The Times-Picayune 08-19-2025

Cantrell back at work afterindictment

Federalprocess unfoldingfor N.O. mayor

BY JOHN SIMERMAN and SOPHIE KASAKOVE

Staff writer

New Orleans MayorLaToya

Cantrell reported to work at City Hall on Monday,even as she awaits aprocess familiar to suspected offenders with fresh federal charges.

As soon as this week, Cantrell is expected to answer to Friday’s indictment alleging ascheme with her police officer bodyguardto bilk taxpayers and conceal an affair

She’llfill outa form andsubmit to processing by the U.S. Marshals Service, including aphotoand fingerprints,and field questions from

apretrialservices specialist,according to federal attorneys. And she’ll appear before afederal magistrate judge,who will weigh recommendationsonany conditions forCantrell’s almost certain release on bond. Attorneys say New Orleans’ mayor can be expected to plead not guilty and go free on hersignature pending

atrial.

Prosecutors in acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson’soffice won’t likely ask thejudge to jail her,said veteran defense attorney FrankDeSalvo. “They can’tcall her aflight risk or adanger to society,”hesaid, “unless they know somethingthat’snot in the news.”

BY SYLVIE CORBET,SAMYAKULLAB and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump says he has begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting betweenVladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyytodiscuss apathway to end Russia’sinvasion of Ukraine.

Even so, Cantrell will likelybe forced to surrenderher passport as she and now-retired Officer Jeffrey Vappie await trial over an allegedconspiracy, saidattorney Aris Cox.

DeSalvo said he expects ajudge to limit the mayor to travel within the continental U.S. but not to restrict her much beyond that.

“They can’tput her out of business. She’spresumed innocent,

La.sending National Guardtroops to D.C.

Governor says about135 soldiers to assist in federalcrime effort

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Louisiana is sending about 135 members of its National Guard to Washington, D.C., joining five other red states that have pledged hundreds of troops to assist with President Donald Trump’sfederal crackdown there.

Altogether,the states could more than double Trump’s initial deployment of 800 District of Columbia National Guard members to the city,potentially adding morethan 1,100 moretroops.

Gov. Jeff Landry announced Mondaythat Louisiana would take part in the effort.

“Weare a nation of law and order.Our capitalisa reflection of our nation’s respect, beauty,and standards.”

GOV. JEFF LANDRy

The president made the announcement shortly after speaking by phone with Putin on Monday as he hosted Zelenskyy andtop European leaders to discuss his push to endthe brutal war.The talks came amida significant measureoftrepidationonthe continent that Trump is pressing Ukraine to make concessions that will only further embolden Putin.

location to be determined, between President Putinand PresidentZelenskyy,” Trump said in asocial media post soon after lengthy talks with Zelenskyy andthe European leaders ended.“Afterthat meeting takes place, we will have aTrilat, whichwould be the two Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was averygood,early stepfor aWar that

“I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for ameeting, at a

BaySt. LouisgreetsAmtraktravelers

Firstpassengersride newest rail line

BY POET WOLFE

Staff writer

John Hilbert stood by the railroad tracks at the Bay St. Louis, Mississippi,station on asweltering Gulf Coast morning, waiting. He was part of asmall crowd of residents, travelers, tourism officials and cityleadersgathered Monday towelcome the first passengers rolling in from New Orleans on Amtrak’s newestrail line. And thoughsurrounded by official boosters of the region, Hilbert, who was meeting his friend, made as good of apitch as anyone for what the new service could bring.

“Weare anation of lawand order.Our capital is areflection of our nation’srespect, beauty,and standards,” Landry said in a statement on the social media app X. “We cannot allow our cities to be overcome by violenceand lawlessness. Iamproud to support this mission to return safety and sanity to Washington DC and cities all across our country,including right here in Louisiana.”

Trump, who has also taken over Washington, D.C.’sMetropolitan Police

ä See GUARD, page 4A

After dignitariesand members of the media gathered Saturday at theNew OrleansUnion Passenger Terminalfor speeches and acelebratoryinaugural ride, Monday

ä See AMTRAK, page 4A

“I think (the Amtrak train) is goingtoexpose people throughout the countrytohow beautiful it is, the Gulf Coast,” he said. “There’s thegambling, there’sthe beaches, there’sthe environment, there’s theshopping.”

Passengers prepare forthe inaugural ride of the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service Line in NewOrleans on Saturday

STAFFPHOTO By

GERMER

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Judge blocks FTC’s Media Matters probe

WASHINGTON A federal judge has issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration’s Federal Trade Commission from investigating Media Matters for America, the liberal media watchdog group that had alleged the spread of hate speech on X since Elon Musk acquired the social media platform.

U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L Sooknanan ruled Friday that the FTC’s probe of Media Matters, “purportedly to investigate an advertiser boycott concerning social media platforms,” represents a clear violation of the group’s freedom of speech.

“It should alarm all Americans when the government retaliates against individuals or organizations for engaging in constitutionally protected public debate,” Sooknanan wrote.

Even before the FTC got involved, Media Matters has been defending itself against a lawsuit by Musk following the organization’s November 2023 story that, following Musk’s purchase of the social media site once known as Twitter, antisemitic posts and other offensive content were appearing next to advertisements there.

Sooknanan said the injunction halting any FTC probe was merited because Media Matters is likely to succeed on its claim that the FTC is being used to retaliate against it for a critical article on a Trump supporter

2 officers killed in Utah shooting, authorities say

Two police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call were shot and killed in Utah and a man was taken into custody after bystanders persuaded him to drop the gun, authorities said Monday

The officers were identified as Sgt. Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada, of the Tremonton Garland Police Department. A sheriff’s deputy and a police dog also were shot and wounded in their car as they arrived to help at a neighborhood in Tremonton on Sunday night. The deputy from Box Elder County was released from the hospital Monday and the dog was hospitalized in fair condition, police said.

“These officers are definitely heroes,” Police Chief Chad Reyes in neighboring Brigham City said at a news conference Monday morning.

When police respond to domestic disturbance calls, “we really don’t know what we’re walking into,” he said. “And they are one of the most dangerous events that we can be dispatched on.” Police received multiple 911 hang-up calls from a home in the city A single officer from the Tremonton-Garland Police Department arrived first and was speaking to someone at the home when the man came out with a gun, police said in a news release. Reyes said he believed the man lived at the house Hong Kong activists granted asylum

TAIPEI,Taiwan A Hong Kong prodemocracy activist and a former lawmaker who are wanted by the city’s authorities have been granted asylum in Great Britain and Australia, respectively Tony Chung, an activist who was imprisoned under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, and Ted Hui, a former lawmaker who was facing trial for his role in anti-government protests in 2019, both announced over the weekend that they have received asylum in the countries where they now live.

They are among dozens of activists on the run from Hong Kong authorities. Civil liberties in the city have been greatly eroded since Beijing in 2020 imposed a national security law essentially criminalizing dissent in the former British colony Both Beijing and Hong Kong have hailed the security law as bringing stability to the financial hub.

Hui, who fled Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of overseas activists who are targeted by police bounties of up to $127,800. The former lawmaker is now working as a lawyer in Adelaide.

He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family have been granted protection visas.

DAGGA

Hamas accepts Arab ceasefire proposal

Palestinian death toll passes 62,000 in Gaza

BY VICTORIA EASTWOOD, SAMY MAGDY and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

RAFAH, Egypt Hamas said Monday it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as Israel indicated its positions haven’t changed, while Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from 22 months of war has passed 62,000.

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to cast doubt on the long-running negotiations that Washington has mediated as well. “We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,” he posted on social media.

Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire talks appeared to break down last month, raising the possibility of a worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts say is sliding into famine.

Plans to expand the offensive, in part aimed at pressuring Hamas, have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that started the war Hundreds of thousands took part in mass protests on Sunday calling for their return.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said mediators are “exerting extensive efforts” to revive a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which some of the remaining 50 hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the return of the rest.

Abdelatty told The Associated Press they are inviting U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to join the ceasefire talks.

Abdelatty spoke to journalists during a visit to Egypt’s Rafah crossing with Gaza, which has not functioned since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, which has been largely sidelined since the war began.

Texas declares its measles outbreak over

BY DEVI SHASTRI AP health writer

The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday

It’s been more than 42 days since the last new case was confirmed, meeting the threshold public health officials use to declare measles outbreaks over The last person to have an outbreak-related case got a rash on July 1, according to state data.

Two unvaccinated Texas children died of the virus earlier this year and 100 people were hospitalized throughout the outbreak, which spread to 37 counties. The outbreak and was linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and other U.S. states.

The U.S. is having its worst year for measles in more than three decades, as childhood vaccination rates against the virus decline and more parents claim exemptions from school requirements. The U.S has confirmed 1,356 cases as of Aug. 5, according U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The nation’s third measles death was unvaccinated adult in New Mexico who died in March. West Texas was the nation’s measles epicenter for months. The virus started spreading there in close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite communities in Gaines County

Abdelatty said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had joined the talks, which include senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, who arrived in Cairo last week. Abdelatty said they are open to other ideas, including for a comprehensive deal that would release all the hostages at once.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told the AP that the militant group had accepted the proposal introduced by the mediators, without elaborating.

An Egyptian official, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said the proposal includes changes to Israel’s pullback of its forces and guarantees for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire during the initial truce. The official said it is almost identical to an earlier proposal accepted by Israel, which has not yet joined the latest talks.

Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egypt State Information Service, told the AP that Egypt and Qatar have sent the Hamasaccepted proposal to Israel.

An Israeli official said Israel’s positions, including on the release of all hostages, had not changed from previous rounds of talks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, and to maintain lasting security control over Gaza. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.

Netanyahu said in a video addressing the Israeli public that reports of Hamas’ acceptance of the proposal showed that it is “under massive pressure.”

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians in the attack that ignited the war Around 20 of the hostages still in Gaza are believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war had climbed to 62,004, with another 156,230 people wounded. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half the dead.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Vials of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine are displayed in February in Lubbock, Texas. Texas said Monday its measles outbreak has ended.

Even with that outbreak over, Texas will likely see more cases as the virus spreads worldwide, officials said.

At least 19 U.S. states have had measles outbreaks this year Across the border in Chihuahua, Mexico, an outbreak that started with a child who visited Gaines County has ballooned to 3,854 cases and 13 deaths. Another in Ontario, Canada, started in October, sickening 2,362 so far and killing one. And 1,762 have been sickened in Alberta, Canada.

Before the outbreak, most Texas doctors had never seen a measles case because of how uncommon it has become said Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner Jennifer Shuford. She credited testing, vaccination, monitoring and education with helping to end the outbreak.

“I want to highlight the tireless work of the public health professionals across the state who contributed to the containment of one of the most contagious viruses,” Shuford said in a statement.

Erin forces evacuations in North Carolina

Hurricane expected to stay offshore

BY BEN FINLEY and JOHN SEEWER

Associated Press

Hurricane Erin forced tourists to cut their vacations short on North Carolina’s Outer Banks even though the monster storm is expected to stay offshore after lashing part of the Caribbean with rain and wind on Monday

Evacuations were ordered on some barrier islands along the Carolina coast as authorities warned the storm could churn up dangerous rip currents and swamp roads with waves of 15 feet. Tropical storm and surge watches were issued Monday for much of the Outer Banks.

Tourists and residents waited for hours in a line of cars at Ocracoke Island’s ferry dock — the only way to leave other than by plane.

“We definitely thought twice,” said Seth Brotherton, of Catfish, North Carolina, whose weeklong fishing trip ended after two days. “But they said ‘mandatory’ and that pretty much means, ‘get out of here.’”

Forecasters are confident Erin will curl north and away from the eastern U.S., but it’s still expected to whip up wild waves and tropical force winds along the coastal islands, Dave Roberts of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph maximum sustained winds Monday while pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the southeast Bahamas, according to the center By Monday night, sustained winds had dropped some to 130 mph with Erin about 695 miles southwest of Bermuda and about 805 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.

Government officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands said all services were

suspended on three of its islands and ordered residents there to stay home. Some ports also closed. On North Carolina’s Outer Banks, coastal flooding was expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday

The evacuations that began Monday on Hatteras Island and Ocracoke came at the height of tourist season on the thin stretch of lowlying barrier islands that jut into the Atlantic Ocean and are increasingly vulnerable to storm surges.

A year ago, Hurricane Ernesto stayed hundreds of miles offshore yet still produced high surf and swells that caused coastal damage. This time there are concerns that several days of heavy surf, high winds and waves could wash out parts of the main highway, the National Weather Service said. Some routes could be impassible for several days, authorities warned. This is the first time Ocracoke has been evacuated since Hurricane Dorian struck in 2019, leaving behind the most damage in the island’s recorded history Tommy Hutcherson, who owns the community’s only grocery store, said the island has mostly bounced back. He’s optimistic this storm won’t be as destructive. “But you just never know I felt the same way about Dorian and we really got smacked,” he said. Scientists have linked the rapid intensification of hurricanes in the Atlantic to climate change. Global warming is causing the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and is spiking ocean temperatures, and warmer waters give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen more quickly Erin, the year’s first Atlantic hurricane, reached a dangerous Category 5 status Saturday with 160 mph winds before weakening. It is expected to remain a large hurricane into midweek.

TexasDemocrats endwalkout over redistricting

Housemembers shadowed by police;California settoredraw ownmaps

BY BILL BARROW, TRAN NGUYENand FERNANDAFIGUEROA

Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas Texas Democrats whoended awalkout Monday found themselves shadowed by law enforcement officerstokeepthem from repeating the protest that stalled Republican effortstoredraw congressional districts and fulfill President Donald Trump’sdesire to reshape U.S. House maps. Republicans in the Texas House forced returning Democrats to sign what the Democrats called “permission slips,” agreeing to round-the-clock surveillance by state Department of Public Safety officers to leave the floor.However,Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier, of Fort Worth, refused and remained on the House floor Monday night.

The Democrats’return to Texas puts the Republicanrun Legislature in position to satisfy Trump’sdemands, possibly laterthis week, as California Democrats advance new congressional boundaries in retaliation.

Lawmakers had officers posted outsidetheir Capitol

offices, and suburban Dallas Rep. Mihaela Plesa said one tailed her on her Monday evening drive back to her apartmentinAustin after spending much of the day on acouch in her office. She said he wentwithher for a stafflunch andevendown thehallway with her for restroom breaks.

“Wewere kind of laughing about it, to be honest, but this is really serious stuff,” Plesa said in atelephone interview “Thisisawaste oftaxpayer dollars and really performative theater.”

Collier, who represents a minority-majority district, said shewould not “sign away my dignity”and allowRepublicans to “control my movementsand monitor me.”

“I know these maps will

harm my constituents,” she said in astatement. “I won’t just go alongquietlywith their intimidation or their discrimination.”

The tit-for-tat puts thenation’stwo most populous states at the center of an expanding fight over control of Congress aheadofthe 2026 midtermelections. The battlehas rallied Democrats nationallyfollowing infighting and frustrations among the party’svoters since Republicans took totalcontrol of the federal government in January.

Dozens of TexasDemocratic lawmakers left for Illinois and elsewhereonAug. 3, denying their Republican colleagues theattendance necessarytovoteonredrawn maps intended to send five moreTexas Republicans to

Washington. Republicans now hold 25 of Texas’ 38 U.S. House seats. They declared victory Friday, pointing to California’s proposal intended to increase Democrats’U.S.House advantage by five seats. Many absent Democrats left Chicago early Monday and landed hours later at aprivate airfield in Austin, where several boarded acharterbus to the Capitol.Cheering supporters greeted theminside.

Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows did not mentionredistricting on the floor but promised swift action on the Legislature’sagenda.

“Wearen’t playing around,” Republican state Rep.Matt Shaheen, whose district includespart of the Dallas area, said in apost on the Xsocial media platform.

Evenastheydeclared victory,Democrats acknowledged Republicans can now approveredrawndistricts.

Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu said Democrats would challenge the new designs in court.

Lawmakers did not take up any bills Monday and were not scheduled to return until Wednesday

Trump has pressured other Republican-run statestoconsiderredistricting, as well, while Democratic governors in multiple statehouses have indicated they would follow California’slead in response.

DemocraticCaliforniaGov Gavin Newsom hassaidhis state will hold aNov.4special referendum on the redrawn districts.

The president wants to shore up Republicans’ narrow House majority and avoida repeat of the midterms during his first presidency.Aftergaining House controlin2018, Democrats used their majority to stymie his agenda and twice impeach him.

Nationally,the partisan makeup of existing district linesputsDemocrats within three seats of amajority.Of the435 totalHouseseats, only severaldozen districts arecompetitive.Soeven slight changes in afew states could affect which party wins control.

Redistricting typically occurs once at the beginning of each decade after the census. Many states, including Texas, give legislators the

power to draw maps. California is among those that empower independent commissions, giving Newsom an additional hurdle.

Democratic legislators introduced newCalifornia maps Monday. It wasthe first official move towardthe fall referendum asking voters to override the independent commission’swork after the 2020 census. The proposed boundaries would replace current ones through 2030. Democrats said they will return the mapmaking power to the commissionafter that. State Republicanspromised lawsuits.

Democrats hold 43 outof California’s52U.S. House seats. The proposal would try to expand that advantage by targeting battleground districts in Northern California, San Diego and Orange counties, and the Central Valley.Some Democratic incumbents also get moreleft-leaning voters in their districts.

“Wedon’t want this fight, but with our democracy on the line, we cannot run away from this fight,” said Democrat Marc Berman, aCalifornia Assembly member who previously chaired the elections committee.

Republicans expressed opposition in terms that echoed Democrats in Austin, accusing themajority of abusing power.Sacramento Republicans said they will introduce legislation advocating independent redistrictingcommissions in all states.

2gunmenamong 3killedinNew York barshooting, police say

Search underway for another2 assailants

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK Twoofthe three people killed in abar shooting in the New York City borough of Brooklyn were among the four shooters who opened fireinside the building, the city’spolice commissioner said Monday Jamel Childs, 35, and Marvin St. Louis, 19, bothof Brooklyn, wereseen on surveillance videoarguing in theTaste of the City Lounge in CrownHeightsshortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday,Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. About10minuteslater,St. Louis approachedChilds and opened fire, and Childs and twoothermen fired back. Both Childs and St.Louis were shotmultipletimes and were pronounced dead at ahospital ashort time after the shooting. The third man killed, 27-year-old city resident Amadou Diallo, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities saidDiallo appears to have been an innocent bystander Twoother men who also opened fireinthe bar remainedatlargeMonday, Tischsaid, butshe didnot disclose further detailsabout them. Apossible motive for theshooting remains under investigation,but authoritieshavesaiditappears to be gang-related. Tischsaid Monday that Childs had a lengthy police recordand is listed in apolicedatabase as amember of Folk Nation, which she described as a“violentgang” that “terrorizes Brooklyn” and is responsible for six shootings this year She said three people who survivedthe shooting also have ties to that gang, but St. Louis hadno“relevant criminal history.”

BY DAVID FISCHER and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

MIAMI Afederal judgeon Monday considered whether detainees at atemporary immigrant detentioncenter in the Florida Everglades have been denied their legal rights. In the second of two lawsuits challenging practices at the facilityknown as “Alligator Alcatraz,” civil rights attorneys sought apreliminary injunction to ensure that detainees at the facility have confidential accessto their lawyers, which they say hasn’thappened. Florida officials dispute that claim. The civil rights attorneys also wanted U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz to iden-

tify an immigrationcourt that has jurisdictionoverthe detentioncentersothatpetitions can be filed for the detainees’ bond or release. The attorneys say that hearings for their cases have been routinelycanceledinfederal Floridaimmigration courts by judgeswho saythey don’t have jurisdiction over the detaineesheld in theEverglades.

At the start of Monday’s hearing, government attorneys said they would designatethe immigration court at the Krome North Service Processing Center in the Miami area as having jurisdiction over the detention center in the Evergladesin an effort to address some of thecivil rights attorneys’ constitutional concerns.The

judge toldthe government attorneys that he didn’texpect them to change that designation withoutgood reason.

But before delving into the core issuesofthe detainees’ rights, Ruiz wanted to hear aboutwhether the lawsuit was filed in the proper jurisdiction in Miami. The state and federal government defendantshaveargued that even though theisolated airstrip where thefacility was built is owned by MiamiDade County, Florida’s southerndistrict is thewrong venue since the detention center is located in neighboring Collier County, which is in the state’s middle district

The hearing ended without the judge makinganimmediateruling.

Fourteen people were shot overall in the incident, but none of the survivors’ injuries are believed to be life-threatening, Mayor Eric Adamssaid Monday

Suit over blocking on social media tossed

Residents sued La. senator over abortion tweets

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against a Louisiana state senator by two residents who claimed she violated their First Amendment rights when she blocked them on the social media platform X, after one made an insulting and vulgar post over abortion laws, and another disagreed with a plan to start the school day with the Lord’s Prayer New Orleans resident Maya Detiege sued state Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, a Democrat from Monroe, in February 2023, arguing that a post she made was protected political speech and that the senator’s social media account was a public forum subject to First Amendment protection, according to the lawsuit.

GUARD

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Department, says the crackdown is necessary to get crime under control in the nation’s capital.

Critics argue the move is an unnecessary, authoritarian escalation and that Trump’s portrait of rampant crime doesn’t match reality

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, violent crime hit a 30year low in D.C. last year

The Louisiana troops planned to leave within 24 hours, Lt. Col. Noel Collins, public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard, said Monday evening. They are being sent in response to a request from the White House, she added.

The move makes Louisiana the sixth state to add troops to Trump’s efforts in D.C. Over the weekend, West Virginia said it would deploy 300-500 troops; Ohio said it was sending 150; and South Carolina said it was sending 200. And on Monday, Mississippi and Tennessee joined that list, pledging 200 and 160 troops, respectively Trump’s executive order launching the D.C. crackdown declared a “crime emergency” in the city.

“The White House is in charge. The Military and our Great Police will liberate this City, scrape away the filth, and make it safe, clean, habitable and beautiful once more,” Trump wrote on social media the day after he issued the order In a news conference Monday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser challenged the notion that Trump’s takeover was really about violent crime.

“Nobody is against focusing on driving down any level of violence,” she said. “If this is really about immigration enforcement,

AMTRAK

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marked the official start of regular service on the Amtrak’s Mardi Gras line.

A train full of passengers departed New Orleans at 7:35 a.m for stops in along the Mississippi Coast in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula before reaching the line’s terminus in Mobile. Each paid $15, the one-way fare for the trip.

The line won’t carry the masses of commuters that use Amtrak’s popular trains between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., each day: The inaugural ride carried 29 travelers on two regular passenger train cars and third car split between a cafe and business class.

