The Times-Picayune 06-27-2026 by The Advocate

DUNCAN: MANNING LOOKINGFORWARD TO TIGER STADIUMVISIT

Voters to settle Senate primaryracerunoffs

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

VoterswillconcludeLouisiana’s new primary elections Saturday by choosing between two Republicansand two Democrats in the U.S. Senate party runoff elections.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow has been the heavy favorite to win the Re-

publicanSenatenomination, but treasurer John Fleming has closed most, if notall, of the gap. Farmer Jamie Davis and business owner Gary Crockett are vying in a separate primary for the Democratic PartySenatenomination. The winners of each runoff on Saturday will advance to ageneral election on Nov.3.Whoever

emerges victorious in thatelection will replace U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, whowas ousted in the May 16 Republican primary PollingstationsonSaturday will be open from 7a.m. to 8p.m. Also on theballotare races for open seats on the Public Service Commission andthe BoardofElementary andSecondary Educa-

tion —and 115 local measures, mostinvolving taxes. StateRep.Stephanie Hilferty,RNew Orleans, and former JeffersonParish PresidentJohnYoung,

Maison Dupuyhotel sellstoValentino family

French Quarterdeal expandslocal group’s hospitalityportfolio

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

TheMaisonDupuy,one of the French Quarter’slargest hotels, hasanew ownerwith big plans to renovate and rebrand the 200-room property

In adeal finalized earlier this month, the family-owned Valentino New Orleans pur-

chased the Maison Dupuy located at the corner of Toulouse andBurgundystreets, fromthe estate of developer JoeJaeger,who owned and operated the hotel for nearly adecade.

TheValentinos plan to spend an estimated $13millionona completeoverhaul of the hotel, which will be closed during thesix-month renovation. Whenit reopens in 2027, it will ﬂythe Hilton Curio ﬂag, an upscaleHilton brandthat includes boutique and fullservice hotels inunique or

historic properties. “It won’tbeacookie-cutter hotel, aHiltononthe side of theinterstate,” said Chris Valentino, who, with hisfather, Michael,and sister, Emily owns the hotel portfolio. “It is aproperty that will tell astory —the history of theFrench Quarter.”

The acquisition brings to seven the number of hotels in the growing portfolio of theValentino family,which hasemerged in recent years as adominant, local player in New Orleans’ tourism and

hospitalitysector.Inaddition to hotels, including the Prince Conti, Place d’Armesand HotelSte.Marie, they also own Hop-On Hop-OffBus Tours andoperate tours of St. Louis No. 1Cemetery The Maison Dupuy will be the family’sbiggest and most ambitious project yet.

“This is alargestep forour family business, but it is one we feel very comfortable with,” Michael Valentino said. “The FrenchQuarter is still

aRepublican,are facing off for the PSC seat that Eric Skrmetta is vacating because of term limits. The Legislature drew boundaries designed to elect aRepublican. The PSC regulatesthe powergrid and other utilities. The district includesportionsofJefferson,Livingston, Orleans and St. Charles parishes andall of Plaquemines, St Bernard, St. Helena, St. Tammany,

Police chief of flood authority terminated

rondenohad been placed on leave

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

ä Report finds levee board

‘chaotic PaGe 4a

Joshua Rondeno, the superintendent of police for New Orleans’ east bank flood control agency,lost his job Friday after being placed on leave, capping morethan ayear of turmoil at the agency tasked with maintaining the region’s $14.5 billion levee system BoardPresident PeterVicariconfirmed that Rondeno, whohad worked at the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East since July 2024, was terminated Friday morning, effective immediately During Rondeno’s tenure as the top cop at the agency,numerous board members resigned in protest over changes he led. His pay increased substantially —to$208,000 ayear more than most other police chiefsinthe region and about twice what his predecessor made —and he oversawanoverall increase in focus on policing at theflood agency Residentsinareas overseen by the forcesupportedhim at public meetings, where somesaid he had performed his jobwell andarguedfor expandingthe police force. But his leadership drew scrutiny from former board members and lawmakers in Baton Rouge whoquestioned whyapolice chief with no flood control experience had so muchinfluence at the agency,which oversees muchofthe region’sflood control system of levees andpumps.Theyalsocalledattention

ä See RONDENO, page 4A

StaFF Photo By SoPhIa GerMer

Pedestrians walk pastthe MaisonDupuy hotelinNew orleans on Friday. the hotelhas been sold to Valentino Neworleans

Rondeno

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Missing giraffe found in Texas after two weeks

Gracie the Giraffe, who went missing for about two weeks in Texas after wandering off a remote private ranch, was ﬁnally found Friday — and the open range appeared to have agreed with her

The giraffe was spotted about 4 miles south of her enclosure during an aerial search in the Texas Hill Country, according to Real County Sheriff Nathan Johnson. He said Gracie’s owner, Vick Jones, contacted a veterinarian and began putting together a team to bring the giraffe safely back to the ranch

“She’s in good shape,” Jones said “She’s standing there, swishing her tail.”

Gracie, who is about 3 years old and weighs at least 1,200 pounds, was found within a halfmile of a pond and creek and had plenty of vegetation to feed on, said Jones, adding that she appeared to have been in that area for about a week

Getting the 10-foot-tall giraffe home to the Cedar Hollow Ranch, about 100 miles west of San Antonio, was taking some work.

Veterinarians needed time to sedate Gracie and put a hood over her eyes, Jones said From there, Gracie will be moved with an open-pasture trailer to a taller, enclosed trailer made for giraffes for the trip back to the ranch.

Lawmakers subpoena billionaire over Epstein

WASHINGTON The House Oversight Committee served subpoenas to billionaire investor Leon Black on Friday after lawmakers say he refused to answer some questions about his yearslong relationship with Jeffrey Epstein a time in which he paid the disgraced ﬁnancier at least $158 million.

Black is the co-founder and former chief executive of the private equity ﬁrm Apollo Global Management who stepped down in 2021 amid fallout over his ties to Epstein. He became the 16th person to appear before the committee as part of their broader investigation into the web of wealth and inﬂuence around Epstein Lawmakers emerged from the closed-door voluntary interview with Black saying he refused to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements prompting the committee to issue a subpoena about the NDAs. A second subpoena was issued for Black to testify under oath on July 16.

“This is a result of refusing to answer speciﬁc questions,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee chairman, told reporters after Black’s interview Susan Estrich, the lawyer representing Black, said the decision to serve the subpoenas was a “premeditated political decision.” She called it a “planned political stunt.” Democrats emerged from their hour of questioning Black saying he had not answered questions, and they praised Comer’s decision to subpoena him. Rep. Robert Garcia the top ranking Democrat on the committee, told reporters that “it was clear from the moment this interview started that Leon Black was not going was not going to answer critical questions.

Large, harmless asteroid will zip past Earth

NEW YORK A large asteroid will zip past Earth this weekend, but don’t worry: It poses no danger

The space rock — 1997 NC1 — makes its closest approach Saturday morning, coming within 1.6 million miles, according to the European Space Agency.

Discovered nearly three decades ago by an asteroid-tracking system in Hawaii, the asteroid is between 2,461 feet to 5,413 feet wide roughly the size of two to four Empire State Buildings.

Skygazers with binoculars and small telescopes may be able to spot the asteroid as a small point of light passing harmlessly through the sky It won’t greet Earth from such a distance again until 2133, according to NASA. The last time an asteroid similar in size passed safely by Earth from an even closer distance was in 2022, when a space rock called 1994 PC1 made its approach.

U.S. strikes Iran after drone attack

BY COLLIN BINKLEY and JON GAMBRELL associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S struck Iran on Friday in response to a drone attack a day earlier on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s the most significant test yet to an interim understanding reached a week ago by the two countries to begin working to end their monthslong war and reopen the pivotal waterway President Donald Trump said the drone attack violated the ceasefire. The strikes came shortly after Trump told reporters, “You’ll find out,” whether the U.S. would respond.

U.S. Central Command said the military struck missile and drone locations and coastal radar sites in Iran.

“I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday, actually four of them,” Trump said at the White House shortly before the U.S. struck back. When asked why there would be strikes when Trump has insisted talks with Tehran are going well, Trump said of Iran: “They’re a little bit different.” He then abruptly cut off questions and reporters were ushered out of his ofﬁce.

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, responded to Trump on social media earlier Friday saying, “the Strait of Hormuz is governed by Iran, so: Respect the rules” and to “not mistake control for escalation.”

“This is not a violation of the ceaseﬁre; it is ceaseﬁre management,” Azizi wrote Strikes conclude

The U.S. strikes on Iran concluded about an hour after U.S. Central Command announced the military action on social media, a U.S. ofﬁcial with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The ofﬁcial spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation.

The British military said on Thursday that a container ship was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman, coming hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said no injuries were reported.

The development came during a fragile time for the U.S. and Iran as they work to negotiate a permanent end to the war Iran has increasingly challenged the region

and the U.S. over its control of the Strait of Hormuz, even with the current interim deal it reached with the U.S. last week.

The attack on the cargo ship happened while a United Nations maritime agency was beginning an operation to move stranded ships out of the strait this week, using an alternative route, hugging the shores of Oman rather than sailing through the central part of the strait.

The International Maritime Organization halted the evacuations after the attack and said on Friday they won’t resume until there are guarantees that the other ships won’t be attacked.

About 115 ships were able to move out of the strait in recent days, leaving about 500 still in the area, said Arsenio Dominguez, the agency’s secretary-general.

The opening of the alternative passage through the strait was expected to relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran’s main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the U.S.

The U.S. and Iran are still negotiating terms of the deal, including issues such as getting ships through the key strait and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Under the interim deal, the two sides have 60 days to work out the details.

Cargo ship attack

Shipping analysts said the drone strike cast a shadow over what had been a growing stream of trapped vessels ﬁnally leaving the Gulf and an increasing flow of tankers carrying crude oil.

“A week of widening commercial conﬁdence in the Strait of Hormuz has hit its first significant test,” said marine data company Windward on X. It said that while the strait remains operationally open with 43 transits recorded after the incident, “the pace of normalization has slowed.”

On Wednesday before Thursday’s drone strike, 78 vessels transited the strait, the highest since the war began, although below the prewar averages of 130 or more per day

At least two tankers reversed course while attempting to transit the strait on the U.N.-backed route near Oman after Iran insisted vessels use only the Teheran-approved routes, according to marine data and analytic ﬁrm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Ex-national security adviser John Bolton pleads guilty

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN associated Press

GREENBELT, Md. — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term.

Bolton, who became an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump after serving in the Republican’s first administration, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28 by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland Bolton, 77, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a single count of illegally retaining national defense information which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. His plea agreement with the Justice Department may enable him to avoid time behind bars, but the judge ultimately will decide his punishment

Bolton must pay half of the fine within five days of his plea and the balance within 90 days. He agreed to forfeit his retirement pay for his federal service. The plea deal also requires him to submit to a debriefing with federal intelligence officials and perform up to 100 hours of community service.

After a prosecutor read aloud a summary of his offenses, Bolton agreed that it was accurate.

“I’m sorry for it,” he told the judge.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said Bolton “did what real leaders do” by pleading guilty

“He took responsibility for a mistake he made, thereby saving the government resources to pursue a case that could expose additional sensitive information,” Lowell said in a statement after the hearing.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, the top federal prosecutor for Maryland, said Bolton knew how to properly handle and store classiﬁed information.

Israel, Lebanon signframework deal with U.S.

rubio calls agreement ‘first step’ toward peace

BY BEN FINLEY, ABBY SEWELL and MELANIE LIDMAN associated Press

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the U.S. Friday to announce a framework agreement that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conﬂict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The agreement does not include Hezbollah and prompted one of the group’s ofﬁcials in Lebanon to warn of civil war The U.S. State Department said the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory that was taken by Israeli forces as they battled the militant group.

The U.S. will facilitate a newly created “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon” to implement the framework, the State Department said, while committing $100 million in humanitarian assistance.

“For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis,” the State Department said. “For Israel, it creates a veriﬁable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.”

Friday’s agreement was

signed in front of Rubio in Washington by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the United States. Leiter said the ﬁnal destination of the framework is peace between the two countries.

“Our language is we want to embrace Lebanon,” he said. “Our language is we want to get in our car in Tel Aviv and take a drive up to Beirut, and we want Beirut to come down and take a drive to Tel Aviv That’s where we’re going. That’s where we want to go.” Leiter said that will depend on Hezbollah being disarmed and dismantled, which will allow Israel to withdraw and Lebanon to “regain its full sovereignty.”

“So it really depends on the Lebanese army,” Leiter said “It depends on the support the Lebanese army gets from the U.S. And we think it’s going to be solid.” Moawad said the framework “is a ﬁrst step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and ﬁnal cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to go back to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security and prosperity.”

The latest conﬂict began when Hezbollah ﬁred rockets into Israel days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran on Feb. 28. Israel invaded Lebanon and has expanded its control.

Secretary of State Marco rubio shakes hands with Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S. Nada hamadeh Friday at the State Department in Washington after signing an agreement described as a first step toward peace between Israel and hezbollah.

The plea agreement recommends capping any prison sentence at ﬁve years, but the judge isn’t bound by that part of the deal Bolton, who also agreed to pay

a ﬁne of $2.25 million, can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a longer prison sentence or a larger ﬁne.

“He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information Nevertheless, as Mr Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law,” Hayes told reporters.

aSSoCIateD PreSS Photo

ISNa FILe Photo By aMIrhoSeIN KhorGooI residents swim in the waters of the Strait of hormuz as a small motorboat passes cargo ships and other commercial vessels offshore near Bandar abbas, Iran, on June 17.

Venezuelanssearchfor themissing afterquakes

Deathtollcontinues to climbFriday

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO, JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ and MEGAN JANETSKY associated Press

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, citing the scarcity of government rescuers, as the human toll of the disaster climbed to at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing.

Citizens digging through the rubble of their homes said they have seen few state rescue teams in the areas hit hardest by the devastating 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that struck late Wednesday,despite authorities projecting an image of arobust government response.

The lack of help compounded families’ desperation as the pressure to ﬁndburiedsurvivors increased with each passing hour. TheSouth American nationon Friday markednearly two days since the disaster.Aid agencies

Mar,Venezuela.

consider the ﬁrst 48 to 72 hours to be acrucial time frametoretrieve people alive, though that period can be extendedifthey have access to food and water Meanwhile, abroad international aideffort accelerated, withdozens of rescueteamsfrom around the

globe arriving in Venezuela or due to arrive there soon.

“Each person saved is amiracle,” said Jorge Rodríguez, the president of thecountry’sNational Assembly.“We are not going to hide absolutely anything about the magnitude of this tragedy.”

Families across northern Venezuela searched in the ruins of buildings forrelatives and whatever remained of their lives.

NazarethJimenez sobbed into the shoulder of aloved oneas she watched neighbors try to cut through slabs of concrete with hammers and power tools in a building reduced to amountain of debris. “My God, how are we going to get them outofthere?” she murmured

She was in the northern state of La Guaira, just north of the capital of Caracas,wheresome of the worst destruction unfolded.

Jimenez was wracked with anxiety as she waited to see if her siblings, nephews, nieces and friends would emerge from the debris alive.

“We’re making acallfor help to the government and countries across the world,” she said, pleading for machines that would be capable of moving collapsed structures. “There are still people alive in there.”

Governmentforces distributed food and water to survivors in La Guaira as acting President Delcy Rodríguez said hergovernment was mounting afull response during these “critical hours for

rescuing people alive.” She welcomed the arrival of rescuers and humanitarian aid from all over the world. Shesaid La Guaira hadbeen militarized and that morehelpwas on the way, even as residentssaid it wasjust afractionofthe aidthey needed.

The disaster poses ahuge challengefor Rodríguez, theformer vice president who took ofﬁce in January after the capture andremoval of then-President Nicolás Maduro by the United States. Venezuelahas been facing economic disarrayfor more thana decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

The number of dead wasexpected to climb, and civilians reported tens of thousands of people missing on independent digital databases.The numberofmissing likely includesthose who have been incommunicadodue to thelack of cellphone signals in disasterzones Some reports may be duplicates created when multiple lovedones aresearchingfor the sameperson.

The number of injured climbed to more than3,300 as of midday Friday,and authorities said they had rescued 243 people.

CorpsofEngineers holdssummitwithLouisiana officials

Speeding up projects thefocus

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

The national leadership of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gov.Jeff Landry and awide range of Louisiana officials gathered in Baton Rouge on Friday for what was called afirst-of-its-kind “summit” aimedatspeeding up projects and permitting, alongtime source of complaints by the state. Louisiana offered anatural choice to hold the gathering that Corps leadership said could provide an example for similar meetings in other states. The Corps’ New Orleans districtincludes the agency’s biggestcivil works and dredging programs, and Landry is aclose ally of President Donald Trump, providing afriendly welcome to officials from his administration. But it also came with concerns over uncertainty related to certain categories of planned home elevation projects in Louisiana, with Corps leadership having spoken of reevaluating whether it should be the agency to carry those out on alarge scale AdamTelle, theArmy’s assistant secretary for civil works, whose office oversees the Corps, led the gathering that included state officials involved in coastal, transportation, energy and economic

development projects. Port officialsand leaders of relatednonproﬁtswere among those who also attended.

It came with theCorpshaving announceda planinFebruary to cut red tape forprojects, dubbed “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork.”

Questionshave been raised, however,over how much time frames can realistically be reduced without violating the thick tangle of federal laws aimed at ensuring projects remain cost-effective and environmentally sound.

Telle and Landry held adiscussion at the conclusion of the so-called“Summit at Sea Level,” whichcompiled lists of potentialways to streamline the highly technical aspectsofpermitting and related work.Evenifthe Corps is not building the project itself, it must still grant permits in many circumstances, ranging from road construction to port operations.

Both the governor and Telle highlighted Louisiana’sunique positioning that makes theCorps’effectiveness vitalhere: Mississippi River navigation, ﬂood control and levee construction, to name afew

“If you all canget it right here in Louisiana,you can literallyget itright anywhere else in thecountry,”Landry said duringthe concluding session.

Speaking in an interview afterward,Telle said there wasnowhereelsethat the

Corps’ keymissions converge “better than in Louisiana.”

“You’vegot thegreatest inland waterway system in theworld that humanity’s ever known, intersecting with theGulf Intracoastal Waterway,” he said of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. “You’ve got the Gulf of America, of course. This opens up theentire nation to theworld,and it all sort of happens here.”

But he added that “with that is vulnerability. This place is vulnerable to storm surge from hurricanes,it’s vulnerable to ﬂoodscoming downriver.”

Thestate’smanycoastal projectsinvariably involve the Corps in some form.

Michael Hare, executive director of thestate’sCoastal Protection and Restoration Authority,said the session proved highly useful, and he hoped some of the ideas put forward could eventually improve project time frames

Landry highlighted the state’senergy production, and Hare said he was glad to see the case madethatLouisiana coastal restoration is alsointhe national interest

“Appreciate they came to Louisianatosolve Louisiana problems, but this should be amodel for therest of the nation,” said Hare. “I think Secretary Telle wants us to be the test ground for this.”

Onerecentsticking point has involved the Corps re-

Utah restrictsfireworks,declares stateofemergency amid wildfire

BYKATHY MCCORMACKand

SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN associated Press

Utah restricted fireworks and declared astate of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States’ largest wildfire mushroomed in size.The National Weather Service issued arare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning as dry,windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S.

The CottonwoodFire in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah started Monday.Itreached more than 112 squaremiles Friday and was uncontained, forestry ofﬁcials said. One of six large wildﬁresburning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County,forcing mandatory evacuations.

Smokefrom the fire has been pushing to the east and northeast, meaning the air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks —located far south of the ﬂames —hasn’tbeen significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area. Still, visitors to Bryce have posted videos on social media showingthe giant plume in the distance. The smoke could further

be seen for hundreds of miles, all the way to Colorado, as authoritiesput roughly 1,300 residentsinthe towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville onnoticethat theyshould be prepared to leave if conditions worsen andthe ﬁre pushesfurther

“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory,” stateforester Jamie Barnes said in astatement Thursday. “We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditionsthatdefyhistorical expectations. Some of the fires we’ve responded to this year are behaving in ways veteran firefighters simply haven’tseen before.” Bruce Brown, 76, accompanied the sheriff onThursday to find that his cabin and others in theareawere gone.

“Itlooks alot like the moon,”Brown said.“Just burnedout. Power poles tipped over all up the canyon.”

Alyssa Olsen,27, said her family’s cabinalsoburned, including memorabilia from hergrandfather’s time in the skipatrol. It was the last place theygathered for family photoswith hergrandmother before she died of cancer. Her brotherwas toget married there in two months. “That stuff you can’tjust build back,” Olsensaid.

Gov.Spencer Cox setthe temporary ﬁreworks restrictions through July 5asthe nation preparestocelebrate its 250th anniversary,saying “this year is different.”

The weather service in Salt Lake City, for thefirst time in theoffice’s history, issueda “Particularly Dangerous Situation”warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire. The rare alert was first used to warnoftornado conditions. Ared flag warningalsowas issued for mostofthe state.

“Prepare nowfor rapid ﬁre growth,” it said.

Asimilar “dangerous situation”warning hadbeen issued for the 2025 Palisades Fire in LosAngeles. Afederal judge declared amistrialFriday in the arsoncaseagainst Jonathan Rinderknecht, the man accused of sparking that ﬁre. The jury said it couldn’t agree on averdict.

While the Cottonwood Fire’s cause was unknown, Cox’sorder notedthathumans have been the causeof most ﬁres in the state so far this year

The governor’sordergives Barnes power to restrict or prohibit ﬁreworks displays in Utah’scities and towns, instead of leaving those decisions to thecommunities

evaluatingits approach to certain categories of projects that fall underthe “nonstructural”label, which typically involves home elevations or the ﬂoodprooﬁng of buildings. Louisiana has increasingly looked to home elevations in circumstances wheretheycould prove more cost-effective than building expensive levee systems. It emerged in thefall that the Corps had pausedstudies examining potentialhomeelevations at alarge scale, including three in Louisiana, while it determines whether those typesofprojects should continue to be partof its mission.

Thepause had also leftit unclear if the Corps or some other agency will eventually carry out thousands of volun-

tary homeelevations already approved under flood protection plans statewide, including in St. Tammany Parish andalong the state’ssouthcentral coast in Iberia, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes. State officials have been urging the Corps to complete the three studies that had been nearly finished before they were paused. Those studies were looking at ways to address flood risk in the Lafitte area, along the Amite River and in Tangipahoa Parish. Hare said Friday there had been good discussions on the issue, but that the studies remainedpaused.Telle and other Corps officials, however,offered aconflicting version, asserting that they were notfrozen, though ac-

knowledging the agency was looking at how best to handle large-scale home elevations. Officials with the Corps’ New Orleans district had not responded to arequest for clariﬁcation by deadline. The gathering provided Landry with an opportunity to reflect on growing up around theAtchafalaya Basinand hismemories of Corpsoperations. Later, when Telle mentioned the governor’s closerelationship to Trumpand theassignments he hadtasked him with, Landry joked in relation to his special envoy role: “It maybegood, sometimes it’sbad —you end up going to Greenland.” He then went on to praise what he said was the president’svision as “a builder.”

reparing forstorm season meansbuildinga stronger,moreresilient powergrid. Proactive investments help protect local businessesand homes from severe weather, leadingtofewer outages and faster restorationtimes

In this Wake Up NOLA segment, learn about Entergy’s multi-billion-dollar grid-hardening initiativesdesigned to enhanceeverydayreliabilityfor Louisiana.Presented by Entergy.

aSSoCIateD PreSS Photo By FerNaNDo VerGara rescue workersplace Daniel Cordero on astretcher on Fridayafter pulling himfromthe rubble twodaysafter an earthquakestruck Catia la

Report findslevee board‘chaoticand

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

An investigation commissioned by the Louisiana attorneygeneral into the board of the New Orleans ﬂood protection agency found that it was “chaotic and dysfunctional” and provided new details on controversial allegations against formerboard members,including a physical attack and open-meetings violations.

But the 38-page report, written by New Orleans attorneySid Degan on behalf of Attorney General LizMurrill’s office,saidthatit could not substantiate several of its own claims and urged the state Board of Ethics and the legislative auditor to conduct separateinvestigations into its ﬁndings

Completed in November but never formally released, the report detailed allegations related to two former board members, both of whom resignedearlier this year One was related to aconfrontation between aboard member andpolice chief Joshua Rondeno during aboard meeting, andanother focused on allegations of leaks of conﬁdential information.

Rondeno wasterminated from his positionearly Friday

The board membersofthe Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East have acrucial job: They govern the agency that oversees much of the$14.5 billion ﬂood protection system that protects the New Orleans regionfrom storm surge. But over the past year,the board has beenwracked by inﬁghting and concerns about its focus.

Board president Peter Vicari said the report, which has been kept private for more thansix months, does not represent the current board.

“That was last year’sboard,” he said. “This board is not dysfunctional.”

The board voted on May 12 to release the report within30days but it remained secretuntil thisweek Murrill’sofﬁce agreed to release it to the board after WWL Louisiana

RONDENO

Continued from page1a

to his employment contract, which Rondeno drafted himself and providedhim with protections that no other employee at the agency had In the end, that contract was not enough to keep him from losing his job.

Rondeno was also the subject of an investigation into hisactions at the agency

obtainedthe reportand informed theattorneygeneral that it would report on its ﬁndings. The TimesPicayune also obtained an unredacted copy of the report.

Murrill’sofﬁce said in aletter to Vicari that because theboard hadfrequently misrepresented the attorney general’sinvestigation, “our ofﬁcewill no longer be able to provide legal assistance with respect to these matters”and recommendedthat theagencyhire outsidecounsel.

‘Cesspoolof ineffectiveness’

Gov.Jeff Landry’sunofficial adviser in New Orleans, businessman Shane Guidry,who has been directing changes at theﬂood protection agency though he holds no official position ingovernment, hassaidhewanted the report to be released. He has said that it would uncover “waste, fraud, andabuse.”

Guidry said that the report wasn’t aboutcriminal activity,but about“facts,” and stressed that it made clear “why thoseboard members had to go.”

“It was acesspool of ineffectiveness that causes allofthis bull**** in the newspaper that doesn’tneed to be in there,” he said.

Murrill has previously said the report did notfindany criminal conduct, but“someprettysevere dysfunction ”Landry said Thursday that he thoughtthe alleged

According to two sources familiarwith thematter, that investigation was related to allegationsofinappropriatecommunicationswitha female police ofﬁcer at the agency

The terminationwas not for cause, according to the agency’s regional director Jeff Williams.

“I like the guy.I think he didsome good things,” said Shane Guidry, Gov. Jeff Landry’sinformal adviser in New Orleans who holds

Leveeauthority in turmoil

SinceGov.JeffLandrytookoffice in 2024,a once-insulated flood-protection agency hasseenboard membersresignand itspolicebudgetincrease. atimelineofsignifcantmoves:

May2024: Gov. Landry refuses to forward civil engineer NormaJean Mattei to the Senate, the firstpublic sign of abreak with thepost-Katrina nominatingprocess.

Nov. 2024: Roy Carubba,who haddone engineering work for Shane Guidry’scompany, is installed as boardpresident, andregional directorKelli Chandler is placedonleave pending an internalprobe

Dec. 2024: Chandler resigns. Accordingto Guidry, the sticking point wasthe policeforce: Chandleropposed expanding it;the governor wanted it larger

wrongdoing amounted to differences of opinion.

The agency’sregional director, Jeff Williams,saidthe report addressedissuesthattookplacebetween Februaryand November of last year

“Sincethat time, our focus has been on strengthening the organization, fostering accountability andsupporting thededicated professionals who work every day to fulﬁll ourmission,”hesaid.“Ihave conﬁdenceinour team andinthe important work they do to help protect the people of Southeast Louisiana.”

Blair duQuesnay, chair of Citizens for 1Greater New Orleans, which advocated for leveeboard reform after Hurricane Katrina, said shewas surprised by the report’s focus on recent events.

“Wewere expecting to learn moreabout theworkings of the boardprior to theLandry administration.Most of what has been reported seems to be an investigationinto what happened to the board after the Landry takeover began,”she said. “That is confusing, based on theirclaims that the board needed to be cleaned up.” Allegation anddisruption

The most serious allegation in thereport is against former board member Deborah Settoon, for allegedly striking Rondeno while she

no position in government but has been overseeing changes at the levee agency “There’snoprotecting people who violate policies and procedures.”

Guidry did notelaborate on the policies or procedures Rondeno may have violated. Rondeno did not respond to a request for comment

Expandingpolicebudget

UnderRondeno’s watch, theagencyincreasedits budgetonpolicing by about 45%, plannedtohireadditional officers, and bought newequipment, including assault riﬂes, vehicles and tasers for the agency’s50-ofﬁcer force.

