The Times-Picayune 07-18-2026

Officialsseektoblock subpoenas

SpecialprosecutorcallsAG’sdemandfor recordsa ‘retaliatory campaign’

BY MATT BRUCE and JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writers

Orleans Parish District Attorney

Jason Williams and special prosecutor Laurie White each asked a judge Friday to block subpoenas that aim to expose misconduct or leaks in the grand jury process that led to this month’sindictment of Louisiana Attorney General

Liz Murrill on public intimidation charges.

White and Williams each filed motions to quash Murrill’ssubpoenas against them for recordsand communications. In doing so, White accused the attorney general andher legal team of a“retaliatorycampaign to harass and intimidate” her and Williams.

In Williams’ motion, hisfirst

assistant, Ned McGowan, wrote that theDistrict Attorney’s Office recused himself from the grand jury inquiry on June 1. Murrill’s subpoena is “facially defective and contrary to law,” he wrote. The subpoenasoughtthe records

too fast, Murrill failedtopay the required fees andthe requestviolates aLouisiana SupremeCourt stay in the case, McGowan argued. McGowan wrotethatMurrill’s subpoena also seeks “almost every communication in anyform with everyone‘who wasnot an empaneled member of the grand jury.’” He wrotethatthe subpoenato Williams impugns victim rights lawaswellasrestrictions on com-

Restaurants, grocersinLa. respond to parasiticoutbreak

Cyclospora linked to contaminated lettuce

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The food-borne parasitic outbreak that can cause extreme diarrheaand hasaffected severalU.S.states, includingLouisiana, is creating headaches for owners of local restaurants andsupermarkets

They’ve stoppedbuyingsome bagged shredded lettuce, which has been linked to the outbreak, andscrambled to ensure

the lettuce they do have is safe.

“I heardabout it on the ‘Today’ show like everybody else, so Istopped ordering it and started buying heads of iceberg lettuce instead,”said Cindy Mandina, a fourth-generation owner of Mandina’s, aMid-City establishment known forits gumbo, pastas and fried shrimpand oyster loaf. “Now,I’m shredding it myself, old school.”

Theoutbreak of the cyclospora parasite, as thebug is called,has been linked to Taco Bell locationsinfive states that served bagged shredded lettuce fromone of thecountry’slargestagricultural producers,Taylor Farms.

Louisianawas notamong thestates identified by the U.S.Centers forDisease Control and Prevention

Still, the number of reported cases in Louisianaofthe parasitic infection have more than doubledinone weekto55, including five hospitalizations, underscoringthe many questions thatstill remain about other potential sources of the outbreak.

Reports on the parasite have not gone unnoticed. At Canseco’s, which ownssix supermarketsinthe New Orleans region, produce sales have slippedslightly in

ä See OUTBREAK, page 4A

pelling testimony from lawyers. Robert Chaisson, the ad hoc judge appointedbythe Louisiana Supreme Court to preside over Murrill’scriminal case, on Tuesdaysignedthe subpoenas demanding records that Murrill’sdefense attorney,Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue,sought against White and Williams.

Chaisson set adeadline of 5p.m. Friday fortheir responses. White decried the subpoena as

‘Never

stop tellingtheir stories’

BR honors fallen officers on anniversary of ambush

BY BLAKE LESCHBER Staff writer

Officer Matthew Gerald’smother

Patricia wears ahomemade necklace with his photo on it. Her sister made one for all of the family members of the four law enforcement officers who died in the July 17, 2016, ambush.

“People will ask, ‘Who is that

youhave around your neck?’”Patricia Geraldsaid. “ThenI get to tell amagical story,especially in July It’sjust away to keep their memory alive.”

This is oneofmany waysthatthe Baton Rouge community honored the10th anniversary of ashooting that took thelives of four law enforcement officers.

On July 17, 2016, six officers were shot in an ambush at aconveniencestore off AirlineHighway,about amile from theBaton Rouge Police Department headquarters. Three of them —Cpl. MontrellJackson, Officer Matthew

Gerald andsheriff’s DeputyBrad

Garafola —died that day.Almost sixyears later, sheriff’s Sgt. Nick Tullier succumbed to his wounds. At 8a.m. Friday, community members walked from the police headquarters to the Benny’sBQuik convenience store, honoring the exact time stamp —8:40 a.m. —when theambush occurred. Later,at3 p.m., about 300 law enforcement officers, family members and community members gathered at amemorial at the police headquarters to remember

ä See STORIES, page 4A

BY SOPHIEKASAKOVE Staff writer

The Sewerage &Water Board will remove the majority of remaining fencing and install pedestriancrossings on lowerDecatur Street, in awin forFrench Quarter business owners whosay that construction work there hasthrown their businesses into turmoil. The agreement, approved by Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge SidneyCates in aconsent judgment Friday,settles the first set of demands in aJune lawsuit filed by business owners, who also plan to seek damages from theutility. The judgment comes as the S&WB has faced heightened scrutiny overthe projectinrecent weeks, with Gov.Jeff Landry last week calling on statelawmakersto request astate audit of the water main transmissionreplacement project.

Bob Ellis, an attorneyfor the business owners, saidthatthe agreement is a“win all the way around.”

TheS&WBagreedtoremove barricades from all areas where there is no active construction —about two-thirds of the street, Ellissaid. The utilityalsoagreed to install midblock pedestrian

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Riders with the GulfCoast Brotherhood pass under an American flag Friday as part of amemorial service to honor four Baton Rougelaw enforcement officers who died due to a 2016 ambush.

STAFFPHOTO

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Packages of lettuce and salad greens fill arefrigerated displayata grocerystore. Lettuce sold across theUnited States is facing increasedscrutinyasfederal and state officials investigate whether iceberg lettuce linked to amultistatecyclosporaoutbreak reached retailers or other businesses beyond Taco Bell restaurants.

Body found after boat tragedy in San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO Police have recovered the bodyofawoman who was one of three people missing after aboatsankthis week in San Francisco Bay

The body was identifiedasTondra Madruga, 58, also known as Tondra Miller,the San Francisco medical examiner saidFriday Madruga’sbody was recovered Thursday by apolice marine unit, two days after the Volare,a 49-foot cabin cruiser,sank with 20 people aboard after being hit by awave and capsizing. The group was on the boat to scatter the ashes of aloved one.

One man, Clifford Boisa, died immediatelyafter being retrieved from thechillywater

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended rescue efforts Wednesday evening but police are still looking forthe missing.

Ralph Boisa said his extended family and some close friends were on the boat Tuesday to celebrate the life of his daughter,who died over adecadeago. Madruga was afriend.

The two people who remain missing are Ralph Boisa’s sister, Carol, and Clifford Boisa’swife, Jackie, he said.

Magnitude7.3 quake hits southernMexico

MEXICO CITY Mexican authorities were reporting no immediate damage after astrong earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coastofthe southern state of Chiapas, resulting in shakinghundreds of miles away in Mexico City

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake —with amagnitude of 7.3 —occurred at 8:48 a.m., with an epicenter about 30 miles southwestofthe city of Huixtla, in Chiapasstate, near the border with Guatemala. ReportsinChiapas indicated aseries of aftershocks as panickedresidents left their homes as aprecaution.

Trump urges Darline Graham to runfor term COLUMBIA,S.C.— President Donald TrumpsaidFriday that Darline Graham,the sister of thelate Lindsey Graham, has his support to run for afull term to replace her brother in the U.S. Senate. He wrote on socialmedia that she “has been aWINNER all of her life and, should she accept, has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”

The president said he had discussed apotential campaign with Darline Graham at the WhiteHouse.Four peoplefamiliar with the deliberations, none of whom were authorized to speak publicly,had previously said that she privately expressed interest in running.

Plans for Lindsey Graham’s funeral were also announced Friday.There will be aservice in Washington on July 28 and more in South Carolina on July 29. After both of theirparents diedwhen Darline Graham was only13, Lindsey became her legal guardian and later adopted her,toensure his military benefitswould flowtoher

Man confronts ‘Today’ show host, is arrested

NEW YORK NBC reportedly fired asecurity guard afteran intruder breached the “Today” show set, where he sought out Al Roker and Craig Melvin, allegedlyusing racial slursand turningviolent before being taken into custody

Asource close to the matter confirmed the guard’stermination to TMZ after Andrew Truelove snuck into Studio 1A in New York City’sRockefeller Center

The suspect allegedly entered through the lobby,then followed closely behind an employee, who used an ID card to scan in to a restricted area, according to a complaint in the case. Truelove then made his way backstage, where he apparently beganto search for 71-year-old Roker. According to the complaint, a person identified as Informant 2—presumably Melvin—spottedthe suspectatthe bottom of astairwell in an “Employees Only” zone. Truelove, 41, was charged with burglary and menacing, both as hate crimes, in addition to criminal trespass and harassment in connection with the case

U.S.,Iranescalateattacks

Airstrikes hitmorebridges;tower collapsesatkey port

BY JONGAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates— The United States and Iran escalated their attacks across the Middle East on Friday, trading strikes aimed at infrastructure andmilitary targets as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified.

The U.S. expanded itsattacks against Iran by hitting more bridges and energy sites andcollapsing atower at akey Iranian port, following through on President Donald Trump’sthreats to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the waterway vital to world energy supplies.

In response,Iranlaunched missilesintoU.S.-allied nations in the Mideast, including Qatar,a media-

torinthe war,and Kuwait, where oneofthe desert nation’swater desalination plantswas damaged.

U.S. Central Commandsaid late Friday it had launched its seventh straight night of attacks aimed at degrading Iran’smilitary

In astatementearly on Saturday, the Iranian militaryclaimed that two oil tankers exploded and caught fire as they attempted to transit aminedroute in the Strait of Hormuz. It did notprovide further details, and the U.S. denied thereport. “This is false,” CENTCOM said in asocial media post.

Crossingsthrough the straitfell to athree-week low,according to an international shipping tracker

TheU.S. airstrikeshit bridges overnight into Friday in Iran’s southern Hormozganprovince, Iranianstate television reported The attacks hit Bandar Khamir,a city on the Strait of Hormuz.

The highway and railway bridge strikes appeared aimed at cutting off Bandar Abbas, Iran’smain port, from roadsleading intothe Islamic Republic’scentral region onward to Tehran, the capital.

Iran acknowledged “attacks on power infrastructure” during the U.S.airstrike campaign for the first timeFriday when itsEnergy Ministry issued acallfor people to use lesspower in southern provinces “experiencing extreme heat.” The ministrydid notspecify what was hit.

Iranian authorities said at least 46 people have been killedand more than 400wounded in recent U.S. strikes, including eight killed in astrikeonabridge Friday U.S. officials acknowledged 13 additional U.S.servicemembers—10 Army soldiers and three Navy sailors—had been injured since Monday,but offerednofurther details.

Lawmakersdemand answersonICE vetting

Officerwho shot man in Mainehas hadpast mental health issues

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON Democratic members of Congress are demanding answers about Homeland Security’svettingand trainingofimmigration enforcementagents afteritwas disclosed that the ICE officer involved in adeadly shooting this week in Maine had ahistory of mental health issues andviolent behavior

The Associated Pressreported Thursdaythat DavidBrouillette, the Immigration and CustomsEnforcement officer who shot aColombian man in Maine, is an Army veteranwho has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood, according to several of his close relatives.

TheAPreached out to congressional leaders andseveral key lawmakers of both majorpolitical partiesfor response.

The top Democrat on the House HomelandSecurity Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson ofMississippi, said Brouillette’shistory of violence and mental health issues andthe deathinBiddeford, Maine, “directly call intoquestion the supposed vetting and training ICE does of its recruits.”

“Thissenselesstragedy must be investigated and the officer responsible should be takenoff ourstreetsand face justice for hisactions,” Thompson saidin astatementtothe AP Brouillettedidn’trespond to text messagesoranemail seeking comment, but three relatives who said theyhad spoken to himsince theshooting, including an ex-wife and adaughter, said he told them

he acted in self-defense.

SenateMinority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., wholed ashutdown of the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year as Democratstried to impose restraintsonimmigration enforcement operations, said the consequences of failing to put guardrails on ICE are now being measured in lives.

President DonaldTrump’sadministration“rushed12,000 agents onto our streetswithout ensuring they were fit to carry abadge and agun —and Republicans gavethisrogue agency vast power andnoaccountability,” Schumer said in astatement.

The report on Brouillette’stroubling past comes as the Department of Homeland Security has been on ahiring spree, fueled by vast sumsofmoney from Republicans in Congress to help carry out Trump’smass deportationagenda. It raises freshquestionsabout the department’sefforts to quickly hire,vet, train and dispatch recruits who are being sent to patrol communities across America.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the Republican chair of the powerful AppropriationsCommittee, said earlier that it is “extremely unfortunate” that the agent did not have abody-worn camera.

The senator ensured $20 millionfor expanded useofbody-worn cameras and $2 millionfor de-escalation training as partofthe Homeland Security funding bill that Congress approved to end the departmentshutdown.

At least 10 people have diedinencounters with immigration agents since Trumplaunched the crackdown after retakingoffice, including 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, the Colombian national who was shot and killed by Brouillette on Mondaywhile in hiscar near hishome in thecoastal Mainecity of Biddeford.

Oscar-winningactress Brenda Frickerdies

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

LONDON Brenda Fricker,who became thefirst Irish woman to win an Academy Award for her role as BridgetFagan Brown in the 1989 film “MyLeft Foot,” diedThursday inDublin. She was 81. Fricker won theAcademy Awardin 1990 for best supporting actressfor her portrayal of the determined mother of Christy Brown,awriter and painter who wasbornwithcerebralpalsy andcould control only his left foot. Daniel Day-

Lewis, who played Brown,won bestactor She later spoke of how the award doomed her to being typecast to forever playingrolesasmothers. Laterinlife, she said she used the weighty statuette to prop open her bathroom door Fricker,who appeared in more than 90 filmsand television shows between 1964 and2024, was known forher role as the “pigeon lady” in the 1992 film “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” where she played ahomeless woman who befriended Macaulay Culkin’scharacter in New York’sCentral Park.

Central Commandsaid it hit dozens of military and military infrastructure targets in Friday’s airstrikes.

The strikes collapsed atower at Iran’s Chabaharportonthe Gulf of Oman, akey traderoute forlandlocked,neighboringAfghanistan, thestate-runIRNAnewsagency reportedand theU.S. military later confirmed.

Iransaidthe tower oversees commercial traffic into the port. ButCentral Command said it was part of amaritime surveillance network used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to “track and target” commercial vessels in the strait.

In Kuwait, authorities said Iran attacked apower and water desalination plant, causing widespread damage to the station. Kuwait said it extinguishedthe blaze and wasworking to assess the damage and get the station working again. About 90% of the country’sdrinking water comes from desalination.

BY ANDYWONG Associated Press

CHONGQING, China Alandslide Fridayonthe outskirts of thesouthwestern Chinese city of Chongqing killed at leasteightpeople andleft 34 missing, burying residential buildings andforcing morethan 1,100 people to evacuate, according to local officials and state media reports.

Thelandslide occurred at around 9:08 a.m. in Pengshui Countyonthe outer edge of the Chongqing municipality,when massive amounts of rocks and soil washed downslope, burying morethan 10 residentialbuildings, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Tenpeople were rescued from thedebris, including twowho were seriously injured, Pengshui County Mayor Ren Xujiang said. Chinese President Xi Jinping asked authorities to determine the cause of the disaster,state media said.

Thelandslide contained about636,000 cubic feet of rocks and debris, and the largest single rock was around 106,000 cubic feet,

said Wang Chuanjun, head of Planning and NaturalResources in PengshuiCounty,atanews conference. Wang also warned of persistent risk of further collapse under extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rainfall or prolongedperiods of clear and hot weather,based on experts’ field inspections that foundscattered unstable rock masses remain at the top and along the sides of the steep cliff.

Water,electricity and gas supplies were cut off within a0.6-mile radius of the landslide to prevent furtherdisruptions. Over 800 rescuers workedon site,alocal government statement said. Residents said local officials andcommunities organized an evacuation after small rocks fell and unusualsounds were heard from thehills.The landslide happened duringthe evacuation, local newspaper Chongqing Daily reported Rescue efforts were hinderedbythe unstable terrain and the risk of another landslide,according to the broadcaster

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHARLES KRUPA

People hold signs in protest during avigil Fridayfor Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, aColombian national whowas shot and killed by an ICE agent, in Biddeford, Maine.

Texas floodsleave bigcleanupjob ahead

More than 570 people rescued

BY JESSE BEDAYN, JAMIE STENGLE andJOHN HANNA Associated Press

UVALDE,Texas First responders in storm-battered Texas again rushed to save people trapped in high waters Friday,asmore heavy rain widened the danger from floods that have killed at least twopeople and left hundreds more in need of rescue.

Aweek of punishing downpours dumped morethan 2feetinsome areas. The rain was expected to taper off, but another round of showers worsenedalreadyswollen rivers and flooded rural communities near the border with Mexico that hadlargely beensparedmajor damage NearOzona, asmall town about 200 miles west of San Antonio, floodwatersspilled over Interstate 10. More than 50 people wererescued by boat from flooded apartments and awaterlogged RV park

Asection of abridge also collapsed over the Nueces River in Uvalde County,where months’ worth of rain has fallen in aspan of days. In Uvalde, about80 miles southwest of San Antonio, floodwaters rushed through Miguel Vasquez’shome twicethisweek, leaving alayer of mud and knocking over his refrigerator andother items.

Debris was strewn around his neighborhood and aneighbor’s shed teetered over awashed-away sectionofthe property.Hesaid Friday that he’d been caught in the waters’ current and nearly been swept away anddrowned in trying to gettohis house Wednesday “I had tograbonwith my hands and my feet. Youcouldn’tswim, he said.“Peoplethinkthat when there’saflood, you canswim. Swimming’snot goingtohelp you. It’ll take you. The current’stoo strong.”

Almost atrilliongallons of water

Nearly 1trillion gallons of water fellonthe three hardest-hit counties over three days —enough to fill1.5 millionOlympic-sized swim-

ming pools or supply 11 million homes for ayear

Uvalde County alone gotmore rain in that period than California hasseen over thelastmonth, according to Ryan Maue, former chief scientistatthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The Hill Country is especially prone to flash floods because the area’ssignature limestone is covered by justa thin layer of soil. During heavy rains, water can quickly shoot downhill before filling the narrow riverbasins.

Emergency personnel across a wide swathofsouthernand central Texas have rescued morethan 570 people, including stranded drivers and people trapped in homes, Gov

Greg Abbott said. Hill Country residents were beginning to clean up after floodwaters againbarreled down the Guadalupe River and through communities still reeling from deadly floods ayear ago.

Giantborderbuoys setadrift

Floodwaters on theRio Grande temporarily closed the two internationalbridgesonthe border with Mexico at Eagle Pass, stranding afew people on the wrong side. About600 huge buoys placed on the rivertodeter migrants from crossing intothe U.S. illegally wereset adriftbythe rising waters, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said. Cuellar said about 480 of them were captured by noon Friday Critics have worried about the damage the buoys might do if they became untethered and got caught alongbanks andagainst bridge piers. Each is about15feet long and weighs 1,000 pounds.

In theHillCountry,SerenaReyna woke up Thursday morning to findher Kerrville boutique,NuAccents, covered in debris after four feet of floodwater rushed into the store. She describedthe storeas“a total loss.”

“The floors, Imean they’re soaked in mudand still youknow an inchofwater in some spots,” she said.

The Texas Department of Transportation said high waters closed a50-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 57 and that parts of the roadway were notexpected to reopen until

Monday

In all, roughly 6million residents across Texas were under aflood watch at various points this week. Areturnto flooded homes

Floodwaters had overrunUvalde and cut off most outside routes, making it one of the hardest hit cities. The waters were receding Friday,and officials said amajor highway,Route 90, had reopened. One person died while driving on aflooded road, swept away near Uvalde, authorities said.

Anothervictim, 65-year-oldJohn Mark Steward of Kerrville, died after his mobile home was swept into Goat Creek on the Guadalupe River,his wife said. The sameriver waswrecked by flash floods last year when two dozen children and counselors died at Camp Mystic. Authorities on Thursday said summer campers weresafe.

In Ozona, the seat of Crockett County,authoritiesusedseven rescueboat teams to get people outofthe hardest-hit areas.They weretaken to thelocal civic center forshelter

Eddie Martin, the county’semergencymanagementdirector, said the area received 6inches of rain after midnight, on top of nearly 10 inches of rain before that.

“Wehave more and more accidents on the interstate,” he said. “Wehavemore and morewater pouring intothe neighborhoods where we’ve been pulling people out of.”

Fires’ smokepushesfarther into U.S.,engulfs D.C. in haze

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK Millions of people in the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states muddled throughanotherday of unhealthy air from uncontrolled wildfires on Friday The thick smoke enveloped the nation’scapital in a gloomy,eerie haze.

Warnings of dangerous conditions were expected to remain in effectthrough Saturday across awide swath of the U.S., though there’spotential for temporary improvement with storms forecast in some affectedareas duringthe weekend.

D.C. resident Stewart Verdery awoke Friday to take in his usual sunrise view of the city’sfamous landmarks from arooftop, only to be greetedbyadarkened horizon and no monuments in sight.

“It’spretty crazy to wake up at sunrise and not see the sun when it’snot even raining,” he said by phone after posting avideo of the surreal scene on X. “And it smells

like somebody’shavingthe world’s largest cookout.

No endinsight

There may be pocketsof reliefattimes,such as this weekend,but the smoky conditions won’t be gone anytimesoonasthe fires continue to burn largely unchecked,cautioned Bob Oravec, alead forecaster at the National Weather Servicebased inMaryland. Wildfires are burning in the Ontario area of Canada as well as theBoundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota, which U.S. officials have closedasthey fight to put outthe blazes.

“The source of the smoke is going to continue on for certainly aweek,probably,” Oravec said.“It’sjust going to depend upon which way the wind’sblowing as to where the smokeisgoingto affect themost.”

On Friday,communities in Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan, including Detroit, again registeredsome of the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir, an airquality monitoring website.

Not far behind Detroit was Washington, D.C.,where the smoke created eerie scenes. The Washington Monument, theLincoln Memorial and other national landmarks were envelopedinanorange-huedhazethroughout much of theday People, particularly those with heart or lung disease, older adults and children, were urged to limit or avoid goingoutside untilair quality improved. Long-term exposure to smoky conditions can complicateexisting healthproblems and lead to chronic and deadly issues, including respiratoryillness, cardiovascular and neurological diseases and premature death, officials warned.

For Maria Travela, Friday washer first dayoutside since after smoke from the wildfires blanketed the Chicago area early Thursday

“Now it’sbetter.This morning, it was bad,” said Travela, whohas asthma andwore a maskasshe crossed abridge over the Chicago River downtown. “They weresaying that, for people like me, with asthma, any kind of is-

BurnhamisdeclaredleaderofU.K.’s Labour Party, pledgestorestore hope

BYJILL LAWLESS Associated Press

sues likethat, it would be bad for your lungs.”

TrumpcriticizesCanada

Hundreds of wildfires are burning in Canada, including about 190 in northern Ontario, Premier Doug Ford said at anews conference. Flames destroyed the Namaygoosisagagun First Nation community,and 10 northern Ontario communities have been evacuated or werebeing evacuated, with morepossible. The increase of fire in vast

Canadian forests has largely been blamed on climate change.

In response to the smoke, U.S. President Donald Trumpmadeasocial media post Friday that blamed Canada for its forest management and threatened additional tariffs on Canada.

TheCanadiangovernment didn’tinitially respond to questions about Trump’s comments.

Asked about aMichigan lawmaker’scriticism about the smoke, Ford noted Can-

ada has helped the U.S. fight fires in the past.

“If there’s some politicians out there chirping away, maybe what you should do rather than complain is send support, send help, because we have done theexact same thing for our American friends andthat’swhat you’re supposed to do,” Ford said. Saturdaybrings ahigh chance of thunderstorms across muchofthe Northeastand Mid-Atlantic,which will help dampen thebad air.

LONDON Andy Burnham was officially declared leader of Britain’sgoverningLabour Party on Friday,promising to bring hope to the British people and purpose to the floundering government as he cleared his final hurdle to take officeasprime minister next week. The former mayor of Greater Manchester was the only contender in the center-left party’sleadership contest to replace departing PrimeMinister Keir Starmer,who was forcedout by arebellion withinhis party.Friday’sannouncement was aforegone conclusion after Burnham secured nominations from 379 of the403 Labour lawmakers in the House of Commons. Burnham pledged to serve “people and places who have been waitingtoo long for politics to let them hope again.”

“We’re going to give them hope back,” he told an audience of lawmakers, party activists and trade union leaders in hisfirst speechasleader.“Iamready.”

“I have aplan,” he added, in abid to reassure aparty that hasseen its popularity nosedive since alandslide election victory two years ago. He pledged to end Labour’s factional disputes,saying“we won’tbeat Britain’snew rightifweare consumed by infighting and pulling in different directions.” PM in waitingisabout to take office Burnham has been prime minister-inwaiting for weeks, since winning aspecial election for aseat in Parliament amonth ago, but he has revealed little detailabout his policy priorities. He will arriveinNumber10DowningStreet largelyunknownto voters outside Manchester

He sketched out some priorities in Friday’sspeech, promising to deliver “hope in every heart” and “good growth in every post code,” in part by transferring power from central government in London to local leaders in cities and regions.

“Wewill take power back from Westminster and Whitehalland give it to the place youlive,” he toldthe audience.

Starmer announced last monththat he would resign after twoyears in office marred by misstepsand judgmenterrors that eroded his standing withhis party and thepublic.

Labour regularly trails behind anti-immigrationparty Reform UK in opinion polls, and the governing party had catastrophic results inlocal elections in May,triggering pressure on Starmertostep down that he couldn’tresist.

‘Seriesofwrong turnsinthe 1980s’

He highlighted plans to focus on economic renewal,more public control of keysectors andcreating new modern industrial jobs, arguing that Britain took “a series of wrong turnsinthe 1980s”when “political power was centralized and economic powerprivatized.”

That’sthe decadewhenConservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher oversaw policies of privatization, deindustrialization and political centralization that transformed theU.K. economy.

“Slowly,attimes imperceptibly, over fourdecades, political and economic power drained away out of our communities in every region and nation of the U.K.,” Burnham said,callingBritain’s change of prime ministers— forthe sixthtimeina decade —“the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years.”

Starmer will remainprime minister until Monday, when he formallytenders his resignationtoKing Charles III. The king will then ask Burnham to form agovernment

ew Orleansishome to the very people working to keep our grid strong and provide low-cost, reliable power. Entergycrews areworking on new projectsacrossthe citytoreduceoutages when severe weather strikes,all while keeping ratesbelow thenational average. They aremaking changes and doing more, becausethis cityistheir home, too.

PresentedbyEntergy

Burnham

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GERALD HERBERT

An aerial viewshows flooding on Friday in Ozona, Texas

DECATUR

crossings while the remaining work is completed so that visitors canmore easily accessbusinesses.

Ellis said that fencing has remainedupinsome areasfor as long as four months after construction was completed. He said that S&WB has not explained the delay in removing barricades. Aspokesperson for S&WBdid not respondtoaquestiononFridayabout the delay.InaFriday statement S&WB director Randy Hayman said that officials “understand the frustration this project hascaused, and we don’ttake that lightly.This infrastructure work is essential to thelong-termreliabilityofwaterand sewer service in the French Quarter We remain committed to getting it done as quickly as possible while keeping the community informed every step of the way.”

The federally funded project will replace 115-year-old water transmission mains on Decatur

OUTBREAK

Continued from page1A

recent days,according toowner Sinesio Canseco, even though the store doesn’tcarry TaylorFarms lettuce.

So far,though, the reaction has mostly been muted.

“Wehaven’theard much from customers, at least not yet,” said Canseco. “That could change. People get paranoid pretty fast.”