But it was still a hot ticket, at least on the first day. The service

CANTRELL

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he said. Cantrell’s arraignment had not been scheduled as of Monday Her attorney, Eddie Castaing, declined to comment. Friday’s indictment accuses Cantrell of 11 counts including wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to a federal grand jury to further amorous relations with Vappie, her alleged beau, who is now retired from the New Orleans Police Department The pair

In blocking users from her account, when the platform was still named Twitter, over a policy disagreement, Jackson-Andrews violated Detiege’s constitutional right to free speech, the plaintiff argued.

Jack son -Andrews, however, said in court filings that her social media posts didn’t count as official government activity — a view that U.S. District Judge Donald Walter agreed with.

Walter said the plaintiffs had not proven Jackson-Andrews “had actual authority to speak on the State’s behalf,” and thus didn’t have the right to sue over constitutional rights violations.

The plaintiffs plan to appeal the decision, said Bruce Hamilton, a professor with the Tulane University Law School First Amendment Clinic who is representing the plaintiffs.

“We respectfully disagree with the judge’s interpretation of state

authority in this case,” Hamilton said. “Senator Jackson was clearly using and continues to use her social media platform to speak in furtherance of her official responsibilities.

“X is the modern public square — our elected officials should not be allowed to block users from viewing and interacting with their social media accounts because they express critical or dissenting points of view,” he added.

Jackson-Andrews on Monday said she is “thanking God” for the ruling that an “elected official’s personal account cannot be subjected to vile and racist statements.”

Detiege’s June 24, 2022, post came the day that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and a federal right to abortion. She was responding to a post from Jackson-Andrews noting that Roe v. Wade had been overturned and calling for support of “women and children from womb to tomb.”

Jackson-Andrews opposes abortion and that year sponsored

a bill making changes to Louisiana’s abortion trigger law, which immediately banned abortion when the Supreme Court overturned Roe.

One of the social media posts central to the case came from Detiege. It said: “I say this with all disrespect: burn in hell. You don’t care about women. You don’t care about pregnant people. You don’t care about children You don’t care about education. I do not respect all black women. Some of you b***** are very dumb.”

Another plaintiff, Ponchatoula resident Dayne Sherman, joined the lawsuit several months after it was originally filed. JacksonAndrews blocked him from her account in 2013 after a disagreement over the legality of a bill she sponsored that year to allow public schools to start the day with the Lord’s Prayer, according to court filings.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, whose office helped represent Jackson-Andrews in the case, celebrated the outcome, saying in a statement, “The First

Amendment did not prohibit Sen. Jackson from blocking vile, personal, racist attacks on her social media pages.”

Walter a federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana nominated by President Ronald Reagan, in his ruling cited a 2024 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case Lindke v. Freed. That case dealt with a similar issue with a city manager in Michigan who posted personal and work-related information on a social media account and blocked a user who was critical of the city’s pandemic response. In Lindke, the high court held that a public official’s social media activity is considered official state government action if that official had “actual authority to speak on the State’s behalf” and then “purported to exercise that authority when he spoke on social media,” Walter explained in his ruling. Walter said the Louisiana plaintiffs failed to meet the bar set out in that case.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

Grandlel, Md., right, takes a selfie with a

Washington on Monday.

I think the administration should make that plain.”

The White House has ordered D.C. police to cooperate with fed-

was completely booked.

The trip marked the return of service to the region for the first time since before Hurricane Katrina. Reviving the line took $278 million and decades of work from political leaders and civic boosters who argued for the importance of connecting the Gulf Coast cities.

From its name to its decor, the service aimed to celebrate the region’s arts and culture In the Bay St. Louis station, mannequins donned Mardi Gras krewe costumes adorned with sequins and feathered headdresses near a papier-mâché cutout of Pete Fountain playing clarinet. Upstairs, a museum is devoted to the work of Bay St. Louis folk artist Alice Moseley McKenzey Northington, the executive director of Hancock County Tourism Development Bureau, said she expects the service to draw more visitors to the Mis-

is accused of 18 counts total. Prosecutors say the couple took 14 trips out of state and stuck taxpayers with the bill. They point to a trove of 15,000 messages they say include flirtations and strategizing on how to shield their alleged romance. Whether a judge will try to limit interactions between Cantrell and Vappie pending the outcome is uncertain.

Few lawyers think the mayor would go to trial before she exits office in January after two terms, however swiftly U.S District Judge Wendy Vitter, an appointee of President Donald Trump, may want the case to proceed.

eral immigration enforcement officers, though such cooperation would violate local laws.

“We don’t have any authority

“The Depot District has really grown so much in the last decade, so there’s a lot of commerce down here now It’s just a fun place to come on the weekend and get out of the city.”

ERIN BUGBEE, train passenger

sissippi Coast because of its accessibility across multiple cities.

“Being able to showcase the people and businesses that make us us, I think, is really important,” said Northington, describing Bay St. Louis as “an artist community.”

The service also comes amid a broader renewal in the waterfront city especially in its Depot District, a thoroughfare that was ravaged by Katrina but has since

The 2014 trial of former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, who was indicted after he left office, went off 13 months after the indictment.

Public officials are often slow to recognize the extent of their legal troubles, DeSalvo said.

“It takes awhile to reach the reality that the world could be closing in on them,” he said. The charging papers naming Cantrell and Vappie appear more straightforward than the case against Nagin, focusing on the criminal pains the couple allegedly took to cast a high-flying romance as work. Rafael Goyeneche, president of

over the D.C. guard or any other guards, but I think it kind of makes the point that this is not about D.C. crime,” Bowser said when asked

been revitalized with new developments, including restaurants, fitness centers and vacation rentals.

Bay St. Louis has long been a favorite weekend getaway for New Orleanians and others from across south Louisiana, but Erin Bugbee who took the train from New Orleans to Bay St. Louis, where she owns property — has noticed an influx of visitors in the last few years.

“The Depot District has really grown so much in the last decade, so there’s a lot of commerce down here now It’s just a fun place to come on the weekend and get out of the city,” said Bugbee, wearing a blue-striped railroad cap and Mardi Gras beads.

For the new service, Amtrak is projecting ridership of 70,000 in the first year Travel time between New Orleans and Bay St. Louis was expected to be about an hour and a

the watchdog Metropolitan Crime Commission, said Cantrell still faces exposure as well from the pending case involving electrical inspector Randy Farrell, who’s accused in a sweeping fraud and bribery scheme that allegedly involved gifts to the mayor That indictment identifies Cantrell only as “Public Official 1.”

“I’ve never seen someone indicted for bribing a public official without seeing the public official indicted,” he said. Goyeneche pointed to the 15,000 messages prosecutors say they have. “She knows what’s there. The

about other states sending troops to the city

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

half before the train continued on to Mobile.

The inaugural trip ended up facing a delay due to freight traffic and pulled in to Bay St. Louis a little before 10 a.m. But the riders were all smiles anyway as people waiting along the platform waved to greet them.

Once the train stopped, passengers wearing purple, green and gold poured out of the exit, including Shar Mansukhani, Hilbert’s friend who traveled from New Orleans to see him.

Mansukhani described the train’s atmosphere as “enthusiastic,” noting how the nostalgic form of transportation sparked camaraderie among the travelers and offered views of the coast. The station emptied within minutes and the train headed on its way to Mobile.

Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@ theadvocate.com.

government knows what’s there,” he said. “The ball is in the mayor’s court.”

Prosecutors have said the investigation into the mayor remains ongoing, though former federal prosecutor Matt Coman, who led the case against former Mayor Ray Nagin, has said rarely is a public official charged multiple times in the same court. On Monday spokesperson Terry Davis said the mayor will continue to perform her duties. She led a regularly scheduled morning meeting with top city officials, and later in a statement expressed gratitude to city employees.

hasbeen going on for almost fouryears.”

It was not clear if Putin has fully signed on to such talks.

Russia state news agency

Tass cited Putin’sforeign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakovsaying Putinand Trump “spoke in favor” of continuing direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Ushakov said they also discussed “the ideaof raising the level of the direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations.”

Zelenskyy told reporters following the White House meetingthatifRussiadoes “not demonstrate awillto meet, then we will ask the United States to act accordingly.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who attended the White House talks, added in an appearance on Fox News that “if Russia is not playing ball” on direct talks with Ukraine “the United States plus Europe will do more when it comes to tariffs and sanctions” on Moscow Zelenskyy previously had said he wanted Russia to agree to aceasefirebefore any meeting between himself and Putin, but he said Monday that if theUkrainians started setting conditions,the Russians would do the same.

“That’swhy Ibelieve that we must meet without any conditions, andthink about what development there can be of this path to the end of war,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier,Trump said during talks with Zelenskyy andthe European leaders that apotential ceasefire and who gets Ukrainian territory seized by Russia should be hashed out during aface-to-facemeeting betweenthe warring countries’ two leaders.

“We’re going to let the president go over and talk to the president and we’ll see how that works out,” Trump said.

That wasa shift from commentsTrump made soon after meeting Putin last week in which he appeared to tilt toward Putin’sdemands that Ukraine make concessions over land seized by Russia, which now controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory Trump also announced on Monday he would back European security guarantees for Ukraine as he met with Zelenskyy and the leaders of France, Britain, Germany,Italyand Finland, as well as the president of the European Commission and the head of NATO.

Trump stopped shortof committing U.S. troops to a collective effort to bolster Ukraine’s security.Hesaid insteadthatthere would be a“NATO-like” security presence and that all those details would be hashed out with EU leaders.

“They want to give protection and they feel very strongly about it and we’ll help them out with that,” Trump said.

Zelenskyy said deepU.S.

“We’ll

involvement in the emerging security guaranteesis crucial.

“Itis important thatthe United States make aclear signal,namelythat they will be among the countries that will help to coordinate and also will participate in securityguarantees for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. Speaking Mondaybefore the White House meetings took place, Russia’sForeign Ministry rejected the idea of apossibleNATO peacekeeping forcein Ukraine. Such ascenario couldlead to furtherescalation and “unpredictable consequences,” ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned.

Trump’sengagement with Zelenskyy had astrikingly different feel to their last Oval Office meetingin February.Itwas adisas-

trousmoment that led to Trumpabruptlyending talks with the Ukrainian delegation, andtemporarily pausing some aid for Kyiv,after he andVice President JD Vance complainedthat Zelenskyy hadshown insufficient gratitude for U.S.military assistance.

At the start of Monday’s meeting,Zelenskyy presented aletter fromhis wife, Olena Zelenska,for Trump’swife, Melania. Trump during the Alaska summithad hand-delivered aletter to Putin from the U.S.first lady urging him to consider thechildren impacted by the conflictand bring an endtothe brutal 31/2-year war Zelenskyy faced criticism during his February meeting fromaconservative journalist forappearing in theOval Office in alongsleeve T-shirt. This time he appeared in adark jacket and buttoned shirt. Zelenskyy hassaid histypically less formalattiresince the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 is to showsolidarity with Ukrainian soldiers.

“We’ll see in acertain period of time, not very far from now,aweek or two

weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’regoing to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said.

European leadersarrived in Washington lookingto safeguard Ukraineand the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow

Ahead of Monday’smeeting, Trump suggestedthat Ukraine could notregain Crimea, which Russia annexedin2014,setting off an armed conflict that led to its broader 2022 invasion.

Zelenskyy in his own post late Sunday,responded, “Weall share astrong de-

sire to end thiswar quickly andreliably.” He said “peace must be lasting,” not as it wasafter Russiaseized Crimeaand part of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine eight years ago and “Putin simply useditasa springboard for anew attack.” European leaderssuggested forging atemporaryceasefire is notoff thetable.Following his meeting withPutin on Friday,Trumpdropped his demandfor an immediate ceasefire andsaidhewould look to secure afinalpeace settlement between Russia andUkraine —a sudden shift to aposition favored by Putin.

At the start of Monday’s meeting, the Germanand French leaders praised Trump for opening apath to peace, but theyurged the U.S. president to push Russia for aceasefire.

“I would like to seea ceasefire from the next meeting, which should be atrilateralmeeting,”said German Chancellor FriedrichMerz. Trump, forhis part, reiterated that abroader,warending peace agreement between the two countries is “very attainable,” but “all of us would obviously prefer the immediate ceasefire while we work on alasting peace.”

BRIEFS

Wall Street holds as it nears record heights

Wall Street held near its record heights Monday, ahead of a week likely to be dominated by updates from the head of the Federal Reserve and from some of the biggest U.S. retailers. The S&P 500 barely budged and fell by less than 0.1%, coming off its first loss after setting an all-time high in three consecutive days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 33 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%.

Novo Nordisk’s stock that trades in the United States rose 3.7% after the Danish company said U.S. regulators approved its Wegovy drug as part of a treatment for a liver disease found in many overweight and obese people.

Soho House, a membership club with locations around the world, jumped 14.9% after announcing a deal where an investor group led by hotel-operator MCR would pay $9 in cash for its shares. Several of the country’s largest retailers, meanwhile, were mixed ahead of their profit reports that are scheduled for later in the week. Home Depot, which will report on Tuesday, slipped 1.2%.

Target rose 1.9% ahead of its report Wednesday, and Walmart added 0.7% before its report Thursday

They, along with companies like Estee Lauder and Ross Stores, could offer a look at how different types of U.S. households are holding up when the job market seems to have morphed into one where relatively few workers are getting fired but also hired.

Judges say digital ad tax violates free speech

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s

first-in-the-nation tax on digital advertising violated the Constitution, a federal appeals court says, because blocking Big Tech from telling customers about the tax violates the companies’ right to free speech

Supporters say Maryland needed to overhaul its tax methods in response to significant changes in how businesses advertise. The tax focuses on large companies that make money advertising on the internet such as Meta, Google and Amazon, who say they’re being unfairly targeted

The ongoing legal fight is being watched by other states that are considering taxes for online ads. Maryland estimated the tax could raise about $250 million a year to help pay for a sweeping K-12 education measure Maryland’s law says the companies must not only pay the tax but avoid telling customers how it affects pricing, with no line items, surcharges or fees, the appeals court said Friday in siding with trade associations fighting the tax.

MSNBC network to be renamed MS NOW

Changing its mind about keeping its name, the MSNBC news network said Monday it will become My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW for short, as part of its corporate divorce from NBC.

The TV network, which appeals to liberal audiences with a stable of personalities including Rachel Maddow, Ari Melber and Nicole Wallace, has been building its own separate news division from NBC News. It will also remove NBC’s peacock symbol from its logo as part of the change, which will take effect later this year.

The name change was ordered by NBC Universal, which last November spun off cable networks USA, CNBC, MSNBC, E! Entertainment, Oxygen and the Golf Channel into its own company, called Versant. None of the other networks are changing their name.

It runs second in cable news ratings to Fox News Channel with personalities like Rachel Maddow Nicole Wallace and Ari Melber

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Newsmax to pay $67M in lawsuit

Defamation case filed over election claims

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

DENVER The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss according to docu-

ments filed Monday

The settlement comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network.

Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis had ruled earlier that Newsmax did indeed defame

Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by airing false information about the company and its equipment. But Davis left it to a jury to eventually decide whether that was done with malice, and, if so, how much Dominion deserved from Newsmax in damages. Newsmax and Dominion reached the settlement before the trial could take place.

The settlement was disclosed by Newsmax in a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange

Commission. It said the deal was reached Friday

“Newsmax believed it was critically important for the American people to hear both sides of the election disputes that arose in 2020,” the company said in a statement. “We stand by our coverage as fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.”

A spokesperson for Dominion said the company was pleased to have settled the lawsuit.

AN EV U-TURN

Republicans want to strip billions in federal funding for U.S. Postal Service

BY SUSAN HAIGH Associated Press

WASHINGTON A year after being lauded for its plan to replace thousands of aging, gaspowered mail trucks with a mostly electric fleet, the U.S. Postal Service is facing congressional attempts to strip billions in federal EV funding

In June, the Senate parliamentarian blocked a Republican proposal in a major tax-and-spending bill to sell off the agency’s new electric vehicles and infrastructure and revoke remaining federal money But efforts to halt the fleet’s shift to clean energy continue in the name of cost savings

Donald Maston, president of the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, said canceling the program now would have the opposite effect, squandering millions of dollars.

“I think it would be shortsighted for Congress to now suddenly decide they’re going to try to go backwards and take the money away for the EVs or stop that process because that’s just going to be a bunch of money on infrastructure that’s been wasted,” he said.

Beyond that, many in the scientific community fear the government could pass on an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to global warming when ur-

gent action is needed.

A 2022 University of Michigan study found the new electric postal vehicles could cut total greenhouse gas emissions by up to 20 million tons over the predicted, cumulative 20year lifetime of the trucks. That’s a fraction of the more than 6,000 million metric tons emitted annually in the United States, said professor Gregory A Keoleian, co-director of the university’s Center for Sustainable Systems. But he said the push toward electric vehicles is critical and needs to accelerate, given the intensifying impacts of climate change.

“We’re already falling short of goals for reducing emissions,” Keoleian said. “We’ve been making progress, but the actions being taken or proposed will really reverse decarbonization progress that has been made to date.”

Many GOP lawmakers share President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Biden-era green energy push and say the Postal Service should stick to delivering mail.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said “it didn’t make sense for the Postal Service to invest so heavily in an all-electric force.” She said she will pursue legislation to rescind what is left of the $3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act allocated to help cover the $10 billion cost of new postal vehicles.

Ernst has called the EV initiative a “boondoggle” and “a textbook example of waste,” citing delays, high costs and concerns over cold-weather performance.

“You always evaluate the programs, see if they are working. But the rate at which the company that’s providing those vehicles is

able to produce them, they are so far behind schedule, they will never be able to fulfill that contract,” Ernst said during a recent appearance at the Iowa State Fair, referring to Wisconsinbased Oshkosh Defense.

“For now,” she added, “gas-powered vehicles — use some ethanol in them — I think is wonderful.” Corn-based ethanol is a boon to Iowa’s farmers, but the effort to reverse course has other Republican support. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, a co-sponsor of the rollback effort, has said the EV order should be canceled because the project “has delivered nothing but delays, defective trucks and skyrocketing costs.”

The Postal Service maintains that the production delay of the Next Generation Delivery Vehicles was “very modest” and not unexpected.

“The production quantity ramp-up was planned for and intended to be very gradual in the early months to allow time for potential modest production or supplier issues to be successfully resolved,” spokesperson Kim Frum said.

The independent, self-funded federal agency, which is paid for mostly by postage and product sales, is in the middle of a $40 billion, 10-year modernization and financial stabilization plan.

The EV effort had the full backing of Democratic President Joe Biden, who pledged to move toward an all-electric federal fleet of car and trucks.

U.S. seeks shipbuilding expertise from South Korea, Japan

Visit an effort to counter China

BY ALBEE ZHANG Associated Press

WASHINGTON American lawmak-

ers are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies’ shipbuilding expertise and capacity to help boost its own capabilities, which are dwarfed by those of China.

Sens Tammy Duckworth, DIll., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., were in Seoul on Sunday before traveling to Japan, planning to meet top shipbuilders from the world’s second- and third-largest shipbuilding

countries. The senators want to examine the possibilities of forming joint ventures to construct and repair noncombatant vessels for the U.S. Navy in the Indo-Pacific and bring investments to American shipyards.

“We already have fewer capacity now than we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom” in 2003, Duckworth said. “We have to rebuild the capacity At the same time, what capacity we have is aging and breaking down and taking longer and more expensive to fix.”

Their trip comes as President Donald Trump demands a plan to revive U.S. shipyards and engage foreign partners. The Pentagon is seeking $47 billion for shipbuilding in its annual

budget. The urgency stems from the fact that Washington severely lags behind China in building naval ships, a situation raising alarms among policymakers who worry the maritime balance of power could shift to China, now the world’s No. 1 shipbuilder Duckworth, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said she hopes the trip could lead to joint ventures among the U.S military, American companies and foreign partners to build auxiliary vessels for the Navy and small boats for the Army Another possibility is repairing U.S. ships in the Indo-Pacific region.

The discussions, she said, will focus on auxiliary vessels, which are noncombatant ships such as fueling and cargo vessels that support naval and military operations. The Navy’s auxiliary fleet is aging and insufficient in numbers, she said.

The U.S. commercial shipbuilding accounted for 0.1% of global capacity in 2024, while China produced 53%, followed by South Korea and Japan, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A Navy review from April 2024 found that many of its major shipbuilding programs were one year to three years behind schedule.

“If we have to bring ships all the way back to the United States to wait two years to be fixed, that doesn’t help the situation,” Duckworth said.

‘Ketamine Queen’ to plead guilty in Perry case

Woman accused of selling fatal dose to actor

BY ANDREW DALTON Associated Press

LOS ANGELES A woman known as the “Ketamine Queen,” charged with selling Matthew Perry the drug that killed him, agreed to plead guilty Monday Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, avoiding a trial that had been planned for September

criminal charges including providing the ketamine that led to Perry’s death.

In a brief statement, Sangha’s lawyer Mark Geragos said only “She’s taking responsibility for her actions.”

people had been charged in Perry’s Oct. 28, 2023 death after a sweeping investigation.

less than the maximum.

Perry

She agreed in a signed statement filed in court to plead guilty to five federal

Prosecutors had cast Sangha, a 42-year-old citizen of the U.S. and the U.K., as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the “Ketamine Queen,” using the term often in news releases and court documents. She agreed to plead guilty to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.

The final plea deal came a year after federal prosecutors announced that five

Sangha admitted in the agreement to selling four vials of ketamine to another man, Cody McLaury, hours before he died from an overdose in 2019. McLaury had no relationship to Perry Prosecutors will drop three other counts related to the distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of methamphetamine that was unrelated to the Perry case.

Sangha will officially change her plea to guilty at an upcoming hearing, where sentencing will be scheduled, prosecutors said. She could get up to 45 years in prison. The judge is not bound to follow any terms of the plea agreement, but prosecutors said in the document that they will ask for

Bolivia’s presidential election heads to runoff

BY ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press

LA PAZ, Bolivia Bolivia’s presidential vote is headed to an unprecedented runoff after Sunday’s election ended over two decades of ruling party dominance in the Andean nation.

A centrist lawmaker from a prominent political family, Sen. Rodrigo Paz, and a rightwing former president, Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga, will face off in October after a first round of voting knocked out candidates allied with the nation’s long-dominant Movement Toward Socialism, or MAS, party Paz, a former mayor campaigned with the slogan “Capitalism for all” — rejecting the statist policies of MAS while pitching a more inclusive approach to rescuing Bolivia from its worst economic crisis in four decades. He has promised to lower tariffs, reduce taxes and make small loans more accessible for entrepreneurs.

“Bolivia is looking for change, looking for renewal,” Paz told The Associated Press after his win. “The vast majority of people have expressed that desire for renewal — merchants, the self-employed, transport workers, the great majority of this country.”