His roleexpanded as the boardprioritizedpolice spending. Rondeno took on a second role as chief compliance ofﬁcer,acting as akind of internalauditor with the aim of ferreting outwaste and fraud.

As his role grew,sodid his salary.But after lawmakers noted thathecould not by lawearnmorethanthe superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, who earns about $198,000, the board reduced his pay last month to $197,000.

was trying to enter aclosed-door meetingthatother board members barred her from attending. Settoon has repeatedly denied the allegations. Witnesses in the report offered differing accounts of theincident. Some said she struck him twicewithaclosed hand, aﬁnding the report adopts, though others described her pushing or shoving her waypast him Rondeno ﬁled abattery charge against Settoon,but dropped it on the daythat she resigned. Settoon has maintained that the charge wasbrought against herinaneffort to coerce her into resigning.

Degan’sinvestigation was prompted by aprevious grievance Rondeno ﬁled against Settoon. Degan dismissed that grievance in a memo thatquestioned Rondeno’s qualifications to take on an expandedroleatthe agency,but the investigation continued.

Rondeno alleged that Settoon made “slanderous” comments againsthim at apublic meeting andthather votetodemotehim from an expandedroleatthe agency was driven by “racial motives.”

The report dismisses Rondeno’s allegation.

But it stated that Settoon’s comments “were inappropriate for a commissioner to make at apublic board meeting.”

“I found it long on accusations and short on hard evidence,” Settoon said of thereport. “At no time did Ifeel like Iwasn’tacting in the best interest of the nearly 1million residents who deserve qualiﬁed technical management of a$14 billion ﬂood protection system.” Leaksand social mediaposts

The reportalso accuses former board member RandallNoel of leaking confidential information to the press and accuses Noel of inappropriately “friending” afemale police officer on Facebook,which the officer stated made her “very uncomfortable.”

The ofﬁcer had posted apicture of herselfholding oneofthe new riﬂes theagency had recently purchased after it increased itsspendingonthe agency’spolicedepartment, and Noel said he friended her to see that photograph.

“Theyneed to produce evidence,

“I’ve never seen that. Lane Kiffinwould love to have that contract,” Sen. Kirk Talbot,R-River Ridge, quipped during alegislative hearing in May.“Don’ttell him about it, he might jump all over it.” In apreparedstatement, the agency said that thepolice captains who lead the agency’s twinpoliceforces —one that operates in Jefferson Parish, the other in Orleans —will oversee policing while the agency conducts asearch for anew police superintendent ‘Needtoseparateit’

Sen. PatrickConnick, RMarrero, who has been vocal aboutrecentissues at the agency,saidFriday he believes thelevee police need to be spun off from the ﬂood board and governed by adifferentagency.Hehas discussedthe possibilityof introducing legislation to place the levee cops under the purview of the Louisiana StatePolice.

“Weneed to separate it,” Connick said. “Once that’s done,ifwecan getitdone,

not hearsay,” Noelsaid. Allegationsofracism

Other allegationsinvolve aprevious legislative auditor report from 2022, which found that about aquarter of employees at the agency had experienced or witnessed someform of discrimination. Deganwrites that theauditor’sreport “did not ﬁnd evidence of systemic discrimination based on race.”

But the report dings the board fornot taking appropriate actions in response to the auditor’sﬁndings, “suchasforming acommittee to address the issues.”

Noelsaid he took the allegations of discrimination seriously,and that the board did address its ﬁndings.

“I read it cover to cover,” he said. “(The auditor) said its ﬁndings were not out of line with other agencies throughout the state of the samesize.”

The report also suggests that the agency could have savedmoney by canceling a$400,000 contract andemployingits ownworkers to cut grass on the levees rather than hiring externally.But the report hedges, stating thatnocost analysis was done andthe report cannotconclude thatpaying fulltime workers “is more cost-effective than contracting out certain work.”

The report also alleges board members“appear to have violated” the state’sopen meetings law and that aformer board member “likely orchestrated” ascheme to strip Rondeno of his expanded authority. It recommends that theBoard of Ethics investigate further

“Weviolated the open meetings law?” Settoon said. “I want proof of that.”

Email AlexLubbenatalex. lubben@theadvocate.com and followhim on Twitter @alexlubben.His work is supported withagrant from theWalton Family Foundation administered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Sign up forthe weeklyLouisiana CoastalWatch newsletter to get updates aboutour environment coverage.

alot of this dysfunction will go away.”

BlairduQuesnay,the chair of Citizens for One Greater New Orleans, agroup that advocated for levee board reforms in the aftermath of HurricaneKatrina, saidthat her group would be advocating forthose reforms to be put forward in the Legislature.

“Everything that transpired under Rondeno’stime at the authority makes it clear that we should be advocating for the removal of the police function from ﬂood protection,” she said.

Among the controversies swirling around Rondeno was an instancewhere he claimed he was hit by a board member. Rondeno alleged that aformer board member, Deborah Settoon, struck himwhile attemptingtoget into aclosed-door meeting that otherboard members had barred her from.

“I’m glad they solved this problem,” Settoon said of Rondeno’stermination. “It’ll help the board focus on tech-

nical issues. It shows that they maybemoving in the right direction.”

The battery charge and other issues at the agency were detailed in aleaked report prepared for Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’sofﬁce. Though that report revealed what it called dysfunction at the agency, it didn’tconclude that there wasevidenceofcriminal wrongdoing.

Murrill hassought to distance herself from the turmoil at the ﬂood authority In aletter to Vicari, she said that board members had repeatedly mischaracterized her agency’sinvolvement withthe report and stated that herofﬁce“will no longer be able to provide legal assistance with respect to these matters.”

Gov.Jeff Landry weighed in this weekaswell, saying in an interview on WWL Radiothathedidn’t think any board members were “doing anything maliciously,” but rather that the turmoil was theresult of differences of opinion.

March 2025: Four boardmembersquit in protest weeks before hurricaneseason,citing concerns theagency’s flood-protection missionis being diluted.

June 2025: Apublic meetingnearly turns physical —Carubba tellsClayCossé to “hitme.”

July 2025: Landryremoves Carubba and installs contractor Peter Vicari as board president,thoughCarubba remains aregular board member

Sept. 2025: An internaldocument invites levee officerstoapplyfor anew SWAT-trained unit withsemi-automaticrifles.

Oct. 2025: PolicechiefJoshua Rondeno files amisdemeanorbatterycharge against 68-year-old board member Deborah Settoon, claiming shepunched himinthe arm—an allegation she calls absurd.

Feb. 2026: Rondeno’snew contractIsquietly approved: Guaranteed 6% annual raises, firing protectionnoother employee has and a three-year termthatcould pushhis salaryto $250,000by2029.

June 2026: Rondenoisterminatedafter an investigationintohis alleged misconduct at the flood agency.

Rondeno’semployment contract states that he can only be fired for cause whichthe contract deﬁnes as willful misconduct, gross negligence, insubordination, or abreach of his contract —byamajorityvote of the board at apublic meeting. But perthe agency’scurrent bylaws, thepolicesuperintendent servesatthe pleasureofthe board president.A proposed change to thebylaws,which has not been approved, would have formalized Rondeno’scontract protections,requiring avote of the board to terminatehim.

Rondeno was facing mounting pressure from lawmakers, whoquestioned his pay, hisinﬂuenceatthe agency,and his contract Aprevious version of that contract, which Vicaritold lawmakersthat Rondeno drafted himself, would have granted Rondeno four years’ of severance—potentially up to $910,000 —ifhehad been ﬁred without cause.

StaFF FILePhoto By BrettDUKe

Jury finds ex-NOPD officer guilty on 5 corruption counts

Kickbacks were in exchange for role in art heist scheme

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

A jury convicted a former New Orleans police ofﬁcer of federal corruption charges Friday, finding that the ex-offic er so li ci te d kickbacks from a local restaurateur in exchange for falsely reporting stolen paintings and enlisting an art appraiser to inﬂate their value.

The jury deliberated for eight hours before finding the former ofﬁcer, Christian Claus, guilty on five counts including wire fraud, conspiracy and lying to the FBI for

his role in the insurance fraud scheme after a two-week trial at the federal courthouse on Poydras Street.

The jury did not reach a verdict on sixth count Claus was charged with, mail fraud

The decision marks a victory for the U.S Justice Department in a case that once offered glimpses at the scope of a separate, higherproﬁle federal probe that of New Orleans’ former mayor, LaToya Cantrell A key government witness in Claus’ trial, a Cantrell acquaintance named Fouad Zeton, at one point appeared set to play a signiﬁcant role in the Cantrell case after FBI agents seized his phone during their probe of the arttheft scheme.

Though prosecutors would later use messages on Zeton’s phone to charge a local electrician with funneling bribes to Cantrell, the former mayor was never

charged in that scheme. Instead, prosecutors indicted Cantrell last year for allegedly spending taxpayer money on trips with her NOPD bodyguard and alleged paramour, then lying and deleting evidence to cover it up.

During Claus’ two-week trial, jurors heard how the licensed attorney who had recently moved to New Orleans from Nevada, staged meetups at Zeton’s home under the pretense of reporting the thefts of a dozenor-so cheap paintings.

They recorded the interactions on Claus’ body-worn camera to give the transactions a veil of legitimacy, prosecutors said. Later, they said Claus ﬁled doctored police reports and enlisted an art-insurance pal to inﬂate the paintings’ value with an insurance company Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisi-

Continued from page 1a

the highest demand property in the city.”

Extensive renovation

The Maison Dupuy was built in 1971 and has 200 guest rooms with meeting space and a full-service restaurant, which currently operates as a Creole establishment named Bistreaux. The hotel also has a below-grade parking garage that can accommodate 85 vehicles, a signiﬁcant asset in a French Quarter property

But it is perhaps best known as an event venue, popular for destination weddings, with a patio courtyard and large pool.

Jaeger purchased the hotel in 2017 from out-of-state investors and operated it under his portfolio of J Collection hotels, which at one point included 20 hotels and resorts, mostly in the French Quarter and downtown.

The Valentinos did not disclose how much they paid for the 55-year-old hotel, which was the last freestanding hotel built in the French Quarter from the ground up before a city ordinance banned new hotel construction in the historic neighborhood.

But a source familiar with the deal says the purchase price was $40 million, the amount of debt the late Jaeger had on the property

Jaeger’s estate still owns 14 hotels under the J Collection, two years after the developer’s death, as well as several other high-proﬁle properties around the city Randy Waeshe, the trustee for Jaeger’s estate, declined to comment Friday on the sale or the status of any other potential deals except to say, “I am working through the portfolio to honor the legacy of Joe Jaeger.” Maison Dupuy was well managed under the J Collection, Chris Valentino said. Still, the property is in need of a “head-to-toe” overhaul to maximize its revenuegenerating potential.

ana argued during the trial that Claus masterminded the scheme, painting him as a cunning operator They played videos from Claus’ NOPD body-worn camera during a visit to Zeton’s home, in which Claus and Zeton are seen acting as though they didn’t know each other Claus bragged on the video of his art expertise. At one point, the footage showed him scrawling on a pad of paper “NOT CONRAD” — a warning to Zeton, prosecutors said, not to address Claus by his middle name, which was only used by acquaintances.

“Are we to believe that this sophisticated, intelligent negotiator did this insane stuff for free?” the lead prosecutor on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon, asked the jury during closing arguments. “That he just met this guy and is going to risk his career, risk his law license for free? There

Continued from page 1a

Tangipahoa and Washington parishes.

The winner of the GOP primary runoff will advance to the Nov 3 election and face Democrat Connie Norris of Slidell and Chris Justin, a no-party candidate. Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder are competing for the BESE seat that Cao holds, having been appointed to the position by Gov Jeff Landry BESE sets policy for K-12 education in Louisiana. Cao, an attorney in Metairie, served a term in the U.S. House from New Orleans, while Schroder spent years as a teacher and administrator before pivoting to become a real estate developer She lives in St. Tammany Parish. The district includes St Tammany

was something in it for him.”

Both Zeton and the Las Vegas-based art appraiser involved in the scheme, Michael Schofield, pleaded guilty to partaking in the scheme and testified against the former officer Claus’ attorneys, Chris Murell and Meghan Matt, argued to the jury that it was Zeton who masterminded the scheme. Murell peppered Zeton with questions on cross-examination about his criminal history and sought to raise questions about his truthfulness.

“Mr. Claus was Mr. Zeton’s insurance policy, just like everyone else in his life,” Murell said. “He does something bad, he has something he can blame.”

Zeton gave colorful testimony throughout the trial. From the witness stand, he repeatedly lambasted Claus’ lawyers for defending his former conﬁdant.

“You want to do every-

Parish and parts of Orleans, Jefferson and Tangipahoa parishes.

A new primary system

The elections for the Senate, the PSC and BESE will settle party contests ﬁrst held on May 16 under a new election schedule, for certain ofﬁces, that the Legislature adopted in 2024 at Landry’s behest. Under the new system, no-party voters can vote in either party’s primary — unless they voted in the May 16 primary. Then they have to vote on Saturday in the same primary as last month.

Many voters and polling commissioners reported on May 16 that the new election system caused confusion.

Voters appear to be either skeptical or apathetic. Analysts are projecting a 15% overall turnout, down from a 28% turnout on May 16.

That day, voters rejected all five constitutional

thing possible to save your guy,” Zeton said “Let me tell you something: I admit my mistake. A police officer came into my home and help me to scam the insurance company bigger than ever through his connections and his crooked friends.” Claus himself leveled legal arguments to Chief U.S. District Judge Wendy Vitter during the course of the trial. He repeatedly accused the U.S. Attorney’s Office of withholding key evidence in the case, though he did not provide evidence of such material being withheld. Vitter allowed Claus to remain out of jail with some conditions ahead of sentencing, which she set for Sept. 22. James Finn covers federal law enforcement and courts for The TimesPicayune | The Advocate. Reach him at jfinn@ theadvocate.com or on Signal at jamesfinn.82.

amendments put on the ballot by the Legislature. Landry supported three of them, including a complicated financial maneuver to give teachers a pay raise. Voters also rejected 68% of the 97 tax measures on the ballot among the 64 parishes. Voters had never opposed more than 50% of the tax measures during an election, said Guy Cormier, state director of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana. Cormier said an analysis by the association indicated that the rejection of the constitutional amendments carried over to the local tax measures. To ﬁnd your polling place on Saturday what is on your speciﬁc ballot and other information, go to the secretary of state’s voter portal at geauxvote.com and enter your name ZIP code and birthday. Anyone with questions on election day can call (800) 883-2805.

“The renovation is extensive enough that we determined it doesn’t make sense to operate while we’re under construction,” Chris Valentino said.

When the hotel reopens, one of the most notable changes will be to the restaurant. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it operated as Dominque’s by well-known chef Dominique Maquet, who went on to open several bistros Uptown. Chris Valentino said the family hopes to reintroduce a notable, upscale restaurant brand to the dining space.

“The restaurant is pretty unique,” he said. “It is raised 24 inches above the street, making it a beautiful place to eat. We’re really excited about what we hope to bring there.”

Upside potential

The recent deal comes amid a relative softening in New Orleans’ hospitality sector Hotel stays were slightly down last year, with occupancy in the 26,000 French Quarter and CBD hotel rooms averaging a little more than 61% compared to 64% in 2024, according to Smith Travel and Research. Nationally, hotel investment also has slowed slightly, as higher borrowing costs and lingering performance volatility impact deal volume. PwC reported in June that U.S. hotel transactions in the ﬁrst half of the year were down 2.5% over the preceding six months, though much of the slowdown was in midtier properties.

The renovation will include new furniture, ﬁxtures and equipment in guest rooms and common areas and upgrades to the restaurant and ofﬁces, as well as mechanical and HVAC work

The report also noted that investors have been bullish on luxury and upper upscale brand hotels, which have rebounded in 2026 after a slowdown in 2025, commanding higher room and occupancy rates and showing better financial performance as measured by revenue per available room, or RevPAR.

Against the backdrop of those local and national industry trends, Michael Valentino said the French Quarter properties in his portfolio are performing well, with occupancy averaging in the mid-70s

“We’re flat, not growing, but it’s ﬁne,” he said. “We’d like to be in the 80s but the market is not there yet.”

Local hotel expert Len Wormer, a broker with Hospitality Real Estate Counselors, said the Valentino acquisition of Maison Dupuy is a good investment with a lot of potential for the local ownership group.

“It’s on a street with easy access into the French Quarter with its own parking garage and it has so much upside with the food and beverage,” he said.

Rebranding as a Hilton Curio, which brings with it the built-in customers who are members of chain’s loyalty program, is another signiﬁcant advantage that will help drive performance.

“That will enable them to get the occupancy, room rates and RevPAR up to where they need it to be,” he said.

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

the Maison Dupuy on the corner of toulouse and Burgundy streets in the French Quarter has been sold to Valentino New orleans. the family has $13 million in renovations planned.

StaFF PhotoS By SoPhIa GerMer

a pedestrian walks past Maison Dupuy on toulouse Street in the French Quarter on Friday.

NOLA.COM | Saturday, June 27, 2026 1Bn

Ben Franklin to expand buildings

Growing school will lease space from UNo

BY MARIE FAZIO

Staff writer

Ben Franklin High School, a selec-

tive admissions public school that is running out of room at its Lake Terrace campus, will lease a building from the neighboring University of New Orleans that will provide the crowded high school with extra classrooms, offices and a gymnasium.

The 30-year lease agreement should put to rest fears that the sought-after school will have to cap admissions due to limited space.

The public charter school will pay $360,000 annually to rent the building, plus cover operational, maintenance and repair a much-needed boost for the ﬁnancially struggling university Ben Franklin already leases some classroom space from UNO, which

will be rebranded LSU New Orleans when it officially joins the LSU system July 1. Even with the extra space, the high school is filled to capacity, leading officials to propose capping admissions rather than continuing to accept any student who meets its stringent admissions requirements.

“This building comes at a critical time for Franklin,” said Ben Franklin CEO Alex Jarrell. “This

investment allows us to continue welcoming every admitted student by preserving access to one of New Orleans’ ﬂagship public schools.”

An A-rated high school that was also ranked the top high school in Louisiana by the U.S News and World Report, Ben Franklin has grown from 900 students to about 1,200 over the past decade. After receiving about 1,000 applications, the school will enroll about 320 ninth graders this fall — its largest freshman class in 70 years. Ben Franklin will lease UNO’s Hu-

man Performance building, which is just a four-minute walk from the high school After renovations, the building will feature 19 new classrooms, nine offices and a gymnasium large enough to hold the entire student body The rent and other costs Franklin will cover will provide LSU New Orleans

La. Supreme Court

won’t revisit court clerk law

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court won’t grant New Orleans city leaders a review hearing to argue against a controversial new law that merged the city’s clerk of court offices last month, declining to reconsider its decision this month upholding the new law

The decision appears to end state challenges to Act 15 which Gov Jeff Landry signed into law days after the Legislature passed a bill that melded the city’s independent civil and criminal clerk’s ofﬁces into one. In doing so, lawmakers abolished the criminal clerk position that former life prisoner Calvin Duncan won overwhelmingly last fall at the polls. The city entered the fray when the City Council called for a special election and appointed an interim to the uniﬁed clerk’s post.

The city urged the Supreme Court to reconsider its June 1 ruling, which came in a 4-3 vote. The same narrow split rendered Friday’s decision denying a rehearing.

“I appreciate the three Louisiana Supreme Court justices who recognized the profound constitutional questions this case presents,” Mayor Helena Moreno said in a response to Friday’s ruling. “Their opinions underscore that this was never simply about reorganizing government; it was about protecting the right of the people

to have their votes counted and given effect.” Moreno said the city plans to seek review from the U.S. Supreme Court “to ensure these important constitutional questions receive full consideration.” Supreme Court Justices William Burris, Cade Cole, Jay McCallum and Jefferson Hughes voted to deny the city’s application for a rehearing, giving no reason. In dissent, Justices John Michael

Historic N.O. church to become private office

St. theresa of avila in Lower Garden District sold

BY RICH COLLINS Staff writer

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

StaFF Photo

StaFF Photo By SoPhIa GerMer

pressure wash the roof of Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Wednesday

Avoyelles Parish begins long recovery after historic flood

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Soon after crossing the Simmesport Bridge over the Atchafalaya River into Avoyelles Parish, the shoulders of La. 1 give way to piles of drywall, furniture, refrigerators, mattresses, stuffed animals and family photos. Inside homes smell of bleach; dehumidiﬁers and fans hum.

“It’s going to take a couple of months before it can completely dry,” Ellen Thibodeaux, a 71-year-old widow, said as she stood inside her gutted home near Plaucheville.

Nearby, a group of eight men leaned against the back of a pickup, taking a break from cleaning her home and ripping Sheetrock from the walls. The scene was similar in many driveways across the parish Thursday, as neighbors, family members and aid groups tried to save homes from mold and rot following the historic ﬂooding.

Last week, Tropical Storm Arthur dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain within 12 hours across southern parts of the parish, a likely 1,000-year rainfall event that caught most residents off guard. Flood insurance is rare in the mostly ﬂat region, and so far, more than 1,500 households in the parish have reported flood damage inside their homes, according to the Governor’s Ofﬁce of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

As people like Thibodeaux return home, they are relying on community support — it remains unclear whether the damage will meet the threshold for a federal disaster declaration that would unlock recovery funding.

DEADLINE

Continued from page 1B

make the transition to kindergarten easier Lilian Guilbault, Jefferson Parish’s director of early childhood education, said that pre-K gives children “the foundation they need to be strong learners.” She added that Jefferson Parish students who attend the program on average score higher on their kindergarten reading assessment than their peers who do not.

“We know that early care and education is directly related to stronger academic outcomes,” she said. “Kids

COURT

Continued from page 1B

Guidry, Piper Grifﬁn and Chief Justice John Weimer each issued opinions denouncing Act 15 as an affront to New Orleans voters “This whole saga is about how the arrogance of governmental power, left unchecked, can cause incalculable injury to the citizens who instituted the government for their protection,” Guidry wrote in a ﬁve-page dissent.

“Political actors maneuvered the creation of the ofﬁce of Clerk of Court of Orleans Parish, and in an act of paternalism, substituted their will for that of the overwhelming majority of voters of Orleans Parish,” he later added. For Weimer a rehearing offered the court time to make a more reasoned decision after it was forced to “resolve the immediate chaos” that ensued when the law was enacted.

Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office declined to comment on Friday’s decision. Duncan and Chelsey Richard Napoleon, who has held the civil clerk post, both staked a claim to helm the unified office under the law So too, briefly, did the interim joint clerk named by the council, former criminal court judge Calvin Johnson.

The court’s decision came in part from a lawsuit ﬁled in Baton Rouge by Napoleon, challenging the

Thibodeaux said she has no choice but to stay hopeful for federal assistance.

“I have to be,” she said. “I don’t have the money.”

Meanwhile, others have yet to return to anything resembling normalcy Parish ofﬁcials have relocated more than 50 people to a hotel in Marksville and are processing another 100 applications for temporary stays at the Paragon Casino, says Parish President Darrell Wiley. Still others are staying with family or living in borrowed recreational vehicles

“We’re just burnt out. We’re tired,” said Moreauville Fire Chief Robert Lemoine. Counting the losses

At the Plaucheville Community Center where days earlier the street was filled with airboats and kayaks Aimee Hayes and Ward Bordelon, two public schoolteachers, help run one of the area’s main distribution sites.

They say demand has shifted from food and bottled water to cleaning supplies, dehumidiﬁers, insulation and plywood

“I think today is the first day people are able to just work,” Bordelon said Thursday “The ﬁrst day people are really able to get into their homes.”

They are proud of the community’s response and said the center would remain open from 7 a.m to 7 p.m. indeﬁnitely But they also hope more professional aid groups will take over soon.

“We can only run volunteer work and have our own lives and jobs for so long,” said Ward.

Down the street, a man loaded ruined refrigerators he’d scrapped onto a trailer

are sponges at this age.”

The full-day program emphasizes play-based learning, where children typically rotate through a series of play centers in each classroom. The centers often will connect to themes or topics the class is learning about, such as “community helpers,” Guilbault said.

“When you walk into a preK classroom, they’re going to tell you what they’re playing with, show you a book they’re reading, or you might see them in the kitchen center acting out what they see a parent doing at home,” Guilbault said “It’s very social in the sense that the kids are learning how to play together.”

city’s move for an election. In federal court, Duncan challenged the revamped law straightaway and won a fleeting victory when a judge declared Act 15 unconstitutional and granted a temporary restraining order

Duncan walked into the criminal courthouse to assume ofﬁce for a few hours on May 4, the day his term had been set to begin. A federal appeals court that morning issued an emergency stay, and Duncan left.

A federal judge dismissed Duncan’s attempt to halt the change on May 26, deeming it moot There’s been no activity in that case since then. Duncan’s attorneys were not immediately available to comment Friday Napoleon’s suit in the 19th Judicial District Court named Moreno and Council President JP Morrell as defendants She asked a judge to block the city from calling a special November election and appointing Johnson in the meantime. The Supreme Court sided with Napoleon. Morrell in a statement pointed to the three dissents, saying they “more speciﬁcally lay out the significant constitutional issues with what occurred.” Morrell said he supports the decision to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and that “today’s denial isn’t the end of the conversation.”

Email Matt Bruce at matt.bruce@theadvocate com.

In nearby Bodoc, standing water still makes streets impassable for smaller vehicles, including Guillory Road, where 8 inches of water stayed in Rick Guillory’s home for nearly three days.

“We’ve been living back there for 44 years and it’s never ﬂooded,” he said.

As he waited for his home to dry, Guillory hadn’t attempted to drive his car through the water With his wife’s car already totaled, he ﬁgured it wasn’t worth the risk.

At the Bodoc Fire Department, where volunteers ﬁred up a smoker to cook an afternoon meal, FEMA and GOHSEP officials conducting on-the-ground damage assessments stopped in to greet residents.

Allison Saari, recovery operations director for GOHSEP said the state must reach a $9 million damage threshold to unlock public assistance funding for the parish and aid groups. She added individual assistance — which helps homeowners and renters with repairs and temporary housing — does not have a ﬁxed dollar threshold but depends on factors such as the number of damaged homes and the scale of the local and state response.

“This was a flood that affected many people but was at different levels in different areas,” she said. “We haven’t collected enough data to receive anything yet.”

In addition to homes, Saari said the ﬂooding damaged 27 bridges in Avoyelles Parish and caused at least $17 million in agricultural losses. Now, she said, officials are migrating to St. Landry Parish to assess damage as ﬂoodwater from Avoyelles moves south.

She added that Jefferson has never had to turn away a child who qualiﬁed for the program due to lack of seats. Instead, the district is aiming to increase enrollment.

“We just want to get the word out to parents as soon as possible,” she said, “so that parents can get their kids involved.”

How to apply

To apply, families must create an account through the application portal on jpschools.org/PreK and submit their child’s name, date of birth, grade and address before beginning the application process.

Parents will be notiﬁed if their child has been approved

CHURCH

Continued from page 1B

split between St. Patrick in the Warehouse District and St. Alphonsus in the Lower Garden District.

Worship to workplace

Located on Erato Street in a neighborhood once bustling with new immigrants to the city, St. Theresa of Avila was one of several Roman Catholic parishes built in the 19th century within a few blocks of each other St. Alphonsus and St. Mary’s Assumption are just a mile upriver St. Patrick’s is less than a half mile in the other direction toward downtown. St. John the Baptist, with its iconic gold dome, is also nearby

The church’s origins date back to 1839, when an order called the Sisters of Charity opened an orphanage and chapel on the site. The current church building was completed in 1848 when St. Theresa of Avila Church was founded as a parish.

More recently, over the past 50 years, the parish became a stronghold for Honduran and other Spanishspeaking Catholics.

While some former churches have been converted to event venues and hotels, Lay is one of the few locally to turn a former Catholic church into an ofﬁce.

He said the scope of repairs to the 178-year-old structure will be extensive, including an overhaul of HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems as well as

Along country highways, soybean ﬁelds stood withered and brown. Others remained fully underwater One family of deer ranchers was still looking for half their herd.

“We’re still waiting to see how bad it’s going to be,” said Billy Crawford, who estimates about 900 of the 1,500 acres of soybeans and corn he farms are now unharvestable.

“The soybean crop is pretty much finished. Corn, we’re not sure. In a lot of places, the water didn’t reach the ear.”

Michelle Deshotel, whose husband farms 6,000 acres of crawﬁsh, rice and soybeans, said most of their land remains covered with water

“Maybe about 200 acres are harvestable,” she said “It’s a total loss for the year.”

Like most farmers in the area, the Deshotels and Crawford carry crop insurance, but they are unsure how much it will cover Like homeowners, they are waiting to see whether they will qualify for federal assistance.