Common source

Since May 1, the CDC has received reports of 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. and is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness In Louisiana, cases have been reported in every region of the state, with the highest numbers in

STORIES

Continued from page1A

the lives lost that day

“Today is one of those defining days of our city,that everyonecan think back and remember where you were 10 years ago,” Baton Rouge police Chief TJ Morse said. “The memoriesofthose heroes will never leave us. Their smiles, their service, the way theyraise their children, loved theirfamilies, lifted up their friends and looked after this community.”

The shootings atBenny’sBQuik lasted alittle under 14 minutes. The gunman —Gavin Long, a29-year-old former Marine who traveledfrom Kansas City to Ba-

SUBPOENAS

Continued from page1A

afishing expedition in her motion to quash it, writing that Murrill’steam asked for communications over lengthy periods of time and failed “spectacularly to identifyany document.”

She chided Murrill’sattorneys for targeting Williams, apurported victim of public intimidation from the attorney general, with asubpoena of his own.

“In Louisiana’shistory,no Court has allowed acriminal defendant the abilityto conduct the retaliatory campaign against aprosecutor and victim of crime —even when the criminal defendant is apublic figure or held a public office at the time,” White wrote.

“The Defendant and her counsel, however,act with impunity without the realization that despite her current jobtitle, sheismerely adefendant in acriminal matter wherein the law provides no favoritism becauseofher title.” Rodrigue sought records about how the New Orleans grand jury came to indict Murrill over alleged threats to Williams, MayorHelena Moreno and five City Council members.

The subpoena requests are part of Murrill’s attempt to have the criminal case against her thrown out. She faces 16 felony counts of public intimidation and malfeasance in office from the July 2indictment.

The Louisiana Supreme Court issued aswift stay in Murrill’scase but said she couldfile “any and all de-

StreetbetweenEsplanade Avenue and Dumaine Street with newer, larger pipes. The improvements “will help improve water pressure in many parts of Orleans Parish,” according to theS&WB’swebsite.

Butbusiness owners and officials saythat S&WB’smanagementof theproject has turned it into abiggerheadache than it needed to be.

Business owners intend to seek damages for lost profits and damages to property.That phase of the lawsuit will begin “almost immediately,” Ellis said ChristinaMarullo,whose family owns theFrench Market Restaurant and Bar,said that theagreement “isahuge relief.”

“I thinkthe Sewerage& Water Board and businessowners are at aplace where Ithink there will be greater communication andtransparency from here on out,” said Marullo

ButMarullo, whoestimated that her business has lost $1.2 million in profitssinceworkontheir blockin August, said that “the next phase is really what were going to be focused on.”

East Baton Rouge and Lafayette parishes.

On Thursday,the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that public health officialshad linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Belllocations in Indiana, Kentucky,Michigan,Ohio and West Virginia.

The agencies said the lettuce came from five-pound bags produced at Taylor Farms’ facilityin Guanajuato, Mexico.

Local health experts said lettuce and berries are common sources of cyclospora because they grow close to theground, where they can becontaminated by feces.

Also, they’re often consumed without beingcooked,which would kill the parasite.

“What happens is some form of sewageorstool that has this organism in it getsinto thesoil of where this produce isbeing grown, and

tonRougetotargetlaw enforcement officers —chose thelocation because it’sabout amile frompoliceheadquarters. Officersoften dropped by the store for coffee andother items, District Attorney Hillar Moore said.

Before speeches Friday,dozens of charity members arrived at the headquarters on bicycles, biking 90 milesfrom Slidell. Michelle Beck, aformer police officer and member of the Gulf CoastBrotherhoodRide, said they biked here to honor thefallen officers and fulfill their mission of never forgetting what happened. Beck is also the widow of BRPDK-9 Officer Mark Beck, whodied on duty in 2008.

“A mandiestwo deaths:one when he physically leavesEarthand one whenthe last time his nameisever

fensive pleadings, includingmotionstoquash”inthe meantime.

White wrote in herFriday filing that the high court’s stayorder did not authorize Murrill to issue subpoenas to either herorWilliams.

Murrill’sattorneysdeclined to commentFriday on either filing

The subpoenas seek any correspondence from Williams and White involving thegrand jury or the judge whooversaw itsproceedings, Criminal DistrictCourt JudgeLeon Roche.

Murrill’slegal team has also sought Williams’ communications with Moreno, City Council PresidentJP Morrell, former Congressman CedricRichmond, state Sen. Gary Carter or news mediarelated to the grand jury’sinquiry.

“Louisiana’sTop Prosecutor and her counsel should know that District Attorney Williams enjoys the righttonot be abusedvia theoverreachingand procedurallydeficient (subpoena),” White wrote. “Yet,the Defendant andher counsel attack him too.”

FromWhite, Murrill’s attorneys seek correspondence with Williams, Roche, Moreno or members of the news media.

Thesubpoenasseekrecords datingtoMarch 1, before White’sappointment as aspecialprosecutor, she wrote.

Williams’ office issued a statementlate Thursday denying any involvement in Murrill’sindictment

Williamsrecused himself andhis office from the probe, prompting Roche to appointWhite as special prosecutor.

then gets on that produce through the soil,” said Dr.KatieTaylor medical directorofinfectionprevention at Our Ladyofthe Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.

Taco Bell, in astatementFriday, saidthe affected lettuce would be “indefinitely removed from our supply chainnationwide andwill be replaced within 24 hoursinselect states.”

It did not identify thestates The statement added, “Taco Bell has taken precautionary action,and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”

One of Louisiana’slargest Taco Bellfranchisees, Morgan Citybased B&GFoods, declined to comment on the lettuce used at its 230 Taco Bell outletsinLouisiana, Texas, Mississippi,Alabama andFlorida,referringa request for comment to thestatement re-

spoken,”Beck said. “Part of my reason for being hereistospeak thosenames,make sure those names and their memories live.”

Beck said this is the first time the Gulf CoastBrotherhood Ride has done aride for an anniversary Typically,the nonprofit bikeslonger routes —Louisiana to Alabama or viceversa —but decidedtoconnect members from different law enforcementagencies in Louisiana and Mississippi for this day “Wedid what we do on all our other rides, andwesearchedfor those magic words to bring some healing and take some pain away from these families,”said Craig Russell, president of the Gulf Coast Brotherhood Ride. “But Idon’tknow if thosewords are out there; Idon’t have them.But what we brought

Murrill’sattorneys have also argued that Whiteis conflicted. The Louisiana Supreme Courtseemed to agreeinits orderstaying thecase.

Williamssaid Thursday that he’d turned over information sought by Murrill’s attorneys in aseparate public recordsrequest. He said theyshow “no communication” about the indictment between the DistrictAttorney’sOffice, Moreno or any council members.

Rodrigue criticized Williams’ response to the recordsrequest,which is separatefrom thesubpoenas.

“The DA never actually denies that these records exist;heisjust refusing to produce them,” she said.

Williams’ officereceived notice that the grand jury wanted to investigate Murrill several days after Moreno posteda videotoInstagram on May 13, respondingdefiantly to theletters Murrill had sent earlier that day to her,Williams, and five council members. In them, theattorney general toldthemtheir jobs werein jeopardy over their support for electing anew unified Orleans Parish court clerk.

Murrill wrote that City Council resolutions calling foranelectionand appointing an interim clerk, former criminal court judge Calvin Johnson, violated state “usurper” laws.

Johnson may have been an “innocent bystander”to the council actions,Murrill wrote, but he “would face personal exposure for fines or imprisonment” if the council stood firmand he took office.Johnson has filed an attorney misconduct

leased by Taco Bell’scorporate office.

Notworried?

Some local grocersand wholesalershave pointedout thatwhile they carry some TaylorFarms produce growninthe U.S., they do notstock the company’sshredded lettuce from Mexico.

Dorignac’s and Zuppardo’sin Metairie both said they don’t stock bagged iceberg from Taylor Farms Southside Produce in Baton Rouge saiditdoesn’teither Rouses, which has76supermarkets in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, said it also had not been affectedbythe outbreak, andprovided an “all clear” letter from TaylorFarms issued late Friday “Ourrecords indicate that you WERENOT shippediceberg lettuce products included in this ac-

today is love and honor.”

Through Scripture, praise and emotions, attendees of thememorial listened to each otherspeak their hearts forabout an hour

East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff SidGautreaux said the ambush wasone of thedarkest days in BatonRouge history,but communitygatherings honornot just the tragedy,but the beauty of how the fallen lived.

“They were husbands,fathers, sons, friends, partners and public servants,” Gautreaux said. “They laughed together and servedtogether.They believedthiscommunityisworth protecting,and that is alegacy we honor.”

Morse and Gautreaux made promises that they would never forget what happened, and would

complaint against Murrill.

In her video, Moreno said Murrill’sletter hadsurprisedher,citingthe same public intimidation statute thatthe grand jury went on to wieldagainst theattorney general.

Williamsformally recused hisoffice on June 1. The grand jury returned the indictment against Murrill on July 2.

In McGowan’sresponse to Murrill’spublicrecords request Thursday,hewrotea letter calling it “improper,” sayingitmakes“abusively

tion,” theletter fromTaylorFarms to Rouses said.

It addedthatthe companyhad stoppedsourcingiceberg lettuce from Central Mexico.

Some restaurant operators said they wererelying on theirwholesalers forguidance and weren’t worried.

“I’ve been dealing with the same supplier for 20 years and Itrust them,” said Justin Kennedy,manager of Parkway Bakery &Tavern near BayouSt. John. “They haven’t notified me of aproblem.” Mandina said she isn’ttaking any chances at herCanal Street restaurant.

“We’ve had afew customers ask aboutit, not many,” she said. “But we’vemadechanges anyway. No onewants to getthisbug. So I’m just being careful.”

Staff writers Margaret Delaney and Joy Holden, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

always carry theofficers’ legacies “As sheriff, Imake apromise to you: East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office will never stop telling their stories,” Gautreaux said. “Wewill neverstopsupporting their families, and we will never forget theprice they paid forthis community.”

Afterthe memorial,Patricia Gerald reflected on howshe sees Matthewevery day andhopesto see morerespect and honor for law enforcement officers.

“I say Matthew’s nameevery day,” Patricia Gerald said. “I have asticker on my car; my license plate says ‘PD.’ Ialways take the opportunity to the bag boy,orwhoever’sgetting around my car,I say, ‘This is my son,who diedprotecting and serving.’”

overbroad andvague requests, anditseeksinformation that is notapublic record.”

Williams’ office said it had no responsive records of communications with White and isn’tthe custodian of them. His response saysthat phone records demanded by Murrill’slawyers “are not created or maintained” by the district attorney “At no time did the OPDA ‘handle’the caseagainst your client,” McGowan wrote. “Because the matterwas notinitiated by,or

prosecuted by,the OPDA, no writings in possession of the OPDA meet the legal definition of apublic record.” McGowanalsowrote that Williams had no advance knowledge of White’sselection as special prosecutor Rodrigue called Williams’ claim “a troublinginterpretation” of public records law “Thisraisesserious questions about the DA’s understanding of his obligations pursuant to the public records laws andhis so-called commitment to transparency,” she said.

STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Asphalt is placed in the holes where poles once heldfences along Decatur Street on July 10.

with meteorologist DamonSingleton

The

with

Humidity will remain high, so heat index values will be 105 or greater.Also, keep in mindthe UV index willbeatthe extremelevel,sotakefrequent breaks, stay

and protect yourself from the sun. Expect only

Documentsdon’t proveTrump’s claims,reviewfinds

BY JILL COLVIN and ERICTUCKER

Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump released atrove of documents during aprime-time address to the nation that allies had hyped as asmoking gun that would prove his long-debunked allegations of mass voter fraud Speaking from the White House on Thursday night, he described shockingrevelations, likeChinese meddling to undermine his failed candidacy in 2020 and acover-up by the “deepstate.” He claimed, “Americans were blatantly lied to about the security of our election infrastructure.”

But areview by The Associated Pressfound no such confirmation in the collection of newly declassified reports, investigation files, intelligence analysis and assorted correspondence. Many pages are so heavily redacted that their findings are unclear. Others outline vulnerabilities and assessments that have been welldocumented for years. There’sno evidence that China or any other foreign entity manipulated the vote in 2020 or any other year

“The White House promiseda

bombshell, andthey delivereda dud,” said DavidBecker, executive directorofthe Center for Election Innovation&Research, who attended aWhite Housebriefing on thematerial ahead of the speech.

Despitewhatappearedtobeaconcerted effort byadministration officials,“there was absolutely nothinghere that was news, nothing here that even calls into question past electionsand certainly notthe 2020 election ” Here’sa look at what the documentssay Chinahas ourdata. Lots of it

“Starting during the 2020 electioncycle, the People’sRepublic of Chinacarried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of electiondatainhistory,resulting in China’sillicit acquisition of 220 millionU.S.voter files,” Trump said Thursday night.

Thereisnoevidence, however, that China actually usedthatinformation in any way.

It has long been established that China collectsimmense volumes of dataonAmericans unrelated to any efforts to manipulate votes or alter election outcomes. And public versionsofvoter files are widely available, including online, and can be boughtand sold by campaignsand political parties so they know which doors to knock on

and where to send mail.

China on Friday called Trump’s allegations “groundless” and “entirely fabricated” and said it has neverinterfered in U.S. elections and has no interest in doing so. Noncitizensonvoter rolls

In his remarks, Trump touted the release of anew Department of Homeland Security investigation,based on statevoter rolls and public records, thathesaid had identified approximately 278,000 noncitizens registered to votein federal elections.

The report said theagency uncovered more than aquarter of a million noncitizensillegally registered to vote in California,Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada, based on public records, which are often erroneous or incomplete.

Another28,000 noncitizens, it claimed, were found on voter rolls in 25 states using the new Systematic Alien Verification forEntitlements system There is no allegation, however thatany of those people actually voted, which would be acrime. That data has also not been verified. Reports have found that the SAVE database is plagued with errors, including outdated information that has often classified naturalized citizens as noncitizens. Indeed, afederal judge has barred

thedatabase from being used over fearsthat voterswill be wrongly purged from voter rolls. Studieshavefound noncitizen voting to be extremely rare.

Russia’s election efforts

Trump hasspent yearscriticizing the intelligence community’s assessmentthatRussiameddled in the 2016 election to help him win Butthe documents shed new light on thecountry’songoing efforts.

Onedeclassified document from 2020 portrays Russia as the country that has tried themosttopenetrate American election systems —but in an effort to defeat Joe Biden. It notes how Russia worked to amplifyclaims that Biden, while serving as vice president, engaged in inappropriate behavior involving Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm thatemployed his son Hunter, acharge frequently repeated by Trumpand Republicans.

The document wentontostate that bothChina and Iranwanted Trump to lose. But it included a chart documenting each country’s known efforts. Only Russia was marked as having been known to have engagedin“targeting, accessing, or manipulating election processes or election-related systems.”

Russia has continued to deny interfering in U.S. affairs.

Vulnerabilities in voting

systems

The documents, Trump told the nation,includedintelligence “revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure” that leaveitvulnerable “to hacking, exploitation and foreign interference.”

One report included alist of recent breaches —mostly by Russia —and called on state and local election officials to step up their defenses to prevent information frombeing usedtoobtain absentee ballots or alter voter rolls. Election officialsacknowledge thatvoting machines also carry risk —which is whytheydon’trelyonthem alone to ensure the accuracy of the vote.Safeguards like physical security,equipment testing, paper ballot backups and postelection audits help to catch machine errors or threats.

But it is unclear what the administration is doing to facilitate their efforts. Earlier thismonth, Trumpousted members of abipartisan federalelection commission that distributes federal grants to states, oversees the testing of voting systemsand maintains the national voter registration form,after the group resisted his efforts to require potential voters to document their U.S. citizenship before registering.

ClaraEster,activistwho rushed to King afterhewas shot,dies

BY TRAVIS LOLLER and KRISTIN M. HALL Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Clara

Ester,anactivist whoasa

20-year-old college student rushed to theRev.Martin Luther King Jr.’sside when he was shot, has died. Ester,who died on July 9 at the age of 78, was among afew remaining witnesses to King’sassassination and its immediate aftermathin Memphis. With the passing of the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.inFebruaryand Ester this month, King aide and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young is believed to be the last surviving eyewit-

ness to theshooting. Ester grew up in Memphis attendingCentenary United Methodist Church, where her pastor was civil rights leaderthe Rev.James Lawson.

ism, untilyou see what has been withheld from you because of your color —is what startedtoreally truly anger me. And Iknew if there was amovement that could help change any of that, Ihad to be in it.”

impact of hearing King’s speech at the Mason Temple thenight beforehewas assassinatedand how it seemed to foreshadow his deaththe next day

en. He had seen the promised land, and he maynot get there with us, but he promised that we as apeople will see the promised land.”

at some point, Ijustbroke down,” Ester said. She left Memphis to work elsewhere that summer, and as soon as she finished school, she leftfor good.

“Weused tojoke about colored water being KoolAidand the whitewater just being water, and so that satisfied us as chi ld re n,” Estertold The AssociatedPress in 2018, around the 50th anniversary of King’s death. “But until you see therac-

Civil rights issues wereoftendiscussed fromthe pulpit of her church, Ester said. Lawson was very involved in the sanitation workers’ strike, so it was natural for her to becomeinvolved too.

“I gottothe point that I didn’tmiss amass meeting,” she said. “I picketed every day thatthe picket lines were up.”

Even 50 years later,she clearlyrememberedthe

“He hadseenthe mountaintop,”Ester said. “It was evident on the balcony how calm.”

Ester had gonetothe Lorraine Motel for dinneron April 4, 1968, when she saw Kingchatting on the balcony with people below.Then she heard ashot

“He was speaking calmly andpleasantly to acrowd,” she said.“Andsohewas happy at that moment.But to laythere with his eyes open, looking towardheav-

Estersaidshe rantoKing and saw he was struggling for air. She triedtoloosen his beltand asked someone to bring towels to try to staunch the bleeding. After King was taken away by ambulance, she had to stay at the hotel, where she was questioned by police.

Whenshe was finally allowed to go home, her parents asked if she was OK “I said, ‘No, I’mnot OK There’ssomething wrong with this.’ And it was many months later that Iguess

“It’sjust too muchto… it hurt me that it happened, but it hurt me that it happened in my hometown, that that’sthe legacy for this city,” she said.

Ester moved to Mobile, Alabama, where she found work as aneighborhood organizer at the Dumas Wesley Community Center,according to her obituary.She later was named the executive director of the center, serving in that role until she retired in 2006.

Ankle monitor company threatens to leave

Owners cite unpaid fees, conflicts with N.O. judges

BY MISSY WILKINSON

Staff writer

The owners of an ankle-monitoring company have threatened to remove 175 violent-crime defendants from their program beginning Monday claiming uncooperative judges and mounting unpaid monitoring fees have made it impossible to continue doing business with the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court system.

Matt and Jill Dennis, owners of Assured Supervision Accountability Program, on Thursday notified Mayor Helena Moreno of ASAP’s pending withdrawal. They set Aug. 1 as a target date to have every enrolled ankle monitoring subject returned to the Orleans Parish jail’s custody

“We are no longer able to pay the costs of what we provide under the current environment we are in,”

Jill Dennis wrote in the email. “On Monday, ASAP will begin bringing all enrolled individuals back to the court and will remove them from our ASAP program.”

“It’s important to note that this is a service and contract directly overseen by the criminal court,” said Jonah Gilmore, director of communications for Mayor Helena Moreno. “Nevertheless, the city is looking into the concerns that have

been raised.” The Orleans Criminal Court Judicial Administrator’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment. On Friday, Moreno and Deputy of Public Safety Michael Harrison said they were willing to meet with Matt and Jill Dennis to discuss the issues.

All of the defendants enrolled in ASAP’s program are charged with violent crimes, Matt Dennis said.

In a statement, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office said the jail neither operates an electronic monitoring

program nor orders defendants to be placed on electronic monitoring “We are committed to working with our justice system partners to ensure we can continue to safely provide care and supervision for everyone housed in our facility,” OPSO officials said.

The Orleans Justice Center currently houses 1,379 inmates, exceeding the City Council’s 2019 population cap of 1,250. It is unclear how many electronic

SWINGING INTO SUMMER

a scene reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell

Andy Lawrence kneels in the grass while teaching his 4-year-old son, William, how to hit a baseball beneath the oaks in Audubon Park in New Orleans on Thursday. It was their first practice of the summer after going out about twice a week in the spring. William, whose favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles, has recently taken

Top pianists to compete in New Orleans

12 semifinalists vying for prizes, performance invitations

Staff report

After reviewing 240 auditions from 29 different countries, the New Orleans International Piano Competition has narrowed the field of the world’s top emerging pianists to 12 talented semifinalists set to compete this weekend. Hosted every two years by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans, this year’s event will be July 18-26 on Loyola University’s campus, in conjunction with the New Orleans Piano Institute & Keyboard Festival. The semifinalists and the nations they represent include:

n Kevin Ahfat, Canada

n Wooyoung Cho and Jihyung Youn, South Korea

n Shangru Du, Yu-ang Fan, Miao Gao and Jiacheng Xiong, China

n Mitsuki Fukuhara, Japan

n Seiran Tozlian and Evgeny Konnov, Russia

n Modan Oyama, Japan

La. high court fast-tracks N.O. judges lawsuit

Fuller argues Legislature needed supermajority

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

The Louisiana Supreme Court on Friday took over and fast-tracked a lawsuit challenging a new state law that reduced the number of judges in New Orleans courts. Criminal District Court Judge John Fuller sued Gov Jeff Landry and other state officials, asking the courts to block the provision of Act 748 that eliminates three

sections of criminal court by Jan. 1. Landry signed the measure into law last month.

Fuller, the newest member of the criminal court bench, argues that the Louisiana constitution calls for a two-thirds supermajority vote to change the number of judges in Louisiana and that both chambers fell shy of the mark. State officials claim the measure didn’t need a supermajority for passage. They cite an exception for New Orleans municipal offices from the 1974 cwonstitutional convention. The delegates made Crescent City

courts “subject to change by law” with a simple majority, the state argues. Judge Tarvald Smith of the 19th Judicial District this week enjoined state officials from enacting any provision of Act 748 until after the qualifying period, which runs Aug. 5-7. That left open a door for Fuller and the two others with seats marked for elimination — Judges Rhonda Goode-Douglas and Simone Levine — to run for reelection. Murrill vowed to appeal Smith’s injunction. Fuller’s attorney, Je-

rome Matthews, asked the state’s high court to step in. The Supreme Court halted proceedings at the lower courts and gave Murrill and others until next week to file any oppositions to Fuller’s claims. Matthews said he expects the court to rule before Aug. 5, given its expedited track

“Whoever lost at the (appeals court) would’ve just had to go to the Supreme Court anyway,” he said. “So let’s just go straight to the Supreme Court to get a ruling.”

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

WWL’s Charisse Gibson is leaving for Los Angeles

Anchor says she’s ready to take a big leap

BY KEITH SPERA

‘How could I leave here?’” Ultimately, she wanted to challenge herself in a new environment and new job. “If I’m going to take a chance, and a chance is presenting itself, go ahead and just do it,” she said “Because you might not get it again, and you’ll regret not trying I’d much rather say, ‘I went somewhere and it was

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Manconvicted in OldJefferson triple shooting

Onekilled, 2 woundedoverdrug debt,policesay

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

Seven years after adeadly triple shooting inside an Old Jefferson home that authorities say was fueled by adrugdebt, Jefferson Parish jurors voted to convict the man accused of carrying out the violence, according to court records.

Arsenio Adams, 37, of New Or-

leans, was found guilty Thursday of second-degree murder,two counts of attempted second-degree murder,being aconvicted feloninpossession of aweapon and obstructionofjustice after a three-daytrial.

Adams had also beencharged with aggravatedcruelty to animals for shooting adog during theincident.But jurors instead convicted himona lesser charge of simple crueltytoanimals

He was found not guilty of aggravated criminal damage to property

Adamswas charged withkilling 62-year-old Sterling Woods, a

handyman and father of fourfrom NewOrleans. The shootings occurredonthe night of May 14, 2019, at the Clermont Street home of Wood’s 63-year-old girlfriend. Adams, a drug dealer, entered the residence just before12:30 a.m. to demand repayment of adrug debt,according to investigators. When told they couldn’tpay, Adams reportedlydoubled the amount owed. Adams, who was armedwithanassault rifle, was accusedofopening fire,hitting Woods eight times. His girlfriend suffered agunshot woundtoher shoulder

Investigatorssaid Woodswas armed with apistol but fired the weapon into the floor,indicating that he didn’thaveenough time to raise thegun,accordingtocourt records.

Adamsbrieflyran from theresidence, and a64-year-old manwho was also inside the home shut the door and called 911 for help. But Adams returned, allegedly banging on the door and identifying himselfasa police officer Adamsforcedhis waybackinside and shot the 64-year-old man in thearm.Sheriff’s Officeinvestigators said they believe Adams intended to kill all three of the

Mother indicted with murder of newborn

Baby wasfound in Gretna porta-potty

BY MICHELLEHUNTER Staff writer

AJefferson Parish grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charginga woman with second-degree murder in the death of her newborn son after the child wasdiscovered drownedina Gretna porta-potty Lakesha Lemelle, 37, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday morning in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court. But she refused to leave the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna whereshe was being held, according to

court records. Her arraignment wasrescheduledfor Monday

Lemelleisaccusedinthe March 26 death of her newborn baby who was later named Jeremiah by relatives.

Gretna police said they were called to aWaffle House at 52 West Bank Expressway at 3:17 a.m. by witnesseswho said awomanenteredthe business and told them she’d justgivenbirth in anearby portable toilet, according to authorities.

Lemelleconfirmedthe details to responding officers and directed them to theporta-potty,which was at aconstruction siteabout ablock away,police said. When officerschecked the toilet, they found Jeremiah’s

lifeless body inside theliquid chemicals in thetank, police said

An autopsydetermined Jeremiah died of asphyxia by drowning.Hewas athirdtrimester babywho weighed about 7.2 pounds, according to the Jefferson Parish Coroner’sOffice.

According to theautopsy Jeremiah was alive at birth, Gretnapolice said.

Investigators believe Lemelle is homeless andnot originally from the New Orleans area, according to authorities.

Lemelle’srelatives live out of state andhadn’tseen her in years, said LiseNaccari, founder of Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies (CBIB), anonprofit assists with funeralsfor infants and

young children who’ve been abandonedorwhose families cannot afford burial.

Naccari worked with Lemelle’s family members to make funeral arrangements for Jeremiah. The relatives told Naccaritheyhad no idea Lemelle was pregnant.

“They were verysaddened by the whole event andexpressedthattheywould have taken in the baby hadthey known,” shesaid.

SomeofLemelle’srelativesattended Jeremiah’s Jazz SecondLinefuneral whichwas paid for by CBIB on April29. The baby was interred at CBIB’s crypt at St. Patrick Cemetery No. 1, 5000 Canal St., New Orleans, said Naccari, who called it a respectful, moving and lovingservice.

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

ABaton Rouge man was arrested after police were informed he was allegedly selling cocaineout of an apartment near LSU’sNorth Gates. Jordan Langlois, 35, was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish

GIBSON

Continued from page1B

She learnedfrom veteran anchors, reporters and photographers. She was promoted to associate producerfor the WWLmorning show,working with local TV news legends Sally-Ann Roberts and the late Eric Paulsen. She parlayed thatexperienceinto aTVnews producer position at WLOX-TV on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She made her on-camera debut as afill-in anchor and reporter She moved on to KSLA

PIANISTS

Continued from page1B

n Adria Ye,United States. They compete in semifinal and final rounds for cash prizes totaling over $100,000, as wellasfor coveted invitations to perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, the Musical Excursion Series at LSU New Orleans and solo concerts at Merkin HallinNew York City. Event sponsor Steinway &Sons provides the goldmedalist with astudio recording viaits in-house record label.

Celebrating its 30th event, the International Piano Competition will debut orchestral performances for three finalists with the LouisianaPhilharmonic Orchestra as part of the final round.

