The Times-Picayune 08-29-2025

CHRIS ROSE REFLECTS ON KATRINAANNIVERSARY 1D

ASOLEMNLOOKBACK

across the metroarea in St.Louis Cathedral for aspecial 20thanniversaryremembranceMassonThursday

BY MIKE SMITH, ANTHONY McAULEY and RICH COLLINS Staff writers

New Orleans marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina onFriday with asolemnlook back at the storm that foreverchanged it anda fresh accounting of the complicated legacy that the floodwaters left behind, from theheroicefforts to rebuild to thestark inequitiesthat the disaster laid bare. It will be amore muted commemoration than in years past, with the city and surrounding region having in many waysgrown wearywith discussion of thecatastrophethat began with landfall near Buras at around 6:10 a.m. on Aug.29, 2005.

Lives moved on long ago, and college students today have no memory of the storm Butthe date will again provide an opportunity to reflect upon what hasand hasnot happenedsince

thehurricane and the largely manmade destructionthataccompanied it. Itsplace in the history of the stateand even the nation will likely endure,while NewOrleans will be forever defined by abefore andafter Katrina. An interfaithserviceatSt. Louis

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

More than two years after Mayor LaToya Cantrell’sadministration selected ateam of local architects to come up with aplan to stabilize andrepair the long-shuttered Municipal Auditorium, work on the historicstructure will finally begin. At aceremonial groundbreaking outside the auditorium on Tuesday, Cantrell said contractors nextweek will beginthe first phase of a$43.5 million projectthat willinclude removing asbestos,replacingthe roof, andrepairingthe exterior to prevent further waterintrusion and molddamagetothe 95-year-old building.

Most of the project will be paid for with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency,which were awarded to the city in 2018 after years

Rep. Emerson eyes Senate race

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

ä See REPAIRS, page 10A

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidyislikelytoface another challenger in his bid to winreelection next year

State Rep. Julie Emerson said Wednesdaythat she is likely to jump into the raceifU.S.Rep. JuliaLetlow chooses not to run.

ä St. Tammany Council member Seiden mayrun for U.S. Senate. PAGE 10A

“I’m waiting to see what she will do. Idothink there’s an avenue foranother candidate, whoever thatis,”said Emerson, aRepublican from Carencro, just north of Lafayette.“If she formally announces she’sdefinitely out, then the chances Iget in greatly increase.” Demonstrating hisvulnerability as he seeksa

Carencro Republican will run if U.S. Rep. Letlow doesn’t ä See EMERSON, page 10A

Pope seeks end to Gaza

‘collective punishment’

ROME Pope Leo XIV demanded Wednesday that Israel stop the “collective punishment” and forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza as he pleaded for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the besieged territory amid preparations by Israel for a new military offensive

Leo was interrupted twice by applause as he read aloud his latest appeal for an end to the 22-month war during his weekly general audience attended by thousands of people in the Vatican’s auditorium.

History’s first American pope also called for the release of hostages taken by Hamas in southern Israel — 50 of them remain in Gaza — and for both sides and international powers to end the war “which has caused so much terror, destruction and death.”

“I beg for a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated and humanitarian law to be fully respected,” Leo said. He cited international law requiring the obligation to protect civilians and “the prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population.”

Palestinians in Gaza are bracing for an expanded offensive promised by Israel in some of the territory’s most populated areas including Gaza City where famine has been documented and declared.

Rwanda: 7 deportees arrived from U.S. in Aug.

KIGALI, Rwanda Seven migrants were transferred from the United States to Rwanda in August under a deportation agreement with the U.S., authorities in the East African country said Thursday Rwanda said earlier in August it would accept up to 250 deportees from the U.S. Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for the Rwandan government, said in a statement that the “first group of seven vetted migrants arrived in Rwanda in mid-August.”

Rwanda is one of four African countries that have reached deportation agreements with Washington, The others are Uganda, Eswatini and South Sudan No information was provided about the identities of the deportees sent to Rwanda this month. They have been “accommodated by an international organization” with visits by the International Organization for Migration, as well as representatives of Rwandan social services, Makolo said.

“Three of the individuals have expressed a desire to return to their home countries, while four wish to stay and build lives in Rwanda,” Makolo said.

Atlanta newspaper to go all-digital

ATLANTA The Atlanta JournalConstitution will stop providing a print edition at year’s end and go completely digital, a dramatic change for a storied newspaper founded shortly after the Civil War.

The decision will make Atlanta the largest U.S. metro area without a printed daily newspaper, although some smaller metro Atlanta newspapers continue printing.

Publisher Andrew Morse said in his Thursday announcement that the news organization will aim to expand its audience as it continues to report the news using online, audio and video products.

“The fact is, many more people engage with our digital platforms and products today than with our print edition, and that shift is only accelerating,” Morse wrote in a letter to subscribers posted on the Journal-Constitution’s website. The AJC has about 115,000 total subscribers, of whom 75,000 are online only; Morse has set a goal of gaining 500,000 online subscribers. The newspaper is privately owned by descendants of the Cox family Former Ohio Gov James Cox bought The Atlanta Journal in 1939 and The Atlanta Constitution in 1950. The Atlanta Constitution was founded in 1868, only a few years after the Civil War left Atlanta in ruins.

MINNEAPOLIS

Church shooter filled with hatred, police say

Authorities say attacker ‘obsessed’ with idea of killing children

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, MARK VANCLEAVE and CLAUDIA LAUER Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded more than a dozen youngsters sitting in the pews of a Minneapolis church once attended the same school and was “obsessed” with the idea of killing children, authorities said Thursday

The shooter identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle casings through stained-glass windows while the children celebrated Mass during the first week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School, said Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara.

“It is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorize those innocent children,” O’Hara said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that the shooter “expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.”

The only group Westman did not hate was “mass murderers,” Thompson said “In short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us.”

Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said. They found more writings from the suspect, but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church the shooter once attended. Westman had a “deranged fascination” with mass killings, O’Hara said.

“No evidence will ever be able to make sense of such an unthinkable tragedy,” he said.

Surveillance video captured the attack and showed the shooter never entered the church and could not see the children while firing through windows lined up with the pews, the police chief said.

Family members described one of the victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, as a boy who loved his family, fishing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play

“We will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,” his father, Jesse said while tearfully reading a statement outside the church on Thursday

The parents of the other victim, 10-yearold Harper Moyski, said in a statement that she was a bright and joyful child.

“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” said Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin. “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.”

They said they hope her memory helps drive leaders “to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.”

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said they both died of gunshot wounds.

City officials on Thursday increased to 15 the number of injured children, who are ages 6 to 15. Three parishioners in their 80s also were injured. Only one person — a child — was in critical condition.

Westman, whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances One read: “I know this is wrong, but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

O’Hara said Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and died by suicide.

On a YouTube channel, videos that police say may have been posted by the shooter show weapons and ammunition, and list the names of mass shooters. What appears to be a suicide note to family contains a confession of long-held plans to carry out a shooting and talk of being deeply depressed.

Rev Dennis Zehren, who was inside the church with the nearly 200 children, said the responsorial psalm — which spoke of light in the darkness — had almost ended when he heard someone yell, “Down down, everybody down,” and gunshots rang out.

Fifth-grader Weston Halsne said he ducked for the pews, covering his head, shielded by a friend who was on top of him. His friend was hit, he said.

“I was super scared for him, but I think now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooter’s statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against President Donald Trump.

Minnesota Gov Tim Walz on Thursday sent state law enforcement officers to schools and churches in Minneapolis, saying no child should go to school worried about losing a classmate or gunshots erupting during prayer

New trial ordered for 3 ex-officers convicted in Tyre Nichols killing

By The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge ordered a new trial Thursday for three former Memphis police officers who were convicted of federal charges in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, after defense lawyers argued that another judge who presided over their trial was biased against the men

U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman issued the order for a new trial for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, who were found guilty in October 2024 of obstruction of justice through witness tampering in the beating death of Nichols after he fled a traffic stop.

Two other officers, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., also were charged, but they pleaded guilty before the federal trial.

Lipman took over the case in June af-

ter U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris, who presided over the case and the trial, recused himself days before the sentencings for the five officers.

On Jan. 7, 2023, officers yanked Nichols from his car and then pepper-sprayed and hit the 29-year-old Black man with a Taser Nichols fled, and when the five officers, who also are Black, caught up with him, they punched, kicked and hit him with a police baton. Nichols called out for his mother during the beating, which took place steps from his home.

He died three days later

Video of the beating captured by a police pole camera also showed the officers milling about, talking and laughing as Nichols struggled with his injuries.

It prompted intense scrutiny of police in Memphis, nationwide protests and renewed calls for police reform.

Norris was confirmed as a U.S. district judge in West Tennessee in October 2018 after being nominated by President Donald Trump.

The Collierville Republican had served as the Tennessee Senate majority leader since 2007. He was first elected to the body in 2000, and his district included Tipton County and part of Shelby County

Fed official sues over Trump’s attempt to fire her

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook has sued the Trump administration in an effort to overturn the president’s attempt to fire her, launching an unprecedented legal battle that could significantly reshape the Fed’s long-standing political independence.

The lawsuit seeks an emergency injunction to block her firing and “confirm her status” as a member of the Fed’s governing board.

“The President’s effort to terminate a Senate-confirmed Federal Reserve Board member is a broadside attack on the centuryold independence of the Federal Reserve System,” Cook’s lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, wrote in a court filing.

The case could become a turning point for the 112-year-old Federal Reserve, which was designed by Congress to be insulated from day-to-day political influence. Economists prefer independent central banks because they can more easily take unpopular measures, such as lifting interest rates to combat inflation, than elected officials can.

The case was assigned to Judge Jia Cobb, an appointee of former President Joe Biden. A hearing was scheduled for Friday

Many economists worry that if the Fed falls under the control of the White House, it will keep its key interest rate lower than justified by economic fundamentals to satisfy President Donald Trump’s demands for cheaper borrowing. That could accelerate inflation and could also push up longer-term interest rates, such as those on mortgages and car loans Investors may demand a higher yield to own bonds to offset greater inflation in the future, lifting borrowing costs throughout

the economy “If Cook wins, she stays in place and we achieve some semblance of stability,” said Peter Conti-Brown, a professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvania and Fed historian, in a Substack post. “If she loses that’s the end of Fed independence as it has been constructed and reconstructed over 112 years.” If Trump can replace Cook, he may be able to gain a 4-3 majority on the Fed’s governing board. Trump appointed two board members during his first term and has nominated a key White House economic adviser, Stephen Miran, to replace Adriana Kugler, another Fed governor who stepped down unexpectedly Aug. 1. Trump has said he will only appoint people to the Fed who will support lower rates. No president has sought to fire a Fed governor before until Trump posted a letter on media late Monday saying that Cook was fired. Trump said the reason for her removal were allegations that she committed mortgage fraud in 2021, before she was appointed to the board. Most observers expect the case to end up at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has signaled that the president can’t fire Fed officials over policy differences, but can do so “for cause,” typically meaning misconduct or neglect of duty Cook has not been charged with any crime. The lawsuit argues that the allegations don’t involve misconduct by Cook while in office and haven’t been proven. Cook should also have been given a chance to answer the charges, the suit says.

“The unsubstantiated and unproven allegation that Governor Cook ‘potentially’ erred in filling out a mortgage form prior to her Senate confirmation — does not amount to ‘cause,’” the lawsuit says.

Acting CDCdirectornamed amid tumult at agency

BY MIKE STOBBE, AMANDASEITZ and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

NEW YORK Jim O’Neill, a top deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will serve as actingdirector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to an administration official.

Theofficialrequested anonymity to discuss apersonnelchangethathas not been formally announced. The administrationwants O’Neill to replace Susan Monarez, whom the White House is trying to remove only a month after starting the job. Monarez is fighting to keep her job. Her removal has left the nation’stop public health agency reeling and three senior officials were escorted from its headquarters Thursday

The turmoil triggered rare bipartisan alarm as Kennedy tries to advance anti-vaccine policiesthat are contradicted by decades of scientific research.

The chaos comes weeks before akey advisory committee, which Kennedy has reshaped with vaccine skeptics, is expected to meet to issue new recommendations on immunizations.

TwoRepublican senators called for congressional oversightand some Democrats said Kennedy should be fired. He is scheduled to testify on CapitolHillon Thursday Kennedy has not explained the decision to oust Susan Monarez as CDC director less than amonth after she

wassworn in,but warned that more turnover could be coming

“There’salot of trouble at the CDC and it’sgoingto require getting rid of some people overthe long term, in order forustochange the institutionalculture,” Kennedy saidata news conference in Texas.

The White House hasonly said that Monarez was “not aligned with”PresidentDonald Trump’sagenda.There is no word on when areplacement could be named.

Monarez’slawyers said that sherefused “torubberstamp unscientific, reckless directivesand firededicated healthexperts.” She is fighting her dismissal, saying the decision must come directly fromTrump, who nominated herinMarch.

The saga began Wednesdaynight with theadministration’sannouncement that Monarezwouldno longer lead the CDC. In response, three officials —Dr. Debra Houry, Dr.DemetreDaskalakis andDr. Daniel Jernigan —resigned from senior roles at the agency.

The officials returned to the office Thursday to collect their belongings, and staff members atthe beleaguered agency had planned to gather in theafternoontoapplaud them as they left the Atlanta campus. Buttheir removal by security personnel earlier in the morning squelched those plans, according to current and formeremployees.

Houryand Daskalakis told TheAssociatedPress that Monarez hadtried to guard against political meddling in scientificresearch and

health recommendations.

“Weweregoing to seeif shewas able to weather the storm.And when she was not, we were done,”Houry said. She had been theagency’s deputy directorand chief medical officer Daskalakis resignedas head of the National Center for Immunization and RespiratoryDiseases and Jernigan from the National Center for Emerging andZoonotic Infectious Diseases

If removed, Monarez will be theshortest-servingdirector sincethe CDC was founded in 1946,exacerbating aleadership vacuum that has persisted since Trump took office. He initially chose David Weldon, aformer Floridacongressman whois adoctor and vaccine skeptic, but yankedthe nomination in March.

Monarez, alongtime

government scientist, was tapped next to lead the $9.2 billion agency while she was serving as its interim director. But questionsimmediatelyemerged withinKennedy’scircle abouther loyalty to the“Make America Healthy Again” movement, especially givenher previous support of the COVID-19 vaccinesthatKennedy has routinely criticized.

Kennedy rarely mentioned Monarez by name in theway he did other health agency leaderssuchasMehmet Oz of the Centers for Medicare andMedicaidServices or Marty Makary of the Food and Drug Administration.

Aflashpoint has been Kennedy’shandling of the CDC’s advisory vaccine committee, whichhehas tried to reshape since taking over theDepartment of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy called Thursday for the panel on vaccines to halt.

As chair of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, Cassidy called for Kennedy’s Department of Health & HumanServices to “indefinitely postpone” the meeting that advises the CDC on who should take what vaccines when.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was scheduledtomeet again on Sept. 18. The panel is agroup of outside experts who make recommendations to theCDC directoronhow to use vaccines. The recommendations are then adopted by doctors, school systems, health insurers and others.

Kennedy in June forced the retirement of all 17 ACIP members, made up of physiciansand scientistsknowl-

edgeable about vaccinations, and namedeight newmembers —including somewho have used conservative media platforms to voice skepticism about vaccines.

“Serious allegations have been made about the meeting agenda, membership, and lack of scientific process being followed forthe nowannounced September ACIP meeting,” Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, said in astatement released by his Senate committee. “These decisions directly impact children’shealth and the meeting should not occuruntil significantoversight has been conducted. If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy giventhe seriousness of theallegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership.”

Houry and Daskalakis said Monarez had tried to make sure scientific safeguards were in place.

Forexample,she triedto replace the official who coordinated the panel’smeetings with someone who hadmore policy experience. Monarez alsopushed to have slides and evidence reviews posted weeks before the committee’smeetings andhave the sessions open to public comment, Houry said.

HHS officials nixed that and called Monarez to a meeting in Washington on Monday,Houry said.

Daskalakis describedthe situation as untenable.

“I came to the point personally where Ithink our science will be compromised, and that’smyline in the sand,” he said.

BY SAM MEDNICK and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

TEL AVIV,Israel The headof the U.N. food agency said Thursday that it was “very evident” during her visit to Gaza this week that there isn’tenough food in the Palestinian territory and that she spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the urgent need for more aid. The world’sleading authority on food crises said last week the Gaza Strip’s largestcityisgrippedby famine, and that it was likely to spread across the territory without aceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Cindy McCain, the World Food Program’sexecutive director,told The Associated Press that starvation was underway in Gaza.

“I personally met mothersand children whowere starving in Gaza,” she said. “It is real and it is happening now,” Netanyahu, she said, was “obviously very concerned that people aren’tgetting enough food.” In the past, he has deniedthat there is famine in Gazaand said the claims about starvation are apropagandacampaign

launched by Hamas.

“Weagreed that we must immediately redouble our efforts to get more humanitarian aid in. Access and security for our convoysis critical,”McCain said Thefamine declaration has increased international pressure on Israel,which hasbeen fightingHamas since themilitant group’s deadly Oct.7,2023, attack Israel now says it plansto seize Gaza City and other Hamas strongholds, and there have been no public signs of progress on recent efforts for aceasefire.

Israel rejects the declaration —issued by theauthority on food crises known as the Integrated Food Security

Phase Classification, or IPC

—and on Wednesday asked for aformal retraction

The Israeli militaryagency in charge of transferring aidtothe territory,known as COGAT, said Thursday that morethan 300 humanitarian aid trucks enter Gaza every day, most of them carrying food.

But aidgroups say it’s notnearlyenough after 22 months of fighting, the blockadeofaid earlierthis year and the collapse of food production in Gaza. McCain spent most of Tuesday on atourofGaza speaking to displaced families livingin tents and facing hunger

“I got to meet afamily who had comefrom the North,

there were 11 of them, and they’d come from the North andtheyliterally had not hadenoughfoodatall and they stilldon’t have enough food,” she said.

McCain said her program is getting more foodinto Gaza,but said asurge in food supplies was needed.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said fam-

ine in Gaza is “a presentday catastrophe” and the start of expanded Israeli military operations present“anew anddangerous phase.”

Feds askIllinoisbasefor aidonimmigration operations

NavalStation GreatLakes locatednear Chicago

BY JOHN O’CONNOR and SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press

CHICAGO TheTrumpadministration asked amilitary base outside of Chicago for support on immigration operations this week, offering aclue of what an expanded law enforcement crackdown mightlooklikeinthe nation’s third-largest city

The DepartmentofHomeland Security askedNaval Station GreatLakes for “limited supportinthe form of facilities,infrastructure, and other logistical needs to support DHS operations,” Matt Mogle,spokesperson for the base 35 miles north of Chicago, said Wednesday

The request came weeks after the Republican administrationdeployedNational Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to target crime, immigration and homelessness, and two months after it sent troops to Los Angeles.

Although details of the administration’splans for Chicago are scarce, city leaders said Thursday that they are preparingfor multiple possible scenarios, from troops assisting in immigration arrests to patrolling in the streets.

“Wedon’twant to raise any fears,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters. “Wedon’t want to create any speculation aroundwhat’sgoingon.”

City leaders said Thursday that the White House hadn’t contacted them aboutits plans, and aspokesman for the Illinois National Guard said thebasehadn’treceived requests regarding aChicago mobilization. Mogle, the base spokesman, said no decisions had been made on therequest, and thatthe base hadn’treceived an official request to support aNational Guard deployment.The Chicago Sun-Timesfirst reported on

the request to theNavy base. DHSdid notconfirm whether it hadasked to use thebase. Butitsaid in astatement Thursday thatitwas working to make “our streets and cities safe again.”

Mayor BrandonJohnson andIllinoisGov.JBPritzker have pushed back againsta possible mobilization, saying crime hasfalleninChicago andthatthe city doesn’t want or need themilitary’shelp. They are planning to sue

City leaders said workers were circulatingknow-yourrights cards in neighborhoods withheavy immigrant populations, which offer tips on what to do in caseofanencounter with an immigration agent. Other workers were

checking in on Chicago’s homeless encampments and providing information about shelters sinceTrumphas pushedtomovehomeless people far from Washington. Snelling asked for more communicationonplans involving law enforcement “Tomake sure that we’re notstoking fearsthrough neighborhoods and we don’t have people running scared anditdoesn’t create chaos on ourstreets, we’re willingto have thoseconversations,” Snelling said.

Many Chicagoansare on edge about the rumored deployment.Former President Barack Obama,who is from Chicago, weighedinThursday, postingonX:“Theero-

sionofbasic principleslike due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at risk, and should concern Democrats and Republicans alike.”

Obama’sTransportation secretary,Pete Buttigieg, a former U.S. Naval Reserve intelligence officer who trained at Great Lakes, said in apostofX that he never imagined the station could be used “for surveillance andenforcementactivity on American soil. Our military was notset up to cater to the whimsofa would-be American dictator.”

Pritzker,a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender,has spent days showcasing partsofthe city where crime hasfallenand saidthere is no emergency in Chicago requiring military intervention. He toldThe Associated Press that the presence of troops could worsen the situation.

Speaking to reporters Thursday,hesuggested that it’sapolitical ploy,not alaw enforcementstrategy,that Trump will pull outduring next year’selections.

“This is apart of his plan to do something really nefarious, which is to interfere withelections in 2026,” Pritzker said. “He wants to have troops on the ground to stop peoplefromvoting, to intimidate people fromgoing to the voting booth.”

Trump hasoftensingledout

Chicago, likening it to awar zone and “hellhole.” Chicago’s long-heldstatus as aso-called sanctuary city has irked the Trump administration, which used Chicago to kick off anationwide crackdown on immigration weeks after Trump’s secondinauguration Pritzker and Trump, who has zeroed-in on Democratled cities, have traded barbs over the issue fordays.

“The peopleare desperate for me to STOP THE CRIME, something the Democrats aren’tcapable of doing,” Trumpposted Thursdayonhis Truth Social network.

In recent days, the administration has been pointing out recent shootings in the city,including at Thursday’s White House press briefing when presssecretary Karoline Leavitt listed crime statistics.

“This is JB Pritzker’slegacy,bythe way,” she said. Violent crime has dropped significantly in Chicagoin recent years, but it remains apersistent problem in parts of the city Chicago had ahomicide rate of 21.7 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to analysis of federal data by the RochesterInstitute of Technology.Seven other major U.S. cities —St. Louis,New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, D.C.,Atlanta, Indianapolis and Richmond, Virginia —had higher rates than Chicago.

BY FARNOUSH AMIRI,

JON GAMBRELL and STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS France, Germany and the United Kingdom moved Thursday to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, further isolating Tehran after its atomic sites were repeatedly bombed during a12-day war with Israel. The process, termed a “snapback” by the diplomats who negotiated it into Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, was designed to be

veto-proof at theU.N. and could takeeffect in amonth. It wouldagainfreeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals withTehranand penalize anydevelopment of Iran’s ballisticmissile program, among other measures, furthersqueezing the country’s reelingeconomy. The move starts a30-day clockfor sanctions to return, aperiodthatlikelywillsee intensified diplomacy from Iran, whoserefusal to cooperate with inspectorsfrom theInternationalAtomic EnergyAgency,or IAEA, started the crisis. Iran will also probably emergeasa

topfocus of the U.N. General Assembly when it meetsnext monthinNew York.

The British, French and German foreign ministerssuggested that they viewed the snapback as a way to spur negotiations with Tehran.

“Thismeasure does not signal the endofdiplomacy: we are determined to make the mostofthe 30-day period that is nowopening to engage in dialogue with Iran, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot wrote on the social platformX

But Iran immediately decried the move, with Foreign

Sudan’sRapid SupportForcesshell

Darfur city,killing 24,group says

BY SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

CAIRO— Aparamilitary group fighting against Sudan’smilitary shelleda besieged city in the western region of Darfur,killing at least 24 people, amedical group said Thursday

The Rapid SupportForces shelled the densely populated areas of the central marketand Awlad al-Reef neighborhood in el-Fasher, the provincial capitalof North Darfur province, according to the Sudan Doctors Network, which tracks

thecountry’scivil war.The attack wounded 55 people, including five women, it said. The city has been at the epicenter of fighting for over ayear between the Sudanesemilitary and the RSF.It is the military’slast stronghold in the Darfurregion.

TheRSF didn’trespond to arequest for comment.

Sudanplungedintoacivil war in April 2023 when simmering tension between the military and theRSF exploded into open fightingin the capital, Khartoum, and

elsewhere in the northeastern African country Wednesday’sshelling was the latestinaseriesofattacks on el-Fasher and its surroundings, including two famine-hit camps for displaced people where RSF fighters ran riot in April in amajor offensive that killed hundreds of people.

In August,atleast 89 civilians werekilledinRFS attacks in andaround the city in aspan of 10 days, including16who were summarily executed, according to the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

Minister Abbas Araghchi saying it was “unjustified” and “lacking any legal basis” in acallwithhis European counterparts

“The IslamicRepublicof Iran will respond appropriatelytothisunlawfuland unwarranted measure,” he said. Hours later,the Iranian ForeignMinistrysaid in a statementthat the moveby the European countries will “gravely undermine” its ongoing cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency

In the past, Iran has threatened to withdrawfrom the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty,potentially following NorthKorea,which abandonedthe treatyin2003 and then built atomic weapons.

The three European nationswarned Aug. 8that Iran could triggerthe snapback when it halted inspectionsby theIAEAafter Israelistrikes at thestart of thetwo countries’ 12-day war in June. The Israeli attacks killed Tehran’stop military leaders andchasedSupreme Leader AyatollahAli Khameneiinto hiding.

KATRINA BY THE NUMBERS DEATH TOLL

The official National Hurricane Center death toll nowstands at 1,392, down substantially from an earlier estimated 1,833 deaths.The newtoll took into account findings from medical logs.

COSTLIEST IN HISTORY

Katrina remains the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, largely because of the accompanying levee failures that inundated NewOrleans. Damage has been estimated at $125 billion in 2005 dollars, or $201 billion in today’sdollars.

LEVEE BREACHES

The NewOrleans area levees when Katrina hit have been described by the Army Corps of Engineers as a “system in name only,” incrementally funded and using insufficient design standards. The result was a manmade tragedy. The leveesystem saw54breaches, which caused 80% of NewOrleans to flood.The system has since been replaced with a$14.6 billion network of levees, floodwalls, gates and pumping stations that is widely viewedas avast improvement.

It remains the Corps’ biggest project of its kind

NUMBER OF DISPLACED

More than amillion people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are estimated to have been displaced.

POPULATION CHANGE

NewOrleans’ population dropped by more than half in the aftermath of the storm, from 484,674 in 2000 to an estimated 230,172 in 2006, according to The Data Center.Census data from 2020 showedthe city’s population recovery had reached apeak and begun to decline again, mirroring pre-Katrina trends. The 2020 census put the number at around 384,000. The decline has been accompanied by stark demographic shifts, with 53% of residents nowidentifying as Black compared with two-thirds before Katrina.

Cathedral on Thursdayevening set thetonefor the commemorations, with hundreds in attendance,including MayorLaToya Cantrell, Archbishop GregoryAymond and awide range ofother religiousleaders.

It was acontrast from 20 years ago, when the iconic cathedral sat amid darkness, theclock on itsoutside wallstopped, as then President George W. Bush addressed the nation from Jackson Square acouple weeks after thestorm.

Aymond spoke in opening remarks, noting that “many still aresuffering from what they experienced.” He read abrief letterfrom Bush, who sent regrets he couldnot attend.

In his homily, Bishop Brandon BoutinofUnitedFellowship Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans said “the last few days for many of us have beenrough.”

“Many of us will be forced to relive thetrauma of astorm.Itleft scars —physical scars, emotional scars,” he said.“TheLordsent me here tonight to remind youthatnomatter what you are goingthrough, God is on yourside.”

In adiscussion at the nearby New Orleans Jazz Museum on Thursday, speakers warned that the years following Katrina have endangered the cultural community because of theloss of many longtime residents andthe gentrification of historically Black neighborhoods, among other factors.

“We’re almostbecoming acaricatureofourselves,” said musician and educator Delfeayo Marsalis. “We don’thave the same situation in the sameneighborhoods that yielded KermitRuffins, theDirty Dozen Brass Bandor TromboneShorty We’relosingall of that.”

Friday’sevents begin at 8:29 a.m. with awreath-layingatthe city’sKatrinamemorial, which pays tribute to the storm’sunidentifiedvictims, poignantly located at the Charity HospitalCemetery where Canal Street meets City Park Avenue

That will be followed by amarch andsecond-line in the Lower9th Ward, where one of the most destructive levee breaches occurred, wrecking entireblocks, leaving residents stranded on rooftops and wiping out generations of family history.Itwas also where Fats Domino was memorably rescued from his longtime home on CaffinAvenue, thestreet nowrenamed inhis honor Otherevents include amemorial

Mass at Our Lady of PromptSuccor in Chalmette, followed by awreathlaying at the memorial cross in Shell Beach, as St. Bernard Parishmarks thestormthat left it in ruins.

In St. Tammany Parish, where nearly 50,000 homes were damaged, amemorial plaque will be unveiled during aFridaymorning ceremony at Slidell’sCampSalmen. The130-acre site with milesoftrails andwoodlands was selected for the memorial because of its proximity to some of theparish’shardest-hit areas.

In Mississippi,where widespread destruction from Katrina is often overshadowedbywhat occurred in New Orleans, Gov.Tate Reeves has called for astatewide minute of silencebeginning at 8:29 a.m., followed by aceremony in Gulfport. The numbers tell only part of the

tale of Katrina, but they arenonetheless important to note. The storm came ashore as astrong Category 3 with maximum sustainedwinds of around 125 mph, sweeping just east of New Orleans along the LouisianaMississippi state line. It pushedtowering stormsurge into both states, ranging from up to 28 feet along Mississippi’scoast to up to 19 feet in eastern New Orleans. That exposed the levees and floodwalls meant to protect theNew Orleans area as an insufficiently built “system in name only,” as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has described it The result was 54 breaches that flooded 80% of New Orleans. Despite amandatory evacuation order in the city,many either could not leave or declinedto, trapping them in attics

or leaving them to make their way through floodwaters to theSuperdome, which had opened as ashelter of last resort.

The death toll across all states was 1,392. It remains thecostliest U.S. hurricane on record, at around $200 billion in today’sdollars, and prompted an exodus that saw New Orleanians take up new lives in cities from Houston to Atlanta and beyond.

Thefederal government committedmorethan$120 billiontorecovery,most of it going to Louisiana. Recovery was along slog, with neighborhoods across the region decimated. NewOrleans’population was reduced by roughly half in the year after the storm.Longer-term, residents trickled back, but the return peaked about adecade or so after the hurricane and the city began to lose populationagain, mirroring pre-Katrina trends.

The 2020 census put the population at about100,000 less than before the storm, at 384,000. That was accompanied by major demographic shifts, with 53% of residentsidentifying as Black compared to two-thirds before Katrina.

Whoreturned often came down to who could afford to do so. The Road Home program, intended to help bringpeopleback, notched many success stories, but was ultimately found to have shortchanged residents of poorer neighborhoods. That remains evident today,with areas like Lakeviewflourishing andparts of the Lower 9th still vacant. WhatmanyNew Orleanians are rightfully proud of,however,was the neighborhood-by-neighborhood, grassroots effort to rebuild. Parts of the metro area somehad written off forgood gradually came back to life. Beloved restaurants reopened. The Saints returned to the Superdome and Steve Gleason blocked the punt. Politics were changed, too. Mayor Ray Nagin’scommentsonWWL radio exhorting the nation to “fix the biggest goddamn crisis in the history of this country” embodied the frustrations of so many in New Orleans, though his downfall and conviction on corruption allegations would eventually follow Bush’sreputation was permanently tarnished, the image of him staring out the window from Air Force One as it flew over NewOrleans burned into Louisianans’ brains. Gov. KathleenBlancofound herself tangled in disagreements with the Bush White House.

Today,the regionisfar better protected,the NewOrleansarea

Events setaroundstorm’s 20th anniversary

Staff report

On Friday,New Orleans andthe metro area commemorate the 20th anniversary of HurricaneKatrina, which struck Aug. 29, 2005. Here areevents planned today

K20: BROADMOOR RISES: Aday of remembrance,reflectionand renewal will be held from 10 a.m.to 5p.m.atBroadmoor Arts &Wellness Center,3900Gen. TaylorSt. in New Orleans. The day will begin with ahealing ceremony at 10 a.m. and close with ahealing ritual at 4:45 p.m. Activities include akeynoteaddress, panel discussion and memorial second-line parade. www.broadmoorimprovement. com/k20.

“LIVINGWITH HURRICANES: KATRINAAND BEYOND”: Thetechnologically enhanced exhibit opens at the Presbytère museum in Jackson Square, 751 Chartres St. in New Orleans, featuring immersive visuals,enhanced recovery storytelling and newartifacts deepening thenarrative of survival and adaptation

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equipped with a$14.6 billion levee and floodwall system— the most expensive project of its kind built by the Corps of Engineers. But as the warming climate causesstormsto intensify,officials warn that it is far from invincible.

While most of the infamous Xmarkings on buildings are now painted over,the water lines across walls removed, the remaking of New Orleans continues to play out, from the total reordering of its school system to the influx of new residents who helped rebuild.

On Thursday evening, worshippers made their way across Jackson Square toward St. Louis Cathedral through the remnants of a summer shower,drawn by the bells of the angelus. About 400 were in attendance. Several of the readings had

of theGulfCoast. The museum is open 9a.m.to4 p.m. Free. louisianastatemuseum.org.

“DO YOUKNOWWHATITMEANS: KATRINA @20”: An exhibit exploring the storm’simpact and enduring legacy will open at the UNO library, 2000 LakeshoreDrive and will be on display throughout thefall. libcal.uno.edu

20 YEARS BEYOND KATRINA:MEMORY, LEADERSHIP, ANDRESILIENCE: The panel discussion will be held at 10 a.m. at Le Petit Théâtre du VieuxCarré, 616 St.Peter St.inNew Orleans, featuringLt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,author and historian Walter Isaacson,former Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard and former journalist Norman Robinson reflectingonlessons learned and therebuilding processinLouisiana. Free.

KATRINA MARCH AND SECOND-LINE: Asecond-line and other events, 10 a.m. to 5p.m.atNorth Galvez Streetand Jourdan Avenue,will honor those impactedbyKatrina andcall attention to ongoing is-

storm themes, including from the story of Noah andthe flood: “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and itwill be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

Thearchbishopatthe time of the storm, AlfredHughes, recalledthe “extraordinary accounts” of survival when he visited shelters in thestorm’s aftermath

Butatthe panel of musicians andartists at thejazzmuseum hosted by the Ella Project,a pro bono legal nonprofit, there were somber warningsabout the city’sculture.

“People have no place to live,because the housing costs are so highafter Katrina,” saidHoward Miller, big chief of the CreoleWild West Mardi Gras Indian tribe. “If you still get $7.50 an hour, how are you gonnamakeit here? How are you gonna be abletocontinue what’s been going on in this city for centuries?”

Staffwriter Bob Warren contributed to this report.

sues. The eventwill start the morning in theLower 9thWard where thelevees broke with a healing ceremonyand areading of thenames of those whodied. It ends witharally withspeakers andperformers. Free; RSVP requested. katrina20.com

KATRINA MEMORIAL MASS AND WREATHLAYING CEREMONY: Asolemn remembrance starting at 11 a.m.includes aMass at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church, 2320 Paris Road in Chalmette. The Rev Gregory M. Aymond, archbishop of New Orleans, will be the principal celebrant. Awreath-laying ceremony will be held at 1p.m. at Shell Beach Katrina Memorial,1320Yscloskey Highway in St. Bernard Parish. Limited bus service available from thechurch to Shell Beach by reservation. kthiel@sbpg.net (504) 278-4303.

WAVES OF GRACE: REMEMBERING KA-

TRINA: Aconcert by Louisiana performing artists, survivors’ testimonies and the inaugural Waves of Grace ServiceAward honoring

first responders and relief heroes, will be held at 7p.m. at the OrpheumTheater,129 Roosevelt WayinNew Orleans. Tickets start at $59.80 via Ticketmaster.orpheumnola.net.

“A REASON TO STAY”: Adocumentary screening will be held at the Broad Theater,636 N. Broad St. in New Orleansat7 p.m. Thedocumentary,byPeter Becnel, captures life in aMid-City neighborhood just after HurricaneKatrina.Tickets start at $8.

20 YEARS LATER —REMEMBERING HUR-

RICANE KATRINA: Aceremony and reception markingthe 20th anniversary of Katrina will be held at 9p.m. at FortJacksonMuseum and Welcome Center,38039 La. 23,Buras-Triumph, one-half mile northofFort Jackson. The museum also featuresaKatrina photo exhibition. www.plaqueminesparishtourism.com.

KATRINA STORIESOPEN MIC: TMarie & Bayou JuJu will perform classics, sung in both Louisiana French and English, 8:15 p.m. to 11:45 p.m., at

Carrollton Station, 8140 Willow St. in NewOrleans. TMarieand musician Cranston Clements will talk about their storm experience, and there will be an open mic foraudience members’ stories. Tickets are $10. www.carrolltonstationnola.com

THEKATRINA LIST: AN UNTOLD STORY OF HURRICANEKATRINA: TheNew OrleansAfrican American Museum, 1418 Gov.Nicholls St., presents “The Katrina List: An Untold Story of HurricaneKatrina,” with the work of R. OmarCasimire, acommunity leader who stayedinNew Orleansafter theleveesbroke, rescuing survivors anddocumenting names, faces and stories. Casimire’s archive(alist of over 10,000 men, women andchildren strandedand abandoned) was originally meanttoformthe basis of aclass-action lawsuit. While the lawsuit neverhappened, his list became alivingmemorial to those left behind.The permanent exhibit is open 11 a.m. to 4p.m. ThursdaytoSunday

St.Tammany councilmemberSeidenconsiders U.S. Senate run

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

St. Tammany Parish Council

member Kathy Seiden has hired aTrump-affiliated pollster and is exploring aU.S. Senate runtojoin agrowing field of candidates challengingSen.Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge. “This is something we’re taking very seriously and will be making an official announcementsoon,” Seiden, aRepublicanwho is in

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thirdterm, Cassidy is already facing three major Republicanchallengers: Treasurer John Fleming, state Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia and Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta, whorepresents suburban New Orleans.

Cassidy faces such atough road to reelection because he joined six Republicans and all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump for inciting ariot on the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Had that vote prevailed, Trump could not have run for president again. The Louisiana Republican Party immediately censured Cassidy for hisvote, asymbolic move butone thatreflected GOP anger toward Louisiana’sseniorsenator

Cassidy cast the vote as one of conscience afterthe terrible

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be abroader effort to redevelop the historic building in the middle of Louis Armstrong Park. The facility was the city’spremier venue for Carnival balls, concerts and other events for much of the last century

Though much remains to be done on site, the recent announcement is significant, said thepresident of the Save Our Soul coalition, anonprofit that has led the effort to revamp the siteunder an accord with City Hall.

“After waiting nearly 20 years for the city to start restoration to the building, this is the first step in really moving ahead and doing what the citizens want,” Jackie Harris said.

Last December,the city signed afive-year agreement with Harris’ coalition to help turn the site into a “world-class cultural center” that could includea museum, amarketplace, studios, and spaces for community events.

While FEMA fundswill pay to restore much of the building, the specifics the group has envisioned are still yearsawayfrom reality.Nodeveloper has been selected by the citytocome up with amaster plan and no price tag or funding source for those uses has been iden-

tified

her first term on the St.Tammany Parish Council, said in astatement Thursday Seiden saidshe has hired pollster Adam Geller,who hasworked on all three of President DonaldTrump’s campaigns,tolook at therace.

Seiden would joinagroup of major GOP opponents to Cassidy,includingstate

events on Jan.6,where five police officersdied tryingthe protect the Capitol, and Trump supporters ransacked the building, endangering then-Vice President Mike Pence andother lawmakers.

Letlow remainsthe biggestwild card in the Senate race.

She wasfirst elected to the U.S. House in aspecial election in 2021 to fillaseat opened by thedeath of herhusband, Luke, from COVID. Shehad been asenior administrator atthe University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Now thebiggest question in Louisianapolitics is whether Letlow will seek athirdfull terminthe House, give up that seat andchallenge Cassidyorapply to be the next presidentofLSU or the University of LouisianaatLafayette.

Letlowrecently moved from rural Richland Parish to BatonRouge with hertwo young children.

Asked about her plans Tuesday, Letlow said, “I am again humbled by the outpouring of encouragement andsupport, andIamdoing what Idobest and that is praying on everything,soI’llleave it at that.”

In astatement afterthe event, Cantrell said, “As we observethe 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, this groundbreaking represents more than construction. It’sabout resilience and collaboration.”

Questionsand delays

The city has been trying to get the auditorium stabilized formorethanthree years. The building hassustained as much damage due toneglect and vandalism in the decades since Katrina as it did during the flood, and each daythat passes exposes theItalian-Renaissance style structure to additional decay.

In thefall of 2022, thecity issued asolicitation for an architect to come up with a stabilization plan. Much of thework outlined inthe bid documents had been identified years earlier,when the cityfirst pursued FEMA grant funds to cover the cost of therepairs. In early 2023, thecity tapped New Orleans-based VergesRome Architects and NANO Architects for the job. At thetime, citybid documents said FEMA had allocated $37.2million for thework and that the actual construction cost was estimatedtobe$28 million Work was expectedtobeginin2024, according to the documents.

It is not clear why it took

Sen. Blake Miguez of New Iberia, Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta of Metairie and state TreasurerJohnFlemingofMinden.

State Rep. Julie Emerson, RCarencro, alsosaid on Thursday shewas likely to challenge Cassidy if U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow decides not to. Cassidy has been seen as avulnerable candidate after he voted to convict Trumpfor inciting a riot ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, at-

tack on the U.S. Capitol,but it is not clear if Trumpwill endorse a Cassidy challenger,given Republicans’ 53-47 margin in theU.S Senate.

Arelative newcomertoelected office, Seiden is little over halfway throughher first term on theSt. TammanyParish Council, where she chairs the council’sEconomic Development Committeeand has worked on housing issuesinthe parish.

Emerson saidthatshe, too, is getting widespreadencouragement to get intothe Senaterace.

“Wehave alot of issues wrong withLouisiana and the United States,”Emerson said. “Sometimes those choices are hard but have to be made. Iknowhow to workwith any of my colleagues andIhavea strong conservative voting record.”

Emerson noted that she and Letlow areclose political allies and have discussed their possible candidacies. Emerson said she doesn’t know what Letlow will decide.

Gov. Jeff Landryhas privately encouraged Letlow to challenge Cassidy,sources say On Tuesday, askedfor histhinking on the Senate race, Landry said, “Sen. Cassidy has to go out and make the case for reelection. Thosethatbelieve they candoa better jobwill sign up. The president is ultimately goingtobethe biggestfactor in this,not thegovernor.The president seems to have the biggest footprint in these federal races.”

Qualifying forthe Senate race and all congressional races —isin

nearlythreeyears to come up with the plan and begin construction. Also unclear is what specifically has caused the cost of the work to increase to $43.4 million.

Thecity did notrespond to four emails and textmessages requesting additional information or comments about theproject. Themedia was also not invited to Tuesday’sgroundbreaking, which was one of Cantrell’s first public appearances since she was indicted Aug. 17 on federal charges that allege she pursued aromantic relationship with aformer bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, on the public’sdime.

VergesRome principal SteveRomealsodid notreturn acall seeking comment In the city’s news release Tuesday,itsaidthe project will be funded by theFEMA grant, bond funds, andthe LouisianaDepartment of Environmental Quality

The first phase of construction, whichisexpected to be completed in the spring of 2025, will cost $8.2 million ‘Happy andelated’

TheSaveOur Soul coalitionled the effort to scuttle Cantrell’splans in 2020 to turn the auditorium intoa new home for City Hall. In the months thatfollowed, Cantrell challenged them to come up with their own plan for aculturally appropriate use.