“Everybody is in the same boat in this area,” Crawford added.

Coordinated response

Late Thursday afternoon, Avoyelles Parish Sheriff David Dauzat and Chief Deputy Ryan Quebedeaux set out in a high-water Humvee to deliver medicine to a home in Bordelonville, one of the more remote parts of the ﬂooded region.

It was their eighth straight day in the vehicle. With a mix of pride and exhaustion, they described a week of 12-hour days delivering food, water, soap, toilet paper and other essentials to residents still unable to leave their homes. Eventually, Dauzat said, they began bringing soft drinks.

by the end of July Approved families will receive an additional email with a list of schools their child can attend with a deadline to electronically accept or decline the available seat. Families who accept a seat must then register To do that, parents or guardians provide a driver’s license, state ID or passport; a copy of the child’s original birth certificate; proof of residency; proof of income; up-to-date vaccination records and any relevant special education documents. Families who need help registering can attend a preK registration help session from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Tom Benson School in Kenner

“A couple of people almost cried when they saw that Coke,” Dauzat said. “They needed that caffeine after days of bottled water.”

In the days immediately after the storm, sheriff’s deputies, local police and ﬁre departments, the National Guard, Fish and Wildlife agents and good Samaritans worked around the clock in high-water vehicles, boats and ATVs to rescue hundreds of people from homes ﬂooded with as much as 6 feet of water. No injuries or fatalities have been reported.

“We did so good for the amount of rain we got,” Dauzat said. “We’re very fortunate.”

At the height of the ﬂooding, water reached Dauzat’s armpits as he drove the Humvee, with deputies walking ahead as spotters. He and Quebedeaux alone rescued more than 40 people, Dauzat said.

Detectives, forensics specialists and civil deputies all joined the effort. Sheriff’s ofﬁces from Pointe Coupee, Rapides and Catahoula parishes sent additional manpower Quebedeaux said part of their success came from pairing local deputies with outside responders for guidance.

“Our supervisors made good decisions,” he said. “We put people where they needed to be.”

Eight days after the storm, Dauzat’s Humvee still struggled to navigate ﬂooded dirt roads to reach the Bordelonville home. The family’s car was ﬂooded, leaving them unable to leave.

Dauzat said the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce will continue to try to balance ﬂood response with day-to-day activities.

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Continued from page 1B

declining enrollment.

The building requires some major upgrades, including roof repairs and asbestos abatement. The school said renovations will begin this fall with a goal of getting students in the building for the 2027-28 school year The university will reimburse up to half the rent for repairs made during the ﬁrst two years of the lease.

The building is much closer than the classrooms that Franklin currently rents from UNO, which should

“This is not going to go away next week or the week after,” he said. “This is going to be a process for probably months.”

Starting over At Scallan’s Pharmacy near the center of Plaucheville, Patty Andrus rang up prescriptions in a store with no floors and ripped-out Sheetrock as three dehumidiﬁers strained to dry the space. She greeted her friend Vicki Dufur, a local elementary school teacher who was rescued by four-wheeler after her home took on about a foot and a half of water Dufur said she lost nearly everything, including a small collection of livestock and an album of photos and artwork documenting her children from pre-K through high school. She hoped to one day share them with her grandchildren.

“I never thought I’d have to start over at 58, but here I am,” she said. Despite the losses, she said she feels “blessed.” About 15 friends have helped gut her home in recent days, a neighbor repaired her driveway and a grandparent of a former student dropped off a much-needed rotisserie chicken.

Dufur, who has lived in Plaucheville her entire life, said the rural community she grew up in had felt less tightknit in recent years. The past week has changed her mind. “I felt like in the last seven days I was a little girl again, just seeing everybody help each other,” she said. “I think it is the Lord telling us that we all need to shape up and get back together as a community.”

cut down on travel time for students and allow for more instructional time. The LSU New Orleans athletics department, which is currently housed in the Human Performance Building, will relocate to the Lakefront Arena. The university’s volleyball team will continue using the building’s volleyball facilities through November

“This new chapter enables us to keep doing something that we care deeply about: saying yes to every eligible student who applies,” said Alexis Parent-Ferrouillet, president of Ben Franklin’s governing board “We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”

adding bathrooms, repainting all surfaces, restoring the ﬂoors, repairing stainedglass windows — and ﬁnding a new home for the church’s pews and organ.

“We have to ﬁgure out how to dismantle it,” he said. “Even though it dates back to the late 1800s, it’s apparently not a very important piece because it was built during the height of the Industrial Revolution and there are many like it.”

The design, led by architect Ken Gowland of New Orleans-based Metro Studio, puts workspaces in the former church’s nave. Desks will be divided by lattice walls reminiscent of confessional booths. Soft seating and other design elements will absorb sound in a space with 30-foot-high ceilings. Tax credits expert Lay a Shreveport native, created RiseImpact in 2021.

But he’s been working in the tax credit space for two decades, starting at Baton Rouge-based Stonehenge Capitol after graduating from LSU. He and his family moved to New Orleans from Covington, his wife’s hometown, a year ago.

Lay has a few minority partners, but he is the majority owner of RiseImpact and the church building. His company has satellite ofﬁces in Missouri, New Jersey and South Carolina.

Email Rich Collins at rich. collins@theadvocate.com.

Lay said he’s become an evangelist for tax credit programs, an essential source of ﬁnancing for many historic renovations. He said New Orleans is one of a handful of cities around the country that have a deep knowledge base about the credits. His company also invests in two to four real estate developments each year, focusing on smaller workforce housing projects in the Gulf South, Midwest and East Coast. Lay said he looks for properties in the secondary and tertiary market, and partners with owners or developers that don’t have the capital to get the deal done alone. “We focus on smaller markets where the dirt’s cheap, they tend to roll out the red carpet, and there’s less hoops to jump through,” he said.

ProVIDeD reNDerING

a rendering from Metro Studio shows what the riseImpact Capital office — to be located in the former St. theresa of avila Church — might look like

HARAHAN MILLAGE RENEWAL

Renewal of 10-year,5-mill tax on property generating anestimated $557,600 per year beginning2028 to fund payroll, beneﬁts and expenses at the Harahan Police Department.

ST.TAMMANY PARISH

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL FORLAW ENFORCEMENT

Renewal of a10-year,4.31-mill parishwide taxbeginning in 2028 and generating an estimated $13.6million to fund lawenforcement.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL FORMOSQUITO ABATEMENT

Renewal of a10-year, 2.95-mill tax beginning 2028 generating an estimated $9.3millionper year for mosquito control.

SLIDELL MILLAGE CONTINUATION,PROPOSITION 1OF2

Continue collectionofa 4.45-mill tax generating an estimated $1.5 millionper year for 10 years beginning 2026 to maintain andoperate sewerage facilities.

SLIDELL MILLAGE CONTINUATION,PROPOSITION 2OF2

Continue collectionof 4.37-mill tax generating an estimated $1.5 per year for 10 years beginning 2026 for garbage collectionand disposal.

MILLAGERENEWAL, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO.

Continue a20.62-mill tax generating an estimated $7.5 millionper year for 10 years beginning 2030 for ﬁreprotection facilities and equipment in FireProtection District No.2,including water and contributions to retirement systems.

IN-LIEU MILLAGE FORRECREATIONDISTRICT NO.11

Levy aspecial tax of 9.26 mills generating an estimated $1.1 millionper year for 20 years beginning 2026 for parks, playgrounds, recreation

centersand other facilities in

Recreation District No.11. The tax would replace the current 9.26 mills passed by voters on Nov. 13, 2021.

MILLAGERENEWAL, RECRE-

ATION DISTRICT NO.12

Renew 10-mill tax generat-

ing an estimated $505,000 per year for 10 years beginning 2028 forplaygrounds, recreationcentersand other facilities in RecreationDistrict No.12.

ST.BERNARD PARISH

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL, COUNCIL ON AGING

Renewal of 0.94-mill tax

generating an estimated $507,000 per year for 10 years beginning 2027 to fund senior citizens programs, activities and services.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL, LIBRARIES

Renewal of a1.23-mill tax gen-

erating an estimated $663,500 per year for 10 years beginning 2027 forthe operation of parish libraries.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL, RECREATION

Renewal of a2.17-mill tax

generating an estimated $12 millionper year for 10 years beginning 2027 for land, building and equipmentfor

recreation.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL,HEALTH UNIT

Renewal of a0.62-mill taxgenerating an estimated $334,400 per year for10years beginning 2027 forparish public health units.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL,GARBAGE DISTRICT NO.1

Renewal of 3.05-mill tax generating an estimated $1.6 million per year for10years beginning 2027 forgarbage collection anddisposalservices.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL,ROADDISTRICT NO.1

Renewal of 3.05-mill tax

generating an estimated $1.6 million per year for10years beginning 2027 forpublic roads andhighways.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL,ROADLIGHTING DISTRICT NO.1

Renewal of 1.22-mill tax generating an estimated $658,000 per year for10years beginning 2027 forstreet lighting.

PARISHWIDE MILLAGE RENEWAL,FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO.1

Renewal of 2.73-mill tax generating an estimated $1.2

million per year for10years beginning 2027 forfacilities, obtain water forﬁre protection andcontribute to retirement systems.

ST.JOHN

Jury deadlocksintrial over fatal2024shooting

Womankilled, 3injured in French Quarter

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

ANew Orleans jury failed to reach averdict Thursday after two days of testimony in the murder trial of aman accused of killing awoman during amass shooting in the French Quarter

The panel of eight women and four men deliberated for nearly three hours before ending deadlocked over whether Daniel Miorana was one of three masked gunmen seen on surveillance video opening ﬁre just after noon on Nov.21, 2024, in the 700 block of Iberville Street. Yasmeen Webb, a27-yearold woman, was shot five times and died at the scene. Three others were injured Prosecutors hoped statements and testimony from Miorana’solder brother, 30-year-old Nicholas Miorana, would persuade jurors. Under questioning from

NOPD investigators just hours after the shooting, Nicholas Miorana identiﬁed hisyounger brotherasthe man seenturning and ﬁring at Webb.Healsoimplicated a cousin,22-year-old DarrelAdams Jr., as the third shooter. Prosecutors played footage of hisinterrogation to thejury on Thursday

Prosecutors said Adams’ toddler son was in the back seatofNicholas Miorana’scar whenthe shooters jumped out of the vehicle to blast“volley after volleyaftervolley” of gunﬁre

Daniel Miroana’sattorney, DevinJones, attacked the older brother’scredibility.He also saidDaniel’shairwas a lot shorter than theman seen on video ﬁring Adams andNicholasMiorana pleaded guilty as the trial kicked off this week and agreed to 45-year prison terms in dealswith District AttorneyJason Williams’ ofﬁce.

Criminal Judge Camille Buras imposedthe respectivesentences for Adamsand NicholasMiorana on Friday afternoon.

“Yasmeenshouldstill be here today,” Williamssaid in astatement. “What happened in the French Quarter was not only atragedy for her family but astark reminder of how quickly recklessgun violence can shatter lives and threaten an entire community,and could have resulted in far greater loss.”

They were set to be tried alongside Daniel Miorana on charges of second-degree murder,obstruction of justice and multiple counts of attempted second-degree murder

“He let his younger brother go down for something he knows he didn’tdo,”Jones saidinhis closing argument Thursday.“Took the plea deal and left. That’swho they want you to trust in order to put this boy in jail for life and take him away fromhis kids.”

Assistant DistrictAttorney MatthewDerbes, chief of the districtattorney’shomicide unit, told the jury at the trial’s start that the three gunmen left behind 23 shell casings ﬁred from three different 9 mm pistols when they fled thescene in asilver Honda

Meth foundin wastewater

BY ADAM DUVERNAY Staff writer

Researchers recentlyrevealedthey’ve identiﬁedan alarming amount of meth in Shreveport,but notwhere you may think.

At arecent meeting of the Caddo Commission, LSU Health Shreveport ofﬁcials said the local wastewater has some ofthe highest identiﬁed amounts of methamphetamine in the world The news was delivered in a presentation on how opioid lawsuit settlement money is being spent.

Billions in settlement fundsfrom pharmaceutical companies distributed to states are largely spentat the local level in Louisiana. In CaddoParish,a portion of the money,$1.5 million over three years, was given to LSU Health Shreveport, which used the funds to support various projects. Some of that moneyis being used for wastewater testing meant to gauge drug use in the parish.

LSU Health Shreveport Associate ProfessorofPharmacology,Toxicology and Neuroscience Kevin Murnane told commissioners they’retesting for 21 drugs, includingcocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine. When it comestomethamphetamine, Murnane said the news is not good.

“Sadly,Caddo Parish in Shreveport has some of the highest methamphetamine levelsofanywhere in the world,” Murnane said.

Accordingtodata Murnane presented to the commissioners, the city’swastewater has methamphetamine levelsof8.26 parts per billion, equivalent to one

drop of impurity in 500 barrels of water.That’smore than twice thelevels in places likeMontana, Oklahoma andSouth Carolina.

“Welooked at this internationally.Welooked all around theUnitedStates, looked in Tennesseeand West Virginia and allthe places that are typical hot spots for methamphetamine, and sadly,wehave higher levels than anyof thoseplaces,” Murnane said.

Murnane said LSU Health Shreveport hopes to create a“Caddo Parish Mental Health Command Center,” going beyond just wastewatertestingto help alleviate police departments’ needs to respondtoincidentsfor which other services could be substituted or wouldbe safer options.

He saidwastewater data, along with information from placeslike the NorthLouisiana Criminalistics Laboratory,can be helpfulfor that mission.

Askedwhy Shreveport has

such high levels of methamphetamine in itswastewater, Murnane said thedata itself doesn’tanswer thequestion.

“Nobody hasadefinitive answer to that. My best educated guessisthere’s just a conﬂuence of alot of vulnerability factors,” Murnane said. “Methamphetamine useisassociated with lack of economic opportunities andhopeabout your future.

It’salso associated with interstate and international drug trafﬁcking, and there’s many interstate corridors running through here. It’s associated with vulnerable communities.”

Poverty in Shreveport,he said, likely is afactor for those reasons.

“It’sjust sort of aperfect and very unfortunate recipe forahigh level of methamphetamine use.”

He said dealing with those factors and using thingslike amental health command center to deploy parish resourcesmay help theproblem.

Accord.

Prosecutors identiﬁed Daniel Miorana as the gunman seen on video turning toward Webb, who backed into the doorway of asteakhouse in the 700 block of Iberville Street when the shooters begansprayingbullets. Derbes described Webb as an “innocent bystander” to an ambush.

Dr.Marianna Sandomirsky, the forensic pathologist who performed Webb’sautopsy, testified Thursday that two bullets shattered her ribs and tore through her heart and lungs, killing her almost instantly

Also injured werea 40-yearold man, 39-year-old woman and the man whowas with Webb.

The crash of bulletscould be heard on the body-worn

camera of an ofﬁcer patrolling the area whenthe gunmen ambushed a26-year-old man walking with Webb. “Yasmeen must’vebeen terriﬁed,” Assistant District Attorney Carlos Torres told the jury. “They’re asking you not to believe your eyes.The things that youcan see. The things thatyou can hear.”

Nicholas Miorana, who had been placed on probation months before the shooting, was wearing an ankle monitor at the time thathelped investigators identifyhim as oneof the gunmen He took the stand Thursday, hesitantasheidentiﬁed himself as the man in the interrogation video. Under questioning from Jones, he told thejury he had expected to be tried this week and had no planstotestify against his

brother Hisbrief time on the witness stand allowed prosecutors to playhis interrogation video to the jury. Otherwise, theportionsimplicatingDaniel Mioranamay have been kept outashearsay While prosecutors laid out thedetails of thequadruple shooting, they didn’treveal anymotivebehindit.

“You will see them on a hunting trip, searching for their target,” Derbes promisedjurors to open thetrial Tuesday.“No provocation.No justiﬁcation. No self-defense. It was an ambush. This was an execution of an attack.” Buras on Friday set an Aug. 11 pretrial conference in advance of apossible retrial. Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Ludwig Sr., Donald Ronan,Angelina Strahan,Abraha Ronan, Angelina TheresaCangelosi

NewOrleans

Greenwood

Ronan,Angelina St Bernard

CharbonnetLabat

Ludwig Sr., Donald Obituaries

Ludwig Sr., Donald J.

Donald J. Ludwig,Sr. age 77, aproud resident of St. BernardParish, passed awaypeacefullyon Wednesday,June 24, 2026 surrounded by hisloving family. Donald wasbornin New Orleans, LA to thelate MartinJ.and Katherine LudwigonSeptember 6, 1948. Belovedhusband of the late Regina MelanLud‐wig.LovingfatherofKandy Ludwig(Gary)and Donald Ludwig, Jr.(Bobbie). Proud grandfather of Jonathan Ludwig. Belovedbrother of MartinLudwig(Marie), MaryLauro,Julia Genovese (Stan), JamesLudwig (Patsy),Danny Ludwig and Nancy Keim.Inaddition to his wife andparents,Mr. Ludwigisalsoprecededin death by brothers andsis‐ter-in-law, Angelo Lauro, JohnKeimand Angela Lud‐wig.Pleasesignthe online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Finalarrangementsen‐trustedtoCharbonnet

Angelina TheresaCan‐gelosiRonan departed from this life on June 18, 2026, in Amite, Louisiana. She wasbornonNovember 5,1939, in NewOrleans Louisiana,the daughter of the late SamCangelosi and Josephine MarieSpera Cangelosi.Angelinagrew upinNew Orleanswithher siblingswho predeceased her,Sam Cangelosi, John Cangelosi andJonnieAnn Cangelosi Bistes,and her surviving siblings,Sadie Cangelosi Braquet, Roy Cangelosi andCharles Cangelosi.Angelinamar‐riedWilliam “Bill” Joseph Ronan on February 13 1956, andtheyweremar‐riedfor 59 yearsbeforeBill passedawayin2015. An‐gelinahad seven(7) chil‐dren, Gerard Ronan(Flo‐rence), GwendolynMoore (Tim),William Ronan(An‐drea),Rebecca Sciarabba (Pete), Regina Milton (Jon), RachelRonan andSalvador Roland Ronanwho prede‐

ceased her. Angelinahas a total of 21 grandchildren and 51 great-grandchil‐dren. Angelinaoperated and ownedmultiplebusi‐nessesduringher lifetime Bill’s Seafood andPoul‐try,A&B Trucking,Angie’s CustomInteriors and Ronan’s Akitas.She wasa memberofthe Northlake KennelClubfor yearsand enjoyed attendingand par‐ticipatingindog shows. Everyonewho knew An‐gelinawould agreeshe was afabulouscook.An‐gelinaenjoyed traveling and playingcards.Visita‐tionwillbeheldatGreen‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 Canal Blvd., NewOrleans, LA70124, on Monday,June 29, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. with funeralservicesbeginning at11:00 a.m. Burial will fol‐low at Greenwood Ceme‐tery. To sign theonline guestbook,aswellas share memories andcon‐dolences, please visit www.greenwoodfh.com

AbrahaChink Abraha Strahan, entered intoeternal rest on June 17, 2026, in Athens, Texas

Many Americans are fortunate to have dental coveragefor their entire working life,through employer-provided benefits. When those benefits end with retirement,payingdental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock,leading peopletoput

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

Whenyou’recomparing plans

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

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

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

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1

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

Early detectioncan prevent small problemsfrom becomingexpensive ones.

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

Previous dental work canwearout

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

Treatment is expensive especially theservicespeople over 50 often need

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

DEADLINE RUNDATE

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Appeals courtrejects

Trump EPAbid

WASHINGTON Afederalappeals court on Friday rejected the Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to abandon aBiden-era rule that sets tough standards for deadly soot pollution.

The unanimous ruling by a three-judgepanelisasetbackfor the Trumpadministration’sderegulatory agenda and itsrepeated efforts to boost coal, areliable but polluting energy source.

The decisionbythe U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit leaves intact, for now,atighter standard set in 2024 on pollution from coal-ﬁred power plants, factories and other industrialsources.

The EPAunder President Donald Trump askedthe appeals court last year to invalidate the Biden-era rule, arguing that the agency under previousleaders hadexceeded itsstatutory authority and actedunreasonably by failing to consider costs to businesses affected by the rule

The court denied the Trump administration’srequest, saying in adecision written by Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg that the agency’sarguments “lack merit.” Toyota threatens GM’s crown as hybrids surge

General Motors is facing an uncomfortable reality: Toyota has a shot at taking the U.S. sales crown once againthanks to growing demand forits gasoline-electrichybrids.

The Japanese automaker is expected to increaseits market share to 15.8% in the ﬁrst half of this year,while GM’ssharemay tumble by almost 1percentage point to 16.8%, according to a forecast from researcher Cox Automotive. If consumers continue to ﬂock toward fuel sippers, Toyota has ashot becomingthe No. 1 auto seller in the U.S.this year Toyota overtaking GM in the Detroit automaker’s home market would mark ahistoric shift. GM has held the top spot since passing Ford Motor Co. in 1931, losing to Toyota only once —in 2021 —amid aglobalsemiconductor shortage. Ashake-up also would underscore the ill effects of GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra’sriskybet on EVs over hybrids, as most American buyershave been reluctant to go all-electric.

Australia to change children’ssocial media

MELBOURNE, Australia The Australiangovernmentplans to strengthen laws that ban children younger than 16 fromsocialmedia platforms, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Observers said on Friday the government was respondingto evidence that the banonyoung children holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagramand YouTubehad failed since it came into forceonDec. 10 last year.Australia was the ﬁrst country in the world to pass legislation keeping youth off social media, but others have since followed.

Albanese told Parliament on Thursday this government was considering options to strengthen the ban.

“We’re working on that as aprioritybecausethisissomething that other generations didn’thave to deal with,which is whyit’scomplex,” Albanese told Parliament. Canada, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced legislationor announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are amongothers studying or developingsimilar approaches.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s online safety watchdog, said in April she was considering court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok andYouTube, alleging they were not doing enough to keep young Australian children off their platforms These platforms, as well as X, Kick, Reddit, Threads andTwitch, face ﬁnes of up to $34 millionif they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the accounts of young children.

Trumpthreatens taxonimports

european countries mayimposelevyon digitalservices

BY COLLIN BINKLEY associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trumpon Friday threatened a100% tax on importsfromany country that imposes atax on digital services fromUnited States companies.

In apost on social media,Trump took aim at European countries that he said arediscussing “imminent” implementation of taxesonAmerican companies.The U.S.president has repeatedly sought to use tariffs as waytodeter such taxes, but many countries arelooking forrevenues as their economies increasingly operateindigital realms that are dominated by American companies.

“Pleaselet thisstatement serve to represent that any Country that imposes such aTax will immediately be met with a100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

He added that the new tax would supersede any previously negotiated trade deals. Trumpsaid the penalty would apply to any country that moves forward with such atax, but he singled out European nations in his post.

Themove could lead to alarger showdownthat could increase prices and hinder economicgrowth, possibly setting off alarger trade war if the27-member EuropeanUnion was compelled to retaliate.

“Unilateral measures targeting such legitimate policies are unjustiﬁed. If pursued, the EU will respond swiftly and decisively to defend its rights andregulatory autonomy,” said OlofGill, aspokesperson for

the European Commission on Friday

He defended taxation on technology companies as “nondiscriminatory” and applied equally to “all large companies,regardless of their origin.”

Trump has repeatedlypushed against foreign effortstotax or regulate American tech giants.Last year,hethreatened newtariffs on anycountry thatmoved to do so. Apostfrom last August saidthat digital taxes and regulation “are all designedtoharm, or discriminate against, American Technology.”

The threat comes ahead of Trump’sJuly 4deadline for the European Union andthe United States to start implementing atariffdeal thatcapstariffs on most EU exports at 15%

The European Union in May ﬁnalizedatrade deal with the United Statesthatcapsmosttariffs on EU

exports at 15%. The dealfollowed months of debate within the EU after European Commission chief Ursula vonder Leyententatively struck thedeal last year while visitingTrump’sgolf course in Scotland. Digitaltaxes were not part of the agreement and have remained a sticking point between the U.S. and theEuropean bloc.

TheU.S. government haspreviously conducted tariffinvestigations intodigitalservices taxesunderSection301 of the TradeAct of 1974. Butitwas unclear how Trump wouldcarry outhis threat and whether he would apply the tariffs broadly or initially target certain nations.

Britain, whichisnolonger part of the EU, has since 2020 levied a 2% digital services taxonrevenues earned by search engines,social media sites andonline marketplaces that “derive value”fromU.K.users

OpenAI limits latest ChatGPTproduct

Cybersecurityreviewonly allowedtrump-approved customers

BY MATT O’BRIEN aP technologywriter

ChatGPT maker OpenAI said Friday it is restrictingthe release of its new artiﬁcial intelligence model at the request of President Donald Trump’sadministration, thelatest in an unprecedented government vetting of AI products that could pose cybersecurity risks.

OpenAI said itsnew AI product, called GPT-5.6 Sol, would only be available for now to a“small group of trusted partners” approvedbythe Trumpadministration.

“Wedon’tbelieve this kind of government access process should becomethe long-term default,”OpenAI said in astatement. The company saiditviewed the testing period as atemporary step on the “path to broader availability in the coming weeks.”

OpenAI’sstaggered releaseofa powerful new AI system followsactions the governmenttook earlier this month against OpenAI rival Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot. Anthropic took ofﬂine twonew AI models, known as Fable 5and Mythos 5, just days after publiclyreleasing them to comply with aTrumpdirective blocking their use by foreignnationals.

TheWhite House said Friday it continues to collaboratewith frontier AI labs on addressing the challenges of scaling the fastgrowing technology

Officials have grown increasingly concerned since Anthropic warned earlierthis year thatits Mythos modelwas adept at ﬁnding software ﬂaws in away thatcould be weaponized by malicioushackers and threaten critical computer networks around theworld

Models draw scrutiny

Trump earlier in June signedanexecutive order onAIoversight that established aframework for thefederal governmentto vet thenational security risks of themost advanced AI systems for up to 30 daysbefore their public release. Theorder described participation by AI developers as voluntary but the framework has not yet been fully developed.

Some ofTrump’sallies have laid blame on Anthropic and its CEO Dario Amodei for the need for heightened government scrutiny

“Dario came to Washingtona few months ago, back in April, andbasically said that he

had created acyber weapon called Mythos,” said investor David Sacks, who co-leads Trump’scouncil of technology and science advisers, on arecent podcast.“And he spikedthe cortisollevel, got everyone really worried. Andthere wassometruth to it in termsofthe sensethat this modelhad advanced cyber capabilities.” San Francisco-based OpenAI said its new Sol model“is better at helping people ﬁnd and ﬁx vulnerabilities” than it is at carrying outcyberattacksand does not crossthe company’sown risk threshold. But it acknowledged there could be unforeseen risks especially if itsmodel is combined with other tools

“That uncertainty,along with the model’s broader step change in capabilities, is why we arepairing the model’sincreased capabilities with stronger safeguards and a phased release,”the company said Friday OpenAI hasn’tnamed anyofthe roughly 20 customers that have been approved to use thenew model so far Government intervention

Abroad group of cybersecurity experts has criticized the government’s actions that led Anthropic to shut down Fable, which the company hadpitched as asafer versionof Mythos. It’snow been unavailablefor two weeks.

“I just want to say that pretty much nobody

Most of Wall Street rises,

BY STAN CHOE associated Press

NEW YORK Most of the U.S.stock marketroseFridayafter oilprices eased back towhere they were before the war with Iran, but drops for stocks swept up in the mania around artificial-intelligence technology kept themarket in check. The S&P 500ﬁnished nearlyﬂat and slippedlessthan 0.1% to close out justits second losing week in the last 13. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 44 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%.

Stocks got aboost as the price of Brent crudeoil, the international standard, dropped 3.8% to $72.60.

That’slower than it was the day before the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which eventually led to theclosure of the Strait of Hormuz

and thecurtailment of oil shipments worldwide Theeasier oilprices helped stocks of companies with big fuel bills, and American Airlines Group climbed 1.7% Health care stocks,meanwhile, were some of thestrongest forces pushing upward on the market after acommittee of the European Medicines Agency recommended several medicines for approval and theextension foranother dozen of theirtherapeuticindications. That included one forEli Lilly,whose stock jumped 7.1%. Besides Lilly,nearly two out of every three stocks withinthe S&P500 rose. But more drops forAIstocks helped to overshadow them. After soaring to tremendous heights and leadingthe market for years, AI stocks have been under

in the cybersecurity industry believesthat there’sany factual basisfor thisaction,” Stanford University cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos said on acall with reporters earlier this week.

Stamos, the chief product officer at AI security company Corridor and aformer chief security officer at Facebook parent Meta, said he reviewed an analysis of research on Fable by Anthropic’sprimary cloud computing backer,Amazon, and didn’tfind any risks that aren’tpresent with other publicly available AI models, including those made in China.