“The inclusion of the orchestral roundisa major milestone in the history of the NOIPCand brings the competition to an even

Prison on June 30 on three countsofpossession with intent to distributeand possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond review is set for Sept. 22 In March,the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by an anonymoussourcewho said Langlois was selling drugs at an apartment complex inthe 1900 block of EastMagna Carta Place, accordingto an arrest warrant Detectives also received information from LSU Policesaying Langloiswas a cook and was selling drugs

News 12 in Shreveportand FOX19Now in Cincinnati, Ohio. In Cincinnati, she was abreaking news anchor and hosted “MorningXtra” and the public affairs show“CincinnatiConnection.” In 2019, shewas set to interview with aMinneapolis station.Instead, now-retired WWL news director Keith Esparros offered her ajob as co-anchor of WWL’s evening newscast Alongside Karen Swenson or Katie Moore or on her own, Gibson has servedas the face and voiceof the station’s evening newscasts at 5, 6and 10 p.m. With the supportofEspar-

higherlevel of international prestige,” Cara McCool Woolf, Musical Arts Society of NewOrleans executive andartisticdirector, said in astatement. Reinstated to the competitionthis year is thecommissioned work component, featuringthe world premiereof“Ancestor Tree” by New Orleans pianist andcomposer CourtneyBryan. It honors the emblematic treeofCongo Square and will be performed live by each competitorinthe semifinal rounds.

This year,the local Music Arts Societyalsohas aspecial opportunitytopartner with classical music magazineGramophone in the UnitedKingdom andclassical music streaming platform Amadeus.tv in China. “Gramophone will be embedding ourcompetition broadcast on their website and sharing to their social channels,where it will remain permanently,” Woolf said. “Amadeus.tv will be streaming the NOIPC on theirchannels, which will

to LSU students, the warrant states.

During the investigation, agentsset up adrug sale between aconfidential informantand Langloisatan apartment on West Chimes Street. After the sale,agents observed Langlois had interactions withotherindividuals, typical of inconspicuously handing off drugs, according to thewarrant

Agents obtained probable causeand executed asearch warrant at theWest Chimes Street apartmentand arrested Langlois

ros and WWL President and General Manager TodSmith Gibsonproduced in-depth series and special reports that exploredissues of race andcommunity She orchestrated“The Talk: AHardConversation About Race in America,” which won both aregional andnational EdwardR.Murrow Award for Excellencein Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The series was based on theconversationsmany Black parents have with theirchildren about how to staysafe in public.

Her Emmy-nominated series “Treme: Death of a Neighborhood,Survival of a

be the firsttime that our competition haseverbeen allowed to be viewed in China.

“This opensupmajor opportunitiesnot only for MASNO, but also for our competitors andfuture competitors,” Woolf added. Thedistinguishedmembers of this year’sjury are Angela Cheng, Alvin Chow Sofya Gulyak, Christopher Harding, IgalKesselman, Yong Hi Moon,Yoshikazu Nagaiand Alan Chow as chairman of the jury Returning this year is renowned Canadian pianist Cheng, who will open the festival week withaconcert programofMozart, Chaminade and Chopin.

AllNew Orleans International Piano Competition rounds andguest artist recitals areheld in Roussel Hall in theLoyola Music and Communications Building, 6301 St.Charles Ave.

AllNew Orleans PianoInstitute &Keyboard Festival Events —including master classes(open to thepublic), presentations,the concerto competition andshowcase

Deputies found 70 grams of individually packaged cocaine, 21 grams of meth,and MDMA pills in alocked safe. Theyalso found multiple digitalscales, empty clear mini baggiesand abottleof Inositol —asugar substitute commonly usedtocut drugs, the warrant states. Afterbeing read his Miranda rights, Langlois admittedtobeing an active user of drugs andknew the safe was in the apartment, but said he was not selling thedrugs. Basedonthe training and expertise from the agents,

Culture” traced the history of the historic Black neighborhood

Another of herEmmynominated specialreports, “Victims of Progress,” examinedthe effect of petrochemical plants on historically Black rural areas. The “Follow the Line”series chronicled the practice of racial“redlining” thatcontributedtosegregated neighborhoods in NewOrleans.

She’ll soon be covering Southern California instead of south Louisiana Gibsonisthe secondhighprofiledeparture from WWL Louisiana this summer. Morning show anchor Brhe-

recital —will be held in Nunemaker Hall behind the Musicand Communications Building. For ticketsand more event information, visit www.masno.org/noipc Tickets run from $20-$57 perevent, andanall-event passis$400.

Competitionschedule n AngelaCheng recital, 4p.m. Saturday n SemifinalRound I, Day 1, 7p.m. Sunday n SemifinalRound I, Day 2, 7p.m. Monday n SemifinalRound I, Day 3, 7p.m. Tuesday n Semifinal Round II, Day 1, 7p.m. Wednesday n Semifinal Round II, Day 2, 7p.m. Thursday

victimsinside the residence that night. Woods was taken to ahospital but diedofhis injuries. Afterthe shootings, Adams fled thestate. Investigators tracked him to ahouse in Douglasville, Georgia, where they arrested him on May28, 2019, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Jurors deliberated forabout two andahalfhoursbeforereaching averdict, according to court records. Sentencing is scheduled Aug. 10.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

COMPANY

Continued from page1B

Perhaps the tragedy of Jeremiah’s deathcould have been avoided if Lemelle had been awareofthe state’s Safe Havenlaw,Naccarisaid.

The law allows aparent to anonymously give up custody of achild whoisupto 60 days oldwithout fear of prosecution whenthe child is brought to adesignatedSafe Haven site. The approved locationsinclude policestations, firehousesand hospitals.

“This baby would have been alive today,and his mother wouldn’tbeinjail,” Naccari said.

For alist of Safe Haven sites, visit The Louisiana DepartmentofChildrenand Family Services at https:// dcfs.louisiana.gov/safehaven/directory/.

the amount of cocaine found in the apartment was exceedingly more than aperson would have forpersonal use, the arrest warrant said. Langlois wasidentified in police documents as acook for Delta Chi fraternity However,House Corporation Presidentofthe LSU Chapter of DeltaChi John Dunlap said Langlois was not employed at any point by thefraternityorthe catering company it uses. LSU Policedid not return acall for comment on Langlois’s employment.

annaBoudreaux logged her last dayJune19. Shetooka broadcasting job in Houston, where she lived and worked before moving to NewOrleans.

Gibson will join another WWLalumnainLos Angeles.

Sheba Turk, like Boudreaux,a formerco-host of WWL’s morning show,isthe co-anchor of KCAL News Mornings at CBS-owned Los Angeles affiliate KCBSKCAL. Turk started at KCAL in January 2023. Gibson and Turk, former colleagues at WWL, will soon be on competing channels in Los Angeles.

n Final Round, Solo Recitals, 7p.m. Friday n NOPI Institute ShowcaseRecital Part1 10:30 a.m. Saturday n NOPIShowcaseRecital Part 2, 1:30 p.m.Saturday n Final Round, 3Concerto Performances with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, 2p.m. Sunday with awards ceremony to follow

monitoring providers operate in the city andhow many defendants are enrolled in other programs. One of ASAP’squalmscenters around monitoringfees defendants ordered to electronic monitoring must pay —a price of about $8 aday, plus $300 in startup costs. Matt Dennis says that compliance by his users has dropped starkly over the past year Previously,92% of enrollees paid their fees timely. Now,that number is down to 40%,hesaid, forcing himand Jill Dennis to cover payments owed to equipmentmanufacturers out of their own pockets.

“I can’tcontinue to operate like this. …I spend $10,000 to $20,000 amonth out of my pocket,” Matt Dennissaid. Under alaw passed during the Louisiana Legislature’s mostrecent session, monitors cantake defendants delinquent on payments to court andstop supervising them. Owners must send appropriate notices and reports and judgesare required to schedule ahearing within 15 days of thereport’ssubmission. It wasnot clear whether ASAP had filed any reports fordelinquent payments. Their second issue intensifiesalong-simmering conflict between Matt Dennis and someofthe judges who oversee defendants on his electronic monitoring system Dennis allegedthatCriminalDistrict JudgeTracey Flemings-Davillierstopped ordering defendants to be placed on his ankle monitors after aMay report by The Times-Picayune. In that report, Dennis detailed the49ankle-monitorviolations logged by ateenage defendant while underher supervision. That youth, Ja’Maarion Banks,19, allegedlycommitted multiple carjackings while on an ankle monitor Flemings-Davillier, in response, said Dennis hadcreated aflawed reporting system that delivers inaccurate location reportsand scant details aboutallegedviolations. Similarviolationsbyjuvenilesonelectronic monitoring promptedthe Louisiana Supreme Court in March to order an investigation into twoOrleansParish Juvenile Court judgesand their handling of electronic monitoring violations.

Matt Dennis said Friday that he wants officials to sit down “asa group of adults” to work out asolution.

“This isn’tabluff. If they’re not going to fix it, then Idon’t want to help,”Matt Dennis said. “If the city wants me to stay,they need to paythe manufacturers the money that is owed to them and help me get the judges in order.”

Gentry,William

Landry, Sharon

Tully,Maria

EJefferson

LA Muhleisen

Tully,Maria

NewOrleans

Lake Lawn Metairie

Gentry,William

St Tammany

Grace Funeral Landry, Sharon Obituaries

Gentry, William Ramon

William Ramon "Bill"

Gentry, 92, passed away July 15, 2026. Born November 18,1933, he served in the U.S. Air Force before adistinguished aerospace engineering career, contributing to the Saturn Vbooster engines and the Space Shuttle external fuel tank at Michoud, where he earned avital engineering patent for friction stir welding.An avid bridge player, he is survived by his wife Vivien; daughter, Mary; son, David(Jessica); and granddaughter, Genevieve.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend avisitation on Monday, July 20, 2026, at Lake Lawn Metairie FuneralHome, 5100 Pontchartrain Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., with a Funeral Mass to follow at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place at Metairie Cemetery in All Saints Mausoleum. To view and sign the Family online guestbook, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m

It is with heavy hearts and sadness thatweannounce the passing of our belovedSharon after a2 year hard fought battle against cancer.Sharon was acherished daughter, sister, wife, belovedMom, grandmotherand great grandmotherwhoseunconditional love and spirit brought joy to everyone. Shewas alongtime resident of Belle Chasse,LA before moving to Covington in 2017 to be nearer to herchildrenand grandchildren.

Sharon was bornon November 29th, 1952,in NewOrleanstoErnestF Burmaster, Jr.and Anna MaeTheriot Burmaster.

All she wanted was to be awifeand mother. She devoted herself to her family.Everything theyhave accomplishedand achievedintheirlives is a tribute to allher dedicationand never-ending love for them. Her adultchildren areremindedevery day of the love and sacrificesshe made.She did this without wanting recognition and acknowledgement.

Spending time with her retiredhusband; going for walks aroundtheirneighborhood, goingout to eat, spending the dayatcasinos in Biloxi,and enjoying time relaxing in her home in Covington closetoher childrenand grandchildren. She was happiest on yearly Disney World vacationsenjoying shopping and eating DoleWhip. She loved to shop and find treasures to bringbackto spoilher grandkids.Loving and spoiling hergrandkids and recent greatgrandkids brought hertremendous pride and joy.

Sharon was preceded in death by her grandparents Ernest and Theresa K. Burmaster, August and Florence T. Theriot; her parents Ernest F. Burmaster, Jr.and Anna MaeT.Burmaster; Karen Ann Burmaster (sister), RonaldC.Burmaster (brother)and Pat Burmaster(nephew).

Sharon is survived by her husband of 55+ years James Landry, Jr.Her children are Stephanie Rivet (son-in-lawBrian) and Ronnie Landry(daughterin-law Heather). Her grandchildrenAlexis

Kidwell(Isaiah), Jordan Landry and Brandon Landry. Her greatgrandchildrenSteven Kidwell and Eleanor Kidwell. Her siblings; A.J.Burmaster (Liz), Ernest "Sonny" Burmaster, Mel Burmaster (sister-in-law) and ahost of niecesand nephews.

Services are in thecare of Grace Funeral Home. A privategraveside service willbeheldfor Sharonat Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cemetery in BelleChasse, LA

Maria RuthBarone Tully passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July14, 2026, at theage of 89. Anativeof NewOrleans, Louisiana, and alongtime resident of Kenner, Louisiana, Maria liveda life centered on faith, family,friendship, andservice to her community.

Maria was thebeloved wife of thelateJohn Paul Tully, with whom she shared alovingmarriage of 52 years after meeting at Redemptorist High School. They marriedin 1959 and built abeautiful life together, raising their four childrenand making Kennertheir home beginning in 1964. Their neighborhoodand thecommunity they found through Wentwood Playground became an important part of their family's life,where both Maria and John devotedcountless hours working and volunteering alongsidelifelong friends.

She was theloving mother of John Paul Tully, Jr., Terence Patrick Tully (Donna), Kathleen Tully Godfrey (Jerry), and the late PeggyTullyRichmond (the late Bobby). Maria

was theproud grandmoth-

er of Renee Tully, Kasey Dukes, Brandon Godfrey, Terence Tully, Jr., and Trent Tully, and cherished great-grandmotherof Zachary Tully, Brody Cousans, KathleenDukes, OliviaGodfrey, Kolbie Dukes, Grady Godfrey, Karlee Dukes, and Braxton Tully.

She was the beloved daughter of thelate Wilhelmina RuthBlake Barone and Albert Benedict Barone. She was thecherished sisterofJo ElenaBaroneFaraj Musleh (Fouad), TheresaBarone Lambert(the late Michael), and thelate AlbertB Barone,Jr. and William Blake Barone

Maria believed in giving back to her community. She generouslyvolunteered at Lakeside Hospitaland proudly served during theKingTut exhibit and theVatican Pavilion at the1984 World'sFairinNew Orleans. She wasa proud American who valuedservice, community, and the friendshipsshe made throughout her life

She embraced life with enthusiasm and joy. Maria lovedtraveling,attending sportingevents, and playing volleyball.She also enjoyed gathering with friends for games of Pokeno and Bunco,where laughter and friendly competition were always part of thefun. Morethananything,she treasuredtime spent with her family,celebrating milestones, cheering on her children and grandchildren, and creating memories that willbe

cherished for generations.

Maria willberememberedfor herkindness, generosity, unwavering devotion to herfamily, and thewarmth she shared with everyoneshe met. Sheleaves behinda family strengthened by herlove, inspired by herexample, andgrateful for the countless memories they will carry with them always. Herloving spirit and the valuesshe instilledin those around herwill continuetobefeltfor generationstocome.

Thefamilywould like to express theirheartfelt gratitude for the loving care andcompassion showntoMaria by the staff at TheHarvard House, Hospice Specialists of Louisiana, Swan Dental, andDr. Earl PeterPark. Theirkindness, dedication, andsupport broughtcomfort to Maria andher family andwill always be re-

membered

Relativesand friends are invited to attendthe Visitation andFuneral Mass at L.A. Muhleisen& SonFuneral Home, 2607 Williams Boulevard, Kenner,onMonday, July 20, 2026. Visitation will be held from9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. Intermentwill follow at MetairieCemetery,New Orleans, Louisiana.

To share memoriesor offer condolences, please visit www.muhleisen.com.

Tully, Maria Ruth Barone

'Bill'

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. restores trade privileges for Hong Kong

HONG KONG The United States

confirmed Friday that it will not renew an executive order that revoked Hong Kong’sspecial trading status. The decision comes after China signaled that the city’spreferential privileges were being restored.

The U.S. order, which President Donald Trump signed in July 2020 in his first termin response to Beijing imposing anational security law to limit dissent in Hong Kong, is not being renewed, according to a Treasury Department spokesperson who was not authorized to speak publicly on theissueby name andspoke on conditionof anonymity. Trump’sorder was last renewed fora year in July 2025.

China considers the national security law for HongKong necessary to restore stabilityin the city aftermassive anti-government protests in 2019. Under the order,Trump said Hong Kong was no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify differentialtreatment in relation to mainland China under certainlaws. It eliminated the preferential treatment for Hong Kong to the extent permitted by lawand in thenational security, foreign policy,and economic interest of the United States.

The implications of the decision not to renew the order were not immediately clear

TheWhite House referred questions about the executive order lapsing to the Treasury Department.

General Mills recalls PillsburyBreadRolls

Twokindsoffrozen Pillsbury Bread Rolls were recalledafter glass might have gotten into the dough, according to General Mills.

The two lots of Pillsbury BreadRolls Hard Roll Dough are lot Nos. 11JUN6JL and 12JUN6JL with best bydates of Oct. 12 and 13, 2026, respectively.This covers544,400 rolls.

There’sonly one lot, 12JUN6JL, of PillsburyBreadRolls Kaiser Roll Dough recalled. This covers 181,440 rolls.

Astatement by General Mills said the “two frozen doughproducts were baked onsite and sold exclusively at Walmart in-store bakeries in the UnitedStates. This voluntary recall is limited in scope, highly contained and all potential impacted product has been removed.”

Recalledbreadswenttodistributors in 19 states including Louisiana.

If you have arecalledproduct, throw it away or return it to the store for afull refund. If youhave more questions about this recall, call General Mills at (763) 764-7600.

GeneralMills statement didn’t address how the glass got into some of the dough, what facility wasused, or why no news releasewas issued.

FAAwill allow Boeing to certify its planes

Boeing will be allowedto take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 Max and 787planes starting next week, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday The FAAsaid that after months of review the agencydecided that Boeing’sfinalsafety checks on its planes are good enough to ensure theyare airworthy. Since September,Boeing and the agency had been taking weekly turns performing the safety checksthat are required beforeaircraft are cleared for delivery and declared safe to fly.The FAAsaidFriday that the plane maker and government inspectors were both issuing similar findings as they issued airworthiness certificates. Federal regulators took full control over 737 Max approvals in 2019, after the second of two crashes that were later blamed on anew software systemBoeing developed for the aircraft. The FAAended the company’s righttoself-certify 787 Dreamliners in 2022, citing ongoing production quality issues.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

NewChinese AI model surprisestech industry

Kimi K3 appears to be catching up to Claude,ChatGPT

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technologywriter

Another powerful new artificial intelligence model from China took theU.S. tech industryby surprise Friday,the latest sign that Chinese startups thatpublicly release their “open-source” AI technologyare making the California titansofAIsweat.

The newestKimi K3 model fromBeijing-based startup Moonshot, run by aPink Floydloving entrepreneur who earned hisdoctorate inPittsburgh, appears to be catching up to the best versions of Anthropic’s Claudeand OpenAI’sChatGPT.

“This may be the single biggest release of the year,” and marks amoment when open-source Chinese modelsare surpassing closed U.S. models, saidAnastasios Angelopoulos, co-founder and CEO of Arena, aplatform for evaluatingAI systems.

Kimi K3 topped the charts in Arena’s ranking of what it calls “front-end coding capability,” a measureofanAIlarge language model’sperformance. “More results are rolling in that are likely to continuetoshow it is at the top of the pack,” Angelopoulos said on social media. It was not likely acoincidence that K3’sunveiling came shortly before Chinese President Xi Jinping’sopening address Friday to the nation’s annual World ArtificialIntelligenceConference in Shanghai American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world’smost advanced technologies,spurring China’sefforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the rivalry between the world’stwo

biggest economies.

“The development of artificial intelligence should not be a solo performance by any single country butrather asymphony of global cooperation,” Xi said at theevent K3 follows another major AI model release last month from the Chinese startup Zhipu, or Z.ai. Its newflagshipGLM-5.2 model is already widely used by software developersaround the world who say it can perform workalmostaswell as top U.S models at alower price.

The hype over thenew Chinese model resembles themarket-shaking panic that followed Chinese startup DeepSeek‘s new model release in early 2025, though not everyone finds it justified. The response toK3isan “overreaction shockingly similar”toDeepSeek’srelease last year,saidtech analyst Patrick Moorhead on social media. He said it could be good for parts of thebroader AI industry but poses arevenue challenge to Anthropic and OpenAI.

During the conference, which runs until Monday,tech giant Huawei has alsobeen showcasing anew AI computing system called the Atlas 950 SuperPoD, a signal that China increasingly is amassing the domestic hardware it needs despite U.S.restrictions on imports from chipmakers like Nvidia.

Moonshot hasn’tsaid what hardware it usedtobuild K3, but thestartup is apartner with Huawei.

The price to use K3 is the highest yetfor aChinese AI model, but is still half as expensive as OpenAI’shigh-performingGPT5.6 Sol model, according to aFri-

day report by Bank of America research analysts.

U.S.politicians and several major U.S.AIcompanies including Anthropic and OpenAI have accused Chinese AI models of illicit “distillation” of their models to extracttheir technologies, aclaim that Beijing says is “groundless.”

Anthropic in February accused DeepSeek, Moonshot and athird China-based AI lab, MiniMax, of engaging in campaigns to “illicitly extract Claude’scapabilities to improve their own models” using thedistillation techniquethat “involves training aless capable modelonthe outputsofa stronger one.

Anthropic said that distillation canbealegitimateway to train AI systems but it’s aproblem when competitors“use it to acquire powerful capabilities from other labs in afractionof thetime, and at afraction of the cost, that it would take to develop them independently.”

But it can go bothways.San Francisco-based startup Anysphere,maker of the popular coding tool Cursor,has acknowledgedthatone of its topproducts was based on Moonshot’s K2.5 model. Elon Musk’sSpaceX is planning to close adeal to buy Cursor for $60billionlater this year

Developers who build “opensource” AI make key componentsofthe technology accessiblefor anyone to examine, modify and build upon. Proponentssay open-sourcepractices promoteinnovation, while critics warnthat making powerful AI models publicly accessible poses safety and security dangers.

IBM warning is ‘hammer’ on tech’s AI outsiders

BY RYAN VLASTELICA and CARMEN REINICKE

Bloomberg News (TNS)

International Business Machines’ warning this week that its sales are falling well short of expectations highlights agrowing divide between artificialintelligencewinners andeveryone else in the tech universe. On Tuesday,IBM said it failed to predictthatits customers would shift their spending away from the company’sproducts so they can focus on servers, storage and memory products used in AI computing.The company’sshares plunged25% for their worst dayeverindatagoing back to the 1960s. Butinamuch broader sense, the revelation explained how the current technology trade is throwing awrench into the stock prices of huge companies that provide popularproducts and services unrelated to AI

“It’snot just awrench, it’s like ahammer,” saidBrian Mulberry, chief market strategist at Zacks Investment Management. “It’snot that there’snot demand for(other services). There is. It’s just thattheycan’t getthere because there’sonlya finite amount of capex that can be spent.”

Perhaps the best examples of this bifurcation are software giants Salesforceand ServiceNow,which sell tools that manage sales, human resourcesand IT functions for companies. The stocks have lost roughly athird of their value this year and are among the 20 worst performers in the S&P 500 Index. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index is up 62% in 2026. IBM’snews marked “a pivotal moment in thetech trade,” Mulberry said. It underscored how companies are de-emphasizing traditional tech products and services and prioritizing AI-related infrastructure and security software, which is in demand because the existence of AI represents arisk to corporate security With those costs rising —particularly soaring memory prices —the businesses are being forced to reassess how much theycan spend elsewhere. Software developers like Workday and SAP SE are also likely to feel the pinch from the spending shift, according to BloombergIntelligence analyst Anurag Rana. And leading tech business indicators like cloud backlogs and new subscription sales maycomeinbelow Wall Street expectations as these companies report earnings in the coming weeks.

“While theshortfall may be because of shifting IT budgets, this fundamental weakness will likely be interpreted as AI disrupting their core businesses, which could put further pressure on the sector’svaluation,” Rana wrote in anote on July 14. Wall Street hasbeen lowering its estimates for the software andservices sector,which is expected to post earnings growth of 16.5% in 2027, aconsensus thathas steadily declined for seven straight weeks, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. An indexofsoftware-as-aservice stocks is down 26% this year,compared with an 11% drop for abroader software index and a 13% rise in the tech-heavyNasdaq 100 Index.

BYKEN SWEET AP business writer

NEWYORK Citizens Banksaid it plans to wind down its financial relationship with two private prison companies that have been government contractors underthe Trump administration to help run immigrationdetention centers, bowing to public pressurefromadvocates andleft-leaningcity governments. CitizensprovidedbankingservicestoCoreCivic and The GEO Group, both companies that own or run private prisons throughout thecountry.UnderPresident Donald Trump, both companies have beencontracted by U.S. Immigrationand Customers Enforcement

to operate detention or deportation centers as partofthe Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration.

Thebankcame underanintense public campaign for its relationship withCoreCivic and GEO who demanded that Citizenscut ties with thetwo companies. At least two city councils in New Jerseyhave voted to withdraw theirmoney from Citizens if theydid not cutties with the private prison operators.

“Today’s announcementthat CitizensBankwill exit itscurrent lending relationships with private prison giantsCoreCivic and The GEOGroup is an importantvictory forthe people whorefused to letamajor bank financehu-

man suffering brought on by ICE detention activitiesofthe current federaladministration,”saidthe De-ICE Citizens Bank Coalition, in astatement. In astatement, Citizenssaidthey were ending their relationship with the two companies purely for business reasons and not because of politicalpressure. The federal government has said it plans to buy several facilities run by CoreCivic and is in talkstodosowith GEO. Becauseofthis, Citizens said thecompanies’ financialneeds have been reduced.

“This is abusiness decision based on changed commercial circumstances and does not reflect anychange in ourviewregarding

these companies’ business models or operations,” the bank said in a statement. Banks cutting ties with businesses or individuals is known as debanking, and it has become apolitically charged topic in Trump’s second term.Under the Trumpadministration,bankregulatorshave been conductinginvestigations into bank’sdebanking practices, withthe potential of these bank regulators issuing fines or penalties to any banks that are found to have committed debanking.

“Allbanks, including ourselves, must considerthese regulatory and contractual frameworks in making decisions on who to bank or not bank,” Citizens said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByNGHAN GUAN Chinese President Xi Jinpingspeaks Fridayatthe opening ceremonyfor the WorldAIConferencein Shanghai. The newest Kimi K3 model from Beijing-based startup Moonshot appears to be catching up to thebest versionsofAnthropic’sClaude and OpenAI’sChatGPT

OPINION

ANOTHERVIEW

Pollsshowhow Americanssee theissues

Americans have endured adizzyingstretchofcontroversies and sudden turns in recent months —fromwars in Iran and Ukraine to Supreme Court rulings, congressional maneuvering and presidentialdrama. It’sbeen exhausting and, at times,confusing Through it all, DonaldTrump’sjob approvalratings have remained steady.His latest ratingaverages43%, exactlywhere it was four months ago. The president’scritics find that hardto believe; they keep hearingabout individual polls showing his popularityfalling But polling averages, which combine results from multiple surveys, have shown little movement.

But the more revealingstory may be what voters say aboutspecific issues. Iran: Thelatest Economist/YouGov poll finds that only 36% of voters approveofTrump’s handling of the war with Iran, while nearly 6in10disapprove. Fewer thanathird believe going to warwas the right decision.

Trump campaigned in 2024 as dealmaker-in-chief promising to bring peace throughquick, smart negotiations. Yet60% now say he’sbeen ineffectiveinnegotiating with Iran.

More voters expected areturn to full-scalewar than anegotiatedsettlement. Only31% believe the United States should continue attackingIran, including 59% of Republicans, 17% of independents and 5% of Democrats. Israel: 32% of U.S. voters say their sympathieslie more with Israel, 25% side more withthe Palestinians andanother 25% are unsure. AmongDemocrats,just 10% side with Israel, while 36% favor the Palestinians

Thirty-six percent of voters supportcontinuedU.S. military aid to Israel, while 45% oppose it. Support among Republicans is 57%; amongDemocrats, 22%.

