The Times-Picayune 06-05-2026

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

In astunning turn of events for St. Tammany Parish’s most powerful law enforcementofficial, St.Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith was arrested and booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail on Thursday afternoon on counts of fel-

ony battery and disturbing thepeace, accused of physically attacking avocal onlinecritic at asteakhouse near Madisonville last week.

Smith,who has runthe St.Tammany Sheriff’s Office for almost adecade, was released ashort time later on a $10,000 bond. He faces one count of second-degree battery,a felony,and

two counts of disturbing the peace, which is amisdemeanor In astatement Thursday afternoon, Smith said he planstocontinue in his role as the sheriff.

Smith is accused of attacking St. Tammany Parish resident Bobby Couvillion in the bar at Keith Young’sSteakhouse on theafternoon of May29. The inci-

Sheriffarrested on felonycount

dent has been the talk of the parish this week, with some residents calling for Smith to resign.

As he was being booked in Amite, the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office issued anewsrelease on Smith’sarrest. In it,Smithsaidhewas sorry forthe “stress and burden” he caused his family,parish residentsand Sheriff’s Office employees. He said that as sheriff,

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

TheSewerage &Water Boardis again cleaning catch basins after workground to ahalt earlierthis year,but it continues to lag behind its goaland still has no money for citywide repairs to damaged pipes that will continue backingupstormwater

Neglect of the “minor drainage” system is especially apparent in Treme, where residents sounded off at an S&WB communitymeeting Tuesday.Catch basins in the neighborhood are filled withgarbage, vegetation, construction debris and even cement, they said

“The number one issue here is that our drains are completely stuck,” said Cheryl Austin, executive director of the Greater Treme Consortium,atthe TremeCenter

“The drains havenot been cleaned out since before Katrina, and that’s what’scausing the flooding.The wa-

ter can’t flow.”

The S&WB assumed responsibility for minor drainage —the catch basins and small pipes thatcapture stormwater andsendittolarger pipes, canals and pump stations —a year and ahalf ago. Thecity’s Public WorksDepartmentoversaw minor drainage for morethan three decadesbefore that, but it never implemented aregular maintenance program.

Over the years, tons of debris have clogged and damaged the pipes,althoughthe extent of thedamage is unknown. An S&WB study last year found 15% of the small pipes in Treme need repairs. If thatrate of damageexists across the system, the S&WB estimates repairs would cost more than $200 million.

“Weare doing our best to get back out there and clean the catch basins, but thereality is, if thepipe that those catch basins are connected to

Flood authority’s police chief on leave

BY ALEXLUBBEN Staff writer

Rondenosubject of investigation, Landry advisersays Rondeno

The New Orleans flood protection authority’sembattled police chief, whose pay and selfdraftedemployment contract had drawnscrutinyfrom state lawmakers, hasbeen placed on administrative leave,anadviser to Gov. Jeff Landry said Thursday Joshua Rondeno was placed on leave with pay late Wednesday “pending an investigation that we can’t discuss while it’s going on,” said Landry adviser Shane Guidry,who has been overseeing changes at the agency though he holds no officialorelectedoffice. Guidry declined to answer further questions about the nature of the investigation.

Stacy Gilmore, aspokesperson forthe agency officially knownasthe Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, initially said only that “Superintendent of Police Joshua Rondeno has not been terminated.”

ä See CHIEF, page 8A

BY MISSY WILKINSON and JONI HESS Staff writers

New Orleans’ public recreation department failed to run background checks on many of the people involved in its youth sports programslast year andtwo of itsvolunteer coaches hadcriminal histories, the NewOrleans Inspector General found. In aletter released Thursday that raised alarms

NORD, page 8A

STAFF

Man charged with taking explosive through airport

SACRAMENTO, Calif.

A man carrying what authorities described as an explosive device powerful enough to damage a plane, as well as a torch lighter, knife, zip ties and other items, was arrested after trying to pass through a Sacramento International Airport security checkpoint over the weekend, federal prosecutors said.

The 49-year-old from Sacramento was wearing a scarf covering his face and latex gloves, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said in a news release He also had five cellphones: one with a 15-minute timer set to begin, a second with a message on the screen from another phone number saying, “we will be awaiting your call.”

Evidence photos released by prosecutors show a cardboard tube about the size of a toilet paper roll fitted with a green fuse. Bomb technicians tested the device. The powder and fuse “were determined to be viable and energetic,” Grant said If the device had detonated next to a window on a pressurized aircraft flying above 10,000 feet, Grant said, “it had the potential to damage the aircraft and cause a possible loss of cabin pressure.”

The man was arrested Saturday and appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday He is charged with unlawful possession of explosive material in an airport The complaint also alleges he made “rambling” calls to the FBI in the months beforehand to report he was being threatened and intimidated

Sherpa guide rescued while crawling to camp

KATHMANDU, Nepal A Sherpa guide was found crawling to base camp on Mount Everest a week after he went missing and was reunited with his family who had given up hope he would return.

Dawa Sherpa was last seen around May 29 descending the mountain, but he did not reach base camp even though his client did. The pair were among the last climbers on the mountain as the climbing season came to an end and the route was dismantled.

Dawa was located by a cleaning crew Thursday morning as he was crawling down the snowy slopes around the Khumbu Icefall, just above base camp, said Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated the search.

He was quickly carried down to safety and given food and water. A rescue helicopter flew him to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter, who already had begun funeral rituals for him, were waiting

“We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that he is being brought down,” said his wife, Damu Sherpa.

Though Dawa had been missing since last week, there was a delay in organizing a search team. No reasons were given for the delay, but when helicopters were finally sent to look for him, they could not find him.

Gunmen kidnap 7 from school in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria Gunmen raided an off-campus residence in northwest Nigeria and kidnapped seven students, police said.

The attack occurred early Wednesday in the Kaura Namoda area of conflict-battered Zamfara state, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar said in a statement. One of the students escaped and was in custody.

The police spokesman said it wasn’t clear where the students were taken but efforts were underway to rescue the remaining six. Zamfara has been a hotspot for armed gangs that carry out kidnappings for ransom, with abductions of students increasing in recent years across the country A tally by local news outlet Premium Times found that at least 1,900 students have been kidnapped from 20 schools since the 2014 mass abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno state.

Putin: Russia will bolster defenses

Zelenskyy calls for face-to-face negotiations in neutral third country

BY JAMES JORDAN and HARRIET MORRIS Associated Press

ST PETERSBURG, Russia President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia will strengthen its air defenses to counter recent Ukrainian drone attacks, which have reached deep inside his country and cast a cloud over his showcase economic forum in his hometown of St. Petersburg.

Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks.

“To our regret, some of them break through,” Putin said of the drone strikes. “Russia has an air defense system, we need to improve it, strengthen it, and we will do that.”

The wide-ranging media session

came on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum his annual showcase for investment. Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a nearby naval base. Putin also said Russia is open for a compromise on Ukraine in line with understandings reached at his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, adding that Ukraine needs to accept them to make a deal to end the conflict, now in its fifth year Zelenskyy proposes talks

Also on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed face-to-face negotiations in a public letter addressed directly to Putin. Zelenskyy acknowledged shifting U.S. priorities, saying it would be wrong to wait for the U.S. to return its attention to

Ukraine while it is remains heavily focused on the Iran war

In Washington, Trump said it “would be great” if Putin and Zelenskyy meet.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin hadn’t seen the letter yet and repeated his statement that Zelenskyy could come to Moscow if he wants talks. Putin said last month he doesn’t exclude a meeting in a third country, but only when there is a deal to sign.

Putin dismissed the idea that European Union countries could mediate Russia-Ukraine peace talks because “mediation assumes neutrality Where is the neutrality here?”

Any potential third-party mediators needed to be trusted by both sides, Putin said.

“How can Russia trust people who have been harping about the need to inflict a strategic defeat on

Police warn families not to visit Tiananmen graves

Efforts to mark anniversary have been suppressed

BY KEN MORITSUGU and KANIS LEUNG Associated Press

BEIJING Chinese authorities snuffed out efforts to mark Thursday’s anniversary of the deadly 1989 military crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square, in a further tightening of a yearslong campaign to erase what happened from public memory

Police told relatives of the victims they would not be allowed to visit a cemetery in Beijing on the anniversary of the crackdown 37 years ago, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution.

Relatives from a group called Tiananmen Mothers visited the graves for more than 30 years, reading memorial statements while police kept watch, Amnesty International said

Hundreds of people, and possibly thousands, were killed in 1989 as troops advanced through crowds that were trying to stop the military from reaching the protesters on Tiananmen Square, a vast plaza in the center of the Chinese capital. The decision by the Communist Party leadership to send in the military was a pivotal moment in China’s modern history, determining that the market reform that trans-

formed the country into the world’s second largest economy would not be coupled with political liberalization.

In Hong Kong, police stepped up security Thursday at or near a park where a massive candlelight vigil lit up the night every year until a clampdown following major anti-government protests in 2019. A handful of people showed up in the evening. Officers allowed some to go freely — including a man holding flowers and an activist who said she bowed 37 times.

Police said in a statement that seven people were stopped and searched on suspicion of being disorderly in public as of 11:30 p.m. They were taken away for further investigation before being allowed to leave, police said, without naming them.

The U.S., the EU and Britain posted messages on social media marking the anniversary “No amount of censorship can erase the past,” a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio read. “Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.” Rows of electronic candles lit up the windows of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed Rubio’s words as a smear on her nation’s political system “We urge the U.S. side to stop using so-called democracy and human rights as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” she said.

Convictions reversed for paramedics

BY MEAD GRUVER and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A Colorado court reversed homicide convictions against two paramedics on Thursday in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who was pinned down by police and injected with a fatal dose of ketamine. McClain’s final words “I can’t breathe” — foreshadowed those of George Floyd a year later in Minneapolis, and the Colorado man’s name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the U.S in 2020. The appeals court or-

dered new trials for Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec McClain, 23, had been forcibly restrained and put in a neck hold by police, who stopped him in response to a suspicious person complaint as the massage therapist walked home from a convenience store in the Denver suburb in 2019. Cr im ina l ch ar ge s against paramedics and emergency medical technicians involved in police custody cases are rare. As McClain’s death and others raised questions about the use of ketamine to subdue struggling suspects, this prosecution

sent shock waves through the ranks of first responders across the U.S. A jury in 2023 found Cooper and Cichuniec guilty of criminally negligent homicide following a weekslong trial in state district court. The jurors also found Cichuniec guilty of seconddegree felony assault Cooper avoided prison and was sentenced to 14 months in jail with work release and probation. Cichuniec received five years in prison. The appeals court upheld Cichuniec’s assault conviction. Thursday’s ruling sends their cases back to a lower court for a new trial on that charge

Russia for years?” he said.

Putin’s battlefield update

Commenting on Russia’s use of its Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile, Putin said it was fired at targets that allowed it to test its capability and precision before using it against objectives closer to residential areas.

“We hit the area where it was convenient to see the results,” he said. “It was important for making a decision on the future on the fullformat use of the Oreshnik on designated targets, including those in populated areas.”

Putin emphasized his push for control of the entire Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, noting that Ukraine controls about 15% of its territory

Putin declared that “patriotism and will of the Russian people” will ensure the achievement of goals that Moscow set in Ukraine.

“Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact,” he said.

Trump reconsidering Pulte as director of national intelligence

President says other candidates under consideration

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte, his pick for acting director of national intelligence, would not be his “permanent” choice for the critical security post.

The Republican president’s disclosure that he was ruling out installing Pulte in the position fulltime came after bipartisan pushback on Capitol Hill in recent days over Pulte’s lack of national security experience. The position requires Senate confirmation, something that lawmakers indicated was unlikely if Pulte were the nominee.

“He’s not going to be permanent because, you know I don’t think he’d want to be permanent,” Trump said while taking questions in

the Oval Office after an event on coal. He called Pulte a “very smart guy” and said he may look at past elections that Trump claims, without credible evidence, were “rigged” against him. Trump said other candidates were under consideration for nomination to the post.

“We’re interviewing people right now,” he said. Pulte, a grandson of the founder of PulteGroup, has been a source of controversy within the administration for his work as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and his oversight of the mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Both Republican and Democratic senators expressed concerns about Pulte and his lack of national security credentials in occupying a role coordinating 18 federal agencies involved in domestic and foreign security issues. Trump’s initial director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned last month, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHIANG yING-yING

Participants attend a candlelight vigil at Democracy Square on Thursday to mark the 37th anniversary of the Chinese military crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, in Taipei, Taiwan.

Watchdog:Detainees choked,stabbed at ICEfacility

Report

documentsslew of violations

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Guards at aU.S. Immigration and CustomsEnforcement detention facility in north Louisiana stabbed one detainee’shand with a pen while trying to secure a housing wing and placed another in achokehold while attempting to stop afight, a federal watchdog found

Those were among aslew of violations of federal useof-force, health and safety standards recorded at Winn Correctional Center, aprivate ICE lockup, when agents from aU.S. Department of Homeland Security auditor visited thefacility last March for three days.

A35-page report released by DHS’ Office of Inspector General this week found that staffatWinn did not store perishable food at required temperatures, failed to alert federal officials when guards used forceon detainees and presided over unsanitary conditions. The review dingedLaSalleCorrections, aLouisiana-based firm that runs the lockup, for not handing over to the federal inspectorscomplete video of some use-of-force incidents.

“Withoutthis footage, we could not fully analyze the facility’scompliance with use-of-force standards,” wrote DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. Astatement provided

on Sept. 26, 2019. Detainees are required to walk from sitetosite withtheir hands clasped behind their backs.A recent audit of thefacility resulted in a35-page reportdetailing aslewofviolations of standards.

Thursday by an unnamed DHS spokesperson dismissed thefindingsas“minorinfractions,” saying the agency would address the issues through beefed-up training. LaSalle did not respond to aphone message. Unveiled 18 months into President DonaldTrump’s ongoi ng i mmigrat ion crackdown, the report sheds fresh light —inunusuallycandidwords from federal officialsthemselves —onconditions within an immigration lockup ata time whensoaring detain-

ee deathsare ratcheting up scrutiny of such facilities. It’spart of an ongoing review of immigration lockups that DHS’ inspector generalinitiated last year

The findings drew aresponse from at least one member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, DWashington, who saidthey confirm ICEis“putting people’shealth and safety at serious risk.”

Federal inspectors said the privatejail in Winnfield was at its capacity of 1,576 people when they arrived

unannounced in early March of 2025 for the review

In an intake room, they found holes and insulation hanging fromthe ceiling. They noted leaking kitchen ventsand cracks in ceilings. Staff tried containing leaks with Styrofoam containers, but water would overflow andpuddle on floors, the audit found.

While federal standards require perishablefoodsto be storedattemperatures between 35 and 40 degrees, the auditorsfound that Winn’scoolers hovered be-

tween 44 and 60 degrees.

The DHS watchdogalso reviewed fiveuse-of-force incidents at the facility,concluding thatthreefellshort of federal standards. The report questioned whether facility leaderstook stepsthey acknowledged were needed to correct the behavior.

Jailofficials marked the guard who used the chokehold on adetainee for “remedial training,” noting federal detention standards expresslyprohibit thetechnique. The facility’sleaders found the guard involved in the pen-stabbing incident, too, “requireddisciplinary action,” theinspector general report says.

But because Winn does not maintain detailed records, it wasunclearwhetherthose officers were ultimately subject to any discipline.

“This couldleadtostaff repeating inappropriate useof-force tactics that could potentially result in property damage, injury,and death,” Cuffari wrote.

The report dinged Winn for poor recordkeeping in other areas. Staffdid not maintain logs of detainees’ criminal histories as required underfederal rules meant to ensure safehousing arrangements. And in a facility where detainees can work up to 40 hours weekly foraslittle as $1.00 per day the inquiry found almost no records of detaineework histories.

Staff “only recorded detainee working hoursfor the current week in aspreadsheet by overwriting the previous week’s data,”the

report says. The numbers of people being held in immigration detention nationally and in Louisiana has soared since Trumptook office. Louisiana had morethan 8,000 people in immigration detention as of April, second only to Texas, according to data tracked by Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

The new DHS review marks the latest report of troubling conditions inside facilities operatedbyLaSalle, whichruns half of Louisiana’sICE-contracted lockups.

In 2021, aDHS review dinged Winn Correctional forinappropriate use of force and “serious environmental and safety deficiencies.” Acivil jury in Monroe last year awarded $42.75 milliontofamily of aman killed after guards at Richwood Correctional, aLaSalle-run facility in Monroe, slammed his head against a concrete floor In April, officialssaid 49-year-old Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, aMexicanborn manwith ahistory of high blood pressure,diedat Winn after stafffound him unresponsive in adormitory area. Mexican officials called his death asign of increasingly dire conditions within U.S. detention facilities.

James Finncovers federal lawenforcementand courts forThe TimesPicayune|The Advocate. Contact him at jfinn@ theadvocate.com or on Signal at jamesfinn.82.

Landry vetoes bill boosting wrongful conviction payouts

Governor says system lacks safeguards

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana Gov.Jeff

Landry this weekvetoed legislation that would have allowed prisoners who were wrongfully convicted of a crime to get more compensation from the state.

Senate Bill 125,sponsored by Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette,passed both theHouse and Senate unanimously.Itwould have increased the cap the state pays outto wrongfully convictedpeople. It is currently set at $400,000, with an annual payout of $40,000 over the course of 10 years. Thelegislation would have increased the capto $600,000,with the sameannual payout over the course of 15 years.

The change could have increased the total amount of payouts by the state roughly $800,000 to $900,000 every year,accordingtoa nonpartisan fiscal analysis by legislativestaff.

Landry on Tuesday vetoed the bill, his firstofthe 2026 regularlegislative

session. In his letter rejecting the measure, he argued that Louisianahas notdone enough to ensure the wrongful compensation process is fair and “protected against abuse.”

“The current system lacks important safeguards to prevent abuseand double recovery,” he said.

Boudreaux said it is hard to “put as price tag”onthe harm people suffered in these cases.

“Their wholelives were stoppedbecause they were wrongfully convicted,” he said.“Iwanttoemphasize ‘wrongfullyconvicted’ forsomethingthatthey did not do.”

Boudreaux saidthat, whilehe’sdisappointed, he doesn’tsee thevetoasa failure, and he hopes it can serve as astartingpoint for more public awareness about the issue.

To getmoney fromthe state’sInnocenceCompensation Fund, apetitioner has to prove by clear andconvincingevidence he is “factually innocent” of the crime, and the court has to grantthe request in anew proceedinginwhich the state is represented by theAttorney General’s Office.

Innocence &Justice Loui-

siana, aNew-Orleans based law firm that works to free innocent people serving unjust sentences,blastedthe veto.

“The Governor’s message makes specious assertions about abuse without acknowledging who will suffer because of his veto,” Jee Park,the group’sexecutive director,said in astatement.“SB 125 is about real people who areinnocent, real decades lost,and real families who lived withthe consequences of Louisiana’s mistakes.”

Landry also used theveto to callout New Orleans.

“Louisiana taxpayers have alreadyseen examples of Soros-fundedprosecutors gaming thesystemto secure the releaseofconvicted criminals and then seek taxpayer-funded compensation,”Landry wrote. “There is no better example than OrleansParish.”

He said some individuals there have receivedcompensation from the state in addition to moneyfrom claims madeinfederal court.

In astatement, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said Landry’s “characterization” is “inaccurate.”

“The Governor’sstate-

ment conflates separate legal processes and overlooks afundamental principle of our justice system: when acourt determines that a person was wrongfully con-

victed, the law provides a mechanism for compensation,” Williams said. “That process exists because accountability and justice do notend with aconviction.”

Williams said justicerequires both holding those found guilty accountable and “acknowledging and correcting errors when theyoccur.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

Detainees walk withtheir handsclasped behind their backs along aline paintedona walkwayinside the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield

Ex-national security adviser

Bolton

will plead guilty

Deal will allow him to avoid prison time

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday

The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with family members as he was preparing a memoir about his career.

Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement could also allow for him to avoid time behind bars. The punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.

The case against Bolton, filed weeks after prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, unfolded against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Depart-

ment is using its law enforcement powers to pursue perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump.

The investigation burst into public view last August when FBI agents served search warrants at his Maryland home and Washington office, but it had been well underway by the time Trump returned to the White House in January 2025

Wrote book critical of Trump

Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power. He served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before being pushed out in 2019 and publishing a critical book that portrayed the Republican president as deeply misinformed and painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership and decision-making.

Trump’s administration fought unsuccessfully to block the publication of “The Room Where it Happened”

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton arrives for his arraignment at the federal courthouse in Greenbelt, Md. in October

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

on the grounds the book contained classified information that could harm national security if exposed. Bolton’slawyershavesaidhemoved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer had classified information.

The indictment he faced focused on notes shared with his wife and daughter rather than the substance of the book itself.

Bolton had initially pleaded not guilty and, in a statement released after his indictment, described the charges as part of an “intensive effort” by Trump “to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct.”

A re-arraignment, which can signal a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26 in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

House passes bill to aid Ukraine, impose new sanctions on Russia

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House passed legislation Thursday that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy, overriding objections from Republican leaders who warned the bill would undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result.

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, DN.Y., seeks to cement U.S. assistance for Ukraine by providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. It would make another $8 billion available for Ukraine’s defense through loans.

The 226-195 vote is a sign of impatience with President Donald Trump’s approach to the war and represents the House’s second major foreign policy break with Trump this week. The day before, the House, for the first time, approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting U.S. military action against Iran. Supporters were able to force action on the Ukraine bill by gathering 218 signatures on a discharge petition, a legislative tool that allows a majority of the House to effectively bypass leadership.

Once rarely successful, House members have used the petition tool this Congress to pass bills on releas-

ing the government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein and to extend healthcare subsidies to many of those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, though the latter measure faltered in the Senate.

Meeks said the question before the House was simple Would it help Ukraine negotiate from a position of strength or help Russia outlast American resolve?

“We all want this war to end,” Meeks said. “The question is how Will we abandon Ukraine and force it into a terrible deal? That is what Vladimir Putin is counting on. Or will this body live up to the commitments we’ve made since the start of this war?”

The vast majority of Republicans opposed the measure. Rep. French Hill, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he is a steadfast supporter of Ukraine. However, the Arkansas Republican said the House was confronted with a flawed, outdated measure that actually cuts funding for the Ukraine security assistance initiative compared to what Congress had agreed to as part of this year’s defense policy Another section could lead to a decrease in NATO spending, he warned.

Send a message

Supporters are hopeful that the House’s passage of

the Ukraine bill would put pressure on the Senate to do the same But they also know the Senate likely won’t go along unless Trump endorses the bill.

“It’s probably not going to get 60 votes in the Senate, but it’s going to hopefully force the Senate to address the issue,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who signed the discharge petition and voted to advance the bill. “It’s going to send a great message to the soldiers of Ukraine.”

He said the vote would also send a message to Putin that “we do have a pulse here, that we do care about Ukraine and that we are going to utilize our authority to help them.”

As the war has dragged on, it’s gotten more difficult for supporters of Ukraine in Congress to provide additional financial support to help Ukraine defend itself.

The U.S. has approved some $195 billion for the Ukraine response, according to the latest quarterly inspector general report for Operation Atlantic Resolve, with roughly a quarter of that going to replenish weapons stockpiles for the U.S military The last major legislation designed to bolster the Ukraine response occurred in April 2024, though modest amounts have since been included in annual appropriations bills.

Planning commission seeks details on Trump’s arch

Federal agency looking for justification of 250-foot height

BY MEG KINNARD Associated Press

The National Capital Planning Commission has kept alive the triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital, requesting more information on how it could potentially impact air travel navigation in the area, as well as other specifics on construction and traffic in the area.

Most members of the federal agency that approves construction on federal land voted in favor Thursday of seeking more information from the Department of the Interior, which submitted the application for the 250-foot arch planned between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery

The vote came after nearly three hours of public comment from about 20 members of the public, some representing historic and architectural organizations, and most of whom expressed concerns about the arch that is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his imprint on Washington.

Preliminary surveys and testing of the arch site began last month, and other approvals are underway The U.S. Commission

of Fine Arts — which only oversees designs and has no role in the actual construction or funding of the arch or any other project it considers — has approved the arch’s design, a key step in the project’s process but one that has no immediate bearing on the construction timeline.

For now, the National Capital Planning Commission is seeking more information justifying the proposed height of the towering arch, as well as additional details about lighting, management of stormwater and how traffic and parking would be regulated for visitors.

Will Scharf, who has served as Trump’s White House staff secretary, heads the commission and acknowledged the applicant “has some homework to do,” Scharf said, suggesting more information on how it would appear from other monuments in the Washington area. But, Scharf said ultimately, this year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence “is as good an opportunity as any to add something to Washington, D.C., that will hopefully stand the test of time.

Stuart Levenbach, Trump appointee and commission vice chairman, said the proposed site represented “one of the few locations” in the area where such an “iconic civic monument could be appropriate,” although he added that “it’s reasonable to consider whether a significant architectural statement belongs in such a location.”

Supreme Court upholds federal regulation

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Thursday in upholding the power of federal regulators to enforce data privacy laws on telecommunications companies.

The 8-1 decision preserved one of the Federal Communications Commission’s key

tools, though the companies also won a concession from the Republican administration that could shift the regulatory landscape.

The appeal from telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T challenged a combined $100 million in penalties imposed after the agency determined that the companies had failed to safeguard customer location data.

The companies argued that the FCC’s process was unconstitutional because it gave them little opportunity to tell their side of the story in front of a jury

The administration defended the fines as an essential regulatory tool. But the government also said companies did not have to pay the penalties right away, a regulatory shift in the companies’ favor

about background-check rules for New Orleans Recreation Development Commission youth sports programs, the inspectorsaidthat only about half of arandom sample of 2025 coaches had background checks on file. And two volunteers should have beendisqualified based on the criminal histories that the OIG uncovered.

“NORDC’slax procedures

created afalse assurance forparents who likely believed theirchildren’scoaches had been vetted when, in fact, many had not,” Inspector General Ed Michel wrote.

Most of the roughly 5,000 children who participated in NORD athletics programs last year were coached by volunteers whoare required by policy to undergoannual background checks

But no formal proceduresexisted for checks, and NORDC was unable to provide the OIGa comprehensive list of active coaches, Michel said.

The letter comes just days afterNORD CEOLarry Barabino Jr.announced his resignation amid acitywidehiring freeze and growing criticismover the conditionand managementof someof NORD’smore than 160 facilities.

During aboard meeting this week where commissioners approved an interim CEO,several residents also complained about

CHIEF

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“Asamatter of policy,the authority does not comment on personnel matters,” she said in astatement. After this story’spublication, the agency confirmed that Rondeno had been placed on leave with pay. “The authorityremainsfocusedonits missiontoreduce flood risk,” Gilmore said. Rondeno did not respond to requests for comment.

The policechief became acentral player in the recent upheaval at theagency that maintains muchofthe region’s$14.5 billion hurricane protection system Since 2024, when Landry started reshaping the agency’sleadership, its board has been entirely replaced as its members resigned in protest or were removed from their posts. The agency’spolice force’sbudget has also increased by nearly50%.

In 2024, whenRondeno started at the agency,he earned $160,000. His pay rose to $208,000 last July after he took on asecond position as chief compliance officer, arole akin to an internal auditor in which he was tasked with ferreting out waste and fraud at the agency Lawmakers questioned that role, and notedthat the agency’spolice chief was making more than he was allowed to by law.Rondeno is legally prohibited from earning more than the head of the Louisiana State Police, who makes $198,000, though the authority used his dual roleascompliance officer to justify his pay He also faced criticism over an employment con-

poor communicationand alack of transparency around NORD’sprogrammingschedules, board meeting times and accessible staff.

NORD officials acknowledged their backgrounding failings reflectedinthe report and said that many of the OIG’srecommended fixes are already underway

“The safety and well-beingofthe children and families we serve is our highestpriority,” said NORD spokesperson Emily Oliver in a statement Thursday

Incomplete checks

Of the50coach application files the OIG randomly reviewed, only

tractthat the agency’sboard president,Peter Vicari,told lawmakers Rondeno had drafted himself. An early version included aseverance clausepotentially worthupto$910,000. The Louisiana LegislativeAuditorhas deemed severance forpublic employees to be an unconstitutionaldonation of public funds

Arevised version of Rondeno’scontract, signed in February,removed the severance but left Rondeno eligible for6%annualraises and provided jobprotections that no otheragency employeehad:Hecould be fired onlyfor cause, defined as willful misconduct,gross negligence or insubordination,bya majorityvoteof theboard.The board meets next on June 17 and has not published its agenda.

‘Thatmeans everybody’

Last month, underpressure from lawmakers in Baton Rouge,the board cut Rondeno’ssalary to $197,000, just under the legalcap. Lawmakers have also approvedabill, now awaiting thegovernor’ssignature, that makes it illegal for the agency’schiefofpolice to serve in asecond role at theagency

Therecent criticism of Rondeno’ssalary follows a series of other controversies.

They included an incident last year, when Rondeno fileda misdemeanor battery charge against one of the agency’sformer board members, Deborah Settoon, alleginginapolice report that shephysicallystruck him.

Settoon said that the chargewas intended to pressure her to resign from the board.Onthe daythat Settoon resigned, Rondeno

54% contained completed background checks. Those background checks were limitedtooffenses in Orleans Parish or surrounding parishesthatvoluntarily submitted records.