“Ifthe administration is honest about wanting the UnitedStates to beat China in this race, then this is about the dumbest thing they could possibly do,” Stamos said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spoke with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the model release Wednesday,part of aseries of negotiationsinrecentweeksbetween AI industry executives and Trumpofﬁcials. Anthropic has also been part of those talks but Amodei has had amore contentious relationship with the Trump administration. The Pentagon designated Anthropic as anational security risk for raising ethical andsafety concernsabout AI usage in war, andTrump himself ordered federal agencies to stop using Claude.Anthropic responded witha lawsuit that is still working its way through federal courts.

pressure recently because of worries their proﬁts can’t possibly keep pacewiththe tremendousrallies for theirstock prices.And thosedrops have an outsized effect becauseAI stocks have become Wall Street’s largest and most inﬂuential, giving movements for their stock prices more weight on indexes than others.

Micron Technology’sdropof 6.7% was the heaviest weight on the market, for example. The maker of memory forcomputers hasbeen a big winner this year,with its stock roughly quadrupling, because the AI boom hascreateda surgeofdemand for itsproducts.

Butinvestors saw the downside of that surge Thursday,when Apple said it had to raise prices on laptops and other products by significant percentages to make up for the increases in memory prices. Thewor-

ry is thatsuchhigher prices could ultimately lead to lower demand.

Highlighting the roller-coaster ride that AI stockshavebeenon, SpaceX brieﬂydropped 2.9% in the morningand fell below $149. It then erased theloss to swing to again of 3.5% before ﬁnishing with amodest rise of 0.2%.

Afterinitiallyselling itsstock at $135 apiece in itsballyhooed initial public offering earlierthis month, SpaceX’sprice briefly soared above $225 within its ﬁrst few days of trading. Besides rockets, Elon Musk’scompany also owns the xAI artiﬁcial-intelligence business.

Theday’s largest loss in the S&P 500 wasa23.7% drop for ON Semiconductor, which saiditagreed to buySynapticsinanall-stock deal valued at roughly$7billion

aSSoCIateDPreSS PhotoByJULIaDeMaree NIKhINSoN

CeoofopenaI Samaltman talks to Ceo of GoogleDeepMind Demis hassabis, not seen, on the sidelines of the G7 summit,onJune 17 in evian-les-Bains, France.

ANOTHERVIEW

Take theJuly4 American historyquiz

Ron Faucheux

Tonight Show hostJay Leno oftendid bitscalled“Jaywalking,” quizzing average citizens about U.S. historyand civics. Answers could be right, wrong— or sometimesuproariously wrong. Year of American independence? 1492. Emancipation Proclamation?Ended Prohibition. U.S. general in World WarI?George Washington. First president? Abraham Lincoln. AFirst Amendment right? To remain silent. Funny —until youremember those folks vote Anyway,not all Americanslack basic knowledge of our nation’searly history.Some are really good at it.

The 250thanniversaryofthe Declaration of Independence is coming up nextSaturday,July 4. It’sa perfect time to ﬁnd out how much you knowabout the founding of our country.It’spossible you’re an undiscovered master of historical trivia and don’trealize it

The following questions— someeasy,some hard—offera chance to test your knowledge. Or,insome cases,your facilitywithGoogle and AI. Ready?

Questions

1. The ﬁnal text of the Declaration of Independencewas adoptedbythe Continental Congress on what dayin1776 —July 2, July 4or July 6?

2. When did most of thesignersofthe Declaration add their names—July6,July 20 or Aug.2?

3. How many total signers were there?

4. Which state had the most signers?

5. Who was the youngest signer?

6. Who was the oldest signer?

7. ACommittee of Five drafted the Declaration, but who was itsprincipalauthor?

8. Did Benjamin Franklin sign the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution or both?

9. Twoformer U.S. presidents, both signers of the Declaration,diedonthe sameday,July4,1826. Name them.

10.WhatotherU.S. presidentdied on July 4?

11. Which president was born on July 4?

12. What year did the American Revolution begin?

13.“We the People of the United States” arethe opening words of the major text of the DeclarationofIndependence or the U.S. Constitution?

14. “When in thecourseofhumanevents” arethe opening words of the major text of the DeclarationofIndependence or the U.S. Constitution?

15. Starting in Boston, whose midnight ridewarned that the “British arecoming”?

16. Which American navalcommanderin theRevolutionary Warsaid, “I have not yet beguntoﬁght”?

17. Where were the ﬁrst military engagements of theAmerican Revolution and where was the ﬁrstmajor battle?

18. What was the last major battle of the Revolution?

19.Namethe treaty that endedthe Revolutionand recognizedU.S.independence

20. Where was the signed original parchmentofthe Declaration of Independencestored during World WarII?

Answers

1. July 4

2. Aug. 2

3. 56

4. Pennsylvania (9 signers)

5. Edward Rutledge, 26

6. Benjamin Franklin, 70

7. Thomas Jefferson

8. Both

9. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams

10. James Monroe (1831)

SCORING

11. CalvinCoolidge (1872)

12. 1775

13. U.S.Constitution 14. Declaration of Independence 15. PaulRevere 16. JohnPaul Jones 17. Lexington andConcord (April 19, 1775); Bunker Hill (June17, 1775) 18. Yorktown (1781) 19. Treaty of Paris (1783) 20. Fort Knox

•20correct answers: Sparkle on, master historian

•16-19: Outstanding foundingera ﬂuency,atruehistory buff

•11-15: Solid citizen, more than half right

•6-10:Thanks for giving it agood try

•0-5: Enroll in ahigh school civics course,ifyou can ﬁnd one

No matter your score, justtaking this quizmeansyou’rea proud lover of American history.Italso givesyou thechance to look really smart at next week’sholidaycookout.

RonFaucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster andwriter based in Louisiana. As you prepare forthe 250thanniversary of America’sbirthasa nation, read hiscolumns on milestone birthdaysthroughout history, the 50th, 100th, 150th and200th at https://www.nola.com/ opinions/ron_faucheux/.

YOUR VIEWS

Black communitiesdeserve transparency before massive AI data centersmovein

Artiﬁcial intelligence may be the newest gold rush, but thecosts are being quietly shifted onto thesame communities that have carried the burdens of industry for generations.

Across the country,AIdatacentersand thepower plants required to run them are being placed in majority-Black, rural and politically underserved neighborhoods. These facilities consume enormousamountsofelectricity and water,raise utility bills and bring almost no permanent jobs. Yetthe communities expected to absorb theimpacts arerarely informed until thedeals are already done. Louisianaisnow on that list. Developers and utilities have been scouting locations in New OrleansEast, theRiver Parishes and the I-20 corridor.These are areas with large Black populations, long histories of environmental exposure and limited political protection They are also communities where residentshave repeatedly been excluded from decisions that affect their health, their land and their economic future.

The pattern is the predictable result of weakened voting power and aregulatory system that prioritizes corporate convenience.

When astate government reduces representation, closes primaries and sidelines local voices, it creates theperfect conditions forindustries to move quietly into neighborhoods that have the least ability to resist AI datacenters are not harmless warehouses. They require new gas-ﬁred power plants, high-voltage transmission lines and millions of gallons of water.They drive up electricity demand, which utilities thenuse to justifyrate increases on residents. Anddespite the promises, these facilities typically create fewer than 30 permanent jobs. Louisianadeserves better.Black communities deserve early disclosure, public hearings and areal seat at the table before any commitments are made.

We cannot allow another generation of environmental decisions to be madewithout the people most affected.

JERLEAN MARIE CHATARD McCARTHY Neworleans

alligators on highwaypatrol mightput teethintothe law

Many years have passed since I practiced law,but thearrest by an alligator raises legal questions that Isuggest thebar association (I’m still amember) include on the annual bar examination next month

Since an alligator cannot swear an oath, can the beast be amember of the posse comitatus, the assembly of citizens who help thesheriff catch the bad guy?

If thealligator,not being acitizen, cannot make acitizen’sarrest, is the arrest nevertheless legal?

Arethe bites on the defendant’s arms evidence of excessive force?

Can thealligator be called as a witness,atleast to bare his apprehending teeth?

Areintoxication and intense stupiditydefenses that preclude criminal intent that counsel can raise to counter the prosecutor’s

evidence?

Can anyone, besides the alligator, be civilly liablefor the defendant’s injuries?

As thedeputies chased the perpetrator alongAirline Highway, they saw the yellow sign “Pass with Care.” Excited and exuberant from the adrenaline of the chase and remembering old cowboy movies, one deputy yelled out, “Head ‘em off at the pass!” (Barump!)Hearing that entreaty, thedefendant swerved into the swampand encountered said alligator

Another exciting day in the heat and stickiness of south Louisiana. Youknow what they say: It ain’t theheat that gets you; it’sthe stupidity. Yeah, you right. EARL HIGGINS river ridge

Patchy land bridgesare not aserious replacement fordiversions

In response to Gordy Dove’s recent comments in Delacroix, reported in Mike Smith’s article, “Louisiana wants to build a94-mile ‘landbridge’ to protect the coast. Is that even possible?”:

The idea that the state of Louisiana no longer needs to study the potential impacts of coastal projects is absurd and laughable. Iwonder if this sentiment is shared by the engineers and coastal scientists at the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority,which, before this disastrous administration’s choice of leadership, was anational model for integrating science, adaptive management and project implementation. Now it’senshrouded in political muck, incapable, through the knee-capping of the planned large diversions, of matching projects to the scale of our shared crisis. Instead, we have land bridges —alosing tactic.

While there are many issues with the patchy,over-hyped levees the agency’sleadership is pushing, the most obvious is lack of sediment input. To build these land bridges, the earth must comefrom somewhere, and without fresh river water supplying sediment, all we are doing is moving the existing and already very limited and unreplenished sediment supply Without meaningful river reintroductions bringing fresh ﬂows full of new sediment behind these projects and allowing them to build, they are largely ineffective —soon to be eroded and overcomebythe ever-rising seas. Additionally,these projects are nowhere near ready.They are not fully planned, nor funded. Most importantly,they are not aserious replacement for whatwas lost in the cancellation of the diversions. But maybe that’stobeexpected when you have an unserious person at the helm.

DONALD DAVIDSON Neworleans

SPORTS

VIEW FROM ARCH

The ﬁrst thing you notice about Arch Manning is his frame.

He’sbigger,slightly thicker in the upper body

U.S. coachdismisses any disappointment talk afterloss

BY GREG BEACHAM aP sportswriter

ä U:S: vs: Bosnia 7P.M.

WeDNeSDay, FoX,teLeMUNDo

INGLEWOOD,Calif. The United States only wanted to getthrough itsﬁnalWorld Cup group stage match Thursday night without an injury or ared card, while Turkey was playing foraface-saving victory to enda dismal tournament. Both teams gotwhattheywantedmost out of their meaningless meeting before the Americanshead on to the knockout stage and coach Mauricio Pochettino wasannoyed by any suggestion that the Americans’ last-gasp, 3-2 defeat said anything negative aboutthe state of his team Kaan Ayhan scored on the ﬁnal kick of the match to send Turkey pastthe U.S. in theeighth minute of stoppage time forits only win of the World Cup.

The result wasmeaningless to the Americans, whowill meet Bosnia-Herzegovina in the round of 32 on Wednesday. Pochettino sent out nine new starters, including eight who were starting aWorld Cup match for the ﬁrst time.

The U.S. tied it early in the second half on agoal by SebastianBerhalter, andthe Americans got within afew seconds of an unbeaten run through the group stage. But in his postgame news conference, Pochettino expressed his annoyance with what he perceived as disappointment in the result.

“For you not say congratulations that we won thegroup, that is alittlebit sad,” Pochettino toldreporters.

After an offseason of pushing weights around the gym, Manninghas added afew extra pounds of muscle tohis 6-foot-4frame

The beefed-up physiquewas partly abyproduct of the downtime he endured after undergoing foot surgery inJanuary

But there was also an elementofintent. Manning wanted to getbigger and stronger to meet the physical demands of starting in the Southeastern Conference. Ayear ago, he battled through multiple injuries during an up-and-down sophomore campaign.

“I got up to, like, 235 (pounds),”Manning said while visiting with reporters at the Manning Passing Academy on Friday in Thibodaux. “I wantedtosee what it felt like, but Iwas alittle toobig.SoI lostit.

Feelinggood now.”

He’slooking good, too.

The former Newman standout will enter his second season as the Texas starter as abigger, stronger and mentally tougher version of the guywho led theLonghorns to a10-3 ﬁnish and No. 12 national ranking last season.

“Yeah, obviously there was someupand downs, alittle bit of arocky start there, but Ifeel like Ilearned alot, learned alot about myself and trying tokeep getting better,move forward,”hesaid. “(It was) a good year.”

Manning and theLonghorns will once again enter the season with great expectations. Texas is expected to be apreseason top-ﬁve team when the initial AP Top25 poll is released in August.

Those closest to Manning believe he’ll be ready for whatever comes his way.A

Yeah, obviously there wassome up and downs, a little bitofarocky startthere, but I feel like Ilearned alot, learned a lot about myself and trying to keep getting better, move forward. (It was) agood year.”

“What we need to remember is we won ﬁrst place in this group,” Pochettino added while speaking in Spanish and English. “We endedupbeing No.1,and we managed all the pressure and the expectations quite well. We had other priorities. We wanted to

Editor’snote: Thisisone among 12 proﬁles of inductees forthe Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Festivities will take place through Saturday in Natchitoches.

BY JAKE MARTIN Contributing writer

A14-year NFL career that began in Buffalo withPro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith saw Pat Williams makeaname forhimself as onepart of “The Package” alongside Ted Washington. In the late 1990s, the Wossman High graduate squared offagainstHallof Famers Dan Marino, Brett Favre andWarren Moon on the biggest stage football has to offer It can be argued the 6-foot-3, 315-pound nose tackle ﬁguratively and literally left a massive gapinthe Buffalo defense when he pursued anew team in 2004. After Williams ledthe frontline of Buffalo’srushdefense thatallowed 100.3yards rushing per game in 2004,which wassixth-bestinthe NFL, the Bills allowed 137.8 yards rushing per game (31st) the next year when Williams exited forMinnesota. The Buffalo rush defense worsened, while Minnesota’srosetothe best in the league In fact, Williams’tenurewiththe Vikings featured three consecutive seasons where they had the best rush defense in the NFL. Minnesota allowed just 61.6

StaFF Photo By BrettDUKe

Former LSU 1B Edwards transferring to Florida

LSU softball’s former SEC Freshman of the Year Tori Edwards committed to conference rival Florida on Thursday, according to a report by Sports Illustrated. Edwards, a rising junior with two years of eligibility, is one of eight Tigers who entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2026 season. She was SEC Freshman of the Year in 2025, with a .383 batting average, 18 homers and 73 RBIs. Her numbers dropped to .284, 12 and 45 last season. LSU is scheduled to play at Florida in the third week next season. Edwards is one of three Tigers committed to different schools. Pitcher Jayden Heavener chose Texas Tech, and utility player Maddox McKee is headed for Texas A&M.

Unsung Mabrey ties scoring record

toronto guard matched WNBa record of 53 points scored in a game

BY DOUG FEINBERG associated Press

Casual sports fans may not know much about Marina Mabrey. She doesn’t garner the national attention of other more well-known WNBA players.

But the feisty and competitive Mabrey created a buzz with one of the best shooting performances in WNBA history matching the league scoring record of 53 points in a win over Los Angeles on Thursday night.

The total points probably raised a few eyebrows, but her 3-point barrage didn’t — the 6-foot-1 guard has been called “Money Mabrey” because of her shooting ability from beyond the arc.

She was 17 of 28 from the ﬁeld, including matching her own WNBA record of nine 3-pointers. She’s just outside the top 20 alltime in league history as she’s hit 500 3-pointers in her career

“I think tonight was just my night from the 3-point line, and from honestly everywhere,” Mabrey said while laughing. “And then the fans, to end up chanting MVP I don’t know that I ever imagined that. But it was really a good feeling.”

Mabrey matched A’ja Wilson and Liz Cambage as the only players to score 53 points in a game.

“I’ve been doing this for quite some time,” Toronto coach Sandy Brondello said. “I’ve never seen that. (Not even from WNBA icon) Diana Taurasi, and she could shoot it really well. I mean, to witness that was amazing.”

The 29-year-old Mabrey is a journeywoman playing on her ﬁfth WNBA team since she was drafted in the second round in

2019 by the Los Angeles Sparks, whom she scored the 53 points against. Mabrey been on a scoring binge lately She has scored 113 points in her past three games while hitting 21 3-pointers. Some things to know about Mabrey:

Not a first choice

Mabrey wasn’t a first-round draft pack coming out of Notre Dame and was taken sixth by the Tempo in the expansion draft during the offseason. But she has continued to grind and currently is tied for fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 21.2 points a game. Coming into this season her career average was 12.5 points a contest. She has set her career high in points twice in the past week Before Thursday night’s outburst, she had a career-best 37

against the Sun on June 19. She played in Connecticut the previous two seasons after getting traded to the Sun in July 2024. Before Connecticut, Mabrey also played in Dallas and Chicago.

Tempo guard’s All-Star case

Mabrey has never made a WNBA All-Star team, but she is making a strong case this season — even before her historic 53-point effort Mabrey competed in both the 3-point shootout and skills competition at the 2024 AllStar weekend.

Competitive and accountable

Mabrey, who is known for her competitive and ﬁery play, came up with the idea of a “crash out jar” while playing for Unrivaled this past year Each outburst she had would cost her money as she

would ﬁne herself. Curse words were a dollar each, a scufﬂe could be as much as $40 and something like an insult to someone else would cost her $5. It is unknown how much money ended up in the “crash out jar.”

The jar debuted right before Mabrey scored an Unrivaled record 47 points in the league’s stop in Philadelphia on Jan. 30. Mabrey said before the season started that the jar would come with her to Toronto.

Notre Dame record holder

Mabrey helped Notre Dame win a national championship and graduated as the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (274). She scored 1,896 points during her career at Notre Dame, which is ninth all-time in the Irish record books.

Serena to face 20-year-old Joint at Wimbledon

Williams will play first singles match in nearly four years

BY KEN MAGUIRE associated Press

LONDON Serena Williams will face an opponent less than half her age when she plays 20-yearold Maya Joint in the ﬁrst round at Wimbledon for her ﬁrst singles match in nearly four years.

The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, who is 44, accepted a wild-card entry to the grass-court Grand Slam, where she’ll also compete in doubles with her older sister Venus, who turned 46 last week.

It’s all part of a tennis comeback that started with two doubles warmup matches but kicked into high gear Sunday when the All England Club announced Serena would play singles. Brackets were set in Friday’s draw Joint was born in Michigan as was Williams — but represents Australia through her father She is ranked No 53 and made her Wimbledon debut last year, losing in the ﬁrst round to Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2. “It’s an honor I always dreamed about playing Serena Williams,” Joint said. “If you told me 10 years ago that I’d be playing her ﬁrst round at Wimbledon, that’s just crazy

“I hope it’s on Centre Court that would be pretty cool. You just

have to play the ball. You can’t really think about who you are playing because I’ll just get too nervous. I’ll just take it one ball at a time.” Joint won the grass-court Eastbourne Open last year for one of her two WTA tour-level singles titles, but she was slowed by a back injury earlier in 2026. Williams hasn’t played a singles match since a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic at the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she didn’t want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023. Tomljanovic said she hopes

Joint “enjoys the moment.”

“Especially after (Serena) ofﬁcially retired four years ago, no one thought that they’d get another chance to play her,” Tomljanovic, an Australian, said Friday Williams is “here to win,” Tomljanovic added.

“You never lose that champion mentality. Her coming into the draw means that she thinks she can win,” she said.

Williams’ most-recent appearance at Wimbledon was in 2022 when she lost in the opening round to then-115th-ranked Harmony Tan.

If Williams beats Joint on Tuesday, she may face rising Filipino

star Alexandra Eala, who is seeded 29th, in the second round. She could meet defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round. Swiatek opens against Taylor Townsend of the U.S. on Centre Court on Tuesday

In a projected quarterﬁnals by seedings, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka would meet French Open champion Mirra Andreeva; No. 2 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, would face 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova; Swiatek, the No. 3 seed, would play Elina Svitolina; and No. 4 Jessica Pegula would meet Coco Gauff.

Sinner could meet Djokovic On the men’s side, No. 1 Jannik

Sinner will begin his Wimbledon title defense against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday

Sinner and Novak Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, are in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semiﬁnals.

Sinner underwent checks following his French Open meltdown losing in the second round amid a heat wave in Paris and said he felt physically good after an exhibition match this week in London.

Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the All England Club, will play Wu Yibing of China Djokovic could meet third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterﬁnals. Wimbledon starts on Monday

Mendoza fired as manager of underperforming Mets

NEW YORK From the front ofﬁce to the ﬁeld, just about everything has gone wrong for the New York Mets over the past year And on Friday, manager Carlos Mendoza took the fall.

Halfway through a wretched season, Mendoza was ﬁred as skipper of the underperforming Mets and was replaced by Andy Green.

Last-place New York (34-47) opened the season with baseball’s highest payroll at $358 million and was projected to pay an additional $124 million in luxury tax.

“Our commitment to bringing our fans a championship-caliber team has not changed,” Mets owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “There is no sugar-coating it: This season has been a disappointment and our fans deserve better than what we’ve delivered.”

Last-place Angels oust general manager Minasian ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels have fired general manager Perry Minasian midway through their sixth consecutive disappointing season under his leadership.

The last-place Angels appointed former Cardinals GM John Mozeliak to be their interim general manager and baseball operations consultant on Friday Minasian took over the Angels’ front ofﬁce in November 2020, but the franchise has made no discernible progress during his tenure. Los Angeles’ streaks of 10 straight losing seasons and 11 straight non-playoff seasons are both the longest in the majors. The biggest transaction of his tenure occurred when Shohei Ohtani left after six seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers in late 2023.

Thunder

sending 3-point shooter Joe to Pistons

Oklahoma City further reduced its potential luxury tax bill for next season by agreeing to trade elite 3-point shooter Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons for two secondround draft picks, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday Joe made 681 3-pointers over the last four regular seasons with the Thunder. He is one of 17 players in the league with that many 3s in that span and none of the other 16 names on that list shot better from beyond the arc than Joe, who connected on 41.5% of his tries in those four years. Joe did all that while playing almost exclusively off the bench. He is owed $11.3 million for the coming season, with an $11.3 million option for 2027-28 as well.

CFL bars QB Sorsby from signing, negotiation lists TORONTO Quarterback Brendan Sorsby, permanently ruled ineligible by the NCAA for sports betting, won’t be kick-starting his pro football career in Canada. The CFL said Friday it won’t allow the 22-year-old to sign with any of its teams or be placed on their negotiation lists.

Sorsby admitted to placing thousands of bets totaling nearly $90,000 over his collegiate career, including at least 40 on Indiana football while he was a freshman there in 2022, although none was on games in which he played for the Hoosiers that year

“At this time, the CFL will not register a contract for (Sorsby), and no team will be permitted to add him to its negotiation list,” the CFL said in a statement.

aSSoCIateD PreSS Photo By KIrSty WIGGLeSWorth Serena Williams smiles after a training session on thursday at the all england Lawn tennis and Croquet Club ahead of the Wimbledon Championships in London.

aSSoCIateD PreSS Photo By SaMMy KoGaN

toronto tempo guard Marina Mabrey, right, celebrates with her team during a game against the Los angeles Sparks on thursday in toronto. Mabrey tied the WNBa single-game scoring record with 53 points.

WILLIAMS

to see Williams finally get his day in the sun at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

“What made him so good was he could do stuff a normal person couldn’t. It was hard to duplicate,” Kevin Williams said “He had the experience, where he could read the guy was about to overreach for him and shove him by and go behind him It was a lot of things like that.

“When I tried to do some of those things, I was like, ‘Pat, how are you doing that?’ He was wrong sometimes, but he was right more than he was wrong. It’s the little things that he brought to the game. I think we bonded because were were both hungry and desperate to succeed.”

But before the NFL glory, Williams got tough love under former Wossman football coach Lonnie Calahan to prepare him for life, and that’s something he grew to appreciate later on. After playing under Calahan at Wossman, Williams made his way to Navarro College in 1992. That’s where he became a two-time juco AllAmerican before landing at Texas A&M.

After signing with the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 1997, Williams asked the front ofﬁce about why he wasn’t drafted.

“They told me they thought I had a bad attitude and that I was uncoachable,” Williams said. “I’m always going to learn.”

Williams had his chance to prove that as a rookie behind legendary defensive players such as Smith.

“I was sitting in the same meeting room as Bruce, and I’m just like, ‘Bruce is sitting right there,’ ” Williams said, recalling his time as a rookie. “I was calling my wife every week because it was different back then. We had 100-something guys before they started making cuts. In the middle of the

summer, I was like eighth string, and there were no rookies ahead of me. Ted Washington and I had the same agent, so Ted pulled me to the side and said, ‘I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you got a family You need to do what you’ve got to do.’ Once we talked, I slowly started picking it up and rising on the depth chart.”

Marveling at Smith’s iconic performances was part of that process, too. “I was asking Bruce questions all the time. It was amazing watching him play,” Williams said. “He would take two snaps at practice, pull his hat off and go, ‘Alright young pups, y’all got it.’ Then I would watch him on Sunday’s and be like, ‘How do you play like this?’ ” His production for the Bills picked up every year before becoming a full-time starter in 2001.

Pro Bowls and other illustrious honors were nice, but there’s one accolade that eluded Williams during his playing days. The offseason before the New York Giants won the Super Bowl, the team inquired about signing

Williams and getting him to play 20 snaps a game. Fourteen years was a long time of playing in the NFL, though, and Williams was ready to hang up his cleats.

“My son still reminds me of that. ‘If you would have signed with them, you would have gotten a ring,’ ” Williams said. “People don’t understand you have to work out to play And I was done with that. At the end of the day, I was proud of the longevity of my career because I enjoyed playing. I played out all my contracts. And had an opportunity to sign with the Giants after that, so I’m proud of that.”

He also is proud of his Wossman roots. From donating and upgrading facilities to helping out with the football team, Williams is still an integral part of Wossman High School

“It’s all about the kids,” Williams said. “That’s how I got to where I am. Through the ups and downs, the teachers and coaches helped me with everything I did in life. If I could do it all over, I’d do it all the same.”

BY STEPHEN HAWKINS aP sportswriter

ARLINGTON, Texas Lionel Messi, the top scorer in World Cup history, will not start when reigning tournament champion and Group J winner Argentina plays Jordan on Saturday night in its last match before the knockout stage.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said Friday two days after Messi’s 39th birthday, that the team captain will begin the match on the bench, but also indicated through an interpreter that he “will come in a little bit later.”

Scaloni didn’t say when Messi might substitute in to the game, or what his lineup would be against ﬁrst-time World Cup participant Jordan, which lost its ﬁrst two matches.

Messi scored all ﬁve goals for Argentina in the first two group matches, and he now has 18 goals overall in his six World Cups.

He had his ﬁrst-ever hat trick in the tournament in a 3-0 win over Algeria to tie the career scoring record at 16 goals that had been held by Miroslav Klose of Germany He broke that mark with the goals in a 2-0 win over Austria on Monday at the home of the Dallas Cowboys — where the group ﬁnale will be played.

Klose played in 24 World Cup matches for Germa-

GROUP

Continued from page 1C

win. We did want the victory, but there are other things we needed to balance out, and that’s how I made the decisions.

“Making history is winning the World Cup, not just winning the group. It’s a little bit petty, if you will. You’re thinking just a little bit too small.”

Auston Trusty scored in the third minute for the Americans, who beat Paraguay and Australia by a combined 6-1 to book their place in the knockouts.

Pochettino fielded nearly an entirely new lineup for thislow-stakesgame,notably resting all four key players who picked up yellow cards earlier in the tournament.

Christian Pulisic entered in the 58th minute, however The AC Milan midﬁelder hadn’t played since the ﬁrst half of the Americans’ opener due to a calf injury and he was involved in a couple of early scoring chances before getting beaten on the wing on Turkey’s winning goal.

“We could have done better on some defensive plays, but it happens,” said Brenden Aaronson, one of nine new starters chosen by Pochettino for the group ﬁnale.

ny, which wrapped up his fourth tournament by winning the 2014 final 1-0 in extra time over Messi and Argentina. Kylian Mbappé matched Klose at 16 with two goals in France’s 3-0 win over Iraq later Monday Mbappé, who has four goals in the tournament, didn’t score in a 4-1 win over Norway on Friday in his ﬁnal group match.

Considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, Messi has made 201 appearances for Argentina, including a FIFA-record 28 World Cup matches. He has scored in six consecutive World Cup appearances, joining France striker Just

used to as the guys that have been playing.