Ukraineand Russia:Americans overwhelmingly support Ukraine in the war against Russia.Sixty-nine percent side with Ukraine, comparedwith only4%who side with Russia. A56% majoritysupportssending military aid to Ukraine, while28% oppose.Yet voterssee no clear winner in the war The economy: Only 27% of votersratethe economy as excellentorgood. Those views are heavily influenced by partisanship. While 49% of Republicansgive the economypositive marks, only 9% of Democrats and14% of independents do. On top of that,amajority of Democrats and Independents believethe economy is getting worse. Politicians and sexual assault: ThecollapseofDemocrat Graham Platner’sSenate campaign in Maine has pushed this issueback intothe headlines.The poll finds that 62%ofvotersnationwidebelievea candidateaccusedofsexualassault by several women should drop out of the race, unless theallegations can be disproved. That view is shared by 58% of men, 63% of women,74% of Democrats, 60% of independents and49% of Republicans. At the same time, 62% believepoliticalcandidates are, at least sometimes, unfairly accusedofsexualassault. Voters are also unimpressed withhow both parties handle such charges. Only25% say Democrats do agood or excellent job, while24% say thesame of Republicans. World Cup: 41% of Americans say theywatched at least some of the 2026 FIFAWorld Cup. Thatincludes47% of men, 37% of women, 36% of Whites, 53% of Blacks and 60% of Hispanics. Only 21% approved of Trump’srequestthatthe onegame suspension of U.S. player Folarin Balogun be overturned. Greenland, Canada and Cuba: Americansshowlittle appetite for using military force toseize other countries. Only 10% support using force to take control of Greenland. That low number drops further to 6%whenit comes to Canada. Taking control of Cuba draws slightly greater support, though still only 20%. World leaders: Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy receives the highest favorable ratingamong the four foreign leaders tested:53% favorable to 31% unfavorable RussianPresident Vladimir Putin’snegativerating in theU.S.is10times greater thanhis positive rating— 80% to 8%. Iran’sMojtabaKhameneiiseven worse;his negative is nearly 11 times larger thanhis positivescore, 54%to5%.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuisviewed favorably by 28% of U.S. voters and unfavorablyby52%. That’sfar down from where it stood.Netanyahu has becomeapariahamong Democrats, with afavorable ratingofjust 9%. He does better withRepublicans,where nearly 50% view him positively Numbers tell the story,but they canchange.That’sexactly why they’re worth watching.

Ron Faucheux is anonpartisanpoliticalanalyst, pollster and writer based in Louisiana

Gravesshouldadmit GOP’smentality is what ledtoclosedprimaries

Iwritetoday to express my agreement with Garret Graves’ June 30 commentary on the issue of open vs. closed primaries. I, too, believe that open primaries foster greater electoral participation, result in better candidates and, generally,better serve our state. What Ihope now is that Graves’ concern with voter engagement and ensuring that “citizens choose their representatives and government remainsaccountable to its people” extends to other areas of our electoral process Graves, as acongressman, voted in 2020 to reject the electoral college delegation from Pennsylvania after they were properly elected by thecitizens of their state, basically tellingthose citizens their votes didn’tcount. Mr.Graves’ own party has also enthusiastically taken advantage of their legislative majorities around thecountry to ger-

rymander congressional districts, effectively disenfranchising Democratic and minority voters at every opportunity,and further dividing our country.They also, without evidence, daily cast doubt on the integrity of our electoral process. Each of these seems amuch greater infringement of voting rights and a much greater risk to our democracy than how we go about selecting candidates in aprimary election.

To flip Graves’ point, Louisiana and the United States currently have aproblem in search of asolution. Ihope Graves and the rest of those in his party will, forthe good of the state and the country,turn their backs on this “win at all costs” approach to politics and governance and stand up fordemocracy andthe sanctity of aperson’svote when it matters.

PATFORBES Baton Rouge

Obituaries arebig part of celebratingalife

As alongtime reader of the obituary section and an expert on local funeral customs and traditions, I have noticed asignificant decline in thenumber of funeral notices published in the daily paper

Though this letter may not be reaching the right audience, since people who do not read thenewspaper mostly likely do not post obituaries., it should be noted that published obitsserve anumber of purposes.

They inform thepublic of the death. They highlight thelife of thedeceased and identify the next

of kin. Butperhaps mostimportantly,they preservethe lifeofthe individual in perpetuity forfuture generations, researchers and historians.While manydeaths are now noted on social media, which is not incidentallyfree while it costs money to post in the paper,those outlets are ephemeral and today’s post disappears into the ether by tomorrow Postinganobituary in the newspaper ensures thememoryofour loved ones lives on.

JAYMAZZA NewOrleans

NewAir ForceOne awaste of taxpayer dollars

Watching in horror as thegovernment pursuesanother senselesswar

This year,some people in our country are celebrating our 250th anniversary.Not me. Iam ashamed of what the United States has become. Sadly,this is not the first timeour government has screwed things up so badly Fifty years ago, as we celebrated our 200th anniversary,wehad just been defeated in South Vietnam, having lost 58,220 of our best young people and atrillion dollars. We watched in horror as the Communist North Vietnamese Army overran the country,slaughtering amillion of the people whohad believed in us.

Now, here we are, 50 years later, watching in horror again as our government, led by acriminal madman and his incompetent Secretary of “War,” pursue another senseless slaughter forreasons based upon faulty logic and vanity When will we ever learn?

ED BROCK Baton Rouge

Newspaper’slove affair with Republican Senate candidateis notgoodjournalism

Youdoyour readers adisservice by giving disproportionate attention to U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow over her Democratic election opponent. Yougave moreattention to her losing primary opponent, John Fleming, forexample, than to Democratic candidate Jamie Davis, not to mention posting ahuge picture of Letlow and atiny one of Davis on election night.

Youalso unfairly minimized the potential draw of Davis by ignoring the fact that aDemocrat won the statewide position of governor very recently,serving from 2016 to 2024, if Irecall correctly Regardless of whom you personally prefer forthe position, you owe us, your readers and those paying not-insubstantial subscription fees forjournalism, better and fairer reporting.

ROWENA JONES NewOrleans

GLENJACKSON

President Donald Trumphas squandered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to “upgrade” the luxury airplane gifted to him.This plane, thenew Air Force One, will becomehis personal property once he leaves office. Yetwhen departing therecent NATO summit in Turkey,heflew on theprevious Air Force Onebecause it was deemed safer and more capable than thegifted airplane. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on an aircraft that cannot perform as well as theprevious plane. Lookslike the definition of waste, fraud and abuse on the largest scale to me.

NewOrleans

Ron Faucheux

Tulane returning to LSU schedule in 2030

Tigers to host Southern in 2028,

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

LSU adding Tulane back to its football schedule is a big deal.

But what week the Tigers will play the Green Wave in 2030 is an

even bigger deal.

The matchup is scheduled for Aug. 31 of that year in Tiger Stadium, according to a Friday release from LSU, which means it could lead off the Tigers’ 2030 slate.

LSU is also adding an Aug. 28, 2027, opener with Northwestern State; an Aug. 26, 2028, opener with UL-Monroe; and a Sept. 9 2028, contest with Southern.

Coach Lane Kiffin has made it known he doesn’t love playing marquee opponents, such as a

Clemson, in Week 1 of the regular season. College football programs don’t have preseason games to prepare, and starting the season with a loss to a difficult opponent can change the course of a season from both a momentum and perception standpoint.

In this playoff era, a bad start can be the difference between making or missing the College Football Playoff field, which was a point of discussion for Kiffin on the Pardon My Take podcast in May

He highlighted his 20-0 record in nonconference games during his six seasons at Ole Miss.

The Rebels made the CFP last season and went on a run to the semifinals after Kiffin left to take the LSU job.

“We didn’t play in any of them big openers,” Kiffin said. “This place (LSU) in a four-year span lost three of four openers. ‘Yeah, that’s so great (to play a big game),’ whatever But you don’t get rewarded for it because it’s not

PROTECTION PLAN

New Orleans hopes

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The progress has been slow and it has not gone without some bumps in the road, but through the draft and free agency, the Saints have assembled an offensive line that should serve as the bedrock of a successful offense.

It is bookended by two tackles taken in the top 15 of back-to-back drafts in Kelvin Banks on the left and Taliese Fuaga on the right. It is led by Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy, who is hopeful he can put his injury woes from the last two seasons behind him. And it may be taken to the next level by pricey free agent acquisition David Edwards, who boasted an impressive 95% pass-block win rate last season, according to ESPN.

For a team that has been searching for an offensive identity for quite some time,

a strong offensive line can help right that ship. Just by virtue of their personnel at the point of attack, the Saints should hold up in both the run and passing game, allowing them to dictate the game to the defense.

That is a theory at this point. A lot of things can go wrong, as recent seasons have proven. But on paper, this is the best offensive line the Saints have put on the field since Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk lined up at tackle. Number to know: 742

That is the number of combined offensive snaps McCoy has played the last two seasons — fewer than any one of his first five seasons.

Smoke clouds conditions for World Cup

worth it enough.” LSU lost five straight openers from 2020-24, starting the skid with a home loss to Mississippi State and a road defeat at UCLA. Brian Kelly opened his tenure as head coach with consecutive Week 1 losses to Florida State in New Orleans and Orlando, Florida, respectively After an

Burns, Herbert shoot majors-record round; DeChambeau penalized

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHPORT England The British Open came to life Friday when Lucas Herbert and former LSU golfer Sam Burns took their place in history by tying the major championship record with 62s, and Bryson DeChambeau was penalized two shots after his round for inadvertently improving the path of his swing.

In the midst of all the late drama was Jon Rahm getting an official conduct warning for throwing his club after a bad tee shot. The real emotion came in the twilight hours with no spectators around as DeChambeau stood in high grass on the fifth hole with two rules officials, pleading his case and ultimately losing the argument. His 4-under 66 became a 68, and he went from one shot behind Herbert to three behind. And then he went to the range until the only light came from the video boards.

DeChambeau has turned down media at the majors dating to his missed cut at the Masters in April.

Herbert, who was at 8-under 132, was slightly disappointed with his record-tying round because he missed a 5-foot par putt that would have given him a 61.

“Very very proud to put my name on that list of guys that have shot 62 in a major championship. So it’s kind of holding two emotions there at the same time,” Herbert said. “It’s a pretty good problem to have, too, to be disappointed you shot 62.” Burns didn’t even know he tied a record when he holed a bunker shot on the 18th for his third straight birdie, just 22

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PETER MORRISON

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints offensive linemen Dillon Radunz, second from left, and Kelvin Banks, right, line up against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 14 in the Caesars Superdome. The Saints are banking on

4

3

LSU loses freshman signee chosen late in MLB draft

One of LSU baseball’s freshman signees will no longer begin his collegiate career in Baton Rouge. Anthony Murphy a power-hitting California center fielder who was selected by the Washington Nationals in the 16th round of the 2026 MLB Draft, said in a social media post Friday that he had “decided to decommit” from LSU and “reopen my recruitment.” He later pledged to Miami.

“Being committed to LSU has been an incredible honor,” Murphy said, “and I’ll always be thankful for the relationships I’ve built and the support I’ve received.

“This decision was not made lightly and is in no way a reflection of LSU, its coaches or the program. I have nothing but respect and appreciation for everything they’ve done for me.”

Smith-Njigba cream of WRs

BY ROB MAADDI Associated Press

Jaxon Smith-Njigba won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and the Super Bowl last season before the Seattle Seahawks gave him the biggest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history No surprise he was voted the NFL’s top wideout by The Associated Press in a preseason survey

Smith-Njigba received four first-place votes, three thirds and a fourth from a panel of eight AP pro football writers, who ranked the top five receivers entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Secondthrough fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

The 24-year-old set a team record for yards receiving (1,793) and receptions (119) last season. He received a four-year, $168.6 million extension that averages $42.15 million annually and includes over $120 million in guaranteed money

Smith-Njigba, a unanimous All-

Pro selection, had nine 100-yard receiving games during the regular season and was a key to Seattle winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history

2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Chase, a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2024, tied Justin Jef-

Arizona TE McBride continues to shine

BY ROB MAADDI Associated Press

Trey McBride was the bright spot last season for a dismal team in Arizona. He was the most productive tight end in the NFL, a near-unanimous All-Pro selection and made his second straight Pro Bowl. McBride’s success has also landed him the top spot at tight end in a preseason survey by The Associated Press. He received five first-place votes from a panel of eight AP Pro Football Writers who ranked the top five players at the position.

1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

McBride had a breakout year in 2024 and followed that up with a record-setting season in 2025. He caught 126 passes last season, breaking Zach Ertz’s record for most in a season by a tight end, had 1,239 receiving yards, and his 11 receiving touchdowns tied for first. McBride also led tight ends with 566 yards after the catch.

2. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Kittle had 57 receptions for 628 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in only 11 games last season, averaging 11.0 yards per reception. He had just two drops and 259 yards after the catch

The seven-time Pro Bowl pick and two-time All-Pro is one of the best blocking tight ends in NFL history

3. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

After a sensational All-Pro rookie season, Bowers was plagued by injuries last year. He caught 64 passes for 680 yards and seven TDs in 12 games and made his second Pro Bowl. Bowers gained 296 yards after the catch, and had three drops. A

AP FILE PHOTO By JOSHUA A. BICKEL Cardinals tight end Trey McBride catches a touchdown pass in the end zone against the Bengals on Dec 28 in Cincinnati.

dynamic receiver Bowers is still a work in progress as a blocker

4. Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

LaPorta was limited to nine games because of injuries last season and had 40 catches for 489 yards and three TDs.

He wasn’t charged with any drops and totaled 273 yards after the catch. LaPorta is one of the best all-around tight ends in the league and an asset in Detroit’s run game because of his outstanding blocking skills.

5. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

Pitts earned second-team AllPro honors after a career-high 88 catches for 928 yards and five TDs last season.

Pitts, who was the highestdrafted tight end in NFL history in 2021 when the Falcons selected him No. 4 overall, lived up to expectations as a rookie when he made the Pro Bowl But he was disappointing until a breakthrough season last year

ferson for first place in voting last year in this survey

He had 125 receptions, 1,412 yards receiving and eight touchdowns last season after earning the receiving triple crown in 2024.

3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Nacua was a unanimous All-Pro

selection after leading the NFL with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 TDs.

Nacua has averaged 104 catches, 1,397 yards receiving and six TDs over his three seasons in the NFL, giving Matthew Stafford a top target and the Rams an elite passing attack.

4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

In a down season, Jefferson had 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two TDs while catching passes from three different Vikings quarterbacks.

The two-time All-Pro has averaged 97 catches, 1,413 yards and seven TDs over his six seasons in the NFL.

5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

St. Brown was a second-team All-Pro after earning first-team honors the previous two seasons. He had 117 receptions, 1,401 yards receiving and 11 TDs last season for the Lions. St. Brown has four straight seasons of more than 100 receptions and more than 1,100 yards receiving.

RB Robinson meets hype

BY JOSH DUBOW Associated Press

The expectations for Bijan Robinson were high as soon as he entered the NFL in 2023 as the first running back taken with a top-10 pick in five years. Robinson made an impact almost from the start with the Atlanta Falcons and then took his game to another level last season when he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and was picked as the All-Pro running back.

That production helped Robinson win the honor of being named the top running back in the league by The Associated Press.

1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Robinson, the eighth pick in 2023, is one of the top dual-threat backs in the league, finishing fourth in the league in rushing last season with 1,478 yards to go along with 820 yards receiving. He became the second player ever with at least 1,400 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving in the same season, joining Steven Jackson, who did it in 2006. Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 yards and scored 11 touchds

2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

McCaffrey has established himself as the most dangerous receiving threat out of the backfield and is a focal point of Kyle Shanahan’s passing game in San Francisco. McCaffrey wasn’t the explosive runner last season as he had been earlier in his career, rushing for 1,202 yards and averaging just 3.9 yards per carry He more than made up for that with 102 catches for 924 yards as he nearly became the first player ever with two seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.

3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

People have been waiting for Henry to shows signs of decline as he reached his 30s, but it hasn’t been evident yet.

Henry has topped 1,500 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons after turning 30, with his five 1,500-yard seasons tied with Lions legend Barry Sanders for the most ever Henry ranked second in the NFL last season with 1,595 yards rushing and is 10th all-time with 13,018 yards.

4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley took a step back from his record-setting 2024 season when his 2,504 yards rushing in the regular season and playoffs were the most ever as Philadelphia’s offense was less potent last season. He still managed to rush for 1,140 yards and scored nine total touchdowns.

5. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Gibbs has been a scoring machine since entering the league with Robinson in 2023, when he was picked four spots later at No 12 overall. Gibbs’ 49 career TDs are the most ever for a player before turning 24, topping the previous mark of 47 set by Sanders.

Had Murphy decided to join the Tigers, he would’ve faced a roster crunch. LSU was projected to have more than 40 players on its 2027 roster before Friday and a likely competition for the starting center field spot.

NFL suspends Cardinals executive over gambling

The NFL has suspended Arizona Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indefinitely for violating the league’s gambling policy

The league said Friday that its investigation determined that Gold provided confidential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 draft selections by the Cardinals before the picks were announced, and Gold also participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games. The league didn’t say who Gold had provided with the information. Gold, who is in his 13th season with the Cardinals, was promoted to director of college scouting in June 2025. He spent 2022-24 as the assistant director of college scouting.

Titans to honor Johnson as Ring of Honor inductee NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans will induct Chris Johnson, the sixth man in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a season, into their Ring of Honor during halftime of their regular-season opener Sept. 13.

The Titans announced the honor Friday following Johnson’s revelation June 29 that he was diagnosed with ALS, the fatal nervous system disease a year earlier Johnson was the 24th pick overall in 2008 by the Titans and played six of his 10 seasons in the NFL with Tennessee. Johnson, nicknamed “CJ2K,” rushed for 7,965 yards and had 58 total TDs in that span.

MLB restricts dugout iPad usage to prevent use of AI

NEW YORK Major League Baseball is restricting iPad usage in dugouts to prevent the tablets from running artificial intelligence to help make decisions.

The tablets have access to video and league-provided data, and also included a custom tab where teams could access other programs. MLB made the custom tabs inaccessible to teams starting Wednesday night, when the second half of the season started.

“In many cases, the custom tab had expanded the use of the dugout iPads beyond their originally intended purpose to include recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling, and other ingame decisions traditionally made by players and coaches,” MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword wrote in a June 11 memo to GMs, assistant GMs and video coordinators.

Ohtani likely to pitch next week after knee treatment

NEW YORK Shohei Ohtani had a lubricant injected into his left knee, but the Dodgers two-way star did not have fluid drained, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Friday

Ohtani was in the starting lineup leading off as the designated hitter in Friday’s second-half opener against the New York Yankees. The four-time MVP is not slated to pitch this weekend and likely will make his next start Wednesday at Philadelphia Roberts said Ohtani had the procedure after Sunday’s game against Arizona. Ohtani last pitched on July 3.

“It gives him some relief in his knee and then the four days off from activity which gets it all to kind of settle in,” Roberts said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By BEN VANHOUTEN Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba runs with the ball during the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 25 in Seattle.

AP FILE PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON Falcons running back Bijan Robinson celebrates his touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 29 in Atlanta.

Yankees slugger Judge still not cleared to play

He hasn’t played since May 31 due to rib fracture

BY RONALD BLUM Associated Press

NEW YORK Aaron Judge’s broken rib has not completely healed, and the New York Yankees captain still hasn’t been cleared to resume baseball activities.

Judge hasn’t played since May 31 because of the stress fracture in his right ribs. He had a scan during the All-Star break and called the result positive news

“Part of it’s healing. The other part of it’s still trying to bridge together,” the three-time AL MVP said before the Yankees started the second half Friday night against the two-time reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Judge and the Yankees were waiting for an evaluation of the scans from Dr Gregory J Pearl, chair of the department of vascular surgery at Baylor Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in Texas. Judge will need another scan before he is cleared for baseball activities and given a time frame for a return.

“I’m going to wait for the doctors to kind of tell us what to do and what they see when they look at it,” Judge said. “We got a big team of guys looking at this just so we get the best answer and have the right plan.”

Judge is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs but had just one homer in his last 18 games. The 34-year-old outfielder has done lower-body work, treadmill and climbing steps but no baseball

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

The two injuries that ended McCoy’s last two seasons — an elbow in 2024 and a torn biceps in 2025 — were somewhat freak occurrences. McCoy recently said the action that caused him to tear his biceps last year was something that he’d done countless times before. It doesn’t change the fact the Saints need McCoy to stay on the field, because there is no question the offense functions at a higher level when he is playing.

The lowdown The question of how good the offensive line can be likely will come down to the development of the young offensive tackles.

New Orleans used the No. 9 overall pick in 2025 on Banks to be their left tackle of the future. He took over that position from Fuaga, who slid over to the right side after his impressive rookie season as the No. 14 pick in the 2024 draft Banks appears to be a home run pick for the Saints. He played nearly every offensive snap in 2025 and improved as the season went along, cutting his quick pressure rate from over 5% in the first half of the season to less than 2% in the second half.

Fuaga appeared to be on that same track after his rookie season. But after switching to the right side — the side he played at Oregon State — Fuaga’s play fell off a bit in 2025 as he managed an injury throughout the season.

If a healthy Fuaga can rediscover his form and Banks takes another step forward, the Saints could have one of the NFL’s best young offensive tackle tandems.

Belichick is hoping lessons learned lead to more success

North Carolina coach heads into second college season

BY AARON BEARD Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NFL coaching great Bill Belichick spent a bumpy debut season at North Carolina trying to blend a roster full of newcomers and adjusting to life in the college ranks.

It was a learning experience even for someone with a résumé featuring six Super Bowl titles as a head coach and ranking as one of the NFL’s all-time leaders in coaching wins.

“Look, I learn every year; I learn things every day,” Belichick said Friday morning during the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason football media days.

activities or heavy weightlifting.

He’s stopped the bicycle work he did earlier in the layoff.

“It’s feeling better It was a couple weeks that were tough, couldn’t do a lot, but now we’re feeling 10 times better,” he said “So that was my big complaint, well, if I’m feeling better how about we start moving? But I think they just don’t want to start adding baseball activities and other stuff and all of a sudden we have a setback and it pushes everything back.”

When he is able to play, Judge doesn’t want to go on a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment.

“I hate rehab games, so I got to to talk with them about all that, because why waste at-bats in a rehab game?” Judge said New York was 36-23 when he last played but was 18-19 since as the second half began Friday

“I feel good about the fact that he will be back, but it’s just a matter of when,” manager Aaron Boone said.

Other Yankees injury news

Left-hander Max Fried, out since May 14 because of a left elbow bone bruise, was to make his first rehab start on Friday for TripleA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Worcester and will have at least one more minor league outing.

Left-hander Carlos Rodón, who has not pitched since June 28 because of left elbow inflammation, threw 10 pitches off a mound Friday but has not progressed to a bullpen session.

Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 because of a strained right calf, started a running progression outdoors.

SAINTS DEPTH CHART

Name Ht. Wt.

“Every week is a learning experience for me. Try to listen to the people that are around me that work for us, that do various things, whether it’s academics, training nutrition, offense, defense, special teams, so forth. Try to do the best I can to help put it all together

“Recruiting, fundraising — you name it. There are a lot of different things, and I can improve in all of them.”

It was a rough debut for the 74-year-old Belichick, best known for his time hoisting trophies and winning with relentless precision alongside star quarterback Tom Brady with the New England Patriots.

His arrival at the college level was a spectacle, one that put a national spotlight on a school with a football program that had long been an ACC also-ran compared to its tradition-rich men’s basketball program being among the nation’s blueblood elite.

There’s less buzz this time around. There’s no curiosity to imagining what it will look like for Belichick to roam a college sideline sporting his trademark hoodie garb. And the Tar Heels’ poor on-field performance offers little reason to expect a big leap in Year 2.

Yet similar to what he was known for in his Patriots tenure, Belichick is focused on his internal evaluation. And he sees cause for optimism.

“Last year when we started, we were literally starting from scratch,” he said. “We’re above that now for sure.

Hoping for more continuity

Belichick has pointed numerous times to the Tar Heels getting a late run into recruiting after his December hiring, starting with jumping into the transfer portal and then pulling from the

high school ranks. That meant pulling together a roster to get started with spring drills, then going through more waves of roster changes leading into preseason camp.

“The biggest thing last year was just how behind we were,” Belichick said of his December 2024 arrival.

By the time the Tar Heels started last season, they had 70 new players.

“This time a year ago, we didn’t have a quarterback who had taken a snap even in spring ball for us,” Belichick said.

“Last year we didn’t have any player-run practices. We couldn’t actually line up a team and run against another team without the coaches being out there because we didn’t have anybody that knew enough on either side of the ball to do that. Whereas this year these guys have done it all spring and all summer.”

To that point, the Tar Heels have plenty of newness on the roster with 60 new players, 40 true freshmen and 17 redshirt freshmen. But UNC also had 35 of the freshmen arrive in time to go through spring practices while there’s enough returnees to offer continuity and better stability

“Culture’s a lot different, work ethic’s different,” Belichick said.

“I’m not taking anything away from the guys that were here. But compared to a year ago, we just know a lot more about what we’re doing and how to do it and our culture’s a lot different.”

UNC knows what to expect

Belichick’s appearance at this ACC kickoff event last year was the center of attention So too was his nationally televised Labor Day debut in front of a sellout home crowd against TCU.

Yet the Tar Heels lost that game in a blowout in what turned out to be a harbinger of frustra-

tion to come And Belichick’s mere presence on the sideline only magnified the pressure that arose from on-field troubles and unwanted off-field headlines, from an assistant coach’s suspension to tabloid-like interest in Belichick’s relationship with 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson.

“Seeing a guy like Coach Belichick, who’s constantly in the spotlight I mean, the guy could cure cancer and people would still write negative pieces about him,” offensive lineman Christo Kelly said.

“But seeing how he handles himself through everything, seeing how he’s continued to block out the noise, it really sets the standard for what we should be doing.”

By the end of the year, Belichick had fielded a team that had more losses by double-digit margins (five) than total wins, with two home losses ending in an empty stadium with Tar Heels fans having fled early for the exits. UNC’s three wins against Bowl Subdivision opponents came against teams with a combined 8-28 record (Charlotte Syracuse and Stanford), while the Tar Heels failed to make a bowl for the first time since 2018.

“We really felt like it was all Carolina Carolina for Carolina, nobody else was really rooting for us, everybody wanted to see Coach Belichick fail,” receiver Jordan Shipp said.

“It was just like we knew that we were in this by ourselves. And everybody that was here last year we know that feeling. So now we know what to expect. The same goes for Belichick, who was asked in the afternoon what he had learned about himself at UNC.

“That I like coaching in college,” Belichick said “I didn’t know whether I would or wouldn’t, but I do.”

That does not even include what happened along the interior Edwards was one of the best available free agents at any position this offseason, and the Saints snapped him up for $61 million over four years.

The veteran has drawn rave reviews for quickly settling into a leadership role for the Saints, and he fills a crucial need — left guard was a bit of a black hole a year ago.

That leaves veteran Cesar Ruiz, the Saints’ 2020 first-rounder He is coming off a disappointing 2025 season but has shown at times in his career that he can play at an above average level. He has two years remaining on his contract but no guarantees after this year, and the Saints added a little pressure on him by selecting Jeremiah Wright out of Auburn in the fourth round.

While Ruiz likely isn’t going to share starters’ reps with Wright during training camp, the stakes are relatively high for him to prove he should still be the right guard beyond 2026.

Potential camp battle

The Saints were able to navigate McCoy’s injury to a degree last season because they traded for Luke Fortner, who wound up starting the final 10 games and playing well enough to earn a $2.75 million contract from the Carolina Panthers in the offseason.

That leaves relatively untested young players such as Torricelli Simpkins and William Sherman to compete for the primary spot behind McCoy Both started a pair of games at guard while New Orleans endured a rash of injuries on the interior of the offensive line last season.

Simpkins is the younger of the two, entering his true second season in the NFL. Sherman was drafted in 2021 but spent several seasons on practice squads before returning to a game day roster last season. This summer, Simpkins took snaps with the second team, though that is hardly an indication of where things will land in September

One thing to keep in mind: Ruiz is listed as a G/C on the team’s website (as is McCoy) and was primarily a center in college. The Saints didn’t want to shift him inside after McCoy’s injury last season because they felt it would make them worse at two positions, but perhaps that mindset would change if New Orleans feels confident about Wright. Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Kelly finally won an opener at Clemson last season. Now LSU has to complete the home-andhome series against Clemson with a Sept. 5 contest in Baton Rouge, which will be Kiffin’s debut.

