504.300.0700

4D ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

DINING SCENE

Decatur ‘block party’ focuses on fun, funky eateries Quarter businesses struggling during prolonged road work Don’t call it a block party, because the blocks aren’t open, and that’s the problem.

Along a stretch of lower Decatur Street in the French Quarter, slow-going infrastructure repairs now in their tenth month have occupied the roadway and put tall construction barrier fences up along the sidewalks.

Ian Small businesses McNulty here are up against WHAT’S it in more ways COOKING than one. The usual boom at Mardi Gras and French Quarter Fest did not materialize for most. With the summer lull on the horizon, they’re desperate for more support.

Cue the not-a-block party.

Decatur Street businesses have banded together to raise awareness under the rallying cry of Defend Decatur, the name for an all-day party on Sunday, May 24.

The bar and music venue Santos (1135 Decatur St.) will open early with a slate of 11 bands starting at 1 p.m. That includes local hard rockers Supagroup (7 p.m.). Other bars and restaurants are ginning up their own specials for the day.

But mostly, Defend Decatur is a self-guided day out to bring some business to a string of shops, restaurants and bars that really need it.

Lately, I’ve been doing the “practice march” version of this, visiting the afflicted blocks for breakfast before a day of downriver errands, returning other days for lunch and dinner and bopping around the bars. This has yielded some fresh finds, including dishes that will bring me back, provided these places can survive.

Coconut cream-filled French toast is topped with bruleed pineapple at French Toast, a breakfast spot on Decatur Street.

STAFF PHOTOS By IAN MCNULTy

A daily counter tracks the duration of the Decatur Street road work disrupting traffic in the French Quarter at Turtle Bay.

LUFU NOLA, an Indian restaurant in New Orleans, serves dishes drawn from regional cooking, including (clockwise from left), chole kulcha, mutton chukka and dahi ke kebab, in addition to cocktails. paving, are slated to be finished in “summer 2026.” The 900 block, where work started later, is slated for completion in “fall 2026.”

Fresh finds

Salt and pepper shrimp is part of the Chinese menu at Zhang Bistro on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

In some of the deserted dining rooms I’ve visited, a handful more customers could change the trajectory of the day. It feels like the COVID-19 days, but isolated just to these blocks (with a similar situation for businesses on the 600 block of St. Peter Street too).

My table was one of just two one afternoon at Zhang Bistro (1141 Decatur St.), where, on a menu split between Chinese and Thai dishes, I swooned for the salt and pepper shrimp.

It’s a Chinese dish I’ve been chasing around town ever since the demise of Kim Son in Gretna in 2018 (where it was dubbed “salt baked”). At Zhang, a light coating barely clings to the shrimp, with wok-charred onions and chiles piled over the top adding layers of flavor.

Across the street, Lebanon Grill (1122 Decatur St.) leads through a narrow entry to a dining room lushly decorated like a Middle Eastern bazaar. My go-to is the chicken shawarma sandwich, with toum, the fluffy white garlic sauce, in grilled flatbread as thin as tortilla. It’s street food to go for

The Decatur difference The French Quarter is a collection of microclimates. The one cultivated along lower Decatur Street, and centered on the 1100 block, has long been particularly varied and colorful, with many small restaurants and bars geared more to locals than visitors and fun shops in between.

People have been coming to this block for years for rabbit jambalaya and smoked duck quesadillas at Coop’s Place (1109 Decatur St.) and a bit more recently for modern Latin American flavors with world-class cocktails in Old World ambiance at Cane & Table (1113 Decatur St.).

Newer is LUFU (1117 Decatur St.), a second location from the Indian chefs who earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod as a “value pick” for their first CBD restaurant (301 St. Charles Ave.) of the same name.

And if I can’t remember the

Le Bouchon Wine is a wine bar and spirits and wine shop on Decatur Street. last time I’ve hitched an elbow on the window counter at Molly’s at the Market (1107 Decatur St.) to watch the sidewalk scene, then I know I’m not living right and rush down to rectify the situation.

That sidewalk scene is dominated by a big green screen on

the fencing these days.

The street construction is needed to replace water mains, begun by the Sewerage & Water Board in August. There is still a ways to go. A S&WB spokesperson reports that the 1100 and 1000 blocks of Decatur, now awaiting

a bar hop, and makes an impressive platter when sliced to dine in.

Just next door, Le Bouchon Wine (1118 Decatur St.) is a laid back wine bar within a wellstocked wine and spirits shop, with grapevine decor winding through the room. Deli cases can supply a picnic at the newlyextended Moon Walk Riverfront Park nearby too.

Bar hopping Every bar on Decatur is like a different tune on the jukebox.

There’s the perpetual twilight of the Abbey (1123 Decatur St.), where the beer and shot combo is still just $5, and the sunnier, neighborhood pub vibe of Turtle Bay (1119 Decatur St.), home to a Tuesday steak deal with a solid filet mignon at the hard-to-beat price of $16.95.

Santos has a punk edge with a friendly wink, and its Monday karaoke night that made me want to grab the mic, if only to sing amid the arena-worthy stage lighting.

And then, between the bars, there’s a cute scoop shop, OK Ice Cream (1129 Decatur St.), serving Quintin’s Ice Cream, including in specialty cones with vanilla or red velvet flavor in the crunchy cone itself.

What’s next?

There are multiple places for pizza, and the adjacent blocks are home to Quarter classics landmarks like the newly-rebuilt muffuletta hub Central Grocery (923 Decatur St.), the storied Italian joint Frank’s (923 Decatur St.) and the updated Creole timepiece Café Sbisa (1011 Decatur St.).

Meanwhile, French Toast (1035 Decatur St.) is just the kind of fresh, not-boring, not-fancy brunch spot anyone would want in their neighborhood.

These are all small, quirky, owner-operated indie places, precisely the type the French Quarter needs to keep its character and relevance to locals.

What’s likely to replace them if they’re forced to close? The answer might not be not small, quirky, owner-operated indie places.

Defend Decatur is an invitation to explore, and do a bit of good by them along the long road they face.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

JODI POWER

Dawnne Keeney

504-261-5247

THE POWER TO BUY AND SELL NEW ORLEANS

504.650.3912

thejoditeamsoldit@yahoo.com

dawnne.keeney@sothebysrealty.com LARGE CUL DE SAC LOT WITH HEATED POOL

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT CONDO

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

19 RUE ROYALE • $1,300,000 4 Beds / 4 Full & 1 Half Baths

760 MAGAZINE ST, APT. 203 $262,000 • 1 Bed / 1 Bath

GORGEOUS RIVER VIEWS

14 ACRE COUNTRY ESTATE IN LETTSWORTH

1056 Elmeer Ave, Metairire, LA 70005 • Licensed in State of Louisiana

OLD ME TA IRIE

OPEN T UES 5/19 • 11:30 - 1:30

BUCK T OWN

NE W L IS T ING

METAIRIE • BONNABEL PLACE

NEW PRICE

2 CANAL ST., #2505 • $6,200,000

17523 HWY 418 • $1,875,000 4 Beds / 4 Full & 2 Half Baths

GOLF COURSE VIEW

PARTIALLY BUILT DREAM HOME ON 1 ACRE

NEW PRICE

NEW PRICE

54 BERESFORD DR. • $2,800,000 6 Beds / 5 Full & 1 Half Baths

137 MIDAY DRIVE • $1,600,000 8 Beds / 7.5+ Baths / 9,232 SqFt

MULTIGENERATIONAL HOME

COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL

1801 RIDGELAKE DRIVE • $1,200,000 Corner Lot, Garage

OLD ME TA IRIE

COMING SOON • DELIMON CONDO

500 RUE SAINT ANN • $599,000 2 Beds, 2 Baths, 1st Floor Corner Unit

OLD METAIRIE NE W L IS T ING

3128 BEAULIEU STREET • $359,000

5537 CANAL BLVD. • $749,000 2Bd/1Ba/1HB Living + 2 Retail

617 Julia Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 | Office 504.944.3605 Each office independently Owned and Operated © 2025 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International ™ is a registered trademarkandusedwithpermission.EachSotheby’sInternationalRealtyofficeisindependentlyowned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All offerings are subject to errors, omissions, changes including price or withdrawal without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity.

4 Beds, 2 Baths & Pool

ME TA IRIE

NEW LISTING

4404 AVRON BLVD • $279,000

SLIDELL

153 KELLY DRIVE • $235,000

OLD METAIRIE

NE W ORLE A NS WHS DIS TRIC T

356 W. LIVINGSTON AVENUE $1,539,000

4421 ST. CHARLES AVE 333 JULIA STREET $425,000 CONDO • $249,900

S O L D

W G NE TIN S LI

NE W L IS T ING

3 Beds, 2 Baths, 1,546 SqFt, Updtd, Cathedral Ceilgs

S O L D

1029 AURORA AVENUE

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION!

3 Beds, 2 Baths, 1,357 SqFt, Deep Lot

2 Beds, 1 Bath, 1,125 SqFt, Plus Bonus Room

METAIRIE

NEW PRICE

623 BONNABEL BLVD. • $624,999 4 Beds / 3 Full & 1 Half Baths

1375 CHOCTAW AVENUE • $435,000

S O L D

LAKEVIEW / LAKEWOOD SOUTH S O L D

PENDING

GRETNA S O L D

Fully reimagined 4 Bed, 2.5 Bath, 2,297 SqFt home by RJ Construction & Neyrey Design featuring one-level living, spainspired primary suite, chef’s kitchen with premium appliances, new fortified roof/systems, fireplace, energy-efficient windows, oversized lot, and builder warranty, plus office/playroom flexibility throughout. X Flood Zone. Call for details.

$635,000 D: 504.722.7640 | O: 504.891.6400 www.TriciaKing.com | Tricia.King@compass.com

214 E WILLIAM DAVID PKWY $1,230,000

5456 BELLAIRE DRIVE 395 FAIRFIELD AVE $775,000 $635,000

Uptown - 7934 Maple St., New Orleans Garden District - 2734 Prytania St., New Orleans Licensed in LA

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 5D

lll

TRAVEL

Finding the most interesting path

Author’s travel advice: is to get lost, like, that’s what “That’s how you play most you really, really want. What interesting path. It’s, like, oh, Being present in the you’re doing is you’re asking that’s interesting, and you go your curiosity to be engaged and look at it. You can live your weirdness with the presence of the mo- whole life this way. And you

BY ERIC BOWMAN TravelPulse (TNS)

Elizabeth Gilbert invited me to play a game, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Giving the keynote speech to a crowd of over 1,600 attendees at the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam this past March, the author of “Eat, Pray, Love,” didn’t spend Gilbert her time highlighting bucket list favorites or must-see attractions.

Instead, she talked about anxiety. Specifically, what she calls “Purpose Anxiety”: the crushing weight of feeling like we must maximize every second, monetize our passions, and leave a world-changing legacy. For travelers, this often manifests as a frantic need to “do” a destination correctly.

The cure? A simple, radical shift from purpose to presence. To achieve this, Gilbert shared her favorite tool for navigating the world: The Most Interesting Path Game.

“You go out of your hotel or your ship if you’re staying shipboard, and you look to your left, look straight ahead, you look to your right, and you make — without your phone by the way — you make a conscientious decision in the moment of which path looks the most interesting,” Gilbert told the crowd. “The phone is good to have with you because it’ll get you back home. What you want

ment. So, this is the important thing. Don’t go in the direction you think you should, that you have some sort of voice telling you should go. What you do is you’re just like, what catches your eye?”

Gilbert shared with the crowd that the opposite of anxiety isn’t relaxation — it’s curiosity. She said anxiety and curiosity live on opposite sides of a “toggle switch” in the brain. You cannot be truly anxious while you are genuinely curious.

“Purpose is always focused on an obsession with the future,” Gilbert told the crowd.

“Nothing will bring more anxiety to your life than being focused on the future. If you want to suffer, get a future.”

To break that future-focused loop while traveling, Gilbert suggests dropping the “shoulds” — the museums you feel obligated to visit or the landmarks you’re “supposed” to see — and playing a game that forces you into the mystery of the present.

“I was recently in Germany, and I was playing most interesting path, and I came out of my hotel room, and I was looking… and I saw that somebody had taken a whole bunch of potted plants outside of their house in Cologne — like the pots were red and orange and pink, so it’s a very conservative city, but somebody had decided to take all of these different colored pots, and they had all of these house plants outside. And it caught the corner of my eye. So, I went and looked at it. That’s the entirety of that story,” Gilbert said, as the crowd burst into laughter.

would have an incredible life.”

To illustrate the power of being present in the “weirdness” of travel, Gilbert shared a recent experience at a German spa. Finding herself in a “textile-free” (entirely naked) environment where she didn’t know the language or the rules, she was forced to simply watch and participate.

“I had no idea what was going on,” she laughed. “I was present to this giant, hairy German man rubbing ice on my body for some reason.

Not what I expected to happen when I woke up, but I was there.”

This, she argues, is the true value of travel. It bumps us out of “past depression and future anxiety” and leads us into moments that cannot be planned or replicated.

If you feel “Purpose Anxiety” creeping in during your trip, Gilbert recommends this sensory countdown to lower your cortisol and heart rate instantly by identifying four things you can hear, three things you can feel physically, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

“Life is not a mystery to be solved,” Gilbert said. “It’s a mystery to be lived.”

The Most Interesting Path game is a fun one. I’ve played this get lost type game in Amsterdam before, the last time when I visited with my wife.

This time, going solo provided some exciting moments that led to some great pictures, as well as a story or two that’s best told in person.

So, where will you play The Most Interesting Path game next?

FILE PHOTO By LIZ CONDO

Great blue herons are plentiful sights in Lake Martin. They are just one variety of the many wading birds that nest every year at the Nature Conservancy’s Cypress Island Preserve, which includes the lake.

7 places to get lost in La. Staff report As Elizabeth Gilbert suggests, The Most Interesting Path Game allows people to embrace the “weirdness” that travel often presents. The goal is to get lost in a new city and embrace your curiosity. Here are seven places that serve as a starting point to get lost in Louisiana.

1. Jackson Square, bound by Chartres Sreet and St. Ann Street, Decatur Street and St. Peter Street, New Orleans — Easily one of the most recognizable places in Louisiana, Jackson Square sees over 2 million tourists and locals each year, according to nola.gov.

2. Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd., Baton Rouge. The old state capitol is now a museum used to educate the public on the state’s history and the democratic process.

3. Cypress Island Preserve, Lake Martin, 1264 Prairie Highway, St. Martinville.

Acadiana residents know Lake Martin well, a quick getaway from Lafayette that attracts thousands of egrets, Roseate spoonbills and herons to nest along its cypress-tupelo woody shores with gators and other critters to spot in the water.

4. The Myrtles, 7747 U.S. 61, St. Francisville. The historic site once served as a cotton and indigo plantation, established in 1796. Today, the site offers tours, 20 guest rooms, a full-service restaurant and seasonal events.

5. Cane River Creole National Historical Park, 4386 La. 494, Natchez. The historical park was established in 1994 to preserve the resources and cultural landscapes of the Cane River region in Natchitoches Parish. Located along Cane River Lake, the park is approximately 63 acres.

6. Poverty Point World Heritage Site, 6859 La. 577, Pioneer. It’s estimated that the people who built the tallest mound at the Poverty Point UNESCO World Heritage Center in northeast Louisiana carried 15.5 million 50-pound basket-loads of soil, or 390,000 tons, to build it. The people of Poverty Point were huntergatherers, and at the time it was built, its earthworks were the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

7. Abita Mystery House, 22275 La. 36, Abita Springs. Also known as the UCM Museum, the mystery house was founded

by John Preble. The site is a roadside attraction and self-guided folk art museum with thousands of handmade displays.

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

By Christopher Elliott

Hilton timeshare downgrade has left customer in limbo I recently upgraded our Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare, but I really can’t afford it. I want to return to our original agreement, which I can honor fully.

I’ve contacted Hilton multiple times over several months.

Representatives have told me not Christopher to make payments while they Elliott handled the issue. But now my account shows delinquency and my credit score has dropped 43 points.

How can I fix this? — Henry Pash, Woodstock, Ga. You did the responsible thing by reaching out quickly to reverse the upgrade and before you used any of the benefits. But the company’s delayed responses and conflicting instructions have made the situation much worse.

When a representative tells you not to make a payment, you rely on that guidance — but unfortunately, it triggered a credit drop, which is completely unacceptable.

Before I go any further, and for the benefit of everyone reading this, let me say

that you could have avoided this problem by running the numbers before you upgraded your membership, not afterward. Timeshares are easy to get into, but harder (and sometimes impossible) to get out of.

You kept a detailed paper trail, which really helped your case. Every email, voicemail and call note you’ve logged is essential.

That documentation is what gives you leverage when a company doesn’t follow through on its promises.

In cases like this, it’s often your only protection against automated billing systems or internal miscommunication.

You also have consumer protections on your side.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Hilton must correct any inaccurate information on your credit report promptly.

Your account should never have remained delinquent while the upgrade reversal was unresolved. The Truth in Lending Act requires clear disclosure of your obligations and proper handling of payments during disputes.

And don’t forget, many

Join us in a conversation about eating, drinking and cooking in New Orleans.

> wherenolaeats

states have timeshare laws allowing you to cancel or reverse an upgrade within a certain period. These statutes give you legal leverage if the company stalls or gives you conflicting advice.

Unfortunately, while you requested a reversal quickly after your purchase, you appear to have missed the state-mandated window.

Persistence is key. Keep escalating politely but firmly when local offices fail to re-

spond. Copy higher-level executives and maintain your written record. (I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the Hilton Grand Vacations executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.) That combination of patience, assertiveness and documentation is usually what separates a successful resolution from a drawn-out mess.

I reached out to the company on your behalf. After

months of back-and-forth, Hilton Grand Vacations agreed to reverse your upgrade transaction. Your account has been returned to the original time slot, and Hilton Grand Vacations has refunded your $4,500 down payment.

Best of all, your credit score is back, too.

You got lucky. You requested a downgrade after your cooling-off period, but the level of ambiguity in the

company’s statements to you gave you a strong case for a reversal. But as they say, don’t try this at home.

Once you’ve made any kind of timeshare transaction, chances are you can’t undo it that easily.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org.

6D ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

BOOKS

ä For area book events, go to

WWW.NOLA.COM/ENTERTAINMENT_LIFE/ BOOKS

BETWEEN THE PAGES WITH JOE BOND

Novelist draws on experience in group homes for new book

BY JOY HOLDEN

Staff writer

Joe Bond is an award-winning short story writer whose debut novel “Hope House” explores the lives of a group of troubled teenage boys in a treatment program in the late 1980s. Bond, who now lives in New Orleans with his family, grew up around similar group homes in eastern Kentucky and began working in them when he was still in high school. He heard firsthand the stories of hundreds of boys and followed their journeys from intake to aftercare.

He began drafting “Hope House” after his story Bond “Damico” won The Masters Review Short Story Award. Octavia Books in New Orleans will host the book launch for “Hope House” from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 19. The book comes out on May 26.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

What was your inspiration for writing “Hope House?”

I grew up around homes that my dad ran. From my earliest memory, he was a counselor in a group home, and he would take me to work with him. I was around the boys from the time I was four or five years old through high school. Our lives as family were just inextricable from the kids that my dad cared for. In the summers during college, I would work day shifts, coach the softball team and coach the basketball team.

The home becomes its own world. There are a lot of good kids with so many impossible situations, and there are people working in the field that care about them.

Tell me about how you fashioned these young men and gave them their own identities in the book.

The home was in eastern Kentucky, but we had kids from all over the state — from around Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, the mountains and everywhere. None of the characters are stand-ins for kids I knew, but they’re all based on the truths I knew about the kids I was around.

We had really smart, sharp, charming kids who had been through the system and did not trust you because they had been through other homes. They knew when you cared about them, and they knew when you didn’t. It took time to earn that trust, and they could make changes.

They’re outsiders in the real world. They can come together inside the house, but it doesn’t really change their standing outside the home.

How did you develop the characters’ back stories?

I wanted to make the kids as complicated as they were in real life. None of them should come off as caricatures. All of the kids I knew were complex, and I think the back stories were about humanizing them, showing them the context of their lives.

They’d done stuff, but things had also been done to them.

With each kid, I wanted to make them fully human and also not make them little innocent angels, because none of them were. They made mistakes, and they did things. But to understand those mistakes, you’ve got to understand their situation. I tried to create a full picture of all of that.

Why do you think it’s important for people to engage with fiction stories like this?

I think it reveals something in all of us. We need to find our people, our tribe.

We’re pretty divided as a country, and then you see all these kids who’ve been through so much and are so different. They find what’s common about each other, and they help each other. They argue with each other and fight with each other, but at the end of the day, they really care about each other.

Humanity is there, and this is the kind of setting that brings it out. And that’s what I saw in real life. It’s a difficult place, but the boys find a way to care about each other there.

I really liked how the peers kept each other accountable. Why did you choose to set up “Hope House” like that?

It’s based on what I grew up around. I think that peers have way more influence on other kids than adults do, so it can be a really powerful setup — if you have a good culture.

If you have a bad culture, and you give the kids too much power, it can be really bad, and it can be a mistake. The kids need to feel like they’re in control, but the adults still could be in control. If it’s a good culture, the kids are holding each other accountable and modeling for each other.

What are you hoping the response will be, and what does “Hope House” mean to you?

I started working on the first story, probably, in 2018. It’s been a long process. I used to think I just wanted to write a book, and it really didn’t matter to me if a lot if people read it. I was happy with the idea of just writing something and it being good.

Now, having actually written the book, it really matters. I really want people to read it. I want people to care about these kids.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@theadvocate.com.

A literary LIFE RAFT

Jesmyn Ward’s voice a poignant reflection on times of despair, hopelessness and her family in Mississippi

BY RIEN FERTEL Contributing writer

“On Witness and Respair,” by Jesmyn Ward, Scribner, 256 pages.

Jesmyn Ward remembers seeing the Mississippi Literary Map on the wall of her elementary school library. Iconic names and faces — Faulkner, Welty and Wright — staring out from the confines of a state that might have then ranked last in the nation among most childhood education and well-being indicators but punched Review above its weight when it came to literature.

Before she read their work, Ward recognized these writers — most all writers — as “magic-workers.”

“I could already sense the worlds they constructed,” Ward writes in her new book, “On Witness and Respair.” “Why couldn’t I just step through from my world into theirs?”

It should come as no surprise to those who know her work that Ward’s own face now graces that map. The professor of creative writing at Tulane University is a MacArthur Genius Grant-winning author of four novels, including two, “Salvage the Bones” and “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” that have won the National Book Award.

But I much prefer her heart-crushing 2013 memoir, “Men We Reaped,” which documents the tragic deaths of five young men in her life, including her younger brother, Joshua. It is, in my mind, one of the best works of nonfiction published this century.

“On Witness and Respair,” Ward’s first essay collection, traces the familiar contours and themes of the author’s life: growing up in DeLisle, Mississippi, the joys and struggles of being Black in America and her unwavering devotion to literature.

Though each of the essays, minus the introduction, have previously appeared in print, this is an invaluable collection for Ward’s fans and a terrific introduction to one of the most powerful, and graceful, voices in American literature today.

Ward’s collection is foremost a love letter to the act and art of reading.

Octavia Butler provides a “template for how to survive, how to thrive, in broken worlds.”

Toni Morrison heals her “invisible, starved tribe, fed for years with false fruit: caricature and stereotype.”

Resisting expectations

But it’s not all literary valentines. A reading of “Gone with the Wind” in junior high left Ward feeling “angry. Aware. More lonely than I had ever been.” But it also became the novel that “taught me much about America, the South, how others saw me,” a book that “made me want to resist those expectations and be something more.”

When Ward is not focusing on books, she turns her authorial gaze to people.

There’s a few skippable essays here: promotional profiles of Regina King, Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ava DuVernay.

Though engaging when they first appeared in print, they feel inessential years later.

Few writers are better than ‘Tell it straight’ Ward at meditating on the meaning of family and home.

In an essay titled “Why FicThe collection contains her tion Matters,” delivered at first published piece of work, the Library of Congress in “We Don’t Swim in Our Ceme2023, Ward reveals the roots of her love for literature. She teries,” a reflection on Katrina describes her maternal grandthat feels as vital today in understanding the hurricane’s mother, Dorothy, as “the first before and aftershocks as it storyteller of my life,” born did when it first appeared in into a “a long line of storyprint nearly two decades ago. keepers and tale-tellers, part of “Even after that which you a lineage of Americans griots love dies,” she writes of the who remembered the truth of who we were and what we’d PROVIDED PHOTO By BEOWULF SHEEHAN death of the small town she knew before the storm, “the been through and passed it Author Jesmyn Ward love you have for it does not along.” die. Grief is learning to live She mentored Ward not to ignore the pain life brings, to carry life’s tribulations with that love.”

In a more recent essay, she writes of her relucinto her own work.

“Tell it straight,” Dorothy taught. “Tell it all.” tance to raise a Black son in the United States and She does exactly that, writing of the struggles wrestles with how to answer her son’s future quesher family bore throughout her childhood, troubles tions about the young men she calls his “phantom that still plague Black children and families in Mis- siblings”: Trayvon, Tamir and Emmett.