“One NORDCadministrator informed OIGevaluators that nationwidebackgroundchecks would prove difficult for somecurrent coaches to pass. ‘Guys would be running out. They’dbescared’ of anationwide background search,”the letter stated.

NORD rulesstate that coaches would be disqualified if they had been convicted or pleaded guilty to any sexual offense, violent felony,

dropped thecharge.

Theflood authority oversees twin police forces, theOrleans Levee District PoliceDepartment, which operates in the agency’sjurisdiction in OrleansParish and theEast Jefferson Levee District Police Department, which operates in Jefferson Parish. Guidrysaid that two police captains, one in Orleans andanother in Jefferson parishes,will lead the force while Rondeno is on leave.

“Look, the agency hascertainly comealong way underhis leadership,”hesaid of Rondeno, who formerly served as police chief at the University of New Orleans. “But at theend of theday, we have our own policies that we have to have followed Everybody’sgoing to follow the rulesand thelaw or else. That means everybody.”

The changes at theagency started when Landry appointedRoy Carubba as its board president in 2024. Carubba, whowas removed as board president last year andhad been serving as vice president, also quietly resigned from the agency last week, stating in his resignation letter that “demands on my timeboth personal and business will notallowme to continue my service to theagency.”

Early in their tenure, Carubba referred to he and Rondeno as “Lightning” and “Thunder” to describe theirambitious plans for the agency

Writinghis owncontract

Carubba praised Rondeno and his work at theagency, often stating that Rondeno had saved the agency millions of dollars through his role as complianceofficer Neither Carubba nor Rondeno providedevidence of

or crime against children, regardlessofhow long agothe offense occurred. Those whohad nonviolent felonieswithin 10 years,violent misdemeanors within five years, and nonviolent misdemeanors within three years would also be disqualified from coaching, the policy mandates.

Twocoaches who’d undergone background checks hadconcerning records. One had an active warrantfor simple battery and 46 criminal charges spanning decades.

Another coach’s chargesincluded simple assault and stalking in 2025 and aggravated rape in 2008, as well as arrests forillegal use of controlled dangerous substances in the presenceofa minorand possession of afirearm during the commission of acrime.

Both coaches wereremoved forreasons “unrelated to theOIG findings” following aMay 18 tackle football rules meeting, Oliver said.

The dispositionsofthose coaches’chargesweren’t includedin their files, andthe OIG raised flags about thedepartment failing to keep documentation on charges that had been dropped.

To address these failures, the OIG recommended that NORD establish aformal,written process for governing how background checks are evaluated, including disqualification criteria and documentation in cases where criminal charges havebeen dismissed. The agency urged NORD to create a centralized electronic roster of

coaches that identifies approved applicants and documents when coachidentification badgesare issued.

Adesignated staff member should also certify that background checks don’tinclude disqualifying offenses before applicants are allowed to interact with youth. The OIGrecommended that NORD pursue nationwide background screenings for more comprehensive criminal history information.

“Assummerapproaches,itis crucialfor NORDCtoaddress significant deficiencies in its process forapproving youth athletics coaches,” Michel wrote.

NORD officials said they accept the review’s findings and recommendations and are committedto strengthening their background check process.

The athletics division employee responsible forvolunteer compliance hassince resigned,according to Oliver,and other division staff have been reassigned to oversee coach compliance and background checks.

Additional staff are also assisting with documentation reviews, maintainingcoach records, monitoring certifications and site visits. Volunteer coaches whodid not meet NORD’scompliance requirements have been letgo, officials said.

Coaches participating in the 2026 baseball season have been vetted and are being rechecked as an additional safeguard.

those savings.

Vicari,justifying those unspecified millions, cited a document stating that Rondeno implementedworkforce development training and saved the agency $500,000 —significantly less than the millions claimed. The changes being implemented at the agency have raised deep concernsamong government watchdogs that reformsput in place following the catastrophic levee breaches during Hurricane Katrinaare beingabandoned. Guidry and his allies at the flood authority have offered various reasons for the changes, including that aprofessionalizedpolice force at the agency could as-

sist NewOrleanspolice to a greater degree, andthe need to guard andprotect theregion’sflood infrastructure.

Those concerned with the changessay the agency’s main focus must remain flood protection, not police work.

StateSen.KirkTalbot, R-RiverRidge,has been among the key lawmakers questioning the turmoil at theagency.Duringa confirmation hearing forboard members last month in Baton Rouge, he pressed Vicari on Rondeno’s contract and pay “The chiefwrote his own employmentcontract?” asked Talbot during the confirmation hearing.

“Yeah,”responded Vicari, later acknowledging that an attorney hired by Rondeno could have helped him write the contract.

“LaneKiffin would love to have that contract,” Talbotquipped. “Don’t tellhim about it, he might jumpall over it.” Even after Talbot’spointed questions during the Senate hearing, theSenate confirmed Vicari along with each of the other five board members, allofwhom requiredSenate confirmation becausetheyhad been recently appointed.

Email AlexLubbenat alex.lubben@theadvocate. com.

U.S. sanctionsCuban president

in latest move to pressure island

Assets of Díaz-Canel, wife,three others frozen

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN, DÁNICA COTO and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON The United States has imposed sanctions Thursday on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife and three other individuals, in the latest move by the Trump administrationtopressure the island’s leadership that drew immediate condemnationfrom Havana. Included in the sanctionsare Alejandro Castro Espín,the sole sonof former Cuban President RaúlCastro and Vilma Espín. He served as an adviser to Cuba’sDefense and National Security Commission and was present when Raúl Castro greeted then-U.S. President Barack Obama in Havana during ahistoric March 2016 meeting. Castro Espín’s son,Raúl Alejandro Castro Calis, also was listed.

The new penalties come as U.S. President Donald Trump hasbeen threatening military action in Cuba since ousting Venezuelan leader Nicolás MaduroinJanuary and then ordering an energy blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba. That has led to severeblackouts,foodshortagesand an economic collapse across the island.

The threats took on additional weight after theU.S.announced criminal charges against Raúl Castro last month. Thursday’spenalties, which followTrumpsigning an executive order expanding sanctions against the island, freeze individuals’ property andbank accounts in the U.S. But it’sunclear how intertwined their finances are with the U.S. financial system.

Díaz-Canel accused Trump of making “newthreatening statements against Cuba” andsaid “these measures are aimed at reinforcingthe blockade andescalating the conflict between Cuba and the United States.”

“This political blindness adds to the coercive measures applied in recent weeks against our country,designedtoharm the Cuban people,” he wrote on X. “The aggression and perversion of the U.S. government will clash with our resolvetocon-

Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel, second left, and Raúl Castro’s grandson Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, center, take partinarally in supportofformerPresident Raul Castro in frontofthe U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba,inMay.The U.S. has imposed sanctions against Díaz-Canel.

frontthe worst-casescenarios and resist the imperial onslaught.”

‘We’re goingtohandlethat’

Asked Thursday if his sanctions were meanttoaccelerate Cuba’s collapse, Trump said, “Wejust want them to be anicely run country.”

“The country is starving and it’s got no energy,it’sgot no oil, it’s got no money,it’sgot nothing. It’s got a beautiful piece of land. Youcould have beautiful resorts,” Trump toldreporters at an unrelated eventinthe Oval Office.

Asked whether Cuba is closeto collapsing,hesaid,“It’ssort of collapsed”and addedthat“we’regoingtohandle that as soon as we’ve finished” militaryoperations in Iran.

“I like to do onething at atime,”

Trumpsaid

Trump has ratcheted up talk of regime change in Cubaafter pledging to conduct a“friendly takeover” of the country if itsleadership did not open itseconomy to American investment andkick out U.S. adversaries

SecretaryofState Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who has long takena hard line against Cuba’ssocialist leadership,has said Trump’spreference is to reacha dealbut hassaidheisdoubtful the U.S.can finda diplomatic resolution with the current government Those“designated todaydirect or fund the regime and itsefforts to mobilize its radical revolution-

arymovementsinthe United States andaround the world,” Rubio said in astatement.

Diplomat condemns sanctions

In addition to Díaz-Canel, Bruno Rodríguez, Cuba’s minister of foreign affairs, alsocondemned the new sanctionsinasocial media post.

He said “the vile inclusion” of Díaz-Caneland others, including Cuban institutions and civil society organizations,“is thelatest exampleofthe US interventionist plan to portray Cuba as athreat to US national security,”hewroteonX

“Every US action aimed at creating ascenario of conflict between thetwo countries is destined to fail,”hewrote. “Every threat against Cuba’s independence and sovereigntywill be met with even greater unity anddetermination from our people.”

The newsanctions, whichfreeze any assets that thosetargeted may have in U.S. jurisdictions or any thatcome into U.S. jurisdictions, alsoapply to non-American entities thatmight do business withthem.

In additiontothe individuals, thesanctions alsotarget Cuba’s defense ministry; itsInstitutefor theFriendship with the Peoples, whichpromotes people-to-people talks; Amistur Cuba,anarm of theinstitutethat oversees specialized tourism on the island; and the Committees for theDefense of the Revolution.

EU taking helm of global oceanresearch

Commission pledges

$107Mtoefforts as U.S. cuts funding

BY SAM MCNEIL Associated Press

BRUSSELS— With underwater dronesand ocean-focusedsatellites, theEUisexpanding its monitoring network of Earth’s seas as climate change fuels heat waves and stronger storms and theTrump administrationplans severe cuts to asimilar system in the United States.

With an investment package of $107 millioncalled OceanEye announced on Wednesday,the EU will be able to take the helm of global effortstoexplore the depths of the planet’svast oceans, said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.

Oceans are vital ecosystems covering about70% of planet Earth, hostingcomplex webs of lifethat generate oxygen and absorb greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Temperatures have risen in oceans faster due to climate change, super-charging storms and drought, ravaging coral reefs across the world, and endangering species in tandem with overfishing and industrial pollution.

Scientists estimate climate change will increase the strength of heat waves and severe storms across Europe.

Monitoring the ocean can help protect it by showing damage and threats to ecosystems that help inform regulations aimed at preventing species loss.

“Thisisaboutusing science and good governance to understand ourocean and secure our future,” von der Leyen said.

U.S. cuts funding

In May,officials in the U.S. began signaling plans to gut its Ocean Observatories Initiative —a network of more than 900 oceansensors builtata cost of $386 million that has continuously collected real-timedata for morethan adecade. Funded by theNational Science

Foundation, the observatories have tracked everything from ocean circulation and marine ecosystemstoclimate change and extremeweather.Its data has been freely available and has informed morethan 500 scientific publications. The project was slated to run foranother 15 to 20 years. The EU investment was already in the pipeline when the U.S. cuts were announced.

International efforts are organized through the GlobalOcean Observing System. The U.S. collects morethan half of this data while Europe does about aquarter,followed by Japan, Australia, India and China.

“Europe needs to do more,” said Pierre-Yves Le Traon, an oceanographer and scientific director of the Mercator Ocean International based in Toulouse, France. By 2035,the EU hopesto cover35% of Earth’smaritime monitoring network and become theglobe’s leadingproviderof “ocean intelligence.”

Importance of collecting data

Robotic sensors in underwater andinorbit feed information to organizations like shipping companies, fisheries, emergency services andresearch institutions like the Mercator Ocean Institute that is building avirtual-reality mockup of Earth’soceans to be updated in real time calledthe Digital Twin Ocean.

That data is crucial to understanding and adapting to climate change and to avast array of industries on land andatsea like aquaculture, shipping especially through icy waters, coastal tourism,agriculture and even navies, Le Traon said.

“Knowledge is essentialifwe wanttomanage the ocean,” Le Traon said. “Wereally have to be very active forthe monitoring and protectingofthe oceanbecause the ocean matters to everyone: for life at sea, for life on Earth.”

The EU funds will go toward private incubatorsfor oceanic technology and beefing up existing institutions like the Global Ocean Observing System

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAMON ESPINOSA

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Jobless filings at highest since Iran war began

WASHINGTON The number of Americans filing for jobless aid hit their highest level in four months last week, but layoffs remain historically low despite ongoing economic uncertainty brought on by the war in Iran.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 30 increased by 13,000 to 225,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday That’s the most since early February, before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, but still a historically low level. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 211,000 new applications.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite historically low layoffs, the labor market seems to be mired in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That’s kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.

Though U.S. employers delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs in April, the Iran war has injected a large degree of uncertainty about the broader U.S. economy and labor market.

Canada to back off charging streamers

OTTAWA, Ontario Canada’s government directed its television and communications regulator to back down from a recent decision to triple financial contributions required from U.S. streaming services such as Netflix for Canadian content, the country’s culture minister said Wednesday Instead, Culture Minister Marc Miller said, the government will invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the sector

The U-turn comes after the Motion Picture Association, the U.S. group representing streamers, called on the Canadian Cabinet to reconsider its approach, and after the U.S. ambassador to Canada called for the policy to be rescinded.

It also comes as Canada and the United States are in discussions on whether to renew the free trade agreement between the two countries and Mexico.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission — the country’s equivalent to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission — said in May it would require large streaming services like Netflix to contribute 15% of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content. It made the decision as part of its work to implement the Online Streaming Act.

Asked whether the decision is another concession to the U.S., Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday the government was looking at how much the new policy would cost Canadians.

“It is another step to reinforce affordability for Canadians This is not the time to raise the costs for Canadians,” he said.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra welcomed the decision.

American temporarily suspends some routes

NEWYORK American Airlines is temporarily suspending some of its routes this summer as steep jet fuel costs continue to strain carriers’ budgets amid the war with Iran.

In a statement, American said it had adjusted service for “select routes” in August and September — and that impacted travelers would be offered alternative arrangements or refunds. The Texas-based airline cited elevated fuel costs, and maintained that these changes were in line with wider industry trends.

American also said that it was not cutting any of its routes indefinitely and that it was proud to “offer an industry-leading network with more flights than any other U.S. airline.”

Still, the summer suspensions could cause more headaches for travelers already facing fewer flights options and higher price tags across their budgets.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

The Dow leaps to a record high

Oil prices ease and U.S. stocks outside of AI rally

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street rallied

Thursday after falling oil prices and yields in the bond market eased the pressure on U.S. stocks. Banks, small companies and other stocks that had earlier been left behind by the euphoria around artificialintelligence technology led the way

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% for its 10th gain in the last 11 days, a day after dropping from its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 874 points, or 1.7%, to a record, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1%.

Stocks got a lift from a 2.8% drop for the price of Brent crude oil to $95.03 per barrel. That gave back a chunk of its rise from this week caused by the latest flare-ups of

fighting between Iran and the United States and its allies.

The expectation on Wall Street seems to be that the United States and Iran will ultimately agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers. That would hopefully improve the flow of crude, lower oil’s price and remove some of the upward pressure on inflation that’s hurting the world. Such hopes, along with strong profit reports from U.S. companies, helped launch the S&P 500 on a nine-day winning streak that ended Wednesday, a day short of its longest run in three decades.

Stocks of smaller companies helped lead the way and the Russell 2000 index of the smallest U.S. stocks jumped 1.4%. They can reap the biggest benefits of falling interest rates, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury dipped to 4.47% from 4.49% late Wednesday as oil prices sank.

Lower yields can make it less expensive for companies to borrow cash, which many smaller compa-

Trump announces $700M

in support for coal industry

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump is again seeking to boost the struggling U.S. coal industry announcing a plan Thursday to spend nearly $700 million to support coalfired power plants and coal exports

Trump said the administration will use authority under a Cold War-era national defense law to support 13 coal plants across the country and help build coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia — the first new U.S. coal plants since 2013. The money will also help restart a shuttered coal-fired power plant in Maryland and support construction of a long-delayed coal export terminal in Oakland, California.

Together, the announcements will support or create more than 14,000 jobs in coal, construction rail and maritime industries, a White House official said.

At a White House ceremony, Trump called coal “a great business,” adding: “It’s real power. In terms of power, there’s really nothing like it.” The announcement is the latest step by Trump to try to reverse the yearslong decline in the U.S. coal industry The administration said last fall it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide $625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants. Trump issued executive orders soon after retaking office to try to revive coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been shrinking amid environmental regulations and competition from cheaper natural gas and renewable energy Under Trump’s orders, the Energy Department has required coal-fired power plants in Michigan, Indiana, Colorado and Washington state to keep operating past their retirement dates to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence

nies need to do to grow

Banks also helped lead the market, including gains of 5% for Goldman Sachs, 4.7% for Fifth Third Bancorp and 4.4% for U.S. Bancorp. They helped to more than make up for losses by some AI stocks, which took a sudden back seat after dominating the market. Broadcom sank 12.6%, even though both profit and revenue for the chip company surpassed analysts’ expectations. CEO Hock Tan said its AI semiconductor revenue more than doubled to $10.8 billion during the quarter and that demand is only getting bigger He is forecasting AI semiconductor growth to top 200% in the current quarter Investors, though, may have wanted even more after Broadcom’s stock came into the day with a 38.5% surge for the year so far That towered over the already strong 10.3% rise for the S&P 500 index, and Broadcom has grown to become one of Wall Street’s largest and most influential stocks.

Analysts have been saying AI stocks may have run too high, becoming too expensive, and that the broad U.S. stock market may be set for a slowdown following an unrelenting streak of nine straight winning weeks for the S&P 500, its longest since 2023.

Other AI winners likewise gave back some of their big gains. Micron Technology, the latest company to see its total value top $1 trillion because of AI euphoria, fell 7.7%.

CrowdStrike Holdings dropped 3.8% even though the cybersecurity company’s profit and revenue for the latest quarter topped analysts’ expectations. CEO George Kurtz said the latest quarter was when “the worlds of cybersecurity and frontier AI collided,” and the company said it’s splitting its stock to make its share price more affordable.

But its stock came into the day with a 59.5% surge for the year so far And analysts said it beat forecasts for some financial measures by less than it usually does.

and electric cars. The Energy Department has extended short-term orders to allow those efforts to continue, and has ordered oil and gas-fired plants in Maryland and Pennsylvania to run past scheduled retirement dates.

Wright has said the administration’s use of emergency orders to keep aging coalfired plants operating helped prevent major blackouts during brutally frigid weather that gripped most of the country in late January and early February.

Environmental groups denounced the latest effort to boost coal, which comes as the Trump administration has clamped down on renewable energy, including freezing permits for offshore wind projects, ending clean energy tax credits and blocking wind and solar projects on federal lands.

“Propping up coal billionaires with taxpayer money is one more way for the Trump administration to put polluters first and put the rest of us at risk,” said Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “What’s next, a taxpayer bailout to build new phone booths?”

Trump’s order will result in higher electricity bills and dirtier air, Kennedy and other critics said. “The best thing for the air, the climate and our utility bills is to let these plants retire peacefully,” she said.

Rich Nolan, president and CEO of the National Mining Association, said coal generation helps shield consumers from the impacts of volatile energy prices and supply challenges exacerbated by AI.

Trump’s strategy will “ensure that up-

grades to existing energy assets are made” domestically, “and at our ports to ensure that U.S. coal can answer the world’s needs,” he said.

Coal once provided more than half of U.S. electricity production, but its share dropped to about 15% in 2024, down from about 45% as recently as 2010. Natural gas provides about 43% of U.S. electricity, with the remainder from nuclear energy and renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower U.S. coal exports dropped during the first year of Trump’s second term, largely due to less coal being shipped to China after it imposed reciprocal tariffs on American products last year in response to broad tariffs announced by Trump, according to the Energy Information Administration. Global coal demand rose to record levels in recent years but is expected to flatten or decline in coming years, according the International Energy Agency It’s hard for U.S. companies to expand into new markets because there are plentiful reserves of coal around the globe.

Even so, Trump has pushed to revive coal exports on the West Coast. Coal miners have long sought to ship coal from Utah and the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming to markets in Asia.

Developers are fighting the city of Oakland to build an export terminal on the site of a decommissioned Army base. Community members and advocacy groups have voiced concerns over how trains loaded with coal will affect public health, safety and the environment.

Authorities: Screwworm fly detected in Texas

BY JOHN HANNA Associated Press

The New World screwworm fly has reached south Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Wednesday, the first time in decades that the parasite with flesh-eating larvae has threatened the nation’s $113 billion cattle industry and only the third time it’s appeared in the U.S. in that time. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the case was in a 3-week-old calf in La Pryor, Texas, about 50 miles from the Mexico border. Texas State Veterinarian Bud Dinges said he has established a 12-mile quarantine zone,

prohibiting the movement of any warm-blooded animal — including pets — outside that zone without an inspection. Rollins said there have been no other detections of the fly in the U.S., and officials were quick to say that while the fly’s larvae are a threat to livestock production, they don’t infest food. Properly treated, even the infested calf should recover, Rollins said. Rollins, U.S. and Texas agriculture officials, and cattle industry leaders have been sounding public alarms about the fly’s movement across Mexico for more than a year spurred on by memories of it causing tens of millions of dollars

of losses — potentially billions in today’s dollars — before its eradication in the 1970s.

It is the first case confirmed in Texas since 1966, Rollins said. Texas, home to $17 billion worth of the nation’s cattle, is the industry’s No. 1 state. The months of effort to keep the fly out of the U.S. have included dropping millions of sterile screwworm flies in the area to mate with wild females the same method used successfully before the fly was eradicated. Rollins said the USDA is confident enough in its preparations that it believes “there is no threat of mass infestation.”

“There is no reason to believe this incursion will result in establishment of the pest in our country,” Rollins said. The announcement of the suspected case comes only a day after Rollins had an online news conference to highlight the nearness of the threat, with cases being confirmed in Mexico as close as 25 miles from the border — and to outline the USDA’s efforts to combat it.

The New World Screwworm fly is a tropical species that decades ago infested cattle in warm weather across the southern United States, but it was contained in Panama until late in 2024.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By TED S.WARREN

The Trump administration plans to use authority under a Cold War-era national defense law to support 13 coal plants across the country and help build coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia as part of a plan to spend nearly $700 million to support the coal industry.

is broken, the watercannot get to where it needs to go,” S&WB General SuperintendentKaitlin Tymrak said. “That is asystemic problem that is not unique to Treme.” Slowprogress

State lawmakers forced the transfer of the minor drainage system to the S&WB,but the new mandate came with little funding. Former MayorLaToyaCantrell’s administrationcame up withabout $9 million last year,less than half what the S&WB said it needed.

With that funding, theS&WB cleaned 12% of the city’scatch basins and 6% of its minor drain lines last year —still well short of the 20% industry standard and the utility’sstatedgoal.

Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration, which took office in Januaryamidabudgetcrisis, initially withheld traffic camerarevenue the S&WB was counting on to continue the work. By March, minor drainage maintenance had stopped altogether

The administration later providedthe traffic cameramoney and other funding, and is expecting to deliver atotal of about $12 million this year, officials said in astatement. That has allowed the S&WB to unfreezea contractand resume in-house work, but the utility still tracking far below itsgoal of cleaning 20% of the system.

About 1,500 catch basins and seven miles of drain lines had been cleaned as of May 31, accordingto S&WB data. If that rate continues, the utility will have cleaned about 5% of thecatch basinsand less than 1% of the small drain lines by the end of the year.And no one knowswhere the money forsystemwide repairs will comefrom.

“The total fix is something that we have to continue to push for, to get themoneys needed,” S&WB Executive Director Randy Hayman told Treme residents

Amoney problem

New Orleans drainage is funded with three property taxes, which bring in about $75 million every year.Utility officials saythe tax

SHERIFF

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he has had to ignore “hundreds of personal attacks directed at me by an individual who hides behinda computerscreen,” alikely reference to Couvillion. Couvillionisaharshcritic of Smith, regularly attacking him in videos posted to socialmedia. The two have had run-insbefore, too. Smith’soffice arrested Couvillion in 2019 and accusedhim of cyberstalking. Investigators with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation,whichis housed in Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’soffice, concluded that Smith attacked Couvillion from behind and without provocation at the steakhouse, according to the agency’sarrest warrant for Smith. Couvillion was transported to ahospitaland suffered from a concussion, the arrest warrant said. Couvillion also said he was left with bruises and scratches.

In his statement, Smith saidhe planned to address his actions through the legalprocess, while continuingtoserve as sheriff Smith cannot be forced to resign his office unless he is convicted of

revenue barely pays foroperations, leaving almost nothing for repairsand upgrades. The S&WB needs another$50 millionevery year for drainage, according to a consultant.

The drainage funding shortfall could widen next year if voters don’trenew one of the property taxes. Utility officials and the Morenoadministration want a newfee to replace or supplement thetax, one that forces tax-exempt propertyowners —who represent about 40% of the city’s assessed value —topay for drainage along with everyoneelse. But they areatoddsoverwhat type of feeshouldbeadopted. The S&WB wants afee strictlyfor stormwater;the administration

afelony.

“As an elected public official and as alifelong public servant, Ifully understand and acceptthe fact that with this position comes not onlygreat responsibilitybut also heightened public scrutiny,” Smith said.

“As ahusband and father,the continued and worsening public harassment of my wife, the false statements against her and the body shamingofher arenot only despicable,but unacceptable,” his statementcontinued. “Seeing the frustration and pain caused to your wife and family is something much harder to ignore.”

Reached by phone Thursday, Couvillion thanked the investigators who worked on the case. But, he added, “(Smith’s)apologywas disingenuous and he needs to be fired or step away from hisposition.”

Theleadership of Concerned Citizens forSt. Tammanyhas also called for Smith to resign. The group, which has apopular Facebook page, has been at odds with Smith numerous times in the past.

Steakhouse attack

Sheriff’s deputies responded to 911 calls about afight at Keith Young’sat4:31p.m.May 29, the

“Weused

ABDUL-MALIK

wantsabroader“parcel fee” to payfor anumberofinfrastructure priorities.

“We’re increasing spending on catch basin cleaning and maintenanceyear over year,but we knowthis isn’tenough,”saidAndrew Tuozzolo, special counsel to Moreno, in astatement.

arrest warrant said. The deputies were told en route thatthe incident involved alaw enforcement officer. Uponarrival, DeputyAshley Caroll learned thesuspect,Sheriff Randy Smith, had departed the scene, the warrant said.

Partly to avoid aconflict of interest, the arrest warrant said, the Sheriff’s Office handed the case over Murrill’soffice.

Couvilliontold investigators he had been sittingatthe bar when Smith grabbedhim from behind, threw him to theground, punched andkicked him, andcursedhim out, allegedlysaying, “I’mgoing to kill you, you-----” and“You’re a dead ----. ”

Basedonwitness statements, Couvillion’smedical records, and the restaurant’ssurveillance footage, Murill’s investigatorsconcluded that Smith had placed Couvillionina chokehold,threwhim “violently to the ground,”causing him to strike his head, andstruck him while he was on the floor,the arrest warrant said.

Couvillion “had little to no time to defendhimself or de-escalate and protect himself from Smith’s aggression and physical attack,” thearrest warrant alleged.

Thearrest warrant saidthe charge of disturbing the peace

“Not only does SWBNO have to effectively deploythis money,we need to continue to proceed with efforts to construct an equitable, accountable andfairParcel Fee thatincludes astormwater component,” he added. Treme residents saidthey were glad to see vacuum trucks in their neighborhood, but that it wasn’t enough. Renata Young, wholives on North Robertson Street, said just one of the four catch basins on her block is functional.

“I’m the only one that gets out there and cleans, because I’mthe only one on the block that floods into my house,” Young said. And vacuum trucks can’tdoanything about acatch basin in the 800 block of North Robertson that

by fightingwas basedonSmith beingthe aggressor in an unprovoked fight in the middle of abusy restaurant. The charge of disturbing the peace by appearing in an intoxicated condition, meanwhile, was based on Couvillion’sclaim that Smith’s breathhad astrong odor of alcoholic beverages, and based on areceipt of Smith’s“visit”tothe steakhouse,the warrant said.

The bar tab included five glasses of Walking Fool wine, four happy hourvodka martinis, seven Titos vodkas, oneglass of Tanqueray and one Ketel vodka, according to thearrest warrant. It’snot clear whoelseSmith was with at the steakhouse.

Election season ahead

Even before the steakhouse incident and Smith’ssubsequent arrest,the sheriff had been quiet, at least publicly, aboutwhether he wouldseekafourth terminoffice in 2027.

Smith took office in 2016, after winning abruising 2015 runoff against incumbent Sheriff Jack Strain, who later would be convictedona raft of childsex crime and corruption counts and is serving alife prisonsentence. Several other northshore public officials

is filled with cement, resident Abdul-Malik Shabazz said. Hayman responded that the S&WB would clear the cement.

Shabazz, 60, saidflooding wasn’t as commoninTreme when he was growing up as it is now.Hesaid theS&WBshould collaborate with Public Works and the state DepartmentofTransportation and Development to educate the public on the importance of keeping drains clear “Weusedtobeacity thatswept in front of ourdoors. Nowwejust blow everything into catch basins, and we need to stop. We really need to reeducate ourselves,” Shabazz said.

Email BenMyers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

have faced criminal charges in the last decade, including former Northshore District Attorney Walter Reed and former St. Tammany Coroner Peter Galvan wereboth sentenced to federal prison for corruption charges.