Paz had been trailing in opinion polls for weeks But he gained unexpected traction as he teamed up with Edman Lara, a social media savvy ex-police captain with evangelical backing who was fired for denouncing corruption in the security services.

“We did not invest millions, we invested in the people’s trust,” Lara told local media on Monday, seeking to portray his ticket as a humble alternative to that of the wealthy right-wingers who poured exorbitant sums into campaigning. “ While others spent fortunes on posters and TV spots, we trusted in

the strength of the citizens and a message of unity.”

Paz secured a lead over Quiroga with over 32% of the votes cast Quiroga received just over 26%. Candidates needed to surpass 50%, or 40% with a 10-point margin of victory to avoid a runoff.

Bolivia holds the presidential runoff its first since its 1982 return to democracy — on Oct. 19.

“Now the ball is in the hands of the Bolivian people,” said leftist President Luis Arce, who will leave office following plummeting approval ratings reflecting popular frustration with his government’s mismanagement of the economy “Democracy has triumphed!”

The results delivered a blow to Bolivia’s hegemonic MAS party, which has governed almost uninterrupted since its founder, charismatic ex-President Evo Morales, rose to power as part of the “pink tide” of leaders who swept into office across Latin America during the commodities boom of the early 2000s.

Bolivia faces a return to belt-tightening. After years of alignment with world powers like China and Russia, it seems set to reconcile with the United States.

The official MAS candidate, Eduardo del Castillo, finished sixth with 3.2% of the vote

A candidate considered to be the party’s best hope, 36-year-old Senate president Andrónico Rodríguez, captured 8% of the vote.

During his almost 14 years in power, Morales expanded the rights of the country’s Indigenous majority defended coca growers against U.S.-backed eradication programs and poured natural gas profits into social programs.

But the maverick leader’s increasingly high-handed attempts to prolong his presidency — along with allegations of sexual relations with underage girls — soured public opinion against him Discontent turned into outrage as Bolivia’s once-stable economy imploded under Morales’ protégé-turnedrival, President Arce.

Annual inflation rate has soared from 2% less than two years ago to 25% as of last month. A scarcity of fuel has paralyzed the country A shortage of U.S. dollars needed to pay for essential imports like wheat has crippled the economy As the crisis accelerated, MAS leaders traded blame.

A power struggle between Morales and Arce fractured the bloc and handed the opposition its first real shot at victory in decades, even as its uncharismatic candidates failed to unite.

She and Dr Salvador Plasencia, who pleaded guilty last month, had been the primary targets of the investigation. Three other defendants — Dr Mark Chavez, Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming — pleaded guilty in exchange for their cooperation, which included statements implicating Sangha and Plasencia.

Perry was found dead in his Los Angeles home by Iwamasa, his assistant The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death.

Sangha presented a posh lifestyle on Instagram, with photos of herself with the rich and famous in cities around the globe. Prosecutors said she privately presented herself as a dealer who sold to the same kind of high-class customers.

Perry had been using ketamine through his regular doctor as a legal, but offlabel, treatment for depression, which has become increasingly common. Perry 54, sought more ketamine than his doctor would give him. He began getting it from Plasencia about a month before his death, then started getting still more from Sangha about two weeks before his death, prosecutors said.

Perry and Iwamasa found Sangha through Perry’s friend Fleming. In their plea agreements, both men described the subsequent deals in detail.

Fleming messaged Iwamasa saying Sangha’s ketamine was “unmarked but it’s amazing,” according to court documents. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals “with high end and celebs. If it were not great stuff she’d

lose her business.”

With the two men acting as middlemen, Perry bought large amounts of ketamine from Sangha, including 25 vials for $6,000 in cash four days before his death. That purchase included the doses that killed Perry, prosecutors said. On the day of Perry’s death, Sangha told Fleming they should delete all the messages they had sent each other, according to her indictment.

Her home in North Hollywood, California, was raided in March 2024 by Drug Enforcement Administration agents who found large amounts of methamphetamines and ketamine, according to an affidavit from an agent She has been held in federal custody for about a year None of the defendants have yet been sentenced.

Over 150 people still missing after flooding in Pakistan

BY RIAZ KHAN Associated Press

PESHAWAR, Pakistan

Anguished Pakistanis searched remote areas for bodies swept away by weekend flash floods as the death toll reached 277 on Monday, while one official replied to the lack of evacuation warnings by saying people should have built homes elsewhere.

A changing climate has made residents of northern Pakistan’s river-carved mountainous areas more vulnerable to sudden heavy rains.

More than 150 people were still missing in the district of Buner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after Friday’s flash floods. Villagers have said there had been no warning

broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method for alerting emergencies in remote areas.

The government has said the sudden downpour was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be informed.

Emergency services spokesman Mohammad Suhail said three bodies were found on Monday. The army has deployed engineers and heavy machinery to clear the rubble.

On Sunday, provincial chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur said many deaths could have been avoided if residents had not built homes along waterways. He said the government would encourage displaced families to relocate to safer areas, where they would be assisted in

rebuilding homes. Residents said they were not living near streams, yet the flood swept through their homes. In Buner’s Malak Pur village, Ikram Ullah, aged 55, said people’s ancestral homes were destroyed even though they were not near the stream, which emerged in the area because of the flood. He said large boulders rolled down from mountains with the flood. Pakistan has seen higherthan-normal monsoon rains since June 26 that have killed at least 645 people across the country, with 400 deaths in the northwest. The National Disaster Management Authority issued an alert for further flooding after new rains began Sunday in many parts of the country

BY CLAUDIA LAUER and MIKE CATALINI Associated

A coalition of attorneys general from 20 states and Washington, D.C., is asking a federal judge to stop the U.S. Department of Justice from withholding federal funds earmarked for crime victims if states don’t cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. The lawsuit filed Monday in Rhode Island federal court seeks to block the Justice Department from enforcing conditions that would cut funding to a state or subgrantee if it refuses to honor civil immigration enforcement requests, denies U.S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement officers access to facilities or fails to provide advance notice of release dates of individuals possibly wanted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement because of their immigration status.

The lawsuit asks that the conditions be thrown out, arguing that the administration and the agency are overstepping their constitutional and administrative authority

The lawsuit also argues that the requirements are not permitted or outlined in the Victims of Crime Act, known as VOCA and would interfere with policies created to ensure victims and witnesses report crimes without fear of deportation. “These people did not ask for this status as a crime vic-

tim. They don’t breakdown neatly across partisan lines, but they share one common trait, which is that they’ve suffered an unimaginable trauma,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J Platkin said during a video news conference Monday, calling the administration’s threat to withhold funds “the most heinous act” he’s seen in politics. The federal conditions were placed on VOCA funding, which provides more than a billion dollars annually to states for victims compensation programs and grants that fund victims assistance organizations. VOCA funding comes

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Neighbors want say in airport expansion

Flap over meeting raises

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

As officials at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport begin planning for a second terminal with 15 additional gates and a new parking garage, Kenner residents and elected officials are calling for better communication and more transparency about the expansion Concerns surfaced after the airport hosted a meeting Aug. 12 to solicit public input on the expansion plans but didn’t provide what some residents say was sufficient notice of the gathering, which was held from 4 p.m to 7 p.m during the first week of school in Jefferson Parish Only a dozen or so attend-

City ordered to return school zone fines

AG: Speed camera tickets without deal violate state law

BY MARIE FAZIO Staff writer

Louisiana Attorney General Liz

Murrill is ordering New Orleans to return fines paid by drivers who received school-zone speeding tickets last school year that she says were issued in violation of state law

In a letter posted to social media Monday afternoon, Murrill also said she would would launch a criminal investigation and pursue charges against city officials if New Orleans does not comply with the 2024 state law, which bars municipalities from issuing tickets and collecting fines until they finalize revenue-sharing agreements with their local school districts.

The letter, dated Aug. 11, was sent to New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Director of Public Works Rick Hathaway

Murrill’s letter follows months of negotiations between the Cantrell administration and the Orleans Parish School Board to determine how to split the revenues from school zone cameras as required by the 2024 law New Orleans continued issuing tickets and collecting fines after the law took effect last year, but it held the money in escrow until an agreement was reached.

From May 2024 to March 2025, the school zone cameras generated $1.375 million in net revenue, according to city officials.

Murrill said in her post that “installation or activation” of cameras without a revenue-sharing agreement in place violates state law If the city continues collecting fines before an agreement is finalized, she added, “I would then have no choice but to launch an investigation and pursue criminal malfeasance in office charges against any and all responsible officials.”

She added that any funds collected should be returned to anyone who received tickets that “were not authorized by law at the time.” The city did not immediately respond to inquiries about Murrill’s letter and whether fines would be returned.

Earlier this month, city officials said they would deactivate speeding cameras in school zones and other locations while they worked to comply with state laws.

In July, the New Orleans City Council signed an agreement that would have split the revenue from the school zone cameras 60-40, with the larger share going to the city But the Orleans Parish School Board rejected the agreement after some members cited concerns about the timeline for payments

ees showed up, according to those who were present.

Public agencies are required to provide at least 24 hours notice before a public meeting. Airport spokesperson Erin Burns said the meeting was, in fact, advertised in “Nola.com and Louisiana Weekly in print and online for one week before the meeting.”

“The public notice was

also placed in the public notice section of the airport website and a press release was distributed the day before the event,” Burns added.

But those who say they typically get emails notifying them about airport meetings didn’t receive anything last week and didn’t know to check the airport website or legal notices section in the publications.

“It’s the lack of transparency,” said Richard Brown, president of Citizens for a

Better Kenner, who usually gets email notices about airport meetings but did not.

“It’s like they’re acting in secrecy.”

The flap over the meeting taps into long-simmering frustrations about the airport that periodically bubble up when those who live near it and those who represent them feel like they don’t know what’s going on at the facility. Those frustrations are rooted, in part, in the governance structure of the facility, which is lo-

Search effort grows

Airboats, bloodhounds seek N.O. East 12-year-old boy

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

An excavator from the New Orleans

Sewerage & Water Board scooped mounds of water lilies from a canal in the Village De L’Est neighborhood on Monday as authorities continued their search for Bryan Vasquez, a 12-yearold nonverbal boy with autism who wandered away from his home five days ago.

The search teams on Monday also included an airboat with sonar, bloodhounds from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, the New Orleans Fire Department, officials from the St Charles and St Bernard Parish sheriff’s office, as well as an army of community volunteers who’ve been combing the neighborhood looking for the boy with little to no sleep.

“Until this baby is found, I don’t think we will,” said Cristiane

By NEW

Bryan Vasquez, 12, a nonverbal boy on the autism spectrum, disappeared from his Beaucaire Street home in New Orleans’ Village De L’Est neighborhood early Thursday.

Rosales-Fajardo, a neighborhood resident and community activist with El Pueblo Nola who is helping to organize the civilian side of the search.

The United Cajun Navy is expected to join the hunt with thermal drones

and additional dogs, according to President Todd Terrell.

“We will get with officials to come up with a game plan,” Terrell said.

ä See SEARCH, page 2B

KASEY BUBNASH

writer

responding Sheriff’s Office deputy called for backup and additional

made it to the

minutes, according to

iff’s officials. Paramedics transported four of the injured inmates to University Medical Center, where they stayed briefly before being re-

Bryan Vasquez has been missing since early Thursday morning, when he climbed out of a bedroom window at his Beaucaire Street home in New Orleans East wearing only an adult diaper, according to his mother, Hilda Vasquez. Doorbell camera footage from a neighbor’s home shows Bryan Vasquez walking alone down the street about 5:20 a.m. Another video shows him walking to the door of a residence, not his own, before continuing on.

He was last seen on a home surveillance video about 6:40 a.m. in the 13000 block of Sevres Street, according to Rosales-Fajardo That’s also where authorities found the boy’s discarded diaper, she said.

In the first 72 hours, the New Orleans Police Department led a large search that included local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The department scaled down its active resources Sunday and turned the case over to its Special Victims Division, which specializes in missing and vulnerable juveniles.

On Monday, much of the search effort concentrated on the waterway that runs along Sevres Street. The S&WB cleared the high brush on the canal’s bank on Sunday, said Austin Badon, who serves as southwest Louisiana district director for Gov Jeff Landry’s office.

The department used the crane to clear the thick mat of aquatic plants that stretched across the top of the canal.

“As they are pulling it out of the water, they go through (the

FINES

Continued from page 1B

and how revenue would be split when a school zone covers a public and a private school. They deferred the vote to a later meeting.

State Sen. Stewart Cathey, RMonroe, authored the 2024 law requiring the revenue-sharing agreements and authored a related bill this year, which the Legislature passed, that allows public officials to be charged with malfeasance in office for violating provisions of the traf-

SCHOOL

Continued from page 1B

plants) and check them,” said Badon, who said he plans to inquire about draining the canal on Tuesday Angola bloodhounds, meanwhile, went door-to-door in the neighborhood.

“We were able to get a pair of shorts that have his scent to allow them to key in on that,” Badon said

Holding out hope

The Vasquez family is holding out hope that Bryan Vasquez is alive Hilda Vasquez has three other children, ages 11, 7 and 4 weeks old, according to RosalesFajardo.

“She’s been not sleeping, just walking around and worried,” Rosales-Fajardo said. “The 7-year-old has been screaming for his brother.”

Volunteer search teams have been organizing near the intersection of Beaucaire and Lemans streets. Rosales-Fajardo said they are in need of more people to help knock on doors to get permission to search backyards.

She said it’s still imperative that Village De L’Est residents check their sheds and under houses. Rosales-Fajardo also pleaded for people with home surveillance camera systems to check their video for any trace of Bryan Vasquez, starting at 5:20 a.m Thursday He may be unclothed.

“Please, we really need tips to come in,” she said Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Vasquez is asked to call 911 or the New Orleans Police Department at (504) 821-2222.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

fic camera law That law took effect Aug 1. In a news briefing Monday afternoon, Murrill said she sent the letter to New Orleans officials to inform them that she was required to pursue charges if they did not comply with the 2024 law She said she sent a similar notice to officials in Pointe Coupee Parish. Murrill also urged drivers to obey traffic laws while the speeding cameras are not in use.

“It’s still against the law to speed in a school zone,” she said, “and you could be ticketed by an actual officer.”

ing today?” he asked as he knelt beside a group of three small boys who were hard at work connecting counting blocks to make sticks as they waited for class to start.

Despite the familiar first-day celebrations, the start of the new school year brings changes for the state’s largest district, ranging from new policies banning the use of nonclear backpacks, to the rollout of the state’s new school accountability system, which could have a major impact on testing.

At the same time, the district is also tasked with juggling mounting tensions at the federal level as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigration, a move that could disproportionately affect Jefferson Parish, which has the most diverse student population in the state.

“We’re going through some shifts with accountability changes, and some changes may come down from the federal government that we’re still monitoring, but our biggest thing is always going to be children first,” Gray said in an interview Thursday, “making sure we’re the champions our kids deserve and advocating for them in every possible way we can.”

Teacher pay

After voters declined last November to pass a new tax that would have permanently raised teacher salaries by more than $8,000, the Jefferson Parish School Board instead approved a $1,500 one-time stipend

Officials say a lack of voter education and an aging demographic may have contributed to the millage’s defeat Still, teacher pay in Jefferson Parish remains lower than in many neighboring districts, raising concerns among some about the school system’s future ability to recruit and retain qualified educators, despite recent improvements to the district’s teacher vacancy rate.

“We’re doing what we can as a board and administration to spend our dollars wisely, and

JAIL

Continued from page 1B

turned to the jail, the Sheriff’s Office said. A fifth inmate was treated by Sheriff’s Office medical staff on the scene Officials did not provide specifics regarding the inmates’ injuries.

Several other responding Sheriff’s Office teams searched the cell for contraband and contacted the families of those who were injured, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The injured inmates will be allowed virtual calls with their loved ones, officials said.

some of those dollars have gone directly to teachers,” School Board President Chad Nugent said. “At this point, we are dependent on, to some degree, the taxpayers if we’re going to dedicate additional money to staff pay.”

The starting salary for teachers in Jefferson Parish is $51,800, lower than many of its neighbors, including St. Charles Parish, where salaries start at $63,000, and Orleans Parish, where they start at $57,500.

A second millage vote could be on the horizon, but School Board members say that, if approved, it likely won’t happen until next school year Until then, it remains to be seen whether teachers can expect another incremental raise.

Gray said Jefferson Parish teacher salaries need a more substantial bump to stay competitive. He emphasized that garnering more public support for raising educator pay is still a priority for him.

“We want to make sure people believe in us and that we continue to put out good work,” he said, “and when we go back to the public again, we can get that support.” Federal crackdown

After the Trump administration rolled back federal policies that exempted schools from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids early this year, Jefferson Parish parents and teachers criticized district officials at a school board meeting in February, saying they hadn’t done enough to reassure students who worried that ICE agents could show up at their schools.

Nearly 40% of the Jefferson Parish student population identifies as Hispanic or Latino and 20% identify as having limited English proficiency.

“The kids aren’t really feeling those stresses because they know when they come here, this is their happy place,” said Smith, the principal at Keller Elementary But Amy Dudgeon, president and founder of the New Neighbor Project, which provides support to immigrant families across south Louisiana said she’s heard from many families

who are increasingly worried about their safety in the current political climate Some fear they’ll be detained while bringing their children to school, she said.

“A lot of families are very concerned,” Dudgeon said, adding that she’s seen a drop in the number of Spanish-speaking families signing up for English classes through her organization.

Jefferson schools spokesperson Kaela Lewis said district staff reviewed and updated Jefferson’s ICE policies earlier this year The new guide includes an overview of ICE’s authority and limitations in schools, a summary of “recommended procedures” for how staff should handle ICE presence on campuses, and recommendations for providing information to parents. The updates were distributed to school leaders at the start of the school year.

In a statement, the district said it does not anticipate any changes in student enrollment or attendance due to federal policy changes.

“The focus remains on welcoming and educating all students who enroll while ensuring they have the support and resources they need to succeed,” it said. New school accountability

Before the state education board voted to overhaul Louisiana’s school accountability program last year — arguing that the new system would set higher goals for student achievement and better identify struggling schools district leaders pushed back, saying the changes would lead to an overemphasis on test scores and lower school grades.

The district hit a milestone last fall, improving from a “C” rating to a “B” overall under the state’s previous accountability system. Under the new system, however, schools will be expected to shift their focus away from college and career readiness in favor of prioritizing end-of-course test scores. According to previous simulations based on schools’ 2022-23 performance data, more than 80% of high schools across Louisiana may see their letter grades drop.

AIRPORT

Continued from page 1B

In February, a report on subsidence at the airport raised questions about the extent of the repairs needed and how much taxpayers might have to pay for them.

And for years, elected officials in Kenner and Jefferson Parish have been questioning why the $1.3 billion airport terminal, which opened in 2019, was completed years before the access roads around it, though state transportation officials, not the airport, were responsible for the timing of the road projects.

“Obviously, they are the largest business in Jefferson Parish and we want them to be successful,” said Jefferson Parish Council member Arita Bohannan, who represents the district that includes the airport and fielded dozens of calls about the Aug. 12 meeting from angry constituents. “But their drainage, sewerage and traffic issues are all things that have to be addressed.”

“Hopefully, this as an opportunity to address them. But it will take better communication,” she added.

Airport officials say they’re not operating in secret but that any expansion is still early in a multistep process.

The Federal Aviation Administration recommends that airports do a new master plan every seven to 10 years to assess their facilities, set new goals and make sure they can meet future demand while balancing community impacts.

Sheriff’s Office officials first confirmed the brawl at 8 a.m Monday, saying a “physical altercation” that occurred inside the jail was under investigation. They did not provide specifics until hours later

The New Orleans jail and the agency that oversees it, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, have been under intense scrutiny since 10 inmates broke free in May One escapee, convicted killer Derrick Groves, is still on the run. At least one other inmate has since been mistakenly released in what Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson called a clerical error, igniting renewed criticism of the jail and her office.

This could come as a considerable setback for Jefferson Parish, where only two schools received a failing grade in 2024 — a major improvement over the year before, when nine of the district’s schools were deemed “failing.”

Stephanie Dillon, principal of L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero, which received a “C” for the 2023-24 school year, said school leaders are making plans going into the new year

“As principal, that’s something that’s on your mind every day,” Dillon said, noting that her school is projected to have improved by a few points over the last year

“But during (professional development) week, we talked to our teachers about it, we looked at our data, who we were at the end of last school year, and talked about how we address this and become better.”

Uniform changes and bag policy

Following an incident in which a student allegedly brought a gun to class in a bookbag, the district’s School Board voted overwhelmingly in June to require that all students in grades 4-12 carry clear backpacks and laptop bags.

The vote sparked heated debate between Gray and School Board member Derrick Shepherd, who wasn’t convinced the policy would deter future incidents and worried that the switch would place a financial burden on families.

As he welcomed Higgins High School students to their first day of classes Friday Shepherd said he was glad to hear about districtwide efforts to give free bags to families. At Higgins, alumni stepped in to donate dozens of backpacks.

Gray said he’s received mixed responses from families so far, noting that while the district has not had any “extreme incidents,” student safety is a top priority

“Anything we can put in place to make sure our kids can walk into our buildings and feel safe

I think that’s worth any uncomfortableness that may be generated from it,” he said.

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

The local airport is nearing the end of its most recent master planning process, which began two years ago. Consultants have determined that if current growth projections hold, the airport will run out of capacity by 2031.

Between 2022-2025, annual passenger counts at the airport increased from 5.9 million to 6.6 million. At that rate, the airport will reach the limit of its existing capacity — 9.7 million emplanements — by 2031.

To meet those needs, the airport will need to add a second terminal with 15 more gates, an additional 31,000 square feet of ticket lobby space, 53,000 square feet of security checkpoint space and 78,000 square feet of baggage claim area, airport officials said in a presentation last month to the New Orleans City Council transportation committee.

The master plan, when completed later this year, will include conceptual plans for the expansion, a projected timeline based on passenger volume and estimated price tag to help inform a funding strategy But details of the project and a true budget wouldn’t come until construction documents are finalized sometime in the future.

Praise from travelers

Local frustrations aside, the airport has been a success by most measures, winning high marks from travelers on customer satisfaction surveys and raves from travel magazines.

State Rep. Joe Stagni, a Republican whose Kenner district includes the airport, said no one has voiced opposition to an airport expansion. But he said it’s important the public be given every opportunity to participate in the planning process, especially in the early stages.

“The master planning process is important and calls for public input,” said Stagni, who did not know about Tuesday’s meeting until just hours before. “It’s difficult to have public input if the public doesn’t have opportunity to be involved.” Airport officials say they have heard the frustrations and have scheduled a second public meeting.

“Although the recommended procedures were followed the airport acknowledges the feedback received from the community and is actively working to ensure even more robust outreach to reach more community members,” Burns said.