Kiffin doesn’t want to play a tough nonconference slate when he doesn’t believe other leagues are doing the same. He argues the Big Ten, home to the last three national champions, isn’t as deep as the SEC and those teams don’t have as many games to “get up for on their schedule each year

“That schedule, where half your games you don’t have to get up for, it’s a mental toll that you gotta play when you have to get up for (it),”

Kiffin said on Pardon My Take.

Kiffin would much rather open with a school from a non-Power Four conference, and American Conference member Tulane fits the bill Tulane also happens to be the team LSU played in its first football game ever in 1893, which Tulane won 34-0.

That’s not to say the Green Wave has become pushovers, because it made the playoff under now-Florida coach Jon Sumrall last season. But the last time LSU played Tulane was an Oct. 31, 2009, contest in Tiger Stadium, which the Tigers won 42-0.

LSU’s only other game against Southern came in 2022 for a 6517 victory LSU last faced Northwestern State in 2019 and prevailed 65-14.

UL-Monroe is a program LSU has faced four times. The Tigers have won all four games in the series, though its 2014 win was

vacated because of a booster scandal.

Officially, LSU is a combined 16-0 vs. Northwestern State, ULMonroe and Southern.

LSU holds a combined record of 69-22-7 vs. Tulane, but the Tigers have won 18 straight and haven’t lost since 1982. Of Tulane’s 22 wins over LSU, 18 came prior to 1950.

LSU will open 2027 with Northwestern State, Houston and Texas-San Antonio before launching into a nine-game conference slate. The 2028 campaign will open with UL-Monroe, SMU and Southern. In 2029, the Tigers are slated to make a return trip to SMU before hosting Rice and McNeese State in Tiger Stadium. LSU currently has a home-andhome series scheduled with Utah in 2031-32, as well.

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ theadvocate.com

FILE PHOTO By KATHy ANDERSON LSU coach Lane Kiffin rides in the Endymion parade on Orleans Avenue on Feb 14 in New Orleans.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JASON BEHNKEN

Aaron Judge watches from the yankees’ dugout during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 6 in St Petersburg, Fla

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRIS SEWARD

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is seen on the sidelines during a game against Duke on Nov. 22 in Chapel Hill, N.C.

BRITISH OPEN

MORRISON

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PETER

RoryMcIlroyofNorthernIreland looksatthe lie of his putt on the fourth green during the second dayofthe British Open on FridayatRoyal Birkdale golf club in Southport, England

McIlroymakes weekend with sizablegap to close

BY STEVE DOUGLAS AP sportswriter

SOUTHPORT,England Rory McIlroy hasdone enoughtomakeittothe weekend at RoyalBirkdale.

He’ll have to do much, much more to lift the claret jug. The world No. 2bounced back with a3-under 67 in the second round at the British Open on Friday,ensuring he wouldthe cut with his score of 1-under par overall. But he sitsseven shotsback of leader Lucas Herbert while sitting in atie for 38th. McIlroy knew he’d left afew shots out there, though, especially whenhesaw that two other morning starters —Herbert andformer LSU golfer Sam Burns —tiedthe major championship record with rounds of 62 in gorgeous conditions.

“It was alittle better today,”

BRITISH

Continued from page1C

minutes after Herbert shot his 62. But there was no mistaking the frustration of DeChambeau, who tends to draw attention no matter what he does. He has been more visible on his successful YouTube channel than in the majors, particularly having missed the cut in all three of them until this week

Six-time major champion Nick Faldo criticizedhim for having no strategy for links golf, and DeChambeau responded by working his way into contention with plenty of power.

DeChambeau was hand-slapping with the gallery afterhemadea12foot birdie putt on the 18thtoget within one shot of Herbert going into the weekend. That changed when officials asked him to review his shot from the fifth hole.

DeChambeau asked to be taken to thesceneofthe infraction, in thick, high grass to the right of the 321-yard hole. TV cameras picked himuparguing withGrant Moir, the R&A executive director of governance,and Mark Luiten, achief referee from the European tour He drove well to the right and was stomping around as hetried to figure out how to navigateashot 72 yards from the hole. At issue was whether he violated Rule 8that governs the intended swing.

Officialseventually deemed a section of grass behind the ball was tamped down by hismovement, whichmighthaveaffected his backswing on the shot

“A player is allowedtofairly take their stance by takingreasonable actionstoget to the ball and take astance, if in some situations that improves thecondition affecting the stroke,” Moir said. “But when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing.”

He said the rule applies even when there is no intention to improve the area. Even more dramafollowed when DeChambeau stormed off to the range. His agent, BrettFalkoff, was asked if the two-time U S Open champion would play on Sat-

McIlroysaid, “butstill didn’tfeel

100% comfortable. Hopefully try to figure that outasthe week goes on.”

He mighthavefigured it outtoo late.

While McIlroyisseven shots off theclubhouse lead held by Herbert, morerelevantmight be No. 4-ranked Cameron Young being at 6under.Other players such as top-ranked Scottie Scheffler,Jon Rahm and BrysonDeChambeau are also well ahead of thebackto-back Masters champion on the leaderboard.

McIlroy,who wonthe British Open just down the road in Hoylake in 2014, struggled on the greens in shooting72onThursdayand said he still hasn’tfigured them out.

“I felt like Ihit good puttsand they didsomething completely different to what Isaw in the read,

and Ithink that’salittle unnerving,” he said.

McIlroy was happy with his driving. He drove the green on the par4ninth hole with a377-yard tee shot thatsettled 11 feet from the pin, settingupthe third of his four birdies on Friday

Yet, for all his excellence off of thetee, he has madeonly one birdie on the par 5s this week.

McIlroy hopes theconditions allow him to be aggressive off of the teeoverthe weekend.Itmightbe his only hope of avictory

“I think any time Ican get adriver in my hand, I’mgoing to tryto,” he said. “I just feel like with how I’m feeling with thedriver,Ithink it’sa big advantage if Ican get the ball down there and take out some of these fairway bunkers

“l continue todothat when Ican, andthenI’m still trying to figure out these greens alittle bit.”

PLAYERS SHOOTING 62 IN MAJORS

Playerswitha62inmen’smajor championshipswithround,year andcourse(par)

U.S. OPEN

n Rickie Fowler, first, 2023, Los Angeles Country Club (70)

n Xander Schauffele, first, 2023, Los Angeles CountryClub(70) PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

n x-Xander Schauffele, first, 2024, Valhalla (71)

urdayand replied, “We’ll see.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” the agent said.

Herbert was long gone when all this was takingplace, withmixed emotions about ashortmiss on the finalholebut proud to becomethe sixth person to shoot62inamajor.And then Burns madeitseven with his astonishing finish —a 40foot birdie putt from off thegreen at the 16th,a 20-footbirdieonthe 17th and thefirst birdie of the day on the18th with his bunker shot.

Still steamingfrom abogey-bogey-bogeyfinish on Thursday for a3-over 73, Burns’ goal was to get back under parand keep his hopes aliveinthe championship.

“The finishthere thelast three holeswas just abonus,” Burns said of his roundFriday Burns wasn’teven supposed to be at the British Open.His wife was due with their second child this week, but when she hada daughter earlier than expected on July 3, Burns decided to cross the Atlantic for another shot at amajor. He wasrunner-up by oneshot in the U.S.Open.

When the dustfinallysettled on thebrown-bakedlinks of Royal Birkdale, the only clarity was Herbert having his first 36-hole lead in amajor.And golf’s oldest championship,which rarely lacks fordrama, hadalmostmorethanit could handle.

Reigning champion Scottie Scheffler couldn’tbuy aputt until a12-footer for par on the final hole gave hima68and left himonly four shots behind “All you can do is continue to give myself opportunities,” Schef-

Rose,Fitzpatrick amongthe field saying farewells

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHPORT,England Justin Rose could feel the warmthand adulation as he walked up the 18th holeFriday in the British Open. He just wishes he could have changed the day of the week. Rosehad lefthimself too big of ahole and didn’t ma ke nearly enough putts to make the cut at Royal Birkdale. He closed with a2-under 68 —heshot76inthe firstround—and his exit was moreceremonialthan it wasa celebration.

“I was trying to get out of my own head at that point and just enjoy theglorious walkthat an Open Championship 18th hole is,” Rosesaid. He knowsfromexperience, particularly at Royal Birkdale. It was in 1998 when Rose, the 17-year-old amateur,chipped in on thefinalholetotie forfourth. He’snot beenable to capture that moment since then, but the adoring spectators sounded just as loud.

“I could feel that they wanted it forme,” Rose said. “I think up 18, it was just about the warmreception. Obviously,Ithink people often remember yesteryear,me walking up thathole at Birkdale, but Ithink it’salot of appreciation for the career I’ve had since then,and Ijust really wanted to enjoy it with them.”

English hopes were high for this British Open because of players such as Rose, at No.10inthe world,and Matt Fitzpatrick with three wins this year and rising to No. 3inthe world.

Fitzpatrickalsomissedthe cut— his younger brother,Alex, goes into theweekendfourshots behind the leader —and the frustrationwas evidentwithevery missedputt. He often gave apronounced thumbs up over his misses.Fitzpatrickchalked it up to the quirks and bounces of links golf.

n Shane Lowry, third, 2024, Valhalla (71) BRITISH OPEN

n Branden Grace, third, 2017, RoyalBirkdale (70)

n Lucas Herbert, second, 2026, RoyalBirkdale (70)

n Sam Burns, second, 2026, RoyalBirkdale (70)

The Associated Press

fler said. “I was hittingsomegood putts as well, the balls just weren’t dropping. If Icontinue to strike it like Idid today andyesterday over thenextcouple days, I’ll be in agood spot.” Jackson Suber (69) and Ryan Gerard (67), apair of newcomers to linksgolf, were tied for second withCameronYoung, whohas powerfully put together apair of 67s as he looks morelike the player who dominated the spring. Rahm,who misseda4-footbirdie putt on thefinal holeand shot67, was very muchinthe mix just four shotsbehind and not about to change his intensity,even though anotherconduct violationwould be atwo-shot penalty

“It’snot like I’m going to if I trytoalter who Iamtoo much, it might cost me alittle bit on the course,”Rahmsaid. “Butcertainly shouldn’thave momentslike the one on 15. Iget it.”

Sixteen playerswere separated by four shotsgoing into the weekend, whichincludeshometown star Tommy Fleetwood,who had threebirdies over the last five holes for a67.

The cut was at 1-over 141 and a few of England’sbest hopeswon’t be around —Matt Fitzpatrick, the No. 3player in the world, and Justin RoseatNo. 10. Herbert,who has won on five tours around the world and most recentlyonLIV Golf, made the cut for only the 10th time in 18 majors. He madeitlook easy until thefinalhole, andnow histhoughts shift from having his nameinthe record book to his name on the claret jug.

Low scoring at Royal Birkdale —highlighted by the recordtying 62s by Lucas Herbert and SamBurns on Friday—put the cut at 1-over 141. It wasthe secondstraightyearthat1-overpar madethe cut. Jordan Spieth, whowon at Royal Birkdale in 2017, made apair of birdies early to raise hopes he wouldmakeittothe weekend. But then he three-putted from 4feetonNo. 7. He three-putted from 8feet on No.14. He madea 9onthe 17th hole.Itaddeduptoa 77 as he finished at 10-over 150 to miss the cut by nine shots. Masters champion Rory McIlroy (139) was the only major champion this year whowill be around for the weekend. PGA champion Aaron Rai (142) and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark (143) both missed the cut. And thenwerewas Harry Hall of England, whoopened with a77 and had a68that left him three shots outside the cut. He became the only player to miss the cut in all four majors this year

There were somelate heroics, with Min WooLee andJosele Ballester each making birdie on the 18th hole —the hardest on the course —tomake the cut on the number “Just making cuts is not the big picture, butmomentslikethat when youneed to, Ithink that will help in the long run,” Lee said. “It would have been abit of a bummer to pack my bags and go home. I’m excited fortomorrow Hopefully we get good conditions in the morning and can put alow one there.”

Cameron Smith, who won the Open at St.Andrews in 2022 a few months before he bolted for LIVGolf, missed the cut in three of the four majors this year.He missed all four of them in 2025. Smith even went to amallet putter,asurprise movefor someone reputed to be amongthe best. His problemwas before he got to the green as he was unable to give himself abirdie look inside 20 feet on the entire back nine in his round of 69. He missedthe cut by one shot.

“I’ve hit decent shots, gotten no luck and come away with4-over par.That’s the waylinks golf is,” Fitzpatrick said. “You need to have thatrub of the green sometimes, andI didn’thaveitthis week.”

BYDOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

MarcusPlunkett, who left the Army as acaptain to pursue golf achieved one goal in his British Open debut. He made it to the weekend. Plunkett wasat2-over par with seven holes to play when he nearly chipped in on thepar-5 14th and tapped in forbirdie, then had no stress in closing with six pars for a71. The cut was 1-over 141, and he wound up making it on the number

“When Igot out of the Army and kind of embarked on this journey this was the goal forsure,” said Plunkett,who currently playson theAsian Tour

“I got outand just wanted to see howfar Icould takethis. Very grateful and feeling very fortu-

nate and lucky to be in aposition like this.”

He wasatransportation officer in the U.S. Army,mainly overseeing the movement of convoys.

How does that carry over to golf?

“I think thething that separates alot of people in the military if youtakeout thephysical fitness aspect —isjust being able to stay calm under pressure and make sound decisions,” he said.

“That’sdefinitely something Itry to carry with me.” Army

ä Scores. PAGE 5C

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByDAVID GOLDMAN

Justin RoseofEngland acknowledgesthe crowd after completing his second round of the British Open on FridayatRoyal Birkdale in Southport, England.

Photo portended generational clash at World Cup years later

Messi held baby yamal in now iconic pictures

BY JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain Almost two

decades ago, photographer Joan Monfort didn’t think much of his photo shoot of a teenage Lionel Messi bathing a cute baby boy in a plastic bathtub. Not until the remarkable twist of fate became clear years later, when that infant blossomed into Lamine Yamal

Now those images of the longhaired Messi, his hands covered in soap suds as if anointing Yamal as soccer’s Next Big Thing, have become the most talked about — and gawked about in the run-up to Sunday’s World Cup final, when Messi’s Argentina will play Yamal’s Spain for the biggest trophy in the sport.

“I have never been a believer or thought that anything was destined to occur, but I am beginning to have my doubts. This is beyond all reasonable explanations,” Monfort told The Associated Press from his home in Barcelona on Friday

Monfort, who works as a freelance photojournalist for the AP, took the photos in 2007 as part of a charity calendar produced by local newspaper Sport and UNICEF Luck dictated that Yamal’s mother, who appears in the calendar photo, won a raffle of families in the city of Mataró, near Barcelona, who wanted to participate. Soccer destiny then deemed that her baby boy, who would become a star for Barcelona some 15 years later, was paired up with the Argentine who would become one of the greatest of all time.

A tearful Messi left Barcelona in 2021 when the club was in financial trouble. Yamal erupted at the club two years later. The journey is now complete, from bathtub to World Cup final, where the 19-year-old Yamal will face a Messi who is 20 years his senior

SMOKE

Continued from page 1C

Spanish Football Association asking whether that was considered or possible were not returned. Air quality improved Friday, but the uncertainty lies in what will follow what could be up to 1.25 inches of rain expected to fall Saturday

“Following that, it looks like there is another smoky air mass following in behind that system, but it’s not clear right now how much or how it might reach New York or New Jersey, when it comes to actually Sunday,” said Mark Parrington, senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. “If the fire intensity really picks up again through (Saturday), it’s possible it puts more smoke into the atmosphere that then might quickly follow that rain event.”

Jonathan Belles, senior meteorologist for The Weather Channel app and weather.com, expects to have improved confidence in the forecast as game time gets closer

mation in different parts of the body, often attacking a person’s weakest points, which can then cascade into different effects of an immune system trying to fight a nasty irritant, doctors and scientists say There could be an effect on players’ performance even if the air conditions are moderate according to University of California, San Diego professor of medicine Chantal Darquenne.

“It’s kind of a dose dependent effect,” Darquenne said. “If it’s moderate, it’s going to be less of an effect, but it’s still going to be there, especially because they are doing vigorous exercise during these events.”

Roughly 80,000 fans are expected at the final, which takes place in the large, open-air stadium in the Meadowlands that is home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.

During a rehearsal Thursday night at MetLife Stadium for Sunday’s halftime show some members of the New York Philharmonic wore masks and some used outdoor-friendly instruments rather than the regular ones they play

Monfort had no recollection of the photos until Yamal’s father posted one on social media during the 2024 European Championship, when a teenage Yamal was enjoying his international breakout and led Spain to the title.

The photo went viral then. But now with the World Cup final looming, Monfort said, interest in his photos has skyrocketed.

“This has exploded all over the world, and the fact that the final is in the U.S. has given it the extra push,” Monfort said. “And now this has culminated with the final between Messi and Yamal. It is better than any film script.”

Monfort said he has been bombarded by queries for the photos by professional media outlets, while also seeing his images reproduced countless times on social media and the internet without any credit or compensation.

Yamal’s Spain teammate Mikel Merino had the same reaction as most people who see the photos.

“The first time I saw it, I thought it was AI and that it

ADVERTISEMENT

wasn’t even real,” Merino said Friday “It’s unbelievable that two of the best players to have played the game and hopefully Lamine, in the future, will be one of those — share a picture like that. Hopefully we’re going to see a very bright final with those two protagonists at their best, playing and giving all the fans a great spectacle.”

Like many Barcelona fans, Monfort’s loyalty is split. It is common to see children wearing both Yamal’s Barcelona and Spain shirts, as well as any Messi shirt, whether from his Barcelona years or Argentina or his current club, Inter Miami, on the city’s streets.

Monfort, 58, is considering traveling to see the final in New Jersey, but whether he watches it in person or at home, he said he will have trouble cheering for one team or the other

“My heart is split. I don’t know if I want Messi or Yamal to win,” said Monfort, a lifelong Barcelona supporter “I have an everlasting love for the best player of all time (Messi). Yamal has broken the mold here.

“Maybe they can both win I wouldn’t rule it out after everything we have seen.”

When you’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoverage that helps pay formajor services. Some plans may limit the number of procedures —orpay forpreventive care only.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Some plans may require you to pay hundreds out of pocketbefore benefits are paid

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Some plans have annual maximums of $1,000.

Previous dental work canwear out.

Even if you’ve had quality dentalwork in the past, you shouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted.Infact,your odds of having a dental problem only go up as you age.2

“The question is whether smoke behind that (rain) system reaches ground level over northern New Jersey on Sunday and, if so, how concentrated it becomes,” Belles said “Current forecast models range from little to no ground level smoke to levels that could become more concerning for players and fans.”

Smoke from wildfires attacks nearly every system in the body, killing tens of thousands of people a year, numerous medical studies show It attacks the body immediately, spiking asthma cases with increased ambulance runs within hours Smoke can trigger inflam-

The haze has caused complaints across sports, with athletes critical about the decision to play in hazardous conditions. Before his New York Yankees played at home roughly 12 miles from the Meadowlands, manager Aaron Boone said he was not hearing much about the smoke.

“Obviously they’re monitoring it to see if it gets any worse,” Boone said.

“We’ll be communicating with our guys a lot. We’re able to test oxygen levels and things like that if guys are having trouble. So, we’re paying attention to it, and we’ll take the guidance from the league and the weather and the smoke people.”

Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones. The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.

Treatment is expensive especially the servicespeople over 50 often need.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethis can be areal burden, especially if you’re on afixedincome.

“Medicare&You,”Centersfor Medicare&Medicaid Services,2025. 2 “Aging changesinteeth and gums”, medlineplus.gov,4/17/2022. 3 FairHealth, Inc. National average dentalfees. Datacurrent as of July 2025;subject to change

“Absolutely love” “I absolutely love my dental insurance. My dentaloffice files the claims,leaving me with very little balancetopay.” Dorothy P.,TN

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By STEPHEN K.H MOyES

A general view of the stadium is shown during a World Cup match between Panama and England on June 27 in East Rutherford, N.J

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOAN MONFORT

Soccer star Lionel Messi, then 20, cradles Lamine yamal, who was 6 months old, during a photo session in September 2007 in the dressing room of the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Speak your mind, but be prepared to live with the consequences. Letting go is hard but also rejuvenating. Carrying burdens affects your emotional and mental wellbeing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Arguments over money, personal choices and how you want to spend your time will escalate quickly. Use your imagination, and you'll find a way to do what pleases you and those you encounter.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Contemplate your personal and professional situation, and you'll discover a path to better days ahead. Reach out, start conversations and choose the road that offers a chance to do things your way.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Sit back and study situations carefully. How you deal with others will make a difference to the outcome. Positive change is within reach if you channel your energy in a direction that's comfortable

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Be gracious, humble and kind, and you'll attract the same in return. Keep your promises doable and honor your word. Setting high standards will lead to greater respect from your peers.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) A financial gain looks hopeful. Go over your documents, be resourceful and put your plans in motion. A change at home will encourage you to rethink your lifestyle

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Apply pressure and be ready to defend yourself

and your plans if someone tries to intervene. Take advantage of any opportunity you get to voice your opinion and enlist people who have something to contribute.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A chance to be with or do something nice for someone you care about will pay off. A positive change at home will develop due to your innovative planning.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Stop worrying about what others think or do. Create opportunities, and embrace what belongs to you. Love and romance are on the rise.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) The more receptive you are, the easier it becomes to manipulate whatever situation you face by offering incentives to get what you want in return. A unique offer or opportunity will develop.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Keep your eye on the money and the people who can help or hinder your journey. Navigating your way to the prospects that excite you will encourage greater freedom to follow your heart.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Refuse to let emotional mayhem ruin your day. Size up situations, and point yourself in a direction that offers a unique perspective on how to use your connections, skills and attributes.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

The first sentenceof“1984” by George Orwell is, “It wasabright cold day in April, andthe clockswere striking 13.”

When you bid to agrand slam, there is normally notmuch point in counting losers,because youcannotafford any. You might as well only try to find13winners. In thisdeal, which 13 tricks should South hope to take in seven hearts after West leads the diamond three?

The bidding hada modern tinge South’s four-club rebid was asplinter, showing at least game-forcing values with asingleton or void in clubs. North then control-bid (cue-bid)his diamond ace, which East doubledtoask foradiamondlead.AndSouthoptimisticallytook ashotatall of the marbles.

Outsidehearts, South has six winners: four spades, one diamond and one club. He could rely on thediamond finesse and try to take six trump tricks. But East’sdouble stronglysuggests thatthat finesse will fail. Instead, declarer should play for seven trump tricks. But which seven?

South should use dummy’s winners to remove East’s trumps and take three ruffs in hishand. However, he has to be carefulwith hiscommunications.

Declarer wins with dummy’s diamond ace, ruffs aclub with ahigh trump (queen, king or ace), returns to dummy with aheart, ruffs another club high, leadsaheart to dummy,and ruffsthe last low club. Then, after aspade to dummy’s queen, declarer draws trumps and claims. It is aclassic dummy reversal. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

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

ToDAY’SWoRD PALMETTE: pal-MET: Adecorativemotif suggestiveofapalm

Averagemark 35 words

Time limit 55 minutes

Can you find 47 or more words in PALMETTE?

YESTERDAY’SWoRD —GLABRouS

garb glob goal grab grub gular labor lobar also blog blur boar bogus bola brag burl bursa ragu oral osar ours slab slob slog slub slug slur soar soba

out your heart

wuzzles

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

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.

GramS Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer 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. HErE is

Scrabble

ONEINAMILLION

Luxe Uptown condo in a former schoolhouse. PAGE 4

HOME WORKWITHLOUIS

Organizeyour home library. PAGE 7

GREENTHUMB

Reducesummer landscape maintenance. PAGE 8

GARDEN ADVICE

Cutting seed pods off crape myrtles is optional. PAGE 9

INSIDE INFO

Home and garden happenings. PAGE 11

COVERSTORY

Teenagearchitect redesigns aMarignyshotgun. PAGE 12

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 17

InsideOut’smission is to give readers peeks inside the many differentways that people in theNew Orleansarea live.Weprofile spaces that are opulent, or just offbeat; sophisticated or simple;functional or light-hearted;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 gardensand outdoor spaces, too. Andwe’re waiting to hear from you.

everySaturdayby

INSIDEOUT EDITOR: MarignyLanaux, marigny.lanaux@theadvocate.com CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS: Victor Andrews, LouisJ.Aubert, Jyl Benson, Dan Gill

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

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

The InsideOut home and gardensection is published

The Times-Picayune. Questions about InsideOut should be directed to the editor.

44Audubon Boulevard•Uptown$2,995,000

Prestigious AudubonBlvdestatemeticulouslyrenovated in 2024.Features 6BD, 6BA&2 half BA,chef’skitchen,main-level primarysuite,elevator, hidden speakeasy, tasting room, fitnessstudiow/infraredsauna,heated/ chilledsaltwater pool,outdoor kitchen w/ pizzaoven, whole-home generator, EV charger, andresort-style living just stepstoAudubonPark. Adrienne LaBauve504-344-0877

LaBauveGroup /eXp Realty 504-513-3109 X165

115ElvisCourt •Old Metairie

411Bienville Street,Unit401 •FrenchQuarter$439,000

UpperQuarterpied-a-terrewithMississippi Riverviews. Tons of naturallight,wood floors,civilized floorplanand elevator makefor an enviable combination. In theheart of theverywalkableentertainment district of theFrench Quarterwithdiningand entertainmentatyourdoorstep.

MichaelL.Baker

504-606-6226

Realty Resources, Inc. 504-523-5555

35510Devon Drive•Slidell /Brenwood$229,000

Move-inready andfreshly painted, this charming3-bedroom,2-bath home in desirableneighborhood offersspaciousliving, abundant closets, andanupdated kitchen withgranite countertops, shaker cabinets,and generous pantry storage. Enjoythe entertaining patioand backyard, plus a2025fortified roof,2019HVAC, andefficientall-electricliving.

CatherineTramuta 504-982-1071

Compass•Metro /Metairie504-888-4585

$625,000

PrimeLocation!!! Charming 4-bedroom, 3-bath cottageona quiet culde-sac just off Metairie Road.Features anew 2026 roof,soaring vaulted living room,renovatedquartzkitchen, flexible second den, updated baths, hardwood floors,landscapedbackyardwithturfand French drains,covered carport, Flood Zone X, andwalkablediningand shopping.

Julie Prieur Varisco504-782-1654 Prieur Properties,LLC 504-352-9800

3617 Edenborn Avenue •Metairie$655,000

Luxury living on acoveted corner lotjustfourblocksfromthe lake.This beautifullyupgraded4-bedroom,3-bath home features agourmet kitchen with premiumappliances, first-flooroffice/bedroom,marblebaths,heated pool,hot tub, outdoorkitchen,whole-home generator,tanklesswater heater,and new 2026 fortified roof.Resort-styleentertaining awaits.

Pamela Marquis504-615-1752

Compass•Metro /Metairie504-888-4585

25139ChefMenteur Hwy• on Lake Pontchartrain$479,000

Move-inready, fullyfurnished (includingdishes&linens, etc.) 3-bdrm,2-bath waterfront home on Lake Pontchartrain withpanoramic views, screened porches, sunroom, oversizeddeck,135-footpier and boat dock. Equipped kitchen, outdoorkitchen,stunningsunsets,& just minutesfromN.O.Perfectasa personal retreatorrentalinvestment.

DianeRosenbach 504-417-8787 Compass•Metro /Metairie504-888-4585

PROVIDED PHOTOS Formerly an institution of academia, the LaSalle School Condominiums is a posh place to call home.

Former schoolhouse offers

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

It’s not a little red schoolhouse — rather, the LaSalle School Condominiums is a stately colossus in Uptown, a few blocks from Audubon Park and midway between St. Charles Avenue and Magazine Street.

Originally built in 1914, the building at 6048 Perrier St. turns from education to habitation, with style.

The two-floor unit at 2F brings luxury to one spot with three bedrooms, more than three baths and almost 3,000 square feet for $3.6 million.

The unit enjoys a private entrance foyer, setting the residence apart from the start.