Smith, who at thetime of his runoff against Strain was police chief in Slidell, rana campaign that capitalized on voters’ growing disenchantment with Strain, whohad been at the helm for 20 years. Smith wasreelectedin2019 and 2023. During that race for athird term,Smith’sopponentsnoted that Smithhad saidheonly plannedto be sherifffor two terms. In themeantime, this month Smith has been campaigning to renew aproperty tax that his office says helps pay for deputies’ salaries. The 4.31-mill tax, which the Sheriff’sOffice says generates about $13.6 million ayear,isonthe June 27 ballot.

Smith wasscheduled to speak at aParish Council meeting Thursday evening about the tax, but as of around 5p.m. on Thursday, some council members were unclear if he would be making an appearance.

Email Willie Swett at willie swett@theadvocate.com.

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

NOLA.COM | Friday, June 5, 2026 1Bn

N.O. to seek OK for $110M loan

Officials say it’s one of several steps

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

New Orleans officials will seek state approval to sell $110 million in bonds, a move they say will finally solve the city’s budget crisis. The City Council unanimously approved the request on Thursday

9th Ward stadium set to break ground

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Hill House

Home coming to Magazine Street

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

It is the second loan city officials have sought from the state since last year, when they discovered a deficit as large as $220 million in the 2026 budget.

The financing plan “is a substantial step towards restoring the fiscal health of the City and signals our transition from crisis towards

to dig out of budget hole

stability,” Mayor Helena Moreno said in a statement on Wednesday ahead of the vote.

State officials approved a $125 million bond sale in November that allowed the city to make payroll, in a victory for then-Mayorelect Moreno. But the plan also brought the city’s finances under

unprecedented oversight by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack as part of a deal local officials brokered to avert a state takeover

Unlike the previous loan, which the city had just months to repay, officials are seeking to pay back the proceeds from this sale over 20 years. With the funds, the city

The State Bond Commission will set the terms of the latest bond sale when it reviews the deal next month, but Waguespack has said that he will continue to have dayto-day oversight over the city’s finances as long as the city continues to borrow money to cover costs.

THIRSTy BUSINESS

PHOTOS

Wyatt Lewis, 12, holds a sign advertising the lemonade stand he and his best friend, Leo Vitter, 11, set up recently at a busy four-way stop in Uptown New Orleans.

Wyatt Lewis, 12, and his friend Leo Vitter, 11, proved to be savvy young entrepreneurs. Just one day after finishing their final exams, the two set up a lemonade stand at a busy four-way stop in Uptown New Orleans. The day before, Wyatt’s brother, Owen Lewis, and his friends earned about $200 from their own stand, at the same location, though they had to split the money four ways. Wyatt said even a city bus driver stopped during his route to buy a $1 cup of cold lemonade.

Leo Vitter 11, left, gives back change as he and his friend, Wyatt Lewis, 12, sell cups of lemonade to Colin Mouledoux, 12, right, and his brother, Bryant, 10, as the Mouledoux’s grandmother, Eleanor, back left, waits for them to return to her parked car Vitter and Lewis took their final exams the day before and, as Vitter said, ‘we just needed a brain break.

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

participate

“If you engage in this type of foolishness, you have a very good chance that you will be charged crim inally,” NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. “You see these tow trucks out here, and they’re here for a

reason. We will indeed take your vehicles.” Kirkpatrick said this weekend’s planned “sideshow” or “burnout” events have been promoted on social media and are expected to take place across the

STAFF

By CHRIS GRANGER

See LOAN, page 2B

Study of UL’s live oaks could reshape climate research

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Many of the live oaks standing on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus are over 100 years old. Several were planted by the university’s first president, Edwin Lewis Stephens, in 1901. These iconic trees have become a kind of totem for the university itself, representing the growth of knowledge as generations of students and researchers walk beneath their branches. They are beloved for their beauty, and historic significance — but until recently, no one realized that the leaves themselves had something unexpected to reveal about our environment.

Undergraduate students Izamary Lara and Clinton Vincent analyzed 150 leaves from live oaks located outside of Hamilton Hall, which is home to the university’s School of Geosciences Using stable isotope analysis, they found that the campus oaks are chemically recording carbon isotope ratios much lower than previously recorded for oak trees, anywhere in the world.

“Izamary and Clinton set out to actually measure the carbon isotope composition of these plants, and the reason they did that is because the carbon isotope value tells you something about the chemistry of the atmosphere and the carbon dioxide that the plant is taking up,” said geosciences director Brian Schubert, who mentored the students alongside Hope Jahren. Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere, and when levels are elevated, plants record lower carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratios, which don’t decay over time. Lara and Vincent were the first to confirm that the campus

STADIUM

Continued from page 1B

oaks are responding to their environment with a carbon isotope composition that surprised the scientists. Said Schubert, “We use stable carbon isotopes a lot in the geosciences they’re the reason we know that the chemistry of the atmosphere has changed in the past. When we find a fossil plant, we can dig it up and measure its carbon isotope composition, which is the same as when it was growing. That’s how we learn about the environment that the plant lived in.”

The project started with the goal of learning more about the condition of the campus trees, particularly in the midst of university

construction projects. They were able to confirm that the trees are healthy — but the stable carbon numbers were striking.

“These values plot so far off the scale, and the reason for that is that the chemistry of our atmosphere has changed so much in the last 100 years since these trees were planted, and they’re recording it within their leaves,” according to Schubert.

Izamary Lara said that this project ignited her love of scientific discovery, and she plans to seek a Ph.D in chemistry at the University of Connecticut in the fall. Clinton Vincent also graduated this spring with a degree

in chemistry

“From this experience, I was able to take away how

these small things that we take for granted, like the trees we walk by every day,

can teach us about things as big as how carbon dioxide is changing in the atmosphere,” she said.

“It’s kind of like investigating a crime scene. You don’t really know what’s going on, and you have to put all of the pieces together and take all of the evidence to get your answer That’s what intrigued me so much about research — you’re actively working towards something that no one has ever seen.”

Twenty-four trees were analyzed for the project, with 100 individual leaves, in Hamilton Hall’s Stable Isotope Geochemistry Lab. The instrument used can measure the isotopic composition of any organic material, giving researchers insight into everything from the composition of cooking oils, to figuring out how fish are responding to their environmental conditions.

Schubert says that he plans to begin a long-term chronology of the trees, by measuring the isotopic composition of the leaves each year to see how things progress or change.

“The most interesting thing to me is to then apply all this to the fossil record,” he said. “As a geologist, I want to understand how the environment has changed in the past. When you hear projects about how much the earth might warm, or how rainfall patterns might change in Louisiana, that’s based off models that geologists can go back through time and test. We can actually see what Louisiana looked like the last time CO2 levels were 400 parts per million, or 500 parts per million That’s what we’re really after, and this helps us calibrate those data sets so much better.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

HOME

Continued from page 1B

as a work-from-home staple during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think they’re going to do really well in New Orleans,” said Tim Thompson, the commercial real estate broker with Newmark who leased the building to the New York-based brand. Thompson said he expects that Hill House will only need to perform minor renovations on the interior of the space. The 2,000-square-foot space was offered for rent at rate of $65 per square foot, according to a listing brochure, making it among the priciest retail spaces in the market. The pink converted double shotgun was most recently the local home of Stoney Clover Lane, a customizable travel-accessories brand started in 2009 by sisters and Tulane University grads Kendall and Libby Glazer Its Uptown boutique opened in 2021 and closed last summer before briefly returning to the space in November with a temporary “archive” concept that sold past collections through

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Continued from page 1B

An earlier plan included a track and field venue that was scrapped to cut costs, though officials have said it may be added on with future fundraising

The idea for the stadium was pitched nearly two decades ago as a way to help revitalize the 9th Ward after

overall project and to LCMC Health for the field are really big steps.” The stadium will be built on school district-owned property adjacent to G.W Carver High School in the Desire neighborhood. The district will oversee the facility, which will hold about 3,700 people and be used by Carver and schools across the city for football and soccer games, as well as graduations, concerts, festivals and other community gatherings.

Hurricane Katrina. But the project, which was known as the “9th Ward Field of Dreams,” stalled due to fundraising woes and ballooning costs.

An effort to revive the project gathered momentum in recent years. 9th Ward Stadium Inc. reached a $15 million fundraising goal last year which allowed the stadium to proceed.

The project has received federal, state and local funds, including $3.8 million

from the state Legislature, philanthropic commitments and private donations. Voters last year approved an infrastructure bond proposition that would provide $3 million.

In January, the Orleans Parish School Board approved an agreement with 9th Ward Stadium Inc. that gave the group the go-ahead to find sponsors and sell naming rights and other sponsorship deals to help pay for the project Board

January

‘Nap Dress Nation’ Hill House was founded in 2016 by Nell Diamond, the daughter of former Barclays CEO Bob Diamond, who briefly worked in finance before launching the brand, beginning with a line of bedding. But with the explosive success of its nightgown-style house dresses that retail on its website for $150-$250, apparel now

makes up the vast majority of its sales.

With an aesthetic often described as “cottagecore” or “grandma chic,” Hill House has cultivated a devoted following — known as the “Nap Dress Nation” — who embrace its floral prints, ruffle straps, puffed sleeves and statement bows. Though it has also added wallpaper, swimwear, tablecloths and other accessories to its repertoire, Diamond

said last year that sales of the Nap Dress account for more than a fifth of its revenue, which is believed to exceed $100 million, Puck reported.

Hill House spokesperson Susanna Plageman said the company had not determined an exact opening date and declined to make a company representative available for an interview Carly Ibach, of Capricorn Retail Advisors, represent-

President Leila Jacobs Eames called the agreement “the culmination of years of dedicated effort to deliver a transformative facility for our students and residents in the 9th Ward.”

In April, the board selected contractor TKTMJ Inc.’s $10.9 million bid for the project, which will also include buildings for concessions, restrooms, locker rooms and parking.

“Access to high-quality athletic facilities plays a

ed Hill House in the deal.

Ibach was also involved in the deals that brought Reformation, Tecovas and Le Labo, all trendy national brands, to the block last year She moved to New York from New Orleans in 2024 and has kept her finger on the pulse of the local real estate market while gaining access to major brands.

“I’m so excited to be bringing these national caliber tenants to the street,” Ibach said.

New retail model

The 3900 block of Magazine Street, situated at the midpoint between Napoleon and Louisiana avenues, has in recent years become the preferred landing spot for national brands that do brisk direct-to-consumer digital business.

Warby Parker, Indochino, Marine Layer and Free People, which were joined last year by the trio of brands Ibach represented, all share a similar profile. Like Hill House, they built their brands online and use their brick-and-mortar presence more as a customer acquisition tool than as a primary sales channel, retail experts have said.

vital role in student engagement, physical health, school pride, and community connection,” Eames said in a statement after vote.

“By finalizing these naming rights agreements today we are ensuring that Raising Cane’s 9th Ward Stadium at LCMC Health Field becomes a sustainable, first-class resource for our students and residents for generations to come.”

The stadium is slated to open next summer

The New Orleans store would be Hill House’s first in Louisiana, having expanded to Charlotte and Atlanta earlier this year It also has locations at Rockefeller Center in New York, Charleston’s King Street, Dallas’ Northpoint mall, the North Shore of Chicago, Sag Harbor on Long Island and downtown Greenwich, Connecticut. And it operates seasonal brick-andmortar locations in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and Palm Beach, Florida.

While Stoney Clover Lane’s New Orleans location has shuttered, the company maintains stores in several of the same posh locales as does Hill House — King Street, the Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach and the Hamptons.

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

Being located in a cluster along a high-end stretch of Magazine Street gets the brands in front of locals in one of the wealthiest parts of town and also to some of the 19 million visitors who are more likely to take a walk down the historic promenade than drive to a suburban mall.

STAFF PHOTO By JULIA GUILBEAU

Hill House Home has leased 3938 Magazine St., the former location of Stoney Clover Lane, and plans to open in the fall.

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Student researcher and recent graduate Izamary Lara talks about her work involving stable isotope analysis of live oak tree leaves on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus on Wednesday.

Samples of ground, powdered live oak tree leaf material are used for research.

Zooemployees look to turn park into nonprofit

Magnolia Wilds owneragrees to donatepreserve’s animals

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Employees at an embattled private zoo in East Feliciana Parishsay they are trying to start over by convertingthe preserve into anonprofit and ending controversial hands-on animal encounters that once drew crowds from around the country Magnolia Wilds, formerly Barnhill Preserve, has been owned and operated for more than 14 years by local conservationist and Clinton native Gabe Ligon. By 2023, the preserve in Ethel had swelled to 100 acres, housing hundredsof exotic animals alongside a safari park and Louisiana’s longest zip line. Ligon’s company also ran atraveling program that brought animals to schoolsacross the Gulf South.

But the zoo’ssignature hands-on animal encounters, including swimming with otters and penguins, and holding and feeding sloths, drew criticism from animal welfare groups, whilethe zoo’soverall conditions accrued repeated federalviolations. In 2024, thepark rebranded after U.S. Department of Agriculture officials seized a sick giraffe over failure to provide it adequate veterinary care. When Ligon announced plans tosell the property in January,hesaid the incident had damaged the park’sreputation and strained its finances Amonth later,Ligon was arrested at an airport in connection with afailed business dealinvolving another Louisiana zoo owner In the aftermath, many former employees alleged

TAKEOVERS

widespread negligence at thepark, resulting in frequent animal deaths and escapes,aswell as unsafe workingconditionsfor a mostly inexperienced staff.

In April, Ligonsaidno buyerhad emerged Now,the handful of employees who remain say they want to rebuild the operation themselves.

Rachael Hovis,aseniorzookeeper at Magnolia Wilds, saidstaff approached Ligon aboutpurchasingthe property. In response, shesaid, he agreed to donate the remaining 125 animals.

“We, as the employees, presentedtothe owner that we wanted to turn the organization into something completely new,” Hovis said. “It’sgoing to be more so focused on what the animalswant to do, what makesthe animals happy?”

Hovis said Ligon agreed. She and currentanimal care director Lauren Cotton, alongwith ahandfulof other remaining staff members, are leading thetransitionand have launcheda fundraising campaign to acquire theproperty.

Meanwhile,Ligon,who could notbereached for comment, has indicated he is leaving the business for good.

“I can promise that Iwill never work and/or participate in the zoo industry again,” hetold The Wall Street Journal

The plan for those staying behind is to relaunch the facility asa nonprofit called SanctuaryHill by Aug. 31. While tours will continue, Hovis said the zoo will eliminate direct animal encounters, apracticewidely criticized for causing severe stress to the creatures. At Magnolia Wilds,USDA inspectors also noted otter swimsresulted in several children being bitten.

Untilthe transition date, the park will continue of-

fering existing bookings, including otter swims and slothfeedings.

“Wedidn’twant to take away from people that already booked stuff,” Hovis said.

Hovis,who plans to attend LSU’sveterinaryschool this fall, said thelong-term goal is to operate as asanctuary and rehabilitation center with strongercommunity ties,including volunteer and educational programs for local students

“Wereally want to be involvedinthe community,” she said.

Hovis added, “if you want to be able tohelp out,byall means help out,” including animal care, construction of enclosures or even yard work.

She saidstaff involved in the transition are working towardrehabilitation licensing andexploring accreditation through organizations suchasthe Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the Association of Zoos andAquariums, bothofwhich require higher standards thanatypical roadside zoo.

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals praised theproposed changes.

“PETAwelcomes Magnolia Wilds’long-overdue shift away from public encounters that subject animals to the stress of irregular sleep,loudnoises, and mishandling by strangers. With new leadership now at the helm of this facility,PETA supportsits plan to seek accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, which will help ensure that the animals there finally get thecare they deserve,”the group saidina statement

Someformer employees, including Josh Webb, remain skeptical giventhe facility’shistoryand documented flaws.

“I wish them thebest,” he said. “They mightmakeit.”

Continued from page1B STAFF PHOTO By By

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Adams,

Phillip Aucoin,Kathleen Batiste,Roland BoyerSr.,Pheris

Broders,John Cahill, Harry Chambliss, Carrolyn Champagne-Williams, Sharon Collard,Patrick Crosby,Hilda Davis, Vicki Douglas,Bessie Dyas,Richard Jackson, Janice Johnson, Ronald Johnson Sr., Donovan LaMothe-Smith,Mona Lyons,Janet McCants, Larry McKee, Cynijah Miller, Jaheim Narcisse,Cledman Rainey,Carolyn Rhea Jr., Lawrence Samuel,Jill Schwehm, Caleb Wells Jr., Kevin Williams,Cynthia Wright,Toni EJefferson

Richardson FH Chambliss, Carrolyn Samuel,Jill NewOrleans

Boyd Family

McCants, Larry Charbonnet Champagne-Williams, Sharon

Williams,Cynthia DW Rhodes

Ceme‐tery immediatelyafter the mass. Thefamilyinvites youtoshare your thoughts,fondmemories, andcondolences online at www.greenwoodfh.com. Adams, PhillipD.

Batiste, Roland

PhillipD.Adams,of Slidell, LA,passedaway peacefully on Monday, June 1, 2026, at hisresi‐dence,surrounded by his family. Phil wasbornon June 19, 1936, in Shreve‐port, Louisiana. He spent his younger yearsinNorth‐ern Louisiana, graduating fromFairParkHighSchool inShreveport, andthen college at Northwestern State University.Phil proudly served in theU.S Navyduringthe Korean conflictaboardthe U.S.S. Iowa BB-61. He spentthe majorityofhis profes‐sionallifeworking tire‐lesslyfor Exxon Mobilas partofthe Exploration Di‐vision, from where he re‐tired in 1989. Sincethat time, Phil generously sup‐portedmanycharitableor‐ganizations,especially the Wounded WarriorProject and St.JudeChildren’sRe‐searchHospital. Phil hada positiveimpactonmany peoplethrough there‐siliencehedisplayed while battlingMDS over thelast yearand half of hislife. He was preceded in deathby his mother,Evelyn; hisfa‐ther, Alva;his brother, Richard;and his“sweetie wifeof24years,Caroline. Philissurvivedbyhis step‐son,Michael Waldon (Mari‐bel); and3 step-grandchil‐drenEli,Aliyah, andBene‐dict. Relativesand friends ofthe familyare invitedto attendthe FuneralService atHonaker FuneralHome, 1751 GauseBlvd. West (in ForestLawnCemetery) Slidell, LA on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visitationatthe funeral homeonWednesday after 9:00a.m.until funeraltime. Intermentwithmilitary honorswilltakeplace at the SoutheastLouisiana VeteransCemeteryin Slidell. Please visitwww honakerforestlawn.comto signguestbook.Arrange‐ments by HonakerFuneral Home, Inc.,Slidell, LA

Aucoin,Kathleen W. 'Kathy

Nicholas Gernon said possible charges include aggravated obstruction of a highway, whichcarries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in jail In the past, stunt drivers using public roads typicallyfacedreckless driving charges, punishable by afine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail. But in 2022, as illegal street takeovers surged amid aspike in violent crime, then-NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson introduced tougherenforcement measures Officials on Thursday emphasized that both drivers and spectators are subject to arrest and urged visitors to enjoy car culture lawfully in New Orleans

“We’ve seen across the country that people who

NewOrleans PoliceDepartment Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrickwarns ‘illegal street takeoverevent’ organizers to stayawayfrom thecityonThursday at NOPD headquarters.

up forthese criminal street takeovers aretypically not from the area at

Tapp said. “Wewill not tolerate people whothreaten our communities.”

Collard,Patrick Douglas,Bessie Dyas,Richard Wright,Toni Estelle JWilson BoyerSr.,Pheris Greenwood Aucoin,Kathleen Littlejohn FH Rainey,Carolyn Majestic Mortuary Batiste,Roland Jackson, Janice Lyons,Janet Rhea Jr., Lawrence St Bernard CharbonnetLabat

Johnson, Ronald St Tammany Honaker

Adams, Phillip West Bank

DavisMortuary

Crosby,Hilda Johnson Sr., Donovan Robinson FH

McKee, Cynijah Miller, Jaheim

Narcisse,Cledman Schwehm, Caleb West Leitz-Eagan

Cahill, Harry

Kathleen (“Kathy”)W Aucoin,85years old, was born on February 27, 1941 andpassedawayonJune 2, 2026 at St.Patrick’s Hos‐pitalinLakeCharles,sur‐rounded by family,after a lengthybattlewithdemen‐tia. Shewas predeceased by herdevoted husband of 61 years, Leroy(“Lee”)J Aucoin;her son, Darren (“Dee”)M.Aucoin; herpar‐ents,GerardL.Wingerter andDolores J. Wingerter; hersisters, JoAnnW Kopelman,Linda W. Blan‐chard, andMarlene W. Arceneaux; hergrandchil‐dren,RyanJ.Aucoinand Shelby E. Aucoin;and her nephew,Richard C. Arce‐neaux, Jr.She wasa loving mother of LeeJ.Aucoin (Shawn), SandiA.Brous‐sard (Gabe),and CindyA Bodden (Tony);a loving grandmotherofTaylorE Aucoin,Madison A. Al‐barado (Adam),and Aaron G. Broussard; anda loving great grandmotherto CadenJ.Albarado, Aubrey M. Albarado,and BennettT Albarado.Kathy is also sur‐vivedbymanynieces. She devotedher life to herchil‐dren,grandchildren,and greatgrandchildren.She traveled farand wide for nearly allofher grandchil‐dren’s sporting events.She hosted countless family gatherings with herfamily foraslongasshe was able.She lovedtoshop. Shehad astrongfaith and prayer life andwas ade‐vout Catholic.She wasa graduate of Redemptorist High School in NewOr‐leans. Sheworkedasan account representative for severalcompanies in the NewOrleans area andas an office managerfor an office supply company. Relativesand friendsare invitedtoattend thevisita‐tion at Greenwood Funeral Home,5200 CanalBlvd., NewOrleans,on Saturday June 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., with mass immediatelyfol‐lowing thevisitationat noon.Interment will take

Roland Batiste, sonof thelateHerbert Batiste andthe late Hannah R. Batiste, wasbornonMarch 1, 1953, in NewOrleans,LA. He peacefully enteredinto eternalrestonJune 1, 2026 at theage of 73. Roland ac‐cepted Christ at an early ageatNew Hope Baptist Church andwas laterbap‐tizedatFirst Assembly of God. He grew up in Uptown NewOrleans andwas edu‐catedinthe neighborhood schools. He received his GeneralEducation Diploma from Booker T. Washington High School.Hewas an in‐telligentman whomas‐teredmanycrafts. He re‐ceived technicaltrainingin weldingaswellasACand refrigeration. He also re‐ceived his2nd classEngi‐neeringCertificate in Boil‐ersand Refrigerationin 1979. He wasemployedas an Engineer at Southern BaptistHospitaluntilhe became disabled in 1999. He also worked with his UncleWally repairingre‐frigerators, washersand dryers throughout the GreaterNew OrleansArea. Roland’s love formusic wasshowcased through performing in talent shows andwriting songs. He also hada love forBilliards and wasconsideredasone of thebestplayers of hisera Roland wasmarried to Beulah Solomonand to theirunion twobeautiful daughterswereborn, Rolandaand Kimberley. Despitethe marriage end‐ingindivorce,theymain‐tained agood relationship andwereequally involved in theupbringingoftheir children.Hemaintaineda greatrelationshipwithhis girlswhich made it an honorfor them to care for himinhis lateryears Roland wasdefinitely a #GirlDad.Thiswas noticed even more when hisgrand‐daughters, Kieraand Ca‐maronwereborn. In the last yearsofhis life,heen‐joyedspendingtimewith hisdaughters andgrand‐daughtersatSt. Bernard Nursingand Rehabilitation Center.While there, he also looked forwardtoFish FryFridays with hisson-inlaw, Brown. Roland also en‐joyedregular visits from hisfriendofover60years, Larry “Rebo” Thomas When they were younger, theywereknown as “The women’spet andthe men’sthreat”.Rolandwas aman of fewwords but wasa manofhis word Roland wasa devotedson brother, father,grandfa‐ther,cousin, nephew,uncle andfriend. He served as thefather figure to his nieces andnephews who grew up in thehomewith him. Roland leaves to cher‐ishhis precious memories, hislovingdaughters Rolanda(Aldwyn aka Brown) Baptiste andKim‐berley Batiste; hisgrand‐daughtersKiera Spears andCamaron Batiste; his uncle Randolph (Mable) Royal; hislifelongfriend Larry “Rebo” Thomas anda host of otherrelatives and friends. Roland waspre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents,Herbert Batiste, Sr andHannahR.Batiste,his brothers,Herbert Batiste, Jr.and Lawrence Batiste. Relativesand friendsofthe family areall invited to at‐tend aVisitationonFriday, June 5, 2026 at Calvary Tabernacle C.M.E.,3629 DryadesSt.,New Orleans, Louisiana70115 from 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m(No Ser‐vice)followedbyInter‐ment in Providence Memo‐rial Park.Professional arrangements entrustedto Majestic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

One of twootters looks out itswinter enclosure after swimming on March 2atthe Magnolia WildspreserveinEthel.

MISSy WILKINSON

Pheris StanleyBoyer Sr., alifelongresidentof NewOrleans,was born June 5, 1930, to Leonard Boyer, Sr andGeneva CheeksBoyer.Known for hisgentlespirit, warm smile,and deep devotion to hisfamily, he passed peacefully at hishomeon May31, 2026. Pheris en‐joyeda 40-year career with Southern Railroad (now NorfolkSouthern) as a diesel mechanic andlater worked part-timeatthe Boston Club. He andhis de‐votedwifeofseventy-five years, Marie, shared alife centered on family,faith andcommunity.A parish‐ionerofSt. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church for nearly sevendecades,he livedhis faithdaily.Hewas also aproud lifetime Saints fanand held season tick‐etsfor more than 50 years. He is preceded in deathby hisson,Dr. Pheris Boyer, Jr.; hisparents,Leonard andGeneva Boyer; hissis‐ter, Lorraine BoyerJack‐son; andhis brothers, LeonardBoyer,Jr.,Charles Armstead,James Williams andhis sister-in-law, Teresa JohnsonCordova He is survived by hiswife, Marie; daughter,Dr. Lynn BoyerSmith (Edward); grandchildren, Dr.An‐gelique Boyer, Pheris Boyer, III, andMichael Boyer; great-grandchil‐dren,Johanna andPheris BoyerIV; hissister, Gloria Williams;daughter-in-law, MarieSuzette Boyer; brother-in-law,Edmond Cordova, Jr.; caregivers Ella Batesand Janice Robertson, andmanyrela‐tivesand friends. Rela‐tives, friendsand parish‐ioners of St.Katherine Drexel Catholic Church, andstaff of Serenity Hos‐pice areinvited to attend a Mass of ChristianBurialon Saturday,June 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.,withvisitation beginningat9:00a.m.at St.Katherine Drexel (for‐merlyHolyGhost), 2015 LouisianaAvenue, NewOr‐leans, LA.70115. Father John Asare-Dankwah, Cele‐brant. Interment: St.Louis Cemetery #3,3421 Es‐planadeAve NewOrleans LA 70119. Arrangements entrustedtoEstelle J. Wil‐sonFuneralHome, Inc., 2715 Danneel Street NOLA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903.Tosignonline guestbook, please visit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

John Jacob Broders, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, died on May 30, 2026, at the age of 79, of pancreatic cancer. Born in New Orleans on March 15, 1947, John spent his life deeply rooted in the city he loved. He was known for his sharp intellect, quiet wit, generous spirit, and unwavering devotion to his family. Whether sharing stories, offering thoughtful advice, or simplyenjoyingtime with loved ones, John had agift for making those around him feel valued and cared for.

John is survived by his wife of 35 years, Laura Comiskey Broders; their daughter, Gabrielle (Brandon Rogers), and their son, Hans Jacob. He is alsosurvived by his brother, Leo Emmet "Buddy" Broders, Jr. (Kay Monroe), and sister, Jean Broders Murlin. In addition, John is survived by his extended family of numerous nieces and nephews (among them, his godchildren, Holly Carter Gordon, Victoria GabrielleRoper, andAugusta Neville Bryan), cousins, in-laws, many dear friends, and all whose lives were enriched by his presence. John was predeceased by his parents, Leo Emmet Broders, Sr. and Frankie Mac Davis Broders, and his former wife, Diane Denton Broders. John enjoyed adistinguished legal career spanning more than five decades as one of the na-

tion'sleading maritime attorneys. AgraduateofSt. Martin's EpiscopalSchool Tulane University, and Tulane University Law School, John built arespectedpractice in admiraltyand maritime lawas apartner at Jones Walker LLP in New Orleans. Throughout his career,he representedclients in complex mattersinvolving marine finance, vessel construction, maritime transactions, marine insurance, and international shipping. He was widely recognized for his expertise, integrity, and sound judgment.

He was amember of theMaritimeLaw Associationofthe United States, the Louisiana State Bar Association, the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana Bar Foundation, the AssociationofAverage Adjusters of the United States, and the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute.Healsocontributed tothe legal professionthrough publications, mentorships, and decades of serviceto clients and colleagues. Yet, despite these achievements, John remained humble and approachable, never defininghimself by titlesoraccolades.

John served on the boards of Boys Hope,Girls Hope (n/k/a Hope Ignites NewOrleans) and Grace House (n/k/aBridge House/Grace House); volunteeredasa notary publicwith the New Orleans Public Libraryatthe AlgiersRegionalLibrary; and enjoyed participating in courses of the People Program.