The meeting will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 2 at Susan Park Gymnasium in Kenner

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

Caruso,Glenda

Cunningham, David

GelpiJr.,James

Groff, Bill

Juneau,Ray

Kupperman,Mara

Legendre, Charlene

Maguire,Suzanne

Nelson, Serenia

Sonnier,Robert

Thensted,Charles

Trask, Dwanda

Vaughn, Susan

Walsh, Fonda

EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Vaughn, Susan

Richardson FH

Nelson, Serenia

NewOrleans

DW Rhodes

Trask, Dwanda

Greenwood

Cunningham, David

Lake Lawn Metairie

Kupperman,Mara

Walsh, Fonda

St Tammany

EJ Fielding

West Bank

Mothe

Obituaries

Glenda White Caruso kicked the bucket. On Monday, August 11, 2025, she died peacefullyinher sleep from dementia complications, which is ironic since she always said her kidsdrove her crazy.

She left behind tons of treasures, or as her kids say, piles of crap. This included Beanie Babies, Mardi Gras doubloons and used wrapping paper. Her husband always said she had agift "for putting 10 pounds of crap in a5 pound bag".

She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Vincent Peter Caruso, who despite her numerous efforts never left her side. She also leaves behind her son Vincent Goldman Caruso, daughter Angela Gene Caruso, grandson Vincent CamilleCaruso and granddog Brees Jordan Caruso.

Glenda had aheartof gold, acontagious laugh and an unbreakable spirit. Adevoted wife andmother and unconditional friend, she loved her family, she loved life and more than anything she loved to laugh. She has been cremated because she was claustrophobicand said a casket was the last thing she would ever get in.

There will be no funeral services due to the fact that she is not in avery talkative mood. In lieuof flowers, the family asks that you tell someoneyou love them while you still have the chance.

Cunningham,

David Royce

BillThomas

BillThomas Groff, 78, of Diamondhead,Mississippi, passed away on August 13, 2025. Born in Conneaut, Ohio, on April 10, 1947, Bill was thebeloved son of Richard BradenGroff and Eunice IreneGroff.Hegrew up in Conneaut and went on to attend Kent State University before embarking on a33-yearcareer in finance, including many years with UnionCarbide which was lateracquired by Dow Chemical Company.Heproudly served in theUnitedStates Army from 1969 to 1971.

Billspent 17 years living in Brookfield, Connecticut before moving to Destrehan, Louisiana, where he and hisfamily madetheir home for 38 years before retiring to Diamondhead,Mississippi.

Apassionate golfer, Bill lovedplaying,watching and talking aboutthe game.His commitment to family,dedicationtohis wife, flirtatious personality,and gift formaking peoplesmilewere hallmarks of his life

Billissurvivedbyhis loving wife, PatriciaGroff; his daughter, JenniferGroff Bent and her husband, Daniel N. Bent;his son, Richard BradenGroff II and hiswife,Ashley Groff; and his grandchildren, Anna Caroline Groff,Daniel N. Bent Jr., Richard Braden GroffIII,and Anne Margaret Bent. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Gelpi Jr.,James Joseph

"In the heartofNew Orleans, underLouisiana's sky, James Joseph Gelpi, Jr., wasborn, the appleof their eye. In 1946, Jimmy's journey began; Maytwenty -fourth of '25, he leftin God'sHand.

Afighter in essence, with courage so grand, He served in the AirForce, a protector of our land. To Singapore's shores, his journey did steer,Where most of his life's work wouldappear.

Jimmy's lineagewas proud,a family so vast, With siblings andchildren whoselove will forever last.His parents, James Sr and Dorothea, predeceased,Their love and their values in himnever ceased.

Johnny, Barbara, Frank, and Maggie,too, Steve, Tommy, Ted, and Bob—his crew. And with Joey, his bookend, lovingly called, ThisGelpi familyalways stood tall.

Together with Louisiana Mei, his cherished daughter'sname, In herbright eyes, his sparkremains aflame. Aunt Mary Jane and many morekin than couldbelisted, Cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends, love never resisted.

Mara Rothstein Kupperman passedaway on August 17, 2025 at the ageof73. Acherished wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt,Mara believed with allher heart that family was life's greatest treasure.

Born in Jersey City,New Jersey, and raised in Teaneck,she graduated fromFairleigh Dickinson University. In 1978, aclose friend introducedher to NewOrleans, acityshe immediately embraced as her home. Later that year,she met theloveofher life, Stephen, at aNew Orleans Jazz basketball game.They married in 1980 and shared nearly 45 years together, raising threesons.

Mara worked at Saks Fifth Avenue,where her kindness,radiant positivity,and love of people madeher anatural.She also served on theBoard of theJewishCommunity Center and helpedfound theNew Orleans Kids Fair, which for several years welcomed thousandsof childrentothe Superdome

familymembers andclose friends. Foranonline guestbook,visit http:// www.mckneelys.com.

Maguire, Suzanne Hrapmann

DavidRoyce Cunning‐ham, age69, of NewOr‐leans, Louisiana, passed away on Monday,August 11, 2025. He wasbornon November 11, 1955, andis theson of thelateDavid andElraCunningham. Davidissurvivedbyhis loving wife,Ronaele Stall Cunningham.Heisthe fa‐ther of Jude Courtney, Samuel Cunningham, Leslie (Kyle) Landeche Lauren (Bradley) Parks, andthe late David(Fred) Cunningham. Davidisthe grandfatherofSavannah Landeche,PalmerLan‐deche, andCohen Parks. BrotherofAnnette (Stan‐ley) Cocke, Gerald (Car‐olyn)Cunningham, and Pamela (Mike) Cunning‐ham. He is also survived by many nieces andnephews Davidgraduated from Archbishop Shaw High School andthenattended LSU. He retiredfromwork‐inginthe craneindustry forover30years.David wasa self-motivateden‐trepreneur anda family man; he lovedspending time with them.David en‐joyedtraveling,especially on familyvacations and with RonaeletoNew York He will be greatlymissed to allwho know him. Rela‐tivesand friendsare in‐vitedtoattend avisitation at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, at Green‐wood FuneralHome, 5200 CanalBlvd. NewOrleans LA,followedbya mass at 1:00 PM.Interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery We also invite youtoshare yourthoughts, fond memo‐ries,and condolenceson‐line at www.greenwoodfh com. Happy Birthday HappyBir da GwendolynA.Rollins

Throughlife'scomplex tapestry,hewove his thread, His thoughtsand theoriesnever minding to spread. The musiche loved, the chillhepossessed, The connection he had with NewOrleans Jazz Fest Cancer may have claimedhim, but hislegacy'sclear, He walkedwith agrace thatdrew everyone near. Aman of the world, yeta son of the South, Kind words and warm smiles always sprung from his mouth. Now, as we remember the man that he was, Let's celebrate his life, and to that let us pause,For the journey of Jimmy, Jr. was more than his end, He was abrother, afather, aveteran, afriend. As starsabove that twinkle in the night, He, too, now shineswithcelestiallight. So,hereisto Jimmy, may he rest in peace,A life well-lived;his

Amemorial service will be held at alaterdate. Donations in Bill'sname may be madetothe LSU TigerAthletic Foundation (TAF). "A life wellplayed- now onto the19thhole.

Ray Juneau, at theage of 83, peacefullypassed away surrounded by his loving family on August 13, 2025. His favoritepastime was square dancing predominantly at Ozone Squares,Tammany Twirlers, Y-Knots,and CasualCorners. Ray also enjoyed working in his yard and garden. Ray was known for his baking and lovedsharing it with everyone.Aboveall,hewas a family man who dearly lovedhis family time.Ray willbegreatly missed by allthatloved him.

Ray is survivedbyhis sons, DonovanJuneau (Roxie) and John Juneau; special friend,Kristin White;brother, Carl Juneau (Shirley); sister-in-law, CarolynBonfanti; brotherin-law,Sonny LeJeune (Margaret); grandchildren, Daniel Juneau (Mechelle) and Krystal Juneau; greatgrandchildren, Aiden Edwards, Abby Juneau, CameronJuneau, and Avalea Thomas. Ray is precededindeath by hiswife,SharleenL Juneau; parents, JohnsonJ Juneau and Rosa Guillory Juneau; sisters, Sarita Rosa Coughlin and Jeanie Theriot; and infant brother, John Juneau. In lieu of flowers,please donatetoSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital in honorofRay Juneau. https://www.stju de.org/donate/donate-tost-jude.html

Relatives and friends of thefamily are invited to attend thevisitation at Brandon G. Thompson Funeral Home at 12012 Hwy 190 WHammond, LA 70401 on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.,visitation willfollow to thenext morning on Thursday, August 21, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. until thefuneralservice at 9:00 a.m. officiated by Reverend Maggie Sullivan. Interment willbe at 2:00 p.m. at St. Frances DeSales Cemetery in Echo, Louisianatobeofficiated by Father Dwight DeJesus.

She valuedher many friendshipsand found joy in conversation, laughter, fashion, and music. In the traditionofher parents and grandparents, Mara lovedher family and spending timewiththose closest to her. She never missed achance to be present forher children, grandchildren, and extended family whether at a sportingevent, ballet recital,orgathering and was always excited to see her friends,nomatter the kind of dayshe'dhad Mara is survivedbyher husband Stephen; her sons, Zachary (Emily), Shane (Allison), and Jake (Jenny);her brother, Steven Rothstein(Elsie); seven beloved grandchildren,Matthew, Ellie, Lolo, Arie, Austin, Max, and Leo; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceasedbyher parents, Leonard and Sylvia Rothstein. She will be remembered forher unconditional love, her boundless warmth, her thoughtfulness, and the joyshe brought to others. She recognizedthatdeep relationships were the key to ameaningful life

The family wishes to thank Dr. Jonathan Mizrahi and his team for their care and guidance Services willbeheldon August 19thatTouro Synagogue at 10am, with visitationbeginning at 9am.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be madetothe Jewish CommunityCenter or Touro Synagogue

Legendre,Charlene Gottschalk

Suzy gave us herlast bigsmileonAugust 3, 2025. Youwould remember hersmile. She passed away very peacefullythe next evening, surrounded by herfamily. Dementia took away hermind, but herspirit willlivewith us forever. Beforeher went herparents, Helenand Felix Hrapmannand her sister Carol,taken from life too soon. She willberemembered by herchildren Jimmy, Kristen(and Robert)and Rocky, her grandson Drew,her sister Sally and husband John, herbrother-in-law David (and Nancy) andher husband Jim, wholoved her beyond measure.Alsolots of nieces, nephewsand friends. Lots of friends. She wasa goodCatholic anda true Christian in every way. Suzy was agraduate of Dominican High School, Loyola University and received an MBA from TulaneUniversity. She workedfor many years as aCPA andthenretired to take care of herkids.And Jim. Suzy andJim met on a blind datein1965, were wedin1972 and were together in marriagefor nearly fifty-threeyears. A special thanks to ACG Hospice,who providedher with compassionate care duringthe last monthsof herlife. Suzy'slifewill be celebrated at aprivate memorial service

Nelson,Serenia Taylor 'Bill'

SereniaTaylorNelson, 80, affectionately knownas “Bill” of Kenner,LAde‐parted this earthlylifeon Monday,August11, 2025. Serenialeavestocherish hermemoriesher husband Leon J. Nelson,Sr. andtwo sons:LeonNelson, Jr.of Seattle, WA andGlen(De‐marris)Nelson, Sr.Also survived by twobonus children Gene andJanet Williams,her beloved grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, former daughter-in-lawAyrissa Nelson,sisterKatherine L’Herisse,brother Issac Miller of Germany, 2god‐children,and numerous relativesand friends. Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe family, also pastor,officers andmembers of Mt.Zion B. C. areinvited to attend thefuneral serviceon Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at Mt.ZionBaptist Church,100 Second Street, SaintRose, LA 70087. Rev FreddieDixson, Sr.Officiat‐ing. Visitation starts at 10amuntil servicetime. Servicestartsat11am. In‐termentwillfollowatJef‐ferson Memorial Gardens, 11316 RiverRd.,Saint Rose LA 70087. Funeralarrange‐mentsentrusted to Richardson FuneralHome of Jefferson, RiverRidge LA.www.richardsonfuner alhomeofjefferson.com

Sylvia John Roberson passedawayFriday, Au‐gust 15, 2025 in Covington, Louisiana. Sylvia wasborn in Flushing,New York on April7,1932. Shemoved with herfamilytoNew Smyrna Beach, Floridain 1951. Sheissurvivedbyher children,Kenneth J. Blankenshipand Linda BlankenshipMoskau; grandchildrenJohnDuke (Tina),Kenneth Blanken‐ship,Trina Blankenship, Mickey Moore(Audrey), andRodrigoBlankenship (Logan);great grandchil‐dren Jadi Hartman(Todd), ShaneMoore, andRocco Moore; great-greatgrand‐daughtersAubreyFolse andTatum Hartman. Sheis also survived by hersister, MarieLouiseKetcham (Richard), andher nieces, Lisa Rowlison (Kevin)and Rosemary John. Shewas preceded in deathbyher husband,GeraldD.Rober‐son, herparents William andFrida HandloserJohn, andsiblings Fred and WilliamJohn. Sylvia began herbanking career at an earlyage in NewYork, and continuedinNew Smyrna Beachuntil 1973 whenshe movedtothe NewOrleans area.There sheaccepteda bankingpromotion at Gulf SouthBankinGretna, Louisiana. Sheremainedin thebanking industry, workingfor Merchants Bank in Kenner,Louisiana andWhitney Bank and ChaseBankinNew Or‐leans, Louisiana, retiringin 2012. Shetraveledtomany partsofthe countrywhile workingand beingassoci‐ated with theAmericanIn‐stituteofBanking,and out of thecountry forfun and relaxation.Her very fa‐vorite placeinthe United States wasPigeonForge Tennessee, where she spentmanyvacations with hersister, daughter,and niece. In addition,she en‐joyedcrafting, sewing, decorating, reading, and beingsurrounded by her family. Shealsoenjoyed spending time andplaying with hergrand-dog, Muffin, who sheloved so much Shewillbemissedtremen‐dously by herfamilyand allwho knew andloved her. In lieu of flowers, do‐nationsinmemoryofMrs Roberson maybemadeto alocal petrescuecharity of your choice.Relatives andfriends areinvited to attend thevisitation at E. J. Fielding FuneralHome, 2260 W. 21st Avenue,Cov‐ington Louisiana70433 on Thursday,August21, 2025, from 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM followed by intermentin PinecrestMemorialGar‐dens locateddirectlybe‐hind thefuneral home.The Roberson familyinvites youtoshare thoughts, fondestmemories, and condolencesonlineatE.J Fielding FuneralHome GuestBook at www.ejfield ingfh.com.

Charlene GottschalkLe‐gendre,76, born Septem‐ber27, 1948, in Stoughton, WI to thelateGlenn D. and DorisBolotte Gottschalk. Raised in Harahan, LA and laterresided in Amite, LA where shepeacefully passedawayonAugust11, 2025. Sheissurvivedbyher belovedhusband Robert Arnold Legendre of 56 years, herchildrenRandal GlennLegendre(Kathy) andRenee Legendre Eady Abeloved grandmother to Justin,Jessica,Macie, Sierra andJimmy.She is survived by hersisterJu‐dith G. Johnsonand many nieces,nephews and cousins. Charlene wasa li‐censed beautician andLife InsuranceAgent formany years. Charlene will be greatlymissedand re‐membered forher devotion to herfamilyand friends. Theimpactofher kindness andloveisevident in the memories held by those sheleavesbehind.May she rest in peace, surrounded foreverbythe love sheso generously gave.A private CelebrationofLifewillbe held at alater date for

RenownedinteriordesignerRobertH.Sonnier passedaway on August 15, 2025 in Lafayette, LA. He was86yearsold. Born to the lateMr. and Mrs. BasileSonnierof Rayne, LA,Robertlived much of hislifeinNew Orleans. He attended TulaneUniversity prior to moving to NewYorkCityto attendParsons School of Design,and later moved to Paris to continuehis studies. He wasconsidered an expertinFrench, English, andItalian furniture,and a specialist in pure contem-

and te

OUR VIEWS

Sickle cell disease breakthrough provides hope

Earlier this month, we learned 22-year-old Daniel Cressy would be the first person in Louisiana to receive agene therapy that promises to provide what patients and their families have long dreamed of —a cure for sickle cell disease.

Cressy’sjourney,asdocumented by reporter Emily Woodruff,isthe fruit of decades of research that will benefit thousands.

In Louisiana, there is ahigh prevalence of the disease per capita, and it disproportionately affects Blacks.

The life-changing nature of this breakthroughisevident when you know alittleabout the disease and patients like Cressy who have lived with it since birth. Sickle cell disease gets its name from agenetic mutationthat causes redblood cells, which are normally round, to be shapedlike acrescent, or sickle. As these mutated cells move through vessels, theycan become stuck, causing episodes of debilitating pain. For patients, this can mean weeks of not being to work, attend school or perform the essentialfunctions of life.

It can mean they have togive up on their dreams.Cressy,who aspires to become alicensed pilot, was denied medical clearance by theFederal Aviation Administration due to his sickle cell disease. He’shoping that will change after he completes the gene therapy It’snoeasy road. Just gettingthe green light to receive the therapy took 18 months. Then, there are potential risks and side effectsto confront. The therapy itself requires blood transfusions, stem cell collections and chemotherapy over several months.

Cressy is undergoing the process at Manning Family Children’s, and Woodruff’s reporting put aspotlight on the incredible teamwork of the medical staff there. After Cressy’s stem cells were collected, they were set to be shipped off to Scotland, where, in aprocess that seems like science fiction, scientistswill be able to edit his genes to address the mutation. The idea is that when the edited cells are returned to his body,they will help rebuild healthycells. We must not overlook that robust federal funding for basic scienceresearch is why we seebreakthroughs like this. NIH-funded studies of the human genome led tothe development of CRISPR, the gene-editing technology used here. While cuts to the National Institutes of Healthmay savemoney in the short run, improving lives like Cressy’sinthe long run is worth far more.

And lastly,wemust face the tremendous cost of this therapy,morethan $1 million for a single patient, not counting hospital stays and other costs. Louisiana is lined up toget up to support from anew federal program called the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model to help Medicaid patients get these therapies. With roughly 3,000 Medicaid patientsinthe state who have sickle cell disease, clearly, more will need to be done. But for now,weare glad to see patients like Cressy and theirloved ones finally have areason tohope.

LETTERSTOTHE

Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com.

Use Entergysettlement to benefit N.O. ratepayers

In April 2024, the city council approved asettlement with Entergy totaling $250 million, with$32 million setaside for thecouncil to use at its discretion to benefit ratepayers. In October 2024, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and Together New Orleans submitted aproposal to the council for up-front incentives to residentsand businesses to installbattery storagesystems on theirhomes to provide back-up power when the grid fails and to supplement the grid during times of high demand.

While in itsinitial filings,Entergy used veiled language to threaten litigation againstthe council if it were to usesettlement funds for these incentives,iteventually submitted itsproposal for abattery program, though with alowball incentive that will not overcome cost barriers for working families.

In themeantime, in April, Entergyfiled withthe council for what amounts to yet another rate increase, with projected effects of about $5 per month for the average residential bill.

The council’shighly-paid, out-of-state utilityadvisershave recommended against giving money to New Orleanians for batteries and have instead recommended granting Entergy’s rate increase, using settlement funds to pay for it

This amountstohanding back to Entergy apiece of the penalty it paid to thecouncil just last year for its own mismanagement. Ratepayers will be left withnothing to showfor it but higher rates, even if they are notfelt immediately Instead, the council could and should direct Entergy to use these settlement funds to provide tangible benefitstoratepayers —battery storage systems on their homesthat will lower energy bills as well as provide back-up resilience during grid outages and easily dispatchable power to thegridduring periods of high demand, such as during the Memorial Day weekend load-shedevent.

JESSE GEORGE NewOrleans policy director,Alliancefor Affordable Energy

N.O. must make room forbicyclists

Summer in New Orleans takes on a slower pace. Many residentsare part-timers here. I’m not.Everysummer,Isay to myself, “Gosh, it’shot.”

Andeveryhot, sweltering summer, Ifall in love with this city alittlebit more.

I’m abicyclist; it’s my main form of transportation in my seventhdecade. Ihave been riding abicycle since I was 6years old. Iprefer it, and in acitylike New Orleans, there are places to discover,like Audubon Park, City Park, beautiful hidden gardens and side streets.

It’sall herefor the cyclist and pedestrian to enjoy What Ihave never understood since moving herealmost10years ago is theconflict between car culture and bicyclists, especially in acitythat depends on tourism and the service industry so heavily Cycling does not usher in gentrification.Cycling reduces one’scarbon footprint, is an inexpensive form of

transportation and in all honesty,can lift someoneout of unemployment to employment. So Istruggle withthis fact: New Orleans is either No. 1orNo. 2incyclist deaths in thenation, every year since 2017. In 2025, we’ve had an especially tragic year.We’vealready had more deaths since 2024, and the year is justover half over.WhatI also fail to understandisthe assignment of guilt and fault to the cyclist or pedestrian. Why assign guilt to the victim? Who does that consolewhen New Orleans’ infrastructure is woefully inadequate for pedestrians and cyclists? Just do an impromptu survey of faded crosswalks, the lack of safe cycling paths,crumbling sidewalks, vehicles blocking sidewalks and bikeways and malfunctioning stoplights. Do it for the fallen victims so far Andstop blaming the fallen victims. They areloved.

MONICA CLARK NewOrleans

After reading “Permit issues may close restaurant” on July 29, Ifelt compelled to chime in. The city absolutely could and should do much moretohelp small businesses stay in compliance with permits. City Hall should also be much moreflexible in working with small businesses that fall out of compliance. The importance of small businesses to communities cannot be overstated. We are the beating heart of the city.Wemake neighborhoods walkable. We keep the sidewalks clean. We provide meeting space and fundraising support forcivic associations and charity organizations. We provide valuable neighborhood amenities. We makethe streets safer with our presence, lighting and security cameras. And we provide the city and state with significant revenue while receiving little to no support or security in return.

It is not easy to deal with the highest sales tax rates in the country while operating on razor-thin and shrinking profits. Iamnot the slightest bit surprised when Ihear the owners of Plume say that a$4,800 fine would put them out of business. Something as simple as updating contact information with the Bureau of Revenue/Finance is nearly impossible to do, so Iamnot surprised to hear the owners of Plume say that notification was sent to adefunct email address.

Iwould urge our elected leaders to form asmallbusiness advisory council and give us aseat at the table so we can address these issues together.Smallbusinesses deserve cooperation, support and leniency from the city,not steep fines and draconian punishments.