“I will be denying his childhood,” she writes. sissippi.

“Burdening him with understanding beyond his “I carry the poverty of my Mississippi youth years. Darkening his innocence.” forward with me: By remembering the emptiness Yet, she helps readers understand that her deciinside me,” Ward writes.

“By remembering how that emptiness permesion is a necessary one.

The title of Ward’s collection contains the rare ated every bit of me. How I was hungry in my belly word “respair” and not, as many a less careful scan and ravenous to fill my brain with something that would one day help ensure that I would not be hun- might render, its homonym and close-ish synonym, “repair.” gry forever.”

In respair — meaning, per the “Oxford English She turns to books, and as a teenager, Ward beDictionary,” “fresh hope, or recovery from decame a voracious reader, “inhaling a title a day.”

Black writers writing Black characters mattered spair” — she has settled on the single perfect word most. Reading Ntozake Shange’s “for colored girls to define her writing, which burns with rage as it who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is provides hope, offering a literary life raft in our enuf” on a school bus “was a revelation.” In those time — any time — of desperation. pages, she hears the generational voices of the We should all bear witness to Ward’s words. Read women in her family. and respair.

She hears her own voice, revealed like “my secret identity that I yearned to embrace, the aspira- Rien Fertel is the author of four books. He can be reached at rienfertel@gmail.com. tional writer.”

THIS WEEK’S BESTSELLERS FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HARDCOVER FICTION

1. “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke 2. “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans 3. “The Throne of Broken Gods (deluxe ed.)” by Amber V. Nicole 4. “Purple State” by Dana Perino 5. “Hope Rises” by David Baldacci 6. “Starside (deluxe ed.)” by Alex Aster 7. “Blood Bound (deluxe ed.)” by Ellis Hunter 8. “The Mother-Daughter Book Club”

by Patterson/Patterson 9. “We Burned So Bright” by TJ Klune 10. “It’s in His Kiss (deluxe ed.)” by Julia Quinn

HARDCOVER NONFICTION

1. “Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I’ve Cried About” by Isabel Klee 2. “Strangers” by Belle Burden 3. “One Scan Saved My Life” by Shira Kupperman Boehler 4. “Through Mom’s Eyes” by Sheinelle Jones 5. “Start with Yourself” by Emma Grede 6. “How to Start” by Jodi Kantor 7. “Famesick” by Lena Dunham 8. “London Falling” by Patrick Radden Keefe 9. “Rewired” by Ortner/Ortner/Ortner 10. “Knowing” by Touré Roberts

TRADE PAPERBACK

1. “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi 2. “King of Gluttony” by Ana Huang 3. “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman 4. “Game On” by Navessa Allen 5. “Bulletproof” by K.M. Moronova 6. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt 7. “Dear Debbie” by Freida McFadden 8. “Want to Know a Secret?” by Freida McFadden 9. “The Summer Hikaru Died, Vol. 7”

by Mokumokuren 10. “Verity” by Colleen Hoover

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 7D

lll

As days lengthen in Louisiana, remember the promise of rest As summer approaches and the days lengthen across Louisiana, I’ve been thinking again about evensong, a tradition that nudges us to treasure each day, however long, because it must eventually yield to rest.

I had written last year about evensong, an end-of-day religious service with deep roots in the Anglican Church. The brief liturgy usually includes tranquil choral songs and short prayers that are meant to put the day to bed. When my wife and I visited England in 2019, we tried to see as much as we could.

But the evensong programs we attended at Bath Abbey and Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford reminded us that experi-

Danny Heitman AT RANDOM

ences can be empty if we don’t take time to reflect on what we’ve seen, felt and done.

After our friend Catherine Harrell learned how much we’d enjoyed evensong in England, she invited us to share an evensong service at Baton Rouge’s St. James Episcopal Church.

“It was moving to see all the singers filing in, a shared witness to the beauty of the day dimming

toward twilight,” I told readers last year. “While the service unfolded, the light behind the church’s stained glass windows slowly mellowed as the sun sank lower outside.”

All of this came back to mind last month when I read a newspaper story from London about some new challenges for evensong in England. As attendance declines in some houses of worship and costs rise, many congregations are struggling to keep evensong going. It’s a problem that’s worrying those beyond the Anglican faith, as Associated Press journalist Danica Kirka pointed out, because evensong is a part of Great Britain’s wider history and culture.

One scholar told Kirka that the

Email Danny Heitman at danny@dannyheitman.com.

corridor, known for many years as home to Harry’s Ace Hardware, was reinvigorated for its second century of life apropos to the evolving commercial character of Magazine Street. Both the industrial elements of the building’s architecture and the Classical Revival-influenced brick façade were retained while the rejuvenated building, illuminated by large display windows at night, was adapted for contemporary retail and office use.

“There wasn’t anybody in the

community that wasn’t heartbroken when Harry’s Ace Hardware closed,” said Stokes. “We see it’s been reborn as a beautiful example of architectural rehabilitation, and we’re very appreciative of the work.”

Located in the Lower Garden District, the rehabilitation of the former Sara T. Mayo Hospital as The Jackson apartments stands as a striking, four-fold example of adaptive reuse. In addition to saving a piece of midcentury architecture, the project preserves the legacy of pioneering physician, feminist and social reformer Sara T. Mayo, who founded the original hospital in 1905. It brings needed mixed-income housing to the housing market and initiates revitalization of a blighted portion of Jackson Avenue.

The rehabilitation and restoration project of an 1834 building within the Vieux Carre Historic District checks multiple boxes as a win for preservation. Most recently home to K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, the building had undergone years of restaurant build-out that had obscured much of its original architecture and natural light. The project, which transformed the property into a fabrication and studio facility for the Historic New Orleans Collection, saved an important French Quarter building while supporting the HNOC’s cultural mission.

“From single-family homes to landmarks that define our city, we celebrate the award-winning teams who demonstrate how we build matters as much as what we build,” said Stokes.

The Louisiana Landmarks Society 2026 Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation will be presented with a program and reception May 20 at Gallier Hall.

For details, tickets and the complete list of winning projects and their teams, see louisianalandmarks.org

LANDMARKS Continued from page 1D

A prominent Queen Anne-style residence listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Second Empire mansion on the edge of the Vieux Carre, and a 19th-century building with a double-gallery façade highlight refined modes of residential design.

The Creole cottage, in disrepair and on the verge of demolition before its refurbishment, boasts the added benefit of restoring lost housing to its Bayou St. John neighborhood. The cottage was built as a double and later converted to single-family use.

The rehabilitation preserved the vernacular cottage form and exterior envelope while giving the interior a renewed duplex layout.

“The wide variety of residential architecture shows the diversity of the city,” Stokes said. “And it was refreshing to see a single turned back into a double. It adds to the housing market.”

Two buildings originally designed for educational environments are lauded. Richardson Memorial Hall, an early 20th-century Richardsonian Romanesque building that houses the Tulane School of Architecture, combines a comprehensive rehabilitation of the imposing, historic structure with a sizable but visually subordinate rear addition.

The historic Holy Cross School, a stately landmark of the Lower 9th Ward on the Mississippi River, is an example of both adaptive reuse and the power of community advocacy. Designed in 1895 by architect James Freret, the building sat vacant and deteriorating after Hurricane Katrina.

In 2018, the Landmarks Society named the school one of the nine most endangered sites in the city.

New ownership and sustained

527 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE. BEFORE AND AFTER

KARAOKE

Continued from page 1D Rockabye offers something a little different than karaoke staples like Kajun’s and Cat’s Meow.

There’s no stage, no bar and no DJ taking bribes for better spots in line.

It’s just you, whoever you came with and a couple of microphones in a room. But Miller described it as a near transcendent experience akin to that of those old dance halls, one in which fears are overcome, lifelong bonds are formed and microphones are pried from the hands of once staunch karaoke deniers at the end of the night.

“It’s play, it’s joy in a way that you don’t experience,” Miller said.

“Communal singing is, like, very, very healing.”

A vote of confidence like that is impossible to ignore. So we at The Times-Picayune, dedicated as always to fact-checking and

609 JACKSON AVE. BEFORE AND AFTER

community advocacy ultimately ensured it was appropriately rehabilitated and returned to active use as an anchor of the neighborhood.

“We were thrilled with this new vision that once again made the (former) school the focal point of the community,” Stokes said.

Other winning projects, including two used for commercial purposes, stand out as models of how successful preservation considers its surroundings. A team that included artist James

Michalopoulos reimagined the former Schoen Funeral Home complex as the 12-room Hotel Pompadour, respecting the original architectural integrity of the structures and maintaining the scale and character of the Marigny streetscape.

The colorful, artsy conversion demonstrates, in Stokes’ words, “that thoughtful development can honor the soul of a historic neighborhood.”

A longstanding commercial landmark on the Magazine Street

830 DESIRE ST. BEFORE AND AFTER

truth, decided to check it out for ourselves.

Let’s get it started Like at most karaoke boxes, the goal at Rockabye is to minimize stage fright and maximize fun.

The three rooms are thoroughly soundproofed for privacy and feature rainbow party lights, a big screen, multiple microphones, an impressive sound system and plenty of seating for 10 to 25 wannabe stars. You can bring your own snacks and booze — which is likely necessary for the releasing of inhibitions — and each room comes with a caddy stocked with ice, cups and a variety of mixers.

At a rate of $15 per person, per hour, plus a 20% per hour service charge, it’s certainly not as cheap as going to the local dive and toughing it out in line. While walk-ins are welcome, Miller said it’s best to reserve rooms ahead of time online at rockabyekaraoke. com, and a deposit is required at booking.

1354 MOSS ST. BEFORE AND AFTER

But here at Rockabye, you don’t have to listen to that weird tonedeaf guy butcher “Sweet Caroline.” Instead, you can sing along as your tone-deaf friend screams Queen. It’s your own private party, where you can choose from 90,000 songs and adjust the volume, key and tempo.

“What I’ve seen over and over again is this is a place for celebrations,” Miller said. “This is birthday parties, this is bachelorette parties, this is kids’ birthday parties on the weekends during the daytime.”

us to spend every waking moment on the next urgent thing, maybe the idea of powering down at the close of the day is too strange for many of us to embrace.

I’m looking forward to my next evensong service, but in the meantime, I’m trying to bring its ideals into my household routines.

That means retiring my phone at least an hour before bedtime, stepping away from the TV and sitting quietly with a book or my own thoughts as the sun sets.

At their best, these small habits have given me what we all want each day — namely, a happy ending.

practice of evensong centuries ago helped spread the development and reach of the English language.

Reading Kirka’s story, I was heartened by the thought that America’s mother tongue had found its voice within a daily observance meant to foster calm. At a time when language is so often weaponized on social media and in other forms of public conversation, it’s inspiring to connect with the brighter possibility that words can be sources of centeredness and peace.

I was also moved to wonder whether evensong might be facing another headwind that Kirka didn’t mention. In an age when smartphones and binge-watching tempt

4417 DRYADES ST. BEFORE AND AFTER

his head in repeatedly over the next 20 minutes — during which not one single song was sung — offering to help us get started. Ultimately it was me who had to break the ice, though, partly because I was the one who forced everyone out for karaoke and also because my boss told me I had to.

I can’t remember ever doing a worse rendition of Cher’s “Believe.”

But Ian McNulty, the knowledgeable food writer he is, brought a box of liquid courage from Patron Saint, which, along with St. Pizza, is conveniently close by. The pile Don’t stop believin’ of snacks and drinks littering the The thought of going into a small room only expanded as more of room with 15 of your co-workers our colleagues trickled in, and and singing in front of them may soon the juices were flowing and sound intimidating — almost more the setlist was growing. intimidating than singing to a We are family crowd of strangers.

Turns out it is.

I can’t pinpoint exactly where After leading The Times-Pica- things turned. Maybe it was when yune group to our room in early staff writer Jenna Ross chose April and giving us a crash course Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own,” or in song selection, Miller popped when reporter Chelsea Shannon

chose “Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer.

But midway through our two hours at Rockabye, we weren’t the same bashful group standing timidly around the screen. We practically screamed “Bohemian Rhapsody,” danced together to the Dixie Chicks and, giddy with adrenaline, emphatically cheered each and every song choice.

Miller was right — there’s something healing about singing together, about overcoming the awkward and uncomfortable and finding the freedom waiting on the other side.

In the end, Miller had to cut our mics and force us out. As consolation, he let each attendee choose between two stickers bearing opposing sentiments: “I lost my voice at Rockabye,” or “I found my voice at Rockabye.”

Throat scratchy and cheeks sore from laughing, I chose the former.

But really I knew we’d all found each other at Rockabye.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey. bubnash@theadvocate.com.

8D ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

AT THE TABLE Flower farm’s bounty results in blackberry crumble bars On a quiet Sunday afternoon, my daughter and I wandered into a pick-yourown flower farm in St. Martinville. The air carried the warm, green scent of early summer, and rows of zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers stretched under a wide Louisiana sky at St. Rose Flower Farm. Armed with a pair Olivia of borrowed Regard clippers and a bucket that seemed far too large at first, we set out to create our own imperfect masterpiece.

My daughter approached each bloom with careful consideration, as if she were choosing something far more consequential than a flower — tilting her head, comparing colors, sometimes stepping back before committing to the cut.

I watched her hands learn the quiet language of selection and care, realizing how rare it is to have an afternoon that moves at such an unhurried pace. Together, we gathered stems, arranging them loosely as we went, the bouquet growing into something both wild and intentional.

After the flowers, we meandered through the blackberry brambles. The berries hung low and ripe, warm from the sun, staining our fingertips with deep purple as we picked.

My daughter called out each time she found a particularly plump cluster, which made filling our basket an easy task. There was a kind of abundance there — simple, generous and shared.

St. Rose Flow Farm is named after St. Rose of Lima, the patron saint for gardeners, who, as a young girl, would gather flowers to sell in the marketplace of her town. There is some-

5. Gradually incorporate flour mixture into butter mixture until combined.

Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough in a small bowl.

Press remaining dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.

6. Bake dough until the edges are lightly browned, approximately 15 minutes.

Let cool while preparing filling.

7. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring blackberries, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the blackberries break down and re-

SANDY WARD PHOTOS By OLIVIA REGARD

Blackberry Crumble Bars

Blackberry Crumble Bars Makes 12-18 servings; Recipe adapted from Bake from Scratch

For the dough and crumble: 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 21/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup old-fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt For the filling: 18 ounces blackberries 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rows of zinnias, cosmos and sunflowers stretch under a wide Louisiana sky at St. Rose Flower Farm in St. Martinville. thing enduring in that image: a child finding purpose and beauty in small, daily labor.

And, although we were not preparing our flowers or berries for sale, I felt a quiet kinship in the act — hands busy with stems and fruit, shaping something lovely out of what the earth had offered freely.

We left with a bouquet cradled gently between us and

RELOCATING? WANT A NEW LIFESTYLE? FIND YOUR PRICE RANGE! OPEN TODAY 12 - 2 OPEN TODAY 2 - 4

a container of blackberries that promised a delicious treat, though there was concern the berries might not make the car ride home.

More than that, we carried with us the softness of a day spent together — sunlit, unhurried and rooted in the gentle joy of gathering.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare a 9-inch square pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper.

3. Whisk together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, and salt.

For more information on St. Rose Flower Farm, visit www.stroseflowerfarm.com.

BONNIE J. MOREL 3001 GENERAL DEGAULLE DRIVE, 504-912-9997 SUITE B | NEW ORLEANS, LA 70114 504-362-1823

BMorel71@aol.com 105 NEW ORLEANS ST.

NEW PRICE + BONUS

NEW LISTING

6925 CANAL BLVD, 70124 $1,325,000/ 16 YRS OLD

10 MILLWOOD COURT, 70072 $539,000

Queen Anne style in Lakeview, Upgrades, 6 bds, Heat-salt water pool

19 yrs old/Cul-da-sac Redone-Personality extraordinaire 4 bdrms, Indoor-outdoor living

1773-75 N. DORGENOIS PRICE DROP $420,000 Wide dble, lg yard, 2 drways, liv, din, Chef’s kit, 2 bd-2 ba ea

634 DODGE AVENUE

BELLE CHASSE • $249,900 Customize this 3Bds/2Bas home w/ spacious layout, fenced yard w/ 2 sheds, covered patio, garage.

LICENSED IN STATE OF LA

1112 KEPLER STREET

JEFFERSON • $219,500 GRETNA • $195,900 Adorable 3Bds/2Bas home w/ enclosed Adorable 3Bds/1Ba w/ Wd Flrs, Liv, patio, mud room, shed, huge fenced Din, Kit & tons of Nat’l Light. Off St yard, newer roof & A/C, X Flood Zone. Prkg w/carport, fncd yd & much more!

21365 SOUTHERN PINES

1122 10TH ST

25065 HEMPHILL ROAD

PONCHATOULA • $174,900 Charming Starter Home! 3 Bds / 2 Bas. Open liv room w/ kitchen + din, 3 porches, fenced lot, off-st pkg.

GRETNA • $1,900/MO Freshly renovated 2Bds/1Ba w/ oversized yard, off-street parking, & convenient Old Gretna location.

BUSH • $475,900 Charming retreat on 10 acres overlooking pond! 3 Bds / 2 Bas. Dining room w/ wood deck. 2 car garage w/ office.

FOR RENT

1419 MILAN STREET, UNIT 206 2 Bds/1.5 Ba / 1 Designated Parking $1,600/MO • NEW RENTAL 1 Block to St. Charles / On site manager Babineaux & Babineaux, Home Sale Partners Realtors Licensed in Louisiana

Linda Babineaux 504-957-8014 (c) J. Babineaux 504-813-8460 (c) At Compass Historic Maple Street Office 7934 Maple St. N.O., LA 70118 | 504-861-7575 (O)

SHEILA JULIEN 504-782-8180 sheila.julien@compass.com

Historic Office | 504-948-3011 840 Elysian Fields Avenue, NOLA 70117

FOR SALE LIVE ON THE AVENUE!

BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED

DEMAND AREA

CALL FOR A PRIVATE SHOWING!!!

LITTLE FARMS AREA

238 LITTLE FARMS 3915 ST CHARLES 1201 CANAL ST. AVENUE $389,000 UNIT 561 $229,000 AVENUE $315,000

2 BEDS, 2 BATH, PARADE ROUTE CONDO

1 BED, 1 BATH, 640 SQ FT

3 BEDS, 2 BATHS & BONUS ROOM 1,584 SQFT

Licensed in Louisiana 138 N. Cortez St. New Orleans, LA 70119

(504) 210-2014 tommycrane.com

331 36th St 4628 Frenhmen St 2318 Vienna St (lot) h 4101 Dauphine St 2404 St Claude 3809 Dauphine St 1930 Burgundy St 914-16 Congress St 3423 Chartres St 5700 St Claude Ave

$499,000 4430 S Johnson St 4427 Fountainebleau Dr $449,000 $324,900 1430 Jackson Ave $199,000 g Oaks Washington

$715,000 $249,000 4440 Bancroft Dr $49,000 846-48 Roosevelt Pl

$1 198 000 $1,198,000 $650,000 2846 Grand Route Saint John $595,000 4516 Banks St $499,000 $689,000 $ 4812-14 Conti St $350,000 $670,000 $339,000 $479,000 1919-21 S Rendon St $369,000 $450,000 3804 Banks St y St $ $335,000 , $319,000 411-13 S Hennesssey Holy Cross $250,000 $125,000 626 St Maurice Ave $229,000

WonderingWhatYourPropertyIsWorth?

Schedule today for aFREE comparative market analysis!

Our team of professionals is ready to help you buy, sell or invest.

504.210.2014 • cranenola.com

lease most of their juices.

8. In a small bowl whisk together cornstarch and lemon juice.

9. Stir cornstarch mixture into blackberry mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and translucent.

10. Pour filling onto the prepared crust. Crumble the reserved dough on top.

11. Bake for 15 minutes, then loosely cover with foil to prevent excess browning. Bake another 10 minutes until the bars are golden brown (approximately 20-25 minutes total).

LIVING

504-259-2616

504-475-1011 Licensed in Louisiana

EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED.

2704 WHITNEY PLACE, APT 723 2712 WHITNEY PLACE, APT 526 BIG REDUCTION

METAIRIE - $199,000

$3,000 FLOORING ALLOWANCE

METAIRIE - $175,000

GROUND FLOOR 3 BDRM /2 BATH Condo at Whitney Place. Lots of light!

Spacious liv/din rm. S/S appls. in pretty kitchen. Ceramic tile thruout. Steps from Laundry Rm and pool. 1271s.f. approx.

Lovely 2 Bdrm, 2 Bath, 1,134 SqFt, Condo in Whitney Place Condominiums. Gated & 2 Elevators. Pool view and landscaped courtyard. Mirrored accent wall. Updated kitchen & bathrooms. Lots of closet space.

1500 W ESPLANADE AVE, 35D

129 AVANT GARDE

NEW LISTING

NEW PRICE

KENNER - $128,000

Spacious 3 Bdrm, 2 Bath condo in Chardonnay Village! Open-concept living, dining, and kitchen with wood-burning fireplace. Oversized primary suite with fireplace, balcony, and ensuite bath. Private fenced patio.

KENNER - $134,900

GROUND FLOOR 2 BDRM / 2 BATH Beautiful Wood Floors. Open Floor Plan.

French doors to covr’d patio. Updated Primary Bath/Shower. 2 pools, Tennis.

Close to shopping, cafes and restaurants.

SOLD

978 ATHANIA PARKWAY...METAIRIE ... $350,000

SOLD

1005 MINNESOTA AVENUE...KENNER.. $340,000

SOLD

904 N. SIBLEY DRIVE.....METAIRIE ..... $259,000

SOLD

2712 WHITNEY PL. #633...METAIRIE .. $165,000

SOLD

1500 W. ESPLANADE #22B..KENNER.. $155,000

SOLD

4129 CHATEAU #C........KENNER......... $135,000

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 9D

lll

In a low period for comedy films, these were the best The last decade has been a bit of a bust

wig’s semi-autobiographical, Sacramento-set comedy has been the best and most perceptive of the last decade.

Even though Timothée Chalamet and Lucas Hedges are good in this, the best moments for Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) come with her parents (Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts).

BY JAKE COYLE AP film writer

NEW YORK — The last decade has not been good for bigscreen comedies. Hollywood studios nearly stopped making them. Horror became the in-vogue genre. Laughs were out. Good comedies have kept being made, of course — it’s just taken a little more effort to find them.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of “The Nice Guys,” Shane Black’s 2016 crime caper with Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. No, it’s not exactly the 50th anniversary of “Jaws.” But for a movie era where comedies went out of style, it’s a moment worth marking.

In the past decade, comedies have largely become the stuff of cult: little seen at release but rediscovered on streaming or elsewhere.

“The Nice Guys” flopped at the box office, but its afterlife is long.

So here are our picks for the best of the last 10 years, post-”Nice Guys.” We’re leaving out the darker satires (“Parasite”), the acerbic dramas (“The Holdovers”) and the sequels that exist in their own glorious category entirely (“Paddington 2”).

toonish heights here, and Edward Norton’s word-salad tech bro is the detective’s most comic foil.

2. “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” (2021)

box office and a boatload of Oscar nominations and I still kind of think “Barbie” is underrated. I mean, I can no longer talk to my daughters straight-faced about “The Godfather.” But that’s a small price to pay for one of the giddiest comedies of the century. I only wish Hollywood saw it less as a success of IP usage than the possibilities of a poignant and imaginative laugh fest.

Honorable mentions: “Fall Guy,” “Logan Lucky,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Booksmart,” “Borat Subsequent Movie Film,” “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” “Hail, Caesar,” “Dolemite Is My Name,” “Bottoms,” “Blockers.”

Anyone who thought Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo’s follow-up to “Bridesmaids” was a disappoint3. “Glass Onion: A Knives ment was sorely mistaken.

This is less a movie about PROVIDED PHOTO Out Mystery” (2022) two Midwestern women Russell Crowe, left, and Ryan Gosling star in ‘The Nice Guys.’

“Halle Berry!” All of the traveling to Florida than a “Knives Out” movies are delirious fever dream about 4. “Lady Bird” (2017) “Confess, Fletch” might funny but the second of Rian two Midwestern women have been the most perfectHigh school has always Johnson’s whodunit series is traveling to Florida. ly suited vehicle for Hamm. been among the most fer- the most hysterical of the Maybe the original “Fletch” tile grounds for movie com- bunch. Daniel Craig pushes 1. “Barbie” (2023) films with Chevy Chase were edies, and I’d say Greta Ger- Benoit Blanc to more carMore than $1 billion in too iconic to mess with. But “Confess, Fletch” is worth 1014 DUMAINE ST., APT. B Historic Home Specialist catching up to.

Associate Broker/Realtor

5. “The Death of Stalin” (2017) Armando Iannucci is better known for his Washington, D.C. farce “Veep” and his British government comedy “The Thick of It.” But he’s just as sharp in Stalinist Russia. It’s almost hard to believe he managed to make a satire about political struggle in the wake of Josef Stalin’s death in 1953. I guess either the prospect of Steve Buscemi playing Nikita Khrushchev is enticing to you, or nyet.

