The Times-Picayune 09-17-2025

N.O. mayoralcandidates tackle income inequality

Spectators watch the mayoraldebate between,fromleft, RoyceDuplessis, Frank Janusa, Helena Moreno and Oliver ThomasatThe Times-Picayune office on Tuesday.

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Royce Duplessis and Oliver

Thomas attacked their leadingcompetitor in the race for New Orleans mayor Tuesday evening, peppering the consensus front-runner, Helena Moreno, on live TV in an exchange that marked anewly confrontational phase of the election

Thomas,a City Council member, and Duplessis, aLouisiana statesenator,have trailed Moreno by double digitsina series of polls. The three debated twiceonTuesday, first at the newsroom of The Times-Picayune and later at WWL-TV’sstudios.

The forums come at ahigh-stakes moment in the race as Moreno seeks to expand her lead over the two other major candidates in hopes of

winning the race outright in the Oct 11 primary. Duplessis, buoyedbya surge of fundraising, and Thomas are fighting to cut into Moreno’s lead and force her into aNov.15runoff.

Though Duplessishas criticized Moreno’s record on thecouncil throughout his campaign, including at the Times-Picayune debateearlier

ä See MAYORAL, page 9A

Palace Café building set to be sold

Motwanifamilymemberis buyer, butlawsuitsstall deal

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

The landmark Canal Street building that was the longtimehome of the Palace Caféisset to be soldtoamember of theMotwanifamily,but ongoing lawsuits from Dickie Brennan’srestaurant group have stalled the deal. At issue is the historic Werlein’sMusic Building, afour-story commercial property in the600 block of Canal Street, which was constructedin the late 19th century and wasthe home to Philip Werlein’sflagship music store. Dickie Brennan & Co., owned by Brennan, his sister Lauren Brennan Brower,and Steve Pettus, operatedthe Palace Café there from 1990 until its 35-year lease expired in June and the restaurant closed. The Werlein family has now reached adeal to sell the building to Lenny Motwani, amember of the familythat owns awide array of businesses

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.has appointed aBaton Rouge physician to the committeethat recommends vaccination policies to the federalgovernment —and she hasrepeatedly questioned COVID-19 vaccines and other inoculations forchildren.

“I am very,very skeptical,” Dr Evelyn Griffin said in 2024 while speaking to the congregation of the Rev.Tony Spell’sLifeTabernacle Church near Central City.“For alot of us, the COVIDexperience has really opened our

FinancialtroublesthreatensustainabilityofLeahChase School

BYMARIE FAZIO Staff writer

New Orleans’ only traditional public school will run ahalf-million-dollar deficit afterunanticipated expenses in its second year, district officials said Tuesday, promptingquestions about the school’slong-term financial sustainability

The Leah Chase School’sroughly $500,000 deficit is due to the recent

hiringofstaff members to work with students withdisabilities and transportation costs as the school addsadditional bus routes for new students, officials said.

Enrollmentincreased this fall to about 355 students, according to an unofficial headcount, up from 285 last year after the school added sixth grade. But nearly athirdof the school’sstudents opted not to return this year Thechallenges are notunusual

“Obviouslywecan’twrite a blank check to the direct-run school forever.”

OLINPARKER, Orleans Parish School Board member

foranew school,but they have taken on greater significance as the Leah Chase School is the first permanentdistrict-run school in New Orleansinnearly two decades.

The Orleans Parish School Boardopened the school last fallonthe theorythatthere was demand and aneedfor atraditional public school in the city’s all-charter school system.But the school’searlystrugglesare testing that theoryand raising questionsabout whether the school can differentiate itself enough to competewith the city’s64other public schools for students and become self-sustaining without the district

propping it up.

“Obviously we can’twrite ablank check to the direct-run school forever,” board memberOlin Parker said at aSchoolBoard meeting on Tuesday

After the board decided last year to run its ownschool, the district hadtodesign andlaunchitona short timeline.

“When we opened the Leah

Judge shields identities of two in Epstein case

NEW YORK The identities of two women once listed as potential co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein will remain sealed for their safety and privacy a federal judge ruled Tuesday

In a written decision, Judge Richard M. Berman rejected an NBC News request to make their identities public after lawyers for the women and the U.S. Justice Department opposed the unsealing request. He wrote that threats to the safety of the individuals persist and releasing their names would threaten their safety and privacy

In requesting the unsealing, attorney Alexander Ziccardi for NBCNewscitedtheFirstAmendment and said there was a “presumptive right of access” requiring that the names redacted from a July 2019 government letter to Berman be released publicly

The 2019 letter, filed by prosecutors opposing bail for Epstein, was written in part to answer questions the judge had raised at a bail hearing about two unidentified individuals prosecutors cited in their arguments against granting Epstein bail.

House approves changes to D.C.’s justice system

WASHINGTON The House passed legislation Tuesday that would overhaul how youth who commit crimes are prosecuted in the District of Columbia as congressional Republicans mobilized behind President Donald Trump’s efforts to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital.

One of the bills, called the “DC Crimes Act,” would lower the age of a youth offender in the federal district from 24 to 18 and require that criminal sentencing be at least as long as the mandatory minimums for adults, overruling local D.C. policy It would also require the D.C. attorney general to establish a public website that would publish statistics on youth criminal acts.

The bill passed 240-179, with 30 Democrats joining Republicans in support.

A second bill, the D.C. Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act passed by a narrower 225-203 margin, with eight Democrats backing the measure and one Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voting against it

Judge denies Menendez brothers’ bid for new trial

LOS ANGELES A California judge has rejected a request for a new trial for Erik and Lyle Menendez, shutting down another possible path to freedom for the brothers who have served decades in prison for killing their parents in 1989 at their Beverly Hills mansion.

The ruling Monday by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan comes just weeks after the brothers were denied parole. Ryan denied a May 2023 petition seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father

The judge wrote that the new evidence that “slightly corroborates” the allegations that the brothers were sexually abused does not negate the fact that the pair acted with “premeditation and deliberation” when they carried out the killings.

“The evidence alleged here is not so compelling that it would have produced a reasonable doubt in the mind of at least one juror or supportive of an imperfect self-defense instruction,” the judge wrote Divers recover artifacts from Titanic’s sister ship

ATHENS, Greece Divers have recovered artifacts from the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, for the first time since the ocean liner sank in the Aegean Sea more than a century ago after striking a mine during World War I.

The Culture Ministry in Greece said Monday that an 11-member deep-sea diving team conducted a weeklong operation in May to recover artifacts including the ship’s bell and the port-side navigation light.

The White Star Line’s Britannic, launched in 1914, was designed as a luxury cruise liner, but was requisitioned as a hospital ship during World War I.

Israeli military begins its ground offensive

Aggressive operation aims to overwhelm Gaza City

BY MELANIE LIDMAN, JON GAMBRELL and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

JERUSALEM Israel launched its offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, vowing to overwhelm a city already in ruins from nearly two years of war as thousands of Palestinians fled in vehicles strapped with mattresses and other belongings that clogged a coastal road.

The operation into the largest Palestinian city escalated a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushed any ceasefire with Hamas farther out of reach. The military would not offer a timeline for the offensive that aims to crush the militant group’s ability to fight, but Israeli media suggested it could take months.

“Gaza is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz declared as the operation began. Heavy bombardment pounded the city, and troops began moving in from the outskirts after weeks of airstrikes and buildup toward the renewed assault.

The offensive began the same day that independent experts

commissioned by the United Nations Human Rights Council accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the allegation, calling the report “distorted and false.”

One woman, Saud al-Sakani, said her daughter, son-in-law and their children were killed in a strike that flattened their home with about 40 people inside. “An entire family!” she cried, weeping over their bodies at Shifa Hospital’s morgue. “Many are still under the rubble.”

On a brief visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that there was a “very short window of time in which a deal can happen” to end the war

The new assault did not deter another invitation to the U.S for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said Tuesday that President Donald Trump invited him to the White House on Sept. 29, after the Israeli leader addresses the United Nations General Assembly It will mark Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump took office in January Meanwhile, a missile fired by

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen set off rocket sirens in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv The Israeli military said it was working to intercept the projectile, which was fired after Israel carried out airstrikes on the rebel-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen.

The Houthis have regularly fired drones and missiles at Israel in what they say is solidarity with the Palestinians. The vast majority have been intercepted or landed in open areas without causing casualties or damage. Israel has carried out waves of retaliatory strikes on Yemen.

Israeli forces have carried out multiple large-scale raids into Gaza City over the course of the war, causing mass displacement and heavy destruction, only to see militants regroup later. This time, Israel has pledged to take control of the entire city, which experts say is experiencing famine.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military guidelines, said the “main phase” of the Gaza City operation had begun and troops had started moving.

Democrats stake out opposition to spending bill

Threat of government shutdown looms

BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON Democratic leaders lashed out Tuesday at a short-term spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of the month, warning Republicans they will not support a measure that doesn’t address their concerns on the soaring cost of health insurance coverage for millions of Americans.

House Republicans unveiled the spending bill Tuesday It would keep federal agencies funded through Nov 21, buying lawmakers more time to work out their differences on spending levels and policy for the coming fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Republicans said that they were providing exactly what Democrats have insisted upon in past government shutdown battles — a clean funding bill free of partisan policy riders.

“It’ll be a clean, short-term continuing resolution, end of story,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. “And it’s interesting to me that some of the same Democrats who decried government shutdowns under President Biden appear to have no heartache whatsoever at walking our nation off that cliff right now I hope they don’t.”

The bill would generally fund agencies at current levels, with a few limited exceptions, including an extra $88 million to boost security for lawmakers and members of the Supreme Court and the executive branch. The proposed boost comes as lawmakers face an increasing number of personal threats, with their

concerns heightened by last week’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries have been asking their Republican counterparts for weeks for a meeting to negotiate on the bill, but they say that Republicans have refused. Any bill needs help from at least seven Democrats in the Senate to overcome procedural hurdles and advance to a final vote.

The two Democratic leaders issued a joint statement Tuesday after Republicans unveiled the short-term funding bill, saying that by “refusing to work with Democrats, Republicans are steering our country toward a shutdown.”

“The House Republican-only spending bill fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis,” Schumer and Jeffries said.

Authorities: Suspect left note saying he planned to kill Kirk

BY JESSE BEDAYN, HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

PROVO, Utah Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.” DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.

Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a boltaction rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City Robinson appeared briefly Tuesday before a judge by video from jail. He nodded slightly at times but mostly stared straight ahead as the judge read the charges against him and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest. Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “Ihadenoughofhishatred.Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray

Patelclashes with skepticalDemocrats

FBIdirectordefends record,pushesbackoncriticism

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON FBI Director Kash Patel clashed with skeptical Democrats at a contentious Senate oversight hearingTuesday,defending his record amid criticism that he has politicized the nation’s premier federal lawenforcement agency and pursued retribution against perceived adversaries of PresidentDonald Trump.

The appearanceTuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee represented the first oversight hearing of Patel’syoung but tumultuous tenure and provided ahighstakes platform for him to try to demonstrate that he is the right person for the job at atime of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence inside the United States, athreat laid bare by last week’skilling of

conservative activist Charlie Kirk at acollege campusin Utah.

The hearing broke along starkly partisan lines. Republicans rallied support for Patel even as Democrats said he haddebased the integrity of the nation’spremier federal law enforcement agency Patel, for his part,accused Democrats of grandstanding for cameras and looking to score political points in aseries of testy shouting matches that punctuated more sedate testimony about thecriminal and national security threatsfacing the U.S. “You are thebiggest fraud to ever sit in the United States Senate, you are adisgrace to this institution and you are an utter coward,”

Pateltold Democratic Sen Adam Schiff of California, raising his voice during one particularly testy exchange “You can make an internet

troll the FBI director,but he will always be an internet troll,” Schiff shot back as Patelcontinued to shout over him.

Patelsoughttokeepthe focusonwhathesaidwas a series of accomplishments in fighting violentcrime, protecting childrenfrom abuse and disrupting the flow of fentanyl. He similarly touted the FBI’swork in arresting within 33 hoursthe man suspected in Kirk’sassassination,but also facedquestions over confusion he caused soon after the killing when he posted on social mediathat “the subject” was in custody Thatperson was later released afterinvestigators determined he had no connection.Patel said he had been trying to be transparent with the public and didn’tconsider thepost amistake, but acknowledgedhecould have been clearer

BY JILL LAWLESSand MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

LONDON U.S. President DonaldTrump arrived in theUnited Kingdom on Tuesday fora statevisit during whichthe British government hopesamultibillion-dollar technology deal will show thetransAtlantic bond remains strong despite differences over Ukraine, the Middle East andthe future of the Western alliance. State visits in Britain blend 21st-century diplomacywithroyal pageantry.Trump’stwo-day trip comes complete with horse-drawn carriages, military honor guards and aglittering banquet inside

a1,000-year-oldcastle— alltailoredtoapresident with afondness for gilded splendor.

King CharlesIII will host Trump at WindsorCastle on Wednesdaybefore talks the next day with Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers, the British leader’s ruralretreat Starmer’soffice said the visit will demonstrate that “the U.K.-U.S. relationship is thestrongest in the world, built on 250 years of history” —after thatawkward rupture in 1776 —and bound by shared values of “belief in the rule of law and open markets.” There was no mention of Trump’s market-crimping fondness for sweeping tariffs.

The White House ex-

pects the two countries will strengthen their relationship during thetrip and celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of thefounding of theUnited States, according to asenior White House official who wasnot authorizedto speak publicly andspoke on the condition of anonymity.Itwas unclear how the U.K. was planning to markthat chapter in their sharedhistory “The trip to the U.K. is going to be incredible,” Trumptoldreporters Sunday.Hesaid Windsor Castle is “supposed to be amazing” andadded: “It’sgoing to be very exciting.”

Trump is the first U.S. presidenttoget asecond state visit to the U.K.

Debbie Torres facedone of life’s biggest challengeswith unwavering faith, deep love for her family,and avillage of supportbehindher.Diagnosed with Stage III ovarian cancer, Debbie considered multiple treatment options before choosing LCMC Health.She leaned onher care teams at Lakeview Hospitaland East JeffersonGeneral Hospital, andgained criticalsupportfromher church community, friends,and family,especially her husband Chris anddaughter Angelle.Truetoform, Debbiebrought light into the darkest moments ofher journey, from wearing teal wigs to singing karaoke. Her storyisa reminder to listen toour bodies, leanonour people, and alwayschoosefaith over fear

Murrillcalls on former official to return artifact

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Find it and give it back

That wasAttorney General Liz Murrill’smessage Tuesday forformerHouse SpeakerClay Schexnayder regarding an ancient cypress board that was displayed at the StateCapitol for decades but disappeared last year afterbeing in Schexnayder’sdistrict legislative office in Gonzales.

“I will confer with the Lieutenant Governor’sOffice and will take any action that may be appropriate under the circumstances,”Murrill said in reply to arequestfor help from Julius Mullins, aretired Baton Rouge doctor whose grandfather Walter Stebbins donated the board to the state in the 1950s.

“Schexnayder knew he hadit, he knew that it was in his office and he was responsible as the custodian of state property,” Murrill added. “I think he’sresponsible for it regardless of how it came to be present in his district office. He needs to return it.”

As was reported last week, the board was last seen 18 months ago in Schexnayder’sdistrict office. Schexnayder said he doesn’tknow of its current whereabouts

The leasing managerfor his office says his team never removed it The board’sdisappearance has frustratedStebbins’ grandchildren, with Mullins acting as the family’slead sleuth to findit.

“Would it be possible for you to helpmyfamilyfind thisvaluable pieceofhistory which has gone missing and return it to the Capitol?” Mullins asked in separate emails to Murrill and the current House speaker,Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice.

DOCTOR

Continued from page1A

eyes. Youknow that Ihave a lot of concerns. One of those concerns, Iwould say,is about the COVID vaccine.” Spell became aface of resistance to then-Gov.John Bel Edward’spandemicrestrictions, defying orders to stop holding services and successfully winning acourt challenge against Edwards. Griffin told the congregation concerns aboutthe COVID vaccineprompted her to study othervaccines: what they’re made of, how they’re doing, and how those vaccines got on the childhood vaccination schedule.

“Many physicians, like myself, are seriously questioning the vaccine schedule,” she said. Griffin did not respond Tuesday to arequest for comment.

Kennedy tapped Griffin on Monday night to join the civilian Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommends vaccines and vaccination policies to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. The panel is slated to meet next on Thursday Kennedy in June forced all 17 members of the panel to resign. He promised to pick

Devillier didn’trespond to either Mullins or arequest for comment Tuesday

Theboard —which measures about sixfeet by 20 feet and has wordsengraved of itsorigininto it —came from atree that was estimated to be 1,264 years old when it was cut down in 1936. Wording on the board indicatesthat it was given to the state in 1955 and hung on the wall in the breezeway on the ground floor of the Capitol until about10years ago.

Schexnaydersaid then-Speaker Chuck Kleckley,R-LakeCharles, asked him in 2013 to put theboard in his district officebecause it came from atree in Ascension Parish. Kleckley,however,doesn’t recall giving it to Schexnayder,

replacements with strong scientific credentials and withoutpreconceived notions.

Aprominent anti-vaxxer, Kennedy was criticized after choosing for the panel several healthcare professionals whomade anamefor themselvesonconservative media talking againstvaccines

Kennedy also laid off thousandsofagencyemployees, proposed cutting the agency’sbudget, pulled funding forfurther vaccination research usingone ofits most promising platforms,and fired the director of the CDC less than amonthafter she was confirmed.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Baton RougeRepublicanwho chairs theSenate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, was among thoseraising questions about Kennedy’spromises not to undermine the nation’s vaccination protocols

Alongtimepromoter of vaccinations, Cassidyparticularly was concerned that Kennedy’sreplacementsfor theadvisory panel didn’t have much experience in thesciences connected to vaccines.

But, after voting to confirm Kennedyto thejob, he said thenew secretary would consult withhim.

Cassidydid not respond Tuesday to requests for comments. His commit-

saying such arequest by him involvingahistoricstate artifact would have been inappropriate. Both lastweek andonTuesday, Schexnaydersaidhedidn’ttake the board from hisdistrict office when his legislative termended at thebeginning of last year

His office was located in Suite 205 in astrip mall next to thePelicanPoint subdivisiononLa. 44 in Gonzales.

“When Iturned in thekeys, that’s the last Iseen it,that’sthe last I know,” Schexnayder said Tuesday “The last Iknow is theboardwas in the office when Ileft.”

Thanks to term limits,his 12year legislativecareer ended in January 2024. But he said he kept using the officeaslate as Feb. 20 that year,according to

teeismeeting Wednesday to take testimony from the CDCdirector whoKennedy recently fired. Griffinisanobstetrician andgynecologist whohas practiced in Baton Rouge forabout 20 years. Griffin praised Republican Gov Jeff Landry,who hasbeen critical of Cassidy Anative of Poland when it was controlled by communists, Griffin grew up in Canada whereher family immigrated. She moved to BatonRouge with herhusband after college.

Griffin saidshe initially didn’tquestion vaccines because, like allmedicalstudents, she was overwhelmed withinformation —“like drinking from firehose,” she said —that basically spread a message of vaccinesare good andasa doctor sheshould just memorize the schedule.

During testimony in 2022 before the Louisiana House CommitteeonHealthand Welfare, Griffin said thatshe observed in her patients “bizarre andrare conditions” that she couldn’tpinpoint as being caused by thevaccine or by thedisease itself.

“The average doctor is not askingquestions, such as, could this be an aftereffect of the vaccine? Andnot asking these questions is scary as well as not scientific,” Griffinsaid when she testi-

atextexchange at thetime with Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge,who contacted Schexnayder on behalfofMullins, afamilyfriend.

In atexttothe newspaper on Tuesday,Schexnayder confirmed he still used the office as of February 2024.

Douglas Diez, adeveloper in Gonzales whoownsthe strip mall, said when tenants depart and are up to date in their payments, “We usually don’tchange the key in the office. Even though Clay moved out, he or any oneofhis people could have come back.”

Todd Pevey,who works for St. John Properties andmanages leasing at the strip mall for Diez, said in an email that “tenants are responsible for remov-

fied in favor of an anti-COVID vaccine bill. Kennedy himself testified before the same committee in 2021, before he was health secretary In testifying in favor of another measure, Griffinsaid

ing all materials and belongings from thepremisesuponvacating. Neither I, nor any other St. John Propertiesemployeeor representative, have removed any of theclient’sitems from the space nor are we in possession of any items that were ever in the premises.”

When Schexnayder left office last year,the speaker’soffice collected acouple of pieces of state equipment, but Schexnayder exercised his right to buy the laptop, printer and faxhehad been using, at adepreciated price, accordingtostate records. Thegovernmentinventory did not include the boardsinceithadn’tbeen officially given to him

Schexnaydersaidsomeoneat his request notified someone from the state that he had the board as he wasleaving office. He wouldn’t identifyeither person.

“I’m not going to go andstart blurting out names,” Schexnayder said. “That’snot whoI am.” Complicating the effort to locate the board is this: No entity within state government is claiming ownership of it.

Officials at the Secretary of State’sOffice, the Department of Agricultureand theCulture, Recreation and Tourism branch of the Lieutenant Governor’s Officeall said last week the board doesn’t belong to their agencies.

TaylorBarras, the commissioner of administration, said his agency, whichoversees construction of state buildings, also has no record of it.

“I am as confused as mostwhere that trail leads us,” said Barras, who incidentally was speaker in between Kleckleyand Schexnayder. “It’s kind of graywhere that ownership originally resided.”

AfrustratedMullins hasanexplanation forthat.

“Nobodykeptrecords when it wasdonated,” he surmised.

the hospitals with which she wasassociated had refused herrequeststodig down on the data about the efficacy of vaccinations in general andthe COVIDmedicinein particular “I was toldrepeatedlyno

and that was is because they felt thatwould createvaccine hesitancy if someone should possibly present a counter narrative,” Griffin said.“Ican tell youthat thereissomething wrong that is going on.”

We areDr. ScottLeBlanc andDr. Dana LeBlanc, ahusband andwifeteam, that ownLeBlanc Spine Center.Wehave helped thousandsofpatientsget outofpainwithSpinalDecompression therapy treatments,and we love what we do.Discissues arecommon, andpatientssufferingare usually givenlimited optionsoftreatment.Werun these bignewspaperadvertisementstolet people in thecommunity know thereisanotheroption of treatmentfor pain-without medication, injections,orsurgery!

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IcametoLeBlancSpine Center because Ihad been suffering with extremebackpainand legpainfor severalweeks.I hadtriedother treatments, massage, NSAIDs andTylenol, butIwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments andnow Ifeel100% improved! What Ilikemost aboutmytreatment is that it is non-invasive anditeliminated my pain.Mytreatment appointments are notlong, andthe treatmentispain-free Sincebeginningtreatment at LeBlancSpine Center, Iamnow able to do allofmyprevious activities andworkwithout pain.I also have morerange of motion Iwould highly recommend LeBlancSpine Center!

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I first came to LeBlancSpine Centerwithnumbness in my arms andlegs. Iwas also experiencinglower back pain andneckpain. Ihad been suffering with this forover10 years. Ihad previouslytriedone epiduralinjection in my lower back andphysicaltherapy,an Iwas stillsufferingwiththese symptoms.Since beginning Spinal Decompression treatments,Ihavehad consistentimprovement in my back condition,and Iam now70% improved!Iamlifting withoutpain, sleeping better, andInow have theability to walk withouttiring! Iwould highly recommendDr. LeBlanc andLeBlancSpine Center!

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•“We thus submit that decompressiontherapy should be considered first, before thepatient undergoesasurgicalprocedure which permanentlyaltersthe anatomyand function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.”-Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patients whocompleted thetherapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms.”

-OrthopedicTechnology Review

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successfulin71% of the 778cases”-Journal of Neurological Research

•“Good to excellentrelief in 86%ofpatientswith Herniateddiscs”- The American JournalofPain Management

•“Decompression Therapy reported a76.5% with complete remission and19.6% with partial remissionofpainand disability”-Rio Grande Hospital,Departmentof Neurosurgery

At LeBlancSpine Center, we utilizeadvanced, FDA-cleared technology that is provento effectively alleviatepain.

It’s importanttonotethatnot everypatient is acandidate for

Iwas sufferingwithlower back pain foryears, anditwas gettingworse andworse.It wassopainful that Icould not function.I couldnot get outthe bedwithout fallingtothe floor. Ihad triedorthopedicdoctors medication,scans,physical therapy- alltonoavail IcametoLeBlancSpine Center, andI startedSpinal Decompression treatments in August…and Inow feel 100% improved! Iamnow sleeping better,driving withoutpain, walkingfurther –all of these activities Ican nowdo, andI have energy that Ionlyhad when Iwas young. Iamtreated wonderfully by thestaff at LeBlancSpine Center. They are so polite and caring.Dr. Scottand Dr.Dana are unbelievably helpful. The treatmentisnot painful, and Ienjoy themusic whileIam theretoo!

If askedtorecommend LeBlancSpine Center, Iwould saythatIamconvinced that youwillimprove abig amount if not100%. Decompression therapyisthe waytogo!

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Ihad beensuffering with lowerbackpain, sciaticpain, andnumbnessinmyfeet. I began Spinal Decompression treatments at LeBlancSpine Centerand Iamnow 80% improved! Ican nowstand and sitfor longer periods without anypain, andIamabletowalk longer distances. Iamfeeling so much better Thestaff here treats me excellent. Oneofthe best things aboutmycare at LeBlanc SpineCenteristhatIamshown care andconcern. Iwould recommendLeBlanc SpineCenterand thetreatmenteveryone here is so nice andit hasbeensohelpful!

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Spinal Decompression, whichiswhy we prioritize athorough individual assessment foreachpersonwho walks throughour doors. Ourhighsuccess rate in pain relief stemsfromour commitment to only taking on patients whom we confidently believewecan help

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and property in the New Orleans area, according to the Werleins’ lawyer, Philip Franco.

“There were several offers for the building above $8 million, and my clients chose the best one,” said Franco, adding that there is now a “binding agreement” to sell the property to Motwani.

The Palace Café was long considered a gem of Lower Canal Street, the milelong corridor that was once a retail mecca and one of the South’s finest boulevards. Advocates for the area are hopeful that the next owner will work to help counter the decline that the street has seen in recent decades, but some are concerned that the restaurant could be replaced by something that accelerates it.

Motwani didn’t respond to requests for comment on the deal, and it isn’t clear what plans he has for the building or how much he agreed to pay The former restaurant is within the Canal Street Historic District, which means there are potential restrictions to any changes that could be made.

Though an agreement has been reached, Franco said the sale to Motwani cannot be completed until the Werleins resolve a messy legal dispute with Dickie Brennan’s company In February, Brennan’s company filed suit against the Werleins, arguing that it had an option to buy the building at a fair-market price that would have deducted the millions of dollars it invested in the property over the years

SCHOOL

Continued from page 1A

Chase School, there was no long-range planning for the school,” said NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Fateama Fulmore, adding that decisions from curriculum to furniture were made on the fly, “right then and there.”

To cover the Leah Chase School’s initial startup costs last year, the school board allocated $3.8 million from the district’s general funds Its operating costs are covered by the same per-pupil funding that charter schools receive, which district officials projected to be $9,221 per student this year

Like most schools, the bulk of Leah Chase’s $5 million budget goes toward transportation and staffing.

NOLA Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Nyesha

Veal has said that Leah Chase teachers’ average salary is $63,000, which is higher than at many charter schools.

In July, the school hired three paraprofessionals, one English Language coordinator and two special education teachers to comply with legislative requirements and students’ special education plans, Veal said. The school also hired two sixth grade teachers.

In June, Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Ellen Hazeur ruled that the terms of the lease were clear in stating that the sale price should include all the improvements that had been made by Brennan over the decades.

That valued the building at more than $8 million, according to the Werleins’ appraiser, while Brennan’s lawyers argued that at least some of the improvements should be deducted and the sale price should be half that.

Brennan’s attorney, Randall Smith, said they have appealed Hazeur’s decision to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and are awaiting a hearing date. He said Brennan’s company spent $10 million on the building over the three decades it ran the restaurant there. At the same time, a second lawsuit against the Werleins filed by Brennan’s company remains active in Hazeur’s Orleans Parish court. The restaurant group is still trying to exercise its option to

With those additional expenses, Veal said the school was set to run $700,000 over budget this year, a deficit that shrunk by about $200,000 after some federal funds rolled over She added that the numbers could change with fluctuations in enrollment and additional grants

The school received permission last month from the state to add a crop of statefunded early childhood seats Veal said, but doing so would increase Leah Chase’s deficit by $200,000 due to additional staffing and material costs

Fulmore said the district declined the seats, which were reallocated to another site.

As the Leah Chase School tries to move from startup phase to sustainable, its deficit has led to questions about its future.

On Tuesday, some board members said the school’s financial challenges are similar to those faced by singlesite charter schools that lack the economies of scale that help larger operators afford expensive services like special education and transportation. They also noted that the school is competing with charter schools across the district for a limited pool of school-aged students.

“We are now experiencing and grappling with what every operator grapples with,” board member Carlos Zervi-

buy the building and to get a third, independent appraisal to determine a sale price.

“My clients put millions of dollars into that property with the expectation they would have the option to purchase it,” Smith said.

“They never expected to have such pushback from the Werleins after 35 years.”

Brennan has not had the chance to meet directly with the Werlein heirs but has dealt with attorneys and their real estate broker, Gerard Henry Smith said.

The Werleins’ court filings argue that Brennan’s sale option expired and they are countersuing for unpaid rent, taxes and other expenses, arguing that Brennan reneged on a deal to pay month-by-month rent that rose from $8,000 a month under the old lease to $53,000 a month in September

Brennan’s filings argue that their option to buy is still good and that they never agreed to the monthly lease terms, but told the Werleins they would vacate the build-

gon said. “Now we’re trying to move to sustaining rather than startup.”

Parker encouraged the superintendent to consider eliminating or reallocating some positions at the school to decrease the deficit.

He also suggested that the Leah Chase School differentiate itself from other schools by adopting a focus, such as fine arts or dual language or by becoming selective rather than open enrollment. Another strategy would be to prioritize enrolling a racially, ethnically or socioeconomically diverse student body, as some other city charter schools do.

Caroline Roemer, executive director of Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, said the district-run school should not receive special treatment She noted that many New Orleans charter schools have had to cut costs in response to uncertain federal funding and a declining school-aged population, and said the Leah Chase School might need to do similar belt-tightening.

“The question becomes at what point do you hold Leah Chase accountable to the same fiscal and academic standards you hold charter schools to,” Roemer said, “meaning how are they going to deal with a school that is operating in the red?”

ing by the end of July

The Werleins declined to comment other than through their attorney Motwani, 46, is a property owner and businessman who operates independently from his father, Kishore “Mike” Motwani, and his brother Aaron Motwani, the

owners of several Willie’s Chicken Shack and Praline Connection outlets on Canal Street and in the French Quarter as well as the Sucré pastry shop on Magazine Street and other businesses.

Aaron and Mike Motwani also operate Quarter Holdings, which includes several downtown projects that are converting buildings into multiunit short-term rental operations that will be run by Sonder Lenny Motwani owns dozens of companies, according to business records, including ATMs, condominium and apartment complexes, and commercial sites leasing to Brother’s Food Mart and Magnolia Enterprises convenience stores. He also owns the Blue Bayou Restaurant & Oyster Bar on Canal Street, a block away from the Palace Café.

Four sources with direct knowledge of the deal said Kenneth Purcell, founder and CEO of travel technology company iSeatz, is involved with Lenny Mot-

wani’s efforts to buy the Canal Street property Purcell said he currently isn’t part of the deal, though he didn’t rule out future involvement when the property can be sold. He said Motwani is a friend and neighbor and he admires how he has built his business.

“It’s not easy being an entrepreneur,” Purcell said. “I think Lenny is a good operator, and he has built a really nice collection of interests.” The Werlein

Landry backsTrump plan forNationalGuard

Fewdetails

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

Three days after national media outlets reported on plans thePentagon has drafted to deploy 1,000 troops to Louisiana, Gov Jeff Landry said Tuesday that hewould welcome the federal resources butdeclined to share any details on planned enforcement

“Weappreciate any federal resources he wants to send us, whether it’sprosecutors, more FBI agents, more ICE agents,” said Landry, speaking at ameeting at the state’s economic development agency Tuesday.“We’regoing to do whatever we need to stem the violence, to get ourcities and streets under control.”

Landry did not say when or where he would request the deployment.

Landry’scomments came after The Washington Post andother outletsreported Saturday that the federal governmentplanned to deploy 1,000 troops in Louisiana’s“urban centers.” The draft plan called for deployments to support law enforcement in multiple cities, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, if Landry requests it, the Post reported.

President Donald Trump cited Louisiana last weekas one of the places he is considering sending troops after he sent them to Los Angeles and Washington D.C Aspokesperson for Landry did not respond to arequest for comment on Tuesday Shane Guidry,aNew Orleans business owner whois one of Landry’sconfidants and his point-person for New Orleans issues, said the administration’splans forhow to use anyfederal resources were still being discussed.Hedeclinedto

comment on where in the stateLandry intends todeploy any National Guard troops that maybesent.

Speakingfor himself, Guidrysaidhesupported the use of National Guard troops in New Orleans for larger events but questioned whetherthey were necessary in the city day to day

“Certainly we canuse National Guard help for lots of things to protect the patrons when they comeinto the city forbig events,” Guidry said.“Do youneed National Guardinneighborhoods? Probablynot.” Instead what’sneeded, Guidry said, is funding to expand the StatePolice force. Guidry also said Landry’s administration haddone “an amazing job bringingthe StatePolice into New Orleans,” referring to Troop NOLA,adedicated StatePolice troop launched by Landry in August 2024. Guidry said “thereare different parts of thestate that can certainly use attention. In hiscommentsTuesday, Landry highlighted state

law enforcement efforts in Baton Rouge and plans to increaseactivities in Alexandria and Shreveport.Hedid not mention New Orleans. Guidry saidplans for how federal law enforcement may be deployed would become clear in “mid-October.”

“If they’re going to affect something, Idon’tthink thingswill be done shooting from the hip,” Guidry said “Therewill be alot of discussion and planning.”

Email SophieKasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

Louisiana National Guard troops were brought into New Orleansearlier thisyear to assist with security when the city hosted the Super Bowl

Tuesday, tensions between the candidates exploded about 30 minutes into the WWL forum when Duplessis brought up emails sent by Bill Hammack, a longtime Duplessis donor who has chosen to back Moreno in the mayoral contest.

In the emails, which Hammack sent to an adviser while accidentally copying Duplessis, he discussed whether to share with donors to a pro-Moreno PAC the allegation that a Duplessis staffer had called Moreno a “white devil.”

That allegation spawned a lawsuit from Duplessis’ camp last month accusing the PAC of false statements and improper coordination with Moreno’s campaign The candidates have mostly declined to discuss it publicly On Tuesday, though, it spurred the fiercest attack of the campaign yet.

“You have no evidence to suggest that anyone on my team said that,” Duplessis said.

Pointing out that Hammack is not affiliated with her campaign, Moreno pressed Duplessis to follow up on the allegations about a member of his team.

“You’d rather come and attack me than actually talk about the issues,” Moreno said. Thomas got in on the action, too. “People don’t even talk like that,” he said of the “white devil” comment.

Moreno hit back at Duplessis moments later, accusing him of criticizing the City Council she leads “when we have fought on behalf of the people of New Orleans.” She evoked a recent settlement between the city and the Orleans Parish School Board the council helped broker

“We all got in a room together and worked out a deal,” Moreno said. She asked Duplessis: “Do you support the council’s continued fight for the children?” Duplessis replied: “I’ve said I support the children.”

Earlier in the day at the forum hosted by The TimesPicayune and the AARP, the four candidates sparred lightly over their respective records in public office, Gov Jeff Landry’s role in the city, how to right-size the municipal budget and the perennial campaign issue of beleaguered city services

But they mostly struck a far gentler tone than on Tuesday evening, including when they listed what they view as bright spots from outgoing Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s embattled tenure. Moreno commended the city’s Health Department for its outreach work with domestic violence victims. Duplessis praised Cantrell’s 2019 push at the state Legislature to secure more revenue from the hospitality industry her handling of COVID-19 and the historic drop in crime her administration oversaw. Thomas credited Cantrell for uplifting New Orleans “culture bearers” while Frank Janusa, a CPA run-

ning as a Republican lauded Cantrell’s handling of the Super Bowl.

The Tuesday morning forum was one of the only times in recent months that Janusa, who polled above 5% in a recent FOX8 poll, has appeared on stage with Thomas, Duplessis and Moreno, all of whom have polled in the double-digits In that same poll, Moreno notched 51% support among voters surveyed Thomas, Duplessis and Moreno squared off again at 7 p.m on WWL.

The candidates’ praise for elements of Cantrell’s record earlier Tuesday marked a deviation in a race where Cantrell has often served as a foil. New Orleans voters are weary of the city’s current leadership, polling shows, and rhetoric about charting a new path from Cantrell’s administration has permeated the race.

Moreno has frequently slammed Cantrell — including on Tuesday when she blamed the mayor’s absence for creating a vacuum of power that Louisiana’s conservative state leadership has sought to exploit

“(State leaders) saw that when it came to basic city services, those needs were not being met,” she said Tuesday “That left a crack for the state to come in and say, ‘Let me come in and handle it for you.’”

Duplessis, too, has criticized Cantrell for complicity in what he describes as a toxic culture within City Hall. But he has focused the bulk of his barbs in the race on his competitors who sit on the council, and has said the legislative body’s frequent spats with Cantrell have engendered mistrust in government.

“I just don’t see how if you’ve been here for eight years, all of a sudden if you become mayor, how all of these things are miraculously going to happen,” he said at the earlier of the two forums.

The candidates were asked at the morning forum how they would ad-

dress income inequities among New Orleans residents. According to figures tracked by the Data Center and cited by moderator and Times-Picayune columnist Stephanie Grace, Black households in 2023 had median incomes of about $38,000, compared with $57,000 among Hispanic families and $97,000 among White families.

Moreno responded that she would expand the city’s economic development arm, including by creating special teams to focus on retaining business and encouraging growth in “underserved” areas such as New Orleans East. She repeated that call at the WWL-TV forum Tuesday evening.

At the morning forum, Duplessis said he would lean on his experience growing up Black in New Orleans and pledged not to “ignore race” in leading the city And he said he would prioritize the city’s port expansion project in a bid to bring better-paying jobs to Black residents.

New Orleans remains a majority-Black city, according to census data.

Duplessis repeated his pledge to strengthen the port project at the WWLTV debate, saying doing so would play to New Orleans’ strengths as a “maritime city.”

Thomas said “economic parity and stability” is important and stressed the importance of universal child care, support for the city’s elderly population and quality housing for the city’s residents.

Months after the Jan. 1 truck-ramming attack on Bourbon Street, candidates were asked in both debates whether they would support closing the famous party strip to vehicles.

All but Duplessis said no. Thomas has said before that he would have “soft and hard perimeters” on the strip for special events and vehicle barriers there on weekends.

Email James Finn at jfinn@theadvocate.com.

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street edges back from its record heights

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights on Tuesday as the countdown ticked toward what Wall Street expects will be the first cut of the year to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 fell 0.1% from its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 125 points, or 0.3%, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.1% from its own record set the day before Stocks have run to records on expectations that the Fed will announce the first of a series of cuts to rates on Wednesday in hopes of giving the economy a boost

The job market has slowed so much that traders believe Fed officials now see it as the bigger danger for the economy than the threat of higher inflation because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The Fed has been holding off on cuts to rates because inflation has remained above its 2% target, and easier interest rates could give it more fuel.

Tesla door handles being investigated

Federal auto safety regulators opened an investigation Tuesday into possible defects in Tesla doors that have reportedly left parents with children trapped in the back seat and forced to break windows to get them out.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the preliminary probe is focused on 2021 Tesla Model Ys after receiving nine reports of electronic door handles not working possibly due to low battery voltage.

The company run by billionaire Elon Musk has installed manual door releases inside the vehicles but NHTSA noted that a child may not be able to reach or know how to operate the releases. In four cases, the parents had to break the windows to get inside.

The investigation into Tesla’s most popular model comes after numerous reported incidents in recent years of other problems with opening Tesla doors, sometime trapping drivers in burning vehicles after accidents and a loss of power. Trump extends TikTok shutdown deadline

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump formally extended the deadline to keep the social media app TikTok available in the United States until Dec. 16, giving time to complete the framework of the deal announced Monday after talks between American and Chinese government officials.

The executive order signed on Tuesday by Trump was the fourth time he has bypassed federal law to prolong the deadline for the China-associated TikTok to sell its assets to an American company or face a ban. The original deadline set by Congress was Jan. 19 of this year, a day before Trump took the oath of office for his second term Trump was asked Tuesday about the framework deal he announced a day earlier and repeated that he would discuss TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday He has said there are companies that want to buy the social media app owned by ByteDance and that details about its potential suitors would be announced soon

“I hate to see value like that thrown out the window,” Trump said as he departed the White House, with his wife, first lady Melania Trump, for a state visit to the United Kingdom.

Fed convenes interest rate meeting

Panel includes new Trump administration appointee

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — After a latenight vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal. Stephen Miran, a top White House economist who was confirmed by the Senate with unusual speed late Monday, was sworn in Tuesday as a member of the Fed’s board of governors.

He will vote on the Fed’s interest rate decision on Wednesday, when the central bank is expected to reduce its key rate by a quarter-point. Miran may dissent in favor of a larger cut.

Also attending the meeting is Fed governor Lisa Cook, whom the Trump administration has sought to fire in an unprecedented attempt to reshape the Fed, which historically is considered independent of day-to-day politics. An appeals court late Monday upheld an earlier ruling that the firing violated Cook’s due process rights. A lower court had earlier also ruled that President Donald Trump did not provide sufficient “cause” to remove Cook. The Fed on Wednesday is widely expected to cut its key rate by

a quarter point to about 4.1%, which would be the first reduction since last December The central bank reduced rates three times last year because, like now, it worried that job gains were weakening and unemployment was rising.

Some borrowing costs, such as mortgage rates, have already declined in anticipation that the Fed will start cutting rates this week. Should the Fed reduce borrowing costs again at its next meetings in October and December, rates on mortgages, car loans, and credit cards could decline further With both Cook and Miran in place, the Fed’s two-day meeting could be unusually contentious for an institution that typically prefers to operate by consensus.

It’s possible that as many as three of the seven governors could dissent from a decision to reduce rates by just a quarterpoint in favor of a half-point. That would be the first time since 1988 that three governors have dissented. Economists also say that one of the five regional Fed bank presidents who also vote on rates could dissent in favor of keeping rates unchanged.

On Tuesday, the White House said it would appeal Cook’s case to the Supreme Court, though did not specify when.

“The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”

Landry seeks to ‘reduce red tape’

Initiative intended to streamline processes for homegrown businesses

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

Gov Jeff Landry announced initiatives to streamline processes between Louisiana Economic Development and state agencies to promote homegrown businesses.

Project Lightning Speed will appoint liaisons in the governor’s Cabinet to communicate among the agencies and quicken crossCabinet processes. Landry said he wants to move at “the speed of business and not the speed of government.”

Project Lightning Speed will launch with an executive order, and he says the designated liaisons will “reduce red tape” for those conducting business in the state.

“It’s something that I experienced as a business owner myself, was how government can be an obstacle, rather than an aid in making your businesses successful,” Landry said at the news conference Tuesday morning.

Ultimately, the four-prong plan aims to integrate Louisiana-grown businesses in large investments in the state, like the $17.5 billion Woodside Energy liquefied natural gas facility under construction in Calcasieu Parish, so parishes aren’t left in the wayside following project completion.

Landry said he is exploring ways to promote the usage of Louisiana companies in projects that receive incentives from the state, like disclosing which businesses are involved. Landry said he wants to reward companies that partner with local businesses and operate in Louisiana.

Louisiana vendors can register their information into SourceLouisiana.com, a statewide directory of Louisiana-based businesses.

“This isn’t a listening tour,” Landry said. “We’ve listened. This is an action tour.”

Landry said the site will platform local businesses and connect them to projects across the state. Vendors can input information on their certifications and capacity to fill needs on projects like the $10 billion Meta data center in Richland Parish or the $5.8 billion Hyundai steel mill in Donaldsonville, he said. LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois will begin a tour of the state’s eight economic development areas. The tour is part of the agency’s Nine by Ninety plan, an 18-month initiative to nurture existing businesses and garner new investments, and the agency plans to visit 800 businesses this fiscal year Bourgeois and Landry visited Paris in June to attract investments and promote the state at the Paris Air Show When Bourgeois was tapped to lead LED last year, she said she intended to implement changes to the agency’s practices and bolster in-state economic opportunities to retain residents.

Retail sales up 0.6% in August even as tariffs lead to price hikes

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEW YORK — Shoppers increased their spending at a better-thanexpected pace in August from July, helped by back-to-school shopping, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs start to hurt the job market and lead to price increases.

Retail sales rose 0.6% last month from July, when sales were up a revised 0.6%, according to the Commerce Department’s report. In June, retail sales rose 0.9%, the government agency said.

The August performance, announced Tuesday was also likely helped by the continued efforts by Americans to keep pushing up purchases ahead of expected price increases.

The sales increases followed two straight months of spending declines in April and May

Excluding auto sales, which have been volatile since Trump imposed tariffs on many foreignmade cars, retail sales rose 0.7% in August. Sales at auto vehicle and parts dealers rose 0.5%.

The data showed solid spending across various other outlets. Business at electronics and appliance stores was up 0.3%, while online retailers saw a 2% increase Business at clothing and accessories retailers rose 1%

And business at restaurants, the lone services component within the Census Bureau report and a barometer of discretionary spend-

ing, rose 0.7%. Business at furniture and home furnishings stores was down 0.3%

A category of sales that excludes volatile sectors such as gas, cars, and restaurants rose last month by 0.7% from the previous month.

The figure feeds into the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s consumption estimate and is a sign that consumers are still spending on some discretionary items.

“This is further evidence that we shouldn’t underestimate the strength of the consumer,”

Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rossman wrote in a note Tuesday “Back-to-school shopping was a key theme in August, as evidenced by the strong clothing and electronics sales.”

Government retail data isn’t adjusted for inflation, which rose 0.4% from July to August, according to the latest government report. That was faster than the 0.2% pace the previous month. So that could have inflated the sales figures as well.

Consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the Labor Department said last week, up from 2.7% the previous month and the biggest jump since January Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, the same as in July. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Stronger-than-expected retail sales, coupled with higher inflation as well as data showing soaring

applications for unemployment aid, all create a complicated picture of the economy Such data put the Federal Reserve in an increasingly tough spot as it prepares to cut rates at its meeting this week, economists said.

Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers companies, government agencies and nonprofits — added 22,000 jobs last month, down from 79,000 in July and well below the 80,000 that economists had expected.

Carl B. Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, noted the retail sales increase “will not be enough of a surprise to stop the Fed from cutting rates this week, but it should support a hawkish message from the Fed Chair that a knock-on rate cut is not assured.”

Major retailers including Walmart, Macy’s and Best Buy recently reported their quarterly results, underscoring that shoppers are still buying, but are choosy Some have raised prices ,but many have described the hikes as modest. Still, so far, shoppers haven’t felt the big sting as some economists predicted earlier in the year as many retailers ordered goods ahead of tariffs and absorbed a big chunk of the costs as they came in, worried about passing on any hefty price increases

The price gains have also been gradual enough to mute changes

in consumer behavior, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told analysts last month.

But Walmart and others said they expect to see costs increase as they replenish inventory at post-tariff levels.

Jewelry maker Pandora hasn’t announced specific price increases, but Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said in a call with analysts last month that the company is monitoring the scenario.

He noted that “the U.S. consumer will eventually have to bear the brunt of these tariffs,” but added, “it’s not just on jewelry, it’s on many product categories. So the big question mark is, what happens with inflation in the U.S., unemployment rates, all sorts of other macro drivers, and I think this is ahead of us.”

Matt Priest, president and CEO of trade group Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, told reporters Monday that members are starting to pass along price increases to shoppers. Its members had previously paid a total of $3 billion in tariffs annually for years; that number is now on track to hit $5 billion by year-end. He warned that women’s shoes will be affected first.

“Women’s shoes are more fashion-oriented,” Priest said. “Our ability to front-load women’s product based on fashion trends was limited, and so we are seeing that those increases start to hit consumers first.”

Oscar-winning director, actor

Robert Redford dies at 89

BY BOB THOMAS Associated Press

Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscarwinning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters died Tuesday at 89.

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. He died in his sleep, but no cause was provided.

After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the ’70s with such films as “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men” and “The Way We Were,” capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980’s “Ordinary People,” which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks — whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in “Jeremiah Johnson” to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.

But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman, their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a box-office smash from which Redford’s Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Sting,” which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the ’70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and ’90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985’s best picture champion “Out of Africa” and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in “All is Lost,” in which he was the film’s only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, “The Old Man and the Gun.”

Black college student found hanging from tree

Miss. police say no signs of foul play

BY SOPHIE BATES Associated Press

JACKSON,Miss.— Police on Tuesday were investigating the death of a Black college student found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University in Mississippi, stirring online rumors that evoked the state’s history of Jim Crow-era racist violence even as authorities said there was no initial evidence of a crime.

The campus police chief said there are no signs of foul play in the death of the 21-year-old student, whose body was discovered by a staff member early Monday near the campus pickleball courts.

Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler said there was also no evidence of a threat to students and faculty He told reporters Monday the death investigation was being assisted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation as well as local police and sheriff’s deputies.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Tuesday that he has been retained by the student’s family and will undertake an independent investigation into the death.

“We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain,” Crump said in a statement.

“I stand with this family, and I will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizations in pursuing transparency and answers.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat called for the FBI to investigate. “The FBI has the tools and experience necessary to conduct a thorough, unbiased inquiry, and time is of the essence,” Thompson said in a statement.

Delta State said it planned a news conference Wednesday with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Online rumors that the student was found with broken limbs were disputed by Bolivar County Coroner Randolph Seals Jr In a statement cited by local news outlets, Seals said his office conducted a preliminary examination and concluded the student did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault. The coroner did not immediately return phone messages Tuesday from The Associated Press. Attempts to reach the student’s family weren’t immediately successful. A woman identifying herself as a cousin told the AP in an online message that the family wasn’t speaking to reporters. Two others who said they were distant relatives declined to comment when reached by phone.

In a video posted Tuesday to the university’s Facebook page, Delta State President Dan Ennis said the university was resuming operations while continuing to mourn. He said campus officials were staying in touch with the student’s family

BY DAVID FISCHER

Associated Press

DNA sampled from a rifle, as well as multiple other items, found near where President Donald Trump was playing golf in South Florida last year matches that of a man accused of trying to assassinate Trump that day, an FBI analyst testified Tuesday Tuesday was the fourth day of testimony in the trial of Ryan Routh, who prosecutors said spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club.

Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had initially blocked off more than three weeks for trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse. But prosecutors have said they should be able to rest their case by Thursday, and Routh’s witnesses have been subpoenaed to appear by Friday Prosecutors continued to call expert witnesses on Tuesday, according to local news outlets. A

ballistics expert testified about two metal plates found mounted to the golf course fence, which would have been nearly impossible for handgun rounds to penetrate. Investigators believe Routh had planned to use the plates for cover One analyst testified that Routh was a potential DNA contributor to more than two dozen items collected from the crime scene, including an SKS rifle. Another expert

described how Routh’s Google and Facebook accounts were logged in to several phones recovered from his SUV and contained location data that tracked his movements over the weeks leading up to the attempted attack. Routh has indicated that he plans to call a firearms expert, as well as several character witnesses. He hasn’t said whether he plans to testify himself.

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SEPTEMBER 2025

Slidell backs off plan to buy mall

City looks to private investor for North Shore Square

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

After weeks of signaling its intent

to purchase the largely dormant North Shore Square Mall and even passing a new sales tax on purchases in the area to cover the cost — the city of Slidell said Tuesday it will back off and “allow private investors to lead the redevelopment.”

The city’s decision, announced in a news release, comes against a backdrop of a hotly contested mayoral election

Jefferson Parish officials seek $8M

Officials want to increase consultants’ contract to fix audits

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

As Jefferson Parish attempts to get its financial house back in order following multiple late audits and the loss of its bond rating, the administration says it needs to pay a consultant millions more to help dig them out after hitting roadblocks Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng is asking the Parish Council to increase its contract with consulting firm Deloitte and Touche to $8.5 million per year for up to five years to accommodate its expanding scope of work, which includes supplementing department staff, turning over financial documents to auditors, and transferring decades-worth of data from an outdated accounting software to a more modern one.

The two at-large council members, on the other hand, say they need more information before loosening the purse strings for over $40 million, and plan to instead give $8.2 million for the entire contract term in a resolution amendment.

“This was a blanket ask with no information, and that is not acceptable,” said at-large council member Jennifer Van Vrancken, who has clashed with Lee Sheng in the past year The original contract, approved in May 2024, agreed to pay Deloitte $5,730,600 for three years, with the option to extend the contract by two additional one-year periods.

“Because it is a lot of money, we have asked for clarity and, basically, a plan for the rest of the time in the Deloitte contract,” Council Chair Scott Walker said.

Walker said the $8 million will prevent the parish from falling further behind on its late audits for the past two years, which are being prepared by EisnerAmper for another $700,000. The 2023 audit is expected to be completed by the end of the month, and the 2024 audit by the end of the year

Once those audits are complete, the parish can begin the process of reacquiring its bond rating. Without a rating, it would be incredibly difficult for the parish to fund any projects that require the issuance of bonds at a reasonable interest rate. The parish brought on Deloitte last year to overhaul its accounting procedures, and later added on the task of transitioning to the new accounting system. Lee Sheng said the finance de-

Mayor Bill Borchert has made the redevelopment of the mall property one of the key talking points of his campaign. Borchert, a former City Council member who became mayor in January when Greg Cromer resigned, faces Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal in the special mayor’s election on Oct. 11

Fandal has urged city officials to slow down the process of buying the mall.

Borchert said Tuesday in an interview that the city only recently learned that another company which he declined to name, had signed a purchase agreement with Morguard, a Canadian company that owns most of the mall site, for two of the former anchor stores. That, he said, made the city’s continued talks

with Morguard about purchasing the site a moot point “It’s extremely frustrating on our part,” the mayor said when asked about the city’s dealings with Morguard.

Borchert said he’s “not at liberty” to say which company has the purchase agreement, but did say they had local ties and plan to expand their Slidell holdings. North Shore Square Mall, once a regional shopping hub and economic force in eastern St. Tammany Parish, has faced an exodus of stores over the past decade and

officials have tried to

Shrouded in light

St. Tammany DA, courts to get less funding

30% cut is on the table

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

St. Tammany Parish officials said the northshore district attorney, judges and jail can expect approximately 30% less in funding from parish government in 2026 than they have requested, placing even greater pressure on the parish to find a long-term funding solution for its criminal justice system. The 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and judges will draw on cash reserves and leave positions vacant to help make up

the difference, but at a preliminary budget hearing on Tuesday District Attorney Collin Sims said the situation was “ripe for error, failure, delay.”

“If I could have what I had last year, we’d be just fine, and we’d be able to make it,” Sims told the Parish Council. Last year after Sims’ office was threatened with having his funding cut by nearly half, the parish was able to find other funding sources.

Earlier this year St. Tammany voters rejected a proposal to redirect a portion of an existing sales tax that pays for infrastructure to covering some criminal justice system costs.

Parish President Mike Cooper

will present his budget in October, but officials say Sims’ office, the courts and the jail should expect 30% less than what they requested this year Sims’ and the judges’ requests for this year are roughly similar to what they received last year This year, Sims requested about $6.5 million for the criminal side of his office and the judges requested about $3.4 million. The sheriff’s office requested about $14 million for operations.

To make up for the planned cuts, Sims said he will use between $400,000 and $500,000 of his cash reserves. He has $1.8 million in cash reserves in an unrestricted fund, as well as other cash reserves in a restricted fund. He said he will be able to avoid us-

ing more of the cash reserves because he receives some money from federal asset forfeitures. Sims said he has also had to leave some positions in his office vacant in recent years. His office has around 13 or 14 vacancies currently, Sims said, including at least three assistant district attorney positions and other support staff.

“I’d be negligent to recruit someone to come work for us and then turn around and fire them,” Sims said.

The judges are also leaving support staff positions vacant, 22nd Judicial District Court Judge Vincent “Vinny” Lobello told

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

DESIREE STENNETT Staff writer

New Orleans man’s bail set at $1 million

Hill accused of raping 3 children in Jefferson

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A Jefferson Parish judge set bail at $1.02 million for a New Orleans man accused of sexually abusing three children, according to court records Dexter Hill, 35, was arrested Sept. 10 and booked on three counts of first-degree rape and one count

each of sexual battery of a victim under 13, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile following an investigation by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, spokesperson Sgt. Brandon Veal said.

Hill appeared in Jefferson Parish Magistrate Court on Friday for a bail hearing in the case

All of the victims in the case are under the age of 13, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Hill is known to the relatives of the victims, authorities said.

A family member concerned about unusual behavior asked the counselor at the children’s school, located in New Orleans, to speak with them, according to Veal The victims disclosed the abuse, and school officials contacted New Orleans police in April.

New Orleans authorities turned the case over to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Section once they determined the abuse occurred in Jefferson Parish between January and March of this year, Veal said.

Hill is accused of raping all three victims. Authorities allege he also inappropriately touched one of the children and showed pornographic images to another, according to Veal.

He was booked on cruelty for allegedly hitting one of the children in the head several times with a bottle

During Friday’s hearing, Criminal Commissioner Paul Schneider issued protective orders barring Hill from any contact with the children and their relatives, according to court records.

Fisherman nets prison time for weapons

La. man found to have converted machine guns at sea

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

A Louisiana commercial fisherman was sentenced last week to a year and a day in federal prison after being caught at sea with a cache of machine guns that he claimed he

TAMMANY

Continued from page 1B

the council. He said the court has around eight vacancies, in addition to three vacancies in the specialty courts.

Like Sims, Lobello said the judges will be able to draw on cash reserves, but estimated that the cash reserves would run out if the 30% budget cut continues for 18 months or two years.

“We are extremely proud and jealously guard the efficiency of this judicial district,” Lobello said, warning that if cuts continue into the future, it could cause delays in St. Tammany’s courts

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and parish government have been locked in litigation in recent years over the parish’s funding obligations for the jail.

Sims and parish officials are looking into state funding as one possible future revenue source.

The state provides district attorney’s offices “warrants” worth $50,000 each to pay for assistant district attorney salaries. Sims said his office has been allocated the same number — 18 — since 2008, though St. Tammany’s population has grown since then.

Sims said he plans to speak with state legislators from the northshore delegation about this. Mike Cooper said he planned to send a letter in support of gaining additional

CANTRELL

Continued from page 1B

indictment spotlighted a series of foreign and domestic trips the mayor took with former police bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie, with whom she is accused of having a romantic relationship.

GRAIN

Continued from page 1B

along with Council Vice President Helena Moreno, acknowledged that the council has no authority to stop the project but said it was still an important step in supporting residents who say the facility does not belong in a residential community

used to shoot sharks when they attacked his nets.

Cuong Quoc Tran, 39, who is described in court records as a career fisherman, admitted to possessing seven M-16 or AR-15 type rifles that he’d converted to automatic fire. Tran pleaded guilty in March to a single federal count of machine gun possession.

He was the captain of the Lucky Jean, a commercial boat stopped at sea on Jan. 5, 2022, by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark, about 4

warrants.

“It’s ridiculous we haven’t been given any more warrants,” said council member Rick Smith, who also said on Tuesday he was open to going to voters again to seek a tax rededication for the criminal justice system. That would mark the seventh time the parish has asked voters to approve a criminal justice tax proposition in recent `years.

Part of the problem of convincing voters, Lobello said, was that “people think we’ve been crying wolf,” adding he was not sure the parish has the credibility to impress the effects of the cuts on taxpayers.

Sims and other parish officials have focused their efforts in recent months on looking into restructuring the parish’s countless dedicated taxes, sparking controversy over Sims’ role in the process.

After Sims initiated a review of St Tammany Mosquito Abatement District, the district filed a disciplinary complaint against him in August, accusing Sims of violating his obligations to them as his client, since Sims is the district’s designated legal representative.

Sims has dismissed the complaint as a “distraction.”

“As I try to partner with you guys, I have bar complaints filed against me for trying to help with the situation,” Sims told the Parish Council on Tuesday “That doesn’t feel like that’s very productive or helpful,” Sims said.

It also comes in the waning days of a second term in which Cantrell has faced withering criticism for her frequent travel to forums and conferences, which cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the indictment, prosecutors accused the mayor and Vappie of spending about $70,000 in taxpayer money on trips to

miles south of Southwest Pass.

During a “safety search,” Coast Guard inspectors found several rifles that were “modified by the replacement of the slide cover plate with a polymer machine gun conversion device consisting of three parts,” according to court records.

Tran, who had no prior criminal record, admitted to possessing the weaponry, which also included two silencers.

Tran “never used any firearms to engage in any illegal behavior at

JEFFERSON

Continued from page 1B

partment had buckled under the weight of $371 million in grants coming into the parish through the American Rescue Plan Act on top of hurricanes Ida and Francine Simmering structural issues like inefficient protocols, heavy turnover, outdated accounting software and a national accountant shortage reached a tipping point, she said.

Chief Administrative Assistant Victor LaRocca took over the department on an interim basis, and a new accounting director started under him in early August. But additional manpower is still needed to handle the load.

Lee Sheng said in a statement that Deloitte’s work will help ensure the parish “is not only financially strong today, but wellpositioned for the future,” and that the firm “has been instrumental in helping us address the Bond Rating withdrawal.”

Walker added that more increases to the cost of the Deloitte contract could be added in the future.

“From what we’ve learned so far, they are going to need a significant amount of money for 2026 as well,” Walker said. But as the parish tries to work its way out from the quagmire,

Martha’s Vineyard, Scotland and Napa Valley Later, Cantrell and Vappie are accused of lying and deleting evidence in what prosecutors describe as a conspiracy to conceal their alleged affair

all,” his attorney, Aris Cox, wrote in a recent legal filing that sought probation.

Tran faced a sentencing guideline range of 46 to 57 months, according to court records U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe, nominated to the federal bench by President Trump in his first term, veered below that range. Ashe also fined Tran $10,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice handled the government’s case.

new problems have crept up.

The accounting director left their position after a few weeks because of an expired certification, and the parish has started over on the hiring search.

“It’s been a rudderless ship for quite a while,” Walker said.

“The quicker we can fix that the better.”

Personnel are also having to clean up financial data dating as far back as the 1980s, including more than 800 grant projects that are logged as open when they should be closed, according to LaRocca.

Walker and Van Vrancken said they plan to work closely with the parish and monitor Deloitte’s future involvement to ensure they “get the best bang for (their) buck” and have a written plan for transitioning away from the consultant’s services over time.

“It really is putting us on notice as a council that we may need to step up and vet things so we have a comfort level and a confidence that whatever the next step is is a good one,” Van Vrancken said.

LaRocca said in a statement that the transition plan and its timeline have yet to be determined.

The council will discuss the Deloitte contract at its monthly meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the General Government Building in Gretna.

The 18-count indictment charges Cantrell with wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to a federal grand jury Both she and Vappie have pleaded not guilty and denied a romantic entanglement. Cantrell is set for a pretrial hearing Oct. 30. Attorneys have said they expect her trial, scheduled for Nov 17, to be delayed.

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page 1B

The Northshore Square Economic Development District earlier this year partnered with the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation on a study to try to determine the best way to redevelop the mall. But Borchert and some other city officials said the city should purchase the 54acre site to ensure it has a say in how it is developed.

A month ago, the council authorized Borchert to sign a letter of intent to explore a purchase with Morguard, which Borchert said initially wanted $53 million. But both sides had settled on $13 million for a possible purchase, he said.

Borchert and other officials said at the time that the letter of intent did not bind the city to a sale.

The Northshore Square Economic Development District, which is comprised of the City Council, approved a 1% sales tax on purchases made at stores inside the district and a 2% hotel occupancy tax in the district to cover bonds needed to make a purchase. The taxes run through September 2075.

The news release Tuesday said the city is now requesting the district reduce the 1% and withdraw its request to appear before the state Bond Commission, where it had planned to seek permission to sell bonds for a purchase. The 2% hotel tax will remain, and could be used to finance other incentives inside the district, Borchert said.

The proposed mall purchase, coming as it did during the height of an increasingly contentious mayoral campaign, had become a lightning rod in recent weeks. Fandal pushed for the city to slow the process and at a council meeting last week a boisterous crowd of opponents also pushed the council to pump the brakes.

“I’m relieved to see interim Mayor Borchert reverse course,” Fandal said Tuesday afternoon. “There was no plan, no transparency and no respect for the citizens footing the bill.”

Borchert said the city sent notice to Morguard that it’s backing out of the letter of intent

He said the city found out during the appraisal process that Morguard and another company had a purchase agreement for two of the former anchor stores at the mall, which at one time housed the JC Penney and Conn’s HomePlus stores.

The city had wanted the entire mall site redeveloped, but will get behind the company that plans to take over a portion of it, Borchert said.

“We have a private investor that has an agreement” on part of the site, Borchert said, adding that the city could still come in behind them and try to help land investors for other parts of the mall site.

“From the beginning, our priority has been to bring Northshore Square back into commerce for the benefit of the community,” City Council President Nick DiSanti said in the news release, adding that the city will continue to work on “improving the (Northshore Boulevard) corridor and creating opportunities for growth.”

Chamber of Commerce, Entergy and 23 other businesses and organizations sent a letter urging council members to reverse their position, saying that it could stunt the city’s growth.

“As members of the business community we ask that you reconsider the resolution opposing the Alabo Street Wharf project and the request for it to be moved to an alternative site,” the letter states. “As entities and organizations dedicated to driving growth and prosperity in New Orleans, we are concerned that this action not only jeopardizes a single project, but also reinforces the idea that New Orleans is not a place to build and grow This perception threatens to discourage responsible investment, limit job creation, and slow the economic momentum our city needs.”

sending a chilling signal to regional and international enterprises: that New Orleans is hesitant to welcome even carefully planned, community-engaged investments.” Even as the resolution passed, work continues to prepare the facility which was initially expected to open this summer but was pushed to the fall because of construction delays. An open-house-style community meeting is planned from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the Sanchez MultiService Center at 1616 Fats Domino Ave to share updated information with residents. Representatives from the port, Sunrise Foods and Norfolk Southern, the company that will operate the trains, will be present to answer questions.

Holy Cross resident Bette Perez thanked council members for their support and called on them to rally state legislators against the project as well.

“It will be Sept. 21, our year anniversary of finding out about this, and this is where

“This is once again New Orleans City Council standing up with this community as it chooses self-determination,” Morrell said. “The port owns a tremendous amount of property that is not located in a neighborhood. There are better locations. The port can work with this particular developer to go to a location that would not negatively impact the quality of life for so many people in the Lower 9th community.” Sunrise Foods will use the New Orleans facility to bring thousands of tons per week of imported organic grain soybeans, wheat, sunflower meal and peas — into the country From the Alabo Wharf, the grain will be put on trains and shipped across the nation. Residents did not learn of the plan for the grain facility until after port officials had already approved it last year Many have said the facility would bring dangerous grain dust, noise and pests. They also fear it could lower their property values. Sunrise has promised to use advanced systems to control pests and mitigate grain dust, but that did little to persuade critics.

we still are: The rail is ready for a train, the port is getting ready, literally as I speak, for the first shipment of grain,” she said. “So we who live there we’re watching it happen before us So please, anything you can do Keep at the table, keep standing up for us.” GNO Inc., the New Orleans

In a separate letter, Port CEO Beth Ann Branch called the resolution a “disappointment.”

“At a time when New Orleans must compete with other Gulf Coast ports for investment, projects like Alabo are critical to demonstrating that our city is open to responsible growth,” she said. “Resolutions opposing developments of this scale risk

Apostolos, Sandra

Boudreaux, Carroll Boutté,Emanuel

Bumgarner, William Chandler,Rosemary

Costa, Dolores

Doskey,Josephine

Gassen, Rosalie

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Harris,Benjamin

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Obituaries

Sandra Harrison Apostolos, abeloved sister,aunt, andfriend, passedawayonAugust 19, 2025,atthe ageof76, from arespiratoryillness. Born on March 14, 1949,to RobertE.Harrisonand Mary Gibbs Harrison, Sandra was abeaconof light and inspiration to all who knew her.

Sandra was educated in theJacksonPublic Schools and earlyinchildhooddevelopeda love formusic and dance. Shelearned to playthe alto saxophone and nurtured thattalent into participation in the marching bands in school.

Sheservedasthe Drum Majoretteher junior year at Provine High School,as well as her senioryear at Wingfield High School. She went on to graduate from theUniversity of Mississippi in 1971with a Liberal ArtsDegree, majoring in Theater and English. During her time at Ole Miss, she was an active memberofthe Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the OleMiss Rebelettes,and the University Dancers, showcasing her passion forthe arts and her vibrant spirit.

After abrief period teaching highschool English, Sandra embarked on a14-year careerasa flight attendant with United Air Lines, based in Chicago, IL. Hercareer allowedher to fulfillher dreamoftraveling the world, visiting Europe, Asia,Africa, Japan, the Middle East, and many other destinations. Her travels enriched herlifeand fueled her love forcollecting antiquesand art from around the globe.

In the late 1980s, marriage moved Sandra to the NewOrleans area,where she immersedherself in the localart, music, and theaterscene.She wasan avid dancerand aspired to be an actress, always embracing life with enthusiasm and grace Sandra'slove forbooks led her to afulfillingcareer as alibrarian for the last 14 yearsofher life.She was dedicated to helpingchildren develop their reading skillsand instilling in them alifelong loveoflearning

Astrong womanoffaith, Sandra was adevout Christian who loved the Lord and her church, Munholland Methodist Church in Metairie, LA. She wasa devoted Sunday School teacher,Bible Study leader, and church volunteer,alwayseagertoshare her faith and serve her community.

Sandrawas preceded in death by herdaughter, Anastasia Marie Apostolos, and parents, RobertE.and Mary Harrison. Sheissurvived by her brother, Robert Harrison (Cindy)of Madison, MS;her nieces, LaurenLedbetter(William) of Birmingham, AL, and Leslie DeMoss(Trip) of Nashville, TN; and four greatnieces, one great nephew, and one grandson,all of whom willcherish her memories and the

love she shared with them.

Sandra's love forgardening was evident in her beautiful flowerbedsfilled with lilies, gardenias, roses, and irises. Her legacy of kindness, faith, and passion forlife willcontinue to inspire those who knew her.

The family wouldliketo thank theCCU medical staff, doctors and nurses at East JeffersonGeneral Hospital,Metairie,LAfor their excellent care and attention whileSandra was there. And also many thanks and appreciation go out to CEO Cris Bourn at Select SpecialtyHospitalBelhaven, Jackson, MS and his outstanding medical staff of doctors and nurses that treated Sandra while she spent time there.

The funeral service for Sandra washeldat LakewoodFuneral Home Jackson, MS on August 29, 2025. Grave side services immediatelyfollowed at LakewoodMemorialPark Cemetery. The Celebration of Life Service for Sandra willbeheldonSeptember 19th, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at her home church, MunhollandMethodist Church, Metairie, LA.A reception forfamily and friends of Sandra, willbe held immediately following thechurch service, in the fellowship hall of the church.

In lieu of flowers,the family requeststhatdonations be madetoSt. Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN;Munholland Methodist Church, Metairie,LA; or Samaritan's Purse, Boone, NC,inhonorofSandra's commitment to education, Christianspirit and her communityservice.

Sandra Harrison Apostolos willbedeeply missed, buther spirit will live on in theheartsofall who were fortunate enoughtoknowher.

Boudreaux,Carroll Anthony

Carroll Anthony Boudreaux passed away peacefully on September 11, 2025, at theage of 89. He was born on August 4, 1936, and was aresident of Metairie,LA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Allen Anthony Boudreaux and Bernice Martinez Boudreaux. He will lovingly be remembered by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Murphy Boudreaux and his three daughters, KristiSavage (Matt), Kerri Boudreaux Glynn,and KimeeNass (Ted), his granddaughters, KatieGlynn and Victoria Savage, and his three grandsons, Logan Glynn Jake Savage, and Teddy Nass. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Judy Acheealong with many other caring family members. He graduated fromWest JeffersonHighSchool. He served in theUnitedStates Army and after his honorable discharge, workedat theNational Finance Center within the Department of Agriculture for over 35 years as acomputer systems analyst.

Carroll willberemembered forhis enjoyment of life,his love of family,and his many passions. An avid golfer, he found joy and peace on the course,often sharing thegame with his many friends. He was also adevoted sports fan, especiallywhen it came to football and cheering his favorite teams, Tulane and theSaints. Carroll cherishedtime spent withhis family,creating countless memories filled with laughter, love,and togetherness. He especially loved gathering around atable, toasting to fond memories with his threedaughters. Music was anotherofhis greatjoys, singing along with his favorite songsand reminiscing on his days of trumpet playing.His warmth,get-up-and-go, and devotion willliveonin theheartsofall who knew and lovedhim. Amemorial service will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. New Orleans, LA.Visitation will be held from 9:00 am11:00 am with aCatholic prayer service to beginat 11:00 am. rbonnetfuneralhome.com

EmanuelJosephBoutté peacefullytransitionedon Thursday,September 4, 2025. He is preceded in death by hiswifeDeniseR Boutté;parents,George and Gloria LeBlancBoutté; siblings, AnthonyBoutté Lillian Boutté Etienne and nephew, Damien Renard Mr. Boutte leaves to cher‐ish precious memories, siblings, LoletBoutté, Lynette Boutté,Lorna B. Delay (James), Leda B. Blanks(Wallace),JohnA Boutté,LenoraBoutté -Hin‐gle (Larry)and PeterG Boutté;sister-in-law,Bar‐bette M. Boutté (Anthony); God son, DylanDavis,as wellasa host of nieces, nephews,cousins and friends.Emanuelgradu‐atedfromJosephS.Clark in1975, where he andhis brother John choreo‐graphed theschool’s first dancing band.They marched andstepped through thestreetsofNew Orleans at MardiGraspa‐rades,aswellasspecial eventshostedbythe school.While attending Clark high school,heen‐rolledinclassesatDel‐gadocommunity college, where he took coursesin plumbingand welding skills. Upon Graduation he joinedthe United States Navy. When he returned fromserving hiscountry, Mr. Boutté hadvarious constructionjobs, but eventuallyretired from a career as aSupervisorwith the HousingAuthority of New Orleans. AMassof Christian burial honoring the life andlegacyofthe lateEmanuelJoseph Boutté will be held at St MartinDePorresCatholic Church,5621 ElysianFields Ave., NewOrleans,LA 70122 on Friday,September 19, 2025 at 12:30 pm.Inter‐mentMount Olivet Ceme‐tery. Visitation 11 am in the church.Pleasesignonline guestbook at www.cha

CharbonnetLabat Glapion, Directors,(504)581

Bumgarner, William Elliott 'Bill'

William Elliott Bumgarner, "Bill, Bum," "Bummer," anative of Freeport, TX, andnearly lifelongresident of Metairie, LA, enteredinto eternallifeonSunday, September 7, 2025. He was 76. Sonofthe lateLeo Elliott Bumgarner and DorothellaWofford Survivedbyson Kevin William (Alexandra); grandchildrenLillie Bernadette, Liam Michael andMilesTimothy; sisters JaneAlpha (Granville)and Lois DeSatterlee (Nelson); nephew Granville AlphaJr; nieces AnnLandry, Meghann Hogan, and Jennifer Finley; andlongtime companionRita Massett.After graduating from NewOrleans Academy andthe University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Bill wasfirst employed by the States-Itemnewspaper in 1972 to cover prep sports, remaining through the mergerwith theTimesPicayunein1980 untilhis retirement in 2009. He was respected by colleagues andreadersalike for his meticulousand diligent coverage of prep sports throughout the greater NewOrleans area, earning himinduction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Relativesand friends are invited to attend servicesonSaturday, September 20, 2025, at Lake LawnMetairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd New Orleans, LA. Visitationbegins at 11:00 am followed immediatelybya Celebration of Life at 2:30 pm in thechapel and intermentinLake LawnPark

Chandler,RosemaryD

Rosemary D. Chandler entered into eternalrestat St. ClareManor on Wednesday,September 10 2025. Shewas an 85-year old native of NewOrleans Louisiana anda resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Viewing at ShadyGrove First MissionaryBaptist Church on Friday,Septem‐ber 19, 2025 at 8:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at10:00 am conductedby her son, Dr.Kenneth W. Chandler; intermentatMt OlivetCemetery, NewOr‐leans.Survivors include her children,PamelaM and Rev.RobertChandler, Jr (Marlene),New Orleans; Dr. Chandler(Amy); and DarrylChandler(Sandra), Harvey, Louisiana; 15 grandchildren;hostof great-grandchildren;sib‐lings,Helen Saverinand Arthur Barnes;Godson, Willie Earl Jones, Jr.; host ofnieces, nephewsother relatives andfriends;pre‐ceded in deathbyher hus‐band, Robert LeeChandler, Sr.;son,JohnLee Chandler; parents,Willie, Sr.and RosanaDorseyDandridge; siblings, Cleveland, Willie Jr.,Curtisand StanleyDan‐dridge; Sherry D. Chandler Arrangementsentrusted to Miller& Daughter Mortu‐ary

4B ✦ Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Costa, Dolores Waguespack LeNormand 'Dee Dee'

Dolores“DeeDee WaguespackLeNormand Costa left this earthpeace‐fully to meet herSavioron September 12, 2025. Born in 1930, theonlychild to the lateSylvester andHenri‐ettaWaguespackinNew Orleans,LA, Deelived a longand full life on the Westbank. Deewas alov‐ing mother to hertwo chil‐dren, KarenNotoTheriot (Robert)and thelateSal‐vadoreNotoJr. (Hope), withher firsthusband,Sal‐vadoreNoto, Sr.In1969, she marriedHaroldLeNor‐mand, with whomshe spent 16 happyyears be‐forehis passing. Shefound loveagain with Angelo Costa,her devotedcom‐panionand husband of over20years,who also precededher in deathin 2013. Sheisthe beloved “DeeDee” to herthree Grandchildren,Christy Theriot Buquoi (Terry), RobertTheriot (Connie) and AmyNoto; andfour Great-Grandsons,Trent Buquoi(Jenna), Tate Buquoi, Robert andIsaac Theriot.Dee retiredasa Telephone Receptionist fromExpresswayMedical Centerand went on to a secondcareer andretired fromMorrisonInsurance Agency. Herfriendlyvoice was a“smile” over the phone linestoall thecus‐tomerscalling into those businesses. Deeloved the Lord, shopping forthe per‐fectpurse andshoes to match heroutfits andher LSU Tigers.Weknowshe is dancing thoseStreetsof Goldwithour Heavenly Fa‐therand we will seeher again.Special love andap‐preciationtoJaneand the staff of Tranquil Living Yourcareand love forDee Dee during thetimeshe lived therewas much ap‐preciated by herfamily. We would also like to extend our sinceregratitude to Compassus Hospiceand staff members, Nurse Gayle,CNA Angeland ChaplainLove. DeeDee en‐joyed theattentionyou lav‐ished on herduringyour visits. Services will be held atMothe FuneralHome, 7040 LapalcoBlvd.,Mar‐rero, LA 70072 on Friday, September 19, 2025from 8:30-10AM. Intermentwill followinWestlawnMemor‐ial Park Cemetery,Gretna, LA.

Josephine

"Josie"

CiprianoDoskey passed away peacefully into the arms of Jesus on September 15, 2025, at the wonderful age of 90. Josie was born on September 5, 1935. Daughter of the late Frank Cipriano and Johanna LoCicero Cipriano.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Natale Cipriano and her lifelong companion, John Latham. Josie is survived by her only child, adaughter, Jan Doskey Aponte (Carlos); two grandchildren, Kira Aponte Riches (Tommy) and Carlos Jose Aponte, Jr; and one greatgrandchild, Cole, who was the love of her life. Sheis also survived by two nephews, Frank Cipriano and Scott Cipriano, many closecousins, and friends.

Josie graduated from Sacred Heart School in 1954, then went to work at the one and only job she ever had at Winn Dixie's (H.G.HillStore) main office where she worked for 52 years. She loved her family dearly and enjoyed playing cards on Sunday with family at her cousin's house.

The family would like to thank Dr. Ellen Zakris and Dr.Leonard Glade for all the care they have given to her over the last 7years. They would also like to thank Southern Grace Hospice for all the care and compassion shown to her and JocylanRoppolo

fortaking such great loving careofher

Relatives and friends areinvited to attend the funeral servicesatLake LawnMetairieFuneral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd in New Orleans, on Thursday, September 18, 2025.Visitationwill begin at 10 AM with aMassfollowing at 1PM. Josephine willbelaidtorestin Metairie Cemetery immediately afterthe Mass has concluded.

In lieu of flowers, donationstothe St. Jude Children's Research Hospital at stjude.orgor Padre Pio Foundation padrepio.com in Josie's namewouldbeappreciated.

To view and sign the family guestbook, please visitlakelawnmetairie.com

Gassen, Rosalie MarieMathis

On September11, 2025 atWestJefferson Medical Center, Rosalie Marie MathisGassen, beloved wifeofLouis J. Gassen, Jr passed away at theage of 77. Rosalie wasbornin Raceland, LouisianaonOc‐tober 9, 1947, thedaughter ofGlenn andRubyLee Chauvin Mathis andlived mostofher life in Luling, Louisiana.A beautiful, lov‐ing,thoughtfuland giving person, Rosalieispre‐ceded in deathbyher par‐entsand is survived by her husband of nearly 25 years, Louis JGassen, Jr., herchil‐dren: Damien LoCoco (Kelly Badeaux)and JessicaLo‐CocoBroom (Joshua) and her 4grandsons:Gabriel (Fiancé Karina Goldthorp) & Elijah LoCoco,Darienand Joshua S. Broom andone sister, GlennetteMathis Adams (Henry). Avisita‐tionwillbeheldatSt. An‐thony of PaduaCatholic Church,234 AngusDrive in Luling, LouisianaonThurs‐day,September 18, 2025 from9:00AMuntil 11:00AM The Mass will follow the visitationfrom 11:00AM until 12:00PM. Interment willbeheldatSt. Charles Cemeteryand Mau‐soleum,1279 Paul Mallard RoadinLuling, Louisiana. Expressions of sympathy may be shared with Ros‐alie'sfamilyatwww.Wes tsideLeitzEagan.com

Godelfer, Barbara Ann BarbaraAnn Godelfer, 80, passed awayonAugust 25, 2025after abriefillness. Shewas the daughterofthe late Miriam and Thomas Godelfer Barbara is survived by sistersLynn Blankenship, Beverly Montalbano, and Miriam Hodges, brother Thomas Godelfer, Jr., as well as many nieces and nephews.

Shewas agraduate of St. Joseph Academy and USL, and was aretired AT&T account executive.

Visitationwill be September 18 at 10:30, at Celebration Church, 3550 Williams Blvd. Funeral services willfollow at 11:30.

Harris,Benjamin'Ben'

On Tuesdayevening, September 9, 2025, God, in His unmatchedpower, calledBenjaminHarris (Ben) to eternalrestatthe age of 91. Benwas born October 23,1933 to thelate PaulHarrisand Nellie PalmerHarrisMilton in Woodville, MS.A proudvet‐eranofthe

Lewis, andMaryBuckley Hewillberememberedfor his servicetohis country, his dedication to hisfam‐ily,and theloveheshared withthose around him. Ben was preceded in deathby his parentsPaulHarrisand NelliePalmerHarrisMilton siblingsKatie Harris,Mar‐shall Selph, BessieLewis and Mary Buckley. Ben leavestomourn four chil‐drenGaryHarris, Terrell Banks (Glenda),step‐daughters Virginia Pellerin (Paul), andAkita Collins, and hishonorarydaughter Jayme Hayes, hissister Rosia Thomas,8 grandchil‐dren, 2great-grandchildren and hisex-wife/loyal friend LittieHarris. Ahostof nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend a visitation at D. W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Wash‐ingtonAvenue,New Or‐leans,LA, Friday,Septem‐ber 19, 2025, from 12:00 pm to1:00pm. Interment: Cedar Rest No.2 Cemetery, Woodville, MS.Pleasegoto https://premiermemories net/users/MTczMTQyLUJ yZW5kYSA=/home.html sign theonlineguestbook, share memories andcon‐dolenceswiththe family. Arrangementsentrusted to D.W.RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 Washington Ave.,New Orleans,LA(504)822-7162 www.rhodesfuneral.com.To send flowersora memorial gifttothe familyofBen‐jamin Harris please visit our Sympathy Store.

Janice Venette Mantle Harrison, age90, of Slidell, Louisiana,passedaway peacefullyather home in Pearl RiveronSeptember 16, 2025. Shewas born on February4,1935, in St Louis,Missouri. Sheissur‐vived by hersister, Merilyn Wagmiller;her sonWilliam and grandson Tyler; her son Thomas andhis wife Ruchillewiththeir sons James andJacob;grand‐son Andrew Marquezand his wife Elenawiththeir childrenGrahamand Corinne;granddaughter CarleyBallouand herhus‐bandNickwiththeir daughterCecelia Venette; and stepdaughter Susan Harwood andher husband Chris.She is also survived bymanyniecesand nephews.She waspre‐ceded in deathbyher beloved husband of 57 years,James Dawson Har‐rison,and herdaughter, Nancy Harrison Barron.Jan graduated from DruryCol‐lege, where shewas a proud member of AlphaPhi sorority, andlater earned her Master’s degree from The Ohio StateUniversity. Jan dedicatedher career to education as an English teacher andlater as ali‐brarian,and shecontinued tocherish connections withher colleagues through monthlyretired teachers’ lunches. Shewas a foundingmemberof NorthminsterPresbyterian Church,where sheserved faithfullyasanelder for manyyears.She also helpedestablish andrun the church’s Montessori school,reflecting herlife‐longpassion forteaching and nurturing young minds.Her faith and friendships at Northmin‐sterwerecentral to her life, andshe remained deeply engagedwithher church community through groups, fellowship,and service.Jan wasanactive memberofthe League of Women Voters,where she heldmultipleleadership roles andencouragedcivic engagement. Shewas a lifelongreader, andwas devoted to twobook clubs onethrough herpublicli‐brary andanother with closefriends—thatmet

faithfullyeachmonth.Be‐yondher professional and community commitments, Jan shared aloveofadven‐turewithher husband, James.Together they spent manyjoyfulwinters skiing atWinterPark, Colorado enjoyed fishingtrips to Canadawiththeir sonBill and grandson Andrew, traveledthe worldonnu‐merouscruises,and de‐lighted in swimming,a pastime shecherished throughouther life.These experiences filledtheir lives with laughter,explo‐ration, andlasting memo‐ries. In lieu of flowers, do‐nations to theLeagueof Women Voters,a nonparti‐san organization dedicated toempoweringvoters, would be appreciated. Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe familyare invitedtoattend the Memorial Serviceat LighthouseInternational Church,63140 LA-1090 Pearl River, LA.70452 on Saturday, September20, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. Please visit www.honakerforestla wn.comtosignguestbook ArrangementsbyHonaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA.

Mrs. Geneva Johnson Hollins,bornonJanuary 19, 1934, in Lexington, Missis‐sippi,passedawaypeace‐fully at home surrounded byher twolovingsonson September 12, 2025, in Bush, Louisiana. Geneva was thedaughterofWalter C.Johnson andMaryP MorrisJohnson.She grew upinMississippi alongside her siblings JuanitaJohn‐son,Roberta Johnson, and Cleotha Johnson, allof whomprecededher in death.Her remainingsib‐lings includeher sisters Corrine,Bernice,Bertha, and Adlean.Determinedto pursueher educationlater inlife, Geneva attended night school to earn her highschool diploma-an achievement that reflected her perseverance andded‐ication to personal growth Her commitmenttocaring for others ledher to along and meaningful career at SouthernBaptist Hospital where sheworkedfor over 25years in thenewborn nursery.Her work touched countless livesduring those yearsand left alast‐ing impact on thefamilies she served.Genevawas unitedinmarriagewithAl‐fonsiaL.Hollins,Jr.,who alsoprecededher in death. Together they raised two sons: Alfonsia L. Hollins, III and Jerome I. Hollins, who survivedher andcarry for‐wardher legacy.Inher leisure time,Genevafound joy in simple pleasures. She especially enjoyed watching“Wheel of For‐tune”and classictelevi‐sionwesterns-pastimes thatbrought comfortand familiarity throughout the years.A womanofquiet strengthand enduring love, Geneva will be re‐memberedbythose who knewher forthe life she lived with graceand re‐silience. Mayher memory bring comforttothose who knewand lovedher.Rela‐tives andFriends of the familyare allinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralService on Friday, September19, 2025, at12:00 noon at Calvary TabernacleC.M.E.Church 3629 DryadesSt. NewOr‐leans,LA. 70115. Visitation willbegin at 10:00am.In‐terment will be in Green‐wood Cemetery.Profes‐sionalArrangementsEn‐trusted to Majestic Mortu‐ary Service, Inc. (504)5235872.

DrakeElijahJohnson, age 16, passedawaysud‐denly on September1, 2025, at ManningFamily Children’sHospitalinNew Orleans,Louisiana.Bornto Percy DevinJohnson and MarilynJohnson on De‐cember8,2008, in Gretna, Louisiana.Drake wasa beloved son, brother, nephew, cousin,and friend. He wasa junior at Belle Chasse High School, where he wasknown for his bright smile,kindspirit, and thejoy he broughtto everyonearound him. Drake wasautisticand had a unique andbeautiful way ofconnectingwiththe world.Heloved video games,bowling,golf, and trips to thecar wash.He shareda specialbondwith his pug, Olie,and wasfa‐mousfor hiswarmgreet‐ingsand thoughtful re‐minders to “wearyour seatbelts.” Drake’slife, thoughfar tooshort,was filled with love,joy,and light.Heleavesbehindhis parents,Percy D. Johnson and MarilynJohnson,his brother,Percy DevinJohn‐son Jr.His grandparents are DebraD.Johnson,Arlon and JasonForest, Barbara Savoie(Karl), andMarilyn Johnson (Percy). God-Sis‐ter OceanAddison anda hostoffamilymembers and friendswho will for‐evertreasurehis memory Heprecededindeath his grandfather’s Karl LSavoie and PercyJohnson.Ser‐vices to be held on Wednesday,September 17 2025, at GreaterMorning StarBaptist Church at 14747 LA-23Belle Chasse, La. Visitation will beginat 9:00am. Funeralservices willbegin at 11:00am.Fu‐neral planning entrustedto RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home, 9611 La -23, Belle Chasse,LA70037 (504) 208 – 2119. Foronlinecondo‐lencespleasevisit www robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

Daniel “Danny”Joseph Newchurch passedaway surrounded by hisfamily onSeptember 12, 2025 at the ageof66. He is sur‐vived by hiswifeof44 years Mary Beth,and his childrenNicoleand An‐drew(Kasey).Danny was bornonMay 14, 1959 to Evans andCelineNew‐church in NewOrleans, where he grew up with his threebrothers: William,

Michael, andCharlie Danny andhis brothers spent many of theirforma‐tiveyears with theiraunt and uncleEstherand RusellMason as well as their Masoncousins:Reve, Rusty (deceased),Veronica (Wayne),Geri(Kenny) Trina (Paul) andJamie (de‐ceased) (Joe). He gradu‐atedwithhonorsfrom ArchbishopShawHigh School in 1977, then earned his bachelor’s degree from Our Lady of Holy CrossCol‐lege. Dannyworkedinin‐dustrialsales before pur‐suing hislifelongdream of obtaininga jurisdoctorate fromLoyolaUniversityNew Orleans,becominganat‐torneyin2003. An everlast‐ing MardiGrasfan,Danny loved spending time on the paraderoute with family and friends, vyingfor throws. He also enjoyedhis timeasa riderinthe Choctaw,Alla,and Bac‐chus parades. In recent years,Danny wasinvested intownmeetings in Gretna, andcould fre‐quently be seen riding his scooter around theneigh‐borhood accompaniedby his littleyorkieOliver. He loved musicand Gretna Festand couldfrequently beheard singingalong to songs by Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffet.Other fa‐vorites of Dannyincluded the TV series M*A*S*H, western movies,trivia games,and canasta. He could frequently be found playing theslots at theIs‐landViewCasinoinMissis‐sippi,withhis most memo‐rable trip includinghitting a mega jackpot. Danny alsoenjoyed spending time and reminiscingwithhis ArchbishopShawclass‐mates.Danny wasa parishioner of St.Andrew the ApostleChurch in Al‐giers.Danny waspreceded indeath by hisparents Evans andCelineO’Donnell Newchurch,his brother Michael Newchurch,his fa‐ther-in-law CharlesBourg, aswellashis beloveddog Jessica.Heissurvivedby his wife Mary Beth,daugh‐ter Nicole,and sonAndrew (Kasey),his brothers William(Jane)and Charlie (Margaret), hismother-inlaw Carmen Bourg, hissis‐ter-in-lawPeggy Wilson (Mark), hisbrothers-in-law Michael andMitchell Bourg,his sister-in-law MaryNewchurch,numer‐ous nieces andnephews and hisscooter-riding sidekickOliver. Visitation and funeralserviceswillbe Thursday,September 18 2025 at 9:30 am at St.An‐drewthe ApostleCatholic Church in Algiers. Theeu‐logy will be expressedat 10:45 am,withMasstofol‐low at 11:00 am.Interment willbeatWestlawnCeme‐tery. In lieu of flowers, pleasesenddonations to St. Andrew theApostle School (https://square. link/u/I2aVxAYP)orArch‐bishopShawHighSchool (https://buy.stripe.com/ 28E8wPfsGaVQ0FfcS4f w40x). MotheFuneral Homeisassisting thefam‐ily during this difficult time. Thefamilyinvites you to sharethoughts, fondmemoriesand condo‐lencesonlineatwww.mot hefunerals.com.

Afullservice funeral home offering traditionalfunerals, direct burialand cremations

Honoringall insurance policies andservicing allchurches andcemeteries. (504)208-2119• (504)208-2138 (504)358-4232

JEROME L. ROBINSON AND PERRILYNALEXIS-HARRIS,

Dr.StevenPfingsten

D.D.S., awell-knownand beloved member of the Covington andAbita Springs communities passedawayonThursday, September 4, 2025, at the age of 54. Born February9, 1971, in Elgin, Illinois,Dr. Pfingsten graduatedas valedictorian of hisclass fromBurlingtonCentral HighSchool, acceptedthe Pat Taylor Scholarship, and relocated to Louisiana. He completed hisundergradu‐ate studiesatthe Univer‐sityofNew Orleansbefore earning hisDoctoralof DentalSurgery from Louisiana StateUniversity in1997.Heworkedasa dentist at AbitaDental Carebeforetakingoverthe clinicover25years ago. He took tremendous pridein his profession,humbled thathis work literally brought smiles to people’s faces.“Doctor Steve” was renownedasa God-loving dentist who careddeeply for hiscommunity.Hewas a champion of youthath‐leticsasa passionate,ded‐icatedsoccerand basket‐ballcoach forthree decades.Heabsolutely loved musicand would spend hourssinging and playing theguitarand piano with anyone who would lend theirear or voice to atune.Hewas ex‐ceptionally good with his hands andcould wrench onanengineasprofi‐ciently as he couldtweak a set of dentures.Steve is survivedbyhis wife,Carri Pfingsten;his children Haili AbagailPfingsten, StevenDavidsonPfingsten and LillianGrace MariePf‐ingsten;his parents, Mar‐sha Faye Pfingsten and HarrisonAlbertPfingsten; his stepmother,Charlotte Josephine Pfingsten;and his siblings,WalterHenry Pfingsten,HarrisonMax Pf‐ingsten,and AmberRose Davidson. He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis bio‐logicalfather, Larry David‐son.Steve lovedhis family fervently,and he extended thatloveand senseoffam‐ily to everyone he met. He was theembodimentof The Good Samaritanwhen heencountered thosein need.Hewas devotedto his missionary work abroad, especially in Ro‐mania.Heloved bringing peopletogether,forging lifelongbonds amongstthe individuals who knew each other throughhim.There are fewpeopleinthe Abita Springs andCovington areawhose liveshaven’t been touchedbyDoctor Steve.And while hispass‐ing leaves afeelingof emptiness forthose who knewand lovedhim here onEarth,wecan allrest assuredknowing that if there wasn’t foosball in Heaven, thereisnow.Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend thememor‐ial services at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, September20, 2025, at LakeshoreChurch, 15261 Brewster Road,Cov‐ington, Louisiana, with visi‐tationbeginning at 12:00 p.m.E.J.FieldingFuneral HomeofCovington, Louisiana,ishonored to be entrusted with Dr.Pfing‐sten’sfuneral arrange‐ments.His familyinvites you to sharethoughts, memories, andcondo‐lencesbysigning an online guestbook at www.ejfield ingfh.com

Trepina, BerylFord

BerylFordTrepina,84, a nativeand resident of Lul‐ing,LA, passedawayon Sunday, September14, 2025, surrounded by loving family. Visitation will be from9:00amuntil 11:00 am onSaturdaySeptember 20 2025 at St.Anthony Catholic Church,Luling. A MassofChristian Burial willbecelebratedat11:00 amwithburialtofollowin St. CharlesCemetery, Lul‐ing,LA. Sheissurvivedby her daughters, MitziJobe (Todd)and Vickie Hebert ( Donnie);grandchildren, Brandon Trepina(Angela), AustinJobeand DevinHart (Catherine);Great Grand‐children, Samuel Trepina, Claire Trepinaand Hayze

Hart;brother,Patrick Ford, Jr. andsisters,Diane North (Barry), Romona Eusea (Beno), Sister In Law, Car‐ole Ford.She waspreceded indeath by herhusband, LawrenceTrepina;son Michael Trepina; grandson, ChadHart; parents, Patrick Ford, Sr.and Nettie Breaux Ford; brother, Warren Ford and sister,Patricia Faucheaux.She enjoyed lifetothe fullest.Fromat‐tending Hahnvillefootball games with familyevery Fridaynight to Saturday and Sunday cheeringon the LSUTigersand theNew Orleans Saints.Beryl took great prideinher garden‐ing dailyand workingout‐doors. Herfaith in the Lord was strong,makingsureto attendchurch everySun‐day andobeying everysin‐gle obligation. Shewas al‐wayslookingtohelpany‐one sheencountered,in any waypossible. Shequit her jobatUnion Carbideto carefor herparents until theywerecalledtoheaven. She wasthenabletohelp withtakingcareofothers inneedinLuling/Hahnville. Sitting,caring, andclean‐ing whenneededtohelp. Althoughshe faceddiffi‐culthealthproblemsthe lastfew years, herspirit was always lifted at the sight or sound of her grandchildren andgreat grandchildren.She wasa lovingsoultoher parents, family, friendsand the community.She will be deeply missed yetremem‐bered forher caring spirit Heavenjustgainedan‐other angel. Plants in Lieu of flowers. FalgoutFuneral Home is in charge of arrangements

Diane Ertel Vybiral, passedawayonFriday, August 29, 2025.Born to WilliamJohn Ertel, Sr. and Violet FladErtel.Diane was the mother of Kerri Butzman Nidenberg and the grandmother of Rachel and Ivy Nidenberg. Sheis also survived by her sisters, VioletErtel (Jerry) and Peggy Lala(John), and was preceded in death by her brother, WilliamJohn Ertel, Jr.(Marlene).Her nieces and nephewsLindsay Lala; Lauren Lala Untz (Joseph) and their son Joseph; LanaLala Corales(Brad) and their daughters Melaniaand Mariana; Amy Ertel Galliano(Steven)and their children Evan and Leah; and Vance Ertel(Monica) and their daughters Madeline and Katherine treasure memories of "DeeDee."Relatives and friendsare invited to attend mass at St. Dominic Church, Harrison Avenue, NewOrleans, on Thursday, September18, 2025 at 1pm. Visitationwillbegin at noon. Aprivate burial will take place after.

Waguespack,Jackie Phillips

Jackie Phillips Wagues‐pack, passedawaypeace‐fully on September11, 2025. Shewas aloving mother, grandmother, sis‐ter,daughter, aunt,and friendwhose presence will bedeeplymissed. Jackie was knownfor heratten‐tiveand dedicatedspirit. A devoted Christian, she faithfullyserved at Oak ParkBaptist Church Where, followingHurricane Katrina,she cooked over 10,000 mealsfor volunteers and missionaries.She had aspecial love forchildren,

animalsand gardening. Al‐waysopening herheart and home to family; her homewas agathering place.Tomany, shewas not only familybut also a confidant andsourceof unwaveringsupport.Jackie issurvivedbyher children: LynnRidolfo andher hus‐bandJason,along with their daughtersEleanor and Charlotte;Daniel Waguespackand hiswife Sara, with theirchildren Henry,Robert, Nora,and Philip; andAmy Wagues‐packand herson Val. She isalsosurvivedbytheir fa‐ther, JeffreyWaguespack; her sistersJune Chifici, Julie Henson (Mike) and SalliePhillips, alongwith manybeloved nieces nephews,and theirfami‐lies. Shewas preceded in death by herparents,Jack Phillipsand Sally Wimberly Phillips, andsister, Beth Phillips. Jackie will be re‐memberedfor herdeep faith,her devotion to fam‐ily,her gentle nature,and the enduring love that touched everyone who knewher.Relatives and Friends of theFamilyare invited to attend theVisi‐tationatConnect Church ofAlgiers,1110 KabelDr. Algiers,LAonSaturday, September 20, 2025 from 11:30 AM until FuneralSer‐vicetimeat1 PM.Inter‐mentwillbeprivate.Mothe FuneralHomes handled arrangements.

Mrs. Lena Bell Washing‐ton passedawayonSep‐tember6,2025, at theage of81. Sheissurvivedby her children:Loretta Dale, DeniseHollins,David Hollins,Anthony Hollins and KarenWashington along with 17 grandchil‐drenand 9plusgreat grandchildren.Lenaisalso survivedbya host of other relatives andfriends.Pre‐ceded in deathbyher Par‐entsPalma andHenry Hollins,sisterMinnie Marsh,and daughter Tammy Hollins. Family and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralService on Thursday,September 18, 2025, for10:00 a.m. at The BoydFamilyFuneral Home, 5001 Chef MenteurHwy New Orleans, LA 70126. Vis‐itation will beginat9:00 a.m.PastorBennieScott, officiating. Intermentwill followatMt. Olivet Ceme‐tery, 4000 Norman Mayer Avenue,New Orleans, LA Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504) 282-0600. DonavinD Boydand Linear Brooks BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Washington,Vertlee Hurley

VertleeHurleyWashing‐ton,a native of NewOr‐leans anda resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, departedthislifeonSep‐tember9,2025, at theage of105. Sheleavestocher‐ish herlovingmemories, her children;JoycelynW Guntz, WilliamJ.Washing‐ton,Jr. andKeith Michael Washington(Maryann) grandchildren;Demetrise Ballerini(Cosimo), Marc

Washington andKimberly G.Washington, great grandson; ColbyT.Wash‐ington, anda host of niecesand nephewsand friends.Memorialservice willbeheldonThursday, September 18, 2025, at ShawTempleUMC,8818 PearSt.,New Orleans, La 70118 at 10 am.Rev.Pre‐stonwillbeofficiatingthe service.Interment will be inProvidenceCemetery. Arrangementsentrusted to MJR Friendly ServiceFu‐neral Home

Wilson,LulaMae

Lula MaeWilson, a homemaker,entered peacefullyintoeternal rest atOchsner MedicalCenter MainCampusonThursday, September 4, 2025, at the age of 94. Shewas anative ofSunflower,MSand ares‐ident of Westwego, LA Lulawas aretired regis‐tered nurse.She wasa memberofRockofAges Group ChoiratMtOlive Baptist Church.Beloved wifeofthe late JamesWil‐son.LovingmotherofJack‐lyneDorsey, Michelle G. Walker, Jerome Wilson and StanleyWilson. Daugh‐ter of thelateWillJones and Beatrice “MaPretty” Bailey. Sister of thelateJoe Willie,RobertLee, Hattie, Idella,Florence, andMar‐garet.Alsocherishingher memoriesare 8grandchil‐dren, 25 greatgrandchil‐dren, anda host of nieces, nephews,cousins,other relatives andfriends.Rela‐tives andfriends of the family, also pastors, offi‐cers, andmembers of Fis‐cherCommunity Church, Mt. OliveBaptist Church and allneighboring churches areinvited to at‐tendthe HomegoingCele‐bration at FischerCommu‐nityChurch,1737 L. B. LandryAvenue,New Or‐leans,LAonThursday,Sep‐tember18, 2025, at 10:00a.m. Bishop James NelsonBrown, officiating. Visitationwillbegin at 9:00a.m. until servicetime

at thechurch.Interment: RestlawnParkCemeteryAvondale, LA.Arrange‐ments by DavisMortuary Service,230 Monroe St Gretna, LA.Toviewand signthe guestbook, please gotowww.davismortua ryservice.com.FaceMasks Are Recommended

WiltzIII, Sidney Edgar

Sidney EdgarWiltz,III began hisjourney to be withGod in Hiseternal homeonFriday, September 12, 2025 at theage of 81. He was born on September13, 1944 in NewOrleans,LAto the late Sidney EdgarWiltz Jr. andHelen Castanel Wiltz. HusbandofLoretta Roche'Wiltz.Fatherof LanaWiltz Johnson (Jason),Santa WiltzPlum‐mer (Thaddeus),Sidney Edgar Wiltz, IV (Dana),and NicholasWiltz (Shantel). Brother of LeroyWiltz (Bathsheba),Dr. Gary Wiltz, MD (Diane), Phyllis WiltzGarrett (Wilford), and the late Sylvia WiltzFerrier (Dennis Sr.),JaniceWiltz Mercadal(Ferdinand),and Anthony Wiltz, Sr.(Car‐olyn).Heisalsosurvived byseven grandchildren, CourtneyWiltz,Kayla Wiltz, Jana Johnson, Paul

Wiltz, EmersonVarnado, NicholasWiltz,and Justin Norman. Five greatgrand‐children, AydanOdom, Micah Barnes,Kaiser Barnes, Amir Wiltz, and Ryleigh Wiltzaswellasa hostofniecesand nephews.Family, friends, Priests,and Parishioners of CorpusChristi-Epiphany Catholic Church areinvited toattend aMassofChrist‐ian Burial honoring thelife ofMr. Sidney EdgarWiltz III at Corpus ChristiEpiphanyChurch,2022 St Bernard Ave.,New Orleans, LA70116 on Friday,Sep‐tember19, 2025 at 10:00 AM. Visitation at 9:00 AM Interment: St.Louis #3 Cemetery, 3421 Esplanade Avenue, NewOrleans,LA 70119. Please sign theon‐lineguestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion Directors (504) 581-4411.

out-of-pocketcan comeasa shock, leading people to put offorevengowithout care.

Simply put—without dentalinsurance, there maybe an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.

Medicare doesn’t pay fordental care.

That’s right.Asgood as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocover everything. That means if you wantprotection, youneed to purchase individualinsurance.

Early detection canprevent smallproblems from becoming expensive ones.

The best

Transportation agency gets offtogood startwithplan to fixbridges

Few things have the potential to improvethe daily lives of Louisiana residents like repairs to the roads they drive on each day.That’s why we were so optimistic about the overhaul of theDepartment of Transportation and Development passed by theLegislature this year with the leadershipofGov.JeffLandry.

The reform aimedtoallow the state to move faster in addressingour chronicallylonglist of road projects. Legislation createdthe Office of Louisiana HighwayConstruction, independent of DOTD, whosesole focus is toget projects moving along the 4,800 milesofstate roadways that don’tqualify for federal funding.

Nowweare beginning to see the fruitsof thatchange.The agencyrecently announced itsfirstambitious goal: fixing 62 small bridges across rural parts of the state by theend of next year.Insome cases, the bridges have been out for years, adding hours to thecommutesofdrivers and creating headachesfor industry

TheLegislature is putting $100 million from astate savingsaccount toward thebridge effort.The initiallist of projectswill cost from $1 millionto$3million, and most will take60 to 90 days. Some bridges will require complete demolition,and thatwork is set to beginbefore theend of October. Butall thework will be donebyDec. 31, 2026, saidArchie Chaisson III, the former Lafourche Parish president whom Landry appointed to lead theOffice of Louisiana Highway Construction.

What’smaking this expedited timelinepossible is emergency procurement authority the Legislature granted the agency forsix months, which lets it bypass normal public bidding rules. DOTDSecretary GlenLedetsays his agency is taking advantageofthataswellby partnering with the newagency on someofthe bridgesthat are along federal routes.

Officials saythe newprocess allowsthem to selectengineers and contractors quickly. And while thegoal is speed, they say there will be no skimping on safety or quality of thework The bridges are groupedinto eightproject bundles based on their location,and eight engineeringfirms have each been assigned a bundle.

We have to say we are encouraged by how thiswork has beenpresented, with cleargoals that make it easy to hold officials accountable. For far too long, the money we spend on roads hasseemedtodisappear into ablack hole as projects languish with no discernabletimelinesor priorities.

Fixing andmaintaining roadsare basicfunctionsofgovernment thatweinLouisiana have aright to expect. We are glad to seeour state leaders seem to have finally gotten it.We will be watching as the projects progress, but for the first time it appears more Louisiana drivers will seeasmoother road ahead

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

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OPINION

Senate questioning of Kennedyall forshow

As aGIphysician rooted in Louisiana, Iwatched the recent Senate hearing with RFK Jr.with significant dismay and outrage. What was billed as a public healthinquiry quickly devolved into political theater,where senators withlittle clinical experience postured as vaccine experts,and major concerns about child and elder care, medication costs and pharmacologic side effects weredrowned out by partisan soundbites. RFKJr. is no stranger to controversy, but he was right.His views on vaccines and pharmaceutical influence are provocative, and often polarizing. Butthe Senate’sresponse —particularly from memberswho’ve accepted generous contributions from the very drug companies they claim to regulate—was less about truth and more about optics. When lawmakers grill a public figureonnuanced medical issues without clinical grounding to do so, it’s not just misleading —it’soutright dangerous Iwas especially disheartened by Sen. Bill Cassidy’sperformance. As a fellow physician and gastroenterolo-

gist, Iexpected more.Cassidy’sbackground in hepatology doesn’tmake him an expertinvaccines, immunology or pharmacology,yet he leaned heavily on his credentials to challenge Kennedy —while sidestepping the real issues facing our children and our elderly: overmedication, adverse drug reactions and the crushing cost of care. Hisback-and-forth political posture —voting to impeach President Donald Trump thenrunning campaign commercials showing alignment with Trump— reflects abroader crisis of conviction in Washington. This is about defending integrity We need hearings thataddress systemicfailures with Big Pharma and politicians that undermine public trust. We need physicians in office who speak with clinical clarity,not political calculation. If we continue to treat oversight as theater,thiscountry will get policy that is worthless to help thepeople it was designed to protect and serve, our elderly and our vulnerable.

NICHOLAS PERSICH,M.D Metairie

Reform ElectoralCollege;don’t abolishit

After thesecond election of Donald Trump, Iwas hopeful that people would begin to question amethod of election that could bring such aman to power

Iwas disappointed. In fact, the one thing that Ibelievewould prevent such amistakeisthe veryinstitution that is blamed for it

As originally conceived, the Electoral College was to be comprised of a single group of men selected by each state who would each vote for the candidate of their choice.

The number of astate’selectorswas to be based upon itscongressional representation, which would rise or fall with thestate’spopulation. Consequently,the number of each state’s electoral votes would be directly proportional to itspopulation. Selecting electorswho would evaluate each candidate and vote their consciences was intended to avoid thedangers inherent in apopular election, it being accepted that the general public is too easily misled and prone to temporary passions.

The 1929 Permanent Apportionment Act was passed to limit the number of U.S. representatives to 435. This was done without providing ameansto allow the number of state electors to continue to remainproportional to a state’spopulation. If each state had itsown, single setofelectors, each state’selectors would have time to meet directly with each candidate fortwo or three weeks, during which various activities could be engaged in to determine thedifferent qualities of each candidate. And, of course, any candidate who refused to give straight answers to direct questions, or whodemonstrated childish desires to use the officeto exact revenge on opponents, could be immediately rejected. Such amethod would also eliminate theneed for billions of dollars, since theonly expenses wouldbefor the candidates’ and electors’ travel, room and board.

WAYNE PARKER Baton Rouge

Whybringing in National Guard to police New Orleanswould be amistake

Deploying the National Guard in New Orleans may seem like an attempt to lower criminal activity, but regardless of the intent, it has serious negative consequences. Military presence intrudes on residents’ civil rights, disrupts commerce and threatens the city’svital tourism industry

How does it intrude on civil rights?

The presence of the National Guard can lead to increased surveillance, searches and checkpoints that infringe on privacy and freedom of movement. It can create asense of intimidation or harassment, discouraging residents from exercising their right to peacefully protest or assemble. This blurs the line between civilian authority and martial law,undermining fundamental principles of personal liberty and community autonomy It also creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, undermining the political rights and economic livelihoods of everyday residents. This environment discourages local business and hampers recovery efforts, especially in neighborhoods already struggling.

Additionally,deploying the Guard disrupts transportation and civil services. Checkpoints and roadblocks hinder movement, making it harder forresidents and visitors to access essential services. For atourism-dependent city like NewOrleans, this sends adamaging message, risking future tourism revenue.

Most concerning is that military intervention often breeds resistance and deepens distrust. Even if initial efforts seem successful, such tactics tend to foster chaos and defiance, making community cooperation moredifficult.

In short, deploying the National Guard is an ill-advised response that jeopardizes civil liberties, hampers commerce and dampens tourism —the city’seconomic lifeblood. We must pursue solutions rooted in community engagement and sustainable policies that respect residents’ rights and preserve NewOrleans’ cultural vitality

KATE FAGAN tour guideand musician

COMMENTARY

FrankieBeverly’s family had pain.N.O.gavethemjoy.

Will Sutton

Frankie Beverly was born inPhiladelphia, the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. ButFrankieBeverly was at home musically with the people of New Orleans. Beverly’sdeath on Sept. 10,2024, sent shock waves acrossthe world. His family asked for privacy.Reactions, messages, posts andtributes poured in. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said hewas “devastated” by the news. Acouple of daysafter Frankie’sdeath,Beverly fans in Philadelphia gathered on Frankie Beverly Way, AKANorwood Street, in the Somerville section of East Germantown, the place where Howard Stanley Beverly was born andreared It was anice gathering. There was dancing, music. Agood timewas had by all. But it wasn’tNew Orleans.

This week is the anniversary of the Crescent City’ssecond lineinBeverly’s honor that drew hundreds, maybeeven more. It was what happened in New Orleans that gained worldwide attention —and the attention of Frankie’s family

Ayear ago Tuesday,the 6th Ward Steppers Social Aid and Pleasure Club hosted aFrankie Beverly farewell secondlineatHunter’sField in thecity’s Treme neighborhood. The Steppers, andmany others, at least hundreds, observed Beverly’spassingasonly New Orleans could. Some say thousands were out there. Some wore Beverly’s stage signature white.

As the family grieved day afterday, they received condolences from extended family and friends. They were comforted knowing that they had spent as much time with “Frank” and“Pop” as they could during the lastdays of his life.

“Weall gave up alot of ourselves to spend time with him,” his son, Anthony Beverly,told me. “I moved here from L.A. to spend time with him. We moved to northernCalifornia from the L.A. area in 2022 to be closer and spend more time with him. Imoved to the new town overfrom him, so Isaw him very often. My children were already here in the area, so we all gathered

with him often.”

My longtimefriend Pam Moore was FrankieBeverly’slife partner for 39 years. Theirs was an extra special love. He was aworld famous entertainer.As eveninganchor at KRON-TV,she was the queen of local television news in theBay Area. She is so big that the station namedthe newsroom studio after her uponher retirement.

Buttheirlives together were personal, andprivate.

After Frankie took his last breath, the family gasped and grieved. They heard aboutall the messages of mourningand prayers, theappreciations and tributes. It wastoo much. They avoided most of it.

Butwhat happened in New Orleans was different.

“The first time Isaw it it brought tears to my eyes,” AnthonyBeverly said. “There was alove affair with the city,and that showed. Nobody could’ve done what New Orleans did.”

He said person after person senthim videos of the second line as it was happening. He continued to get links to videos of the New Orleans love for his dad that day,the next day,that week, the next week and for months after Anthony Beverlyhad seen fans who liked his dad’smusic for years. Huge applause. Bus stop dancing. Bigsmiles. Cheers. Calls for encores Butitwas when he was with his dad here in the 1980s that he realized that things were different. Onetime his dad, band members and others ate at

K-Paul’sand he decided to walk back to thehotel, against cautions by others. About 200 people ended up following them. It was like his dad was Black Elvis, he said.

The 2024 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans featured aspecial tributetoBeverly.Former Mayor Marc Morial, Mayor LaToyaCantrell and others greeted our adopted homeboy with some physical tokens of appreciation

“Thank you, thank you, thank you my people,”said Frankie Beverly at the time. “Thank you for this nod. Thank you for caring. AndI’m going to make you proud of mevery soon. Thank you and Ilove you from thebottom of my heart.”

Idon’tknow what Beverly had in mind, but Ican say without apoll or survey that New Orleanscared for him deeply,loved him deeply,and he made us happy We had great joy with Frankie Beverly for decades, and that will continue forever.It’sgood to know thefamily appreciated what they saw and what they felt ayear ago. The day of the second line we had happy feelings. The outpouring of love was real. We didn’t want to let him go, but we know life ends for all of us.

New Orleans, know that Frankie Beverly loved us —and his family thanks us for that everlasting love.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

From asuckerpunch to CharlieKirk’sdeath

Right after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president in 2017 someone punchedWhite nationalist Richard Spencer in the faceonlive television. This led to several days of the internet asking whether it is okay tosucker punch Nazis.

Howlong will we tolerate the madnessin ourstreets?

In her response to the murderofIryna Zarutska on alight-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, the city’smayor demonstrated the mindset thatallowedthe heinous act to happen in the first place.

MayorViLylescalled the murderofthe young Ukraine refugee woman, “a tragic situationthatsheds light on problems with society safety nets relatedtomentalhealthcare.”

This is euphemistic prattle. What Lyles calls “a tragic situation” wasagruesome crime, andlack of “societysafety nets” must be herway of admitting thatCharlotte serially failed to confine aderanged repeat offender so he couldn’tcontinue to menace the public.

The allegedkiller, Decarlos Brown, was schizophrenic. His mother reports that, after he gainedreleasein2020 from a five-year sentence for robbery with adeadly weapon, he begantosay strange things and behave aggressively (he assaulted his sister). She gothim evaluated and then got an involuntary commitment order

Aftertwo weeks of monitoring, he wasdiagnosedwith schizophrenia andreleased.His mother couldn’thandle Brown andkickedhim outofthe house,rendering him homeless. Afterthat, Brown repeatedly demonstrated his out-of-control madness, and still, no one hadthe sense to take him off the streets. Policeinteracted with Brown three different timesin2024 andreferred him to “resources,” although no oneknows what that means. Then, in January 2025, he told policewhile theywereconducting “a welfare check”on him that“man-made materials” in his body were controlling him, aclassic paranoid belief. Whenthe copstoldhim they couldn’thelp him with that, he called911. Thatresultedin acharge forabusing the emergency-response system.

One judge released him in exchange for a “writtenpromise” that Brown would come back for ahearing, andthen —after his attorneyfileda motion questioning his “capacity to proceed”—another judge ordered aforensic evaluationthatwas nevercompleted. Not thathis conditionwas amystery.If anyone hadaskedBrown’sfamily or the cops, theysurely would have said he wasout of his mind.

This is the history Mayor Vi Lylesrefers to when she says thatBrown “has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered acrisis.” Well, yes, he wassuffering a years-long crisis.

ega McArdle M n

(The answer,for those who missed that session, is that no, it is not okay to sucker punch people who have noxious views, because it is not okay to sucker punch people, period.) At the time Iwas deeply disturbed to see how many people were willing to endorse political violence. In retrospect, this seemsalmost quaint

We don’tknow the full motive of the shooterwho killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The shooting may have been politically motivated, or simply abid for fame, or it may have been the result of some psychoticobsession incomprehensibletoa normal mind.

We’ve seen more violent protests, from antifa to the Jan. 6mob, and more targeted attacks. The decade has brought us attempted assassinations of aconservative Supreme Court justice, Republican legislators and of course, Trump, along with the killing of ahealth care CEO, apolice officer who responded to an attack on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand aDemocratic statelegislator and her husband in Minnesota. The people who do these things are notinany sense normal.The United Statesdoes not have the kind of organized political violence you see in countries tippinginto civil war.The Second Amendment makes it easy for those people to get guns thatdoreal-

world damage. If reports are correct, there is no “reasonable gun control” that could have stoppedthe attack on Kirk; the shooter appears to have used aboltaction rifle, about the last category of weapon that would be banned. Themost obvious place to start is with thelegions of keyboard warriors, 101st Chairborne Division, who enjoy spinning online fantasies about hurting their political opponents—orglorifying thosewho do, like LuigiMangione. Almost all those peopleare just talking, trying to signal theirideological purity or make themselves feel tougher and more courageous than their nondescript white-collar job would otherwise suggest. Butthey aregiving ideas tothose who want to do more thantalk, including the idea that hurting otherpeople can be ashortcutto fame. So stand down and knock it off. There has long been aleft-wing cottage industry using dodgy data to conjureupanexaggerated threat from right-wing “domestic terrorism.” (The threat exists, but thenumbers thrown aroundare inflated.) On liberal social media, one cannot go long without stumbling acrosssome expert claiming to have diagnosed America’s descentinto fascism, rather thanmore ordinarily bad governance. Thereare just as manyself-panickers on the right ranting about deep state conspiracies andcultural Marxism. In the wake of Kirk’sshooting, some of those folksannounced that “they” haddeclared war on conservatives,as if the entireleft(mostofwhom were appropriately horrified by thekilling) hadvoted to putaguy on that rooftop. With relish, conservatives shared and reshared the samehandful of low-follower social media accounts celebratingthe violence.

In acountry of more than 340 million people, there will be people who do terrible thingsand manymore who say terrible things —but while these people are too numerous, they are statistically atiny share of our overwhelmingly sane and law-abiding electorate. Actingasifthey are representative or comparing your opponents to your least favoritedictatorship risks provoking weak minds toviolent countermeasures against thedire threat you’ve conjured.

Which brings me to afinal point: Stop monstering your opponents. In thewake of Kirk’skilling, alot of the responses from theleft ran along the lines of, “Sure, he was human garbage, but you still shouldn’tkill him.” When others pushed back, people stood their ground. Why shouldn’twespeak ill of the dead or those who offered respectful eulogies, if they were terrible people?

Oneanswer is that it’sa bit cowardly to criticize the dead, who can’treply Another is that politically,it’sa bad look; adding to the pain of afamily in mourning seemsspiteful and petty in the face of the momentousness of death. Butthe mostimportantanswer is that this country needs fewer impassioned denunciations and more understanding of our opponentsas complicated people who can hold bad ideas while also exhibiting praiseworthyvirtues. Of course, it’smore satisfying to fight monsters than flawed humans who are, like you, struggling their way through this vale of tears. Butifyou insist on hunting for monsters,you run therisk that some of your hunting companions will decide to go in for thekill.

Megan McArdle in on X, @asymmetricinfo.

Brown’sstory is shocking, yet all too familiar. It recurs over and over again in cities that tolerate the untreated mentally ill sleeping on grates. Sincethe great wave of de-institutionalizationinthe 1960s, we’ve lost the collective will to insist thatthose suffering from serious mental illness gethelp, in an institution if necessary

This requiresspending more resources on psychiatric beds andchanging laws to make it easiertomandate treatment and institutionalization. To acknowledge this does not entail, as the mayor put it in her statement, “villainizing” the mentally ill. It is true that most people suffering from these disorders don’tcommit actsofviolence. Still, it does no one any favors —not the mentally ill, or the generalpublic to letthemgountreated, living lives of squalor in public places “Wewill neverarrest our way out of issues suchhomelessness and mental health,” Mayor Vi Lylesinsisted. It is true that too many mentally ill people endupinjails. The only acceptable options, though, are to imprisonthe deranged who commitorthreaten criminals act,ortoforce themtoget treatment, perhaps in institutions. The third optioniswhat we’ve done for decades.Itistolookthe otherway,toleave families no good options in dealing with their sickloved ones,topretend it is an exercise of liberty to letdisturbed people molderonthe streets, to treat the “unhoused” as aprivileged victim group, andtomumble the same oldnonsense afteranunspeakable crime.

We’ve hearditfrom the likes of Mayor Vi Lylesbefore— and, sadly and infuriatingly, inevitably will again RichLowry is on X, @RichLowry

Missing the target

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The Saints and quarterback Spencer Rattler have made it a priority to send a steady stream of footballs Chris Olave’s way For the second straight game, Olave led the Saints in targets. Through two weeks, only Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (25) and Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (24) have been

targeted more than Olave (23). The usage rate is encouraging, but through the small two-week sample size, it hasn’t manifested in big production. Olave is tracking toward career lows in several statistical categories, including catch rate (56.5%), air yards per target (9.8) and yards per route run (1.4), according to Next Gen Stats.

Rattler and Olave have con-

nected on a few important plays — one of the biggest being a leaping catch for 14 yards on third and 3 in the red zone last week. Four of Olave’s six catches moved the chains Sunday But the Saints haven’t figured out a way to turn those connections into bigger gains, as Olave is averaging just 8.3 yards per reception. There also have been some concerning moments.

Olave was open for a touchdown in the first quarter against San Francisco after he fooled cornerback Renardo Green with a head fake to the outside before curling his route back toward the middle of the field. But a poor ball from Rattler, who threw behind Olave, resulted in a pass he couldn’t haul in. Facing third and 6 on the ensuing play, Olave was lined up as the inside receiver in a 3-by-1

formation. He motioned inside and back out, and then ran a slant after the snap. But Olave appeared to jog through the route and never turned his head to find the ball, which glanced off his hip and incomplete. It was a strange play for Olave, whom the Saints are counting on to lead the receiver corps. It’s still early and the Saints are

ä See OLAVE, page 3C

LSU offense more conservative as defense establishes dominance

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The season is still young, but LSU is punting nearly twice as often as it did last year

That stat does a nice job of capturing the offense’s shaky start to the season, its fourth under coach Brian Kelly Yards and points have proven elusive, so Kelly has adjusted. Now

trotting out the punting unit almost five times a game. The approach has helped the No. 3 Tigers start the season 3-0. But Kelly knows that LSU can’t just play stout defense for the rest of the year The offense must improve and keep punter Grant Chadwick

BY GUERRY SMITH Contributing writer

Nothing is more indicative of the transient transfer portal era than the unfamiliarity Tulane and Ole Miss have with each other heading into Saturday’s clash at Vaught Hemingway Stadium (2:30 p.m., ESPN) even though they played just two years ago. That both are 3-0 says just as much about how well they have adjusted to constant turnover Only nine combined players who stepped on the field remain from their matchup at Yulman Stadium in 2023, and Tulane safety Bailey Despanie is the lone returning starter Running back Arnold Barnes (two carries, 4 yards), guard Shadre Hurst, and defensive linemen Kam Hamilton (two tackles, one sack) and Elijah Champaigne logged downs for the Wave. Of the four current Rebels who played in that game, defensive lineman Zxavian Harris (three tackles) was the only one to register a stat. The lack of continuity has not affected their performance, though. Tulane, the preseason favorite

3

QB injuries necessitate shuffling

For Vikings, Wentz finally will throw to WR Jefferson

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

Carson Wentz finally gets to throw to Justin Jefferson five years and five teams later

J.J. McCarthy’s ankle injury opens the door for the Wentz-toJefferson combination that Philadelphia Eagles fans desperately wanted to see in 2020 Now, it’ll happen for the Minnesota Vikings.

Several other teams could be turning to backup quarterbacks in Week 3.

The Bengals (2-0) won’t have Joe Burrow for a few months because of a toe injury, so Jake Browning will start against Wentz and the Vikings (1-1).

Browning led Cincinnati to a comeback win over Jacksonville after Burrow went down early in the game.

Jayden Daniels has a knee injury that could force the Washington Commanders (1-1) to face Las Vegas without the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Veteran Marcus Mariota would replace him.

Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol for the New York Jets (0-2) so Tyrod Taylor would start against Tampa Bay if Fields can’t return in time.

The 49ers (2-0) already played a game without Brock Purdy defeating New Orleans behind three touchdown passes from Mac Jones on Sunday It’s uncertain when Purdy will be ready to return. No matter how much the league tries to protect quarterbacks there have been 19 roughingthe-passer penalties through two weeks injuries will happen in a violent sport.

McCarthy got hurt on a 16-yard run in the third quarter and stayed in the game but struggled during Minnesota’s loss to Atlanta The 2024 first-round draft pick missed his rookie season following knee surgery Wentz joined the Vikings only a couple of weeks ago. He’s in line to make a start for a sixth team in six seasons, extending his record.

The 32-year-old Wentz was the

No. 2 overall pick by the Eagles in 2016. He finished third in NFL MVP voting the following season but suffered a serious knee injury that December and watched Nick Foles lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. In 2019, Wentz became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards without having any wide receiver go over 500 yards receiving. Entering the 2020 draft, it was obvious the Eagles would target a wide receiver Instead of taking Jefferson at No. 21, Jalen Reagor was Philadelphia’s choice. The Vikings were considering cornerbacks when the Eagles were on the clock because they expected Jefferson would be their pick.

Minnesota coaches and frontoffice executives celebrated when Philadelphia took Reagor The Vikings immediately chose Jefferson with the next pick.

Reagor lasted two seasons in Philly and has 86 career receptions. Jefferson is a two-time AllPro, was the 2022 Offensive Play-

er of the Year and has averaged 108 catches, 1,626 yards receiving and nine touchdowns per season.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell helped Sam Darnold have a breakout season last year He gets another opportunity with Wentz, who once had a lot of success but hasn’t been a full-time starter since going 2-5 in Washington in 2022.

Russ cooked

Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, including a 48-yard pass to Malik Nabers for the go-ahead score with 33 seconds remaining in a game the New York Giants still lost. Not bad for a guy many people wrote off.

“Russell Wilson can’t play anymore,” former NFL coach Rex Ryan said on ESPN.

Ryan and others were calling for the Giants to bench Wilson and play rookie Jaxson Dart, who took three snaps, handed off twice and lost 3 yards on a keeper Wilson threw an interception on his final pass after some miscom-

munication with Nabers, spoiling an outstanding performance. But he perhaps gives New York its best chance to compete especially behind a porous offensive line.

Dynamic Lions

Maybe Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the rest of the Detroit Lions won’t have to hear anymore about the impact of losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The skeptics were out after Detroit’s offense struggled in a season-opening loss to Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers, whose defense was excellent again in Week 2 against Washington. But the Lions bounced back with a 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears and Johnson, putting up 511 total yards on offense.

While coaches deserve credit for developing players, it also helps to have talent.

Johnson had success with Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. He has a long way to go with Caleb Williams and the Bears.

Brady’s dual roles continue to raise questions

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

The questions about Tom Brady’s dual roles as a Fox Sports NFL analyst and partial owner of the Las Vegas Raiders have intensified after he was shown in the team’s coaching booth with a headset on during a 20-9 loss Monday night to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks on Tuesday sidestepped any such questions about the perception of a possible conflict of interest

“I’m not going to answer that one. Good question, but not gonna answer that,” Shanks said when asked during Front Office Sports’ Tuned In event if he could sympathize with Chicago Bears fans who might see a conflict Brady will be in Dallas on Sunday when the Cowboys host the Bears. The following week, Chicago is at the Raiders.

“I think if there’s a conversation that needs to be had after last night, we’ll have it,” Shanks added. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email to The Associated Press that Brady was sitting in the booth Monday night in his capacity as a Raiders limited partner.

“There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” McCar-

“I think Tom’s really tried to honor that strictly with the concerns you’re talking about ... He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise. He’s of the opinion he doesn’t want to be that kind of factor and he’s not.”

CARROLL, Raiders coach

PETE

thy said. “All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.” Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he knew Brady would be in the booth and pointed out that Brady also was in the booth when the Raiders played the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game on Aug. 16 in Las Vegas. Carroll said he understands the attention and concerns Monday night’s appearance has generated.

“I think Tom’s really tried to honor that strictly with the concerns you’re talking about,” Carroll said. “He is not planning games with us. He is not talking to us about anything other than our conversations that are really random.

“He’s very respectful of what he does otherwise. He’s of the opinion he doesn’t want to be that kind

of factor and he’s not.”

The NFL has previously placed restrictions on Brady in his role as a broadcaster, though the league eased some of those this season. Brady is now allowed to participate in production meetings with teams ahead of a game, as long as they are conducted virtually or via Zoom. He still isn’t allowed to watch another team’s practices or set foot in a team’s training complex.

The Brady rules were put in place because the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback has a 5% ownership stake in the Raiders.

Last season, Brady couldn’t do production meetings until the Super Bowl in New Orleans, when he was allowed to attend meetings with Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles players and coaches He wasn’t able to view practices.

Hans Schroeder the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, said to the AP on Aug 27 that this year’s adjustments felt like a natural step forward.

Brady still isn’t allowed to be in another team’s facility or hotel He can conduct an interview offsite with a player which he did a couple times last season.

Many of the network broadcast crews have done their production meetings with teams virtually, even though some still prefer getting into a city on Fridays to watch the home team and then talk to the visiting team at their hotel the next day

Brady did not answer a question posed by AP on Monday night

Florida assistant suspended for his role in LSU scuffle

A Florida football assistant coach has been suspended for his role in an altercation that took place before LSU and Florida played Saturday night inside Tiger Stadium. Jabbar Juluke, the associate head coach and running backs coach, was suspended for three games, the SEC and Florida announced Tuesday night. In a statement, Juluke specifically apologized to the unidentified player involved. He will miss games against Miami, Texas and Texas A&M.

LSU and Florida players got into two scuffles during pregame warmups. One occurred near the Gators’ sideline while the other took place as Florida players walked past the LSU student section. When shoving began, a referee threw a flag in an effort to break the players apart.

Dallas star Bueckers wins WNBA Rookie of the Year

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers was a runaway choice for WNBA Rookie of the Year after one of the best debut seasons in league history

Bueckers received 70 of the 72 votes from sportswriters and broadcasters in balloting announced by the league on Tuesday The other two went to Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron. Bueckers, who in a whirlwind week last spring went from leading UConn to its 12th national championship to being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, was a bright spot on a team that tied the Chicago Sky with a league-worst 10-34 record. The AP Rookie of the Year, she averaged 19.2 points on 47.7% shooting along with 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals.

Bengals place Burrow on IR after turf toe injury

The Bengals placed quarterback Joe Burrow on injured reserve Tuesday after he suffered a turf toe injury during the first half of Sunday’s 31-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Burrow is expected to be out at least three months because of the injury to his left foot. A timeline for surgery and rehabilitation has not been announced.

Jake Browning will take over as Cincinnati’s starting QB beginning with this week’s game at Minnesota.

Browning went 4-3 as the Bengals’ starter in the final seven games of the 2023 season after Burrow was sidelined with a right wrist injury, and Brett Rypien will be Browning’s backup after he was signed off the practice squad.

Astros slugger Alvarez out after ankle sprain

about the easing of the broadcast restrictions.

Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen, who also was a speaker at the Front Office Sports event in New York, said it’s up to the teams to decide how to handle production meetings, whether it is with Brady or another broadcast crew

“There are some teams that are very guarded with their information, and it doesn’t matter if you’re an owner of another team or not: They give you very little on the calls. It’s the minority,” Olsen said. “The vast majority of the coaches, especially the ones that you develop a good relationship with, are amazing on these calls. They really give you great insight that does make a difference.

“Every team can decide how they want to handle those, and whatever factors they place value on, that impacts how they handle them, that’s their every right to be as forthcoming or not so with the production crews that they want.”

Fox’s top crew of Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi opened the season with the matchup between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants. Both teams face the Raiders later this season, but Commanders coach Dan Quinn didn’t seem fazed by Brady’s dual roles.

“It’s unique for sure, but they have a job to do, too, so I get that like that’s our responsibility to help them give some insights, what it could be, what could be there for the game. So, it’s really just for this game, like that’s what I think about,” Quinn said.

Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez has a “pretty significant” ankle sprain that is going to keep him out indefinitely, manager Joe Espada said Tuesday Alvarez was injured when he turned his left ankle at home plate after scoring in the first inning of Houston’s 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday night.

After scoring from first base on a throwing error by Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter on Carlos Correa’s infield single in the first inning, Alvarez turned his ankle and hobbled toward the dugout. He was tended to by an athletic trainer outside the Astros’ dugout and then helped down the steps. He had imaging done Tuesday and Espada refused to say if the team planned to place Alvarez on the injured list.

Rams coach McVay injures foot during game vs. Titans

Sean McVay says he tore his plantar fascia while coaching the Los Angeles Rams to victory over the Tennessee Titans last Sunday McVay revealed his foot injury Monday night on his “Coach McVay Show” produced by the Rams. The youngest coach to win a Super Bowl didn’t say exactly when it happened, but he appeared to pull up awkwardly while moving to call a timeout during the 33-19 win. The plantar fascia is a thick tissue running along the sole of the foot.

McVay didn’t say whether he would need to wear a walking boot as his injury heals.

The 39-year-old

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier reacts after a play against the Atlanta Falcons during a preseason game on Aug. 22 in Arlington, Texas

By TONy GUTIERREZ

Emergency QBs a luxury not many NFL teams use

BY SCHUYLER DIXON

pro football writer

DALLAS Brian Schottenheimer is two games into his head coaching career with the Dallas Cowboys, and he didn’t have an emergency quarterback designated for either one. This after a year as Dallas offensive coordinator when the Cowboys had Trey Lance available as a third quarterback every week because they wanted to protect him from waivers.

The NFL is into its third season since the return of an old rule that essentially allows a free roster spot on game day with the emergency designation on a quarterback. Yet, the provision has been utilized by less than half the teams through the first two years.

The Cleveland Browns are among those to use it this season. They have four quarterbacks on the roster and Shedeur Sanders has been the emergency third QB each of the first two games. Only once has “3QB” the designation on official NFL game reports — actually played, and it involved the Browns last year Jameis Winston followed Deshaun Watson, who was injured, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was pulled in the fourth quarter after his second interception in a 21-14 loss to Cincinnati.

“I go back and forth,” Schottenheimer said. “Literally, you asked the question, so my mind is processing. It would be great to have three guys active just in case. But they certainly have done the studies and know kind of what they’re looking for We’re all dealt the same cards, and you decide how you want to use your roster.” Will Grier has the spot Lance occupied last season, but he is on the practice squad rather than the 53man active roster During the the Cowboys’ wild 40-37

Continued from page 1C

clearly feeding him targets, so this could turn around Still TBD

A year ago, the Saints had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. They appear to be improved through two weeks, but how much is still to be determined.

Sunday’s game against the 49ers was a step in the right direction. A week after giving up 146 yards rushing against the Cardinals, a figure that included a 52-yard run, the Saints limited Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers to 80 yards and 3.5 yards per carry (excluding kneel-downs).

Eleven of San Francisco’s 22 designed runs gained 2 or fewer yards, including seven that were stuffed for no gain or a loss. The 49ers’ longest run was a 13-yard scramble by quarterback Mac Jones. According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ers averaged only 0.44 yards before contact.The New Orleans defensive interior clogged running lanes, allowing linebacker Demario Davis to clear things up. The 49ers gained just 9 yards on six carries run-

overtime win against the New York Giants on Sunday, Grier was unavailable behind Dak Prescott and Joe Milton.

About this time last season, roughly half of the NFL’s 32 teams had a third quarterback on the active roster The percentage is about the same now Gameday rosters are smaller, usually 48 players

The teams that don’t have a third QB on the active roster have at least one on the practice squad. Just before the season started, Detroit was the only team without a third quarterback, but the Lions signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad.

The teams without a third QB on the active roster have prioritized other positions over something that could be viewed as a luxury

“I think it’s a freebie (on game day), but it’s still tough because of the numbers,”

Grier said “I think it just comes down to the teams with the numbers and the ability to do that.”

Numbers make it tough for third quarterbacks in another way Since practice reps are so important for the starter, and the backup to a lesser degree, the rest of the QBs are largely left on their own to try to develop.

“In my opinion, nonexistent ” Grier said when asked what he thought of quarterback development in the NFL.

Trevor Siemian, the 33-year-old QB3 on Tennessee’s practice squad, wouldn’t argue.

“I think just the onus is on you,” said Siemian, a seventh-round pick out of Northwestern who started 24 games over his second and third seasons with Denver but moved on after three years, including a stint with the Saints. “This is pro sports There’s not much hand-holding in this league. And if there is, it doesn’t last very long.”

Titans quarterbacks coach

ning between the tackles, doing most of their damage on the perimeter

We should get a better idea which version of the Saints defense is the real one this week. Seattle running back Kenneth Walker ripped off four runs of 10plus yards against the Steelers in Week 2

Numbers to know

3: Each of Rattler’s three touchdown passes against the 49ers targeted receivers who’d lined up in the slot, all against man coverage.

Two of those plays included motion and some sort of rub concept, where the Saints tried to create space by having receivers run converging routes.

6: The Saints sent fiveman pressures on six of Mac Jones’ 42 drop-backs, none of which resulted in a sack

83.1%: The Saints have been in the shotgun on 113 of their 136 offensive plays so far this season. Only the Washington Commanders (86.2%) are running it at a higher rate.

Next up

There will be a lot of chatter this week about the Seattle offense because of the play-caller: Former Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak now holds the same

Mayfield thriving under pressure as Bucs start 2-0

BY ROB MAADDI AP pro football writer

TAMPA, Fla. — Playing in a prime-time game in his home state with a national audience watching, Baker Mayfield again thrived under pressure.

Bo Hardegree described a post-practice scene in which the QBs behind rookie starter Cam Ward would go back through that day’s script on reps they didn’t get Schottenheimer said the Cowboys do something similar, with quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko having Milton and Grier mirror any throw Prescott made in practice.

“So they’re getting their throws,” Schottenheimer said. “They’re getting their footwork. It’s not perfect, but they are getting the work and the throws that they need.”

The NFL had the emergency QB rule from 19912010 and brought it back in 2023. The rule’s return was prompted by the NFC championship game the previous season.

Brock Purdy badly injured his elbow on San Francisco’s first possession in a 31-7 loss to Philadelphia, and backup Josh Johnson exited with a concussion early in the second half. Purdy returned, but basically couldn’t throw He had two short completions. The 49ers had 47 yards in the second half and 164 for the game.

“That probably shifted a lot of focus just because of the prominent moment that that was,” said New Orleans coach Kellen Moore, a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator “I think it’s a luxury and when it’s available to us, certainly we want to utilize it as much as you can just because it gives you the insurance policy that you need.”

With Lance having moved on to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency where the 2021 No. 3 overall pick is the backup to Justin Herbert Schottenheimer said the Cowboys have emergency plans for a third QB when Grier is inactive. He didn’t want to reveal specifics.

It’s safe to say the same is true for the other teams that don’t have an emergency QB3 on game day

role with the Seahawks, and he took several members of his Saints staff with him.

But the game may come down to what the Saints can do on the road against a tough Seahawks defense.

Through two weeks, Seattle leads the NFL in both overall pressures (38) and pressure rate (49.4%), according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks have done that while blitzing on only 13% of opponent passing plays — the second-lowest percentage in the NFL.

The Seattle defensive front also has provided some tough sledding for opposing rushing offenses.

Opposing offenses have run the ball 57 times against the Seahawks with just two runs of 10-plus yards, with the longest being 13.

Like the Saints, the Seahawks operate out of a 3-4 base defense (Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald is also the defensive play-caller), and their best defensive players are on the front.

Leonard Williams (six pressures, 10 run stops) and 2024 first-rounder Byron Murphy (eight pressures, seven stops) are a handful, and edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall lead the team in pressures.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-0 for the fifth straight season thanks to Mayfield’s final-minute heroics two weeks in a row Mayfield scrambled 15 yards on fourth and 10 to extend the drive and then connected on five straight passes for 51 yards, setting up Rachaad White’s 2-yard touchdown run with six seconds remaining that gave the Buccaneers a 20-19 victory in Houston on Monday night.

It was a costly win for Tampa Bay, however Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey suffered a torn pectoral muscle that will require season-ending surgery, a person with knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press. Without Kancey, the defense gave up the go-ahead score late in the game. But it came down to another standout performance by Mayfield, who revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023.

The Buccaneers went from the Greatest Of All Time to perhaps the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. Mayfield leads the league with 74 touchdown passes since arriving in Tampa Bay He has helped the Buccaneers win two of their four consecutive NFC South titles, and he is aiming to take them on a deeper playoff run.

“In these two-minute close games, we were not on the right side of things for the past couple years,” Mayfield said. “It’s good to see that we haven’t even played close to our best ball

in all three phases, and we’re still finding ways to win on the road and that’s really important. To not lose sight of that, we’re finding ways to win, but also we do need to get things fixed. Some of these games, we could make it easier on ourselves and try and put teams away earlier, but this is a good team that we played, so we expected a hard-fought battle, and it’s nice to be on the right side of it.”

The Bucs opened the season with a 23-20 victory in Atlanta when Mayfield connected with rookie Emeka Egbuka on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 1:04 remaining and secured the win on a missed field goal.

Mayfield came out firing against Houston’s tough defense, tossing a pair of touchdown passes on the first two drives. But the Buc-

caneers couldn’t get much going again until the end.

Bucky Irving and the run game stepped up, and the Bucs finished with 169 yards on the ground. The run defense again was stellar, limiting the Texans to 57 yards rushing, excluding 27 by C.J. Stroud on scrambles.

The pass rush improved, sacking Stroud three times and pressuring him into several hurried incompletions. But the game came down to Mayfield and he delivered.

“We talk about culture and culture helps you win ballgames, especially on the road,” coach Todd Bowles said “Resiliency and the times we practice it over and over again. We have some good battles in practice, and they know what to do about what coverage and what to see. Everybody’s bought in.”

LSU not running afoul of availability reports

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The Southeastern Conference in-

stituted availability reports in 2024 for football and men’s and women’s basketball for SEC games.

But LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who coach Brian Kelly said Monday has been battling through a “torso injury” since preseason camp, was not on any of the Tigers’ availability reports leading up to the team’s 20-10 victory Saturday over Florida.

According to Herb Vincent, the SEC associate commissioner for communications, that’s within the letter and intent of the availability report guidelines. Guidelines, Vincent said, that differ from injury reports in the NFL.

“It’s up to the school to say whether he can play or not,” Vincent said.

Since LSU knew Nussmeier who took every offensive snap for the Tigers, would play against the Gators, he did not have to be listed

“It’s not an injury report,” Vincent said. LSU is not required to issue availability reports this week

because it is playing a nonconference game Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana (6:45 p.m., SEC Network). The school will resume reports next week leading up to its Sept. 27 game at Ole Miss (2:30 p.m., ABC).

Availability reports are issued daily beginning three days before a game, with a final report released 90 minutes before kickoff. Players are listed as “available,” “probable,” “questionable,” “doubtful” or “out” before game day, and “available,” “game-time decision” or “out” on game day

Kelly was not specific Monday about Nussmeier’s injury but he did say the fifth-year quarterback feels “tightness” that has limited him in practice. Kelly went on to say that he didn’t think Nussmeier would have time to sufficiently heal until LSU’s open date after the Ole Miss game.

Nussmeier remains one of the nation’s top Heisman Trophy candidates despite a modest start to the 2025 campaign Through three games, he has completed 69 of 106 passes (65.1%) for 689 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Big 12’s unexpected risers shooting for staying power

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

Willie Fritz began his coaching career more than four decades ago at Pittsburg State, a Division II school tucked into the corner of Kansas where he had played defensive back in the late 1970s and early ‘80s.

In other words, the current Houston coach has seen just about everything in college football, whether it be as the head man at the junior college level (Blinn), the Division II level (Central Missouri), the FCS level (Sam Houston State), the lower tier of FBS (Georgia Southern), the middle tier of FBS (Tulane) or now at the Power Four level with the Cougars.

Yes, his team is off to a 3-0 start

And yes, it is too early to start selling tickets to the Big 12 title game

“I tell the team all the time,” Fritz said after last weekend’s win over Colorado, “this only counts as one game. Fortunately, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and by the time I wake up tomorrow I’ll be on to the next one. I told the guys to make sure they celebrate for a couple of days and have fun with their families, but we’ve got to move on.” Houston, Utah, Central Florida and Arizona were all Big 12 bottom-dwellers last season, fodder for the programs that were in a logjam at the top of the league. This year? They are a combined 11-0. Houston hasn’t even been tested in wins over Stephen F. Austin, Rice and the Buffaloes Utah’s drubbing of UCLA helped get Bruins coach DeShaun Foster fired. UCF has passed its first two tests in the Scott Frost Era Part II. And the Wildcats landed the best win of

TULANE

Continued from page 1C

to win the American Conference under second-year coach Jon Sumrall can get to 4-0 for the first time since 1998 and has won more road games (16) than any FBS program since the start of 2022.

Ole Miss, which narrowly missed a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, is ranked 13th in The Associated Press poll under sixth-year coach Lane Kiffin. He guides the seventhwinningest program in the FBS since 2021.

“Their coaching staff has done a great job of embracing this era of college football,” Sumrall said. “I really respect the way how they’ve put their teams together since all the changes came from 2020 on and how their operation has embraced this world we live in now. Our (NIL) budget is not in the same hemisphere obviously, but we’ve watched it and tried to emulate it on a smaller scale.”

them all by beating Kansas State, which is more pretender than Big 12 contender at this point. As league play gets going in earnest, will the upside-down nature of the Big 12 bear out the rest of the way?

“If you sit around and revel in past successes,” Fritz said, “you will never be as good as you can be Or when you have a bad outcome, if you sit around and pout about it, you’re not going to get any better We just try to move on. Even though (beating Colorado) was a big win for our program, if we want it to be a really big win, we’ve got to keep going.”

Houston had plenty of bad outcomes last season going 3-6 in the league and 4-8 overall. But the Cougars already have one Big 12 win heading into this week’s bye, and they can match their win total from last season next week against Oregon State. Utah, UCF and Arizona were all 2-7 in the Big 12 last season. All of them have reason to believe their turnaround is real.

The Utes climbed to No. 16 in the AP Top 25 poll this week, and they have the biggest opportunity of the weekend with No 17 Texas Tech visiting town. The last time Utah started 4-0 was in 2008, when Kyle Whittingham led the Utes to a 13-0 mark, a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and ultimately a No. 2 finish in the final AP poll.

“We’ve got to be up for the occasion,” Whittingham said of the showdown with the Red Raiders, perhaps the most impressive of Big 12 teams so far this season.

“Our fans will be there in full force. It’ll be a great environment for us. The degree of difficulty is getting higher and that’s what you would expect, and we’re excited about the challenge.”

The Knights wrap up their nonconference schedule against Bill Belichick and North Carolina, which has already lost in lopsided fashion to Big 12 brethren TCU. Take care of business Saturday and the Knights will carry momentum into their conference opener against Kansas State.

Those Wildcats, who were pegged as possible College Football Playoff contenders before the season, are still smarting from the loss to Arizona that dropped them to 1-3. They also lost their conference opener to Iowa State and fell at home to Army

As for the other bunch of Wildcats, the win over Kansas State doesn’t count as a conference win for Arizona because the series was made before it joined the Big 12. But it nevertheless was a big one for coach Brent Brennan, who is trying to build on a 4-8 first season in Tucson made even more humbling by watching Arizona State’s quick turnaround last year

The Sun Devils went from 3-9 in their final year in the Pac-12 to Big 12 champions and CFP participants in 2024.

Perhaps the Cougars, Utes, Knights or Arizona can make a similarly stunning climb to the top of the league this season.

“I feel like there’s definitely been a lot of growth this year, as far as responding. It’s showing out there,” Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi said. “The only thing you can do is compare games, whether we responded last year or not. And we’re responding.”

LSU

Continued from page 1C

The Tigers are one of only three FBS teams that haven’t converted a fourth down this season. They’ve tried just once, and Kelly has said that he should have kicked a field goal on that play instead of trying to pick up a first down right before halftime against Clemson. LSU hasn’t lined up on fourth down since, though opportunities have presented themselves.

On Saturday, the Tigers faced fourth and 1 from their own 34yard line in the first quarter, fourth and 3 from the Florida 46 in the second and fourth and 1 at midfield in the third quarter Kelly decided to punt each time, defying the guidance that his analytical model gave him. That strategy is a new one for LSU. The Tigers have attempted at least four fourth-down conversions through the first three games of each of the first three seasons they’ve played under Kelly In 2023, LSU went for it on fourth down eight times in the first three contests. Now because Garrett Nussmeier is nursing an upper-body injury, and the rushing attack is struggling while the defense is not — the Tigers are playing a risk-averse style of offense.

“And it came up big for us,” Kelly said, “because it resulted in a score.”

Chadwick, a Middle Tennessee State transfer, dropped four punts inside the 20-yard line in the win over Florida He’s already notched six such punts through three games — half as many as two punters combined to record all of last season for LSU.

One of those punts — the one Chadwick put on Florida’s 14yard line with 1:17 left in the second quarter — helped LSU take a 13-10 lead into halftime. Quarterback DJ Lagway threw his second interception of the night five

transfers.

plays later, setting up the offense on the edge of field goal range. LSU ran two plays, then asked Damian Ramos to break a 10-10 tie by kicking a 45-yard field goal. The Tigers could have been more aggressive, but because they trust their punter and their defense, they called a run on third and 5 from Florida’s 48-yard line. Caden Durham then picked up 2 yards, and Chadwick punted on fourth and 3, teeing up the sequence that led to the field goal LSU kicked before halftime.

“(Sloan) is doing what he’s asked to do to manage the games the way we need to,” Kelly said. “We have a top-10 defense, I believe, in the country, and we need to play to that strength. So sometimes, you have to pull back a little bit here and there. He’s being a great coach from that perspective.”

But LSU is still struggling to sustain drives It ranks 108th in scoring offense and 95th in total offense Its rushing attack again sits near the bottom of the SEC, and it’s scored touchdowns on only five of 11 trips to the red zone — one of the 25 lowest rates in the country Last season, the Tigers converted third downs at the sixthhighest rate in the nation (49%). Now their third-down conversion rate (41%) ranks 70th among FBS teams.

LSU has plenty of room for improvement — and plenty of time to improve.

In the meantime, Kelly knows his team can win by playing stout defense and flipping the field. It’s how the Tigers have stayed unbeaten ahead of their tune-up against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday (6:45 p.m., SEC Network) and the meat of their SEC slate.

“I know it didn’t look the way it wants to be,” Kelly said, “but trust me, that offense is going to have to score a ton of points at some time during the year and we’re going to have to turn that loose.”

Kiffin singled out Retzlaff, who against Duke became the first Tulane quarterback to rush for four touchdowns, as a headache inducer

“It’s much different than what we prepared for in the offseason,” Kiffin said. “He looks like one of the best players in America. He’s so dynamic and can do so many things. It’s pretty amazing coming in as late as he did after the portal window was closed.”

The Ole Miss quarterback picture is unclear Although Kiffin said Monday he expected Simmons, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, to return as the starter, Sumrall dismissed that statement. The Wave will prepare for Simmons and Chambliss, who went 21 of 29 for 353 yards in Saturday’s 41-35 victory against Arkansas.

transfer heavy on the defensive line this week. End Gerrod Henderson, who exited against Duke with a right-arm injury in the second quarter, sat out Tuesday’s practice. Fellow end Hamilton missed the back half with an unspecified issue. Both have played their whole career with the Wave.

“Kam’s probable,” Sumrall said. “He was on a pitch count today Gerrod, we’ll see what he’s able to do. The trainers have told him he’s good to go to some extent. It’s just a matter of what’s his own readiness. Everybody has a little different pain threshold.”

Lagniappe

Sumrall lost American Conference pass efficiency leader Darian Mensah (Duke), two-time 1,000-yard running back Makhi Hughes (Oregon) and his top four re-

Kiffin lost first-round draft pick quarterback Jaxson Dart, elite wide receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins and his top four running backs from 2024. In their place are Penn State transfer Harrison Wallace (15 catches, 339 yards), Missouri transfer Kewan Lacy (61 carries, 290 yards) and — if injured quarterback Austin Simmons misses his second consecutive game with a bum ankle Trinidad Chambliss from 2024 Division II national champion Ferris State. In all, 15 of the Rebels’ projected starters for Saturday began their careers somewhere else.

ceivers. Their replacements include BYU transfer Jake Retzlaff, the current American offensive player of the week; top receiver Omari Hayes (Florida Atlantic); and running backs Zuberi Mobley (Florida Atlantic) and Maurice Turner (Louisville). All but nine expected starters versus Ole Miss are

“They are different players,” Sumrall said. “They both have a tremendous amount of talent and ability Simmons has a wow arm He’s a very natural passer and a good runner, too. Chambliss is not as tall but has good short-area quickness and has great instincts and awareness.” Tulane could be even more

Retzlaff was the first Tulane player named league offensive player of the week since Michael Pratt against North Texas in October 2023. This is one of five games this weekend pitting 3-0 teams. Tulane’s American opener at Tulsa on Sept. 27 still does not have a start time. ESPN exercised a sixday window and will wait for the result of Tulane-Ole Miss and Memphis-Arkansas to determine whether kickoff will be 3 p.m. on ESPNU or 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

Scottie Scheffler hits from the sixth teeduring the firstround of the Procore Championship last ThursdayinNapa, Calif. Four years ago, Scheffler was the last pick for theU.S.Ryder Cup squad with no PGATour winstohis name.

Scheffler comeslongway from beinglastRyder pick

NAPA, Calif. Scottie Scheffler,the No.1 playeringolf, still remembers thetime he was last.

Duplantis’ fiancée washis motivation to learnSwedish

BY STEPHEN WADE Associated Press

TOKYO— As everysecondlanguage learner knows, Louisiana-bornMondo Duplantis needed motivation to learn— in hiscase —Swedish.

The globe saw his inspiration MondayatJapan’s National Stadium when he clambered into the stands after setting aworld record in the pole vault,hugged his fiancée, Swedishmodel Desiré Inglander,and followed up with amade-for-Hollywood kiss and embrace.

Duplantis called meeting Inglander in 2020 his “most important” factor in gaining fluency

“That made it actuallydecent,” he joked.

There were other educational moments, of course. He grew up in Lafayette with aSwedish mother and an American dad. There were those summers with grandparents in Sweden and adecision to competeinternationally for Sweden with all that entails.

“I’m marrying aSwed-

ishgirl— andher family is, of course, all Swedish,” Duplantissaid.“I’ve hadto make sure that theSwedish was on par—uptogame enough —tomakesure when we’re having familydinnersorwhatnot,just hanging out, thatIcan go with the flow with everything.”

He has only amild Southern accent. But when speaking in Swedish, he described his accent as “very weird” in acountry where he said even local accents change markedly depending on the location.

“Obviously,myAmerican accent seeps throughvery, very hard, Ithink.”

Duplantis’ Swedish is strong enough to do interviewsinthe language, make televisionappearances and do promotions. When you ask afew Swedes, they call him “fluent.”

“They’re probably being very,very kind,” he said.

Duplantis was asked if he felt extra pressure from the Swedish public to keep setting records.

The question was prompted by acomment reportedly made by American vaulter Sam Kendricks. Kendricks was thesilvermedalistbehind Duplantis ayear ago at theParisOlympics. He was also the last to winthe world title —inDoha in 2019 —before Duplantis took over Monday wasthe 14th time Duplantis has set the world record.

“I think that’sprobably alack of understanding of Swedishculture to think that theexpectationsare superhighonmeasfar,as the Swedesare concerned,” Duplantis replied. “I think they’re (Swedes) not the mostharsh in that kind of way.I have no complaints.”

“I think that alot of people expect world records outof me alot of thetime,” he said. “I think that there’salsoa pretty fair reason for that toobecauseI’vebrokenthe record alot of times. And I’ve shown thatwhenever the conditions are right, I’m really up forit.” Dittofor Mondospeaking Swedish.

The Ryder Cup being nextonthe horizon serves as yet another reminderof how quickly his absurdlevel of dominance came together.The day Scheffler arrived in Napawas the four-year anniversary of him being announced as a captain’spick for hisfirst Ryder Cup He was at No. 21 in the world with 13 other Americans aheadofhim.Hehad yet to win on the PGA Tour Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker was on the phone

“I think it was fairly obviousIwas probably the last guy on theteam,” Scheffler said. “I remember gettingthe phone call. Ididn’tknow if he was going to call me andgive me reallybad news or really good news. It’skind of weird preparing for something you don’tknowifit’sgoing to be amazing or if it’sjust going to absolutely breakyourheart.

“But it was agreat phonecall,” hesaid.

“I was very emotional.”

It was abig week for the Americans at Whistling Straits —a19-9 win,their largest margin of victory over Europe— and for Scheffler.Hewas sentout early in the third singles match to play JonRahm, the No. 1player in the world. After four holes, Scheffler had four birdies and a4-up lead. Therout was on.Tothis day,Scheffler still carries the yardagebook cover from that Ryder Cup Stricker said the final pick came down to Scheffler,Sam Burns andPatrick Reed, who had been hospitalized forfive days with pneumonia during the past two qualifying events, and whose criticism of his captain and teammates after theParis lossin2018 didn’thelp hiscause. Stricker recalled being impressed when he was paired with Scheffler for the final round of the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. He remembered how Scheffler mowed down in successionIan Poulter,Rahm and Matt Kuchar to reach thefinalofthe Match Play.And he asked the six automatic qualifiers to weighin. The scales kept tilting toward Scheffler. “It’ssuper cool,” Stricker said of where Scheffler was then and where he is now. “And to see him carry that yardage book cover,that tells you right therewhatit means to him, what it did for his confidence, the belief in himself andall that.

“Taking down Jon RahmonSunday, I’ve got to believe all that played apart in what he’sdoing now,” hesaid.“We all need that moment where we get that boost of confidence.”

That seems like alot longer than four years ago

Scheffler,one of the ringleaders in getting the Ryder Cup team to Silverado leading up to next week’smatches at Bethpage Black on New York’sLong Island, made up an eight-shot deficit last weekend to win for the sixthtime this year

ScottieScheffler walks on the 16th hole during the final round of the PGA Tour Championship on Aug. 24 in Atlanta.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

It was aunique week withall but two of the Ryder Cup players playing in asleepy tournamentamongthe vineyards in September. TheProcoreChampionship had its strongest field and biggest crowd. And then thetournament started, and it was business as usual for Scheffler

He became only the fifthplayer in the past 75 years to have back-to-back seasons of at least six victories. The others were TigerWoods, Jack Nicklaus,Arnold Palmerand Sam Snead.

And while his style and approach to the game are morereminiscent of Nicklaus, thenumbers allow for comparisons with Woods.

Here’sanother landmark Scheffler achieved in Napa —ittook him three years, sevenmonths and one day to go from his first PGA Tour title to his 19th. That’sthe shortest timeinPGA Tour history(Woods took three years, seven months and 22 days)

TheRyder Cup undoubtedly played a role in this —both of them for Scheffler, good and bad.

Scheffler,who doesn’toften spend alot of time looking back or ahead, also shared memories fromthe last Ryder Cup at Marco Simone. They weren’thappy ones.

Scheffler andBrooksKoepka were on thelosingend of the mostlopsided 18hole match in Ryder Cup history,9and 7 to Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg in foursomes. Scheffler was in tearsashe watched from thesidelines that afternoon.

In arematch with Rahminsingles

Scheffler lost a1-up lead when he chipped throughthe back of the green and Rahm hita90-foot eagle putt to within inches for birdie and thehalve.

“The last Ryder Cup did not go how I anticipated it would go,”Scheffler said.

“I was fired up and excited toget home and practice, and Ithink my resultssince then have proven how much workthat I put into my game and to get to thepoint where Iamnow.”

He won nine times that next year, includinga Masters green jacket and Olympicgold medal. Even after being sidelined two months when he punctured hishand trying to cut ravioli with awine glass, he wontwo majors and four other titles this year

What will the next Ryder Cup bring?

ForScheffler,ithas always been about preparation, being able to stand on the first tee knowinghedidn’ttake any shortcuts in having done all that he could to be ready.Thatwas his regret from Marco Simone,and one reason he wanted to compete ahead of Bethpage Black

“We’re all excited to get there to Bethpage and startthe tournament,” he said.

“We’ve got three days to see who’sthe better team,and it’s going to be agood battle.”

For allthe recent comparisons with Woods, this is one area Scheffler would do well to avoid.

Woods played on only one winning Ryder Cup team.

Softball commissioner excited as leaguepreparestoexpand

BY CLIFFBRUNT

Associated Press

Kim Ng is excited about how far Athletes Unlimited softball has come in the past year andbelieves thesport is surging as her league prepares to expand in 2026.

The AthletesUnlimited SoftballLeague’scommissionerisbrimming with confidenceafter the league postedwhatshe called promising numbersinits first year.Thiswas thefirst time Athletes Unlimited addeda traditional team format after five years of crowning only individual champions.

There were 20 sold-out games in atouring format that visited 10 cities. The AUSLwebsite had 5.3 million views during theseason, and the championship series had peak viewership of 347,000 on ESPN. Therewere240 million impressions on the AUSL’s social channels

“I thinkitwentreally well,” Ng said. “And we wereall just incredibly excited, incredibly thrilled aboutwhat we were just able to do, and really,for the future of AUSL.”

The Talons beat theBandits forthe inauguralteam championship in late July.A month later,Kayla Kowalik won the 2025 AUSLAll-Star Cup —Athletes Unlimited’s secondseason that crowns an individual champion based on apoints system. Nextseason, there will be six teams in the AUSL for the team season, the four existing squads and two new ones.Itwill shift from atouring model to acitybased model. Thereare plentyofreasons to believe expansion will be successful.

Before this year’s twoAthletes Unlimited softball seasons, MLBand the AUSL announced apartnership that provided thesoftball league ajump-start

AUSL had $1 millionin merchandisesales during the team season, with former Oklahomapitcher Sam Landry,the No.1overall draftpick,havingthe mostsold jersey

Theleague took itstouring format to Round Rock,Texas, on July 20 and set astate recordfor asoftballcrowd (more than 6,500 fans).

“When we got to Round Rock, seeing that stadium in particular full, Ithink that was another moment in time where it gave you aglimpse as to what couldbe, what is actually possible,” Ng said.

The AUSL Championship seriesaveraged230,000 viewers for two games. The 2025 AUSL All-Star Cup followed, andESPNsaidthose numbers were up 55% from last season. AthletesUnlimitedrode the wave of momentum from ayear of viewing records in college softball. ESPN said the average of 1.3million viewersacross 15 gameson itsplatforms was themostwatched Women’sCollege World Series ever,surpassing the record set in 2021. Game 3ofthe champion-

ship series between Texas andTexas Tech was ESPN’s most-watched NCAA softball gameever,with 2.4 million viewers.

Those are all steps toward one of the league’sultimate goals. AthletesUnlimited works with USA Softball, witha goal of creating a strong domestic league that helps prepare the team for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Team USA coach Patty Gasso said she likes what the league has done.

“The players thatare in this league —you better be fit, have agood idea of how to stay healthy,how to stay strong, or you’re going to lose your position,” she said during theAUSLteamseason. “And you can see the competition, you can see the fire, youcould see the excitement.” Now, Ng looks forward to theexpansion. She said the citieswill be named in the next few months. Ng also said the AUSL All-Star Cup will continue.She said the overallgoal is forAthletes Unlimited softball to reach thelevel of theWNBAand the NWSL.

AYU BAKEHOUSE

801 Frenchmen St., New Orleans, (504) 302-7985

Crown of glory

Her king cake wowed N.O. Now she’s been named one of America’s ‘Best New Chefs’

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

Jacques

Boudin makes a handy breakfast at Ayu Bakehouse, 801 Frenchmen St., wrapped in delicate sheets of pastry for the “boudin boy.” The muffuletta sticks manage to contain all the olive salad and salumi goodness from the monstrous full sandwich in snack form. And at the holidays, Ayu’s cheery “challahgator” loaves become table centerpieces, picked apart almost reluctantly because they’re so darn cute. These are some of the hallmarks of this Frenchmen Street bakery cafe, with a fun, creative approach to combining family tradition, different culinary influences and local flavor It swiftly won a local following. Now its co-founder has picked up a high-profile national accolade.

Kelly Jacques was named by Food & Wine to its 2025 class of “Best New Chefs,” an annual national honor she shares with nine others across the country this year

The chefs represent what Food & Wine considers “the most promising and dynamic chefs right now,” culinary talents who are “shaping American dining with food that tells their story.” Over the years, Food & Wine’s list has identified some luminaries of the industry early in their careers, including Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, David Chang, Nobu Matsuhisa and Daniel Boulud. This year’s list is part of Food & Wine’s October issue.

Jacques, a Tulane University grad, was once pastry cook at Emeril’s NOLA in the French Quarter and once had a bikebased bread delivery service called the Bikery She created Ayu with business partner Samantha Weiss, whom she met during culinary school in New York. They later worked together at Breads Bakery, a hugely popular bakery in that city They opened Ayu in 2022, taking the name (pronounced like “bayou”) from an Indonesian term for joy It’s a reference to one line of Jacques’ family roots in Southeast Asia, and that also accounts for a subtle Asian seam running through some of the bakery’s offerings

Boiling point

Lakeview restaurant brings boiled seafood and a serious selection of bourbon

BY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

No, Lakeview, you’re not getting a second Frankie & Johnny’s. But the new restaurant from the operators of that Uptown institution has brought their prowess around boiled seafood to the 70124.

Boil & Barrel is a new Lakeview restaurant centered on two things: boiled seafood and bourbon.

Around them is a mix of New Orleans standards, and variations from the script to frame up a modern take on the neighborhood restaurant. It was opened in early September by the same people who have for the past decade run the 1940s era Frankie & Johnny’s. That includes chef David McCelvey leading the kitchen, and Tarek Tay, a co-founder of the Byblos restaurant brand.

Bourbon den

Boil & Barrel is all-ages and family-friendly. It’s the kind of place neighbors can walk to with the kid in a stroller But the large bar up front does have the feel of a tavern, and there’s no missing the bourbon fixation here.

The bourbon selection has a depth in selection that’s normally reserved for expense account steakhouses; here it all is at a neighborhood hangout.

The wood-clad interior can put you in a mind of bourbon, like the sides of a cask, more earthy warm than dark.

The restaurant is serving a menu of boiled seafood in metal pails (dubbed the bucket list), with local shrimp and blue crab and imported snow crab now. Crawfish will come in their season. The covered patio seems primed for tucking into these over a mug of beer

On the menu

Oysters are served raw and charbroiled, and the menu has fried

Just a few months after opening, Ayu turned heads with its first king cakes

A collard green melt is one of the new dishes available at the Caesars Superdome’s concessions.

Carnival

BY CHELSEA SHANNON Staff writer

Rememberingthe date

Dear Heloise: Irene from Beaverton, Oregon, wrote that she used stickynotesonher bathroom mirror to remember appointments. Iunderstand her dilemma. Iused to do this, too but then Itook it one step further

Several years ago,Iput acalendar on thewall right next to my mirror and put all my appointments and events on it. As she pointedout, you notice it every time you look in the mirror.Some places still give out free calendars at the end of the year,orIwill go to alocal dollar store and get onein the size that Ilike. Iremember my appointments, and the mirror is easier to clean with nothing on it. —Lorrie M., via email

Food labeling

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: My hubby is acardiac patient, and Ihelp himby preparing healthy meals.Iweigh

each ingredientina recipe and calculate theprotein, calories, carbs, potassium, sodium and phosphorus for each item. When Ifinish, Iweighthe final product and calculate the nutritional values per ounce. Because it is very time-consuming, Icook in batches andlabel the containers with the name anddate it was prepared. Ipost it on alist on the fridgeand also in anotebook. Extra containers go in the freezer until they’re needed. If acontainer is overlooked andfound at alater date, it is easy for himtofind the nutritional values inside thenotebook. —Judy P.,inBoerne,Texas Judy, Iadmirethe excellent care you giveyour husband. He is fortunate to havesuch adevotedcaregiver —Heloise Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.

TODAYINHISTORY

assassinated in Paraguay

By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday,Sept.17,

the260th day of 2025. There are 105 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was completed and signed by a majority of delegates attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Also on this date:

In 1862, more than 3,600 men were killed in the Civil WarBattleofAntietam in Maryland.

In 1908, Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge of the U.S. Army Signal Corps became the firstperson to die in the crash of apowered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, at Fort Myer,Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The pilot, Orville Wright, was seriously injured but survived.

In 1944, during World WarII, Allied paratroopers launched Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in the Netherlands.

In 1978, after 12 days of meetingsatthe U.S. presidential retreatofCamp David, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, aframeworkfor a peace treaty

In 1980, former Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza was

JACQUES

Continued from page1D

season began in 2023. There was asavory version that year,and a decadent chocolate babka renditionthat returns annually.But it wasJacques’take on thetraditional NewOrleanskingcake that catapulted it into the higher ranks of this Carnival season obsession.

The exterior looks like acroissant andgives thesamekindof crinkly-crackly texturewhenyou bite in,followed by layer after layer of fluffy dough shot through with cinnamon. In 2024, it topped anola.comreaders’ poll of best kingcakes.

Food &Wine’sannual list of best new chefs is considereda high honor in culinary circles.

In 2001, six days after 9/11, stock prices nose-dived but stopped short of collapse in an emotional, flag-waving reopeningofWall Street

In 2011, ademonstration callingitself OccupyWall Street began in New York,prompting similar protests around the U.S. and theworld.

In 2021, aLos Angeles jury convicted New York real estate heir Robert Durst of killing his best friend 20 years earlier (Durst, who was sentenced to life in prison, diedin2022.)

Today’sbirthdays: Sen. Chuck Grassley,R-Iowa, is92. Mountaineer-explorer Reinhold Messner is 81. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson is 80. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 75. Actor Cassandra Peterson (“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark”) is 74. Director-actor Paul Feig is 63. Film director BazLuhrmann is 63. Singer BeBe Winans is 63. Actor Kyle Chandler is 60. Rapper Doug E. Fresh is 59. Author CherylStrayed is57. Actor MatthewSettle is 56. DesignerTV personalityNateBerkus is 54. NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson is 50. NHL forward Alexander Ovechkin is 40. ActorDanielle Brooks is 36. NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 30.

Among New Orleans chefs, Frank Brigtsen was in the first-ever Best New Chef classin1988, followed ayear later by Susan Spicer Other local chefs to receive the honorinclude Michael Gulotta (then of MoPhoand Maypop, now of TANA), Sue Zemanick (then of Gautreau’s, now of Zasu), Ian Schnoebelen (then of Mariza, later of Rosalita’sTacos), Greg Sonnier(Gabrielle), John Besh (then of Artesia in AbitaSprings,now of BRG Hospitality), John Harris (Lilette, Bouligny Tavern), Nina Compton(Compere Lapin and Bywater American Bistro), Ana Castro (then of Lengua Marde, now of Acamaya) and, last year, Nicolle Cabrera Mills (Peche Seafood Grill).

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

Dear Miss Manners: We invited over someofmypartner’sfriends who all have young children. Our children are grown, but we adore kids. We understand that kids makemesses. We childproofed by moving breakable objects out of reach. We brought out aselection of toys for them to play with. We offered cookies and crackers,and fully expected tohave to vacuum after their visit.

Butone set of parents did something that left me flummoxed

adripping peach. He dropped it on the carpet, leaving avisible smear of sticky juice, and the parent picked up the peach, washed it, and then handed it back to the toddler

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

We have afruit bowl in our kitchen that was out of reach for thesmall children. It was not on thetable for guests to grab, like theother snacks, but guests could easily see it.

Oneofthe guestswandered over,selected apeach and handed it to her toddler.The toddler then marched around thehouse eating

The toddler dropped it again and the parent threw away the half-eaten peach and then selected ANOTHER peach and handed it to thechild, whoproceeded to continue to eat and drop thesecond peach. The parents were completelyunconcerned about themess the kid made, and didn’tseem to notice or care when Iwas on the floor scrubbing thestains(somewhat theatrically).

Iwas so taken aback that I didn’tsay anything. What could I have done?

Gentlereader: Aright instinct not to step between parents and their children —inthis case led you to awrong, and incidentally

ineffective, action. Youthink the parents did not notice, but if the goo cleanup was as dramatic as you say,itmay simply have embarrassed them. Either way,itunderlined the rudeness being committed without providing asolution.

If, instead, you had taken a peach, removed the pit and cut abite-sized slice for the child all while engaging the parent in witty conversation —you would have charmed the parent, immobilized the child and prevented further damage to the house, all while appearing the perfect host. Miss Manners has seen similar quick thinking save manyarug. Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

BOIL

Continuedfrom page1D

seafood platters, agumbo, entree salads, and adaily fish from the flat-top grill.

There’saburger too, anew entry in theverycompetitionranks for theburgerdollaralongHarrisonAvenue alone (see also Lakeview Burgers&Seafood, DesiVega’sPrime Burgers, Juniors on Harrison, the Backyard, and even TasteeDonuts, home of the “Kastle Burger”).

But then the menu also brings less-traditional fare.There are steamedmussels in alightly butterybroth that areheaped with crisp fries, for instance, and there are chilled seafooddishes like cev-

SUPERDOME

Continuedfrom page1D

stayed on when ASM decided to switch itsconcessionsprovider from Sodexo Live to Legends. In working withexecutive chef Michael Cansler,Tolin said they tried to foster an offering of foods keeping Louisiana-based ingredients in mind. Tolin said he is excited they will be offering the Tabasco burnt ends barbecue burger,which debuted as an option at the Domelast

recipe (SanMarzanotomatoes, butter, onions). Its simple freshness helps the sauce to take on the flavors of the seafood.

iche and crab claws. The “B&B fruit de mer”isaseafood pasta witha redsauce based on Italian cookbook queen Marcella Hazan’sfamous three-ingredient

season andisnow being offered in twolocations on the 200 level.

But what’s different at the Dome?

Startingatthe top, there won’tbe thesame stuffed baked potatoes as aconcession option on the 600 level. Fans will get to choose from classic Louisianadishes, such as sausage po-boys andjambalaya, or Japanese-inspired dishesofhibachi withsteak or chicken.

On the 100, 200 and 500 levels of the Dome, concessions stands will be offering some dishes with changes that make them feel new and others that are entirelynew,

This corner spot along Lakeview’smain street has seen anumber of restaurants through the years. For 10 years, it was home to Susan Spicer’scasual concept Mondo before becoming the Italian restaurant Elle J’s. Outpost 45, developedbythe operatorsofthe popular Velvet Cactus just down the street, madeitabout twoyears before closing in March. Boil &Barrel serves dinner to beginand will addlunch as its schedule expands. It has private roomsavailable forevents.

Email Ian McNultyat imcnulty@theadvocate.com.

including somegluten-free and vegetarian options:

n Redfish sandwich

n Collard greens melt —vegetarian n Shredded beef tacos —glutenfree n Chicken tinga tacos —glutenfree n Wild mushroom po-boy —vegetarian n Cochon de lait sandwich with pork cracklins.

Email Chelsea Shannon at cshannon@theadvocate.com.

n APig Party!

The Four Seasons Hotel was the site for the night when the 85-year-old American Diabetes Association heldits annual Kiss aPig Gala. Billed as ablack-tie event, it gathers industryleaders and community supporterstocelebrate the fundraising efforts of nominated candidates. They come from Louisiana and Mississippi and, throughout the year,run peer-to-peerfundraising campaigns to compete for thehonor of kissing apig. Yep! Kissing apig. The association honors thesignificant role pigs have played inthe development of insulin anddiabetes treatment. In the 1920s, scientists found that pig pancreas could beused to make insulin. The acclaimed animal has made aheroiccontribution to diabetes research. Everyoneissow,sow grateful To launch the levity,aVIP reception took place in the hotel’sRiverview Ballroom with aPunch Wall andprizes worth $20 or more. At 7:30 p.m., thePlimsoll Ballroom housed the program, dinner and auction. Later,the “Dance Party,featuring the Bucktown All-Stars,” took over theballroom. Apartner for Phelps in Jackson,Mississippi, Candace Gregory chaired the event. Last year,she was aKiss aPig candidate. The2025 special guest speaker was Charles “Chuck” Henderson, ADA CEO. MalikMingo,the Emmy-nominated host of the local talk show,“Great Day Louisiana,” on WWL-TV,served as the master of ceremonies; Dr Brantlee McConaughey of LSUHealth Sciences Center in New Orleans, was the mission speaker; and Mark Romig,Voice of the New OrleansSaints, emceed the auction for which Chuck Mutz (Black TieAuctions)stepped forward as auctioneer.Guests bid on 78 items, 64inthe silent setupand 14 “live” ones,which rendered$31,140 in proceeds. Cindy Pazos was thethrilled top bidder for aprivate at-home dinner prepared anddonatedbyNew OrleansCulinary Ambassador Gary Netter and Melinda “Kay” Jenkins,RN, copped aLas Vegasvacation as the Heads or Tails winner

SOCIAL SALUTES

n Lutetia Levity

The top sponsors, leading offwithHigh Hoof,which claimed Phelps, continued with Humana for the VIP Reception,and as SilverSponsors, Birmingham CocaCola Bottling Company and DaVita

The 2025 candidates, whoraised money and hoped to kiss the piggy,were Bridgette Campbell,Optum/UHC; Robin Graham, Sam’s Club; John Green,Ochsner; Dr Eric Griggs, community medicinedoctor; Todd Jabbia, Walmart; Courtney Lewis, Aetna; Sara Montenegro, DaVita; Heather Murphy,PhelpsDunbar; aboveGary Netter,executive chef and NOCCA alumnus; and Patrick Sherrier, Ascend Christopher K. Ralston chairs the CommunityLeadership Board. (He also chairs the National Board.) Figuringonthe CLBare ElliottBauman, Lauren Glaser,Maria Newman, Council Powell, Elizabeth Sconzert,AndreaFitte,Rebecca Pennington, Nikesha Rodrigue, BryanWilson, JennyWise and 2025 event chair Candace Gregory. Leading off staff names are Jeanne McKay (with husband Chris Binder)and Lyndsey YoungStimson (with PJ), respective executive and development directors. Most were noted having aswinetime. Black and gold withfleur-de-lisaccents were thethematic colors for the gala (but were not reflective of Saints colors, nor affiliatedwith the football team) Plush Appeal, LLC donated thedécor, andSunshine Bouquet Company,the floral arrangements. Adding smiles was thekissing booth, which was hand-built by PJ Stimson.

Among those supping and socializing— andrelishing abeet first course; a cauliflower steak, salmon or beef shortrib as themain; and chocolate mousse were Don Schwarzenbach,Dr. Kevin Stephens Sr., Rick Born,Torie Kranze, Dr Mihran Naljayan, Elena Cambre, Dr Mark Lister and Lacy Smith,Jill Polard, Jeff Hopper,Michael Wright and dozens more, who, later,bounded to thedance floor And the winning candidates? Todd Jabbia wasthe topone, while Robin Graham was the second-place fundraiser

Perhaps the ultimate winners werethe gala’s piglets,which were originally loaned by Zoo2U in Folsom. They were adopted by the above Lyndsey Stimson and will be the porcine guestsofhonorfor all futureKiss aPig galas

n Design Ado

The 2025 AIA (American Institute of Architects) New Orleans Design Awards Gala, the city’s premier architectureindustry event, celebrated excellence in architecture, design, and construction. Held in Generations Hall, it spotlighted achievements of the city’sleading firms and professionals, “whose work has made waves acrossthe U.S.and impacted New Orleans’quality of life.” The Metairie-based contractor Broadmoor,LLC, was the presenter.Members of AIA Puerto Rico provided the Design Awards jury that was chaired by Edna Echandi Guzman. Threefold was the evening’s format, starting with aVIP

tron party and moving on to the DesignAwards presentation and the later gala reception. Hors d’oeuvres wereprovided bylocal

For an organization known for Russian themes during Carnival, Alexis embraced Paris for its estival ado. The Betty Hunley-designed “Alexis Goes to Paris!” invitation stated the Metairie Country Club as thevenue, the format (onehour for cocktails and three for dinner),and tenue: “Gentlemen: White dinner jacket, and Ladies: Summer cocktail chic.”

Guests arriving for the Alexis Summer Dinner passed by cutouts of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower en route to the dining room where tables were decorated with bleu, blanc et rouge (blue, white and red) ribbons. Prior to the served meal of salade niçoise, steak frites or trout meuniere, attendees tasted premier French wines and savored such hors d’oeuvres as paté canapes. After dinner,there wasaFrench trivia contest. The prize of macarons wenttothe Tzarina’stable.

Amongthe Alexis members and guests were Missy and Mark Bickham,Sonda and TedStacey,Melissa and Bruce Gordon,Timand Charlene Peterson, Devie and A.J.Friedman, Chelsea and Ben Billings, Joan and Alan Sheen, Katie and Adam Lambert, Rene and KimNavarre, Kimberly and Alan Schomaker,Michele and ThomasGraf, Michelle and JudsonChase, spouses Lynda Moreau and ShannonWalgamotte, Denise and Chet Mehurin, Deborah and AlbertLujan,and Amy and Nick Cioll. Concerning the music making, it was delightfully rendered by the band, Pardon My French

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Reach out to institutions to ensure you have your paperwork in order. Overcompensating for others will slow you down. Stay focused on results, not on gaining popularity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Helping a cause willbeupliftingandencourageinteresting connections with people who have something to offer. Don't feel pressured to donate cash when your time and skills will bring richer results.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Search for opportunities to utilize your skills, but don't let anyone take advantage of you in the interim. Work toward what you long for most. Reach out to someone you want to reconnect with.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Think less and do more. Let your actions speak for you, and you'll get the highest return. Make the most of your day, and you'll surpass your expectations.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Think, research, bide your time and avoid being bamboozled into putting your efforts behind someone else's dream. Look for opportunities that align more closely with what you want out of life.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Gravitate toward what's new and exciting, but don't rush into or finalize something. Share your likes and dislikes with someone you love.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Deal with relationship issues swiftly to avoid

situations becoming unmanageable. Use your intelligence, look for common ground and suggest a plan that fosters compatibility.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Explore and discover what's available and do your best to expand your connections. Set a budget that allows you the freedom to pursue your heart's desires.

tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Take a moment to evaluate your life and how you can make the most of each day Design your space and lifestyle to ensure you find the happiness you're searching for. Live life your way.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Participate in functions, and volunteer to make a difference using your skills and connections. Disagreements will set you back. Choose peace over discord.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) You can think big, but don't let impulsive behavior lead to mistakes. Avoid emotional situations that can lead to temptation or hinder your long-term plans. Financial gain is apparent.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Change begins with you. Revise your plans to suit your needs. Take control of the situations you encounter. It's what you do that will help you get into the winner's circle.

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

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Don Hewitt, best known for creating “60 Minutes,” said, “Let’s give theconventionsback to thepoliticians. If we thinkthere’s any news, we can tack it on afterward as commentary. But the conventions should be their show, not ours.” Let’s give the bidding conventions back to the experts. Let’sconcentrate on the card play, winning the necessary numberoftricks.Whateverconventions are used, often the same final contract will be reached.

Intoday’sdeal,Southisinsixno-trump West leadsthe spade 10. Declarer wins with dummy’s king, thencalls for alow club, gettingready to claim. But when East discards aheart, how shouldSouth react?

South opened withastrong and artificial two clubs. North responded three clubs to show five-plus clubs and eightplus points. Then North’s four-diamond rebid wasamodernconvention, Redwood —Roman KeyCardBlackwood in clubs. South’s reply showed four key cards (three aces and the club king, or four aces).Northput hispartner into six no-trump, awise choice given thebad club break.

Declarerhasonly11topwinners:three spades,four hearts, twodiamonds and two clubs. If he gives West the club king now, Southwill be forced to find the diamondqueen.Instead,heshouldwinwith hisclubace,thenleadtheclubfive.West must duck; otherwise, Southclaims. Then, after winning the trick withdummy’squeen,declarerplaysaspadetohis aceand runs thediamond jack through West.Even if the finesse loses, South has three spades, four hearts, three diamonds and twoclubs for hiscontract. ©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’S WoRD GunStocK: GUN-stok: The support to which the barrel of a shoulder-fired weapon is fixed.

Average mark18words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 32 or morewords in GUNSTOCK?

yEStERDAy’S WoRD —toRSIon

snoot snort soon soot sort stir inro into intro iron noir

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

Puzzle Answer

ken ken

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

WiShinG Well

GENTILLY 2544 ALLENTOUSSAINT BLVD NEWLYRENOVATED!!! 1-2BdrmApts *From$800/mo Parking* SecGate

*504-454-1333 GENTILLY 2661 Acacia St NewOrleans 2 bedroom 1bathstove,refrigerator yard hardwood floors quiet neighborhood $1050. Section8 acceptedcallDave504-650-1145

GENTILLY 6230 PasteurBlvd, Near UNO, 2Br/1Ba, centralair/heat, w/dhookup,fullkitchen,parking 504-914-4939

Between LakesPontchartrain &Maurepas Fronting 150'x150' on Pass Manchac(SouthPass)

10,000 AptHomes and 75 Locationswith Studio,1,2 &3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages

(asde‐finedbyLAR.S 38:2182(A)). AMANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD at 2:00pm on Thurs‐day,October 2, 2025 at JeffersonParishLaw En‐forcementDistrict– New VehicleStorage Building site,1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Harvey, Louisiana70058. Atten‐danceatthisconference is MANDATORYand prospectivebidders must remain in atten‐dancefor thedurationof theconference. Bidders arerequiredtostate on theBid Form that they have personally in‐spectedand arefamiliar with theProject site lo‐catedat JeffersonParish LawEnforcement District –New VehicleStorage Building 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana70058. Any prospectivebidderwho fails to attend thecon‐ferenceorremainfor the duration shallbeprohib‐ited from submitting a bidfor theproject Bids shallbeaccepted from Contractorswho arelicensedunder LA R.S. 37:2150-2163 forthe classification of Building Construction.Bidderis required to comply with provisions andrequire‐mentsofLARS37:2165 andLA. R.S.38:2212(B)(5). No bidmay be with‐drawnfor aperiodof forty-five (45) calendar days after receiptof bids,exceptunder the provisions of LA.R.S 38:2214. TheOwner reservesthe righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause,in‐cluding(withoutimita‐tion)asillustrativelyde‐finedinLa. R.S. 38:2214(B). In accordance with La.R.S.38:2212(B) (1), theprovisionsand requirements of La.R.S 38:2212 andthose stated in thesebidding docu‐mentsshall notbe waived.The ownershall incurnoobligationtothe Contractor untilthe Con‐tractbetween Ownerand Contractor is fully exe‐cuted. To participateinthe elec‐tronic submittalofbids, please seeInstructions to Bidders andnotethat Owner’svendorrequires that youregisterwith them andpay aone-time registration fee. Please visittheir websitefor de‐tails. INCORPORATIONOFIN‐STRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS INTO ADVERTISEMENT FORBIDS

Allbidssubmitted must comply with theInstruc‐tionstoBidders,Public Works/Construction Pro‐jectsJefferson Parish LawEnforcement District containedinthe bidding documents, whichare in‐corporated by reference into this Advertisement forBidsasifcompletely setforth herein 158640-SEP17-24-OCT13T $271.02

Detailed list of specifica‐tionsisavailable at the aboveaddress. TheSher‐iff, Parish of Jefferson, reserves theright to ac‐cept or reject anyand all bids in wholeorinpart andwaive formalities. JOSEPH LOPINTOIII, SHERIFF PARISH OF JEFFERSON,LA. Bid# 25-OCT-1501 ADV: TheNew Orleans Advocate September17, 24 andOc‐tober1,2025 158038-SEP17-24-OCT13T $48.66 y y accessing the bid num‐berinLaPac at www.doa Louisiana.gov/ospor from theprocurement sectionlistedabove.No bids will be received after thedateand hour specified.The rightisre‐served to reject anyand allbidsand to waiveany informalities. TomKetterer Director of StateProcure‐ment FAX(225) 342-8688 158463-SEP17-1T $12.62

PUBLIC NOTICE

LANDIS CONSTRUCTION SEEKINGSUBCONTRAC‐TORS ANDSUPPLIERS Landis Construction is seekingbidsfromLocally OwnedDBE Subcontrac‐tors andMaterialSuppli‐ers, includingCertified DisadvantagedBusiness Enterprises, Minority Business Enterprisesand Women’sBusinessEnter‐prises forALL TRADES for Touro-Shakspeare Phase II,2650 GeneralMayer Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70114. Bids aredue:Tues‐day, September23, 2025, before 2:00pm Landis’s Estimating Team will be availablewithany ques‐tionsyou mayhave, re‐gardingthisproject,by email: estimating@ landisllc.com, phone: (504) 833-6070 or fax: (504) 833-6662. 157931-SEP12-17-2T $169.30

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO PROPOSERS SP#1420 Sealed proposalswillbe received by theOffice of StateProcurement,1201 NorthThird Street,2nd Floor,Suite 2-160, Baton Rouge, LA until 10:00 AM CT on 10/28/2025 forSo‐licitation Number Doc Doc1650054380 -Request forProposal(RFP) Title1 Part CSupport Services forLouisiana Department of Education. TheRFP maybeaccessedat https://discovery.ariba. com/rfx/23435165. No proposalswillbecon‐sideredafter thedate andhourspecified.The rightisreservedtoreject anyand allproposals andtowaive anyinfor‐malities TomKetterer Director of State Procurement Phone(225) 342-8010 158496-sept 17-1t $10.34

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE Sealed Bids forthe B12 NHDP Museum HVAC Renovations, Gillis Long Center,5445 PointClaire RD,Carville, LA 70721 will be received at theGillis Long Center,building10, 2ndFloor Conference Room,5445 PointClaire Rd.CarvilleLa70721, until 10:00 a.m. CT on Fri‐day, October17, 2025, andimmediatelyopened thereafter

ANYPERSONREQUIRING SPECIALACCOMMODA‐TIONSSHALL NOTIFY CURTIS “RANDY”CRAW‐FORD OF THETYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATION RE‐QUIRED NOTLESSTHAN SEVEN(7) DAYS BEFORE PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS SP#1414 Sealed bids will be re‐ceived by theProcure‐ment Sectionofthe Divi‐sion of Administration 1201 N. 3rd. St 2nd.

THEBID OPENING. Complete BidDocuments forthisproject areavail‐able in electronic form They maybeobtained withoutchargeand with‐outdeposit from FUSION Architects:biddocs@ fusionapc.com. Printed copies arenot available from theDesigner, but arrangements canbe made to obtain them throughmostrepro‐graphic firms. Plan hold‐ersare responsiblefor theirown reproduction costs. Questionsabout this procedureshall be directed to theDesigner at FUSION ArchitectAPC 3488 Brentwood Drive, BatonRouge,Louisiana 70809, Attn:Jason Jones. Phone(225) 766-4848. EMail Address: jason@ fusionapc.com. AMandatory Pre-Bid conference andsitevisit is scheduledfor 10:00 a.m. CT on,Friday, Octo‐ber3,2025, at theGillis Long,Building10, 2nd Floor Conference Room 5445 PointClaireRd. CarvilleLa70721. Atten‐danceatthisConference is mandatory. Prospec‐tive biddersmustattend theentiremandatory Pre-Bidconferencein ordertosubmita bid. TheMilitaryDepartment andGillisW.LongCenter pointofcontact is Curtis "Randy"Crawford, Email: curtis.r.crawford.nfg@ army.mil Gillis Long Cen‐ter, 5445 PointClaireRd, Carville, LA 70721; (225) 319-4698. BIDS SHALLBEACCEPTED ONLY FROM CONTRAC‐TORS THAT ATTEND THE ENTIRE MANDATORYPREBIDCONFERENCE. ANYPERSONREQUIRING SPECIALACCOMMODA‐TIONSSHALL NOTIFY CURTIS “RANDY”CRAW‐FORD OF THETYPE(S) OF ACCOMMODATIONRE‐QUIRED NOTLESSTHAN FIVE (5)DAYSBEFORE THEMANDATORY PREBIDCONFERENCE AllBidsmustbeaccom‐panied by BidSecurity equalto five percent (5%) of theBaseBid and Additional BidItems (ABI)and must be in the form of acertified check, cashier’scheck or bid bond Bids shallbeaccepted from Contractorswho arelicensedunder LA R.S. 37:2150-2192 forthe classification of BUILD‐INGCONSTRUCTION. Bid‐derisrequiredtocomply with provisionsand re‐i f p quirements of LA R.S. 38:2212(B)(5). ThesuccessfulBidder will be required to fur‐nish aPerformance and PaymentBondwrittenby acompany licensed to do business in theState of Louisiana, equalto 100% of theContract amount,including Addi‐tional BidItems (ABI), if required No Bidmay be with‐drawnfor aperiodof forty-five (45) days after receiptofBidsexcept under theprovisionsof LA R.S. 38:2214. Electronic BidDocu‐mentsmay be submitted by Contractorstothe Construction &Facilities Management Office by submitting theirbid alongwiththeir bidsecu‐rity to https://www.cen tralauctionhouse.com Electronic bids must be submittedsoastobe posted priorto10:00 a.m. CT on Friday,October 17, 2025. Hard copies of the contractor’s electroni‐callysubmitted packet must be sent to Facility EngineersOffice,ATTN: Curtis RandyCrawford, 5445 PointClair Rd., Carville, LA.70721, tele‐phone225-319-4689. ContractorsMUSTattend themandatory Pre-Bid conference scheduledfor 10:00 a.m. CT on Friday October03, 2025, at the listed abovelocationin ordertosubmitanelec‐tronic bid. TheOwner reserves the righttoacceptorreject anyand allBidsfor just cause. In accordance with directives andguid‐ance publishedbyFacil‐ityPlanningand Control, theLouisiana Revised Statutes,the provisions andrequirementsof thosestatedinthe ad‐vertisementfor bids and thoserequiredonthe bid form shallnot be waivered.The Louisiana MilitaryDepartment Deputy Director forCon‐tracting andPurchasing d h

@11:00 A.M.

PRE-BIDCONFERENCE: October6,2025 @11:00 A.M. OR TEAMS MeetingID: 293 891 937463 7 Passcode:bH7Yv9J5 Datesare subjectto changesvia an adden‐dumpostedbythe Bu‐reau of Purchasing on theCity’ssupplierportal. If this solicitation is fed‐erally funded,prospec‐tive bidder/respondent must payparticularat‐tentiontoall applicable laws andregulations of theFederal government andthe Stateof Louisiana. TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia

PUBLIC NOTICE

ADVERTISEMENTTO INVITATION TO BID CITY OF NEWORLEANS SPONSORING DEPARTMENT: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TITLE: SET-ASIDEDPW 787 Ditching/Grading MaintenanceZones 1,4,5

SOURCING EVENTNO.: 4539

TYPE OF SOLICITATION: PROFESSIONALSERVICES

DBEOPPORTUNITY: YES(35%) RELEASED ON: September17, 2025 DEADLINETORESPOND: October17, 2025

Public Notice

Agracel, Inc., Stebek, Inc., Stephen C. Acquistapace, Heidi Acquistapace Sellers, Rhonda CarolAcquistapace-Breland, Adam C. Acquistapace, Erik C. Acquistapace, The Heidi M. Acquistapace Trust, The Rhonda C. Acquistapace Trust, TheAdam C. Acquistapace Trust, The Erik C. Acquistapace Trust, and Heritage BankofSt. Tammanyhereby notifythe public that they have submitted to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) aVoluntary RemedialAction Plan(VRAP) with respect to the property listedat1000 US Highway 190 Business in Covington, St.TammanyParish. Pursuant to La.R.S. 30:2285 et seq., within the next thirty (30) days, any interested party may submit written comments regarding the VRAP or associated documents to the LDEQ, Office of EnvironmentalCompliance Remediation Division, c/oEstuardo Silva, Administrator, Post Office Box4312, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Please useAgencyInterest (AI) Number 38731 on any comments. Copiesofthe VRAP can be viewed at the LDEQ Headquarters Office, located at 602 North Fifth Street, Baton Rouge,LA70802, andthe St.TammanyParish PublicLibrary, 310 W21stAvenue, Covington, LA 70433. Interested Partiesmay also request, in writing, at the post office box address listedabove, apublic hearing regarding the VRAP

Points); (2) eighboringparishesofthe GreaterNew Orleans Metropolitan Region,whichincludes Orleans, Plaquemines, St.Bernard, St. Charles and St.Tammany Parishes (twelve (12) points); (3) parishes other thanthe foregoing (ten (10) points); (4) outside theStateofLouisiana (six (6) points). (Maximum pointsawarded shall be fifteen (15)). 6. Adversarial legalproceedingsbetween the parish and the personor firm performing professional services, in which the parish prevailedorany ongoing adversariallegal proceedings between the parish and the personor firm performing professional services, excluding those instancesorcases wherethe personor firm wasadded as an indispensable party or wherethe personor firm participated in or assistedthe public entityin prosecution of its claim.Inthe event thatthe personor firm fai stoprovideaccurate and detailed information regarding legalproceedingswith the parish, including the absenceoflegal proceedings, the personor firm shall be deemed unresponsive with regardtothis category,and zero(0) pointsshall be awarded.(Maximum pointsawardedshall be ten(10) for the lack of any suchadversarialproceedingsasdefined)

7. Priorsuccessfulcompletion of projectsofthe typeand nature described, for which firm has provided verifiable references. (Maximumpoints to be awarded shall be fifteen (15)).