CATHERINE JAMES Faubourg Wines

Chris Rose is one of us. He suffered with us through Hurricane Katrina and perhaps it leftapermanent scar on NewOrleans and Chris Rose. Bless him

LOIS SHOFSTAHL

Mandeville

Cantrell’s sadendingwas inevitable

Friday markedthe sad, inevitable end of LaToya Cantrell’spolitical journey

Sure, she still has afew monthsto serve in office, but when agrand jury foreperson handed up asheet of paper listing 11 counts against Cantrell, it effectively marked the end of any political clout to which she may have been clinging. The truly unfortunate part was not the federal charges against Cantrell, namely the accusations of obstructing justice,wire fraud and conspiracy in the cover-up of her relationship with Jeffrey Vappie, her bodyguard and alleged paramour.Itwasn’t even the juicy details contained in theindictmentthat gave more color than what was already out there to the long-suspected relationship.

No, the saddest part is that so few are surprised. We saw this coming. Even before Cantrell was mentioned in last year’sindictment of Vappie as “Public Official 1,” her mayoralty,which began with such promise, seemed headed for aclash with federal prosecutors fora couple of years

And it wasall so unnecessary Yes, she was an outsider,a nonnative in afamously parochial city where the most important question is often where you went to high school. Yes, she was the first Black woman mayor Yes, racism and misogynyexist and she certainly has been the target of plenty of that.

But those things didn’tdrive her to

When your only tool is ahammer, psychiatrist Abraham Maslow famously observed, all problems begin to look like nails.

That nugget of wisdomcomes to mind as President Donald Trump implements his federal takeover of the District of Columbia’spolice force and the deployment of 800 National Guard, abig hammer against local crime problems in acity he described as “overrun by violentgangs, blood thirsty criminals, roving mobs of youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people.”

Sayingthe troops will be armed and have the ability to conduct arrestsif needed, Trump promised to “have the crime situation solved in D.C. very soon.”

And that’sjust the beginning, he says, of awave of similar moves that he wants to implement in Chicago, NewYork, Baltimore, Oakland and othercities, in accordance with his long-running war on urban crime.

“It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of thesafest!!!” Trump said of the nation’scapital in a recent Truth Social post,pledging action that will “essentially, stop violent crime in Washington, D.C.” Yet, not surprisingly,local reaction to this bizarre project has been mixed in the federal city.While the early days of the action were mostlypeaceful, one Justice Department employee wasarrested for allegedly throwing asandwich at afederal law enforcement officer Sunday evening. Not nice.

According to the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’sOffice, theman who“forcefully threw” the wrapped hoagie at aCustoms and Border Protection officer was himself a(now ex-) employee of the U.S. Department of Justice, Sean Charles Dunn, 37. Dunn allegedly threw the sandwich after pointing his finger at the officer and shouting, “F*** you! Youf****** fascists! Why are you here? Idon’twant youinmycity!”

He was charged with “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers andemployees of the United States.” After being taken to the cop shop, according to the DOJ, Dunn admitted: “I did it. Ithrew asandwich.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi wasn’t going to put up with suchnonsense. “If you touch any law enforcement officer,wewill come after you,” Bondi posted on XThursday

“This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for

take numerous first-classtrips, sometimes accompanied by Vappie, andcall them “official business.”Theydidn’trequire that she tauntthe City Council by announcing trips after she had already left. They didn’tcause her to respond to afailed recall drive with an extradollopofhaughty disdain Those were things she didherself. So muchaboutCantrell —the way she handled criticism, theabrupt dismissals of legitimate questions, her arrogant determination to continue traveling in the face of CityCouncil attempts to curtail it —werechoices she made It could havebeen so different.

LaToya Cantrellwas aNew Orleans politicalbootstrap tale fit for apostKatrina city.She came to New Orleans as astudent, stayed as acommunity organizerand eventuallyworked herway onto the City Council. Nothing exemplifies herskills more than her two electionsfor mayor.In the first, she easilydispatched Desiree Charbonnet, whohas alonglocal lineage, by running acampaignthat appealed to voters acrossneighborhood, districtand racial lines. She was outspoken then, but it came acrossas refreshing honesty The COVID-19 pandemiccould have easily sunk her,but she respondedwith clear-eyed, forceful measures that accepted the seriousness of theproblem, especially in New Orleans, andtook pains to address it. She was successful: Though New Orleans was hard hitby the virus, when it came reelection time, Cantrell didn’tevendraw acredible

challenge Instead of looking at that as an opportunity to really capitalizeonher momentum to improve the city,she instead took it as asignofher own singular worth.Her disdain for the citizens of New Orleansonlygrew.She treated them like subjects rather than constituents.

Thencame theVappiereports:that she had used the Pontalba for trysts with him while he was on theclock Thatshe hadtaken an activerole in promotions and personnelmoves within the policedepartmentbecause of their relationship. By the time she filed for a protective order against awoman who hadtaken photos of Cantrell andVappie dining on aFrench Quarter balcony, looking for allthe world likeacouple of happy lovers, anytrace of optimism abouther tenure hadevaporated. Many expected hertobeindicted Some probably even hopedfor it. Iwasn’tamember of thelatter group. But Iwon’t count myself among the surprised. When the exerciseofthe normalchecksand balances seems only to emboldena public official, the law is often notfar behind. This was acar crashmanycould see coming. From milesdown theroad With an election cominglater this fall, there is some hope on thehorizon that a newmayor will be able to erasesomeof the stench of late-stage Cantrellism. It’s time to tow this wreck off theroad and gettowork fixing the city

Faimon A. Roberts III can be reached at froberts@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

A firstsergeant with the District of Columbia National Guard watches as activists protest President Donald Trump’sfederal takeoverofpolicing of the District of Columbia on SaturdayinWashington.

seven months as we work to refocus DOJ.”

Thoseofusoutside the MAGA movement might question how much of adisturbance of thepeace sandwich-throwing will cause. But Trump’scrackdown apparently was born on the heels of amore serious crime, an attempted carjacking.

Edward “Big Balls”Coristine, 19, rose to prominence as afeisty member of Elon Musk’sDepartment of Government Efficiency (DOGE), whichwas put to work slashing the size of the federal bureaucracy after Trump came into office.

Coristine was attacked and bloodiedinWashington’sLogan Circle neighborhood by agroupofteenagers trying to carjack him and afemale companion early in the morning on August3

A15-year-old girl and 15-year-old boywere taken to juvenile detention, accused of the assault which, not surprisingly,outraged Trump, who said on Aug. 5, “somebody from DOGE was very badly hurtlast night.”

He also shared aphotoofabloodied Coristine on TruthSocial, adding, “If D.C. doesn’tget its act together,and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of theCity. As apast victim of street crime myself, my sympathies go out to Coristine I’m glad that acouple of suspects

were caught, and Ihope they are handled fairly

Butlocking up acouple of teens is only asmall partofthe larger longterm andshort-term challenges posed by problems as complex as big city crime.

Idon’tbelieve in “coddling criminals,” as some conservatives might say.But Idobelieve in effective law enforcement and sensible crime prevention that can bring and maintain thesafe streets we all should be seeking. As agroupofprominent Washington religious leaderssaid in their joint criticism of Trump’sdrastictakeover of the District’spolice force, his typically hyperbolic rhetoric —calling thecity“overrun by violent gangs, blood thirsty criminals, roving mobs of youth, drugged out maniacs and homelesspeople” —could only make bad mattersworse in thefight against crime. As ajoint statementbyawideranging group of regional religious leadersput it,the offenses are serious but won’tbehelped by themilitary, “political theater” or fear-based governance. No, when your only tool in fighting violence inflames moredivisions,you only invite more problems.

Email Clarence Page at clarence47 page@gmail.com

“There was astory about awoman who had been asked to christen aPortland yard ship but arrived too late; it had already been launched. ‘Just keep standing there, ma’am,’ she was told, ‘there’ll be another along in aminute.’” —Arthur Herman, “Freedom’sForge.”

In February 1900, a20-year-old immigrant from Denmark arrived in New York, destitute of everything except his ambition to build bicycles. In Linz, Austria, that day,the son of Alois and Klara Hitler was 10. He became an aspiring but untalented artist who would find another career

The immigrant and the Austrian never met, but their lives intersected in away pertinent to today U.S. military aid for Ukraine has been inhibited by this: Our nation, whichfaces global challenges from two near-peer adversaries, has chosen to nothave an adequate defense industrial base.

It was similarly unprepared in the late 1930s

Then it chose to be as serious as the darkening world was. In his exhilarating 2012 book,historian Herman, now at the Hudson Institute, tells how the nation magnificently marshaled its talents for making things and saved civilization. By 1937, the Danish immigrant, WilliamKnudsen, had risen from the factory floortothe apex of the automobile industry as GeneralMotors’ president. On May 28, 1940, as France was falling, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called: “I want youtowork on some production matters.” That bland job description disguised Knudsen’s task of turning the Army,then barely larger than that of the Netherlands, and the rest of the U.S. military from asmall, somnolent andtechnologically stagnant force into an emanationof U.S. industrial might.

When, in 1940, FDR vowed productionof 50,000 planes ayear (the Army Air Corps then had about 1,700, most of them small and old), Hitler scoffed: “What is America but beauty queens, millionaires, stupid records, and Hollywood.” “He was,” Herman writes, “about to find out.”

By 1945, American white-collar business executives and engineers, and properly valorized blue-collar workers, had produced two-thirds of all the Allies’ war matériel: 86,000 tanks, 2.5 milliontrucks, 286,000 planes, 8,800 naval vessels, 5,600 merchant ships, 434 million tons of steel, 2.6 millionmachine guns, 41 billionrounds of ammunition, etc. Working at frenziedpaces, often in hastily improvised workplaces with dangerous equipment and red-hot rivets, Herman writes, “workers in war-related industries in 1942-43 died or were injured in numbers twenty times greater than the American servicemen killed or wounded during those same years.”

In 1939, the U.S. steel industry had its lowest capacity in 20 years, and the shipbuilding industry wasproducing four vessels amonth. But in late 1939, awoman who hadlived in Pittsburgh for most of adecade saw smoke billowing from nearby hills. She called the police, who said: “That’snofire lady.Them’sthe mills.” The giant was awakening. With the indefatigable Knudsen setting the tone and pace, in mere months, U.S. industrialists planted shipyards and steel mills on mudflats and empty fields. In four years, the Richmond yard near San Francisco launched 747 prefabricated ships.

Herman says this was the fruit of “spontaneous order”: “It was the most powerful and flexible system of wartime production ever devised, because in the end no one devised it.” This “industrial exuberance” sprang from the nimble adaptability of America’smarket economy Today,Vladimir Putin’saggression against Ukraine is rousing European nations fromtheir military slumbers. For example, Germany now has the world’sfourth-biggest defense budget and has loosened debt restraints for defense spending to become kriegstüchtig —war-ready, in the defense minister’sterminology The United States is not ready.The Economist reports, “At current rates of procurement, it will take seven years to bring America’sammunition stocks back to where they were before military aid to Ukraine began.” In aWashingtonthink tank’s2023 wargamesimulating aconflict with China over Taiwan, the U.S. inventory of longrange missileswas exhausted in threeweeks. The Economist also reports that in 2022, just after Russia attacked Ukraine,Poland ordered “a big batch” of U.S. Abrams tanks from the Joint Systems Manufacturing CenterinOhio, whichsince 1942 has been the main U.S. factory for armored vehicles. America no longer makes completely new Abrams tanks. Instead, the JSMC “refurbishes stripped-back hulls and turrets from old models, whichare kept in storage in Alabama.” Refitting one tank takes about two years. Poland has yet to receive most of the Abrams tanks it ordered three years ago. Poland needs tanks. The United States needs a new Knudsen.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

NewOrleans Forecast

ForecastFrom WWL-TV,Your Local Weather Experts

Extra heat and spotty thunderstorms will stay in the forecast todayand tomorrow.Temperatures will reach

porary design. Clients appreciated his extensive knowledge and was sought after for residential and commercial spaces alike Survivors include his two nephews, Stephen (Rebecca)Sonnier and David (Debbie) Sonnier; and one niece, Mary (David) Eason; all of Lafayette, LA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nelda and BasileSonnier; one brother, Albert Sonnier; one sister-in-law, Sevelia V. Sonnier; and one nephew, Dr. Michael A. Sonnier. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the charity of your choice. No services have been set at this time. Words of condolence may be expressedonline at www.waltersfh.com. WaltersFuneralHome, 2424 N. University Ave., Lafayette, LA 70507; 337.706.8941 is in charge of arrangements.

Thensted,Charles Frederick

CharlesFrederick Then‐sted, alovinghusband and father, peacefully passed awayonAugust13, 2025, at the ageof78. Born on July 7,1947, in NewOrleans,LA. Charlie wasa lifelong resi‐dentofthe area,where he madesignificant contribu‐tions both throughhis ca‐reer andhis personal en‐deavors.Hewas adistin‐guished professional and loyal family man. Charlie’s educational journeybegan atDeLaSalle High School, fromwhich he graduated in1965. He attended the UnitedStatesMilitary Academy at West Point, graduatingin1969.His commitmenttoservice was evidentasheserved asa Captaininthe United StatesArmyduringthe Vietnam War. Followinghis militaryservice,Charlie pursued acareerinlaw earninghis JurisDoctor

nailed down yet, but we continue with no tropicalthreats here for thenext10daysorlonger

from Tulane LawSchool in 1977 andfurther enhancing his expertisewitha Master ofLawsfromHarvard Uni‐versity in 1983. He prac‐ticed lawasa commercial litigator in New Orleansfor several years. He shared his knowledgeand experi‐encefrom1984 to 2014 as anAdjunctProfessor of Law at Tulane University where he createdand taughta course on Negoti‐ation andMediation Advo‐cacy. Laterinhis career he receiveda MastersofBusi‐nessAdministrationfrom UNOin1999. He transi‐tionedtobecome aFinan‐cialAdvisor,establishing his ownpracticewith Ameriprise where he con‐tinuedtoimpact thelives ofmanyindividuals and families. Charlie’sprofes‐sionalaccomplishments weremany. He relished the moments spentwithhis son,Charles.Charlie found immensejoy in listeningto Charles’s storiesand watchingsportswithhim Hewould saythatheloved givingadvicetoCharles and pretending that he took it.The best partsof Charlie were hisquick wit, sense of humor,brilliance, and hisdedicationtohis family. Charlie wasvery courageousinhis health battles throughthe years. Hefoughta good fight. His heart of this worldmay havefailedbut hisspirit was stubbornly strong.He willbeprofoundly missed byhis family, friends, and colleagues. He is survived byhis devotedwife, Terri HannibalThensted,his son,Charles Joseph Then‐stedand hissisterSusan Serio.Hewas uncle to Jay Serio,ErikSerio,and Court‐ney Dupuis.Hewas prede‐ceasedbyhis father, JosephCharles Thensted and hismother, Marie Lambert Thensted.Char‐lie’s legacy will be honored duringa visitation at Light‐house ForChristChurch in New OrleansonAugust23, 2025, from 11:00 am until 12:00 pm,followedbya memorialservice at the samelocationfrom12:00 pmto1:00pm. MotheFu‐neral Homeshandled arrangements, visitwww mothefunerals.com

Dwanda MarieTrask, age 64, of NewOrleans Louisiana,passedaway peacefullysurrounded by familyonAugust10, 2025 She liveda remarkable life and waswellknown for being adevoutChristian, beloved mother of two, and dedicatedregistered nurse.Dwandawas born in New Orleans, Louisianaon June 20, 1961 to Elizabeth Trask andEli Washington She spenther earlyyears asa devotedlearner.A memberofthe Classof 1979, Dwanda wasa proud graduateofMcDonogh 35 SeniorHighSchool,where she excelled at playingthe clarinetand bassoon in the MarchingBand. Shepur‐suedhighereducation at the University of NewOr‐leans before completing her educationinregistered nursing at CharitySchool ofNursing in 1985. Over the courseofher forty-year ca‐reer in Laborand Delivery she supportedcountless families across thecoun‐try.Her professional excel‐lence wasdistinguished by her attention-to-detailand willingnesstogoabove and beyond forher pa‐tients. Dwanda wasa self‐lessand nurturing mother toAshtonand Aysha, her pride andjoy.She instilled inthemthe values of fam‐ily,education,and strong workethic.A loverof music,shopping, and travel, Dwanda wasaffec‐tionately knownfor her fun-spirited personality and senseofadventure Her desire to sharepositiv‐ity andjoy with others was evident by herpassion for celebrating birthdays, holi‐days, andachievements. Dwandawas afaithful Christian who cherished her Bibleand theteachings ofJesus Christ.She wasa memberatFranklinAvenue Baptist Church andre‐mainedsteadfastinher prayers,which broughther comfort andpeace.Asshe put it,Dwandasaw herself as“asoldier marching in the army of God” andone who “foughta good fight

until theend.” HerChrist‐ian values informed every aspectofher life and strengthenedher during every season.Dwanda leavesbehinda legacy of love, strength,and com‐passion.She is survived by her son, Ashton Wright;her daughter, AyshaGibson; her mother,Elizabeth Trask Leslie;her sisters, Khadija (Corey) Trask-Wallaceand Dr. DioneWashington; her brothers, Byron(Drina) Trask,and GreggWashing‐ton;her nephew,Terrance Leonard;and ahostof other relativesand friends who will neverforgetthe loveshe broughttotheir lives.Dwandawas pre‐ceded in deathbyher fa‐ther, EliWashington; her sister, Jennifer TraskLeonard;and herbrothers, Maurice Washington,Larry Bassett, andAudreyBar‐rett. Though herearthly light hasdimmed, the brightglowofher love, faith,and examplewill continue to shineinthe heartsofall who were blessedtoknowher.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend her CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceatFranklinAvenue Baptist Church,8282 I-10 Service Road South, New Orleans,LA70126 on Thursday,August21, 2025 at10:00 AM.Visitationwill begin at 9:00 AM.Intern‐ment: Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery, NewOrleans,LA. Arrangementshavebeen entrusted to D.W. Rhodes FuneralHomelocated at 3933 Washington Ave.,New Orleans,LA70125. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral. com to sign theonline guestbook,share memo‐riesand condolenceswith the family.

on August 2,2025 at theage of 74. She was preceded in deathby hergrandmother,Julia

MoralesGauthreaux; her grandfather,LesterGau‐threaux;her mother,Lois Carmouche;her father,Ed‐wardBeasley;and her brother,DonaldCar‐moucheSr. Sheissurvived byher siblings:SandraB Watts,Carol B. Buckelew, and DannyCarmouche She is also survived by Diane G. Rodriguezand nu‐merouscousins as well as her dear friend,Nancy Aloisio.Susan wasbornin New Orleans, LA on Sep‐tember18, 1950 andwas a residentofKenner, LA.She retired from theU.S.Fifth Circuit CourtofAppeals after 38 yearsofservice Relatives andfriends are invited to attend theFu‐neral Services at Garden of MemoriesFuneral Home & Cemetery, 4900 Airline Drive Metairie LA 70001 on Thursday,August21, 2025 Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 amwitha Mass starting at 11:00 am followed by inurn‐ment. To order flowersor offercondolences,please visit www.gardenofmem oriesmetairie.com

In loving memory Fonda Walsh, thebelovedwife of Robert Walsh Sr.has passed away on August 13, 2025. Shefellasleep in death at the ageof79. She wasbornonFebruary 28, 1946, in Gatesville,Texas. Shewas preceded in death by herparents BerniceE Chambers andPauline Chambers. Sheleaves to cherish hermemory herhusband, of 34 years, Robert Walsh Sr.; herstepsons, Robert Walsh Jr,Kevin Walsh, Joseph Walsh (Nola), and DanielWalsh (Elaine). She is also survived by her brother, JerryChambers (Diane); niece, Lacey Chambers Crawford (Brent);and nephew, Cody Chambers. SheisGreat Aunt to: McKenzie, Carter andAaron Crawford

Grandmother to: Lauren, Julie, Marianne, Genevieve, Jordan,Maci, Taylor, Brennan,Trevor,Kaden Mia, Jacob,and Jesse. Great-Grandmother to: Alco,Evieana, Noah,Liam, Leif,Azalea, Aubrey, Brooks, Gianna, Aria, Everly, Rowen,Ember, William, Skylar, andDestin. Fonda was devoted to herhusbandsince the day they met. Theyworked sidebysideatthe family businessand spent every moment together. She grew up ridinghorses and lovedher cherished dogs shehad throughout her life. Shegave generously to people that needed her help or just as agift knowingitwas somethingyou liked. Shehad agreat smilethatpeople noticed rightaway. Shewas avery devotedwife ,lovedand appreciated and will surely be missed.

Avisitation will be from 9:30 to 11 am Wednesday, August 20,2025, at Lake LawnMetairieFuneral Home in NewOrleans,LA. Thefuneral service willfollowat11aminthe chapel Burial will be in St.Lazarus of BethanyMemorial GardensinCovington,LA. Condolences may be expressed at www.lakelawn metairie.com.

CROSSING LINES

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints had a glut of interior defensive linemen.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had one too many interior offensive linemen.

So the teams made a trade.

Sunday’s swap of Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders for Jaguars center Luke Fortner boiled down to the simple premise that both players were on the outside looking in for their former teams ahead of roster cutdowns, and both the Saints and Jaguars had needs where their new acquisition could help. It just happened to be a nice coincidence that the two teams played each other in Sunday’s 17-17 preseason tie.

The Saints wanted a veteran center after Will Clapp went down with a seasonending foot injury The Jaguars sought a veteran defensive lineman with Arik Armstead and former LSU defensive

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

It’s hard to know what to expect from the LSU offense this year There are plenty of reasons for optimism. One of the top quarterbacks in the country with Garrett Nussmeier A promising running back. Talent and depth at wide receiver and tight end. Take coach Brian Kelly at his word, and the remade offensive line will be good. But the offense has looked inconsistent in preseason practices. While that could mean something about the defense, it has fed offensive concerns. Will the offensive line really hold up? Can the running game be more productive? How much will Nussmeier improve in his second year as

is a

of the offensive depth chart.

Quarterback

Garrett

Two FBS long shots earning roles for Tulane

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Mmahat never lined up at wide receiver until his second year at Tulane and was not put on scholarship until June as he prepared for his fourth season.

TJ Smith had four Division II scholarship offers but nothing else out of high school. He was redshirted when he arrived at East Central University in Oklahoma.

The odds against either of them becoming relevant at the FBS level were incredibly long when their college careers began in 2022, but both are carving out significant roles as the Green Wave’s Aug. 30 opener against Northwestern approaches.

Mmahat, a former Brother Martin quarterback, has been a first-team receiver the past two weeks.

“It’s just been awesome that all the coaches have put their faith in me,” he said. “It’s been a process, but I love it. I’ve just been trying to get better at something each and every day I feel like I can go out there and compete with anybody.”