An avid readerwitha lifelong curiosity about the world, John couldoftenbe found immersed in agood book late into the night on thepatio. Family and friends also knew himfor hisloveofcooking, grilling, and baking, especially his homemade scones. He found joyinsimplepleasures, meaningful conversations, and time spent with those he loved. John's life was marked by curiosity,kindness, and quiet strength. His legacy lives on in the family he loved, the values he instilled, and the countless memoriesshared by those who knewhim. Though he willbeprofoundly missed, he will be rememberedwith gratitude,affection, and love.

Relativesand friends areinvited to the Funeral Mass at St. Rita Catholic Church, 2729 Lowerline Street,New Orleans, on Tuesday,June 16, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will begin at noon. Interment at Lake LawnPark, 5454 PontchartrainExpressway, NewOrleans.

Inlieuofflowers, consider amemorialcontribution to Bridge House/Grace House, 4150 Earhart Boulevard,New Orleans, Louisiana 70125; People Program, 2240 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70122; Library Foundation of New Orleans,219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112; or the charity of your choice.

Cahill,Harry Lloyd

HarryLloyd CahillJr. passed awayonJune 2, 2026,with familyathis side. Born April 24, 1933, in Baracoa, Cuba,toHarry Lloyd Cahill and Lavinia Barton Sims,helost both parents ata very earlyage After the death of his mother, Harry moved to CutlerRidge, Florida,with his stepfather,Dr. Euclid BorlandGill. As astaron the FortLauderdale High School "Flying Ls" football team, he expected to play football for the University of Miami but aserious knee injury derailed his football career.Instead of college on an athletic scholarship, he joinedthe United States Marine Corpsin June of1953 and went on to serveinthe United StatesArmy.He servedinthe Korean War and then was part of the SeventhArmy Occupation Force, drivinga tank throughout Germany. In 1958Harry metand married the love of his life, Elizabeth Arden Cox, and they moved to Tallahassee where Harry furtheredhis education at FloridaState and Ardentaught speech. Ayearlater,upon the arrival of the first of their five children, they returned to the New Orleans Westbank to raisetheir family

Harry had alongcareer with thePrudential Insurance Companywhere he excelled as both agent and manager. With his smallWestbank staff, Harry's office outperformed every Prudential branchinthe country. Harry also was alicensed contractorand Cahill Builders Inc. builtmany commercial buildings,familyhomes, and apartments on theWestbank. In 1968 he and hiswife founded ArdenCahill Academy which now educates children frompreschool throughhighschool.

Harry was aproud member of the Westbank Rotary Club, which honored him as aPaulHarris Fellow. He was also alongtime activemember of the JestersClub,the founding social and Carnival organization behind theKnights of Babylon. Adiehard football fan, Harry and his familyare NewOrleans Saints legacy seasonticketholders (season tickets every year since theSaints1967 inaugural season). Harry was also also adevoted parishionerofHolySpirit CatholicChurch.

He is preceded in death by hiswife,Elizabeth ArdenCox Cahill,his parentsand stepfather, and his siblings ClarissaCahill Goolsby(Walter), Lavinia Cahill Powell (Ralph), and DonaldBartonCahill (Lana).

Harry is survivedbyhis childrenHarry Lloyd "Chip" Cahill III(Judith WindhorstCahill), Jack Gerard Cahill (Tina Mosley Cahill), Mary Kevin Cahill (Joey CollenWideman), KellyAnn Cahill,and Dr. Christopher Nolan Cahill (Angelle Chedotal Cahill); his grandchildrenDr. Harry Lloyd Cahill IV (Dr. Maggie Joyner Cahill), Anna Marie Charles (Jeremy Charles), LukeJohn Cahill LieutenantColonel Whitney Mithun O'Connell (JamesScott O'Connell), Richard James Mithun Jr. (Jeni McDougaldMithun), Nicholas Cahill Mithun, Kelsey Corrin Cahill Wideman, Letha Michelle Wideman, Alona Joy Wideman, Mercy Ann Lindell,Nolan Ambrose Cahill (AbbyMelling Cahill), Samson Elliot Cahill,Kaycie Ann Cahill, and Jack Michael Cahill; his great-grandchildren Harry Lloyd "Quinn" Cahill V, RexPatrick Cahill AmeliaRose Charles, LincolnJames O'Connell, ScottiJuliet Eilis O'Connell, KellyCrews O'Connell, Mia Arden Mithun, Forest Drake Mithun, Liam Reco Tingle, Maverick Bear McGuire, and Joey Fabian Acosta; his cousin Katherine MartinezTastet; and many loving family and friends. The family expresses deepest gratitude to Aurora Sierra,Cheryl Emery, and WandaCotton fortheir endless loving care. Services willbeheldat Holy Name of Mary Church at 500 Eliza Street in New Orleans with visitationbeginning at 9:00 a.m. and an 11:00 a.m. FuneralMass to follow. Interment willfollowatWestlawn Memorial Park at 1225 Whitney Avenue in Gretna. In lieuofflowers, the family welcomes memorial donations to St. Michael Special School at https://w ww.stmichaelspecialscho ol.com/support-smss/ in thename of Harry LCahill Jr

Chambliss, Carrolyn

Carrolyn Chambliss Arceneaux departed this life peacefully on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Family and friends are invitedtoattend her Homegoing Celebration service on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at CypressGrove Missionary Baptist Church, located at 901 31st Street, Kenner, Louisiana 70065. Visitation willbeheldfrom 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m., with thecelebration service beginning promptly at 10:00 a.m. The family appreciates your prayers, love,and support during this timeof bereavement. Richardson Funeral Home of Jeffersonisin chargeofarrangements.

Champagne-Williams, Sharon Theresa

Sharon TheresaCham‐pagne-Williams wasborn on May19, 1958, in NewOr‐leans, LA andpeacefully departed this life on May 18, 2026, just oneday be‐fore her68thbirthday. She waseducatedwithinthe OrleansParishSchool Sys‐tem, whereshe builtlife‐long friendshipsand mem‐oriesinthe city sheloved dearly.Beloved daughter of AliceRitaHughesand thelateSgt.Leonard J. Champagne, Sr In addition to herfather, Sharon is also preceded in deathby an adoringhusband,Albert Williams;grandmother, Mary Carr Dabney;sib‐lings, LeonardJ.Cham‐pagne, Jr Lenn Green and favorite cousin,Elsa Holmes.A womanfullof love,strength, personality andwisdom, Sharon dedi‐catedher life to herfamily. Loving mother of three children,Ashanti,Tanzania andBobby Champagne, Sr Esteemed mother-in-lawof Dr.FawnU.Champagne Sharon’s greatest joywas beingsurrounded by her family,especiallyher grandchildren, Cornaie, Bobby, Jr.and Zyquan Champagneand Kewe Ukpolo;great-grandchil‐dren,SireDavis andSamir Brooks, whobrought end‐less lightintoher life BelovedsisterofTimothy Smithand George “Billy Green,Jr.;sister-in-law of Anna Smith; Also survived by her best friend of over 60 years, Brenda Marzett; Godson,KenwonMarzett; favorite nephew,Christian LeonardChampange; bonus sons,Jashadand JamalMcCoy andKeith Franklin,along with ahost of nieces,nephews cousins, extended family, andfriends wholoved her immeasurably.Relatives andfriends of thefamily; employees of OchsnerHos‐pital/Lieselotte Tansey Breast Center,HomeCare Solutions, Tulane Univer‐sity Office of HumanRe‐sources, Champagne Trucking,LLC,Audubon Fertility, Headquarters Bar‐bershop, Feelgood Con‐structionand TheChair Boutique areinvited to at‐tend thefuneral.A Cele‐brationService honoring thelifeand legacy of the late Sharon T. ChampagneWilliams will be held in the Chapel of Charbonnet LabatGlapion Funeral Home,1615 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Saturday,June 6, 2026 at 1p.m Rev. Damian J. BrownofSecondSt. John BaptistChurch andLittle Zion M.B.C.,Officiating. In‐termentPrivate.“Happy Hour”/Visitation will begin at 12 noon in thechapel. A Jazz Processional will con‐cludethe service. Arepast will be held in theFamily Center at thefuneral home.Pleasesignthe on‐line guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com.

Collard,Patrick Ann PatrickAnn Collard passed away on May18, 2026 at theage of 70.

Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend aFuneral Service at D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington AvenueonSaturday, June 6, 2026 at 2:00pm. Visitation willbeginat1:00 pm. Interment:Private Arrangements by D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, New Orleans, LA. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the guestbook.

HildaDixon Crosby,age 96, transitioned peacefully toher heavenly home on Friday, May22, 2026, at her daughter’sresidence.She was anativeofHarvey, LA and aresidentofMarrero, LA. Hildawas agraduateof GramblingState University, and aretired educator with the JeffersonParishPublic School System.She taught atCatherine Strehle, Elm Grove andAmesElemen‐tarySchools. Hildawas a faithfulmemberofEvening StarMissionaryBaptist Church,activelyservicing asanusher forover40 years.She wasalsothe firstdirectorofthe Evening StarKeith StewmanSchol‐arship. Belovedwifeofthe lateHenry R. “Coach” Crosby, Jr.Devoted mother ofClaudette C. Morris, Cor‐nel Crosby,and thelate Deborah AnnCrosbyDrake Lovinggrandmother of Tr‐ishawnJones,Shauntele Sandifer, KwesiDrake,Sr. and KwahnDrake.Daugh‐ter of thelateRobert Dixon,Sr. andJaneJoseph Dixon.SisterofCurtis Dixon andthe late Lavinia Dixon,Helen DixonFord, LawrenceDixon,Sr.,Robert Dixon,Jr.,Charles Dixon, Sr.,and Joseph Humphrey Sr. Also cherishing her memoriesare 4great grandchildren,1 great great grandchild,and a hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,other relatives and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,officers,and members of EveningStar MissionaryBaptist Church and allneighboring churches areinvited to at‐tendthe HomegoingCele‐bration at EveningStar MissionaryBaptist Church 817 Grefer Street,Harvey, LAonSaturday, June 6, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Pastor Keith Paul Stewman, offici‐ating.Visitationwillbegin at8:30a.m.until service timeatthe church.Inter‐ment: WoodlawnPark MemorialCemetery, West‐wego, LA.Arrangementsby Davis Mortuary Service, 230 Monroe Street,Gretna, LA. To view andsignthe guestbook, please go to

Davis,Vicki Rae

VickiDavis, born May1, 1969 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Roger and Vergie Davis passedaway on April 7, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. A1988 graduate of KennedyHigh School, she also attendedDelgado CommunityCollege. She joined the Saint Maria Goretti Gospel Choir because she loved to sing. In 2005 she left NewOrleans duetoHurricane Katrina. Vickileaves to cherish hermemories ason Raymond,daughter-in-law Chandler,a brother, Roger WDavis Jr,beloved daughterPrincess Victoria along with aunts, uncles,cousins andfriends. Familyand friends are invited to amemorial mass at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Resurrection Church,9701 Hammond Street, New OrleansLA. Visitation begins at 9:00 AM.The Rosary begins at 10:30AM. Arepass willfollow in Resurrection Church's Pastoral Center

Bessie Douglas departed this life on Wednesday, May27, 2026 at theage of 93. Aprivateservice was held at D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave.New Orleans, LA. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook.

Richard D.

Pastor Richard "Dobb" Dean Dyas departed this life on Thursday, May21, 2026 at theage of 74. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare invited to attend aFuneral Service at D. W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave.New Orleans, La 70125 on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. Visitation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Interment: Providence Memorial Park& Mausoleum, 8200 Airline Dr Metairie, LA 70003.

Crosby,Hilda Dixon

Douglas,BessieJ

Dyas,Pastor

Broders, John Jacob

Jackson, Janice MarieBreaux

Janice MarieBreaux

Jacksonwas born on Au‐gust 21, 1946 to Clifton Breaux Sr.and NancyCe‐lestineBreaux, thesecond of sevenchildren. Shewas marriedtoJohnnyJackson on January21, 1967 and settledinNew Orleans wheretheywelcomeda daughter,Tonia.Janice went on to complete her certification as an ac‐countingclerk workingfor more than 20 yearswith KnightsofPeter Claver and Ladies Auxiliarybefore concluding hercareer.Jan‐iceissurvivedbyher sister NancyLouiseand brother IrvinBenjamin. Shewas preceded in deathbyher parentsNancy andClifton Sr., hersiblingsClifton Jr., Ronald Lee, Bernard, and BeverlyAnn. Sheleavesbe‐hind herhusband Johnny daughter Tonia, son-in-law MichaelAnthony Wilson andgrandsonMichael Hannibal Wilson.She also leaves ahostofloving nieces andnephews Dana Burresch,ThomasTurner VI,and Dorian Turner (Bev‐erly); Kim, Gary,and Cyn‐thia Breaux (Bernard); Chad andKeyna Skidmore (Nancy); Jeanette,Robert, andAngelaBreaux (Ronald);Maurice andAn‐drea Breaux (Irvin); and Melany andCliftonBreaux III(CliftonJr.). Relatives andfriends of thefamily areall invitedtoattendthe Memorial Mass on Satur‐day, June 6, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at BlessedTrinity Catholic Church,4230 S. BroadSt.,New Orleans, LA 70125. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Professional arrangements entrustedto Majestic Mortuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872

Johnson,Ronald

Ronald Johnsonde‐parted this life on Monday, May25, 2026. Survivorsin‐cludea host of siblings, theirspouses,nieces, nephews, otherrelatives andfriends.A Celebration servicehonoringhis life will be held at Christian Fellowship Family Worship Center,5816 E. JudgePerez Drive, Violet,LAonSatur‐day, June 6, 2026 at 11 a.m., Bishop RonnieLondon, Of‐ficiating, Pastor HenryBal‐lard,Host-Pastor.Inter‐ment 10 a.m. in thechurch Please sign online guest‐book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com.Final arrangements entrustedto Charbonnet Family Ser‐vices(504) 302-1520.

graduate of theUniversity ofVirginiaand amember ofOmega PsiPhi Frater‐nity. Loving father of Dono‐van ChristopherJohnson, Jr. Belovedson of Crystal Johnson andthe late Mar‐lon Turner,Sr. Stepsonof Michael Phillips,Sr. Grand‐son of L. C. Harris and the lateDonna Johnsonand LanaTurner. Greatgrand‐son of thelateEliza Harris Devoted brotherofMar‐lon’ara Donna Johnsonand Mya Lawson,and Marlon JermaineTurner, Jr.Cousin ofthe late Ronneisha John‐son.Donovan is also sur‐vived by ahostofaunts, uncles, cousins, otherrela‐tives andfriends.Relatives and friendsofthe family and membersofOmega Psi PhiFraternityare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life at Stephen MissionaryBaptist Church 1738 L. B. Landry Avenue, New Orleans, LA on Satur‐day,June6,2026, at 10:00 a.m.PastorNormanFran‐cis,hostpastor; Pastor Natasha Williams Joseph ofGood Word Fellowship officiating. Visitation will begin at 8:00 a.m. until ser‐vicetimeatthe church.In‐terment:Willbe private. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService,230 Mon‐roe St Gretna,LAToview and sign theguestbook, pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com

LaMothe-Smith, Mona Marie

MonaMarieLaMotheSmith gainedher angel wings on April 13, 2026 at InovaCriticalCare Recovery Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, surrounded by her family Monawas bornonJuly11, 1957 in New Orleans, Louisiana,toGwendolyn Mitchell LaMothe Olivier andthe late Leroy Vincent LaMothe.Lovingwifeof the late Dr. Edward Nathaniel"Nat' Smith, Jr. Devotedmother of Edward NathanielSmith, III "Trey and Arianne LaMothe Smith and cherishedmother-in-law of DavidAlmarza Diaz.

Mona's life was marked by adedication to excellence and an unwavering determinationtoachieve her goals. She graduated from St. Mary's Dominican High School in 1975 and pursued her passion for healthcare at Louisiana State UniversitySchoolof Nursing, earning both her RN and BSN in 1980.Her nursing career beganat therenownedCharity Hospital in NewOrleans whereshe worked asan Emergency Room nurse. Aftera glowing careerasa critical care nurse,Mona decided to leverage her extensive medicalexperience to embarkona new careerinpharmaceutical sales, whereshe remained until her retirement

Shewas an active memberofthe Capital Speakers Club and the Washington, D.C. ChapterofLinks, Inc., reflecting her commitment to personalgrowth and community service.

Sheleaves to cherish hermemory, herchildren, Edward Nathaniel Smith, III "Trey" and Arianne LaMothe Smith; son-in-law, DavidAlmarzaDiaz; mother &step-father, Gwendolyn Mitchell LaMothe Olivier and Armand Olivier, Sr.;sisters Shelly LaMothe Smith and Erin Claire LaMothe;sisterin-law GailPatriceSmith; her niece and nephew, 2 greatnephews,one greatniece and ahost of other relatives and friends.

Monawas preceded in death, amere9 days earlier,byher lovinghusband, Nat; father, Leroy Vincent LaMothe;and father and mother-in-law, Edward Nathaniel Smith, Sr. and GeorgiaLong Smith. Afuneral masswill be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at StAndrew by the Bay, 701 College Parkway, Annapolis,Maryland21409. Special recognitions will begin at 10:00am with mass beginning promptly at 11:00am with the Rev.TylerG.Kline officiating.Itcan be watched live at Facebook.com/ St.AndrewByT h eBa y / videos.

will beginat9:00a.m.In‐terment will be in Holt Cemetery. Professional arrangementsentrusted to MajesticMortuaryService, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

McCants, Larry James'Disco'

Larry James“Disco” Mc‐Cants wasbornonMay 4, 1953, in Hybart,Alabama Larry enteredintoeternal restonMay 22, 2026, at the age of 73. He is preceded in death by hisparents Flate and Louise McCants. Larry leavestocherish hismem‐ory to hislifelongcompan‐ion,Yolanda Randall, chil‐dren: KianaL.McCants TrenieceA.Shorty (Desmond),and Larry R. McCants;grandchildren: Bryce andBradley Shorty Relatives andfriends of the U.S.PostalService,Lock‐heed Martin StennisSpace Center, Handcock-Whitney Bank, andMcDonogh 35 Class of 1971 areinvited to attendthe FuneralService atThe Boyd FuneralHome, 5001 Chef MenteurHwy., onSaturday, June 6, 2026 for 10:00 a.m. Visitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. Pas‐tor HerbertL.Broussard of WordofTruth Fellowship Church will be officiating. Internment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery, NewOrleans LA. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504) 282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Miller,JaheimJ.

whosememoryremained closetohis heartthrough‐outhis life.Heleavesto cherishhis memory his siblings,Felix “Blond”Nar‐cisse,KermitNarcisse (Samantha),Anthony Nar‐cisse,Francis Narcisse,and CaffieRiley; bonus chil‐dren,BrendaMerrick, Travis Merrick, Sr.(Amber) andTerranceMerrick; grandchildren, Bianca Kalen, Story, Costen, Makenzie,TravisJr.,and Briana Williams;greatgranddaughter, Salaya; godchildren,Denardria Narcisse andArianne Parker-Flot; anda host of nieces,nephews,cousins, andfriends.Relatives and friendsofthe family,along with pastors, officers,and membersofneighboring churches,are invitedtoat‐tend theCelebration of Life ServicehonoringCledman Joseph “Joe”Narcisse on Saturday,June 6, 2026, at FirstMount Zion Baptist Church,32471 LA-23, Em‐pire,Louisiana 70050. Visi‐tation will beginat9:00 a.m.,followedbythe fu‐neralservice at 11:00 a.m. Pastor-Elect Jordan L. Robinson Sr.officiating. Entombment will follow at Mount Zion Memorial Park Cemetery.Funeralarrange‐mentsare entrustedto Robinson Family Funeral Home.For online condo‐lences,pleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

CynijahAviyah“Cam” McKee. February 27, 2015 –May17, 2026. Cynijahwas called into rest Sunday May17, 2026, at thetender ageofeleven. Cynijahwas born February 27, 2015, to Dwayne andCyndrea McKee. Cynijahwas atal‐ented, joyful,fun-loving childwho enjoyedbeing with,learning, growing, andcelebrating herbig brotherD’wyne. Cynijah livedand grew up in Mar‐rero,Lawhere she at‐tended andwas a fifthgradestudent at C. T. Janet Elementary.Her hobbies were singing, playingher keyboard,painting, jew‐elry,journal,pen,and can‐dlemaking, family game andmovie nights.She played varioussportsat Pard Playground andwith TheShe League.Her pas‐sionsand planswereto become an eventplanner andsingonBroadway. Cynijahwas preceded in deathbyher Grandfather Darrell“Poppy” Heim Sr Grand-NannyAlmedia “Pokey”Phoenix,and Aunt Maw-MawLinda Turner Sheleavesbehindher par‐ents Dwayne andCyndrea, brotherD’wyne, grandpar‐ents LethaHeim, Derry (Delores)McKee, Brenda Turner,her auntsand un‐cles DarrellJr.,Le’Kisha, Kimberley, Jarvis,Shaletha Heim,LucretiaJenkins, DerryTurner, Thaddeus Keisha,Jay’Lonie McKee, andPaquellaWilliams, a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, family andfriends whowillloveand celebrate herforever.Celebration of Life will be held Saturday June 6, 2026, at Life Center Cathedral2100 Ames Blvd Marrero, La 70072. Host Pastor,BishopJ.D.Wiley Pastor Terrance Green,Of‐ficiating. Visitation will beginat9a.m. andService will beginat10a.m.Inter‐ment will follow in West‐lawn Memorial Park 1225 WhitneyAve,Gretna, La 70056. Repast:St. Rosalie Cafetorium 628 1STAve Harvey,La70058. Funeral planning entrustedto Robinson Family Funeral Home,9611 LA -23, Belle Chasse,LA70037 (504) 208 –2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences please visitwww

Jaheim J. Miller was born on January29, 2004, to HicksMiller andAshlie Terryand departed this life on May18, 2026. Jaheim wasa 2022 graduate of Chalmette High School.He leaves to cherishhis pre‐ciousmemorieshis par‐ents,Hicks Miller andAsh‐lieTerry;siblings, Danielle Lewis, EbonyReese, Danzel Miller,Jarrard Payne, and Jordan Miller;grandpar‐ents,EloiseTerry and JamesTerry, Sr.; threeun‐cles andtwo aunts. Jaheim wasprecededindeath by hisgrandparents, thelate Freddieand Carrie Miller; great-grandparents,the late Warren andEvelyn (MeMaw)Perez;aunts, Carrie “Bert” Francisand Ramona Duplessis, andun‐cles,JessieMiller, Freddie “Bubbie” Miller,Jr.,Melvin “Mel”Miller,and Allen Lewis, Sr.Relatives and friendsofthe family;Pas‐tor, Officers andmembers of BethlehemBaptist Church andall othersur‐roundingchurches of Plaqueminesand St BernardParishesare in‐vitedtoattendthe service whichwillbeheldatBeth‐lehemBaptist Church,111 BethlehemLane, Braith‐waite, LA on Saturday,June 6, 2026, at 11 a.m.,Rev.Dr. MichaelW.Jiles, Sr Offici‐ating. Visitation will begin at 9a.m.Entombmentwill follow in St.Bernard Memorial Gardens, Chal‐mette,LA. Finalarrange‐mentsentrusted to Robin‐sonFamilyFuneralHome, 9611 Highway23, Belle Chasse,LA70037, (504) 208-2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences,pleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Aman definedbyfaith devotion,laughter, gen‐erosity, anda love that knew no bounds, Cledman Joseph “Joe”Narcisse tran‐sitioned peacefully from hisearthly home to his heavenly home on May21, 2026, in Pointe àlaHache Louisiana, at theage of 71. Adevoted member of First Mount Zion BaptistChurch Joeservedfaithfully as a Deacon until hishealthno longer permitted. He was knownforhis kind heart, unwavering faith, andded‐icationtofamilyand com‐munity.Joe waspreceded in deathbyhis beloved wife,Joyce Narcisse,

CarolynByrdRainey, a retired employee of South‐ern University of NewOr‐leans,departedthislifeon Monday, May25, 2026 at the ageof82. Shehas joinedher husband,Louis June”Rainey, of 42 years inheaven. AnativeofNew Orleans with Hahnville roots,Carolyn is agradu‐ate of L.B. Landry High School anda 1972 graduate ofSouthernUniversityof New Orleans. Sheloved her AlmaMater,havingserved inmultipleroles andposi‐tions,and retiring as The PurchasingDirector. She supported theSouthern UniversitySystemand was a longtime season ticket holder, traveling, support‐ing theteams,and display‐ing herschool spirit Known forher senseof style,lovefor family, edu‐cation, andexcellence, her presencewillbemissed. She wasprecededindeath byher parents, Mary Jones and ClaytonByrd; andher husband,Louis “June Rainey. Sheleavestocarry onher memory,daughter Cherlyn Luna andson, Louis (Tracee) Rainey;sis‐ter Carmen King;grand‐childrenDr. Dwight (Brit‐tany) Brown, Candice Brown, LouisRainey, IV,Lo‐gannRainey, andLarcque McKay;special nieceTra‐cie King;her Page family siblingsGwenPage (Melvin)King, Nelson Page, SidneyPage; best friend GlendaMarzett, anda host ofother nieces,nephews, relatives,and close friends.Pastors,officers and membersofSt. James Methodist Church of Louisiana,Concord Church FranklinAvenue Baptist Church andBethany United Methodist Church,officers andmembers of EtaPhi

Beta Sorority,Inc,employ‐ees of SUNO,SouthernUni‐versity BatonRouge and Baptist Hospital,officers and membersofZuluSo‐cialAid &PleasureClub, and otherfriends arein‐vited to shareinthe cele‐bration of herlifeonSatur‐day,June 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m. atSt. JamesMethodist Church of Louisiana, 1925 Ursulines Avenue,New Or‐leans,La. Viewingwillbe from8:00a.m.- 10:00 a.m. IntermentwillbeatMcDo‐nough Cemetery,Gretna, La. Professional services entrusted to:LittlejohnFu‐neral Home,2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. Johnson, Fu‐neral Director /Manager Info:504-940-0045. In lieu of flowers, please consider donatingtothe SUNO Foundationinmemoryof Carolyn Rainey by using thislinkhttps://www suno.edu/page/alumnigive-to-suno-foundation

In Loving Memory of LawrenceP.Rhea, Jr., Feb‐ruary 23, 1955 –May 27 2026. With love andgrati‐tude, we celebratethe life and legacy of Lawrence P. Rhea, Jr., adevoted hus‐band, father,grandfather brother,familyman,and friendwhose presence brought strength,wisdom, and unwavering love to those who knew him. LawrenceP.Rhea, Jr.was bornonFebruary23, 1955, inNew Orleans, Louisiana, tothe loving union of LawrenceP.Rhea, Sr.and EllaMea Oten Rhea.Raised inLouisiana,Lawrenceat‐tendedJohnH.Martyn HighSchool in Shrewsbury, Louisiana,withinthe Jef‐fersonParishPublicSchool System, where he devel‐opedthe values of perse‐verance,discipline, and dedicationthatwould guide himthroughouthis life. From an earlyage Lawrencedeveloped aper‐sonal relationship with God andmaintaineda deeply rootedspiritual connectionthroughouthis life. Hisfaith wasstrength‐enedthrough personal de‐votion, aconsistentprayer life, biblical study, andan enduringtrust in God. His spiritual foundation re‐maineda source of guid‐ance, strength,and peace and wasreflectedinthe way he lived, loved, and cared forothers. Following inthe footstepsofhis fa‐ther, Lawrence chosethe professionalpathofbe‐cominganAutomotiveMe‐chanic. What beganasa trade became acraft that hediligently perfected overthe years. Through hardwork, exceptional skill,and unwavering com‐mitment to helpingothers, Lawrencebecameknown asa trustedand reputable mechanicwithinthe com‐munity.Family, friends, and neighborsrespected him notonlyfor hisme‐chanicalexpertise,but for his honesty, dependability, and willingnesstohelp anyoneinneed. Hiswork becamea reflection of his character andpride in serving others.In1972, Lawrencewelcomedhis firstborndaughter, Chanell, andembracedfa‐therhood with love and pride,beginning alifelong journey centered around family. Laterthatsame year, Lawrence married Marie Thomas,and to‐gethertheybuilt afamily rooted in love anddevo‐

Rhea Jr., Lawrence P.

Rainey,Carolyn Byrd

McKee, Cynijah Aviyah 'Cam'

Narcisse,Cledman Joseph 'Joe'

Heat is taking an increasing toll on N.O.

Growingup, April in New Orleans meant magnolias filling the air,frogs peeping along the bayou and teeth stained from tiger’sblood sno-balls. More importantly,May signaled the end of Jazz Fest and the start of summer. But summerinNew Orleans is changing. Really, the climate is changing. With it, the city must change its traditions to protectits people. Festgoers this year experienced packed crowds and suffocating heat the first weekend, with some relief after rain showers over the second weekend of concerts. While this heat is nothing new, we’re already facing awarmer spring than usual, and we should expect summer to be even worse. It’seasy to dismiss this as typical New Orleans weather. Ican recall many sweat-soaked JazzFests from years past. But the data

tells adifferent story: The heat is getting worse andisreflective of overall warmingand precipitation trends.