“It showed the hustle, the aggressiveness of the team. I think it’s a positive, because Turkey is a top team. They might have not performed their best throughout this tournament, but their quality is on the pitch and you can see it.”

Berhalter said he doesn’t believe the Americans lost any momentum from the close defeat.

“You saw the second half, how we came out,” said Berhalter, who tied it in the 49th minute by running on to a loose ball about 20 yards out for a vicious strike. “I think we deserved more out of that game We slipped in the last second of the game. We gave everything we had, and we’ll be ready for the knockouts.

“The guys did well. We fought Unfortunate not to get a result, but we’ll be ready for sure.”

Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho as the only players to do that. Messi had been dealing with a minor hamstring injury with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer that slowed him in the lead-up to the World Cup. While there have been no indications of any issues since, Argentina has a lot of games left if it is going to get to another World Cup final. The knockout round for La Albiceleste begins Friday in South Florida, and in this expanded 48-team tournament that would be the first of five matches in 17 days if they make it to the final on July 19.

“I’m super-happy with how my players played tonight,” Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said through an interpreter

“They showcased all of their skills, all of their abilities, all of their character Playing the way they played tonight in an away match, against a very loud crowd, if they weren’t as strong as they are, they wouldn’t have made it tonight.

season of growth and hard lessons has steeled him for the challenge ahead.

“There’s nothing better than experience,” said Arch’s father, Cooper Manning. “You got to go through the bumps and bruises and dealing with all the things — the media, the teammates, the coaches, looking in the mirror and saying, ‘What do I do to get better? I keep improving.’ So he’s excited about this opportunity

“I thought he handled everything like a tough guy. I think a lot of people at Texas learned a lot about who their leader is. That’s why a lot of people want to be on his team. He’s the leader of the Texas Longhorns.”

Manning has a chance to do something his famous uncles, Peyton and Eli, and grandfather, Archie, never did win a national title and a Heisman Trophy Vegas oddsmakers have installed Manning, along with Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr as one of the early Heisman favorites. Of

course, at this time a year ago, he was also one of the favorites, while Fernando Mendoza was the longest of long shots. So we know how much that matters. When I mentioned the Heisman to him Friday, his response was as predictable as the Thibodaux summer heat.

“I’m just worried about the team,” he said, switching deftly to default mode. “I’m just worried about getting through this afternoon workout here in the heat.” Still, the storyline is out there. And he knows it’s not going away Such is the blessing and curse of the Manning name. The spotlight never turns off.

To that end, Manning was mic’d up during workouts at the camp Friday ESPN was in town to record a feature story on him and his famous family that will air during Week 2 of the season when Ohio State visits Texas in Austin. That’s just one of many marquee games on the Longhorns’ schedule, a gauntlet that includes home games against Ohio State, Florida and Ole Miss, and road trips to Tennessee,

Oklahoma, Texas A&M and LSU.

The Nov 14 game at LSU will mark the first time Manning has played in an official game of any kind in Tiger Stadium. It figures to be one of the most anticipated games of the college season, epic theater as the native son returns to his home state to compete for the first time in his career as a starter

“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “I’m excited for the challenge. They’re a great team, great coach and a great crowd. So we’re ﬁred up.”

Cooper said he is also eagerly anticipating the Week 11 showdown.

“Those are big (games),” he said. “That’s why you joined the SEC. That’s why you go to Texas and play on the big stage.”

Asked what kind of reaction he expects LSU fans to give Texas and Arch, Cooper smiled and planted his tongue ﬁrmly in his cheek

“Oh, I think the LSU fans will be really kind and nice,” he quipped. “They’ve always been so hospitable to other teams. I think they’ll be just lovely.”

“You make (nine) changes, and the team might not be

Arda Güler and Orkun Kökçü scored in the first half of a resilient performance by Turkey which had already been eliminated after losing its ﬁrst two matches despite largely dominating both statistically Turkey improbably won in the eighth minute of stoppage time when Can Uzun got the ball in space on the back post and pushed it past sprawling goalkeeper Matt Turner to Ayhan, who slid to knock it home.

“I’m really happy for the Turkish people. I can say that we can go back home with our chin up.” The game’s meaninglessness didn’t matter to the raucous sellout crowd that packed SoFi Stadium. The American team’s fan base has been energized by its strong start to this home World Cup and this Los Angeles-area crowd was still chanting and standing when Berhalter airmailed a long corner to Trusty, who made the stadium shake when he banged it home inside the back post. Trusty’s goal was the Americans’ seventh of the tournament, tying their scoring record for any World Cup before knockout play even begins. It was also the 173rd goal of this tournament, breaking the record for the most combined goals scored in a World Cup set in Qatar four years ago — and doing it in four fewer matches.

StaFF Photo By Brett DUKe

texas Longhorns quarterback arch Manning gives instructions to participants during the Manning Passing academy on Friday at Nicholls State University in thibodaux

ProVIDeD Photo By KeVIN C. CoX

Minnesota Vikings tackle Pat Williams waits for play to resume in a game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 20, 2009, at Bank of america Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

WORLDCUP 2026

Dembélé’s first-half hattrick liftsFrance

By the associated Press

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. Not sofast, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé Ousmane Dembélé has just entered the Golden Boot race.

Dembélé scored aﬁrst-half hat trick, including one off afeed from Mbappé, to help France beatNorway 4-1 at the World Cup on Friday.

Dembélé’sgoals came in the seventh, 20th and 32nd minutes.Itwas the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three ofhis five goals in the opening45minutes against Cameroonatthe 1994 World Cup in the United States.

“It is aunique moment,” Dembélé said. “But the most important was to finish first of the group in the group stage, and we are focused on the round of 32,which is the most important.” France, which won theWorld Cup in 2018 and lost in the finalfour years ago, had already secured its place in the knockout round before Friday’s match.Norwaywas also assured of aspot in the round of 32 and ended up in second place in the group.

Désiré Doué scored France’sﬁnal goal in second-half injury time.

Dembélé said changingthe approachinthe final group match was never aconsideration.France has 10 goals through three games.

“Wewant to win all our matches, but we remain focused,” Dembélé said.

Dembélé increased his international goal total to eight while Mbappe now has 16 goals and four assists in 17 World Cup matches. He scored two goals in eachofthe

wins over Senegal and Iraq.

SENEGAL 5, IRAQ0: In Toronto, Senegal notched amuch-needed high-scoring win, racking up goals on 10-man Iraqinavictory that boosted its chances of reaching the World Cup knockout stages.

“The jobisdone, but fate is no longer in our hands,” Senegalcoach Pape Thiaw said. “We have to wait until the othermatches areover.”

Pape Gueye scored twice in a second-half ﬂurry as theSenegalese—vying to advance from third

place in Group I—took advantage of afirst-half red card on Iraq defenderRebin Sulaka, whoprevented Sadio Mane from going in on goal alone by yanking his shirt.

HabibDiarrascored in thefourth minuteand even though Sulaka was sent off in the 13th, Senegal didn’t find thenet againuntil Ismaila Sarr’sgoal in the 56th minute.

Gueyethenadded histwo goals, bothhard blasts from around the edge of the penalty area, and Iliman Ndiaye netted Senegal’sﬁfth.

Senegal nowhas three points anda plus-two goal differential.

The eight best third-place teams advance to the round of 32.

“Wehad to score as many goals as possible,” Gueye said. “So there you go.”

Diarra also seemed confident Senegalwill be among the teams that move on.

“They gave us problems, but we solvedthem,” he said. “Weplayed agreat match, both collectively andindividually.Now,here we are.

Ican say we’re focused on our next match.”

Iraq waseliminated without a point in its ﬁrst World Cup appearance since 1986.

“I want to apologize forour fans, for our (country), these three games,” Iraq defender Merchas Doski said.

Iraq coach Graham Arnold said just qualifying forthe tournament was amiracle.

“Hopefully the players will go away from this enjoying theexperienceofbeing in the World Cup for the ﬁrst time in 40 years,” he said, “but also learning from mistakes.”

CAPEVERDE 0, SAUDIARABIA0: In Houston, Cape Verdecompleted an improbable run through the group stage with athird straight World Cup draw to becomethe smallest country to earna spotinthe knockout round.

The small island nation offthe western coast of Africa is makingits debut on soccer’s grandest stage.Italreadyheld2010 champion Spain to a0-0 draw and then camefrom behind to get a2-2 result against Uruguay Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in MiamionJuly 3.

SPAIN1,URUGUAY 0: In Guadalajara, Mexico, Spain defeated Uruguay after another goalkeeping mistake by Fernando Muslera to advance to the knockout stage and eliminate the South American powerhouse. Uruguay,a two-time champion, will go home without any victories. Spain, the European champion, won the group with seven points and will face the second-place teamfromGroup J— eitherAustria or Algeria —onThursdayin Inglewood, California.

BY STEVE REED associated Press

The World Cup knockoutrounds are almost here

The ﬁeld for the Round of 32 will be ﬁnalizedonSaturday following more than two weeks of competition across three countries.

While the majority of the ﬁeld is set, there are still some spots up for grabs with six group-stage matches remaining, leaving some teams jockeying for position and others ﬁghting to advance.

Still othersﬁnd themselves on the bubble, relying on other teams to determine their World Cup fate.

The knockout rounds beginSunday The expansion to 48 teamsinthe World Cup has added intrigue and in some cases, the confusion —over which 32 teams advance, with tiebreakers coming into play The top two ﬁnishing teamsfrom each of the 12 groups andeight third-place ﬁnishers move on Themostintriguingmatch on Saturday might be Cristiano Ronaldo’sPortugal against Colombia. Colombia has already secured a spot in the Round of 32 andcan win

Group Kwitha winordraw. Portugal needs awin to take the group, butcan alsoadvance with adraw or possibly even aloss.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said winning the group would be nice, but it doesn’tmatter as long as theteam advances

“Itdoesn’t.Itdoesn’t,” he said

“My experience, probably in my ﬁrst WorldCup,I wouldhave said yes. Yousit down and you aresoinexperienced, you want to plan everything andthen yourealizethat doesn’thappen in competitions.”

Martinez said,inthe end, “you have to be abletobeat everybody and anybody.”

The match in Miami Gardens, Florida, will be played in typical June conditions, with temperatures around 87 degrees with high humidity when thematch kicks off.

England’sJames outwithinjury

Right back Reece James will missEngland’sgroup-stage finale against Panamabecause of ahamstring injury,midfielders

Declan Rice andElliott Anderson may play and winger Bukayo Saka could make his first start of the tournament.

James was hurt during Tuesday’s 0-0 draw against Ghana, and coach ThomasTuchel described the inju-

ry as minor.James didnot travel to New Jersey,the site of Saturday’s match, from England’straining camp in Kansas City,Missouri.

England beat Croatia 4-2 andtied Ghana, putting itself in position to reach the knockout rounds for the sixth time in seven World Cups.

Congolooks to join Africanteams

Congo pulled off one of thesurprising resultsofthe WorldCup by holding Portugal to a1-1 draw in its opener,earning apoint in thetournament for the ﬁrst time. Now it hopestoearn its ﬁrst win andjointhe waveofAfrican teams advancing to the knockout rounds.

“Weare very, very happytohave gotthis first point andfirst goal for Congo, but we have afinal to play tomorrow,”coach Sébastien Desabre said aheadofSaturday’s game against Uzbekistan. “I hope that I’llget theCongolesepeople to dream tomorrow alittle bit.” Congo’sone previous appearance at the WorldCup was under its former name, Zaire, in 1974, when it lost all three games.

Awin givesCongo achanceto advance.

Is Austriabetteroff losing?

By thetime Austriaand Algeria begin their GroupJﬁnale, both will know how theknockout bracket looks andwhat theconsequences will be for ﬁnishing secondorthird behind group winner Argentina.

Butitmight actually behoove Austria to lose.

The way the bracketisset up,the Group Jrunner-up faces the Group Hwinner,which could be reigning European champion Spain. But the third-place ﬁnisher would face the GroupBwinner, whichmeans a potentially easier matchupagainst Switzerland.

Asked if he wanted to avoid winning, Austria coach Ralf Rangnick replied: “No, deﬁnitely not.” “Once we start, we will know,” RangnicksaidFriday, “but it will not inﬂuence our match. If we have adraw tomorrow,wecan go on, but we cannotgointoamatch and just say,‘We’ll playfor a draw.’”

aSSoCIateD PreSS Photo By MartIN MeISSNer

French teammates ousmane Dembélé, left,and Kylian Mbappé celebrate aftera goal by Dembele during a WorldCup matchagainst Norway on Friday in Foxborough, Mass.

aSSoCIateDPreSS PhotoByreBeCCa BLaCKWeLL

Colombia’sJames rodriguez, front left, and Luis Diaz,right, walk with teammates during atraining session on FridayinFortLauderdale, Fla

with meteorologist DamonSingleton

More heat is on the wayfor the weekend. expect amostly sunny to partly cloudy, hot and humid day. temperatures thisafternoon will be slightly aboveaverage, in the mid-90s.the humidity level will remainhigh, so expect temperatures to feel like105 or higher. rain chances todayare at about 20%,sowhile I’mexpecting afew isolated showers,itprobably won’tbeenough to cool things down much. the UV index is at the extreme level, so wear your sunscreen.

the associated Press

CROMWELL, Conn. Scottie Schefﬂer could not convert a25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Friday at the Travelers Championship,narrowly missing out on achancetojoin Jim Furyk as the only players in PGA Tour history with two sub-60 rounds.

Schefﬂerhad to settle fora10-under60onthe soft TPCRiver Highlands course,setting an early target atop the scoreboard on aday of extremelow scoring at the ﬁnal signature event of the regular season.

“Going out yesterday in the afternoon, when the greens getﬁrm out here and thewindstarts to blow,itcan gettrickyprettyquickly,”

Schefﬂer said. “Going outthis morning, you deﬁnitely had afeeling the conditions weregoingtobe easier,soyou need to go out there and try and take advantageofit.”

Schefﬂer was at 16-under 124, two shots ahead of Viktor Hovland.

“At the end of the day,Iwas very focused on just my execution out there,” Schefﬂer said. “Who knows what the lead is going to be after today.I’ve put myself in position now this week. Go home, get some

aP Photo By JeSSICa hILL

Scottie Scheffler reacts after finishing the second round of thetravelersChampionship at tPC river highlands on Friday in Cromwell, Conn. he missed a birdie putt onNo. 18 that would have given him a59.

rest, andget readyfor tomorrow.”

Playing three groups in front of Schefﬂer,Hovlandneeded to birdie the ﬁnal two holes for a59. He settled for apair of pars anda 61, matching hiscareer best on tour

Scheffler takescontrol aftershootinga60

“Certainly it was moregettable today than it was even yesterday,” Hovland said.

Akshay Bhatia had a62tomatch first-round leader Eric Cole at 12 under.

“I know how this golf course can play,” Bhatia said. “You got to kind of keep making birdies and try and limit mistakes.”

Cole parred the ﬁnal eight holes for a65.

“Maybe just beingtired or something and making some tired swings,” Cole said.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Bud Cauley and Ben Grifﬁn were tied for ﬁfth at 10 under,each shooting 66.

Schefﬂer shot 59 in hisrookie seasonin2020 in thesecond roundof The NorthernTrust at the TPC Boston, anotherrain-softened course that featuredlow scoring. DustinJohnson was11under through 11 holes that dayand hadtosettlefor a60.

“Some days they’re kind of hanging on the edge and not quitegoing in, and then other days they’re ﬁnding the bottom of the cup,”Scheffler said. “Today was aday definitely in which most of them were ﬁnding thebottom of the cup.”

Yoon’s Women’sPGA lead widens

BY DAVE CAMPBELL

aP sportswriter

CHASKA, Minn. Ina Yoon stretched her lead at the Women’sPGA Championshipwith a3-under 69 that put her ﬁve strokes up on the second-place pack Friday Yoon,who shot arecord 63 in the first roundat Hazeltine National Golf Club, had two bogeys with one birdie on the back nine to nudge to 12 under.The 23-year-oldis seeking her first LPGA

Tour victory. Nasa Hataoka, Brooke Henderson, ALin Kim and Hae RanRyu were tied for second.Ryu shot a64, andHenderson birdied her last three holes for a68. Hataokashot67, and Kim had a70. LPGATour leader Nelly Korda, whoopenedher bidfor athird straight majortitle this yearwith aquiet 70,had a68to climb intoatie for sixth place with Dongeun Lee at 6under. Yoon,Kim, Ryu and

Lee gave SouthKorean fourofthe top seven at the midpoint of atournament thathas so far enjoyed calm, dry and comfortable conditions with high temperatures in the mid-70s Yoon became thefourth player in the history of theWomen’sPGA Championship, whichdates to 1955, to lead by five or more strokes through 36 holes, following Mickey Wright (eight, 1958), In GeeChun (six, 2022) and Cristie Kerr (ﬁve, 2010)

to 5

Kordaagain hadhundreds of fans following herevery shot, streaming from hole to hole as she traversed thelengthy 6,700-yard course in suburban Minneapolis. After birdies on four of her first nine holes,Korda faded abit down the stretch andfinishedwith six straight pars as she fought ahook with her tee shots. She hit intothe rough along the treeline to begin her back nine before two-putting for bogey on the first hole.

Pelicans bringing Matkovic back

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Karlo Matkovic‘s key minutes off the bench this past season have paid off.

The New OrleansPelicans areexercising a third-year option on Matkovi ,who plays power forward and center Matkovic became akey role player in his second season. He averaged 5.7 pointsand 3.7 rebounds while shooting 60.4% from theﬂoor this past season.

One of his biggest strengths is his abilitytostepoutside and knock down 3-pointers. Matkovic shot 42.2% on 3-pointers this season. That wasmore than a10 percentage point increase from hisrookie season when he shot 31.8%.

Matkovic played in 62 games this season.Hewouldoften go stretches without playing, but he always wasready when his name was called.

“I try to be ready always,” Matkovic said during the season. “I talk to players and talk to coaches about how to stay ready always.I think I’m doing agood job at it. Juststayinghealthy and available. When thetime comes, trying to be ready.” Matkovic was drafted by the Pelicans in the second round of the 2022 draft. He played overseasfor two seasons before joining the then-Birmingham Squadron, the Pelicans’ G League team in 2024. Later that year,hesigned with the Pels. Summer League schedule set The NBA has announced the schedulefor Summer League play.SummerLeaguetakes place from July 9-19 in Las Vegas. The PelicansopenonJuly 9 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. After that, they will play the Charlotte Hornets (July 11), Phoenix Suns (July 12) and Cleveland Cavaliers

Smoothie King Center

(July 15). Theﬁfthgamewillbedeterminedbased on how the Pels fareintheir firstfour games. ThePelicans have lost 11 consecutive SummerLeague games. Their last win came in 2023. The Pel icans Summer League team will be coached by new assistant coach God Shammgod Ex-Pel stayingput

Jose Alvarado spent his first 41/2 NBA seasons with the Pelicans beforebeing traded to the New York Knicks in February.Alvarado averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 assistsasareserve forthe Knicks as they won their ﬁrst championship in 53 years. Alvarado will be back with the Knicks again next season. According to aFridayESPN report, Alvarado is declining his $4.5 million player option and intends to sign anew threeyear,$14 million-plus deal with the Knicks.

StaFF Photo By DaVID GrUNFeLD Neworleans Pelicans forward KarloMatkovic dunksthe ball against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of agame on Feb.24atthe

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Size up your situation, consider the possibilities and put a schedule in place that is sufficient to meet your demands. Don't let negativity drain the energy from you.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Silence is golden. Wait, watch and start to plan what's in your best interest. Work quietly behind the scenes until you feel excited about what you develop. Your power comes from thoroughness.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept 22) Opportunity is within reach. Recognize what's available and go for it. Detail is important, but so aredeadlines.Doyourbestintheallotted amount of time. You will fulfill others' expectations.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) What you do will have a bigger impact than what you say. Focus on physical progress and sticking to the facts. If you color a situation, it will come back to haunt you.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Creativity is on the rise, and how you express your intentions, desires and expectations will make a difference when trying to generate interest. Listen carefully and be sure to get any offers you receive in writing.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Taking on projects that improve your health, lifestyle or home will have a positive impact onyourlife,relationshipsandconfidence if you don't surpass your budget.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take note of what everyone around you is doing to avoid getting caught in someone else's drama Truth matters, and knowing

when to back away or say nothing will help you avoid any setback that comes with unsavory situations.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A change at home will be rejuvenating. Personal gain and enjoying the company of someone who brings out the best in you will have a positive impact on how you look and feel.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Being brave, bold and boisterous will grab attention and help you get things done. Venture out, socialize and connect with people who have similar interests and something to offer in return.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Doubling down, pushing yourself to the limit and taking care of unfinished business will help you enjoy your downtime and think more about commitment and what you want to pursue next.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Put your energy where it counts. Focusing on personal growth, making investments and taking better care of your emotional well-being will come with rewards. It's time to venture into new genres.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Change begins with you Put your heart into what moves you, then see what happens. Learning from experience and discussions you get into will help you find greater stability and personal and financial security.

FAMILY CIrCUS

ToDAy's

CeLebrItY

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Stacy Keach said, “I can’t think of anything that requires more finesse than comedy, both from averbal and visual point of view.”

Thereishardly abridge deal without at least one finesse. How many potential finesses can you see in thisdeal?

South is in six hearts.What should he do afterWest leads the diamond queen?

North took aslight gamble in wheeling outBlackwoodimmediately.Heplanned, of course, to bidsix hearts even if partner denied an ace.

Butitwas just possible that hisside was off thetwo top spades. South could have held 14 high-card points without holding the spade ace or king. But the odds wereinNorth’s favor.

There are two possible finesses, one in each black suit. Which one should be tried?

Afinessing fanwould take both, go down with this distribution and then complain about his bad luck. With the right lineofplay, though, the contract is guaranteed —how?

Afterdeclarer winsthe first trick with dummy’s diamond king and draws trumps, he shouldcashdummy’s diamond ace, play atrump to hishand, ruff his lastdiamond in the dummy, and play

wuzzles

aclub to his nine, being careful to conserve atrumpentry to thedummy. West winswithhis 10, butwhatcan he do now? Whatever he leads concedes a12thtrick. If aspade, it is away from the king; if a club, it is around to declarer’s king-eight; if adiamond, Southruffs in one hand and sluffs aspade from the other. ©2026 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

ToDAy’s WoRD FRAGILITy: fruh-JIL-ih-tee: The state of being easily broken. Average mark37words Time

Can you find

or morewords in FRAGILITY?

loCKhorNs

Amen!! G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

ken ken

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is a

Scrabble GramS

roSe

DuStin

Drabble

the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

Anyone with knowledgeofthe whereabouts of CarlaCochran Baca please contactAtty.AlexJ.Bellowat 504-544-4055. 192579-6/27-28-29-3t $85.00

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of Jamalynn Lewis, whohas at one time residedat4820 Wabash St Metairie,LA70001 and/or 20 Everglades St Kenner, LA 70065, please contactattorney Joseph Landry,Jr. at 3015 19thSt.,Metairie, LA 70002; phone: 504-332-2220; email: joe@jblandrylaw.com. 192371-6/25-26-27-3t $145.00

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of Judy Breeland& RalphMorris please contactAttorney MarieA Bookmanat(504) 635-0070 192324-6/25-26-27-3t $85.00

knowingthe whereabouts of onepromissorynotedated November 25,2019, in theamount of $155,200.00 made payabletoLiberty andTrust Companyexecutedby

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of theHeirs to theEstateofBennie Lewis, please contactAttorney MichaelJ Hall at 504-383-5294or mjhall@mjhalllaw.com. 192539-6/27-28-29-3t $97.00

of theFPA-E andRegional

FURTHER RESOLVED:

1. EmergencyMeasures: ThePresident andthe Regional Director of the FPA-Eand theirdesig‐natedemergency man‐agementpersonnel are hereby authorized to take allnecessary steps to protectthe health safety andwelfareofthe employees andfacility, includingbut notlimited to thesuspensionof standard operational procedures andthe pro‐curement of necessary emergency goodsand services to repair thefa‐cility

2. ExecutionofPlans:The FPA-EEmergency Opera‐tionsPlanisherebyfully activatedand allstaff andoperating forces are directed to performtheir emergencyduties.

3. Duration:ThisDeclara‐tion of StateofEmer‐gencyshall remain in ef‐fect for30daysoruntil such time as thePresi‐dent andRegionalDirec‐tordeterminesthatthe facility hasbeen repaired to ﬁnalcompletionand normal operations have been restored IN WITNESSWHEREOF I have hereuntoset my hand on this 24thday of June,2026 Witness: /s/ PeterG.Vicari, President FPABoard of Commissioners

/s/ L. Jeff Williams Regional Director FPA-E 192597-jun27-1t $48.55

SMALLCLAIMSCOURT OF ORLEANSPARISH StephenSamuelv.John AlexanderNeill,Jr. Docket No.: 24-09300; Di‐vision D TO:JOHNALEXANDER NEILL, JR.,whose last knownaddressisP.O Box2054, Laurel,Missis‐sippi 39442: Youare hereby notified that alawsuit hasbeen filedagainst youinthe above-captionedmatter pendinginthe Small Claims CourtofOrleans Parish,State of Louisiana. Youare di‐rected to appear before thecourt to answer the petition filedherein. Forinformation regard‐ingthisproceeding, please contactRobertA Pearson, Esq.,Curator Ad Hoc, Pearson& Mitchell LLC, 3201 GeneralDe‐Gaulle Drive, Suite201, NewOrleans,Louisiana 70114, telephone(504) 483-9050. 192383-JUN 27-29-jul3-3t $

NOTICE RenaissancePlace Preservation LP,anaffili‐ateofLincoln Avenue CapitalManagement, LLC, is applying to the LouisianaHousing Cor‐poration foranal‐lowanceoffederal 4% Low-Income HousingTax Credits(LIHTCs)pur‐suanttoa tax-exempt bond financingincon‐nectionwiththe acquisi‐tion andrehabilitationof RenaissancePlace,lo‐catedat3601 Texas Drive, NewOrleans Louisiana70114. Thepro‐ject is an existing 307unitelderly affordable housingpropertycon‐sistingentirelyofonebedroom units, allof which aresubsidized under aproject-based Section8 HousingAssis‐tancePayments(HAP) Contract.The rehabilita‐tion of this 8-story, rein‐forced concrete building will includeinteriorunit renovations, building systemsupgrades,ac‐cessibilityimprove‐ments, installation of a ground-mount solarsys‐tem, andrenovationof thecommunity building alongwithnew outdoor amenities. Theestimated totaldevelopment cost is $99,109,639 to be funded througha permanent loan ($50,512,437),fed‐eral 4% LIHTC equity ($36,516,226),renewable investment taxcredit proceeds($1,147,053) capitalizedoperations ($354,624),construction period cash flow ($2,329,605),deferredde‐veloperfee ($4,795,693) andgeneral partnercapi‐talcontribution($4,000) Membersofthe public with questionsorcom‐mentsmay contactDavid Garcia,VicePresident andProject Partner, at dgarcia@lincolnavenue. comor720-450-5022. 192490-jun27-28-29-3t $539.26

PUBLIC NOTICE

1027 CHARTRES, UNIT

care,&ample parking FurnishedorUnfurnished SandyWard* 504-259-2616 Re/Max Living *504-475-1011. Ea ofcindpntlyowned& operated

Pecue Properties,LLC)

Zoning Commission

SP-26-0006 Site Plan at 12501 Rieger Rd: This 10.91-acrespropertyis locatedonLot LLC-3of theLeonR.Kleinpeter property,inSec 49, T8S, R2E, GLD, EBR. Theappli‐cant requests asiteplan to constructa two-story medicalofﬁce building (totaling120,000 sq ft) with 600 vehicularpark‐ingstalls. (Applicant: AndreRodrigue, Stantec Consulting Services,Inc on behalf of LRK, LLC)

SP-26-0009 Site Plan at T 13400 Rieger Rd: This 10.17-acrespropertyis locatedonLot 4, 5ofthe PecuePlace property,in Sec49, T8S, R2E, GLD, EBR. Theapplicant re‐quests aSitePlantocon‐struct an ofﬁce/ware‐housebuilding(totaling 112,500 sq ft)onthe pro‐posedTract 4-A(S-260021) in theB-2 Business2ZoningDistrict/Planned OverlayPO-PUD-13-06. (Applicant:Craig Corie, Monroe &Corie,Inc on behalf of PecueProper‐ties,LLC) 191755-jun20-27-jul4-3t $120.16