Smith, from Arlington, Texas, is rotating with sophomore Javion White at spear — Tulane’s designation for nickelback and is in the running for primary kickoff returner as well.

“I definitely anticipated this,” he said. “I always play with a chip on my shoulder, so I’m never satisfied I just want to go further and further Every day I do what I can to get better for me and my team.”

Their sentiments are strikingly similar, and so was their surge in recent scrimmages. Smith jumped a route to pick off a pass from Kadin Semonza on Aug. 9 — his first of three interceptions in 11-on-11 situations in four days of practice. Mmahat caught three of the first seven completions Saturday, including two that moved the ball inside the 5-yard line and set up touchdowns. The ball skills are nothing new for Smith. He had five interceptions, broke up 10 passes and recovered two fumbles at East Central last season his third year in the program.

“He’s talented,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said. “He’s probably one of the fastest guys on our team.”

ä See TULANE, page 4C

Brewers bring to mind streaky 1987 team

BY NOAH TRISTER

Associated Press

The Milwaukee Brewers have been the talk of baseball because of their recent 14-game winning streak. That run also gives us a chance to appreciate a particularly unusual big league season the Brewers’ super streaky run through 1987.

It was those ’87 Brewers who won their first 13 games of the season, triggering the same free burger promotion by a local chain that went into effect when this year’s streak hit 12. That 13-0 start — which included Juan Nieves throwing the first no-hitter in team history in win No 9 — stood as the franchise’s longest winning streak in a season until this year’s Brewers surpassed it Saturday Milwaukee was 20-3 in 1987 before crashing back to earth with alarming quickness. May had

barely begun when the team lost 12 in a row The Brewers snuck in another losing streak of six games before the month was over — only to follow with an immediate sixgame winning streak.

It wasn’t just team streaks that made that season notable in Milwaukee. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor produced a 39-game hitting streak that year, a run that hasn’t been matched since By the time the season was over, Milwaukee was 91-71, finishing third in the AL East in an era when you had to win your division to make the playoffs

With Molitor and Robin Yount leading the way — plus a few terrific seasons on the mound by Teddy Higuera the Brewers of the 1980s never totally lived up to their potential after winning the American League pennant in 1982 In 1983, they went 8775 which was good for only fifth place in their seven-team division. Nowadays Milwaukee is in the

NL Central, and 87 wins is often good enough for at least a wild card. Of course, this year’s team can set its sights much higher Even after their winning streak was snapped Sunday, the Brewers are 33 games over .500. They need to go just 19-20 the rest of the way to set a franchise record with 97 victories.

Trivia time The final out of Nieves’ no-hitter came on a spectacular play involving a pair of Hall of Famers. Who were they?

Line of the week

In just his second week in the big leagues, Miami’s Jakob Marsee matched a franchise record with seven RBIs in a 13-4 rout of Cleveland on Wednesday night. Marsee hit a three-run homer, a two-run homer and a two-run double. Marsee, who made his debut Aug. 1, has 12 extra-base hits in

his first 53 at-bats. Comeback of the week Arizona was down by two with two outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth — a 1.1% win probability, according to Baseball Savant. James McCann hit a solo homer, and after a hit batter and a walk, Ketel Marte’s three-run homer lifted the Diamondbacks to a 6-4 win over Texas on Wednesday That was the second straight day Marte put his team ahead with a ninth-inning homer

Honorable mention: Milwaukee’s 13th straight win came Friday night, when the Brewers trailed Cincinnati 8-1 after two innings. They had it tied by the end of the fourth and eventually won 10-8.

Trivia answer

Baltimore’s Eddie Murray hit a fly ball to right-center field, and Yount saved the no-hitter with a diving catch for the final out.

Mariners catcher Raleigh closes in on Perez’s record

All-Star nears record of 48 homers in a season by a catcher

BY DAN GELSTON Associated Press

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa Cal Raleigh autographed a toilet seat for one fan, along with the scores of baseballs and other paraphernalia “The Big Dumper” signed for shrieking Little Leaguers Raleigh gave the kids a real treat hours later

The Seattle Mariners slugger socked his 47th homer of the season on Sunday to boost his major league lead and put him within striking distance of the season homer record for catchers set by Kansas City’s Salvador Perez

“He continues to swing a really hot bat,” Mariners manager

Dan Wilson said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.” Raleigh’s two-run shot in the seventh inning sent hundreds of Little Leaguers from around the globe cheering in delight to see one of the brightest stars in the MLB Little League Classic go deep. It didn’t help the Mariners much in defeat. The New York Mets beat the Mariners 7-3 and won the last two games of the three-game set. The Mariners are still in the

really fun. Excited to meet the kids and hang out.”

Raleigh’s power was always evident. He hit 27 homers in 2022, 30 in 2023 and 34 last season

Now he’s on pace to easily top 50 homers and maybe more. There are only five other players in big league history who have hit at least 40 homers while primarily playing catcher: Perez, Johnny Bench (twice), Roy Campanella, Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza (twice). Bench, Campanella and Piazza are Hall of Famers.

“He’s a guy that we knew all along coming up in the minor leagues that he had a pretty high ceiling,” Wilson said “What he does behind the plate and what he does now at the plate has been unbelievable. He’s carried the weight of both of those things and has done it very well.”

Pelicans add seven-year veteran forward to roster

The New Orleans Pelicans are adding a small forward to their roster

The Pelicans have agreed to a deal with Jalen McDaniels, according to a report by ESPN. McDaniels is entering his seventh NBA season after being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He is the older brother of Jaden McDaniels, a key player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jalen McDaniels played his first 3½ seasons with the Hornets before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in his fourth season. He signed with the Toronto Raptors the next season. Last season, he signed a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards. He is averaging 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in his career

Phillies ace has surgery for blood clot in arm

PHILADELPHIA Phillies ace Zack Wheeler had surgery Monday to remove a blood clot in his upper right arm, and the team says a timeline for his recovery remains unknown.

Manager Rob Thomson acknowledged the uncertainty, saying, “We don’t know,” when asked whether Wheeler would pitch again this season, or if the situation was career-threatening.

The Phillies said Wheeler underwent a thrombolysis procedure by Dr Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Wheeler 35, a three-time AllStar currently leading the majors with 195 strikeouts, was placed on the injured list Saturday.

Four-time Pro Bowl CB Howard signs with Colts INDIANAPOLIS New Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo already has a sense of what four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard brings to his injury-depleted secondary — even at age 32, even after a year out of football.

The Colts signed the two-time league interceptions champion Monday, giving Howard a chance to restart his career 18 months after being cut by the Miami Dolphins. “Last year, with the Bengals, we worked him out back in December, so we’ve seen him move a little bit and he looks good,” Anarumo said. “I just feel good about the athlete he is. Maybe you could look at it as his legs got a year off to rest. But one thing I know is his ball skills and those things, they don’t go away with time. And he still has those.”

Auburn to formally retire QB Newton’s No. 2 jersey

AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn will retire 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton’s No. 2 jersey this fall, making him the fourth player in program history to receive the honor The ceremony will take place during Auburn’s home game against rival Georgia on Oct. 11. Newton will join Pat Sullivan (No. 7), Bo Jackson (No. 34) and Terry Beasley (No. 88) as former Tigers football players whose numbers are formally retired The jerseys of Sullivan and Beasley were retired following Sullivan’s 1971 Heisman Trophy season, and Jackson’s number was retired as part of Auburn’s football centennial celebration in 1992. No one has worn No. 2 at Auburn since Newton and the Tigers beat Oregon in the Bowl Championship Series national title game for the 2010 season.

thick of the AL wild-card race and hope to gain ground during a three-game series in Philadelphia.

Raleigh could make catching history in Philly Perez hit 48 homers for the Royals in 2021.

“I think it’s been an incredible season for him,” Wilson said.

“But I think we knew what’s in there. He’s done a great job of bringing it out.”

Raleigh put more than his prodigious power on display in the

home of youth baseball’s biggest weeks of the summer Raleigh’s chest protector featured a baseball card design of Mariners players and coaches from when they were kids. He breezed through the pregame clubhouse in a “Little Dumper” T-shirt gifted by some of the Little Leaguers. “You grow up wanting to come here as a kid. Get to do it as an adult now,” Raleigh told MLB Network before the game. “It’s

A first-time All-Star at age 28, Raleigh burst through on the national scene when he won the All-Star Home Run Derby He became the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title.

He’s the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr

Raleigh’s homer Sunday also gave him 102 RBIs this season.

He’s the first catcher to record back-to-back 100 RBI seasons since Piazza and the first American League catcher to reach that feat since Thurman Munson. Even more milestones await.

Alcaraz wins Cincinnati Open after Sinner retires CINCINNATI — Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Open title in a little more than 20 minutes on Monday after top-ranked Jannik Sinner was forced to retire because of illness during the first set. Meeting in the final for the fourth time this year and first since Wimbledon, Sinner fell behind 5-0 in the first set with nine unforced errors. He was seen with an icepack on his head during a break and retired after playing just 22 minutes. Sinner, who turned 24 on Saturday, was on a 12-match winning streak and had won 26 straight matches on hard courts. He was bidding to become the first player to win back-to-back men’s Cincinnati Open titles since Roger Federer in 2014 and ’15.

THE VARSITY ZONE

From Newman to dream school

Speedy running back Randle commits to Tulane, poised for big senior year

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Jake Randle found out soon after he arrived at Tulane football camp this summer that he had the attention of Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall.

The Newman running back dreamed about playing for Tulane long before he started playing high school football, and when Sumrall approached him on the Yulman Stadium field, Randle knew he could finally get his chance.

Randle was among a group of campers running the 40-yard dash when Sumrall told him, “We’re watching you.”

From that point forward, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Randle performed as well as he could have hoped.

“I was like, ‘Oh, shoot, I really got to show out,’ ” Randle said. “And then, I had some good numbers.”

Before the camp ended on that hot and sunny afternoon, Randle ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds, cleared 10 feet, 1 inch in the broad jump and posted a 37-inch vertical — all good enough for Sumrall to invite Randle and his father, John, into his office and make an official scholarship offer

Exhausted from the camp, Randle told Sumrall he would talk it over with his family Two weeks later, the Newman senior told the second-year Tulane coach that yes, he would join the Green Wave in 2026.

Now, of more immediate concern for Randle is the upcoming football season

Randle has been a starter at running back for Newman over the past two seasons. He rushed for 821 yards and eight touchdowns, plus 18 receptions for 163 yards and three scores as Newman went 9-1 and reached the state quarterfinals last season.

“What’s been surprising in seven-onseven is his lateral quickness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield,” said first-year Newman coach Aaron Vice, who noted that Randle never missed a day in the weight room during the summer. “He’s going to be our Swiss Army knife on offense at running back and receiver.”

Vice, who came to Newman after three seasons as offensive coordinator at University High in Baton Rouge, said Randle also will be on all the special teams units and will at times play on defense at outside linebacker and safety

The Newman offense also includes seniors George Loop and Collier Villere, and junior Hendrix Hill as returning wideouts. The Greenies, who open the season Sept. 4 at St. Charles, will have five new starting offensive linemen and a first-year starter at quarterback.

Randle, who began playing tackle football in seventh grade, has put in plenty of work on his strength and speed during his high school years, increasing his

Edna Karr, Rummel are set for Superdome games

Karr to face Florida school, Rummel plays University High

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Edna Karr and Rummel will both play games at the Caesars Superdome in the second week of the prep football season. The first game between Rummel and University High of Baton Rouge will start at 6 p.m with Edna Karr and American Heritage out of Florida to follow in a showdown between nationally ranked teams. Coaches Brice Brown of Karr and Nick Monica of Rummel confirmed Monday the plan to play the doubleheader The games will be Friday Sept. 12. Karr most recently played in the

Dome last season when it defeated Alexandria 53-8 in the LHSAA Division I select state championship.

In Week 1 last season, Rummel faced Lafayette Christian at the Dome in a doubleheader that also included John Curtis when inclement weather moved the site of those games from the Shrine on Airline.

The matchup between Karr and American Heritage pits two highly ranked teams against each other, with American Heritage listed at No. 8 and Karr at No. 15 by MaxPreps.

The two local schools will open the season one week earlier against other top Louisiana programs, with Karr at home against Shaw in a game between reigning state champions and Rummel at Lafayette Christian.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

weight by 15 pounds going into his junior year and roughly another 10 pounds for this season.

“It’s been really cool to see that progress with him over time,” said Newman strength and conditioning coach Dakota Coats, who noted that Randle’s recent 10-1 distance in the broad jump tied Texas quarterback Arch Manning for the Newman school record.

Randle also has the fastest top-end speed on the team at 21.53 mph, Coats said.

Randle comes from a family of football players. A great-uncle on his mother’s side, Butch Coco, played for Tulane in the 1960s Randle has an older brother, Will Randle, an LSWA all-state selection now playing tight end at Texas after he graduated from the same Newman class as Manning. Will and Jake’s father, John, is a former Newman quarterback and walk-on at Alabama. Jake said his dad still has a stack of recruiting letters from colleges, noting that recruiting correspondence “used to come in, like, mail.”

That was a long time ago. Next for Jake is to become the latest Randle family member to make an impact for Newman on the football field before he begins his college career at Tulane.

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@ theadvocate.com

1. Newman

LOOKING BACK

Last year: 9-1 overall (reached quarterfinals), 5-0 in district

2. South Plaquemines

Last year: 11-3 (won state championship), 4-1

3. Country Day

Last year: 4-7 (first round), 2-3

4. Sarah T. Reed

Last year: 4-7 (first round), 2-1

5. Cohen

Last year: 1-8 (missed playoffs), 0-5

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Henry Jackson

DL/OL | Newman

The powerful 6-foot-1, 295-pound Cornell commitment will play on both sides of the line at nose tackle and guard. He is projected to play defense in college.

Curtis McAllister

WR | Country Day

The 6-foot-3 son of former New Orleans Saints great Deuce McAllister will play primarily on offense after he played mostly on defense last season.A basketball standout, he was the outstanding player selection in the state title game.

Tadell Mosley

WR| Sarah T. Reed

The returning all-district selection and fourth-year starter on varsity showed his surehandedness “anytime you need a first down” last season, coach Ethridge Foster said.

Roderick Parker

QB/LB | South Plaquemines

The fifth-year starter at QB had a hand in 29 TDs (20 passing nine rushing) as the Hurricanes won a state title for the first time since 2008.

Jake Randle

RB/LB | Newman

The Tulane commitment (984 yards from scrimmage, 11 TDs) will be “our Swiss Army knife on offense,” coach Aaron Vice said, while also playing on defense and special teams.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

1. Newman changed head coaches for the first time in nearly two decades when Vice, a former University High assistant, replaced Nelson Stewart, who left his alma mater to become the head coach at Westminster School in Atlanta.

2. Other 10-2A schools with new head coaches are Country Day with Ben Powell, who coached Haynes to an undefeated regular season last year, and Cohen with Robert Kelley, a former O. Perry Walker and Tulane standout who spent three seasons in the NFL.

3. Reigning Division IV nonselect state champion South Plaquemines graduated much of its skillplayer production but returned two-way stalwarts Hilry Thomas on the lines and Josh Barthelemy and Dean Ancalade at running back and linebacker

4. Country Day will have three basketball standouts from the team that won a state championship in March. Joining McAllister will be football newcomers Kellen Brewer, a junior wideout and Hermon Dyson, a senior receiver/linebacker

5. Reed reached the playoffs for the first time since the varsity program restarted in 2022 after a long hiatus following Hurricane Katrina. M.L. King, which went 2-3 in district last season, closed when the school year ended.

LSU men’s basketball set to play Texas Tech

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU men’s basketball has added a challenging opponent to its nonconference schedule for the 202526 season.

The Tigers will play Texas Tech on Dec. 7 in the US LBM Coast to Coast Challenge at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, the program announced Monday This neutral-site game will be the first of a doubleheader that will also feature TCU vs. North Texas. Both games are expected to air on ESPN, but no time has been set.

Texas Tech had a 28-9 overall record and a 15-5 record in the Big 12 last season They made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 3 seed and lost 84-79 to Florida, the eventual champions, in the Elite Eight. Texas Tech returns AP second-team All-American JT Toppin. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds as a sophomore. LSU wasn’t selected to play in March Madness after going 14-

LSU forward Jalen Reed drives to the hoop against Alabama State guard CJ Hines on Nov. 10 at the PMAC. STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

14 points. Coach Matt McMahon, who is entering his fourth season, will have almost an entirely new roster with only two returning forwards — redshirt junior Jalen Reed and sophomore Robert Miller Reed averaged 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, playing only eight games due to a torn right ACL. Texas Tech leads the all-time

series against the Tigers 6-3. In the last matchup, the Red Raiders won 76-68 on Jan. 28, 2023, in Baton Rouge. LSU has already announced two other nonconference games so far It will play at Boston College on Dec. 3 and will have a neutralsite game against Drake on Nov 28 in the Emerald Coast Classic basketball tournament. The SEC part of the schedule will be from Jan. 3 to March 7. The program also announced that it is expected to open the new season on Nov 5.

Three LSU players named AP preseason All-Americans

BY ERIC OLSON AP college football writer

LSU was well-represented on the preseason Associated Press AllAmerica team that was released Monday, placing three players on the two teams announced.

Redshirt senior linebacker Whit Week was named to the first-team defense; redshirt senior Garrett Nussmeier was voted secondteam quarterback; and senior Harold Perkins was named a second-team linebacker

Nussmeier was named secondteam quarterback behind only his first week counterpart in Clemson quarterback Cade Klubniak, who was the overwhelming first choice after throwing for 3,639 yards with 39 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season.

Texas and Penn State, the top two teams in the AP Top 25 poll, each had three players selected for the first team.

No. 1 Texas had one player from

each level of its defense on the first team: edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill and safety Michael Taaffe. No. 2

Penn State’s picks were running back Nicholas Singleton, offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane and defensive lineman Zane Durant.

No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame, No 8 Alabama and Pittsburgh each had two players on the first team.

The Southeastern Conference had 12 players on the 27-man first team determined by media members on the AP Top 25 voting panel The Big Ten had seven players, the ACC four and the Big 12 two.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Florida center Jake Slaughter are returning first-team AP All-Americans.

Downs, whose late interception against Texas helped wrap up a College Football Playoff semifinal win for eventual champion Ohio

State, starred as a freshman at Alabama two years ago and established himself as the nation’s top safety in his first season with the Buckeyes. He’s a projected topthree pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Downs was joined on the preseason-All-America first team by Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Slaughter, a leading candidate for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center, played 800 snaps in his breakout season for the Gators. He allowed just one sack and was among the highestrated run and pass blockers in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.

Former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, who transferred to Oregon in the offseason, made the second-team offense.

The AP All-America team for this season will be released in December. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the first team published in 1925.

— Brett Thorson, Georgia Second-team offense Quarterback — Garrett Nussmeier, LSU Running backs — Makhi Hughes, Oregon; Isaac Brown, Louisville Tackles — Francis Mauigoa, Miami; Blake Miller, Clemson Guards — Cayden Green, Missouri; Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech Center — Parker Brailsford, Alabama Tight end — Max Klare, Ohio State Wide receivers — Antonio Williams, Clemson; Elijah Sarratt, Indiana; Cam Coleman, Auburn All-purpose player — Kaytron Allen, Penn State Kicker — Peyton Woodring, Georgia Second-team defense Edge — T.J. Parker, Clemson; Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon Tackles — Tim Keenan, Alabama; Christen Miller, Georgia Linebackers — Taurean York, Texas A&M; Harold Perkins, LSU; Aiden Fisher, Indiana Cornerbacks — Chandler Rivers, Duke; D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana Safeties — Koi Perich, Minnesota; KJ Bolden, Georgia Defensive back — Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina Punter — Ryan Eckley, Michigan State

OFFENSE

Continued from page 1C

first time since Kelly said he aggravated a preexisting case of patellar tendinitis on Aug. 6

With Nussmeier cemented as the starter LSU has given Van Buren and Hurley time with the secondteam offense. Van Buren, who started eight games last season for Mississippi State, has been inconsistent as he learns a new offense, but he shows flashes of talent. It’s unclear whether he will have to miss any games with an injury to his throwing hand suffered Saturday in LSU’s scrimmage.

Running back

Starter: Caden Durham (Soph.)

Backups: Kaleb Jackson (Jr.) and Harlem Berry (Fr.)

Also: Ju’Juan Johnson (Soph.) and JT Lindsey (Fr.)

Durham could have an All-SEC season if he gets enough blocking, but there are concerns behind him. Jackson needs to play better than he did as a sophomore, and Berry has to be ready to contribute as a freshman. With Lindsey indefinitely suspended, LSU is so thin that Johnson had to play running back again after moving to quarterback in the offseason. Durham could get a large workload.

Wide receiver

Starters: Chris Hilton (R-Sr.), Zavion Thomas (Sr.) and Aaron Anderson (R-Jr.)

Rotation: Nic Anderson (RSoph.), Barion Brown (Sr.) and

Kyle Parker (R-Soph.)

Also: Destyn Hill (R-Soph.), Jelani Watkins (R-Fr.), Kylan Billiot (R-Fr.), Phillip Wright (Fr.) and TaRon Francis (Fr.)

A clear WR1 has not emerged this year, and that may be fine because LSU has two full rotations that it trusts. Kelly described Hilton and Brown as “1A and 1B” in the vertical passing game Aaron Anderson and Parker will play in the slot. Thomas, who has taken handoffs, can be used in multiple ways. And Nic Anderson is 6-foot-4 with a wide catch radius, making him an ideal target on third down. Nussmeier has a lot of options.

Tight end

Starter: Bauer Sharp (R-Sr.) or Trey’Dez Green (Soph.)

Backup: Donovan Green (R-Jr.)

Also: JD LaFleur (Fr.)

With Sharp and Trey’Dez Green, LSU finally may be able to use 12 personnel Sharp is the more consistent blocker of the two and has reliable hands. Green is a mismatch in the passing game, especially in the red zone. He also is a willing blocker but he needs to continue to develop that part of his game. At 6-7, he can have trouble getting leverage.

Left tackle

Starter: Tyree Adams (R-Soph.)

Backup: Carius Curne (Fr.)

After waiting for the past two years behind Will Campbell, Adams will become a full-time starter No one has challenged him for the job during the offseason. Curne has been the second-team left tackle for most of preseason

TULANE

Mmahat developed his ball skills over time after moving to wideout in preseason camp of 2023 at the suggestion of former recruiting coordinator Wes Fritz the son of then-coach Willie Fritz.

“He’s more talented than probably given credit for,” Sumrall said. “Everyone just views him as the local kid who went to Brother Martin and played quarterback, but you don’t realize, my goodness, he’s really fast.”