City officials recently warned residentsthatthe numberofextreme heatdays in New Orleans is projected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. Across the country,extreme weather events arebecomingmorefrequent and severe, drivenlargely by humancaused climatechange. Over the past century, greenhousegas emissionshave accelerated the global temperature rise and disrupted seasonalpatterns SummerinNew Orleans is comingearlierand with avengeance. Since 1970,average spring temperatures in the city have risen by 4.3degrees. Inurban areas, these impacts are magnified. Asphalt, concrete andbuildings trap heat, creating what’sknown as the “urbanheat island” effect

Out of allmajor U.S. cities,New Orleans is rankedthe worst heat island. The city’stree canopy coversjust 18.5%ofits area, far less

thanotherSouthern cities like Atlanta (47%) and Memphis (31%) Without sufficient shade, temperaturesinthe citycan feel muchhotterthaninsurrounding areas.

Extreme temperatures are already taking atoll on New Orleanians. In 2023, Orleans Parish recorded over 300 heat-related emergency calls and hospital visits, and 28 heat-related deaths.

Olderadults, children, people withpreexisting conditions,pregnant people and outdoor workers face the highest risks. Also, the heat disproportionately threatens marginalizedcommunities.Many of those who died in 2023 were over 65, and asignificant portion were unhousedorBlack residents.

In past years, Black residents weremorethan twice as likely as Whiteresidentstoseek emergency care for heat-related illness. Theneighborhoods with the most social and economic vulnerability are also themosturbanized, experiencing harsher heat island effects. These disparities are not acci-

La.broadband office is improvingcommunities

March 29 markedfive years in Louisiana’s effort to closethe digital divide. In2021, more than 375,000 households, small businessesand essential community institutions suchashospitals,libraries andschools lacked reliableinternetservice,affectingmore than one in four Louisianans.

dental. They reflect longstanding inequities in housing, access to cooling, healthcare and neighborhood infrastructure, leaving these communities to bear the brunt of rising temperatures. We are facing not just apublic health problem, but an environmental justice problem, too. As much as we might prefer to look away,climate change is already here.Acknowledging this realityisthe first step toward protecting our families, our neighbors and the traditions that define this city. At Jazz Fest and other outdoor events, some adaptive measuresare already in place, from misting stations to shaded areas. People are taking initiative, too, bringing their own Muses fans and using the ice in their beers to cool themoff. But more can and should be done. Organizers could expand hydration stations, improve signage directing attendees to cooldown areasand partner with local scientists to educate the public about heatsafety Citywide solutions are just as

critical. In 2023, the City Council approved funding for acomprehensive Heat Action Plan to identify high-risk areas and propose solutions to reduce heat-related illness and death. More recently, the city launched apublic survey to gather residents’ experiences and ideas for improving access to services like insulation and cooling. While these efforts have been lagging because of funding shortages, they have great potential: Expanding tree canopy,investing in cooling centers and strengthening emergency response systems could save lives.

New Orleanians will always find away to celebrate, that muchis certain. But as festival season is upon us in an era of rising temperatures, the question is not how to throw agood party.It’show to make that party safer,toprotect those most at risk before the heat gets too dangerous.

NoaNasoffisNew Orleans native andstudent at Bowdoin College in Maine.

Oneplace Iran,Israel, U.S. areallies? Climatechange

As executive director of the Louisiana State BroadbandOffice, Iamproud to work with a small but highly effective team united by asingle mission:connecting every community in our state to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet. Louisiana is now nationally recognized for both itsprogress and its approachtoexpanding broadband access. We are notonlymeeting our infrastructure goalsbut also doing so ahead of schedule and underbudget.Thanks to the competitive fundingframework we developed, Louisianians in federally funded areas are now saving30% to 40% each month on broadband service.

Over the past five years, we have visited more than 100 communities. We have heard storiesof frustration aboutfiberlinesstopping at the main road andsky-high costs for mediocre service, especially in rural areas. Those conversations are starting to change. Now,whenwevisit communities, we hear from law enforcement about quicker response times to urgent callsand from health care providers about how reliable connectivity is improving patient care.

Those early visits grounded our work. Today, many of those same trips are celebrations, including ribbon cuttings forcompletedprojects and expanded internet access in parishes across the state. We have seen firsthandthe impact of Louisiana’sleadership as moreindividualsearndegrees online, small businessesgrow through e-commerce and rural residentsgain access to telemedicine.

This progressisrooted in strong executive leadership. The previous administrationand Legislature launched thiswork. Now,under Gov.Jeff Landry,Louisiana is positioned to close the digital divide. In his first 100days,I worked closely with the governor to chart our course,and our regular conversationsreflect aclear focus on ensuring every Louisianianis connected.

Louisiana’sapproach alsoreflects acommitment to limited government and disciplined execution. Our small team manages more than $1.5 billion in federal funding from theU.S Treasury and Commerce departments with a focus on efficiency and outcomes. By cutting throughunnecessarybureaucracy,wehave accelerated deployment and deliveredresults faster than traditional models allow We are equally focused on delivering value for taxpayers. Louisiana has built acompetitive, market-drivengrant program that maximizes competition, prioritizes cost efficiency

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TEDS.WARREN

Louisiana is nownationally recognized for both its progress and its approach to expanding broadbandaccess.

and ensures no communityisleft behind.

In many federal broadband programs, infrastructure spending consumes nearly all available funding, leaving little for workforce development, economic competitiveness and longterm resilience. Louisiana took adifferent approach. Our efficient deployment process freed up more thanhalf of our federal dollars for these higher-order investments. Approximately 90% of funded infrastructure will be buried, and about 80% of funding will go to Louisianabased internet service providers such as REV, Cajun Broadband, Skyrider,Swyft Fiber and others. The majority of infrastructure dollars will remain in-state, withLouisiana-based contractors building these networks.

Ourresults have attracted national attention.

In aDec. 28 editorial, The Wall Street Journal highlighted Louisiana’sefficient use of taxpayer dollars, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick cited the state in Senate testimony:

“Under the Biden administration, Louisiana was tasked withspending morethan $1.3billiontodowhat it is now doing for under $500 million. That means in Louisiana alone, we’ve saved more than $800 million and delivered bettereconomic results, all while advancing thesame standards. Louisiana reopened competition, embraced technology neutrality and drove costs down dramatically.” The American Enterprise Institutealso recently ranked Louisiana as having the top broadband office in the country This is aclear example of government deliveringresults for itspeople, but the work is not finished. We expect to reach full connectivity by 2028, if not sooner

The people of Louisiana should be proud. Their advocacy and persistence are driving real progress, progress you can see in your home, progress thatputs money back in your pocket and progress thatisbuilding astronger, more connected future for our state.

VeneethIyengar is theexecutivedirector of Louisiana’sOffice of Broadband Development and Connectivity

Last month, as theUnited States, Iran and Israel continued exchanging military attacks by land and sea, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the United Nations. Their common cause? Denying responsibility for climate change. The vote in the U.N.’s general assembly went against them,by acount of 141-8. The resolution likely means little in the short term, since the U.N. has no police force or court systemtoforce governments to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions or to paydamages to people harmed by climatechange. But it was aclear signal that, on this issue, all three warring nations are indisputable losers. When the U.S.,Iran and Israel hold hands for such aheavy diplomatic defeat, somepeople see strange bedfellows or unholy matrimony.Look closer,and you see geopolitical tealeaves.

Othercountriesthat voted against the climateresolution included petroleum producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia. The fossil-fuel endowmentsofthe U.S. and Iran are well known. Though Israel isn’t arenowned producer,recently it began developing offshore reserves of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean.

But what if the emerging fossil alliance isn’tprimarily about dollars and cents, or euros and shekels? Spare a thought for geopolitical leverage.

Leverage is what Iran enjoys when it collects tolls and inflicts economic damage through theStrait of Hormuz. Whetheryou’re Britain to the west or India to theeast, abig chunk of your economy depends on that passage. Youhave to deal with the powers-that-be in Tehran.

On the other side, China is the sun around which the post-fossil group orbits. It currently dominates the production and distribution of wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicles.

The U.S. is also exceptional, but in other ways. It has (unlike China) excellent oil-and-gas resources and (like China) excellent wind-and-solar potential. On top of geology and geography,systems of education, research and finance give Americans an enviable capacity to create new infrastructure for the next energy system.

Unlike the other losers on the U.N.’sclimate resolution, then, the U.S. has areal choice to make. It can lead either the post-fossil bloc or the pro-fossil bloc. It can bet on what’sinour brains or what’sunder our feet.

If the Trump administration chooses to act as if geology is destiny,at least it can count on Iran and Israel as loyal allies.

ForIran, the cutoff of Middle East suppliesthrough Hormuz is productive,not destructive: It produces fear and respect In aword, leverage. Leverage is also what the U.S. sought when it removed the Venezuelan president from office and stopped the flowofVenezuelan oil to China. The operative logicisthe same. To solve the Hormuz problem, the U.S. government could force U.S. energy firmstolower their prices. TheRepublican Party of pre-2016 times would never have considered such an interference in the global marketplace, but post-2024 times are different. Most observers are currently underestimating the likelihood of such amove. The obvious alternative is to clean up the nation’senergy mix. Countries with less reliance on oil and gas, and more on wind and solar,can afford to care less about who’sincharge in Iran or what is and isn’tsailing through Hormuz. Hence the geopolitical importance of the U.N.’sclimate resolution: While most of the world is going for the post-fossil transition, the “no” votes are defending their right to make energy hostages of everyone else. Some analysts argue that the major global divide is no longer between democracies and dictatorships. It’s now “petrostates” vs. “electrostates,” with US President Donald Trump leading the former In any geopolitical realignment, apparent enemies become substantial friends, and vice versa. Is that what the U.N.’sclimate resolution is signaling? Maybe, but pundits sometimes overlook how short American electoral cycles really are.

JasonMaloy is theKalisteSaloom Endowed Chair in PoliticalScience at theUniversityofLouisiana at Lafayette.

Jason Maloy GUEST COLUMNIST

ISSUE OF THE WEEK

Arecentstudy on thethreats to coastal Louisiana laid out in stark termsthe crisis we’refacing Land loss and sea-level rise have putthe city of NewOrleans in peril, the scientistssaid. Theyraiseda provocativequestion:

DOES NEWORLEANS HAVE APLAN?

In response, MayorHelena Moreno defended the city on these pages last week.Here’sanexcerpt:

Moreno’sguest column also generatedits ownset of replies. Hereare twoperspectives: Scientists should absolutely help sound the alarm about serious challenges. But theyshould also be working alongside engineers, planners,governments andcommunities to help developsolutions. Andwhy is New Orleansuniquely singled out for abandonment rhetoric?Miami,New York,San Francisco andcountless other cities face significant long-term environmental threats. Yetnoserious movement exists to declarethose cities lost causes. New Orleans is one of theworld’sgreatcultural capitals and acritical economic engine for the United States. The Mississippi River corridor,the port system, energy infrastructure and global commerce tiedtosouthLouisiana are tooimportant to simply walk away Moreno

Sensationalheadlines don’tcapture ourstudy on N.O. future

The heavy focus on New Orleans in the public discourse, while understandable, is nota balanced reflection of our study

Our study on the future of coastal Louisiana has sparked along-overdue, communitywide conversation. While some headlineshave grossly overstated our findings, the researchhas galvanizeda publicdialogue about what comes next for future generations —aconversation that must not stop. Because some misunderstandings have arisen, we wantto clarify what our science means.

We highlighted another low-lying coastal zone —the Florida Gulf Coast —and argued that the situationthere is moredire thanincoastal Louisiana. Closer to home, we showed that manyothercommunities along our coast will likely become uninhabitable well before New Orleans

Torbjörn Törnqvist

Our focus on coastal Louisiana is personal; collectively,wehave more than halfa centuryofresearch experience here and our study has been more than adecadeinthe making. All five of us have spenta significant portion of our lives in New Orleans. We fully appreciatethatour research relates to a deeper,shared ancestry that is uniquely connectedtoaplace we have called home Within the context of climate-driven sea-level rise, our home is also the most vulnerable major low-lying coastal zone in the world. What we —asasociety —get wrong and right in our own backyard will havelocal consequences forour friends and family,yet could also have implications for coastal citiesand river deltas around the world.

To be clear: Our study does not call for government-led relocation or foranyone to pack up and move today.Weare acutely aware of how fraught this topic is for New Orleanians. What we call for is for people to realize that we do not have time to waste in planning for the next generations whowill bear the brunt of our changing climate and shifting coast. We call for aggressive, scienceinformed, and locally determined adaptation investments that can buy time for future generations. We arenot giving up on anything or anyone. We must continue to invest heavily in flood protection, resilient infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and localized innovations.

Buttrue resilience requires us to hold twotruths at once: We must protect our communities in the present, while realistically planning for the coming decades and centuries. Our study is scientifically uncontroversial, and our sea-level projec-

tions align entirely with international, peer-reviewed standards. Sea-level projections made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 30 years ago have proven to be remarkably accurate. We deny science at our own peril. Tulane research published in 2024 estimatedthat 75% of our remainingwetlands maybeunder water by 2070. That prospect is now more likely due to the cancellation of river diversions. Accepting this science does not mean abandoning Louisiana, itspeople or its vital port and industrial infrastructure. Instead,wemust plan to adapt as the shoreline retreats landward. As Mayor Helena Moreno recently noted, “the answer is investment, innovation, restoration and resilience.” We could not agree more.

The world’shunger for climate adaptation solutions —ranging from smart microgrids to biomaterial innovations —will be immense. Louisiana is uniquely positioned to lead this frontier through the development of aregional economichub thatserves as acrown jewel among lowlying coastal zones. Decades from now, when nations from Asia to Europeface the drowning of their own river deltas and megacities, Louisiana’sclimateadaptation expertsand engineering firms could, and should, be the ones securing multibilliondollar contracts to guide them.

As currentorformer Louisianans, we care deeplyabout preserving this region’s irreplaceablehistories and cultures. We also takeinspiration from the resilience of NativeAmerican nations who, as our research showed,adapted to life along ourdynamic coast over several millennia. Inspired by thepast andwithaneye to the future, we argue forcareful,realisticand proactive planning. Our current insurance crisisisapreludetothe continuation of themarket-drivenstatus quo, which will inevitably fracture neighborhoods, scare away jobs, and scatter our communities across thenation in away that disenfranchises those withthe least resources We welcome acandidand ambitious discourse aboutthese vital issues, andwe commend thepeople of coastal Louisiana foropening thedoor forsucha conversation.Louisianansare primedtoholdtheir leaders accountable —not just forresponding to headlinesbut forproviding a strategic vision forwhat comes next.

Torbjörn Törnqvist is acoastal geoscientist. He wrote thepiece with colleagues andstudy authors Brianna Castro, an environmentalsociologist; Jesse M. Keenan, an urbanplanner and economist; Jayur Mehta,an environmentalarchaeologist; and ZhixiongShen, acoastalgeoscientist.

On the Louisiana coast, where land loss is the dominant story,the Atchafalaya is doing something different.Year by year,thisriver deposits sedimentatthe WaxLake Outlet, growinga new delta into the Gulf of Mexico —buildingland while much of the coast is losing it. That is the place from which we write.

resilience “lab” here. Afteranine-month planning process in 2025 with morethan 30 partner organizations and The Water Institute, we developed thatlab into the Atchafalaya RiverCoastal Hub, or ARCH —acommunity-built resilience roadmap, not apress release.

Mayor HelenaMoreno’s recent column responding to the Tulane sea-level study said something important —and it spoke for more than just New Orleans. Her argumentfor investment, innovation, restoration and resilience, not retreat, is the right one. It is also theworking philosophyofcommunities upand down thecoast, including ours.

St. Mary Parish does not need to be told that we too are doomed. The Urban Land Institute saw thealternative in 2018 and recommended a

Ourarea has been hard at work alongside New Orleans. The St. Mary Levee District is advancing aring levee; the Port of Morgan Cityiscompleting beneficialuse dredging; the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority has budgeted for aworking coast, not an abandoned one. We also have something the rest of thecoast does not. The WaxLake Outlet, a1942 Army Corps diversion, has spent more than 80 years quietly building anew delta into the Gulf —what LSU’s Dr.Robert Twilley calls a“living laboratory” for coastal restoration.

The Lake End Parkway along LA 70 is itselfa land bridge: In theearly 2000s, theArmy Corps pumped sediment from Berwick Bay onto an eroding Lake Palourde shoreline. The parkway was still being built when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, and FEMA contracted with the City of Morgan Citytouse the

newly created ground as aparkfor evacuees from the New Orleans region —bringing the parkway into being faster than we had imagined possible. At arecent Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana workshop, CRCL’s NewOrleansbased Director of Governmental Affairs, Ethan Melancon, put it plainly: Morgan Cityisthe micro to the New Orleansmacro —lake, bowl, pumps, river system.We share ageography of risk and ageography of opportunity

Treating the coast as asingle doomed unit erases the people and the workalready underway.Sea-level rise andwetland loss are real. But the leap from those factstomanaged retreat skips, as Mayor Moreno recognized, the very thingLouisiana has always done: adapt It also skips over the AtchafalayaBasin, where land is building, and over theperseverance and stubbornness of itspeople It is one thing to sound the alarm abouta sinking coast. It is another to writeoff the communitiesalready answering it Mayor Moreno spoke of how Hurricane Katrina forced New Orleans to come back stronger.Hurricane Francine in 2024 was our reminder that the sameforces, and

thesame imperative,reach far. We now qualify,because of Francine, forfederal EconomicDevelopment Administration recovery investment, withstate andlocal partners at the table.And as theAtchafalaya National Estuarine Research Reserve nears designation, our regionwill host the newest— and arguablythe mostactive laboratory in thenational NERRsystem

Ourcoastal peopleare ready to welcome andput Louisiana’sbest foot —a deltaic one— forward, armed withthe resilience strategiesofARCH.

We extendaninvitation to Mayor Morenotocome visit Morgan City. Walk ourriverfront. See WaxLakeDelta froma boat. Meet thepartners whoare building this place every day.

Ourmantra, like NewOrleans’, is placebased andstrategic investmentrather than coastal retreat. We hear you, New Orleans, andweneed youtohear and standwithus. We are allthe samecoastal Louisiana people.

CatherineHolcomb and Monica Mancuso areco-leaders of theARCH project andboard members of St. Mary Excel.

Monica Mancuso

Catherine Holcomb

STAFF FILE PHOTOByDAVID GRUNFELD

TheNew Orleans skyline shimmersinthe distance as seen across LakePontchartrain from Lacombe on aclear autumn evening

shoreline.Expect more storms and strong winds tomorrow

tion.Their union was blessedwithtwindaugh‐terswho passedaway withindaysoftheir birth. Thoughtheywerenever formally named, they were deeply lovedand remained forever held in Lawrence’s heart andrememberedas partofhis family’sstory Their union also welcomed LawrenceP.RheaIII and LolaRhea. Lawrence cher‐ished fatherhood andre‐maineddevoted to hischil‐drenthroughouthis life Following thepassing of his belovedwife, Marie, Lawrenceremaineda wid‐owerfor aseasonoflife, carryingher memory with grace andenduringlove. In 1995, Lawrence foundlove again andmarried Denise Houston Rhea.Together, theyshareda devoted marriagebuilt on compan‐ionship,commitment, and unwavering support. Lawrenceremaineda faithful, loving,and dedi‐cated husband until his passing.Lawrencevalued familydeeply andshareda special bond with his sib‐lings,creatingmemories and relationshipsthatre‐mainedimportant through‐out hislife. Lawrence de‐partedthisearthly life on May 27, 2026. He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis fa‐ther, Lawrence P. Rhea,Sr.; his belovedwife, Marie ThomasRhea; hisinfant twindaughters who passedshortly after birth; his daughter,LolaRhea; and hisbrothers, RoyRhea and JamesRhea. He leaves tocherish hismemory: His devoted wife,DeniseHous‐ton Rhea;his mother,Ella Mea Oten Rhea;his chil‐dren, Chanell(Darnell) Josephand Lawrence P. RheaIII; hissisters,Elnora Cockheran andPatricia Ann Dowl;his brothers Darrell (Antoinette)Rhea, JosephRhea, andAllan (Cheryl)Rhea; hiseleven grandchildren:Micheal, Nickolas, Aja’,Christian Nicholas, Laurin,Nathaniel, Jayda,Marie,Chaquilla and Adam;his eightgreatgrandchildren:O’Mari, Liam, Zane,AdamJr., Dustin, Xavier,Charie, and JohnJohn; alongwitha hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,extendedfamily members,lifelongfriends, and allwhose liveswere enrichedbyknowing him. Lawrencewillberemem‐bered forhis quiet strength, steady hands, kindspirit, dedication to his family, steadfastfaith and thecountless liveshe touched throughboth his workand hislove. His memory will live on forever

DEATHS continued from in theheartsofthose who knewand lovedhim.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare allinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralService on Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 8:30a.m.atMarineBaptist Church,3034 AndoverSt., New Orleans, LA.70121 Visitationwillbegin at 7:30 a.m.Interment will be in Greenstreet Cemetery.Pro‐fessional arrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

Samuel, EvangelistJill Marie Sanders

Evangelist Jill Marie SandersSamuel,age 70, enteredeternal rest on Monday, May18, 2026. Born on May30, 1955,in NewOrleans, Louisiana, she dedicatedher lifeto serving God andsharing the Gospel of JesusChrist Throughher ministry, she traveled throughout the United States prayingfor others, teaching God's Word, evangelizing, and leadingmany to Christ. Her passion for spreadingthe love of God was not just hercalling—itwas her life'smission. She leaves to cherish her memoryher daughter, Dontrell Keashon Samuel; grandchildren, Destiny Isaac(D'Von), Trinity Orange (Jeremy),and JosiahHouston (Courtney); great-grandchildren, Jonah,Jude, and John Orange; sisters, Barncil Stevenson (Emanuel) and OrbadellaBrowder (Ronald); brothers, John Sanders (Andrea), Bryant Sanders, and Boris Sanders (Paulette);goddaughter, Donna Anyanwu (Collins); favorite cousin, Michelle Atoyebi (Abass); anda host of nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. She was preceded in deathbyher parents, Rev. John H. Sanders Sr. and Shirley Breaud Sanders;

her brother, Tyrone E. Sanders; sister-in-law, Sandra Sanders; niece Desiree Williams, greatnephew, Keron Briggs; grandmothers, Mary Breaud and Eliza Sanders; grandfathers, Howard Breaud and JessieSanders; godmother, VanillaSmith; and many otherbeloved family members.

CelebrationofLife Serviceswillbeheldon Saturday, June 6, 2026, at NewGeneration Fellowship,1000 Clay Street,Kenner, LA 70062. Viewing willbeginat9:00 a.m.withthe service following at 10:00 a.m. Interment willfollow at Providence Memorial Park &Mausoleum, Metairie, Louisiana.

Following theinterment family and friends are invitedtojoinusfor arepast celebration at theWilliams Play LotGym, located at 7744 MistletoeStreet, Metairie,Louisiana,affectionatelyknown as the Bunche VillageCommunity Gym.

Funeral arrangements and professional services are entrusted to Richardson FuneralHome of Jefferson, RiverRidge, LA.www.richardsonfunera lhomeofjefferson.com

Schwehm, Caleb

Ourbeloved sonCaleb Schwehm,26, of Gretna,La. passedawaypeacefully at homeonMay 31, 2026 Caleb wasa welder at Mor‐rison Contractors. Sonof RolandDavis &Penny Schwehm.Brother of Raven andTia Schwehm and WayneDavis anduncle toAmirSimmons.Loving and caring boyfriendto Corae Hill.Beloved grand‐son to thelatePeter and Cindy Schwehm, Barbara Davis andRolandWilliams. Alsosurvivedbyanabun‐danceofcousins,friends

andcoworkers at Morrison Contractors.Service will be heldonSunday, June 7, 2026 at Robinson Family FuneralHome. Visitation startsat2:30followedbya celebration of life at 3:30 p.m.Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family FuneralHome, 9611 La.23, Belle Chasse,La. 70037. For onlinecondolence, please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

WellsJr., Kevin'Tank' Kevin Wells Jr. passed away on Sunday, May 24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. He was born and raised in Harvey,Louisiana. Kevin is survivedbyhis parents, Kevin Wells Sr. and LeatricePetty Wells; two sons, Kevin Wells IIIand Jeremiah B. Schexnayder; threedaughters,KasiaL Wells, Kaylynn A. Wells, and Ta'Kiyah J. Simms; One Grandson Ja'mere Schexnayder, one sister, LatriceMitchelle ;and one brother, EricWells. Aservicewillbeheldat NewZionCFWC, located at 5040 TaravellaRd, Marrero, LA 70072, on June 6, 2026. Viewing will startat9 AM andthe service willbegin at 10 AM.

CynthiaM.Spiller Williams,age 82, wasborn on March27, 1944 and passedawaypeacefully on Saturday,May 23, 2026. She liveda full life as aretired United States Postal Ser‐vice clerkand aTrustee of thechurch at FirstFree MissionBaptist Church Shewillbelovinglyre‐membered by hergrand‐daughter,Roshonda Williams (Ryan);eight greatgrandchildren,a host of otherrelatives and friends.A Celebrationser‐vice honoring thelifeand legacy of thelateCynthia

Spillers Williams will be held at FirstFreeMission BaptistChurch,919 Adams Street,New Orleans, LA 70118 on Saturday,June 6, 2026 at 10 am.Visitation9 am in thechurch.The fam‐ilythanksOchsner Hospice fortheir compassion Please sign theonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. CharbonnetLabat Glapion, Directors(504)581 4411. Zandra HelenRichardson; herloyal son-in-law, Marcus Richardson; her cherished grandchildren, Corey Wright II, Auberny Wright,MasonRichardson, andMaxwell Richardson; herbrother,ClarenceMaze Jr.; hersisters, Katrina (Conny) Horton and Kayniah Maze;her sister-in -law,GloriaDeanWright; hernieces, Tashica Maze, BritneyMaze and Kamri Gordon; hernephews, ClarenceMaze III,Conny Horton III,and Darron Maze ;and ahostofextended familymembers andfriends Shewas preceded in death by herparents;her stepfather, James Williams; herpaternal grandmother,Lillie Hudson; herpaternalstepgrandfather, Levi Hudson; hermaternal grandparents; herbrothers, Gary Joseph Maze,Corey Williams, andKirt Williams; andother aunts, uncles,and familymembers.

On Saturday, May23, 2026, Toni Marie Maze Wright wascalledhometo hereternal resting place at theage of 70. Toni was born on December 14, 1955, to the lateClarenceMaze Sr.and Vinnie MaeWilliams. She wasa native of New Orleans, Louisiana, anda longtime residentof Dallas, Texas. Toni wasa proud1974 graduate of John McDonald High School. She foundher calling in healthcare andbecame a Registered Nurse after earning hernursing degree from CharitySchool of Nursingin1993. Shelater went on to earnher Bachelor of Sciencein NursingfromChamberlain University. Toni trulyhad a servant's heart, demonstrated through more than 30 years of dedication to caringfor others Toni wasknown for her deep love of family. Her greatest joywas beinga grandmother.Her care, warmth,and generosity extendedbeyondrelatives, often turningfriends into family. Shehad aspecial wayofmakingothersfeel welcomed, valued, and loved.

Toni's legacy will continuetoliveonthrough her devotedhusbandof50 years, Roscoe Wright;her loving children, Corey (Shatarrah)Wright and

Toni's life exemplifieda no-nonsense approach to love,compassion, andservice to humanity. Her smile wasunforgettable,and her love forfamilywill continue to inspire all whoknew hertocherish their loved ones in herabsence Relativesand Friends of thefamilyare invited to attend theFuneral Ceremony at D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Ave,New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday, June 5, 2026 at 10:00am. Visitation to begin at 9:00am. Funeral will be livestreamed at www. fac eb ook.com / D.W.RhodesFuneralHome/ live Please visit www.rhodesfuneral.com to sign the online guestbook. Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home 3933 Washington Ave,New Orleans, La 504.822.7162

Wright,ToniMarie

Williams,Cynthia M. Spiller

PO VE IM

Spain’sJosepPuerto defendsagainst Italy’sSaliou Niang during the Eurobasket

between Spainand Italy on Sept. 2atSpyrosKyprianou Arena

basketballteaminthe fall

Niangbringsfeelfor thegame, strongdefense to LSU’sroster

BY TOYLOYBROWN III

Staffwriter

Saliou Niang will doalittle bit of everythingfor LSU.