TheCityofSt. George Planning &ZoningCom‐missions will hold public hearings on Monday,July 6, 2026, at 6:00 pm at St George Fire Department 14100 AirlineHwy,St. George,LA70817, to con‐siderthe following: Planning Commission S-26-0021 Combinationof Lots at T13400 Rieger Rd: This 10.17-acrescom‐binedpropertyislocated on Lot4,5 of thePecue Placeproperty, in Sec49, T8S, R2E, GLD, EBR. The applicantrequeststo combinetwo lots into one(Tract4-A)inthe B-2 Business-2 Zoning Dis‐trict/PlannedOverlay PO-PUD-13-06. (Appli‐cant:Michael Davis, LandSource,Inc,onbe‐half of PecueProperties, LLC) PO-26-0001 FinalDevel‐opment Plan at T13400 Rieger Rd: This combined property is locatedon Lot4,5,ofthe Pecue Placeproperty, in Sec. 49, T8S-R2E, GLD, EBR. The applicantrequests a FinalDevelopment Plan to constructanof‐ﬁce/warehouse building (totaling112,500 sq ft)on theproposedTract 4-A (S-26-0021) in theB-2 Business-2 Zoning Dis‐trict/PlannedOverlay PO-PUD-13-06. (Appli‐cant:Craig Corie, Monroe &Corie Inc, on behalf of

ReNEW-ReinventingEdu‐cation will introducethe 2026-27 budget andhold its ﬁrstpublichearing on the2026-27 budget on May14, 2026 at 5:30 pm at EdgarP Harney Build‐inglocated at 2503 Wil‐lowSt.,New Orleans, LA 70113 (LAR.S.39:1307) ReNEW-ReinventingEdu‐cation is thecharter school management or‐ganization operating ReNEWLaurelElemen‐tary,ReNEW DoloresT AaronElementary, ReNEWSchaumburgEle‐mentary, andReNEW MotonLakefront Elemen‐tary.A physical copy of the2026-2027 budget is availableat10001 Lake Forest Blvd Suite710, NewOrleans,LA70127. 186911-may9-aug27 $956

COURTFOR THEPARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOFLOUISIANA CASE NO.866-145 DIVISION “H SUCCESSION OF BURL FRANCISPASSANTINO NOTICE OF FILING OF FIRSTAND FINAL ACCOUNTING ANDTABLEAU OF DISTRIBUTION Theaccount of Judy Passantino Gorbert, Ex‐ecutrixofthe Succession of Brul FrancisPassan‐tino covering theperiod of June 18, 2025 through thedateof ﬁlinghas been ﬁled. Theaccount‐

C-13462-23 Bag, Brass Knuckles, Jumper Cables Found

C-18345-23 Brown/Red Face Mask Dedrick Riley

C-18345-23 Black Face Mask Joshua Riley

C-18573-23Pink Walley,La. DL, Bag, Perfume Carolina Suarez

C-20356-23Apple IWatch, Model:Series 7Found

C-21714-23La. DL Harry Miller

C-22743-23La. Registration(671FXI) Kailee McCoy

D-00768-23Vanilla GiftCard(#1331) Found

D-00768-23GO2 BankDebitCard(#6288) EvaneRussell

D-00768-23CO2 Visa Card (#5505) Tevin Henry

D-00768-23CapitalOne CreditCard(#1210) RichardWard

D-00768-23Caesars RewardCard(#3498) Jevan Fleming

D-00768-23La. DL (#7357) ClaudelHamilton

D-00768-23Elite Visa Card (#7166) Troy Moore

D-00768-23NAS CreditUnion Card (#9523, Walmart DebitCard(#7483) Algh Banks

D-05969-23Lost Mary Vape Found D-07622-23Fireman's Federal C.U. Card (#1309) Albert Lyons

L-14629-22 Apple I-Pad, Model/SN:UnknownFound

L-14629-22 Samsung Notebook, SN: #144J Found L-14629-22 Lenovo CPU, SN: #NE2C Found C-21619-23 Acer Chromebook, SN: #7600 Found D-15480-23Motorola Cellphone,Model/SN: Unk. Found D-16691-23Florida Conceal WeaponID (#7556) PatrickSullivan D-16691-23La. DL (#9595) AmerMohd D-16691-23La. DL (#0671) DavidGreen D-16691-23La. DL (#3698) Bobby Ball D-19438-23Regions Visa Card (#6301) EthanDejean D-19438-23Three Ins. Cards, C.O. Card (#9384) TristanGraham D-19438-23La. DL (#5464) Lauren Morris D-19438-23Chase Visa Card (#8468) AllenJackson D-19438-23La. DL (#9858) Donmonique Kelson G-06982-22 Cables andCords, Screwdriver, Chargers,Headphones, Power Strip Found G-06982-22 DellComputer, SN: (#0100) Found G-06982-22 DellComputer, SN: (#9549) Found

Tell

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

The ﬁrst ofﬁcialday of summer is behind us, which means heat and hurricane season are here.

Ahead of astorm, learn how to preserve photographs from theNew Orleans Museum of Art’sconservator on Page 11. Dan Gill explains howto take advantageofthe intense sun —itcan beneﬁt your vegetable garden. That’s on Page 8.

El Guapo Bitters CEO Christa Cotton graces our cover and has an Uptown home that’s ﬁt for entertaining. Plus, arecipe for grilling Crawﬁsh Boil Bitters Shrimp —great for next weekend’sholiday.The story is on Page 12. For weekend plans,PRC’s 2026 Parade of Homes tour is wrapping up. Seeadditional home and gardenhappeningslisted on Page7

the Insideout home and gardensection is published every Saturday by thetimes-Picayune Questions about Insideout should be directed to the editor

INSIDEOUT EDITOR: MarignyLanaux, marigny.lanaux@theadvocate.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor andrews, Jyl Benson, and DanGill COVER DESIGN: Cassandra Brown

COVER PHOTO: Jeff Strout TO BE FEATURED: Send information and photos to insideout@theadvocate. com

INSIDE SOURCES

Restoreleather couches and more. PAGE 4

INSIDE INFO

Home and garden happenings. PAGE 7

GREENTHUMB

Solarization can beneﬁt vegetablegarden. PAGE 8

GARDEN ADVICE

Should youremove large oaktreeroots? PAGE 9

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

INSIDE STORY

Preserve photographs aheadofastorm. PAGE 11

COVERSTORY

ChristaCotton’shomeisan entertainment hub. PAGE 12

ONEINAMILLION

Asanctuary in Mandeville for$2.3M.PAGE16

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 18

Marigny Lanaux

-1

427ArabellaStreet •HeartofUptown$749,000

Charming2 Bed,2Bath, 2,140SqFthome.Featuring an open-concept floorplan, it’s just stepsfromWhole Foodsand minutestoAudubon Park, AudubonZoo,The Fly, Tulane,Loyola,acclaimed restaurants, charming cafes & boutiqueshopping on Magazine Street.Exceptional walkability, vibrant surroundings,and unmatchedconvenience make this arareopportunity

Josh Walther504-717-5612

WitryCollective504-291-2022

416MetairieLawnDrive•Heart of OldMetairie$799,000

Uptowncharm meetsmodernupdates in this custom 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home.Features includesoaring ceilings,triplecrown molding,spacious livingareas,a gourmetkitchen withstainless appliances,butler’spantry, wine fridge,wood-burning fireplace, andlarge patio. New roof,windows, paint, flooring,and appliances.XFlood Zone withhurricane shutters

MissyMaestri Martin 504-390-7002 Prieur Properties504-352-6500

5Bed,3Bath, 3,592SqFthome w/ expansivefront porch, welcoming foyer, wood &marble finishes, plus aresort-stylesaltwater pool.Flexible downstairs spaceisperfectfor aguest suite, apt, or additional living area. Premiumupgradesinclude awhole-home generator,drainage&sprinkler systems, water filtration,air purification,dehumidifier &surroundsound Ken

300 S. BeachBoulevard •Waveland,MS $1,890,000

Extraordinarywaterfrontestateon prestigiousBeachBoulevard.Builtin2016 on aprime corner lot, this 4BR/4BAhome offers3,975+/-SFwithpanoramic waterviews, 12-footceilings,hardwood floors,chef’skitchen,luxurious primarysuite,elevator, heated saltwaterpool, fire pit, three-car garage, andexceptional indoor-outdoor entertaining throughout. AMustSee!!! HollyLemoine-Raymond 601-569-6099

HL Raymond Properties Licensed in MS 228-466-6643

535Third Street •Irish Channel$355,000

Charming 2Bed,2Bathcottage offeringstylish,low-maintenance living in aprime location.Brightinteriors,heart-of-pine floors, first-floor bedroomand bath,plusa privateupstairssuite withlarge balcony.Walk Score of 89,steps to parks, transit,and Magazine Street’s topdining, shopping,and cafés. Perfectpied-à-terreordownsizingopportunity

Josh Walther504-717-5612

WitryCollective504-291-2022

KEEPING IT FRESH

From shoes to $30M jets, La. leather restorer shares how to keep seats and sofas in top shape

BY JYL BENSON Contributing writer

No lectures, please, but I drive with my bare left foot tucked up under me and steer with my right hand. Years of this, and carting dogs and plants around, have left the light tan leather in my car looking like it’s seen better days.

However, I work from home and like walking, so I have just over 75,000 miles on my 11-year-old car, which I hope will last forever

The body looks good, but the seats were really starting to bug me. They just looked bad.

Enter Chad Anderson of Louisiana Leather Restoration Inc., with his magic spray gun.

I sent him some pictures of my car seats, front and back, and he said, “No, problem.” He showed up at my house, and in a couple of hours, the seats looked brand new. The transformation was ﬂawless. He even used some of that stuff (he asked ﬁrst) that restored that “leather” smell.

This service with a smile cost me $350, a price I consider quite fair for the quality of the restoration and the value that was added to my car

This interview has been ed-

and

PhotoS ProVIDeD By ChaD aNDerSoN

Chad anderson, of Louisiana Leather restoration, refreshes the color of two dining chairs.

their vehicles and homes?

Not cleaning the leather and using a real leather conditioner. Repetitive actions damage the epidermis and high-trafﬁc areas.

How do you address this problem?

I advise you and all others to clean the seats of their cars weekly. Wash the interior with hot water, Dawn dish soap and a washcloth. Repeat if needed.

Then use a quality leather conditioner, not something labeled “cleaner and conditioner.” Those things do not work. Meguiar’s and Lexol are good brands.

What’s the backstory on Louisiana Leather Restoration?

I started doing this in 1996 when I was 23, and this job came to me by accident, really. I did a stint with antique car restoration and high-end automotive painting. I grew tired of these ﬁelds and returned to my leather restoration skills. That’s when I created Louisiana Leather Restoration.

I have reﬁnished everything from shoes and purses to $30 million G6 Gulfstream jets. Most of my business comes from referrals and from the used-car dealership industry.

One guy was referred to me,

and I did a couple of high-end cars for him. He mentioned he might want me to do his dad’s car. No problem. He called me back to work on a couple of more cars and mentioned his dad’s car again. No problem. He called me back for a third time to repair the vinyl and dye the carpets on some of the gaming trailers he uses in his business, and he mentioned his dad’s car again. I told him if he brings the car, I will do it, but if the car is not ever here, I can’t do it.

He ﬁnally brought the car home. It was a 1990-91 RollsRoyce. I opened the driver door to inspect the leather, and when I turned to check the driver door panel, I found a large bronze emblem that read “Fats Domino,” with dominoes and the Rolls-Royce emblem together I was honored to be trusted with such a one-of-a-kind vehicle. The car had been meticulously restored, and the only thing that looked bad was the leather; everything

else looked showroom new. Still, after almost 30 years of experience, it’s the coolest job I have ever had.

I probably do five or six planes a year. I was flown to the Bahamas to refinish 84 leather chairs for a high-end resort. I’ve done countless vintage cars, bringing their interior back to life, and I like to find old metal and vinyl chairs from the ’50s through the ’70s to refinish in some eclectic colors for my home. I can do color changes on

items, but that is on a case-bycase basis. Some things are better left the same color and reﬁnished.

Is there anything you can’t restore? I can restore pretty much anything on a car or boat — leather, vinyl, carpet, cloth, convertible tops and most minor interior damages. The dye is an exterior grade, and I’m doing an experiment now to see how well it will hold up to the elements by using the

See LEATHER, page 6

a black leather couch is restored by Louisiana Leather restoration.

while in the cleaning process.

I use a spray gun to apply the dye.

dye to restripe a boat that is in salt and brackish water on a regular basis. What’s the process?

I thoroughly clean all surfaces with a proprietary mixture and a mildly abrasive pad. This allows me to remove any contaminants and dirt. I do on-site color matching

For how long will your car, or leather sofa, or other item, be out when you are finished?

The process takes about two hours. Normally, when I am ﬁnished, the vehicle or item can be used then, with some care taken not to damage the ﬁnish. The cure time for the dye is 24 hours, and it can then be treated as normal after that period.

How much is the average cost for car or sofa restoration?

Each car’s cost will vary by the severity of the damage, but the average is around $350. Most couches can be done on-site.

Louisiana Leather Restoration, by appointment only, Chad Anderson, (504) 4391435

Jyl Benson writes about homes and gardens. Email her at jylbenson@gmail.com.

Photo ProVIDeD By ChaD aNDerSoN

Chad anderson, of Louisiana Leather restoration, restored the leather in Fats Domino’s rolls-royce.

Parade of Homes wraps this weekend

Saturday and Sunday are the ﬁnal days to participate in the Home BuildersAssociation of Greater New Orleans’ 2026 Parade of Homestour,and seea variety ofresidences throughout the metro area.

Tickets, which are free, are required to explorethe homes. Plus, ticket holders can enter arafﬂe for aticket to aSaints game.

Self-guided tours are from 1p.m.to5 p.m. each day, with builder representatives on hand for questions and information. Neighborhoodsinclude River Ridge; Parksof Plaquemines; Crestmont Park, Bonnabel Placeand Cottam Park in Metairie; Live Oak MannerinWestwego; Garden Park in Gretna; Water Oaksin Waggaman; and English Turn and Audubon Park in NewOrleans.

The association also supports theSt. Jude Dream HomeGiveaway,whichrafﬂes off anew home for $100 per tickettoraise funds for the Children’sResearch Hospital Thenew construction, valued at $750,000, is located at 1045 Orion Ave. in Metairie.

Get maps, locations and more information at hbagno.org

Drain cleaning party helps prepfor season

Clearing debris from storm drains at the beginning of hurricane season will be the reasonfor agatheringofneighbors at 5p.m. Saturday

Residents of District B, council member Lesli Harris’ district, are encouraged tobring shovels and brooms toBig Fountain in Coliseum Square Park. Beverages will be provided after.

Part of Harris’ Catch Basin Challenge, photos will be taken before and after,with cityvacuum trucks to clear the insides when the basins are cleaned.

Double on display for PRC Beams &Brews

Preservation Resource Center’sbehind-the-sceneslook at

INSIDEINFO

City Park to improveand maintain theextensive urban green space. Those coming up include:

n City Park KayakCleanup: 8a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday.Meet at the gravellaunch at the intersection of Dueling Oaks Drive andDreyfous Drive. Volunteersare soughttojoinCity Park’skayak krewethat will work withstaff to remove litterfrom waterways withthe useofpersonal kayaks.

n PelicanGreenhouseSummer Volunteer Series: 8a.m. Tuesday andThursday,2Celebration Drive. An eight-week series for individualvolunteerstoassist in greenhouse operations.

n Litter Abatement Campaign:

restoration projects heads to theIrish Channel on July 16 to takealook at ahome conversion underway at 5:30 p.m Visit 2349 LaurelSt. to see the work being done on an arts-and-crafts double bay camelbackshotgun being adapted for contemporary living.

Ticketsfor the tour are$10 and include abrew provided by UrbanSouth Brewery.Visit prcno.org.

Volunteer projects abound at City Park

Avariety of cleanup days and initiatives are on tap at

9a.m.to11a.m.Tuesday.Volunteer Center,1031 Harrison Ave.

n Big LakeNative Plant TrailRestorationProject: 9a.m. Friday.Big Lake Native Trail near 7Friedrichs Ave.

n SuperSaturday: 9a.m. July 4. Volunteer Center,1031 Harrison Ave. Monthly community volunteering effort that includes atool maintenance project.

Have ahome and garden eventcoming up? Send it to events@theadvocate.com.

1629 COLISEUMST. UNIT 2

MAGNIFICENTMANSION,ACROSS THESTREETFROMCOLISEUMSQUARE hasbeendivided into Condos! $375,000 gets you 3bds,3 1/2baths with allthe oldworld architectural details& privateelectricgated 3car coveredparking! This is thefront unit with access to thegrand porch& balconies. Newlyreplastered pool &brick patiotoo!

serene waterfront

updatedwindows.

StaFF Photo By SoPhIa GerMer Debrissits in ablocked catch basin on Northrobertson Street. a drain cleaning party is set for5p.m.Saturday.

GREENTHUMB

GARDEN TIPS

STAY DRY: rainyweathercreates pools of standing water,which provide mosquitoes with plenty of places to breed. Look overyourlandscape carefully for anythingholding water, and do your best to eliminate it.

FADED FLORALS: remove spent flowers from annuals such as marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, gaillardia andrudbeckia to encouragethem to continue bloomingaslong as possible.

CARE FOR CANNAS: Cannas that have brown, deformed leaves with holes in them have beenattacked by canna leaf rollers, which are caterpillars that are devastatingto cannas.the canna leaf rollers do not kill the plants.theygenerally continue to flower,but it makes the plants look terrible. Controlisdifficult. If youdecide to treat, use asystemic insecticide such as acephate or imidacloprid.

AT STAKE: If youdid not stakeorif youhaveremovedstakesfromyoung treesplantedwithin the past one to threeyears, consider staking them just before ahurricane hits.this will prevent them from blowing over.Make sure the stakes are drivendeeply and securely into the ground.

RAIN CHECK: rain often occurs widely scattered overthe area this time of the year.you maysee a downpour where youwork, only toget home at the end of theday and find not one drop fell at home.Watching theweather reports often does not accurately reflect therainfall your yard actually gets.and, of course,knowing howmuch rain your yard gets has a great influence on howyou water.the solution to this is to pick up arain gaugeatyour local nursery.that’sthe best waytokeep track of the rainfall your yard gets in mid-to-late summer

Louisiana’ssummerheatcan

benefityourvegetable garden HOTTIP

Louisiana’sextraordinary summer heat has at least one upside: It can help control soilborne pestsinthe vegetable garden. Through solarization, intense sunlight can control pathogenic fungi and nematodes. It can also kill weed seeds without using toxic chemicals.

Soilborne fungi and water

moldscause diseases such as root rots, crown rots, fruit rotsand wilts. Nematodes are microscopic round worms that attack roots, causing plants to be stunted and sickly.

Solarization is the process of heating soil in bedsunder clear plastic using thesunlight’s energy.Itcan only be done to treat empty beds located in full

sun. So, as you harvest vegetable crops, or if you have beds that are currently empty,you will have the perfect opportunity to solarize the beds over the next couple of months.

Solarization can be an important part of an Integrated Pest Management approach to

ä See HOT, page 10

Dan Gill GreeN thUMB

StaFF FILe Photo By LeSLIe WeStBrooK

Should oaktreeroots be cut?

BY DANGILL Contributing writer

Ihavealargeoak tree (circaearly 1980s) that has grown alargeroot under my driveway. It raised asection of the cement and cracked it. The driveway needs to be repaired.

The arborists saytoremove the cement and cover the area over the root with gravel or stone. The cement people sayIneed to trim (cut off) the root and pour newconcrete to repair the driveway.

Ifear that cutting the root would damageordestroythe tree, which I am unwilling to do. Do you have any suggestions as to how to deal with this problem? —Ronald

There are two aspectsto this decision you must come to terms with. Youcan take action that is beneﬁcial to the tree or to having astable, long-lasting driveway.

The arborists will provide you with informationthat supports the welfare of the tree.

The repair contractors will help you produce the best driveway.Both sets of advice are valid dependingonwhat you consider most important. When making the decision, understand that cutting and removing the root, while the best thing to do forthe repair of the driveway,willhurt the tree. Trees need their roots to absorb water and minerals. Cutting alarge root can be significant because it is connected to alarge network of fine feeder roots. It may affect the tree’shealth, but this is very hard to predict. The tree may tolerate the removal of theroot without reacting significantly.There is arisk. Also, the roots are what hold up atree during high winds. In aplace where hurricanes occur,weare reluctant to cutmajor roots unless we absolutely must. Cutting one root, even alarger one, may not make the tree more likely to go over in astorm,but it is

StaFF FILePhoto By ChrISGraNGer

year.Susceptibility differs among varieties, with some being moreprone than others. By thetime you seethe symptoms, it is toolateto treat thecurrent outbreak. Waiting to spray until you see thesymptoms would not be verybeneﬁcial. To control this disease, trees would need regular spraying (every 7to 14 days) during summer,beginning in early June and continuing through October

Since this diseasegenerally doesn’tdamage crapemyrtles

signiﬁcantly,the effort isn’t really worth it. But if you decide to spray, choose afungicide with chlorothalonil as the active ingredient, such as Daconil

Dan Gill is aretired consumerhorticulture specialist withthe LSU AgCenter.Hehosts the “Garden Show” on WWL-AM Saturdays at 9a.m.Email gardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter.lsu. edu

something to consider. If the tree ismost important, listentothe arborists. If the driveway is most important,listentothe contractors.

My crape myrtles have some leaves turning yellow and falling. Iput out aliquid insecticidal drench in the spring,and Ifertilized them. Iassume this is some type of fungus. What should Idoabout it? —Jack

These symptoms indicate afungal disease of crape myrtles called Cercospora leaf spot. It generally appears

in summer,particularly after periods of rainy weather.We can likely expect to see an outbreak over the next few weeks due to therecent rain. Symptoms include leaf spotting and infected leaves turning yellow,orange or red (depending on thevariety) beforefalling off.

Heavyinfections can cause substantial leaf drop, but the diseaseisnot life-threatening, and crape myrtles tolerate it well. Mosttrees get this diseasetosome degree every

Charlotte Dorion 504.237.8615

Charlotte@Char-Realty.com Char-Realty.com

Chris Dorion

504.451.4274

Chris@Char-Realty.com

4018 Magazine St. NOLA70115 504.799.1702

•Co-ownersof5ofﬁces •YourLocal andGlobal Luxury REALTORS!

Continued from page 8

controlling pests in your vegetable garden. Gardeners can utilize cultural practices, variety selection, nonchemical pest control techniques and least toxic pesticides to sensibly and safely manage pests.

After a bed has been solarized, vegetable plantings grow faster and produce higher quality yields because of improved disease and weed control, the increase in available nutrients, and relatively greater proportions of helpful soil microorganisms.

Although beneﬁcial soil microorganisms may be killed by solarization, they either tend to survive or more rapidly recolonize than the pathogens. This further depresses populations of pathogenic fungi. Earthworms leave the area during solarization and return when the soil cools down.

How to do it

Water the beds a day or two before you begin the process. Thoroughly cultivate the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, breaking up all the large clods. Using a tiller works especially well, particularly if your soil is rich in clay.

After turning the soil, incorporate a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic matter, such as compost or composted manure. Adding organic matter enhances the solarization process.

Next, dig a trench several inches deep around the edges of the bed, and place clear plastic over the bed, laying the edges down in the trench. Fill the trench with soil to tightly seal the edges of the plastic to be solarized.

You must use translucent plastic — black plastic will not work.

The clear plastic allows the sun to penetrate it and hit the soil, where some of the energy is converted into heat. The plastic traps the heat generated underneath, raising the temperature of the soil

GREENTHUMB

surprisingly high.

The upper 6 to 8 inches of soil in covered beds will gradually reach temperatures between 100 and 140 degrees F — high enough to kill nematodes, fungi and weed seeds. The highest temperatures occur in the upper 2 to 3 inches.

The plastic should stay in place for at least four to six weeks and up to eight weeks.

Keeping your beds covered from June or early July until late August or early September (when we begin to plant fall crops) should allow plenty of time for the treatment to be effective.

Planting after treatment

When you prepare to plant the treated beds, pull back the plastic and let the beds cool for a few days. Do not turn the soil in the bed prior

to planting. This can bring up weed seeds from deeper in the soil that may not have been killed by solarization. If you need to apply fertilizer, sprinkle it on the surface and lightly scratch it into the upper inch of soil.

When it comes to planting beds that have been solarized, you have a couple of choices. After the soil has cooled, you can direct seed vegetables or plant transplants. Mulch beds planted with transplants immediately Mulch beds that were direct seeded as soon as the seedlings are large enough.

After the soil cools, for additional weed control, you may lay the plastic back over the bed and seal the edges — just as you did for the solarization treatment. Then, transplants of crops such as tomatoes,

peppers, cabbage and broccoli may be planted by cutting holes in the plastic and planting them directly into the beds.

It is very important to put a couple of inches of organic mulch over the plastic once the bed is planted.

Mulch, such as leaves or pine straw, will shade the plastic and prevent sunlight from heating the soil (a very bad thing once vegetables are planted).

Make it last

Populations of soil disease organisms and weed seeds will eventually build back up. The beneﬁcial effects of solarization generally don’t last beyond a season or two, but you can help them last longer by doing the following:

n Thoroughly clean all gar-

den tools before you use them in treated beds. It is very easy to carry organisms from infested areas in the soil that clings to your garden tools.

n Keep beds and surrounding areas well weeded and never allow weeds to make seeds. As much as possible, rotate your vegetable crops.

n Avoid planting the same crop in the same area year after year, since that encourages the buildup of disease organisms that will attack that crop.

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

StaFF FILe Photo By Brett DUKe

Plants feed themselves by using the energy of the sun to create sugar out of carbon dioxide and water.

PROTECTING MEMORIES

BY MARIGNYLANAUX Staff writer

Now that New Orleanshas had its ﬁrst tropical storm of the 2026 hurricane season,it’s agood reminder to not only have the basic preparations covered, but to make sure family memories will be preserved.

One way to do that is to protect photographs and photoalbums. After all, they addcharacter to ahome and display fond memories. And you most certainly don’twant to lose old photos without adigital copy as backup.

Luckily,local museumsare skilled in the art of preserving. The New Orleans Museum of Art has createdaguide for preserving photos during hurricane season.

Nayla Maaruf, NOMA conservator of photographs and works ofart on paper,hopes to dispel the notion that preservation is costly or requires special materials.

“At the end of the day, what we do in the museum and the materials we use are very similar to what you already have at home,” Maaruf said.“Iam hoping these simple measures will inspire people to take the necessary stepsand thatthere will be less loss after our next hurricane.”

Photos already in storage can be preserved appropriatelynow.Framed photos around the home are meantto be enjoyed, so feel free tokeep them on view.Ifyou know a

albums.

Step 2: Gather your supplies

This can include plastic sleeves or sheet protectors; sealable bags, such as Ziplocs; and plastic containers with lids. Desiccant bags or ﬁreretardant bags are optional.

Step 3: Identify astoragelocation

Either set aside the preserved photos to take with you or determine asafe place in your home. Do not leave anything in theatticorbasement —yes, there are some in the New Orleans area —orbelow pipes,windows or vents. Place things either on theﬂoor or on an elevated shelf.

storm is coming, thisiswhen youcan remove photos from their frames to prevent them from beingexposed to high humidity,whichcan cause them to stick to the glass.

Step1:Takeinventoryofphotographs This is thetimetoassess what you should take versus leave behind. Take stock of howmany photos you have lying around in shoeboxes or

Theseguidelines can also be used to protect important documentsand art prints. However,thosecan be stacked together since they will not stick together,unlike photographs

“You should still aim to place them in awaterproof container and even place them in Ziploc bags so that in case of high humidity or ﬂooding, there is no warping, staining or mold growth,” Maaruf said.

StaFF FILe PhotoBySCott threLKeLD

Shaken with St

el Guapo Bitte home is perfe

BY JYL BENSON Contributing writer

“Hurricane Christa” isn’t just Christa Cotton’s nickname and Instagram handle it’s her ethos.

It’s also apropos for a seemingly fearless woman with myriad projects and roles: Entrepreneur, mother of a 7-year-old, mentor, world traveler, caregiver to ag ing parents, board member, champion women and arbiter of a singular sense style, grounded in a use of vibrant color with a tendency toward ﬂowing caftans bare feet.

“I love color,” said Cotton, pointing out the obvious. “If mental juggling were Olympic sport, I’d be a serious gold medal contender.”

As the CEO of El Guapo Bitters and New Orleans Beverage Group, Cotton shares her home with her husband, Bria Bitner; their daughter, Flora; and Archiba Manning, a 110-plus-pound Bernese m

PhotoS By JeFF StroUt

Christa Cotton serves a batch of Summer Whiskey Sours in colorful wine glasses.