The main level of the

At almost 1,000

home, with public spaces and the primary suite, features high ceilings highlighted by designer lighting and an abundance of large windows.

Tucked behind the foyer is a powder room in subtle neutral tones, readily available for guests. The stairs down to the additional bedrooms and study are locat-

ONEINAMILLION

Welldesigned and gleaming with bright hard surfaces, the kitchen is a culinary center for delightful dining.

ed next to the foyer, making traversing the levels of the home convenient.

Awash with natural light from grand windows and a doorway to the private patio, the living room features architectural details and broad openings to the rest of the public areas.

From the living room, the dining room is accessible through a large double opening. A duo of windows brings in light from the opposite side of the room, balancing the living room windows.

The chef-inspired kitchen, complete with a plethora of stainless steel appliances and conveniences, opens onto the dining room. Gleaming white cabinets with stainless hardware blend

nicely with the gray-veined counters and white subway tile backsplash, playing off the bleached wood floors.

Memorable meals are certain to be served in this elegant dining space.

A trayed ceiling adds interest to the space. A side utility room holds an additional counter and storage space, plus laundry and a work sink. Through double doors in the living room is the tranquil primary suite, a triptych of spaces that includes a sleeping chamber with access to the private terrace. The room has impressive built-in cabinets that evoke the feeling of a grand piece of furniture. A private spa is the image imparted by the bath. Multiple designs in the tile floor create visual interest below A double vanity provides abundant space. The “wet” area of the space includes a glass-front shower with seating and a large soaking tub beneath a large window The water closet is a separate room.

An assortment of shelves, hangers and drawers can be found in the custom closet, with ample space for seating and dressing.

The terrace off the primary bedroom and living room is a private area of almost 1,000 square feet of additional living and entertaining space.

Descend the stairs to the cozy study, which has multiple areas for a variety of needs. A built-in desk has drawers and shelves for books or objets d’art. A large entertainment section of shelves and cabinetry provides room for

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Tranquility is abundant in the primary bedroom, which also has access to the private terrace.

television sizes, books and more. A pair of French doors also leads outside to the covered walkway that wraps around the property

Two additional bedrooms with en suites are on the lower level, as well as a two-car garage with in-unit access.

The complex also offers a resort-style pool, fitness center, outdoor kitchen, guest suite, gated entry and fullbuilding generator.

The home is listed by Margaret Stewart, of Compass

Double vanities, a standing glass shower with seating, a separate water closet and a soaking tub are all part of the primary bath.

The den located on the ground level of the building has an ambiance of relaxation and comfort.

One

ONE FOR THE BOOKS

Howtoorganizeyour home libraryfor function anddesign

Louis Aubert

If you love books as Ido, or they simply seem to multiply like the buckets and mops in Walt Disney’s1940s film “Fantasia,” then perhaps it’stime to get organized before the taskbecomes too daunting.There are easy ways to arrange ahome library,and as we all know, organization pays big dividends. Organized shelves not only look better, but they alsohelp you locate the book you wish to read, which is the most important thing. This sounds very simple, and it is. Looking for abook in adisorganized home is like looking forthe proverbial needle in ahaystack and is just as annoying. Your home will feel calmer, and isn’tthat always agood thing? While we cannot control the entire world, we can decide to have tidybookshelves. Wheretobegin

Start by separating books by subject matter. Divide fiction from nonfiction and then again by category: romance, mysteries, biographies, etc. Youmay wish to include a“to be read” section. Anotherpractical stepistogroup by author.For instance, keep all the novels by Dame Agatha Christie together and separate from those of Charles Dickens

To keep things functional, you should also store books where they are likely

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

PHOTOSByLOUIS AUBERT

When styling abookcase, using both vertical and horizontal stacks of books adds visual interest. It alsocreatesroom for accessorieslikephotos or small vases.

to beused. My sister Amelia kept all of her cookbooks in the kitchen. While my mother was agifted and creative cook whovery seldom opened acookbook, Amelia literally cooked by the book. Children’sbooks should be kept in theirrooms. Combine themwith afew toys to create acharming display in a small bookcase or simply corral them in alarge basket for bedtime reading.

Youmay decide to keep your favorite books together where they can be easily accessed. These are the books you return to frequently for comfort or inspiration. Poetry,design and do-it-yourself books may all fall intothis category Simply curate aneat stack next to your favorite chair.

Booksasdecor

Stylish books are often used as away to decorate. Think “coffee-table” books in avariety of subjects, which add both colorand interest. Literature on local history,architecture and cuisine is a great addition to aguest bedroom. Booksmay also be used as “lifts.” Forinstance, they can be placed under asmaller lamp at one side of abed or sofa to better balance ataller lamp at theother end. This allows you to introduce variety instead of defaulting to a

Storing cookbooks in the kitchen versus in ahomelibraryisa practical choice.

pair of matching lamps.

Arrangingbycolor

Color coding is atouchy and somewhat volatile subject. People tend to find this technique either visually pleasing or simply confusing. If you use books as decor,have at it.But if you desire afunctional library where you can actually locate Shakespeare’ssonnets, then color coding maynot be for you.

If you pursue this method, the first step is to remove all dust jackets. Instead of just placing all red-bound books together,the true color-coding zealot will arrange books in an ombre fashion in which hues transition into one another, usually from light to dark. While this effect can be quitestriking, it is not utilized by the majority of serious readers.

Some years ago, there was ashortlived fad where books were wrapped in either whiteorvellum-colored paper and placed in very pale, chic interiors. While it was an interesting “look,”itrendered the books useless, much as the current practice of placing books with their spines against the wall.

The end result is that you will struggle to find aspecific book, should the mood ever strike, and you are, more or less, telling the world thatyou don’treally read.

Create apleasing display

It is important to declutter.Retain books thatyou will read or refer to again and those withhandsome bindings. Discard others. Consider donating booksto aLittle FreeLibrary in your neighborhood.

Retaining or removing dust jackets is apersonal choice. Obviously if you color code, dust jacketsare removed. Personally,Ifavor the colorful wall created by the great variety of dust jackets. But

BOOKSHELF TIPS

n Declutter; getrid of what youno longer need or care about

n Divide books into categoriesby subject or author.

n Considerifcolor-coding is right for you.

n Decide your position on dustjackets n Store bookswhere theywill be used, suchascookbooksinthe kitchen.

n Books can be usedasdecor, adding color and interest to aroom.

n Finish offthe displaywith decorativeobjects.

again, do what is right foryou. Keep heavier booksonlower shelves, displaying them horizontally.Place them in stacksofnomore than three. As a general rule,arrange themost frequently used items in bookcases or cabinets between knee andshoulderheight.This creates amore comfortable,accessible space.

Addvisualinterest in abookcase by mixing both vertical andhorizontal stacks. Horizontal stacksmay serveasa “stage” forcarefully chosen accessories. Cluster small, butrelated pieces, such as aselection of Wedgwood Jasperwareor unusual seashells.

Metal or ceramic pieces mixed in add interest, as does theoccasional photograph.

While others suggest incorporating plantsorcandles, Ifind both ideas questionable at best. Few houseplantswould thrive in abookcase, andmaintaining them would be difficult.The very idea of burning acandle set in abookcase is positively scary.I do notrecommendit. Bookshelforganization should notbe overlycomplicated,unless youare a Type Apersonalityand crave perfection.The goal is to makefinding your next read apleasure. Organizingahome library is work,but theresult is amore attractive andfunctional home.

Louis J. Aubert is aprofessional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an avid preservationist. Some of hismost visible New Orleans projects include making interior color selectionsfor GallierHall, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Louisiana Supreme Court Royal Street Courthouse, and both interior and exterior selectionsfor St Stephen’sBasilica. Contact himat mrcolour@aol.com.

GARDEN TIPS

ASUPPORTING ROLE: Some of the taller gingers, such as hedychium, alpinia and costus, mayget top-heavy when theybloom and lean or fall over. Alittle graceful leaning is generally notanissue, but youshould consider supporting theshoots if theyfall too much or layonnearbyplants.Also, each shootonly blooms once.After ashoot blooms, youmay cut it back downtothe ground to help manage the plant.

IRRIGATION IMPORTANCE: Although we have been getting plenty of rain,caladiums need irrigation if the weather gets hot and dry.This can help keep the foliageingood shape through the summer.Applya light application of fertilizer nowto encouragevigorous growth if plants seem to be slowing down.

IFTHE SHOWERS STOP: Soaker hoses areanexcellent way to water flowerbeds and vegetable gardens, should the weather turn dry. Keeping the foliagedry helps stop fungal diseases from attacking WEBWATCH: Fine, silvery webbing appearing on the bark ofareatrees andlarge shrubs is completely harmless.The webbingisproduced by tinyscavenging insects called bark lice or psocids.There is no need to apply insecticides. If the webbing bothers you, sweep it off with abroom or remove it with astrong spray of water.

SLIME IS FINE: With rainy weather, slime molds can showuponarea lawns. Look for bluishgraytoblack patches, afew inchestoa foot in diameter,growing on the grass blades.Although it looksalarming,it is completely harmless.

Work smarter, notharder

Howtoreducesummerlandscape maintenance

Minimizing the

and size of

Duringthistime of year,wewant to spend as little time in thesweltering heat as possible, andyet,westill want our landscapes to look nice. There are things we can do to reducethe time we spend maintainingour outdoor spaces. Heat indexes over 100 degrees are definitely enough to focus our attention on

reducing maintenance, making this the perfect “teachable moment.”

ä See SUMMER, page 10

Oneway to reduce garden maintenance over the summer is by planting colorful bedding plants in largecontainers flankingthe front door and strategically placed on porches, decks and patios instead of in the ground.

By

Dan Gill GREEN THUMB

Costus

STAFF FILE PHOTOByJILL PICKETT

number

flowerbeds in your landscapewill help decrease the upkeep your landscape requires during summer.

FILE PHOTO

JEFFSTROUT

GREENTHUMB

Cuttingthe seed pods off crapemyrtles is optional

BYDAN GILL

Contributing writer

Iwould liketoknow if Ineedto cut the green seed podsoff my crape myrtle. Looking online, Isee two answers. Some saytocut them off, and others sayleave them alone. —Christopher

After the flower clusters of crape myrtles fade and the flowers drop off, you will see clusters of green balls.These are the seed pods of crape myrtles. Cutting them offis optional.

Most gardeners consider deadheading crape myrtle trees more trouble than it is worth, and many trees are too tall to make this practical anyway.But it is certainly something you may do.

Pruning off the seed pods may be recommended to encourage another flushoflate summer blooms. But crape myrtles generally producea smaller second flush offlowers, whethertheyare deadheaded or not.

Some people may not like the way the clusters of green balls look and prefertoremove them.And for crape myrtles that are sending outabundant new growth, the weight ofthe seed pod clusters can make the branches bend down.Pruning them off alleviates the drooping branches. Again, this is only practical in younger or smaller growing crape myrtles where the seed pod clusters are easy to reach.

Basically,when it comes to pruning off the seed pods, there is no wrong decision.

There is one more point I need to make about crape myrtle seed pods. Every year,Iget numerous inquiries in late summer from gardeners asking why the flower buds on their crape myrtle are not blooming. They think the clusters of green balls on their treesare flower buds, but, in fact, they are seed pods formed during

brands). Applying the herbicide to the fresh cut is necessary becauseitkills the stump and prevents it from resprouting. This will not endanger the shrubs.

The vines growing up in shrubs will die because they have been cut off from their roots. The foliage will wither and turn brown, and the vines may be physically removed (youcould alsoremove them right after cutting the base of the vines).The treated stump will die becausethe herbicide gets absorbed by the freshly

Anything that will kill Virginia creeper will alsodamage or kill yaupon hollies and junipers. So, spraying an herbicide to kill the Virginia creeper vines in this situation is not practical. The herbicide will get on the foliage of the shrubsand injure or kill them. Instead of spraying, use this technique.

earlierblooming and will never produceflowers.

Is there anyselective herbicide that will control Virginia creeper vine growing in and on shrubs? The vines are growing in and covering my dwarf yaupon holly and juniper hedges. —Herb Unfortunately, I’mnot aware of anyselectiveherbicides for controllingVirginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) whenitisgrowing in shrubs.

cut surface and is translocated to the roots. This method is very effective and maybeused at any timeof the year.Italso works well for getting rid of undesirable tree seedlings and saplings growing in beds.

Dan Gill is aretired consumer horticulture specialist with the LSUAgCenter.Hehosts the “Garden Show” on WWLAM Saturdays at 9a.m. Emailgardening questions to gnogardening@agcenter.lsu. edu.

Get down at ground level and find where thevines infesting the shrubsare growing from. Youwill have to reach under a vine-infested shrub to do this. Cut off the vine afew inches from the ground and immediately treat the surface of the freshly cut stumpwith undiluted triclopyr (Cut Vine and Stump Killer,Brush Killer,Brush BGon and other

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

As crape myrtles develop clusters of green seed pods at theends, theycan be trimmed to remove weight from the branches. Other pruningcan also be done.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Continued frompage8

Reduce thework

Generally,flowerbeds require the most maintenance. Gardens full of colorfulannuals and perennialslook wonderful, and everybody craves color,but these beds must be replanted as needed, weeded, watered, groomed and protected from insect and disease problems.

It’seasy to put in lotsofbeds in spring when the weather is mild and beautiful,but remember,you willhave to care for them through the heat of summer to keep them looking nice. To decrease the upkeep your landscape requires, itis agood idea to minimize the number and size of flowerbeds.

Only plant flowers in the most important places. Flowerbeds are appropriate close to the entrance of your home —tobrighten the landscape, focus attention on the front door and welcome visitors —and around outdoor living areas.

Reduce maintenance even more by planting colorful bedding plants in large containers flanking the front door and strategically placed on porches, decks and patios instead of in the ground.

Lawns are another high-

GREENTHUMB

Weeding and watering are majorgardening jobs, and the more we reduce the need to do them, the better.Mulches definitely help with this.

Make theright choices

will be nothing but trouble, despite your best care efforts. Finally,select plants that will thrive in ourclimate. If youare looking for the most reliable plants, choose ones thathaveaproventrack recordofgrowing well in our area.

Do what’s important

maintenance partofthe landscape. At least once aweek from April until November, you are forced to drag out thelawn mower,whether you want to or not. Lawns are attractiveand necessaryfor outdooractivities, buthow much space do you really need? A smaller lawn generally means less work.

Areas of low-maintenance ground covers can reduce lawn work. Fall is agood time of year to plant reliable ground covers such as liriope (Liriopemuscari), Asian jasmine(Trachelospermum jas-

minoides), creeping lily turf (Liriope spicata) or monkey grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), to nameafew

Youcan also reduce lawn areas by enlarging your deck or patio and creating or enlarging beds of lower-maintenance shrubs.

Because fertilizer stimulates grass growth, fertilize your lawn moderately to keep mowing to aminimum. And when you mow,use amulching lawn mower to save yourself the trouble of pushing theweight of the bag and having to stop and empty it periodically

Pruning can addatremendous amount of worktolandscape maintenance. The most common reason forpruning is to control the size of plants, so if you chooseplants that will only grow to be the size you need, you will reduce your work substantially Why plant ashrub that will grow to be 8feettall in alocation where a4-foot shrub is needed? Youwill have to constantly prunethe plant to keep it half thesize it wants to be. Never purchase anyplants, trees or especially shrubs without knowingtheir mature size.

Also, evaluatethe light conditions before you select the plants. The amount of light an area receives will largely determine what you can grow there. Put aplant in alocation where it is not happy,and it

One of the mostlabor-saving things we can utilize in our landscapes is mulch. Mulching is important for creating an attractive landscape with healthy plants and is especially critical forreducing weeds. A2-to-3-inch layer of mulch should be placed over the soil in every bed in your landscape, and it is wellworth the cost and effort. Notonly is it your best defense against weedseeds sprouting and growing in the bed, but mulches also conserve soil moisture by slowing evaporation from the surface. Mulches also shade the soil and keep roots cooler

Weeding andwatering are major gardening jobs, and the more we reducethe need to do them, the better.Mulches definitely help with this. Don’t forget to replenish the mulch in existing beds to maintain the properthickness.

Although ourlandscapes will always require regular maintenance,itshould not be aburdentoyou.Remember, there aremanythings you can do to make it easier.And if youhavehad more failures with plants thanyou careto admit, try to learnsomething aboutthe plants you consider using before youpurchase them.

Youdon’t have to spend hours studying gardening books. Ask the staff questions at the nursery before you purchase aplant, check with local LSU AgCenter extension horticulturists forrecommendations, andyes,you can even buy anduse garden references thatare appropriate for ourclimate.Becareful when researching plants online. Online gardening information may notapply to ourregion.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By CHRISGRANGER Ground coverlikeAsian jasmine will cutdownontime spent mowingthe lawn.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Orleans assessor

opens rolls to public Assessment rolls forOrleans Parish property owners for 2027 are open for public inspection 8:30a.m. to 4p.m. Monday to Friday through Aug. 17.

Open rolls locations for the Orleans Parish Assessor’s Office are:

n City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., fourth floor

n Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan St., first floor

n Lakeview Christian Center, 5885 Fleur De Lis Drive, second floor

INSIDEINFO

Assessor Erroll Williams said anyone interestedin meeting with the appraisal staff to discuss assessmentsis strongly encouraged toschedule an online or in-person meeting by visiting nolaassessor.com or calling (504) 754-8811.

Appointments mustbemade at least24hours in advance. Individuals with scheduled appointments will be given priority.Walk-ins will be seen on afirst-come, first-served basis.

The online appeal system will be available Wednesday until 4p.m. Aug. 20.

Property owners may download and print the appropriate Board of Review form from the “Forms” page online and must submit four copies and all supporting materials for BOR appeal submissions by handormail.

For information, visit nolaassessor.com.

Lecture series eyes

Galvez and militia

The Galvez Regiment and Militia will be the subject of aseries of lectures in August by the Friends of the Cabildo.

The lectures,at6p.m.Tuesdays on Zoom, will be recorded for viewing afterward.

Cost for the lectures is $10 for nonmembers and free for members.

The upcoming lectures include:

n Aug.4: Robert Freeland,

“The Galvez Regiment Composure”

n Aug.11: Harold Marchand, “Creole and Black Soldiersin the Militia”

n Aug.18: Bill Hyland, “Los Isleños in the Militia”

n Aug.25: Kevin Harrell, “Nativesinthe Militia”

Octoberwillinclude lectures about CreoleHeritage Month.

For information, visit friendsofthecabildo.org.

Antiques Forum explores faith, spirit

TheHistoricNew Orleans Collectionishosting its annual Antiques Forum, a weekendlong “intersection of the spiritual and material worlds.”

“Material Belief: Objects of Faith, Spirit and Tradition” will feature sessions Aug. 7-9 at the Williams Research Center,410 Chartres St., on a range of sacred items —how theywere made, used and kept and how they continue to function as powerful material expressions of belief throughout the region.

Experts and enthusiasts from avarietyofdisciplines will be on hand todiscuss such items as Catholic statuary, Judaica, Afro-Caribbean ritual objects, prayer samplers and more.

Anorthshore excursion is planned, as well as additional eventsslatedfor French Quarterrestaurants.Cost is

$225. Visithnoc.org.

Volunteer projects abound at CityPark

Avariety of cleanup days and initiatives are on tap at City Parktoimprove and maintain theextensive urban green space. Those coming up include:

n Urban Forest SupportInitiative: 9a.m. Saturday,Volunteer Center,1031 Harrison Ave.

n PelicanGreenhouse Summer Volunteer Series: 8a.m. Tuesday and Thursday,2Celebration Drive. An eight-week series for individual volunteers toassist in greenhouse operations.

n Litter Abatement Campaign: 9a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday.Volunteer Center,1031 Harrison Ave.

n Big LakeNative Plant Trail Restoration Project: 9a.m. Friday.Big LakeNative Trail near 7Friedrichs Ave.

n City Park KayakCleanup: 8a.m. to 11 a.m. July 25. Meet at the gravel launch at the intersection of Dueling OaksDrive and Dreyfous Drive. Volunteers are sought to join City Park’s kayak krewe that will work with staff to remove litter from waterways with theuse of personal kayaks. Register for theprograms and find out about what to bring at friendsofcitypark.volunteerhub.com.

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

PROVIDED PHOTO By THGCPUBLISHING

‘Junta de Guerra of BernadodeGálvez,’July 13, 1779, by Mitchell Nolte

SHE’S GOT PLANS

Teenage architect redesigns a Marigny home before college

BY JYL BENSON

Contributing

writer

At a time when most 16-yearolds are hitting the mall or loafing with friends, Isabella Walker was going through the labyrinthine permitting process with the Historic District Landmarks Commission, State Historic Preservation Office, National Park Service and New Orleans Department of Safety and Permits.

In August 2024, her family members pooled their resources to acquire a circa 1900 Craftsman shotgun single in the Faubourg Marigny. The 1,350-square-foot two-bedroom, one-bath abode was in rough shape, its inherent gifts buried under decades of peeling paint, cracked linoleum and bad decisions.

“Isabella was designing modernist architecture on ‘Minecraft’ when she was 6 years old,” Russ Walker said of his daughter. It was at that same age, while attending summer camp, that the precocious tot declared architecture as her future career She has remained unwavering in her commitment to the practice.

ä See TEENAGE, page 14

PHOTOS By JEFF STROUT

Just barely 18 years old, Isabella Walker, above, spent the past two years designing and renovating her first piece of property in the Faubourg Marigny, right She chose a palette of earth tones to harmonize with the historic Craftsman-style shotgun single built in 1900. She will rent the house out while attending Columbia University.

Before Walker’s renovation, the 1,350-square-foot two-bedroom, one-bath abode was in rough shape.

After stripping down over a century of paint, Isabella Walker sealed the natural Louisiana cypress millwork throughout the home she renovated. This doorway leads to a section of the house that was demolished and rebuilt.

Located at the center of the house, the kitchen features a seated island and counters of Honed Calacatta Venato quartz. Walker found the light fixtures over the island at Home Depot. The ceramic tile backsplash in the kitchen resembles strips of beadboard and complements the home’s abundant natural cypress millwork. ‘It was a really good catch from Floor & Decor. I walked in, saw it and immediately knew it fit,’ said Walker.

The ‘before’ of a door in the home redesigned by Isabella Walker

PROVIDED PHOTO By THE WALKER FAMILy

PROVIDED PHOTO

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

TEENAGE

Continued from page 12

She graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in the spring, turned 18 on June 19 and will decamp for Columbia University to study architecture next month

“As a family, we decided to put Isabella’s convictions to the test,” said Russ Walker, a general contractor specializing in historic renovations and restorations. “I told her, ‘We are throwing you out there. This is on you.’ She didn’t get much help from me. She didn’t really ask for any.”

The house was leaning, and it had to be shored up. The front pillars were crumbling. The rear bedroom and bath that were added by a prior homeowner were structurally failing and would have to be demolished and rebuilt.

Isabella Walker spent the first nine months of her newly minted homeownership haggling on the phone, filling out paperwork and teaching herself computer-aided design. Renovating in the Marigny requires navigating strict preservation laws. Most

ABOVE: Isabella Walker restored the home’s original heart pine floors and chose wooden ceiling fans to complement the home’s abundant natural cypress millwork.

LEFT: While gutting the structure, Isabella Walker discovered a fireplace behind a Sheetrock wall

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

PROVIDED PHOTO By WALKER FAMILy

homeowners hire an architect and a general contractor experienced in navigating the quagmire, but Walker became that expert on her own. In spring 2025, she acquired a demolition permit and had a dumpster plunked out front so she could spend her free time tearing down the walls with a crowbar.

After designing the renovation in her head, she used her new computer skills to map things out Through clever design, she carved out a second bathroom and a laundry area without expanding the house’s footprint.

She applied for a certificate of appropriateness. As a fullcontrol historic district, any exterior work — including roof replacements, window repairs or porch changes — had to be reviewed before she could acquire a building permit in the Marigny After receiving approval, she had to submit her detailed, to-scale drawings to the appropriate government entities.

With the building permit in hand, construction began in summer 2025. As is common, city inspectors showed up unannounced during key phases of the build-out, such as framing and plumbing installations,

Isabella Walker found this chandelier online, which mimics the home’s Craftsman architecture. It is a replica of one by Grand Light from the Perspectives Collection, which retails for $11,770. This one came from Kaellight and cost significantly less.

At a time when most 16-year-olds are hitting the mall or loafing with friends, Isabella Walker was going through the labyrinthine permitting process to renovate a leaning circa 1900 Craftsman shotgun in the Marigny.

Walker. “So, I had to put a doorway between the two rooms on the right side of the fireplace, which makes no sense, but I knew I would never win. They said I could reveal 14 rows of bricks from the floor up. So that’s what I did.”

to ensure work was being done to code, which Walker had memorized.

While gutting the structure down to its lathe walls, a fireplace emerged behind a Sheetrock wall. It was situated between the second room in the house and what would become the kitchen. She wanted to fully reveal the brick fireplace, including the chimney rise and open the wall on the right side to create a freestanding

structure.

“Having it freestanding made it feel balanced to me,” said Walker. “I grew up in a house with an open floor plan, so I gravitate toward that.”

But bureaucracy, being the frustrating beast that it is, intervened.

“According to SHPO and the National Park Service, the chimney rise and the wall next to it had to be intact to meet historic guidelines,” said

She flipped the locations of the kitchen and what is now the home’s guest bedroom. She demolished the failing rear bedroom and bathroom, redesigned both and had them rebuilt.

She stripped over a century of paint from the interior cypress doors and millwork, sealed the wood and left it in its natural state. She restored the heart pine hardwood flooring where she could and replaced what she could not with reclaimed lumber

In May, the house passed its final city inspection, and Walker received a certificate of occupancy, which officially closed out the job. She secured a tenant to rent the house, who will move in just in time for the young architect to head off to college in New York.

“I feel so fortunate to have been able to take on a project like this that plays into the importance of New Orleans historic architecture,” she said.

“New Orleans is such a unique city Every single element that goes into a piece of historic architecture has a story — every shingle, every latch, every hinge.”

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

PROVIDED PHOTO By WALKER FAMILy

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

The primary bedroom, located at the rear of the house, features soft lighting and a generous closet

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

The primary en suite bath features Bianco Orion brushed marble tile and a walk-in shower with two rain shower heads, each with independent controls.

PHOTO By JEFF STROUT

INSIDESTORY

Attract lightning bugs with leaves and darkness

By LSU AgCenter

Many people think back on their childhood summers and recall evenings spent chasing fireflies across a field, perhaps catching the insects in jars to admire their fascinating blinking patterns up close.

But across the United States, fireflies — known in some parts as lightning bugs — are an increasingly rare sight.

While scientists have pointed to several reasons for the decline, habitat loss is widely considered to be a primary driver

“Oftentimes, fireflies only have one generation a year, and if they lose that habitat, then we lose their population in that area,” said LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook.

Not only are more and more kids missing out on the joy of watching glowing fireflies dance across the night sky, there also are ecologically concerning consequences of firefly population loss.

“The presence of fireflies indicates that there is a good and balanced habitat nearby,” Ashbrook said. “When we’re not seeing fireflies, that would indicate there might be some

By

Flashing signals are fireflies’ form of communication. The insects rely on bioluminescence to defend themselves and reproduce.

first step. Depending on their species, fireflies may prefer open fields or forested areas.

In general, however, firefly larvae are drawn to damp environments such as leaf litter and rotten logs.

As long as they are not contributing to problems with insect pests, Ashbrook suggests keeping piles of leaves and old logs in your yard rather than disposing of them.

issues that need to be corrected.”

There are numerous firefly species, and some are pollina-

tors.

So fireflies aren’t just entertaining. They’re much more valuable to the ecosystem than

you may have realized — so what can you do to help them out?

Providing habitat is a good

“It provides habitat for larvae as well as slugs and snails, which the larvae prefer to feed upon,” he said.

Light pollution, or excessive artificial outdoor lighting, also harms fireflies. They rely on bioluminescence, a chemical reaction that generates light, to defend themselves and reproduce.

“They use flashing signals to attract mates,” Ashbrook said. “If there’s excess light, it can interfere with their ability to lure in a mate and reproduce.”