The next step is proving it in games. Mmahat, a valuable special-teams player the past two years, did not catch a pass in either season. The adjustment to playing an unfamiliar position proved tough no matter how smooth he appeared in practice at times.

This camp, though, he has stacked one good day after the other Before his scrimmage breakout, he gained more than 40 yards after catching a screen pass in 11-on-11 work at the Shrine on Airline.

“The hardest part was probably just getting used to all the running, feeling all my legs,” he said. “I had to take care of my body and make sure my legs were fresh.”

Sumrall could not be happier about his development.

“Our core values are attitude, toughness, discipline and love, and Garrett Mmahat embodies those things,” he said. “He works

FRESHMAN

Continued from page 1C

of the preseason as the secondteam left tackle.

LSU opened the first 15 minutes of practice Monday Curne went with the starting offense as it worked through plays on air, and redshirt freshman Weston Davis was the backup right tackle. Davis has been the starting right tackle throughout the preseason. Davis, a four-star recruit in the 2024 class from Texas, played in four games last season with no starts. He later replaced Curne during a run-blocking drill Monday Curne has impressed teammates throughout offseason training. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds.

“The strongest freshman I have ever seen,” redshirt sophomore left tackle Tyree Adams said. “The strongest, the fastest. He’s been great. His development is going through the roof, and I feel like the sky’s the limit for him, and he can literally play all over the field.”

The rest of the offensive line was largely the same with Adams, center Braelin Moore and right guard Josh Thompson. Redshirt sophomore Paul Mubenga played left guard as the competition continued between him and redshirt sophomore DJ Chester, who was the

his tail off. He’s really disciplined. He likes getting coached. He loves his teammates. He loves New Orleans. He’s just a gritty no-nonsense, never-had-abad-day guy.”

Mmahat, the son of former Wave and MLB pitcher Kevin Mmahat, always envisioned himself at Tulane. Smith just wanted a chance at the FBS level, and Sumrall’s history with his school helped.

In Sumrall’s last game coaching at Troy East Central transfer Don Callus forced a fumble with a strip-sack and returned it for a touchdown to break open the 2023 Sun Belt championship game against Appalachian State. Callus and Smith even play the same position.

“Don was a touch bigger,” Sumrall said. “TJ is maybe a little faster He’s a really wiry, fasttwitch athlete. Javion and him are kind of 1A and 1B. He’s going to have a big role on defense and is going to have an impact on special teams.”

Tulane beat out Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, North Texas and Western Kentucky for Smith’s services. After struggling in the spring with the thick defensive playbook, he has become much more comfortable in preseason camp, crediting the coaching he has received at East Central as a starter the past two years.

“I told them I had dreams of playing at a higher level, and they helped develop me to get here,” he said. “I really took the coaching in real hard, and that got me to this point now.”

backup center Monday Monday’s practice was the first since LSU scrimmaged Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. The Tigers wore shoulder pads and helmets, so it was not a fullcontact day Linebackers Harold Perkins and Whit Weeks did not practice. Weeks watched from the side with his helmet on while Perkins was not on the field.

Weeks also did not practice Friday He suffered an ankle injury in the Tigers’ bowl game that required surgery, and Kelly said LSU did not want him to practice five days in a row until game week. Weeks was expected to practice fully during the scrimmage.

Backup quarterback Michael Van Buren did not participate. He mimicked drills from behind the quarterbacks, but he did not throw Some of the fingers on Van Buren’s throwing hand were taped together Meanwhile, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier did not wear a brace or sleeve on his left knee, which he had done since he aggravated a preexisting case of patellar tendinitis Aug. 6. Redshirt junior defensive tackle Shone Washington, redshirt freshman cornerback Wallace Foster, freshman running back JT Lindsey and freshman offensive lineman Solomon Thomas also did not practice. Lindsey is suspended, and Thomas has a foot injury

practice.

Left guard

Starter: DJ Chester (R-Soph.)

Backup: Paul Mubenga (R-Soph.)

Chester and Mubenga continue to compete for the starting role, and Mubenga took first-team reps during a brief media-viewing period Monday morning. Chester has more experience, so we’ll give him the nod for now This could change before the season opener as the battle continues over the next two weeks. Redshirt freshman Coen Echols is also in the mix.

Center

Starter: Braelin Moore (R-Jr.)

Backup: Chester Though Chester pushed for the

job in spring practice, Moore quickly established himself as the starter in preseason camp. Kelly has been impressed by him, even saying last week he thinks the offensive line will play well in part because Moore “sets up the rest of the group for success.” Chester, the center last season, is the backup.

Right guard

Starter: Josh Thompson (R-Sr.)

Backup: Coen Echols (R-Fr.) There has not been much competition at right guard, and now Thompson is in line to start. Though he was inconsistent in preseason camp, Thompson started 21 games over the past two years at Northwestern. He was credited with only two sacks al-

Offensive lineman Tyree Adams performs a tackling drill with a teammate during LSU football practice on Aug. 5.

lowed, both of which happened during the 2023 season.

Right tackle

Starter: Weston Davis (R-Fr.)

Backup: Curne OR Ory Williams (R-Fr.)

Things got interesting Monday when Curne got reps with the firstteam offense. It was the first time that reporters had seen Curne, a top-100 recruit, play right tackle this preseason. Still, Davis is the more likely option after practicing with the starters most of the offseason. After appearing in four games last year, he would make his first career start.

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Rafflecan open doors to statesportingevents

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Chris Thibodauxdidn’thave high expectations on that Sunday night last August when he tunedin to watch WWL-TV’s “4th Down on Four” for the drawing of the Premier Season Ticket Raffle.

Thibodaux is alot like most of us when it comes to raffles: He never wins things like this.

“I didn’teven have my ticket out,” Thibodaux said. “I was just watching to see that it wasn’tme so Icould just go to bed and move on with my life.” Besides, he had bought only one raffle ticket just three daysbefore thedrawing. Then he heardsportscaster Doug Mouton call his name.

“I went nuts,” Thibodauxsaid. “My heart was pounding. Ifelt like Icould have run 5miles at midnight. It was nuts. Iwas so excited.” Evenwhenheheard hisname, he wasn’tsure he actually hadwon “I don’tknow if I’m theonly Christopher Thibodaux in the New Orleans area,” he said. But it was indeed him who had just hit thejackpot of every Louisiana sports fan’sdreams.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation‘s PremierSeason Ticket Raffle offers one lucky fan thechance to win tickets to more than 500 of SouthLouisiana’s top sporting events. This year’sdrawing will be held Sunday.Only2,500 tickets will be sold at $100 each Allproceeds from the annual raffle support the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation’s efforts to bringmajorsporting events—

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

tackle Maason Smith nursing injuries. Thedeal made sense for each side, and the risks are minimal for each team if theplayers don’twork out.

Even after shipping outSaunders, the Saints stillface alogjam on the defensive line. Theinterior is arguably the most crowded position on the roster,and it’sunknown how many players the team will keep at the position.

Of those on theroster, defensive end Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and defensive end Nathan Shepherd have emerged as clear starters in the team’sbase 3-4 defense. None of the three played Sunday when the Saints rested their defensive starters,anindication they appear to have locked downtheir spots. Behind them, third-rounder Vernon Broughton is steadily in the rotation. Jonah Williams and JonathanBullard have familiarity with defensive coordinatorBrandon Staley,but is that enough for both to make the roster? Of those two, Williams appears to have gotten more consistent playing time, butit’sbeen Bullard whohas gotten occasional reps with the first team. If all three backups make it,that already gives the team six interior defensive linemen —and that’s

such as SuperBowl LIXlast February —toNew Orleans.

“It is one of the biggest fundraisers we have all year,” said Jay Cicero, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. ”It really helps support us to continue to attract major sportingevents to New Orleans. Those eventscreateaneconomicimpact and exposure that only these events can bring. It’s part of the annual puzzlenow anditreally helpsus.”

Thewinnerreceives two tickets to home gamesfor each of the following:

n New OrleansSaints 2025 regular season

n New OrleansPelicans 2025-26 regular season

n •LSU Tigers 2025 football season

n LSU Tigers 2025-26 men’sbasketballseason

n •LSU Tigers 2025-26 women’s basketball season

n LSU Tigers 2026gymnastics season

n LSUTigers 2026 baseball season

n Tulane Green Wave 2025 football season

n Tulane Green Wave 2025-26 men’sbasketball season

n Tulane Green Wave 2025-26 women’sbasketballseason

n Tulane Green Wave 2026 baseball season

n 2026 Zurich Classic —Best of theZurich classicpasses

n 2026 Allstate Sugar Bowl

n 2025 New Orleans Bowl —VIP passes

n UNO Privateers 2026 baseball season

n UNO Privateers 2025-26 men’s

before including abackup nose tackle. Who would fill in if Godchaux went down? Before Sunday’s trade, that appeared to be Saunders. Now?

Khristian Boyd made astrong impressioninthe first preseason game when he sacked Chargers quarterbackTaylor Heinickefor anear safety.John Ridgeway is also abig, stout human whom the Saints were willingtotrade adraft pick for last year

It seems unrealistic to think the Saints will keep seven interior defensive linemen —even if New Orleans keeps only four edge rushers. In the last10years, theSaints never have kept more than 10 defensive linemen on their initial53-man roster Though the Saints have alot of sorting out to dobefore active rosters must be cut to 53 on Aug. 26, Saunders no longer was in the team’splans. Saunders, who took apay cut earlierthisoffseason,was an awkwardfitinthe new system Staley had the 29-year-old playing nose tackle,but Saunders lacked thebullish size needed to plug holes againstthe run. The coaching staff knew this well before Sunday’strade, which is why one of the Saints’ first moves of free agency was to trade for Godchaux—a6-foot-3, 330-pound run-stuffer

In Jacksonville, Saunders might fit in better under defensive coordinator Anthony Cam-

WR Jeffersonfeeling better, returnstoVikings practice

BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP pro football writer

EAGAN, Minn. Justin Jefferson hasrejoined the Minnesota Vikings for practice after amild strain of his left hamstring kept himsidelined for 31/2 weeks.

Jefferson was on the field for thelight session Monday,the latestramp-up of his activitysince he sufferedthe injury during the second practice of training camponJuly24. He took part in individual drills but not full-team work.

Because Jefferson missed seven games with amore severe strain of his right hamstring during the 2023 season andconsidering his importance to the team,the Vikings have been extra cautious with his recovery.Coach KevinO’Connell said he didn’tbelieve Jefferson would have to adjust his routine moving forward, however as he takes part in “bitsand pieces”ofpractices this week and next.

“He’sdone such agood job with building his strength and doing thework with the medical team and the strength team that Ithink he feels like he’s pretty darn close and ready to go,”O’Connell said of the twotime All-Pro and former LSU receiver, whohas themost receiving yards in NFL history through aplayer’sfirst five seasons.

three games while he serves asuspension for violating the league’ssubstanceabuse policy.Their third receiver,Jalen Nailor,recently jammedhis hand andisona week-to-week timetable to return,O’Connell said.Hedeclinedtoaddress whether surgery was being consideredfor Nailor.

“We’re figuring out the best planofaction forreturn to playwill be,but Idofeel good aboutwhere we’reatwiththat,” O’Connell said.

basketball season n UNO Privateers 2025-26 women’sbasketball season

The deadline to enter this year’s raffle is Sunday at noon.Topurchaseaticket, visit www.gnosports.com/win.

Count Thibodaux among the ones who will be entering again. He’sstill on cloud nine from winning last year

“My favorite experiencewith the LSU footballtickets was the overtimewin against OleMiss,” said Thibodaux, who lives in Harvey.“Igot achancetostorm the field, whichyou probablyshouldn’t do. Andthen you had theZurich Classic ticketsand thosetickets were bad ass.”

Thibodaux, whowas already a Saints season-ticket holder,went to every Saints game and about 20 Pelicans games.Healso attended every Tulane football. He gave his LSUwomen’sbasketball tickets to friendsinBaton Rouge, andthey attended every game.

“It’salmost impossible to go to everything,”hesaid.

But he went to as many as he could. Lastyear was extra special because it included two tickets to theSuper Bowl.While this year’s prizedoesn’t include theSuper Bowl since it will be played in California, that doesn’t take away from everything else offered.

“It’sa once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity,” Thibodaux said. “Allthe different experiences that you get to do and you’re treated likeroyalty at all these events. Youget all the VIP perks and food, and it just makesthe experience thatmuch better.”

panile. Despite hisshortcomings against the run, Saunders wasa reliable rotation player over four yearsfor theKansas City Chiefs He started agoodchunk of his two seasons in New Orleans.

The Saunders trade also affects theoffensive line depth. Fortner, a2022 third-round pick outofKentucky, startedevery game forJacksonville during his first two seasons. Although he was relegated to abackup role in 2024, the Saintssaw how important having aviable backup center could be when Erik McCoy missed most of last season because of injuries. Fortner’sacquisition creates an interesting wrinkle for undrafted lineman TorricelliSimpkins. He seemed to really thrive when moved from guard to center,but does Fortner’spresence move Simpkins back to guard? That remains to be seen.Simpkins also could be the second-team guard and third-team center.Either way, Simpkins hasimpressed the Saints —with coach KellenMoore saying therookie’saggressive play style is all the team could want. Still, teams arealways searching for offensive line help. And theSaints’ depth upfront has been agiant question mark. Fortner might not be atotal solution, but he could provide help. It was atrade thatmade sense forthe Saints.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

TheVikings open the regular season on Sept. 8atChicago, and there’s never been any concern aboutJefferson being back to full strength on thefield forthe Monday night showcase against the NFCNorth rivalBears. Butthe waiting is sometimes the hardest part

“I wanttobeout here with the guys. Iwant to be playing football. Iwant to be in the mix,” Jeffersonsaid after practice. “It’sdefinitely tough at times mentally,but every day you’ve just got to focus on the things that you focus on and think about gettingtothe next stage.”

The Vikings will be without Jefferson’sprimary sidekick, Jordan Addison, for theirfirst

The upside to Jefferson’s absence has been increased opportunities for the rest of the wide receivers vying for spots, with one more opened by theseason-ending left knee injury that occurred for RondaleMoore in the team’sfirst exhibition game.

Rookie TaiFelton, the thirdround draft pick out of Maryland who’salsoontrack for a kickoff returner role, has arosterspotsecured.Beyondhim, the pool of competitors include fourth-year playerTim Jones, past practicesquadmembers Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones andThayerThomas, andundrafted rookies MylesPrice and Silas Bolden.

“There’sobviously alot of guys whowouldn’tbehere if we didn’t see the talent, the skill sets, the ability,” O’Connell said. “I do feel good about the depth.”

Browns name Flacco winner of QB competition

turn in 1999.

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

After four weeks, JoeFlacco hasemerged as the winner of the Cleveland Browns’ four-way quarterback competition. TheBrowns announced Monday that Flacco will getthe start when the Browns host AFC North rivalCincinnati in the Sept. 7 opener

Flacco has not played in the preseason games, but he has seen mostofthe first-team snaps throughout campaswell as getting plenty of workinjoint practices againstCarolina andPhiladelphia.

Coach Kevin Stefanski indicated over the past week that decision wascoming. The Browns wereoff on Sunday after their 2213 victory over thePhiladelphia Eagles but had ateam meeting Monday

The 40-year-old Flacco beat outKenny Pickettand rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.Deshaun Watson is on the roster,but he is expected to miss the season because of injuries. “I think it is hard when you’re only getting acouple reps here and there because it goes back to you trysohard to be perfect, and then usually you end up hurting yourselfa littlebit.But thelast couple weeks, honestly it’sbeen pretty good for me,” Flacco said last week about the competition afterapractice againstthe Philadelphia Eagles. “I’ve got to get morereps and getcomfortable and feel like I’mdoing things at a pretty high level. So, Ican’tcomplain.”

Besides having 191 regular-season starts and going into his 18th season,Flacco was the only quarterback whohas not missed time during training camp because of an injury This is Flacco’ssecond stint with the Browns. He won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023 as alate-seasonsigning after going 4-1 as a starter andaveraging morethan 300 yards passing per game as Cleveland made the playoffs for only the third time since its re-

Flacco will see action Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams since Stefanski said the preseason finale will serve as adress rehearsal forthe starters.

“He’sthe same guy every single day.I think that’sone of the things youadmire about Joe is how he approaches his business,” Stefanski said about Flacco during last week’sjoint workouts against the Eagles. “He’sdone areally nice job in camp. He’salso done areally nice job just providing leadershiptothe quarterback room, to the offense and to the football team.”

Pickett wasconsidered to be Flacco’smain competition, but he has been dealing with a hamstring injury.Pickett— a 2022 first-round pick with Pittsburgh —isgoing intohis fourth season afterbeing acquiredin an offseason trade with Philadelphia.

Pickett is considered to be more athletic andcan make plays on the run, but he has not been a full participant in practicesince July 26.

Gabriel, who missed the preseason opener at Carolina on Aug. 8because of ahamstring strain, playedthe first half against the Eagles. In five series, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards.

Sanders missedthe second day of joint practices against the Eaglesand did notplayin the game after suffering an oblique injury on Wednesday Sanders gotthe startagainst Carolina and completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two TD passes.

Stefanski was optimistic that Pickett or Sanders could return to practice sometime this week.

YE OLD COLLEGE LEGEND

AngusLind looksback on the late Ronnie Taylor

BY ANGUS LIND Contributing writer

“Hey dawlin!” That was the greeting that Ronnie

gave every lady who walked through the doors of the venerable Ye OldeCollegeInn on thecorner of Carrollton Avenue and Earhart Boulevard. Established in 1933, it has beenasmucha New Orleans institution as Mosca’sRestaurant in Westwego. Taylor died July 13 of amassive heart attack helping his sisterCookie White prepare her home for acelebration of life for her husband Mike White, who haddementia and passed away. Taylor was installing a new pump in the fountain in her front yard, as he thought it would make her house look nicer as guests entered the house.

As he was finishing he asked his sister to help him put the bowl back on the fountain because it washeavy.She picked up one side, and he pickedup the other.Ashepickeduphis side,hecollapsed and died. In amatter of days, Cookie had now lost her husband and her brother.

“Believe it or not, I’m doing fine,” she said. The crowd at St. Rita’sChurch made her feel good, she said —theywere there because they loved Ronnie. “I’m actually smiling, takingitone day at atime. Idon’t know what God has in store for me, butIpray everyday.”

‘A cornerstone’ It also was atragicloss for College Inn.

“Ronnie Taylor was more than aman,”said JohnnyBlancher co-owner of College Inn along with his dad, Big John Blancher “He was acornerstone of College Inn, as much apartofthe place as its walls and floors.

“When our family bought the restaurant from the Ruffin family in 2003, it felt as though Ronniehad been there since its foundingin1933.

ä See TAYLOR, page 2D

LIVING

SPILLING THEBEANS

BY

CHELSEA SHANNON Staff writer

rthur Brocato remembers when he andhis wife, Jolie, wereliving behind thenew North Carrollton location after thefamily decided to move Angelo Brocato from the French Quarter to Mid-City It was 1979, andhewas considering expanding the now 120-yearold family business by offering espresso beverages, something that was arelatively new concept back then “Cappuccino andespresso was non-existenthere in New Orleans, believe it or not,” he said. “It wasn’taspopular outside of New York and therewas no one there that was even selling or roasting espresso beans.”

As he researched,a youngcouple selling espresso machines introduced theBrocatos to Carolyn Stoeger.Her father,HenryKepler, founded Try-Me Coffee Roaster formerly known as TryMeMills in October 1925.

The Bywater businessstill roasts the coffee beans used for drinks at Angelo Brocatoand manyother restaurants across New Orleans.

The Kepler family maintained the roasting business forover90 years beforeselling it to Lauren

Angelo Brocato’sOriginal Icecream Parlor operated at 615-17 Ursulines St. from 1906 to 1981. Brocato’s closed its doors on Ursuline Street on Feb.22, 1981, as the family

“Mermaid” McCabeand Abby King in 2023.Despite thechangein ownership, Brocato and others say thequalityhas remained thesame.

“We’ve had alot of companies come in and, you know,try to sell

us,” Brocato explained. “We’re satisfied with the service we’re getting. We’re satisfiedwiththe product we’re getting, and there’s no need to change.” McCabe and King, however,do have anew goal for Try-Me: to take it out of the shadowsand makeita household name.

“You have had Try-Me. Youjust haven’tknownit,” McCabe said.

Try-Me Coffee history

In 1925, Kepler decided, at age 55, to start roasting coffee beans after years of being ateller at WhitneyBankonSt. Claude Avenue, McCabe explained.

In the 325-square-foot building next to his home, he would roast coffee beansand thengodoor-todoor to ask his neighbors to “try my coffee.”

As theyears went on, he would later pass the business to Stoeger, who would then give the company to her son, Bob Lutz. And while its namewas unrecognizable to many in the greater NewOrleans area, it wasbeing sipped by customers at many well-known restaurants and hotels across the city Cafe Flora, Court of TwoSisters, Cafe Degas, Angelo Brocato and Brown Butter are afew of the restaurants that have been

See COFFEE, page 2D

Inspired by mother,authorwriteschildren’sbookabout loss

Public relations professional and children’s author Malana Joseph Mitchell poseswitha displayof‘The Adventures of Mum Mum and Me’ at WhitneyPlantation.

BY ANNETTE SISCO Staff writer

Agingdoesn’t have to be so bad

Dear Heloise: Ijust read ahintin your column about the advantages of using acane. My mental response was, “Yes,yes, yes.” And this is also why Iamnolonger coloring my hair and letting it grow out to its now natural color of white. Some things about aging aren’t so terrible. Ihave been using acane for well over ayearand have also happily discovered its many good “side effects.” —MaryWolfson, in Huntington Beach, California Medicalattention fordogs

possible. If your dog has more acute, serious symptoms, such as a bloated belly,seizures, a loss of consciousness, a temperature of over 104 degrees, orasignificant, sudden change in personality,you’ll need to get to theemergency veterinarian.

Lots of conditions can be helpedifananimal getsmedical attention as soon as possible. —Heloise In hotwater

Dear Readers: How do you know if your dog is sick? They can’t exactly come up to you andtell you, right? If you see any of the following generalhealth changes, such as excessive thirst, constipation, weakness,arunny nose,orscratching, make an appointment foracheckup

If your dog is experiencing poor appetite, no energy,constipation, panting, whimpering, vomitingordiarrhea, youshould go to the veterinarianassoon as

Dear Heloise: My mother-in-law asked me to send you this hint She hasenjoyed readingyour column in theSt. Louis Post-Dispatchfor years. Ifound the best solution for opening jars: Set the jar in the sink and run hot water on the lid for aminute or so. Then dry off thejar.Presto, it openseasily!You may also use a rubber disc to open thelid if you wantto. —RuthR., in O’Fallon, Missouri

Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

oner exchange.)