Spices and flavoring agents for use in de

Style

ters Ceo’s Uptown

fect for entertaining

Christa handle; fearless roles: wife, agfor sense of color caftans and out an medal the Brian Archibald moun-

tain dog. It’s a pink, circa 1902, four-bay Eastlake cottage in the Faubourg Avart neighborhood in Uptown.

The view of the home’s front porch is obscured by hedges of star jasmine. Cotton, a native of Leesburg, Georgia, bought the

ä See SHAKEN, page 14

developing new varieties of el Guapo Bitters.

the mantle below the antique ormolu mirror supports a floral installation from Brian Bitner and Christa Cotton’s 2023 halloween night wedding. the room is overseen by a taxidermized fox cradling a taxidermized pheasant; both hunting trophies were from Cotton’s late father.

Colorful ‘candies’ of blown Murano glass adorn the living room coffee table.

SHAKEN

Continued from page 13

house in 2012 after graduating from Tulane University, where she met Bitner, a native of Houston. The two were friends for many years before falling in love in 2017 and having Flora a year and a half

later. They were married on Oct. 31, 2023.

“Our friends thought they were attending a Halloweenthemed rehearsal dinner at the Chapel Club in Hotel Saint Vincent, and we surprised them with the actual wedding,” Cotton said.

“I was dressed as Wednesday!” said Flora of her persona as the daughter of Gomez

and Morticia Addams of “The Addams Family” for her parents’ wedding.

As an undergrad at Auburn University, Cotton helped open 13th Colony Distilleries, Georgia’s ﬁrst legal distillery since Prohibition.

Last year, she received the Tory Burch Founder’s Award and was named Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 Tastemakers.

there is no fear of color in the Bitner-Cotton home. the living room sofa is dressed in summer-appropriate white cotton and festooned with colorful velvet pillows.

She is a seven-time Good Food Awards winner, a James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow, a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and a spirits mentor for The LEE Initiative

With regard to New Orleans, Cotton’s story is a familiar one. She attended Tulane University for graduate school, found her muse and simply never left.

PhotoS By JeFF StroUt

Brian Bitner, Christa Cotton and Flora Bitner sit in the living room of their Uptown home.

a vignette in the living room includes a taxidermized alligator head filled with dried roses.

the dining room mantle in the Bitner-Cotton home is covered with Muses shoes (Cotton is a riding member of the krewe) and implements for making cocktails.

El Guapo rules the roost

With commercial distribution across all 50 states and in eight countries, El Guapo has grown rapidly since Cotton acquired the trademark in 2017 and began developing a line of zero-proof bitters using a crawﬁsh pot.

The company surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, after Cotton successfully raised seven ﬁgures in investment capital, which enabled her to move from her kitchen to a 32,000-square-foot production facility in Mid-City. Since then, she has expanded the line to include syrups, mixers and a ready-to-drink canned bitters and soda.

In 2024, the company ranked No 166 on the Inc. 5000 Regionals list of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S They just inked a distribution deal with Walmart and are ﬁnalizing one with Marker’s Mark

The tools of the family trade are everywhere in the house.

There are bottles of fine wine, rarefied liquors and liqueurs tucked thither and yon Jars of spices for concocting new flavors crowd the kitchen counters. Cotton is also studying to become a master sommelier.

Upon entering the home, which was built as a double and converted to a single by a previous homeowner, there are masses of dried pink, white and purple ﬂowers. The ﬂorals are clustered over the living room mantle and atop the large casement opening between the living and dining rooms. It sets the tone: Expect the unexpected.

Crawfish Boil Bitters Shrimp on a Himalayan Salt Block

Using El Guapo Crawﬁsh Boil Bitters is a shortcut to building the ﬂavor layers of citrus, spice and aromatics that go into a labor-intensive bug boil. Cooking the shrimp on a Himalayan salt block gently seasons the shrimp as they cook and creates a nice presentation for serving.

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon El Guapo Crawfish Boil Bitters

3 cloves garlic, minced

In the living room and adjacent dining room, chartreuse silk draperies hang from the 12-foot ceiling to polished heart pine ﬂoors below The living room sofa is covered in white cotton for the summer, its seating area clustered with velvet pillows of pink, green and yellow

A dish ﬁlled with Murano glass shaped like colorful candies adorns the coffee table.

A taxidermized fox cradling a taxidermized pheasant looks down from its perch above the door leading to Flora’s room.

“I love taxidermy,” Cotton said. “I am cool with dead stuff everywhere.”

The fox and pheasant were hunting trophies garnered by Cotton’s recently deceased father She derived her entrepreneurial drive from her parents.

The dining table appears to have been made from panels of erstwhile cast-iron fencing, topped with glass. It keeps time with black wrought-metal chairs with pale pink velvet cushions.

Bitner, a certified public accountant, was once associated with a major firm but forwent that career to manage El Guapo’s operations and finances. He does his best to manage the household while his wife is away on business.

“He’s my right hand,” Cotton said. “We’re a team. He’s not much of an interior decorator, but we manage to hold it all together.”

Jyl Benson writes about homes and gardens. Email her at jylbenson@gmail.com.

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

11/2 pounds large (U-10 or U-15) Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

Lemon wedges, chopped parsley and melted butter (optional), for serving

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Crawﬁsh Boil Bitters, garlic, paprika, cayenne and

black pepper

2. Add the shrimp to the marinade and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Avoid marinating for more than 1 hour, as lemon juice can begin to alter the texture of the shrimp.

3. While the shrimp are marinating, prepare the salt block Place the Himalayan salt block on a grill and gradually heat it over medium heat, 20-30 minutes, until the block is thor-

oughly warmed.

4. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer directly on the heated salt block Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the shrimp are ﬁrm, pink, opaque and the shells appear lightly caramelized.

5. Transfer to a serving platter or serve directly on the salt block. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges. For extra richness, drizzle with melted butter just before serving.

colorful, fishing

manicure, Christa Cotton peels

Gulf shrimp for her dinner party.

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

Mandeville’s posh enclave, The Sanctuary, is full of statement-making dwellings and estates that line the environmentally planned thoroughfares.

At 157 Sanctuary Drive, a home with Mediterranean elements stretches behind stepped landscaping and curvilinear drives.

Built less than 20 years ago, the residence boasts three stories of living and recreation space that comes to more than 7,100 square feet.

With six bedrooms, more than six baths, a dedicated recreation ﬂoor and garage for three vehicles, this sanctuary is a luxuriously livable spot to call home for $2.375 million.

The circular drive comes to wide steps that lead to double doors and entry into the home. A soaring two-story foyer rises above the marble ﬂoors, edged by a broad staircase that stops at a landing over the front door that provides access to a balcony overlooking the grounds.

Straight into the center of the house lies the formal living room. The receiving area is a bright spot at the heart of the house, with light from the

foyer and the wall of French doors. Built-in cabinetry has elements of the architectural details that edge the room, exuding a relaxed formality in the welcoming space.

To the left of the foyer, a formal dining room is at the front of the house, with a trio

of arched windows providing natural light and views of the entrance.

Across the hall, the culinary center is a bright space with an abundance of cabinets, interspersed with chef-caliber stainless appliances and trimmed in stainless hardware

throughout.

The central island is an enviable space for preparation but also has plenty of room for inkitchen noshing and visiting.

Down a hall, a walk-in closet lined with shelves is a voluminous pantry and storage area, with a next-door laundry

room, full bath, rear stairs and access to the back deck.

Pocket doors lead into a cozy family room just off the kitchen, a relaxed zone outﬁtted with cabinetry for electronics or games, plus space for video watching.

Rare3Bed,3Bath 3,862 sqft corner condo designedand

by renowned architect ArthurDavis.Thislight-ﬁlledresidencefeatures 15oversizedwindows,12-footceilings,custom stained glass, expansive entertaining spaces, multiple balconies. Amenities alsoinclude 3 indoorparkingspaces,rooftoppoolandﬁtness center.All stepsfromdowntown attractions andtheFrenchQuarter.AMustSee!

At the front of the house, a home office occupies a corner space with plenty of windows, with a full bath in the short hall just outside. The room could easily serve as a firstfloor guest suite as well.

The primary bedroom on the ﬁrst ﬂoor is a sanctuary within a sanctuary. The sleeping chamber features broad windows that overlook the side lawns, plus French doors onto the home’s back gallery

The gym is a tailored spot for physical wellness, which also offers French door access to the back patio. Passing through a pair of walk-in closets, the primary bath reinforces the European ambiance with intricate tilework over the soaking tub and in front

ProVIDeD PhotoS

ONEINAMILLION

It’s games galore in the fully furnished ground floor entertainment space, which also includes a full kitchen with dining space at the island.

the pass-through shower. Separate vanities make grand use of the space.

Up the stairs, two bedrooms are en suite affairs with large closets, while two additional bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bath. A family room with shelving and plenty of space makes it a retreat away from the public sectors of the home.

An entertainment wonderland takes up the ground ﬂoor as a fully furnished den, an additional 2,525 square feet not included in the living space. A smorgasbord of games is available, and the room is conﬁgured to allow multiple adventures at once, from billiards to ping pong and video games.

A stylish kitchen, with stainless appliances and an eat-at island, occupies one side of the space, with a full bathroom on the level as well.

The large U-shaped back deck, with an outdoor kitchen, has stairs down to the ground level under an enormous pergola. The large pool, with an elevated hot tub, is a major feature of the back lawn oasis, while the grounds continue further over verdant spaces. Palm trees that frame the pool area echo the exotic feel.

The home also has a location ready for an elevator

The home is listed by Vince Liuzza III of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred, (985) 200-1002.

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

area.

a u-shaped deck off the main floor features an outdoor kitchen and space for al fresco dining and entertaining.

ABOVE: Stainless appliances and hardware glisten in the white kitchen, a roomy space with an eat-in island that is great for preparation or entertaining. LEFT: Formal yet inviting, the living room has three French doors that lead to the rear deck of the home.

An architecturallysignificant c. 1903 homeatthe corner of St Charlesand Calhoun- 1block to Audubon Park.Lovinglymaintainedand operated as a community residencebythe Jesuit religiousorder.9 bedrooms /10fullbathrooms / 2halfbathrooms.Over7900SFoflivingover3 floors. 9600SF total. 80 X177 lot. This is an extraordinaryopportunity fora qualifiedbuyer whocan transform the property back to itsoriginaluse as aprivate residence. Features includea grand entryhallwithoriginalfireplaces,woodtrimand wainscoting, generous parlor rooms, formal dining,gorgeousstaircase with stainglass windowsthatbathe light below. 12 foot ceilingsthroughout. Largeservice kitchenand butler’s pantry An elevator provides access to alllivingfloors.Wholehouse generator. Alarge rear parkinglot that accommodates 11 vehicles provides ampleroomtocreate aspecial landscapedspace with room fora pool.The offeringprice includes an additional rear 30 X76footlot on Calhounthatisoptional. $3,199,500

REALESTATETRANSFERS

NeW orLeaNS

n TRANSFERS FOR JUNE 15-19, 2026

DISTRICT

ERATO ST. 1401: $100 and other valuable consideration, St. Theresa of Avila Inc. and The Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans to Riseimpact Capital II LLC.

JULIA ST. 1001: $825,000, Nigel Hugh Dagnall to Ann Perry.

ULLOA ST. 4143-45: $100, Robert Neal Construction LLC to Poonam Properties LLC.

DISTRICT 2

BURGUNDY ST. 613-15, ST. PETER ST. 1018, TOULOUSE ST. 1001, 1025: $100 and other valuable consideration, 1001 Toulouse II LLC to Maison Dupuy Hotel Investors LLC.

HAWK ST. 44; POPPY LANE 44: donation, no value stated, Petra J. Guste to Henry S. Guste.

LOUIS XIV ST. 6371: $1,250,000, L&C Guidry LLC to Cameron Francis Nodier and Elizabeth Nodier.

MARSHALL FOCH ST. 5975: $470,000, Arthur George Denstedt and May Lee Denstedt to Joseph G. Oleszewski and Pamela Frye Oleszewski.

ORCHID ST. 2761-2763: $230,000, Joseph Isiah Howard to Cats Claw Scratch Fever LLC.

TOULOUSE ST. 537-39; TOULOUSE ST. 539: $445,000, 537 Toulouse LLC to Pig Out Holdings LLC.

DISTRICT 3

A. P. TUREAUD AVE. 2522-24:

$30,000, Venita Legaux to Gerald Legaux Jr.

A. P. TUREAUD AVE. 2522-24: donation, no value stated, Lorraine Legaux Dinvaut to Gerald Legaux Jr.

AUBRY ST. 2531: $270,000, Maureen Basha to Michael Taravella and Rebecca Farley Taravella.

BURGUNDY ST. 1930, UNIT 1930: $425,000, G&K LLC to Pauline Boyajian and Richard Nishan Boyajian.

CHALMARK DRIVE 4611:

$315,000, Garibaldi Investments LLC to Jeffrey Martin Duroncelay Sr. and Trevor Clark.

DUELS ST. 1744: $138,000, Byron Gerard Winbush to Crown Wealth LLC.

DUPLESSIS ST. 4122: donation, no value stated, Xingguo Huang to Hua Xiang Zheng and Wei Juan Luo.

EDWARD ST. 7935: $98,000, Edwards LLC to Nola JJMC LLC.

ESPLANADE AVE. 1924-26:

$596,000, NOCA LLC to Jose Ivan Duque.

FATS DOMINO AVE. 614: $185,000, Mark Anthony Richards to Dionysia Perkins French.

FOY ST. 1247: $40,000, Janet Belcher Harri to Ainsley Lamarque Nunez.

GARDENA DRIVE 1244: $320,000, Alfred V. Jeanmarie IV and Ladonna MacLies Jeanmarie to Devon Jacques Lee and Victoria Schwandt.

GRANADA DRIVE 1482: $595,000, Hannah Willey Day and James Day to Evangelos Joseph Moraitis and Jeannine Singletary Moraitis.

LAKE FOREST BLVD. 11051: $445,000, Elorial Masters Monette and Eric Joseph

Monette Sr. to Alyssa Amanda York and Vernon Leon York Jr.

LESSEPS ST. 1800-02: $10,500, New Bethel Church of God In Christ to Shaneka Marie Causey.

LURLINE ST. 4719: $203,300, Sharon Pleasant Singleton to Opendoor Property Trust I.

MARIGNY ST. 5319: $406,000, JL Legacy Builders LLC to Eddie Lewis.

NEW ORLEANS ST. 3501: donation, no value stated, Beverly Victorianne to Beverly Joy Victorrianne.

NEW ORLEANS ST. 3501: donation, no value stated, Travis Victorianne to Beverly Joy Victorianne.

N. CLAIBORNE AVE. 2515: $22,500, Frederic P. Sutter to Timothy Curry.

N. DERBIGNY ST. 1022: $232,500, Edward C. Rann & Stephany J. Rann revocable trust to Brionne

Thompson.

N. VILLERE ST. 3147-3149: $310,000, Villere LLC of Washington to William Moore Simmons.

PAUGER ST. 3209, 3211: $256,000, Angela Ory Davis and Kevin Davis Sr. to Giovanni Princeton Lincoln Sr.

PLEASURE ST. 1860: donation, no value stated, Beverly Victorianne to Beverly Joy Victorrianne and Travis Victorianne.

PLEASURE ST. 1860: donation, no value stated, Beverly Joy Victorianne to Travis Victorianne.

PROVIDENCE PLACE 5800: $45,000, Leon Richard West, Leona Rachard West, Louise Bailey West and Sherry Lee West to Leona Rachard West Garner.

REYNES ST. 4747: $175,000, Alvin Foy III to Roxanne Williams.

ROGER DRIVE 10940: $241,000, Libertas Tax Fund 1 LLC to Mendez Rental 180 LLC.

ROUSSELIN DRIVE 1705-1707: $300,000, Ira Club 1002616 to Jacob Rosenzweig and Jennifer Brady Alvarado.

ROYAL ST. 2004: $650,000, 3 Royal Blondes LLC to Dion Albert Yeldell and Ethel J. Gronlund revocable trust.

WINGATE DRIVE 5514: $214,900, Cecily Bennett DeFreece and James DeFreece to Cheryl Gautier Bates and Marvin Bates.

DISTRICT 4

CHESTNUT ST. 2034: $315,000, Frances M. Whidden to Bensoncarrollnola LLC.

FIRST ST. 630; FIRST ST. 630: $625,000, Brooke Goolsby Frost and John Randall Frost to Ariel Marie De Coteau Dennis and Scott James Dennis.

FOURTH ST. 3901, S. DORGENOIS ST. 2617: $102,000, Andrew Victor Hebert, Michael Howard Smith, Whitney Robinson Douglas and William Leigh Smith to House of Shirley LLC.

ST. THOMAS ST. 2820-22: $540,000, Tri Cung to Legacy MCL LLC.

SECOND ST. 2814: $255,000, Noruoz LLC to Real Estate Realness LLC.

SEMINOLE PLACE 2317: $97,000, Crescent City Housing Development to Alex Oney

DISTRICT 5

CARLISLE COURT 5751: $257,500, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Rogers Cloherty and Sean Ryan Cloherty to Ellen Diane Herring.

CYPRESS GROVE COURT 173: $137,552.10, Registered Holder of Morgan Stanley Abs Capital I. Inc. Trust 2007-HE1 Mortgage Pass Through Certiﬁcates Series 2007-HE1 to Casbeka Delaura Coffey Davis.

ERIE ST. 1140501, 1715: $150,000, Linda Ann Mouton to Iglesia Pentecostes Linaje Escogido.

HYMAN PLACE 2800: $246,500, Lydia Hill Geralds to Draymond Jules Christoff and India Marie Gaines Christoff.

NUNEZ ST. 1725: $510,000, Glenn D. Washington Jr. to Marcus Gregory Mathews and Zurisaday Mathews.

PLYMOUTH PLACE 3410: $135,000, Catherine Spiers Bond, Christie LeBoeuf and Sonya B. Landry to Tammye Anne Allen.

SOMERSET DRIVE 2744: $120,000, August G. Schwartz and Elizabeth S. Grifﬁth to JL Comfort Home LLC.

SUMNER ST. 1600: $55,000, Anja Holdings LLC to Albert Grant ä See ORLEANS, page 19

Continued from page 18

Stewart.

TULLIS DRIVE 6350: $107,000, Beatriz Alfaro Carter and John L. Carter III to Taneshia Straughter.

VESPASIAN BOULEVARD 3562: $5,000, Alina Tanase Abdullah to Roosevelt E. Nunnery Jr.

DISTRICT

CALHOUN ST. 2820: $657,500, Christine Turgeon and Michael Turgeon to Tomarie Harris Bakewell.

eaSt JeFFerSoN

n TRANSFERS FOR JUNE 12-17, 2026

HARAHAN

CAROLYN DRIVE 350: Daniel P Cristina to Danielle Starling, $249,000.

HASLEY DRIVE 328: Andrea Eady to Alexis Milano, $200,000.

MAGNOLIA BLVD. 117: Rene L. Gros to Megan M. Henley, $230,000.

OAK AVE. 520: K. P. Derenbecker to Fredrick J. Marshall Jr., $235,000.

JEFFERSON

COOLIDGE ST. 555: A1 Services Inc. to Bode Real Estate Investment Company LLC, $800,000.

DODGE AVE. 637: Jody L. Diaz to Ana P. Joiner, $425,000.

DODGE AVE. 639: Leger Manor LLC to Metro South Realty LLC, $185,000.

PECAN GROVE LANE 714: Robyn L. Carver to Cynthia A. Melito, $239,000.

KENNER

AVANT GARDE CIRCLE 162: Beverly Littlepage to Linda M. Malek, $125,000.

CALIFORNIA AVE. 3321: Emily Flooring LLC to Samuel Carcamo, $248,000.

E. LOYOLA DRIVE 420: Ligia M. Amalia to Luis Mendoza, $260,000.

HOLY CROSS PLACE 214: Marjorie A. Smith to Traci F. Alfonso, $130,000.

JANICE AVE. 5636: Kulkarni

REALESTATETRANSFERS

CALHOUN ST. 424: $950,000, Samuel Egbert Miles III to Howard C. Marshall.

JEFFERSON AVE. 2817: $744,000, Cathy L. Gray Duesbery and Nicholas S. Duesbery to Ian Carroll Roche and Sarah Kross Roche.

JENA ST. 622-24: $420,000, Katherine Davis Stoma to Elise Darr.

JENA ST. 1116: $100, Jeffrey Todd Burrell and Ronald Thomas Carrier Jr. to George David Johnson and Renee Landrieu Johnson

MILAN ST. 2820-2822: $305,000, Nickolaus P. Johnson to Rahn Mitchell Bailey

NAPOLEON AVE. 3132: $670,000, Antonio Jose Oviedo Prieto Living Trust to Jessica Airhart and Joey Airhart.

Subhash & Neela Kulkarni Revocable Living Trust to Jeanne L. W. Landry, $551,500.

ST. JULIEN DRIVE 1012: Michael Schild to Minh X T. Ngo, $225,000.

TAYLOR ST. 1117: Pennymac Loan Services LLC to Siha Realty LLC, $110,020.

WAKE FOREST COURT 501: Eileen B. Chapland to Taryn S. Moore, $155,000.

METAIRIE

1/2 POMONA ST. 1523-1523: Brooks Property Investments LLC to Paul Dunn, $250,000. 25TH ST. 8817: Abbie P. Buttone to Seydi M. Matute, $216,300.

ACKEL ST. U474 6220: Edward J. Mcdonald Jr. to Zhi Zheng, $40,000.

ANTHONY ST. 4339: Jan L.

NASHVILLE AVE. 816: $165,000, Katelyn North McGibney and Shawn B. McGibney to Elizabeth Ellis Frazier and James E. Frazier Jr.

PENISTON ST. 1920: $680,000, Vimarie Ortiz Colombo to Thomas John McNealy.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 5421: $100, Deirdre Claire McGlinchey Moffett and Harry McClellan Moffett IV to Kenneth James Devall and Monica Papania Devall.

S. ROCHEBLAVE ST. 6204: $100 and other valuable consideration, 6204-6208 S. Rocheblave Street LLC to Rocheblave6204 LLC.

S. ROCHEBLAVE ST. 6208: $100 and other valuable consideration, 6204-6208 S. Rocheblave

Schnapp to Seabreeze Investments LLC, $284,000.

BAUVAIS ST. 3613-15: Stanley A. C. Bing to Judy K. Marino, $260,000.

BISSONET DRIVE 3812: James B. III Blitch to Keith P. Maddox, $310,500.

CLEVELAND DRIVE 4613: Loan Tran to F Trapani, $675,000.

CLEVELAND PLACE 4001: Alys M. Sim to Leslie Limberg, $389,000.

COLONY PLACE 504: Stewardship Development LLC to Chad Molnar, $434,900.

DALTON ST. 8114: Stephanie G. M. Guerrero to Rebecca C. Waugh, $260,000.

E WILLIAM DAVID PARKWAY 818: Chelsea Avery to Jianxue Zou, $390,000.

Street LLC to Rocheblave6208 LLC.

VENDOME PLACE 4155: $100, Brandon Michael Lobell and Sarah Battle Lobell to Kyle Walther and Megan Peck Walther.

DISTRICT 7

AVE. A 6600: $510,000, Joseph Urban Dorsch III and Maggie McKenzie Boyd Dorsch to Connor Nyborg and Lindsey P. Lauricella.

BELLAIRE DRIVE 301: $1,295,000, Kyle F. Graffagnmi to Madeleine Mattesky Langenstein and William Henry Langenstein IV GREEN ST. 8715-17: $105,000, Courtenay Campbell, George Kelly and James Kelly to Camp-

bell Enterprises LLC.

JOLIET ST. 917: $297,400, Christopher Patrick Van Tiem and Erin Elaine Miller Van Tiem to Meghan R. Meyer.

PLUM ST. 8018: donation, no value stated, Meaut Family Trust to Jean Marie Cazaubon Meaut and William Emile Michael Meaut Jr.

SHORT ST. 1823: $485,000, Laura Stevenson Holmes and Mason Garner Stevenson to Jonathan Gabriel Vidrine and Kenneth Michael Latour II.

SPENCER AVE. 230: $500,000, Mallory Healy Geary Kiser to Jacob Carden.

WILLOW ST. 7516-7518: $360,000, Edward G. Breard to Leslie Ann Richardson Fulop.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST

Continued frompage19

ELIZABETH ST.2600: Lauren P. Langston to VirginiaG.Veillon, $325,000.

FOLSE DRIVE4816: KarenC. Leblanc to Carl E. III Clevenger, $195,000.

FRANKEL AVE. 1828: Julie D. Desantis to LiyongYang, $142,000.

GLENWOOD DRIVE 245: Dia Custom Builders LLCtoRichardFavor, $2,110,000.

HESSMER AVE. U116 4218: Yvonne L. Gomez to Sunrise Family Ventures LLC, $56,000.

HESSMER AVE. U306 4218: Yvonne L. Gomez to AcvNaz LLC, $56,000.

HOLTONST. 4312: Christina T. Orlando to Kenneth P. Derenbecker Jr., $350,000.

HOMESTEAD AVE. 141: Sally H. Upham to PBruno,$1,195,000.

HOMESTEAD AVE. 523: Keith J. Hemel to Jack Sikora,$917,400.

HOUMA BLVD.2912: Two Thousand Nine Hundred TwelveHouma LLCtoElegance &Grace Home Decor LLC, $485,000.

KAWANEE AVE. 4841: Robert Prows to Lisa Pritchett, donation, no value stated.

LOVELANDST. 4629: Edward C. Horridge Jr. to Brennen Walker, $320,000.

LYNETTE DRIVE 304: Monica O. LeetoWilliamJ.Oconnor Jr., donation, no value stated.

MELODYDRIVE 745: Kevin A. Gambino to Jl Legacy Builders LLC, $200,000.

MICHIGAN AVE. 2332: Kirk P. Kennedy Jr. to Krystal Kennedy,$250,000.

NORTH TURNBULL DRIVE 921: Daphne VJiayang to Caleb Clark, $380,000.

NORTH WOODLAWN AVE. 804: WpwInvestments LLCtoGloria J. Melson, $275,000.

NOUVEAULNE16: James S. Park to Dana B. Johnson, $315,000.

PASADENA AVE. 2301: Feng Q. L. Wong to Xingguo Huang, donation, no value stated.

PERRYDRIVE 4815: Marie N. Willig toDemi D. Bufkin, $350,000.

RICHARD ST.7716: Charlotte B. Vigier to Cole A. Cavataio, $205,000.

ST.MARTIN ST.4513: Kathleen VVarnau to Alexis Gonzalez, $297,000.

THIRBAST. 701: MashConstruction LLCtoSmiley III Thomas,$404,000.

TOLMASDRIVE 3413: Lorena G. Dohner to AlecC.Torres, $335,000.

TRUDEAUDRIVE 1304: QuinlivanHomes LLCtoIvonne VC Enamorado, $260,000.

VINCENT AVE. 116: BrookeA Landry to D. M. Diaz,$1,500,000.

WHITNEY PLACE U221 2728: JoyceB.Lagasse to T. G. Breaux, $110,000.

RIVERRIDGE

LEVEE VIEW DRIVE 121: Samantha Neely to Claudia A. Mckern, $252,000.

MIDWAY DRIVE 227: Lucas Mcmenamin to James J. IV Licciardi, $385,000.

WeSt JeFFerSoN

n TRANSFERS FORJUNE 12-17, 2026

AVONDALE

LINDSEY COURT4152: Dsld LLCto Samantha Adams, $296,585.

BARATARIA

DEBORAH ANN DRIVE 4986: Ashley B. Young to Caden M. Lotz, $225,000.

JOAN MARIE DRIVE 4954: Gordon R. Cordes to Teresa R. Alma, $220,000.

PRIVATEER BLVD.2693: Stanthony of Barataria Roman Catholic Church to PerrinHoldingsLLC Kline Jr., $150,000.

GRANDISLE

COMMUNITY LANE 142: Donna M. ChaissontoRichardGonsoulin, $178,000.

LOUISIANA 12685, UNITI: Allison C. GaddistoHartzproperties LLC, $125,000.

GRETNA

BROWNING LANE 2123: Wilson Acevedo to George R. Mora, $155,000.

DRAKELANE 1404: MaryuriU. C. Valerio to Tracey L. Rollins, $249,900.

FIELDING AVE. 605: Gretel A. H. Ramos to Josue C. Hernandez,

St.taMMaNy

n TRANSFERS FORJUNE1-5, 2026

ABITASPRINGS

BALD EAGLEDRIVE 245: Warshauer Construction Co. LLCto Patrick Neal and Stephanie Neal, $578,000.

BARQUE PLACE 71220: Jonathan Schaeffer to MarkJ.Miller and TerrieR.Miller,$280,000.

donation, no value stated.

OAKDALE DRIVE 237: AlexandraR.Pierson to HuyNguyen, $465,000.