“I thinkpeople would like an option of someone they can relate to who understands whatanormal family goes through everyday,” Seiden said in astatement. Seiden and her husband, Daniel Seiden, anuclear energy consultant, live in Mandeville and have four children.

mid-January.The party primaries are in April, and if no candidate wins at least50% in theprimary,arunoff of the top twocandidates will be held amonth later,followed by the general election in November Political insiders question whether Trump will endorse a challenger to Cassidy before January,sincethat move would immediately turn Cassidy intoa political enemy —a risky move where Republicans hold only a53-47 margin in the Senate. Cassidy,endorsed by Trump when he won reelection in 2020, has been doing everything he can to getback intothe president’s good graces, supporting Trump’s controversial cabinet appointments and muting his criticism of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s moves that have minimized the importance of vaccines. Emerson, 37, is in her third and finalterm of the state House. Her closeness with Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice,led himand Landry to nameher as chair of the powerfulWaysand MeansCommittee, which oversees tax leg-

Born in Hammond and raised in Port Allen, Seiden graduated from Episcopal High SchoolinBaton Rouge, and has aBachelor of Arts in communications fromLouisiana State University

islation and the drafting of state construction projects.

Emerson sponsored the legislation in November that flattened the corporate incometax rate and that abolishedthe much-derided corporate franchise tax. Emerson also shepherded through the House ameasure that gives parents greater opportunities to use public dollars to pay for their childrentostudy at private schools.

Emerson also sponsored the legislation that is moving Louisiana to the new election system where each party will have aprimary,and political independents can vote in either primary. Herbillendsthe “jungle primary” forfederal elections thatpittedall candidates together,regardless of party,and moves up thequalifying periodto January from July Emerson is amedia consultant for businesses, nonprofits and political candidates. Staff writer Mark Ballard contributed to this article.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

Late last year,the city and the coalition reached an agreement thatwill pay the coalition up to $240,000 over five yearstoadviseon the project and gather publicfeedback. Cantrell also establisheda nine-member advisory committee to oversee the planning process and was expected to execute an agreement by the end of 2024 with asubsidiary of the Greater New Orleans Foundation to help pay for the development of amaster plan for the park and its facilities.

The search for aplanning and design team to develop the plan wasexpected to begin early this year.Itisunclear if that has happened.

“At least they’re goingto fix theroofand addressthe mold issue,” Harrissaid.

“So, Iapplaud them forthat. Ican’t tellyou how happy and elated we are.”

GNOFcould notbe reached for comment before publication.

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

Russian attack includes rare strikes on center of Kyiv

BY HANNA ARHIROVA and SAMYA KULLAB Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russia launched a major air attack early Thursday on Kyiv that included a rare strike on the city center, killing at least 21 people, wounding 48 and damaging European Union diplomatic offices, authorities said.

The bombardment of drones and missiles was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction. Britain said the attack sabotaged peace efforts, while top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas summoned Russia’s EU envoy to Brussels over the strikes that damaged EU offices.

Ukraine on Thursday requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to discuss the overnight bombardment, while two of Ukraine’s top envoys were set to meet Friday with the Trump administration regarding mediation.

The Kremlin said Russia remained interested in continuing peace talks despite Thursday’s air attack, which was one of the war’s biggest since it began in 2022.

Among the dead were four children between 2 and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s city administration. He said more people could still be under the rubble, and search and rescue

efforts continued on Thursday evening.

The attack was one of the few times Russian drones and missiles have penetrated the heart of Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country early Thursday most of them striking targets in Kyiv

At least 33 locations across all 10 of the city’s districts were directly hit or damaged by debris, Tkachenko said Thousands of windows shattered as nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center

Oleksandr Khilko arrived at the scene after a missile hit the residential building where his sister lives in the capital’s Darnytsia district. He heard screams from people who were trapped under the rubble and pulled out three survivors, including a boy.

“It’s inhuman, striking civilians,” Khilko said, his clothes covered in dust and the tips of his fingers black with soot. “With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible. I wait, but every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid.”

Sophia Akylina said her home in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district was damaged.

“It’s never happened be-

fore that they attacked so close,” the 21-year old said.

“Negotiations haven’t yielded anything yet, unfortunately people are suffering.”

European Commission

President Ursula Von der Leyen said two strikes landed 20 seconds apart about 165 feet from the EU Mission to Ukraine building in Kyiv She said no staff were injured in the strike.

“No diplomatic mission should ever be a target In response, we are summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels,” Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said Thursday in a post on X.

The British Council, which promotes cultural relations and educational opportunities, also said its Kyiv office

had been “severely damaged” in the attack and was closed to visitors until further notice.

The organization posted a photo showing the building with its windows and entrance smashed open and surrounded by glass and debris. A guard was injured and is “shaken but stable,” council chief executive Scott McDonald posted on X.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “sabotaging” hopes of peace following the “senseless” strikes. The Russian ambassador to London was summoned to the foreign office.

Thursday’s attack is the first major combined Rus-

sian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

“Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X following the attack “We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions.”

While a diplomatic push to end the war appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about the next steps.

Western leaders have ac-

cused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine.

This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground.

Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war He reiterated those demands following Thursday’s attack.

Trump bristled this week at Putin’s stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy Trump said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren’t scheduled.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday said that it was “clear that a meeting between President Zelenskyy and President Putin will not take place.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized both Putin and Zelenskyy after the Thursday attack on Kyiv She said that Trump “was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised” by Russia’s Thursday air assault on Ukrainian capital.

Leavitt noted that Ukraine has also launched effective assaults on Russia’s oil industry in recent weeks.

Prosecutors: Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO has inspired followers

BY LARRY NEUMEISTER

Associated Press

NEW YORK Prosecutors say Luigi Mangione, accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on a Manhattan sidewalk, has inspired others to embrace violence over reasoned debate. As evidence of Mangione’s growing influence, prosecu-

tors cited the last month’s deadly mass shooting at the National Football League headquarters. The prosecution outlined the threat in a filing late Wednesday on a procedural matter in federal court in Manhattan, where they plan to try to convince a jury that Mangione deserves death. No federal trial date has been set.

Mangione, who pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, was arrested five days after the Dec. 4 killing of CEO Brian Thompson. He is being held without bail in a federal jail in Brooklyn.

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer

President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie before the body considers the largest railroad merger ever proposed Board member Robert E Primus said on LinkedIn that he received an email from the White House Wednesday night terminating the position he has held since he was appointed by Trump in his first term. The vacancy would allow Trump to appoint two additional Republicans to the board before its decision on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger though the Senate

would have to confirm them. Primus was the only board member to oppose Canadian Pacific’s acquisition of Kansas City Southern railroad when it was approved two years ago because he was concerned it would hurt competition. He was named Board chairman last year by former President Joe Biden and led the board until Trump, after his election, elevated Board member Patrick Fuchs to Chairman This follows Trump’s previous firings of board members at the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Reserve, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which are all supposed to be independent agencies.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in April that she was directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for “an act of political violence” and a “premeditated, coldblooded assassination that shocked America.”

“Robert Primus did not align with the President’s America First agenda, and was terminated from his position by the White House,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The administration intends to nominate new, more qualified members to the Surface Transportation Board in short order.” Primus said he doesn’t think the firing is valid because the White House didn’t offer any cause for it, and he plans to fight. He also rejected their explanation for the move because he has long tried to encourage railroads to serve every industry better and help them grow, but he has already been removed from the STB website.

In their filing Wednesday, prosecutors wrote that Mangione poses a continuing danger in part because he seeks to influence others.

“Simply put, the defendant hoped to normalize the use of violence to achieve ideological or political objectives,” they said. “Since the murder certain quarters of the public — who openly identify as acolytes of the defendant — have increasingly begun to view violence as an acceptable, or even necessary, substitute for reasoned political disagreement.” In a footnote, prosecutors referenced

BRIEFS

Japan seeks faster action on tariffs

TOKYO Japan’s top trade negotiator abruptly canceled a trip to Washington aimed at issuing a joint statement on a tariffs deal with the Trump administration, as a top government spokesperson urged the U.S. side to speed up implementation of the agreement.

Trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa was scheduled to leave Tokyo for Washington on Thursday for a 10th round of talks, following up on the agreement announced on July 22.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters some details required further consultations, so the trip was postponed.

In July, the two sides agreed on a 15% tax on imports of most Japanese goods, effective Aug. 1, down from an earlier 25% rate announced by President Donald Trump as “reciprocal tariffs” on the major U.S ally Japanese officials discovered days later that the preliminary deal would add a 15% tariff to other tariffs and objected. Officials in Washington have acknowledged the mistake and agreed to abide by the agreement on a 15% tariff, and to refund any excess import duties that were paid. So far, that hasn’t happened.

“We will strongly request the United States to amend its presidential order to correct the reciprocal tariffs and to issue the presidential order to lower tariffs on autos and auto parts,” Hayashi said.

In an interview with Fox News earlier this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Washington was ready to finalize the deal, in which Japan also pledged to invest up to $550 billion in the United States in coming years.

Plans for Akazawa to visit Washington are undecided, Hayashi said during a daily briefing, with another nudge at the Trump administration.

U.S. applications for jobless benefits down

WASHINGTON Applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending Aug. 23 dropped 5,000 to 229,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday Measures of the job market are being closely watched on Wall Street and by the Federal Reserve as the most recent government data suggests hiring has slowed sharply since this spring. Job gains have averaged just 35,000 a month in the three months ending in July, barely one-quarter what they were a year ago.

While layoffs are low, hiring has also weakened as part of what many economists describe as a “no hire, no fire” economy Still, the unemployment rate remains a low 4.2%.

Tesla sales continue plunging in Europe

NEW YORK Europeans angry at Elon Musk still aren’t buying his cars months after the billionaire predicted a major rebound” in Tesla sales, data released Thursday shows.

Tesla sales plunged 40% in July in the 27 European Union countries compared with the year earlier even as sales overall of electric vehicle soared, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Meanwhile, sales of Chinese rival BYD continued to climb fast, grabbing 1.1% market share of all car sales in the month versus Tesla’s 0.7%.

Musk angered many Europeans by wading into politics there, embracing far-right candidates, calling a British prime minister an “evil tyrant” who belongs in prison and telling Germans “things will get very, very much worse” in their country if they didn’t vote for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party Protests broke out in several cities, including a hanging of the billionaire in effigy in Milan and posters in London likening him to a Nazi.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

Markets add to their previous records

BY ALEX VEIGA AP business writer

Wall Street notched more milestones Thursday after gains in technology stocks helped push the market to another all-time high.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3%, lifting the benchmark index to its second record high in a row The Dow Jones Industrial Average reversed an early slide and gained 0.2%, enough to move past its record high set last Friday

The Nasdaq composite closed 0.5% higher, finishing just short of its all-time high set two weeks ago.

About 55% of the companies in the benchmark S&P 500 closed

lower, but gains in the technology and communication services sectors offset losses elsewhere in the market. Broadcom rose 2.8%, Amazon added 1.1% and Google parent Alphabet finished 2% higher

“We’re seeing a continuation of a theme that has been in place really all year long, and that is communication services, information technology, really the areas that are surrounding this incredible capital expenditure cycle, have been the primary beneficiaries,” said Bill Northey senior investment director at U.S. Bank Asset Management.

Heading into the final day of trading in August, the S&P 500 and

Dow were on pace for their fourth straight monthly gain, while the Nasdaq was closing in on its fifth.

The market’s latest gains came as traders pored over a mixed batch of earnings reports from big U.S. companies and new reports on the job market and U.S. economy Best Buy dropped 3.7% after the consumer electronics chain’s second-quarter snapshot was overshadowed by an outlook clouded due to the tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners. Despite also posting better-thanexpected quarterly results, Urban Outfitters slid 10.7% after the retailer warned that it expects tariffs will increase pressure on its

gross margins in the second half of the year

Dick’s Sporting Goods fell 4.8% despite reporting second-quarter results that beat analysts’ expectations.

Elsewhere in the market, Spam maker Hormel sank 13.1% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 companies after its earnings fell short of Wall Street’s forecasts and the company cut its outlook for the year Friday will bring another update on inflation: the U.S. personal consumption expenditures index. Economists expect it to show that inflation remained at about 2.6% in July, compared with a year ago.

Revised report says economy grew 3.3% in second quarter

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. economy rebounded this spring from a first-quarter downturn due to fallout from President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

In an upgrade from its first estimate in July, the Commerce Department said Thursday that U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services expanded at a 3.3% annual pace from April through June after shrinking 0.5% in the first three months of 2025. The department had initially estimated second-quarter growth at 3%.

The first-quarter GDP drop, the first retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports — which are subtracted from GDP as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trump’s tariffs. That trend reversed as expected in the second quarter: Imports fell at a 29.8% pace, boosting April-June growth by more than 5 percentage points.

The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending and private investment were a bit stronger in the second quarter than it had first estimated. Consumer spending, which accounts for

about 70% of GDP, grew at a 1.6% annual pace, lackluster but better than 0.5% in the first quarter and the 1.4% the government initially estimated for the second. Even with an upward revision, private investment dropped at a 13.8% annual pace from April through June. That would be biggest drop since the second quarter of 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic

A reduction in private inventories cut almost 3.3 percentage points off second-quarter GDP growth.

Spending and investment by the federal government fell at a 4.7% annual clip on top of a 4.6% drop in the first quarter

A category within the GDP data that measures the economy’s underlying strength came in stronger than first reported, growing 1.9% from April-June, same as in the first quarter This category includes consumer spending and private investment, but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.

Since returning to the White House, Trump has overturned decades of U.S. policy that had favored freer trade. He’s slapped double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on earth and targeted specific products for tariffs, too, including steel, aluminum and autos.

Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry lure factories back to the United States and to help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July 4.

But mainstream economists — viewed with disdain by Trump and his advisers — say that his tariffs will damage the economy raising costs and making protected U.S. companies less efficient. They note that tariffs are paid by importers in the United States, who try to pass along the cost to their customers via higher prices. Therefore, tariffs can be inflationary — though their impact so far has been modest.

The erratic way Trump has imposed the tariffs — announcing and suspending them, then coming up with new ones has left businesses bewildered and uncertain about investments and hiring.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said the resilience of the job market — the government also reported Thursday that fewer people applied last week for unemployment benefits — is “giving people confidence to open their wallets for the basics and some little splurges.” But she expected the economy to stay in a ”slower speed mode with spending and growth around 1.5% as the tariffs become more visible to American consumers.”

Treasury wants U.S. banks to monitor for Chinese money laundering

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Treasury Department wants U.S. financial institutions to monitor for suspected Chinese money laundering networks handling funds that are used to fuel the flood of fentanyl across American communities.

An advisory Thursday to banks, brokers and others highlights how such operations are working with Mexican drug cartels.

The Trump administration is calling on banks to flag certain customers who may fit a profile of people who could launder money for cartels. That could include Chinese nationals such as students, retirees and housewives with unex-

plained wealth, and those who refuse to provide information about the source of their money

The Treasury contends that many of these people unknowingly work with cartels to bypass Chinese currency controls that restrict the renminbi exchange rate through a system limiting the annual foreign currency conversion for individuals, which is about $50,000. It is not uncommon for Chinese individuals to evade such restrictions by turning to underground banks where their money is converted into foreign currencies, often U.S. dollars. The Chinese Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment Thursday Also Thursday, the department’s

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network known as FinCen released a report about how Chinese money laundering networks are expanding their ties beyond drug cartels. Financial institutions are increasingly filing suspicious activity reports on human trafficking and adult senior day care centers in New York that have become a vehicle for money laundering, according to the report.

FinCen analyzed more than 137,000 Bank Secrecy Act reports from January 2020 to December 2024 that accounted for approximately $312 billion in total suspicious activity Last year, law enforcement officials uncovered a complex partnership between Mexico’s Sinaloa

Cartel and Chinese underground banking groups in the United States that laundered $50 million from the sale of fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs, federal prosecutors said.

The government’s instruction to banks to be more vigilant about Chinese students and other Chinese nationals comes as Republican President Donald Trump says he will allow 600,000 Chinese students into American universities. “I hear so many stories about ‘We are not going to allow their students,’ but we are going to allow their students to come in. We are going to allow it. It’s very important — 600,000 students,” Trump said during a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the Oval Office on Monday

Fla. taxpayersmay lose $218Mon‘AlligatorAlcatraz’

Judgeordered facility’s shutdown

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER and KATE PAYNE Associated Press

ORLANDO,Fla. Florida tax-

payers could be on the hook for $218 million the state spenttoconvert aremote training airport in theEverglades into an immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The center may soon be completely empty as a judge upheld her decision late Wednesday ordering operations to wind down indefinitely Shutting downthe facility for the time being would cost the state $15million to $20million immediately, and it would cost another $15 million to $20 million to reinstall structures if Florida is allowed to reopen it, according to court filings by thestate.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management will lose most of the value of the $218 million it has invested in making the airport suitable for adetention center,astate official said in court papers. Built in just afew days, the facility consists of chainlink cages surroundinglarge white tents filled with rows of bunk beds.

An Associated Press analysis of publicly available state spending data showed that Florida has signedat least $405 million in vendor

BY BABAR DOGAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

NAROWAL, Pakistan Rescuers in boats raced to reach stranded families in Pakistan’spopulous easternPunjab province Thursday,after three major rivers burst their banksbecauseofheavy rain and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India.

Thefloods displaced nearly 250,000people and officials said more than 1million people were affected, with crops and businesses destroyed and many unable to leave their homes.

At least 15 people were killed aday earlier in Gujranwala district and nearby villages, according to police. Forecasters said more rain was expected Friday,after atwo-day pause, and could continue into next week

Marriyum Aurangzeb, senior minister of Punjab province, said floods hit 1,432villageslocatedalong the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers,affecting about1.2 million people and displacing 248,000 others.

Nearly 700 relief and 265 medical camps have been set up in the flood-hit areas, she said, adding that food and other essential supplies are being delivered to floodhit areas. Floods have killed more than800 people in Pakistan

contracts to build and operate the facility,which officials had initially estimated wouldcost $450 million a year to run. Aprevious AP review found thatasoflate July,the statehad already allocated at least $245 million to run the site, which opened July 1.

President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be amodel forfuture lockups nationwide as his administration races to expandthe infrastructureneeded toincrease deportations.

The center has been plaguedbyreports of unsanitary conditions and detaineesbeing cut offfrom the legal system

It’salsofacing several legal challenges, including onethatU.S.District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled on late Wednesday. She denied requeststopause her order to winddown operations, after agreeing last week with environmentalgroups and the MiccosukeeTribe that the state and federal defendants didn’tfollowfederal law requiring an environmental review for thedetention center in themiddleof sensitive wetlands.

The Miami judge said the number ofdetainees was already dwindling and that the federal government’s “immigration enforcement goals will not be thwarted by apause in operations.”

That’sdespite Department of HomelandSecurity lawyerssayingthe judge’s order would disrupt that en-

forcement.

Whenasked, the Department of Homeland Security wouldn’tsay howmanydetainees remained and how manyhad been moved out since thejudge’stemporary injunction last week.

“DHS is complying with this order andmoving detainees to other facilities,” the departmentsaidThursday in an emailed statement.

Environmental activist Jessica Namath,who has kept anearlyconstant watch outside the facility’sgates, said Thursday that fellow

observers hadseenmetal framing for tents hauled out but no signs of the removal of FEMAtrailers or portable bathrooms.

“It definitely seems like they have been winding down operations,” Namath said.

Based on publicly available contract data, The Associated Press estimated the state allocated $50 millionfor thebathrooms. Detainees and advocates have described toiletsthat don’t flush, flooding floors withfecal waste, although officials disputesuch descriptions.

The facility was already being emptied of detainees as of last week, according to an emailexchangeshared with The Associated Press on Wednesday.The executive director of theFlorida DivisionofEmergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, said on Aug. 22 “weare probably going to be down to 0individuals within a fewdays,” in amessage to a rabbi about chaplaincy services.

Funding is central to the federalgovernment’sargumentsthatWilliams’ order should be overturned by an

appellate court. Homeland Security attorneys said in acourt filing thisweek that federal environmental lawdoesn’t apply to astate like Florida, and the federal government isn’tresponsible for the detention center since it hasn’t spent acent to build or operate the facility,even though Florida is seeking somefederal grant moneytofund aportion of thedetention center “No final federal funding decisions have been made,” the attorneys said.

Almosttwo dozen Republican-led states also urged the appellate court to overturn theorder.The 22 states argued in anothercourtfiling that thejudge overstepped her authority and that the federal environmental laws only appliedtothe federal agencies, notthe state of Florida.

Republican Gov.Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open asecond immigration detention facility dubbed “Deportation Depot” at astate prison in north Florida. Civil rights groups fileda second lawsuit last month against the state and federal governments over practices at the Everglades facility, claiming detainees were denied accesstothe legalsystem Athird lawsuit by civil rights groups last Friday described “severe problems” at the facility which were “previouslyunheard-ofin the immigration system.”

two days for the arrival of aboat,”saidZainabBibi 54, as she satalong aroad surroundedbyfloodwater in Narowal district. She admitted to ignoring an earlier government alertbecause she thought floods would never hit her village, located miles away from the river.

Farmer Mohammad Saleem, 47, said floodsfrom acrossthe Indianborder swept away his homeand belongings before his family couldescapetheir villagein Narowal district. His38-yearoldwife,Kaneez Bibi, said thefloods sweptawaythe dowry she had prepared for their eldest daughter’swedding planned for November In Pakistan’s Punjab province, mass evacuationsbegan earlier this week after heavier-than-usualmonsoon rains andthe release of waterfromoverflowing dams in India triggeredflashfloodsin low-lying border regions.

since late June

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is “among the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters” andranks amongthe 10 most affected by climate change.

“Wemust keep in mind that this trendwill continue in thecoming years. It now depends on us howweconfront this challenge,” he said after visiting flood-hit areas. Sharif announced thatPakistan wouldbuild more water storagetocontrol future floods.

In Indian-controlled Kashmir’sJammu region, some of the heaviest rains in decades for the monthofAugusthave wrought havoc,triggering flash floods and landslides that also hittwo Hindu pil-

grimage routes in the Himalayan areas.

Homes have been submergedand roads and bridgesdamaged,forcing Indian authorities to evacuate thousands of people livinginfloodedareas. At least 115 people have been killed and scores injured.

In Pakistan, it is also the first timein38yearsthat the Ravi, Sutlej andChenabrivers have been in high flood simultaneously,forcing rescue workerstointensify operations acrossmultiple districts, according to the provincialirrigation department

Some families saidthey werestill waitingfor government help.

“My family on the rooftopofour house waited for

Missingboy wassubjected to abuse, DCFS alleges

Report says Bryan Vasquezhad suffered traumatic braininjury

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The New Orleans boy at the center of amassive search thatended Tuesdaywiththe discovery of hiscorpse in the midst of alligators hadsuffered atraumatic brain injury atthe hands of his mother as ababy and was subject to “ongoing” physical abuse, according to a2021 reportfromthe state DepartmentofChildren and Family Services.

While Hilda Vasquez hasdescribed 12-year-oldBryan Vasquezasautistic, the 2021 report said hisdisability was classified in an individualized education plan as “traumatic brain injury (non-accidental).” The report was prompted by anotice from school of bruises to his inner thigh andface

An earlier police report states Hilda Vasquez injured Bryan, then 3months old, in late 2013. He’dbeen taken to the emergency room with injuries that included adamaged

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

lung, retinal hemorrhages, fractures in both legs that caused hisanklesto bend outward,and askull fracture with swelling, an officer reported.

Then 22 and his primary caretaker, Hilda Vasquezcalled an ambulance on Nov.20, 2013, reporting thather baby had stopped breathingand started vomiting blood and milk, according to thepolicecase summary She did not explain how her son was injured.

Adoctor found the injuries “acute and suspicious of nonaccidental trauma,” diagnosed child physical abuse and notified NOPD’sspecial victims section.

Police filed for an arrest warrant,

and Hilda Vasquez was charged in 2014 with cruelty to juveniles and second-degreecrueltytojuveniles. She later pleaded guiltytoalesser chargeofnegligent treatment or neglect Theboy was placed in foster care and later returned to his mother’s care, according to documents.

The DCFS report reveals that physical abusepersisted.The Oct. 8, 2021, report states thatBryan had large bruisesonhis face andhis inner thigh. He also had “tapeworms on two different occasions.”

Bryan is described in the report as “nonverbal, does not utilize any form of nonverbal communication (will occasionally pull an adult to what he wants).”

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said the department is investigating the unclassified death along withDCFS and the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

HildaVasquez left avigil for her son without commentlate Thursday Achaplain said she was overheated.

Morethan100 people,dressed in blue and whiteand holding balloons and flowers, gathered to watch ablue iron cross placed by the waters edge. The mood was tearful and solemn,

ä See VASQUEZ, page 2B

Flesh-eating bacteria casesclimb to 22 in La.

Twodeathstiedto

consuming oysters

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

Cases of the flesh-eating bacterium Vibrio vulnificus have risen to 22 in Louisiana, and an additionaldeathlinked to Louisiana oysters occurred in aFlorida resident,according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Four of the 22 patients have died, not including theFlorida resident.One of those four deaths was from undercooked oyster consumption, the department said. The bacteria,which thrive in warm brackish waters, can cause life-threatening illness after eating undercooked seafood or whenentering the body through open wounds. Most Louisiana cases this year,about 82%,were tied to water exposure. Louisiana is not alone in seeing infections rise this summer.Texas has recorded 10 cases and one death, with no ties to Louisiana, according to the state health department. Mississippi hasconfirmedfive cases and onedeath, allconnected to water exposure, including one involving Louisiana waters.

ä See BACTERIA, page 2B

TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

As Mayor LaToya Cantrell’sadministration works to improve the timeliness of payments to city contractors, city subcontractorsare still being hung out to dry when their bosses don’tensure everyone gets paid,firms have alleged. The

contractors within30daysofreceiving city funds.

Fugitive arrested afterSWATstandoffinKenner

Manwantedon murderwarrant in Honduras

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Afugitive on the run from a murder warrant in Honduras was arrested last weekfollowing an hourlong SWAT standoff at aKenner home.

Elviss Caballero Zuniga, 53, was takeninto custody at ahouseinthe 3700 block of West Louisiana State StreetonAug. 22,according to KennerPoliceDeputyChief Mark McCormick. Caballero first encountered authorities about10a.m. during a traffic stop with U.S. Customs Enforcement and Border Protection, accordingtothe agency No details wereimmediately available aboutwhy authorities were conducting the stop. But Ca-

Annual Southern Decadenceparadeset to marchonnew route

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

The path of the annualSouthern Decadence parade, which is set to march on Sunday in the French Quarter,has been changed to dodge an extensive water pipe replacement project blocking Royal Street at St. PeterStreet.

The gaudy,1,200-participant procession will start at the corner of Royal and Barracks streets and head uptown on Royal Street as usual.

But, departing from itsoriginal route, the parade will turn right on Orleans Street and left on Dauphine Street

After that, it turns right on St. Louis Street, and continues as planned, turning right on North Rampart Street, rightonToulouse Street,left on Burgundy

Street, right onSt. Ann, and left on Bourbon Street, ending at DumaineStreet

Theannual Southern Decadence parade, whichhas celebrated the Crescent City’s laissez-faire lifestyle andLGBTQ+ community since 1972, is aboon to FrenchQuarterbusiness in the summertimedoldrums.Itfeatures spectacular dragcostumers, MardiGras dance troupes, marching clubs and music.

This year’sparade will start at 5p.m., threehours laterthan past years, to avoid themidday heat.

The Sewerage &Water Board’s $9 million-plus subterranean construction project in the French Quarter to replace 115-year-old water mains on St. Peter and Decatur streets is expectedtocontinue until summer2026.

ballero ranintoanearbywooded area, whichled to an extensive search for him, accordingtothe federal agency Authorities checked his records and discovered that Caballero was the subject of an Interpol RedNotice, an internationalalert sent to lawenforcement agencies in variouscountriesregarding wanted fugitives,according to border protection officials Caballero was wanted on ahomicide charge in Honduras. No other

VASQUEZ

Continuedfrom page1B

punctuated by emotional outbursts.

There,Cristiane Rosales-Fajardo,aresident and community activist who helped organize the civilian search andhas served as atranslator for themother,maintained that the boy wasautistic andsaidshe wasn’t familiar with theDCFS report.

Bryan was first reported missingataround 10 a.m. Aug. 14 after he slipped out of awindow of his Beaucaire Street home. Surveillance video captured him that morning on nearby Sevres Street, which runs alongside the body of water where he was later found dead.

Aided by athermal drone, volunteer Jon Gusanders discovered the body floating in thelagoon at

‘WATERMARKS’

Continuedfrom page1B

information was available about thatcase.

U.S.Customstracked Caballero to the Kenner address andaskedlocal police for help. The localagency deployed itsSWATteam, using an armored vehicle with extended boom to breach adoor,according to McCormick. Theteamthensentinits SWAT robot, equippedwith grasping arm andvideo camera. The devicewas recording whenCaballero emerged froma doorinside the residence andthensurrendered to authorities. Fourother people who entered thecountry illegally were also found at the residence. Caballero was turned over to border protection officials. He will faceprosecution in theUnitedStatesfor illegal re-entry andbeextraditedtoHonduras, according to federal authorities.

EmailMichelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

and

and placement of amarker to BryanVasquez

Thursday.

around 8a.m.Tuesday,ending a 12-day multiagency search. The New Orleans coroner determined he died from blunt force trauma anddrowning sustained during an alligator attack.

Tony Dicky, achaplain with the

United

“Weask for your grace and mercy upon this family as they grieve thelossoftheir lovedone,” he said.

BACTERIA

Continued frompage1B

Florida has reported the highest numbers with 23 cases and five deaths. The Alabama Department of Public Healthdid not respond to questions about Vibrio cases, but earlier this year reportedat least five in Mobile.Two of those werefrom injuries and three from eatingundercooked food.

Casestypically peak in thehottest months, when Gulf waters are the warmest and more people are swimming or fishing along the coast. Rising temperatures and more intense heat wavescould extend the season when Vibrio thrives. Amore active storm season also increases the presence of Vibrio vulnificus because runoff enters coastal waters, creating conditions that make it easierfor the bacteria to flourish, and states typically see higher numbers of infections after storms pass through.

Symptoms andtreatment

There are at least adozen types of Vibrio bacteria, but Vibrio vulnificus is the most dangerous capable of causingsudden and severe illness. The bacteria can enter through acut or scrape and begin destroying tissue almost immediately

“Once the bacteria entersthe body,itstarts secreting different toxins that trigger the skin to die. Thatisa serious, necrotizing infection,” said Dr.Norman Beatty, an infectiousdiseasephysician at the University of Florida.

One hallmark symptom can help distinguish Vibrio from other skin infections: theappearance of fluid-filled blisters at the wound site and rapidly spreading redness. In some cases,the infection can escalate to life-threatening illness within aday

“You’ll see folks who smolder,” said Julio Figueroa, infectious diseaseexpertatLSU Health New Orleans.“And you have the

were broken. Earlierthis summer, thepoles mysteriously disappeared. But they were put back in place in time for the Aug. 29 anniversary

trate aparadox. Those closest to the river and lake tell us that the water there was shallow, maybe ankle-deep. The pole with the highest glass ring stands near AthisStreetinGentilly,where the water reached roughly 9feet.

people who just sort of crash and burn, and they’re dead 48 hours later.”

Whilemosthealthy people recover fromVibrio vulnificus infections or may not have severe symptoms, those with chronic health conditions face greater risks. Heavyalcohol users and peoplewithliverdisease, diabetes or weakened immune systems are more likelytoneedhospital care.

Early medical care is critical. Antibiotics can often stop the infection from spreading, but it’s important to tell adoctor if you have recently beeninthe water or had exposure to shellfish. Even short exposures might lead to infection.

“Walking on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with awound in the water is enough to do it,” Figueroasaid. If someone is exposed to Vibrio vulnificus throughundercooked seafood suchasraw oysters, symptoms usuallyinclude diarrhea and vomiting. In people with liver problems, it can lead to sepsis, alife-threatening bloodstream infection, Figueroa said. Peoplewith hepatitis or autoimmune liver disease should take care nottoexposethemselves through shucking oysters or fishing, even if they don’tintend to eat it raw

“When you’re handling shellfish, it’skindofhardnot to poke yourself,” Figueroa said.

TheCenters forDisease Control andPrevention urges vulnerable people to avoid rawoysters and other undercooked shellfish.

The agency alsorecommends keeping woundscovered andout of warm coastal waters during thesummer,when higher water temperaturescreate ideal conditionsfor the bacteria to multiply.Wearing protective clothing and shoes can also help prevent scrapes or cuts while in the water

Email Emily Woodruffat ewoodruff@theadvocate.com.

theheightofthe floodwaterat thevarious sites, all the way from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain. At first, Larkin said, sheand Gaudetfeltsostrongly about their public art concept that they considered creating it “guerrilla” style, erecting thepoles themselves without waiting forpermission. That turnedout notto be necessary. TheNew York-basedJoanMitchell Foundation, which hadsweptinto townat about the same time, offered to sponsor the project in cooperationwith the city. The poles were installed in concretebases,and theartistsused surveying tools to place the rings at theproperheights, relying on water marks in the immediate areaasguides. The polesillus-

MANNING

Continuedfrom page1B

that controversy

Where were you when Katrina hit?

I’ve never publicly talked about this. Ihad been diagnosedwith atumor on my left kidney.Iwas scheduled for surgery on the 29th, thestorm date, at Tulane. We left NewOrleans at 9a.m. on Sunday andarrived to Houston between 1a.m. and 2a.m. On the Monday morning of the storm, we thought the stormhad missed it. Iwas in Houston. We gotasfar as Lake Charles and then heardthat the neighborhoodshad flooded.It was clear that coming back to the citywas not agood idea. Iwas doing workfor Harrah’s in Lake Charles.They were good enough to give me aroom. Igot an appointmentatMDAnderson for Sept. 4. Theyscheduledmefor surgery after that. What happened afteryou returned to New Orleans?

Ilived at 1750 St.Charles Ave. (and) Icame back to thesame unmade bedIleft.They said don’t open up your refrigerator.Just tape it up, and we’llget it.Ihad cousins and relativeswho did lose their homes.

How did you end up on the BringNew OrleansBack Commission?

Iwas askedbyJoe Canizaro. I had known Joe for anumber of yearsthrough business dealings with (his) bank and several development projects in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast.

What do you remember about the daythe Green Dot Plan wasunveiledand how Mayor Nagin reacted? It was oneofthe most interesting public days of my life. (Consultant)John Beckman madea presentation. He did not suggest shrinking the city.Hesaid we should focusonspecific areas. He put green dotsonthe map.So

Gaudet saidarea residents informed him that the natural watermarks representedthe depth of thewater when it settledinto equilibrium.Atthe start of the flood, when New Orleans’ topographic “bowl” wasstill filling, thewater may have been even deeper.Gaudet said the actual height of the flood “is up to your imagination.”

The depthofthe standing water is frightening enough. And,asGaudetput it, “there’sstill danger of this happening.”

In the17yearssince theywere installed, Larking and Gaudet’s poles, whichthey dubbed “Watermarks,”stood the test of time, thougha fewhad begun tilting anda handful of glass rings

when people sawthat,they automatically assumedthatevery other place would be shrunk or there wouldn’tbeany recovery in those areas. Maybeitwas abad presentation message.The mayor left theroom, gotonthe radio andsaid he wasn’tsupportive of thestudy.Inthe audiencewere people who attacked Joe Canizaro personally because they saw him as adeveloper who wanted to take over neighborhoodsfor hisown personal interest. We were utterly dismayed by themayor’s comments since he hadput thecommission together.These were all people themayor hadapproved. The mayorhadn’t evengivenus the opportunity to review the plan privately and review what we were saying. Thatwas the death knell of that work. What happenednext?

Iwent back to ameeting in Joe’s office. The secretary came in and said theWhite House was on the line. Ibelieve it was KarlRove. Joe put him on speaker.Hesaid the president was goingtocommitthe resources necessary for New Orleans to recover.I always suspected andbelievedthatNew Orleans wasgoing to be OK. Joe Canizaro hada personalrelationship with thepresident. Ithought we should just go out and do what we had to do,and we wouldget federal support. My thought was if the levees get done and the S&WB can get its act together, yeah,rebuild.I assisted many people in doing their homes.

The glass rings are all intact, the poles areperpendicular to the earth, and the shafts have been repainted, with afresh aqua-colored green below the waterline and an orange coat of rust above. The $21,000 restoration was conducted by the Denali Art Solutions company,paidfor by the city of New Orleans Percent for Art Fund.

“Watermarks” is anything but dramatic. The poleshide shyly amid the trees and the infrastructure of the busy streetscape, mostly unnoticed. They don’t shouttheir message, butwhisper of ahistoric moment that mustn’t be forgotten. Look for the markers in the 400, 1000, 1500, 2300, 3100, 3600, 4100, 4800, 5200, 5700, 6500 and 6700 blocksofElysianFields Avenue. Email Doug MacCashat dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Youkeptupyour planning work for the recovery, right? Agroup Iput together with Dave Dixon and severalother planninggroupsbecame the21st century master plan for the city of NewOrleans. Ihelpedwrite the neighborhood planning component with(Tulane Architecture School Dean) Reed (Kroloff) and planners and architects who volunteered to take on various neighborhood districts. Theplan identifiedkey development opportunities throughout the city,and it laid out general rules forflood mitigation —things to do to create greeninfrastructurefor thecity, think abouttreecanopyand water holding areas. It went before the voters in November 2008 and was approved.Werebuilt theschool system.The physical plant is as good as it’sever been. There was ahugeinvestment in thelevee system to protect NewOrleans. Howwell protected is New Orleans today fromahurricane?

If the storm is the sameasKatrina,Ithink thecityiswellprotected. But given the strength of thesestorms, Iwould be careful in saying with what we built and rebuilt that the city is safe. Abiggerstorm might overwhelmthe system.Wehave to build in away that allowspeople not to have to automatically evacuate when a storm might be acategory two or three. We could have done more to support affordable housing that would be sustainable.Every house in New Orleans ought to have asolar arrayand abattery pack so when electricity goes out you still have power.Wegofrom event to event. There’salack of critical thinking and leadership in NewOrleans.

Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

Steven Plotkin, lawyer,

former judge, dies at 89

He served as teacher, leader in Jewish community

BY JOHN POPE

Contributing writer

Foreign Scholarship Award to teach law in Bulgaria.He also held classes in Russia, Greece, England, Italy,Ireland,Moldovaand theDominican Republic.

“Heneverstopped exploring, readingand exercisingand learning,” his family said in astatement.

Civil District Court bench in 1978 —hetriedmore than 500 cases, was elected president of theNew OrleansTrial Lawyers Association and served four years as an Orleans Parish assistant district attorney

NewOrleans Area Deaths West Bank

DavisMortuary

Accardo, Esther ThibodeauxJr.,Joseph Bajoie Jr., Olander Robinson FH Bashful, Viola Carrera-Pineda, Esvin Batiste,Hannah Encalade, Wilfred ButlerJr.,Clyde Stevenson, Zannitria Carrera-Pineda, Esvin

Obituaries Cockerham-Howard, Cheryl Accardo, Esther Delores'Deanie'

Plotkin

Steven Robert Plotkin,a NewOrleans lawyerwho served as ajudge,teacher leader in the Jewish community andthree-time marathoner,died Monday at his New Orleans home of complications of mesothelioma, his son Louis “Lee” Plotkin said. He was 89. Plotkin’slegal career included24 years as ajudge —10years on the Civil District Court bench and 14 years on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal. He stepped down as ajudgein 2002, but stayed active by becoming amediator,arbitrator and legal consultant in cases involving complex litigation. He served four years as aspecial discovery major in complex cases “He was ascrappyJewish kid from the wrong side of the tracks who climbed to the top of the legal profession,” he said. While he wasa judge, Plotkin was host for 15 yearsof“It’sthe Law,” alocal TV show sponsored by the New Orleans Bar Association, and he wrote 38 articles, two bookreviews and athree-volume book on Louisiana civil procedure He was apart-time faculty member at Tulane Law School, the University of New Orleans, HarvardLaw School and the National Judicial College.

Plotkin taught overseas and was the first Louisiana judge to receive aFulbright

COUNCIL

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damages. The ordinance, sponsored by council member Helena Moreno and approved by the council on Thursday,builds on an April 2024 ordinance that requires the city to pay its prime contractors within 30 days.

“We’ve worked hard to getthe city payingprimes within 30 days, and now we must make sure that same efficiencyand accountability extends all the way down the chain,” said Moreno, who is running for mayor, in anews release.

Subcontractors with limited capital are especially vulnerable when payments come late, since they are stillunder contractand mustmakepayroll to complete the work, said Ernest Stalberte, aconstruction company owner

“The subcontractors are financing the project,” Stalberte said in an interview Thursday’smove and last year’smeasureonprime contractor payments are meant to addresslongstanding frustrations about doing business with the city A2024 state audit found the city can’tsay howlongit takes to accurately pay its vendors, and that delayed payments werestopping companies from doing business with City Hall. The audit followed aresolution the council passed at Moreno’s request.

Cantrell’sadministration later vowed to do abetter job of tracking vendor payments and remove red tape for businesses. But the payments of subcontractors have remained aproblem, with the firms at times waiting up to three months for invoices to be paid, Stalberte said. The latest ordinance only requires payment of undisputed invoices, and it includesdispute resolution procedures that give city department directors arbitration powers.Once

He also knew how to have agood time, turning outevery year to marchonFat Tuesday as acharter member ofthe PeteFountain Half Fast Walking Club. Whenthe worldshutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, he started playing bridge onlineand eventually became abridge Life Master and amember of the board of directors of the BridgeAssociation of Louisiana.

After acardiac scare when hewas 27 that landed himinTouro Infirmaryfor twoweeks, Plotkin worked outsix days aweek. In a 2006 interview,hebragged, “I am within 5pounds of my weightwhen Igraduated from Fortier High School.” He recently wrote amemoir,“In My Judgment:A LegacyofLaw andLove.”

“Throughoutthe book, the one phraseherepeated was ‘I am blessed,’ ”said Joel Friedman, afriend since bothmen were children.

Alifelong New Orleanian, Plotkin earned undergraduate and law degrees at Tulane University and amaster of laws degree at the University of Virginia He served in the Army Reserve while aTulanelaw student and washonorably discharged in 1961.

Plotkin started hislegal career byfoundinghis own practice after being admitted to the bar in 1959. Duringthe next 19 years until he was elected tothe

adepartmentheadfindsa prime is stiffing asubcontractor on an invoice, they can stop theproject, withhold payment,imposedamages or call in apayment bond.

Stalberteisco-founder of TheCollaborative, agroup of smallbusiness owners andtheir supporters who advocate for policy changes andwho workedclosely with Moreno’soffice and Cantrell’sadministration on the measure. The Collaborative, whichformed in 2012,has also worked to strengthen rulesrequiring participation of minority andwomen-owned businesses in city contracts, andtostaff upthe CityHall office enforcing those rules.

Stalberte said most prime contractors stipulate in theirsubcontractor agreementsthat they can’t pay subcontractorsuntil the city pays themfirst, which complicates things when the city is late.Another leader of TheCollaborative, Debra Gould, toldcouncil members at an Aug. 12 council committee meeting that subcontractors struggletoget information when they aren’tpaid on time.

“Wedon’t know who to talk to foraccounts payable, and we’re stuck with loans to make payroll, said Gould,who owns a management consulting firm.

The changes will applythrough this yearand through the administration of thenextmayor,who will determinehow strongly theordinance is enforced. Department directors who report tothe mayor will have discretion over takingpunitiveactions against noncompliant prime contractors.