Lane Lacoy 504-957-5116 504-948-3011

840 Elysian Fields Ave., New Orleans LA 70117 Licensed in Louisiana

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, MAY 17TH, NOON - 2 PM

1024 PORT STREET PRICE REDUCTION

$439,000

Here’s a deal!, Charming Marigny 2 independent BR, 1.5 BA sidehall single, double parlors, LOTS of natural light, gleaming refinished pine floors, fireplaces/mantles, high ceilings, central airheat, covered front porch for relaxing, BIG eat-in kitchen/stainless/granite, washer & dryer, Generac generator, fenced yard. Walk to Crescent Park & French Quarter.

BENNETT POURCIAU 212-814-6238

bennett.pourciau@gmail.com

4018 Magazine St., NOLA , 70115 504-799-1702 Licensed in Louisiana

www.lanelacoy.com • lane@lanelacoy.com

As much as “Groundhog Day” codified the time-loop comedy, Max Barbakow’s clever riff on a familiar concept found new comic life in a single day endlessly relived. You want Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti to stay stuck in Palm Springs forever. Having J.K. Simmons, who so drolly put the final touches on “Burn After Reading,” around in any comedy helps, too.

FRENCH QUARTER

This historic French Quarter Apt is Spacious & Charming, completed in classic form of N.O.’s architecture & notably, the apt was once home to playwright Tennessee Williams! Features include freshly painted walls, refinished hardwood floors, airy high ceilings, air-conditioning, built-in shelving, walk-in closets, 1 1/2 full bathrooms. The primary, full bathroom features a lovely green tiled shower tub & floor.

The primary & secondary bdrms have floor to ceiling windows & both bdrms have direct access to a lrg private gallery decorated w/ green ironwork overlooking Dumaine St. The primary bdrm is centered around a gas frplc. The primary living room is also centered around a mantled frplc.

This flexible flrplan contains appx 1,100 sqft. The kitchen has granite counters, ample cabinetry, pantry, gas stove & D/W. Property access is secured w/ gated, keyed entry that leads you into a marvelous, extraordinary courtyard unlike any other in this city or French Quarter. The well care for grounds & gardens pathed w/ brick walkways take you deep into the property lot & sparkling swimming pool. W&D included w/ parking also available. A rare opportunity for Fr Qtr living w/ comfort, character & privacy in a truly exceptional setting.

WHY

APRIL BROWN

10. “Palm Springs” (2020)

$3000/MONTH

PAY MORE? CALL TODAY FOR A FREE HOME VALUATION 504-606-0466

REALTOR® | Broker / Owner aprilgo1@gmail.com

3500 N Causeway Blvd., STE 116 Metairie, LA 70002 | Licensed in Louisiana

504-606-0466 www.HospitalityRealty.net

LICENSED BY THE LOUISIANA REAL ESTATE COMMISSION

LIST YOUR HOME FOR 1% OPEN SUNDAY 2 - 4

NEW LISTING

COMMERCIAL

9. “One of Them Days” (2025) “One of Them Days” also lives in the shadow of an earlier comedy: “Friday.” It similarly has a hangout, dayin-the-life-of-Los-Angeles feel, albeit amped up a bit.

Keke Palmer carries it.

NEW LISTING RIVER RIDGE • $1,100,000

214 SAUVE ROAD

METAIRIE • $925,000

2 SHADOW LANE

78656 TURNPIKE DRIVE

NEW PRICE

NEW PRICE

NEW PRICE

4313 N. TURNBULL DRIVE NEW LISTING

FOLSOM • $895,000

6471 GENERAL HAIG STREET

342 RED ALLEN WAY

NEW ORLEANS • $870,000

NEW ORLEANS • $749,000

26 OAK ALLEY BOULEVARD

1625 LIVE OAK STREET

3220 METAIRIE COURT

NEW PRICE

NEW LISTING

NEW LISTING

104 CAMELOT DRIVE

2415 MEMORIAL PARK DR.

4411 JEAN LAFITTE BLVD

28407 ISLAND DRIVE

8. “Game Night” (2018) Few movies of the last decade have been stolen by a performer more outright than “Game Night.” Jesse Plemons and the debatable profitability for FritoLay was enough to turn “Game Night” into a modern classic.

But there are funny people up and down this justifiably adored comedy, with Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams and Sharon Horgan.

LEVEE LOT PALM VISTA DRIVE METAIRIE • $730,000

METAIRIE • $564,000

7. “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016) It was a brilliant stroke of writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and producer James L. Brooks to cast Hailee Steinfeld in this terrific coming-of-age comedy.

As acclaimed as Steinfeld has been more recently, in “Sinners” and more, her performance as a teenager in “The Edge of Seventeen” is still her at her best — especially when paired with Woody Harrelson, as an unorthodox teacher.

METAIRIE • $449,000

METAIRIE • $425,000

VACANT LAND 121 LAKEWOOD DRIVE

2219 LEON C SIMON DRIVE

1508 POINSETTIA DRIVE

OPEN SUNDAY 12 - 2

OPEN SUNDAY 11 - 1

NEW LISTING

3213 MARYLAND AVENUE

2729 FAIRFIELD AVENUE

LAPLACE • $389,000

NEW ORLEANS • $369,500

METAIRIE • $339,000

SLIDELL • $350,000

NEW ORLEANS • $315,000

MULTI-FAMILY 805-807 JACKSON AVENUE NEW ORLEANS • $299,955

KENNER • $295,000

GRETNA • $270,000

LAFITTE • $250,000

LACOMBE • $249,900

CONTACT OUR HOSPITALITY TEAM

6. “Confess, Fletch” (2022) Greg Mottola’s revival of Fletch, with Jon Hamm, was criminally underseen. It fell victim to the pandemic and a few other factors. But

MARRERO • $548,500

Ivan Echegarrua 504-339-2905

Colleen Amedio Pattie Brooks Schof 504-430-9258 504-491-6732

Erica J. Plaia 504-784-8188

Marie Jurich 504-236-7114

Lacey Plaisance 504-520-9298

Alexis Morgan 504-287-6503

Debra Weber 504-236-6697

Tammy Young 601-988-3924

Melia Montet 225-422-9550

10D ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press Today is Sunday, May 17, the 137th day of 2026.

There are 228 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 17, 1954, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court handed down its Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision, which held that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional.

Also on this date: In 1792, the Buttonwood Agreement, a document codifying rules for securities trading, was signed by 24 New York stockbrokers, marking the formation of the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1875, the first Kentucky Derby was held; the race was won by Aristides, ridden by jockey Oliver Lewis.

In 1946, President Harry S. Truman seized control of the nation’s railroads, delaying — but not preventing — a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.

In 1973, a special committee convened by the U.S. Senate began its televised hearings into the Watergate scandal.

In 1980, rioting that claimed 18 lives erupted in Miami after an all-White jury in Tampa acquitted four former Miami police officers of fatally beating Black insurance executive Arthur McDuffie.

In 1987, 37 American sailors were killed when an Iraqi warplane attacked the U.S. Navy frigate Stark in the Persian Gulf. (Iraq apologized for the attack, calling it a mistake, and paid more than $27 million in compensation.)

In 1995, Army veteran Shawn Nelson took a 57ton M-60 tank from a California National Guard armory and terrorized San Diego for 23 minutes, barreling down residential streets, smashing into cars, street lights and fire hydrants on a mileslong path of destruction. Police ultimately forced the tank hatch open and fatally shot Nelson.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to allow same-sex marriages.

In 2015, a shootout erupted between members of rival motorcycle clubs, followed by police gunfire, outside a restaurant in Waco, Texas, leaving nine of the bikers dead and 20 people injured.

In 2024, the Dow Jones Industrial Average just closed above 40,000 for the first time, the latest pop in a surprisingly good year for Wall Street in which the Dow gained 19.7% over the previous 12 months.

Today’s birthdays: Musician Taj Mahal is 84. Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard is 70. Sports announcer Jim Nantz is 67. Singer-composer Enya is 65. TV host-comedian Craig Ferguson is 64. Musician Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) is 61. Actor Sasha Alexander is 53. Singer-actor Kandi Burrus is 50. Basketball Hall of Famer Tony Parker is 44. Screenwriter-actor-producer Lena Waithe is 42. Dancer-choreographer Derek Hough is 41. Former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan is 41. Actor Nikki Reed is 38. Singer-songwriter AJ Mitchel is 25.

N O R T H A M ER I CA’S

lll

Are graduate invitations just gift requests?

Dear Miss Manners: My daugh- graduating, and we’ll get to see her receiving her diter and I have a disagreement regarding gradploma!”

And if there is a uation invitations. party involved, the She has stated that excitement would be sending an invitaabout basking in Giltion means you are expecting a gift, so lian’s glory — or just therefore it is acceptenjoying any excuse Judith for a party. able not to send the Martin Maybe Grandmama invitation.

MISS would react this way, I believe it is an opMANNERS maybe even a neighportunity to celebrate a major milestone in bor who watched her the life of the graduate with grow up. family and friends. I do not But your daughter is right think this means you have that people do regard such to bring a gift, and I think it invitations as bills. is wrong to presume one’s Graduation ceremonies are financial capabilities. It is a tedious to any but those with time of celebrating. the strongest ties and attachGentle Reader: How nice that ments to a graduate. Even you are an idealist; how forpeople who might enjoy a party are thinking, “What’s tunate that your daughter is the going rate for a graduaa realist.

It would indeed be sweet if tion present these days? And relatives and friends receivif we don’t go, do we still have to send something?” ing graduation invitations Of course you are proud thought “Wow! Gillian is

of your daughter’s achievement. When you tell your friends about it, no doubt they will be pleased for you.

But Miss Manners suggests that you listen to your daughter and not expect them to be as deeply involved as you are.

One way to recognize her achievement is to respect her analysis of the situation.

Dear Miss Manners: I received a graduation announcement for a second cousin whom I have never met. Am I obliged to send a gift?

Gentle Reader: No. But sending congratulations would be nice.

Dear Miss Manners: My children are college students with no income and very little money in the bank. I do not want them to spend a lot of their money for Mother’s Day. They always spend too much, and it really stresses me out. Also, my husband al-

ways ignores my request not to buy me any flowers.

I would prefer that they just get me a jar of my favorite lotion, which is under $10.

Would that be rude to suggest, and how can I do it in a tactful manner?

Gentle Reader: By thanking them and seeming to be delighted with their choices.

And especially by refraining from criticizing and attempting to take control over their generous gestures.

Miss Manners considers scorning tributes to be a sure way of killing the spirit that inspired them.

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

When you don’t want kids at your wedding Dear Heloise: How do I tell my brother and his wife that their two young boys aren’t invited to my wedding? I’m getting married in a fairly small, formal ceremony on July 4. It’s an evening, candlelit ceremony for adults only, starting around 8 p.m. A reception will follow after the ceremony.

I know that only people whose names appear on Hints from the inner envelope are Heloise invited, but this has never stopped my brother and his wife from bringing along their two young children. I probably wouldn’t mind it if the boys were well-behaved, but they aren’t! They are 7 and 5, respectively.

Last summer, the oldest boy climbed a tree, then jumped on the roof of my house and refused to come down. We had to call the fire department to get him down. I was furious when my sisterin-law laughed and said it was so “cute”!

Please help me here. Should I just tell them as nicely as I cannot to bring the boys? — Ava and Brent M., in North Carolina Ava and Brent, a formal evening wed-

ding is always an adults-only affair, but some people think that their children should be invited no matter what. Bring up the subject to your brother and his wife, stating that the two of you talked it over and decided that you wanted an adults-only wedding.

And really, 8 p.m. is too late for children this young to attend a wedding and a reception afterward. If your brother asks if you’ll make an exception for their two boys, tell them “no” and explain why. — Heloise

Chicks and hens Dear Heloise: My husband and I decided to move to the country, and we love it out here.

I wanted to raise chickens, but I was a novice who didn’t know what to do. A neighbor told me that I could introduce adopted chicks to a hen if I took dayold hatchlings and slipped them under the hen at night when she sleeps. In the morning, both the chicks and hens will have become used to the sound and smell of one another, and the hen will feel like the chicks are hers.

I tried it, and sure enough, it works!

My little chicks have new mamas, and

the hens take care of their new babies. — Carmen E., in Portales, New Mexico

Curing dry hair Dear Heloise: My hair is as dry as a bone. I have tried hair conditioners and masks, but they only offer temporary relief. I brush my hair often and use the 100-strokes method, but I still have dull, brittle hair. What should I be doing to get a good shine and fewer split ends? — Tanya G., in Colby, Kansas Tanya, you might want to consult with a hairdresser to find the best routine for your hair. In the meantime, you should probably give yourself a few hot oil treatments. Be sure to work the oil down the strands and get them covered.

(Olive oil works well for this treatment.)

Then take a shower cap, put it over your hair, and leave it on for at least two hours (or overnight if you can). Be sure to tuck all your hair inside the cap.

Afterward, wash your hair with a mild shampoo and remove all the excess oil.

If you need to shampoo twice to get all the oil out, this is OK, but skip the conditioner. — Heloise Send a hint to heloise@heloise.com.

FREE Back by Pop SHOW ular De ER P mand!

AC K A GE !

1Selling Walk-In Tub

#

Featuring our Free Shower Package Plus 15% Off

Now relaxing warm bath, or enjoy a convenient refreshing shower while seated or standing with Safe Step Walk-In Tub’s FREE Shower Package! ✓ First walk-in tub available with a customizable shower ✓ Fixed rainfall shower head is adjustable for your height and pivots ✓ High-quality tub complete with a comprehensive lifetime warranty on the entire tub ✓ Top-of-the-line installation and service, all included at one

Now you can have the best of both worlds–there isn’t a better,

FREE SHOWER PACKAGE PLUS $1600 OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY

Call Toll-Free 504-384-8384

With purchase of a new Safe Step Walk-In Tub. Not applicable with any previous walk-in tub purchase.

Offer available while supplies last. No cash value.

Must present offer at time of purchase.

Call Today for Your Free Shower Package

504-384-8384

FINANCING AVAILABLE WITH APPROVED CREDIT CSLB 1082165 NSCB 0082999 0083445 13VH11096000

Call 504-553-1235 to schedule your free quote today!

TALKING BUSINESS A pro investor’s advice to novice entrepreneurs 3E

MADE IN LOUISIANA Single-estate rum producer bucking odds 7E

BUSINESS N O L A.C O M

|

S u n d ay, M ay 17, 2026

1En

C A R N I V A L ll

ll

l

ll

l

ll

l

l

ll

ll

l

l

ll

BEARER

l

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

Barry Kern is CEO and president of Kern Studios, which has evolved from a New Orleans Mardi Gras float-building company into a global entertainment production and specialty fabrication enterprise, serving theme parks, parades, festivals, events, schools, businesses and museums worldwide.

Kern Studios, famous maker of Mardi Gras floats, works year-round and worldwide

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

A float prop is under construction at Mardi Gras World on the riverfront.

Several years ago, comedian and former “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno was chatting with audience members during a standup set at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Barry Kern, CEO of Kern Studios, was sitting close to the stage.

“What do you do for a living?” Leno asked the New Orleans businessman.

“I build Mardi Gras floats,” Kern responded.

“What do you do the other 364 days a year?” Leno asked, eliciting laughs

from the crowd.

Clearly, neither Leno nor the audience understood how much time it takes to build, maintain and store hundreds of Carnival floats for roughly 20 parade organizations each year. And they had no idea how much Kern’s family business has expanded beyond Mardi Gras — and New Orleans itself — this century.

Kern Studios, founded by Barry Kern’s larger-than-life father, Blaine Kern, in 1947, has evolved from a New Orleans Mardi Gras float-building

company into a global entertainment production and specialty fabrication enterprise, serving theme parks, parades, festivals, events, schools, businesses and museums worldwide.

At the same time, the business has also dramatically increased the size of its New Orleans footprint, stretching from its original home base in Algiers to nearly two dozen buildings across the city, including riverfront event spaces that host

IDEAS &

INNOVATION

ä See KERN, page 2E

Louisiana casino expansion credited for revenue growth 2025 faster than national average

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Thanks to a series of upgrades that moved some aging riverboat casinos onto land, a $435 million transformation of Caesars New Orleans and a glitzy new casino in Bossier City, Louisiana’s stateregulated gambling halls saw their revenues in 2025 grow well above the national average.

The state’s riverboat casinos, land based gambling halls, racetrack casinos and sportsbooks brought in $3.05 billion in reve-

nue during 2025, according to the American Gaming Association’s annual State of the States report, which was released last week.

That’s a 10.4% increase over the 2024 numbers.

Nationally, commercial gambling brought in $78.6 billion in gross revenue last year, a 9.1% increase over what was brought in during 2024.

While much of the attention on legalized gambling has focused on the explosive growth of sports betting, casinos account for the vast majority of Louisiana gambling revenues. The state’s 10 riverboat casinos, six land-based properties and four racetrack casinos, or “racinos,” brought in $2.49 billion, up 8.6% from the

year before.

The comparison against 2024 was aided by the fact that Live!

Casino & Hotel Louisiana opened in Bossier City in February 2025 at the site of the former Diamond Jacks property, which shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That means for most of 2025, there was one more property operating than there was the year before.

Live! generated $112.9 million in revenue during 2025, solidly establishing itself as the third busiest casino in ShreveportBossier City, behind market leader Margaritaville and Horseshoe Bossier City.

ä See CASINO, page 2E

Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana hosts grand opening festivities Feb. 13, 2025, in Bossier City.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

2E ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

CASINO

PEOPLE IN BUSINESS

South Louisiana businesses and nonprofit groups recently announced the following promotions, new hires and resignations.

New Orleans

Continued from page 1E

City Council member Lesli Harris was and JPMorgan Chase. appointed to the board of direcCaroline Cordell has been hired by tors of Democratic Municipal Officials, a Washington, D.C.-based Breazeale Sachse. Cordell will focus her practice on administranational nonprofit. tive law and litigation.

Staff report

Baton Rouge Harris

Brandon Corsentino has been hired by the resilience and restoration technology company Natrx as its director of growth.

Corsentino was previously regional sales director for the Florida-based autonomous veBell hicle company Beep Inc.

Christie Bell has been hired by JD Bank as a mortgage loan originator for the Baton Rouge and northshore markets.

Bell previously worked as a mortgage loan originator with Supreme Lending and as brokerowner of Integrity Home Lending. She also previously worked for Regions Bank, IberiaBank

Ryan Sinitiere has been promoted to vice president of accounts and operations for the advertising and public relations firm Feigley Communications.

Do you have personnel changes to share or other ideas for our business coverage? Drop us a line at biztips@theadvocate.com.

Cordell

Sinitiere

STAFF PHOTOS By BRETT DUKE

A worker moves a prop with a forklift inside a Kern Studios warehouse in New Orleans. Kern Studios’ year-round activity generates more than $100 million in revenue and employs more than 200 people globally while exporting local culture and know-how to the world.

KERN

Continued from page 1E hundreds of thousands of people annually.

Kern Studios’ year-round activity generates more than $100 million in revenue and employs more than 200 people globally while exporting New Orleans culture and know-how to the world.

Besides its local headquarters, the studio now has operations in the Philippines along with smaller offices in Houston; Orlando, Florida; and Philadelphia. A Dallas outpost is coming soon.

Guided by Barry Kern, 63, and two of his sons — 33-year-old Fitz and 28-year-old Patrick — the family-owned enterprise has outgrown its local float-building peers by exporting the spectacle of modern-day Mardi Gras and by leveraging that international work to support its operations back home.

“We could never maintain the artists, sculptors, carpenters and welders we have in New Orleans if we didn’t have work on an everyday basis,” Barry Kern said.

“We’re just grinding.”

Global reach Blaine Kern, who died in 2020, is credited with creating much of the contemporary New Orleans Mardi Gras spectacle, including multimillion-dollar, double-decker “superkrewe” floats decked out with giant props, animatronics and fancy lighting. Barry Kern, in turn, has led the charge to export that spectacle to customers outside the city — especially theme parks.

A key moment came in 1989, when The Walt Disney Co. hired Kern Studios to decorate a hotel in Mardi Gras style. After that, a partnership with artists in Valencia, Spain, led to gigs building theming, signage and scenic elements at Disneyland Paris (formerly Euro Disney) in the early 1990s. Similar work followed back in the States, especially in Orlando, where Disney was expanding and other hotels and attractions were being built.

“We became the first outside company ever allowed to produce sculptures of Disney characters,” Barry Kern said.

Today, Kern’s company works for every major theme park group in the country, including Universal Parks, SeaWorld and Six Flags. It creates scenic elements for attractions and rides and builds elaborate floats for park parades.

“People think you weld some steel together, slap on some wheels and maybe add an electric motor and you have a float,” Fitz Kern said. “But there are a thousand pages of engineering documents for these projects.”

At the Universal Orlando theme park, the studio has built

Artist Casey Lohr paints float props for Kern Studios at Mardi Gras World in New Orleans. and maintained floats for a seasonal Mardi Gras-themed attraction that has been going on for three decades in a section of the park designed to look like the French Quarter. Each year, Kern’s artists make updates to the procession, which Barry Kern said has helped promote the real New Orleans Mardi Gras since its inception.

“It’s purple, green and gold everywhere,” he said. “The crowd loves catching beads and all the interaction.”

This century, the rising popularity of theme parks in Asia — spurred by increased urbanization and rising incomes — has led to the creation of several new properties in Japan, Korea, Singapore and China, where the Universal Beijing and Shanghai Disney “mega parks” cost billions to build. As a result, more than half of Kern Studios’ team now works at its Philippines facility serving customers in that region and worldwide.

“It was a natural progression of our business to have production capacity over there to serve those markets,” Fitz Kern said.

“It’s easier to be close to the same time zone.”

30-foot tigers, 3-story cows Nowadays, Kern Studios also gets plenty of work completely unrelated to Mardi Gras or theme parks.

One of its specialties is making three-dimensional decorative objects — usually out of fiberglass or hard-coated Styrofoam — for seasonal or permanent use. Visible examples in New Orleans include the figures and sculptures that adorn Mardi Gras floats each year. But there’s also demand from other customers.

The company has created an enormous armadillo for the State Fair of Texas, a life-size replica of a submarine to help a maritime company woo investors, and hundreds of cows to embellish billboards advertising the fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A. “You’d laugh if you saw some of the inquiries that come in,” Fitz Kern said.

Patrick Kern, director of operations at Kern Studios, walks through Mardi Gras World in New Orleans.

Other projects include a 30-foot-long Mike the Tiger prop commissioned by LSU and a basketball-themed entryway sculpture recently installed at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.

Additionally, annual events like the Houston Rodeo and Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving parade create more opportunities for work.

“New Orleans floats are designed to be beautiful, of course, but they also need to carry dozens of people and thousands of pounds of throws,” Patrick Kern said. “In other places, the floats are more pageant style — it’s a different art form.”

The company’s handcrafted items also turn up in some unexpected places, such as historic renovations.

The Hotel Peter and Paul in New Orleans hired Kern to create several ornate foam pieces for its Victorian-era Elysian bar, and it just delivered a pair of cast aluminum columns for a French Quarter renovation.

“We’re mostly doing a lot of exterior pieces because that’s what deteriorates faster,” Fitz Kern said.

Growing along with Mardi Gras

space was covered in Styrofoam “snow” as he carved a new prop.

A few blocks downriver, at the company’s Mardi Gras World headquarters near the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, more artists were sculpting and painting props while a tour guide led visitors through the space. Next door, in the company’s massive River City Venues, caterers prepared to host an event in an interior space designed to look like the outside of an old Southern mansion.

All the activity is good for business, said Fitz Kern.

“Our revenue is growing, and we’ve added over 100,000 square feet to our real estate footprint annually for the last five years to keep up with what we’re doing in New Orleans and worldwide,” he said.

And Barry Kern said the New Orleans work plays an essential role in attracting more global business.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the people who run entertainment at Disney, Universal and Chick-fil-A want to come down and visit us every year at Mardi Gras,” he said. “New Orleans is a draw.”

Barry Kern said supply chain disruptions, which “seem to hap- Email Rich Collins at rich. pen more frequently,” and unpre- collins@theadvocate.com. dictable spikes in the cost of material, shipping and labor create challenges for his company and other specialty fabricators. Looking ahead, though, he’s optimistic that growing interest in immersive entertainment experiences and his company’s multiyear agreements with customers will offset those threats.

Another positive development for the company: Carnival ridership has nearly tripled over the past quarter-century despite a decline in the city’s population.

The effects of that growth were visible in Kern’s workspaces last week.

In the company’s Tchoupitoulas Street workshop, carpenters were building wood floats on top PROVIDED PHOTO of undercarriages that were asWorkers install a three-story-tall sembled at another Kern property on Poydras Street. An artist Chick-fil-A Cow at Mercedesin a separate section of the work- Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Rob Norton, president of Cordish Gaming & Live Casinos, said in an email the property has done well during its first year of operations.

“Performance has been solid and in line with expectations for a new, premium offering — strong early demand supported by brand recognition and an upgraded experience, with encouraging signs of repeat visitation,” Norton said.

Another factor in the rise in Louisiana casino revenue is the 2018 change to the state law allowed floating casinos, which for decades were allowed to operate only over water, to move onto land and open bigger gambling halls with better facilities, more restaurants and adjoining hotels.