RIDGEFIELD ROAD 2778: Next Step Rental 2. LLCtoSahar A. Aziz, $145,000.

WESTMEADE DRIVE 312: Maureen M. Kirchner to Scott P. Toups, $297,500.

WILLOWBROOK DRIVE 220: Randy S. DonahuetoAnn R. Donahue,donation, no value stated.

WRIGHT AVE. 787: MCulpepper to Elegant Houses LLC, $125,000.

HARVEY

MANHATTANBLVD. 2900: Elizabeth P. GarrardtoTddt Holdings LLC, $85,000.

PAIGEJANETTE DRIVE4056: Derrick A. LeggetttoTramaine Chambers, $222,500.

ST.MICHAEL DRIVE 1008: Nancy T. Favaloro to DerrikGavin, $450,000.

MARRERO

AMES BLVD.4645: Leah M. Zieber to Andrew Jackson, $300,000.

AMIGO AVE. 2720: Dangs Rental Property LLCtoFernandoArboleda, $85,000.

CANDLELIGHT COURT1160: Jasmin U. PierretoAlexander Dowden, donation, no value stated.

CYPRESSST. 4045: June H. Cully

SOUTH ABITASUBDIVISION, LOTS 31. 33, SQUARE 67: David M. Church to Michael Chachere Jr., donation, no value stated.

COVINGTON

AVENUE LACROIX 1329: Stephanie Doorwar and Shashvat Doorwar to Steven B. Paige and KatherineG.Paige, $485,000.

FUCHSIA ST.70316: RJL ManagementLLC to Ronald Story and Shala Neilsen Story,$316,000.

HILLCREST COUNTRYCLUB SUBDIVISION, LOT19, SQUARE 40: Louis L. Parker and Veronica L. Parker to Kellie P. Parks, donation, no value stated.

PAILET FIRSTSUBDIVISION, LOTS 1, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, SQUARE 14: Frank B. Wood Jr. Interests LLC, DebraG.Garrett Levis, Billie L. Garrett Semmes, succession of John D. Ponder and Joann L. Ponder to Roland J. Watson, $21,000.

to Zain Enterprise1 LLC, $178,000. FRANCISST. 1140: Mark P. Poche to Kelli C. Mayon, $190,000. HAPPYST. 6192: IreneM.Kenney to BryantMcClendon, donation, no value stated.

JUTLAND DRIVE 1644: Mary G. Douglas to N. M. Carter,$240,000. MILL GROVE LANE4857: Michael R. Laurent to Angela J. Fortino, $360,000.

MOUNTSHASTADRIVE 5120: Eleanor C. Roux to Sairy N. O. Oseguera, $155,000.

TERRYTOWN

DARTMUTH 2123: ShirleyK.TerritotoHbgno LLC, $85,000.

GLOUSTER PLACE 2160: Artie J. Dumesnil Jr. to Adam Devenport, $286,000.

LIVE OAKDRIVE 2808: NewOrleans Area Habitat ForHumanityInc. to Michele Langston, $256,000.

MORNINGSIDE DRIVE 840: Thelma P. Berry to Jose Montalban, $125,000.

WESTWEGO

4TH ST.431: Westwego431 4th St LLCtoSala Evangelica of New Orleans Inc., $245,000.

MORGAN COURT 117: J&AProperty Investments L.L.P.toSandra M. Vindel,$224,000.

VICTORY DRIVE 542: Tina Dixon to Onpath Federal CreditUnion, $40,000.

Weary,$2,500.

CLOVER KNOLL DRIVE 11321: MidﬁrstBank to Pro Flip Ventures LLC, $232,000.

CORNICHEDULAC: John F. Brown and Margaret L. BrowntoLeo Lossett and Patricia Lossett, $749,000.

BEAUREGARD PARKWAY 903: Russell C. Smithand Michelle B. SmithtoSean M. Becker, $513,000.

BEAUREGARD PARKWAY 960: Martin A. Sharpe and succession of BrandyM.D’Angelo to LouisetteL.Scott, $570,000.

BROOKSTONE DRIVE 121: Lila B. Crochet to Scott Morgan and Zara Zeringue Morgan, $875,000.

BUD’SLANE 73050: Rosemary Stahl to Rudolph W. Stahland Jane H. Stahl, donation, no value stated.

CARNATION STREET,LOT 30: Habitat for Humanity St. TammanyWest Inc. to ShaniquekaS

CRESTVIEW HILLS LOOP 75192: Peter A. Doughertyand Jennifer S. DoughertytoJohn R. Burks Williams,$345,000.

FIFTH AVE. 19186: Mark A. Roberts, William S. Roberts and Michael B. Roberts to Morgan Thomson, $127,000.

GOODBEE SQUARE SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, LOT62: Paul Peckham to Stephen T. Landry,$252,000.

HIDDENSPRINGS LANE208: Tina W. Indest to Justin M. Mills and Angele T. Mills,$536,000.

HOLLYCREST BLVD.54: Angela M. Bitner to Angela M. Bitner revocable living trust, donation, no value stated.

INSPIRATION LANE 126: Billy J. Albert III to Kory M. Gennaro-

Gerbitz, $260,000.

KELLYWOOD COURT713: Succession of Alan L. Fensin to Matthew S. Ulm and Brandan R. Bellina, $515,000.

KELLYWOOD COURT717: Claudia V. Tijerina to Michael K. Carona Jr. and Lauren C. Carona, $735,000.

KERNAN ACRES SUBDIVISION, LOT 6: David M. HandtoKernan A. Hand Jr., $10,000 and other good and valuable consideration.

KERNAN ACRES SUBDIVISION, LOTS 4-6: Kernan A. Hand Jr. and KahInvestments LLCtoCM171 LLC, $100 and other good and valuable consideration.

N. AZALEA DRIVE4: Roland Michael Rooney to John H. Haynes III and BonnyC.Haynes, $1,000.

N. CORNICHE DU LAC420: John E. Boelte III to John H. Lyons and BarbaraB.Lyons, $565,000.

N. CORNICHE DU LAC459: Phillip K. Edgerson and Sabrina F. Edgerson to Michael A. Tonguis and Deborah H. Tonguis, $796,000.

N. SPELL ST.1214: MichaelA.Hannan and Amanda B. DosSantos Hannan to Melinda A. Faust, $31,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTIONOF GROUND: Daniel G. Zechenelly Sr., Elizabeth Ann Z. Kirstand others to Alvin Holmes Kirst III, donation, no value stated.

NORTHRIDGE DRIVE 181: Kenneth J. Warren andRichardG.Knight to AnthonyJ.Lambert and Barbara R. Lambert, $280,000.

PLUME GRASS DRIVE 72805: TammanyNorth Properties LLCto Robert L. Wood Jr.and Paula J. Wood, $1,448,500.

RAINBOWDRIVE 72220: James A. MillerJr. to Charitable Adult Rides, donation, no value stated.

RING NECK DOVE DRIVE67724: James T. Boudreaux II to Sunni Primeaux andDerek Craig, $408,000.

RIVER FORK DRIVE21768: DSLD Homes LLCtoSawyerB.Jenkins, $333,422.

RIVER FORK DRIVE 21772: DSLD Homes LLCtoChristopher Housey and ShariL.Housey,$325,637.

SAWGRASS LOOP 266: Benjamin M. Warner and Amber L. Warner to Kenneth J. Warren and Richard G. Knight, $429,900.

SHADOWBEND DRIVE 21249: DSLD Homes LLCtoJarrod L. Ashley Jr., $306,975.

SHADOWBEND DRIVE 21277: DSLD Homes LLCtoRobertT.Sustayta, $294,985.

SPOONBILL DRIVE 12860: DSLD Homes LLCtoHannahDuplechain, $412,640.

STANGA ROAD 12417: Joseph A. Moss Jaeger III and Victoria

REALESTATETRANSFERS

A. O’NeilNormantoChase G. Falgout and Devin R. Falgout, $309,500.

STILL HOLLOW DRIVE 73082: WilliamT.Ledbetter to Evelyn P. Abrams, $365,000.

SUMNER ST.127: Christopher J. Lang and SheridanM.Langto TimothyA.King Sr. and CarlHillmanJr.,$269,000.

TCHEFUNCTEDRIVE 214: Vincent F. Wynne and Jane F. Wynne to RichardFalls and Jamie Falls, $545,000.

TERRA BELLA SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1-A-1, LOT702: TerraBella GroupLLC to NestwellProperties LLC, $220,000.

THOMAS DRIVE 2013: Huong T. Nguyen to Charles Beshenich III andHolly Beshenich,$385,000.

W. 33RD AVE. 403: 1819 Johnson LLCtoDouble CrownProperties LLC, $122,000.

W. 33RD AVE. 407: 1819 Johnson LLCtoDouble CrownProperties LLC, $122,000.

W. 33RD AVE. 415: 1819 Johnson LLCtoDouble CrownProperties LLC, $122,000.

W. 33RD AVE. 421: 1819 Johnson LLCtoDouble CrownProperties LLC, $122,000.

FOLSOM

CHENEL ST.103: Randy G. Belanger to KacieL.Belanger Hasbun, $80,000.

GREEN VALLEY ROAD 76249: Succession of Donald W. Graham and SandraS.Graham to Madison L. Oliveri andKristin M. Robertson, $90,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTIONOF GROUND: Andrew S. Mendheim andLaurenR.Mendheim to Michael A. Beninato and Shannon C. Beninato, $335,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Succession of Salvador J. Catalanotto and Jacquelyn C. Catalanottto to Jacob S. Authementand Elizabeth B. Authement, $300,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: 110 Capital Pool 1LLC to Nicholas E. Dufrene and Jennifer W. Dufrene, $155,980.

PIERRE CEMETERYROAD83750: Arnold AnthonytoBrenda R. Anthony, donation, no value stated.

LACOMBE

CYPRESS BAYOULANE 59246: Joseph P. Claytonand Susan B. ClaytontoRaymondB.Janes and SarahE.Janes, $450,000.

FISH HATCHERYROAD65129:

Kathleen M. Ally to Eric J. Bennett III, donation, no value stated.

LANCASTER COURT 30320: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Whitney Jo Pounds and AndraM.Pounds, $301,570.

PAQUET ROAD 29372: DorothyF Nance to Thomas E. Hooks III and Angela C. Magallanes, $479,382. U. S. 190 25601: Travis J. Larkin and Nichole A. CalhountoBRO LLC, $110,000.

MADISONVILLE

BLUE HERON LANE 452: Brandon J. Young and PaigeM.Young to Rhett Gloverand Carly Glover, $569,000.

GITZDRIVE 143: Andrew Hellbach and D’Ann Lopez Hellbach to RaymondE.Decatur and Kimberly L. Decatur, $405,000.

HESTER ST.49: Rance E. Lasseigneand Ashley D. Lasseigne to Adian J. Hargrave,$447,000.

HIGHWAY 22 1962: Karens.Rex, Lori s. Graham and others to

beneathastatelycypresstree, newlyrenovatedcamelbackshines. 2,500sfofN.O.charm&modern luxury-orighdwdflrs,stunningnew primsuite&spa-inspiredbath+2 breezyporches.Secureoﬀ-stprkg, &fullsecurity.1blkfromOakSt.

Gregory Salomone andCheryl SalomoneLiving Trust, $264,000.

KELLYLAKE LANE 4097: AlexandraMavorga to Todd Long and CarleighLong, $368,000.

NEAR MADISONVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Joan P. Burkhalter to Panno Construction LLC, $235,000.

NIGHT HERON LANE 721: William F. Poeand Kaye S. Poerevocable 2013 Trust to James C. Foxand Katrina L. Fox, $455,000.

PINK MYRTLE DRIVE 1119: Joshua J. Zirbes and Jessica April R. Zirbes to Zachary S. Biggers and Emilie Biggers, $365,000.

SPIKE DRIVE 71772: DSLD Homes LLCtoFutureHearts Property LLC, $205,061.

ST.CALAISPLACE 109: JaniceRae Hekhuis Truett irrevocabletrust to Jordan E. Schaefer, $385,000.

$1,125,000 4Beds,5Baths,4,640sqft. OldMetairiew/Lot'sofupdates.

$279,900 4Beds,2Baths, 1,550sqft

MANDEVILLE

AMERICAST. 2244: BryanA FroschtoElizabeth V. Powers, $330,000.

BELLEVUE ESTATES,LOT 12: Bellevue Estates 59 LLCtoBMI Construction Inc. LLC, $50,000.

BELLEVUE ESTATES,LOTS3,4, 6, 15, 16, 28, 32, 38, 41, 43, 44, 54, 56, 61, 65, 73, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85: Bellevue Estates LLCtoGMI Land Holding LLC, $1,100,000.

BELLEVUE ESTATES,LOTS5,10, 18, 23, 26, 27, 31, 35, 47, 48, 51, 52, 57, 58, 60, 62, 64, 71, 72, 75, 79: Bellevue Estates 59 LLCtoBMI Land Holding LLC, $1,050,000.

BOCAGELANE 740: Succession of Janice P. Rabito to Michael A. Booth Jr. and Delaney S. Booth,

See TAMMANY, page 22

$975,000 5Beds,3Baths,3,600sqft Saltwaterpoolandwholehousegenerator 910S.CARROLLTON,M

$299,000 2Beds,2Baths,833sqft 2ndfloorunit,gatedparking

$2,400/MO 3bed2.5bath1780sqfteach. Fullyrenovated

Continued frompage21

$695,000.

BROOKSIDE DRIVE 111: Benedetto A. Giordano and Rose V. Giordano to Benedetto A. Giordano and Rose V. Giordano, donation, no value stated

CARDINAL LANE 127: KarenF. Reisch to Michael R. Christner and Melissa W. Christner, $310,000.

CATALPALANE 103, UNIT 231: Emily B. Coia to Tina C. Lawrence, $342,510.

DEBOUCHEL PLACE 329: A-Pi Leeand Yung-An LeetoDorothy BusbyCox and Angela G. Simone, $290,000.

DOE COURT2343: Shannon F. BlanchardtoClayton Trisler and Rachel Sylvest Trisler, $265,000.

HESTER ST.58: Lynette A. Linker to Jose L. Chirinos Mendozaand Krystal D. Falgoust Mendoza, $110,000.

JASMINE ST.1521: AndraeM Pounds to Charles Cundiff, $215,000.

LAFITTE ST.925: 925 Laﬁtte Street LLCtoFiveFamilies Property Group LLC, $1,200,000.

MARILYN DRIVE 987: Charles Miller III and Cheryl V. Miller to Sara Taulli and Frank Taulli, $2,026.

MCNAMARA ST.2320: Blake M. Zulli to Deairea Marchand, $276,500.

N. BEAUCHENE DRIVE 640, UNIT 7: Donald S. NashtoScott Guidry, $287,000.

NEAR MANDEVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Forest Brook Homeowners Association Inc. to St. TammanyParish Government, donation, no value stated.

NELSON ST.905: Scott J. Dolese and Carmina L. Dolese to John J. Frayer andKathleenFrayer, $455,000.

RIDGEWOOD LOOP 635: Arc Realty LLCtoKaden McBride, $280,000.

RUE BAYONNE 1476: Jeffrey O. Watkins and Heather H. Watkins to Patrick B. Watlington and Madalyn B. Watlington, $699,900.

S. RICHLANDDRIVE 137: ClintA Messina, Gabrielle C. Messina and others to Richland South LLC, $221,450.

SANDRA LEE DRIVE 162: JohnC Whitehead and SandraL.Banuelos Whitehead to John B. Charbonnet and Reilly J. Charbonnet, $375,000.

TOWNOFMAILLEVILLE,PORTION OF GROUND: JosephineA McGinnis and Carolyn A. McGin-

REALESTATETRANSFERS

nis Pope to JosephJ.BononoIII, $175,000

W. BEACH PARKWAY 232: Michael

D. Pitreand Erin E. Walker to Yamala Investments LLC, $895,000.

PEARLRIVER

HIGHWAY 41 65275: KKYM LLCto Morgan &SonsEnterprises LLC, $685,000

OLD MILL LOOP 216: John W. Peraltaand JoannG.Peralta to Collin Cahill andPaige Gaubert, $285,000.

PINEST. EXTENSION37545: BrandonBoudreaux to Silas Garrett and Leah Garrett,$344,900.

WINDSONG PLACE 130: Susanne G. Grissafﬁ to Shannon McPhee, $183,768.

WINDSONG PLACE 147: IvyProjects LLCtoMatthewForrester, $217,500.

WINGFIELD SUBDIVISION, PHASE 2, LOT41: TammanyNorth Properties LLCtoJames Donaldson Jr., $181,000.

SIXTHWARD

NEAR SIXTH WARD,PORTION OF GROUND: Daniel G. Zechenelly Sr., Elizabeth Ann Z. Kirst and others to Daniel G. Zechenelly Jr., donation, no valuestated.

SLIDELL

ANNA ST.127: Carrington Mortgage Services LLCtoSecretary of Housing andUrban Development, $231,689.

BROOKTER ROAD 57389: LakeviewLoan ServicingLLC to Edward Boesch III and Dawn Boesch, $99,000.

BROOKWOOD DRIVE 3757: Maureen G. Perkins to Aryell Fisher, $180,000

CAMPANA LANE 34377: Willard Hatcher III to Asao Asanumaand Nadia UddinAsanuma, $260,000.

CARA MAE ST.40590: D. R. Horton

Inc.-Gulf Coast to Kenkasa O. Laray Wright and Carol K. Wright, $309,900.

CARA MAE ST.40665: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Jonathan A. Neff and Jessica T. Neff, $274,900.

COINDULESTIN SUBDIVISION, LOT1: Antoine Banks and Tyisha B. Banks toEldon L. Juneau, $23,500.

COLLEGE DRIVE 2725: Dawn C. Droddy to Zachary M. Pisciotta, $179,000

COTTON GRASSDRIVE 4778: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoKashenaT.Schaeffer, $216,900.

CROYDON ST.3902: Succession of Patrick L. BradyJr. to VanH Pham andMyThi Ngo, $230,000.

CYPRESS LAKES DRIVE 273:

Maureen G. Perkins and Michael L. Perkins Sr.toNatasha Boston Trust, $410,000.

CYPRESSVINE COURT6513: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoClanthia L. Thompson, $184,900.

DEBORAH DRIVE 1003: Patrick J. Neal and Stephanie B. Neal to TonyaDenham, $325,000.

DELTA RIDGE AVE. 6748: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoAllison M. Moses, $377,900.

DELTA RIDGE AVE. 6756: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoNgoc Thi Bui and Dang Ba Nguyen, $376,085.

DOCKSIDE DRIVE 424: DanielR Fyffe and Sandra K. Harrington Fyffe to Jason S. Salvador and Teri S. Salvador, $420,000.

DRURYLANE 213: Denn Family Trust to Robert Spitzlev, $191,000.

EDDIE DRIVE 102: Jared Readenour and Kimberly K. Combel to James H. Land and Kezia P. Henderson,$265,000.

EDEN ISLES SUBDIVISION, LOTS 32-34, UNIT 1: Paul B. Borneto Celo Legacy 2LLC,$795,000.

FORNEA GLEN WAY5441: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoAlexis Williams, $249,900.

HAYES ROAD 40737: Kathleen M. DalgleishJoseph to Nathan M. Howell, $203,500.

HEMLOCK COURT106: PennyMac Loan Services LLCtoNaomi Wilson,$100,000.

HILLCREST DRIVE 37504: Steven L. Javery and Dianne M. JaveryKnox to BobbyD.Odom, $60,000.

HOLIDAY BUSINESS PARK SUBDIVISION, LOT2: LQ 12 LLCto Thakorji LLC, $2,450,000.

HUNTWYCKCIRCLE 800: Franklin Clifford Annerino and Darlene P. Annerino to Cheryl Ziegler, $152,000.

KINGSROW 1820: Sheldon A. LaFrance III to Jermayne Bernard and Chantel B. Bernard, $245,000.

LOGCABIN SUBDIVISION, LOT1, SQUARE 2: 1316-18 Gause LLC to DW Slidell Bros LLC, $100 and other good and valuable consideration.

LOPEZ ST.37598: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to George LafargueIII, $110,000.

MALLARD ST.2110: Succession of Maryann A. Mead Arcement to MarcR.Arcement Sr.and Clinton W. Carter, $125,000.

MARAIS RIVER DRIVE 4612: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoCraig M. Smith, $229,900.

MARAIS RIVER DRIVE 4679: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf CoasttoGavin T. McNab,$229,900.

MOONRAKER DRIVE 319: MarkS Lambert to Adrienne L. Colletti, donation, no value stated.

N. MAGNOLIAST. 450: Hugo M. Callejas and SusanaGonzalez to Yolanda C. Martin-Smith, $140,000.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: CCMJ LLCtoKastner Enterprises LLC, $875,000.

NORTH BLVD.130: ECOAir LLCto JeremyD.Douglas, $244,000.

NORTHWOOD DRIVE 119: Feng Lin to Kalyn M. Delaneuville, $190,000.

PELICAN ST.2519: Megan K. Riley to E. J. Milligan Construction Co. LLC, $100,000.

REBECCAREID DRIVE 1113: Jason S. Salvador and Teri B. San Salvador to Brian Mooreand Nirvana L. Moore, $297,500.

ROOKS DRIVE 113: Succession of Gameel GabrieltoWillie Mae D. Jones and Robbin J. Brown, $156,500.

ROYALDRIVE 304: SherylMerritt Starling to Alberto Torres and Maria Torres, $345,000.

ROYALPALM DRIVE 1519: Herbert C. Sale Jr.and Suzanne Saleto RichardT.Hite Jr. and Priscilla F. Hite, $322,000.

SIXTH ST.2018: June Atkinson to Geri M. Whaversand Giselle Whavers, $315,000.

SLIDELL OZONE HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION, LOTS 25-30, SQUARE 18: Jami Tillman Ducreand Malissa M. PierretoJosh M. Navarre, donation, no value stated.

SUNRISE BLVD.3057: Binh T. Nguyen and Nancy D. Nguyen to Tammi Nguyen, $125,000.

TIDE WIND DRIVE 3295: D. R. HortonInc.-Gulf CoasttoRobertE. Sewardand Jennifer N. Seward, $268,900.

TUPELOLANE 34076: Matthew J. Dilorenzo to Alexis Jenkins, $223,500.

W. DURHAM DRIVE 109: Cherie L. Dorning to Breck S. Kline, $269,000.

W. HALL AVE. 1715: Bernstine C. Faciane to Bingham Halliburton Enterprises LLC, $82,000.

WAKE RESERVE ROAD 5508: D. R. Horton Inc.-GulfCoasttoDavid L. Malone Jr. and KeitrahN. Malone,$405,900.

WESLEY LANE5708: William S. Wajdaand DiannaM.Wajda to Shawna M. Carver,$290,000.

WOODLAND PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS 32, 33, SQUARE 1: Patrick M. Deloach to HSouthLLC,$32,750.

WOODLAND PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS 30A, 32, 33, SQUARE 1: Patrick M. Deloach and Natashia A. Deloach to HSouthLLC,$325,000.

SUN/BUSH

FATHER FRANCISDRIVE 80460: Susan T. CrawfordtoStefan S. King and Katelynn H. King, $125,000.

NEAR BUSH, PORTION OF GROUND: Larry Thompson to ColbyThompson, donation, no value stated.

WATTS ROAD 78361: Gulf Credit LLCtoRobertFullerand Stephanie Fuller, $260,000.

When peacefeels outofreach

Dear Annie: Although many years have passed since my husbanddied, Idon’tfeel any peace. There was no justice whatsoever

Annie

Ayoung girl talking on her cellphone (cellphone records proved this!) lost control of her vehicle on abusy early morning on the highway Four witnesses testiﬁed to her weaving erratically all over the narrow highway lanes. My husband’svehicle went over the guardrail to avoid her.His vehicle dropped down an embankment approximately 40 feet below and landed on its roof Firemen extricated him fromhis vehicle,and he was transported by ambulance to the hospital’scritical care unit. He suffered abrain bleed and fractures of the thoracic and

cervical spine. After 26 days in acoma, my beloved husband passed away.Mydaughter and I lost the most wonderful father andhusband. The other driver? Shelostnothing. This girl had no injurieswhatsoever

The state said that she would receiveno jail time, just 100 hours of community service for takingahumanlife. It wassoobvious, even from the beginning, that herfamily’s wealth and connections, plus thecorruptstate’sattorney, bought herway out. The state reasoned that she graduated as classvaledictorian from high school and would beattending college. She had her whole life ahead of her.Whatabout my husband’slife?

At the hearing, the judge askedher if she was talking on her phone. She looked him right in the eye, lied and said no. People have commented that Ishould getover it. Ican’tget over it, and Iwill never forgive

TODAYINHISTORY

By the associated Press

Today is Saturday,June 27, the 178th day of 2026. There are 187 days left in the year.

Todayinhistory:

On June27, 1957, Hurricane Audrey slammed into coastal Louisiana and Texas asa Category4storm, causingasmany as 600 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1844, Mormon leader Joseph Smith and hisbrother, Hyrum, were killed by amob in Carthage, Illinois

In 1950, the U.N. Security Council passed aresolution calling on member nations to help South Korea repel aninvasion from the North.

In 1967, Barclays Bank unveiled the ﬁrst automatedteller machine (ATM) in thetown of Enﬁeld, north London.

In 1991, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the ﬁrst Black jurist to sit on the nation’shighest court, announced his retirement.

In 2005, BTK serial killer

her.There was no justice. I ﬁrmly believe thatthere are people who don’thave asoul or aconscience, and she is one of them. The heartache of losing him, plus the other manyhardships of life, has madeitvery difﬁcult for my daughter and me to survive —UnableToForgive DearUnableToForgive: I’msosorry to you and your daughter for the loss of your husband. You both were robbed of more time withsomeone you loved deeply, and no matterhow many years pass, thatpain doesn’tsimply disappear

But holding onto this anger hasn’tpunished the young woman who caused the crash; it’sonly prolonged your own suffering. Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing what happened or agreeing withthe court’s decision. It means freeing yourself from carrying her actions withyou every day.Itisn’teasy, but you’ve already spent years carrying this burden. Youde-

serve some relief.

Agood therapist or griefsupport group may help youfind comfort among others who understand this kind of loss. You maynever find justice to your satisfaction, but Ihopethat, in time,you can find somemeasure of peace.

Dear Annie: Irecentlyfound a pair of earrings missing from my jewelry box. These earrings had belonged to my mother.My sister-in-law spoke of wanting themand felt (for someunknown reason that she herself could not express) that she deserved them. Ihave no proof thatshe took them. Idon’teven know how long they’vebeen

Dennis Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders thathad spread fear across Wichita, Kansas, beginning in the 1970s. (Rader was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms in prison.)

In 2006,aconstitutional amendment to bandesecration of the American ﬂag died in aU.S. Senatecliff-hanger, fallingone voteshort of the 67 needed to send it to states for ratiﬁcation.

In 2011, former Illinois Gov.Rod Blagojevich was convicted byafederal jury in Chicago of awide range of corruption charges, including the allegation that he’d tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama’sU.S. Senate seat (Blagojevich was later sentenced to 14 years in prison; hissentence was commuted by President Donald Trump in February2020, andhereceived afulland unconditional pardon fromTrump in February 2025.)

In 2018, U.S.Supreme Court Justice AnthonyKennedy,

whose vote often decided cases on abortion, gay rights and other contentious issues, announced his retirement.

In 2022, in Kennedy v. BremertonSchool District, the Supreme Court ruled thata high school football coach who sought to kneel and pray on the ﬁeld after games was protected by the First Amendment.

Today’sbirthdays: Musician Bruce Johnston(TheBeach Boys) is 84. Fashion designer Norma Kamali is 81. Fashion designer Vera Wang is 77. ActorJulia Duffy is 75. ActorIsabelle Adjani is 71. Cinematographer JanuszKaminski is 67. Country singerLorrie Morganis67. ActorTony Leung Chiu-wai is 64. Writer-producer-director J.J. Abrams is 60. ActorTobey Maguire is 51. ActorSam Claﬂin is 40. ActorEdWestwick is 39. NFL linebacker Bobby Wagner is 36. ActorMadylin Sweeten (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 35. Singer-songwriter H.E.R. is 29. Actor Chandler Riggs (“The Walking Dead”) is 27.

missing.

Whatshould Ido? —Suspicious Dear Suspicious: If your sister-inlawtook theearrings, then she hastolive withherselfknowing that shestolesomething. As they say,you can buymany things,but youcan’t buy agood conscience. Next time you see your sister-in-law, tellher that they are missing andask if her husband hasseen them around. Youcould also ask your brother if he hasseen Mom’searrings around thehouse —without accusing anyone;you are simply on amission to ﬁndthem.

Email dearannie@creators. com.

Lane

Dear aNNIe