Coach Will Wade addedthe 6-foot-7Italian-Senegalese wing because even whenheisn’t scoring, he’ll positively impactthe game. Niang has proven that against topinternational competition

In 21.7 minutes per game, the22-year-old averaged 7.1 points on 62.9% shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.4 turnovers across 38 games forVirtus Bologna in the EuroLeague—the mostcompetitive league outside theUnited States

His talent level was high enough for the ClevelandCavaliers to select him58th overallinthe 2025NBA Draft. He played threegames withtheirsummerleague team before returning overseas. Feel forthe game

Basketball feel is an intuitive awarenessofwhat’s happening on the court. Players withthis“feel” move to the

right spots at the right time andmake smartreads decisively Niang is one of those players. What he lacks in flashyskill,hemakes up forwith effectiveness.While often positioned in thecorner,he moves well without theball, slipping into gaps and finishing at the rim.His over 60% field-goal shooting stems from aknow-how as acutter and straightforward layup finisher. Hiswiry204-pound frame assists in weaponizing his instincts with fluidity His high motor alsohelps in the half-court and during fastbreaks. He sprints in transition, where hislength and leapingabilityare difficult to contain withoutfouling. His blue-collar style comes out on the offensive glass. While not playing power forward or center,heimpressively averaged 2.2offensive rebounds in under 22 minutes per game. Hisfeel away from theballalsomadehim asurprisingly effective roll man for his size. He setsolid screens,

ä See NIANG, page 3C

Spurs, Knicks look to improve play in Game 2ofNBA Finals

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP basketball writer

SAN ANTONIO The road to the NBA Finals was not exactly smooth for theSan Antonio Spurs. They had —and lost —home-court advantage in Round 1against Portland,before recovering to win the series. In Round 2against Minnesota, the same thinghappened.Inthe WesternConference finals against Oklahoma City,theytrailed 2-1 before finding away to oust the defending champion Thunder in seven games. And now,the finals. They had home-court advantage and lost it in Game 1against the New York Knicks. Adversity, hello again “We’ve been consistent inthat regard,” Spurs coachMitch Johnson said Thursday as his team prepares for Game 2onFriday night. “I think one thingwe have learned in our three series is that series are long. Games are long. Things shift quickly, whether that’shealth, who’splaying well or hot, quote-unquote, at the time. Teams at thisstagetypically have shown theabilitytoevolve on the fly and improve within

WorldCup festivities aimto showcase unity

Star-studded opening ceremonies will be held in each host country

BY COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press

MILAN The World Cup will feature an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies in thehostnations,the United States, Canada andMexico, created by the Italian producer behind the opening ceremony forthis year’sMilan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Marco Balich, fresh off the Olympics opening ceremony,which included aparade of athletes spread across four venues, saidhewas up to thechallenge of producing three shows in threecities, with teams numbering 260 to 300 people in each city The ceremonies’ unifying theme will be “thecelebration of sports,the passion for soccer,symbolizedbythe cupitself,”Balich said. “The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages,” using design aesthetics representative of each culture. In Canada,a mosaic will represent its multicultural identity.Mexico’smotif will be the traditional papercutouts called papel picado, while the United States will have “a super shiny,glowing cup,” said Balich, who also produced theopening ceremonyfor the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

ä See WORLD CUP, page 4C

ä NBA Finals Knicks at Spurs 7:30 P.M.FRIDAy,ABC On

aseries.”

That’swhat will be required if the Spurs are goingtohead to New York with this series knotted at agame apiece. They shot poorlyinGame 1(36%), extremely poorly from 3-point range (26%, missing 32 of 43 tries), had 16 assists (nowherenear enough),got outscored in the paint 50-42 andcouldn’tholda 14-point third-quarter lead. The Knicks deserve credit for creatinga whole lot of thoseissues, but the Spurs know they’re capable of much better play “I thinkthe reason we lostthat game isn’t even technical (or)tactical,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said. “We need to approach thegame with abetter mental state. We just need to play our game. We just need tobenormal.” Normal?

“‘Normal’ means trusting each

ä See NBA, page 5C

Notes in my baseball scorebook because Icertainly have no LSU NCAA Tournamentgames to put in there.

There’slittle Ican say or write that’s going to makeLSU baseball fans feel less pain over their beloved Tigers being NCAA Tournamentspectators instead of participants forthe first timesince 2011. Iwill saythatmisery definitely lovescompany, andin this case, will offer misery aprime seat next to it in the empty AlexBox Stadium grandstands. And possibly, offer to buy it ahot dog.

When it comes to the teams that madeit to the College World Series in 2025, there is plenty of misery to go around. The NCAA super regionals begin Friday and Saturday at eight sites across America. There are somefamiliar names, somesurprising names, but no names of the teams that wereinthe CWS ayear ago.

That’sright. None of the eight madeitas farasthis year’ssweet16. Four of them ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

Scott Rabalais

Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama

AP PHOTO By ERICGAy

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHARA SAVVIDOU

championship Group Cmatch

in Limassol, Cyprus.Niang will playwiththe LSU men’s

AP PHOTO By JAEC.HONG FIFAWorld Cup 2026 signageisdisplayed on MondayatSoFiStadium in Inglewood, Calif. The WorldCup is set to kick off on June 11 in Mexico City

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

Serena, 19-year-old to team up in Queen’s Club tourney LONDON Serena Williams will make her eagerly anticipated return to professional tennis playing doubles alongside a partner who is 25 years younger Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian ranked No. 9, revealed Thursday she would have the “honor” of playing with the 44-year-old Williams as a wild-card entry at the Queen’s Club next week. They practiced on the grass courts in west London on Thursday “The Queen is back,” Mboko wrote in a post on Instagram alongside a picture of her standing next to Williams.

Sipping tea fuels Chwalinska’s run

Polish player earns spot in French Open final

BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswriter

PARIS Sipping tea every night is working wonders for Maja Chwalinska.

The Polish player became just the second qualifier to reach a Grand Slam singles final in the Open Era when she beat Diana Shnaider of Russia 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Thursday

The 24-year-old Chwalinska can match Emma Raducanu’s title run at the 2021 U.S. Open when she plays Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva in Saturday’s final at Roland Garros. Nothing will change Chwalinska’s routine for the biggest match of her life.

“I’m going to drink my tea,” she said. Chwalinska and Raducanu, according to stats provider Opta, stand alone among men and women in having reached a major singles final from the qualifying rounds since the Open Era began in 1968.

“I feel like I am in a bubble, I don’t know what’s going on,” Chwalinska said. “After the tournament it will be time to process it: breathe in, breathe out.”

Besides the tea, she might watch some tennis “because I’m a tennis freak.”

She said her favorite player growing up was Swiss great Roger Federer, then Spanish clay-court ace Rafael Nadal. Now it’s 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.

“I’m just very grateful that I was growing up during this era,” she said. “Sometimes I come back to these old matches and I watch them play and it feels like poetry.”

Chwalinska sealed victory on her first match point with a powerful forehand winner down the line, then fell back with both hands on her face. She then sat on her chair and panted heavily, her face buried into a towel.

“I honestly don’t know what was going on in my head,” she said “I was just in such a shock.”

Chwalinska’s run saw her advance through three qualifying rounds to enter the main draw and play in just her third Grand Slam. Her best result at a major before this was the second round at Wimbledon in 2022 Polish countrywoman Iga Swiatek has

won the French Open four times.

The 19-year-old Andreeva reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 earlier Thursday on Court

Philippe-Chatrier

Andreeva had reached the semifinals here two years ago, but this is Chwalinska’s first semifinal anywhere at WTA tour-level.

Remarkable run

Chwalinksa has dropped only one set in her nine matches, including qualifying, and has bulldozed her way past four top-50 players in the main draw

Her ranking will rocket from No. 114 to No. 14 if she wins the tournament, according to the WTA. Her bank balance will also get a significant boost. Chwalinksa’s total prize money heading into Roland Garros was $864,030 and by reaching the final she gets 1.4 million euros about ($1.6 million); and 2.8 million euros ($3.25 million) if she wins on Saturday

A neat drop shot and lob gave her set point in the tiebreaker, and she clinched the first set when Shnaider’s backhand went wide.

Shnaider had a medical timeout after the seventh game of the second set. She flexed her left leg as she lay on her back, and dropped

her serve in the ninth game, giving Chwalinksa a chance to serve for the match.

“All the kudos to Maja. She played amazing,” Shnaider said. “She moves incredible on the court, she covers a lot. Even if you think that you won the point, she’s there.”

Fully focused

Andreeva could see even the smallest details on the ball.

“I was seeing the little hairs on the ball when I was tossing or playing (shots),” Andreeva said. “I was really, really focused today.”

Andreeva, who is seeded No. 8 also converted her first match point when serving for the victory She clearly feels comfortable at the French Open, which she describes as a “cozy” tournament because she sees familiar faces every year, and enjoys her time in Paris.

“I really like to walk around the city, to go into those little restaurants on the street,” she said. “I also speak a little bit of French, so I try to sometimes talk to people in French.”

Tensions on the court

There was no post-match handshake between Andreeva and Kostyuk and the Ukrainian

walked off quickly, turning only to wave and blow kisses to the crowd. They had separate photos taken before the match as they each stood next to two children on their respective side of the net. Usually the players pose for the same photo, standing right next to each other by the net.

Kostyuk and countrywoman Oleksandra Oliynykova have spoken out during the tournament about the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having on their country

The No. 15-seeded Kostyuk said defeat won’t linger given how much support she felt from fans.

“This is something I will carry with me forever,” she said. “I feel like this is the highlight of my tournament.”

Roof open and then closed

The semifinal began at shortly after 3 p.m. with an open roof, like on Wednesday when beaten quarterfinalists Aryna Sabalenka and Anna Kalinskaya complained of swirling wind on Chatrier and said the roof should have been closed.

It was closed toward the end of the second set of Thursday’s semifinal, offering Kostyuk better conditions for her clay-court game. But her 16-match winning streak on clay ended.

Fleetwood part of 4-way tie for the lead at Memorial

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

DUBLIN, Ohio Scottie Scheffler never thought two straight victories in the Memorial would be of any value when he began his bid for three in a row It sure felt that way Thursday in a tough start that left him exasperated by the wind and six shots behind a four-way share of the lead. Wyndham Clark, coming off a victory in the Byron Nelson U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Tommy Fleetwood and the Ryan Gerard were each at 5-under 67, among only 22 players who broke par at Muirfield Village.

Scheffler was poised to be among them until a bad wedge led to a careless bogey on the 14th, and what he thought was a great shot on the 16th bounced into the water for double bogey He walked 96 yards to the drop area with his palms upward when they weren’t slapping his thigh, all the while seeking answers from caddie Ted Scott that neither of them had. “I don’t think you understand how frustrating that is,” he said to Scott, who replied qui-

etly with the obvious answer “I do,” the caddie said Six of the seven players who broke 70 started before 10 a.m. and missed out on the swirling wind on a hot, clear day that made the greens even firmer than they already were.

The exception was Gerard, who had quite the wild ride. He had a 3 on a par 5 and followed that with a 5 on a par 3. He had five straight birdies on the back nine and only five pars on his scorecard for the entire round. It added to a 67, which was all that mattered.

“The small misses often lead to big punishments at this golf course,” Gerard said “I don’t think we aimed at a flag stick on the back nine and shot 5 under You’re picking small targets around either the edge of a bunker or a rake or some guy wearing a bright-colored shirt in the background or a TV tower or whatever it might be.

Fleetwood’s 67 was his lowest round in his fifth time playing the Memorial, and this wasn’t the way he would have drawn it up. He was solid off the tee, not so much from the fairway Fleetwood hit only seven greens and still played bogey-free.

“I got the most out of the round, totally I got away with a couple of poor misses. Hit the pin a couple of times when it was going past. Shot 5 under, so it couldn’t have been that bad. I was just getting a little frustrated at the end not being able to execute the iron shots that I wanted to.”

Nick Taylor wasted a good start with a double bogey on the par-5 seventh and a bogey on the next hole, only to played bogey-free on the tough back nine and finishing with one of only seven birdies on the the 18th hole. Justin Rose and Sam Burns were at 69. Scheffler provided the entertainment, even it didn’t feel all that entertaining to him. He had changed clubs on the ninth, took the longer one and still was short. He changed clubs three times from the fairway on the par-5 11th and came up short. And then the water ball on the 16th was the capper

What followed was a stream of frustrating lines: “I never thought that was in the water I don’t know what to do. I absolutely flushed a 7-iron and we get the

wind wrong and I’m in the water

I’m hitting good shots and dropping from hazards.”

So when he was asked after signing for his 73 if he had any fun at any point, Scheffler gave a half-laugh as he rubbed his chin and said, “Not that I can recall at the moment.”

The 17th was kind of fun. From a fairway bunker, 182 yards to a tucked pin in the front right, Scheffler hit 7-iron to the collar 15 feet away and chipped in for birdie.

“See, that’s the thing that can be so frustrating about golf,” Scheffler said. “I striped one on the hole before that and I end up in the water That one I kind of hit thin, and you get a good bounce and I end up on the fringe and I chip in.

“Yeah, what a game,” he said. “I felt like I didn’t get anything out of the round, all of a sudden you get a lucky bounce and you’re like, ‘OK, well, I’m going to try to smile.’ It’s still hard.”

He did smile as he headed to the wind, late enough in the afternoon the wind was starting to calm. He also realized his score wasn’t all that bad compared with other players from the afternoon.

“An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week,” Mboko added. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, stepped away from tennis in 2022. She has yet to say whether she plans to play at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open in 2026.

Braves acquire catcher Wynns, designate

Tromp

ATLANTA

The Atlanta Braves have bolstered their depth at catcher by acquiring veteran Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels.

The Braves added the 35-year-old Wynns to the major league roster on Thursday, a day after acquiring him from the Angels for cash They designated catcher Chadwick Tromp for assignment before Thursday’s game against Toronto. The Braves continue to adjust to injuries to Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy Baldwin was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 19 with a strained right oblique. Manager Walt Weiss said Baldwin was on pace to return in June.

Murphy, who was moved to the 60-day injured list on Thursday, was placed on the IL on May 12.

Packers, WR Watson agree to four-year, $110.5M deal Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson agreed to terms on a four-year, $110.5 million contract extension through 2030 with a $31 million signing bonus, according to a person with knowledge of the contract. Watson, 27, tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in Green Bay’s 2024 regular-season finale, but came back last season to catch 35 passes for 611 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games He tied for the team lead in touchdown catches and ranked second in yards receiving despite missing much of the season.

While recovering from his torn ACL, Watson signed a one-year, $13.25 million extension last fall that enabled his contract to run through 2026. Now he has a longerterm commitment.

F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix extended through 2037

Formula One and the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority have committed to a 10-year extension to host the annual Las Vegas Grand Prix on the Strip through 2037.

With this year’s race, set for Nov 19-21, that means there are 12 more Las Vegas Grand Prix events under contract; the 10-year deal will kick in after the 2027 race, when the current two-year deal expires, the two groups announced Thursday LVCVA will continue to pay F1 $10 million per year to sponsor the event each year starting with the 2028 race for a total of $100 million, pending LVCVA board approval at a future meeting. The LVCVA is also paying F1 $10 million for this year’s race and the 2027 edition.

Minnesota forward Foligno wins King Clancy award Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno has received this season’s King Clancy Memorial Trophy for leadership and service, the NHL announced Thursday

The award is presented annually to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

Foligno was recently presented the trophy in a surprise appearance at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota by his older brother and teammate, Nick Foligno. They established the Janis Foligno Foundation in memory of their mother, who died of breast cancer in 2009.

The NHL will donate $25,000 to the foundation as part of the award to Foligno.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

Poland’s Maja Chwalinska react during her semifinal match against Russia’s Diana Shnaider at the French Open on Thursday in Paris.

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

didn’t even qualify for this year’s tournament: LSU, Arizona, Louisville and Murray State. The other four lost in the regional round: CWS runner-up Coastal Carolina, Arkansas, Oregon State and this year’s top seed, UCLA. Come to mention, Vanderbilt, the No. 1 overall seed in 2025, didn’t make it into the field of 64 as well.

To carry that theme a bit further none of the eight teams that were in the 2024 CWS made it back last year, either Remarkably, 2025 and 2026 mark the first time since 1956-57 that there were eight brand-new teams in Omaha in back-to-back years.

Much parity in college baseball? Apparently plenty

The parade of upstarts does have plenty of LSU-related angles. Cal Poly and West Virginia have first pitch of the super regionals at 10 a.m. Friday with Little Rock at Troy at 4 p.m. West Virginia is the team LSU swept in last year’s Baton Rouge Super Regional, while Little Rock is, of course, the four seed the Tigers survived after losing to them in the Baton Rouge Regional. None of the four whose winners will meet in the CWS, has ever been to Omaha, with only West Virginia getting as far as a super regional. That means either Cal Poly WVU, Little Rock or Troy will find itself in the winners’ bracket next weekend.

NIANG

Continued from page 1C

finished reliably at the hoop and drew fouls. With his nearly 6-11 wingspan, he was a consistent dunk threat.

Niang’s passing ability solidifies his case as a high-feel player His assist numbers undersell how well he sees the floor He finds teammates with interior passes after offensive rebounds or when defenders collapse on him near the rim. He also threw not-so-obvious skip passes and processed defensive rotations well. His court vision and quick decision-making are bonuses to have for a play finisher

The two major areas of improvement are his outside shot and onball creation.

Niang made only 4 of 12 3-pointers in 38 games. The minimal number of attempts is concerning since he stood on the perimeter enough and too often passed up open looks. Not taking open looks as a small forward in the Southeastern Conference would be to the detriment of LSU’s spacing.

His ball handling is also lacking. He rarely initiated offense or attacked set defenses, often defaulting to post-ups when he tried to create for himself. Raising his confidence as a shooter and dribbler would elevate him from a glue guy on offense to a respectable scorer

Impact defense

It’s a brave new college baseball world indeed.

Meanwhile, over in Lubbock, Texas, Texas Tech is waiting to see if a judge will grant Red Raiders quarterback Brendan Sorsby an injunction to be able to play this season. Sorsby, of course, admitted to betting tens of thousands of dollars — reportedly about $90,000 — while playing at Indiana and Cincinnati. He now wants to claim that he should be allowed to play because banning him would cause harm to his career and mental health.

Spare me. While Sorsby deserves compassion, he does not deserve another chance to play college football. Ever Many rules and previous red lines in college athletics have become blurred out, often by litigation challenging previous norms. Want a sixth year like Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss? Find a friendly judge. Want to come back to college after playing professional basketball like LSU recruit RJ Luis? It will likely take finding a friendly judge. There is no crossing the gambling line, though If Sorsby is allowed to play, college sports will lose all credibility Texas Tech has already lost its credibility for trying to get him eligible Not really for Sorsby’s wellbeing, but well, to win. One doubts the school would be going to the mattresses (“The Godfather” reference) for a backup right guard.

The school made a bad investment in Sorsby — reportedly about $5 million worth — though it’s doubt-

ful it will have to pay him all that if he isn’t allowed to play

While Texas Tech deserves to be taken to task, the school probably wouldn’t be alone in this attempted end run to circumvent a sacrosanct rule like “NO GAMBLING.” Remember, LSU wanted Sorsby badly; the Tigers finished second to Texas Tech in the transfer portal chase before signing Sam Levitt. Would LSU have been so noble as to not allow Sorsby to play if the truth about his gambling had broken out while he was in the purple and gold? One would like to believe so, but who knows?

The truth is, this is Texas Tech’s problem. It never should have gotten as far as a courtroom, but now that it has, let’s hope justice is swift

While the local sports scene may be quiet without LSU baseball still going, overall, it’s a busy June on the sports calendar The NBA and Stanley Cup finals are in swing, as is the French Open through Sunday The Belmont Stakes runs Saturday Then next Thursday the World Cup begins, with the U.S. Open the following week at tough, windy Shinnecock Hills. And, of course, the aforementioned CWS. It’s all about enough to get everyone to late July when, to me, football season begins. SEC Media Days will be in Tampa, Florida, July 20-23, with Lane Kiffin and three yet-to-be-named LSU players attending on the final day That’s a departure from recent years, when the LSU contingent was always on the first day Don’t worry, sports fans, it’ll be here before you know it.

Niang usually served as a defensive stopper overseas — and for good reason. He started 13 of 38 EuroLeague games and carved out a consistent role due to being his team’s best perimeter defender His frame and mindset make him an annoyance while guarding scorers on the ball. During EuroBasket, Italy tasked him with checking NBA superstar Luka Doncic. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored at times, but Niang genuinely flashed the ability to force Doncic to pass out of shots and miss tough looks.

Niang has the lateral quickness and length to stay in front and recover when blown by While he still needs more upper-body strength, he’s functionally able to absorb bumps from wings and guards a trait that should translate to college basketball. That gives him versatility to defend guards, wings and some power forwards. His effort on the offensive glass carries over defensively, soaring for rebounds. He’s disruptive with steals and blocks for his position, and his best moment against Doncic came when he picked him clean at half court. If Wade brings back the aggressive defensive philosophy he used previously at LSU, Niang could become even more disruptive. If he’s a pest on ball handlers and can fly for some blocks out of nowhere, he might be reminiscent of former LSU forward Tari Eason. Niang likely won’t reach Eason’s elite defensive status, but he has the tools to approximate some of that ability

One area of growth is screen

navigation. All defenders get clipped by hard screens, but Niang has the physical tools to fight over them even better than he did last season.

Final verdict

Niang is a winning player He does too many things well without the ball, at his size and experience level, not to help LSU.

Barring unexpected development as a ballhandler or shooter, Wade won’t ask the former NBA second-round pick to be a primary scoring option. While Niang didn’t show natural off-the-dribble creation last season, that’s not a major issue.

The Italian pro can compensate by potentially becoming a top-10 perimeter defender in the SEC and an opportunistic off-ball scorer Combined with his connective passing, it would be surprising if he isn’t a starter for LSU.

Becoming a serviceable and more willing 3-point shooter is the swing skill that could elevate him from a solid starter to a rare two-way talent in college basketball

with

ers and 38 RBIs. The three-time AL MVP has one homer in his last 18 games since May 10 and ended an 11-game homer and RBI drought with a game-ending, tworun drive on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

BY LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press

NEW YORK Aaron Judge was out of the lineup Thursday for a third straight game and the New York Yankees were awaiting clarity about a bone bruise in one of the slugger’s right ribs that is causing right shoulder pain.

After avoiding a three-game sweep with a 2-1 victory over Cleveland, manager Aaron Boone said the team was awaiting the findings of Dr Gregory Pearl, a vascular surgery specialist in Dallas.

“Look it’s a lot of smart people in a specialized area and (the) guy is several states aways,” Boone said. “We’ve just got to be patient.”

Judge underwent a CT scan on Thursday morning and had an MRI earlier in the week when he met with a specialist. The bruise was first revealed when Judge underwent testing on the team’s off day on Monday

“I’m obviously not a doctor I don’t know how it all works, but there’s a lot of people involved in trying to make sure we get the right diagnosis,” Boone said Thursday morning.

Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March 2020. The injury occurred when he dove for a ball in September 2019, but Judge did not miss any time because of the 2020 season being delayed by the pandemic. He is hitting .248 with 17 hom-

Judge entered the game against Tampa Bay in a 1-for-24 slump that dropped his batting average to .246. He was hitless in 15 at-bats before singling in the first inning.

Judge won the batting title last season when he hit a careerhigh .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games. He missed 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 with a flexor strain in his right elbow that he suffered on a throw to home July 22 in Toronto. He underwent a plasma-rich injection and did not require offseason surgery When Judge was hurt last season, Giancarlo Stanton played 17 games in the outfield. Stanton has been out since April 24 with a strained right calf and started taking live at-bats on the field Wednesday, though he was ruled out for New York’s upcoming road trip.

José Caballero started the first two games against Cleveland and has made four starts in right field since being acquired from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade deadline. Max Schuemann made his first career start in right field Thursday and made a diving catch on Steven Kwan in

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

Little Rock center fielder Zach Henry, left, slides as LSU shortstop Steven Milam makes a catch near center fielder Chris Stanfield at second base in Game 1 of the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional on May 30, 2025, at Alex Box Stadium.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By SERGEI GRITS

Italy’s Saliou Niang dunks the ball during a Eurobasket championship round of 16 game against Slovenia on Sept. 7 at the Riga Arena in Riga, Latvia

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER

WORLDCUP 2026

FIFA bans reusable waterbottles in stadiums

As hightemperatures expected,last-minute move blastedby fans

Associated Press

CORAL GABLES,Fla. FIFAhas made alate changeofpolicy to barWorld Cup fans from bringing refillable water bottles into the tournament’s 16 stadiums across NorthAmerica, including some with limited or no shade from the sun.

The “StadiumCode of Conduct” update was criticized Thursday by

an Englishfan group, which argued FIFAhad given assurances on carrying emptyplastic bottles to fill with freely available water at atournament where heat and extreme weather are expected to be factors.

“Naturally,the immediate thought from supporters is this is justthe latest money grab,” theFree Lions fan group said in a statement. Water, sodasand juicessoldat WorldCup stadiums aresupplied exclusivelybylong-time FIFA sponsor Coca-Cola when the tournament startsnext Thursday FIFA’s stadium rules had stated

‘It’snot easy’

Iran playersdescribehow thewar with U.S. affectstheir WorldCup preparations

BY KHALIL HAMRA Associated Press

ANTALYA,Turkey

Iran is heading to the World Cup while the country is at war with the primary host nation, asituation that is unique in the tournament’shistory

In exclusive interviews with TheAssociatedPress during a team camp in Turkey,two members of Iran’ssquaddescribed how the conflict is affecting its World Cup preparations.

“Well, to be honest, it’snot easy,” said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielderwho also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“That’sgoing to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kind of things,” he said in English on the sidelines of atrainingsessionon Wednesday.“But at theend it is going to be difficult for us because at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of theplayers and the people.”

The Iran team has spent more than two weeks in Turkey,mostly practicingatthe coastal resort Antalya, andsomewenttothe capital Ankara to submit visa applications at the U.S. embassy Media access to their World Cup preparations has been limited, and the players rarely speakto internationaljournalists

BasedinMexico

The team is set to travel to Mexico this weekend after receiving visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. The team said Thursday that the process of obtaining entry permits had been finalized for all members of thesquad. Problemswith visa processing meant Iran’s World Cup training

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Balich called it a“verygood sign” that Canada,Mexico and the U.S. were working together to host “a peaceful World Cup.”

“I think it’svery important that we stress the fact that the three nations are working togetherto host avery important and relevant championship, especially in this moment where there is so much controversy on thepoliti-

that fans could bring in atransparent, reusable bottle up to one liter, or 33.8 oz. capacity The latest document dated Tuesdaynow states “for theavoidance of doubt,reusablewater bottlesmay not be brought into the stadium.”

“Inall of ourdiscussions,”the Englandfans’ groupsaid, “free water availability in stadiums was akey one and we were assured by FIFAthat this would be thecase.”

In astatementThursday, the worldsoccer body said the decision to prohibit bottles —which could be thrown —was “toprevent risk and injury to players and attendees.”

“FIFAiscommitted to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees,fans, volunteers, and staff,” it said. FIFA said some of the 16 stadiums had already prohibited fans from bringing water bottles, so the policy would apply across them all.

With temperatures at 90 Fahrenheit andabove expected in many of the U.S., Mexican and Canadian cities hosting the 104 games, FIFA said “heat mitigation” forfans approaching stadiumswould include “misting stations, fans,hydration stations, cooling tents, and more.”

“Inside the stadium footprint,

pricing forwater bottles forthe FIFA WorldCup 2026 will remain consistentwithother events heldat each stadium,” the soccer body said. FIFA hasreacted to expected heat in someoutdoor stadiums by enforcing three-minutedrinks breaksmidwaythrough each half at allgames.Criticshavesaid turning all games into fourquarters was to create morebreaks for broadcasters to sell advertising. “For all of the effort they are going to with ‘drinks breaks’ for the players, this is such astrange, late change,” the Free Lions fangroup said of the water bottle ban.

Messi’slastdance

BY DÉBORAREY AP sportswriter

BUENOSAIRES Argentinahas bitter memories of 1994, the last time the United States hosted the World Cup.

After thesecond group stage match, nationaliconDiego Maradona was expelled from thetournament due to apositivedoping test. Maradona would neverplay another WorldCup match,and Argentina was eliminatedinthe round of 16.

Thirty-two yearslater,the SouthAmerican powerhouseis hoping for ahappier ending for Maradona’s heir,Lionel Messi, whoisturning 39 this month and is widely expected to retire from international soccer after the curtain comes down on the2026 World Cup, whichthe U.S.isco-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

base was moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico’s border with California.

Iran will playits first two games near Los Angeles, which hasa large Iranian community, many of whom oppose the current government.

“So for sure, we are expecting to have alot fansduring our games at thestadium,” Ezatolahisaid. “And this is going to be alot pressure forusbecause the expectation is going be high.

Ijust wishwecan makethem proud and show them that Iranians, they are prepared for every hard job in the world,” he said. Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, is going to hisfirst World Cup for Iran.

“It’s true that we arefacing special circumstances right now but we are football playersand we havetoplay, practice, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead,” the Abu Dhabi-based player told the AP in Farsi.

“On the other hand, we know that our people have been goingthrougha lot of difficulties throughout the war,and we are going there for them, to get the best results for their joy and the joy of thepeopleofour country.”

The U.S. and Israel launched its war against Iran on Feb. 28, killing its supreme leader and other top officials. Iran responded with strikes targeting Israel, U.S forces and the Gulf Arabstates It also has maintained achokehold onthe Strait of Hormuz, the narrowmouth of thePersian Gulf, imperiling global energy supplies. Despite anominal ceasefire being in place, Iranand the U.S have yet to negotiate apermanentend to the warand attacks continueinthe region.

calside,”saidBalich, founder of Balich WonderStudios. “But the peopleare people, and they will get together and enjoy.”

Each ceremony will feature top artistic performances thattap into the national identity,but Balich said spectators shouldn’texpect aSuper Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead,the ceremonieswill combine welcoming speeches,a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball andabout 30 minutes of musical entertainment. “It’sacelebration of football,

If he and Argentina manage to keep theWorld Cup trophy they won four years ago in Qatar,they will becomethe first team to win backto-back titlessince Brazil in 1962. It would also strengthen theclaim of those who already call Messi the greatest player of all time.