Since 2022, four properties have moved onto land: Horseshoe Lake Charles, The Queen Baton Rouge, Treasure Chest in Kenner and Bally’s Baton Rouge. They joined Caesars New Orleans, which for years was the only state-regulated landbased casinos.

The moves onto land paid off.

In its first full year of operation as a landbased property, Treasure Chest saw its revenue increase by 31.4% year over year, to finish 2025 with $158.6 million in winnings.

Officials with Boyd Gaming, the parent company of Treasure Chest, noted the move onto land helped boost business in its South and Midwest region. Total revenues in the market were up $53.2 million, or 2.6%, for the year, with gambling revenue increasing by $47.4 million and food and beverage revenue up $3.4 million. Boyd said the increases were primarily driven

by Treasure Chest’s move.

“The land-based entertainment facility at Treasure Chest has been a tremendous success for both the Kenner community and our company,” said David Strow, Boyd vice president of corporate communications.

“Our guests clearly appreciate our modern, expanded gaming floor and enhanced amenities, as shown by the consistent growth that Treasure Chest has delivered since our new facility opened in June 2024.”

Bally’s Baton Rouge opened on land in December after operating in a small temporary location for nearly a year. The casino brought in $3.8 million in revenue during its first month operating on land — nearly six times as much as it won in December 2024. The downtown casino finished 2025 with $11.3 million in revenues, up more than 71% from what it generated its last full year operating on an aging riverboat.

The increased business at Bally’s has continued into 2026. The casino has seen its revenues go up every month, according to figures from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board through March.

Business at Bally’s sister property downtown, The Queen, also continued to do well.

The property brought in $101.2 million in gambling revenues in 2025, up 14% from a year earlier.

Officials with Bally’s said the company is continuing to build momentum in Baton Rouge.

“Bally’s significant investment across both properties — The Queen and Bally’s Baton Rouge — over the past several years has positioned us to elevate the overall guest experience in the market,” the company said in a statement. “In close partnership with local regulators and community leaders, we’re helping catalyze increased downtown activity, supporting sustained revitalization and long-term economic growth.”

New, different experiences Revenue at Caesars New Orleans was up 19% for 2025, coming in at $293.1 million.

The downtown casino underwent a major renovation effort to prepare it for the 2025 Super Bowl, adding a 340-room hotel annex, a high-end Nobu restaurant and a 147foot wall of TV screens to its sportsbook.

Caesars New Orleans’ vice president and general manager said the nine-figure overhaul of the former Harrah’s Casino and the investments the company made at its Horsehoe properties in Lake Charles and Bossier City are paying off because customers want new and different gambling experiences.

“It’s not just about the gaming — the slots or table games,” said Samir Mowad. “It’s about the overall experience, and when people hear about a new facility or rebranded facility with new restaurants and amenities, they respond.”

At Caesars New Orleans, customers are split roughly equally between local and regional patrons and out-of-state guests.

Mowad said the casino has seen growth from both groups.

Sports betting revenue also contributed to increases, rising 19.3% in Louisiana last year to $557.4 million. The vast majority of that revenue was placed through mobile apps, the report showed.

While gambling revenues in Louisiana were increasing, the story in neighboring Mississippi was different. The Magnolia State was the only U.S. jurisdiction with state-regulated casinos or sports betting to not post an increase in revenue from 2024.

Revenues dropped about $200,000 from the $2.43 billion brought in during 2024, mainly due to the closure of Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino in Tunica, which shuttered in November after 31 years of operations.

Mississippi has also failed to pass legislation allowing for mobile sports betting outside of licensed casinos. Gamblers who want to bet on a game have to go inside a casino — even to place a wager on a sportsbook app.

Staff writer Stephanie Riegel contributed to this report.

Email Timothy Boone at tboone@ theadvocate.com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3E

lll

TALKING BUSINESS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Investor’s advice to entrepreneurs: Details matter Q&A WITH JOHN ROBERTS

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

BOOT64 CO-FOUNDER

John Roberts and Mickal Adler, who formed the Metairie-based private equity and venture capital fund Boot64 in 2023, are among the state’s most active investors.

Over the past three years, they’ve written 51 checks approaching $7.5 million to 40 different startup companies around Louisiana — and a few elsewhere.

Several more deals are scheduled to close over the next two months.

The partners are participating in a state-run program that supplies federal matching dollars for private investment in early-stage companies that have the potential to grow. A few companies in their portfolio have doubled or more than doubled in value.

Roberts, a Tulane University graduate who spent more than two decades running a chain of convenience stores before partnering to launch Boot64, now spends his days seeking promising companies and evaluating their potential to pay off for his public and private investment partners.

In this week’s Talking Business, Roberts shares his thoughts on how the state’s small business investment program is working three years in and what entrepreneurs should — and shouldn’t — do when seeking startup capital from investors.

This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.

How did you and Mickal launch Boot64?

In 2022, we learned that Louisiana Economic Development had received federal funding that could be used as matching funds for venture capital firms. We responded to a request for qualifications and became the first to close with the program. We launched June 1, 2023.

Three years later, we will have almost invested our entire $10 million fund. After completing four committed deals that we haven’t

STAFF FILE PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

John Roberts is co-founder of the Metairie-based private equity and venture capital fund Boot64, which since 2023 has written 51 checks approaching $7.5 million to 40 different startup companies around Louisiana — and a few elsewhere. closed yet, we’ll probably only write one or two more checks, and then within about 60 days we’ll be fully invested. Then, we are planning to launch a $20 million fund with LED as an investor again.

How has the state’s startup community evolved since Boot64 debuted?

There are certainly more funds in operation now, so when any of us find a good deal, we have more investors call to say, “Hey, I found this great deal. Are you interested?” And that’s good because any professional investor is never going to be the only check in the round.

Also, the founders are better educated, the whole ecosystem has matured, and there are more networking events. Founders are having more interactions with investors, and information sharing and conversations like this are happening over beers.

What types of startups are hot right now?

Health and wellness have got-

ten big. We’ve invested in a couple of sleep, longevity and wellness companies as well as pure biotech companies like Beken Bio and Informuta, which tackle cancer screening and antibiotic identification, respectively.

As you look at the 40 companies you’ve invested in, what are some of their common characteristics?

We really like domain expertise.

If you’ve worked in a particular job or industry for years and you’ve seen a recurring problem and know how to fix it, we love that. For instance, SleepNavigator founder Lea Desmarteau has years of experience working in and owning sleep clinics. She saw the communication problems between doctors’ offices, sleep clinics and insurance companies, and she created software to solve the problem.

With AI, anybody can build anything, but they might lack the domain expertise. If we meet somebody who’s just arrived from

Arkansas, and they decide they want to track barges on the river but have never worked in that industry, 99% of the time we’re not interested.

You’ve learned a lot about startups over the last few years. What advice would you give to founders looking to raise money and build successful ventures?

No. 1, they need to be prepared to talk about their businesses with investors in detail.

Even though we’re investing a relatively small portion of the company, we are essentially becoming their business partner, so we have to verify all their incorporation documents, sales documents and vendor contracts, and we need to understand the founders’ backgrounds.

In our industry, the traditional way to present all that material is through a collection of documents called a “data room,” which contains all the necessary information for an investor to do due diligence.

Sometimes, we’ll be excited about a potential investment, and we’ll ask the founder to send us their data room, but they won’t know what we’re talking about.

Then we send them a template, and they respond with disorganized, incomplete or out-of-date information.

Any of those things throws cold water on an investor’s enthusiasm because time kills deals ... and you’re wondering, “Is this founder capable of running a complex organization, building a team and making sales?” If they can’t put together a good data room, that’s a yellow flag or a red flag.

What else do founders looking for investment need to know?

They need to raise money with specific goals and milestones in mind.

Don’t raise $1 million, hire a bunch of people and figure out how long the money can last. No investor cares how long you can pay yourself and your people.

Investors care about what milestones and what accomplishments you can achieve with that $1 million that will set you up to be prepared for the next funding round. That means boosting your daily active users or reaching a revenue milestone or creating the minimum viable product version of your software. Obviously, being profitable is the best and ultimate goal.

What kind of revenue are startups targeting?

At the early stage, $1 million in annual recurring revenue is the goal. For Series A rounds, investors are going to want to see around three times that.

I tell founders not to raise more money than they need. That makes people a little loosey-goosey with it, and they end up making big mistakes. They need to treat it like it’s their own money.

What do founders get wrong?

They can be perfectionists, which is a mistake.

It’s important to get paying customers before you try to make everything perfect about your company. They will be your true believers and help you develop your product or service.

Your business can die if you spend a year building a totally free pilot, and then another six months trying to get people to start paying for it rather than getting just a small number of customers who have the problem you’re addressing.

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

Growing with purpose Entergy’s roots in Louisiana run deep, and as one of the only Fortune 500 companies in the state, we remain committed to supporting the regions we serve — for today and for future generations.

We’re driving economic growth that creates good jobs, strengthens infrastructure and delivers meaningful opportunities for our neighbors here at home.

Learn more at Entergy.com.

A message from Entergy Corporation © 2026 Entergy Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

4E ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

AROUND THE REGION

State medical marijuana businesses poised for tax cuts

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Louisiana’s two licensed cannabis growers and the more than two dozen medical marijuana dispensaries they supply around the state became eligible for massive tax breaks last month when the federal government changed the way it classifies medical marijuana.

The change came on April 22, when acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a final order from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, wiping out the tax penalty that has squeezed the economics of the industry since states began legalizing it nearly 30 years ago.

Even as states have loosened restrictions on cannabis — 40 states now have some form of legal marijuana — the industry has faced dramatically higher federal tax rates than other businesses because the federal government has, until now, treated marijuana as an illegal drug like heroin, LSD and ecstasy.

“It’s a draconian penalty on medical marijuana, and the federal government’s rescheduling recognizes that medical marijuana should never have been subjected to that kind of penalty,” said John Davis, president of Good Day Farms Louisiana, which produces more than 70% of the state’s Davis legal cannabis at its 250,000-square-foot Ruston facility and effectively operates a majority of its dispensaries.

Davis said the DEA’s new classification of cannabis as Schedule III — alongside ketamine, testosterone and Tylenol with codeine — marks a “significant development” in federal policy toward medical marijuana.

Deducing deductions Last month’s move from the

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a final order from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Aprill 22 reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, wiping out a tax penalty on Louisiana growers and dispensaries.

Justice Department follows a December executive order from President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to fast-track marijuana rescheduling.

The biggest immediate change of rescheduling is to release medical marijuana businesses from a section of the federal tax code called 280E, which was enacted by Congress in 1982 in response to a Minnesota man who successfully argued in tax court that he should be entitled to deduct the cost of running his drug trafficking operation as valid business expenses.

The standard corporate federal income tax rate is 21% of net profits. But without being able to claim deductions or write off expenses, businesses in the marijuana industry wind up paying at more than three times that rate.

“Many cannabis businesses are estimated to pay effective tax rates

of up to 70%, so that makes it exceptionally costly to own a cannabis business,” said Dave Brown, a cannabis consultant and co-owner of Willow Pharmacy dispensaries on the northshore. “But prior to rescheduling, the implications of 280E disproportionately impacted the dispensaries or retailers more severely than the producer-processors.”

That’s because businesses could still deduct the cost of the goods they sell, but those costs make up a smaller proportion of expenses for dispensaries compared to farms.

Now, dispensaries like Brown’s will be able to deduct the cost of their rent or mortgages, employee payroll, marketing, utilities, equipment and depreciation of their assets.

“Our intention would be to declare the full suite of deductions that any other retail business is

able to declare from their federal taxes,” Brown said.

As for the effect of rescheduling on Good Day Farms — a vertically integrated operation that grows and processes marijuana then sells its products to stores it manages through a subsidiary — Davis said it was “premature to speculate on specific operational or economic impacts at this stage.”

A representative of the state’s other licensed producer, Bakerbased Ilera Holistic, declined to comment on the tax change, saying the company is still evaluating the legal implications of the recent rescheduling order.

High growth rate

million worth of cannabis to dispensaries in the year ending June 30, 2025, a 77% increase compared with the prior fiscal year, according to Louisiana Department of Revenue reports.

As of early this year, nearly 150,000 Louisiana residents are enrolled in the medical program, with the number of patients more than doubling in less than two years, according to figures presented by Davis at a February meeting of the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge.

While every business involved in the production or sale of medical marijuana is poised to benefit from rescheduling, the tax cut is not evenly distributed across the country. In the 24 states where cannabis is sold without a prescription, many businesses sell both medical and adult-use cannabis products at the same storefront. That presents a challenge for accountants.

“It’s a weird federal tax regime in that situation,” said Brown, who is also a cannabis operator in Washington state and represents operators there. “Some of your business out of the same brick and mortar is considered legal by the federal government, and some of it is considered illegal or illicit, and that presents problems and costs.”

But medical marijuana is the only form of legal cannabis in the Southeast, so no marijuana businesses in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi or Florida run afoul of the IRS. And because ownership of the Louisiana medical marijuana market is more concentrated — with only two companies permitted to produce cannabis and one of them operating a majority of the state’s dispensaries — the financial benefits of rescheduling fall to relatively few businesses.

“We believe this announcement reflects increasing recognition of the distinction between regulated medical marijuana programs and illicit markets, as well as continued federal alignment with structured state-regulated medical frameworks,” said Davis.

The massive tax cut comes as Louisiana’s cannabis industry has undergone a massive expansion.

Medical marijuana producers in Email Jonah Meadows at jonah.

Louisiana sold an estimated $90.9 meadows@theadvocate.com.

How is natural gas used in your home?

You might be surprised.

From heating and hot water to cooking and laundry, many everyday appliances rely on natural gas to operate efficiently and safely.

deltautilities.com

SAFE

RELIABLE

AFFORDABLE

Delta Utilities invests more

Natural gas keeps your heat, stove,

When cutting costs

than $100 million every

and hot water running — even when

matters, Louisiana

year so your gas keeps

the power goes out. When hurricane

families can save an

flowing, and your family

season arrives, that reliability isn’t

average of $723 a year by

stays safe.

just convenient, it’s essential.

heating with natural gas.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 5E

lll

SMALL BUSINESS. BIG OPPORTUNITY. MAJOR IMPACT. The Louisiana Growth Network is helping small businesses across the state scale, compete, and win.

99.5% of Louisiana businesses are small

26K+

businesses supported statewide

$1.45B in contracts awarded to program participants

GROW YOUR BUSINESS AT OPPORTUNITYLOUISIANA.COM

Nearly

$50M

invested to help businesses scale

6E ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Managing a parent’s money is the hardest job you never applied for It’s very likely you will get the call.

It might be for your mother, dad or both. It could be for a grandparent who stepped in to be your guardian.

When that call comes, it can be a rogue wave Michelle like that sweeps you Singletary off your feet into THE COLOR a crushing swirl OF MONEy of water and sand.

This is the reality of caregiving for older relatives — a wave of financial decisions and healthcare crises that leave you struggling to find your footing.

It’s what Beth Pinsker experienced when she got the call.

Pinsker chronicles her journey in “My Mother’s Money: A Guide to Financial Caregiving,” the Color of Money Book Club pick this month.

Despite her credentials as a retirement columnist and a certified financial planner, Pinsker found that even her expertise couldn’t keep her from being upended.

“I stumbled at every turn as my mom’s financial caregiver,” Pinsker writes. “I had the book knowledge in a situation that demanded street smarts, and that

Fool’s Take: A steady dividend grower Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) recently announced its 70th consecutive annual dividend raise, good for a yield of 2.9% (as of early May). The company has averaged annual dividend Motley hikes of nearly Fool 5% over the past decade.

Procter & Gamble is the largest household and personal products company in the world, and the third-largest U.S. consumer staples company by market value. Its portfolio of leading brands spans many categories.

To give just a few examples: diapers (Pampers, Luvs), paper towels (Bounty), toilet paper

made me feel helpless against the giant financial and legal machine that governs how everything gets done in the United States.”

Pinsker’s mother was 76 when she started needing help in 2022.

“My mother was excellent at handling her own affairs — until she wasn’t,” Pinsker writes.

The landscape of senior caregiving in the U.S. has reached what experts believe is a crisis point. Family caregivers are the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system, yet the sheer volume of their unpaid labor often goes unnoticed. According to a report from the AARP Public Policy Institute, these individuals — 59 million caregivers — provided 49.5 billion hours of care in 2024, making them among America’s largest workforce. The report estimated the economic value of this support at more than $1 trillion.

Caregiving is becoming more intense largely because modern medicine is better at extending our lives, even as costs escalate.

Despite Medicare, the cost of care in retirement is staggering.

According to the most recent data from Fidelity Investments, a 65-year-old retiring last year could expect to spend an average

of $172,500 on healthcare and medical expenses over the course of their retirement. And here is the kicker: That figure doesn’t include the cost of long-term care, most dental services or over-thecounter medications.

As professional care becomes more expensive and resources are strained, friends and family are putting in marathon hours caring for loved ones, often taking over medical and nursing duties that used to be handled by professionals.

It’s one thing to see the costs in a report, and another to live them.

Pinsker provides a candid guidebook for the often-frustrating and complex life of a caregiver. For a little over a year, she was a financial manager, healthcare advocate and finally administrator of her mother’s affairs after she died.

This isn’t a book about caregiving being a burden. It’s a tribute to both her mom and dad, and how it’s an honor to care for someone when they can’t do so for themselves. There are stories of other caregivers — some of them experts, others regular folks — who answered the call. And Pinsker doesn’t just feature the women who stepped up. She writes about a son who retired early at 58 and

moved his family to care for his 92-year-old father.

Caregiving for adults is hard, a statement that won’t come as news to the many people doing it. I’ve been the caregiver for my grandmother, grandfather, a disabled brother and my father-inlaw. It takes grit and grace to do this job. There are days when you want to scream, and you should.

Then there are times when you are doing tasks so intimate, such as bathing a parent, that bring tears to your eyes because you know they’re embarrassed to need such help from the child they used to diaper and bathe.

Pinsker has written a guide that has heart, as well as tips.

She walks you through so many issues, from setting up a care schedule and looking for financial red flags to using a power of attorney and fighting for benefits.

There are checklists. The resource section is expansive and extremely helpful. Use her conversation prompts to have the difficult talks. Here’s one: “I want to put together an emergency kit for you in case you ever need it. Can I look through your papers, pull some things together, and ask for your help when I need it?”

I love that every chapter has a

Email Michelle Singletary at michelle.singletary@washpost. com.

(Charmin), facial tissues (Puffs), feminine products (Tampax, Always), grooming and hair care (Gillette, Old Spice, Pantene), cleaning products (Dawn, Cascade, Mr. Clean), laundry detergents (Tide, Gain), oral and personal healthcare products (Crest, Oral-B, Pepto-Bismol), and skin and personal care (Olay, Old Spice).

Procter & Gamble is a mature blue-chip stock built for longevity. Its business is recessionresistant, as demand for its products tends to remain consistent across economic cycles.

It’s a good idea to have some safer, steadier stocks in your portfolio, especially in recent turbulent market conditions.

Plus, a dividend yield of nearly 3% is solid, and it will only get more attractive if interest rates begin to fall. Investors can buy

P&G on sale these days, as it’s trading with a recent price-toearnings (P/E) ratio of 21.6, below its five-year average of 25.5.

insiders buy and sell. Insider ownership is detailed via required filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Form DEF 14A, for example, can show the percentage of a company’s stock owned by the CEO, the chief financial officer, directors and other top executives. You can also find summaries of insider ownership on stock information pages at sites such as Yahoo! Finance. (At that site, enter a company’s ticker symbol and then click on “Holders.”)

The amount of insider ownership itself is valuable information: It’s promising when insiders own shares in the company, because this aligns their interests with those of small investors. They have an incentive to help the company succeed since they have skin in the game.

Insider trading — the legal kind — is also informative.

When insiders buy shares, it’s hard to see that as anything but a good sign. When they sell, it’s not necessarily bad, because many insiders get much of their compensation in the form of stock. So if they sell some shares, they may just be raising some cash.

High institutional ownership can also be auspicious. Institutions such as mutual funds, pension funds, hedge funds and endowment funds will often invest some or much of their sizable assets in stocks. Each stock chosen can be seen as a vote of confidence in the company, as they must have researched it and liked what they saw. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that the stock is a bargain or that it will perform well.

Fool’s School: Insiders and institutions Small investors are not the only ones who buy and sell stocks. It’s common for a stock to have insider or institutional investors, as well — and it’s worth paying attention to these when you’re evaluating a stock as a possible investment.

Company insiders include its officers and directors and others (including their relatives) who may be aware of important information regarding the company that hasn’t been made public. This potential for inside knowledge is why many investors like to keep up with what

“Do Now” directive. It’s a gentle nudge to do the things you want to put off, or you might not know you need to do. For example, she recommends you create a health history cheat sheet that includes a list of medications. She provides a template. Trust me, this is invaluable during doctor visits.

Here’s another must-do: As best you can, get an inventory of your loved one’s assets to identify how you can access cash if needed.

Once a person passes away, bank accounts are often frozen, potentially cutting you off from the funds to handle their final affairs. You’ll need a plan for bridge money to cover pressing costs like keeping the rent current while you clear out an apartment or paying for funeral expenses before the estate is legally settled and the rest of the money is released.

This is a book for caregivers and those who may someday need one. Pinsker’s most poignant advice is that procrastination can cost your caregivers a lot of heartache and money. Get your affairs in order, now.

Redesigned + reimagined.

Best app ever?

Best app ever.

Y’all read Stephanie Riegel’s story?

We did! On the NOLA.com app!

DOWNLOAD

HERE

Wait, you read the story on the app?

We did!

Best app ever?

Best app ever!

FUTURE-READY SKILLS FOR TODAY’S WORKFORCE. Advance your career or empower your team with LSU Professional Development.

LEARN MORE AT CE.LSU.EDU/PD

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 7E

lll

MADE IN LOUISIANA

Louisiana’s lone single-estate rum producer is growing

BY JONAH MEADOWS

tillery for a minimum of two years, while most of its second-use barrels are aged at the plantation, where the subtropical climate expands and contracts the wood and imparts stronger flavors onto the rum.

Staff writer

Among the hundreds of rums distilled in the United States, only a handful can claim “single estate” status, the farm-to-bottle model with fields, mill and distillery all under common ownership. Oxbow Rum Distillery in Point Coupee Parish is one of them.

The distillery grows its own sugar cane at Alma Plantation, grinds it at its own mill and distills it less than 20 miles away in downtown Baton Rouge.

The decade-old business makes seven types of rum — three under the False River brand, including its best-selling spiced rum, and four under the Oxbow brand.

It also makes the award-winning Rhum Louisiane Cane Juice Agricole, which is a rum distilled in the French Caribbean agricole style from freshly pressed cane juice rather than molasses.

“It’s the closest to the cane,” said President Olivia Stewart, who grew up at Alma, where her family has lived for generations. “Drinking it is like chewing on a stock of sugar cane, which is something I have really fond memories of.”

Sugar has been farmed on the land along False River, an oxbow lake in Pointe Coupee Parish, for longer than Louisiana has been a state.

Alma Plantation was established in 1789 by businessman and political leader Julien Poydras. Since 1859, it has been owned by the Stewart family, which has been farming sugar there ever since.

Today, it grows about 2,500 acres of sugar cane and runs one of 11 remaining sugar mills in the state, which grinds cane harvested there and by about 50 other growers. Every harvest season, the mill takes about 2 million tons of cane and grinds it into about 250,000 tons of raw sugar.

Olivia Stewart’s cousin launched the distillery in 2016 under a different brand name. She never intended to join the business. She’d earned a master’s degree in art business in London and was living in Manhat-

‘Tough category’ PROVIDED PHOTO

Oxbow Rum Distillery President Olivia Stewart is part of the fifth generation of family ownership of Alma Plantation and sugar mill in Lakeland.

tan when COVID-19 hit. At the same time, her father was looking to unload responsibility for managing the rum operation.

“I was furloughed, and he asked me to just go ahead and move back home and run the distillery,” she recalled.

Stewart oversees a staff of 10 fulltime and seven part-time employees with annual revenues of about $1 million.

ABOVE: Head distiller Cole Brannum samples a batch at the Oxbow Rum Distillery in Baton Rouge.

LEFT: The distillery features shelves of rums from its award-winning Oxbow white rum to its False River dark rum.

Farm to sill Oxbow uses just a tiny fraction of the cane harvested at Alma each year.

For the Rhum Louisiane, which can be made only during harvest, a small, dedicated mill crushes cane juice separately from the main operation.

The juice starts to break down and oxidize rapidly if it is exposed to air after crushing, so yeast is added to begin fermentation as it’s loaded into tankers to be trucked to Baton Rouge.

“You have to be close to the source to be able to make rum agricolestyle, and we want to be able to control the environment and pitch our own yeast within minutes for the best possible flavor,” Stewart said.

For its molasses-based rums, Oxbow pulls Grade A molasses — think extra virgin molasses — directly from the mill after the first crystallization, using about 30,000 gallons a year.

Rich with natural sugar, this by-

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON product of the first cane syrup boil contrasts with blackstrap, the dark, bittersweet molasses left behind after three or four boils.