“Ifit’snot supportedat high levels in City Hall, then primes will stilltry to skirt it,” Stalberte said At the committeemeeting, council memberOliver Thomas, also running for mayor,said the ordinance isn’tstrong enough and tried to offer what he called “a friendly amendment” to

After 10 years as acivil court judge,Plotkin was elected to a10-year term on theappellate courtin1988. He was reelected without opposition in 1998 and retired in 2002.

Plotkin served on the boardand executive committeeofthe Louisiana Judicial College, and he led theLouisiana branch of the International Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists.

Athird-generation member of Congregation Gates of Prayer,Plotkin was its president for threeyears Among the boards he served on were those of theNew OrleansOpera Association, the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, theAmerican Lung Association and the World AffairsCouncil.

Survivors include his wife, Lynn Gertler Plotkin; two sons, Louis Lee” L. Plotkin of New Orleans andDr. Scott R. Plotkin of Brookline, Massachusetts; adaughter,Rachel M. PlotkinJaffe of Metairie; a brother,R.Ronald Plotkin of Naples, Florida; asister Elinor “Hedy” P. Sussman of Coral Springs, Florida; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Afuneral will be held Thursdayatnoon at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. Visitationwill begin at 10 a.m.

Burial will be in Gates of Prayer Cemetery, 1428 Joseph St New Orleans. ContactJohn Pope at pinckelopes@gmail.com.

require payment within 15 days. Thomas also wanted to require primes to disclose theirsubcontractor payment agreements.

“Let’shold their feet to the fire,” Thomas said. “Thatmakes this historic legislation even stronger.”

Moreno balked at the idea, sayingitwould derail monthsofwork already put into the ordinanceand delay implementation. She said it could be refinedin thefuture.

Thomas later voted to advance theordinanceatthe committeemeeting and to approve it at the full council meeting.

Recent polls showMoreno with alead over Thomas and state Sen. Royce Duplessis in theOct. 11 primary for mayor.Arunoff for the top two finishers is scheduled for Nov.15ifno one wins amajority

Askedfor comment, Duplessis said that if elected, he would review city laws and“work in good faith to ensure we have thestaffing, resources and procedures tofacilitate enforcement of those laws, with theaim of improving the experience that all companies have.”

Email BenMyers at bmyers@theadvocate. com.

Davis, Leonard DickensJr.,Houston Encalade, Wilfred Ferbos Sr., Sidney Hicks, Mages Jackson, Shirley Johnson, Patricia Lawrence, Barbara Licciardi,David McGee,Arnelle Parker,Alice Peters,Keith Picou, Marie Simmons,Kirt Simms Jr., Kenneth Stevenson, Zannitria ThibodeauxJr.,Joseph Thomas,Geraldine Tumblin,Velma Vanderhorst,Pamela Washington Jr., Herzel Wheeler II,Robert Wilson, Norma

EJefferson

Richardson FH Davis, Leonard Tumblin,Velma NewOrleans

Boyd Family Simmons,Kirt Washington Jr., Herzel Charbonnet

Ferbos Sr., Sidney Lawrence, Barbara Peters,Keith Picou, Marie Simms Jr., Kenneth Vanderhorst,Pamela Dennis FuneralHome Hicks, Mages Bashful, Viola Rosana Collins

DW Rhodes

Bashful, Viola

ButlerJr.,Clyde Estelle JWilson DickensJr.,Houston Gertrude Geddes Bajoie Jr., Olander

Cockerham-Howard, Cheryl Jackson, Shirley JacobSchoen

Johnson, Patricia Littlejohn FH Wilson, Norma

Majestic Mortuary Batiste,Hannah River Parish

Hobson BrownFH McGee,Arnelle Parker,Alice St Tammany Audubon Accardo, Esther EJ Fielding

Wheeler II,Robert

Esther Delores"Deanie Accardo,a cherishedma‐triarch andesteemed busi‐nesswoman,passedaway onAugust25, 2025, at the age of 91. Aresidentof Mandeville, Louisiana, she was born on February 27, 1934, in NewOrleans Louisiana.Deaniewas pre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐ents, Dallas Lacombeand MaryMahoney,and three ofher siblings,Shirley Barcelona,DallasLa‐combe,and Mickey Achor. Deanieisthe beloved motherofDarlene Thomas (Gerald), GuyFederer (Chauntel), andPhylis Zemke (Michael). Shewas a source of endlesssup‐portand wisdom forher grandchildren,Gerald ThomasJr.,Brent Thomas, StevenFederer,Haley Fed‐erer, TylerMartin, andTay‐lor Martin,aswellasseven great-grandchildren.She alsoleavesbehind, to cher‐ish hermemory, ahostof nieces, nephews, extended familymembers,dear friends,and twosisters, Lee Denina andMelba Twomey, who shared her passion forcheeringonthe Saints, apastime that brought them much joy and many cherishedmem‐ories.Deanie’slifewas markedbyher dedication toher familyand heren‐trepreneurial spirit.In1965 she opened Deanie’s Restaurantand BaronAn‐nunciationStreet in New Orleans;and in 1974, she established Deanie’s on Hayne,a beloved, longstandingfamily-ownedes‐tablishment andone of the lastremaining seafood housesfromthe original Hayne Boulevardcommu‐nity. Shefound greatjoy in cookingNew Orleanscui‐sinefor thepeopleshe loved,and herkitchen be‐camea true gathering place forfamilyand friends.The restaurant re‐mains in theAccardofam‐ily,a testamenttoher vi‐sionand legacy.Her work ethic andcommitmentto excellenceleftanindelible markonall who hadthe pleasureofknowing her. Relatives andfriends are invited to attend avisita‐tiononSaturday, August 30, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AudubonFu‐neral Home in Slidell. Afu‐neral servicewillbegin in the chapel at noon.Inlieu of flowers, memorial dona‐tions to Hope Housein Covington areappreciated. Memoriesand condo‐lencesmay be expressed atwww.AudubonFuneralH ome.com

Bajoie Jr., Olander P. 'Butch

OlanderP.“Butch” Ba‐joie, Jr.entered into eternal restonWednesday,August 20. He wasbornonJanuary 1,1945, to thelateOlander P.Bajoie, Sr.and thelate Julia RoudezeBajoie. A proud lifelong NewOrlean‐ian,Butch graduatedfrom WalterL.Cohen High School in 1964 andat‐tendedSouthernUniversity ofNew Orleans. He entered the trucking profession and laterestablished a successfultruckingcom‐pany, DixieTruck Service, Inc.,which served the Greater NewOrleans area and partsofthe Gulf Coast. Healsoestablished Bajoie BrothersTruck Club,Inc., and participated in Carni‐val paradesfor many years.Anavidmotorcy‐clist, Butchwas also the

founder of Soul Knights MotorcycleClub, Inc. where he shared hispas‐sionfor riding andcama‐raderie with fellow cy‐clists. In addition to hisen‐trepreneurial pursuits, Butch dedicatedmuchof his life to public service and helpingothers. He was a respectedmemberofthe Orleans Parish Boardof JuryCommissioners and servedfor many yearson the OrleansParishDemoc‐ratic ExecutiveCommittee Healsoworkedfor Milan SeniorCenterwhere he provideddaily transporta‐tionfor theelderly and brought much joytothem. Known forhis kindness humor,and generosity,he had agiftfor creating lightheartedpoems and spontaneous rhymes that brought smilestoeveryone around him. Afrequent bingo andlottery player, hedelighted in sharinghis winnings, no matterhow small.His generosity ex‐tendeddeeply to his church community.A de‐voutCatholic, Butchwas a faithfulmemberofSt. Katharine Drexel Parish (Holy GhostChurch)since birth.For over 40 years, Butch sang in theparish choir,often performing solos,and he gave freelyof his time andenergyto countless church activi‐ties. He wasa dedicated memberofFather SchmodryCouncil No.52, servedasFaithfulInner SentinelofE.O.Moss Grand Assembly No.4 of the KnightsofPeter Claver, and wasanactivemember ofthe Holy Name Society. In recognitionofhis deep faith anddevotionto Christ, Butchreceivedthe Order of St.Louis IX Medal‐lion, thehighest honorfor lay Catholicsinthe Arch‐diocese of NewOrleans Butch wasprecededin death by hisparents,Olan‐der P. Bajoie,Sr. andJulia Roudeze Bajoie,his god‐motherNellRoseRoudeze LaPierre, hisbrother Lester Charles Bajoie,Sr.,and his grandparents, Denaud GeddesRoudeze,Sr. and Willie Cantrelle Roudeze, and W.D. Walker andEthel BajoieWalker. He is lov‐ingly remembered by his siblingsNolan J. Bajoie,Sr. (Eunice), Sen. DianaE.Ba‐joie, Paulette Bajoie Ross, ReginaldBajoie, 1(Pa‐phine), Judy Bajoie,Aaron Bajoie, godchildren Dr NicoleBajoie-Ford and ReginaldBajoieII, along witha host of nieces, nephews,cousins,and friends who will forever cherish hislaughter, warmth, andgivingspirit. A Mass of ChristianBurial celebrating thelifeofOlan‐der P. “Butch”Bajoie, Jr willbeheldonSaturday, August30, at 10:30 a.m. at St. KatharineDrexelParish (Holy GhostChurch), 2015 Louisiana Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA70115 with visita‐tionbeginning at 9:00 a.m. IntermentwillfollowatSt. Vincent De Paul Cemetery #1, 1950 Soniat Street,New Orleans,LA70115. Youmay signthe guestbookon www.gertrudegeddeswwill is.com. Gertrude Geddes Willis FuneralHome, Inc.,in charge(504) 522-2525.

In Loving Memory of Viola Rosana CollinsBash‐ful,June 13, 1932 —August 18, 2025. Shortlyafter cele‐brating her93rdbirthday, Viola Rosana CollinsBash‐ful peacefully transitioned fromthisrealm,sur‐rounded by herlovingfam‐ily.A belovedwife, mother sister, andmatriarch,Viola lived alifemarkedbyquiet strength, deep faith,and enduringgrace.Bornon June 13, 1932, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana,toEarl Collins of NewOrleans and Ethel Kitt CollinsofPaulina inSt. JamesParish, Viola entered this worldonWil‐low Street andgrewupina cityshe wouldforever call home. Herearly education began at Wheatley Ele‐mentary School,and she later graduatedfromWal‐ter L. CohenHighSchool With apassion forlearning and excellence,she pur‐suedhighereducation at SouthernUniversityin Baton Rouge, majoring in Mathematics.Thoughjust one semester shyofgradu‐ation,her intellectand cu‐riosity remained lifelong hallmarks.Viola came froma familydeeply rootedinfaith,service,and leadership. Shewas the proud granddaughterof Rev.Frederick H. Collins, the second namedpastor of St.JohnMissionaryIn‐

4B ✦ Friday,August 29, 2025 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune stitutionalBaptist Church an institutionthatre‐mainedcentral to herspiri‐tuallife. Herparents were among thepioneeringfam‐ilies of thehistoric Pontchartrain Park Subdi‐vision, helpingtoshapea vibrant Blackmiddle-class community in NewOrleans where Violareturned after HurricaneKatrina to reclaim herfamilyhome. Viola wasa devotedwife, mother, andhomemaker whose life reflectedgrace, strength, andunwavering dedicationtothose she loved.She shared 64 years ofHolyMatrimony with her beloved husband,Hewitt Bashful,faithfully building a life rooted in love,faith, and resilience.Together, theyraisedtwo cherished children: theirdaughter, Linda AnnBashful, for‐merly of Kansas City,Mis‐souri,and theirson,Eldric ArnellBashful of NewYork, New York.She is also lov‐ingly remembered by her adoptedbrother,Kevin Collins of SanDiego, Cali‐fornia, alongwitha large and close-knit extended familythroughout Louisiana,Texas,Illinois, and beyond.Viola’s legacy lives on in theheartsofher familyand allwho were shapedbyher wisdom steadfastdignity,and nur‐turingspirit. Alifelongbe‐lieverinthe powerofedu‐cationand strong family roots, sheinstilled values ofperseverance, learning and love in allwho knew her.Affectionately called Vibythose closesttoher she wasa passionate lover ofmusic—fromjazzto opera —a womanoflively wit fierytemperament and asoftvoice of reason Her memory,quick laugh‐ter,and enduring love will remainforever in the heartsofthose sheheld dear. Relativesand friends ofthe familyare invitedto attend aFuneralService at St. John InternationalMis‐sionary BaptistChurch, 2538 JacksonAve NewOr‐leans,Louisiana 70113on Saturday, August 30,2025 at11:00am.Visitationwill begin at 10:00am.Inter‐ment: ValenceStreet Cemetery, NewOrleans Louisiana.Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes Funeral Home,3933 Wash‐ingtonAve., NewOrleans, Louisiana 70125. Please visit www.rhodesfuneral. com to sign theonline guestbook,share memo‐riesand condolenceswith the family.

Hannah RoyalBatiste, daughterofthe late Leonard Royal, Sr.and Mil‐lie HawkinsRoyal wasborn onOctober 5, 1930, in Maringouin,LAand was the 9thof11children. She peacefullyentered eternal restonAugust14, 2025, at the ageof94. In 1948, Han‐nah marriedthe love of her life, thelateHerbert Batiste,Sr. To this union, three sons were born Her‐bertJr.,Lawrence, and Roland. Hannah devoted her life to herfamily, not onlyraising hersonsbut alsoembracing thegiftof being amother figure to countless grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and manyother extended loved ones. Hannah builta proud career in retail.She made history as thesecond African American shoe saleswomantobehired by KraussDepartmentStore where shebecameaffec‐tionately knownas“Ms Krauss.”She worked in the shoedepartmentwith grace,dignity,and excel‐lence from 1962 until Kraussclosedits doorsin 1997. Beyond hercareer, Hannahlived aliferichin love, laughter,and faith She foundjoy in simple but meaningfulmoments going to Sunday service, longtalks on thetele‐phone,quality time with family, readingher Bible, watchingher favorite TV shows,singing,sewing, and baking.She carried herself with unwavering faith,quiet strength,and a heart full of love.Hannah was also agiftedcook, known forpreparing every mealfromscratch.Her seafood gumbo, crawfish étouffée, sweet potato pies, andfamouscoconut cakes were amongthe manydishesthatbrought her familytogether, espe‐cially during theholidays. In heryounger years, Han‐nah lovedtodance.She and herbrother Wiley would oftendance around the house, doingher fa‐voritedance,the jitterbug. She andher husband also shared adeeplovefor New

Orleanstraditions, espe‐cially MardiGrasseason, whentheydelighted in watchingthe MardiGras Indiansperform in the streetsand hostingthe en‐tirefamilyafter thepa‐rades.A proudand lifelong residentofNew Orleans, Hannahwas well knownin the neighborhoodsof2nd & Dryadesand Robert Street,where shebuilt lasting friendshipsand a strongcommunity pres‐ence. Shewas preceded in death by herhusband Her‐bertBatiste Sr.; hersons Herbert Jr., andLawrence; 5 brothers,David,Wiley Leonard,Frank andMon‐roe;4 sisters, Caroline Beulah, Leslie,and Stella; and 4grandchildren Marcelita,Cyris,Glorious, and Artez. Hannah leaves tocherish many treasured memories, herdevoted son,Roland; onebrother Randolph(Mable);one daughter-in-law (Mar‐garet); 16 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and13 great-great grandchildren, and ahostofnieces, nephews,other relatives and friends. Hannah’s life was atestament to love, faith,and perseverance Thoughshe will be deeply missed, herlegacyof strength, compassion,and devotiontofamilywillcon‐tinue to inspire genera‐tions to come.Her voicein song, herwarmthinthe kitchen,her joyonthe dance floor,and herend‐lesslovefor herfamilywill liveonforever.A Funeral Service will be held at Peo‐ple’s United Methodist Church,2001 SimonBoli‐var,New Orleans, LA 70113 onSaturday, August 30 2025, at 11:00 am.Visita‐tionwillbegin at 10:00 am Interment: Providence MemorialParkCemetery, Metairie, LA.Arrangements byMajesticMortuarySer‐vice, Inc.,1833 Oretha Cas‐tle HaleyBlvd.,New Or‐leans,LA70113, (504) 5235872.

IIn Loving Memory of Clyde E. Butler Jr.Archi‐tect, Veteran, andBeloved FamilyMan.Clyde E. Butler Jr.,a visionaryarchitect who helped shapethe sky‐lineand soul of NewOr‐leans,LApassedawayon August21, 2025, at theage of77. Born in Tylertown, Mississippi in 1948 to Clyde E.ButlerSr. andIdena Davis-Butler, he carriedthe valuesoflove, resilience and servicethroughouthis life. Clydegraduated from Booker T. Washington High School andhonorably servedinthe U.S. Army.As a member of the1st Cav‐alryDivision during the Vietnam War, he faced the hardships of combat with courage andresilience, ul‐timatelyreturning home safely to NewOrleans, Louisiana.Following his militaryservice,Clyde pur‐suedhis passionfor design and earned hisdegreein architecturefromthe Uni‐versity of Louisianaat Lafayette.His earlycareer was marked by contribu‐tions to some of New Or‐leans’mosticonicstruc‐tures,including Le Méri‐dienHotel,HiltonRiver‐side, Westin Hotel, andthe VAHospitaltonamea few. Clyde’s legacy deepened duringhis tenure as Senior VicePresident of Construc‐tionatthe AudubonNature Institute. Hisleadership brought to life transforma‐tiveprojectssuchasthe Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the IMAX The‐aterexpansion,Wolden‐bergRiverfrontPark, Audubon Golf Course,and the AudubonClubhouse and ahostofconstruction projects under the Audubon umbrella—eacha testament to hiscommit‐ment to enrichingthe city’sculturaland natural landscape.Heissurvived byhis devotedwife, Melissa Levy-Butler, who heloved dearly;his chil‐drenMegan,Clyde III (Onyx),and Mallory, who headoredbeyondmea‐sure; andhis cherished grandchildren,Pharaoh and MessiahButler, who heloved passionately Clyde also leaves behind his loving siblings Joyce Cooper (Roland),Cassan‐dra Butler,and Narekia Butler, abrother-in-law, Louis Tony Williams,three sisters-in-law, AdellFox‐worth,Alberta andMari‐etta Levy,along with ahost ofnieces, nephews, ex‐tendedfamily, anddear friends.Clyde’s warmth ex‐tendedtoall creatures great andsmall.Headored hisfurry companions,

treating them as treasured familymembers.Heislov‐ingly remembered by his grandcat, Drogon Butler, and grandpups, Lola and Louie Butler.Those who knewClyde will remember his love forcooking, gar‐dening, tinkering, hisjoy in dancing,and aboveall,his deep devotion to family and friendship.Hewas precededindeath by his parents,Clyde Sr.and Idena; siblings Minnie Lou Williams,JackalButler, DwightButler, ClydeEster Butler, DianeNzinga, and JoanButler; andhis beloved grandpup,Symba Butler. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors,officers andmem‐bersofFranklinAvenue Baptist Church,Fellowship MissionaryBaptist Church/First AfricanBap‐tistChurch,and Gretna UnitedMethodist Church aswellascolleaguesfrom Audubon Nature Institute, MartinBehrman Charter School,Young Audience Charter School,Progres‐sive, City of Dallas,ULRe‐searchInstitute are warmlyinvited to attend the CelebrationofLifeSer‐vices honoring Clyde’slife atGretnaUnitedMethodist Church,1309 WhitneyAve., Terrytown, LA 70056 on Sat‐urday,August30, 2025. Vis‐itation begins at 10:00 AM followedbythe serviceat 11:00 AM.Interment will followatWestlawnMemo‐rialParkCemetery, 1225 WhitneyAve., Terrytown, LA70056. Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Wash‐ingtonAve NewOrleans LA70125. Please visitwww rhodesfuneral.comtosign the online guestbook, share memories andcon‐dolenceswiththe family. Clyde E. Butler Jr.leaves behinda legacy of service, creativity, andlove—alife well-lived anddeeply felt

EsvinJacinto "Pit"Car‐rera-Pinedawas born on July, 27, 1970 in El Progreso, Guatemala to thelate EfrainCarrera andMarie ClementinaPinedaSanabria. Aftermakingthe UnitedStateshis home over30years ago, Pitbuilt a life marked by hard work loveand resilience.He passedawayonSunday, August10, 2025 in NewOr‐leans LA.along with his fi‐anceZennitria "Nitra Stevenson andstepson Jarrell StevensonSr. He was 55 yearsold.Beloved fatherofJohanaElizabeth Carrera,IsaiahAnthony Powell, EdwinCarreraFrost andAlexander ManuelCarrera-Frost.Pit's deep love forhis children was evidentinthe wayhe providedfor,protected and encouraged them.Al‐thoughhis passingleaves a deep void in theirlife, the bondand love he shared withhis children will for‐everlive. Pitisalsosur‐vived by otherrelatives and devotedfriends who loved himdearly. Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattend the funeralservice on Friday August29, 2025 at New HomeMinistrieslocated at 1616 Carondelet St,New Orleans LA.70130. Thevisi‐tationwillbegin at 9AM followedbya 10AMser‐vice. Pastor Samuel R. BlakesSr. will officiate. In‐terment will be private. Fu‐neral planning entrustedto RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home, 9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.70037 (504) 2082119. Foronlinecondo‐lencespleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Cockerham-Howard, Cheryl Diane

attended Walter L. Cohen HighSchool andwas a ChefatHarrah'sCasino. She wasa member of Pro‐gressiveBaptist Church until herdemise. Cheryl was thelovingwifeof Larry Howard.Beloved motherofTykesha Gooden and Larry Gooden.Devoted sisterofHazel,Joe,and WilliamCockerham,Yvette Harrison, BenichaSparks, Leandez McGee, Ruffin Jackson,Raymond Cocker‐ham andAnthony Jackson. She wasalsosurvivedbya hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,familyand friends.She waspreceded indeath by herparents RuffinHalland Martha Cockerham;her sonLarry Gooden;her brothers Ray‐mondCockerham andAn‐thony Jackson; andher grandparentsWilliam Har‐rison andHazel Harrison Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceonSaturday, August 30, 2025 at Progressive Baptist Church,1214 S. Robertson Street,New Or‐leans,LA70113 at 10:00 a.m.Visitationfrom9:00 a.m.until 10:00 a.m. Private Burial. Youmay sign the guest book on www.ger trudegeddeswillis.com Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neral Home Inc.,incharge (504) 522-2525.

On Friday,August22, 2025, LeonardGeorgeDavis entered into eternalrestat the ageof85surrounded byfamily. AnativeofNew Orleans,LA. Leonardissur‐vived by hisdevoted wife Iris Davis. Services will be heldSaturday, August 30, 2025 at FifthChurch of God In Christ,3007 LawSt. New Orleans.Viewing 9a-10a Services10a.Interment to followatRestlawnPark Cemetery, Avondale,LA. RichardsonFuneralHome ofJefferson,River Ridge, LAinchargeofarrange‐ments.www.richardsonf uneralhomeofjefferson com.

HoustonDickens Jr 91 years of age, aresidentof Metairie, LA,entered eter‐nal rest on Friday,August 22, 2025. Husbandofthe lateMae IdaVeals Dickens. FatherofLee OttisDickens and thelateDerrick Dick‐ens.StepfatherofDonald Veals,Sr. BrotherofEssie Dickens,Marie McNeal,De‐vores Barron,Frances Windsor, WilmaJeanChap‐man andNathaniel Dick‐ens,and thelateMary LouiseDickens Williams Helen Hamptonand Robert Lee Dickens. Domestic Partner of Yvette W. Ri‐varde.Alsosurvivedby fourgrandchildren,nine great-grandchildren,four‐teen great-great-grandchil‐drenand ahostofnieces, nephews,cousins other relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyalsopastor, officers and membersofHistoric SecondBaptist Church,are invited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Saturday, August 30, 2025 for 10:00 a.m. at Historic SecondBaptist Church, 2505 MarengoStreet,New Orleans,La. 70115. Viewing from9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m.(servicetime).Rev RobertB.Jackson officiat‐ing.Interment:Providence MemorialParkCemetery, 8200 AirlineDr.,Metairie, La. 70003. Arrangements entrusted to Estelle J. Wil‐son FuneralHome, Inc., 2715 Danneel Street,NOLA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign online guest book,pleasevisit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

Encalade,Wilfred Paul 'Toe-Joe'

WilfredPaul"Toe-Joe" EncaladeofPoint-AlaHache,Louisiana,passed awaypeacefully at Wyn‐hoven Community Care CenterinMarrero, Louisiana on Wednesday, August20, 2025, sur‐rounded by hisfamily. He was 74 yearsold.Heborn onSeptember 15, 1950 and was adedicated father grandfather andgreat grandfather.Heissurvived byhis children JuanitaEn‐caladeBattle(Rondell) and Brounsha Williamson (Ryieshia), andgrandchil‐drenDa'rell Williams (Markida),Da'brellEn‐calade, AllenWilliams, Da'juan Williams,Alaya Williams,Rayne Battle and Rondell Battle Jr.Hewas predeceased by hiswife JacquelineJones Encalade and hisparents Marieand WilfredEncalade. Wilfred was lovedbyhis family and will be tremendously missed. Serviceand inter‐mentwas private. Funeral planningentrusted to RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home(504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences please visit Robinsonfamilyfuner‐alhome.com.

Ferbos Sr., Sidney Andrew

Sidney Andrew Ferbos, Sr.,transitionedtohis heavenlyhomeonSatur‐day,August23, 2025. Sid‐ney wasbornonMay 11, 1942 to theunion of the lateEmile andLillian Fer‐bos.Hewas oneof10chil‐dren. Sidney wasmarried tothe love of hislife, the lateSandraElizabeth Fer‐bos andtothisunion two childrenwereborn, Angela Maria andSidneyAndrew Jr. Sidney leaves to cherish his greatlife, thegemsof his life,his children,Angela F Clayton(Karl)and Sidney AndrewFerbosJr(Sherita); three beautifulgrand‐daughters,Synaea, Sivani and Sianna Ferbos;one sis‐ter nlaw,AlmaFerbos; one cousin, MamieBrown; de‐voted friends, Michael Bowersand CarolynB Johnson;and ahostof familyand friends. He was precededindeath by his wife, parentsand siblings Relatives,friends,Priest and parishioners of Corpus Christi Catholic Church are invited to attend theMass ofChristian Burial honor‐ing thelifeand legacy of thelateMr. Sidney Andrew

Ferbos,Sr.,atCorpus Christi Catholic Church 2022 St.Bernard Ave.,New Orleans,LAonSaturday, August30, 2025 at 10 am Interment- St.Louis #3 Cemetery, 3421 Esplanade Ave., NewOrleans,LA. Visi‐tation9 am in thechurch Pleasesignthe online guestbook at charbonnet‐funeralhome.com.Char‐bonnetLabat Glapion, Di‐rectors (504)581 4411.

Hicks, Mages

DeaconessMages Hicks was born April22, 1933, to Fredand EzzieWhite,one oftwelvechildren. Goddis‐patched hisangelsto comeand escort Dea‐conessMages Hickshome onAugust18, 2025. Grow‐ing up in afaith-filled fam‐ily,Deaconess MagesHicks confessedChristatan early age. Shewas bap‐tized underthe leadership ofthe late Rev. Luke White, Mount Zion B.C. of Liberty, Mississippi.Deaconess Mages Hickswas an active memberatMt. PilgrimB.C for eighteen yearsunder the leadership of thelate Rev.Roosevelt MalonSr. She served as thePresi‐dentofthe Senior Choir, Women's Hood andthe PastorSupport groups.In 1970 shejoinedthe East Jefferson Prayer andBible Banduntil herillness in 2022. DeaconessMages Hicks joined theLittleZion B.C.under theleadership ofthe Rev. LeroyTaylor withher husband Deacon PlemonHicks.After her husband's deathshe joinedRisingStarBaptist Church untilher son, Pas‐tor Dwight Rixner was calledtothe ministry.Then in2015, shejoinedhis church Freedominthe WordMinistryand re‐maineda member to this day.Deaconess Mages Hicks'favoritesongwas “Father Istretch my hands tothee”,and herfavorite bible scriptureswere Psalms121 andProverbs chapter 31. Deaconess Mages Hicksattended Eu‐ropeBates High School in Liberty,Mississippi with continued educationat Charity Hospital School of Nursing,UNO College, Moler Beauty College, and XavierUniversitySchool of Music.In2012 Deaconess Mages waslicensedin HomeMission from the Baptist TheologicalSemi‐nary. Hercareersincluded Nursing,Cosmetology and Music.Deaconess Mages Hicks wasprecededin death by herparents,Fred and EzzieWhite;her hus‐bandDeaconPlemon Hicks,her daughter Shelia Cedino, herson Gregory Melson(Linda),and her granddaughter Crystal Rashond Rixner.Three sis‐ters: Willie-Mae Hampton, Elizabeth Dillonbothof Louisiana,MinnieGuiderof Chicago, andone brother Rev.Lewis WhiteofLos An‐geles.She leaves here to cherish hermemoriesher childrenThadJr. (Esna) Patricia,and Pastor Dwight

(Gizel); five sisters, Fannie M.Chesser, Mary Jean Martin-Brown, Gloria Holden-Scott, Augustine Green,all residentsof Louisiana,and FreddieLee HarveyofEnglewood,Cali‐fornia, twobrothers, Matthew Whiteand Charles White, residentsof Louisiana,thirteengrand‐children, twelve greatgrandchildren,two greatgreat-grandchildren,and a hostofnieces, nephews, and friends. Relativesand friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend aFuneral Service on Saturday,Au‐gust30, 2025, at Rising Star Baptist Church,1350 South LaurelStreet,Metairie, LA at10:00 am.Visitationbe‐ginsat9:00am. Interment: HoldenCemetery, Liberty, MS. Arrangements en‐trusted to Dennis Funeral Home, 1812Louisiana Av‐enue,New Orleans, LA Pleasevisit www.dennism ortuaryservice.comtosign the online guestbook

Jackson, Shirley MaeWhite

ShirleyMae White-Jack‐son,age 84, wasbornon May 9, 1941 in NewOr‐leans,LA. Shetransitioned fromthisearthly home on Friday, August 22, 2025. She was agraduateofBooker T.WashingtonSeniorHigh School c/o1959and Sidney Collier Community College. Shirley wasa member of Mount Zion BaptistChurch and thesecretary forthe DesireRehab Center until her retirement.Shirley was the loving mother of Kim WhiteHigginbotham, Al‐bionFord(Sabrina) and Charlie HenriJackson Beloved stepmother of Stephanie Andrews, Oc‐tavia Yvette Andrews, Kandi Butler andKeith An‐drews (Natisha). Devoted sisterofLeola Bridges (Cleo), Lorraine White, San‐dra White, DorisLundyand Valerie Hampton. Shirley was also survived by 6 grandchildren,Jonathan Higginbotham, Ashley Ford, Albion W. Ford,Mysta Jackson,Charlie Jackson, and CareyJordan, 5greatgrandchildren Amani Atkins, CharlieB.Jackson, Ayra, Tatum, andBobby HigginbothamIII anda hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,familyand friends.She waspreceded indeath by herhusband Charlie Jackson; herpar‐entsHenry Whiteand BeatriceE.Brown;her stepfatherPerry Brown; her siblings CarolynMar‐shall andSam White; and her grandchildrenKisharra and BobbyHigginbotham, Jr. Relativesand friendsof the family, also Pastor,of‐ficers andmembers of Mount Zion BaptistChurch Pilgrim BaptistChurch, Lit‐tle St.JohnBaptist Church and allneighboring churches, staffofChateau DeNotre Dame,and the Doctors andNursesof Touro Hospital Q8 arein‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Friday, August 29, 2025 at Mount Zion BaptistChurch 2200 DumaineStreet,New Orleans,LA70119 at 10:00 a.m.Visitationfrom9:00 a.m.until 10:00 a.m. Dr Rev.MitchellJ.Stevens,Sr. Pastor, Officiating. Inter‐mentSt. Louis#3Ceme‐tery, 3421 EsplanadeAv‐enue,New Orleans, LA 70119. Youmay sign the guest book on http://www gertrudegeddeswillis.com. Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neral Home,Inc.incharge (504)522-2525.

Johnson, Patricia AnnHardouin

Patricia AnnHardouin Johnson,a teacherfor 30 years andhomemaker in New Orleans, Louisiana, wenttobewithher Lord and Savior peacefully sur‐rounded by herlovingfam‐ily on August 25, 2025. She was in 88 yearsold.Patri‐cia wasborninNew Or‐leans,March 16, 1937, to Vi‐olet JeannetteFarley

Hardouin andRodolphe Rudy”Emile Hardouin Jr She wasthe oldest grand‐daughterofElmer and FriedaFarleyand Rodolphe Srand Marie Campo Hardouin. Shegraduated fromSt. Mary’s Dominican HighSchool andSt. Mary’s Dominican College. She reigned as queenofthe Krewe of Omarzamong others. Shewas marriedto BurtonEugeneJohnson Sr in1958 for28years.She had 6children, 10 grand‐childrenand 4great grand‐children. Patricia wasa teacher for30years.She taughtfor theOrleans ParishSchool Boardfor 21 years most of that time at Hynes Elementary butalso includedCapdauJr. High She also taught at St James MajorElementary and St.Raphael Elemen‐tary. Shehad theprivilege ofpositivelyinfluencing manylives.She lovedall learningand teaching and encouragedher familyand studentstoplaychess startingthe ChessClubat her school.She lovedthe Lord andwantedtoshare the good news of Jesus Christ andHis love.She was amemberofSt. An‐gelaMericiChurch and Wednesday morning prayergroup,The Rosary Mission Makers at St Christopher,The Apostles ofJesus at St.Clement of Romeand theSeniorCiti‐zensatSt. Angela.She was a member of theInterna‐tionalTeachersHonorary Society,Alpha DeltaKappa Phi Chapterwhere she served in many officer roles includingPresident She belonged to theRed Hat Hottiesand Hynes School RetiredTeacher group.Remaining to cher‐ish Patricia’s memory and loveare herchildren, Bur‐ton Eugene Johnson, Jr (Lois), Patricia AnnJohn‐son Grantham (Charles), Rodolphe“Rudy” Emile HardouinJohnson,David Wayne Johnson, Sr,(Polly), Elmer August “Farley” Johnson;and Violet Jean‐nette Farley JohnsonPe‐ters(Leo);her grandchil‐dren, Burton “Trey” Eugene Johnson III (Lauren),Tyler Wayne Farley Johnson, ParkerMartinJohnson, RobertGrantham(Megan), Charlie Olivia Grantham (Nate);David WayneJohn‐son,Jr.,DanielPaulJohn‐son;PatriciaLouisePeters, Ellie Michel Peters andLeo JosephPetersIII andher great-grandchildren Sebas‐tianEdwardGrantham, Is‐abelElaineGrantham, Evan ThomasJohnson and TuckerWells Johnson. Pre‐cedingPatriciaindeath are herparents Violet and RudyHardouin, hersister Barbara Nan Hardouin Lev‐equeand herson-in-law Leo Joseph Peters Jr.Visi‐tationwillbeheldFriday, August29, 2025 at 10:30am atJacob Schoen &Son 3827 CanalSt.,New Or‐leans,LA70119. Funeral Masswillbeheldat 12:30pm in theJ.Garic ChapelwithFatherC.Beau Charbonnetofficiating. In‐terment will follow at Hope Mausoleum at 4841 Canal St.,New Orleans, LA 70119 In lieu of flowers, mass and prayers offeredinPatri‐cia’s name forher andher familywould be appreci‐ated. Arrangements by Jacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home.Condolences may be left at www schoenfh.com.

Lawrence,Barbara Womack

On Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 9:26 am in New Orleans,LA, TheLordsaw fittocallanother oneof his children home.Barbara WomackLawrencepassed awaypeacefullyinher homeatthe ageof86. She isprecededindeath by her parents,Wally andGay‐lusha Womack;siblings, Karmel, George,Robert and WillieWomack, Ruby Walker, Martha Denham, MaryBarnesand Joyce Duncan. Sheissurvivedby her husband,Paul Lawrenceand devoted sons, Michael(Charlotte) and Alvin Lawrence; daughterinlaw,Nicolette Daniels andKenneth Lawrence; daughter in law, Sandy Duet.Alsosurvived bygrandchildren,Adri‐anna,Bailey, Amanda,Mor‐gan,Brooke, Evan,Andre and Arianne. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe funeral. Ahome‐going servicehonoringthe lifeofthe late Barbara WomackLawrencewillbe heldinthe Chapel of Char‐bonnetLabat GlapionFu‐neral Home,1615 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Saturday,August

30, 2025 at 10 am.Inter‐mentProvidenceMemorial Park, 8200 AirlineDrive Metairie, LA 70003. Visita‐tion9 am in thechapel. Pleasesignonlineguest‐book@www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com.Charbon‐net LabatGlapion,Direc‐tors(504)581 4411.

Licciardi,David

Joseph

DavidJosephLicciardi was born on January17th, 1963, in NewOrleans Louisiana,toDavid Liccia‐rdi andMarie (Mizie) Olivier Licciardi. He was found to have passedaway onAugust15th, 2025. His suddenlossfrompresum‐ablynatural causes was unexpected, andhis family isprofoundly saddened David waspredeceased by grandparents, Ruth &Paul Olivier andAlmira& JosephLicciardi,Sr.,as wellashis father,David Licciardi.David J. Licciardi issurvivedbyhis only son and best friend,David B. (Stevie)Licciardi,his mother, MizieLicciardi, and siblings,Beth(Jay) Schwander,Jill (Carl) Buh‐ler,and Paul (Karen)Lic‐ciardi, as well as by his aunt,Carol Blanchard, uncle,Joseph(Simonne) Licciardi,Jr.,and many nieces, nephews, grand‐nieces, grandnephews,and cousins—a full familyis grievinghis loss. Always anexcellent student, David attended St.AngelaMerici School forelementaryand graduated with honors fromJesuitHighSchool in 1981. He received hisB.S.in ManagementfromTulane Universityin1985 andhis MBA from theUniversityof New Orleansin2004. After college,David worked with his father as arealestate appraiser. Then,for 27 years,David worked as a Louisiana certified residen‐tialappraiserfor theJef‐fersonParishAssessor’s Office.David wasa truly giftedmusician; he could playanythingbyear Thoughpiano washis first instrument, he also loved the guitar.His familyand friends lovedtohearhim play. Davidshareda love of the Beatleswithhis mother, andhis witty humor couldlight up a room with laughter.Hehad a passionfor familyand cityhistory andenjoyed learninglittleknown facts about buildings, homes, and past inhabitantsof New Orleans. Spending quality time with family and friendswas hisfa‐voritepartofany day— whether it wastaking walks with hisson and grand-dog, Marty, or call‐ing aloved onejusttosay, hi.” Davidwillbegreatly missed. Gone toosoon Relatives andfriends were invited to attend thevisita‐tiononAugust27, 2025, at St. FrancisXavierCatholic Church;the FuneralMass began at 1PM. Agraveside blessingfollowedat MetairieCemetery. Upon the conclusion of theser‐vice, friendsand family wereinvited to areception atthe home of MizieLic‐ciardi. Forthe rest of the day,Mizie’shouse wasfull ofmusic andlove. David’s ashes rested on thepiano inhis childhood home while thefamilymusicians played. Thefamily’slaugh‐ter andmusic that rang throughoutthe evening willbewithhim foreveras heisinurned in theLiccia‐rdi familytombonAugust 29, 2025, the20thanniver‐saryofHurricane Katrina’s landfallinLouisiana.I love you, Dad. –D.B.L

St.,Garyville, La 70051 (985) 535-2516.

Alice Cayold Parker departed this life on August 15, 2025. Daughter of the late Deloris Gregoireand Willie Watkins Sr. Mother of Demetra Cayold, Jawanna Cayold, Enadia Cayold (late Eugene) Fleming,Dayshawn (Kenyatta)Cayold,Sr.,and Devin Parker. Alice is also survivedbyher grandchildren,great-grandchildren, siblingsand ahost of other relatives and friends Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 10:00a.m. at Milesville Memorial COGIC. 129 AppleSt.,Laplace, LA 70068, BishopRonald Frank, pastor/officiant. VisitationonSaturday August 30, 2025, at 8:00am until servicetime (ONLY)

KeithDwaynePeters was born March28, 1971, in New Orleans, LA to Mer‐cedes andNorrisPeters, Jr Heentered into eternal restonAugust18, 2025 at the ageof54. Keithac‐ceptedChristatanearly age andwas baptizedat Old Zion BaptistChurch Hewas educated in theOr‐leans Parish School System and laterworkedincon‐struction andasa cook, where hislovefor food brought joytomany. He leavestocherish precious memories, daughter Shakeitha Young;grand‐children, Jayla, Joe’land Jaylayah; mother,Mer‐cedes Dexter;siblings, Jacqueline, Nakia, Daffiny Anthony,Germain andTim‐othy, as well as ahostof nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. Allare invited to attend thefu‐neral.A Celebrationser‐vicehonoringthe life of the late KeithD.Peterswill beheldatSt. Matthew Baptist Church,1826 Conti Street,New Orleans, LA 70112 on Saturday,August 30, 2025 at 11 am.Inter‐mentPrivate.Visitation9 aminthe church.Please signonlineguestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411.

worksSC. andCharleston CountySchool District are invited to attend theMass ofChristian Burial honor‐ing thelifeand legacy of the late MarieC.Picou at St. MariaGoretti Catholic Church,7300 Crowder Blvd.,New Orleans, LA on Saturday, August 30, 2025 at11am. IntermentMount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman MayerAv‐enue,New Orleans, LA.Vis‐itation 10 am in thechurch. Pleasesignthe online guestbook at charbonnet‐funeralhome.com.Char‐bonnetLabat Glapion, Di‐rectors (504)581 4411.

Simmons,KirtDouglas

Kirt DouglasSimmons transitionedonWednes‐day,August20, 2025. Kirt was born in NewOrleans, LA, on July 2, 1953. Pre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, Willie Simmons, Sr and Lena Paul,and one brother,WillieSimmons,Jr. Heleavestocherish his memory, wife of 53 years, Nathalie; twodaughters, Keishia (Herbert)and Ani‐tra (Michael); threesisters; Carolyn Gumbs, Rosalie Simmons,ChanelWarren, one brother, Johnny Williams; five grandchil‐dren, threegreat-grand‐children, anda host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. Relativesand friends areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife Service on Saturday,Au‐gust30, 2025, for1:30p.m atThe Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy,New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation will begin at12:30 p.m. Minister BrendaSquare, officiating. Intermentwillfollowat Mount Olivet Cemetery, 4000 Norman MayerAv‐enue,New Orleans, LA 70122. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

her fiance EsvinCarreraPinedaand herbeloved son JarrellStevenson Sr She was50years oldand a dedicated member of New homeMinistriesunder the leadershipofBishop SamuelR.BlakesSr. Nitra grewupinthe heartof New Orleansand was raisedinthe Magnolia Pro‐jects,(aplace shealways helddeartoher heartand proudly represented).She often visitedand wor‐shippedatthe NewOr‐leans SeventhDay Adven‐tistChurch underthe lead‐ershipofPastorBenjamin Francois. Sheisthe beloved mother of Iriell Stevenson,GlenRuss, De‐shawn Travis andthe late Jarrell StevensonSr.,and the late Christopher "Wooda" Conner.Devoted stepmotherofAlex, Edwin and Isaiah Cerrera-Frost cherished grandmotherof Ja'NarieWillis, Ja'nyi Stevenson,Jarrell Steven‐son Jr., J'ziah Brownand MelodyRuss. Sheisalso her parentsGaynell Stevenson (Leonard)and JunerJackson,her siblings; George, Desmond, Brandon Trina" Simmonsand PhiltrelConner, herfa‐voriteuncles; Theron,and Kevin Stevenson; herfa‐voriteauntLoria "Lucy" Russell andher "go-to girls and sistersfromanother mother",EvangelineJohn‐son,Lynette Burton,Shawn Powelland Demetries Lloyd,and herGodmother; Wanda Pearson. Shealso leavesbehinda host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friendswho will for‐evercherish hermemories. Relatives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the funeralservice on Fri‐day,August29, 2025 at New home Ministries lo‐cated at 1616 Carondelet St.,New OrleansLA. 70130 The visitation will beginat 9AM followed by a10AM service.PastorSamuelR BlakesSr. will officiateand interment will follow in HoltCemetery527 City ParkAve., NewOrleans LA 70119. Funeralplanningen‐trusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home,9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.70037 (504) 208-2119. Foronline condolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

Jr., Joseph

McGee,Arnelle

ArnelleMarieMcGee, age 72, departed this earth on Saturday August 16, 2025. Daughter of thelate RubyMae and Ernest Taylor,Sr.,Mother of LeTasha Eugene, JuanSr, Brandon McGee and the late Dwayne Taylor Sr., Shalina and Willie McGee Jr., Arnelleisalso survived by her grandchildren, and ahost of otherrelatives, and friends.

Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 11:00a.m. at Rescue MissionB.C.361 E. 14thSt.,Reserve, LA 70084, Rev. Devin Mason, pastor/ officiant.Visitation on SaturdayAugust 30, 2025, at 10:00am until service time.

Professional Services entrusted to theCaring StaffofHobson Brown Funeral Home 134 Daisy

MarieCordier Picou, gainedher eternalwings onWednesday,August20, 2025 at theage of 94. Marie was born on April12, 1931 tothe union of thelate James,Sr. andAlice Olivier Cordier.Mrs.Picou was joinedinHolyMatrimony tothe late Albert Picoufor 71years at thetimeofhis death.Thisunion was blessedwitha son, Kevin Picou,Sr. In addition to her son,Kevin (JeniseGreen), Marie also leaves to cher‐ish hermemory, siblings, Alice (Milton) Ward,Leon Cordier andJeanne Larx; brother-in-law, Donald (Eloise)Picou;grandchil‐dren, Travis Rouchon, Kevin (Yahisa)Picou,Jr. and Devin (Kaja) Picou; great grandchildren,Nivay,El‐drin, Jesse,Yavin andJor‐dyn,aswellasa host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends andThe Crew.In addition to herhusband and parents, Marieisalso precededindeath by a daughter-in-law,Cheryl Picou.Relatives,friends, Priestand parishioners of St. MariaGoretti Catholic Church,Employees of Han‐cockWhitney Bank,New Orleans Jazz andHeritage Foundation, ChisesiBroth‐ers, CHS, FreemanBoat‐

KennethSimms,Jr.,age 30, aresidentofNew Or‐leans,passedawayonSat‐urday,August16th2025. He leavestocherish hismem‐ory,parents,DanaSpencer and KennethSimms,Sr; brother,Darnell A. Spencer;sisterinlaw, CourtneyPeters, oneniece two nephews, otherrela‐tives andfriends.A Cele‐bration servicehonoring the life of thelateKenneth Simms,Jr.,willbeheldat Ray Ave. BaptistChurch, 4712 RayAvenue,New Or‐leans,LA70126 on Satur‐day,August30, 2025 at 10 am. IntermentMount OlivetCemeteryand Mau‐soleum, 4000 Norman Mayer Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA. Visitation 9am inthe church.Pleasesign onlineguestbook at www charbonnetfuneralhome com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411.

Joseph SylvesterThi‐bodeaux,Jr.,entered into eternal rest at Ochsner Medical Center Westbank onWednesday,August13, 2025, at theage of 78. He was anativeand resident ofNew Orleans, LA.Joseph was agraduateofL.B LandryClass of 1965 and SouthernUniversity. He servedhis countryinthe UnitedStatesMarineCorps duringthe VietnamWar Josephwas employed as aneducatorwiththe Or‐leans Parish School Sys‐tem.Beloved father of Keith Thibodeaux,Craig Thibodeaux, RaynardThi‐bodeaux,Jovonna Thi‐bodeaux,JorrenHorace, Khloe Thibodeaux (Rudolph) Pinder,and the lateMarkK.Thibodeaux. Son of thelateJosephS Thibodeaux, Sr.and Bee EllaThibodeaux. Brotherof Wilbert(Carolyn) Thi‐bodeaux,Charles Thi‐bodeaux,NelvinThi‐bodeaux,Willie(Robert) Jackson,and thelateDo‐lores Riley, LloydThi‐bodeaux,Sr.,and Kidearn Thibodeaux. Life partnerof the late CynthiaMiller,also survivedbyhis bonus sons Ronald(Danielle)Miller,Jr. and D’Artanian (Kristy) Miller, Sr., 13 grandchil‐dren, anda host of nieces nephews,cousins,other relatives,and friends. Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe

See more DEATHS page Stevenson, Zannitria Arlene 'Nitra

ZannitriaArlene"Nitra" Stevenson wasbornon September 7, 1974 in New Orleans LA.toGaynell Stevenson andJune Jack‐son.She departed this life inNew OrleansonSunday, August 10, 2025 alongwith

Kimberly MoniqueCarbo August 29,1960–July24, 2004

TO UNCA

OPINION

Communicationfor firstrespondersiscrucial

In late August 2005, our team at Acadian Ambulance was bracing for the unimaginable. Hurricane Katrina washeading toward Louisiana, and even with decades of disaster responseexperience, we knew this storm would test us in ways we’d never seen before. What followed was devastation on amassive scale. Lives were lost. Entire communities submerged. Critical infrastructure was wiped out. And for those of us tryingto respond, the disaster was made even worse by one of the greatest challengeswefaced: thebreakdown of communications.

Zuschlag

cases, we had to revert to handwritten notes and runners just to getinformation where it needed to go. We didour jobs the best we could,but there’sno question ourresponse was hindered by thelack of a reliable, unified communicationsnetwork. Today,wehave somethingwedidn’thave then. Today,wehaveFirstNet.

Our EMTs and paramedics were in the field, workingaround the clock, but the systems we depended on to coordinatewith hospitals, emergency managers and other first responders simply failed. Radio channelswere overwhelmed. Cell networks were overloaded. Coordination between agencies became chaotic. In some

FirstNet is the nation’s only wireless broadband network built specifically for first responders. It was born out of the hard lessons of 9/11, Katrina and other major disasters, created to ensure that public safety agencies haveasecure, reliable way to stay connected, even in themost extreme circumstances.

At Acadian,wewere one of the first EMS providers in the country to adoptFirstNet. We’ve seen firsthandthe difference it makes It gives our medics on theground thetools they need to transmit patient data while en route, coordinate across agencies in real

time and access priority coverage during major events,all without competing with the general public for bandwidth. Andit’smore than just amobile connection. FirstNet includes morethan 150 deployable network assets, including SatCOLTs,

AfterHurricane Katrina, BatonRouge steppedup

Former Mayor-President Kip Holden was in his first year of his first term in office when he watched Hurricane Katrina move into the Gulf. He activated the Emergency Operations Center and called to ask if Imight pitch in to help with what he felt would be an “all-hands-on-deck” moment forBaton Rouge.

Ihad managed his mayoral campaign, and we still talked dailyabout the excitingprogress he was making.

At the EOC, we anxiously watched as Katrina madelandfall in Louisiana. As damageswere being assessed, New Orleans’ levees began to fail, its pumpingsystem failed and 15 to 20 feet of water flooded the city

airport, forweeks it remainedthe secondbusiest airport in the U.S. behind JFKInternational in NewYork. Policeworkeddouble shifts, spread thin to keep BatonRouge safe.A large cacheofweapons was collected at the River Center froma population that includeddisplaced mentally ill people who wentdays, then weeks, without their medication. An active caseof tuberculosis was found among those sheltered there.

Cell on Wings, Compact Rapid Deployables and even tethered drones and blimps, all designed to restore coverageinplaces where traditional infrastructure is knocked out.

It’sexactlythe kind of system we wish we had 20 years ago.

But here’sthe thing: FirstNet isn’tguaranteed forever.Its Congressional authorization is set to expire, and unless Congress acts to reauthorize it, the future of this lifesaving network and the coordination it enables could be at risk.

As acompany built by medics, formedics, and rooted right here in Louisiana, we know what happens when first responders are cut off from one another.We’ve lived it. We’ve fought through it. And we never wanttogoback.

Twenty years after Katrina, we have aresponsibility to the next generation of EMTs, firefighters, law enforcement officers and all those whostand on the front lines to makesure they never face the kind of silence we endured. Congress must act to reauthorize FirstNet and ensure that America’sfirst responders stay connected, prepared and protected when it matters most.

Blaise Zuschlagisanexecutive withAcadian Ambulance Service.

Hurricane’slegacywillbe lost if lessonsnot heeded

Twenty years ago, astorm made landfall that would devastate New Orleans, displace families and change lives forever.Hurricane Katrina would ultimately cost nearly 1,400 lives and cause $190 billion in damage.

Our first indication of how dire things would become came when Baton Rouge 911 operators began receiving calls from people stranded on New Orleans rooftops. We realized there must have beenmassive communication system failures for emergency calls to be coming from 80 miles away As New Orleans filled with water, Baton Rouge filled with evacuees. A steady stream of vehicleschokedall roads leading to the city.Rescue helicopters began droppingpeopleonthe tarmac at the Baton Rouge airport and taking off again. As approximately 250,000 people descendedonthe greater Baton Rouge area, complete gridlock set in. Hotels were full, homeswere full and the River Center,poorly equipped to serve as ashelter,was opened when buses arrived and droppedmoreand more evacuees. The day after Katrinamade landfall, Holdensent theBaton Rouge Fire Department’sUrban Search and Rescue teamtoNew Orleans, wheretheyrescued over 1,000 trapped residents. Grappling with the influx ofpeople to our city,which caused a35-40% increase in traffic on its streets, Holden was also working to get powerrestored to Baton Rouge residentsand managing the cleanup of more than 600 downed trees, which had made many streets impassable.

While New Orleans businesses were washed away,Baton Rouge businesses were paralyzed, with sales negatively impacted as aresultoftraffic,supply chain interruptions and thelossofcustomers from the devastatedareas With constant relief and recovery flights in and out of the BatonRouge

Rannah Gray GUEST COLUMNIST

The city was aticking time bomb

But Iwatched Holden grow in stature every day as he led with afirm and steady hand. He dropped in at the River Center to let people who hadlost everything, some still searching for family members, know they were notalone. There werebirths, deaths and even acouple of weddings And as you would expect, the community cookedjambalaya for their receptions. It was aglimmerofhope for life to somedayreturn to normal.

Holden stoodupfour local governments —Orleans, Jefferson, St.Bernard and Plaquemines parishes —providing staff support and useofthe Metro Council chambers for their meetings. Thanks to Baton Rouge, theywereable to begin conducting business again.

In thefirst10days,Holden flew back andforth to Washington, D.C., three timestotestify beforeCongress about thedire needs of Louisiana.

In time,Baton Rouge madegreat strides based on lessons learned. Voters overwhelmingly approved Holden’s proposed Green Light Plan to fund infrastructureimprovements. First responder communications systemsimproved, FEMA established asignificant long-term presenceinBaton Rouge and the city-parish launched its RedStick Readyinitiative, named anational best practice by FEMA, to educatethe public on disaster preparation and resilience. EastBaton Rouge Parishwas fortunate to have the leadership and vision of KipHolden,who was never afraid to make tough decisions and always stood up for the citizens he served. Behind his leadership, the entire Baton Rouge area offereda ray of hope to thoseexperiencing the worst naturaldisaster our nation had seen.

Rannah Gray is apublicrelations consultant in Baton Rouge.

Many remember the images of people huddled in theSuperdome and neighborhoods underwater.But theresponse to Katrina was more effective than the narrative would suggest, andwhere there were shortcomings,the lessons learned have spared countless lives over the past 20 years.

For any disaster,aneffective response requires three parts: preparation,response andrecovery,followed by mitigation.

many lives have been saved in the past 20 yearsthanks to the lessons learnedafter Katrina.Whatisclear,though, is howquickly those lessons have been forgotten in just the past 200 days. One third of alldisaster management professionals at FEMA are nowgone— allin the name of “efficiency.” Meteorologists at NOAA, seismologists at the USGS andscientists, analysts and otherofficials have been discharged too. And we’re only beginning to feel the consequences.

Before Katrinahit,wehad advance warning thanks to NOAA and the National Weather Service. That enabled the WhiteHouse to issue apre-landfall declaration on Saturday and state and local officials to issueanevacuation order before the storm came ashore.

The trouble was that the day prior,the Pentagon had still not received arequest from FEMA, which had not received arequestfor aid from the governor.When the storm madelandfall, it overwhelmed local and state governments. Federal intervention is essential in crises of this scale.

The response to Katrina was forceful and, in hindsight,was an amazing example of what happens when people come together Nearly 80% of the people ordered to evacuate did so. Volunteersstepped up to help neighborsand strangersalike. As far away as Houston,the local government and ordinarycitizens took in New Orleans residents forced to flee theirhomes.

Still, there was more than could have been done. Thosewhoselives werelost were overwhelmingly poor —people whodidn’t have acar to leave town or acredit card to book alast-minute hotel room. Notenough residentshad contingency plans to leave with afriend or neighbor,and on the government side, not enough shelters wereset up to accommodate those whocouldn’tevacuate. After thestorm, new mitigation plans were created. Federal levees had to be rebuilt to withstandhigher storm surges due to global warming. FEMA’s size was doubled to ensure amore robustfederal response to future disasters. Ad hoc shelters were designated and regional warehouses foremergency supplies wereestablished, as were plans to rapidly disburse emergency funds to survivors. It’simpossible to state with certainty how

Historic rains in Texas caused floodsthatstole the lives of at least 136 people,including dozens of girls at Camp Mystic, along the Guadalupe River. Insteadofbeing prepared, FEMA was hamstrung by aDepartment of Homeland Security secretary more focusedoncutting costs than saving lives. Thousands of calls from survivors of the Texasfloodswentunanswered when the DHS failed to renewcontractstostaff callcenters.

All this undera DHS secretary who doesn’tbelieve FEMA needs to exist and apresident who thinks stateshave the resources to handle natural disasters on their own. Theydon’t

We can’t afford to forget Katrina’slessons. Once-in-a-thousand-yearevents arehappening everyyear.In2024, Helene destroyed entire communitiesinWestern North Carolina afterforming in the hottest ocean waters on record. Meanwhile, western stateshave firesthatengulf entire countieswhile the northeast gets downpours we usedtoonly seeinthe tropics.

In my home state of Louisiana, hurricanes can easily overwhelm local capacity to respond, as was the case for Laura andIda Congress andthe White House must prepare the nationfor natural and manmade disasters.

Tragedieslike the Texas flood cannot become the norm, andAmericans should not be neglected as they were in Puerto Rico in the first Trump administration.

ThatmeansFEMA must be adequately staffed andfundedtoperform its essential duties, including mitigation efforts. Elevating the head of FEMA to acabinet-level positionand extricating the agency from the DHS bureaucracy would be agreat place to start.

LTG. RusselL.Honoré (Ret.)isaformer commanding officer of theU.S. First Army He ledJoint Task Force Katrina in New Orleans following thestorm.

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK EDUCATION AFTER KATRINA

YEARS

In the years following Hurricane Katrina, NewOrleans embarked upon one of the boldest experiments ever in American education: It turned its public schoolsovertocharter school operators whopromised better outcomes and programstailored to students’ needs.Theresults of thisexperimentare mixed.While graduation ratesand student scores are up, high-profile closures of failingcharter schools have periodically upended the educationalprogress of students.Andsomesay the elimination of neighborhood schools —especially those that traditionally served Black students—has hurt communities.What has NewOrleans learned from the remaking of its educational system and what mightother troubled school districts takefrom its experience? Here aretwo perspectives.

Reformstookthe schools away from thecommunities

On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we believe that as two survivors of Katrina and current higher education students who left Louisiana to pursue education, it’simportant to help people understand what happenedtoour schools after the storm.

SchoolsinN.O.have advanced,sokeepitgoing

Kaprice Daniels GUEST COLUMNIST

It was awholesale and hostile dismantling of Black andBrown cultural hubs.

It also became the prototypefor abroader Southern strategy.Before thelevees broke,New Orleans’ public schools were struggling under decades of underfunding and systemic inequities, buttheyremained rooted in our communities. Many were staffed by veteran Black educatorswho served generations of families. The schools were imperfect, yes, but they were also gathering places for shared identityand traditions and symbols of civic identity Afterthe disaster,within months, private charter operators, many withnoroots in the city,were brought intorun theschools While the language of “opportunity”and “innovation” filled pressconferences, in the school hallways, something essential wasmissing. There was lessjoy.Schools were stripped of their communal warmth and recast as efficiency-driven enterprises. We experienced the “zero tolerance” atmosphere,with kids forced to stand in lines, only able to speak when spoken to and subject to strict uniform compliance from head to toe. We had no individuality and it felt likethe military.Before, schools had beenvibrant extensions of family life —places where our teachers knew ourparents, aunts, cousins. After the storm, those spaces felt more like isolation chambers. Even though proponents pointtogains in standardized test scores, those purported and modest gains came withheavycosts: the erosion of self-determination, widening inequities and the loss of cultural continuity.The deeper truth, as Katrina made painfully clear,isthat disaster can beused as cover for political and economic agendas rooted in systemic racism.

The conversion of New Orleans’ schools was not an isolated event.The NewOrleans model has been exported andrefined acrossthe South, deployed not only in disaster recovery but as astandard tool of education policy.Officials in stateslike Tennessee, Mississippi andTexas have used therhetoric of “failing schools”and “accountability”tojustify stripping local

Jada Ceasar GUEST COLUMNIST

communities —often majority Black, Brown and lowincome— of control.

Ourexperiences in the post-Katrina school system offer urgent lessons, especially as climatechange increases the likelihood of future disastersdisrupting school systems. Privatizing schools does not help studentsafter adisaster.Instead, policymakers should prioritize addressing four key needs that will makethe mostimpact on studentwell-being and success, and help the wholecommunity recover

First, students need therapy and space to process loss. We grieved people, but we also grieved stability.Studentsmust be given space and support to workthrough trauma.

Second, we must restore normalcy by rapidly providing school supplies and wraparound services to reestablish daily routines and help young people get the care they need and regain asense of security

Third,weneed to invest in community programs. People —especially youth facingupheaval need to know they are not alone. Schools can be hubs for mutualaid andsharedresilience.

Fourth, therehas to be aplan for academic interventions. Lossoflearning time is inevitable after adisaster,but targeted programs can help studentscatch up withoutthe punitive measures we experienced. None ofthese priorities require dismantling public governance or inviting private operators to profit off the crisis. They do, however,require sustained investment, patience and respect for thecommunities affected

Thelesson from Katrina is not that public schools are beyond improvement, nor that reform is unnecessary.Itisthat the path to improvement cannot bypassthe very people mostinvested in those schools. It’stimetotreat public schools as community pillars worth rebuilding. Otherwise, we’ll continue down theKatrina path,whereacrisis becomes apretext for erasinglocal voices and selling off one of our most vital public goods. Oneapproach strengthens democracy.The other hollows it out.

Kaprice

Danielsisajournalism student at Northwestern University. Jada Ceasar is alaw student at SouthTexas College of Law

Twenty years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated our city. Floodwaters rose, lives were lost and families werescattered. Nearly every public school building was damaged or destroyed. Butinthe face of unimaginable loss, New Orleanians showed the resilience that defines the city.We rolled up our sleeves and got to work, driven by adeep and abiding love for our childrenand our home. We rebuilt New Orleans, and we rebuilt our schools with determination, creativity and hope.

tion to college and career.These efforts don’tjust keep kids safe; they help them achieve and thrive.

Unfortunately,many of these programsare at risk due to federal budget cuts and uncertainty demanding greater state and local support. This is essential. If we wantour children to continue to grow academically,wemust invest in the things they need to thrive.

We’ve made undeniable progress. Graduation rates are up 25 percentage points, and college enrollment has climbed nearly 30 points. Nota single New Orleanspublic school holds an “F” rating today.Since the pandemic, our students have improved in reading and math at twice the rate of their peers statewide.

These gains didn’thappen by chance but were theresult of thehard work of our students and educators —even through their own grief, loss, displacementand healing.

As we mark 20 years since the storm, this progress is acall not only to reflect, but to act. Ourwork isn’tdone. If we want to meet the current moment, we must focus our support on thepeople at thecenter of our schools: our students and their teachers.

Supporting our students today means meetingtheir needs more fully,not just academically but physically and emotionally.Wehave some incredible models of this already.Partnerships like ThriveKids, Communities In Schools and the Children’sBureau of NewOrleans help support students coping with trauma.

New Orleans’ educators have built programstoserve diverse learners, such as Opportunities Academy’slifeskills programmingfor high schoolers with intellectual and developmental needs, ReNEW Schools’ TherapeuticDay Program for studentswith complex socioemotional and behavioral needs and Constellations at Crescent City Schools. We must fuel programs like these while investing in the next waveof solutions, like new high school models that offer more flexibility,and support for key transitions like the movefrom eighth to ninth grade or from gradua-

Supporting our teachers means making New Orleans the best place in the country to teach. That begins with paying teachers like the professionals they are. No one serving our children should have to struggle to makeends meet Educators should be able to afford a home, raise afamily and build afuture in the city they serve. But compensation alone isn’tenough. Teachers also need the preparation and support to boost academic achievement. That includes training in the science of reading and other proven strategies to accelerate student learning forall students. When we invest in our teachers, we invest in better outcomes foryoung people. We also need to grow the next generation of educators. “Grow Your Own” programslike those at McDonogh 35, Warren Easton and KIPPNew Orleans give high school students an early path into the profession.

These young people bring deep love fortheir communities and asense of pride in giving back. We need to expand these efforts across the city,somore students see teaching as acalling and apowerful waytoshape the future of New Orleans.

Twenty years after the levees broke, our city’sschools are looking ahead. We’ve proven what’spossible when a city dares to believe in its children and invests in their future. Now we’re called to dream even bigger —toaccelerate progress, to imagine schools with the resources to meet students’ and teachers’ needs.

Together,wewill create afuture where every child, in every neighborhood, is prepared to thrive. Let’srise to that challenge, together

Dana Peterson is the CEO of New Schoolsfor NewOrleans, an education advocacy organization.

familyalsopriests and parishionersofAll Saints Catholic Church andneigh‐boringchurches arein‐vited to attend aMassof Christian Burial at All SaintsCatholicChurch, 1441 TecheStreet,New Or‐leans,LAonSaturday, Au‐gust30, 2025, at 11:30a.m Visitationwillbegin at 9:30a.m.until servicetime atthe abovenamed church.Interment:West‐lawnCemetery, Gretna,LA. ArrangementsbyDavis MortuaryService 230Mon‐roe St.Gretna, LA.Toview and sign theguestbook pleasegotowww.davismo rtuaryservice.com.Face Masks AreRecommended

DEATHS continued from Godand left alegacyof love, service, andprayer. Blessedwithninechildren, she leaves behind genera‐tions of herlight—24 grandchildren,47greatgrandchildren,and seven great-great-grandchildren —who will carry forward her memory.A serviceof remembrance andthanks‐givingwillbeheldat11:00 a.m.onSaturday, August 30, 2025, at PilgrimBaptist Church,2114 Reverend Richard Wilson Drive, Ken‐ner,Louisiana.Visitation beginsat10:00 a.m.,with interment to follow at ProvidenceMemorialPark Cemetery, Metairie,Louisiana. RichardsonFuneral HomeofJefferson,River Ridge,Louisiana in charge ofarrangements. www.ric hardsonfuneralhomeofjeff erson.com

Thomas, Geraldine Stanford 'Pamela'

Geraldine Stanford Thomas, 83 of New Orleans, LA Visitation August 30, 2025 from 9a.m. to 10:50a.m. Funeral at 11:00 a.m. at the Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N. Claiborne Ave.in New Orleans. Burial in Providence Cemetery in Metairie, Louisiana

Arrangements entrusted to Dickey Brothers Memorial Funeral Home in Biloxi, MS, Vanderhorst, Pamela Gie

VelmaStewart Tumblin ofRiver Ridge, Louisiana, passedfromthislifeinto God’s eternalembrace on Wednesday,August20, 2025, surrounded by peace inher home,atthe ageof 98. Herlifewas atapestry ofdevotion, wovenwith threads of love forher fam‐ily andservice to hercom‐munity. Aretired cosmetol‐ogist,she wasaffection‐ately knownasthe neigh‐borhood beautician,bring‐ing warmth andcaretoall she touched. Herfaith was steadfast.Asa devoted servant of theLordand a faithfulmemberofPilgrim Baptist Church in Kenner, shewalkedhumblywith

Pamela GieVanderhorst transitioned peacefully surrounded by herfamily onWednesday,August13, 2025 at theage of 69 PamelaattendedOrleans ParishPublicSchoolsand was agraduateofWalterL Cohen’s Classof1973. She alsoattendedSouthern UniversityatNew Orleans. She is preceded in death byher firstborn, Sylvester Brown, Jr.; loving parents, Rev.EdwardC., Sr.and IreneHooverGie; siblings, AlonzoJ.and LeonardGie ofCaliforniaand KathyGie Armstead; niece, Dawn KristyWrightand nephew, Ralph Lomax, Jr.She is lov‐ingly remembered by her husband,Booker T. Vander‐horst,though they had been separatedfor many years;children, Tamahand DeLance Vanderhorst (Sarah);grandchildren,De‐LaniVanderhorst,Ryleigh Robinsonand Aziz Delance Abd-elaziz; siblings,Judith Ann Lomax, GeneviaGie Wombley andEdwardC Gie,Jr. (Joyce); Godchil‐dren, TerezClayton and GaryPollard;devoted friends, ZaliaFlowers and

Robert Glass, nieces nephews,great nieces and nephews anda host of familyand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend aMemorial Service at NewZionBap‐tistChurch,2319 Third Street,New Orleans, LA 70113 on Saturday,August 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. anda repastatAsheCultural ArtsCenter, 1712 Oretha CastleHaley Blvd NewOr‐leans,LA70113 from 123:00p.m

Herzel W. Washington Jr passedawayonSunday, August10, 2025, at theage of61. Herzel is survived by his wife Toky N. Washing‐ton,his sonHerzelWash‐ington, Kieron Martin Sr daughters,TaleishaWash‐ington, TaliyahWashington & DyminWashington. Also survivedbythree grand‐children, four sisters, one brother,and ahostoffam‐ily andfriends.Precededin death by hisparents Herzel W.WashingtonSr& GertrudeM.Washington, and nieceTayjonishaA Washington. Family and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe CelebrationofLife Service on Saturday,Au‐gust30, 2025, for10:00 a.m. atThe Boyd Family Funeral Home, 5001 Chef Menteur Hwy NewOrleans,LA 70126. Visitation will begin at9:00a.m.PastorDr. Car‐olynMcCallLivingston, of‐ficiating. Intermentwillfol‐low at Providence Memor‐ial Park andMausoleum, 8200 AirlineDrive,Metairie, LA70003. Guestbook On‐line: www.anewtraditionbe gins.com(504)282-0600 LinearBrooksBoydand Donavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/FuneralDirectors

and low90s with about a40to 50% chance of showers and storms.Thereisa marginal risk of excessive rainfallwhich could lead to isolated flash flooding in the area Otherwise,expect someponding of water in low lying areasand areaswith poor drainage. The tropics arequiet today, butweare expecting atropical wave to emergeoff thewestAfrican coastSunday

Robert CharlesWheeler II, born July 11, 1986, left us onAugust19, 2025, leaving behinda legacy of kind‐ness, creativity,and joy. He issurvivedbyhis loving mother, DeborahPerrin Wheeler,his father,Robert Wheeler,his brother, WilliamPeters, hisniece, Camin Peters,and his nephews,Liam“Ro” Ducrosand William“Trip Peters. Robert waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis sis‐ter,Elise Wheeler,and his brother,Matthew Ducros Peters. Robert attended St Paul’sHighSchool in Cov‐ingtonand went on to study chemistryatLSU be‐foregraduatingfromthe UniversityofNew Orleans witha degree in film.His lovefor film andmusic was matched only by hispas‐sionfor sharinghappiness withthose around him. Roberthad agiftfor lifting others’ spirits, andhewill berememberedmostfor the wayhemadesurethe peopleinhis life felt cared for andatease. He trav‐eledmanyroads and touched countless lives, al‐waysleaving behind warmthand laughter whereverhewent. Robert’s presencewillbedeeply missed, buthis memory willcontinue to inspire those who knew andloved him.Relatives andfriends are invitedtoattend the funeralmassonFriday, Au‐gust29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. atE.J.FieldingFuneral Home, 2260 West 21st Av‐enue,Covington,Louisiana withvisitationbeginning at9:00a.m.Interment will followinGreenwood Cemetery, 5200 Canal Boulevard,New Orleans, Louisiana.A Celebrationof LifeinRoberts honorwill takeplace directly after the interment. E. J. Fielding FuneralHomeofCoving‐ton,Louisiana,ishonored tobeentrusted with Mr Wheeler’s funeralarrange‐

ments. Hisfamilyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejfield ingfh.com

NormaJeanWilsonwas bornonJune 12, 1952, in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, and enteredintoeternal restonMonday, August 18 2025, at theage of 73. She was preceded in deathby her parents, Gerald Wilson and HattieMarie Blouin Wilson;her grandparents, Arthur Blouin andFelecia Stevens Blouin;her brother,VernonMeyers; her sister,Catherine Wil‐son;and herchildren, Den‐nis Wilson andMelissa Wil‐son.Norma Jean wasthe beloved grandmotherof DennisRoss, DestineRoss, and LaChandra, andthe mother-in-lawofJoselle

Ross. Shewas thecher‐ished aunt of Kenneth Meyers, KathyMeyers, and Anita Rouege (caregiver), aswellasthe great-aunt of JonathanWoodbury. She was also thesister-in-law ofEmeldaWarren, thegod‐motherofClaudia Mar‐shall, anda devotedfriend ofRubyMarshall. Educated inthe NewOrleans public school system,Norma Jean was raised with adeep reverence forthe Lord and a strong foundation in faith.She leaves to cherish her memory hergrandchil‐dren, ahostofgreatgrandchildren,her god‐daughter, daughter-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many dear friends. The familywishestoexpress their heartfeltgratitude for the generosity,sympathy, and acts of kindness shown during this time of bereavement.Relatives and friendsalsopriestand parishionersofSt. David Catholic Church areinvited toattendthe Mass of Christian Burial on Satur‐day,August30, 2025 at St David Catholic Church, 5617 St.ClaudeAvenue, New Orleans, LA 70117 be‐ginning 10 am.Church visi‐tation9 am until time of Mass. Very Rev. Oswald P. Pierre-Jules, Jr S.S.J.,pas‐tor celebrant.,Private Bur‐ial.Professionalservice en‐trusted to Littlejohn Fu‐neral Home,2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. Johnson, Fu‐neral Director/Manager, Info: (504) 940-0045.

SPORTS

LOVE LETTERS

When people ask me what football meant to New Orleansafter Hurricane Katrina, Idon’ttell them.Ishowthem. Idig into the file cabinet of my home office and dust off abinder from 2007.

The black-and-gold pamphlet titled “LouisianaThanks Louisiana’sTeam” was the brainchild of Gov. Kathleen Blanco. In the wake of Katrina and the Saints’ cathartic 2006 season, she asked fans to write personal thank-you notesto the team.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Picture LSU defensive end

Jack Pyburn —all 264 pounds of him— practicing pass-rush moves against his kitchen counter,his long,golden locks flowing behind him.

It was an odd, yet productive, ritual When Pyburn transferred from Florida to LSU in December, he couldn’t let much time slip by without firstusing it to hone his pass-rushing skills. The Tigers were planning to give him anew job. So, he got

Tulane’s foeused to role of underdog

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

While Tulane is in theunfamiliar positionasa favorite against apowerconference team,Northwestern is accustomed to itsroleasanunderdog heading into Saturday’sseason opener at Yulman Stadium

The Wildcats have been favored vs. FBS teams only twiceintwo years under coach David Braun, and they ended 2024 as an underdognine consecutive times. They have won seven of 19 gamesinhis tenureagainstopponents expected to beat themand are3-4 as single-digitunderdogs —the scenariothey face against Tulane. Braun embraced the rare road gameagainst atop Group of Five school.

“It’sanopportunity for atone-setter,” he said.“We know (Tulane) is ateampeopleare talkingabout as Top 25 and ateam that has an opportunity to earna place in theCFP.Weknowthere’s going to be adversity.That’sthe waywe wanttostart offthe season —withan incredible challenge in front of us.”

ä Northwestern at Tulane, 11 A.M. SATURDAy ESPN

Starting on themorning of theteam’sfinalregularseason game Dec. 31, 2006, herstaff collected messages from the governor’sofficial website and via outreach in schools andseniorhomes across the state. She calleditthe

“Thanks theSaints Initiative.”

Almost immediately,heartfelt testimonials began to pour in from all corners of

the globe —from New Brunswick, Canada, andMaidstone,England, to Perth, Australia, andanaircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean.Morethan1,000 people wrote, including noteworthy Louisianans such as Harry Connick Jr., Cokie Roberts,Archie Manning, Lindy Boggs and Branford Marsalis.

The passionate responses read like teenage love letters. It was impossible

page 4C

After ranking 111 out of 133 FBS team in passing yards and 132nd in passing efficiency,the Wildcats brought in quarterback Preston Stone to revitalize their offense. Stone threw for 3,197 yards with 28 touchdownpasses and six interceptions while leading SMU to the American Conference championship game in 2023, but he missed that contest against Tulane with an injury He was benched for Kevin Jennings after starting the first three games last year,leading to his departure. His only appearance against the Wave was his college debut in 2021, when he mopped up at the end of a55-26 Mustangs’victory

“Wehave knowledge of Preston, but then you have to compare that with what have they (the Wildcats) done and whoare the people around him,” Tulane coach Jon Sumrall said. “The opening game, there are so many unknowns than ever before because of thetransfer portal.”

Northwestern’sknown strengths are an experienced defense with eight returning starters from aunit that ranked 56th nationally in yards allowed and an offensive line that could feature 6-foot-7 bookends.

creative. By thetime spring practices rolled around, he had begun to see “massive improvements”inhis game. Six months later,those advancementsare readyfor game action.

“I think I’m overall an elite defensiveend now,” Pyburn saidafterLSU’spenultimatepracticeof preseason camp. “I think every single part ofmygame is going to be at an elite level thisyear.”

Hisdevelopment is an important part of theTigers defense,

See LSU, page 5C ä LSU at Clemson, 6:30 P.M. SATURDAy,ABC

been one heckof a ride, and he’s been “blessed” beyond words. But it wasn’tall trophies and celebrations forthe Birmingham, Alabama,native when he took over the Tigers 17 yearsago as an interim head coach There were tensemomentsfor Swinneyearly on, nonemore so than in themoments after the Tigers’ lopsided 29-7 defeat to in-state rival South Carolina in November 2010 in front of more than 81,000 mostly dejected fans at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. The loss droppedthe Tigers to 6-6inthe regularseason and Swinney to 19-14since taking over as head coach. As he emerged that day from his news conference, Swinney found his wife, Kathleen, in tears in the hallway “I walk out and she’scrying, andI just thought she was just sad, you know,that she feels bad for me,” Swinney said. He gave her ahug and assured hereverything was going to be all right.

That’swhen she looked at him in the eyes and toldhim that Terry Don Phillips, the Clemson athletic director at the time, was waiting to see him in his office.

“Oh,” is the only thing Swinney couldmuster, andthe tensionin his body mounted.

“I mean, Ithink I’mgetting fired —and my wife thinks I’m gettingfired,”Swinney said. Knocked backbythe news, Swinney took afew minutesto

See CLEMSON, page 5C

“Wehave alevel of depth at all positions on defense that we’re really confident in,” Braun said. “The way that we rotate on D-line is an absolute necessity in agame that (hot) weather will certainly play afactor.”

Tulane can equal or surpass that depth upfront, but the size of 2024 honorable mention All-Big Tenlefttackle Caleb Tiernan(6-7,325 pounds)and potential right-tackle starter Martes Lewis (6-7, 350) will be achallenge.

“They arereally,really big,” Sumrall said. “They might comeout, look at us and think we’re the little giants.” NFLWave

Afteranunprecedented four defensive rookies from Tulane survived final cuts forthe 53-player NFL rosters earlierthis week,thatnumber wascut in half quickly

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved defensive back Caleb Ransaw,their thirdround draft pick, to injured reserve as the result of atraining camp injury that will require surgery.Byrule, he is not eligible to return this season.

The Green Bay Packers released cornerback Micah Robinson, their seventhround pick, after grabbing linebacker Nick Niemann from the waiver wire. Robinson wasadded to their practice squad after clearing waivers Thursday The two Tulane rookies still on 53-man rosters are undrafted free agents —defensive lineman Adin Huntington with the Cleveland Browns and cornerback Johnathan Edwards of the Indianapolis Colts.

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Parsons tradedtoPackers

Contract dispute

leadstodefensive enddeparting Dallas

BY ROBMAADDI AP profootball writer

Micah Parsons is headed to the GreenBay Packersafter ablockbuster trade on Thursday,leaving the Dallas Cowboys following alengthy contract dispute.

The two-time All-Pro edge rusher confirmed the deal in a text to The Associated Press. Aperson with knowledge of thedetails said Parsons and the Packers have agreed on arecord-setting $188 million, fouryear contract that includes $136 million guaranteed.

Parsons becomes thehighestpaid non-quarterbackinNFL history

“I never wanted this chapter to end, but not everything was in my control,” Parsons wrote in a statement he posted on X. “My heart has always beenhere, and still is. Through it all, Inever made any demands.

“I neveraskedfor anything more than fairness. Ionlyasked that the person Itrust to negotiate my contract be partofthe process.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones declined to discuss Parsons’ deal with agent David Mulugheta. Instead, Jones spoke directly to Parsons and insistedthey had agreed on the parameters of a new contract.

The Cowboys are receiving two first-roundpicks and veterandefensive tackle Kenny Clark for Parsons, aperson withknowledge of the details told the AP The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams haven’treleased the terms

The 26-year-old Parsons has 521/2 sacks, recording at least12 in each of his four seasons while making the Pro Bowl each year

Parsons provides ahuge boost forafranchise that has reached the playoffs five of the past six years but hasn’tmadeittothe NFL championship gamesince Aaron Rodgers led them to their fourth Super Bowl title 15 years ago. Parsons bolsters adefense that was inconsistent at getting to op-

posing quarterbacks last season, when the Packers went 11-7 and lost to Philadelphia in theNFC wild-cardround.The Packers had45sackslastseason to tie foreighthplace in theNFL, but more than half of thosesacks came in just four games.

In seven oftheir 17 games, the Packers had no more than one sack.

Green Bay ranked 16th in pressure rate, which calculates the number of hurries, knockdowns andsacks foreach team divided by an opponent’sdrop-back attempts.

Now,the Packers add one of thegame’s elite pass rushers while theCowboyslose their bestplayer because of apower struggle with Jones.

Even with Parsons, whomissed four games because of injury last season,Dallas finished28th

in defense and the team went 7-10. TheCowboys have ahealthy Dak Prescott returning but this is adevastating blow for thedefense.

The Packers haven’thad anyoneget 12 sacks in aseason since Za’Darius Smithhad 121/2 in 2020.

Packersgeneral manager Brian Gutekunstspoke Wednesday about the philosophy of takinga “big swing” to land asuperstar.

“I think everyopportunity that’sout there to help your football team, we’vealways taken a look at trytosee howitaffects us right now, howdoes it affect us in thefuture and make the best decision we can,” Gutekunst said. “Sometimes we’ve been right, sometimes we’rewrong. Sometimes we’ve taken risks that really worked outfor us. Sometimes it didn’t.

“Sometimes we didn’ttake risks, andwelook back and wish we would have and sometimes, you know,as(former general manager) Ted(Thompson) used to say, you know,God helps those that can’t help themselvesalittle bitsometimes. So sometimes the best dealsyou make are the ones you don’t, you know.And so you just kind of,Ithink youweigh everything, and you weigh what is in the momentand what is in the future as well.”

The Packers, who once signed Reggie White in free agency, just took their biggest swing in decades.

Whitehelped aGreen Bay team led by Brett Favre wina Super Bowl andreach anotheron hisway to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

AP Sports WriterSteve Megargee contributed to this report.

Osakabounces back with newcoach

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

NEW YORK

Naomi Osaka is back in the third roundofthe U.S. Open for the first time since2021, the year after she won her second championship at Flushing Meadows She’splaying rather well at the moment,too,under theguidance of anew coach. Justdon’t expect Osaka to weigh in on whether she feels as if she is ready to makeanother deep run at the place.

“Honestly,Idon’treally know.I don’tmake it my business to know anymore. Ikind of just leave it up in the air,” the 23rd-seeded Osaka said after eliminating Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 6-1 in the second round in just 70 minutes Thursday.“For me, Irealize that I’ve doneeverything that Icould. I’ve trained really hard. Ipracticedreally hard. If it happens, it happens.”

Osaka’sfour Grand Slam trophies all arrivedonhardcourts: two at the U.S. Open, two at the Australian Open. Since her 2020 title in New York, her trips there have gone this way: losses in the third round in 2021, first round in 2022, second round last year

The surface tends to favor the big serves and powerful,firststrike tennis Osaka is best known for, andsomethingshe displayed against Baptiste, of course, although she also demonstrated a willingness to vary speeds and spins. The other talent Osaka is using

to great effect so far this week is returning that gets an opponent on thedefensive. Osaka already has won 11 ofthe 18 return games she’splayed so far,including duringa 6-3, 6-4 win over Greet Minneninthe first round.

After her third-round exit at Wimbledonlastmonth,Osaka split from coach Patrick Mouratoglouand began working with Tomasz Wiktorowski, who used to be part ofIga Swiatek’steam.

One key,Osaka said: Wiktorowskihas encouragedher to focus more on theplacement of her shots “andnot necessarily going for winners most of thetime.”

They appear to be making quick progress— andOsaka said her impressionofhim changed quickly “Honestly,Ididn’tknow him, Ithought he was very scary,becausehe’sverytall andhedidn’t smile,” she said. “Now thatwe’re working together,I see that he smiles often. He has avery friendly smile, and it’svery nice. That’s my little funfact about Tomasz.”

Otherevents

Wimbledonchampions Swiatek and Jannik Sinner both won —his victory was muchmore straightforward than hers.

Swiatekhad some trouble before getting past Suzan Lamens, aDutch playerranked 66thwho’d never appeared ataGrand Slam tournament until thisyear,bya

RangersSSSeager placed on IL after appendectomy

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager had an appendectomyon Thursdayafterexperiencingabdominal pain during agame the previous night.

Chris Young, the team’s president of baseball operations, said Seager hadsurgery in Texasafter the team had traveled to California for the start of aseries against the Athletics on Friday night. Young said it was too early to knowhow muchtime the two-time World Series MVP will miss.

Seager will be placedonthe 10day injured list and the Rangers will calluputility playerDylan Moore, who had just been signed to aminor league contract after being released by AL West rival Seattle. Center fielder Evan Carter is going to be transferredtothe 60-dayIL to make room on the 40-man roster

Guardians release Santana, ending histhird tenure

Carlos Santana’sthird stint with the Cleveland Guardians has come to an end. The Guardians announced Thursday that they have released the longtimefirst baseman, making the39-year-old veteran available on the open market forteams looking to add aveteran bat to their lineup.

Santana signedaone-year deal in December and has appeared in 116 games for Cleveland this season. He hit 11 home runs with 52 RBIs, while logging a.225 batting average, .316 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage. He’splayed 11 of his 16 seasons with the Guardians, including each of hisfirst eight. He’salsoplayed forKansasCity,Philadelphia,Minnesota,Pittsburgh, Seattle and Milwaukee.