Theperson or firm submitting aStatement of Qualification((General ProfessionalServices Questionnaire) mustidentify allsubcontractors whowill assist in providing professionalservicesfor the project,in the professionalservicesquestionnaire. Each subcontractor shall be requiredtosubmit a((General Professional Services Questionnaire) and all documentsand information included in the questionnaire. (Refer to JeffersonParish Code Ordinance,Section 2-928)

Allpersons or firms(including subcontractors) mustsubmit a Statement of Qualifications ((General Professional Services Questionnaire) by the deadline. The latest professional services questionnairemay be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department at (504) 364-2678 or via the Jefferson Parish website at https://www.jeffparish.gov/27/Government. This questionnaire can be accessed by clicking on the +next to “Doing Businessin Jefferson Parish” on the website and clicking on “Professional Services Questionnaires”.

Submissions will only be acceptedelectronically via Jefferson Parish’s e-Procurement site, CentralBidding at www.centralauctionhouse comorwww.jeffparishbids.net. Registrationisrequired and free for JeffersonParish vendors by accessing the followinglink: www centralauctionhouse.com/registration.php. No submittals will be acceptedafterthe deadline. Affidavits and Insuranceare not required to be submitted withthe Statement of Qualifications, but shall be submitted prior to contract approval.

Disputes/protestsrelating to the decisionsbythe evaluation committee or by the Jefferson Parish Council shall be brought before the24th JudicialCourt ADV: The New Orleans Advocate: September 17. And24, 2025 24th JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT Domestic Commissioner Interested Candidateswith at least five years of LSBA admission in good standing and 2years Jefferson Parish residency should check www.24jdc.us for qualifications and application instructionsfor the Domestic Commissioner position.

NOTICE OF PUBLICHEARING

The JeffersonParish BOARDOFZONING ADJUSTMENTS will hold its regularly scheduledPublic Hearing on Monday, September22, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.inthe East Bank Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Joseph S. Yenni Building, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Jefferson, Louisiana.

W-2661 1709 Estalote Ave., Harvey,topermit anew singlefamilyresidence on asubstandardlot thathas a25’ width, the lot does not meet the lotarearequirementsand living in both the right and left side yard setbacks. R-1A Single-Family Residential District.

W-2662 608 Rebenstich St Harvey,toappealthe decision of the Director of Building Permits as to accessory square footage vs livingsquarefootage.R-1A Single-Family Residential District.

E-6059 1325 S. Dilton St., River Ridge,topermit anew singlefamilyresidencethatwill haveparking in the required front yard creating insufficient front yardsetback.R-2 Two-Family Residential District.

E-6060 1400 High Ave., Metairie,topermit agenerator in a reversecorner lot creating insufficient lot sight triangle. R-1A SingleFamily Residential District.

E-6061 901 Kent Ave., Metairie,toappealthe decision of the Director of Building Permits as to accessory square footage vs living squarefootage. R-1A Single-Family Residential District.

E-6062 4803 Cleary Ave., Metairie,topermit an accessory bui ding nthe required rear yard creating insufficient

ADV:The

Floor,Jefferson Parish General Government Bldg., 200 Derbigny St., at 5:00 P.M., on Thursday,October 2, 2025 for the purpose of hearing argumentsfor and against land development requests. WS-10-25 2701 Belle Chasse Hwy;SubdivisionofLots7-A-3 and 7-A-4, Elmwood Subdivision, into Lot 7-A-5, ElmwoodSubdivision, Jefferson Parish,Louisiana, as apreliminary/final plat;located at 2701 BelleChasse Hwy: boundedbyOakwoodCanal, Industry Canaland Behrman Highway; zoned MUCD Mixed Use Corridor District. (Council District1)

WS-64-25 7000 Blk. Of Westwood Dr.; SubdivisionofParcel E-A, Orleans Corporate TractSubdivision and aportionofWestwood Drive, into Lots 1-17, SquareA,Lots1-9, SquareB,Lots1-18, SquareC,King Subdivision, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and the dedication of Moorehouse Street,Jasmin Street,and a5’Utility Servitudeasapreliminary plat; locatedinthe 7000 Blk. Of Westwood Drive boundedbyGentry RoadFernandoCourt, and Rue Louis Phillipe;zonedC-2 General CommercialDistrict. (Council District3 WS-75-25 1000 Blk. Behrman Hwy. SubdivisionofLotsP-1B-1-B, P-1D, P-4-A and P-5, Elmwood Subdivision into Lots99-109, Lots 111-145, Lots 151-153, Rising Oaks Subdivision Jefferson Parish, Louisiana,asapreliminary/final platwith the dedicationofLive Oak Drive, aportion of Willow OakDrive and the dedicationofrelevant servitudes, boundedbyWestside Dr.(side), Algiers Outfall Canal and BelleChasse Hwy.(side);zonedR-1A Single-Family Residential District(Council District1)

WS-77-25 4905 Ames Blvd Subdivision of Parcel A1 and Lot 24, Sq.13, Pelican BaySubdivision into Lots24A and A1A,Sq. 13, Pelican BaySubdivision, as apreliminary/final plat with the dedication of asidewalk and utility servitude; located at 4905 Ames Blvd.; located at 4905 Ames Blvd. and bounded by PelicanBay Blvd., Park ShoreDr.,and Bayou Cook Dr.; zoned R-1A Single Family Residential District(Council District1)

WS-85-25 108 Carolyn Dr SubdivisionofLot LotsK,J-1, J-2A, J-3, J-4A,J-5A, J-5B, J-5C and J-5D,ModernFarms Subdivision into Lots J-1A,J-2A-1, J-3A,J-4A-1, J-5A-1, J-5B-1, J-5C-1, and J-5D-1, Modern FarmsSubdivision, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana as apreliminary/final plat; boundedbyLive OakBlvd., Vincent Ln., and River Road; zoned S-1, SuburbanDistrict: (Council District3 WZ-12-25 7000 Blk. Of Westwood Dr ,Rezoning of Parcel E-A, Orleans Corporate TractSubdivision, JeffersonParish, Louisiana; locatedinthe 6000 Blk. Rue Louis Phillipe, bounded by Gentry RoadFernandoCourt,and Rue Louis Phillipe from C-2General CommercialDistricttoR-1A Single-Family Residential District. (Council District3)

SP-57-25 989 ManhattanBlvd.,Request foravariance to the sign regulations of the MUCD for Race WayGas Station on Tract K-1B, Wesson Snowdrift TractSubdivision; bounded by Westbank Expressway,Orange Blossom Lane, and Gretna Boulevard(Council District3 Bert Turner,PAB Chair

TOWNOFGRAND ISLE SCHEDULED TOWNCOUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAYAUGUST 27, 2025 6:00 P.M.

The meeting was calledtoorder by MayorDavid Camardelle who led the PledgeofAllegiance to the American Flag.LeonardRay followed with aprayer.Roll call was as follows:

PRESENT:Council Members –James Cheramie, Harley Stelly,Brian Barthelemy,MichaelScioneaux ABSENT:Loren Gonzalez Leonard Raywas recognizedand reportsonthe following:Thanking Carles Esponge Street Supervisor,JodyAdam and outside crew for job well done alongLAHighway 1. Motion by Council MemberJames Cheramie seconded by Council Member MichaelScioneaux and unanimously agreed to accept the minutesofthe July 9, 2025 regularscheduledmeeting Motion by Council MemberMichaelScioneaux seconded by Council MemberJames Cheramie and unanimously agreed to accept the minutesofthe August 13, 2025 regularscheduled council meeting.

OfficerWalterMaplesJr. wasrecognizedand reports on the followingfor August 8thru August 21, 2025: :Total callouts 70, medicals 22, totalarrest& totalsummons5,total citations 7, total violations 8, totalgolf cart summons 0, court finespaid $9,286.57, tags sold $5,850.00.

Joseph Chauvin with GISEngineering was recognized and reports on the following: FEMAUpdates &Request: 1.) Motion by Council MemberBrianBartheleysecondedbyCouncil MemberMichael Scioneaux and unanimously agreedtoaccept$1,600.00 credit for PPDR project.There are6propertiesthathave beencompleted as oftoday.2.) Jackson Lane Pump Stationisshovelready.Waiting ongrant status. 3.) Community Center -working on cost to repair structuralsupports.

Ronnie Sampey withthe GIGC wasrecognized and reportson thefollowing: 1) Vandalism on mile marker signs.Scrapping the numbers.2.) Beach sand building up around live ring poles.

Weldon Danos with GIPC wasrecogn zed and reports on the following: NewProjects- Oyster Processing Facility $250K Expansion of Oyster Farm #2 25K. PortsAssociation of Louisiana –Congratulations to Weldon Danos President Appointment8/7/25. 32 Ports/Corporate Members and 100 AssociateMembers RESOLUTION 2879

RESOLUTION TO ENFORCE AND IMPLEMENT PARTICIPATIONINOPENMEETINGSINACCORDANCE WITH ACT393 to requirepublic bodies to accommodate members of the public withadisability recognized by the Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA) such that those members of the public canparticipate during the open meetings WHEREAS,the Town of Grand Isle encourages public participation during allofits public meetings and desires to establish policies and procedures consistent withState Law; and WHEREAS,Act 393 as amended,La.R.S.42:17.2.1 and 42:14(E) to requirepublic bodies to accommodate members of the public with adisability recognizedbythe Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction on theground floorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025,at12:00 o'clock noon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 3212 ORLEANS ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70119 LOTL -SQUARE 446 SECOND MUNIC‐IPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1255270 WRIT AMOUNT: $218,829.59

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH h h

TERMS CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonal Checks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans RB 17

LAWOFFICES JACKSON& MCPHERSON, L.L.C504-5819444 CRIS R. JACK‐SON

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $88.24

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

Pursuant to the provisions of ResolutionR-25-425,adopted by theCity Council of New Orleans (the“Council”)onAugust 7,2025 (the “Resolution”), NOTICE ISHEREBY GIVEN, that an election will be held in New Orleans on Saturday,November 15,2025, and that at saidspecial election therewillbesubmitted to all registered voters residing in the City of New Orleans whoare qualified andentitledto vote at the said election under the Constitution and Lawsofthe State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the UnitedStates, the following proposition, to wit:

BONDPROPOSITION

AFFORDABLEHOUSING PROJECTS

Shall theCity of New Orleans,Louisiana (the “City”), incur debt andissue up to $45,000,000 of general obligation bonds of theCity,inmultiple series, each series to run notexceeding thirty(30) yearsfromthe date thereof and bearinginterest at arate not exceeding eight percent (8.00%)per annum, for the purpose of making capital improvements in the City approved by the New Orleans City Council and permitted by the City’s Home Rule Charter consisting of constructing,renovating, acquiring, and/or improvingaffordable housing facilities, including acquiring all necessary furnishings, fixtures,and equipment therefor,which bonds will be general obligations of the City,payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI,Section 33 of theConstitution of the State of Louisianaof1974and statutory authoritysupplemental thereto, with no estimated increase in the millage rate to be levied in the firstyear above the 14.5 mills currently being levied to pay General Obligation Bonds of the City?

The estimated cost of this election as determined by the Secretary of Statebased upon the provisionsofChapter8-A of Title 18 and actual costsofsimilar elections is $120,500.00. It is expressly provided that aportion of the monies collected from the tax levied to pay the bonds authorized herein shall be

MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3159 BLAIRSTREET, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:WILM‐INGTON SAV‐INGS FUND SO‐CIETY, FSB, NOT IN ITSINDIVID‐UAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER

TRUSTEEFOR NRPL 2024-RPL1 TRUSTVERSUS

LYNYETTA T WEBB (A/K/A LYNYETTA THOMAS WEBB) ANDHERBERT JOSEPH WEBB

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-1924

By virtue of a i f i

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 3159 BLAIRST NEWORLEANS, LA 70131

LOT149SQUARE 143

5THMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 907053

RIVERPARK SUBDIVISION WRIT AMOUNT:

NOTICE OF ELECTION

WRIT AMOUNT: $98,159.80

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

RB 19 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 EMILYA

Pursuant to the provisions of Resolution R-25-412 adopted by the CityCouncilofNew Orleans on July 24,2025, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, thatanelectionwillbeheldinNew Orleans on November 15 2025 andatthe electionthere will be submitted to allregisteredvoters (who arequalified andentitledtovote at the said electionunder the Constitution andLawsofthe State of Louisiana andthe Constitution and Laws of the United States)residing in the UpperAudubonSecurity District (“District”), which is comprised of the area of the CityofNew Orleans located within the following boundaries: theUptown side of AudubonParktoSt. Charles Avenue (riversideonly) to Broadway Street(both sides) to MagazineStreet(lakeside only)and back to the Uptown side of AudubonPark, to wit: UPPER AUDUBON SECURITY DISTRICT PROPOSITION Shall the CityofNew Orleans levy an annualfee on each parcel within the UpperAudubonSecurity District(“District”),asdelineatedinLa. R.S. 33:9091.12(B), in an amountnot to exceed $1,200 peryear,with theprecise amountasrequestedbydulyadopted boardresolution, except aparcelwhose owner qualifies forspecial assessment pursuant to ArticleVII,Section 18(G)(1) of the Louisiana Constitution, foratermofseven years, commencingJanuary 1, 2026 andending December31, 2032, which feeisestimatedtogenerate approximately $232,000 annually, to be used exclusivelytoaid in crime prevention andreductionbyproviding additionalsecurity forDistrict residents excepta 1% Citycollectionfee,solely,and if used foradditionallaw enforcement or security personneland their services, such personnel andservices shallbesupplementaltoand notinlieuofthose provided by the NewOrleans PoliceDepartment? Said electionshallbeheldatthe polling placeslocated within the precincts delineatedhereinbelow. Thepolls in such precincts will open at 7:00a.m.and closeat8:00p.m in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 18:541.Registered voters in each of the following precincts whoare residents of the District shallbeeligibletovote on said proposition:

POLLING PLACES

WARD PRECINCT LOCATION

14 10 (partial), 11 (partial) AudubonCharter Lower School 428BroadwayStreet

Theestimatedcostofthiselection, as determinedbythe Louisiana Secretary of State, baseduponthe provisions of Title 18,Chapter 8A of the Louisiana RevisedStatuesand the actualcosts of similar elections, is $7,400 TheCouncil, actingunder the powers grantedtoitbythe City Charter andstate statutes,shallmeetatits regularmeeting place, the CouncilChamber,CityHall, 1300 PerdidoStreet, NewOrleans LouisianaonThursday,December18, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m.and shallthenand there in open andpublic sessionproceed to examineand canvassthe returnsand declarethe result of said election.

AISHAR.COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATION DATES: August 27,September 3, 10 and17, 2025 NOCP8586

155619-544620-aug 27-sept3-10-17-4t

$401.96

Resolution R-25-427, adopted by the CityCouncil of New Orleans (the“Council”)onAugust7,2025(the “Substitute Resolution”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an election will beheldinNew Orleans on Saturday, November15, 2025, andthat at said specialelectionthere will be submitted to allregisteredvoters residing in the CityofNew Orleans whoare qualified andentitledto vote at the saidelectionunder the Constitution andLawsofthe State ofLouisiana andthe Constitution of the United States,the following proposition, to wit: BOND PROPOSITION CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS Shall the CityofNew Orleans,Louisiana (the“City”), incurdebt andissueupto$415,000,000ofgeneral obligationbonds of the City, in multiple series,torun notexceeding thirty (30) years from each date thereof andbearing interestatrates not exceedingeight percent(8.00%) perannum,for the purpose of making capital improvements in the Cityapprovedbythe NewOrleans CityCouncil andpermitted by the City’sHome RuleCharter,including (i)constructing, renovating, acquiring, equipping, and/orimproving roadsand streets, bridges buildings, lands, public safety facilities, parks andrecreational facilities, andother infrastructure in the City; (ii) acquiring long-lived softwareand technology improvements;and (iii) acquiringheavy equipment, furnishings, andessential service vehiclesfor public purposes,which bonds will begeneral obligations of the City, payable from ad valorem taxestobe levied andcollected in the manner provided by ArticleVI, Section33ofthe Louisiana Constitution of 1974 andstatutory authority supplemental thereto,withnoestimatedincrease in the millage rate to be levied in the firstyear abovethe 14.5 millscurrently being levied to payother generalobligation bonds of the City?

Theestimatedcostofthiselectionasdeterminedbythe Secretary ofState baseduponthe provisions of Chapter8-A of Title 18 and actualcosts of similar elections is $120,500.00 It is expresslyprovided thata portionofthe monies collectedfromthe taxlevied to pay the bonds authorizedhereinshallberemitted to certain state and statewide retirementsystems in the manner required by law. TheCouncil,actingunder the powers granted to it by the City Charter andstate statutes,shallmeetatits regular meeting place, the Council Chamber,CityHall, 1300 PerdidoStreet, New Orleans Louisiana on Thursday,December18, 2025, beginning at teno’clock (10:00)a.m.and shallthenand there in open andpublic session proceedtoexamineand canvassthe returns anddeclare the result of saidelection. TheSubstitute Resolution includesa list of projects the Council has indicated the Cityintendstoundertake in the eventthe voters approvethe propositionasset forth aboveand the Cityactuallyissues thebonds authorizedthereby,along with aprocess foraddingprojects or removing or substituting projects on such list

EMILY A MUELLER

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $95.13

SMALL BUSI NESS ADMINIS‐TRATION, AN AGENCY OF THEUNITED STATES GOV‐ERNMENTVER‐SUSDINELAM WHITE-SANDERS A/K/ADINELA WHITESANDERS A/K/ADINELA M. WHITEA/K/A DINELA WHITE A/K/ADINELA SANDERS CI VI L DI

Case No: 2025-3023

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of for

in the event the votersapprove the proposition as setforth aboveand the City actually issuesthe bonds authorizedthereby, alongwith aprocessfor adding projects or removing or substituting projects on such list

AISHAR.COLLIER ASSISTANTCLERK OF COUNCIL PUBLICATION DATES:August27, September 3, 10 and17, 2025 NOCP8588 155621-544623-aug 27-sept3-10-17-4t $401.96

Seized in the above suit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check,Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans RB 16

TREVATHAN LAWFIRM, APLC 225-334-9222 ALLISON BEASLEY

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $94.07

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 5617 ALBANY COURT, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED:U.S.BANK, NATIONAL AS‐SOCIATION, AS TRUSTEEFOR STRUCTURED ASSETSECURI‐TIES CORPORATION MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-RF2VER‐SUSGARRONM JOHNSONAND TONYASHORT AKA TONYAJOHN‐SONAKA TONYA SHORTJOHN‐SON

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-660

Case No: 2024-9718

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the above entitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025,at12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 3420 MANSFIELD AV NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70131 LOT: 25, SQUARE:143 ACQMIN: 1084437 HOLLYPARK SECTION1-A SUBDIVISION WRIT AMOUNT: $185,012.70

8234 BELFASTST NEWORLEANS, LA 70118 LOT: B, SQUARE 379 SEVENTHMU‐NICIPALDIS‐TRICT ACQMIN: 927213 WRIT AMOUNT:

$58,985.10

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

floor of the Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

4962 PAINTERS ST NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70122 LOTS -23&24SQUARE 53

3RDMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1326889

GENTILLY GAR‐DENS WRIT AMOUNT:

$310,981.33

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

the Honorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 6240 EASTOVER DR NEWOR‐LEANS, LA 70128 LOT16, SQUARE N, THIRDMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT, ACQMIN: 1305586 WRIT AMOUNT: $178,395.66

MORTGAGE LOAN ASSETBACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES INABS 2007-BVERSUS JOHN FITZGER‐ALDTAYLOR A/K/AJOHNF TAYLOR A/K/A JOHN TAYLOR

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2020-4347

PAL DISTRICT ACQUIRED MIN 894679 WRIT AMOUNT: $124,597.85

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Case No: 2025-2336 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the above entitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City onSeptember 18, 2025,at12:00 o'clocknoon thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 3217 &3219 GRAVIERST NEWORLEANS LA 70119 LOT5 -SQUARE 664 1STMUNICIPAL DISTRICT ACQMIN: 1234714 WRIT AMOUNT: $193,612.18 Seized in the above suit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans RB 13 JACKSON& MCPHERSON, LLC504-5819444 CRIS R. JACK‐SON TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $87.71

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by publicauction, on theground floorofthe Civil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025,at12:00 o'clock noon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 5617 ALBANY CT NEWORLEANS, LA 70131 LOT: 3, SQUARE: 29 FIFTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT ACQMIN: 1401333 AURORA GAR‐DENS WRIT AMOUNT: $75,197.14

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 8 DEAN MORRIS, LLC318-3881440 ASHLEY E. MOR‐RIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $95.66

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 3420 MANSFIELDAV‐ENUE,THISCITY, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:MORT‐GAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT LLCVERSUSTHE UNOPENED SUC‐CESSION OF GERALDINE STEWART (A/K/A GERAL‐DINE LEWIS STEWART) CI VI L

Seized in the above suit, TERMS -CASH. Thepurchaser at themoment ofadjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPONENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Or‐leans

GH 21 LOGS LEGAL GROUPLLP 504838-7535 AMYR.ORTIS

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $90.36

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 8234 BELFAST STREET,THIS CITY,IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:WILM‐INGTON SAV‐INGS FUND SO‐CIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEEOFDIS‐COVERY MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST VERSUS BRENDA HAYESHAY‐WOOD,INHER CAPACITY AS ADMINISTRA‐TRIX OF THESUCCES‐SION OF CATHERINE WOODSIDE HAYESA/K/A CATHERINE WOODSIDE HAYESA/K/A CATHERINE W. HAYESA/K/A CATHERINE HAYES

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

GH 18 LAWOFFICES OF HERSCHEL C. ADCOCK,JR. LLC (225) 756-0373

COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $98.83

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NUMBER 4962 PAINTERS ST, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED:CAR‐RINGTONMORT‐GAGE SERVICES, LLCVERSUS DMITRIVYCHKO ANDNOLARE‐NEWALGROUP, LLC

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-1827

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil i i

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order.NoPer‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

RB 29

THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,L.L.C (225) 756-0373 COREYJ.GIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $90.36

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT CERTAIN PORTIONOF GROUND BEAR‐INGMUNICIPAL NO.6240 EAST‐OVER DRIVE, THIS CITY,IN THE MATTERENTI‐TLED:NOLA HARD MONEY SERVICES,LLC VERSUS BRENDA GREEN THOMAS

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2025-153222

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable d f i il

NOTICE OF ELECTION (AS AMENDED)

Seized in the abovesuit, TERMS- CASH Thepurchaser at themoment of adjudication to make ade‐positoften per‐cent of thepur‐chaseprice,and thebalance within thirty days thereafter Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans BD 33 THESILVER‐STEINLAW FIRM,APLC504362-3692 IRLR.SILVER‐STEIN

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s): 8/13/2025 & 9/17/2025 aug13-sep17-2t $87.71

PUBLIC NOTICE

SALE BY SHERIFF JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT THAT PORTION OF GROUND BEARINGMU‐NICIPALNO. 2520-22 JENA ST THIS CITY IN THEMATTEREN‐TITLED: DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUSTCOM‐PANY,AS TRUSTEEFOR HOME EQUITY MORTGAGE LOAN ASSET-BACKED TRUSTSERIES INABS2007-B HOME EQUITY

Pursuant to the provisions of Ordinance No. 30410

M.C.S. adopted by the CityCouncilofNew Orleans on August7,2025, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,thatanelectionwillbeheldinNew Orleans on Saturday, November 15,2025, andthatatsaidelectionthere will be submitted to allregisteredvoters residing in the CityofNew Orleans whoare qualified andentitledtovote at the said electionunder the Constitution andlawsofthe State of Louisiana andthe Constitution of the United States,the following proposition: “HOME RULECHARTER PROPOSITION

By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the aboveentitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025, at 12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit: 2520-22 JENA ST LOT17A SQ 604 SIXTHMUNICI‐PALDISTRICT

Note:The pay‐ment must be Cash,Cashier's Check, Certified CheckorMoney Order. No Per‐sonalChecks. FACE MASKS ANDTEMPERA‐TURECHECKS AREREQUIRED UPON ENTERING BUILDING

SusanHutson Sheriff, Parish of Orleans

BD 32 THELAW OF‐FICESOFHER‐SCHELC.AD‐COCK,JR.,LLC (225) 756-0373 COREYJGIROIR

TheN.O.Advo‐cate Date (s):

LOUISIANA HOUSING CORPORATION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT theLouisianaHousing Corporation(the“Corporation”), will conduct apublic hearingon September29, 2025 at 10:00A.M.,atthe officesofthe Louisiana HousingCorporation, 2415 Quail Drive,Baton Rouge,Louisiana 70808tohear anyobjectionstothe issuance of notexceeding $16,000,000MultifamilyHousingRevenueBonds (Touro Shakspeare Project)inone or moreseries(the“Bonds”) pursuanttoprovisions of Chapter 3-GofTitle 40 of theLouisianaRevisedStatutesof1950, as amended(the“Act”),and other constitutional andstatutory authority supplemental thereto, to provide a financing with respect to the acquisition, construction,and/or equipping of amultifamily housing developmentasfollows:

DescriptionofProject Type:Touro Shakspeare Project,consisting of a52-unit multifamily housingdevelopment(the“Development”), located at 2621 General Meyer Avenue,CityofNew Orleans, Orleans Parish,Louisianaencompassing 7.72 acresofland.

Maximum Bond Principal:$16,000,000for aproject cost of approximately$32,377,701

Initial Owner/operator of the Development:Touro Shakspeare Revitalization Company, LLC

TheBonds willbelimitedobligations of theCorporationsecured solely by revenues andmoneys derived by theCorporationfromor with respect to theDevelopment

Thepublic andinterested parties areinvitedtoattend andpresent oral or written comments at thepublic hearingregardingthe residential developmentand theissuance of theBonds. Questions or request for additional information maybedirectedtoMr. Louis Russell, Housing DevelopmentAdministrator,LouisianaHousingCorporation, 2415 Quail Drive,Baton Rouge,LA70808,Telephone:(225) 763-8700

Anyinterestedpersons unable to attend thehearingmay submit theirviews in writing to theabove namedpersonprior to thedate scheduled for thehearing.

LOUISIANA HOUSING CORPORATION By: /s/ Kevin J. Delahoussaye LHCExecutive Director 158116-553648-sep 17-1t

$120.56

NOTICEOFELECTION

Pursuant to the provisionsofResolution R-25-384, adopted by the City Council of New Orleans on July 10, 2025,NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that an election will be held in New Orleans on Saturday, November 15, 2025 and at the election therewill be submitted to all registered voters(who arequalified and entitled to voteatthe said election under

New Orleans renew an annual flat feeonthe taxable real property within the Spring Lake Subdivision Improvement District (“District”),asdelineated by La. R.S. 33:9074(B), in an amount not to exceedtwo hundreddollars,for eightyears,beginning

CI VI L DI ST RI CT CO UR TF OR PA RI SH OF OR LE AN S Case No: 2024-2729 By virtue of a Writ of Seizure andSaledi‐rected to me by theHonorable Judges of Civil District Court forthe Parish of Orleans, in the above entitled cause, Iwillpro‐ceed to sell by public auction, on theground floor of theCivil District Court Building,421 Loyola Avenue, in theFirst Dis‐trictofthe City on September 18, 2025,at12:00 o'clocknoon, thefollowing describedprop‐erty to wit:

Shall the HomeRuleCharter of the CityofNew Orleans be amended to establish ArticleIV, Section4-406, which provides forthe independenceofthe CityAttorney as the legal representative of the CityofNew Orleans andincludes provisions thatclarify the identity of the CityAttorney’s primary client, compel compliancewithethical rules governing institutional representation,requireconsultationwithall branchesofgovernment, mandate independent legaland impartial legaljudgment in the face of conflictingdirectives,

impose an affirmativedutytocomplywithand upholdlaws whenever possible, prohibitconflictingrepresentation in interbranch disputes withoutconsent,authorize the adoption of legislationensuringthe operationalindependenceofthe LawDepartment,and preventunilateral removalofthe City Attorney by the Mayorincertain situations, allasmorefully described in Ord. CalNo. 35,166 -30410 M.C.S.?”

Theelectionwillbeheldateachand everypolling place in the City ofNew Orleans,which polls will open at 7:00a.m.and closeat8:00 p.m in accordance with the provisions of La.R.S. 18:541

Theestimatedcostofthiselection, as determined by the Louisiana SecretaryofState, baseduponthe provisions of Title 18,Chapter 8A of the Louisiana RevisedStatutes andactualcosts of similar elections is $301,300. TheCouncil, acting under the powers granted to it by the City Charter andstate statutes,willmeetinopenand public sessionorin theCouncilChamber,CityHall, 1300 PerdidoStreet, NewOrleans Louisiana,70112, on Thursday,December18, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. andwillproceed to examineand canvassthe returns and declare the result of the election.

AISHAR.COLLIER

ASSISTANT CLERK OF COUNCIL

PUBLICATION DATES: September 10,17, 24 andOctober 1, 2025 NOCP 8623 157429-551220-SEP10-17-24-OCT 1-4T $360.36

followingprecincts who are residents of the District shall be eligibletovoteonsaid proposition: POLLING PLACE(S) WARD PRECINCT LOCATION 943C (Partial)StMaria Goretti Church 7300 Crowder Blvd The estimatedcost of this election,

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