“I loveplaying footballand I’m going to do it untilI can’tanymore,” Messi told Argentine broadcast journalist Joaquín “Pollo” Álvarez in aYouTube interview.“I’m competitive, Ilike to win at everything, Idon’teven let my kids win at video games sometimes. It’sjust my nature and what led metoachieve everything Ihave.”

Aftermore than20years playingfor Barcelona, ParisSaintGermain and Inter Miami, Messi’s body is showing signs of wear.A week ahead of what will be his record sixth World Cup, he is recovering from ahamstring problem that led to his substitution during Inter Miami’sfinal match before the tournamentonMay 24.

TheArgentina captainworked outonhis ownatthe team’s base camp in Kansas City this week.

“Weall would have liked Messi to arrive without any problems, but that’snot thecase. Not only him,most of theplayers aren’tfully recoveredyet,”Argentinacoach Lionel Scaloni told DSports, aLatin American TV network.

Fitnessconcerns

Goalkeeper EmilianoMartínez, hero of two penaltyshootouts in 2022, including the finalagainst France, suffered afracture to the ring fingerofhis right hand during the Europa League final while playing for Aston Villa.

Defender Cristian“Cuti” Romero is recovering from aknee injury he picked up in mid-April while playing for Tottenham.Right backs Nahuel Molinaand GonzaloMontiel are dealing with muscle injuries as is midfielderLeandroParedes.

Argentina, also championin1978 and1986, will playits first group stagematch on June 16 against

FIFAand the fact that, thanks to soccer,people gettogetherin peace and harmony,”Balich said. Each ceremony will be held about90minutes beforegame time, following a25-minute player warm-up that organizers hope will prompt spectators to arrive early While theSuper Bowl celebrates “a gamethat is only famous in the U.S., therest of theworld plays soccer,and hasapassion that is shared,” Balich said.

The festivities launch on June 11 in Mexico City,ahead of the Mexico City-South Africamatch, with

Algeria in Kansas City.Next up in GroupJ are Austria on June 22 and Jordan on June 27 in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas.

Scaloni is relying on 17 of the 26 players whowon the World Cup in 2022, even though several are not in peak physical condition.

“Why change them if they don’t deserve that?We’vealways been honest with them.The players whoare here today have shown us they want to be here. And secondly,their levelhasn’tdropped,” Scaloni said.

Argentinawon the Copa América in 2024 andfinishedtop of the South American World Cup qualifying group.

Atletico Madrid forward Julián Álvarez is key to Scaloni’sattack, while Barcelona, Arsenal, and PSG are reportedly vying forhis signature for next season. The coach hasalso brought in threedebutants:midfielder Valentín Barco, whorecently signed for Chelsea, and forwards Nicolás Paz,akey player for ComoinItaly,and Juan ManuelLópez, the top scorer for Brazilianclub Palmeiras.

Anotableabsence compared to four years ago is Ángel Di María, who retired from the national team in 2024.BesidesMessi,hewas instrumental in Argentina’ssuccess in Qatar.

“It’simpossible to fill Di María’s shoes. He and Messi are irreplaceable,” Scaloni said.

Afuturewithout Messi Always soft-spoken, Messi has tried to lower expectations of another World Cup title.

ashow featuring Latin rock band Maná,Colombian singer JBalvin and South African pop star Tyla. They continue June 12 in Toronto aheadofthe Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina game, with Alanis Morissette andMichael Bublé headlining, before heading to Los Angeles Stadium later that day for theU.S.-Paraguay opener International stars will take the stage at Los Angeles Stadium, including KatyPerry,global pop starLISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta, and hip-hop artist Future.

“Wehave to get excited, like Argentines always do, but we also have to know that there are other favorites ahead of us who are in better form,” he said.

Messi already holds the record for most World Cup matches (26) and needs four more goals to surpass Germany’sMiroslavKlose’s record of 16 World Cup goals.

While he hasn’texplicitly said he will retire fromthe national team after theWorldCup, he dropped abig hint last Septemberwhenhetalkedabout the team’squalifying match against Venezuela in Buenos Aires as his last competitive home game for Argentina.

“Itwas very emotional,knowingthiswas my last competitive match here,” he said after the game at the Monumental Stadium. “I’ve been through alot in this stadium —somegreat moments and somedifficult ones but it’salways special to play in front of our fans.”

Scaloni, likemostArgentines, also gets emotional whenthinking about anationalteam without Messi.

“I liketothink he’s going to keep playing because otherwise you get sad, like what happened with Diego (Maradona),” Scaloni said in an interviewpublished on thewebsite of South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL.“Theyare players who have madehistory in football and thinking that they won’tplay anymoredoesn’t leave you at peace. Iprefer to think about the present.”

The Italian producer is enjoying the distinction of producing the twobiggest sports ceremonies in the world this year —the 2026 Winter Games opening ceremony and2026World Cup—evenasItaly sits out its third straight World Cup.

“Itisvery encouraging, actually, to compensate forthe sad news that Italy is not there thistime,” Balich said, adding that Italy’sabsence, “whichisadisasterfor us, hasalso enabledustobeveryimpartial”incelebrating each country “in asimilar way.”

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByCHARLIE RIEDEL Argentina forward Lionel Messi works out for the WorldCup on WednesdayinKansas City,Kan.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RIZA OZEL Nigeria’sAkorAdams,right, fights for theballwith Iran’sMohammad Ghorbani during afriendly soccer matchonMarch 27 in Antalya, southern Turkey

Towns held his own against Wemby in Game 1 of Finals

Knicks looking for more in Game 2

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP basketball writer

SAN ANTONIO Karl-Anthony

Towns’ first two baskets of the NBA Finals were like countless others in his career The New York forward got the ball 30 feet from the basket, surveyed the scene, drove right past his defender and scored at the rim.

These buckets, however, were not ordinary

They were against Victor Wembanyama.

Towns helped set a tone for the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday night by going right at San Antonio’s best player and the unanimous pick as Defensive Player of the Year — twice in the opening minutes. Towns didn’t get any more field goals against Wemban-

NBA

Continued from page 1C

other, trusting the basketball gods, trusting the game plan, executing, and not relying on talent so much to make shots or to save the day,” Wembanyama said. “We’ve been playing a certain way all season. We’ve been successful this way There’s no reason to change the day the finals start.”

It was easy for the Spurs to find areas to clean up. For the Knicks these days, that’s considerably tougher

They’re 12-0 in their last 12 games, the third team to do that in a single postseason. The other two San Antonio in 1999 and Golden State in 2017 — were NBA champions. The Knicks are certainly playing like a championship-capable team, but star guard

Jalen Brunson insists that New York can’t subscribe to any sort of thinking that suggests the job is done and a parade is inevitable.

“It’s all about just getting better every single day, keep chipping away, keep chipping away, being 1% better,” said Brunson, who led all scorers with 30 points in his finals debut Wednesday. “When you take steps back, how can you improve? Having that mentality and focus and approach I think allows us to still be students of the game and still find ways to learn,

yama over the remainder of the game and didn’t have to, finishing with 18 points in New York’s 10595 win

“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making, and I always say about being aggressive in playmaking: It may not be for the shot or get someone else a shot or get the hockey assist going,” Towns said “For me, when I go out there, I try to be aggressive in playmaking.”

That holds true against the best defensive player on the planet.

The Knicks did a lot right in Game 1, but perhaps tops on that list was not letting the 7-foor-4

Wembanyama take over the game or even get into a rhythm on either side of the court. Wembanyama scored 26 points on 6-for-21 shooting from the floor — and got a text from former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich between the end of Game 1 and Thursday after-

noon’s practice. The message from Pop? That “I’ve been bad and I’m better than this,” Wembanyama revealed.

While that may be true, the Knicks believe Towns deserved a lot of credit for not letting Wembanyama become completely dominant in the series opener

“Wemby, man, obviously iconic player, you’re not going to stop him, you hope he misses,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “You’ve got to throw different people, different coverages at him. You got to try not to send him to the free-throw line. We sent him to the freethrow line 13 times, but KAT himself did a pretty decent job of trying to lead with his chest while being physical. Again, I think it’s all due to him wanting to do whatever he can to help the team while being present.”

The New york Knicks celebrate after winning Game 1

against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in San

even through wins, and I think we need to continue to do that.”

The Knicks were coming off their second nine-day break between series — an unintended consequence of sweeping Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference semifinals and Cleveland in the East finals — and handled it just fine.

But New York’s Mikal Bridges knows Game 2 will be better

“I don’t think our Game 1s, even though we won, have been great at all,” Bridges said “It’s tough to assimilate the emotional aspect, how physical it’s going to be when you’re in practice every day, besides being in those games. It’s tough. ... Now, we kind of got a rhythm. We’ve got to be better and

NBA bans two fans for life after one runs onto court during Game 1

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

SAN ANTONIO The NBA banned two people for life from its arenas on Thursday, after one of them was arrested shortly after running onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals and appearing to take a selfie next to San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama.

The incident occurred midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Spurs and New York Knicks. The NBA did not disclose what role the second banned person, who did not run onto the court, played in the incident.

“The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas,” an NBA spokesman said in a message sent to The Associated Press and other outlets. “A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident.”

The person who was arrested after running onto the court is a juvenile, according to a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because that detail — first reported by the San Antonio Express-News was not revealed publicly

That fan appeared to enter the court from the sideline opposite the team benches, starting from behind the play and running into San Antonio’s offensive end. The person was quickly pulled from the court by two security guards and it did not appear the person made any physical contact with Wembanyama or any New York players.

I know we will be Game 2.”

The Spurs hope they will as well. It’s not must-win time for San Antonio, but going to New York in a 2-0 hole would make the challenge of winning the finals considerably more daunting. The Spurs have handled all the adversity that has come their way so far in the playoffs, and now have to answer that bell again.

“It’s very reassuring,” Wembanyama said. “We know we’re not here by chance. We’ve been through some weird — what do you call it? weird situations, whatever. Yes, it’s reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we got, are built this way They are resilient.”

“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act.”

He compared the moment to a game in January 2024 when a bat got into the Spurs’ arena and flew around the court, stopping a game against Minnesota for a couple of minutes.

Play on Wednesday was stopped for 1 minute and 29 seconds before the game resumed with a jump ball. The fan who entered the play was taken out of the court area through a baseline tunnel.

“I don’t think it was an event at all,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said “I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”

Silver lauded crew chief Scott Foster and the game’s officiating crew for handling the incident quickly, not disrupting the game for any longer than necessary

“It’s unfortunately part of all sports,” Silver said. “There’s lot more security, much more apparatus in place than we needed maybe in the old days. I think the other side of the coin of global attention is that somebody realizes that there’s this enormous platform to do stupid things. So, we learn from every incident.”

League investigating fan’s Another incident involving fan behavior occurred in the final minute of Wednesday’s Game 1, when New York guard Jalen Brunson who had a game-high 30 points in the Knicks’ comefrom-behind win — appeared to be upset by something said to him by a patron in a courtside seat. Silver confirmed Thursday that the league is looking into what was said to Brunson. Asked about that incident, Brunson declined to comment.

“I even hesitate to describe that person as a fan,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday “They seemed to have some ulterior motive for doing so.” Wembanyama did not appear bothered by the incident, either as it was happening or afterward.

LSU men’s basketball set to face Gonzaga in the fall

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU men’s basketball has scheduled what will likely be one of its toughest nonconference opponents next season.

Coach Will Wade’s team will play Gonzaga on Nov 14 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington, according to the game contract It will be the first meeting between the programs ever The game time was not listed.

Gonzaga is expected to field another competitive team, as it routinely has under 27-year coach Mark Few The Bulldogs have been a preseason AP Top 25 team every year since the 2009-10 season and have finished outside the final poll only four times in that span. They went 31-4 last season and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, losing 74-68 in the Round of 32 to Texas. The Bulldogs returned important pieces and will likely be led by five-star transfer center Massamba Diop. The 7-footer averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a freshman at Arizona State last season.

LSU has also agreed to participate in the Palm Springs Classic, a four-team multiteam event at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California, according to the game contract. The tournament runs Nov 21-26 and LSU will face two of the three other teams in the field: SMU, Arizona State or Southern California. LSU’s first opponent and game times were not listed.

SMU was the only team in the group to make the NCAA Tournament last season, losing 89-79 to Miami (Ohio) in the First Four

The Tigers faced SMU in back-to-back seasons under previous coach Matt McMahon losing 74-64 at a neutral site in Texas on Dec. 14, 2024, and winning 89-77 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans the following year Arizona State finished 17-16 last season and enters its first year under coach Randy Bennett, who left Saint Mary’s after leading the Gaels to five straight NCAA Tournament berths. One of his

associate head coaches is David Patrick, a former LSU assistant under McMahon (2024-26) and Johnny Jones (2012-16).

The Aztecs also have former LSU forward Marcus Vaughns.

The 6-foot-8 Australian enrolled early at LSU in December 2025 and redshirted after not appearing in any games.

USC went 18-14 last season and is expected to improve with three top-30 recruits, including Christian Collins, the No 9 player in the 2026 class according to 247Sports.

The Tigers are also reportedly in the process of scheduling a game with powerhouse Houston at the Toyota Center according to CBS Sports national college basketball reporter Jon Rothstein. The details of this game, including the date, are not yet known. The Cougars have won at least 30 games each season since 202122 and earned both the Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament titles in 2024 and 2025 They also have former LSU lead point guard Dedan Thomas, who transferred after one season in Baton Rouge.

Wade is crafting a challenging nonconference schedule designed to prepare LSU for the 18-game Southeastern Conference slate and hopefully have a compelling résumé to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, when he was fired. The Tigers must have confidence that the nine players currently on the roster can compete at a high level.

LSU’s four international additions are 23-year-old Brazilian pro Marcio Santos, 22-year-old Italian wing Saliou Niang, 19-year-old Croatian forward Michael Ruzic and 23-year-old French center Brice Dessert.

The Tigers’ four transfers are forward Mo Dioubate (Kentucky), guard Divine Ugochukwu (Michigan State), guard Abdi Bashir (Kansas State) and guard Austin Nunez (UTSA). Wade has reportedly added former St. John’s star RJ Luis as well. The 23-year-old went undrafted last year, signed a two-way NBA contract and was later waived. He never appeared in a G League game.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC GAy

of the NBA Finals

Antonio.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHTO By ERIC GAy

New york Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns shoots past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series on Wednesday in San Antonio.

‘This wasthe fate of these people’

Newdocumentary revealshow aNew England university sold 272 slaves in Louisiana

BY LESLIE CARDÉ

Contributing writer

When Georgetown Universitystudent Matthew Quallen discovered in 2014that one of thelargest slave auctions in history was perpetrated by his own university,and the Jesuit priestswho ranit, he wrotea groundbreakingarticle for his student newspaper,The Hoya.

The discovery of the 1838sale of 272 enslaved people —who were eventually put on boats andshippedfrom Maryland to thePortofNew Orleans caused quite ascandal. Discovering theparticulars of just how amajor university sustained itselfonthe backs of slaves is the subject of anew documentary,“Georgetown 272 —The Journey,” whichhas just been accepted at theToronto InternationalNollywood Film Festival and will screen there in September

Moten

The film’s writer and director,Albert J. Moten Jr., knew nothing of this piece of history until he was approached by afriend who was a nurse at Tulane University during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hesaid, ‘Man,you ever heard of the Georgetown 272?’ ” recalled Moten. “I said, no,and he explained to me very quickly about who they were. He then told me that he actually hadone of thedescendants there in his office and asked if Iwantedto speak with her.That begana yearslong odyssey fleshingout the details.”

PHOTO By JOSEPH SOHM/PROVIDED By CARL VANPRODUCTIONS

Old slave cabins still exist on St. Joseph Plantation in Vacherie.

Those details would come to light after talking to scholars and eventually finding a man named Richard Cellini, aGeorgetown alumnus and founderofthe Georgetown Memory Project. He had been researching the subject matter for years.

“Inlooking forthe descendantsofthese people,itwas the prevailing wisdom that being crowded onto ashipfor a monthlong journey out in the Atlantic Ocean was tantamount to adeath sentence,” recalled Cellini. “And, in my discussions with the powers-that-be at Georgetown University, I was told that everyone had died of afever,leaving no traceand no descendants. But, Ithought, even the Titanic had survivors!” Cellini eventually foundmanifests from two of the fiveslave shipsthat journeyed south in the Atlantic, eventually landing in NewOrleans,where people were then taken to various

LIVING

“When I would cover stuff, people would say, ‘Shayisso New Orleans.’ Maybe I could spin off that and just be myself.”

SHAyO’CONNOR

FORTHE PEOPLE

Afterwalking away from WDSU,

Shay

O’Connor revels in being‘seauxNew Orleans’

BY KEITH SPERA| Staff writer

GrowingupinNew Orleans,Shay O’Connor mimicked Oprah Winfrey and WWL-TV legend Sally-Ann Roberts whileimagining herselfasa hometownTVreporter

She realized that dream during sixyearsasa popular,instantly recognizable and naturally New Orleansreporter at local NBCaffiliate WDSU

But in early 2026, she shocked her many fans when she left WDSU for an uncertain future.

Anoncompete clause in hercontract prohibited her from working for another local station for ayear,and neither didshe wanttopursue aTVjob in another city Her strengths as abroadcaster, she believes,are inextricably boundupwith heridentity as a New Orleanian. So she hasstarted telling her hometown’sstories on her own. On May 4, aka “5-0-4 Day,” O’Connor launched avideo in-

terviewpodcast, “SEAUX New Orleans.” She also posts her own, independent news stories on her social media platforms and website. “A lot of people thought that

ä See O’CONNOR, page 2D

L IS TE NUP

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Former WDSU reporter ShayO’Connor poses in NewOrleans on April15. O’Connor remains activeinthe community,shining alight on the stories of fellowNew Orleanians.

PROVIDED PHOTOFROMSHAyO’CONNOR Ayoung ShayO’Connor with her father, Chris O’Connor

PROVIDED IMAGE FROM SHAyO’CONNOR ShayO’Connor in ascreen grab image from one of her WDSU reports.

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday, June 5, the 156th day of 2026. There are 209 days left in the year

Today in history:

On June 5, 1968, U.S. Sen Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded after claiming victory in California’s Democratic presidential primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested at the scene. Also on this date:

In 1794, Congress passed the Neutrality Act, which prohibited Americans from taking part in any military action against a country that was at peace with the United States.

In 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Henderson v. United States, struck down racially segregated railroad dining cars traveling across state lines.

In 1967, the Six-Day War began as Israel, anticipating a possible attack by its Arab neighbors, launched a series of airfield strikes that destroyed nearly the entire Egyptian air force.

In 1981, the Centers for Disease Control reported that five men in Los Angeles had come down with a rare kind of pneumonia; they were the first recognized cases of what later became

FREQUENCY

Continued from page 1D

tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, everything from meditation soundscapes to reggae songs recorded by Ziggy Marley.

Scientists say there’s no robust evidence that music tuned to 432 hertz has any special benefits or healing properties. Some musicians and listeners say it helps them connect with nature, relax or concentrate

“There are frequencies going on right now that are higher than what we can hear and lower than what can hear And they’re not special because they’re one of the billions and billions of frequencies that we’re receiving right now,” said Susan Rogers, a Berklee College of Music professor emeritus who worked as Prince’s sound engineer during the 1980s.

“To set one aside and say that it is the frequency of the universe is, as far as the science community is concerned, nonsense.”

To Sanchez, who provides telehealth services for a healthcare management organization in California, it doesn’t matter if the feelings she has while listening to 432 hertz music have a scientific explanation.

“It helps me focus and be engaged with the patient I’m assisting, and it also helps me relax,” she said “When it comes to music, it could activate different feelings in people, the vibrations of it. It’s not like a one-size-fits-all.”

The story behind 440, 432 hertz Throughout history, as people sang or played music together they tuned their instruments to the same pitch to create a harmonious sound. Singers and musicians often chose a musical note typically the A above middle C on a piano — as a reference point.

The music genre known as “432 Hz” is characterized by its tuning, in which the A above middle C is pitch-adjusted to vibrate at 432 hertz instead of the standard 440 hertz. The lower frequency is noticeable to the naked ear, sounding like slightly lower notes. Some people feel the alteration produces a warmer, more harmonious sound that resonates with the human body and the natural world. Most orchestras and musicians now tune their instruments to 440 hertz. But that wasn’t always the case. Until the 19th century, musicians tuned instruments according to local standards, which varied from one country to the next, said Fanny Gribenski, a music historian at New York University

“For most of music history, people are just singing within their own vocal range,” she added Eventually, there were orchestras and musical groups tuning to higher frequencies, and some composers became concerned that singers would be unable to perform music from the past, Gribenski said.

“The idea that it should be mainly a lower frequency than the ones that were in use at the time is really the cultural concern for protecting music from the past, protecting the voices of singers,” she said.

At the same time, as international travel became more widespread, the desire for a common tuning frequency grew In 1939, representatives from multiple

Continued from page 1D

known as AIDS. In 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her Salt Lake City home. (Smart was found and rescued by police in a Salt Lake City suburb in March 2003.)

In 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2024, Boeing launched astronauts into space for the first time aboard its Starliner capsule, joining SpaceX as a second taxi service for NASA.

Two NASA test pilots blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, bound for the International Space Station

Today’s Birthdays: USA Track & Field Hall of Famer John Carlos is 81. Musician-artist Laurie Anderson is 79. Author Ken Follett is 77. Finance author Suze Orman is 75. Musician Kenny G is 70. Actor-comedian Jeff Garlin is 64. Author Rick Riordan is 62 Actor Ron Livingston is 59. Singer Brian McKnight is 57. Actor Mark Wahlberg is 55. Actor Liza Weil is 49. Actor-comedian Nick Kroll is 48. Rock musician Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy) is 47. Singer-actor Troye Sivan is 31. NFL quarterback Sam Darnold is 29.

European countries and the U.S. agreed to accept 440 hertz as the international standard.

Artists continued to experiment with pitch over the decades that followed. In the 1980s and ’90s, sound engineers sometimes took a recorded song and sped it up or slowed it down to achieve a brighter or slower sound, moving away from the frequency of 440 hertz, Rogers said.

But Rogers doubts that retuning a whole band or orchestra to 432 hertz would improve its sound since many modern instruments were designed sound prettiest while tuned to 440 hertz.

“Some of those instruments might sound a little sweeter, but it’s likely that most won’t,” she said.

Higher pitch generally means more brilliance, or perhaps a little more power in some instruments, Gribenski said For those listeners who appreciate the lower 432 hertz music, “I wonder if there is a sense of deceleration, slowing down slightly, and also taking one step down from the bright sounds of modernity,” she said.

Working and 432 hertz music

Fans of working while accompanied by a 432 hertz soundtrack cite a variety of reasons.

Amelia Beamer, who handles marketing at the North Carolina pharmacy her parents own, Andrews Apothecary says she thinks taking work breaks to listen to music tuned to 432 hertz helps with her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She’s noticed that she feels more focused if she listens before she starts a project.

Beamer works for 25 minutes, takes a five-minute listening break and then returns to the task at hand. She also listens to other frequencies, such as music tuned to 528 hertz.

“It definitely helps me feel more grounded and more centered,”

Beamer said of 432 hertz music.

“It helps me slow down and to take some intentional space and time for myself.”

Diana Wolf Torres, who creates videos and writes a newsletter about robots, frequently gets migraines and is sensitive to noises. If a gardener is using a leaf blower next door, she has difficulty ignoring it. Listening to music tuned to 432 hertz or other sounds such as white noise while wearing noise-canceling headphones helps.

“I just want to be there and get it done and feel like I’m doing my best writing possible, and anything that keeps me in the zone is a fantastic tool,” Torres said.

Torres doesn’t think there’s any science or special properties behind 432 hertz music but that “maybe some people find this lower tuning more soothing.” She noted that most listeners won’t know if music labeled 432 hertz on social media is labeled accurately.

“What does it matter? If you’re getting an effect, are you really going to check the resonance? Do you care?” Torres asked. Sanchez, the telehealth worker, also enjoys listening to tunes fixed to other alternative frequencies, such as 528 hertz and 963 hertz.

“It’s something worth exploring and finding out for yourself whether it has any benefits or not,” Sanchez said. “For me, I find that grounding is beneficial to my overall wellbeing, so I see how it helps my livelihood.”

I would be leaving (New Orleans) when I announced I was leaving WDSU,” O’Connor said recently. “I will not be going anywhere. I’m going to stay right here in New Orleans.

“I want to tell our stories in an authentic way That’s the reason I wanted to become a journalist.”

Being herself

She spent her childhood in Gentilly and Uptown, predominantly in the 3rd and 17th wards. She and a gaggle of neighborhood kids would hang out on porches waiting for the “iceberg lady” to come around with frozen treats.

After school, she watched the news at her grandmother’s house at the corner of Washington Avenue and South Tonti Street. WWLTV was her grandmother’s “station of choice. Watching the news with her is what started that interest for me.”

Hurricane Katrina intruded on her time at Eleanor McMain High School, and she evacuated to Dallas. Her father stayed behind with other relatives. Broken levees flooded the O’Connor family home; Shay didn’t hear from her father until many days later

Watching CNN’s Anderson Cooper covering Katrina only deepened her desire to pursue broadcast journalism. Concerned that her thick New Orleans accent might be a hindrance, she instead majored in mass communications with a concentration in public relations at Xavier University Instructors who told her that she “talked too slow” didn’t help her confidence. She tried to alter her speech pattern by reading chapters from books out loud. Eventually she resolved to just “be myself.”

She interned at Fox 8 and worked as a desk assistant at WWL-TV At WWL, she would shadow reporters, write her own version of whatever story was being reported, and tape practice news reports. She used them to assemble a newsreel, essentially a broadcast journalism résumé.

That newsreel earned her her first on-air job in Baton Rouge. From there, she moved to WJTV 12 News in Jackson, Mississippi, where she became a weekend morning show anchor and “realized I really love to anchor.”

Meanwhile, she kept an eye out for jobs in New Orleans. When a reporter position opened up at WDSU, she reached out to the station’s news director. She got the interview and the job.

Having an impact

Her accent, she believes, was an asset to her reporting at WDSU.

“I was able to go into any neighborhood and tell an authentic story, one that allowed a person to be themselves. Being able to get someone to open up and express themselves and not feel any shame about it, that’s something I really enjoy.”

The hometown stories she told were often tragic, so she sought out uplifting news as well. While reporting a story about four New Orleans high schools with Black male valedictorians, she had trouble contacting one of the boys.

She soon discovered why: he lived at Covenant House, the shelter for homeless and at-risk youth. She was struck by how many challenges he’d overcome to be at the top of his class.

Her interview resulted in an outpouring of community support for the young man A GoFundMe

DOCUMENTARY

Continued from page 1D

plantations along the route between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. They were carted by buggy to such properties as St Joseph Plantation in Vacherie and West Oak Plantation in Iberville Parish on Bayou Maringouin not coincidentally owned by Jesse Batey, one of the two men (along with thenGov Henry Johnson) who purchased the slaves back in Maryland for transportation to the Deep South.

campaign raised tens of thousands of dollars.

“It just shows how journalism can have an impact if you care enough,” O’Connor said.

She was part of the WDSU team that won a regional Emmy Award for coverage of the infamous 2025 Orleans Parish jailbreak.

For the 20th anniversary of Katrina, she taped a long segment about the storm’s impact on her own family It included an interview with her father, Chris.

“I remember him being so nervous at first. When he found out that we were going to where the house was where he grew up, he immediately started crying.”

He ultimately enjoyed his star turn: “He always asks to see it when he comes over.”

Walking away

As much as she loved being a reporter, O’Connor ultimately wanted to occupy the anchor desk. When an anchor position opened up at WDSU, she applied for it. When she wasn’t promoted, she decided not to renew her reporter contract after it expired Feb. 28.

“I didn’t quit,” she said. “When it became clear to me that I was not going to get that advancement, I just allowed my contract to end.

“I absolutely love WDSU (But) I feel like as New Orleanians, we deserve growth. We deserve advancement. There’s so many little girls that I would bring into the station to shadow me. They’re watching me. It’s a lesson for them too. We deserve to be poured into We deserve sunlight as New Orleans natives.”

As evidenced by the bouquets sent to her at the station, O’Connor’s admirers are legion. The many supportive comments she received on social media made her cry and reinforced her commitment to her hometown, even though she still has nine more months under the noncompete clause.

“As a New Orleanian, I feel like we should be able to continue to work in our city,” she said. “I have two elderly parents. I take care of them. I don’t want to be away from them.

“When I would cover stuff, people would say, ‘Shay is so New Orleans.’ Maybe I could spin off that and just be myself. A lot of times I would have to change my voice, I would have to make sure my news (delivery) was a certain way Now I can give the facts but also just use my voice.”

Her first “SEAUX New Orleans” interview subject was former WDSU colleague Damon Singleton. Like O’Connor, Singleton — who now works as a meteorologist for NOLA.com and The TimesPicayune — left WDSU after not receiving a hoped-for promotion. Subsequent episodes have featured Black Masking Indian Flagboy Giz, police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and Bianca Jones, the New Orleans Fire Department’s first Black female captain. O’Connor also curates a “SEAUX New Orleans” newsletter and posts independently produced news segments on her Facebook page (she’s still trying to get her “Shay O’Connor WDSU” Facebook handle changed).