“Alma yields 10 million gallons of byproduct of blackstrap molasses every year,” Stewart said. “All of that gets sold on the commodity market, mostly as animal feed, and that’s what most rum in the world is made from, that blackstrap lowquality molasses.”

At the distillery, the fermented wash goes through two runs on two separate stills. First, there’s a stripping run in a 500 gallon copper hybrid pot still. The low-strength distillate produced in that run then

goes through a 250-gallon stainless steel hybrid pot still, where head distiller Cole Brannum separates the desirable portions.

“It’s all by hand,” Stewart said.

“No digitization; it’s all analog valves and gauges.”

After distillation, the rum is gradually proofed over a period of two weeks, with filtered, deionized water added bit by bit — a technique Stewart learned on a visit to Caribbean distilleries on her honeymoon that tempers the amount of heat generated and the flavor changes that result.

New oak barrels are aged in a climate-controlled area of the dis-

Oxbow produces thousands of cases of rum a year, which is distributed in Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina. Sales in its home state account for close to 90% of its business.

That growth follows a difficult year for rum producers. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, sales volumes fell by 6.2% in 2025, making rum the second-worst performing spirit after brandy and cognac. The only part of the rum market to post any growth was in the “super premium” segment, the most expensive tier, according to the council’s data.

“Rum is a tough category. It’s not the hot category right now, like tequila,” Stewart said. “But I’m not caught in a lot of noise. We stand out.”

One opportunity for growth would be to establish a geographic indication for Louisiana cane juice rum. That would benefit Oxbow and the three other agricole producers in Louisiana, where more than 40% of the nation’s sugar cane is grown, putting them on the map internationally and supporting premium pricing by distinguishing their rums from mass-market spirits.

It could be an uphill battle, as the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau does not enforce geographic designations, and U.S. regulators do not differentiate between different types of rum.

Nonetheless, such a designation — potentially modeled on the appellation of origin that Martinique rhum agricole received in 1996 — would be a good goal for the state’s rum makers, according to Stewart, who is also vice president of the Louisiana Distillers Guild.

“The brand has become about the sugar cane, the land,” Stewart said.

“That’s what rum is made from. We want to stay true to that — do one thing and do it well.”

LOOKING BEYOND:

Avident Advisors Client-Centered Site Selection and Economic Development Solutions for Smart, Data-Driven Decisions.

Beyond the Landscape.

In today’s competitive and global economy, corporate site selection and location decisions are data-driven and often outsourced to seasoned professionals with deep knowledge of real estate, finance, workforce training, environmental issues, engineering, tax- and financialincentive analyses, negotiation, and other disciplines.

As an affiliate of Jones Walker LLP, one of the nation’s top economic development law firms, Avident Advisors combines, in one firm, this broad range of knowledge and experience required to provide effective location advisory services and economic development guidance.

Tariff uncertainty, tax changes, and a shifting job market have recently hindered project momentum — but opportunity is on the horizon. Avident Advisors is ready to guide your site selection strategy as activity accelerates in 2026, fueled by growth in steel, shipbuilding, hydrogen, battery materials, aerospace, food processing, and data centers.

Bill Hines

Across industries, top site selection criteria remain consistent: power, infrastructure, workforce, and water. States are investing Tommy Kurtz heavily in site readiness, with Louisiana Not licensed recently announcing a $150 million initiative to practice law along with other US states. At the same time, incentive structures are evolving from direct disbursements to customized packages emphasizing infrastructure and workforce solutions tailored to specific industries.

From site readiness programs to customized solutions, Avident Advisors is proud to help lead the way forward to secure competitive advantages in a changing landscape.

Tommy J. Kurtz, Managing Director, Avident Advisors

tkurtz@avidentadvisors.com, Not licensed to practice law 201 St. Charles Ave New Orleans, LA 70170-5100 504.582.8000 joneswalker.com

Suite 2900 811 Main St Houston, TX 77002 713.437.1800

Attorney Advertising. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other attorneys.

Scan the QR code to read the full article.

LA-25-19944

ALABAMA | ARIZONA | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | FLORIDA | GEORGIA | ILLINOIS | KENTUCKY | LOUISIANA | MINNESOTA | MISSISSIPPI | NEW YORK | TEXAS

8E ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Turning Risk Into a Competitive Advantage Are you ready for the risks of tomorrow?

The pace of change in 2026 is unprecedented. AI is transforming industries, workforce dynamics are shifting and in Louisiana, rising property insurance costs and shrinking carrier capacity from frequent severe weather are putting businesses to the test.

One thing is clear: businesses that understand their risk profile,

4. Turning data into actionable insights

align risk appetite with strategic goals and use data to make

Digital tools and analytics are revolutionizing risk management.

real-time decisions are better positioned to succeed.

Platforms like Gallagher Drive® empower businesses to transform

Here are four trends Gallagher experts are closely monitoring this year

data into actionable insights, delivering the right information at

to better advise our clients on managing risk:

the right time.

1. AI: a strategic opportunity — if you can operationalize it

For Louisiana businesses, this means tracking claims trends, spotting emerging risks and course-correcting before losses

AI is reshaping industries faster than ever, but the challenge isn’t

escalate. With the right tools, you can stay ahead of risks and

access — it’s operationalizing AI to fit your business’ needs and

make informed decisions that protect your bottom line.

risk appetite. For Louisiana risk managers, this means assessing how AI impacts operations, decision-making and exposure while

Partnering with Gallagher in Louisiana

identifying ways to streamline processes and boost performance.

At Gallagher, we understand the unique challenges Louisiana

Despite AI’s rapid evolution, risk management remains human at

businesses face in 2026. From leveraging AI and data, to

its core. Technology should enhance broker-client conversations,

preparing for severe weather, our experts are here to help clients

delivering clarity — not complexity. The best tools foster

navigate risk with confidence. Together, we’ll craft strategies that

collaboration, not distance.

protect your people, assets, and future — so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.

2. Severe weather is unavoidable; preparation is not Louisiana’s Gulf Coast location makes it particularly vulnerable to severe weather. While 2026’s El Niño conditions may suppress

Let’s face the future together.

Atlantic hurricanes, localized flooding and heavy rain remain significant risks.

Preparation is key. Proactive forecasting, response planning, and asset protection strategies can minimize disruptions to people, property and operations. At Gallagher, we help Louisiana businesses develop tailored plans to stay ahead of these inevitable challenges.

3. Know your risk profile — eliminate the guesswork A clear risk profile eliminates uncertainty and can become a powerful competitive advantage. A well-defined risk profile replaces uncertainty with actionable insights, enabling faster, more confident decisions year-round — not just at renewal.

Effective risk management is continuous, driving better outcomes over time. This shift from transactional insurance buying to strategic, year-round risk management is transforming how

William Jackson Southeast Regional President

About Gallagher Gallagher is committed to serving Louisiana.

Combining client-centric service with global resources.

We’re a trusted partner for businesses and individuals seeking insurance, risk management and consulting solutions. AJG.com/Louisiana

Louisiana businesses protect their future.

AJG.com/Louisiana | The Gallagher Way. Since 1927.

© 2026 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and affiliates & subsidiaries | GGBUS108266

Scan the code to connect with us.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 1F

lll

homes.nola.com Search & Place Ads Online at classifieds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PM at (504) 636-7435

OPEN

enviable addresses NEW

PRICE

HOUSE

SUN 12 - 2

OPEN

ONE OF A KIND

HOUSE

SUN 2:30 4:30

1430 Bonnabel Blvd • Bucktown / Metairie

$599,000 300 Audubon Street • Uptown

Prime lakefront location steps from Bonnabel Boat Launch, playgrounds, fishing pier, dog park, and walking/bike paths.

Custom-built 2015 one-story on oversized fenced lot; never flooded. 4 beds, 3.5 baths, 2.376 sqft, open floor plan, marble kitchen, 2 en-suites, luxury primary suite, covered porches, huge driveway for boat/trailer, tankless water heater & new AC. Ann Garvey 504-723-1466 504-766-6705 Berkshire Hathaway HS Preferred, REALTORS

Meticulously renovated 1910 home near Audubon Park blends historic charm w/ modern luxury. This 3BR/2.5BA features double parlors, designer kitchen with premium appliances, marble baths, elevator, generator, cocktail pool, landscaped gardens, covered porches, and parking for two. Elegant finishes and thoughtful upgrades throughout create exceptional Uptown living.

Cat Wilkinson • 504-458-3088 Michael Wilkinson • 504-491-0484 FQR Realtors 504-949-5400

NEW

GREAT OPPTY

2106-08 Robert Street • Uptown

$725,000 3953-3955 Delachaise Street • Broadmoor

NEW

NEW

PRICE

PRICE

VIRTUAL HOME TOURS

6506 Oakland Drive • NOLA 70118

$945,000

Elegant home on New Orleans Country Club golf course offers privacy and luxury. Features 3 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, first-floor primary suite with indoor pool access, spacious den, living and dining areas for entertaining. Two connectable courtyards, off-street parking, storage, and whole-home generator complete this exceptional property in peaceful private setting.

Sissy Sullivan 504-858-8140 RE/MAX N.O. Properties 504-866-7733

PUT YOUR LISTING HERE!

GET YOUR

VIRTUAL HOME TOUR

Like-new 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths including private mother-inlaw suite. Designer kitchen features marble island, doublestacked cabinetry, and premium ovens. Spacious primary suite opens to courtyard patio. Upgrades include engineered wood floors, plantation shutters, whole-home generator, water filtration, dual HVAC systems, and 2.5-car garage with attic lift.

Lisa Nunez 985-788-6270 HomeSmart Realty South

NEW

POOL!

PRICE

Spacious 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2,634 sqft ranch-style home that sits on a 70-ft front lot featuring formal living areas, and a large eat-in kitchen opening to a den and backyard oasis with palm trees, cabana, and inground pool. Primary suite includes walk-in closet and en-suite bath. No carpet. Private courtyards and flexible living spaces throughout. Don’t pass this one by!

CourtneyKattengell•504-214-9830 TiffanyRiddle•504-289-4696 TCK Realty 504-613-6560

SHOULD YOUR STANDOUT PROPERTY be a

featured home?

IN FRONT OF

Have the prominent position, plus the inside cover of the HOMES REAL ESTATE SECTION!

PROSPECTIVE BUYERS EVERY WEEK

In addition to a showcase home on NOLA.com for 4-weeks.

50,000

To reserve your FEATURED HOME, contact Gwen Enderline 111 ADDRESS LANE

111 ADDRESS LANE

This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text. This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text. This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text.

This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text. This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text. This is the description for the house and is here as placeholder text.

VIRTUAL TOUR

VIRTUAL TOUR

$000,000

Call Gwen 504-300-6411

$795,000

$229,000 1929 Carol Sue Avenue • Terrytown NEW PRICE • $330,000

Great opportunity in the Broadmoor neighborhood.

Calling All Investors! FULLY LEASED 4-plex in the bustling Freret St corridor. 2023 Fortified Roof. Off street parking in Three bedroom, one bath duplex with garage or storage long driveway. House has personality as seen right away by on first level. Separate utility meters the colorful exterior paint. Fits right into this vibrant part (gas, electric, and water). Convenient area two blocks off of town. Not far from Universities, St. Charles Streetcar, Washington Avenue and S. Broad.

Napoleon Ave and Jefferson Ave. Location, location, location.

504-427-4646 Anne Comarda • 504-251-1020 Julie Koerner • 504-813-6780 Stephen Carson The Carson Co. Inc. of New Orleans Realtors 504-821-1858 504-875-3555 McEnery Residential

NEW

IDEAL

LOCATION

$1,699,000 905 Tezcucco Court • Terra Bella / Covington

PRICE

PRICE

#42,:+2."3";0.7.;0.;1):/;.0(:7.541.0'!*2.;3.0%6,.!&8.4)#3141.$9<<*33*9;'

$000,000

CONTACT GWEN ENDERLINE AT 504-300-6411 OR GENDERLINE@THEADVOCATE.COM

AT 504-300-6411 OR genderline@theadvocate.com

2F ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

GENTILLY 2544 ALLEN TOUSSAINT BLVD. NEWLY RENOVATED!!!

1-2 Bdrm Apts * From $800/mo Parking * Sec Gate 504-250-1446 * 504-454-1333

New Orleans Rental

JEFFERSON Apartment unfurnished above Causeway Blvd. Off Jeff. Hwy near Causeway Blvd back 1/2 br dupx 2 bdr, 1 bth, kit, livr, utilr, appliances, A/C All new $900 504-833-4885

FRENCH QUARTER

KENNER

2850 IDAHO AVENUE 1 Block to Vets & Williams All Amenities * Pool * Parking Studio/1 Bed Apt * Starting $650/Mo 504-236-1971 * 504-454-1333

KENNER 510 FARRAR AVENUE - 1/2 Duplex, 3 Bd, 2 Ba, All Electric, Central A/H, Off St Prkg, No Smoking or Pets!

Call: 504-458-9700

NEW ORLEANS 2827 Bruxelles, 2BR/1BA, kit furn, w/d hu $900m $800d. 504-940-9508

METAIRIE

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347

Super FR QTR Location, One bed/bath, Cent A/H, Modern Appliances, Hardwood Floors.

In unit W/D, Lovely Courtyard, Pleasant Residential Complex. No dogs.

GARY WILLIAMS * 504-251-2047 FQR Realty 504-949-5400

METAIRIE 4101 Hessmer, Met. 1BR 1BA, Condo READY! $1095/m&d (504) 723-5300

SIGN UP TODAY

NEW ORLEANS EAST LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

RIVPAR - EASTBANK

METAIRIE 3201 RICHLAND AVENUE 1/2 Block off Vets * by Paretti Jaguar 1 Bed * Prkg * Pool * Rent $675/mo 504-320-6958 * 504-454-1333 METAIRIE 3513 EDENBORN AVENUE Lrg 2 Bed, 1 Bath * $925 * Off St Prkg Blocks from Lakeside 504-982-4040 * 504-885-8060 504-454-1333

1027 CHARTRES, UNIT F * $1,300/MO

NEW ORLEANS EAST 8501 Gervais St, 3Br/2Ba, 1260sqft, w/d hkup, freshly renov. Offst cov'd parking. Txt or call 504-710-5952

MID CITY 8620 Pear St., 2BR, $1400mo,$800dep, email breakfast_8704@yahoo.com

177 W. 5TH STREET LAPLACE * $2,150/MO Renovated 3BR/3BA home w/ private baths, laminate wd flrg, TV's, appls, dishes, W&D, lawn care, & ample parking.

Furnished or Unfurnished.

Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616.

Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

WEST BANK 332 Layman St., Avondale 3Br/2Ba. Sec 8 wlc 502-644-1070

Order frameable newspaper page reprints of any special day important to you.

LA.

CLASSIFIEDS.NOLA.COM

SHOP TODAY! store.nola.com

jobs.nola.com Search Place Onlines at jobs.nola.com • Call Us Monday - Friday 8AM 8AM - 5PM at at (504) Search &&Place AdsAds Online at classifieds.theneworleansadvocate.com • Call Us Monday - Friday - 5PM (504) 636-7435 636-7435 GENERAL HELP Chinese Specialty food cook

Announcements

Employment

Anyone having info. or knowing the whereabouts of the agents, officers, owners, and/or representatives of Make It Right - New Orleans, LLC please contact Atty. Gina Recasner at 504.343.3673.

187877-May 16-18, 3t $109 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Ivette Mora, last known address of 1014 Saint Julien Dr., Apt. D2, Kenner, LA 70065, please contact Timothy F. Hand, Esq. at (504) 3681118.

187732-May 16-18, 3t $109 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of JOSHUA WHITAKER please contact Irving Shnaider, Atty at (504)484-6416.

187837-May 16-18, 3t $85

NEWS 24/7 ON Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Julien Cadis, III, last known address of 1128 North Howard Avenue, Metairie, LA 70003, please contact Timothy F. Hand, Esq. at (504) 368-1118.

187731-May 16-18, 3t $109 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Marlon R. Cruz and Tania Lisseth Abanda De Cruz, last known address of 614 31st Street, Kenner, LA 70065, please contact Timothy F. Hand, Esq. at (504) 368-1118.

187726-May 16-18, 3t $109

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of New Horizon Learning Academy LLC, whose last known office domicile was 1344 Lake Avenue, Metairie, LA 70005, or its only named Member/Manager, Jamalynn Lewis, please contact Timothy F. Hand, Esq. at (504) 368-1118.

187723-May 16-18, 3t $133 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Thomas J. Curran, Jr. please contact David Fos, attorney, at 504.343-3725 or dsfoslaw@outlook.com.

187734-May 16-18, 3t $97 Anyone know the whereabouts of Olman E. Estrada a/k/a Olman Estrada please contact Atty. P. Lindsey Williams at 504-561-1222.

187844-May 16-18, 3t $85

ADMINISTRATIVE

Case Management Clerk

Federal Benefits. $49,361– 80,265 depending upon qualifications and ex‐ perience. Performs all clerical func‐ tions in connection with processing cases. Required KSA’s: high school diploma; two-years general clerical ex‐ perience and one-year progressively responsible clerical experience in a professional office environment; fast and accurate data entry; Word and Windows proficiency; excellent com‐ munication skills; and database and technology proficiency.

Full vacancy announcement and appli‐ cation process can be obtained under the vacancies section of the Fift f h Cir‐ cuit website, www.ca5.uscourts.gov.

EDUCATION

Jefferson Parish Schools is hiring Speech Language Thera‐ pists, School Psychologists & Certified Teachers to fill the following critical shortage areas: ELA, ESL, Math, Science and Special Education. A hiring stipend isoffered for teach‐ ers hired at target schools and/or in target content areas. For more information and to apply, visit www.jpschools.org/teach

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Office of State Parks is requesting proposals for a Public, Private Partnership pro‐ ject to operate certain components of Poverty Point State Park and Black Bear Golf Course.

For more information go to OpportunitiesinLouisia na .com 186438-may 4-22-19t $87.78

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --COMPLETION OF PRODUCTION Boehringer Ingelheim Commercial: “Jardiance Story Remains The Same” has wrapped. Anyone with claims or unpaid invoices for this project should contact TPC Lend‐ ing & Services LLC (310) 507-9051 by 5/24/2026 185685-may 3-10-17-3t $164.08 PUBLIC NOTICE --IMPORTANT NOTICE – CLAIMS BAR DATE A COURT-ORDERED CLAIMS BAR DATE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR WESTON PROPERTY AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY (“WESTON”) BAR DATE:

AUGUST 8, 2026

On August 8, 2022, the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Leon County, (“the Court”) Florida placed Weston into liqui‐ (case number dation 2022 CA 001378). The Court appointed the De‐ partment of Financial Services of the State of Florida as Receiver, and & BENNETT, CANTILO L.L.P. as SDR for Weston.

All claims against We‐ ston must be submitted on the approved POC form and will be treated as claims against the Weston liquidation es‐ tate.

The Court has estab‐ lished August 8, 2026, as the Claims Bar Date, pur‐ to Section suant Florida 631.181(5), Statutes. POCs must be postmarked or delivered to the SDR by this date.

Claims submitted after August 8, 2026, will be and forever denied barred.

By the Claims Bar Date, all claims must also be non contingent and liqui‐ dated to be eligible to share in any distribution of estate assets. POCs that remain contingent or unliquidated after Au‐ gust 8, 2026, will be barred from participating in distributions.

The Court previously es‐ tablished a Claims Filing Deadline of August 8, 2023. POCs filed after Au‐ gust 8, 2023, but on or be‐ fore August 8, 2026, will be treated as late-filed

ATTORNEY TRANSFERRED TO DISABILITY INACTIVE STATUS Dennis Wayne Moore, of Gretna, has been transferred to disability inactive status by order of the Louisiana State Supreme Court dated Apr. 22, 2026. Order FINAL and EFFECTIVE Apr. 22, 2026. Mr. Moore may not practice law until further orders from the court.

For further information, please write: The Office of the Disciplinary Counsel 4000 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Ste. 607 Baton Rouge, LA 70816

SAINTS JACKET Mens gorgeous black & gold Saints jacket, size XXL, must see! $300 (504) 994-7385

Pets

CEMETERY PLOTS Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, in the Chapel. Corr IV, Tier A, holds 6 interments $17,500. 504-259-0505 JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beaut. 10k-14k gold diamond cross & chn $350 504-994-7385

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Thursday May 21 @ 3pm

Variances – New Business 7. BZA039-26 1455 N. Roman Street / Roy Cohen and Eileen Spira, Ezra Spira-Cohen 8. BZA040-26 1041 Du‐ maine Street / 900 N Rampart LLC, Sherman Strategies LLC, Mary Grace Verges 9. BZA041-26 945 Kenil‐ worth Street, 5801-03 Gen. Haig Street / Susan Silbernagel, Johnston Burkhardt 10.

BZA042-26 14 Thrasher Street / Austin Evans, Lulia Basaraha, Mike Stanton, Oasis Pools and Spas 11. BZA043-26 2518 Bur‐ gundy Street / Brandon Laramie Macloud, Mar‐ garet Ann Macloud 12. BZA044-26 932 Ara‐ bella Street / Crescent City Developers LLC, Zach Smith Consulting & Design, Fresia Galvez 13.

BZA045-26 730-32 Saint Peter Street / St Peter FQ Holdings, LLC, Williams Architects, John C. Williams 14. BZA046-26 518 Walnut Street, Unit C / Mark and Charlotte Dawson, Schneider Construction & Restoration, Inc., Kristin Guilott Director of Safety and Permits Decision Appeals – Unfinished Business 15. BZA062-24 2501-2537 Tulane Avenue / Miles Trapolin and Maureen Greer

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE Patricia Anne Bethancourt, Harahan, LA (2026-OB-00468) has been transferred to disability inactive status, by order of the Louisiana State Supreme Court dated April 22, 2026. JUDGMENT FINAL and EFFECTIVE April 22, 2026. Gist: Ms. Bethancourt cannot practice law pending further orders from the Court.

Notice under the Ameri‐ cans with Disabilities Act: This meeting is ac‐ cessible to people with disabilities. Should you need further assistance, please contact the Front Desk in the Main Lobby or the ADA Administra‐ tor: (504) 658-4020 (voice), 711 LA Relay Ser‐ vice, or e-mail emhurst@ nola.gov. Please be ad‐ vised there is a courtesy telephone available for 711 calls for people with hearing or speech im‐ pairments at the wel‐ come desk of City Hall, First Floor, Main Lobby.

This communiqué is available in alternative formats upon request.

Advertisement Dates: May 8, 15 and 17, 2026 NOCP 9031 185367-apr 15-17-5t $231.05

24-may

1-8-

Memorial Day

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Thursday May 21 @ 3pm

Run Date Tuesday May 26 Wednesday May 27

Director of Safety and Permits Decision Appeals – Reconsideration 16. BZA110-25 103739 Broadway Street / C NAPCO INC, Zach Smith Consulting & Design, Laura Barth

187216-646892-may 17-1t $240.00

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

MONDAY ONDAY,, MAY 25TH 25T

Memorial Day

Avenue / Poland Ave LLC, Zach Smith Consulting & Design, Fresia Galvez 4. BZA031-26 7032 Boston Drive / Marva Cannon, Joni Stone, Dynamic Group, LLC 5.

BZA032-26 2022-24 Philip Street / Team Robot, LLC, Greg John‐ son, DeShawn Davenport 6.

BZA038-26 3316 Dauphine Street / Pedro F. Molina

Variances – Unfinished Business 1. BZA023-26 5312-14 La Salle Street / Gelinsia G. Jones 2. BZA024-26 1309 Har‐ mony Street / John P. Klingman 3. BZA029-26 1614 Poland

DOGS Maltipoo’s, Dorkie’s, Yorkie’s - Maltipoo puppies, $350 & $400. Dorkie puppies $350 & $400 Reg. Yorkie puppies $700 & $800. $350+ 601-543-4232

in observance of

claims. Late-filed claims are unlikely to receive any distribution pay‐ ments, except as may be permitted under Section 631.181, Florida Statutes.

Claims submitted after August 8, 2026, will not be accepted as filed claims in the estate.

The Board of Zoning Ad‐ justments, in accordance with Article 4 of the Com‐ prehensive Zoning Ordi‐ nance of the City of New Orleans, will hold a pub‐ lic hearing on the follow‐ ing items:

7 DAYS A WEEK

in observance of

MONDAY ONDAY,, MAY 25TH 25T

Legal Notices

REVISED BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENTS PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Monday, May 18, 2026 10:00 a.m.

City Council Chambers City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, 1st Floor, New Orleans, Louisiana

DOGS CKC YORKIES - with papers vet checked shot and worming standard and parti available meet in Gulfport $750 (334) 467-3416

DOGS Teacup YORKIES Maltipoos POMS Mini Goldendoodles POODLES Chihuahua 504-259-2222 for available now S/WUTD Teacups $995+. Puppy Pack $595+ (504) 259-2222

The Classified Advertising Department will be closed on

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

DOGS Blue eyes, 4lb, Blue Merle Pomeranian at Stud. Pics upon request 504-913-8536

The Classified/Public Notice Department will be closed on

Legal Notices

187718-may 17-24-31-3t $853.09

DOGS Beautiful AKC Wheaten Mini Schnauzer Puppies, Parents onsite s/w $Call (504) 390-2918

CLASSIFIEDS.NOLA.COM

Call (225) 383-0111 - Option 3 then Press Option 1 or email: Classifieds at ClassifiedAds@theadvocate.com or Public Notices at legal.ads@theadvocate.com

POC forms and submis‐ instructions are sion https:// at available weston-ins-liquidation. com, where you can also find additional informa‐ tion about the receiver‐ ship, important receiver‐ ship documents, and FAQs. If you have ques‐ tions about this notice or would like to request a mailed copy of the POC form, please contact the SDR by calling 512-4786000 or 800-579-6817 toll free.

CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50)

DOGS German Shorthaired Pointer - Beau‐ tiful Registered German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies, Now taking de‐ posits of $100, born April 25th. $700 337-692-2179

WANT TO BUY I Buy Books!!

Will drive to Your books today!! $1 504-226-1398

To apply, visit the school district website at https://www.sbpsb.org

If you do not have a claim against Weston, or if you have already filed a liquidated and non-contingent Proof of Claim (“POC”) with We‐ ston’s Special Deputy Receiver (“SDR”), you may disregard this notice.

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies beautiful 10k gold diamond wishbone ring. $300. 504-994-7385

MISC FOR SALE Antique (Foreign) Tea Pots 10-12 Must See $300 Take All 504-994-7385

Certified positions – ALL Levels and Areas Support positions – ALL

EDUCATION ELD Dual Language Teacher (Kenner, LA). Use available instructional materi‐ als & variety of techniques to provide opportunities for student achievemt & developmt of English lang for students assigned in the Spanish dual language classroom. Bach, Education or closely rel field. 3 yrs' exp teaching Spanishspeaking elem students. Native or near-native Spanish lang fluency. Must send CV & cvr ltr to trovania.otkins@ jpschools.org or Trovania Otkins, Jef‐ ferson Parish Schools, 501 Manhattan Blvd., Ste 1200, Harvey, LA 70058 w/in 30 days, ref Job #2024-511. #LI-DNI #DNI

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beautiful 10k Gold Diamond Cluster Ring Must See! $350 (504) 994-7385

Merchandise

The St Bernard Parish School Board has immediate openings for ALL positions.

Legal Notices

187215-646884-may 17-1t $240.00

GENERAL HELP LICENSED PLUMBERS with OSHA 10 are needed for commercial work in the New Orleans area. Total package $52.06. Contact 504-885-3054 for addi‐ tional information.

EDUCATION

Angel Angello call Tommy please

Public Notices

China Doll Restaurant Inc. in Harvey seeks Chinese specialty cook. Plan menus, prepare ingredients, and cook Chinese cuisine. Garnish and serve food to waiters on order. Estimate food consumption and order supplies. 2 yrs.

Exp. In Chinese cooking, Send resume to: Ms. Julia Ieong, China Doll at 830 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey, LA 70058.

JEWELRY/WATCHES Ladies Beaut. 10k yg Diam.

Clustered Heart Ring Must See $350 504-994-7385

Run Date Tuesday May 26 Wednesday May 27

As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (225) 383-0111

Reporting you can trust on stories that matter

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation will introduce the 2026-27 budget and hold its first public hearing on the 2026-27 budget on May 14, 2026 at 5:30 pm at Edgar P Harney Build‐ ing located at 2503 Wil‐ low St., New Orleans, LA 70113 (LA R.S. 39:1307).

ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation is the charter school management or‐ operating ganization ReNEW Laurel Elemen‐ tary, ReNEW Dolores T. Elementary, Aaron ReNEW Schaumburg Ele‐ mentary, and ReNEW Moton Lakefront Elemen‐ tary. A physical copy of the 2026-2027 budget is available at 10001 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 710, New Orleans, LA 70127.

186911-may 9-aug 27 $956

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3F

lll

Corinne Fox REALTOR®

“Connecting You to the Soul of New Orleans One Home, One Neighborhood, One Passion at a Time!”

504-466-3712

m 504.239.1481 o 504.861.7575 corinne.fox@compass.com www.compass.com/agents/corinne-fox

www.hurricanefenceneworleans.com All types of Fences Exclusive Pre-Stained Cedar Fences

7934 Maple St. New Orleans, LA 70118 Licensed by the State of Louisiana

CONTRACTOR NO JOB TOO SMALL!

SIDEWALKS & DRIVEWAYS

504-236-2375

Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement is Your JellyFish Lighting Dealer All In One Exterior Lighting Solution Controlled from your smart device anywhere

TRIPLE BBB

Security-Accent-Holiday-Game Day Lighting Trim - Patio - Landscaping FREE ESTIMATE • 504-466-3712 1 yr no interest financing

Pool Enclosures • Patio Covers • Roofing Siding • Glass Rooms • Screen Rooms Soffit • Fascia • Windows & Screens

CONSTRUCTION CO. INC.

504 -570 - 6683

3030 Lausat Street, Metairie, Louisiana 70001 Website: twomenandatruck.com/neworleans Licensed, Bonded and fully Insured with a 96.5% approval rating

Roof Repair Specialist

Licensed, Bonded and Fully Insured

ABLE TREE SERVICE

50+ YEARS LOCAL SERVICE NEVER A COMPLAINT TO THE WE RECYCLE YOUR TREES

Tree Trimming & Removal • Stump Grinding *Must Dial Area Code*

504-341-2006

WE DO IT ALL!

Chris Sand/Owner 504-281-3977

TRIMMING STUMP REMOVAL

50 4 - 828 -1532

Top of the Line Landscaping Lawn Service

LAWN SERVICES $35, Trim bushes, cleaning flowerbeds, landscape design, re-landscaping, lawn service maintenance. also do lighting & irrigation. licensed & Insured. 24 years experience.

FREE ESTIMATES!

Free Estimates Senior Discounts

METRO-MOVING & PAINTING FREE ESTIMATES

• Residential & Commercial Moving • Contract Work • Exercise Equipment Set-Up • Appliance, Furniture Pick-up/Delivery & Set-Up “Moving you to a new start” Since 1984 Office: 504-236-0058 Email: charleslawson58@yahoo.com Fax: 504-244-0411 Charles Lawson, Owner

Fax 504-467-6708

ee Docto

Over 30 Years Experience

Sand Home Improvement

504-467-6998

r

Make your holidays a lot easier with the Versa Lift Attic Elevator Prices start at $2795 12 month no interest financing available CALL 504-466-3712 Hurricane Fence and Home Improvement

JAMES H. BALL, SR.

P R ES I D E N T 2158 Kenner Ave. Kenner, LA 70062

Tr

GET READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

REMOVAL STORM PREP

CEMENT AND BRICK

License and Insured and Professionally trained

L

R.J. LABORDE CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • REMODELING & NEW CONSTRUCTION

An Affordable Quality Builder for Over 25 Years • Room Additions • Custom Kitchens • Custom Baths

• Carport Enclosures • Garages • Plumbing Repairs

• Window Replacements • New Roofing & Repairs • Concrete Work

Call for Estimates: 504-885-5224 / 504-250-7139 Your Plans or Ours ~ Licensed and Insured

Building Homes & Remodeling

NOW SERVICING THE NORTHSHORE & SOUTHSHORE!

PHIL SIZEMORE Roofing Done Right

Reroofing • Flats • Repairs

LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1947

504.390.8045

TERMITES ARE COMING!

To advertise here, please call 225-383-0111

ROACHES, ANTS, RATS & TERMITES

Theodore Smith, Jr. • Call/Text: 504-401-0661

Free Estimates 45 yrs. A rating in BBB

1st Landscaping Job 5% off

Call or Text Today for

Free Termite Inspection!

504-834-7330

ONE great state. FOUR great apps.

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

lll

BIG WIRELESS COVERAGE, WITHOUT BIG WIRELESS COST.

Save 500 $ Save 1,000 $

on every window

Plans start at $20/Month.

Switch & Save Today.

855-337-6197

© 2024 Consumer Cellular Inc. Terms and Conditions subject to change. For J.D. Power 2024 Wireless Customer Care Value Mobile Virtual Network Operator Study award information, visit jdpower.com/awards. Plans shown above include $5 credit for AutoPay and E-billing. Taxes and other fees apply. Credit approval required for new service. Cellular service is not available in all areas and is subject to system limitations.

T

SCAN

SELF-SCH TO

R

U

All of our support teams are just a call or click away.

Renewal by Andersen is the nation’s best window and door replacement solution‡ YO

We’ve been ranked “#1 in Customer Service among Wireless Value MVNOs, 16 Times in a Row.”

100% U.S. BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE.

with $0 down, 0% interest, and NO payments for 12 months*

ULE ED

AWARD-WINNING CUSTOMER SUPPORT 16 TIMES IN A ROW.

on every door!

AP P

EN

4F ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

OI N T

M

Schedule your FREE in-home consultation by May 31

504-350-7786 10414 Plaza Americana Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70816

*Offer not available in all areas. Discount applied by retailer representative at time of contract execution and applies to the purchase of 4 or more windows or an entry or patio door. To qualify for discount offer, initial contact for a free Window and Door Diagnosis must be made and documented between 5/1/26 and 5/31/26, with the appointment then occurring no more than 10 days after the initial contact. No payments and deferred interest for 12 months available to well qualified buyers on approved credit only and applies to purchase of 4 or more windows and/or entry or patio doors. Not all customers may qualify.

Higher rates apply for customers with lower credit ratings. Financing not valid with other offers or prior purchases. No Finance Charges will be assessed if promo balance is paid in full in 12 months. Renewal by Andersen retailers are neither brokers nor lenders. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only, and all financing is provided by third-party lenders unaffiliated with Renewal by Andersen retailers, under terms and conditions arranged directly between the customer and such lender, all subject to credit requirements. Renewal by Andersen retailers do not assist with, counsel or negotiate financing, other than providing customers an introduction to lenders interested in financing. Renewal by Andersen is an independently owned and operated retailer. HICPA registration #003807. “Renewal by Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are marks of Andersen Corporation. ©2026 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. †See Renewal by Andersen® Products and Installation Transferable Limited Warranties for details. ‡Review aggregator survey of the most 5 star reviews among leading national full service window and door replacement companies. For J.D. Power 2025 award information, visit jdpower.com/awards.

Renewal by Andersen Impact Resistant Windows

When you need the news.

Wherever you read the news.

The newspaper of record for New Orleans

yogurt offers endless options PAGE 3

DISCOVERy | INNOVATION | LIVING WELL

HEALTH

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S U N D AY, M AY 17, 2026

Molly Kimball 1N

LSU Health focuses on wellness, nutrition Initiative starts with its medical students

BY RACHEL MIPRO Contributing writer

PHOTO PROVIDED By OCHSNER HEALTH

A new Alzheimer’s technology, a noninvasive headset, could potentially slow the progress of cognitive decline.

ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH One-hour light and sound stimulation headsets can potentially slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease

BY MARGARET DeLANEY

Staff writer

Christian Howell, chief executive officer of Cognito Therapeutics, is not a native New Orleanian or a Louisianan. But he went to Tulane University in 1994 before joining the Navy as an officer.

Now, as the chief executive officer of Cognito Therapeutics, a medical technology company that focuses on innovations for neurodegenerative diseases, he’s bringing those technologies to a city — and people — that he loves.

Howell lives in Michigan, but often travels to Louisiana as a representative of Cognito, searching for the best hospital systems to implement its medical designs.

In March, Howell and Cognito announced a partnership with the Ochsner Health system to bring new approaches to treating cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease to the Gulf South.

At the core of the new brain health collaborative laboratory, or “collabo-

ratory,” is Spectrics, a headset that flashes light and sound to stimulate the system in the brain that preserves brain function.

The goggle-like device is designed for at-home use for one hour each day. It delivers synchronized light and sound stimulation through the brain, potentially stopping the progression of neurodegenerative disease. While the initial use of the headset is to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the technology may also hold potential across a range of neurological Howell conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, stroke and addiction.

In 2021, Spectris received the breakthrough device designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, recognizing its potential to transform neurodegenerative care. It is not currently approved by the FDA and is being evaluated in clinical trials.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How was this device developed? How does it work?

For years, there had just been a fundamental belief that the best way to treat the diseases of the brain was using biology or chemistry. What we have found is that physics could play a really compelling role as well to treat cognitive decline.

Dr. Lee Wei Tsai at the Peak Hour Institute at MIT studied the various activity levels of the brain and what happens biologically at those activity levels. What she found was when the brain is most active, at 40 hertz, the brain begins to express important biomarkers that help to preserve brain structure and function. Those elements were important for preserving cognition and individual independence.

Then she started asking, “I wonder if you could stimulate the brain or the brain’s activity to actually replicate that biology.”

ä See HEADSET, page 2X

One Louisiana hospital system is examining nutrition training in a bid to increase state wellness, battling an entrenched culture of fried and fatty foods and deeply-rooted food insecurities.

LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine has joined more than 50 schools in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a U.S. Department of Education-driven initiative to incorporate 40 hours of nutrition education into curriculums.

“Medical schools talk about nutrition but fail to teach it,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an August news release announcing the initiative. “We demand immediate, measurable reforms to embed nutrition education across every stage of medical training, hold institutions accountable for progress, and equip every future physician with the tools to prevent disease — not just treat it.”

The HHS has faced intense criticism in recent months from health organizations worried over the administration’s approach to vaccines, among other misleading claims made in areas such as raw milk and autism.

Dr. Robin English, LSU Health New Orleans associate dean for undergraduate medical education, described the initiative as a way to focus on public health. “I think it’s pretty inarguable that physicians need to understand nutrition,” English said. “So to me, this English is not a political issue. This is an issue of making sure our doctors are well equipped.”

English pointed to some of the health problems caused by poor nutrition. Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, hypertension and certain types of cancer. Proper nutrition can also have negative effects on mental health, maternal health and fetal development and immune function, among others.

ä See WELLNESS, page 3X

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Dr. Reuben Battley, from left, slices mushrooms as Dr. Madison Flake and Sarah Gray observe his knife skills during a culinary medicine workshop.

Inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities ochsner.org/community

2X ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Implantable tech emerges as option to treat sleep apnea

BY ROBERTA BURKHART

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS) For years, Nino Orsini Jr. thought his restless nights were normal.

“I would go to bed at a decent hour. I would log six to eight hours of sleep where I was unconscious, but I wasn’t getting what is ‘actual’ sleep,” said Orsini, 48, of Seven Fields, Pennsylvania.

Like an estimated 30 million Americans, Orsini was living with obstructive sleep apnea — a condition in which the airway collapses during sleep, interrupting breathing and reducing oxygen levels.

Left untreated, it can increase the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke and chronic fatigue, per the American Medical Association.

For years, the standard treatment was a CPAP machine, using a stream of air to keep airways open during sleep. But in recent years newer, implantable alternatives have emerged for patients who can’t tolerate CPAP. The Inspire device, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2014 and available in Pittsburgh, stimulates the hypoglossal nerve in order to keep the airway physically open, rather than forcing air through.

Orsini’s symptoms were hard to ignore — especially for his wife, Michaelle Callihan, a nurse practitioner.

At night, Callihan would often hear her husband stop breathing, then suddenly take a very deep breath. Sometimes she’d hear a bubbling noise.

“I didn’t know that I was not getting good sleep,” Orsini said. “I thought this was just the way people slept.”

After a sleep study confirmed a sleep apnea diagnosis, Orsini was prescribed a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine — the standard treatment, which uses pressurized air to keep the airway open. While effective for many, it wasn’t a good fit for him.

“I sleep on my stomach. That’s one of the only ways I can sleep,” he said. “So having a mask on my face makes it very, very difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.”

Additionally, Orsini describes himself as “a very aggressive sleeper. I move around a lot, so I tend to knock the CPAP off my face.”

Callihan said the couple often awoke entangled in the CPAP hose: “It would wrap around my head, around his head, around my feet.”

But Orsini said he still vividly recalls the first night he managed to

keep the CPAP on all night. “(It) did exactly what it was supposed to do, and I got some of the best sleep I ever had in my life.”

Despite more failures than successful sleeps, he stuck with it on and off for years.

“I would get a couple of nights where it would stay on and it would work,” and then weeks would pass where he just couldn’t get through a night with it staying in place.

Thinking back to that first blissful night of rest when the device worked, Orsini said he grew frustrated, knowing what he was missing.

A different approach Eventually, Orsini learned about Inspire, an implanted device that works differently from CPAP. Unlike CPAP, which uses air pressure to hold the airway open, the Inspire stimulates the nerve controlling the tongue, preventing it from collapsing backward during sleep.

Basically, the “hypoglossal nerve stimulator,” said AHN sleep specialist Chris Pham, “zaps the nerve in your tongue, so (it) spasms your tongue forward,” creating an open airway.

The system includes a stimulation lead with a cuff that wraps around a branch of the hypoglossal nerve beneath the tongue. When activated, it sends a signal that moves the tongue and surrounding airway muscles forward, helping keep the airway open for normal breathing.

A second component, the sensing lead, is a thin wire placed near the ribs that detects each breath. That signal is relayed to a small pulse generator — similar to a pacemaker — implanted just under the skin below the collarbone. In response, the generator delivers a timed signal back to the nerve, prompting the airway to open with each breath.

The device is implanted during a 2- to 3-hour outpatient procedure and is controlled with a remote.

Patients turn it on before bed, and it can be programmed to activate after they fall asleep.

For Orsini, the results were immediate. Following the first night of use, “I had one of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had.”

He said he’s gotten so used to the tongue sensations when the device is in use that he has to consciously think about whether it’s on or off before taking a sip of water if he wakes during the night.

DREAMSTIME/TNS PHOTO By ALBERTO JORRIN RODRIGUEZ

For years, the standard treatment for sleep apnea was a CPAP machine, using a stream of air to keep airways open during sleep. But in recent years newer, implantable alternatives have emerged for patients who can’t tolerate CPAP.

criteria.

First, a patient’s apnea index score has to be greater than 15 events an hour: in other words, someone with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea whose breathing stops or becomes very shallow, on average, more than 15 times for at least 10 seconds every hour of sleep, often resulting in oxygen drops and poor sleep quality, Pham said.

Additionally, prospective Inspire patients must have a body mass index, or BMI, below 32 to 35, and they must have already tried CPAP therapy but been unable to tolerate it.

Common reasons that CPAP fails as a treatment include anxiety, difficulty falling asleep while wearing the mask or sleep habits that make consistent use impractical.

For some — like Orsini — being a stomach sleeper or moving frequently during the night can cause the device to become dislodged, limiting its effectiveness.

Even then, additional testing is required to determine whether a patient’s airway anatomy makes them a good candidate. And success is not guaranteed.

“The success rate is somewhere between 60-70%,” said Pham, though outcomes within AHN network have improved to about 80% in recent years. He said 271 AHN patients have received an Inspire device over the past five or so years that the hospital network has offered the option.

“This is still a last-case resort,” Not for everyone he said.

Orsini turned out to be an ideal The device isn’t a first-line treatment. Patients must meet strict candidate for the device, because

of his struggles with the CPAP, preference for stomach sleeping, the severity of his sleep apnea and a history of serious health risks that may be exacerbated by the condition, including a heart attack nearly a decade ago.

Currently, of the handful of FDAapproved implantable sleep apnea devices on the market, Inspire and Remede, a phrenic (diaphragm) nerve stimulator, are offered at AHN, a spokesperson said. Both are also available at WVU Medicine, and Inspire is an available treatment at UPMC and St. Clair Health.

Adjusting to the device After implantation, patients must wait several weeks before activating the device.

“They want to make sure that all the scar tissue heals over,” said Orsini, adding that he waited more than a month before trying it the first time.

And once activated, the sensation takes some getting used to: “You feel a slight vibration in your tongue that pushes it forward and down,” he said.

“So it was described to me that, ‘I just don’t have control of my tongue.’ You can sound like Daffy Duck when it’s turned on,” Pham said.

Still, Orsini said he found the Inspire device far less disruptive than CPAP. “It’s nothing that, on its own, would make you choke,” he said.

A life-changing difference For Orsini and his wife, the improvement has been dramatic. Not

only his mood, Callihan said, but “his overall health is better.”

Generally, Orsini said, his blood pressure has improved, and both he and Callihan are sleeping better.

“I can sleep. I’m not cranky. Nobody wants to shoot me at work,” she said, laughing.

In the past, despite starting work later, Callihan often had to wake up early to get her husband out of bed.

After restless nights, he would sleep through alarms, forcing her to turn on the lights and repeatedly nudge him awake. Now, she said, “he actually can get out of bed now by himself with the alarm, which then I get a half hour or 45 minutes of extra sleep.”

Orsini now wakes up more rested — something he didn’t realize he had been missing.

“You don’t understand what good sleep and good rest feels like,” he said. “And the first time you get it, it is amazing.”

Pham emphasized that many people with sleep apnea go undiagnosed, especially if they dismiss snoring as harmless.

The American Medical Association estimates that roughly 80% of the 30 million Americans living with sleep apnea haven’t been diagnosed. Experts expect the total number to climb to 77 million U.S. adults by 2050.

The condition is more common in men — 38% of ages 30 to 70 have sleep apnea — versus 23% of the same age group for women, per the AMA. While snoring is often associated with sleep apnea, “snoring itself is not the true symptom of sleep apnea, but the pauses between the snoring is,” Pham explained. Other signs include waking with headaches, brain fog or a racing heart.

Diagnosis requires a sleep study, and treatment is critical — particularly for those with underlying conditions.

The worse a patient’s sleep apnea, the greater risk they face for stroke, heart failure and heart attack, Pham said.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, per the AMA. For patients struggling with CPAP, Orsini encourages persistence — and exploration of alternatives.

He calls Inspire “a revolutionary advancement.”

“It is the greatest solution to this problem,” he said. “It has made a massive difference in my life.”

HEADSET

Continued from page 1X That’s when she went to Dr. Ed Boyden at the McGovern Institute at MIT. What they learned was that if you stimulated the eyes using light and the vestibular cochlear nerve of the ear using sound at 40 hertz, then they could hold that activity level in the brain and prolong the expression of biomarkers that help to preserve the brain’s functions.

That was the real eye-opener, discovering that we can use a noninvasive stimulation to hold the activity level of the brain to really replicate the biology that preserves brain structure.

We had to make sure that we created a delivery modality that was easily adopted. Because we were focusing on Alzheimer’s patients, we wanted to understand what Alzheimer’s patients were looking for. It had to be comfortable. It had to be noninvasive. It had to be easy to understand.

The device is self guided — there’s one button to activate the therapy.

It’s going to have an enormous impact in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. But what the science is telling us is that there’s an opportunity for it to be impactful to not just Alzheimer’s disease, but other neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s and MS. Also, potentially neurorestorative conditions like stroke or traumatic brain or concussion.

What were the initial results of the study?

In our studies we have fully enrolled in a 673-patient, 12-month, controlled, randomized trial for patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. Once we’ve confirmed a potential patient’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, we put them under the stimulation and ensure that they can tolerate the therapy. The vast majority of patients have no issue with it.

About 2% of patients have an issue, either with light sensitivity or if they’re later stage in the disease or they have trouble sitting for an hour or there is a problem due to hearing loss.

PHOTO PROVIDED By OCHSNER HEALTH

Dr. David Houghton, system chair of neurology at Ochsner Health, holds the Spectrics technology developed by Cognito Therapeutics.

Then, we put the headset on the patient and confirm under an EEG that we get a response from their brain — about 93% of these patients receive a response. We set the device’s volume and brightness based on the patient. Then patients go home with a personalized device.

We ask patients to wear the goggles, or headset, an hour a day, every day. In our initial studies, 85% of patients wore it at least 50 minutes a day, at least six days a week.

What we heard from patients when receiving initial feedback was that the therapy was not disrupting their days. Patients felt like they were doing something each day to take on their disease.

We heard from caregivers that they felt like it gave them respite.

Rather than having to get loved ones ready to go to the hospital, they stayed at home.

The outcomes thus far have been remarkable. They’re saying that we’ve showed a 77% preservation of function. In our overture study, we showed a 77% preservation of function with patients with an active headset versus those with a sham headset, or one that doesn’t really work.

We’ve never seen a device-related adverse event. We’re confident as we go to the FDA that we’re going to bring them something that is not only clinically meaningful, but has the potential to be both safe and effective.

When, ideally, will the technology be available to the public?

I will be honest, the study doesn’t keep me up at night. Our team was so thoughtful and has been so purposeful and diligent about running a good, strong study with our clinical trial partners.

I believe the science is so validated and been so deeply researched

that I’m enormously positive on that.

What keeps me up at night is balancing urgency and durability. When the FDA approves this, there will be millions of people in the United States that will be eligible for this therapy that do not currently have access to another therapy.

We will have the last patient out of the study in June. Then we will release our key findings in August.

I am unbelievably lucky that I get to be the storyteller of what I believe will be one of the largest research studies in health.

We’ll make our formal submission for FDA approval probably in November timeframe. We’re very hopeful that we’ll see an approval the following June.

There will be urgent demand for a therapy. People a want to battle this condition as soon as this therapy is available. It’s important to

me that we build a workflow model that’s durable, so that patients can be diagnosed responsibly.