Venus Williamswins doubles match at U.S. Open

Venus Williams wonawomen’s doubles match at theU.S.Open for the first time in more than a decade —and this timewithout hersister, Serena —teaming with LeylahFernandezonThursday to defeat the sixth-seeded pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 7-6(4),6-3

She hadn’twon awomen’sdoublesmatch in New York since 2014, when she and Serena made it to the quarterfinals, or at any Grand Slam tournament since the 2018 FrenchOpen. The last of the sisters’ 14 major championships in women’sdoublescame at Wimbledon in 2016. The older Williams also has wonseven GrandSlamtitles in singles, andanother two in mixed doubles.

Dolphins wide receiver Hill on trackfor Week 1opener

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill returned to practice Thursday and is on track to play in Miami’sWeek 1openeragainstthe Indianapolis Colts, coach Mike McDaniel said. Hill practiced in alimited capacity after being sidelined the past severalweekswith an oblique injury McDaniel said the team had been cautious with Hill to makesure he doesn’taggravate the injury ahead of the season. He had 81 receptions and 959 yards with six receiving touchdowns as he played through a wrist injury in 2024. The Dolphins will be without second-year running back Jaylen Wright to start the season. McDaniel said Wright had a“small procedure”thatisnot expected to be season-ending but will require time.

PackersQBexpects thumb brace for season start

Green Bay Packersquarterback Jordan Love says he expects to wear abrace on his surgically repaired leftthumbatthe start of the season. Loveunderwentsurgery on the thumbonhis non-throwing hand more than two weeks ago. Love wasa limitedparticipant last week for the Packers’ final trainingcamp workouts, but he’s been practicing more fully this week and plans to play in Green Bay’s Sept. 7season opener against the Detroit Lions. One change is thatLovehas been handing off exclusively with his right hand.

Love said that’s“not as big of a deal as Ithink youguys think it might be.” Love says he otherwise doesn’texpect the thumb to impact him

Miami hopes for ‘maniacal’ setting vs. Notre Dame

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla A re-

newed rivalry, a sold-out stadium, national television audience, prime-time matchup of teams who expect to contend for spots in the College Football Playoff.

That’s how many might describe the meeting between No. 6 Notre Dame and No 10 Miami when they collide in a seasonopener on Sunday night.

Notre Dame made the CFP national title game last season; Miami felt like it was snubbed by the committee that chose that event’s 12-team field. The Irish will start untried CJ Carr at quarterback (he’s never attempted a pass in a college game), while Miami is replacing No. 1 pick Cam Ward with Georgia transfer Carson Beck — part of two national championship teams with the Bulldogs and someone who is no stranger to marquee games like this.

“What a way to start college football season,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “It’s something we enjoy, we embrace. That’s what you go to Notre Dame for That’s why you come to coach at Notre Dame, to play in games like this throughout the year, but especially Week 1. Night game, prime time, everybody’s watching you versus a heck of an opponent. That’s what any competitor wants.” Miami has the same perspective.

“This is one of the games you sign up for as a Hurricane,” offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa said.

It’s the first matchup between the teams since Miami played host to Notre Dame and rolled to a 41-8 win in 2017. Notre

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LyNNE SLADKy

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal speaks during a news conference on Monday in Coral Gables, Fla., in advance of Sunday’s game against Notre Dame.

Dame went 12-1-1 in the first 14 games between the schools; the series has been much more competitive in the last 45 years, with the Hurricanes having a slight 7-6 edge in the most recent 13 head-to-head contests.

“It should be as maniacal as a Miami game should be. We expect it to be as loud and as wild as it could possibly be,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said “And we encourage that.”

Depending on perspective, Notre Dame hasn’t won at Miami in either eight months or 48 years. The Irish are 0-6 in their last six games “at” the Hurricanes but won a CFP national semifinal game on Jan. 9 over Penn State at Hard Rock Stadium the stadium that’ll be the site of Sunday’s matchup Notre Dame’s three most recent national championship seasons (1973, 1977, 1988) all were ones where the Fighting Irish beat the Hurricanes Miami’s first three national championship seasons (1983, 1987, 1989) all were ones where the Hurricanes got a home

win over the Irish.

This is the ninth time that Notre Dame has opened a season as part of a matchup of teams ranked 10th or higher in the opening AP poll, with its most recent such matchup coming against Ohio State in 2002. Miami is part of a top-10 opener for the fifth time, its first since 2004 against Florida State.

Miami hasn’t played on a Sunday since opening the 2018 against LSU in Arlington, Texas. It’ll be Notre Dame’s first Sunday game since it kicked off the 2021 campaign at Florida State. And this matchup is only the sixth top10 game in the last 50 years to be played on a Sunday; three of the other five in that span were bowl games. Only in the transfer portal era would this be possible. Notre Dame has four players — receiver Malachi Fields (formerly of Virginia), defensive back Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech), defensive tackle Jared Dawson (Louisville) and kicker Noah Burnette (North Carolina) — who have already played against both the Irish and the Hurricanes.

Area jamborees to give glimpse of upcoming season

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

The New Orleans area features some of the state’s most intriguing high school football jamborees this season. Here are the area’s top matchups to watch Friday: Ed Daniels Classic at Joe Zimmerman Stadium (Shaw)

Brother Martin vs John Ehret, 5:30 p.m.

Brother Martin enters the season with a new starting quarterback in junior Hudson Fields, and he has one of the top wide receivers in the state to throw to in Easton Royal. A junior Royal has offers from LSU and other Power Four programs. John Ehret begins a new era with veteran coach Willie Brooks taking over. Junior quarterback Sylas Rood and senior defensive tackle MaKennie Nichols are among the top returners.

St.Augustine vs. Shaw, 7 p.m.

lect runner-up St. James, which returns its starting quarterback, leading rusher and leading receiver from last season.

Destrehan vs Lutcher, 7:30 p.m. Destrehan is coming off a Division I nonselect semifinals trip and has Incarnate Word commitment Jackson Fields back at quarterback with LSU commitment Jabari Mack his go-to wide receiver Lutcher went undefeated during the 2024 regular season and should be a state championship contender again.

Chalmette Jamboree at Bobby Nuss Stadium

Holy Cross vs. Belle Chasse, 5:30 p.m.

The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla Quarterback Byrum Brown ran for two touchdowns, Keshaun Singleton caught a 45-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt and South Florida routed No. 25 Boise State 34-7 on Thursday night in the opener for both teams. South Florida beat a Top 25 opponent for the first time since topping thenNo. 22 Navy 52-45 on Oct. 28 2016. They had lost 18 straight against ranked teams. Brown was 16 of 24 for 210 yards and added 43 yards on the ground Cartevious Norton had an 8-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter Singleton had five catches for 93 yards and a touch-

down, while Chas Nimrod had three catches for 96 yards. Boise State’s Maddux Madsen was 25 of 46 for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to Chris Marshall. Boise State lost three fumbles and failed to convert on fourth down three times in USF territory Latrell Caples led Boise State with four catches for 58 yards.

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“It speaks to their competitive character and their readiness,” Sumrall said.

“We have NFL scouts come through here all the time, and they’re like, ‘Man, we watch y’all practice and train and we know your guys are going to leave here ready to fit in in the NFL.’

Just proud of them.” Edwards started only three games with the Wave after transferring from Indi-

ana State in the summer of 2025. Huntington started six after transferring from ULMonroe at the same time.

Sumrall said Edwards complimented the program when he congratulated him

“He was like, ‘Coach, this wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t come there,’ and how grateful he was for the opportunity,” Sumrall said.

“Having guys with his background make NFL rosters helps with recruiting, for sure.” Ready, ready Wide receiver Jimmy Cal-

loway, a Louisville transfer who missed most of preseason camp with a leg injury, returned to practice this week and impressed Sumrall immediately Look for him to play early against Northwestern.

“He’s been awesome,” Sumrall said. “He ran the second-fastest time on Tuesday’s practice. He ran 21 miles per hour and he looked like he was jogging.”

Calloway caught 19 passes for 234 yards at Louisville in 2023 before missing all but one game in 2024 because of an injury

St Augustine senior quarterback Vashaun Coulon returns as the starter Wide receivers Miguel Whitley and Ray’Quan Williams enter their junior seasons with multiple Power Four offers, and senior Ty Dominique is a versatile defensive lineman committed to UL. Shaw is the reigning Division II select state champion and has a lot to replace. Allen Shaw, a junior who started in the defensive backfield, is the new starting quarterback. The defense returns LSWA all-state selection Rontrae Carter and Tulane commitment Jackson Williams. River Parishes Jamboree at Lutcher

Hahnville vs. St. James, 6 p.m. Hahnville enters the season with an expanded playbook in Greg Boyne’s second season as head coach, and it returns starting quarterback Landen Teague. It will have a tough task against the reigning Division III nonse-

Holy Cross will have a new starting quarterback in senior Jokoby Farria, a St. Augustine transfer Senior running back Ke’Rynn Smith returns and has multiple college offers along with junior defensive back Savoy Guidry Belle Chasse has an experienced dual-threat quarterback in senior Amari Ambrose. Texas State commitment Savion Barthelemy is a two-way standout at defensive end and tight end.

South Plaquemines vs Chalmette, 7 p.m. South Plaquemines is the reigning Division IV nonselect state champion Its seniors are led by quarterback Roderick Parker, a fifth-year starter at the position. Chalmette reached the Division I nonselect quarterfinals last season. Junior quarterback Breez Wilson is back, and the defense is led by senior linebacker Tyray Darensburg, a South Alabama commitment.

Jamboree doubleheader at Pan-American Stadium

Booker T. Washington vs. McMain, 5:30 p.m. Booker T. Washington wants to build upon last season’s quarterfinal run. Senior quarterback Cory McCraney is back as well as senior Dylan Butler, a two-way starter along the offensive and defensive lines. Brandon Walters enters his second season as the McMain head coach. Senior Tazay Duncan is a returning two-way starter who’s a versatile defender and go-to wide receiver Kennedy vs. McDonogh 35, 7 p.m. Kennedy graduated 21 seniors from last year Dorrien Dunham is the new starting quarterback, and senior Kenneth Chelsea returns at running back. LSWA allstate defensive end Dominick Ruth also returns McDonogh 35 has a sophomore quarterback but has plenty of returning players on offense, including South Alabama commitment Heij Jackson at wide receiver Senior defensive back Justin Ross is a top returner on defense.

Newman Jamboree at Michael Lupin Field De La Salle vs Newman, 6 p.m. De La Salle has a new starting quarterback but has an experienced offensive line with senior Cedric McDonald among the returning starters. Newman has a new head coach for the first time in over a decade in Aaron Vice. Newman also has a new quarterback but returns Tulane commitment Jake Randle at running back, and Cornell commitment Henry Jackson will start at both defensive tackle and offensive guard. Christian Brothers Jamboree at St. Paul’s Rummel vs. St. Paul’s, 7 p.m. Rummel is one of four District 9-5A teams with a new starting quarterback in junior Tyler Holden. Junior Coryan Hawkins is set to be the lead running back, and he’ll run behind an offensive line with multiple returning starters. St. Paul’s has a new quarterback but returns a pair of senior running backs in Cody Corales and Troy Willis. The defense is led by senior linebacker Dylan Post.

Moore explains why Hill hangs with quarterbacks

BY MATTHEW PARAS and LUKE JOHNSON Staff writers

Throughout the offseason for the New Orleans Saints, there have been numerous mentions of Taysom Hill participating in meetings with the quarterbacks.

That’s not necessarily out of the ordinary considering how the do-it-all Hill floated from room to room under previous coaching staffs. But coach Kellen Moore decides where he wants Hill to be, even as the 35-year-old recovers from a serious knee injury

So does Moore see Hill primarily as a quarterback?

Not exactly

“Taysom is obviously one of one in this league,” Moore said. “He plays a lot of positions, and he spends most of his time in the quarterback room just because the quarterback room is the room that talks about all aspects of football. That’s where he’s spent most of his career in, and so he just plays a lot of different roles and different styles.”

Moore said offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien and senior offensive assistant Scott Linehan help “connect all the dots” for Hill in this new offense.

Hill’s presence does not mean the former quarterback will compete with Spencer Rattler and the rest of the quarterbacks when healthy, Moore said.

“Taysom’s done an awesome job and he’s got his role,” Moore said

“We’ll build as we go. We’ll see if he (becomes) available on the field. We’re all excited for that, but there’s a process to this when

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to read them and not feel the emotion expressed in the words and sentences.

Officials compiled the messages into a bound scrapbook and distributed it to the public. I saved mine and still reflect on it as a reminder of that magical time.

The 140 pages are filled with love, devotion and gratitude. It’s an enduring testament to the rare symbiotic relationship with the team and the city and region.

“Thanks so much for an incredible season,” wrote Marsalis, expressing the sentiments of many Saints fans. “I’ve been there through thick and thin. And I’m loving thick!!!” Context is important here. You need to understand how difficult life was in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. If you were here, you know

The storm’s tentacles reached into every aspect of daily life. Whether your house had 10 feet of water or escaped unscathed, living in New Orleans or the surrounding region was an emotionally, mentally and physically draining experience. You didn’t so much live as you endured Residents who suffered the worst damage — those who lost homes, jobs and/or loved ones — slogged through their daily nineto-fives, then went home to clear debris or to tear out drywall. The basic civil services ex-

you’re coming off an injury like his.”

After tearing his ACL in December, Hill has yet to practice and was placed on the league’s physically unable to perform list meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games of the season.

Whirlwind week

This week served as a reminder to Asim Richards about how fast things can change in the NFL.

When the week started, he was competing for a roster spot with the Dallas Cowboys.

Then on Tuesday, the Saints traded for him to shore up their offensive line depth, swapping future late-round draft picks with the Cowboys.

It’s safe to say the move was unexpected: Richards just had purchased a house in the Dallas area.

“It’s fine; I can go back in the offseason,” Richards said. “I’m really, really excited for this opportunity to get on the field.”

Richards said he got the call early Tuesday morning. New Orleans gave him two flight options, one leaving in the late afternoon and one leaving in the early evening.

He took the 6 p.m. option to New Orleans.

“I’m like, I need some more time to pack,” Richards said. “... I’m living out of a suitcase right now but I’ll try to find a place soon.”

Richards is filling a crucial role for New Orleans, which lost veteran tackle Landon Young for the season to an ankle injury in the preseason finale. Young had been serving as the primary backup at both tackle positions, as well as offering some depth on the interior

In Richards, the Saints acquired

pected in modern America were sporadic or nonexistent. Trash pickup, electricity, sewer and water, and police protection operated with saddening inefficiency, or in some cases, not at all. Piles of debris remained on the curbs. Neutral grounds were uncut and overgrown with weeds.

The city’s health care and public transit systems were crippled.

Nearly a year after the storm, only half of the hospitals in Orleans Parish had opened and there was a shortage of doctors, ambulances and hospital beds, creating nightmarish situations for the sick and injured and their loved ones.

Getting around was difficult.

Many of the city’s streetlights were non-operational, making for harrowing, herky-jerky commutes through a maddening maze of four-way stops. Only 17% of the Regional Transit Authority’s buses were running, and 49% of its public transportation routes were open.

Everything, even mundane errands, was hard. Dry cleaners required a week’s turnaround time, and car repairs could take even longer Banks constricted their hours, making for longer lines at the counter and drive-thru lanes. Lines at the few fast-food restaurants that were open often snaked around the block.

“The last 16 months have been hell, rebuilding our home,” wrote William Poche of Metairie. “This magical season has lifted our spirits and hopes.”

“We lost everything in the storm and we’re still in a FEMA trailer,

Wilkinson may become starter RT after McGary’s season-ending injury

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

a young player — he turns 25 in October who has primarily played tackle in the NFL, but he also has some experience at both guard spots.

“We feel like we got a really good developmental piece that, if called upon, he’s ready to roll and ready to go play and contribute,” Moore said.

Penning update

Trevor Penning is out of a walking boot as he looks to recover from the turf toe injury that has sidelined him since the Aug. 10 preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Moore gave the update on Penning’s injury before Thursday’s practice, telling reporters that the offensive lineman was progressing well in his rehab. He still was noncommittal about whether Penning would be available for the Sept 7 season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.

“We’ll see about the Week 1 thing,” Moore said. “We’ve got a few days off this weekend, and we’ll see what kind of timeline presents itself for some of these (injured) guys. He’s done an awesome job.”

Penning reportedly was given a timeline of 4-6 weeks. The season opener against the Cardinals would be four weeks since the injury Dillon Radunz has filled in for Penning at left guard during his absence. The Saints moved Penning from right tackle to guard this offseason, believing the switch inside would better suit his strengths.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

but come game day we don our Saints gear and pack up the small barbecue pit we use to cook our dinners for weeks after the storm and head to the Superdome early to tailgate and get ready for what has become one of the few things we can all get excited about,” Todd from Terrytown wrote in the pamphlet. “God bless you boys! Without you, I do not know how my family and I could have made it through the year as we have.”

Added Phyllis A. Stevens of New Orleans: “Thank you, boys, for giving us something positive in our lives. Thank you for giving us faith in ourselves and the rebirth of our city.”

In those grim, harrowing days, there were serious doubts New Orleans would ever recover New Orleanians longed for their cherished cultural traditions and institutions. They bought fleur de lis merchandise like it was going out of stock and seized upon any reminder of the New Orleans they knew and loved.

Mardi Gras. Jazz Fest. Commander’s Palace. The Times-Picayune. Angelo Brocato’s Ice Cream and Pastry Shop. Saints football, of course, was one of those cherished traditions.

“Most New Orleanians just wanted to regain their way of life, and that was going to Jazz Fest, going to Mardi Gras, going to the Superdome every Sunday,” said Doug Thornton, who spearheaded the renovation of the Superdome.

“They wanted to recapture what they’d lost.” Amid this grim, fearful exis-

FLOWERY BRANCH,Ga The Atlanta Falcons are still adjusting to the jarring loss of right tackle Kaleb McGary for the season to a lower left leg injury that could hurt the team’s running game while also complicating pass protection for left-handed quarterback Michael Penix Jr Coach Raheem Morris said before Thursday’s practice that players who practiced through training camp and played in the preseason, including veteran Elijah Wilkinson, are leading the competition to replace McGary in next week’s opening game against Tampa Bay When asked after Thursday’s practice if he’s the first choice to replace McGary, Wilkinson said, “That’s the way it looks to me. That’s the way we’ve been working in practice.” Michael Jerrell, acquired from Seattle on Tuesday, provides an option at right tackle but would have difficulty moving ahead of Wilkinson in just one week. The Falcons signed tackles Ryan Hayes and Carter Warren to their practice squad on Thursday Morris said the staff also discussed moving starting left guard Matthew Bergeron to right tackle, a scenario that could create an opportunity for Kyle Hinton or Wilkinson at guard. Another tackle, Storm Norton, was placed on injured reserve/ designated to return with an ankle injury on Tuesday Rookie Jack Nelson is another option at tackle. While protecting Penix is a priority in his first full season as the starting quarterback, the loss of McGary could be a bigger blow to the line’s ability to open lanes for running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier The Falcons’ running game flourished with running to the right side behind McGary and right guard Chris Lindstrom. Morris said McGary’s injury is “a huge thing” for the running

game.

“That’s more of what McGary does,” said Morris when comparing McGary’s strength as a run blocker to the issue of protecting Penix’s blind side. “That’s more of our strength. We run the ball significantly better to the right side because of guys like McGary and Lindstrom.”

Offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford said, “I like what we’ve seen of Elijah there as an option for us” at right tackle and said the staff is still considering three or four options.

“I know that we’ve been handled some circumstances that you wish you didn’t have, but hey, it is what it is,” Ledford said. “Let’s see how well this group can handle them.”

Wilkinson, 30, is in his ninth season and has played both tackle and guard with Denver, Chicago and Atlanta. He has 45 starts. McGary was carted off the practice field with the injury on Aug. 20 and was placed on injured reserve as the team set its initial 53-man roster, ending his season. Also Thursday the Falcons placed edge rusher Bralen Trice on injured reserve and re-signed safety Jordan Fuller to their active roster Morris said Trice has a “recurring” knee injury that forced him to miss his 2024 rookie season and is facing possible surgery Fuller started 48 games in four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

Morris announced two rookies safety Xavier Watts and nickel back Billy Bowman Jr — have earned starting jobs in the secondary

Even with Watts beating out Fuller at free safety, Morris said he celebrated having Fuller back on the active roster after the veteran was released to set the initial 53-man roster Watts and Bowman join edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., both first-round picks, to give Atlanta four rookies who are expected to start or play key roles on defense.

tence, football emerged as an escape, a salve for New Orleanians’ wounded psyches and spirits.

Debbie LaMarca of New Orleans nailed it when she wrote, “Coach (Sean) Payton saw a destroyed city and knew that a winning football team could bring hope for our future and smiles to our weary faces.”

Payton had been in New Orleans for only a few months, but he quickly learned to appreciate the rare connection the Saints had with the community He knew the Dome-coming game — the Saints’ home opener on Sept. 25, 2006, against the Atlanta Falcons — would be special. He wanted his team to be prepared for the moment.

So after the team’s practice at the Superdome on the Friday night before the big game, Payton introduced Thornton and two of his Superdome colleagues to the players and coaches to recognize their Herculean efforts in rebuilding the Superdome. He then dimmed the lights in the Dome and played a special video to set the tone. The montage showed powerful images of Hurricane Katrina and personal messages from fans, many of them storm victims.

“It was coach Payton letting us know before we played that it’s not just another prime-time Monday night game against your hated rival,” linebacker Scott Shanle said. “This was for something so much more. We have an opportunity to help people in more ways than just playing a football game.”

Added Payton: “Everyone that ended up on that team that year ended up in something much bigger than we ever expected — like, much bigger.”

The Saints, of course, crushed the Falcons that Monday night, and the rest of the season was a magic carpet ride. The national narrative focused on how the Saints lifted the city And initially that storyline was true. But as the season wore on and crowds mobbed the airport to welcome the Saints home from road games, and neighbors displayed handmade signs and dropped off cookies outside Drew Brees’ home — the relationship evolved into something much more symbiotic.

“The New Orleans Saints needed our community, and the community needed the New Orleans Saints,” Brees said. “It was a match made in heaven that way.” There weren’t many good things born from Hurricane Katrina. But the renewed vows it produced between the Saints and New Orleans certainly was one of them.

Football always has been important here. Along with crawfish, Mardi Gras and hunting, football is one of our four seasons. Throughout the fall, it dominates our thoughts, discourse and social calendars.

But football was never more important than it was after Katrina. I have a book of love letters to prove it.

Email Jeff Duncan at jduncan@ theadvocate.com.

LSU safety Haulcy will not play first half at Clemson

BY KOKI RILEY and REED DARCEY Staff writers

The NCAA has ruled that LSU senior safety A.J Haulcy will not be eligible to play in the first half of Saturday’s season opener against Clemson, LSU coach Brian Kelly confirmed on his radio show

Thursday

Haulcy was involved in a fight and ejected during his final game at Houston last season. In the Cougars’ last game against BYU Haulcy fought with BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter during the game’s final minutes.

“In the last game of the 2024 season, A.J. Haulcy was ejected from the contest, initially listed as unsportsmanlike conduct,” the NCAA said in a statement to ESPN, “but clarified postgame that game officials ejected the player for fighting. Fighting carries an automatic carryover penalty.”

The NCAA also told ESPN that Haulcy’s suspension cannot be appealed.

“Penalties do carry over to the following season and follow a player when transferring,” the statement read. “There is no appeal process for college football players ejected for fighting.”

Kelly was 20 minutes late for his weekly radio show on Thursday because he was on the phone with SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and the NCAA to discuss the ruling.

Kelly noted that the NCAA had “upheld” its original ruling to suspend Haulcy for the first half of Saturday’s game.

“It’s unfortunate,” Kelly said. “We can’t sit here and complain because the decision’s been made, so let’s move on.”

Earlier in the day Kelly had told

reporters minutes that the school was “waiting for clarification” on Haulcy’s status.

“We were informed on his situation on Wednesday, so we’ll see where that ends up,” Kelly said.

“We’re practicing him, preparing to play him, and we’ll wait for further guidance.

“You hope that common sense plays a big role in this.”

NC State transfer and safety

Tamarcus Cooley was also involved in a fight during his final game last season against East Carolina in the Military Bowl, but he will be eligible to play the entire game against Clemson, Kelly said. Cooley was not ejected despite being a part of the altercation.

Haulcy and Cooley were LSU’s expected starters at safety on Saturday. Without Haulcy, LSU will have to turn to sophomore Dashawn Spears, fifth-year senior Jardin Gilbert or junior Javien Toviano at safety No. 1 WR flips

LSU football wide receiver recruit Tristen Keys is flipping his commitment to Tennessee, he told Rivals on Thursday Keys, a Hattiesburg, Mississippi native, is the top senior wideout in the country, according to 247Sports composite rankings, and the nation’s sixth-best prospect regardless of position. He first committed to the Tigers in March.

Before Keys decommitted, LSU had two top-10 national recruits pledge to its 2026 class. The other one is Lamar Brown, a University

High defensive lineman rated as one of the three best prospects in the country. He’s still committed to his hometown Tigers.

LSU is still on track to sign two other wide receivers — Jabari Mack, a top-100 recruit from Destrehan, and Kenny Darby a four-star from Bossier City

When Keys first committed to LSU, he was on track to become the highest-rated signee of Kelly’s tenure in Baton Rouge. Now that distinction can belong to Brown. LSU’s offensive line plan

LSU has set three of the five starters on its offensive line ahead of its season-opening showdown against Clemson, Kelly said Thursday But the Tigers plan to rotate players in and out of the two guard spots.

The four linemen expected to see snaps on the interior Kelly

said, are redshirt sophomore Paul Mubenga, Northwestern transfer fifth-year senior Josh Thompson, redshirt sophomore DJ Chester and redshirt freshman Coen Echols

“All four of them are gonna play,” Kelly said. “Who starts, that’ll be (offensive line coach) Brad (Davis’) decision come game time.”

Redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams is LSU’s top left tackle, Kelly said, and redshirt freshman Weston Davis is its starting right tackle The center is redshirt junior Braelin Moore, a transfer from Virginia Tech.

The Tigers have spent preseason camp trying to settle on a new firstteam offensive line after four of its five starters from last season moved on to the NFL.

The only returning starter is Chester and he’s spent camp in a

LSU safety A.J Haulcy prepares to run a drill during practice on Aug. 5 at the team’s practice facility

battle with Mubenga and Echols for the first-team left guard spot. Otherwise, LSU stuck with the same group of starters Adams, Chester, Moore, Thompson and Davis — for most of its preseason practices until it started rotating Davis and freshman Carius Curne at right tackle on Aug. 18.

Kelly has said that up to eight offensive linemen could see snaps in games this season.

“There will be a couple of positions where we’ll have some rotation,” he said on Monday, “and I think it will be good for us. I think it makes us better

“It’s OK to rotate offensive linemen. They can do that too.”

Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

Nuss, Brasher still playing, winning at beach volleyball

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Sports columnist

Occasionally, someone from Taryn Brasher’s hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, or her high school will reach out to the former LSU and Olympic beach volleyball star and ask what she’s doing now that the Paris Games are more than a year in the rearview mirror for her and teammate Kristen Nuss.

“They’re like, ‘So what are you going to do for four years?’” until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Brasher said. “I’m like, ‘We’re still playing.’

“It makes me angry that it’s not better known, but that’s up to us We’re trying to make (the sport) more known.”

The former LSU duo has cer-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

which needs the pass rush to take a step forward in its second season under defensive coordinator Blake Baker Its top two edge rushers from 2024 moved on. Now the burden of pressuring Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC) falls on the shoulders of two new first-team defensive ends: Pyburn and sophomore Gabe Reliford.

“Our goal is just to wreak havoc,” linebacker Whit Weeks said Tuesday

Under Baker, LSU shoots for a high havoc rate — a team’s percentage of defensive plays that end in a sack, tackle for loss, forced fumble, interception or pass breakup. The Tigers improved in three of those five areas last season. By the end of the year, they had registered five more pass breakups, seven more forced fumbles and three more sacks in 2024 than they did in 2023. Can Pyburn help LSU bump that rate higher? The numbers he posted as part of a breakout junior season at Florida — four tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble — suggest he hasn’t wreaked much havoc in his career But Pyburn insists he’s not just a run defender. The Gators primarily used a front of three down linemen in the first three years of his career, he said. That gave him chances to fill inside gaps and stuff runs, but not too many opportunities to bend around the edge collapse the pocket and drop opposing quarterbacks. So he hit the transfer portal.

“It’s just not exactly what I wanted to do for my skillset,” Pyburn said “I think I can do

tainly been doing their part to promote the sport they love. And yes, for the record, they’re still playing professionally, and playing quite well.

In five top level international tournaments this year, Nuss and Brasher — or Team TKN as they’re also known — have two wins, a runner-up and a thirdplace finish. They also have two victories on the U.S.-based Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) tour including one earlier this month in the AVP Manhattan Beach Open.

Manhattan Beach is like the Wimbledon of American beach volleyball. Nuss and Brasher repeated as champions there, something not done on the women’s side in nearly a decade.

“Winning it again was pretty

crazy,” Nuss said.

Now they turn their attention to the AVP championship event, starting Friday in Chicago After that, they plan on playing two events in Brazil that will get them over the threshold of having played in at least six international events to qualify them for the world championships in November in Adelaide, Australia. In between, they also head back to Southern California for another AVP event in September It’s been and continues to be an eventful time for these two dear friends, who live in the same apartment complex in Baton Rouge when they’re not touring the world playing their sport professionally Brasher, formerly Taryn Kloth, eloped in January to Miami with

LSU running back Caden Durham is tackled by Florida edge

Jack Pyburn, center, and Florida defensive back Trikweze Bridges, right, in the second half of their game on Nov. 16 at

Stadium in Gainesville Fla.

everything, but I feel like I was best utilized to be coming hard off the edge and playing aggressive, playing fast, using my physicality, my speed and letting it be my advantage.”

Preseason camp indicated LSU is letting Pyburn showcase that facet of his game. He lined up on one of the edges of its first-team defense, with two defensive tackles to his right and another edge rusher — usually Reliford — on the other side The first time the Tigers put the pads on, he sacked Garrett Nussmeier and dropped sophomore tailback Caden Durham behind the line of scrimmage.

Pyburn said he can now squat more than 600 pounds. He also said he’s running close to 21 mph — 1 mph faster than he ran at Florida. Kevin Peoples, the LSU edge rushers coach, has helped him both hone his technique and find the right pass rush “track” to take, a custom angle that factors in his speed and stride length to provide the most efficient route to the quarterback Before, Pyburn thought he had “pretty good” hand-eye coor-

dination. The problem, he said, was his footwork. It didn’t sync with his hands, which weakened his hips and prevented him from bending past opposing offensive linemen. That stood in the way of recording more sacks and tackles for loss.

As a remedy Peoples prescribed Pyburn a few drills to do on his own time.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s magic,’ ” he said in March.

So Pyburn filmed himself running through the drills, sometimes in his kitchen, and sent the videos to Peoples.

“He was all excited over text when we were on the weekend,” Pyburn said. “It’s just been really great, and I’m just looking forward to continuing to work those techniques, and it’s just gonna make me that much better

“The counter is not really much of an opponent anymore. We’ll say that.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed darcey@theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

her husband Eric, picking the one month of the year when Team TKN is off from competing and the one sure-fire warm spot in the continental U.S.

Nuss will have a hometown wedding this coming January in New Orleans to Trey Cruz and will be Kristen Cruz.

“She is my maid of honor,” Nuss said of Brasher

“Matron,” Brasher quickly said.

“Matron of honor.”

Currently ranked No 9 in the world, partly because they have played fewer tournaments than any other duo ranked in the top 32, Nuss and Brasher already have their eyes on the 2028 Olympics.

As they came off the practice sand at Mango’s beach volleyball club in Baton Rouge, Brasher sported a hat with a logo on the side that says

CLEMSON

Continued from page 1C

gather his thoughts before reminding himself that “God’s got me.”

He walked down the hallway to find the door cracked open He peered inside and found Phillips sitting on the couch.

So this is how it ends, Swinney thought to himself.

He entered the room, but the pink slip never came. Instead, he was surprised when Phillips offered his unconditional support.

“I go from thinking I’m getting fired to Terry Don Phillips telling me how much he believes in me,” Swinney said. “He said to me, ‘Hey, there’s going to be a lot of criticism and there’s going to be a lot of this and that, (but) I want you to keep doing what you’re doing. I want you to know that I’ve got your back I believe in you more now than even when I hired you.’ “

With that, Phillips got up from the couch and prepared to walk out of his office before turning back to Swinney and saying, “and if it doesn’t work you can come help me pack — and I’ll come help you pack.”

Phillips hugged Swinney on his way out.

“Terry Don Phillips is not a man of a lot of words, but he had a lot of conviction in his words and he meant what he said,” Swinney said.

Swinney sat in stunned silence for a few minutes before his wife walked into his office, worried about her husband’s job security

“I told her I didn’t get fired, and she’s like, ‘What?’ ” Swinney said.

Tim Bourret, who was Clemson’s sports information director, witnessed the event unfolding. He said it was a tense time given the way the regular season had ended. But he felt that Swinney had earned some slack from Phillips by leading the Tigers to the ACC championship game in 2009 before

“LA to L.A.”

“That’s what we’re going with,” Nuss said. “Louisiana to Los Angeles.”

The two were the No. 2 seed in the Paris Olympics and went 3-0 in their four-team pool, but were knocked out in elimination play in the round of 16. The shock and disappointment of that result has hardly faded and drives them forward in the new Olympic cycle.

“I take it as a blessing and we’re getting back to doing what we love,” Nuss said. “But don’t get me wrong there is still a bad taste in my mouth from the Olympics. Do we want to change that at LA in 2028? Absolutely.”

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

losing to Georgia Tech.

“Terry Don just had a sixth sense about Dabo and his ability to lead the program,” Bourret said. “I didn’t think he was going to get fired, but then again I had been around long enough to know that people make decisions based off what happens against South Carolina.”

The Tigers bounced back to go 10-4 the next season, earning a trip to the Orange Bowl. It was the first of 13 double-digit win seasons over the next 14 years for Swinney, who has built the Tigers into one of the most successful and consistent programs in college football.

Since 2011, the Tigers have won 84.3% percent of their games (16130) under Swinney, including nine ACC championships. He is the winningest coach in ACC history with 180 victories

The lessons Swinney learned that day have shaped his coaching career

Two years ago after Clemson failed to win 10 games, Swinney had a decision to make when it came to struggling young quarterback Cade Klubnik. Like Swinney, Klubnik had found himself under intense scrutiny and many Tigers fans were urging him to explore the transfer portal

But Swinney showed the same faith in Klubnik that Phillips once showed in him.

Klubnik responded last season by leading the Tigers to a second straight ACC championship and a return to the College Football Playoff after a two-year absence. Klubnik enters this season as a first-team preseason All-American and is viewed as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy He’s a projected first-round NFL draft pick.

All because Swinney believed in him.

“I experienced that too, right?’” said Swinney, a three-time winner of the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award given to college football’s best head coach. “I know what it means to have someone believe in you.”

n With apacked weekend full of shows, eventsand activities, SOUTHERN DECADENCE in the French Quarter celebrates the city’s laissez-faire lifestyle and an end-of-summer salute to the sweltering doldrums. The fun culminates 5p.m. Sundaywith the annual parade bannered with the theme “Etched in Stone, Timeless and Decadent.” The walking parade starts at Barracks and Royalstreets and heads through the Vieux Carre. sdparade.com.

n It’samashup of twopopular family-oriented things: dinos and Legos this weekend at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner for JURASSIC QUEST and BRICK FEST LIVE. The interactivedinosaur experience includes life-size, animatronic figures, fossil digs and rides. The building blocks fun includes arts and technologywith building zones, derbyraces and tons of Legos. The fun runs noon to 6p.m.Friday, 9a.m.to6 p.m. Saturdayand 9a.m.to5 p.m. Sundayatthe center on Williams Boulevard at the lake. Tickets startat$30. jurassicquest.com

“I raise a(nonalcoholic)toasttoyou who remain on this occasion, my dear NewOrleans, for having stayed put longer than me, kept it together, stayedstrong,stayed true. Forhaving survived.” CHRIS ROSE

IN HISOWN WORDS

ChrisRosereflects on Katrinaanniversary, what changed andwhatremains

BYCHRIS ROSE | Contributingwriter

Dear New Orleans: Have you heard? The exhibitions, exclamations,exhortations and excoriations —inmemorium, et ceterum, ad nauseam? Triggered yet? All these sad songsthey keep playing, they’re so damn sad.AsDr. John might put it,New Orleans is being traumaticalized,all over again.Deja Vieux Carre. It’s been 20 years since Iwrote aletter like this. That one was addressed to America, introducingour beleaguered friends and neighborswho were fleeing the floodwaters —unknowns bound for elsewhere. Our Exodus. So what is this thing that is happening right now,this .reckoning?Ananniversary?Accurate, but that term alwaysseems to fail this auspicious occasion.Acommemoration? Aremembrance?That one’sgot a touch of proper gravitas.

ä See LETTER, page 2D

n Lookingfor a MERMAID PARADE? Head to the riverfront, of course. Saturday at 6:30 p.m. along the banksofthe Mississippi will be the KreweduFool promenade of mermaids, mermen, sea creatures and more to benefitthe Audubon Institute’s Education Department —and provide aspectacle as well. Costtoparade is $35. krewedufool.com.

PHOTO

FOR

N.O. expert on Beatles ends book series with newrelease

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

The Beatles have been busy. So has New Orleans-based Beatles expert Bruce Spizer Just as the Beatles announced that the 1995 “Anthology” documentary will be rereleased and expanded on screen, on vinyl and in print this fall, Spizer has released the ninth and final book in his meticulously researched Beatles Album Series about the band’srecorded output. The utilitarian title of Spizer’s “Beatles For Sale To Help!” conveys the spanofalbums covered in the new book.

As withhis 16 previous Beatles books, Spizer published the latest through his own 498 Productions with ahardback cover and heavy,glossy stock. The 264 pages are chock-full of fullcolor photographs of album and singlescovers, relevant news magazines— Spizer likes to discuss Beatles releases withinthe context of what wasgoing on in the world at large —vintage advertisements andpromotional items from his personalcollection of memorabilia.

Such is Spizer’sexpertise that Universal Music Group, Capitol Records and the Beatles’ Apple Corps Ltd.consult withhim on Beatles-related projects He wrote the questions for the Beatles-themed special edition of Trivial Pursuit.

He often speaks at Beatlesrelatedconventions around the globe.This week, he’llreprise twoofhis popularpresentations in his hometown.

On Sunday at 12:30 p.m., the Prytania Theater hosts Spizer’s “Beatles and Bond” talk. He’ll narrate an audio/visualpresentation about the Beatles’ second film, “Help!,” followed by ascreening of the James Bond film “Goldfinger.” He’llthenelaborate on how “Help!” parodied several scenes from“Goldfinger,”cutting between footage of both films. Tickets are available at the Prytania box office (5339 Prytania St.).

ä See BEATLES, page 2D

BruceSpringsteen biopic to premiere at NY Film Fest

BY KARUF.DANIELS

will be its Spotlight Gala selection, premiering Sept 28 at Lincoln Center’sAlice Tully Hall. The Boss is expected to attend the screening, along withdirector andwriter ScottCooper,and the

Band,

and

stars, including Jeremy Strong, who plays his manager and record producer Jon Landau, and Odessa Young, whostars as Springsteen’s love interest Faye. Officially titled“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” the 20th Century Studios musical drama centers on

soloouting —re-

“Born in the U.S.A.” —isranked amongRolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest AlbumsofAll Time. Adapted from Warren Zanes’ book of the sametitle, the film also stars Stephen Graham, PaulWalter Hauser andGabyHoffmann. New York Film Festival’sartistic director Dennis Lim called the movie a“fitting tribute to aliving legend” in Monday’sannouncement. “The New York Film Festivalhas always felt like aspiritual home for thekind of cinema Ibelieve in,”Cooper said in astatement. “To now arrive with afilm about Bruce Springsteen —anartist whose music shaped not just acountry but my own sense of storytelling is something Icould never have imagined.” He added, “Getting to know Bruce, to explore his world and

ä See SPRINGSTEEN, page 2D

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Aug. 29, the241st day of 2025. There are 124 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring floods that devastated New Orleans Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage.

Also on this date:

In 1814, during the Warof 1812, Alexandria, Virginia, formally surrendered to British military forces which occupiedthe city until Sept. 3. In 1825, the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro was signed by Portugal andBrazil, officiallyending the Brazilian WarofIndependence.

In 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United StatesTreasury

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1944, 15,000 American troops of the28thInfantry Division marched down the Champs-Élysées in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate itsliberation from theNazis. In 1966, theBeatlesconcluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert,heldatCandlestick Park in San Francisco. In 2004, marathoner Vanderlei de Lima was attacked byaspectator during therunning of theOlympic marathonin Athens;deLima,who was leading the raceatthe time, eventually finished third andreceived thePierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanshipinadditionto his bronze medal.

In 2013,inasweeping newpolicy statement, the JusticeDepartmentsaidit wouldnot stand in the way of statesthatwanted to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana as long as there

wereeffective controls to keep marijuana away from children, the black market and federal property.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida blasted ashore in Louisiana as one of the mostpowerful stormsever to hit theU.S., knocking out power to allof New Orleans,blowing roofs off buildings and briefly reversing theflow of the Mississippi River.

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Elliott Gould is 87. Former U.S Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin is 87. Olympicgold medal sprinter Wyomia Tyus is 80. Olympic gold medal long jumper Bob Beamon is 79. Animal behaviorist and autism educator Temple Grandin is 78. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 69. Actor Rebecca De Mornay is 66. Supreme Court Justice NeilGorsuchis58. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 57. Actor Carla Gugino is 54. Actor-singerLea Michele is 39.

LETTER

Continued from page1D

An apotheosis, perhaps —acollective acknowledgment that Katrina still lords over our lives two decades later? The head spins. Who can even think straight with all this 8/29/05, 24/7, somebody please pass the 4/20. Dear New Orleans. Here’s what it looks like from a distance —oftime and geography,ofmemory and progress, of laughter and forgetting. Ihave come from the mountaintops, literally —and I’ve got Katrina cred with me. Iwas “the voice of the tortured city,” said The Washington Post. Atruth teller,Oprah called me. (Or her people, anyway.) The McClatchy News Service crowned me “the literary avenging angel of the 504.” That was my favorite. Folks even said Isaved lives, that the stories I wrote in the aftermath were righteous balm for Katrina fatigue. Just last week, an old New Orleans acquaintance of mine showed up at the state park where Iamliving in the mountains of western Maryland just to cry on me. That’shappened alot over the past 20 years. People see me, they cry.That’s some heavy,right there. What did Idotodeserve all this? Acity lay in ruin, 1,600 dead, homes and businesses destroyed, avital culture drowning in its own filthy water.Somebody had to tell the jokes. Me and the refrigerators. But I’m no hero, that’s understood. What became of me was, Idrank myself to death just like everybody said Iwould. Caused alot of pain to family and friends. In the fall of 2021, Iwas diagnosed with end-stage cirrhosis. These past 20 yearsofactive, sometimes relentless drinking have turned my liver to stone. There is no treatment and there is no cure. I’m adead man walking. Arecent article in this newspaper told my story in grim, vivid detail —astory of my death foretold —a storysoconvincing that my brother in Florida received several texts from friends expressing condolences

at thenews of my passing. But, like my dear City of New Orleans20years ago— reports of ourdeath were greatly exaggerated. The writingmay be on the wall, but I’ve still got some inkleft in my pen ***

It is said: Thelonger you live in New Orleans, the more unfityou become to live anywhereelse. OK, I said that —20years ago. And Iamproof.After my diagnosis, my vicissitudes of fortunerendered me unwilling,unable —yes, unfit —tolive in New Orleans anymore. After 35 years of residence, if there’sanything left in this citythat I’ve never done before —I probablyshouldn’tdoit. So Iretreated to thewoods, off thegrid,into thesolitudeofthe outdoors where the nightmares of my own past dissolve in each day’s new dawn; Ifall asleep to the soundofwaterfalls, wakeeach morning to campsmokeand songbirds Ihavefoundmyown peace. But Iraise a(nonalcoholic)toasttoyou who remain on this occasion,my dearNew Orleans, forhaving stayedput longerthan me, kept it together, stayed strong, stayedtrue.For having survived. Perhaps you’re tiredofhearing about your resilience,equanimity, determination,fortitude and triumph of the human spirit —clichés all —but they’re still damn true

Another cliché goes that living in New Orleansafter the flood was like staying in an abusiverelationship. Forall herglaringfaults, hervulgarity,her violence, she loves back likenoother Nobodyputs thefunk in dysfunction likethe Maid of Orleans. Ataste of her wicked, jasmine lipschanges you forever.That’s why Istill comeback.I’m still smitten. New Orleansand I maybedivorced now,but I guessyou couldsay we’re still friends with benefits Thelast time Iwas in New Orleanswas Jan.21, 2025. If you’re lookingfor abalm for Katrinafatigue now,markthat date onyour calendar.That wasthe day the people of New Orleans cameout together likethe folksinWhoville on Christmasmorning when the Grinch brought all thepresents back to thechildren

Don’tinstill fear in children

Dear Heloise: Ijust read the letter about threatening children who are misbehaving with apolice arrest and wanted to share my experience as anurse. I have heard parents say things like, “You had better behave, or I’mgoing to tell thenurse to give you ashot.” This only instills fear and makes it harder for us and more traumatizing for kids when they do need immunizations. —Patricia M., via email Patricia, Iagree with you. Most children don’t like needles, so threatening to give them ashot does not makeavisit to the doctor’soffice apleasant experience. —Heloise Funeral flowers

The day it snowed in New Orleans. Another weather event that crippled the city, blanketed streetsand rooftops, canceled eventsand services, shut down roads and bridges. Only this time, when the snow melted and all that water soaked back into theground, there was no bathtub ring left behind to remindus. Just some frozen toes and fantastic photographs. Butthere won’tlikely be any streaming documentaries about that day.Hell, it doesn’teven have aname. No books written about it, unless maybe achildren’s book. No church services, obituaries, memorials, nor weeks and weeks of insufferable media coverage to keep reminding us over and over about how terrible was that Whole. Damn. Thing. Funny though —there is asong that comes to mind. It’scalled “Crescent City Sneaux.” Here’sa snippet:

Hold all our memories in one hand

So tightthat you won’tlet ’em go

Andinthe other hand we pray

That thewind and the panic and therain

Would all turn to asoft and quiet snow

New Orleanssingersongwriter Susan Cowsill wrote that song —20years ago —not about Jan. 21, but about Aug. 29. Andyes, it’s so damnsad. At first

Then it does this weird New Orleansthing. The song startsasa melancholy lament, an elegy for the landscape, “just paper and sticks and tattered sheets.”

Butthen something happens, aslow parade snare creeps out of the dirge, Cowsill’svoice rises then soars, thecoda drops aCajunbeat, then asecond-line rhumba and then inexorably,inexplicably,inimitably —and of course —aWho Dat cheer and the Saints go marching in.

It’smournful, beautiful, inspiring, puzzling, convincing. It makes me cry, it makes no sense, just like my city —that mystery wrapped in ariddle inside an enigma —still here, still strong, still heart-breaking, love-making, wash away my sins and tears, my dear dear New Orleans.

churches, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes forothers to enjoy.Personally, in lieu of flowers, I would like people to donate to the charity of their choice or that they provide the place where they would like donations to be given. Ihaveaphilodendron from my uncle’sfuneral in 2008 andapeace plant from my husband’sfuneral in 2022. It’s aconstantreminder of them. —Liz N.,via email Liz, usually the family needs to request that the flowers be given away to achurch or hospital. I’ve seen graves where flowers were heaped up on the grave to wilt and die. But I do like the idea of flowers in good condition being given to ahospital, nursing homeorchurch. —Heloise

Dear Heloise: Flowersat funerals are usually put to good use. Sometimes family members takethem home, or they are given to

BEATLES

Continuedfrom page1D

On Tuesday,Sept. 2at 7p.m., Spizer will give apresentationon“Help!” at the Jefferson Parish EastBank Regional Library (4747 W. Napoleon Ave., in Metairie). Following the presentation, he’ll host aQ&A session. Admissionisfree.

Copiesof“Beatles For Sale To Help!” and other Spizer bookswill be available for purchase at both events.

Alifelongfan

By day,Spizerisatax attorney andaccountant, occupationsthatrequire attention to detailand exhaustive research.Hebrings similar qualities to bear on hisBeatles books, which have sold morethan100,000 copies and counting.

He first heard “I Want To Hold Your Hand” while ridingonthe Isidore Newman School bus in January 1964. With that, alifelong Beatles fan was born. Last year,hereleased “The Beatles AHardDay’s Night &More” to coincide with the60thanniversary of theFab Four’sfirst film. That book chronicled not just the movie and thereaction to it, but thesoundtrack, other singles released in 1964, fanrecollections and thecultural landscape that was such fertile ground for Beatlemania.

SPRINGSTEEN

Continuedfrom page1D

his spirit,has been one of themost profound creative experiences of my life.To share thatexperience with New York audiences, in a city that definesartistic possibility, is both an honor and aresponsibilityI hold with deep gratitude.” White, who won two

Thetreeoflife

Dear Heloise: Iread with interest the letter about

HislastBeatles book?

“Beatles For Sale To Help!”issimilarinscope and formatting. In the introduction,Spizerdescribes how he becameenamored of the Beatles and James Bond movies simultaneously in the1960s, afascination that endures to this day As with his otherbooks, Spizer wrote mostchapters of hislatest. They include chapters about the release of “Beatles For Sale” in both the UnitedKingdom and the United States, the recording sessions for“Beatles For Sale” and “Help!” and detailed discussions of the photos and graphics on the album covers. Spizer recounts how “No Reply,” theopening track on “BeatlesFor Sale,” started off as ademo that JohnLennon recorded in abathroom while on vacation in Tahiti in May 1964. That demorecording “ends with aflushing

Emmy Awardsfor his star turn in the Hulu series “The Bear,” previously portrayed professional wrestler Kerry VonErich on the big screen in “The Iron Claw.”

But forhis latest role, the Brooklyn-born Calvin Klein underwearmodel endured more pressure for portraying the Rock &Roll Hall of Famer

honoring the people you care about with the beauty of flowers all throughout their lives —not just after they pass away When my husband passed away,mylocal union chapter presented me with amandarin orange tree and even planted it forme! The entire leadership of the chapter came and madeaparty out of it to honor my husband who had stood by me for over 59 years and the entire timeI’ve been active in my union. Such anice gift! Five years later,this little tree is covered with little mandarin oranges that are so delicious! I think of my union and my dear husband whenever I see the tree, and I’mfilled with such happy thoughts! Aliving gifthonoring someone can last fora lifetime. —Jeanne F.,inOxnard, California

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

toilet,” Spizerwrites, “perhaps indicating what John initially thought of thesong.”

Anotherfun detail: The “orange blob” in the lower right corner of the “Beatles For Sale” cover photo is the hand of Beatlestour manager Tony Bramwell, who was holding back the branchesofa tree while photographerRobertFreeman shot the band in London’sHyde Park. But as with other projects, he also includes chapters by other Beatles authorities PiersHemmingsencovers the release of “Beatles For Sale”inCanada. Al Sussmanand Bill King, respectively theeditor and publisherofthe long-running fanzine Beatlefan, contribute chapters. One chapteris devoted to fan recollections of the albums in question. Spizermaintains that he has no plans to write another Beatles book. Publishing 17 such books in 28 years —especially books with so manydetails —would be an impressive output for a full-time author.For someone who also practices law full-time, it’seven moreimpressive. In thenew book’sforeword, Spizer revealshis secret: “I don’tneed alot of sleep and work eight days a week.” Spoken like atrueBeatles fan.

Email KeithSpera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

“I didn’trealize trailers werethat big of athing,” he added.

“Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere”isexpected to hit theaters Oct. 24.

“Getting thatout, it was so muchpressure,” the actor told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” in June. “You’re playing areal person —nevermind Bruce Springsteen —and Iwas really touched (when)the trailercame out. Ihad more texts than when Iblacked outand wonthatGolden Globe (for ‘The Bear’).”

VIRGo(Aug. 23-sept. 22) Youwill make strides if you participateinsomething newand exciting. Alittle flashand charisma will carry you forward and attract those who have something to offer.

LIBRA (sept.23-oct. 23) Payattention to where your money goes. Don't sit at home procrastinating when getting outand having face-to-face talks will bring the most effective results. Apply charm and pressure.

scoRPIo (oct.24-nov. 22) It's not what you do or say; it's howyou turn your dreamsinto areality. Know what's best for you, and stick to your course of actionuntil you're satisfiedwiththe results.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec.21) Use your voice, wisdom and physical ability to emphasize your position and expectations, and you'll weed outthe people who are best suited to tag alongon your adventure. Betrue to yourself.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Consider what it takes to get to the next level. Assess, refine and implement change Expect to face opposition from someoneclose to you. Don't overreact;consider suggestions, but do what's best for you.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Moneyand health matters will require attention. You have plenty to gain by staying on top of what transpires instead of letting someone represent youorwhat you want. With clarity comes success.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight, dream and refuse to let someone lure youdown apath that's notinyourbest interest. Anetworking event will lead to opportunities. Explore thepossibilities.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Create aspace that suits your needs. This will put your mind at easeand centeryour confidence. Mix business with pleasure, and you'll gain momentum and allies TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Protect your home,healthand reputation.Refuseto let anyone use emotional manipulation to takeadvantage of you. You'll gain the most if you avoid conflicts.

GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Take theinitiative to reach out,connect and become apart of something that excitesyou. Utilize your intelligence and physical abilities to garner support.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Keep your private life to yourself. Avoid indulgent people, excessive situations and unreasonable demands. Be blunt about what you will and won't tolerate. LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Rethink your everythought, move or interaction. Center yourself and refuse to let your emotions dictate whathappens next. Be smartand makethe gains that matter. Strength begins with believing in yourself.

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

CelebrityCipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people,past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.

nEQuALs F

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers The objectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

TimeS CroSSword

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Mary Lou Retton, whowon one gold, twosilver and two bronze medals in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, said about her training regimen: “I gave up my childhood. Imissedproms and games and high-school events,and peoplesaiditwas awful. Isay it was a good trade.”

Her hard work gained her entry—the fifthletterofmy“trade”acronym—into the United States Olympic team. Bridge players should alwayskeep their eyes on entries. It is easier fordeclarer, whocan seeall of hisassets. But for the defenders, it is no use having winners ready to be cashed if that player does not have an entry card to gain the lead.

In this deal, how should Easthope to defeat three no-trump after West leads afourth-highestspade four?

When the dummy comes down, East should count up the points. South showed 15-17, dummy has 12, and Eastholds 10. Thatleavesonly1-3forWest.IfWesthas king-fifth of spades, there is no danger. But if West has only the spade jack, he cannot have an entry card in another suit

Eastmust reject theusual defenseof winning with thespade ace (third hand high) and returning the queen. South wouldduck,takethethirdspade,andrun the club queen to collect an overtrick.

Instead, Eastmust smoothly play his spade queen at trick one.

Yes, if South ducks, he makes his contract. But why would he? That would be suicidalifWesthas the spade ace-jack and club king. Instead, South will win thefirst trick andtakethe clubfinesse. But Eastwins withhis king, cashesthe spade ace, andleadshis last spade for down one

©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

EachWuzzle is aword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample:nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

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

ToDAy’sWoRD GRounDWoRK: GROWND-werk: Preparation made beforehand.

Averagemark 24 words

Time limit 45 minutes

Can youfind 36 or more words in GROUNDWORK?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —RAGouTs

you and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The

truly is ready, but thefleshisweak.”Mark 14:38

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from theletters in each row.add points of each word usingscoring directionsat right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus “Blanks”used as any letter havenopoint value. allthe wordsare in theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition

ken ken

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

Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

p p tact HANO's ProjectBasedVoucher Depart‐ment at (504) 670-3427 to make arrangements for completing andsubmit‐

2. Complete &Submit Online Pre-Application: online pre-applications must be completedand submittedonHANO's website- https://hano myhousing.com. If fur‐ther assistance is needed,pleasecontact theProject-Based VoucherDepartmentat (504) 670-3427.

Important: If youare an individual with disabili‐ties andneed assistance with theonlineapplica‐tion process, pleasecon‐j

$17.91

conference or in the CouncilChamber,City Hall,1300 PerdidoStreet, Room 1E07, theadoption of OrdinanceCalendar No.35,212 introduced at themeetingofAugust21, 2025. SAID ORDINANCEwould

y Hall,1300 PerdidoStreet Room 1E07, theadoption of OrdinanceCalendar No.35,223 introduced at themeetingofAugust21, 2025. SAID ORDINANCEwould authorizethe Mayorof theCityofNew Orleans

of theClerk of Council, Room 1E09, City Hall, 1300 PerdidoStreet AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATIONDATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8597 155965-aug29-1t $18.25

OFFICIAL NOTICE

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of New Orleans

will consider at its regular meeting of September 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.,

to be held either via video conference or in the Council Chamber,City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street,Room 1E07, the adoption ofOrdinance Calendar No 35,211 introduced at the meeting of August 21, 2025.

SAID ORDINANCE would authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into aCooperative Endeavor Agreementbetween the City of New Orleans (“City”), and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (“NORA”) for five (5) years, for the public purpose of redeveloping blighted property to foster economic development.

Said ordinance may be seen in full in the Office of the Clerk of Council, Room 1E09, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8576

OFFICIAL NOTICE CAL. NO. 35,211 EXHIBIT A

COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE NEW ORLEANS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (NORA) FOR SIX FLAGS/JAZZLAND SITE REDEVELOPMENT [COVER PAGE]

COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE NEW ORLEANS REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR SIX FLAGS/JAZZLAND SITE REDEVELOPMENT

THIS COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT (the Agreement”) is entered into by and between the City of New Orleans, represented by LaToya Cantrell, Mayor (the City”), and the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority,represented by Brenda M. Breaux, Executive Director (“NORA”).

The City and NORA may sometimes each be referredto as a“Party,” and collectively,asthe Parties.” The Agreement is effective as of the date of execution by the City (the Effective Date”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS,the City is apoliticalsubdivision of the State of Louisiana; WHEREAS, pursuant to Article 7, Section 14(C) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and related statutes, and Section 9-314 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans, the City may enter into cooperative endeavors with the State of Louisiana, its political subdivisions and corporations, the United States and its agencies, and any public or private corporation, association, or individual with regard to cooperative financing and other economic development activities, the procurement and development of immovable property,jointplanning and implementation of public works, the joint use of facilities, joint research and program implementation activities, joint funding initiatives, and other similar activities in support of public education, community development, housing rehabilitation, economic growth, and other public purposes;

WHEREAS,NORA is apublic body corporate and political, created pursuant to La. R.S. 33:4720.55, and the resolution of the Council of the City evidenced by acertificate signed by the Mayor and Council and registered with the Secretary of State of Louisiana;

WHEREAS,NORA has aprincipaladdress located at 1409 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70113;

WHEREAS,NORA exists and operates as generally provided for in La. R.S. 33:4720, et seq., for public purposes which include the prevention and elimination of blighted areas, the development of vibrant neighborhoods and establishment of economically and socially sound communities through abroad range of redevelopment activities;

WHEREAS,NORA has certain powers necessary or suitable to carry out the purposes and provisions of La. R.S. 33:4720, et seq., including withoutlimitation redevelopment, renewal, rehabilitation, housing development, conservation, urban beautification, or comprehensive programs for the development of entirecity areas or neighborhoods;

WHEREAS,NORA is charged with revitalization of underinvested areas in the City of New Orleans and desires to develop and construct properties for housing and economic development to benefitpoor and needy populations;

WHEREAS,NORA has demonstrated that it has the experience and expertise to conduct the activities described in this Agreement;

WHEREAS,pursuant to La. R.S. 33:4720.56, NORA is authorized to enter into agreements and contracts with the City in pursuance of the intent of the New Orleans Community Improvement Act, including activities to encourage the provision of healthful homes, housing for families and persons of low income, adecent living environment, and adequate places of employment within the City; WHEREAS,NORA is the owner of atotalofapproximately 227.36 acres of property (“the Site”) in New Orleans East that includes: (i) the site of the former Jazzland/Six Flags amusement park, plus (ii) an adjacent undeveloped 65.25-acretract (and together with all buildings, structures, and other improvements located thereon, Subject Property”);

WHEREAS,atthe City’srequest, based upon NORA’s unique qualifications, capacity,and experience in the redevelopment of commercial and residential properties in New Orleans, NORA agreed to take title to the Subject Property and to facilitate the long-term ground lease and development of the Subject Property by Bayou Phoenix LLC (“BP”), provided, however,that in the event BP no longer has the authorization to acquireand develop the Subject Property,NORAhas agreed to make an additional good faith effort to competitively procure such other private entity to lease and redevelop the Subject Property (ora portion thereof) pursuant to the New Solicitation (defined below); WHEREAS,the City and NORA desiretoaccomplish the redevelopment of blighted property and to foster economic development (collectively,the “Public Benefit”) by providing for the administration by NORA of the Subject Property in order to facilitate its redevelopment for public purposes and benefits as agreed by the Parties herein (the “Project”);

WHEREAS,NORA and the City will work together to facilitate the development of the Project, including, without limitation, through this Agreement and through the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement and related Ground Lease between NORA and BP; WHEREAS,the City hereby declares and acknowledges that the execution of this Agreement and the construction and implementation of the Project will enhance the Public Benefitand welfareand therefore constitute apublic purpose in that they prevent and combat community deterioration; increase and promote redevelopment of blighted property in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana; increase employment opportunities in the City of New Orleans,Louisiana; and preserve andimprove the aesthetic quality inuring to the economic health of the neighborhoods within the City of New Orleans, Louisiana; and the City hereby declares and acknowledges that these items constitute importantpublic benefits to the City; NOW THEREFORE,the City and NORA, each having the authority to do so, agree as follows: ARTICLE I-SCOPE OF WORK

Thescopes of work to be addressed by City of New Orleans funds dedicated to the Bayou Phoenix Project areasfollows:

A. Returning Site to Pre-Katrina Condition.These remedial efforts include but arenot limited to:

1. Removal of 20 years of overgrowth;

2. Clear the area north of the old amusement park towards I-10 bounded by the parking lot and the property limits which

obligation to implement any contractual arrangements it may need for use of, and access to, such data.

B. Maintenance and Operation.NORA will keep or cause the Subject Property to be kept in good condition, reasonable wear and tear and damage by fire or other unavoidable casualties excepted.

C. Invoices.Submit invoice(s) to the City electronically, via the City’s supplier portal, no laterthan ten (10 calendar days following the end of the period covered by the invoice. Untimely invoices may result in delayed payment for which the City is notliable. The City may requirechanges to the form of the invoice and may requireadditional supporting documentation to be submitted with invoices. At aminimum,each invoice must include the following information:

a. NameofEntity Requesting Payment (i.e., NORA);

b. Date of Invoice;

c. Invoice Number;

d. Contract or Purchase Order Number issued by the City (i.e., K#);

e. Nameofthe City Department to be invoiced (i.e., Office of Economic Development);

f. Description of the services or deliverables; and g. An authorized signatureunder penalty of perjury attesting to the validity and accuracy of the invoice.

ARTICLE III -THE CITY’SOBLIGATIONS

A. Administration.The City will:

1. Administer this Agreement through the Office of Economic Development;

2. Provide NORA withany documents reasonably deemed necessary for NORA’s performance of any work required under this Agreement;

3. Provide funds to further facilitate the development of the Subject Property in accordance with Article IScope of Work included in this Agreement Conduct quarterly review of NORA’s progress to ensurethat funds areused in accordance with this Agreement

B. Funding &Support.The City will provide NORA withthe funding in accordance with Article IV –Funding, herein below

ARTICLE IV –FUNDING

The City will provide $5,000,000.00 in total to support the further development of the Subject Property.$5,000,000.00 will be paid in two installments. No later than forty-five days after the effective date hereof, provided NORA properly submits its invoice electronicallythrough the City’sERP system, as set forthhereinunder,the City will provide an initial payment of $1,000,000.00 to NORA and asecond payment of $4,000,000.00 in January 2026. The funds aretobeused by NORA in connection with the ownership, leasing,and development of the Subject Property or any portion thereof,determined in NORA’s sole discretion, and which may include, without limitation, (i) administration and program delivery costs with respect to the Subject Property,(ii) costs of maintenance, security and operation of the Subject Property,(iii) gap financing costs, (iv) NORA legal and other professional service costs, and (v) incentive funding forthe development to be disbursed to the developer or any other party by NORA, in its sole discretion, to pay development costs, including,without limitation, site preparation of the Subject Property.Such funding has been and/or will be allocated by the City to NORA to be used solely for its funding obligations under this Agreement and is sourced from the City’sGeneral Fund or any other source available to the City forsuch purpose. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement,ifthe City fails to make the payment required by this Sectionasset forth above, NORA may immediately terminate this Agreement after sending ten (10) days advance written notice of the failure to pay,unless the City provides the required payment within such ten days of the date of the NORA notice.

ARTICLE V- TERM

The term of this Agreement shall be for five (5) years from the Effective Date.

ARTICLE VI -INDEMNITY

A. In General 1. Subject to Paragraph Bbelow,tothe fullest extent permitted by law,NORA willindemnify, defend, and holdharmless the City,its agents, employees, officials, insurers, self- insurance funds, and assigns (collectively,the City Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and alllosses, claims, demands, suits, and judgmentsofsums of money accruing against the City Indemnified Parties forloss of life or injury or damage to persons or property arising from or relating to any act or omission or the operationofNORA, its agents or employees while engaged in or in connection with the discharge or performance of any obligations under this Agreement;and for any and all claims and/or liens for labor services, or materialsfurnished to NORA in connection with the performance of work under this Agreement

2. Subject to Paragraph Bbelow,tothe fullest extent permitted by law,the City will indemnify,defend, and hold harmless NORA, its agents, employees, officials, insurers, selfinsurance funds, and assigns (collectively,the NORA Indemnified Parties”) from and against any and alllosses, claims, demands, suits, and judgmentsofsums of money accruing against the NORA Indemnified Parties for loss of life or injury or damage to persons or property arising from or relating to any act or omission or the operation of the City,its agents or employees while engaged in or in connection with the discharge or performance of any obligations under this Agreement;and for any and all claims and/or liens for labor services, or materialsfurnished to the City in connection with the performance of work under this Agreement.The indemnity provided in this Article Vshall be in addition to and in no way limit the indemnityprovided in Article II.Aofthis Agreement

B. Limitation.Anindemnifying Party’sindemnity to any of the City

Indemnified Parties or NORA Indemnified Parties, as applicable, under this Article Vdoes not extend to any losses, claims, demands, suits, and judgmentsofsums of money accruing against arising from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of any of the City Indemnified Parties, if NORA is the indemnifying Party,orany of the NORA Indemnified Parties, if the City is the indemnifying Party C. Independent Duty 1. NORA has an immediate and independent obligation to,at the City’soption: (a) defend the City from or (b) reimburse the City forits costs incurred in the defense of any claim that actually or potentially falls within this indemnity, even if: (1) the allegations areormay be groundless, false, or fraudulent; or (2) NORA is ultimately absolved from liability

2. The City has an immediate and independent obligation to at NORA’s option: (a) defend NORA from or (b) reimburse NORA forits costs incurred in the defense of any claim that actually or potentially falls within this indemnity, even if: (1) the allegations areormay be groundless, false, or fraudulent; or (2) the City is ultimately absolved from liability D. Expenses.Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary,the indemnifying Party shall bear the expenses of the defense of any indemnified claim or loss, including,but

for employment without regard to race, color,religion, sex, gender,age,physical or mentaldisability,nationalorigin,sexual orientation, creed, culture,orancestry

B. Non-Discrimination.Inthe performance of this Agreement, NORAwill not, andwill requireeach sublessee to not, discriminate on the basis, whetherinfact or perception, of aperson’srace, color,creed, religion, nationalorigin,ancestry,age,sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity,domestic partner status, marital status, physical or mental disability,orAIDS- or HIVstatus against (1)any employee of the City working with NORA or anysublessee in anyofNORA’s or suchsublessee’soperations within OrleansParish or (2)any person seeking accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, services, or membership in allbusiness, social, or other establishments or organizations operated by NORAorany sublessee. NORAagrees to, andshall requireeach sublessee to, comply with andabide by allapplicable federal, state andlocal laws relating to non-discrimination, including, without limitation, Title VI of the Civil Rights Actof1964, Section Vofthe Rehabilitation Actof1973, andthe Americans with Disabilities Actof1990.

C. Incorporation intoSubleases.NORA will incorporate the terms andconditions of this Article into allsubleases,byreference or otherwise, andwill requireall sublessees to comply with those provisions.

D. Termination for Breach.IfNORA or asublessee fails to comply with the requirements of this Article during the term of suchthis Agreementora sublease, said failuremay result in the City causing NORAtoterminate such sublease or pursuit of other remedies.

ARTICLE VIII -INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

A. Independent Contractor Status.Nothing containedinthis Agreementisintendedto, or shall be construedinany manner, as creating or

will, andwill requireeach sublessee to (1) notdiscriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color religion, sex, gender,age, physical or mental disability,national origin, sexual orientation, creed, culture, or ancestry,and (2)where applicable, take affirmative action to ensurethat such entity’s employees aretreated during employment without regardtotheir race, color,religion, sex, gender,age, physical or mental disability, national origin, sexual orientation, creed, culture, or ancestry.This requirement shall apply to,but not be limited to the following: employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer,recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination,rates of pay or other formsofcompensation, and selection for training,including apprenticeship. Allsolicitations or advertisements for employees shall state that allqualified applicants will receive consideration

not caused by the negligenceormisconductofCity or NORA, as applicable, by the failureofCity or NORA, as applicable,tocomply with applicable laws, or by the breach of this Agreement.

B. Notice.Toseek the benefitofthis Article,the City or NORA, as applicable, must provide noticeinwritingtothe otherParty stating: (1)anevent triggeringthis Article hasoccurred; (2)the anticipatedeffect of the Force Majeure eventonperformance; and (3)the expected duration of the delay, if the Agreementisbeing suspended.

C. Effect 1. Upon the occurrence of aForce Majeure event, for whichthe City or NORA, as applicable, hasprovided required notice, such Party may, at its sole discretion: a. Suspend this Agreementfor aduration to be set by such Party,not to exceed 90 days. Duringsuchtime of suspension, the Parties will not be liable or responsible for performance of their respective obligations under this Agreement, andthere will be excludedfromthe computation of suchperiod of time anydelays directly due to the occurrence of the Force Majeure event. During anysuchperiod of suspension, the otherPartymust take allcommercially reasonable actions to mitigate against the effectsofthe Force Majeure eventand to ensure the prompt resumption of performance whensoinstructedby the suspending Party; or b. Terminatethis Agreement, eitherimmediately or afterone or moreperiods of suspension, effective on noticetothe other Party andwithout anyfurthercompensation due.

2. Notwithstanding Section C(1) above, the obligations relating to making payments whendue (for services or materials already provided) andthose obligations specified to survive in the Agreementwill be unaffected by anysuspension or termination.

ARTICLE X- NOTICE

A. In General.Except for anyroutine communication,any notice, demand, communication,orrequest required or permitted under this Agreementwill be given in writing anddeliveredinpersonor by certified mail, returnreceipt requested as follows, with acopy delivered by electronic mail at the addresses set forth below:

1. To the City: Jeffrey Schwartz Director,Office of Economic Development 1340 PoydrasStreet,Suite 1800 NewOrleans, LA 70112 & City Attorney City of NewOrleans 1300 Perdido Street,Suite 5E03 NewOrleans, LA 70112

2. To NORA: NewOrleansRedevelopment Authority Attn: Brenda M. Breaux, Executive Director 1409 Oretha Castle HaleyBlvd. NewOrleans, LA 70113 Email: bbreaux@nola.gov

Effectiveness.Notices areeffective whenreceived, except any noticethatisnot received due to the intendedrecipient’srefusalor avoidanceofdelivery is deemed received as of the date of the first attempteddelivery B. Notification of Change.Each party is responsible for notifying the otherinwritingthatreferences this Agreementofany changes in its address(es)set forth above.

ARTICLE XI -ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

A. Amendment.Noamendment of or modification to this Agreement shall be valid unless anduntil executedinwritingbythe duly authorized representativesofboth Parties to this Agreement.

B. Assignment.This Agreementand anypart of eitherParty’s interest in it arenot assignable or transferable without the other Party’sprior written consent in its sole discretion.

C. Choice of Law This Agreementwill be construedand enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Louisiana without regard to its conflictoflawsprovisions.

D. Compliancewith City’sHiring Requirements –Ban theBox. 1. NORAagrees to requireall sublessees to comply with the City’shiring requirements containedinCity Code Section 2-8(d) and2-13(a)-(f). NORAwill incorporate the terms and conditions of this Article into allsubleases,byreferenceor otherwise. Prior to executing anysublease, such sublessee must provide asworn statementattesting to its compliance with the City’shiring requirements or stating why deviation from the hiring requirementisnecessary

2. Failuretomaintain compliancewith the City’shiring requirements through the term of suchsublease, or to provide sufficientwritten reasons for deviation, shall constitute a material breach of suchsublease. Upon learning of anysuch breach,the City will provide NORAand such sublessee notice of noncomplianceand allow such sublessee thirty (30) days to come into compliance. If,afterproviding noticeand thirty (30) days to cure,suchsublessee remains noncompliant, the City may move to cause NORAtovoid suchsublease or take any such legalaction permitted by laworthis Agreement.

3. This section will not applytoany agreements excludedfrom the City’shiring requirements by City Code Sections 2-8(d) or (g). Should acourt of competent jurisdiction find anypart of this section to be unenforceable, the section should be reformed, if possible, so thatitisenforceabletothe maximum extentpermittedbylaw,orifreformation is not possible, the section should be fully severable andremaining provisions of the Agreementwill remain in full force andeffect

4. NORAwill incorporate the terms andconditions of this Article

forCertain

theright to limitation of liabilityshall file and serveananswertothe Complaintand Petition b f h b p on or beforetheabove

Claims /seal/ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERNDISTRICTOF LOUISIANA /s/ CarolL.Michel ClerkofCourt /s/ L. Guillot Deputy Clerk Date:July30, 2025 152422-aug22-29-sep512-4t $1,506.84 PUBLIC NOTICE Master Plan Update Public MeetingNotice OrganizingBody: New OrleansAviationBoard Date &Time: September 2, 2025, 4p.m 7p.m Location: SusanPark Gymnasium, 502 Veter‐ansMemorialBlvd, Ken‐ner, LA 70062 Purpose: TheNew Or‐leansAviationBoard and itsconsultants have un‐dertaken a20-year Mas‐terPlanUpdate, which will outlinethe long-term vision,development pri‐orities, andinfrastruc‐ture improvements needed to accommodate future growth andopera‐tional demandsatthe airport. This Plan also as‐siststhe airportasit seekstoalignwithin‐dustry trends,enhance safety, andsupport re‐gional economic growth

Public ParticipationInfo: Thepublicisencouraged to come anytimebe‐tween 4p.m.and 7p.m to learnmoreabout the airport’s plans in this h f

LCTCS Requestfor Qualifications MunicipalAdvisoryFirm

TheLCTCS Facilities Cor‐poration invitesinter‐estedparties to review andrespond to aRe‐questfor Qualifications (RFQ). Thepurpose of this RFQistosecurean IndependentMunicipal Advisory Firm to (1) serveasthe Corpora‐

LaPAC/pubMain.cfm Additionally,interested partiesmay obtain a copy of this RFQdocu‐ment by emailinga re‐questto: FC-RFQ@lctcs. edu Allbidsmustbereceived by LCTCSnolater than Friday,September 12, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. 155817-aug29-1t $178.53

supervisethe execution of theCorporation’s re‐sponsibilities with re‐specttothe bondsand theresultant construc‐tion projects;(ii)provide independentadministra‐tive advice andserve solely theinterestofthe Corporation; and(iii) provideoversight and structuretothe timing andadministrationof construction projects across theState of Louisianaand adminis‐trationoffundsatten‐dant to thebonds,in‐cludingthe negotiation of keybusinesspointsto accomplishthe Corpora‐tion’s objectives Digitalcopiesfor down‐loadingofthe RFQcan be found on theLCTCS web‐site at: http://www.lctcs.edu/rfp andatthe Office of State Procurementwebsite LA PACOnlineSolicitations &Award Information Section: https://wwwcfprd.doa. louisiana.gov/OSP/ LaPAC/pubMain.cfm Additionally,interested partiesmay obtain a copy of this RFQdocu‐ment by emailing are‐questto: FC-RFQ@lctcs edu

Allbidsmustbereceived by LCTCSnolater than Friday,September 12, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. 155812-aug29-1t $204.08

PUBLIC NOTICE REQUESTFOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) No.CC-25-04 ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICE OUTAGE TRACKING ISSUED:JULY25, 2025 TheCouncil of theCityof NewOrleans (Council) is to retain an individual or firm to serveasanadvi‐sortoassistthe Council in theperformance of its regulatory responsibili‐ties under theHomeRule Charter. Specifically, the Councilisseekinganad‐visortomonitor and trackelectricutility ser‐vice outage data.The RFQcan be obtained from thecouncil’sweb‐site at https://council. nola.gov/council/media/ Assets/rfps/2025-07-24Outages-RFQ_1.pdf or from theCouncil Utilities Regulatory Office ( ) did

OFFICIAL NOTICE

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of New Orleans will consider at its regular meeting of September 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., to be held either via video conference or in the Council Chamber,City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E07, the adoption of Ordinance Calendar No. 35,209 introduced at the meeting of August 21, 2025.

SAIDORDINANCE would authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into Amendment No. 2toapreviously executed Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”) between the City of New Orleans (“City”) and The University of New Orleans, relative to the provision of two graduate interns to assist the City Planning Commission’sBrownsfield Division, to modify the provisions thereof, to extend the duration for one year,and to add additional funding, as fully set forth in the Amendment No. 2attached hereto as Exhibit “A” and made apart hereof.

Said ordinance may be seen in full in the Office of the Clerk of Council, Room 1E09, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street.

AISHA R. COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8574

OFFICIAL NOTICE CAL. NO. 35,209

EXHIBIT A AMENDMENT NUMBER 2TOTHE

COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN

THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS [COVER PAGE]

AMENDMENT NO. 2TOTHE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND UNIVERSITYOFNEW ORLEANS CITY PLANNING COMMISSION BROWNFIELDS INTERNSHIP

THIS SECOND AMENDMENT (the Amendment”) is entered into by and between the City of New Orleans, represented by LaToya Cantrell, Mayor (the City”), and the University of New Orleans, represented by Mamie Gasperecz, Vice President, Business Affairs (“UNO”).The City and UNO aresometimes each referredtoasa Party,” and collectively, as the “Parties.” The Amendment is effective as of September 10, 2025 (the “Effective Date”). RECITALS WHEREAS,onSeptember

3.

Costsand

:$58,686.00

3. Non-Solicitation Statement.UNO has not employed nor retained any company or person, other than abona fide employee working solely for it, to solicit or securethis Amendment.UNO has neither paid nor agreed to pay any person, other than abona fide employee working for it, any fee, commission, percentage, gift, or any other considerationcontingent upon or resulting from this Amendment

4. Prior Terms Binding.Except as otherwise provided by this Amendment,the terms and conditions of the Agreement,asamended, remaininfull force and effect.

5. Counterparts.This Amendment may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original copy of this Amendment,but all of which, when taken together,shall constitute one and the same agreement.

6. ElectronicSignatureand Delivery.The Parties agree that a signed copy of this Amendment and any other document(s) attached to this Amendment delivered by facsimile, email,orothermeans of electronictransmission shallbedeemed to have the same legal effect as delivery of an originally signed copy of this Amendment.Nolegally binding obligation shall be created with respect to aParty until such Party has delivered or caused to be delivered asigned copy of this Amendment

[SIGNATURES CONTAINED ON THE NEXT PAGE]

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank.] IN WITNESS WHEREOF,the City and UNO,through their duly authorized representatives, execute this Amendment CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

BY:______________________________________

LATOYACANTRELL, MAYOR

Executed on this_____of__________________, 2025.

FORM AND LEGALITY APPROVED: LAWDEPARTMENT

BY:_ PRINTED NAME:

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS

BY:_ MAMIE GASPERECZ, VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS AFFAIRS

FEDERAL TAXI.D.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8575

CITYHALL: August 21,

BY:COUNCILMEMBER GIARRUSSO SECONDED BY:COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS WHEREAS, Louisiana Revised Statute §18:534B(1)provides thatonce apolling place hasbeen established, its location shall not be changed from the date whenqualifying period opens until afterthe date of the general election, “unless the polling place becomes unavailable due to an emergencycaused by an act of God or when privately owned property being usedasa polling place becomes unavailable through no fault of the governing authority”; and WHEREAS, the earliest qualifying period for the October11, 2025 openprimary/Orleansmunicipalparochialprimary election began on July 9, 2025; and WHEREAS, Paul L. DunbarCharter School (9330 ForsheySt.)serves as the polling place for the following wards/precincts: 17/15 and 17/16; and WHEREAS, the Clerk of CriminalDistrictCourt, as the Elections Division Supervisor,received numerous communicationsfromvoters stating the distance to Paul L. DunbarCharter School is too farand dangerous; and WHEREAS, the Louisiana CommissionerofElections confirmed on August 13, 2025 thatthese concerns constitute an emergencypolling location change,rendering this site unavailable to serve as apolling place through no fault of the governing authority,inaccordance with Louisiana Revised Statute §18:534B(1); and WHEREAS, confirmation thatthe Paul L. DunbarCharter School at 9330 ForsheyStreet is unavailable to serve as apolling place is documented in acommunication dated August 20, 2025 from the office of Darren P. Lombard,Clerk of CriminalDistrictCourt requesting to change the polling place to Life Transformation Community Center –LTCC at 8606 Marks Street; NOW THEREFORE BE IT MOVED BY THECOUNCIL OF THE CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, Thatthe following polling location change shall be establishedasthe official polling place for the specified precincts within

24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 29, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter ofCredit.

JEREMY L NUSLOCH Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, advan‐tages andappurte‐nances there‐untobelonging or in anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in HARLEM PARK‐WAY,inSQUARE NO.4 which square is bounded by Bore Street, RidgelakeDrive, WhiteStreet andthe property line of Metairie Lawn Subdivision, which lotisdes‐ignatedasLOT F on a plan by R. P. Rordam,C.E datedNovem‐ber5,1940,im‐provements lo‐catedApril 2, 1941, acopyof which is an‐nexedtoanact before MayerL Dresner, Notary Public datedOctober 4, 1941, andac‐cordingthereto said Lot Fcom‐mences at a dis‐tanceof 110 feet from thecornerof Bore Street and RidgelakeDrive andmeasures thence 42 feet fronton Bore Street, same width in therear, by a depth between equaland parallel linesof 120 feet.Ac‐cordingtoa sur‐veybyGilbert Kelly Couturie, Inc. dated January11, 1973, acopyof which is an‐nexedtoanact before Henry O'Connor, Jr., Notary Public datedJanuary 22, 1973, said lot hasthe same location,desig‐nation, boundaries and measurements hereinaboveset forth.

PUBLICNOTICE

On January 27, 2019, law enforcement officers collected Illegal narcotics and U.S. currency at S. Claiborne Ave. and Toledano St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of J. Brown. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #A-35751-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On January 1, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, paraphernalia, andU.S. currency at S. Carrollton Ave. and Earhart Blvd., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigationand/or arrest of B. Neely.The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intendsto seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #A-01149-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On May 21, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics and U.S. currency at Toledano St. and S. Galvez St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigationand/or arrestofS Conerly.The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have anyinformation regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office at 619 South White Street, New Orleans,LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #E-30053-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On March 25, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, firearms, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency at 7061 Yorktown St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigationand/or arrest of T. Martin. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #C-33261-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On March 27, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, firearms, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency at Allen St. and N. Rocheblave St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/ or arrest of R. Buckley Jr The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding theownership of the property, please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #C-3665719.

PUBLICNOTICE

On May 29, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, firearm, paraphernalia, cellphones, personal documents, and U.S. currency at 3523 Louisiana Ave. Pkwy New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of R. Lewis. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have anyinformation regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #E-41868-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On January 10, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, a firearm, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrestofD.Justin. TheOrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou haveany information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #A-12535-19.

PUBLICNOTICE

On March 24, 2015, law enforcement officers collected two vehicles from 2611 Dawson Ave., New Orleans, as evidence in connection

KRISTINBAKER ANDMARGARET G. SPEED A/K/A MARGARET SPEED

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune2 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

Onecertain lot or portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all therights, ways privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theCityof Kenner,Parish of Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, des‐ignatedasLot 5A,SquareF,of SouthlakeVil‐

lagesSubdivi‐sion,Section II, as more fully shownonthe plan of resubdivisionof BFMCorpora‐tion,dated May 12, 2000, revised May16, 2000, and May17, 20000, acceptedbythe City of Kenner on May18, 2000, OrdinanceNo. 8286, and recorded in COB 3032, folio 469, Instrument No 10026577, said ordinancehav‐ingbeen cor‐rected by Reso‐lution No.B14035 of theCity of Kenner, datedJanuary 18, 2001, and said plan being furtherrevised July 26, 2000, and September12, 2000, andbeing furtherac‐ceptedbythe City of Kenner on October 19, 2000, Ordi‐nanceNo. 8363, andrecordedin COB304’,folio 141, Instrument No 10055016, said ordinancehav‐ingbeen cor‐rected by Reso‐lution No.B14036 of the City of Kenner, datedJanuary 18, 2001, and recorded in COB 3046, folio 237. Said Lot5A, Square Fmea‐sures67.00’ frontonCane BayouLane, same in width in therear, by a depth of 120.00’ between equal d ll l

q andparallel lines.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

Attorney for Plaintiff

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit DENNIS WIG‐GINS,JR.

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

Propertyownerswhofiledtheirappeals forrealestatepropertytaxassessment withtheOrleansParishAssessoronor beforeAugust2 letterstartingaro pt ,2 thatwilldetailthedateandtimeofwhen theirhearingisscheduledbetween September12th-29th.

TheBoardofReview requestspropertyownersto workwiththeOrleansParish Assessortoresolvetheir appeal

Thehearingswillbeheldprimarilyby phone,onlinethroughavideoconference orinpersonatDelgadoCommunity CollegeStudentLifeCenter

OrleansParishTax Appeal Programwillbe conductedfrom9/15-10/5/2025. In-person appealswill be at DelgadoStudent Life Center Amutually acceptable, negotiated resolutionisthe quickestand most effectiveway to resolvea disputed real estatepropertytaxassessment.

InordertocomplywithStatelaw,the boardofReviewmustcertifythetax rollstotheLouisianaTaxCommission byOctober20,2025.Theappeals processwillendnolaterthanOctober 5,2025.

TheBoardofReviewhascontracted with Hammerman&Gainer,LLCtohelp processtheappealsandprovide recommendationstotheBoardofReview whichwillbeheldinopenCityCouncil Chambers For additional

https://www.latax.state.la.us/

non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property, please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, NewOrleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #E-40627-14.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On May16, 2022, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, firearms, and U.S. currency at the 4900 block of Alsace St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest A. Williams. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, NewOrleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #E-17666-22.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On March17, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency at the 4100 block of N. RobertsonSt., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of T. Smith. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, NewOrleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #C-22964-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On August 13, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, a firearm, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency from 815 AdeleSt.,New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of T. Allen. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #H-17320-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On December 4, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics and U.S. currency from the 7500 block of ExpeditionDr.,New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of S. Reed. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, NewOrleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #L-04872-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On August 28, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, firearms, ammunition, paraphernalia, cellphones, personal documents, and U.S. currency from 8707 S. ClaiborneAve., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of K. Carter.The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, NewOrleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #H-38587-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On August 26, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency from 435 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of J. Boulet. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek court approval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownershipofthe property,please contact the Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street, New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #H-36504-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On May20, 2019, law enforcement officers collected illegal narcotics, one firearm, paraphernalia, and U.S. currency from

with the investigation and/or arrest of K. Baldwin. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’s Office at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #G-15235-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On June 13, 2019, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, firearms, cellphone,and U.S. currency from 2600 N. Robertson St., New Orleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of D. Banks Jr The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #F-18022-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On February 12, 2019, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, firearms, paraphernalia,cellphones, personal documents/items, andU.S. currency from 1841 St Ann St., Apt. A, NewOrleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of C. Expose, D. Martin, and F. Mccoil. The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #B-06253-19.

PUBLIC NOTICE

On August 22, 2019, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, paraphernalia,and U.S. currency from the 6800 block of W. CoronetCt. NewOrleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of J. Coatesand H. Washington. The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have anyinformation regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #H-30476-19

PUBLIC NOTICE

On June 6, 2014, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, paraphernalia,cellphones, personal items, andU.S. currency at the intersection of ChefMenteur Hwy.and Majestic Oaks Dr NewOrleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of A. Hardy and C. Lewis. The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have any information regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #F-07420-14

PUBLIC NOTICE

In June 2011, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, firearms, andU.S. currency as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of B. Jones andJ.Bateman.The OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have anyinformation regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #F-02288-11

PUBLIC NOTICE

On October4,2018, lawenforcementofficers collected illegalnarcotics, firearms, paraphernalia,cellphones, andU.S. currency from 2327 Lamanche St., NewOrleans, as evidence in connection with the investigation and/or arrest of E. Carter,W.Jones, andD.Harry.The Orleans Parish District Attorney’sOffice intends to seek courtapproval to dispose of the non-contraband property.Ifyou have anyinformation regarding the ownership of the property,please contact the OrleansParish District Attorney’sOffice at 619 South White Street,New Orleans, LA 70117 or (504)827-6309. Item #J-04509-18.

155796-545318-aug29-1t $488.57

JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:866-754

TH MSRHOLD‐INGS LLC VERSUS BLAKET

HUNTER AND PAMELA PERCLE

BRADY, (A/K/A PAMELA PER‐CLE, PAMELA BRADY)

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly14, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:866-995

FEDERALHOME LOAN MORT‐GAGE CORPORA‐TION AS TRUSTEE FOR THE BENEFITOFTHE FREDDIEMAC SEASONED LOANSSTRUC‐TURED TRANSACTION TRUSTSERIES 2020-3 VERSUS SARAHBECNEL, ALAINA BECNEL ANDKYLE BEC‐NEL

SIDELINEAD‐JOININGLOT 420 OF ONEHUN‐DRED FORTY ANDNO/100 (140.00') FEET,AND A DEPTHONTHE SIDELINEAD‐JOININGLOT 422 OF TWO HUNDRED TWENTY-ONE AND11/100 (221.11')FEET; subjecttore‐strictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

IMPROVEMENTS THEREONBEAR MUNICIPAL NO 3737 LAKE TIM‐BERLANE DRIVE.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

35 of SQUARE C-1, SOUTHWOOD WEST SUBD IVI‐SION,SECTION C, commences

105 feet from The intersection of Fire Thom Drive andMtLaurrel Driveand mea‐sures thence a first frontage on Fire ThomDrive of 107.46 feet on a curve, having a radius

of 105 feet and a second frontage on Fire Thom Driveof32.33 feet on acurve, having aradius of 105 feet by a width in the rear of 22.15 feet andby a depth on the sideline nearer to Mt Laurel Driveof181.05 feet anda depth on theopposite sideline of 146.52 feet; subjecttore‐

OFFICIAL NOTICE

j strictions,servi‐tudes, rights-ofwayand out‐standing mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 288 Firethom Dr., Gretna,LA 70056

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of New Orleans will consider at its regular meeting of September 11, 2025 at 10:00

a.m., to be held either via video conference or in the Council Chamber City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E07, the adoption of Ordinance Calendar No.35,215 introduced at the meeting of August 21, 2025.

SAIDORDINANCE would authorize the Mayorofthe City of New Orleans to enter into Amendment No.1toanexisting Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of New Orleans (the “City”)and The National World WarIIMuseum, Inc., to extend the term by one year,for the public purpose of improving pedestrian walkways along Andrew Higgins Drive, including enhancements within part of the Museum Operations Corridor forthe benefitofand enjoyment by New Orleans citizens and visitors and to encourage Convention Center participants to explorethe historic Warehouse District and the Museum Operations Corridorinthe City of New Orleans.

Saidordinance may be seen in full in the Office of the Clerk of Council, Room 1E09, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street.

terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges. TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐

RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025

aug29-oct3-2t $89

THAT CERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that subdivision knownasAcadi‐anaSubdivision, all in accordance with aplanof resubdivisionby DufreneSurvey‐ing& Engineer‐ing, Inc., datedMarch 17, 2004, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nance No.22234, adoptedon June 23, 2004, filedatCOB 3128, folio 108

Accordingto such plan,such lotisdesig‐natedasLOT 4 in SQUARE F. Square Fis bounded by VillePlatte Court, Cedar Creek Street, Acadiana Trace (side) and Bayou DesFamilies (side).Lot 4 measures 45.00 feet fronton VillePlatte Court, a first width in therearof 58.76 feet,a sec‐ondwidth in the rear of 87.57 feet,bya depth of 123.35 feet alongthe south‐easterlymost sideline,and 126.80 feet alongthe northerlymost sideline.All in accordance with asurveyby DufreneSurvey‐ing& Endgineering, Inc.,dated Sep‐tember 8, 2016, revisedtoshow improvements October31, 2016.

Having amunic‐ipal addressof 2665 VillePlatte Court, Marrero, LA 70072

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

PENNY M. DAIGREPONT Attorney for

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly23, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceedto sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONE(1) CERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, TOGETHER WITH ALLOFTHE BUILDINGS, RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, ADVANTAGES AND APPURTE‐NANCES THERE‐UNTO BELONG‐INGORINANY‐WISE APPER‐TAINING, SITUATED,LYING ANDBEING IN THEPARISHOF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART KNOWNAS STONEBRIDGE SUBDIVISION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEPLAN OF RESUBDIVI‐SION BY J.J. KREBS& SONS, INC, DATEDAU‐GUST 31,1981 APPROVED BY THEJEFFERSON PARISH COUNCILUNDER ORDINANCE 15014, ADOPTED JANUARY6, 1982, REGISTERED UNDERENTRY NO.1001764, COB1019,FOLIO 674; AND ACCORDINGTO SAID PLAN SAID LOTISDESIG‐NATEDASLOT FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY ONE (421) OF SQUARE FIFTEEN (15),WHICH SAID SQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY PARCEL A, LAKE LYNN DRIVE, LAKE LOUISE DRIVE, LAKE KRISTIN DRIVEAND LAKE TIMBERLANE DRIVE,AND AC‐CORDINGTO SAID PLAN,SAID LOT421 MEA‐SURESONE HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT AND 61/100 (138.61') FEET FRONTON LAKE TIMBER‐LANE DRIVE WITH AWIDTH IN THEREAROF SEVENTYAND 56/100 (70.56) FEET,BYA DEPTHONTHE

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:866-969

BANK OF AMER‐ICA, N.A. VERSUS LOYCE MAR‐QUETTE COLLINS By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly18, 2025,I have seized andwill proceedto sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, aidall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that part thereofknown as SOUTHWOOD WEST SUBDIVI‐SION,SECTION C, beinga re‐subdivisionof PLOT B-1, registered in COB926, folio 546. Said piece or portionof ground is desig‐nated as LOT35of SQUARE C-1, andismore fully described as follows: LOT

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8578

OFFICIAL NOTICE CAL. NO. 35,215 EXHIBIT A AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE NATIONAL WORLD WARIIMUSEUM, INC. [COVER PAGE]

AMENDMENT NO. 1TOTHE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE NATIONAL WORLD WARIIMUSEUM, INC.

ANDREW HIGGINSSTREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT (the Amendment”) is entered into by and between the City of New Orleans, represented by LaToya Cantrell, Mayor (the “City”), and The National WWII Museum, represented by Stephen Watson, President and CEO(the Museum”). The City and the Museum aresometimes each referred to as the “Party,” and collectively as the Parties.” The Amendment is effective as of September 15, 2025 (the Effective Date”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS,the City and the Museum areparties to acooperative endeavor agreement dated effective January 24, 2024 (the Agreement”) forthe purpose of improving pedestrian walkways along Andrew Higgins Drive, including enhancements within part of the Museum Operations Corridor, for the benefitofand enjoyment by New Orleans citizens and visitors and to encourage Convention Center participants to explorethe historic Warehouse District and the Museum Operations Corridor; WHEREAS,the City and the Museum,each having the authority to do so, desiretoenter this Amendment to extend the term forcontinuity of services;

OFFICIAL NOTICE

Public Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of New Orleans

will consider at its regular meeting of September 11, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., to be held either via video conference or in the Council Chamber, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E07, the adoption of Ordinance Calendar No.35,216 introduced at the meeting of August 21, 2025.

SAIDORDINANCE wouldauthorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans (the “City”) to enter into an Amendment to the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (“CEA”)between the City and YouthForce NOLA that will extend the CEA’s term foreight (8) months, increase the CEA’s compensation,and modifycertain terms and conditions within the CEA, as morefully set forth in the form attached hereto as Exhibit “1” and made apart hereof.

Saidordinance may be seen in full in the Office of the Clerk of Council, Room 1E09, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street.

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8580

OFFICIAL NOTICE CAL. NO. 35,216

EXHIBIT 1

AMENDMENT NUMBER 2TOTHE

COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND YOUTHFORCE NOLA

AMENDMENT NO. 2TOCOOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT

BETWEEN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND YOUTHFORCE NOLA

YOUTH TALENT DEVELOPMENT:CAREER AWARENESS, SOFT SKILLS, AND INTERNSHIPS

THIS SECOND AMENDMENT (the “Amendment”) is entered into by and between the City of New Orleans, represented by LaToya Cantrell, Mayor (the “City”), and YouthForce NOLA, represented by Cate Swinburn, President (the Contractor”). The City and the Contractor aresometimes each referred to as a“Party,” and collectively, as the Parties.” The Amendment is effective

STRUCTURED

NOW THEREFORE, for good andvaluable consideration,the City andthe Museum amendthe Agreementasfollows:

A. EXTENSION.The term of the Agreementisextended for one (1) additionalyear from September15, 2025, through September14, 2026.

B. CONVICTED FELON STATEMENT.The Museum swears thatit complieswith City Code Section §2-8(c). No Museum principal, member or officer has, within the preceding five years, been convictedof, or pled guilty to, afelony understate or federal statutes for embezzlement, theft of public funds, bribery,orfalsification or destruction of public records.

C. NON-SOLICITATION STATEMENT.The Museum swears thatit hasnot employed or retainedany company or person,otherthanabona fide employee workingsolely for it, to solicit or securethis Amendment. The Museum hasnot paid or agreed to pay anyperson, otherthana bona fide employee working for it, anyfee, commission,percentage gift, or anyotherconsideration contingent upon or resulting from this Amendment.

D. ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE AND DELIVERY.The Parties agreethata manually signed copy of this Amendment andany other document(s) attached to this Amendment delivered by facsimile,email, or othermeansofelectronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legaleffect as delivery of an originalsignedcopy of this Amendment. No legally binding obligation shall be created with respect to aPartyuntil such Party hasdeliveredorcaused to be delivered a manually signed copy of this Amendment.

E. PRIOR TERMS BINDING.Except as otherwise provided by this Amendment, the terms andconditions of the Agreementremaininfull force andeffect

[SIGNATURES CONTAINED ON NEXT PAGE] [The remainder of this page is intentionally leftblank.] IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the City andthe Museum, through their duly authorized representatives, execute this Amendment.

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

BY:_ LATOYA CANTRELL, MAYOR

Executed on this____ of___________________ ,2025.

FORM AND LEGALITY APPROVED:

Law Department

By:

Printed Name:

CITYOFNEW ORLEANS, CITY COUNCIL

BY:_

CITYCOUNCIL PRESIDENT

THENATIONAL WORLD WARIIMUSEUM, INC. BY:_ STEPHEN WATSON,PRESIDENT AND CEO

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL PUBLICATION DATE:August 29, 2025 NOCP 8579 155612-544611-aug29-1t $235.62

theft of public funds, bribery,orfalsification or destruction of public records.

4. Non-Solicitation Statement.The Contractor swears thatithas not employed or retainedany company or person,otherthana bona fide employee working solely for it, to solicit or securethis Amendment. The Contractor hasnot paid or agreed to pay anyperson, otherthan abona fide employee workingfor it, anyfee, commission, percentage gift, or anyotherconsideration contingent upon or resulting from this Amendment.

5. Prior Terms Binding.Except as otherwise provided by this Amendment, the terms andconditions of the Agreement, as amended, remain in full force andeffect

6. Electronic Signature and Delivery.The Parties agreethata manually signed copy of this Amendment andany otherdocument(s) attached to this Amendment delivered by facsimile,email, or other meansofelectronic transmission shall be deemed to have the same legaleffect as delivery of an originalsignedcopy of this Amendment. No legally binding obligation shall be created with respect to aPartyuntil such Party hasdeliveredorcaused to be delivered amanually signed copy of this Amendment.

[SIGNATURES CONTAINED ON THE NEXT PAGE] [The remainder of this page is intentionally leftblank.] IN WITNESS WHEREOF,the City andthe Contractor,through their duly authorized representatives, execute this Amendment. CITYOFNEW ORLEANS

BY:_________________________________________________________

LATOYACANTRELL, MAYOR

Executed on this_____of__________________, 2025.

FORM AND LEGALITY APPROVED: LAWDEPARTMENT

BY:_ PRINTED NAME:

YOUTHFORCE NOLA

BY:_ CATE SWINBURN, PRESIDENT

FEDERAL TAXI.D.

AISHA R. COLLIER ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL PUBLICATION DATE: August 29, 2025 NOCP 8581

Improvements thereonbear theNo. 2417 Lynnbrook Drive.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

and

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 31, 2019, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes advantages and appurtenances thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in Jef‐ferson Parish, Louisiana, in SQUARE "M”, WOODMERE SUBDIVISION, SECTION2, bounded by Lynnbrook Drive, Paige Janette Drive, PaigeJanette Drive(side)and OakmereDrive (side),desig‐natedasLOT NO.642, commences 251 feet from the corner of Lynnbrook Drive andPaige Janette Drive, measures thence 63 feet fronton Lynnbrook Drive, same width in the rear,bya depth of 100 feet between equaland paral‐lellines.All as more fully shownonsur‐vey of Gilbert, Kelly &Couturie, Inc.

S&E, datedAu‐gust 8, 1992 a copy of which is attached to act datedAugust 12, 1992 and made apart thereof; subject to restrictions, servitudes rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affectingthe property

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:858-287 JPMORGAN CHASEBANK NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION vs DEVONJACK‐SONGILES (A/K/A DEVONJ GILES, DEVON GILES) AND HENRY GILES, JR. (A/K/A HENRY GILES) AND KRYSTALJ.WIL‐SON(A/K/A KRYSTAL WILSON)AND ADOLPHUS WIL‐SON, SR

g privileges servitudes and appurtenances thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in SQUARE "D"of KENSINGTON GARDENSSUB‐DIVISION, bounded by ABBEYROAD, OLDCOMPTON ROAD,WEST CHELSEAROAD andJUSTIN LANE,desig‐natedasLOT NO.19-B-1on a survey made by Wilton J. Dufrene, Land Surveyor,dated September16, 1983,revised March28, 1984, acopyofwhich is annexedtoAct No 84-26872, andaccording thereto, said Lot commences at a distance of 64 feet from the comerofABBEY ROAD andOLD COMPTON ROAD, measures thence 64 feet frontonABBEY ROAD, same width in the rear,bya depth of 127feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:850-681

TRUIST BANK vs ERNEST J. GIUSTI,JR. AND RITA SHARBONO GIUSTI A/K/A RITA SHARBONO VOORHIES MANN GIUSTI

24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune7, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN POR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon. allthe component partsthereof, andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theSTATE OF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF JEFFERSONin that part known as MARVIS GROVESUBDIVI‐SION OF BERTHAUD PLANTATION, designated as LOT97-A-1 which is bounded by Big BayouBarataria andLouisiana Highway45and is more fullyde‐scribedasfol‐lows:

Commenceat theintersection of thewesterly right-of-way line of Louisiana Highway 45 andthe southlineofLot 96-C, said inter‐sectionbeing 18,651.6feet to center of FlemingCanal and3.2 miles more or less southofthe Kenner Bridge

Thence.turn andgoalong thewesterly right-of-way line of Louisiana Highway45, S 12 degrees 53 feet 20 inches E adistanceof 109.49 feet to a pointatthe in‐tersection of theaforesaid westerly rightof-way line and thecommon line of Lots 97-A1and 97-A-2.

andgoN 58 de‐grees 32 feet 20 inches Ea dis‐tanceof94.00 feet to a pointatthe in‐tersection of thewesterly right-of-way of LouisianaHigh‐way45and the commonlineof Lots 97-A-1and 96-C; subjectto restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Improvements thereonbear MunicipalNo: 4320 JEAN LAFITTEBOULE‐VARD,JEAN LAFITTE, LA 70067

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $121

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:848-531

U.S. BANK TRUSTNA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, NOTIN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUTSOLELYAS OWNER TRUSTEEFOR RCF2 ACQUISI‐TION TRUST VS CURT BERNARD FARRISAND SALLYHOPPER FARRIS

Thence,turn andgoalong theaforesaid commonline, S 58 degrees 32 feet 20 inches Wa dis‐tanceof105.00 feet to a point. Thence turn and go N7 degrees 37 feet 00 inches Wa distance of 113.47 feet to a point.

Hennesy, Notary Public,dated December 28, 1978, registered in COB948, folio 19, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; sub‐ject to restric‐tions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear themunici‐paladdress 3113 Illinois Av‐enue,Kenner, Louisiana.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:829-862

U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATIONNOT IN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS LEGALTITLE TRUSTEEFOR RMTP TRUST, SERIES 2021 BKM-TT-V VERSUS PATRICKL FER‐TITTA

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the

Thence.turn

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune25, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice

Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ACertain Piece Or PortionOf Ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings, constructions, component parts, fixtures andimprove‐mentsthereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson,State of Louisiana, City of Kenner,inthat part formerly knownasHigh‐wayParkSubdi‐vision,now knownas JonesParkSub‐division,in Square 238-A, bounded by Illi‐nois Avenue, 32ndStreet (formerly14th Street), 31st Street (formerly 13thStreet)and IdahoAvenue designated as Lot"G",all in accordance with asurveyof AdloeOrr, Jr.& Associates, Consulting Engi‐neers, dated April12, 1957 approved by the City of Kenner under OrdinanceNum‐ber453, adoptedJuly15, 1957, registered in COB433, folio 280, which said lot measures as follows: Lot"G",Square 238-A, com‐mences at adis‐tanceof100 feet from thecorner of Illinois Avenue and32ndStreet andmeasures thence 50 feet frontonIllinois Avenue, same width in rear,bya depth of 127.5feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Lot "G" forminga part of theoriginal Lots 43 and44, Square 238, HighwayPark Subdivision. Allinaccor‐dancewith a survey by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie', Inc., Surveying& Engineering, datedJune12, 1971. Furtherin accordance with asurveyby Curry Dixon& Sons, Inc.,LandSur‐veyors andEn‐gineers, dated November 29, 1977, revisedMay 19 1978 to show improvements acopyofwhich is annexed to an act passedbefore Curtis Allen

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJuly1 2022, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐

tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in that part known as LOUIS PARK SUBDIVISION, in accordance with plan of re‐subdivision made by Wilton J. Dufrene, Land Surveyor,dated 4/18/1973, said plan beingap‐proved by the JeffersonParish Councilunder OrdinanceNo. 11221, adopted 6/7/1973, regis‐tered COB792, folio 495; andaccord‐ingtosaidplan of said lotis designated as the WHOLEOFLOT NO.49-Ainthe square bounded by Mimosa Street,Avenue E, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets; andac‐cordingtosaid plan said Lot49Ameasures 90.65 feet front on Mimosa Street,by a widthinthe rear of 91.61 feet,bya depth on thesidelinead‐joiningLot 50 of 97.49 feet and by adepth on thesidelinead‐joining Lot47-Aof 103.80 feet.And accordingto survey of Wilton J. Dufrenedated 3/18/1974 and redated. 8/14/1974, Lot 49-Ahas a first frontage of 30 feet andan additional frontage along a curveof60.65 feet on Mimosa Street,a width of 30 feet anda second widthof61.61 feet in therear, adepth of 97.49 feet on Four‐teenth Street side a depthof103.80 feet on theFif‐teenth Street side,and com‐mences 65.11 feet along thecurve of Mi‐mosa Street from thecorner of Fourteenth Street; subjecttore‐strictions,servi‐tudes, rights-ofwayand out‐standing min‐eral rights of recordaffecting theproperty. Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theIm‐

provements thereonbear theMunicipal No 1404 Mimosa Street,Marrero, LA 70072

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with BankLetter of Credit CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber27, 2024, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058,on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all therights, ways, i il JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO: 850-473 "C' HERITAGE MANGEMENT SERVICES WITH UNIONBANKAS SE d/b/aHER‐ITAGE MANAGEMENT SERVICES VERSUS MYRIAM HI‐DALGOROSEN‐THAL,ETAL By virtue of and in obedienceto aJUDGMENT from the24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in theabove num‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 27, 2025, Iwilloffer forsaletothe highestbidder at public auc‐tion,atthe Jef‐ferson Parish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, September3 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Parcel number 0920024493: 2015 KENNER TAXSALETO KARTER GROUP LLC 11849685 IN THE NAME OF JAMIE &MYRIAM ROSENTHAL 1024/826- PO BOX390 SANPEDRO SULA HON‐DURAS 00 –OWNERPARCEL 22-ACHARDON‐

NAY VILLAGECONDO

UNIT 23B PLUS UNDIV.3888% INTINTHE COM‐MONELEMENTS

1010/474

CHATEAUEST

SOUTH, 23 RUE

CHARDONNAY, beingmorefully

described as: UNIT 23B, Chardonnay Vil‐lage Condomini‐ums, Parcel 22A, ChateauEs‐tatesSouth Subdivision, City of Kenner, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, being describedas: Unit 23B of that Chardonnay Vil‐lage Condo‐minium situated in theCityof Kenner,Parish of Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, and an undivided .3888% interest in thecommon elements thereof, allas indicatedinthe Condominium Declaration of Chardonnay Village Condo‐minium,created peract before George Scari‐ano, Notary, dated8/25/81, recorded Entry No.982849, COB 1010, folio 474, of theCon‐veyance Recordsofthe Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, as designated and shownonthe plan of Joseph F. Varieco, Jr Registered Land Surveyor dated February 9, 1981, revised April27, 1981 andJuly29, 1981 annexedas Exhibit B to said Declaration, which said Declarationaf‐fectsthe im‐movableprop‐erty andim‐provements thereonsitu‐ated and more fullyde‐scribedasfol‐lows: That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all theimprove‐mentsthereon, and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belonginingor in anywiseap‐pertaining, situ‐ated in theCity of Kenner, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Parce22-A, ChateauEstates South, being a resubdivisionof Parcel 22, ChateauEstates South, allinac‐cordance with asurvey thereofbyJ.J Krebs& Sons, Inc.,C.E dated January4,1973, revised May7,1973 ap‐proved by the City of Kenner, under Ordi‐nanceNo. 1526, adoptedMay 14, 1973, regis‐teredinCOB 789, folio 938, Jefferson Parish Louisiana, and according to said survey by J.J. Krebs& Sons,Inc C.E. datedJanuary 4, 1973, revised May7, 1973, said parcel is designated as Parcel 22-Aand measures as follows: Commencingat theintersection of theWesterly right-of-way line of Duncan Canaland theNortherly right-of-way line of 35th Street (now West Esplanade Avenue)which is the Point of Begin‐ning,measure thence North01 degrees 05 min‐utes 28 seconds West a distance of 1611.35 feet to a pointonthe Southerlyrightof-way line of CanalNo. 11; thence measure

South87de‐grees 53 min‐utes 36 seconds West adistance of 526.27 feet to apoint; thence South02 degrees 06 min‐utes 24 seconds East adistance of 78.18 feet to a point; thence South16de‐grees 59 min‐utes 46 seconds East adistance of 28.00 feet to a point; thence alongthe arcof acurve to the left having ara‐dius of 234.00 feet (the long chordof which bears South58de‐grees23min‐utes 53 seconds West 118.01 feet)a distance of 119.30 feet to apoint;thence alongthe arcof acurve to theright having aradiusof 241.00 feet (the long chordof which bears South45de‐grees 49 minutes54 secondsEast 140.46 feet) a distance of 142.53 feet to a point; thence alongthe arcof acurve to the righthaving a radius of 394.00 feet (the long chordof which bears South11de‐grees 24 min‐utes 39 seconds West 509.67 feet)a distance of 554.25 feet to a point; thence alongthe arcof acurve to the righthaving a radius of 822.00 feet (the long chordof which bears South11 degress58min‐utes 41 seconds East 473.19 feet) adistance of 479.98 feet to a point; thence South4 degrees 44 minutes59sec‐onds West adis‐tanceof318.00 feet to apoint; thence amea‐sure in an Easterly direc‐trion, alongthe Northerlyrightof-way line of 35thStreet (now West EsplanadeAv‐enue)a dis‐tanceof576.24 feet to thePoint of Beginning, containing 19.643 acres.

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

MELISSAT CASTILLE Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate:

July 25, 2025, August 29, 2025 jul25-aug29-2t

$204.06

Court, Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in theabove num‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 24, 2025, Iwilloffer forsaleproceed to sell to the highestbidder at public auc‐tion,atthe Jef‐ferson Parish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, September3 2025 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

LOT50SQZ WESTWOOD 845 DOLPHINCT, beingmorefully describedas: THAT PIECEOR PORTIONOF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, situ‐ated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, City of Kenner,in Square Zof Westwood Sub‐division bounded by Dol‐phin Court, Chateau Boulevard, Libra Lane, Appian Driveand Van‐derbilt Lane, designated as LotNumber 50 on survey by J.J. Krebs& Sons,Inc., dated December 21, 1977, redated January21, 1978, March6, 1978 andJuly7, 1978, according to which said lotmeasures50 ’ona curved line fronting on Dol‐phin Court, has awidth in the rear of 162.81 ’ feet,bya depth on thesideline nearer to Libra Lane of 100.11’ feet by adepth on theother sideline of 100’ feet.All as more fully shownonsur‐veyofGilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,S &E, dated January29, 1997, acopyof which is an‐nexedtoact passedbefore Stella V. Charles, Notary Public, datedJanuary 13, 1997, and registered in COB2955, folio 708.

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNumber845 DolphinCourt, Kenner Louisiana70065.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior securityin‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

REBECCAD BARHAM Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: July 25, 2025, August 29, 2025

COMPANY, INC. VERSUS MARCOPOR‐TILLO

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedFebruary 5, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereonand all of therights, ways,privi‐leges, prescrip‐tions, servitudes,ad‐vantages and appurtenances thereuntobe‐longingorin anywise appertaining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as SetonParc Subdivision, designated as LOT6,SQUARE B, bounded by St John Drive, St ElizabethDrive VingateDrive, andJefferson St.Drive measures thence 60.00 feet frontonSt. John Drive, same width in therear, by a depth of 120.41 feet on St.Eliza‐beth Driveside and120.28 feet on theJefferson St CharlesLine side.All as more fullyshown on survey of BFM Corporation, dated March17, 1989, re-certified July 12, 1989; subject to restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 11 St John Drive, Louisiana.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe timeofthe sale

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

VS MAGGIETURNER EDWARDS

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 31, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OR GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthere‐untobelonging or in anywise appertaining situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown, as HOOTER HEIGHTSSUBDI‐VISION,all as perplanof Wilton J. Dufrene, Land Surveyor,dated March30, 1978, approved by Or‐dinanceNo. 13369, adopted by theJefferson Parish Councilunder EntryNo. 824675 in COB928, folio 397, as perAct of Dedication before Gerald J. Arceneaux, N.P., datedFebruary 2, 1979, regis‐teredinthe Parish of Jefferson, under EntryNo. 662000 in COB950, folio 134, the said portionof ground is more fullyde‐scribedasfol‐lows,to-wit:

LOTNO. 3, SQUARE B, which is bounded by Hooter Road, Rena Court, Northern PacificPublic Belt Railroad RiverRoad (side),and Nor‐mandyPark Subdivision (side) andLot 3 commences 100.11 feet from thecornerof Hooter Road andRena Courtand mea‐sures50' feet frontonHooter Road,the same width in thecor‐nerrear, by adepth of 150 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines; subjectto restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.680 Hooter Road,Bridge City, Louisiana70094.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:858-477 CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SER‐VICESLLC VS ELVISSMITH, RHONDA RAY‐MOND ZERINGUE A/K/A RHONDA R. ZERINGUE A/K/ARHONDA ZERINGUE,AND KELLYRAY‐MOND,HEIRS OF ANGELA CIAC‐CIO RAYMOND

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 20, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon and allofthe rights ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in Floral AcresSubdivi‐sion,saidpor‐tion beingdes‐ignatedasLot 10 of Square 9, accordingto a plan by Adloe Orr, Jr., &Asso‐ciates,C.E., dated August 25, 1969, Square 9is bounded by Four O’Clock Lane,Azalea Drive, ButtercupDrive andEvergold Land.Lot 10 commencesat a distance of 114 feet from thecorner of Azalea Drive andFour O’ClockLane andmeasures thence 54 feet frontonFour O’ClockLane, thesamein width in the rear,bya depth of 100 feet between equal andparallel lines.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:862-382

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VS RAYCHELL MARIEHARRIS A/K/ARAY‐CHELLE M. HAR‐RIS

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 6, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

therear, by a depth between equal andparallel linesofOne hundred Twenty-Fiveand 81/100 (125.81') feet,saidpiece or portionof ground mea‐suresOne Hun‐dred (100')feet fronton Avenue "D", by adepth be‐tween equal andparallel linesofOne Hundred Twenty-Fiveand 81/100 (125.81') feet;subject to restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsbearthe municipalad‐dress645 Av‐enue D, West‐wego, LA 70094. This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:863-082

AURORA FINAN‐CIAL GROUP VS FRANCIS‐COADAN OREL‐LANA AND FRANCISCO DIMASOREL‐LANA

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedApril 3, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday,Oc‐tober8,2025 at 10 o'clocka.m thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

jul25-aug29-2t $96.59

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNIS WIG‐GINS,JR. Attorney for Plaintiff

ZACHARYGAR‐RETT YOUNG Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ad‐vantages andappurte‐nances there‐untobelonging or in anywise appertaining, situated,lying andbeing in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part known as the WHITEHOUSE SUBDIVISION, formingpartof theTownof Westwego, and designated as theWHOLE OF LOTS NUMBERS THIRTEEN (13) FOURTEEN (14), FIFTEEN (15) ANDFOUR(4') FEET OF LOT NUMBER SIX‐TEEN (16),ad‐joiningLot No.15of SQUARE NUM‐BERFORTYEIGHT(48) of said subdivi‐sion,ona plan of survey made by AlvinE.Hotard, Parish Surveyor, datedGretna, Louisiana, June 1, 1936, ablue printofwhich is attached to and made part of an actofsaleby Marrero Lane andIm‐provementAs‐sociation, Lim‐ited,toLeonRi‐choux, passed before Ernest M. Conzelmann, Notary Public, datedJune 17, 1936; andac‐cordingtosaid plan said Square is bounded by Av‐enue "E and"D, Fifthand Sixth Streets; said Lots NumbersThir‐teen (13),Four‐teen (14),and Fifteen (15),ad‐join each other, and measureeach THIRTY-TWO (32')feet front on Avenue "D", thesamewidth in the rear,bya depth between equal andparallel linesofOne Hundred Twenty-Fiveand 81/100 (125.81) feet,saidpor‐tion of LotNum‐berSixteen (16) adjoinsLot No 15, and measures Four (4') feet fronton Avenue "D", the same width in

Plantation,des‐ignatedasTract Bonplatofsur‐veybythe office of Gandolfo,Kuhn, Luecke &Asso‐ciates,dateAu‐gust 10, 1977, registered in COB913, folio 622, and a portionofar‐pent Lot26of theCazalar Plantation,des‐ignatedasLot 26-X-2A on plat of survey by the office of Gan‐dolfo, Kuhn, Luecke &Asso‐ciates, datedMay 1, 1978 (drawing No.B-282-3) a printofwhich is attached to an act before Gerald R. Cooper,N.P datedSeptem‐ber20, 1978, registered in COB939, folio 318, now designated as PARK PLACE SUBDIVISION, andfurther re‐subdivided to show Phase III by aplanofJ J. Krebs& Sons Inc.,dated June 27, 1980, and approved by the JeffersonParish Council under OrdinanceNo. 14412, datedAu‐gust 12, 1980, recorded in COB 987, folio 8, and accordingto said resubdiv‐sion plan,and an individual lot survey by J. J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,August15, 1980, resur‐veyed January5,1981, to show im‐provements, a copy of whichis annexedtoan actbefore Clifford P. De‐Laup,Jr.,N.P., datedJanuary 26, 1981, said lot lies in asquare bounded by ParkPlace and FairfaxDrives, GladstoneCourt (side),and Lennox Boulevard (side),and is designated as LOTNO. 446. Said lotcom‐mences 501.34 feet from thein‐tersection of Park Placeand FairfaxDrives andmeasures thence 23.50 feet front on Park Place Drive, same width in the rear,bya depth between equaland paral‐lellines of 110 feet.All as more fullyshown on a survey by Gilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie,Inc., dated September22, 1990, adding boundaryof Parcel B-1. This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

ACERTAIN LOT Of GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances,and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, lyingWestof theMississippi River, within Section30of Township 14 South, Range24 East,being comprisedof arpent Lots 27 through35of theCazalar

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

time of thesale.

TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATIONNOT IN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY

BUTSOLELYAS OWNER

TRUSTEEOF

RCAF ACQUISI‐

TION TRUST vs CHAD W. VINJU

ANDSHAWN M. VINJU

Byvirtueofand

inobedience to a Writ of SEIZURE AND SALEfromthe 24thJudicial DistrictCourt, ParishofJeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,inthe above num‐bered andenti‐tledcause, dated March21, 2025, Ihave seizedand will proceed to sell tothe highest bidderatpublic auction, at the

JeffersonParish Sheriff's Office Complex,1233 WestbankEx‐pressway, Har‐vey,Louisiana, 70058,on Wednesday,Oc‐tober 8, 2025 at 10o'clock a.m. the following described prop‐ertytowit: ONECERTAIN LOT OF GROUND, TOGETHERWITH ALL THEBUILD‐INGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALL THERIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVI‐LEGES SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN THEPARISHOF

JEFFERSON STTE OF LOUISIANA,IS FAIRFIELD ADDI‐TIONNO2,PER SURVEYOF ADLOE ORR, JR& ASSO‐CIATES, C.E. DATED APRIL11, 1955, ACOPYOF WHICHISON FILE IN THEOF‐FICEOFTHE CLERK OF COURT,PARISH OFJEFFERSON IN PLANBOOK26, FOLIO 18,AND SITUATEDIN SQUARENO. 87 SHREWSBURY, WHICHSQUARE IS BOUNDEDBY SEVERNAVENUE 43RDSTREET, ARMAULT ROAD AND44TH STREET ANDAC‐CORDING TO A SKETCHOFSUR‐VEY MADE BY GILBERT

KELLY& CON‐TARIE SURVEY‐ERS,DATED MAY 8,1971, APRINT OF WHICHISAN‐NEXED AN ACT RECORDEDAT COB 735 FOLIO 536 SAID LOTIS DESIGINATEDAS LOT 'L'CONTIN‐UATIONATA DISTANCEOF80 MINUTES FROM THE COVER OF SEV‐ERN AVEAND 43RDSTREET AND MEASURES THENCE,INTHE DIRECTION OF 44THSTREET,60 MINUTES FRONT ON SEVERN AVE, NAMEWIDTH IN THE REAR,BYA DEPTH OF 100 MINUTES BETWEEN EQUALAND PARALLELLINES SAID LOT'L' IS

COMPOSED OF THE GREATERPOR‐TIONS OF ORIGI‐NAL LOTSNOS11 AND 12; subject torestrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing the property

Theimprove‐ments bear the municipalad‐dress 1612 Sev‐ern Ave., Metairie, LA 70001

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice is dueatthe

NOTE: Allfunds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certified Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: August 29, 2025 October3,2025 aug29-oct3-2t $89

PUBLIC NOTICE CivilDistrictCourt forthe ParishofOrleans Stateof Louisiana No.2020-0574 Div.“A” In Re:Succession ofPearlie MaeBridges Jefferson Notice to Sell ImmovablePropertyat Private Sale Notice is Giventhatthe administratrixofthis successionhas peti‐tionedthisCourt forau‐

Resilienceand renewal: 20 yearsofprogress since hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Likemany ofyou, Ihavestrong emotions about the20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on thecitywecall home

NewOrleans.Iremain in awe of nature’s rawpower on that fateful day and deeply sad about thetragedy brought by thestorm to so many.Considering Katrina, and its equally terrifying counterpartHurricane Rita which struckthe Louisiana/Texas border just afew weeks later,I’m also inspired by howour recoveryshowed the power and resilienceofthe human spirit and what determined people coming together canachieve

Then, as now,New Orleans was the home to Entergy’s corporate headquarters Thousands of our employees and their families lived in theplaces hardesthit by Katrina. I’mhonored that our employees met thechallenge head on, from those working at our generationplantsand headquarterstothose restoring power at Entergy New Orleans, our local operating company.Manyofthemhelped theregion recover even as they suffered theirown personallosses

Thelessonslearned after HurricaneKatrinamade us astronger,morecustomerfocused companyand to this day,weknow that progress requiresdedication and power

—for homes, businesses, communities and our lives. Thespiritofthat day endures in our vision statement “WePower Life” as we channel those lessons intothe work that we do everyday,even twentyyears later from that impactful time.

Today,we’re aleaderacross our industryand in our hometown. Our utility workersare nationally recognized for storm response. In fact,during amajor storm anywhereinthe country,there’s a good chance Entergy willbecalled on for expertise and support.

We area leaderincorporategiving. For the10thyear, Entergy was named to The Civic 50, thePoints of Light prestigious annual list that recognizes top companies for employee volunteerismand community investment. In 2024 alone,wecontributed $4.3 million to morethan 100New Orleans nonprofits.

And we area leaderineconomic development by collaborating to help Louisiana securemajor new investments in thedatacenter,LNG,steel,and

petrochemical industries. Earlier this year,weserved as founding partner for theSuper Bowl 59 Host Committee, contributing millions to host thismajor event thatbrought morethan $1.25billion in economic impact to our state, region and city

We continue our work in close collaboration withour regulators and communities as we buildenergy infrastructurethat makes thegrid stronger and moreresilient for yearstocome. An energy grid designed to withstand the harshest conditions. That work balances affordability,reliabilityand sustainability on behalf of all our customers.

In NewOrleans, theCityCouncil recently approved Phase 1ofour proposed resilience plan, which includes strengthening morethan 3,000 structures and upgrading morethan 60 miles of electric lines.

TheLouisiana PublicService Commission also approved thefirstphase of those efforts, which includes2,100 incremental Entergy projects across thestate. By

reinforcing our grid ahead of severe weather,Louisiana customerswill save an estimated $1.2 billion in storm costs

ThePublic UtilityCommission of Texas approved an investment of $137 million in projects to strengthen theSoutheast Texas power grid, reduce storm-related outages, and save customersmillions in restoration costs for decades

And while we aremaking theseneeded investments,weare mindful that 40% of our residential customerslive at or below the poverty level. That realityispartofeach businessdecision we makeinNew Orleans and everywhere we serve. As aresult, we continue to maintain someofthe lowest electric rates in thecountryand work hard everyday to keep bills as low as possible. Twentyyearson, thelessons of Katrina endure, and theresilience of this community continues to inspire. New Orleans remains our home as we work for everyone and honor our commitment to safely serveour cityand theregion. Thepeople of Entergy areoptimistic about thefuture, ready for anything, and striving to lead theway to a brighter futurefor all of us.

Read about howEntergy restored more than justpower at entergy.com/Katrina20.

Drew Marsh Chair and Chief Executive

Officer Entergy Corporation

Local Entrepreneurs Combine Creativity AndCommerce Smarts To Launch Big Ideas And Shape NewOrleans’Business Scene

By Amanda McElfresh|amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

WhenHurricane Katrinaroared ashoreinAugust 2005,the storm struck at amomentwhen New Orleans’entrepreneurial spirit was beginning to bloom. Manysmall business ownerswerejust getting their footing, while young innovatorsweresketching ideas for howtogrowa morevibrant economy

Katrina could have ended many of those dreams. Instead, it became adefining catalyst that sharpened people’sfocus, deepened theircommitment to their work and bound them more tightly to thecity they love.

Fledgling startup scene thrived with renewed focus and collaborations

“The seeds of theIdea Village and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem had been planted about five yearsbeforeKatrina. Because of that foundation, people wereable to seizethe momentinterms of coming together quickly to identify thegreatest areas of need and mobilize quicklyinterms of raising resources,” said Emily Madero, nowpresident and CEO of French Quarter Fest. In 2005,Madero was abusiness schoolstudentatTulane whowas also involvedinthe early years of Idea Village and other organizations to supportlocal startups

“WhenIcame back after evacuating, it felt likeinNew Orleans,there was no other option than to be aproactive part of rebuilding thecity,”Maderosaid. “That refocused what Iwas working on.”

Maderoand otherTulane students enrolled in aRebuilding New Orleans course in early2006. Rather than sitting in aclassroom, sheand other students connected with local startups and small businesses that needed supporttorestart, with aparticular focus on hospitality and theFrench Quarter,and acorridor development strategy along areas like Bayou Road, Oak Street and Freret Street that becametest cases for targeted revitalization.

“I think about what Freret felt like in the1990s and ea Some of thefocuse effortsinvolved ide acriticalcommunity shining example of yearslater when yo vibrant that corrido Maderosaid.

Meanwhile, theId Village continues to thrive. It has raised millions in funding for startups, leads signature accelerator programs forlocal founders, produces dozens of communi events and maintain globalnetwork of m “Rebuildingthe startup ecosystem a entrepreneurial netw was hugely importa Katrina. Seeing it co to thrive today is very meaningful, not only in terms of individual businesses, but because it shows thereiseconomic opportunityand businesses that are committed to growing in New Orleans,” Madero said.“That success is atestament to thecollective will and commitmentofthe broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Alden McDonald Jr.maintained vision to chart the futureofAmerica’s largest Black-ownedbank

Inside theNew Orleans Eastoffices of Liberty Bank –the nation’s largest bank for Black Americansinterms of assetsize–an estimated $2.5million worth of Black artadorns thespace.Liberty Bank CEO Alden McDonaldJr. is especiallyfond of abronzesculptureofSisyphus pushing a massiverock uphill.Itsitsonaconference room tableand bearsthe inscription, “Never give up. “It remindsmeofme,” McDonald told Forbes earlier this year.“That’show it felt when we wererebuilding thebank (post-Katrina).”