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday,Aug. 19, the 231st day of 2025. There are 134 days left in the year

TodayinHistory

On Aug. 19, 2010,the last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years andfive months after aU.S.-led invasion markedthe beginning of the Iraq War.

Also on this date:

In 1692, four men and one woman were hanged after being convicted of witchcraft at Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay; the story of one of the men, John Proctor,inspired ArthurMiller’splay “The Crucible.”

In 1807, Robert Fulton’sNorth River Steamboat arrivedin Albany, two days after leaving New York on its maiden voyage.

In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the Warof1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.” In 1814, during the Warof 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, withthe objective of capturing Washington, D.C.

In 1854, 31 U.S. soldiers were killed after one of the soldiers fatally shot Brule Lakota Chief Conquering Bear,sparking the FirstSioux War.

In 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted its first automobile race.

In 1934, German voters approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler In 1955, torrential rains caused by HurricaneDiane resulted in severe flooding in the northeastern U.S.,claiming some 200 lives.

In 1960, atribunal in Moscow convicted American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. (Although sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment,Powers was returned to the United States in 1962 as part of apris-

‘MUM MUM’

Continued from page1D

In “The Adventures of Mum Mum and Me,” alittle boy named Ruffin goes through atypical day: school, sports, askinned knee.All through his ups and downs, his grandmotherisnear,portrayed as asmilingangel who cheers him on, hugs him when he cries and watches over him when he says his prayers at night.

“My mom was more than a parent —she was my biggest cheerleader, my moralcompass, and my best friend,” said Malana Mitchell, today aNew Orleans public relations professional.

“Writing this book helped me grieveand gave me away to introduce my children to the ‘Mum Mum’ they nevergot to meet.”

“Mum Mum” was the name Margo’sgrandson, Jashan Gaudet, gave her whenhewas little Gaudetisart director of “The Adventures of Mum Mum and Me.” The bright, colorful illustrations, designed to appeal to young children, are by Aabi Malik.

“Grief is avery complex thing, but it doesn’thave to be scaryor overwhelming,” Mitchell said

COFFEE

Continuedfrom page1D

pouring coffee roasted by TryMe in recentdecades, McCabe shared. Lutz told Offbeat Magazine in 2010 that other clients that thebrandhas done business withinclude: Rue de la Course, Sun Ray Grill,Antoine’sand Aunt Sally’sPraline Company

owner to tell them whothe roaster was. They’d call us, and they’d be like,Can Iget apound of coffee? Like, this hashappenedfor,you know,50years,” she explained. Beyond therestaurant

In 1980, 301 people aboard Saudia Flight 163 died as the jetlinermade afiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport. In 2013, SouthAfrican sprinter Oscar Pistorius was indicted in Pretoria, SouthAfrica, on charges of murder andillegal possession of ammunition for the shooting deathofhis girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013; Pistorius maintained he’d mistakenher for an intruder.(Pistorius would be found guiltyof murder and sentenced to prison; he was released on parole in January 2024.)

Today’sbirthdays: Former tennis player &coach ReneeRichards is 91. Actor JillSt. Johnis85. AuthorJack Canfield is 81. Rock singerIan Gillan (Deep Purple) is 80. Former President Bill Clintonis 79.Actor Gerald McRaney is 78. Actor Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”) is 77. TipperGore, ex-wifeof former Vice President Al Gore, is 77. Rock bassist John Deacon (Queen) is 74. Actor-director Jonathan Frakes is 73.Political consultant Mary Matalin is 72.Actor Peter Gallagher is 70. Actor Adam Arkin is 69. Actor Martin Donovan is 68. Football Hall of Famer AnthonyMunoz is 67. Musician Ivan Neville is 66. FootballHall of Famer Morten Andersen is 65. Actor John Stamos is 62. Actor Kyra Sedgwick is 60. ActorKevin Dillon is 60. Country singer Lee AnnWomack is 58. Microsoft CEO SatyaNadella is 58. CountrysingerClayWalker is 56. RapperFat Joe is 55. Olympic goldmedal tennisplayer Mary Joe Fernandez is 54. Actor Erika Christensen is 43. Actor Melissa Fumero is 43. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis is 40. Author Veronica Roth is 37. Rapper-TV personalityRomeo is 36. Actor Ethan Cutkosky (TV: “Shameless”) is26.

Educators, grief counselorsand parents have usedthe book to openconversations about death and healing,she said.

Andmost recently,itcaught the attentionofthe team at Whitney Plantation,whichreached out to Mitchelltoinform hershe was a descendant of that community, andtoinvite her to stock herbook in theWhitney’s gift shop among othersbylocal authors.

Theconnection made the work even more meaningful forMitchell, linking herfamily’shistory of survival andresiliencetothe legacy she’sbuilding for her children.

That’sjustone reason that friends and readers have asked if “The Adventures of Mum Mum and Me” might be the start of a series.

Mitchell said yes.

“Our loved ones may be gone, but they neverleft,” Malana Mitchellsaid.“They’re here with us.Thatwas the mostimportant thing. While mymom is not physically here on earth,she is right here.”

The book is also available on Amazon

Email AnnetteSisco at asisco@ theadvocate.com

The roastery brand has played a role in manyameal, including being the coffee used at Ruth’s Chris SteakHouse, according to The Washington Post. The premium coffee blend created in concert with restaurateur Ruth Fertel is still roasted in the same roasters in the unassumingBywater building whereKepler originally started roasting acentury ago.

Keepingthe business alive

Pastthe memorabilia and pictures commemorating the business’sstart in thefrontoffice at 1014 France Street, two men work daily to fill orders as they have for thelast few decades.

Jerico Cyres and William “Mr Willie” Butleralternatebetween roasting beans for wholesale and retailorders, following what they learned from theprevious owners. Cyres joined the company in 1991. Butler came on twoyears later

In making asingle retail-size package, Cyresmeasuresout a pound and three ounces of raw, green coffeebeanstoaccount for shrinkage.

Cyres, who recently was working on amedium roast of Colombianbeans, said he hadtobepersistent toget thejob.

“He tried me thatday,and I worked for theday,and at the end of theevening, he hiredme. And I’ve been working ever since,” he added.

After hearing the beans pop, Cyres starts to pull out the beans from theroaster with asmall scoop tocompare them to the sample beans and determine if the

TAYLOR

Continuedfrom page1D

“He knew every inch of the building —every patch, every nook, every cranny.More than that, he knew how to be truly helpful, aqualitythat revealed itself in countless ways,” Blancher said.

“Ronnie wasn’tjust ahandyman; he was alifeline, afriend, and a force of nature who touched every life he crossed.

“He was an electrician, the man responsible for the animated seasonal displays, especially Christmas when he had an animated Mr Bingle crawling up aladder to the top of aChristmas tree.

“When Hurricane Katrina struck, he went onto overdrive. He built aswingset in Lafayette for displaced kids and another in New Orleansfor their return.

“He worked tirelessly,rewiring electrical panels and tying them into thesecond floor,allowing College Inn to reopen faster than anyone thought possible.”

Aservice to sayfarewell

The Rev.Patrick Carr,pastor of St. Rita Churchatthe cornerof Walmsley Avenue and Lowerline Street,gave the eulogy

“College Inn is more thana place to eat and drink,”Carr said. “It’s afamily.Witholder customers in walkers or wheelchairs, he would open thedoors and wheel them in —somuchsothatsome people thought he was the owner.”

Retired Judge DennisWaldrom, aCollege Inn regular,also remembered Taylor fondly

coloristhe correct shadefor the desired level of roast.

“It takes patience. Youcan’trush it,”Cyres said. “You can’t whack the flame wide open expecting it to roast faster because it affects the product.”

Each day,the four-person team assesses the roasting needs and only roasts what is needed.

For everybatch, Cyres or Butler wait to hear the beans pop, smell that they are close to where they need to be, and inspect the finished product to ensure that every bean that makesitinto the bag was roastedtothe right consistency andquality that clients areaccustomed to.

Once the coffee beanswerethe rightmediumshade, Cyresground them and carefully packaged them in the small retail-sized bag. The process is thesame forwholesale clients, just on alarger scale.

McCabesaidthe business currently generates roughly80% of its revenue from its wholesale clients.

In 2010, former owner Lutz told Offbeat Magazinethathewas unsuccessful in his attemptstobolsterits direct-to-consumer model with advertisements. McCabe who hasa background in marketing, andher husband have now taken on the challenge to attempt to scale the business.

McCabe said that for decades, restaurants didnot necessarily want to tell customers who made the coffee as astrategy to getthem to comeback to the restaurant over and over

“So we had awhole batch of customers that were still serving today that, like, cajoled arestaurant

“He was arare individual, aman with aheartofgold anda zest for lifelike few have. He could read people —for all the right reasons. He was likethe conciergeatCollege Inn, apeople person, and a delight to be around, apositive Renaissance kind of guy with selfeffacing humor,” Waldron said.

Friendsfor alifetime

“Ronnie was ajunioratFortier High School (now The Willow School) and Iwas asophomore,” said best friendand fellow electrician Don Zapalowski. “Weusedto joke thatwedidn’tgotohigh school —wewent to Fortier.” Taylor was the best man at Zapalowski’swedding manyyears ago. “Ronnie was aonce-in-a-lifetime friend, anda friend for alifetime.”

“He was abeautiful human being,” said Kade Guillory,the maître d’ at College Inn, who is marriedtoPiper Blancher, Johnny Blancher’sdaughter.“Inever saw him not smiling. He’d do anything for anybody.Ifyou cametoRonnie with aproblem,he’d come up with asolution.”

Regularcustomer Dale Guidry said he and his wife cameinone night and had atable for 13 people.

“Ronnie of course opened the door and seated us. After dinner,he brought us some complimentary bread pudding. He had aheart of gold.” “One of ourfriends asked, ‘Is he the owner?’ And I’dsay,‘No. He’s just Ronnie. He never forgets you. He was very caring and always very positive.’” Longtime bartenderMike Dykes said, “Ronnie could do it all. If something broke,he’dfixit. The

Sitting underthe wisteria at the Court of TwoSisters after having brunch, it’snot uncommon for diners to grab abag of Try-Me Coffee on the way out nowthatthe restaurant started carrying retail bags, general manager Alex Fein said. Therestaurant started selling retail bags in June,and weekly,the restaurant orders an average of 42 pounds of coffee, typically the chicory blend, to keep the mugs full through service.

“I get many complaints but the coffee ain’tone of them,” he added. Court of TwoSisters has been serving Try-Me for roughly 30 years, Feinsaid, and he saidthe customers’ love of the coffee is why theykeep brewing beansfromthe Bywater roaster.Fein also enjoys the coffee regularly at home. For years, the roaster has sold smallerretailquantitiestopeople whocalledinand came by to pick it up andpotentially deliver, depending on the wholesale delivery route. Now, the roastery offers its 34 coffee blends to orderonline for pick up or delivery to residents living on the east bank, from NewOrleans to Kenner

“Everything is roasted to order Someone from the community is goingtoroast your coffee anddeliver it to your doorstep, just like we were doing in the 20s,” McCabe said.

Abag of 16 ounces of coffee ranges from $10 to $14, depending on the roast. Andfor the rest of the year,the Try-Me is selling a “Century Sampler” for $36, andit includes atote bag, acard with the company’shistory and 12 ounces of four coffeeblends: French roastColombian, Colombian with mild chicory,Southern pecan and arotating single-origin coffee bag. Email Chelsea Shannon at cshannon@theadvocate.com.

Christmas decorations, nobody could do that and he loved to do that. If Mr.Bingle couldn’tclimb up that ladderlike theold Maison Blanche displays on CanalStreet, it wouldn’tbethe same. He was one of the legendary characters like Cartwright Eustis IV and Tom Eastman who cameinhere. The difference is he worked forus.”

Afan of Disney World

Taylorloved DisneyWorld, reveling in the joy it brought children. He made countless trips there with the Zapalowski family After going there so manytimes, whenhetook somebody new there, they were surprised that almost everyone at DisneyWorld called him “Mr.Taylor.” They rolledout the redcarpetfor him on everyvisit. He loved all the old characters around the College Inn bar.He loved the old stories and legends, and for years he organized trips with the bar crew to MLB stadiums. (Disclaimer: Imade acouple of thosetrips. LikeLas Vegas,everything that happened on those trips will remain untold.)

“RonnieTaylor lived hislife with aboundless heart, and his absence leaves avoid we’ll feelforever,” said Big JohnBlancher.“We love you, we will miss you, and we’ll carry on your spirit in whatever we do goingforward.You werethe greatest friend.”

Angus Lind is aretired reporter andLivingcolumnist forThe Times-Picayune and The States-Item. He lives in NewOrleans. Email himat anglind44@gmail.com.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let change hurt you financially. Generosity is your downfall. Focus on learning and engaging in discussions that offer options and unique ways to do some good at a price you can afford.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Who you associate with matters. Engage in open conversations and connect with individuals who have something valuable to offer in return.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Put your emotions on the sidelines before you engage in a contentious discussion. Make honesty and equality a necessary part of all your business and personal relationships.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Explore, expand and extrapolate what's most likely to help you get ahead. Networking and reconnecting with allies, old friends or former partners will encourage closure and pave the way for new beginnings.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't feel you have to pay for others when saving for a rainy day will put your mind at ease. Speak up, be the one to make a difference and choose to live life your way.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Indecisiveness will play a role in how your day progresses. When in doubt, take a closer look at what others are choosing to do, and it will help you avoid making mistakes or missing out on opportunities.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Stop dreaming and start initiating your plans. A moneymaking idea will pay off if you put muscle into turning your ideas into a reality. Take control of negotiations.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Concentrate on what's best for you. Give others the same opportunity you want for yourself. Love, romance and the chance to build a life that brings you happiness are within reach.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take the creative path. Using your imagination will help you grow and nurture your desires. Too much, too fast will be your downfall. Slow down, wait and watch.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) It's what you do that makes a difference Talk is cheap, and misinformation will face opposition. Rethink your plans and follow your heart: Your life, your terms, your way.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Live, learn and replace what is no longer working for you. Act on what moves you visually, not on what others say or do. Work independently of those trying to upend your plans or control the outcome.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Honesty will be crucial if you want to make better choices. Protect against insult, injury and interference.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

nea CroSSwordS

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

MarkTwainsaid,“Apersonwhowon’t readhasnoadvantageoveronewhocan’t read.”

Thatcanalsoapplytobridge.Theplayer who does not pay any attention to the opening lead has no advantage over the player whosees it but fails to work out what information it imparts. Sometimesdeclarer can work out what to do just by analyzing theopening lead.

In thisexample, how should South play in three no-trump after West leads afourth-highest spadefive?

Thisissurelythe most commontwobid auction. It is truethat on this deal, three no-trump can be defeated if West is inspired enough to lead aheart,and five diamondscan always be made with agood guessinthe trump suit. Butifyou trytoget to five of aminor withtwo balancedhandsoppositeeachother,youwill be abig loser in thelong run. Go for the nine-trick game unlessyou aresure it cannot make.

Southstartswith seven top tricks:two spades, two diamondsand three clubs. Andifthe diamonds run, there is an overtrick waitinginthe wings. But if the diamonds are 3-0, who has the tripleton?

Read West’slead. How many spades didhestart with? Since South can see the two,three and four,West must have ledfromexactlyafour-card suit.And if he is void in diamonds,hemusthave at least five hearts or five clubs and surely wouldhave ledfromthat suit —length rules in no-trump. So only East can be voidindiamonds. Declarershouldtakethefirsttrickand cash the diamond ace. ©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

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

toDAy’s WoRD sEnDAL: SEN-dul: Afine, rich silk chiefly used to make ceremonial robes and banners.

Average mark16words Time limit 25 minutes Can you find 21 or morewords in SENDAL?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —MAscots

today’s thought

shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the oldman, and fear your God: Iamthe Lord.” Leviticus 19:32

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.

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 a

ESPLANADERIDGE

TheCarsonCompany,Inc of NewOrleans Realtors 2553 OrleansAvenue,NOLA 5900 HayneBlvd.,1Bd/`1Ba.........$695 2900 ThirdSt. #15, 1Bd/1Ba.........$700 2757 OrleansAve., Comm'l...........$900 2513 Pasadena (Met), 1Bd/1Ba...$995 2300 N. BroadSt.,1Bd/1Ba.........$1236 6126 Baccich St 2Bds/1.5Bas...$1300 2503 S. DorgenoisSt, 2Bds/1Ba.$1300 1927 Painters,3Bds/2Bas...........$1500 1221 N. Miro #1 (Sec 8Ok) 2/1..$1600 1223 N. Miro,5Bds/2Bas.............$3000

PUBLIC NOTICE TheErnestN.MorialNew OrleansExhibitionHall Authority(“the Author‐ity”)isrequestingsealed bids for C- 2160 Refurbish andReplace Cooling Towers Proposalsare due Mon‐day, September8,2025 at 10:00 a.m.atwhich time proposalsreceivedon time andinthe correct location will be consid‐ered.Bid documentsmay be obtained online at https://www.centralauct ionhouse.com/Category/ 10822/NewOrleansErnes tNMorialConventionCe nter or by contacting the ContractsDepartmentat (504) 582-3562 or con‐tracts@mccno.com. All responsesmustbesub‐mitted in accordance with thebiddocuments 153963-aug14-19-27-3t $27.57

PUBLIC NOTICE

TheNew OrleansPublic Facility Management,Inc (“NOPFMI”) is issuing a Requestfor Proposals (“RFP”)toobtain propos‐alsfor C-2158 Provide Building Information RevitModelingServices. Proposalsare due Friday, September5,2025 at 10:00am at which time proposalsreceivedon time andinthe correct location will be consid‐ered.RFP documents maybeobtained online at https://www.central auctionhouse.com/ Category/10822/NewOrle ansErnestNMorialConv entionCenter or by con‐tactingthe ContractsDe‐partment at (504) 5823562 or contracts@ mccno.com. Allre‐sponsesmustbesubmit‐tedinaccordance with theRFP documents. 154496-aug19-27-2t $19.54

mayalsobeutilizedto stimulateeconomic growth with SpecialEco‐nomicDevelopment pro‐gramsand smallbusi‐ness rehabilitation pro‐grams. Thegeneral public,as well as representatives from thebusiness, hous‐ing, educational, social service, non-profit, and faith-basedcommunities areinvited andencour‐aged to providetheir input. Athirty(30)day review andcomment pe‐riod,requiredbyHUD begins:Tuesday August 19th thru Friday Septem‐ber19th2025. Written commentscan sent to OCD’sPlanningand Re‐source DevelopmentUnit to dmpearson@nola.gov no laterthanMonday, September22, 2025 by 5:00 pm COB.Thisnotice is also posted on OCD’s website: DevelopmentHome -CityofNew Or‐leansIfyou need addi‐tional information, or re‐quirespecial assistance duetoLimited English Proficiency (LEP)please contactOCD’s Planning andResourceDevelop‐ment Unit at (504) 6584347 or (504) 658-4200. LaToya Cantrell Mayor Tyra JohnsonBrown ExecutiveDirector HousingPolicy& Community Development RunDates: TheAdvocate/ TimesPicayune –8/19, 8/22, 8/25, 8/27, 8/29, 9/2, 9/3, 9/5, 9/15 & 9/19 2025 NOCP 8568

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PUBLIC NOTICE Principalphotography hasconcluded on Gypsy Rose:LifeAfter Lock Up S2.Pleasesendany un‐

$148.75

LeadersAd‐vocating StudentSuc‐cess

The 2025-26 Budget will be approved at themeeting. TheBudgetisavailable forviewing in theBusi‐ness Office Monday-Fri‐day9a.m. to 3p.m.oryou cancontact theoffice at 504-373-6228 Ext 7. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom us/j/85413544995? pwd=Z4UdOiRNaKcyhnc ypaj8Y8BbP94hUM.1 MeetingID: 854 1354 4995 Passcode:0prVfU 153426-JUL11-21 $129.28

Q y tions@,la.gov. Acopyofthe application is availablefor inspec‐tion andreviewatthe LDEQ Public Records Center at 602 North FifthStreet,Baton Rouge, LA 70802, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Theavailable informationcan also be accessed electronically on the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) on theLDEQpub‐licwebsite at www.deq.louisiana.gov 154477-aug19-1t $214.27 p property since theap‐praisal, thesaleshould be fora higher amount than theappraisal, based on thecurrent fairmar‐ketvalue of theproperty, whichpropertyisfurther describedasfollows: TWOCERTAIN LOTS OF GROUND,together with allthe buildingsand im‐provements thereon, and allthe rights,ways, privi‐leges, servitudes,appur‐tenances andadvan‐tagesthereuntobelong‐ingorinanywise apper‐taining, situated in the City of Kenner,Parishof Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as High‐wayParkSubdivision,in Square 474, bounded by Iowa Avenue,22nd(for‐merly4th)Street,Kansas Avenue and21st (for‐merly3rd)Street,which said lots of ground are designated by theNum‐bers 5and 6, adjoin each other, andmeasure each twenty-five feet,no inches,nolines (25’ 0” 0”’) frontonIowaAv‐enue,the same in width in therear, whichfronts on a15-foot alleyrunning throughsaidsquarefrom 21st Street in thedirec‐tion of 22ndStreet,by a depthofone hundred twenty feet,noinches, no lines(120’ 0” 0”’) be‐tween equaland parallel lines; Lot5 beingnearer to andcommencingat a distance of onehundred feet,noinches, no lines (100’ 0” 0”’) fromthe cor‐nerofIowaAvenue and 22ndStreet,all according to sketch of survey by AdlowOrr, Jr.& Associ‐ates,ConsultingEngi‐neers, datedNovember 10, 1959, acopyofwhich is annexedtoanAct passedbeforeD.L.Kir‐shenheuter,Jr.,Notary Public,dated November 11, 1959, forreference Theimprovements thereonbearthe Munici‐palNumber– 2118 Iowa Avenue Beingthe same property acquired by Mary Ann Lutostanksi, wife of,and Matthew J. McFall,Jr. from FidelityHomestead AssociationbySaleof Property datedApril 7, 1969 andrecordedinCOB 695, folio 487 in thecon‐veyancerecords of Jef‐ferson Parish,Louisiana NOWTHEREFORE,inac‐cordance with law, no‐tice is hereby giventhat KATHLEEN MCFALL WILEY andMATTHEW JOSEPH MCFALL, III, theAdminis‐tratorsof theSuccession of Matthew Joseph Mc‐Fall,Jr.,proposestosell theaforesaid immovable property,atprivate sale forthe priceand upon theterms aforesaid,and theheirs,legatees,and creditorsare required to make opposition,ifany they have or can, to such sale,withinseven (7) days,including Sundays andholidays, from date whereonthe last publica‐tion of this notice ap‐pears Prepared