To ensure it’s dark enough for fireflies to see one another’s signals, Ashbrook recommends limiting the use of outdoor lights. Timers and sensors make it easy to turn lights on only when they’re needed. You also can change bulbs in outdoor light fixtures to amber or orange shades, which are less disruptive to fireflies.

PROVIDED PHOTO

FIREFLy.ORG

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By GENE J PUSKAR Fireflies come out during the annual Pennsylvania Firefly Festival, an evening hike overlooking the

NEW ORLEANS

n TRANSFERS FOR JULY 6-10 DISTRICT 1

CARONDELET ST. 334: $280,000, Wright Hurd Properties LLC to BKW Prime 410 LLC.

CARONDELET ST. 334: $375,000, Wright Hurd Properties LLC to BKW Prime 302 LLC.

COMMERCE 823-51, TCHOUPITOULAS ST. 822-848: $192,410, Nagaratna Reddy Chandamuri to Babiswarup R. Chandamuri and Jessica Skold Clark Chandamuri.

MELPOMENE ST. 1424-26:

$500,000, Laura Stirling Joffrion to Aileen Harrington Prevost and John Andrew Prevost.

MELPOMENE ST. 1433: $330,000, Denise Borst Wierman and James Lee Wierman to Johanna Zeagler Miller, John Cooper Miller and John Mark Miller.

S. PETERS ST. 1111, UNIT 308:

$185,000, Jonathan David Hill to Trevor Williams.

S. SCOTT ST. 434: $417,000, Cody Marshall Brumfield to Gary Patrick Breen and Marizel Meleah

ST. CHARLES AVE. 1750, UNIT 320:

$290,000, Manoraivia Bylapudi and Neha Bapatla to Daniel Gerard Morvant.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 1750, UNIT 530: $485,000, Daniel Gerard Morvant and Jon Edward Taylor to John Butler and Elizabeth Butler Family Trust.

TERPSICHORE ST. 1415-1415 1/2, 1419 1/2: $950,000, MST Entertainment LLC to Erin Perry Fawcett and Grant Fawcett Sr. DISTRICT 2

BIENVILLE ST. 534: $700,000, CMF LLC to James Mitchell Burns and Katherine Burns.

BOURBON ST. 1228: $410,000, Thomas W. Miller Jr. and Wendee N. Miller to Stephanie Holling Russell and William Keith Russell.

CATINA ST. 6145: $375,000, Dannah Noel Kirby Sauer and Jonathan David Sauer to Elliot Harris, Mia Jaclyn Lowy and Richard Harris.

DAUPHINE ST. 618-20: $215,000, Nola Investment Solutions LLC to June Slabodnik and Mark Slabodnik.

DUMAINE ST. 3309-11: $445,000, Mikal M. Giancola to Cassandra C. Snyder.

GENERAL DIAZ ST. 6953: donation, no value stated, Jeffrey S. Vitter Sr. and Sharon W. Vitter to Jeffrey Vitter and Sharon Vitter revocable living trust.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

MARSHAL FOCH ST. 6249: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Danos Construction LLC to Sameer Fraser and Sophie Vitter Fraser.

MOSS ST. 1349-1351: $1,215,000, Paul M. Gulotta to Charlotte Bretto Milliner.

N. GAYOSO ST. 828: $685,000, 2224 Rod LLC to Applewhite LLC.

N. GAYOSO ST. 1013-1015:

$192,000, Succession of Adeline Veal Skinner and Henry Walter Skinner Sr. to Timothy C. Skinner

N. RENDON ST. 800, UNIT 105: $185,000, Rendon Partners LLC to Douglas Mertz.

ORLEANS AVE. 3014: $214,000, Jean Janczewski Boerma to Alexander Galbraith and Kirsten Reneau Galbraith

ST. ANN ST. 820, UNIT 820-A: $315,000, Jeanne Michelle Broom to Gregory L. Denison and Patricia D. Garner Denison.

ST. ANN ST. 2409-11: $460,000, David Williams and Janine Williams

to Christine Federroll and Donald C. Federroll.

ST. PETER ST. 4728-4730: $520,408, Home Bank NA to Dominic Marc Agoro Ombaka.

TOULOUSE ST. 537-39, UNIT 539-C: $260,000, 539-C Toulouse LLC to Scott A. Ryals and Tiffany L. Ryals.

VICKSBURG ST. 6544: $100, 6544 Vicksburg St. LLC to Oyster Ventures LLC.

DISTRICT 3

ALMONASTER EXTENSION 9301, OLD GENTILLY HIGHWAY 9300: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Colt Inc. to Liberty Tire Recycling LLC.

AUBRY ST. 2836: $350,000, Dana B. Tharp to Latia Kimmel Brand and Samuel C. Brand.

BEAUCAIRE ST. 5001: $72,500, Anais Rodriguez to Jikieyla Darialle Walters.

BOEING ST. 6019: $30,000, Aprile

Brown Gibson and Theoppluis Gibson Sr. to Baileys Management LLC.

CLEMATIS ST. 3917: $75,000, Marylyn Tate Howard to Nola Funding LLC.

CONGRESS ST. 1735: $270,000, Stefene Sue Russell and Thomas Eric Crone to Elizabeth Ruth Belcher.

DECATUR ST. 2715: $349,000, Rien Fertel to Hannah Rachel Rachlis.

DWYER BLVD. 14230: donation, no value stated, Nga Bach Pham Nguyen to Tuan A. Nguyen.

ELAINE ST. 52388: $5,000, Succession of Alvin Peter Burrell, Eric C. Burrell, Joan Armand Russell Earls, succession of Morris Burrell Jr. and Rhowena Elizabeth Burrell to Monopolized Investments LLC.

ELAINE ST. 52392, MIDLOTHAN ST. 52407, 52408: $15,000, Joan Earls,

succession of Morris Burrell Jr. and succession of Alvin P. Burrell to Puddin Services LLC.

ELIZARDI BLVD. 1691: $150,000, M&A Development Corp. to Hayde Patricia Hernandez.

FORSTALL ST. 2325: $15,000, New Orleans Redevelopment Authority to Ken M. James and Pamela J. James.

FRENCHMEN ST. 1130: $300,000, Julia R. Wagoner Cathey and Larry D. Huling Jr. to Patrick C. Drennon.

FRENCHMEN ST. 1814-16: $180,000, George Campfield Jr. to Malaika Z. Burke Theodore and Yancy Theodore.

GALLIER DRIVE 4901: $190,000, Jeanne Jasmine Thompson Scott to Opendoor Property Trust I.

ä See ORLEANS, page 18

700MAGAZINEUNIT402

NEWORLEANS

GIROD STREET,UNIT 302

corner condo designedand owned by renowned architect ArthurDavis.Thislight-filledresidencefeatures 15oversizedwindows,12-footceilings,custom stained glass, expansive entertaining spaces, multiple balconies. Amenities alsoinclude3 indoorparkingspaces,rooftoppoolandfitness center.All steps from downtownattractions andtheFrenchQuarter.AMustSee!

ForSaleNow!The Kalorama Building.Thisindemandlight filled2 bed/2bath residencefeatures balconiesoverlooking Magazine Street withdowntown NewOrleans skylineviews.Attention to detail aboundswithsolid whiteoak flooring throughout, crownmoldings, quartzitecounters, beautifulBrookhaven framelessmaple cabinets andmissile impact resistant doubleinsulated doors. Topofthe line appliancesfromSubzero,Wolf, Asko& Marvel.gas range andwinecooler. Furnitureavailable. Building amenities include2 cardeeded garage parking, 24/7 lobbyattendant,landscapedcourtyard w/ grilling area andfitnessroomlocated on thesamefloorasthe residence, back up building generatorand rooftopdog walk.Locatedinthe center of theWarehouse District w/ Restaurant Gianna on theground floor. World classdiningoptions, unique artgalleries andshoppingare stepsaway. Amustsee! $905,000

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued frompage17

GERVAIS ST.8650-8652: $140,000, Succession of Agnes Harewood and Willis C. Harewood to Malik Devante Smith.

HARRISON AVE. 1101: $900,000, Cheri Morial Ausberry,Jacques E. Morial, Julie Morial Cruz, Marc H. Morial, Monique G. Morial and Sybil Haydel Morial to MarcH. Morial.

HAYDEL ST.4707-09: $130,000, Paula Bell McFarland and Rodger McFarland Sr. to TJFCapital

Group LLC.

HICKERSONST. 4534: $195,000, CamtienThi Nguyen Tran to HouseofClaudes LLC.

LAKE WILLOW DRIVE 6916:

$339,000, Benjamin Tran to Taylor Davis.

LAVENDER ST.2537: $42,500, Dolores Clark Gaspard and Johnell GaspardtoDenise Llopis Warning.

LUCERNE ST.8004: $59,250, Clarence J. Mauterer and Kathryn Hunt Mauterer to Marswind HomesLLC.

MARAIS ST.1727-1729: $200,000, Delpha Acevedo Oteroand Rafael OterotoRicardoAndres

The digital editionoftoday’s paper is always at your fingertips

Guerra.

MARQUIS ST.7813: $126,000, Erika Hernandez to DavidMacAulay Sr

MIDLOTHAN ST.52410: $5,000, Succession of Alvin Peter Burrell, Joan Earls and successionof MorrisBurrell Jr.toRichard Shew.

N. DORGENOIS ST.1772-74: $192,500, 1772 N. DorgenoisLLC to Seagull Properties LLC.

N. JOHNSON ST.5442: $12,000, Danielle Marie Washington and Kenneth LeeWashington to Willibroad Cho Wanki.

N. RAMPARTST. 2725-2727: $282,250, SuccessionofMichelle Elizabeth Talley to Robert B. Forster.

OLD ROMAN ST.1800: $50,000, PennyGransberry Dunbar to Marcus Cross.

O’REILLYST. 2722: $109,000, Succession of JohnW.Fichtel III to Christian Harder and Hannah Rose Leighton.

ONZAGA ST.1816-18: $5,000, Kimberly Diane MosbytoKimberly Diane Mosbyand Miguel Nunez.

PARIS AVE. 3534: $251,000, Tien VietVuand Tuoi Vu to Venessa Williams and Walter D. Grisby.

PARKWOOD COURT11141:

$175,000, Huong Vu Ngoc Nguyen and Thach Quang Tran to Hai Thi An Tran and VanHongTruong.

PERTH ST.7354: donation, no value stated, PerreBrian BarbarintoJalana Butler.

PIEDMONT DRIVE 3330: $69,000, Ethel H. Robertson, Lillian V. Heinrich and Robert Vj Buras to Mattie LeeHarris Development and Consultant LLC.

RONEAGLE WAY4215: $180,000, Southshore Family Homes LLCto BCAProperties LLC.

ROUSSELIN DRIVE 1616-18:

$300,000, Tania Hahn Warren to 1616 1618 Rousselin Drive LLC.

SHUBERTST. 7840-42: $260,000, Lizette Gaines WatsontoLatina Rene Jolivett.

TOURO ST.822: $187,000, Catherine Reiner Gargerand Peter Garger to Five Elements Wellness Studio LLC.

TRICIA COURT7536: $180,000, KarenP.Verrett to Kelli CummingsRichards and Marcus Thomas Richards.

TUDOR COURT7140: $325,000, Aaron &Gianna PLCtoSelina Coleman.

VANDERKLOOT AVE. 7535:

$148,100, Brian T. Carr to Gameface Enterprises LLC.

VANDERKLOOT AVE. 7535: $179,900, Gameface Enterprises LLCtoDesontisC.Hudson.

VIRGIL BLVD.3931: $66,500, Keith Christopher Landry and Michael DelacerdatoTerry Greenleeand Thaddeus Jude Greenlee.

WICKFIELD DRIVE 5756: $385,000, HizzHome Builder LLCtoAllysa Kate Doumite.

DISTRICT 4

BARONNE ST.2616-18: donation, no value stated, Whilda Mae Johnston to Alex Ryan Reed.

DRYADES ST.2848-50: $425,000, AmyElizabeth PulleytoAnastasia Konefal and RichardMurphy.

EIGHTH ST.617: $560,000, Gerald D. Denton II to Jaime Alane Hubbell.

PHILIP ST.1022-1024: donation, no value stated, Rebecca A. Rapp to Donna J. Richardson.

PHILIP ST.1022-1024: donation, no value stated, Donna J. Richardson to Donald G. Richardson

&Babineaux,Home

and Jacqueline Poole Richardson.

SORAPARU ST.724: $140,000, Calvin Scott, Elizabeth Scott and Schwann Scott to Paris Dejhon Scott.

ST.CHARLESAVE.2111: $10 and othervaluable consideration, Carol Gleason Toerpe to Carol Gleasom Toerpe and Fort Defiance Inc.

ST.THOMAS ST.2430-32: $849,000, 2430 St. Thomas St. LLCtoDarren Joseph Coughlin and Kimberly SchwartzCoughlin.

DISTRICT 5

ALIX ST.341: $480,000, Liliclaire ChaworthMcKinnon Hicks and Steven Wells Hicks testamentary trusttoDarlene Caroline Behr and Marla Stephanie Slack.

ANSON ST.4622: $150,000, Judith A. Appell McCullar to Abigael Kait Higginbotham and Melissa Araujo Higginbotham.

HARBOUR TOWN COURT 8: $50,000, Dream BigProperties LLCtoAudie Jackson and Nicole HollowayJackson.

LANCASTERST. 3435: $130,000, Amanda Lynn Craine to Judson TheodoreDarnell.

NEWTON ST.331: $365,000, Antoine Enterprises LLCtoAlexis Gideonand Anastasia Zack Gideon.

SHIRLEYDRIVE 1401: $85,000, RobertMcGruder Jr. to David Conner.

SOUTHLAWN BL 1129: $68,500, RCAF Acquisition TrusttoKings InvestmentCircle LLC.

STRATFORD PLACE 6100: $65,000, Brandi MarieAbreo,Brent Abreo and Pamela BrownMelancon to Michelle Wilson Grosch and Todd Grosch.

STRATFORD PLACE 6212: $155,000, BarbaraRiggins Leflore MilestoRick J. Lalonde.

DISTRICT 6

AUSTERLITZ ST.1103: $265,000, Sarah Tarcza Stoneand William J. StoneIII to 1103 Austerlitz LLC.

CHESTNUT ST.5230: $100, Lauren MarieMeyer Atkins to Bettye AbernathyBagot and Michael HardieBagot Jr.

DELACHAISE ST.2430-32: $90,000, Alvin Batiste Jr., EdithChatters Batiste, EliseWilson, Maynard KeithBatiste and Mercedes Wilson Villasenor to Homequest Properties Inc.

JENA ST.3221-3223: donation, no value stated, Denis Aidoo to Amanda Hussey Aidoo.

JOSEPH ST.2437: $545,167,

Bradley Craig Latham to John Stephan Hoffpauir Kobayashi

LAUREL ST. 4000: no value stated, Daniel Carlton to Angela Elaine DiSimone and Michael Anthony DiSimone.

LOUISIANA AVE. 938-940: $405,000, Reginald Commodore to Elle Properties LLC.

PINE ST. 1626: $600,000, Alysia Kravitz Loshbaugh and Carey Scott Loshbaugh to Charles Brandon Sanchez and Sabine Emilie Lebailleux Sanchez.

ROBERT ST. 1516: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, James Thomas Kalyvas and Laurie Dunski Kalyvas to Milyn S. Little 2022 revocable trust.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 4930: $100 and other good and valuable consideration, Elizabeth Del Rio Winters and Jack Christian Winters to Mary Lynn Lunn and William Wilburn Lunn II.

SONIAT ST. 1218: $725,000, Jeanette Alleman Valore and Thomas A. Valore to William Williams and Zoe Williams

TOLEDANO ST. 2984-86: $145,000, Leonard Jones III and Raymond Darryl Bailey to Family Group Investment LLC.

UPPERLINE ST. 822-24: $790,000, Gulfcoast Allied LLC to Manfred Max Sternberg and Olivia Louise Rufty Sternberg.

VALMONT ST. 1311: $1,655,000, Adam Paul Salup and Brittany Buckley Salup to Brittany K. Sloan and Kevin R. Sloan.

DISTRICT 7

BENJAMIN ST. 7461: $1,195,000, Christina Fritchie and Gustave A. Fritchie IV to Louise Tway Barousse.

BURTHE ST. 8218: $449,000, Caren Allison Messina and Joseph Messina to Eric M. Stockwell.

CHEROKEE ST. 320: $863,237, Chelsea Staires Sun and Jerry Sun to Rebecca E. Title.

DANTE ST. 1111: $330,000, Marilyn Lake Neumann to James Vincent Petrone and Meredith Lake Petrone.

HAMILTON ST. 2537: $217,000, Lasonja Shantrel Washington Myers to Frelin Pena Villeda and Kely Elizabeth Murcia Espana Villeda.

OAK ST. 8616: $340,000, Richard B. Jurisich Jr. and Sydney L. Lanier Jurisich to Cathy Marie Smith.

OLIVE ST. 8827: $20,000, Nola Getaway LLC to Lees Professional Properties LLC.

S. CARROLLTON AVE. 2622: $425,000, Linda Faye Keys to 2622 S. Carrollton LLC.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR JULY 1-9

HARAHAN

OK AVE. 153: Jennifer Fonseca to Deborah T.S. Turner, $307,965.

SEVENTH ST. 7707: Claudia M. Schroeder to MST Investments LLC, $50,000. SIXTH ST. 7127: Denise Powell to Shearon Roberts, $245,000.

JEFFERSON

HARVEY AVE. 2722: Gary P. Hellemn to Hang T. Nguyen, $85,000.

DAQUIN ST. 3422: John & Chad Development LLC to Zachary A. Repath, $327,000.

DODGE AVE. 159: Herman H. Ferrell Jr. to Arthur C. Wilcox, $189,100.

HIGHWAY DRIVE 333B: Joseph Wagner to LSW Investments LLC, $145,000.

NEWMAN AVE. 901: Jean L. Michel to R&I Investments LLC, $162,000.

ORLEANS BLVD. 4724: Paula D. Fonti to Shaw Properties LLC J. Atkins, $154,800.

KENNER

AVANT GARDE CIRCLE U36 36: Deborah F. Ray to Angelle O. Hernandez, $118,000.

BISTINEAU COURT 19: Ashlie W. Bonewitz to Cecilia C. Garcia, $277,000.

CHAMPAIGNE DRIVE 925: Andrew J. Pareti to Shabana Iram, $334,000. E. OGLETHORPE PLACE 507: MI

Group LLC to Micazas Properties Inc., $101,000.

GRANDLAKE BLVD. 3247: Ashley R. Theriot to Lori H. Drake, $315,000.

HOLY CROSS PLACE 440: Kathleen Kansas to Yan W. Thompson, $190,000.

IDAHO AVE. 1913: Loretta A. Pitts to Robin G. Berthelot, $125,000.

ILLINOIS AVE. 2401: Kathleen W. Mcfall to Abdul R. Alsamman, $225,000.

MINDEN AVE. 1047: Rocio Argueta to Anjely Deleon, $180,000.

MOISANT DRIVE 1209: JJ Siding Service LLC to David C. Gilmore Jr., $380,000.

PETIT BERDOT DRIVE 641: Augustine Accardi to Raymond C. Bigelow, $415,000.

ROOSEVELT BLVD. 1118: Amber Dang to Devang R. Chudasama, $340,000.

VETERANS MEMORIAL BLVD. 1359: Future Property Investments LLC to Legendary Ventures LLC, $575,000.

METAIRIE

ALTON ST. 3729-31: Martha L. Hollander to Virginia G.P. Vasquez, $299,000.

ARIS AVE. 1245: RCAF Acquisition Trust to Quinlivan Homes LLC, $320,500.

ASHER ST. 6416: Longmei Li to Kamilo A. Gutierrez, $236,000.

ATHANIA PARKWAY 132: Ernest J. III Babin to Meaghan H. Sheehy, $501,000.

ATHANIA PARKWAY 2820: Athania Office Building LLC to Niuniu Management LLC, $370,000.

BELLINGHAM PLACE 5924: Mallory T. Kester to Marissa Lespinasse, $365,000.

BETZ PLACE 200: Angela G.N. Bradley to Angela G.N. Bradley, donation, no value stated.

BLANKE ST. 7004: Austin Richardson to Jumana A. Khalaf, $269,000.

BONNABEL BLVD. 1430: Mary Pigila to Ursula A.J. Laville, $535,000.

BURKE DRIVE 5008: Donna C. Larroquette to Tyler Troncoso, $315,000.

CLIFFORD DRIVE 3101: Craig M.W. Guidry to Katherine Diodene, $589,000.

CRAIG AVE. 4920: Frank M. Massa to Aubrey Mcneil, $325,000.

DELHI ST. 3914: Laura Rodriguez to William Dowling, $329,000.

DIVISION ST. 1300: D.J. Richardson to Rebecca Rapp, donation, no value stated.

DREAM COURT 86: Karen P. Stevens to Colette M. Huval,

$1,225,000.

EDENBORN AVE. 2301: Dana H. Laborde to Mark A. Crutcher, $81,000.

EDENBORN AVE. 704: Joyce P. Bernard to Revive Property Group LLC, $168,000.

FAUN ST. 505: Eric J. Chifici to Flor E.R.A. Wheeler, $225,000.

FERRAN DRIVE 4204: Amy S Krass to Susan E.B. Krass, donation, no value stated.

FRANKEL AVE. 1504: Kyle E. Herkender to Maria C.S.S. Pena, $155,000.

GREEN ACRES COURT 5108: Patricia P. Sewell to Ottallah Properties Inc., $318,890.

GROVE AVE. 833: David M. Pellerin to Bryant Polanco, $200,000. HARING ROAD 3812: Allie S. Doise

REALESTATETRANSFERS

EAST

Continued from page 19

to Emma P. Hymel, $387,000.

HARVARD AVE. 4113: Redwood Park Hattiesburg LLC to April C. Guerra, $339,500.

HENICAN PLACE 3805: T Botello to J Holt, $259,000.

HESPER AVE. 930: Cammy G. Hosch to Ashlyn A. Dillon, $663,500.

HOUMA BLVD. 2951: Patrick Vanlangedonck to Hanh Nguyen, donation, no value stated.

JAMES DRIVE 4101: American Storm Contractors Inc. to Srirajani Vannithamby, $390,000.

JANICE AVE. 4417: Allyson S. Darois to Mark Marcev, $375,000.

JASPER ST. 4925: Miquel E. Hernandez to Savannah K. Ellis,

WEST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR JULY 1-9

AVONDALE

LINDSEY COURT 4156: DSLD LLC to Connie Caufield, $276,035.

N. BETTY LANE 104: Sonya B. Roberts to New Orleans Property Ventures Inc., $36,000.

RETREAT DRIVE 3828: DSLD LLC to Destinyy R. Wideman, $291,770.

RINGROSE COURT 3720: DSLD LLC to Derek V Bratton Jr., $273,735.

GRAND ISLE

LA. 1 3513: Jan S. Hebert to Big Mamas Beach House LLC,

$570,000.

JEANNETTE DRIVE 5013: Eve S. Taylor to Jerry W.M. White, $275,000.

KENT AVE. 808: Joseph W. Melgar to Glen P. Higgins, $175,000.

LABARRE DRIVE 163: K Gramm to S.P. Carnahan, $1,199,000.

LAKE VILLA DRIVE 4429: Hakim Partnership LLC Saul to Roei Levi, $360,000.

MARGUERITE ROAD 800: Sandra P. Haslauer to Alanie H. Lefort, $380,000.

MARSEILLES PLACE 4617: Barbara C. Brewer to Catherine C. Plauche, donation, no value stated.

MELODY DRIVE 101: Reynolds Developments LLC to Great Southern Real Estate Development LLC, $367,500.

METAIRIE COURT 182: Siobhan C.R. Amorosi to Grace C. Thomas,

$245,000

LA. 1 3483: Stacy F. Pepiton to B&L LLC, $210,000.

PETES WHARF LANE 121: Madeline Benjamin to Terri C. Lejeune, $135,000.

ROSETHRONE LANE 187: Michele S. Dugas to Alton Watson, $55,000.

SANDY POINT DRIVE 15: Melissa Chiasson to Chiasson Billy J & Melissa A. Chiasson Family Trust, donation, no value stated.

SMITH LANE 176: Amy C.K. Grissom to Johanna P. Matherne, $135,000.

GRETNA

ALISON ST. 1472: Heraclio Aviles

$466,500.

N. CAUSEWAY BLVD. 3125: Causeway Ridge Properties LLC to Three Thousand One Hundred Twenty Five N. Causeway LLC, $1,490,000.

N. LESTER AVE. 613: Gregory M. Weimar to Reyna O.T. Godoy, $150,000.

NAPOLI DRIVE 4405: Sheila M. Cabibi to Yesenia M.R. Lainez, $349,900.

NORA ST. 6317: Ww Construction LLC to Gianna M. Margin, $569,000.

PAPWORTH AVE. 27: Dardel Properties LLC to J.E. Prieur, $1,410,000.

PASADENA AVE. 405: Tiffany R. Haydel to Ame P.J. Duan, $309,000.

PURDUE DRIVE 5212: Him Investments LLC to Cirilo S. Ramirez, $210,000.

RIDGEFIELD DRIVE 2608-10:

to Linh L. Ho, $250,000.

AMERICUS ST. 624: Ross Messer to Amanda C. Baravik, $249,000.

CREAGAN AVE. 35: Rosalio D. Valdez to Erika Vazquez, $195,000.

GLOUSTER PLACE 760: Lisa M.D. Holman to Hayley Nieto, $309,000.

GRAHAM DRIVE 2140: Deanna L.K. Lainez to Marie Jules, $220,000.

GRAHAM DRIVE 2149: Jason A. Guiang to Charles S. Joiner, $253,000.

GRAHAM DRIVE 2168: Janice Zizzo to Ana M. Marinez, $227,500.

GRETNA BLVD. 4: Cameron Jones to Lawrence G. Bertolino, $188,000.

MADISON ST. 1415: Erson R. Thomas to Jose Alexander, $39,197.

OXFORD PLACE U139 2425: Giazzlyn G.B. Duncan to Abiding In The Vine Care Provider, $92,000.

STAFFORD ST. 1505: Chiasson LLC Richard J. to Thi C.N. Ribando, $155,000.

Robert Rivas to Utai Phromsiri, $250,000.

RIDGELAKE DRIVE 3013, UNIT C, BUILDING H: Ellen E. Cousans to Tracey Cousans, $70,450.

ROSALIE COURT 6400: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC to AJ Homes LLC, $138,900.

SATSUMA AVE. 1809: Lori J. Mitchell to Joel K. Ledet, donation, no value stated.

SHAW ST. 4404: Jennifer N. Radecker to Jan Arrigo, $369,000.

ST. MARY ST. 4628: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC to Nina M. Medvediev, $180,000.

TRENTON DRIVE 4820: Pratz Earl H. Testamentary Trust to Brenz Stanford, $269,000.

WADE DRIVE 4513: Stacie S. Stpierre to Cameron Johnson, $510,000.

WOODROW AVE. 1808: Norma D Normand to Amanda S. Deshotel,

Hampton to Robert J. Hampton Sr., donation, no value stated.

DESTREHAN AVE. 3032: Anthony G. Marweg to DECS Investment LLC, $50,000.

JEFFERSON AVE. 2722: Gary P. Hellemn to Hang T. Nguyen, $85,000.

MANHATTAN BLVD. 989: Negar Jacobs to RBS Louisiana LLC, donation, no value stated.

MAPLEWOOD DRIVE 1100: Jimmy Le to AK Sam LLC, $135,000.

MAPLEWOOD DRIVE 1368: Amy G. Rome to Angelo Rivers, $205,000.

RED CEDAR LANE 3816: Elegant Houses LLC to KJV Partners LLC, $112,000.

TYLA COURT 3110: Trina M. Johnson to Jannice J. Smith, $171,000.

LAFITTE

CAMILLE COURT 2072: Gayle C. Perrin to Christopher A. Harvey, $285,000.

$365,000.