“It feels like it was always meant to be,” she says of her one-woman news operation. “I think that’s why when it was time to leave the station, I felt this calmness. If you don’t see my worth, I do. And other people do.”

At her old job, she felt like the more community-based stories she pitched weren’t taken seriously She sometimes wrote and shot such stories on her own time.

Now “if I can do those stories that I had to sneak to do, then I’m good.”

Once her noncompete clause expires, she’ll probably pursue another local TV job. The adrenaline of breaking news is hard to replace.

“I saw an ambulance roll past me while I was driving home, and I was very tempted to follow,” she said. “You always want to feel that rush again. You want to tell that story

“It’s something that never really escapes you when you’ve worked in news. I don’t think it’ll ever leave.”

“I would rather stay right here where I’ve gained my following, in the city that has supported me, the city that I absolutely love. There’s so many stories that are still untold.” For now, she’s telling them via her own “SEAUX New Orleans” brand.

in the United States, even after international slavery was outlawed.”

After genealogical records revealed descendants of the Georgetown 272, many were reluctant to talk to filmmakers on camera, but one particular descendant, Matthew Mims, the fifth-generation grandson of one of the enslaved who was shipped to New Orleans, thought it was important to speak out.

“The dollar amount received for the Georgetown 272 was $115,000, averaging $422 per person,” Executive Producer Carl Van said. “In today’s dollars, that would be about $3.5 million.”

The terms were that buyers Jesse Batey and Henry Johnson put up the initial $25,000, with the balance to be paid through a structured payment agreement with the bank.

“My focus in deciding to fund this film was simple. I wanted people to know that as a point of history, this took place, as it’s an important story and a sign of the times here

“He’s a critical part of the reparations picture because his formerly enslaved relative now has a building named after him on the campus of Georgetown University,” Moten explained. “There was a big uproar in 2016 when that particular building was named after one of the Jesuit slavers. The building’s name was ultimately changed to reflect the struggles of Mims’ relative back in 1838.”

For Charlene Senegal Duqueer, chair of African American studies at Xavier University in New Orleans, she’s all too familiar with the Georgetown 272.

“If you can imagine the horrors of being put on an auction block, separated from your entire family and the people you knew all of your

Email Keith Spera at kspera@ theadvocate.com.

life, and sold to two gentlemen who proceeded to hoist you onto a slave ship and deposit you into one of the most brutal areas for slaves in the Deep South, this was the fate of these people,” Duqueer said. “For some, the prospect was so dire that they killed themselves before ever getting on one of those five ships sailing to Louisiana.” Georgetown University pledged to give $42 million to descendants of the travesty, and $1 million has been put forth to date. The university has also pledged to admit anyone who can prove to be one of the legitimate ancestors of the 272 slaves to study at Georgetown, tuition-free. And some descendants have seized that opportunity Richard Cellini believes it’s a step in the right direction, but at this point, it’s not enough to right the wrongs of the past. Much like the filmmakers, he believes we all must understand the past to move on with the future and eventually create healing. The film is currently making the rounds on the film festival circuit but is hoping for a distribution deal Email Leslie Cardé at lesliecardejournalist@gmail. com.

PHOTO By NELL NOLAN

Shay O’Connor, left, with WWL-TV legend Sally-Ann Roberts, one of her professional inspirations

Van

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Tidy up before heading in a new direction. You'll do much better if you focus on what you want to achieve instead of lingering on unfinished business. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Put your energy to good use. Reach out, pitch in and help. Do your part to make a difference. Someone you encounter will have an emotional impact on how you take care of yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Participate, do your best, help a cause or make a difference to someone struggling. Listen, but don't believe everything you hear. If you don't like the suggestions you receive, look for alternatives.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You have more choices than you realize. Reach out, get the lowdown on what's available and align yourself with people who are heading in a similar direction. Sharing with others will motivate you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Be a good listener. Show compassion and understanding, and engage in discussions that allow you to share your skills, objectives and what you find uplifting.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Envision what you want to pursue. Thoughts followed by actions will not disappoint. Steer clear of anyone trying to push you in a direction that benefits them more than you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A diversion thatsparksyourimaginationandencourages you to make a lifestyle adjustment will prompt a different perspective

regarding the possibilities and motivate you to embark on something creative or energizingwithouttaxingyouremotions, health or finances.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Putting energy toward home improvement and personal growth is in your best interest. When approached by people who ask for too much or try to back you into a corner, walk away.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Finish off those home improvements that will make your life easier. Creative thinking, coupled with discipline and desire for convenience and comfort, will help you make better lifestyle decisions.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pick a venue that interests you. Get out, socialize or pursuesomeoneor something you enjoy. You don't have to impress anyone Be yourself, and be honest about your likes and dislikes.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) You'll need to engage in a little give-and-take to avoid domestic disputes or confusion from someone you depend on for answers. Ask for second opinions.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Haste makes waste.Yourtimeisputtobetterusehelping others, asking questions and upping your game through personal preferences, additional qualifications and a solid plan.

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

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9inthe emptysquares so that eachrow,eachcolumn and each3x3 box contains the same number onlyonce. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Albert Einstein said, “If Aissuccessin life, then Aequals xplus yplusz.Workis x, yisplay, andziskeeping your mouth shut.” If Bissuccess in bridge, xisbidding, yisdeclarer-playand defense, and zis keepingyourmouthshutwheneverpartnermakes amistake.

However, for success in today’s deal, Southneedstofind thebestplay to bring home ninetricks in no-trump. What should he do after Westleads theheart jack?

South starts with eight top tricks: one spade, three hearts, two diamonds and twoclubs. He hastwo principal chances to generate an extra winner: Find hearts 3-3 or establish asecondspade trick Thefirst is unlikely, given the lead, but declarer shouldtake thefirst trick and cash another heart.When East follows, South can afford to cashhis last heart; but here East discards adiamond. How should declarer play thespades? If entrieswerenoissue, best would be to cashdummy’s ace, thentoduck around of the suit. Dummy would be entered againand athirdround led toward thequeen. Here, though, that is impossible. Some would just play aspade to the ace and return one to the queen —and here go down. But it cannot cost to play alow spade from each hand on thefirst round of thesuit. When declarer regains the lead, he plays aspade to dummy’s ace. Here the king appears, but if his majesty does not,Southcould still lead toward his queen. He would get home whenever East has theking, or thesuit is 3-3, or Westhas king-singleton or king-doubleton. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzleisa word riddle which createsadisguised word, phrase,name,place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD soFTEnED: SOF-end: Made less firm.

Average mark 34 words

Time limit 45 minutes

YEsTERDAY’s WoRD —THunDER

Canyou find43ormore words in SOFTENED? tend tern then thru thud trend true tune tuner turn turned herd hued hunt hunted hunter hurt under nerd nude dent duet dune rend rent rude rued runt ruth

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within 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.

Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE

thenumberofletters

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

DuStin Drabble

paper, ornate two-colorgreen design,cream back‐ground 65. –wallpaper:Frag‐ments. Classical"Pom‐peiian"block-printed de‐sign.Grey-taupeback‐ground,black,white,and grey "chiarascuro"or

Boxesof miscellaneousmanu‐script materialsrelated to Dr.Whyte Glendower Owen.Collectionleftat theCapital Park Mu‐seum,Baton RougeLAin 2005.

If proof of claimisnot presentedbythe owner to themuseum, andif theowner’s righttore‐ceivesuchpropertyis notestablished to the satisfaction of the LouisianaState Museum within sixty-five (65) days from thedateofthe second publishednotice, thepropertywillbe deemed to be abandoned andshall become the property of theLouisiana StateMuseum. Owners must submit writtenproof of claimto: Attn:Office of theRegis‐trar LouisianaState Mu‐seum 751 Chartres St NewOrleans,LA70116 189146-may29-jun5-2t $189

($200 000 000) of Capital Area FinanceAuthority Revenue Bondsinone or more series (the “Bonds”) under thepro‐visionsofthe Act, and otherconstitutionaland statutoryauthority sup‐plementalthereto.The Bondsare beingissued pursuant to theterms of oneormoreSeriesSup‐plementalTrust Inden‐tures (“Series Supple‐mental Indentures”) to theMasterGeneral In‐dentureofTrust (the “MasterIndenture”, to‐gether with theSeries Supplemental Inden‐tures, the“Indenture”), by andbetween theAu‐thorityand RegionsBank (the “Trustee”)for the purposeofproviding fundsfor theAuthority (a)to financeloans to homebuyers within the jurisdictionalparishesof theAuthority andsuch otherparisheswhose governingauthority exe‐cute cooperativeen‐deavor agreements with theAuthority under the provisions of theAct,(b) to make deposits in vari‐ousfundsand accounts as provided in theInden‐ture andrequiredfor the security of theBonds,(c) to paycapitalized inter‐est, if any, on theBonds and(d) to paythe cost of theissuanceofthe Bonds. TheBonds are limitedobligations of the Authorityand will be payableona parri passu basissolelyout of thein‐come,revenues, andre‐ceipts derivedfromthe TrustEstateasdefinedin theIndenture (including earnings thereonand certaininsurance with respectthereto), and certainfundsand ac‐countsheldunder and pursuanttothe Inden‐t d l d d th

pursuant to the Inden ture and pledged there‐for. As provided in the Actand theIndenture theBonds do notconsti‐tute andobligation, ei‐ther generalorspecial of theState of Louisiana, anymunicipality or any otherpolitical subdivi‐sion thereof. TheAuthority will hold a public hearingwithre‐specttothe issuance of said BondsonJune25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. LouisianaTime, at 601 St FerdinandStreet,Baton Rouge, LA 70802, andsi‐multaneouslybytelecon‐ferencebycalling the toll-free number: https://us02web.zoom us/j/9940303250? omn=81003639543 or dial US toll-free: (646) 8769923, 9940303250#.The meetingwillbeopento thepublicinaccordance with law, andany com‐mentswithrespect to theproposedBonds will be received andconsid‐ered by theBoard.Writ‐tencommentsreceived at theofficesofthe Au‐thorityprior to thedate of themeetingwillbe considered Furtherinformation re‐gardingthe Bondsmay be obtained from theof‐ficesofthe CapitalArea FinanceAuthority,601 St FerdinandStreet,Baton Rouge, LA 70802. CAPITALAREAFINANCE AUTHORITY By:/s/ Mark Drennan Presidentand CEO 189832-JUN5-1T $66.49

PUBLIC NOTICE TheJefferson Parish School Boardisseeking applicants who meet the qualificationsofthe of‐fice to fill avacancy for theunexpired term of theresigning member in School BoardDistrict9 This vacancywas caused by theresignation of the School BoardMemberof that District,which unex‐piredtermbeginsonthe date of selectionofthe applicantto fill theva‐cancyand ends on De‐cember 31, 2026. Appli‐cantsmustbeatleast 18 yearsold,abletoread andwrite,possess ahigh school diplomaorits equivalent as deter‐minedbyBESE, have residedinLouisiana for thepreceding 2years andhavebeen actually domiciledfor thepreced‐ingyearinDistrict9 from which appointmentis sought Applications from those who meet theabove qualificationsinterested in fillingthe vacancyin District 9willbereceived at theOffice of theChief of HumanResources,501 ManhattanBlvd.,Harvey, La beginningJune 3, 2026 andmustbere‐ceived therenolater than June 8, 2026 at noon Applicants should sub‐mita letter of interest a resume,proof of resi‐dency, an emailaddress anda telephonenumber as part of theapplication to Donna Joseph,Chief of HumanResources,either by hand delivery during business hoursat501 ManhattanBlvd.,Harvey, La.orbyemail at donna joseph@jpschools.org or b F t (504) 349 7726

joseph@jpschools

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:865-878

MIDFIRST BANK VERSUS ASHLEY F. ACKER

HOWARD

By virtue of and in obedienceto

aWritofFIERI

FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 26, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in Ames Terrace, designated on a survey by J.J. Krebs& Sons,Inc., C.E., datedAugust3, 1964, as Lot31, Square 4, bounded by LincolnAvenue SixthStreet,Sil‐verLilyLane andthe south‐ernboundaryof the subdivision (Acres Road side). Lot31 commences at a distance of 495 feet from the intersection of LincolnAvenue andSixth Street andmeasures thence 55 feet fronton Lincolnavenue thesamein width in the rear,bya depth of 114 28 feet on the sideline nearest SixthStreet and adepth of 114.59 feet on theopposite sideline.All as more fully shownonsur‐veybyJ.J.Krebs &Sons, C.E., datedJune 30, 1966.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder, or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune 23, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway, Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in Township 14 South, Range23 and24East, SoutheastLand District of Louisiana, West of theMissis‐sippiRiver knownasHar‐veyCanal Prop‐erty,Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, des‐ignatedasPar‐cel 0-2-Aall as per plan by J.J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,C.E., dated May15, 1973, re‐vised October1,1982, which said por‐tion of ground hasbeen resub‐dividedinto WOODMERE SOUTHSUBDIVI‐SION,SECTION 2, allasper plan of resubdivision made by J.J Krebs& Sons, Inc.,C.E.&S., datedSeptem‐ber28, 1982, ap‐proved by theJefferson Parish Council by Ordinance No.15418 recorded in COB 1042, folio 673 andasper ActofDedica‐tion before Odom B. Heebe, Notary Public, datedJune 30, 1983, recorded in COB 1056, folio 89 same beingdes‐ignatedasfol‐lows:

LOT249, SQUARE F, bounded by Liro Lane,Destrehan Avenue, Glenoak Drive and Keith-WayDrive, said Lot249 commencesat a distance of 620.13 feet from the intersection of Keith-WayDrive andLiro Lane, measures thence 60 feet frontonLiro Lane,same width in the rear,bya depth of 100feetbe‐tween equal andparallel lines; subjecttore‐strictions,servi‐tudes, rights-ofwayand out‐standing min‐eral rights of record affecting theproperty.

VEY, LOUISIANA 70058

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-896 HANCOCK WHITNEYBANK VERSUS MILLER MOTOR CARS LLC, THE UNOPENED SUC‐CESSIONOF BRUCEB MILLER,JR.,AND NICOLE GRAY MILLER A/K/A NICOLE GRAY

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 6, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,situ‐ated in the PARISH OF JEFFERSON, Stateof Louisiana, in AIRLINE PARK NORTHSUBDIVI‐SION,in SQUARE NO.302, bounded by EliseAvenue Ruth Street,Lu‐cille Avenue and Jean Street,desig‐natedasLOT NO.8,all in ac‐cordance with thesurveyof S.K. Landry C.E.,dated Au‐gust 3, 1959, which said lot commences at a distance of 275.5feet from thecorner of EliseAvenue andRuthStreet, andmeasures thence 58 feet front on EliseAvenue thesamein width in the rear,bya depth of 105feetbe‐tween equal andparallel lines, acopyof which is an‐nexedtoact recorded Sep‐tember 24, 1959, under EntryNo. 161478, COB488, Page 691, of the official records of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.

under EntryNo. 12542411, COB 3517, Page 262, of theofficial recordsofJef‐ferson Parish, Louisiana.

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear themunici‐paladdress of 1312 EliseAv‐enue, Metairie, Louisiana70003.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DAVIDJ SCOTTON Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-989

PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES LLC VS CYNTHIA CARTER WEB‐BERA/K/A CYN‐THIA CARTER BOOTHWEBBER AND FERNAND GEORGE WEB‐BER, JR

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber29, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

no.96-11857 and made apart hereof;subject torestrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Forinforma‐tional purposes only:Improve‐mentsthereon bear Municipal No.612 Sophia Street, RiverRidge, Louisiana70123.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE: Allfunds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-513

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VERSUS EVANSA.USSIN, JR

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 14, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining,

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

KATE SOTO‐LONGO Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-753

Courtfor the Parish of Jeffer‐son. Allas more fully shownona sur‐veybyGilbert Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,dated December 14, 2003; subjectto restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty

Thebelow is for informational purposes only: Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNumber: 681 FERRIDAY COURT, HARAHAN, LA 70123.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ELIZABETH CROWELLPRICE Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

g mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 324 Pel‐lerinDrive Ken‐ner, LA 70065

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:871-695

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-832

NAVY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION VERSUS ZAHAIR CHERRY ANDISA CHERRY

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VS BRENDA BANE‐GASPAVLOV A/K/ABRENDA B. PAVLOV A/K/ABRENDA PAVLOV, JESUSROSALES ANDGREGORIA ROSALES

ernboundaryof thesubdivision andBlythewood Drive, said Lot 27 commences at a distance of 420 feet from thein‐tersection of Bannerwood Driveand Mt.LauralDrive andmeasures thence 60 feet frontonBanner‐wood Drive, the same widthinthe rear,bya depth of 100 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Allas more fullyshown on thesurvey made by J.J Krebsand Sons, Inc.,C.E dated September 7, 1968, andas more fully shownon a more recent survey by Ster‐ling Mandle dated August 13, 1971; annexedtoan actpassedbe‐fore WilliamW Shaw,Jr.,N.P., dated August 31, 1971. Allasmorefully shownona sur‐veybyGilbert Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,dated Sep‐tember 10, 1986. This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐pal No.3808 LIROLANE, HAR‐

Beingthe same property ac‐quired by Nicole Gray Miller by Cash Sale dated October 10, 2025, from AJ Homes, LLC, recorded Octo‐ber13, 2025

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Brenvilla Subdi‐vision,asshown on plan of re‐subdivisionby AdloeOrr, Jr., C.E. & Associates, datedApril 25, 1962, registered in COB553, folio 556, recordsof Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, des‐ignatedasLot 49-C. Allinac‐cordance with a survey by Dading,Mar‐ques &Associ‐ates,Inc dated February 27, 1996, acopyof which is annexedtoact

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,situ‐ated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisianain that part known as TIMBERLANE VILLAGEPHASE II and designated as LOT4C, SQUARE Jall in accor‐dancewiththe plansofsubdi‐vision made by J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,certified by John F. Marshall, surveyor,dated November 11, 1982 approved in Ordinance No.15453 by the JeffersonParish Councilon March9,1983 registered in COB1044, folio 774 as revised by plansof subdivision made by J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc. certified by John F. Marshall, Surveyor datedJune 7, 1983 and recorded in Map Book 115, Page 2 approved in Or‐dinance No.15637 by the JeffersonParish CouncilonJuly 27, 1983 regis‐teredinCOB 1054, folio 595. To‐

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS BRUCEB MILLER,JR. AND NICOLE MILLER AKANICOLE GRAY MILLER By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 23, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall of the rights,ways, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that part des‐ignatedas HICKORYRIDGE ESTATES on a plan of resubdi‐vision by Krebs, LaSalle, LeMieux Consultants, Inc.,dated April 1, 2003, desig‐natedasLOT 11 andisdescribed as follows: LOT11mea‐sures70feet frontonFerri‐dayCourt,same width across therear, by a depth of 138 feet between equaland paral‐lellines.All as shownonplan of subdivisionfor HickoryRidge Estatesby Krebs, LaSalle, LeMieuxConsul‐tants, dated April2,2003, registered with theClerk of

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 23, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, ac‐cordingto a plan by J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,C.E.&S datedOctober 20, 1976, ap‐proved by Ordi‐nanceNo. 1974, C.O.B. 885, folio 313, EntryNo. 756309 filedFebruary 18, 1977, de‐scribedas: AudubonSubdi‐vision,Square3, Lot24324 Pel‐lerinDrive;sub‐ject to restric‐tions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding i l i h

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 16, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in Meadowbrook Subdivision, Unit No.2,being aresubdivision of original tracts 1, 2, and3 of OakdaleSub‐division,Section "C", allas shownonplan of resubdivisionby J.J. Krebsand Sons,Inc., C.E., datedJuly19, 1966, approved by theJefferson Parish Planning Department on January5,1967, andaccording to whichsaidpor‐tion of ground is situated and measures as follows: Lot27ofSquare 19, whichsaid square is bounded by Bannerwood Drive, Mt.Laural Drive, theeast‐

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026 May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:853-663 DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUSTCOM‐PANY,AS TRUSTEEFOR FIRST FRANKLIN MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2006-FF9, MORT‐GAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-FF9 VS PATRICIA AMAYAMORGA HERNANDEZ AKAPATRICIA ARACELYHER‐NANDEZ AMAYA, CAMILA ALEXANDRA HERNANDEZ ANDSEBASTIAN DAVID HERNANDEZ By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune 4, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND,to‐

gether with all thebuildings and improvements

thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in SQUARE NO 101, TERRYTOWN SUBDIVISION, NO

6, bounded by Glouster Place, Gibson Street (side),Goucher Street (side), GrapePlace (side) and Glouster Place (side),desig‐natedasLOT NO.5,com‐mences at adis‐tance of 325 feet from thecorner Glouster Place andGibson Street,mea‐suresthence60 feet fronton Glouster Place, awidth in the rear of 60.32 feet by adepth on thesideline nearer Gibson Street of 112.50 feet and adepth of 106.25 on the opposite side‐line.All as more full shownon survey of Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc S&E, datedOc‐tober12, 1991, which as thead‐dressof744 Glouster Place, Gretna, Louisiana70056; subjectto restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ing theproperty.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026 May1-jun 5-2t

GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as OAKCOVEES‐TATES, andac‐cordingtosur‐veybyLaurent J. Noel,Jr.,Sur‐veyor, datedDecem‐ber13, 1975, said portionof ground is desig‐natedand de‐scribedas follows, to-wit: LOTNO. 17, in SQUARE NO.5 which square is bounded by Gatt andTusa Drives andCoveand Ross Lanes. Said LOTNO. 17 commences at a distance of 309.36 feet from the corner of Tusa andGattDrives andmeasures thence a first frontage on Gatt Driveof 12 feet to apoint; thence afurther frontage on Gatt Driveof48.98 feet by adepth on thesideline nearer Ross Lane of 103.85 feet,a widthin therearof59 feet,and a depth on the opposite side‐line nearer Tusa Driveof94feet; allasfurther shownona sur‐veybyLaurent J. Noel,Jr.,Sur‐veyor, dated April8,1976. Measurements areall in accor‐dancewith a plan of survey by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc., Surveyors, datedAugust 27, 1977; subject to restrictions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNumber: 3120 Gatt Drive, Marrero, Louisiana70072

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026 May1-jun 5-2t

aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana,inthe abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 7, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

Onecertain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Willowdale Sub‐division,Section 1, in Square 13, bounded by Elizabethand Boutall Streets, Rosalie Court, EliseAv‐enue andYork Street,desig‐natedasLot 106 on the survey made by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc Surveying, &I Engineering, dated November 15, 1979, redated October15, 1980 andSeptember 10, 1983, accord‐ing to which said lotforms the corner of Eliza‐beth andBoutall Streetsand measures 45.38 feet front on Elizabeth Street,thence a furtherfront on acurve having radius of 25 feet,a dis‐tanceof48.87 feet,thence a depthand front on Boutall Street of 76. 19 feet,a width in therearof40 feet,bya depth on theopposite sideline of 105 feet.All as more fully shownonsur‐veymadeby Gilbert, Kelly,& Couturie,Inc dated December 12, 1996.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNIS F. WIGGINS, JR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026 May1-jun 5-2t

VERSUS G&CJSPROPER‐TIES LLC

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedFebruary 20, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana. In that part there of knownas SOUTH AVONDALE HOMESSUBDI‐VISION,SEC‐TION NO.4,ac‐cordingto a plan of William Maler, CivilEn‐gineer,dated March1,1965, approved by the JeffersonParish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 7071, and filedfor record as Entry No., 322-701, registered COB611, folio 184, andinPlan Book 52, Plan No.1,ofthe recordsofthe

Clerkof Courtfor the Parish of Jeffer‐son, according to which saif lot of ground is designated as LOTNO. 24 in SQUARE 14, which said square is bounded by Ruth Drive, the Westerly line of Subdivision, Tract“YY” and an undeveloped portionofthe subdivision; said Lot24mea‐suring 60 feet frontonRuth Drive, thesame in thewidth in therear, by a depth of 90 feet between equal andparallel lines.

Improvements thereonbear MunicipalNo.

508 Ruth Drive, Avondale,a/k/a 508 Ruth Drive, West‐wego, LA 70094

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- 10% down balancein 30 days

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

WAYNEA MAIORANA,JR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:873-882

U.S. BANK TRUSTNA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, NOTIN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUTSOLELYAS OWNER TRUSTEEFOR RCAF ACQUISI‐TION TRUST VERSUS WAYNEASHTON SAUNDERS

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 30, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allofthe build‐ings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in Lake TrailSubdi‐vision Section1 desig‐natedasLOT 247 of SQUARE 18 bounded by Lake TrailDrive, West EsplanadeAv‐enue,David Driveand Thirty-Third Street.SaidLot 247 commences at adistanceof 235.38 feet from thecornerof Lake TrailDrive andThirty-Third Street andmeasures thence 63.46 feet fronton Lake TrailDrive thesamewidth in therear, by depth of 88.07 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Allinac‐cordance with a survey of J.J. Krebsand Sons, Inc.,dated Octo‐ber27, 1976 and resurveyed on April 1, 1977

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

NO:873-920 PINGORALOAN SERVICING, LLC VERSUS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF CHARLESL NICELY,(A/K/A CHARLESLEE NICELY)AND LEANEMARIE SCHERERAND CAROLYN SCHERERDUPUY

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 19, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in thePARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, in SQUARE “E”of BELMONT PLACE, bounded by Bel‐mont Place, N. Line of Subdivi‐sion,KennerN.O. Interstate Highway, Jeferson Drive Subdivision, N. Turnbull Drive and33rdStreet designated as LOT NO.2 on asur‐veymadeby Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc., Surveyor,dated May30, 1974, revised July 1, 1983, a copy of which is annexedtoan ActofMortgage dated August 1, 1983 by actpassed before Gerald Wasserman,No‐tary Public, recorded in MOB888, Folio 264, andaccord‐ingthereto,said LOTcommences at adistanceof 360 feet from thecornerof BelmontPlace and33rdStreet measures thence 60 feet frontonBel‐mont Place, same width in therear, by a depth on the sideline nearer to 33rdStreet of 100.92 feet,and adepth on the opposite side‐line of 101.20 feet Andaccording to asurvey made by S. Z. S. Consultants datedDecem‐ber7,1993, the above-de‐scribedprop‐erty hasthe same location, designationand dimensions as hereinaboveset forth. Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.2509 Bel‐mont Place, Metairie, Louisiana70001. This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

PENNY M. DAIGREPONT

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:874-281

LOANDE‐POT.COM, LLC VERSUS CARLOS R. MATUTE AND SANTOS MATUTE By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 31, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ALLTHATCER‐TAIN LOTOR PARCEL OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLOF THEBUILDINGS ANDIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREON, AND ALLOFTHE RIGHTS WAYS,MEANS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, PRESCRIPTIONS, APPURTE‐NANCES,AD‐VANTAGES AND COMPONENT PARTSTHERE‐UNTO BELONGINGOR IN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING, LYINGAND BEINGSITUATED IN THECITYOF GRETNA,PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART THEREOF KNOWNAS ROSE PARK SUB‐DIVISION,IN SQUARE C, WHICHSQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY CLAIRE AVENUE, 21STSTREET, ROSE DRIVEAND 23RD STREET,DESIG‐NATEDASLOT 12 ON APLATOF SURVEY BY HOTARD & WEBB, CIVILEN‐GINEER,DATED DECEMBER 4, 1952, ACOPYOF WHICHISAN‐NEXEDTOAN ACTREGIS‐TEREDINCOB 331, FOLIO 492, ANDON APLATOFSUR‐VEYBYJ.J KREBS& SONS, INC.,CIVIL ENGI‐NEERS& SURVEYORS, DATEDMAY 18, 1968, ACOPYOF WHICHISAN‐NEXEDTOAN ACTREGIS‐TEREDINCOB 679, FOLIO 132, ANDACCORD‐INGTOWHICH SURVEYS, SAID LOTFORMS THE

INTERSECTION OF CLAIRE AV‐ENUE AND 23RDSTREET ANDMEASURES THENCE 56.06 FEET FRONTON CLAIRE AVENUE,SAME WIDTHINTHE REAR,BYA DEPTHOF96.08 FEET BETWEEN EQUALAND PARALLEL LINES

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026

May1-jun 5-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:874-132

ARVEST BANK VS DARNELL ROUSELL SOLELY IN HER CAPACITY AS IN‐DEPENDENT TESTAMENTARY

EXECUTOR OF THESUCCES‐SION OF ONEATA ELAINE STEWARTJONES, DE‐CEASED

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 26, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on June 10,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Stateof Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in that part thereofknown as CLAIBORNE GARDENSSUB‐DIVISION,said portionbeing designated as LOT9 OF

106. Ac‐

Q cording to a plan by Rene A. Harris,C.E datedFebruary 4, 1972, thesaid SQUARE 106 is bounded by East Krueger Lane,Stilwell Lane andEast ClarkLane; and LOT9 com‐mences at adis‐tanceof343.52 feet from the corner of East Krueger Lane andStil‐well Lane,and measures thence 62 feet frontonStilwell Lane,the same width in the rear,bya depth of 105 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

FOERSTNERG MEYER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: May1,2026, June 5, 2026 May1-jun 5-2t

May1-jun 5-2t

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit