The Times-Picayune 01-17-2026

CouncilOKs stripclubrestrictions

Measureapprovedquietly in finalmeeting of term

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Opening anew Bourbon Street

strip club will require specialapprovalfrom the New OrleansCity Council after the council quietly passed temporary club restric-

tions earlier this month,tothe dismay of somenightlife industry workers.

District Ccouncil member Freddie King,who sponsored the measure, gave no explanation other than to say it was meant “to mitigatethe negative secondary ef-

fects”associated with strip clubs. It passed unanimously with no discussion on Jan. 8, the final meeting of the previous council’sterm. The restrictions, which could be in effect for up to two years, blindsided the local community of dancers, club staff and their advocates,

said Mark Schettler,executive director of Shift Change, anonprofit that advocates for the nightlife industry

“This was alate addition to the very end of the agenda for the final council meeting before new members were sworn in,” he said. “The sponsoringcouncil member has refused to answer questions about it during themeeting or since.”

Lafitte Greenway extensionfunded

Negotiations continue with NorfolkSouthernRailroad

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

Along-touted plan to extendthe popular Lafitte Greenway down Bienville Street through Canal Boulevard received abig boost recently,ascity officials setaside

$4.8 million for an expansionaimed at easingaccess to public transit.

Even with money in hand, however, thelinear park’s future hinges on whetherthe city canink adealwith the rail company blockingits path Norfolk Southern Railroad owns theraillinethat runs from Bienville at North Alexander Street past Canal Boulevard and through City Park. Without them on board, an expansion of thecultural andrecreational artery is moot.

“This project is still in theearly stages of development,and the city is in active discussions with various parties —including representativesfromthe Norfolk Southern Railroad,” said aspokesperson forMayor Helena Moreno’sadministration.

The city is plowing ahead with the project’sdesign

Schoolsget TenCommandmentsposters

Louisiana Family Forum arranged donation

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Nearly every public school system in Louisianahas received donated posters bearing the TenCommandments that can be hung up in classrooms if afederal appeals court gives the goahead The Louisiana Family Forum, a conservativeadvocacy group that promotes “biblical principles,”raised about $40,000 to have the posters printed and delivered to allbut aboutfive of thestate’s69school districts, said Gene Mills, thegroup’spresident.The posters were designedbyLouisiana Attorney General LizMurrill’soffice and feature the biblical precepts alongside informational text and photos,in-

cluding oneofHouse Speaker Mike Johnson. “It is thefoundation of Western civilization andmuchofnaturallaw,” Mills said about the TenCommandments, anda“historical documentthatneeds to be brought before young eyes.” A2024 state law requiring public K-12 schoolsand colleges to display the TenCommandments in every

ä See POSTERS, page 7A

King did not respond to messages. Attempts to reach representatives of three well-knownclubs on Bourbon Street —Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club, Penthouse Club and Rick’sCabaret —were unsuccessfulonFriday

“Adult live entertainment venues,” as stripclubsare known in

Ex-LSU star key

gambling probe

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

In early 2023, former LSU guard Antonio Blakeney —thenplaying in the Chinese Basketball Association —went on afive-gametear He averaged 28 points on about 22 shot attempts agame, capped by a44point, 10 rebound performance. His prolific scoring abilities had helped him get named a McDonald’sAll American in high school, and he later wasnamed a member of the All-SEC Freshman Team.After hissophomore year at LSU, he declared for the NBA draft.

Butafter hisflash of scoring prowess in China, hisnext game there on March 6, 2023, was different.

Blakeney scored just 11 pointsin 31 minutes and took only 11 shots. HisJiangsu Dragonslostby31 points.

Federal prosecutorsnow say Blakeney’s performance was no fluke.Inanindictmenthanded up this week in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Blakeney was named as acentral figure in an 11-state scheme to fix the outcomes of basketball games in the U.S. and China, mostly at the college level.

Blakeney andmore than adozen otherplayers,including eight men whoplayedbasketballfor Louisiana colleges, areaccused of attempting to influence the final scores of at least eight games involving Louisiana teams in 2024 and 2025.

Blakeney is accusedofpointshavingintwo games in China, before using his influence as a formerLSU star to recruit other college athletes in Louisiana into

See FIGURE, page 6A

Posters bearing the Ten Commandments that canbe hung up in classroomshave been donated to nearly every public school in Louisiana.

Ex-husband indicted in slaying of couple

COLUMBUS Ohio An Ohio grand jury has indicted a man in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband who were killed in their Columbus home.

Court records show a Franklin County grand jury charged Michael David McKee on Friday with aggravated murder and aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon who was living in Chicago, is charged in the shooting deaths of 39-year-old Monique Tepe, from whom he was divorced in 2017, and dentist Dr Spencer Tepe 37, in their home on Dec. 30.

Authorities apprehended McKee in Rockford, Illinois, last weekend. He is currently being held after he waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday No obvious signs of forced entry were found at the Tepes’ home. Police also said no weapon was found there, and murdersuicide was not suspected. Nothing was stolen, and the couple’s two young children and their dog were left unharmed in the home.

Sinema accused of breaking up marriage

PHOENIX Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema had a romantic relationship with a member of her security detail that led to the breakup of the man’s marriage, his ex-wife alleges in a lawsuit seeking at least $75,000 from Sinema.

Matthew and Heather Ammel had “a good and loving marriage” with “genuine love and affection” before Sinema interfered, pursuing Matthew Ammel despite knowing he was married, Heather Ammel alleges in her lawsuit.

The Arizona lawmaker’s head of security hired Matthew Ammel after he retired from the Army in 2022, according to the lawsuit, which says he accompanied her on travels.

In early 2024, Ammel’s wife discovered “romantic and lascivious” messages he’d exchanged with Sinema over the Signal messaging app. That summer, he stopped wearing his wedding ring and Sinema gave him a job as a national security fellow in her Senate office while he continued to work for her campaign as a bodyguard, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit was quietly filed late last year in Moore County, North Carolina It captured attention this week when it was moved to federal court.

North Carolina is one of a handful of states that allow jilted spouses to sue for “alienation of affection” to seek damages from a third party responsible for the breakup of their marriage.

Trump-class warship may be among costliest WASHINGTON The first of the Navy’s proposed “Trumpclass” battleships could cost up to $22 billion, a price tag that would make it one of the most expensive U.S. military vessels in U.S. history, according to an early analysis.

The initial cost estimate for the ship was released Thursday by Congressional Budget Office naval forces analyst Eric Labs at a Navy surface warfare conference in Virginia. He acknowledged that the final price for the first vessel will depend on decisions that still haven’t been made around tonnage, crew size and weapons. His lowest-cost scenario was $15.1 billion

The guided-missile battleship would be twice as large as any cruiser or destroyer the Navy has built since World War II, but about one-third the size of the Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier that’s now the most expensive U.S. warship. The Ford was delivered in 2017 at a cost of about $13 billion.

Labs said weaknesses in the U.S shipbuilding industrial base, including skilled labor shortages and supply chain challenges, could make the eventual cost even higher The average cost of follow-on ships could range from $10 billion to $15 billion, depending on a variety of factors, he said.

President Donald Trump announced plans for the new vessel in December, saying the ship would be part of his “Golden Fleet” plan to revive U.S. shipbuilding and overhaul the Navy

Timeline will challenge Congress

Weeklong break puts crunch on budget bills

BY VALERIE YURK and SAVANNAH BEHRMANN CQ-Roll Call (TNS)

WASHINGTON Lawmakers left Washington Thursday with a few more government funding bills under their belts but face a rush after the Martin Luther King Jr holiday to avert another partial government shutdown and respond to developments abroad.

Particularly challenging for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., will be to push through the fiscal 2026 Homeland Security spending bill, which hit a snag following the fatal shooting by an immigration officer of an unarmed woman in Minneapolis

last week.

Thune acknowledged Thursday the Homeland Security measure would be the most difficult, adding they may have to tackle the department’s funding through a continuing resolution.

The week started off with an easy Republican victory in the House: passage of two bills to relaunch African and Haitian trade programs. But things went downhill for GOP leaders. Johnson saw an embarrassing defeat Tuesday night as six GOP lawmakers sunk a worker education bill and indicated they would oppose other labor measures scheduled for votes.

Johnson pulled the other bills minutes before their votes, which left the House to consider a measure to codify the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back energy efficiency requirements for showerheads. It passed 226-197.

But the setback on the other bills highlighted the tension between leadership’s agenda and their razor-thin majority Johnson, for his part, brushed off the snafu as a whip count issue.

“We’re totally in control of the House,” he said after the Tuesday night votes. “This is a team that is very united right now, and everyone has different preferences and issues on bills, that’s nothing new But when you have a one-vote margin, it’s dicey some days.”

The balance of the week was easier on leadership.

The House passed on Wednesday a $76.6 billion package of two more fiscal 2026 government funding bills — Financial Services and National Security-State in a 34179 vote. It marked the second time this month the chamber passed a slate of spending bills as Congress nears the Jan. 30 funding deadline

Demonstration in Cuba demands Maduro’s release

BY ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ Associated Press

HAVANA — Tens of thousands of Cubans demonstrated Friday outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana to decry the killing of 32 Cuban officers in Venezuela and demand that the U.S. government release former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. They crowded into the open-air “José Martí Anti-Imperialist” plaza across from the embassy in a rally organized by the Cuban government as tensions between Cuba and the U.S. spike following the U.S. attack Jan. 3 on Venezuela.

The 32 Cuban officers were part of Maduro’s security detail killed during the raid on his residence in Caracas to seize the former leader and bring him to the U.S to face drug trafficking charges.

“Humanity is experiencing something very complex, and (the U.S.) is governed by a president who considers himself an emperor,” said René González, 64, one of the protesters.

“We must show him that ideas are worth more than weapons,” he said.

“This march is a message of our unity Independence is sacred, and we will defend it tooth and nail if necessary.”

Cuba’s national anthem rang out at Friday’s demonstration as large Cuban flags waved in the chilly wind and big waves broke nearby along Havana’s famed sea wall. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel shook hands with members of the crowd clad in jackets and scarves before speaking to them.

“The current U.S. administration has opened the door to an era of barbarism, plunder and neo-fascism,” he said.

The demonstration was a show of popular strength after U.S President Donald Trump recently demanded that Cuba make a deal with him before it is “too late.” He did not explain what kind of deal.

Trump also has said that Cuba will no longer live off Venezuela’s oil and money Experts say the move could have catastrophic consequences since Cuba is already struggling with severe blackouts.

“No one here surrenders,” Díaz-Canel said. “The current emperor of the White House and his infamous secretary of state haven’t stopped threatening me.”

Washington has maintained a policy of sanctions against Cuba since the 1960s to pressure the island’s government to improve its human rights record, end its one-party communist system and allow democracy The sanctions have been further tightened during Trump’s presidency, suffocating the island’s economy

“Cuba does not have to make any political concessions, and that will never be on the table for negotiations aimed at reaching an understanding between Cuba and the United States,” Díaz-Canel said.

After the president’s speech, the demonstration transitioned into a parade that Cubans call a “combatant march,” a custom that originated during the time of Fidel Castro. The crowd was led by a line of people holding pictures of the 32 officers killed “Down with imperialism!” the crowd yelled. “Cuba will prevail!

Texas A&M cancels course under ‘race and gender ideology’ policy

BY SAMUEL O’NEAL

Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TNS)

FORT WORTH,Texas A Texas A&M graduate professor was told that his Ethics in Public Policy class was canceled three days into the spring 2026 semester

The university alleges professor Leonard Bright refused to submit information needed to be exempt from a new rule on teaching course content that is considered to include “gender and race ideology,” according to an email sent to faculty In an email to employees at A&M’s Bush School of Government and Public Service, Dean John Sherman wrote that Bright was not asked to change course content, but was asked to supply the school information on his course and planned instruction on topics related to race and gender ideology Because the administration says he didn’t supply the information, his class has been canceled.

“I take no pleasure in making the decision to cancel this course and it is not one that I took lightly,” Sherman wrote.

Bright said in a statement on X that the university’s claim that he declined to clarify the fact that his class addressed race and gender is false.

Bright said on X that his colleagues and students found out about the school’s decision to cancel his class before he did.

“This disrespect my Dean showed towards me was unwarranted,” Bright wrote. “The message was clear: Be very afraid no one can save you from being censored at Texas A&M.”

Texas A&M’s Office of the Provost issued the new guidance in December prohibiting faculty from “requiring or encouraging students to hold certain beliefs, particularly regarding gender or race ideology or sexual orientation, or to feel shame for belonging to certain racial or ethnic groups.”

Johnson said Thursday he still intends to pass a Homeland Security funding bill as well as the three remaining, more controversial appropriations measures — Defense, Labor-HHS-Education and Transportation-HUD.

The House is under increased pressure next week to deal with remaining spending bills, as they are scheduled to be out the last week of January, when the funding deadline expires.

The Senate has passed six of 12 funding bills after successfully pushing through a package containing the Commerce-JusticeScience, Interior-Environment, Energy-Water bill in an 82-15 vote on Thursday Senate leaders anticipate taking up the House-passed package that consists of the Financial Services and National Security-State spending bills when they return.

Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on bus in 1955, dies

BY KIMBERLY CHANDLER Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Clau-

dette Colvin, whose 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery bus helped spark the modern civil rights movement, has died She was 86.

Ashley D. Roseboro of the Claudette Colvin Legacy Foundation confirmed she died of natural causes in Texas.

Colvin, at age 15, was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks gained international fame for also refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus.

up her seat.

“So I was not going to move that day,” she said. “I told them that history had me glued to the seat.” At the time of Colvin’s arrest, frustration was mounting over how Black people were treated on the city bus system. It was the arrest of Parks, a local NAACP activist, on Dec. 1, 1955, that became the final catalyst for the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is considered the start of the modern civil rights movement.

Colvin had boarded the bus on March 2, 1955, on her way home from high school. The first rows were reserved for White passengers. Colvin sat in the rear with other Black passengers. When the White section became full, the bus driver ordered Black passengers to relinquish their seats to White passengers. Colvin refused.

“My mindset was on freedom,” Colvin said in 2021 of her refusal to give

Colvin was one of the four plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit that outlawed racial segregation on Montgomery’s buses. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said Colvin’s action “helped lay the legal and moral foundation for the movement that would change America.” Colvin was never as wellknown as Parks, and Reed said her bravery “was too often overlooked.” Colvin in 2021 filed a petition to have her court record expunged A judge granted the request.

No sign of protests in Iran

Senior cleric calls for death penalty for detained demonstrators

BY JON GAMBRELL and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

As Iran returned to uneasy calm after a wave of protests that drew a bloody crackdown, a senior hard-line cleric called Friday for the death penalty for detained demonstrators and directly threatened U.S. President Donald Trump — evidence of the rage gripping authorities in the Islamic Republic. Trump, though, struck a conciliatory note, thanking Iran’s leaders for not executing hundreds of detained protesters, in a further sign he may be backing away from a military strike. Executions, as well as the killing of peaceful protesters, are two of the red lines laid

down by Trump for possible action against Iran

Harsh repression that has left several thousand people dead appears to have succeeded in stifling demonstrations that began Dec. 28 over Iran’s ailing economy and morphed into protests directly challenging the country’s theocracy

There have been no signs of protests for days in Tehran, where shopping and street life have returned to outward normality, though a week-old internet blackout continued. Authorities have not reported any unrest elsewhere in the country “Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump told reporters in Washington, adding that “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”

In a post referring to the canceled hangings on his social media site, Trump said: “Thank you!” Trump did not clarify who he spoke to in Iran to confirm the state of any planned executions.

The death toll of at least 2,797, provided by the U.S.based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Friday, exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.

Cleric’s fiery sermon

The sermon by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami carried by Iranian state radio sparked chants from those gathered for prayers, including: “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!”

Khatami, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts and Guardian Council long known for his hard-line views, described the protesters as the “butlers” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.” He said Netanyahu and Trump should await “hard revenge from the system.”

“Americans and Zionists should not expect peace,” the cleric said. His fiery speech came as

allies of Iran and the United States alike sought to defuse tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Friday to both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Israel’s Netanyahu, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Peskov said “the situation in the region is quite tense, and the president is continuing his efforts to help de-escalate it.”

Moscow has watched several key allies suffer blows as its resources and focus are consumed by its 4-yearold war against Ukraine, including the downfall of Syria’s former President Bashar Assad in 2024, last year’s U.S and Israeli attacks on Iran, and the U.S seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro this month.

Authorities list damage

Khatami, the hard-line cleric, also provided the first overall statistics on damage from the protests claiming 350 mosques, 126 prayer halls and 20 other holy places had sustained damage.

Another 80 homes of Friday prayer leaders — an important position within Iran’s theocracy — were also damaged, likely underlining the anger demonstrators felt toward symbols of the government.

He said 400 hospitals, 106 ambulance, 71 fire department vehicles and another 50 emergency vehicles also sustained damage.

Even as protests appeared to have been smothered inside Iran thousands of exiled Iranians and their supporters have taken to the streets in cities across

Europe to shout out their rage at the government of the Islamic Republic.

Amid the continuing internet shutdown, some Iranians crossed borders to communicate with the outside world. At a border crossing in Turkey’s eastern province of Van, a trickle of Iranians crossing Friday said they were traveling to get around the communications blackout.

“I will go back to Iran after they open the internet,” said a traveler who gave only his first name, Mehdi, out of security concerns.

Poll: Americans’ trust in science on downward trend

BY HAYLEY SMITH Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES As global officials confirm that 2025 was Earth’s third-hottest year on record, a new poll shows Americans are sharply divided over the role of science in the United States.

A report published Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that a majority of Americans want the U.S. to be a world leader in science, but Republicans and Democrats disagree on whether it is.

About two-thirds of Democrats, 65%, fear the U.S. is losing ground to other countries when it comes to scientific achievement — a 28-point increase since 2023, the poll found. Republicans have moved in the opposite direction, with far fewer saying the U.S. is losing ground than in the past, 32%, a 12-point decrease

in that same time frame The divide mirrors “other partisan differences in attitudes around science we have been tracking for years,” the Pew report says. “In particular, partisan differences in trust in scientists and the value of science for society are far wider than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans have become less confident in scientists and less likely to say science has had a mostly positive effect on society, while Democratic views are largely unchanged.”

Last month, the Trump administration dismantled one of the world’s leading climate and weather research institutions, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

Some 90% of Democrats say they have a least a fair amount of confidence in scientists, but only 65% of Republicans said the same, ac-

cording to the poll, which surveyed 5,111 U.S. adults in October The gap in confidence between both parties on this point has been broadly similar in every survey since 2021.

Experts said the findings are not particularly surprising.

“It’s part of a larger trend toward the politicization of science,” said Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist at Berkeley Earth, citing issues such as vaccines and climate change. The report lands as the world continues to head in the wrong direction when it comes to global warming.

On Wednesday, eight international groups released data confirming that 2025 was Earth’s third-hottest year on record — nearly tied with 2023 and just behind 2024, the warmest year on record.

Last year’s global average temperature was about 2.65 degrees

above pre-industrial levels, the baseline against which global warming is measured. That means it was just shy of the 2.7 degree limit established under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, an internationally recognized tipping point for the worst effects of climate change.

“The news is not encouraging, and the urgency of climate action has never been more important,” Mauro Facchini, head of Earth observation at the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space at the European Commission, told reporters this week.

Yet Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Paris agreement on his first day back in office, a move he also made during his first term as president. Earlier this month, Trump also withdrew the U.S. from 66 other international organizations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Con-

vention on Climate Change, from which the Paris agreement stems.

The world is now on track to breach the Paris agreement’s limit for long-term global warming before the end of the decade — several years earlier than previously predicted, according to Hausfather, who also helped produce Berkeley Earth’s global temperature report released this week. He said it is likely that 2026 will fall “somewhere between the second and fourth warmest” years on record. NOAA previously tracked weather and climate disasters where damages exceed $1 billion, but the Trump administration shut down that database last year The administration also fired hundreds of scientists working to prepare the congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment and removed the website that housed previous assessments.

Republicansvouch forFederal Reservechair

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump has spent his second term bulldozing electedand appointed officials who resist him or refuse to bend to his demands. But he mayhavemet hismatch in Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. As the Trump administration ramps up its pressure campaign against the central bank —now including Justice Department subpoenas and the threat of criminal charges —Senate Republicans have closed ranksaroundPowell, defending an independentFed chair under attack from apresident of their own party “I know Chairman Powell very well. Iwill be stunned —I willbe shocked —ifhehas done anything wrong,”said GOP Sen. John Kennedy of Madisonville, one of Trump’s mostreliable allies in the Senate. Soon after the Justice Department served subpoenas on theFed, Powell went on the offensive, re-

leasingavideo statement accusing theadministration of using “pretexts” to pressure the centralbank into sharply cutting interest rates, as Trump has demanded. The 72-year-old Fedchairalsoleaned on Capitol Hill relationships he has cultivated since his 2018 appointment, holding multiple calls with Republican senators in the daysfollowing the video’s release.

“He knows his way aroundCongress,” said Robert Tetlow,aformer senior policyadviser at the Fed. “He gets in there, pets thedog,shoots thebreeze, and has away of gettingpeople to like him, andhe’sreally good at it.”

AlaskaSen.Lisa Murkowski put her support behind North Carolina Republican Sen. ThomTillis’ plan to block nominees.She was among the multiple Republican senators whosaidtheyspoke with Powell after his video statement.

“I look at the situation with Jay Powell and this supposed investigation of the overhaul of their of-

fices going over there as grounds to do nothing but intimidate, threaten andcoerce,”Murkowski told reporters. Powell goes by “Jay” informally “I believestrongly in an independent Federal Reserve,”said Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick, who also sits on the SenateBanking Committee. Thefirst-term senator added that he agrees “with President Trump that Chairman Powell has been slowtocut interestrates” but said he doesn’t“think Chairman Powellisguilty of criminal activity.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., saidthat theinvestigation“better be real” and “better be serious.”

Powell, aRepublican, has been afixture in the nation’scapital for decades, where he developed areputation as acentrist. He worked at the BipartisanPolicy Center,athink tank, from 2010 to 2012 and pushed congressional Republicans toward compromise

during theirbudgetbattles with President Barack Obama. Obama, in turn, appointed Powelltothe Fed’sgoverning board in 2012. Trumpthen elevated him to theChair position in 2018. He was reappointed by President Joe Bidenin2022. Powell also built up credibility amongRepublicans in the House and Senate by largely ignoring Trump’spersonal attacks during thepresident’sfirst term in office, when he complained about rate hikesbyPowell in 2018. In general,Powell has tried to keep his head down and avoid aback-andforth with the White House. Asolid economy —atleast until the COVID pandemic struck —also helped protect the Fed during Trump’s first term. Powell has oftencitedsupport on Capitol Hill as acounterweight to Trump’sattacks. At anews conference last July,Powelldiscussedthe importance of distancing the Fed from “direct political control,” because that allowsthe central bank to takeunpopular steps such as rais-

ing interestrates to thwart inflation

“I think that’spretty widely understood,” he said. “Certainly,itis in Congress.”

The subpoenas served to the Fed relate to Powell’scomments about the $2.5 billionrenovationoftwo office buildings, which Trumphas criticized as excessive.

“The threat of criminal charges is aconsequence of the Federal Reserve setting interestrates based on ourbestassessment of what will serve the public,rather than followingthe preferencesofthe President,” Powell said in avideo.

Trump has insisted he was unaware of the investigation into Powell. When asked by CBS News whetherthe subpoenas were aform of retribution, Trump said Tuesday, “I can’thelp what it looks like.”

Trumphas gone after several officials he sees as having done him wrong, including an attempted firing of another Fed board member, Lisa Cook. The SupremeCourt has allowed Cook to keep her job and will hold ahearing on her case on Wednesday

BY DANIEL NIEMANN and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

U.S

President Donald Trump

suggested Friday that he may punish countries with tariffs if theydon’tback the U.S. controlling Greenland, amessagethat came as abipartisan Congressional delegation sought to lower tensions in the Danish capital.

Trump for months has insisted that the U.S. should control Greenland, asemiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and saidearlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in U.S. hands would be “unacceptable.”

During an unrelated event at the White House aboutru-

ral healthcare, he recounted Friday how he hadthreatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals “I maydothatfor Greenlandtoo,” Trumpsaid.“I may put atariff on countries if they don’tgoalong with Greenland, because we needGreenland for national security.SoImay do that,” he said. He hadnot previously mentioned using tariffsto try to force theissue.

European leaders have insisted that is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters concerning the territory, and Denmark said this week that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.

In Copenhagen, agroup of senators and members of theHouse of Representatives met Fridaywith Danish and Greenlandic lawmakers, and withleadersincluding Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

Delegation leader Sen

White House. Trump has sought to justify his calls for aU.S. takeover by repeatedly claiming thatChina and Russia have their own designs on Greenland, which holds vast untapped reserves of critical minerals. The White House hasn’t ruled out taking the territory by force.

“Wehaveheardsomany lies, to be honest andso much exaggerationonthe threats towards Greenland,” said Aaja Chemnitz, aGreenlandic politician and memberofthe Danish parliament who took part in Friday’smeetings. “And mostly,I would saythe threats that we’re seeing right now is from the U.S. side.”

Chris Coons,D-Del., thanked the group’shosts for “225 years of being agood and trusted ally andpartner” and said that“we had a strong and robustdialogue abouthow we extendthat into thefuture.”

Sen. LisaMurkowski, RAlaska, said after meeting lawmakers that the visit

reflected astrongrelationship over decades and “it is onethatweneedtonurture.” She toldreporters that “Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally,not as an asset, and Ithink that’swhat you’re hearing withthis delegation.”

The tonecontrasted with that emanating from the

Murkowski emphasized the role of Congress in spending and in conveying messages from constituents. “I think it is important to underscorethatwhenyou ask the American people whether or not they think it is agood idea forthe United States to acquireGreenland,

the vast majority,some 75%, will say,wedonot think that that is agood idea,” she said. Thedispute is looming large in the livesofGreenlanders. Greenland’sprime minister,Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said on Tuesday that “ifwehavetochoose between theUnitedStates and Denmark here and now, we chooseDenmark. We chooseNATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.” The chair of the Nuuk, Greenland-based Inuit Circumpolar Council, which represents around 180,000 Inuit from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia’s Chukotkaregion on international issues, said persistent statements from the White House that the U.S. must ownGreenland offer “a clear picture of howthe U.S. administration views the people of Greenland, how the U.S. administration viewsIndigenouspeoples, and peoples that are few in numbers.”

DefendantinKirk’skilling asks judgetodisqualifyprosecutors

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

PROVO, Utah The Utah man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk returned to court Friday,as his attorneys sought to disqualify prosecutors because the daughter of adeputy county attorney involvedin the case attended the rally where Kirk was shot. Defense attorneys say the relationship represents aconflict of interest after prosecutors said they intend to seek the death penaltyfor Tyler Robinson.

Robinson, 22, is charged with aggravated murderin the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just afew miles north of the Provo courthouse. He has not yet enteredaplea.

tion,” Utah Prosecution Council DirectorRobert Church told The Associated Press. “They’ve got to ashowasubstantial amount of prejudice and bias.”

Theprosecutor’s18-yearolddaughter,who attended the eventwhere Kirk was shot, latertexted her father in the Utah CountyAttorney’sOffice to describe the chaotic aftermath, according to court filings and testimony She did not see the shooting but heard aloud pop, according to an affidavitsubmitted by prosecutors.

The director of astate council that trains prosecutors said he doubted the disqualificationattempt would succeed, and he was unawareofany majorcase where attorneys had been disqualified for bias.

“I would bet against the defense winning this mo-

Robinson’s attorneys say the close connection between the prosecution team andaperson present forKirk’s killing “raises serious concerns about past and futureprosecutorial decisionmaking,” according to court documents. They alsoargue that the“rush” to seek the death penaltyisevidence of “strongemotionalreactions” by the prosecution and merits disqualification of theentire team.

Defense attorney Richard Novak urged Judge Tony Graf on Fridayto bringin thestate attorneygeneral’s office inplace of Utah Coun-

ty prosecutors to address the allegedconflict of interest. Novaksaiditwas problematic for countyprosecutors to litigate on behalf of the state while defending their aptnesstostay on thecase.

Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray arguedthat Novak’slast-minute request was aimed at delaying the caseagainst Robinson. His office has asked Graf to deny the disqualification request

“This is ambush and another stalling tactic,” Gray said.

Severalthousand people attended the outdoor rally where Kirk, aco-founder of Turning Point USAwho helped mobilizeyoung people to vote for President DonaldTrump, was shot as he took audience questions.

Theprosecutor’sdaughter, astudent at Utah Valley University,texted afamily group chat that daysaying, “CHARLIE GOTSHOT.” Gray testified Friday that he was with his colleague when he received that text, andthe colleague showed it to him.

In the weeks after the shooting, the young woman did not miss classes and reported no lasting trauma “aside from being scared at thetime,” the affidavit said.

Thedeputy county attorney and his daughter are ex-

pected totestify Feb. 3. Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to thekilling. Robinson also reportedly texted

his romantic partner that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred.”

GREENWAY

Continued from page 1A

phase,led by BattureEngineering, while negotiations unfold, Moreno administrationofficials said.The $4.8 million willfund the full expansion and is being pulled from bondfunds tied to a$510 million bond package votersagreed to last year. But others invested in the project say agreements with the railroad giant have historically been delayed.

“It’sbeen very difficult to deal with them, but that’snot unusual with these big railroad companies,” said Susan Guidry,aformer CityCouncil member who pushed hard for the Greenway’sconstruction during her tenure.

Guidry said they’re hopingfor a “stronger lift” under the new ad-

Continued frompage1A

the scheme.

Ultimately,two former forwards from Nicholls State,three former guards from the University of New Orleans and aformer Tulane University forward were charged with bribery,fraud and aidingand abetting.

That asignificant share of the compromised games involved Louisiana teams appeared to mostly be the result of Blakeney’s connections here. Louisiana legalized sports gambling in 2021; however,most of the bets on thefixed games were placed by actors in other states, according to the indictment.

“It is fair to say that (Blakeney’s) closer to the center than he is the periphery,” said David Foster,a New York attorney and former deputy general counsel for the National Basketball Players Association.Headded that Blakeney’s reputation from his time at LSU likely garneredhim “instant credibility” with other college players. Federal prosecutors have focused on Blakeney’stimeplaying in China and have not charged him with rigging games while he played for LSU. But they say that for his role in the scheme involving Louisiana players, Blakeney was well compensated in bribes, plus his share of winning bets placed on games that players helped rig. At one point, according to the indictment, aco-conspirator placed apackage inside astorage unit owned by Blakeney in Florida.Its contents? Nearly $200,000 in cash

Reached by The Times-Picayune on Friday,alawyer for Blakeney said his client had no comment on the allegations. The case is another turninthe once-promising career for Blakeney,anOrlando, Florida,native who ESPN ranked as the No.3 shooting guard in the nation when

ministration that can help steer the project through Linedwithnativetrees,bioswales that holdstormwater and vibrant greenery,the path takes itshalf amillion annual visitors through neighborhoods, cafes, breweries and other businesses.

The 2.6-mile parkcrosses Claiborne and Carrollton avenues and Broad Street before it abruptly endsatthe North Alexander Street trailhead.

Thecompleted path, pitched along with therest of theGreenway in a2013 master plan former Mayor MitchLandrieu’sadministration commissioned,would continue past Delgado Community College and City Park Avenue to Canal Boulevard, then loop back downCanal andconnect to the RegionalTransitAuthority CemeteriesTransit Center.A pathway would branch off and connect to the bike line along Marconi

Avenue,leading directly to City Park. When finished, the Greenway would be acontinuous path connecting the French Quarter to City Park.

“It’sanincredible asset as is. But going allthe waytothe RTA station …that’saconnection for people who don’thave transportation by car.Anybody who walks or bikes along the Greenway can make this safe connection. Regional multimodal connection is extremely important to alot of people in the city,” Guidry said.

In 2024, city leaders also worked withthe Legislature to secure long-term funding for thespace, through an economic development districtthatwould raise revenue through taxes or other meansfor theLafitte Greenway area. The revenue could be put toward Greenwayimprovements, maintenance or the public benefit

A2024 master plan, released by theLafitte Greenway Partnership, which manages the Greenway’s day-to-day operations, gave leaders until December of this year to finishthe extension. But City Hall officials said it’sunclear if the deal will be done by then.

Ron Foster owns Masonry Products, which hasusedthe rail line for its operations formore than 70 years. He said the market hasbeen slowinrecent years andhis business has been taking in less brick because of high construction and insurance costs. That leads to less reliance on the railroad.

But Foster saidheanticipates things changing forthe better as theeconomy improves. He said discussions around removing the railsaltogether or leaving them intact are ongoing between the residential and business community, thecity and Norfolk.

“Everything’sreally up in the air

he committedtoLSU in 2015.

Aftertwo standout years with the Tigers, Blakeney tried moving on to theNBA butdidn’tget drafted. He signed aminor-league contract with the Chicago Bulls, winning theNBA GLeague Rookie of the Year award, but was released by theteam in 2019 In 2021, when Blakeney was 24 years old, he wasarrested at his home in Kissimmee,Florida, and accusedofarranging an armed robbery of two men who Blakeney invitedtoplaycards at hishouse It’sunclear how the case was resolved:A lawyer for Blakeney at thetimedidn’treturn messages. As the scheme’sringleaders, federal prosecutors identified Marves Fairley, of Mississippi,and Shane Hennen,ofPhiladelphia.Both were professional gamblers and social media influencers who sold bettingadvicetotheir followers. Prosecutors haven’tsaid exactly why, but at some pointduring

Blakeney’s2022-2023 season in China,the pair offered Blakeney bribes in exchange for his participation in thescheme, according to the indictment. There’snoindicationthat Blakeney had apriorrelationship with Fairley or Hennen.

on agame that Blakeney sat out nine days later,prosecutors allege. There’snothing guaranteed in this world, one co-conspirator later texted, but “death,taxes,and Chinese basketball.”

at this point,” Foster said.

Norfolk representativesdid not return arequest for comment.

The city previously allocated moneyfor theexpansion in apast bond sale measure, but city officials movedthe money toward other priorities, Guidry said. To prevent that from happening again, the City Council this time passed an ordinance that ensures bond proceeds are spent on alist of identified projects that would require approval from the council and the public forany changes.

“We’re excitedthatdesignis underway andthat voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 2inNovember to fund the construction of the Greenway completion,” said Jason Neville, Partnership director

“While the best time to have built this was in 2015 when the Greenwaywas originally built, the second best timeisnow.”

Hunter,former UNO guard from 2024-2025; Oumar Koureissi,former Nicholls State forward from 2023-2024; Dyouavion “Jah” Short, former UNO guard from 20232025; Diante Smith, former Nicholls forward from 2023-2024. Nonehave entered pleas yet. Forbettors looking to illegally fix the outcome of sports contests, college basketball games, particularly involving teams without a large following, makefor sensible targets, Foster said.

“It’salot easier forabasketball playertohaveabiggerimpact on agameconsistently than other sports,” Foster said, because the gameinvolves arelatively small number of players who receive consistent playing time, among other factors.

Thescheme also targeted small schools in gamesthat weren’t nationally televised and unlikely to garner muchattention, Foster added.

“Ifsomething strange is happening in aDuke/North Carolina game, there’sjust more people watching,” Foster said.

the city’szoning code, must now pass additional councilscrutiny andmeet individually tailored requirements to open on Bourbon Street under the measure. Before, they could operate by rightsolong as they had buildingpermits and business licenses. The new requirements are part of anew temporary zoning districtthatcould last up to two years while city planners consider recommendations for permanent action. The council will ultimately decide on any permanent changes. The measure comes while a

new club, Peppermint Hippo, is promoting itsupcomingopening at 226 Bourbon Street on social media.It’snot clear if Peppermint Hippo has already obtained itsbuilding permitand business license, or if it will need to go through thecouncil’snew process. Calls and messages to Peppermint Hipporepresentatives werenot returned.

The councilimposed similar temporary restrictions from2016 to 2018, as members andMayor Mitch Landrieu’sadministration sought morepermanentrestrictions on stripclubsand state authorities cracked down on code violationswithin the clubs.

Dancers andsome clubowners organized in vocalopposition to

Harry Rosenberg, aformer U.S. Attorney in New Orleans, said the pair may have learned of Blakeney’sprior arrest,whichwas reported on by news outlets.

“If he was caughtstructuring a card gamefor other individuals to useasastickup point,itwould seem to me that it tends to indicate that he would be open to other criminalactivity,” Rosenberg said. “Ifsomebody’swilling to put their foot in the pool, they’relikely to jump into thepool.”

Either way,the scheme began with theMarch 2023 game in China. Bettorsmade at least $198,000 in illegalwagers on it, according to theindictment.The group placed another $100,000inwinning bets

thoseefforts,and thezoning proposals failed. Butthe stateraids forced some clubs to close while others saw their licenses suspended. That hada chillingeffect on the local industry,forcing some dancers intoillegaland more dangeroussex work, saidDevinLadner, aformer Bourbon Street dancer whoquitlast year and nowteaches at Loyola University

“It is scary to hear that there is another zoning ordinance affecting thestripclubs, becausethis is exactly what they triedtodolast time,” Ladner said.

Theremainingclubshavemore exclusive standards for dancers, and restricting competition will only further limit their options, Ladner said.

Thegroup soon recruited more than adozen other athletes into thefold, this time targeting college basketball games in the U.S. beginning in 2024.

According to the indictment, Blakeney and four others, “in person and through social media, text message communications, andcellular telephone calls,” contacted collegeathletes and offeredthem bribes ranging from $10,000 to $30,000.

Otherdefendants accused of helping rig outcomes of games involving Louisiana teams include: Kevin Cross, former Tulane University forward from2020-2024; CarlosHart, former University of New Orleans guard from 20232024;Cedouavious “Dae Dae”

“I know girls that are having issues with the amount of clubs that areonBourbon Street and the limitations of where they canworkat,” Ladner said. “They feel forced into certain environments and have no room toreally go outside of it.”

The council’sprevious failedattemptatnew zoning regulations included aproposal to limit the number of strip clubs perblock, andthe lawenforcementraids were meant to stem humantrafficking andcrime.Thatcameafter this newspaper reported alink betweentrafficking andsomeFrench Quarter clubs, anda 19-year-old dancer, Jasilas Wright, died after she jumped out of acar on Interstate 10 trying to escapesomeone police said was her pimp.

And even in the era where college athletes can earn money through endorsements, or through direct paymentsfrom theiruniversities, the athletes targeted in the scheme likely weren’tmaking much, said Noah Henderson, director of the Sport Management ProgramatLoyolaUniversity Chicago. They also played for low-performing teams thatweren’t competing for achampionship, meaning the outcomes of aregular season game weren’t as critical, Henderson said.

“They were targeting teamsthat don’thaveawhole lotofhighhopes fortheir season,and they were targeting role players who were more than likely earning pretty nominal sumsof(endorsement) and other athleticcompensation,”Henderson said.

“The bribesgolonger and it’s not putting the season in jeopardy.”

But aCity Planning Commission report in 2018 found no link between the number of clubs and crimeincidents,and theraids did not result in any trafficking arrests. Before 2018, the Bourbon Street strip club ecosystem included a range of establishments thatcateredtodifferent typesofaudiences anddancers, and“that variety created opportunity and it literally fedfamilies,” saidaveteran Bourbon Street dancer who did not want to be identified because she owns an unrelated business. Shesaidshe hadnoconcerns about trafficking in strip clubs, then or now “I feel safer in anightclub than I do on the street,” she said.

Watchdogs urge probe of Meta’s financing

BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer

Environmental and consumer groups want Louisiana officials to investigate how a new financing structure for Meta’s $27 billion ar-

tificial intelligence data center in the state’s northeast could impact electricity bills for residents.

Meta can leave the data center after only four years, far shorter than the 15-year term approved in August by state regulators, the nonprofits say The altered financing “significantly increases ratepayer risk,” according to a motion filed Wednesday with the Louisiana Public Service Commission on behalf of two nonprofit groups.

“Meta is acknowledging tacitly, I suppose, that the buildout of this facility is risky,” said Logan Burke, who runs the Louisiana-based Alliance for Affordable Energy Entergy, which is building the electricity plants for the data center, disputes the nonprofits’ claims.

The Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities approved

in August the plan to power Meta’s biggest-ever data center, a project that will need roughly three times the amount of electricity annually that New Orleans uses in a year

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has separately spoken of further expanding the data center to a size that would rival the footprint of Manhattan, though some analysts have expressed doubt over whether that is possible.

The controversial approval cleared the way for Entergy, the state’s largest utility, to begin constructing three gas-fired electricity plants and other infrastructure worth billions of dollars. Advocates and academics have also raised concerns over the environmental risks of the new fossil fuelpowered gas plants and the water demands of the facility

On the day Louisiana regulators approved Meta’s power plan, the tech company “fundamentally altered” the financial setup of the Richland Parish data center, the nonprofits allege. Under the complex financial model Meta teamed up with a top

verify that some posters already have gone up.

For now, thousands of donated posters are stacked in school district offices across the state.

private equity firm in a deal that helps the tech company offset financial risk and guarantees a profit for the private equity company, according to The Wall Street Journal. The restructuring essentially gives the private equity company majority ownership of the data center and makes Meta a tenant, able to exit the lease every four years for up to 20 years.

The term is a fraction of the 15year contract that the Louisiana regulators approved, though that length also worried opponents

The three gas plants that Entergy is building have a life span of up to 40 years, the nonprofits argued over a monthslong approval process, potentially leaving ratepayers on the hook for some costs of the new infrastructure if the tech company leaves.

The nonprofit groups want the commission to investigate whether Meta or Entergy misled the state regulators, determine the effect of the new financial structure on ratepayers and review the timing of the financial rearrangement.

A spokesperson for Meta could

not be reached for comment.

Brandon Scardigli, a spokesperson for Entergy, said the company strongly disagrees with the allegation that changes to the data center financing puts Entergy or its customers at risk.

“That is simply false,” Scardigli said. The deal between Meta and Entergy is supported and backstopped by robust credit protections, Scardigli said including a guarantee from the tech company that remains “in full force” regardless of changes to project financing. The company also maintains that the “suggestion that Entergy Louisiana somehow misled the commission is utterly without merit and false.”

Entergy has previously stressed that the tech company will cover all costs for the new plants throughout the 15-year deal, though all customers will pay for other related infrastructure costs. The plants will be able to serve everyone if Meta leaves after the 15-year deal as the utility retires older less-efficient plants.