That rebuilding process playedakey role in helping Liberty Bank become amajor entityinthe nation’s financial markets. It now has morethan $1 billion in assets, serves customersin11states and has been profitable for 47 of its52years,according to Forbes. That work has been done by Liberty’s focus on lending to underserved communities and generating revenue from fees and interest.

What continues to set Liberty Bank apart and draw accoladesfrompeersand competitorsisits ongoing commitment to growth. Alden McDonald Jr.’sson Todd is thebank’spresident and CEO-in-waiting His bold spirit and vision have helped Liberty Bank add millions in assetsinrecent years, and theMcDonalds’ new goal is to grow Liberty’sassets to $10billion while continuing to buildtrust in theBlack community.Todd McDonald regularly meets withBlack leaders in major cities to convince them thatLiberty can serve customersfromall backgrounds, whilehis father has survived and thrived through enough over thedecadestobeundeterred by potential futurechallenges, including AI and governmental policychanges.

“We’ve got to look for theopportunities,” Alden told Forbes. “O for ‘obstacles.’O for ‘opportunities.’”

y’: Alexa Pulitzer ith creativityand atience Pulitzer,2005 k to be her ghyear. TheNew based designer ationery, paper oods, gifts and office supplies had just completed herfirstmajor trade show and secured ordersfrom around the world. But, Katrina’sfloods aused Pulitzer to seher archives, oducts and ability print and deliver regnant with her firstchild, Pulitzer evacuated to Birmingham, Alabama with herhusband, who urged hertoconsider making themove permanent. But, Pulitzer felt compelled to returnback to NewOrleans.

“I felt verystrongly about returning to the communitythatnurtures my creativity.I draw so much inspiration from being in this city, whether it’s thelifestyle or thepeople

or thenatural beauty. It’s ahuge partof me,” Pulitzer said. “I didn’t want to turn away from that. As frustrated as Iwas on multiplelevels, Ifelt like Ineeded to at least try.

Sherestarted slowly,working with a Birmingham printer whilereaching out personally to customerstoexplain the delays. Most responded with patience and loyalty. In time,Pulitzer returned her production to NewOrleans and vowed never to move it elsewhere. Today,her products proudly carrythe city’sname, a constant reminderofthe creative energy sherefused to abandon.

“I loveand am proud of thefact that Imanufacturehere,” Pulitzer said. “Business today for me is steady.Alot of customers supported me after Katrina, including some large national companies, and that helped me to grow my footprint.I think my business gets better and better each year.”

‘BeaNew Orleanian wherever youare’: Dirty Coast found identitywith post-Katrinaslogan BlakeHaneywas just getting Dirty Coast offthe ground in 2005.Hehad started sketching out ideas for the company’s shirts less thana year beforeand was in the early stages of establishing a business and website selling the apparel thatcelebrated thequirk and cultureofNew Orleans.

When he was displaced, Haney together aquick design for astic with theslogan “Be ANew Orlea wherever you are.” Once back in city, he and his team began distr them at local barsand coffeesho They became so popular thatHa estimates morethan twomillion s have since been handed out, and diehard devotees have even gott tattoos of themessage

“There was aprettypowerful re to thesticker’s design and sentiment, Haney recalled. “I think it proved that it wasnecessarytoget this T-shirtconcept launched.Itall took on amuch bigger mission and meaning.”

“Katrina definitely changed Dirty Coast from being afun side project to something with agreater mission,” Haney said. “I remember one customer said our T-shirts werelikeasecret handshake. If you understood New Orleans,you got the concept and felt likeyou wereinonthe joke. From theverybeginning, we had amixtureofcelebrating New Orleans and offering communitycommentary. Theadded element of being able to use theT-shirts as asymbol of New Orleans identitybecame keytothe DNA of thebrand.”

Four years after Katrina, irl turned NewOrleans o female fashion time Lauren Haydel ed Fleurty Girl in 2009 building was well erway in New Orleans tshe still felt apalpable nergy in thecityspurred y people whowere efocusing their priorities and figuring out what eally mattered to them. That energy grew as the New Orleans Saints put ether awinning season culminated in their Super l win in February2010. adalwaysknown that Orleans is unlikeany place in thewhole world. special and quirky and ”Haydel said. “Timing rything when it came to ch. Therewas arenewed vefor New Orleans that I erfelt before.”

DirtyCoast made its official permanent launch in 2006, with its shirts doubling as movable billboards for thebrand and conversation startersabout New Orleans life.Today’s Dirty Coast line hasproducts featuring everything from poboysand Hubig’spiestothe NewOrleans Saints, potholesand religious figures.

FleurtyG pride int By the launch there und ye e b r r tog that Bow “I h New other It’sso unique, was eve our laun fiercelo had nev Haydel Girl lea beginn and ca

’s vision for Fleurty ned feminine from the ing –V-necks, funcolors playful designs that ptured thesassand spirit of theNew Orleans woman. Thebrand has evolved over time, become lessabout thecityitself and more about thekind of woman wholives there.

“She’sfun. She’ssassy.She’s edgy.She’s flirty,”Haydel said. “Wepushthe envelope alittle bit. It all started from our love of New Orleans and thinking about what it means to be agirl wholives here and loves this place. We’renot afraid to create and wear snarky stuff. People here get that becausetheyrealizethat we’re not judging you.Wewant you to be whoyou are.”

Shaped by thestorm: HowKatrina influenced today’sgeneration of NewOrleans leadership

By Amanda McElfresh |amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

ALLISONHOTARD

Executive Director, YoungLeadership Council

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Iwas 21 yearsold and on the UNO student programming board. We were excited because it felt likeitwas going to be abig year.Itwas going to be mylast semester and Iwas taking several HRT (hotel/restaurant/tourism)classes to graduate.

What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

Ihad evacuated to Vacherie. We were listening to theradio and it seemed like we didokay.Then, we werewatching news coverage on ablack andwhite TV that my friend’sdad had connectedto antennas.Wesaw whenthe levees broke and thecitywas suddenly flooded. My heartjust sunk. Ididn’t know what Iwas going to do or what my life was going to look like

President and CEO, Downtown Development District

Whatmade you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Ican’t imagine my lifeanywhereelse NewOrleans has asoul that many other cities do not have. Thereisa vibration and acultureherethat I’ve never found anywhereelse. We have Wednesdays at theSquare, and you see peopleofall ages and nationalities having agood timetogether.That is NewOrleans to me.Ialso believe thatone individual can make arealimpact here.People can come here,connect with othersand make adifference.

Howdid Katrinainfluence your futurelifeand career decisions?

My major was hospitality. Therewas obviously adip in thatsector in New Orleans after Katrina. Istarted to notice howvolatile thatcareer could be That’swhenIrealized thatI wanted to be in acareer that feltmorestable.It’s interesting to think about thefact that my pathatUNO was training me to do what Idotoday.Myjob now is planning programming for young professionalsin NewOrleans, and Iwas doing that at UNO 20 yearsago. Iwas on thispath but didn’t know it at thetime

Whatdoyou hope thenext 20 years lookslikefor NewOrleans?

Ithink thebiggest opportunities are around investing in our schoolsand teachers.I’d also liketosee use encourage moregrowth. Thereisa place wherecitizens can live and businesses can thrive. I’dliketosee moresupport for that and lessfighting against opportunities for thecity’sfuture.

What wasgoingoninyour lifeinAugust2005?

WhenHurricane Katrina struck NewOrleansinAugust 2005,thousands of teens and young adults saw their homes, schools and neighborhoods swept away.The storm’sdevastation forced them to navigate displacement, loss and uncertaintyatatime when lifeisalready full of change. Yet, in thetwo decades since, those young people have emerged as thenew generation of NewOrleans leaders. They carrywith them the strength that was forged in thechaotic monthsafter Katrina, adevotion to thecitytheylove and adeterminationtoensurethe next generation is better prepared forfuturestorms. Today,their voices arehelping guide New Orleans through challenges both familiar andnew

EMAD JABBAR

Assistant Vice President, Gulf Coast Bank

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Ihad just started my junior year at UNO. Iwas really enjoying my time there. I was in afraternity and we were active on campus. Everyyear, we helped the freshmen moveinto thedorms. Ihit it off with one freshman whohad just moved here from New York. He’sstill agood friend of mine, 20 yearslater.Itwas atime whereI was building alot of good relationships.

What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

My family had evacuated to Dallas with alot of friends and family.Whenwe found out thatthe levees brokeand most of UNO’s campus was underwater,it was amoment of ‘what do we do now?’. Several of us from universities all over New Orleans ended up enrolling at the

Ihad graduated from Tulane in 2004 and hadjust completedapostbaccalaureate fellowship in city hall that hadgiven me opportunities to do work in thechief administration office andcityplanning commission. Iwas trying to plan for what came next. Iwas preparing to possiblyworkincityhall, but knewIwantedtodourban planning andthat Iwas going to have to go to graduateschool to pursue that

What do you remember themostabout theimmediate aftermathofKatrina?

Therewas alot of bouncing around for several months. When they reopened parts of thecityinOctober,westayed withmynowwife’saunt and uncleinMetairie, drove througha NationalGuard checkpoint everyday to deal with my mom’sflooded house, then drove back to spend thenight in Metairie.Once moreplacesopened throughout thecityand Uptown, Idid alot of couch surfing.My apartmentwas finallyhabitableinFebruary or Marchof2006.

What made you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Ialready knew Iwanted to work in urban planning,but Ifeltstrongly that therewas no other place Iwanted to do that work in. Iverymuch

What made youwanttocome back to NewOrleans?

UniversityofTexas at Arlington. Abunch of us stayed at onehotel forfour or five months. It almost felt likebeing back in my fraternity. Ithink we werejust trying to makethe most of it.

What made you want to come back to NewOrleans?

Dallas was amazing and Idid think about staying there. But,you can’t find thelove likeyou feel in NewOrleans anywhere else. In NewOrleans, you can run into someone you’ve never seen beforeand feel likefamily.There’s acamaraderie, alove for thecityand apassion to see it thrive.

Howdid Katrina influence your futurelifeand career decisions? It made me want to do work that truly touches thecommunityand helps people. Ihelped my family manage their businesses and worked as an entrepreneur beforesomeone recommended Iget into banking. One of thereasons Ijoined Gulf Coast Bank was thechance to move up theranksand develop as both aperson and aleader.I’m consistently inspired by theway Gulf Coast supports its staffand its communities, and Ithinkalot of that comes from seeinghow they and other businesses responded after Katrina. What do you hopethe next 20 years looks likefor NewOrleans? I’dliketosee us be able to complete moreprojects. It does get frustrating to see unfinished work because we as acity takeonsomany projects,thenitbecomes astart-and-stopcycle. I’dliketosee us tackle one project at atime and see it to completion and get people to work together towardacommon goal instead of letting politics get in theway

felt astrongsenseofresponsibilitytogive back to theplace that had given so much to me.

Howdid Katrina influence your futurelife and career decisions?

Ithink it gave me averyspecificdirection. Thenatureofcityplanning and theneed for it in New Orleans changed overnight. Iknew I wanted to startmycareer working in recovery. Ipurposefully selected agraduateschool whereIcould do projects in thecity, not study therecoveryfromafar.Iknew Iwanted to contribute directly to the rebuilding work in thecity. Continuing to do hands-on work has been important to me ever since.

What do you hopethe next 20 years looks like forNew Orleans?

Ithink downtown has alot of momentum. TheredevelopmentofCharity Hospital and PlazaTower arehigh-profile projects that areimpressive in terms of theopportunities they have to transform theskylineofNew Orleans. Ithink you’ll continue to see evolutionacrossdowntown as the residential and hospitalitybases develop andasweright-sizeour office space market forthe modern economy

BROOKE LAIZER

Meteorologist,WWL-TV

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

Iwas 10 yearsold and in thefifthgrade Iwas studying weatherfor thefirsttime in school. Ihaveadistinctmemoryof our class learning about cloud formation patterns and knowing my hopefulfuture career path. Ultimately,Katrina was my inspirationtotruly followthatinterest and serve New Orleans.

What do you remember themost about theimmediate aftermath of Katrina?

My grandmother lived in Lakeview and lost herentirehome.I can still smell that flood when Ithink about it. Ican still smell a Katrina fridge when Ithink about it.Itstays etched in your mind. Iremember watching my dad break herfront door with an axe because herarmoirehad floated in front of it. Therewas aneutral ground area in herneighborhoodthat was filled with debris from allofthe homes.A lot of those memories came back to me verystrongly during Hurricane Ida

I’ve been fortunate to workinplaces that have sortofadopted me,likeAugusta, Georgia and Jackson, Mississippi.But, I alwaysknew Icouldnot waittoget back to New Orleans. This citylives in your soul, andIfeel likeIunderstand thatmorenow that I’ve lived in other places. Thereisno culture, no timelessness, no European feel, no authenticitylikeyou find here

Howdid Katrinainfluence your futurelifeand career decisions? I’ve really attempted to have acalm presenceinextremesituations. Ithink alot about howpeople in NewOrleanshave beensoimpacted by weather,how much they have lost and howmuch they fear the worst case scenario. Itry to empathizewith that and share alot of informationonthe front end. I’ve worked hard to fully grasp thelogisticsthat go intoevacuations and why people sometimes stay,and really put myself in theirshoes.

What do you hope thenext 20 years looks likefor NewOrleans?

Ihope we continue to learn from Katrina andthe storms thathavecome since then. Ihope we continue to examinethe best ways to do contraflowand theimpact that hasonsomany people. Ithink alot about whata mandatoryevacuationmeans for people and howwecan help them cope with theaftermath of that.Interms of communication, I’mhonored to be at WWL. I’mlooking forward to howwe continue to embrace streamingand social mediaplatforms as much as we can. The overall approach is to have information easily accessible at amoment’snotice, especially when peopleare not or cannot watch traditionalair broadcasts.

COURTNEY THOMAS-BARNES

Vice President Of Communications

AndPublic Affairs,Greater New Orleans Foundation

What wasgoing on in your life in August 2005?

II was 17 yearsold andabout aweek into my senior yearofhighschool. Ihad been in school with my friends since seventh grade.Myclassringwas going to be deliveredonthe Monday thestorm hit, and Iwas so excited to getthat.There wereso many thingsIwas looking forwardto–senior pictures, prom,graduation. What do you remember themost about theimmediateaftermath of Katrina?

Irememberreally admiring General RussellHonore. Ifeltlikehebrought alot of leadershipand order. That felt likeapivotal moment. Irememberthe first time we got lights back in NewOrleans East. We had been without power for so long that Ihad

forgotten howimportant it was.Whenwe sawlights back on, that’swhenweknew things werereally starting to come back. What made youwant to come back to NewOrleans?

Iwent to college in Florida, butIwas drawn to being back home everychance Ihad. Ifelt called to keeping up with my family and thecity’srecovery. Iwanted to give back to my city. Ididn’t want to be a partofthe brain drain. Iwanted to be a partofseeing New Orleans thrive again. Howdid Katrinainfluence your futurelifeand career decisions?

It made me realizeI wanted to have a job that makes apositive impact on the city. Working at theFoundation, Isee all thetouchpoints we have throughout New Orleans. Idrive down thestreet and I seeeverything from green infrastructure to daycares that we’ve helped to create. Katrina made me want to do thekind of work that is far-reaching and rewarding, and I’mgratefultobeable to do that today What do youhopethe next 20 years lookslikefor NewOrleans?

Ihope to seeusdoa better job recognizing that we cannot runaway from Mother Nature.Mymom had Hurricane Betsy in herchildhood. Ihad Katrina. Ahurricane will happen here again. We need to think about preparing for that now from abig picturestandpoint. Maybethat means all houses have to be raised. Maybeitmeans naturalwater retention and moretrees throughout thecity. Water is apartofour DNA and we aresurrounded by it. We need to learn to live better with it and not let it become theend of ourcity.

“There wasonlyone thing for me to do”Culinary institutions stand as symbols of survival

By Amanda McElfresh |amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

The rrestaurant industry was among thehardest hit sectors in theaftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Kitchens thathad survived the Great Depression, civil rights struggles and economic downturns suddenly satdark, filled with floodwater,silenceand doubt. Yet, withinweeks, iconic dining institutions, including DookyChase’sand Dickie Brennan &Co. werewriting their comebackstories that would define ageneration.

Steve Pettus, longtimemanagerpartner of Dickie Brennan &Co., still vividly remembers discussing potential repairs witha general contractor amidthe wreckageinthe week immediately after thestorm.There was no paperwork and no certaintyofmaterials or staff. Instead, themen relied on handshakes andverbal

“It was actually really refreshing.Hemade acommitmentrightthere and he didliveupto it,” Pettus said.

Across town in thehistoric Treme neighborhood, Dooky Chase’sRestaurant, thelegendarymeeting ground of civil rights leadersand thehome of Leah Chase’s celebrated Creolecooking, sat under more than five feet of water.Manyasked the then-82-year-old Chase if shewas going to give up or forge ahead. Heranswer was a simple one.

“People said, ‘Well, what areyou going to do at your age?.’ Therewas onlyone thing for me to do,” Chase toldCBS News in 2015 Living in aFEMA trailerand leaning on family,friends, young chefs and community supporters, Chase began raisingthe halfmillion dollarsneeded to rebuild.

“No matter whatyou do on this earth,

No what you earth you havetodoitand do it well,” Chase toldCBS. “It takeseverybody to do apart.”

w, rina lt like en we ” ort its promises.

employees hauled in five-gallon jugs of water to boil.Diners ate on paperplates with plastic utensils Employees werekeptonthe payroll. Slowly, Pettus saw things starting to come together “It wasn’t about me or Dickie. Everyone had thesame mindset that we could do it,”Pettussaid “A lotofthe time,you don’trealize you’re learningalesson while you’re learningit. When Ilook back on it no Ican see that therewas aconfidence that developedinour teams after Kat that made us feel unstoppable. We fe therewas nothing we couldn’t do wh stand together anddothe right thing At Dooky Chase’s, therebuilding eff took longer.The restaurantcelebrated reopening in 2007.Longtime customersfiled reclaim theirseats at familiar tables, e celebritiesand presidentstraveled to w Orleans to pay homage not just to the ,but to thewoman whohad become a bol of survival.

Theobstacleswere enormous, but so was the determination.Bourbon House,partofthe Dickie Brennan&Co. portfolio, managed to reopen on October 4, 2005.There was no potable water in thecity, so in to whil Ne food

sym “Y PBS how to d The serv and th st i St Aco

The Aud Si

oulearn what’s important,” Chasetold News in 2015.“Youlearn howtolive –to live withone another.You learn how o things when you havetodothem.” yearsthat havefollowedKatrina have edasa testament to thecommitment adaptabilitythat emergedfollowing estorm. Dickie Brennan&Co. has eadily grown itsportfolio, which today ncludesPalace Café, Dickie Brennan’s eakhouse, Bourbon House, Tableau, rnCafé Commissary, Pascal’sManale and ubon Clubhouse. nce therebuild, Dooky Chase’shas cemented itslegacy as both aNew

landmark. Although Chasepassedaway in 2019,her influence continues to radiate. Therestaurant received the2025James BeardAmerica’sClassics awardfor being acornerstone of Creole cuisine and Black American culture for eight decades.The prestigious awardrecognizes restaurants that aredeeply rooted in their communities and have stood thetestoftime.

“Tohave this awardmeans alot for my entirefamily becausewehave been in business 84 years, and it was aboutmy grandparents,parents,and now we’re the third, fourth generation,” Stella Chasesaid at theJames Beardawardreception in June 2025.“We had astrong foundation and we justfeel so blessed.”

In thewakeofKatrina, fest andcelebrations restored t New Orleans spirit.20yea later,theyanchorits identi

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com and Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Whenthe floodwatersofHurricane Katrina receded,New Orleans wasleftgutted –its hom ruined, its neighborhoods scattered, itspeople shaken.What remained, as fragile as it wa fierce, was culture. Against seemingly insurmountable odds,itwas theparades,the music, food and thefestivals –the veryheartbeat of thecity–that led theway back. Barry Kern remembers thecalls coming in one after another.His father,Blaine, then 78 yearsold and thetoweringfigure behind Kern Studios andMardi Gras World, would pick up thephone. On theothe end wasakrewe captain, wondering if Mardi Gras was still going to

“He would alwaysreassure them that all theother krewes wererunning so that no one got scared. He knew we neededto keep themomentum going,” Kern said. “As akid,mydad hadseen howpeople in the GreatDepression celebrated Mardi Gras even though it was an incredibly difficult time. But, it brought people together,and people really needed that. Mydad felt that New Orleans needed Mardi Gras in a similar way after Katrina.”

Located in Algiers, Kern Studios itself had escaped theworst of Katrina’swrath. Employees returned to work quickly sculpting and paintingfloats while holding on to thebeliefthat thecity’smost essential annual ritual could survive. They were bolsteredbyhelpfromUniversal Studios, alongtime partner that paid Kern Studios in advancefor ayear’s workonparade floats in their parks.That helped operations going while NewOrleans krewes werestill reorganizing and securing finances

When the2006Carnival season finally arrived, it wasn’t thesameMardi Gras –it was acelebrationwith much deepermeaning.

“It really was oneofthe most special Mardi Gras yearsI’veever been involved with because it was mostly locals. Everybody came together and it wasvery emotional,” Kern recalled. “People hadlost their homes andsomany horrible things had happened. Forsome, it wastheir first time cominghome.Itwas cathartic for the people of thecitytocome together.Itwas veryimportant for us to celebrate together and for theworld to know thatthe citywas open again.”

That same impulse –aninsistence that culturemust carrythe city–echoed across New Orleans’ festivals. Each facedits own reckoning in themonthsafter Katrina, and each chose, in its own way, to keep going.

At French QuarterFestival, ashowcase for 100percent local musicand food,the challenge wasn’t physicaldevastation so much as theweight of symbolism.

“It is such an importantcultural anchor and it played ahuge role in us coming back together as acommunityand returning to our cultural traditions and that sense of normalcy,” said Emily Madero,the festival’s president andCEO.“We mark thechanging of theseasons with our festival calendar.

It was an important moment to experience joy.There was relief in thestability of thetradition.”

Maderonotedthatgig workershad seen their livesupended not only bythe storm, but by thetemporarycollapseofthe local economyaround them.The French Quarter Fest gave themworkagainand was also asign that their careerscould still have afuture.

“There was alot of fear at the time about howwe would rebuild NewOrleans, particularly in thecreative industries and amongst our musicians and cultural ambassadors, so to do (French Quarter Fest) in away that maintained the authenticityof those cultural traditions and to do it in away that was really for New Orleanians, by NewOrleanians, was symbolically important,” Madero said. “Rather thanpivot and reshaping our mission, it was amoment in time wherewe doubled down on our purpose. ”

No festival loomedlarger, however, than theNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.For itsproducerand director Quint Davis, thedecision to move forwardfelt nearly impossible.The Fairgrounds had been destroyed.The crew wasdisplaced, with some sleeping in barns while trying to rebuild stages. Daviswasn’tsurethe 2006 edition of Jazz Fest could happenat all, until then-Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu bluntly told himthat not having the festival wasn’t an option.

Shell came forwardtounderwrite the festival, and world-famous artists likeDave Matthews and Jimmy Buffett soon followed with agreements to perform. When the gates opened on thefirstday,Davis’sfears melted away

“Wegot acall from thepolice that we werehaving atraffic problem. They said people werelined up and down Esplanade,” Davis said. “A lot of people whohad not been back to New Orleans since Katrina came back for Jazz Fest. When thegates opened and allthese people poured in, Jazz Fest came back to life. It became aliving entity.Itshowed what afestivalcan do. It bonds people together and gives them agreater sense of meaning. It renews their spirit.That’swhat happened that year.”

Theleaders of other traditions faced different choices. TheEssenceFestivalof Culture, rooted in NewOrleans sincethe 1990s, was forced to relocatetoHouston in 2006. But, by thefollowing summer,festival organizersinsisted on returning home “Wedon’t take our place as afestival in NewOrleans lightly.Partofwhat makes the Essence Festival of Cultureasspecial as it is,

is thepeople and thecityofNew Orleans,” said Barkue Tubman-Zawolo, thefestival’s chiefcommunityofficer.“We areabout continuing to partner with thecityand to take partinthe joy of thecity. Our cultural affirmation is,‘We loveus.’ NewOrleans is theposter child of ‘Welove us’ because NewOrleans came togetherand rebuilt NewOrleans.”

The2007EssenceFest welcomed an estimated 200,000 attendees and generated roughly $150 million forthe local economy. Aportion of concertticket proceeds supported theChildren’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools of New Orleans, funding reading, artand music enrichment for local youth.

In addition, the2007Essence Fest hosted standout performances from superstarslike Mary J. Blige,Kelly Rowland, Ludacris, Beyoncé and more, while cultural leaders likeTyler Perry, Hill Harper,SherylLee Ralph and LionelRichie participated in free daytime programming. And, just five months after announcinghis presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama addressed the Essence audience, connecting directly with acommunitythatwould play apivotal role in his election.

“Our festival’scelebration is rooted in howweare serving our community, Tubman-Zawolo said. “Our community is already empowered. We just need to work in partnership with them and create opportunities, and that’swhat we do.

One of thethings that theworld knows is thatwhenwegathertocelebrate each other’s culture, whether it’s your own or celebrating someone else’s, it creates more unityand joy.”

Evennew festivals wereborn out of the shadowsofKatrina. TheNew Orleans Book Festival,founded in 2010 by Cheryl Landrieu alongside civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, began as asmall children’s event at alocal library. In many ways, it was a

responsetothe deep disruptioninthe city’s schools after thestorm.

“You could draw aline from theevents of Katrina to thecreation of theNew Orleans Book Festival,” Landrieu said. “Wewanted to help reestablish theeducational system. Therewas akind of renaissance happening during therebuilding of theschools and the school system and thewaysinwhich we learn, and we played asmall role in that. It was based on theprinciples of wanting to support NewOrleans children and their families.”

Fifteen yearslater,the NewOrleans Book Festival has grown into athree-day event, drawing national authorsand attendees from around theworld. Landrieu attributes that long-term success to thefestival’s combination of funtimes and thepursuit of knowledge.

“New Orleans festivals aresuch adraw, and both theauthorsand theattendees want to be here,” shesaid. “Theyfeel something powerfuland special in New Orleans,and they want to be apartofit.”

Today,the city’scultural calendar is bigger than ever.Mardi Gras has exploded in scale, with longtime krewes likeEndymion and Tucksswelling in membership while moreparades have joined theannual rotation. French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest draw international visitorswith top-tier talent. Essence Fest is asummer tradition, while this year’s Book Festival saw record participation that prompted theneed for expanded space on theTulane campus. Sprinkled throughout theyear aredozens of other festivals,large and small, that honor history, heritage and thehuman spirit.

“Wecan sometimes takefor granted what we have and what we do,” Kern said.

“New Orleans is different than any other place in theworld, and thepersonalityof thecityisrooted in these things that we do It’s theway that we say hello to each other.”

When wordsfailed, music and art gave New Orleanians an escapeand avision forabetterfuture

By Stevie

CavalierLicciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com and Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

Aroundthe world, New Orleans is known as acitythat reveres the arts. Music pulses through the streets, andartworkisfound on walls in nearly everyneighborhood. In thewake of Hurricane Katrina, that creative fabric became asource of comfortfor many And, in thetwo decades since, healing conversations and connections havebeen ushered in through thecommunity’sefforts to uphold, expand and empowerNew Orleans’ artistic voices.

“I just wantedtocome back home,” said Robin Barnes, aNew Orleans jazz vocalist. “The loss of home was such amagnitudeof pain that every day,just to cope, Iwould listen to ‘What aWonderful World’ because it felt likethe closestthing tohome.”

Barnes comesfroma family of musicians whohave called Louisiana home for eight generations. Nowon herway toreleasing herfirstfull-length album, hermusical journey began at six yearsold, learning the Louis Armstrong classic, “What aWonderful World.” ForBarnes, thesong encapsulates herchildhood home in theLower Ninth Ward,surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of herMémèrecooking gumbo, herfamily makingmusic together and her communityfilled withjoy In thedaysand weeks after Katrinaleveled theLower Ninth, Barnesclung to that familiar tune as away to keep herspirits up. When shewas finally able to sing at her church after thestorm,there wasnodoubt that shewould perform

theArmstrong classic that had carried her through so much. “I held thenote at theend for so long that Ifell to my knees,” Barnes said.

“Everyone was crying and holding each other.Weall justneeded arelease from the pain and to feel hope.Itwas thefirsttime Iever realized howpowerful music is and howitcan change so much in an instant.It was asong that brought people to hug each other and hold onto one another.”

Michel Varisco, now theChair of Visual Arts at New Orleans Center for theCreative Arts (NOCCA), found herown sense of solace and artisticcomfortduring her retreats into CityPark as theKatrina cleanup was underway.She would wander with herdog and hercamera throughfallen oaks and foggy overgrown fields, reflecting on theparadox of damage and growth that wasevident throughout thecity. Her collection of images, Fragile Land, emerged from herCityPark meanderings.

“I proposed apublic arts piece to thecity using theFragile Lands imagery.I landed thecommission, and Iput in it thecircular rotunda at Popp’sFountain in City Park,” Varisco said. “Just likethe parkhelpedme heal, Iwanted to share thatprocess and to compel people to walk throughthe parkand to give themselves space

“I think theconversations that came about in thecommunitywerefascinating,” Varisco continued. “Ithelpedusto grieve and to trust in nature’sprocess regeneration, rest,restoration.

Theprocess of telling one’sown storyis often healing, and many residents found strength in sharing theirexperiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Throughout ions werekindledasthe continued.

at thetime.Wewound up getting global publicityand press. Part of thehealing for those of us wholived in NewOrleans and had lived throughthis, was to be able to tell our story.”

thecity, conversat recoveryprocess TheNew Orlean (NOVAC), anonin 1972 and provi filmmakers, was f leading up to Hur building had been storm and archiva to thefourth story at theUniversity o Uponreturning f Ryan,formerNO recounts howNO down permanentl from community led to theprodu NOVAC-prod featured som devastated interviews navigating “That fun produce t anu

s VideoAccess Center profit that was established des resourcestolocal acing business difficulties ricane Katrina. NOVAC’s sold right beforethe l footage had been moved ofthe EarlK.Long Library f New Orleans.

rom thestorm,Tim VAC ExecutiveDirector, VAC nearly had to shut y.However,funding partnersand foundations ction of TheDrive, a uced documentarythat e of New Orleans’most neighborhoods and withresidents whowere thewreckage ding gaveusthe time to he film, as well as to write mber of grants,”said Ryan. “The documentaryended up getting over amillion viewsonYouTube which was verynew

Non-profit, arts-focused organizations across various disciplinesplayed apivotal role in advancing thecity’shealingand underscoring theresilience of theNew Orlean’s culture. Youth music programs throughout thecitytook up thetorch of passing down generations of musical knowledge to displacedstudents. Many schools in NewOrleans experienced extensive damage or even permanent closureafter Hurricane Katrina, creating a void in arts education.

“People stepped up to do thework do work thatthe schools wereabletodobefore thestorm,”said Derek Douget, Director of MusicEducation at theHeritage School of Music. “It’snot justus; it’s thewhole music community, at large,that is doing it. Iwould justliketocelebrate all our colleagues who aredoing this work; it is getting done.”

In theyears after Katrina,local musician and Grammy winnerDerrick Tabb saw that theneed for arts education was urgent. In his Tremeneighborhood, Tabb saw that kids whoused to walk to thebus stop were hustling on thestreets after thestorm.

“I knew these kids didn’t really have anything else to do,” Tabb told New Orleans &Co. in 2020.“But Ialso knew if you weretogive them atalent, they can use thatsame talent to makemoney.”

In 2007,hefounded TheRoots of Music, starting with amodest six-week drum camp at Tipitina’s. What began with19kids and $20,000 quickly swelled. Forty-twochildren showed up on thefirstday,and morethan 100wereeagertojoin withinweeks.

Today,The Roots of Music runs three core programs: Sprouts of Music forkids ages 3 to 8; theMarching CrusadersBand for ages 9to14, and theRoots Studio Academy for high school students. Beyondinstruction,the organization provides meals, transportation, instruments and academic support,removing barriersthat often keep low-income children from participating in thearts.

“Discipline is themostimportant thing we teach our kids,” Tabb told NewOrleans & Co. “After about amonth, thesekids are picking up things that takemostpeople yearstolearn. And, it all rounds back to having afoundationofdiscipline… Theprogram we’ve put together has really worked.”

When Hurricane Katrina leftits mark on thecity, theOgden Museum of Southern Art had only been open at its current location for alittle over ayear.William Andrews, the museum’sexecutive director,recounts how evident it was that individuals wereseeking theconsolation and inspiration that only art can provide. By theefforts of individuals and organizations alike, thecityofNew Orleans has continued onwardinits creative resilience.

“Hurricane Katrina produced acatalytic moment when people started to recognize theway NewOrleans has been able to embrace thevarietyofinfluences that have been woven into theculturehere,” Andrews said. “Asamuseum, we don’tmakegrand statements. We trytobethe place where theartist can respond to theworld in which they live.”

NewOrleans’ cultural foundation has been tested in unimaginable waysthese past 20 years, but thesongs of this captivating city continues to resoundthroughout theworld.

Adaptation, innovation, collaboration: Katrina’s lasting impact on nonprofits in NewOrleans

By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

WhenHurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005, its destruction didmore than level neighborhoods and scatter families– it also reshaped thenonprofit landscape in New Orleans. Organizations thathad been operating foryears suddenly adapted and reimagined their missions to respond to immediate communityneeds, while newefforts wereborn from thestorm’saftermath.

Twodecades later,the city’s nonprofit communitystandsas oneofKatrina’smostenduring legacies, marked by growth, innovationand collaboration.

Shifting Missions: Youth Empowerment Project (YEP)

YEP opened in 2004 withafive-person staff, twogrants and adesire to help New Orleans youth realizetheir own potential. When scattered employees started returning to thecityafter Katrina, they weresurprised to discover that theYEP offices hadbeen sparedfromdamage. Melissa Sawyer,YEP founder and CEO,saidthatfelt likea sign that theorganization’s work wasneeded morethan ever

“Itfelt likewehad aresponsibilitytokeep going and be apartofthe recoverybecause therewas so muchdamage elsewhere throughout thecity,”Sawyersaid. Itgave us asense of purpose.”

YEP initially worked to reunite children and families displaced by thestorm andhelp othersaccess resources, even in cities like Houston andBaton Rouge. But,inNew Orleans, Sawyer saiditquickly became apparent that many kids werefacing an education crisis. Severalwho wanted to re-enroll in schoolfaced barrierssuchas lost records, aprolonged absencefrom classes or ahistoryof academicstruggles or involvement with thejusticesystem.

That need inspired YEPtostart its first GED program, thanks to grant funding and three part-time employees whoagreed to teachin theevenings.

“Within thefirstfew weeks,wehad about 40 young people cometous, wanting to get their GED and connect withsomething meaningful.Thatwas our first expansion into education work,” Sawyer said.

Today,YEP is Louisiana’s largest stateapproved high schoolequivalencyprovider with 142HISET graduates this year

Other YEP programs have grown over the past 20 yearsaswell, including afterschool programs, summer camps, and abikeshop and thriftstore wherekidslearn customer service and critical thinking skills.Last year YEP served morethan1,000 youth, and now has astaffof50.

“I thinkbeing apre-Katrina organization allowed us to hit theground running and adapt quickly,while alwaysstayingmissionfocused on supporting young people and

families,” Sawyer said.“Our valueshave alwaysbeen rooted in doing thebest you can, being honest, having integrityand following through on your word. We aim to be kind, resourceful, accountable and committed to progress. We’redoing the work for theright reasons.”

ANew Vision: Son of aSaint ForBivian “Sonny”Lee III, Hurricane Katrina sparked afire in himtogiveback to his hometown of NewOrleans. He was calledtomentorship, but hisearly efforts in 2006 didn’t pan out theway he had hoped. In his 20s, Lee spent yearstraveling theworld as he worked in sports andmusic. But, he knew he wanted to be back in New Orleans. In 2011,hefounded Son of aSaint anonprofit that mentorsboyswho have lost their fatherstodeath or incarceration.

“I started forming theideafor Son of aSaint in 2010,five yearsafter Katrina. Therewas an overwhelming urge to share whatIhad learnedand experienced,”Lee said. “I think thatwas atime when people weretryingtofigureout thecity’sidentity Kidsand familieshad been displaced, and manyofthemhad spent monthsseparated from one another. Theschool system was changing. Peoplewerestressed about jobs andsafety.Itfeltlikeeverybody was trying to find theirplace in thenew NewOrleans.”

Son of aSainthelpedmanyboysinthat search for identity,giving them outlets to sharetheir frustrations,guidance from mentorswho had survived theirown life challenges and opportunitiestosee what apositive futurecouldlooklike. Lee said that wouldn’t havebeen possiblewithout partnerships thatcontinue to this day

“Westarted Son of aSaint with 100bucks What is beautiful about New Orleans is that peoplewere illi ti t us, whether it pizzas for the letting us use an event,”Le sense of com born out of K wasalmost a people to wr

willing togive to was donating boysor aspace for esaid. “That munitywas atrina. There need for ap theirarms

around each other.You still see that today Yousee peoplewanttohelppeople.”

While Son of aSaint is aresounding success, reachinghundreds of boyseach year with mentoring, mental health services and enrichment opportunities, Leestill sees opportunities for growth, especially since 40 percent of itsboysare from New Orleans East, an area whose Katrina recoveryhas laggedbehind other parts of thecity.

“Partofour strategic plan is to develop something in NewOrleansEastnot only to supportour boys, but to supportthe general communitythere,” Leesaid. “My uncle lives thereand Idrive throughoften. Theareahas somehow not developed post-Katrina as we all would havehoped. Idefinitely want to be partofturning thataround.

Creative Healing: YAYA Arts Center

Founded in 1988, YAYA Arts Center was well-established in 2005 as an organization thatwas empoweringNew Orleans youth through creativity, education and entrepreneurship. Yet, in many ways, Katrina servedasa catalyst for YAYA to have an even broader reach throughout thecity.

Shortlyafter thestorm, twoYAYAalumni began teaching artclasses in different schools– something that still takes place today.That ledtothe creation of YAYA’s Urban Heroes program, whichnow sees morethan 800 kids each year

“It truly gives kids theopportunityto explorearts. That is definitely one of the morepowerful programs that came about because of Katrina andcontinues to have a huge impact,” said Jourdan Barnes, YAYA BoardPresident. “That program alsoset the course for alot of other YAYA programming. It has become apipeline to theother work thatwedo. Thecool thing aboutYAYAis thateventhough we teach entrepreneurial, artisticand technical skills, it’s still asafe space for kids to be whotheyare.”

YAYA works with New Orleans youth and young adultsfromage 13 to 25,focusing on fosteringtheir creativity with ceramics glassand mixedmedia. Participants sell theircreations andreceive 60 percent of theprofits, with theremaining 40 percent helpingtofund YAYA programs,all of which arecompletelyfree.

Barnes said YAYA staff continue to lean on lessons learned during Katrina’s aftermath to address morerecent challenges.For example,whenCovid forcedYAYAtohalt in-person programming, they immediately pulledtogether artkits, take-home supplies and videos of artlessons. And, as they have seen youth continue to grapple with modernday struggles, YAYA staffhave leaned more deeply into apartnershipwith arttherapists ht th tt help kids able to cultivate and be very eople we our boardand tionalityhas AYAPrograms ews.“Ourcore

values include artistic integrity, generational impact, equityand accessibility. We want to continuetobeinnovative and adaptable because things areconstantly changing. We want to do that while keeping our values at thecenter of our work. Being mission-aligned is so important.”

Restoringnature, restoringhope: Sankofabrings lifebacktothe LowerNinth Ward

Note: This article wasadapted from a story thatappeared in Audubon Magazine in 2024 andwas originally authoredby Paige Curtis.

Growing up in theLower Ninth Ward Rashida Ferdinand and other neighborhood children spent their daysexploring theterrain of Sankofa Wetland Park. But, theland eventually fell into disrepair duetoyearsof neglect that worsened in Katrina’saftermath. Ferdinand founded theSankofa Community Development Corporation (CDC) in 2008. Today,the organization is collaborating with local residents to restorethe area to its previousnaturalglory. Their work is paying off, with ambling paths and thriving cypress trees winding around acentral pond.

“Seeing butterflies,birds and other pollinatorsinthe park is asign of ahealthy ecosystem. Allwehad to do was create the right conditions,” Ferdinand told Audubon Magazine.

In 2017,Sankofa CDC entered into a partnershipwith theCityofNew Orleans to develop the40-acrevacant plot along theLower Ninth’s northern edge with a vision to restorethe wetland ecosystem as a buffer againstflooding while alsospurring economic development.

Theinputofthe Lower Ninth Ward communityand neighborshas been vital to this work. Their feedback informed the park’smaster plan and amenities,including a walking/biking trail that residents requested.

Local volunteersuprooted morethan 1,000 invasive tallow trees and planted new, native florasuch as bald cypressand water tupelo trees that areknown to withstand heavy winds,aswell as 1,000 herbaceous plants.Meanwhile, ponds throughoutthe park aredesigned to retain rainwater during storms and provide acool habitat in ahot landscape.

Theseinitial improvements have attracted wildlife not seen in theareasince the 1960s. Thepark is now home to reptiles, amphibians,beaversand otters, and more than 100birdspecies have been spotted on thegrounds

whocome to thecenter to h navigatetheir feelings.

“I think we have been partnerships really well intentionalabout thep haveonour staff, on as partners. That inten sustainedus,”said YAY Manager AveriMatth

Amenities have alsobeen added, including picnic areas,interpretive signage, outdoor recreation facilities, afishing dock and a wheelchair-accessible trail that connects the Lower Ninth to adjoining neighborhoods. An outdoor amphitheater and moretrails are scheduled to be completed later this year

“There is auniquebeauty in restoring what was already there,” Ferdinand said. “It’s howwehonor thestewards beforeuswho respected this land and sawits valuefrom theverybeginning.”

In1955,PeteAlimiastartedacareerin applianceserviceservingtheWestbank community.Hebroughthisson,Garey Alimiaalongasateenagerandhejoined thebusinessaswell.Afterworkingin theservicebusiness forsometime,Garey decidedtoopenhisown retailstorespecializing inMaytagappliancesin 1974.Tenyearslaterin 1984hedecidedtotake onotherbrands,and thestorewasnamed A-1Appliance.Around thesametime,Garey’s sonKentAlimiajoined thebusinessaswellwhereheworked deliveriesforthecompanyandeventually movedtosales.In1998A-1Appliance acquiredsomeoftheformerCampo storesoutofbankruptcywhichintroduced A-1intotheelectronicsbusiness,and thenamewaschangedtoA-1Appliance &Electronics.GareyandKentworked sidebysideforyearsasafatherandson teamtobringA-1Appliancetothelargest independentapplianceretailerintheNew OrleansArea.In2020,Kentacquiredthe businessfromhisfatherGareyandnow runsthebusinesswithhiswife,Doris Alimia.Throughouttheyears,A-1has continuedtoaddnumerousbrandsand departmentstotheirvastselectionof merchandiseandnowsellsappliances, electronics,beddingandfurniture.

After fifty yearsinbusiness, A-1Appliance,Bedding &Furniturecontinuesas thelargestIndependent Appliance Retailer in the NewOrleans area and has thelargestselection of major brands in the industrywith GuaranteedLowest Prices!