They can be brought in for confirmation that the therapy works. We can help them stay compliant and drive daily usage.

This won’t happen overnight.

That’s why we are partnering with these hospital systems. Our collaboratories have been making sure that we build something responsible.

The work that’s being done in New Orleans with bio development, the work that’s being done in Tulane and LSU and the work that’s being done in Ochsner, should be a real moment of pride for the region. The ecosystem here is wellprepared to implement new innovations and technologies.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3X

lll

Eat Fit Live Fit

Molly Kimball RD, CSSD

B R O U G H T TO YO U BY

Yogurt: a simple tradition with endless possibilities This week’s column is written by Brittany Craft, RDN, LDN, who leads the Eat Fit nonprofit initiative at Ochsner Health.

I

always keep a random fact in my back pocket for icebreakers or team-building events. It usually starts with this: I had the privilege of living in Italy for three years as a child, when my father was stationed on a Navy base in Sicily. I joke often that Italy was “wasted on me” at the time because as a middle schooler, the adventurous foodie I would later become had not yet fully emerged. While my exposure to a variety of foods was certainly broader than most, I didn’t quite take advantage of it the way I would today.

Luckily, I was able to remedy that when I studied abroad in Greece and Germany in college, taking a class on food and culture as part of my education to become a registered dietitian. I have a vivid memory of morning sunlight filtering through the window of our bed and breakfast in Nafplio, Greece. That morning, we were served a simple and delicious breakfast: soft-boiled eggs and tangy Greek yogurt topped with fresh fruit and a drizzle of golden honey.

Living abroad, you quickly realize that in many cultures, yogurt is far more versatile and wholesome than it’s often perceived in the United States. Here, yogurt is frequently associated with brightly colored, sugar-sweetened cups in a rainbow of flavors — products that feel closer to dessert rather than tradition.

Even with its commercialization in the United States, yogurt still tends to carry a strong “health halo.” It is widely perceived as a healthy choice, and it certainly can be. But the way it is marketed and sold often means some of the most visible options on grocery shelves are loaded with added sugar, flavors and other additives that move them further from their original, minimally processed form. That doesn’t

make yogurt inherently unhealthy — it just makes reading the label important.

Choosing a Yogurt

Sugar is often what sets some yogurt products apart. All yogurt contains naturally occurring sugars from milk, so even plain, no-sugar-added varieties will list sugar on the label. The key difference is added sugar.

When I choose yogurt, I usually gravitate toward plain varieties, like Fage (pronounced fah-yay) 2% Greek yogurt for their versatility. However, if you need something sweetened, you can look for “less-sweet” options, like Chobani Less

Sugar, or fully sweetened yogurts that utilize natural, no-sugar alternatives like stevia, monk fruit or allulose, like Oikos Triple Zero or Chobani Zero Sugar.

Protein is also an aspect to note. Greek, skyr and ultrafiltered varieties will generally be higher in protein (and therefore more filling).

Most traditional-style Greek yogurt brands have 16-20 grams of protein per 6-ounce serving. Proteinforward options like Oikos Pro even have additional whey protein added. If looking for a nondairy alternative, look for a yogurt with at least 10-12 grams of protein, like Kite Hill Greek-style plant-based yogurt, for a suitable swap.

Another important marker is the presence of live active cultures, which support probiotic benefits. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can help support gut health, digestion and even aspects of immune function. Look for varieties containing “live and active cultures,” like Siggi’s, Stonyfield Organic, Fage or Chobani.

One thing that matters less? Saturated fat. Even in 2% varieties, the 2-2.5 grams of saturated fat per serving isn’t likely to

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media.

Email nutrition@ochsner.org to connect with Molly or schedule a consult with her team.

be impactful for most people, but it does make a difference in flavor and creaminess (in the best way).

For more yogurt brands we love, check out the Eat Fit Shopping Guide on the free Eat Fit mobile app.

How to Use Yogurt

We tend to think of yogurt in sweet contexts, but savory is where it really shines. Plain yogurt with a moderate fat content, like 2% or higher, often works best in recipes as the fat adds creaminess and helps create a more balanced texture and flavor. It can be used as a direct substitute for mayonnaise or sour cream in many applications, bringing both richness and protein. I especially enjoy using it in dips, like a creamy spinach and artichoke version (the recipe is available on the Eat Fit mobile app). For an even easier dip or sandwich spread, experiment with mixing plain Greek yogurt mixed with garlic, herbs and spices.

Another underused application is yogurt as a marinade for proteins. While it adds flavor, it also plays a vital function: Yogurt gently tenderizes meat through its natural mild acidity, primarily from lactic acid, which helps break down proteins. Its thick texture also helps coat meat evenly and carry spices, allowing flavors to cling and penetrate more effectively. Think dishes like an Indian-inspired chicken tikka, which uses yogurt mixed with spices, garlic and ginger, or a Greek-style chicken coated with yogurt and herbs.

Beyond technique and nutrition labels, yogurt’s versatility is what makes it such a quiet staple across cultures and kitchens. In my opinion, yogurt at its best is still what it was in that small bed and breakfast in Nafplio — simple, nourishing and full of tradition.

BY THE NUMBERS

LOUISIANA’S yOUTH OBESITy RATE INCREASED LAST yEAR

Louisiana ranks 47th in youth obesity with 35.8% of children between the ages of 6 and 17 who have obesity or are overweight for their age based on reported height and weight, a slight increase from last year at 35.6%.

Louisiana’s neighbor,Texas, moved from 47th in the nation for youth obesity in 2023 (with 36.7%) to 30th in 2024 (with 31.7%), according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Childhood obesity is defined as a body mass index value at or above the 95th percentile based on age and sex, while overweight is defined as a BMI value at or above the 85th percentile, but below the 95th percentile.

Just under one third of children ages 6 to 17 nationwide are obese or overweight, with a national average of 31.3%.

These states have the highest percentage of children ages 6 to 17

WELLNESS

Continued from page 1X “I think it is important that medical students have a good grasp of both the foundational concepts of how those biochemical and physiologic processes work, but then also on a broader level how that translates to food and the food that patients eat and then how that food can help with either general health, as a whole, or in disease management,” English said.

As a state, Louisiana struggles with a myriad of food issues, such as heightened obesity rates and food deserts. The state’s adult obesity rate sits around 40%, according to Centers for Disease Control and

who were reported as overweight or obese: n Mississippi with 41.8%; n Arkansas with 40.2%; n West Virginia with 39.7%; n Louisiana with 35.8%; n Alabama and Delaware at 35.7%; n South Carolina at 35.5%; n Kentucky and Maine at 34.5%; n Tennessee at 34%; n and Georgia at 33.1%.

These states have the lowest percentage of children ages 6 to 17 who were reported as overweight or obese: n Colorado at 23.1%; n Utah at 24.6%; n Massachusetts at 25.3%; n Idaho at 26.6%; n Minnesota and Virginia at 27.1%; n New Hampshire at 27.8%; n Vermont at 27.9%; n Nebraska at 28.1%; n New Jersey at 28.5%; n Washington at 28.7%; n and Wyoming at 29.2%.

Prevention research.

Additionally, there is an increasingly prevalent concern for food security. English said 15% to 20% of adults and 25% of children in the state experience food insecurity.

Research from Feeding Louisiana puts Louisiana as third in the country for child poverty. Other data from the organization estimates that 1 in 5 Louisiana children live in a food-insecure household, and 827,690 people in the state live with food insecurity overall.

“They may not have enough money to buy food,” English said. “They may sacrifice other things in order to provide food for their family. So food insecurity is something we also address in our teaching at LSU. That includes being able to provide themselves with enough food and also to

Overweight or obese children in America The percentage of children ages 6 to 17 who have overweight or obesity for their age based on reported height and weight, from 2023-24 data Less than 28%

28% to 30%

30.1% to 32%

32.1% to 34%

34.1% to 36%

More than 36%

National average: 31.3% WA S H .

WASH. MON T. MONT.

V T. VT.

N.D. N.D. MINN. MINN.

ORE .

ORE. I DA H O IDAHO W Y. WY.

U TAH UTAH

C O. CO.

CALIF. CALIF.

A RI Z .

ARIZ.

N.M. N.M.

N.Y. N.Y.

MICH. MICH. I O WA IOWA

N E B. NEB.

NE V. NEV.

PA .

PA. IL L .

ILL.

K A N. KAN.

OK L A .

OKLA.

M O. MO.

IND. IND.

OHIO OHIO W.V. W.V.

R .I. R.I. CONN. C ONN. N . J. N.J. DE L .

DEL. MD. MD.

N .C .

N.C.

T ENN. TENN. A RK .

ARK.

S .C .

S.C. GA. GA.

L A. LA.

A L A SK A ALASKA

FL A. FLA. H AWA I I HAWAII

Louisiana: 35.8%

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

provide patients with resources if they need it.”

Well-Ahead Louisiana puts the state’s diabetes level at 15%, and estimates that 47% of Louisiana residents with heart disease are obese.

English said the organization would be examining how to teach effective nutrition to physicians, teaching them how aspects of nutrition relate to disease care so students can then incorporate this knowledge into patient care.

Another factor is examining students’ own nutrition — long hours, paired with intense stress, can turn students toward disordered eating patterns and poor health habits.

“That’s a really important piece of this,” English said. “We know that physicians who are healthy and have healthy lifestyles and diet and

VA .

VA.

K Y. KY.

MIS S. AALA. MISS. L A. TE X AS TEXAS

ME .

ME. M A S S. MASS.

W IS. WIS.

S.D. S.D.

N.H. N.H.

Staff graphic

exercise are better able to talk about those things with their patients.

Physicians are more likely to offer dietary counseling if they themselves know how to follow a healthy

diet, according to English.

“That’s part of this initiative too,” English said. “To look at how we’re encouraging our students to take care of themselves as well.”

BEYOND THE SCALE Join us on a health journey through 2026 with ‘BEYOND THE SCALE: Addressing Louisiana’s obesity epidemic’ Do you want to start a health journey? We want to hear from you — not about weight, but about health, stress, food and life.As we move through 2026, we are inviting readers to come along a health journey with

us.

Our next project will explore community obesity efforts.We pose one question to our readers: Tell us about a community group you participate in that makes you feel healthier.

Email your answers, comments or questions to Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com.

4X ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Care in Action, Community at Heart

Community Purpose in Action Recognizing EMS Week Louisiana heat. Acadian Ambulance Service steps in as Every day, emergency medical professionals answer a vital safety net for these tourists, as well as our local the call with speed, precision and compassion, meeting residents. Because of their hard work, you never have to people in moments of uncertainty and delivering care worry about your health while enjoying the event. They when it matters most. EMS Week offers an opportunity to give you the comfort of knowing expert help is always recognize this extraordinary work and the impact it has right around the corner. across our communities. These experts are the backbone of emergency response, leading with an unbreakable A Shared Commitment commitment to putting others first. Their service shapes At Ochsner Health, the foundation of our care is built healthier, safer communities and instills confidence on putting the community first, and Acadian Ambulance that help is always within reach, no matter the hour. At Service shares that same commitment. They demonstrate Ochsner Health, we are proud to it through their long hours, quick celebrate these teams and highlight The collaboration between EMS thinking and compassionate approach partnerships like our collaboration and hospital systems is integral to patient care. That dedication with Acadian Ambulance Service, to the overall health of our also extends to preparing the next which comes to life each year at generation of healthcare professionals. communities. While we each Jazz Fest.

Acadian Ambulance Service leads serve distinct roles, we share a its Explorer Program, which gives common mission of delivering Care in Action at Jazz Fest students as early as eighth grade exceptional care when people From sun up to sundown, our hands-on experience in the fast-paced need us most. teams provide a wide array of field of EMS. These students work essential services to keep festivalJeffrey Kuo, MD, alongside seasoned professionals, goers healthy and safe.

System Chair, Patient Flow and gaining firsthand insight into what Emergency Medical Services, it takes to support a community “At Acadian Ambulance Service, Ochsner Health during large-scale events. Together, we have a very close working we share a passion for investing in relationship with the emergency room care providers future healthcare leaders and creating stronger, safer at Ochsner, who work with us here at Jazz Fest.” communities. We want to extend our deepest gratitude – Dani Hart, Paramedic to their entire team for their relentless efforts and for our successful partnership.

Whether it is responding to medical emergencies, evaluating symptoms on site, managing heat-related “I love to help care for other people, and this is a great illness, or coordinating rapid transport to higher levels opportunity to give back to our community and be a of care, our staff is equipped to handle it all. This onpart of something bigger”. the-ground effort relies on a seamless collaboration of – Bridget Curtis, dedicated paramedics and EMTs. Acadian Ambulance Service EMT The festival brings incredible music and food, drawing crowds from across the globe. However, many visitors

Discover how we’re inspiring healthier lives and stronger

are completely unfamiliar with the intense, exhausting

communities at ochsner.org/community.

Q&A: Teacher trades classroom for the outdoors

GOODNESS | HOPE | SOLUTIONS

INSPIRED

LOUISIANA

N O L A.C O M & T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

S U N D AY, M AY 17, 2026

PAGE 2y

1 1N

Jan Risher LONG STORy SHORT

Books on my nightstand keep disappearing

STAFF PHOTOS By DAVID GRUNFELD

Amanda Mester-Brown conducts a UNO memory project workshop at the Midlo Center on the UNO campus in New Orleans on April 23.

‘Who gets to tell its story?’

As UNO becomes part of LSU, a researcher asks the important question

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

In the late 1950s a young woman named Merle was one of the few Black students attending the institution that was then known as LSU New Orleans.

After a geology class, she stopped by the dining hall on the university’s lakefront campus for lunch. But when she tried to order her food, the cafeteria workers refused to serve her and she eventually left.

Earlier this year, Amanda MesterBrown, a University of New Orleans doctoral candidate, sent out a clarion call seeking alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members willing to share memories of the university’s formative years. Her project grew out of a fascination with the university’s logo, which features Jackson Square.

But now it has taken on fresh urgency, as UNO prepares to officially rejoin the LSU system, which governed UNO from its founding in 1958 until 2013.

Mester-Brown was overwhelmed with responses from people who wanted to share their stories, and inspired to preserve them during this pivotal moment in UNO’s history.

Some, like Merle, who didn’t want her last name used in the research, remembered the institution’s early days of integration. (The university has always accepted all students, but the cafeteria was effectively segregated because the food service company refused to serve Black students. They changed course in 1961 following a student boycott and pressure from A.P. Tureaud and Ernest “Dutch” Morial.)

Others spoke of the once-bustling university that helped build up the

city’s middle class. Some recalled meeting their spouses on campus. One remembered the successful student movement to change the university’s name from LSUNO to UNO in 1974, and the selection of the privateer mascot, which for some stood as a swashbuckling symbol of independence from Baton Rouge.

Come July, UNO will officially be known once again as LSU New Orleans and shed blue and silver in favor of purple and gold. Though officials hope the transition will shore up the university’s recent financial struggles and bolster enrollment, it has surfaced questions of UNO’s future identity, as we as its past.

“Some of the people who were here in the origins of this place developed its identity and I think for a lot of them it feels like that’s going to go away,” said Mester-Brown, who calls the com- Amanda Mester-Brown at her UNO pilation of oral histories, research and memory project workshop. public workshops the UNO Community Memory Project. “Most people really and gold?” Mester-Brown asked. “And want this place to be representative who gets to decide identity anyway?”

She has spent hours collecting oral of New Orleans and the people of New histories, sifting through old issues of Orleans.”

The Driftwood, UNO’s student newspaUNO and Jackson Square? per, and other materials in the univerUNO is a markedly different place sity archive, culling together a history now than when many of Mester- of the institution’s early days. She’s unBrown’s interview subjects attended. covered historical documents that push At its peak before Hurricane Katrina, back against how the university presthere were about 17,00 students. Quads ents its own history, including a 1958 buzzed with people and activity. Park- statement from the LSU Board of Suing lots were full. Now the university pervisors that deemed Black students it has fewer than 6,000. Campus is often had been forced to admit as “unwanted quiet and parking spaces are so copious matriculants.” (LSU’s Baton Rouge that a solar panel farm leases an empty campus did not accept its first Black lot. students until several years later.)

Mester-Brown first thought she would “(The project) became ‘What does a focus her inquiry on UNO’s seal, which university’s history look like if it’s told depicts Jackson Square, a New Orleans from the bottom up as opposed to top landmark several miles from the lake- down?’ ” she said. “And who gets to be the public in a public university?” front campus.

Although Mester-Brown has finished But when state officials decided to revert UNO to the LSU system, she began collecting oral histories, anyone can still contribute memories through voice to think bigger.

“What do we want to preserve about recordings online on the project webthis version of the place, what do we site, which will be digitally archived. want to make sure does not get lost ä See UNO, page 2Y when the silver and blue turns to purple

My mother opened the bathroom door while I was putting on my makeup and said, “I have to read this to you.”

She was laughing too hard to get through the passage.

In her hand was Rick Bragg’s “The Speckled Beauty.” She had just started it. She’s read me such passages my whole life.

I told her to feel free to mark the book in the way she likes.

I hadn’t read it yet and knew I would enjoy seeing her little notes when I get to read it. I just picked it up and found she had marked the following passage with the note, “funny.”

Bragg wrote: “...you can hear the marching bands in town on Friday and Saturday nights, see the faint glow of stadium lights.

They would still play football here if bubonic plague infected the land, if old men rang bells and walked the streets while chanting ‘Bring out your dead.’”

Naturally, she underlined that line. My mother and I know a lot about that kind of town. My dad coached that kind of football team in one of those towns for decades.

My mother has been visiting us for two weeks. In that time she has done what a retired reading teacher cannot help but do in a house with books stacked in a variety of places: She has read them.

She picked up “The Speckled Beauty” and couldn’t put it down.

She laughed. She cried — sometimes on the same page.

When she finished “The Speckled Beauty,” she picked up “The Lion Women of Tehran,” Marjan Kamali’s novel about two Iranian women whose lives take different shapes — one stays in Iran. The other finds herself in New York City. The book tracks their friendship across decades and distance.

My mother hadn’t finished the second chapter when she looked up and said, “It’s about two good friends. It reminds me of Jean and me.”

Jean Harrison Sharp has been my mother’s best friend since they were toddlers. Sharp has never lived outside of Scott County, Mississippi. My mother has never lived outside of Mississippi.

And here she was, a few chapters into a novel set in Tehran and New York City, already seeing her own life on the page.

For fun, I read fiction — almost exclusively. Nonfiction feels too much like the work I love but need to rest from. Nonfiction exercises the same muscles as editing or writing a story.

A good historical novel, on the other hand, makes my heart sing.

Nonfiction rarely ends up on my nightstand.

By complete accident, I started listening to Patrick Radden Keefe’s “London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth.” It’s a nonfiction book about a young man’s mysterious death in London.

It pulled me in the same way a great novel does — not because London resembles my life, but because human longing always does.

Keefe is a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of “Say Nothing,” which became a phenomenon. I came to “London Falling” not as a devoted Keefe reader but as someone who was driving when Spotify mis-followed by voice command. It came on, and I couldn’t stop to find something else.

The book sucked me in quickly.

ä See RISHER, page 2Y

2Y ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

INSPIRED DISCUSSIONS A S K T H E E X P E RT S

Teacher trades classroom for the great outdoors Q&A WITH SHELLEy SMITH

Educator uses hands-on experience to teach little ones

EARLy CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

Mandeville native Shelley Smith, owner of Little Learners Outdoors in Baton Rouge, has worked with kids since high school. After teaching and coaching swimming, Smith graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in elementary education. She went on to teach sixth grade for two years and then kindergarten for 16 years. While teaching, Smith got her master’s degree in early childhood education at Louisiana State University.

After teaching for 18 years, Smith left the profession and founded Little Learners Outdoors in 2020, a place where children get to explore, play and connect with nature in a safe, nurturing environment.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

How did you get involved in outdoor education?

While I was teaching kindergarten, I started doing this program called Tinkergarten, an outdoor class curriculum out of Massachusetts. I offered it locally on the weekends with my own kids to get them to be outside playing because playbased stuff is important to

Shelley Smith, center, snuggles with her own children and poses within a makeshift frame made of PROVIDED PHOTOS branches.

Little Learners explore the woods during Parents’ Day Out. me.

While I was doing Tinkergarten, I started following other nature programs on social media, and I realized that there were so many of these forest schools everywhere, but not in Louisiana.

That’s when the Little Learners Outdoors idea came to me. I jumped ship in 2020. I think it was a blessing that it happened during Covid because, at that time, parents were looking for some alternative options for education.

I found five families that were willing to start a program in August with me.

Then I offered summer camp that summer of 2020 to help with marketing and get things going. In August

of 2020, I started the first class, my parents day out class. From there, we grew, and now we have our own location.

When you were doing Tinkergarten, what did you start seeing in children that was a light bulb moment about outdoor education?

I was taking some of those Tinkergarten play-based activities and bringing them back in my classroom. It was interesting to me that kids sometimes didn’t understand how to pretend play anymore. I was teaching that in Tinkergarten.

It was a lost skill, essentially, how to pretend play.

I saw lots of arguments and kids not knowing how to talk to each other, which is what play is. It’s not just play. It’s

learning to socialize and talk and use your language skills.

What is a misunderstanding about play during those early ages?

People hear “play,” and they think it means just let them do whatever, which you can do that, too. It’s important to let them have unstructured play, but there’s also structured play where I put out certain materials and prompt them with certain things.

There were a couple things I had learned doing Tinkergarten and in my early education classes. All kids in their play do these same behaviors. They’re really important for their development — like lining cars up or putting things in something like a bag and

explore on their own, so we’re giving them that in a place with adult supervision.

They get muddy and dirty.

There’s a creek in the back that we get in. There’s a good little mudslide that they can play on.

What can kids learn from spending time outdoors?

They need way less adult direction than we think. A lot of the lessons that we learn outside are childrendirected. They ask questions — really good questions. All adults can learn from children more than we think.

Every school everywhere should have more outdoor time. I’m on a bandwagon of people pushing that and making it into legislation.

Let’s get that to where they have at least two hours of outdoor time during the school day, whether that’s a formal class outdoors or just free time.

What would you say to parents who want to get their kids outside more?

Do it. There are some fun ways. There’s a 1000 Hours Outside program that’s like a challenge for the year to try to get 1,000 hours outside. They have little charts you can fill out.

Start with the small things.

Bring your food and go sit outside and have a picnic.

carrying it around. Those are play schemas that all kids do, and it’s part of their brain development. They are actually learning when they’re playing.

Let’s talk summer camps. What are some things that parents should know about your summer camps?

We will have camps for ages 3 to 12 this year.

Three of them are for ages 3 to 8, mostly the little learners, which are my general ages. I do have two camps this year for the older kids, for ages 8 to 12, which is new this year. Older kids need to be outside, too. All of our camps are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

What’s great about our program is the kids are outdoors. Some parents are afraid to send their kids out Email Joy Holden at joy. in the neighborhood to just holden@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jan Risher’s mother, Nelda Risher, has had this picture of the two of them in a frame on her dresser since 1990. Jan Risher says, “When I think of Mom and me, this is the way I see us.”

RISHER

Continued from page 1y

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Amanda Mester-Brown conducts a UNO memory project workshop at the Midlo Center on the UNO campus in New Orlean on April 23.

UNO

Continued from page 1y

Whose logo is it?

On a recent evening, MesterBrown gathered about a dozen alumni, professors and students around a conference table in a room in the library. The room overlooked a large lawn, and in the distance was the smokestack, a remnant of the decommissioned naval air station that once occupied campus.

The group swapped stories. One

DOWNLOAD

man recalled founding chancellor Homer Hitt’s insistence on building the library before the administration building. Another said he regularly studied at the lakefront and frequented a music listening room in the University Center that was filled with records and a turntable. Another met his wife on campus.

Mester-Brown polled the group on the logo that LSU officials earlier this year said would be used after the school transitioned to LSUNO. It has purple and gold letters in the same style as LSU’s other logos.

“It’s like LSU completely took

DOWNLOAD

over,” one participant said. Other suggested it didn’t represent the university, or even New Orleans.

Toward the end of the workshop participants were asked to sketch logos they thought would better represent the university.

Suggestions included depictions of an oak tree, birds and musical notes.

“People really love this place,” Mester-Brown said. “It changed their lives. I wanted to capture people’s feelings about what this institution means to them.”

Email reporter Marie Fazio at mfazio@theadvocate.com

DOWNLOAD

DOWNLOAD

Keefe narrates the audiobook himself. Authors narrating their own work rarely goes well. “London Falling” was an exception.

As a journalist, I could see what he did to write the book. Every conversation was reconstructed from sources. The only edits he made were to correct the spelling in text exchanges.

The research required is staggering. It may be the best nonfiction book I’ve ever read.

“London Falling” came out in April. I suspect a lot of people will be talking about it before the year is out.

It does what a great book does as well as “Speckled Beauty” and “The Lion Women of Tehran.”

Great books don’t take readers away. They bring us back to ourselves.

Meanwhile, my mother leaves soon. The books on my nightstand

will stop disappearing. No one will open the bathroom door to read me a passage because they simply had to share it.

As I wrote the above sentence, my mother appeared at my home office door and said, “I finished ‘The Lion Women of Tehran.’”