W. WILLIAM DAVID PKWY 306: Lindsay E.F. Busenlener to Timothy Dixon, $899,000.

RIVER RIDGE

CAROLINE AVE. 149: Sunkist Holding Inc. to Spencer W.E. Fitch, $300,000.

DEBRA DRIVE 9808: Michelle L. Moore to Michelle L. Moore, $500,000.

FLORIDA ST. 409: Ronald D. Bryars to D Anthony, $265,000.

GARDEN ROAD 266: Deanne H. Quiggle to Cameron N. Ryals, $300,000.

ORMOND PLACE 8900: Jacob Reichert to Vandan Shah, $775,000.

STEAMSHIP CIRCLE 2866: John S. Hixon to Sherri B. Delaughter, $128,900.

KING HENRY COURT 1101: Sharmon L. Viera to C Bodden, $315,000.

KISMET ST. 2560: Dennis E. Murphy to Lindsey Gautreaux, $289,000.

MARSHAL DRIVE 1024: Corey Mccall to Vernon Southall Sr., $168,350.

MATHER DRIVE 6730: Rachel M. Dubois to Bryant Parish, $95,000. MICHAEL ST. 917: Lenward J. Thibodeaux Jr. to Lance M. Thibdeaux, $30,000.

MICHAEL ST. 917: Sharon T. Wilcox to Lance M. Thibodeaux, donation, no value stated.

NATURE DRIVE 3120: Marguerite Anweiler to Jerome Dilling, $210,000.

PARK SHORE DRIVE 4404: OJ Construction LLC to Timothy Matthews, $55,000.

RUNNYMEDE DRIVE 7208: Janina F.J. Dabney to Mercutio Johns, $215,000.

STUMPF BLVD. 1811: Daniel Ebanks to Jaqueline L. Dejesus, $111,600.

TAYLORBROOK DRIVE 669: R&I Investments LLC to Lakita Fuller, $275,000.

TULIP 15: Ronald D. Jordan to Pakhar Singh, $167,500.

WESTBANK EXPRESSWAY 420: OnPath Federal Credit Union to Four Thousand Three Hundred Seven DHV LLC, $1,400,000.

HARVEY

ALEX KORNMAN BLVD. 2301: Jose L.C. Vite to Sandra Cachaya, donation, no value stated.

BRIGHTON PLACE 2004: Annette

SHELL ROAD 5065: Trina N. Landry to Max Perrin, $148,000.

MARRERO

AVE. F 712: Federal National Mortgage Association to Zulma Henriquez, $76,000.

BAYOU NOCK DRIVE 4644: Mason R. Jackson to William Miller, $319,000.

CRESTWOOD ROAD 2604: Shelby Damico to Niles Havard, $470,000.

FOURTH ST. 6715: Franklin A. Alvarado to Chjin P. Pham, $100,000.

GAUDET DRIVE 1229: Jorge R.R. Rivera to Jorge R.R. Rivera, $124,000.

KAREN DRIVE 5304: Vicki R. Henry to Jordan B. Hale, $87,500.

SHARPE ROAD 5478: Luis E.P. Mancia to Donald F. Avant, $165,000.

SIXTH AVE. 6116: Christina D. Times to Melvin J. Johnson Jr., donation, no value stated.

VERMILLION DRIVE 2628: Jorge B. Llorens to Megan Llorens, donation, no value stated.

TERRYTOWN

FARMINGTON PLACE 518: Alvin Wooten to EF Mortgage LLC, $159,000.

WAGGAMAN

MODERN FARMS ROAD 213: ä See WEST, page 21

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ST.TAMMANy

n TRANSFERS FORJUNE 22-26 ABITASPRINGS

ABITANURSERYSUBDIVISION, LOT3,SQUARE 4: Travis D. Watson to Marques Neal andLeigh Coleman Neal, $150,000.

HIGH ST.228: JefferyW.Sonnenbergand Rochelle J. Sonnenberg to Eric J. Monette and Elorial Monette, $450,000.

MAGNOLIA ST.72203: Succession of James B. Blitch Jr. to Lovelle Ann Johnston-Keen Blitch, $349,500.

NEAR ABITASPRINGS, LOT5: William L. Scudder Jr. and Tracy O. Scudder to Joseph J. Bonono Jr., $375,000.

NEAR ABITASPRINGS, PORTION OF GROUND: Wayne Brannan LLC to Joel M. Brannanand Alexis Brannan, $63,000.

COVINGTON

ABITARIVER DRIVE 1256: Matthew Julia de Veer and Lindsey Suravitch de Veer to Mark A. Manda and Lisa R. Manda, $83,500.

ARLINGTONPLACE 345, LA BRANCHE PLACE 468, 472: Terra Bella Group LLCto110 Builders LLC, $332,000.

AVENUE DU CHATEAU1137: JimmyE.Davis Jr. andPamela P. Davis to Cathey B. Saurage, $345,900.

CYPRESS POINT DRIVE 4237: Depp Construction Co. LLCtoEli J. Caillouet andKarsyn B. Caillouet, $695,000.

DIVISION OF NEW COVINGTON

WEST

Continued from page20

SandraP.Bacon to Keith B. Carman, $480,000.

WESTWEGO

AVE. A1041: EdwinJ.Gonzales to Hannah H. Neumann, $40,000.

DUFFY ST.59: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Kenneth L. Ainsworth, $137,000

HERON DRIVE 125: Julie G. Tran to Kerri P. Washington, $73,000.

WEST DRIVE800: Jason J. Tabor to RNS Investment Group LLC, $100,000.

SUBDIVISION, LOT5,SQUARE 1405: JoyLynn Huhn Hobart to Edward M. Bopp and Susan S. Bopp, $150,000.

DIVISION OF NEW COVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOT6,SQUARE 203: Tyler A. Stroble and Benjamin N. Stroble to Nicholas T. Binnings, $10 and other good andvaluable consideration.

DIVISION OF NEW COVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOTS 2-4, SQUARE 1405: JoyL.Huhn Hobart to Michael G. Sanderson and Allyson M. Sanderson, $600,000.

DOVE PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS

29, 30, SQUARE 2: Colin D. Rodgers to Resilience One Properties LLC, $75,000.

E. DEL SOL 385: CowleyFamily revocableliving trust to Rae Hebert, $321,785.

ELIZABETH DRIVE 9: EdwardJ Gravesand Leah C. Graves CaballerotoDonald H. Chambless and Linda W.Chambless, $575,000.

FIFTH ST.70299: Max E. Dupuy to Lanesha B. West and Beverly C. Conerly,$185,000.

FITZGERALD CHURCH ROAD

79187: Stefan B. Montgomery andCharish B. Montgomery to Andrew Biggersand Alison M. Biggers, $330,000.

FOREST DRIVE 72350: Kristen R. Davis andDarylRappoldto BarbaraR.Rappold, donation,no value stated.

HOLLYLANE 74680: Elia G. Tohme andRosalie M. Tohme to Eric M. Collins and Alexis Andrea R. Collins, $82,000.

JST. 70433: Leigh C. Paulina to Calib J. Chpaman and Kaitlynn H. Spell, $185,000.

JASMINE ST.72360: Habitat for Humanity St. TammanyWest

to Miguel R. Moradel Mejiaand Wendy E. Nunez-Garmendia Mejia, $62,000.

LA.1081 76181: Alison H. Owens and succession of Barry M. Owens to Garret C. Fontaine and BrittanyL.Fontaine, $630,000.

LA.2177352: Joe J. Picone Jr.,Kim L. Dossett Milicevic andAngela C. LeBlanc to JasonLitchfield and Emily Litchfield, $472,500.

LANDRY KATE LANE 70470: DMM ConstructionLLC to Charlie Lovering Jr.and Christopher Fortenberry,$445,000.

MILLIKENS BEND 610: Annette T. Bartlett to Phillip E. HarrisII, $1,215,000.

MILLIKENS BEND 618: Christopher J. Couch and Haley Couch to Daniel A. Andersonand Katie L. Maia Anderson, $990,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, LOTP-1: Paisley CourtLLC to Palmetto Greens LLC, $100.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Angele H. McCullough to BrandonB.Robicheauxand Lacy C. Robicheaux, $142,500.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: EdwardS.Schmidt Jr., Cynthia B. Schmidt andJason A. VanHaelen to Mendoza Investments Inc.,$115,000.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: Brenda T. Barr to Michael L. Johnson and Carol Ann Batts Johnson, $260,000.

PENN MILL LAKESBLVD. 137: Oscar E. Mendoza Jr. to Bessi Y. Ponce-Duarte, $301,570.

PLACE ST.ETIENNE 751: Josephine O. Trentecosta to Michael J. Diamond and Betty J. Tardo Diamond, $523,000.

RUECHAMONIX 933: Tim D. Sanchez to Susan T. Girard,$220,000.

RUESAINT JULIEN611: Ryan S.

Broussardand Emily Broussard to Cory Bono, no value stated.

S. FILMORE ST.527: Emily M. BrowntoMadeleine Dutel, $249,000.

SEVENTH ST.70015: TimothyM Hopper to Joseph D. Jackson, $244,000.

SOUTHDRIVE 118: Nellie E. Keefe to Nancy A. Keefe, $555,000, donation.

SPRINGDIVISIONOFCOVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOTS 4, 5: Thomas E. Dicerbo and Jennifer G. Dicerbo to 6Mulberry Residence LLC, $1,000,000.

SUNSHINEAVE.19595: Michael J. Piazzaand Margaret M. Piazzato Marty M. D’Aunoyand Robin M. D’Aunoy, $396,900.

FOLSOM

EXNICIOS DRIVE 201: Rafael F.

Salcedo and Sharon B. Exnicios Salcedo to Lanny P. ToupsJr. and Josephine R. Toups, $100,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, LOTS D, E: William J. Orazio Jr. to Ryan Chaissonand Rebecca P. Chaisson, $90,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Nancy A. Waguespack to Colin Kappe, donation, no value stated.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Gary King to Isaiah R. Moran,$90,000.

NORMANDYDRIVE 209: Succession of Susan F. Malone to John Horil Jr. and CoraHoril, $525,000.

LACOMBE

CAROLYN LANE31280: Julio C. Marinand KarenA.Marin to ä See TAMMANY, page 22

WINIFRED ST.41: Bobbie J.C.B. RichardtoChristopher Edmondson, $117,000.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

TAMMANY

Continued from page 21

Carlos F. Rivas Trochez and Karen M. Marin, donation, no value stated.

CHESTNUT ST. 26082: Joseph G. Milstead Sr. to Jessica L. Milstead and Victoria M. Belsome, donation, no value stated

CYPRESS PARK SUBDIVISION, LOTS 13-15, SQUARE 8: Burgess Inc. to Fallon Investments LLC, $13,500.

FAIRFAX DRIVE 60828: DSLD Homes LLC to Brady Boyd, $261,830.

JACKSON ST. 27242: Melbin A. Escoto to Raymond Vinet and Kristy M. Carter, $270,000. N. 17TH ST. 61065: Janet F. Pearson to Jessica Thompson and Rebecca Pearson, donation, no value stated.

NEAR LACOMBE, LOT 21: BMI Construction LLC to Justin S. McLaurin and Kendejah G. McLaurin, $595,000.

NORMANDY DRIVE 31193: Benton M. Lockhart and Rebecca A. Lockhart to Frank W. Hartman III and Stephanie K. Hartman, $425,000.

OLD TODD ROAD 30952: Robert H. Bosenberg and Kim B. Bosenberg to Kayo C. Fraychineaud Jr. and Erin L. Fraychineaud, $475,000.

MADISONVILLE

BEDICO TRAIL LANE 8025: Matthew C. Mele to Carol L. Haynes, $460,000.

CHAMBLY COURT 70421: Mary Boros to David C. Falls and Tara T. Falls, $70,421.

COCONUT PALM DRIVE 329: Richard C. Calais and Geraldine M. Lamaison Calais to April Calais LaFlamme, donation, no value stated.

LE CIRQUE 237: Robert J. Webre to Vincent Stadelman and Rosanna Stadelman, $670,000.

MACK LANE 246: Vincent M. Stadelman and Rosanna D. Stadelman to Seth M. Caillouet and Julianne Caillouet, $385,000.

MERION CIRCLE 216: William A. Neely and Kelli H. Neely to Amber Allemand, $622,000

NEAR MADISONVILLE, LOT 1: Quick Way Food Store LLC to Bittu Good B LLC, $2,300,000.

OAK PARK DRIVE 6: Colin D. Glover and Sadie Lynn Duthu-Glover to Shanel E. Bentz, $158,000. W. LA. 22 1726: Deborah A. Pellegrin to VBA Properties LLC, $265,000.

MANDEVILLE

AMERICA ST. 1326: Cynthia Ann Voiron Hurtel and Fay Marie Voiron Songy to HRB Properties LA LLC, $189,000.

BUTTONWILLOW COURT 550: Kai

D. Situe and Cai Mei Xu to Johnn Defraites Jr. and Haley Defraites, $365,000.

CAROLE DRIVE 231: Seth Cunningham to Michael O. Broyles and Renee D. Broyles, $380,000.

CHAPEL LOOP 140: Jill T. Charles to Todd J. Frazier and Robin Frazier, $780,000.

DELTA DRIVE 209: Billy W. Rogers Jr. and Laura T. Rogers to Mikal Belk and Shelley M. Belk, $729,000.

DELTA DRIVE 221: Peter L. Nester and Sara E. Humbert Nester to Shanti Akasapu, $675,000.

DESTIN ST. 2409: Rebecca Chacon to Gregory Chandler and Sarajane Chandler, $467,000.

E. RICHLAND DRIVE 231: Jessica Hoefle and Richard Hoefle to Sean G. Doolin and Alexa L. Hebert Doolin, $451,000.

GRANDE MAISON BLVD. 241: Thomas W. Bunce Jr. and Rebecca T. Bunce to Brian R. Dickey and Jenna M. Dickey, $630,000.

HEAVENS DRIVE 740, UNIT 1: Jennifer M. Lee to Milan Bjegovic, $147,000.

KIMBERLY ANN CIRCLE 707: Charles G. Keenan and Lindsay G. Keenan to Melynda L. Labrosse, $410,000.

LIVINGSTON ST. 2335: Cullen S. Piske and Erin O. Piske to Casey P. Brawders and Jennifer D Brawders, $775,000.

LONGWOOD DRIVE 93: James R. Pinegar and Jessica R. Pinegar to Jerald J. Moisant Jr. and Lacey Moisant, $682,000.

MADISON VILLAS GARDEN HOME COMMUNITY SUBDIVISION, UNIT 5: Gary C. Shipley and Donise A. Shipley to Gregory A. Earles and Tammy P. Earles, $307,500.

MEADOWBROOK DRIVE 7134: Rafael Anzures and Diana Luz Puga Anzures to Kevin M. Kahl and Jennifer Ann Kahl, $530,000.

MOLITOR ST. 2409: Johnny V. DeFraites Jr. and Haley Christine Costa DeFraites to Cole Jackson, $235,000.

MORNINGSIDE DRIVE 151: George J. Saliba to Kathie Topel Trust, $845,000.

PLANTATION BLVD. 607: Perrret J. de Lapouyade Jr. to Linh Nguyen and An Ngoc Nguyen, $290,500.

PRESERVE LANE 56: Ty A. Ovella and Susaan F. Ovella to Dustin Bennett and Allyson L. Bennett, $1,700,000.

RANGE COURT 3200: Mitchell R. Chapoton and Jill O. Chapoton to

Jared D. Sproul, $422,000.

RENE COURT 6: Anthony J. Dazet Sr. and Donna L. Bays Dazet to Amy L. Morris, $800,000.

SANCTUARY SUBDIVISION, PHASE 3A, LOT 194: Jacob C. McInnis and Carrie M. McInnis to John Watwood and Amy Watwood, $1,750,000.

SECOND ST. 2170: Jason D. Richoux and Melissa W. Richoux to Sara E. Pohlman, $329,000.

VIOLA ST. 1333: Ryan Zimmerman to Alaina Wall, $240,000.

WEST ST. 237: Bennett-Navarro LLC to Refurb LLC, $185,000.

WHITETAIL DRIVE 1048: Andrea H. De Freitas to Roy H. Wilty Jr., $699,500.

PEARL RIVER

JERRY ST. 65107: BMN Services LLC and NOCO Investments LLC to Lynn A. Pasalo, $222,400.

SOUTHDOWN DRIVE 517: James C. Girod to Timothy A. Burnam and Kathryn Burnam, $330,000.

TAYLOR POINTE SUBDIVISION, PHASE 1, LOT 2: Coast Builders LLC to Al Louis Dauth and Lacey W. Dauth, $478,350.

W. PORTERS RIVER ROAD 39248: Arietta Geisenheimer to James M. Morehead and Susan A. Morehead, $28,500.

SLIDELL

BLUEBIRD ST. 2406: Victoria Price to Justice N. Cole, $175,000.

CARR DRIVE 275: William E. Felder III and Christine M. Felder to Albert J. Pumila Jr., Cherie O’Dell Pumila, J.T. O’Dell Jr. and Eileen D. O’Dell, $330,000.

CEDARWOOD DRIVE 125: Daniel C. Zaworski Jr. and Dawn M. Zaworski to Michael J. Sylvia Jr., $284,900.

CONSTELLATION DRIVE 102: John H. Lyons and Barbara B. Lyons to Quoc P. Phan and Tran N. Phan, $400,000.

COUNTRY CLUB BLVD. 105: Philip T. Boyd and Holly H. Boyd to Erin Miller and Artelus D. Miller Jr., $308,900.

CRANE ST. 2506: Babin Build and Consult LLC to Pellicon Builders LLC, $25,000.

CROSS CREEK DRIVE 121, UNIT B: June W. Erickson Estate to Mark Gonzalez and Nancy Gonzalez, $281,000.

CYPRESS VINE COURT 6509: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Trinise M. Andrews, $184,900.

CYPRESS VINE COURT 6521: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Destinee Warren, $182,900.

E. LAKE DRIVE 253: Louis Bordes to Beverly J. Owusu-Duku,

$245,000.

EMERALD ST. 102: Brian W. Gueho and Gabrielle A. Troyani to Bertucci Investment Group LLC, $133,520.

EMERALD ST. 102: Bertucci Investment Group LLC to William E. Abbott and Heather A. Abbott, $196,000.

FREEDOM LANE 814: Succession of Frederick H. Trout to Starc of Louisiana Inc., $275,000.

GARDEN DRIVE 35703: Lee Anthony and Kay M. Anthony to Thomas E. Benasco, $132,000.

HEATHER DRIVE 105: Tekla B. Cochran and Steven T. Cochran to Silessi Construction LLC, $125,000.

HICKORY DRIVE 383: Amerihome Mortgage Co LLC to 1st Choice Commercial & Residential Environmental Services LLC, $75,580.

HOLLOW ROCK COURT 112: Gaspar LoCicero III to Keiling C. Zelaya-Zepeda, $159,000.

JACKSON ROAD 36346: Steven Marks to Scotti Price Sr., Barbie Price and Victoria Elwood, $485,000.

KINGSTON DRIVE 124: Gustavus Moyer II to Charles J. Bauman II, $255,000.

LAKESHORE ESTATES, PHASE 2A, LOT 33A: Shane Runnels to Cristina Harrell, donation, no value stated.

MANDY DRIVE 108: Melin Living Trust to Marilyn R. Longo, $201,400.

MARTIN LANE 236: Glenn J. Sandrock to Victor G. Krodinger, $179,000.

MCCARTNEY COURT 1015: Jeffrey P. Magee to Jesynthia M. Cage, $225,000.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: Barry S. Davis to Jeremy S. Davis, donation, no value stated.

ORIOLE DRIVE 278: Succession of Charles H. Casanovas to 352 Oriole Dr LLC, $79,000.

ORIOLE ST. 2511: Mark Delabat and Sarah S. Delabat to Russel P. Fabre, $225,000.

PARKBROOK DRIVE 4027: Jeremy J. Ellis to Ashley B. Ellis, donation, no value stated.

PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 3838, UNIT A-104: George E. Debram Jr. to Executive House Property LLC, $52,000.

PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 3838, UNIT A-204: George E. Debram Jr. to Executive House Property LLC, $52,000.

PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 3838, UNIT C-109: Mitzi Ann Maniscalco to Executive House Property LLC, $40,000.

PONTCHARTRAIN DRIVE 3838,

UNIT C-110: George E. Debram Jr. to Anna B. Smith, $30,000.

PORTSMOUTH DRIVE 501: Gregory R. Dicke and Eve H. Dicke to David Gaines, $138,000.

RAMPAGE LOOP 120: Callan-Tran Living Trust to Christopher R. Callan, $300,000.

RHODES ST. 305: Walter Baudoin and Mary F. Baudoin revocable living trust to Tatiana N. Lara, $85,000.

RIVIERA DRIVE 3901: Hong Nguyen to Johnny Nguyen and Tuyet Mai Pham, $157,000.

ROBERT BLVD. 484: Louis I. Ybos III Estate and Cynthia L. Shank Hybos to 484 Robert Blvd. LA LLC, $379,000.

ROYAL PALM DRIVE 1407, UNIT E: Elaine G. Cole to Gerald T. Ellender and Pamela Gill Ellender, $325,000.

RUE VERAND 1040, UNIT 1: Succession of Donald D. Pope to Pro Enterprise LLC, $110,000.

SECOND ST. 2667: Scott M. Buras and Kelly C. Buras to 2667 2ND LLC, $32,000.

SLIDELL OZONE HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION, LOT 10, SQUARE 20: Catherine E. Hammler to Zachary Wilcox, $7,000.

SOMERSET DRIVE 317: Krystine S Greer to Monae Pierre, $175,000.

SUMMER PLACE COVE 213: JC Carminati Family Trust to Marcus L. Doss and Elizabeth Doss, $351,000.

SWALLOW COURT 603: Gregory Marco Sr. to Jonika Causey and Brian Williams, $370,000.

SWAN ST. 2106: Noel C. Herrera and Nikol V. Valdez Herrera to Jeremy J. Ellis, $235,000.

SYDNEY CIRCLE 211: Nu Sart Homes LLC to Cory Lauer and Uendjisuvera Rene-Kandjii Lauer, $215,000.

TANGLEWOOD DRIVE 500: Jeremy R. Reilly and Alyssa A. Toranto Reilly to Cristian Quiala, $259,000.

TUPELO ST. 1128: Anibal Y. Acosta Avila and Yesica M. Pineda De Acosta to James P. Clark and Erik L. Landrun, $145,633.

UPPERLINE ST. 4174: Macaluso Builders LLC to LVG Properties LLC, $239,900.

SUN/BUSH

CHURCHILL DOWNS DRIVE 204: Shane A. Carley and Monique V. Carley to Brandon Goubler and Alysia Goubler, $540,000.

CLARENCE ROAD, PORTION OF GROUND: B&J’s Bees LLC to Christopher Strahan, $60,000.

ISABEL SWAMP ROAD 83234: Pine Plantation LLC to Cameron Jenkins and Jaime C. Jenkins, $110,000.

Growingolder butfeeling smaller

Dear Annie: Isit here writing to you starting another week much likethe past six months of this year: depressedbythe way time has altered my life. I’m 76 and married.My routine rarely changes. Iwake up, listen to the news andeat breakfast. I straighten up the house and makethe bed. Isometimesgo shopping or have doctor’svisits. Iread, do needlework and pay bills. My family lives 200 miles away,and Italk to them everySunday.IfIdon’t,Ifeel more depressed. Visitsfrom family have lessened since our children have grown andgot-

ten jobs. Ifeel likecrying most of the time and have no oneto talk to abouthow I’m feeling. Mostpeople havetold me to getahobby, but Ihave limited resources to pursueone, if I could even decide on one. I just don’twant to doanything. I’mnot much of ajoiner,soI go from one day to thenext, countingthe hours til bedtime, andthen Istart theprocess all over.The thought of my late relatives goingthrough this aloneand me not realizing it at thetime till I’ve experienced it myself breaksmyheart. Ifear if my husbanddies first, Iwill diealone here or in asmall apartment. Iwant to sell our house andplan for our older years. Ithink maybeI’d like to move closer to my fam-

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, July 18, the 199th day of 2026.There are 166 days left in the year

TodayinHistory:

On July 18,1976, at the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci, of Romania, became the first gymnast to receive aperfect score of 10 from Olympic judges for her performance on the unevenbars. Also on this date:

In 1536, the English Parliament passed an actdeclaring the authority of the pope void in England.

In 1863, during the Civil War, Union troops spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry,made up of Black soldiers, charged Confederateheld Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina. The Confederates were able to repel the Northerners,who suffered heavy losses; the54th’s commander,Col.Robert Gould Shaw,was among those who were killed.

In 1918, South African antiapartheid leaderand future President NelsonMandela was born in the village of Mvezo.

In 1925, Adolf Hitler pub-

ily,but my husband refuses to plan for that or deal with this situation. He’shappy where we are, near his family,with his daily hobby set up in our basement

What is happiness? I’m thankful for my health so far and that our needs are taken care of. We have food, awarm house in thewinter,acool house in thesummer,awasher and dryer.I’ve been on one of theweight loss/diabetic meds for over ayear and feel I’ve gotten worse. I’m sure we will increase the dose at my next doctor’svisit soon, but to what end? No change, just alife that is defeating and lonely —Crying Alone in NC

Dear Crying Alone: Your letter doesn’tsound like someone who’ssimply defeated or

lonely.Crying often, losing interest in things, oversleeping and feeling as if every day is just somethingtoget through are all signs of someone who’s genuinely depressed

At your next doctor’sappointment, don’tjust talk about your current medication.Tell your doctor exactly what you told me. Depression is treatable, and it’salso worth discussing whether your meds could be affecting your mood

At thesame time, remember that getting better isn’t somethingthat just happens to you; it’s something you have to participatein. Youdon’thave to becomeasocial butterfly

lished the firstvolume of his autobiographical manifesto, “Mein Kampf(My Struggle).”

In 1944, HidekiTojo was removed as Japanese premier andwar minister because of setbacks suffered by his country in World WarII.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signeda Presidential SuccessionAct,whichplaced thespeakerofthe House and the Senate president pro tempore nextinthe line of succession after the vice president.

In 1964, nearly aweek of rioting erupted in New York’sHarlem neighborhood following the fatal police shootingofa Black teenager,James Powell, two days earlier

In 1984, James Huberty shot andkilled 21 and injured 19 at aMcDonald’s in the SanYsidro neighborhood of San Diego, California, beforehewas killed by apolice sniper.

In 1994, abomb hidden in a van destroyed aJewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 85 people.

In 2005, an unrepentant Eric Rudolph was sentenced in Birmingham,Alabama, to life in prison for an abortionclinic bombing that killed an off-duty

policeofficer andmaimed a nurse

In 2013, Detroitbecame the biggest U.S.city to file for bankruptcy, its finances ravaged andits neighborhoods hollowed outbya long, slow decline in population andauto manufacturing. Today’sbirthdays: Olympic gold medal figure skater Tenley Albright is 91. Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 88. Singer Dion DiMucci is 87. Actor James Brolin is 86. Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre is 86. SingerMarthaReeves is 85. Business mogul Richard Branson is 76. Actor Margo Martindale is 75. MusicianRicky Skaggs is 72. World GolfHall of Famer Nick Faldo is 69. Actor Elizabeth McGovern is 65. Actor VinDieselis59. Author Elizabeth Gilbert is 57. Retired NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway is 55. Singer-songwriter M.I.A. is 51. Actor Elsa Pataky (“The Fast and the Furious” films) is 50. Movie director Jared Hess is 47. Actor Kristen Bell is 46. Actor Priyanka Chopra is 44. Actor Chace Crawford is 41. Boxer Canelo Alvarez is 36. Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles is 29.

overnight, but you do have to begin taking baby steps towardthe lifeyou want. More phone calls with your family,a daily walk, enrolling in alocal class, scheduling lunch with a neighbor —these small efforts add up.

And don’tgive up on the conversation with your husband. Youdeserve to be heard when you say you’re unhappy.A good partner doesn’thave to have all the answers, but he should be willing to face the questions with you.

Send your questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.