I asked how it was.

She said, “Excellent.”

I asked which she liked best — “The Speckled Beauty” or this one.

She said, “Oh, you know I always love Rick Bragg, but I think I’ll have to say this one. It is special.”

From my mother, that is high praise.

She gave me a lot of things, my mother — the instinct to reach for a book being a big one.

The belief that what happens in Tehran, London and Louisiana is worth understanding — and worth caring about — that’s another gift entirely.

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

ONE great state FOUR great apps

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ 3Y

lll

THERE’S GOOD NEWS, TOO STORIES OF GLOBAL PROGRESS, COMPILED By FIX THE NEWS

could and could not safely go after sunset — is being redrawn,” the article from World Bank states.

These are stories of global progress, compiled by the media group Fix the News and shared in partnership with The Advocate/The Times-Picayune.

MIT CALCULATIONS

CORN GENES

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Scientists at the University Technology have developed of Illinois discovered that microscopic silicon genes from teosinte, corn’s structures that can perform wild ancestor, can reshape calculations using waste soil microbial communities heat instead of electricity, in modern corn. Previous introducing a new form of findings revealed that these “thermal analog computing.” roots “secrete chemicals Instead of encoding data as capable of suppressing electrical signals, the system the activity of nitrifying represents inputs as a set and denitrifying microbes,” of temperatures using the according to Bioengineer. excess heat already present org. These microbes normally in a device. Heat naturally convert nitrogen into forms flows through specially lost to waterways or released designed materials, and its as greenhouse gases. By distribution forms the basis keeping nitrogen in the stable of the calculation, with results ammonium form, the plants measured as thermal energy at improve nitrogen-use efficiency the output. and reduce water pollution.

The team demonstrated that In field trials using modified these structures can perform corn lines, some showed up to matrix vector multiplication — a a 50% reduction in nitrification core operation in machine and significant decreases in STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON learning — with over 99% denitrification without reducing accuracy. Designed using crop yield.

BOOSTING AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY inverse-design software, The research highlights how Patrons navigate through the Corn Maze at Burden on Oct. 4, 2025, in Baton Rouge. Scientists at the University of Illinois discovered each dust-sized structure is modern breeding overlooked that genes from teosinte, corn’s wild ancestor, can reshape soil microbial communities in modern corn. optimized to guide heat in root and soil interactions, contributing to nitrogen loss.

Africa are now lined with new along with 20,000 streetlights precise ways. could mark a turning point in “TB has plagued humanity This approach could improve Reintroducing these ancestral the fight against the infectious since before historic records distribution poles carrying that connect “nearly 145,000 energy efficiency by turning traits could lower fertilizer light, part of an effort to disease.Although the existing began, and defeating it will households, 2,789 small excess heat, typically wasted needs, cut emissions and expand electricity access in BCG vaccine protects young require a truly global effort. businesses, and 451 public in electronics, into a useful improve sustainability.The the city which has transformed institutions.” children from severe TB, it All stakeholders must come computing resource. study demonstrates a new communities, businesses and The initiative has improved offers limited protection for together to support a joint approach to agriculture that adolescents and adults. New strategy for TB vaccine access daily life. Since 2016, the safety, especially in Fixthenews.com is a leverages plant genetics to country has worked toward vaccine candidates in late— one that combines early communities like Zogbodomey, solutions journalism influence soil microbiomes newsletter that finds stage clinical trials show demand signaling, coordinated electricity coverage, with a where public safety has stories of progress and and enhance environmental goal of full coverage in 2030 promising effectiveness in financing and shared improved. shares them with readers outcomes. adolescents and adults and accountability,” the article from — supported by The World “Workers who once rushed from across the world.

Bank‘s Benin Electricity could save millions of lives Gavi states. home before dark now linger.

Acclaimed author Steven TUBERCULOSIS Pinker calls Fix the Access Scale-up Project.

So while generating “up to $400 Neighbors gather outside in A report from Gavi, the ELECTRICITY ACCESS News “the best source far, 150,000 meters of grid billion worth of economic the evenings.The unspoken Vaccine Alliance suggests positive news on the The streets of Benin in West access has been installed, geography of fear — where you for that new tuberculosis vaccines benefits worldwide by 2050.” internet.”

Realize z your y dreams... the journey

starts here.

We wish to recognize our newest Shell employees from LSU

Allie Castillo

Madeline Doran

Emilee Kennison

Philip Knieper

Process Engineering Intern Geismar, LA

Process Engineering Intern Norco, LA

Process Engineering Intern Norco, LA

Rotating Equipment Intern Norco, LA

Dylan McDonald

Edward Muhleisen, Jr.

Sophie Treuting

Daniel Wieseneck

Offshore Support Engineer New Orleans, LA

Production Team Support Engineer Norco, LA

Environmental Engineering Intern Norco, LA

Production Team Support Engineer Norco, LA

shell.us/louisiana | #PoweringProgress

4Y ✦ Sunday, May 17, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

FAITH & VALUES Liturgies that build belonging in the world Looking for faith across Louisiana

BY JOY HOLDEN

Staff writer

Kat Armas, a Cuban American writer and podcaster, defines liturgy in “Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging and Peace in a Dehumanizing World” as “the labor of a community, alongside the prayers, meditations and rituals that shape us as we gather.”

Review She explains that empire is contrary to this work of community.

“Empire,” Armas writes, “with its hunger for domination, division and isolation trembles at this. It fears our togetherness, our longing for belonging. And so we must resist the forces of individualism and discord that threaten to unravel us.”

In the book, Armas provides a guide for Christians yearning for a countercultural way of living that prioritizes community and humanity over dominance and power.

Armas has her masters of divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and is pursuing a masters of theology at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She is also the author of “Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength” and “Sacred Belonging: A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture.”

Throughout “Liturgies for Resisting Empire,” Armas uses spiritual practices and biblical theology to help the reader cultivate authentic belonging to God, ourselves, each other and creation.

Each of the nine chapters is titled around rejecting something imperialistic and embracing something sacred like “Rejecting Ideology, Embracing Wisdom” and “Rejecting Dualism, Embracing Paradox.”

Each chapter begins with an invocation, a prayer that sets the

‘Liturgies for Resisting Empire’ by Kat Armas

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Author Kat Armas writes a guide for Christians yearning for a countercultural way of living that prioritizes community and humanity over dominance and power. tone for the chapter, and a reflection, a story or fable that connects to the content. Similarly, the chapters end in a prayer of resistance, which often takes the form of a confession, and then a benediction, calling upon God to help the readers change and honor God. Throughout the book, Armas confronts the idols and images of empire from the Old Testament to ancient Rome to today.

As a Cuban American, she is familiar with European colonialism and American imperialism, but her study incorporates history as well as contemporary empires. She writes, “It’s impor-

ture, memoir, political science, theology and spiritual practices to reinforce her message that Christians can live differently in community than conforming to a structure of hierarchy and dominance.

The invocations, prayers of resistance and benedictions bracket Armas’s bold tone and narrative with spiritual practice and presence. She reminds the reader of the work to be done in our hearts and spirits.

“Liturgies for Resistance” is an important book for people of the Christian faith who are looking for a fresh point of view of Scripture in a turbulent time. The way Armas breaks down various empires of new and old helps reveal patterns of domineering oppression. She offers tangible and concrete ways to pursue God outside of such domination.

Armas concludes the text with a “Benediction of Belonging,” which encourages the reader to reflect, confess, appeal, resist and be blessed.

tant to understand the impact of ancient empires, because there are threads we can trace through them all — threads of power and domination, violence and hierarchy, conquest and homogeneity.

These patterns, though varied, stretch across time, shaping how we understand the world and our place in it.”

To Armas, resistance comes through understanding the past, reclaiming the present and building a just future. She takes a critical eye at American evangelicalism and its relationship to capitalism in creating a cultural marketplace.

Email Joy Holden at joy.

She includes history, Scrip- holden@theadvocate.com.

The newspaper is inviting ministers from across Louisiana — every faith tradition, every denomination, every corner of the state — to contribute first-person columns on faith for occasional publication in the Louisiana Inspired section.

Topics are wide open, as long as they’re rooted in faith.

Write about doubt, community or why ancient traditions still matter. Write about what faith looks like in a flood zone, a small town or a hospital room. Write about why you do this work.

Columns should be 550–750 words, first-person, written for a general audience, original and unpublished. Submissions do not guarantee publication and will be edited for length and clarity. Promotional content and attacks on other faith traditions are not a fit. Honest, personal writing about faith in Louisiana life is.

To submit, email the following to Jan Risher at jan.risher@ theadvocate.com: n The completed column (550– 750 words) n A headshot n A bio of no more than 100 words n The name and address of your church or place of worship n The best contact phone number for the minister (not to be published).

Louisiana has always had a lot to say about faith. We’re listening.

People considering ‘greener’ death options to aid carbon footprint

BY DORANY PINEDA

Natural organic reduction

Associated Press

After Moira Cathleen Delaney was diagnosed with an aggressive form of intestinal cancer, her thoughts eventually turned to her eventual death and what she wanted done with her body. Delaney’s love of gardening, birds and the forest inspired her decision to be transformed into soil — literally — through a process known as natural organic reduction.

When she died in October at age 57, her family sprinkled some of her remains under her favorite backyard tree and gave some remains to her closest friends and relatives in glass jars to keep or plant things with.

“For her, it was a very comforting thought to be able to return to the earth in that kind of way, and to have her final physical act contributing to the life process,” said Marcos Moliné, her son.

Interest in body disposal options that are better for the planet has risen in recent years, according to research commissioned by the National Funeral Directors Association. Researchers and industry experts said people worry about how conventional death practices such as embalming, fire cremation and casket and vault burials affect the climate, environment and people’s health.

Others simply want their final resting place to be in their cherished outdoors.

“How we die does lead to a substantial impact on not only the people around us and our communities, but the earth itself,” said Mark Shelvock, a psychotherapist and lecturer at Western University in Canada, who co-wrote a paper on green death practices.

What’s legal and available varies by country, state and province. Here are some common options.

Conventional practices Embalming, the process of slowing down a body’s decomposition, involves known carcinogens like formaldehyde that get injected into veins to preserve the body for viewing and services. The Environmental Protection Agency determined the gas poses an “unreasonable risk” to public health, with people who work in

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARTA LAVANDIER

Graves are visible in the forest at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery on April 6 in Gainesville, Fla. settings where it’s used at greatest risk. Research has shown the likelihood of the gas contaminating soil and groundwater is low.

Fire cremation is the most popular option in the U.S., preferred by nearly two-thirds of the respondents to the funeral directors association. The energy for burning is often derived from fossil fuels. The Cremation Association of North America estimates the energy used in a typical cremation is equivalent to powering a 2,000-square-foot home for a week.

Materials used for caskets and vaults are often made of wood, metal or concrete that require mining or tree cutting and huge amounts of energy to produce.

Concrete, for instance, is responsible for roughly 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions and 2% in the U.S., most of which come from producing and processing the cement to make it.

Cemeteries also take up space and require maintenance, which involves energy and resources for mowing, watering or fertilizing.

“There’s all of this management that goes into conventional cemeteries that looks very much like a

golf course,” said Samuel Perry, a funeral director and president of the Green Burial Council, a global nonprofit that guides green burial standards and certification.

Natural burials At Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Florida, natural burials are combined with land conservation. Graves are dug by hand and bodies are only buried in caskets or shrouds made of biodegradable materials like bamboo or cotton. Embalmed bodies and vaults aren’t allowed, and to bury cremated remains, they must be in biodegradable, chemical-free urns.

The idea is to let the body decompose naturally.

It’s an idea Scott King was skeptical of when his mother, Linda, said she wanted to be buried this way. But the more he researched, the more he understood the beauty of its simplicity. She was buried in a meadow at Prairie Creek cemetery in October last year, and recently, King buried his brother Kenneth there, too, close to her.

“Through death, life begets life,” said King. “She really liked that idea, too, that she can, in her

passing, help give life to something else. That was very important to her. My brother, I think, sort of went along with the ride.”

The cemetery partners with a land trust to manage, restore and protect the land from development. They remove invasive species and plant native ones, and perform prescribed burns.

The benefits, said executive director Heather Grove, reach further. There’s more biodiversity and wildlife now, and “if you want to talk about carbon capturing and all that, conservation is key to sequester,” she said.

According to the Green Burial Council, a green burial sequesters about 25 pounds of carbon.

Elena Slominski, a researcher who’s studied eco-friendly disposal options, said a conservation burial “is by far the best thing you can do because it’s actually, technically a carbon sink. It actually restores ecological habitat and protects the land.”

But it’s not a good option where space is at a premium, and some argue it’s not practical because it takes up space.

Earth Funeral is a company specializing in natural organic reduction, also known as terramation and human composting. The body remains in a sealed vessel for 30 to 45 days with mulch, wood chips and flowers. Inside, microorganisms break down the body into soil in a natural process that generates heat to reach temperatures of 131 F or higher — enough to kill germs.

“What we are fundamentally doing is using science and technology to accelerate a completely natural process” using renewable energy sources, said Tom Harries, the company’s co-founder and CEO. Some of the soil is given to loved ones, and the rest is donated to conservation or reforestation projects.

Fourteen U.S. states allow such a process, and 15 others have introduced bills to make it legal, according to Earth Funeral. Experts said it’s a good option if you live in a city where burial space could be limited and more expensive.

Alkaline hydrolysis Alkaline hydrolysis is also supposed to mimic and speed up natural decomposition. At the Coloradobased water cremation company Be a Tree, bodies are put into a vessel with 95% water and 5% potassium hydroxide that is then heated to about 200 F for about 18 hours.

Skeletal remains are air-dried, processed and returned to loved ones as powder in an urn or shaped as stones. Most families keep some of the liquid for houseplants or gardening, but most of it goes to land conservation partners to be used as fertilizer, said founder and CEO Emily Nelson. Other companies discharge the residual liquid with other wastewater.

This process uses about 90% less energy than fire cremation.

Perry, with the Green Burial Council, said he’s often asked whether the way a person chooses to be disposed of after death makes much of a difference in their environmental footprint.

“The quick and dirty answer is no, I don’t think this one thing is going to change a whole lot. But it’s always about changing industries. And as an industry, if we do better, we are making a bigger impact.”

Daniel Kozin contributed to this report from Gainesville, Fla.

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026

CURTIS / by Ray Billingsley

SLYLOCK FOX / by Bob Weber Jr.

GET FUZZY / by Darby Conley

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE / by Chris Browne

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM / by Mike Peters

ZIGGY / by Tom Wilson

SALLY FORTH / by Francesco Marciuliano & Jim Keefe

ZITS / by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE / by Stephan Pastis

wonderword

scrabble grams

word game

directions: Make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. Add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus.

“Blanks” used as any letter have no point value.

All the words are in the Official SCRABBLE® Players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

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.

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email NASPA – North American SCRABBLE Players Association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Hasbro and its logo SCRABBLE associated logo, the design of the distinctive SCRABBLE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United States and Canada. ©2026 Hasbro. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

cryptoquote AxyDLBAAxR iS LONgFELLOW One letter stands for another. in this sample, A is used for the three L’s, x for the two O’s, etc. Single letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. Each day the code letters are different.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

todAY's Word — LABYrintH: LAB-ihrinth: A maze.

Average mark 42 words Time limit 60 minutes Can you find 64 or more words in LABYRINTH?

Sudoku

ken ken instructions: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 through 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

instructions: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

hidato directions: Complete the grid so that numbers 1–132 connect horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

AnsWers to ALL PuZZLes Are on inside BAcK PAGe

Los angeLes Times sunday Crossword puzzLe — Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis “see zee sigHTs!” By maTT reVis aCross 1 Scattered 7 Georgetown athlete 11 Baking amts.

15 Labor agcy.

19 “Weekend Edition Sunday” host Rascoe 20 Smell 21 Neutral color lighter than greige 22 To-do 23 Place to learn about chili peppers?

25 Shimmery gem 27 Egg maker 28 Telegrams 29 “Weekend Edition Sunday” airer 30 Lake near Syracuse, New York 31 Salad bar accessory 32 Shearing event held under the big top?

35 Egg maker 38 Tara of “Sharknado” 39 Earring option 40 “Unfortunately ... “ 41 Lucy Van __: “Peanuts” kid 42 First number in many countdowns 43 Envelope part 47 Root for a Calgary franchise?

51 Unflinching 53 Part of a foot 54 Countless lifetimes 55 “The Menu” star Taylor-Joy 56 More to the point 57 Colorful method of data visualization

60 __ Kippur 61 Rowing implement 62 Secret suffix 63 Event for people who won’t drink Coca-Cola?

66 “Gangster Malone takes the bait!”?

69 Above, poetically 70 Former U.N. head Hammarskjöld 71 Listening device?

73 Small gears 74 Assembled in advance 76 Chicken cordon __ 78 California wine grape, for short 79 Bunches (of) 82 Triple-A squad in Buffalo 83 Coffee table item in a dollhouse?

86 Folksy assent 87 Square root of cuatro 88 Dayton’s state 89 Connection points 90 Picture of health?

92 Stefani of No Doubt 93 Most cruel 95 Where it’s hard to keep a secret?

100 Game similar to pétanque 101 “Cool beans!”

102 Pointer 103 “Love Will Find a Way” band __ Cruise 104 Letters on some makeup bottles 107 Chaotic swirl 109 “Yes, I’ll invest in beachfront property in Arizona!”?

112 North __ Sea: Central Asian lake 113 Stuff of legend 114 Tiff

115 Look for solutions 116 __ Fifth Avenue 117 Farm females 118 Abbey recess 119 Din down 1 Window part 2 Use keys to enter 3 Horse rider’s strap 4 F1 neighbor 5 “Don’t sweat the small stuff” 6 __ rights: sponsorship option 7 Garden coils 8 Poems of 49Down 9 “If I were __ ... “ 10 Triceps locale 11 Home of Arizona State 12 Leaves char marks on 13 Maven 14 “Performance is what we do” gas brand 15 Air fryer brand 16 Unflappable 17 Dharma follower 18 Zones 24 Hankering 26 Quick cut 29 Composer Rorem 31 Shows some class, maybe?

32 Mac 33 Resonant chant 34 That way, quaintly 35 Stereotypical name for a poodle 36 Secret admirer’s sign-off 37 Weight training exercise 38 Slo-mo reviewer 41 Punishmentrelated 42 Work together 43 Bog 44 “Don’t sweat the small stuff”

45 Advil alternative 46 Combustible heaps 48 Foursomes 49 Tribute 50 “Butt out!” initials 51 Bringing down the house 52 Auto engine booster 56 Part of the former Yugoslavia

goren Bridge

58 Quinn of “Practical Magic” 59 Academy newbies 63 Stop in 64 Spooky 65 Connecticut Ivy 67 Thingamajig 68 Hyper-focused 72 Fame 75 May honoree 77 Led into a theater, slangily 80 Change machine

wuzzLes

94 Cream-filled choux pastry 95 “Uncle!,” in Spanish 96 Catherine of “Beetlejuice” 97 Act clandestinely 98 Whoops 99 Guacamole ingredients 100 Verb in a roast recipe 103 School gps.

104 Letters on an envelope

105 Tennis great Sampras 106 Sweat the small stuff, say 108 Fracas 109 Infotainment spot 110 Tablet download 111 Brief moment?

super Quiz Take this Super Quiz to a Ph.D. Score 1 point for each correct answer on the Freshman Level, 2 points on the graduate Level and 3 points on the Ph.D. Level.

Sure to succeed

North-South had a misunderstanding. South intended his three-heart bid to ask for a heart stopper and North thought South’s bidding showed a big hand with both minors.

South won the opening spade lead with his ace and drew trumps in two rounds. He exited with the nine of spades to West’s jack. West led the queen of spades. South ruffed, seeing East discard a heart, and led a heart to dummy’s ace. He ruffed a heart and could now be confident that West had no more hearts and East had no more spades. He began to run his diamonds. This was the position with one diamond remaining: NORTH ♠7 ♥ 10 ♦ Void ♣KJ WEST EAST ♠8 ♠ Void ♥ Void ♥Q ♦ Void ♦ Void ♣ 10 5 4 ♣Q76 SOUTH ♠ Void ♥ Void ♦7 ♣A98 South led his last diamond. West discarded a club to keep his high spade. Dummy discarded the

inserts 81 End-of-unit check 83 Place that’s all fun and games 84 __ and yang 85 South American behemoth 87 Karate skill level 90 Dec. 25 91 Shake up 92 Word with age or wage 93 “__-Dick”

SUBJECT: CITIES Each answer is the name of a city. (Example: Home to one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in the U.S. Answer: San Francisco.)

FRESHMAN LEVEL 1. The second largest city in the state of New York by population.

Answer________ 2. This capital city is situated on the island of Oahu.

Answer________ 3. This city is the anchor of Ontario’s “Golden Horseshoe.”

Answer________ 4. The most populous city in North America.

Answer________ 5. The most populous city in the Western Hemisphere.

Answer________

seven of spades, and East had to discard a club to keep the queen of hearts. The king, ace, and nine of clubs took the last three tricks!

Note that the jack of clubs was irrelevant to the play. It was just there to give declarer a losing option.

Tannah Hirsch welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, Ny. 14207. E-mail responses may be sent to gorenbridge@ aol.com. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency

GRADUATE LEVEL 6. This Italian city is built on 118 islands.

Answer________ 7. This city in Turkey is located on both the

European and Asian continents.

Answer________ 8. It is the smallest city in the world.

Answer________ 9. Russia’s capital from 1712 until 1917.

Answer________ 10. Known for the role of Joan of Arc during its siege.

Answer________ PH.D. LEVEL 11. The capital of the Yukon.

Answer________ 12. What major capital city is famous for having virtually no stop signs?

Answer________ 13. Construction of its Sagrada Familia church began in 1882 and is expected to be completed around 2026.

Answer________ 14. The name of this capital city is Spanish for “Holy Savior.”

Answer________ 15. Pope LEO XIV was born in this city.

Answer________

ANSWERS TO ALL PUZZLES ARE ON NEXT PAGE

zodiaC TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Fix up your digs, rethink your lifestyle and lower your overhead. There is plenty you can do to ease stress and build security. Doing something that matters to you will bring about worthwhile connections.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Reach out, gather information and gain insight into proper protocol before you come across with confidence. A positive attitude will make a difference. Dreams are nice, but they aren’t reality.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Size up whatever situations you encounter, and use your intelligence, experience

and connections, not your cash, to point those in need in the best possible direction, then focus on personal growth.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) A friendly gesture, a kind word and an original suggestion will put you in an opportune position. Let your charm and enthusiasm set the tone, and you’ll excel.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Pause, observe and keep your thoughts to yourself. Expect a last-minute change to disrupt your plans. Listen, do your research and look at your expenses before you make a commitment.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Follow your heart, and ask questions if uncertainty prevails. Be honest, and your approach will come across as refreshing. Socialize, research or sign up to master skills that enhance your resume.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Broaden your horizons, and connect with those who share your interests through networking events. Partnering with someone who can offer what you lack and vice versa will help you fast-track your way forward.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Mix and mingle. Socializing and participat-

ing in activities that challenge and elevate your awareness, strength and courage will help you stand out among your peers. Keep the peace at home.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Refuse to let anyone stand in your way. Listen, digest and respond with accuracy and a resolution regarding what you can and will do. Set the tone, and you’ll rule the outcome.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Embrace what life has to offer. Don’t wait for change to come to you; enforce what you want on the world around you.

Size up your to-do list, and move forward with optimism.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Get the lowdown before signing up for something. Choose to surround yourself with those who have something of interest to offer.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Choose creativity. Working toward something that you feel passionate about will help alleviate some of the frustration you feel regarding how others conduct themselves.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

dustin / by Steve Kelley & Jeff Parker

Answers to puzzles super quiz 1. Buffalo. 2. Honolulu. 3. Toronto. 4. Mexico City. 5. Sao Paulo. 6. Venice. 7. Istanbul.

8. Vatican City. 9. St. Petersburg. 10. Orleans.

11. Whitehorse. 12. Paris. 13. Barcelona. 14. San Salvador. 15.Chicago.

SCORING: 24 to 30 points — congratulations, doctor; 18 to 23 points — honors graduate; 13 to 17 points — you’re plenty smart, but no grind; 5 to 12 points — you really should hit the books harder; 1 point to 4 points — enroll in remedial courses immediately; 0 points — who reads the questions to you?

Cryptoquote Answer Saturday's Cryptoquote: Music comes from an icicle as it melts, to live again as spring water. — Henry Williamson

word GAme Answer lain lair laity lath layin liar lint linty litany ably airy alit anti arty bail bait barn

bath bialy binary blah blain blat blin brail brain brainy bran brant brat bray briny brit yarn

rail rain rainy rani rant rhinal inlay inly intra nail nary tail tarn than thin thinly tiny

trail train tray trial tribal trinal habit hail hair hairy halt hilt hint

sudoKu Answer jumble Answer

Crossword Answers

jeFF mACnelly’s shoe / by Gary Brookins & Susie MacNelly

sCrAbble Answers

FoXtrot / by Bill Amend

wuzzles Answers

Ken Ken Answers

hidAto Answers