Part of the nonprofits’ concern is related to the creation of a new entity majority-owned by the private equity firm, Blue Owl, and partly owned by Meta. That new entity will now serve as the parent company of the subsidiary that entered into the electricity deal with Entergy Meta itself had previously been the parent company of the subsidiary, which is called Laidley

“There is no longer an enforceable parent guaranty since Meta is no longer the parent,” the nonprofits’ motion states.

Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, whose district includes Richland Parish, said his staff is looking into the request.

“We’re concerned about it, but we feel good that we have a financial backer in Entergy,” Campbell said.

Commissioner Davante Lewis, the sole regulator to vote against the original plan, said he’s been deeply concerned “since day one” over transparency issues impacting both the public and the state regulators. He said he planned to review the motion “and ensure that it has a public discussion.”

classroom was declared unconstitutional by a U.S. district court and a three-judge panel on the 5th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals. On Tuesday, the full 5th Circuit will rehear the case, which has been combined with a legal challenge to a similar law in Texas.

The law does not require school systems to pay for Ten Commandments posters, but says they must accept donated displays.

Officials in six Louisiana school districts confirmed that they received the donated posters last year but said they are waiting for a final ruling before distributing them to schools.

However, Mills said he has seen photos of the posters already on display in some public school classrooms.

“Some of them were eager to do it the day (the law) passed,” he said.

The Times-Picayune | The Advocate was not able to independently

They feature four different layouts designed by Murrill’s office, which can be downloaded from her website. One is titled “The House of Representatives and the Lawgivers” and features Johnson’s photo and an image of Moses next to the Ten Commandments, while another cites relevant Supreme Court cases.

School districts also received a copy of legal guidance that Murrill issued in January 2025 saying her office would defend in court any school that is sued for displaying the posters

In a statement Friday, Murrill said her office was not involved in sending schools the posters, which she noted were donated by private groups. She also argued that the law is constitutional — despite two court rulings saying otherwise.

“If schools want to post them, they can,” she said.

A multifaith group of parents with children in Louisiana public

schools filed a lawsuit in June 2024, just days after Gov Jeff Landry signed the Ten Commandments law, arguing that it violated their families’ religious freedom. Last year, the three-judge panel on the 5th Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling that barred the state from enforcing the law, which the panel called “plainly unconstitutional.”

Proponents say the Ten Commandments have historical and educational value. Murrill’s team also argued the lawsuit was premature, writing in a November court filing that the plaintiffs are challenging Ten Commandments displays “that do not exist and whose contents and contexts have not been determined.”

But now thousands of posters do exist and have been delivered to most school systems including Vernon Parish Schools, which is named in the lawsuit. A Louisiana Family Forum document shows that the posters have not been sent to the other school systems where the plaintiffs’ children attend public school — East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans and St. Tammany — or

to public colleges and universities.

Murrill has argued that only the five named districts are barred from the enforcing the law But the ACLU of Louisiana and other legal groups have warned that other schools could be sued if they enact the law, which the groups say violates students’ First Amendment right to religious freedom.

“Public-school officials are legally required to protect and uphold the constitutional rights of students and families,” the groups wrote in a December 2024 letter to school superintendents.

In Texas, which passed a similar Ten Commandments law last year, public schools also have received posters donated by conservative groups — including one tied to right-wing political commentator Glenn Beck, according to Houston Public Media. Parents in that state sued to block the law, and in November a federal judge ordered several school districts to remove the displays. Beck has promoted a joint effort by Christian churches and conservative advocacy groups to raise

money for Ten Commandments posters for schools in Texas and Arkansas, which passed its own law last year

A website for the campaign, called “Restore American Schools,” says posters have been donated to about 4,600 schools in those two states.

One group participating in that effort is Patriot Mobile, which describes itself as “America’s only Christian conservative wireless provider.” The cellphone carrier also contributed to the Louisiana Family Forum’s fundraising drive to send posters to Louisiana schools, according to Mills and a news release.

First Liberty Institute, a legal advocacy group that supports Louisiana’s law, also joined the campaign. Matt Krause, an attorney at First Liberty, said groups like his wanted to ensure that Louisiana’s law is put into action.

“We have the ability to put the Ten Commandments up, which is great,” he said, “but if nobody actually does it, then it doesn’t do us much good.”

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with meteorologist Damon Singleton

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER

Associated Press

ORLANDO Fla. — Tourists bundled up, warming shelters for the homeless opened and growers sprayed crops with water to create protective ice for their plants Friday as sunny Florida shivered through the coldest weather that parts of the state have experienced in more than three years. The 19-degree temperature overnight at Tallahassee International Airport stopped short of the record 16 almost a century ago, according to Mark Wool, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. “It’s cold, but it’s not all that unusual to have cold

weather this time of the year,” Wool said Friday There was even more un-

Florida experiences its coldest weather this winter

Florida-like weather predicted for the weekend with the National Weather Service putting the chances for snow in the Panhandle early Sunday at between 20% and 30%.

The snow was predicted to be less than an inch in the western Panhandle but not expected to impact travel because of a short duration and an expected quick rise in temperatures afterward, Wool said. That would make it a far cry from the 5 inches of snow that fell on Pensacola almost exactly a year ago.

“The reasonably worstcase scenario is an inch since the window is only two or three hours,” Wool said of

Sunday’s forecast. “But all of that will melt away when it warms up.” Temperatures on Saturday were expected to warm up to more Sunshine Statelike weather before dipping again Sunday and Monday

The thermometer was expected to be a cool-for-Miami mid-50s during Monday night’s college football championship game between Indiana and Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

The central part of Florida on Friday experienced some of the coldest weather it has seen in more than three years as lows dipped to the mid-20s, according to the National Weather Service.

In Orlando, water parks such as Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World were closed Friday The water park also planned to be closed at the beginning of next week because of the predicted frigid weather, Disney said in an email. In Plant City, which bills itself as the winter strawberry capital of the world, growers used sprinklers to spray strawberry plants and ornamental plants with water that formed a protective ice as the overnight temperature went as low as 28 The ice kept the plants’ temperatures from going below freezing. Plant City is about 20 miles east of Tampa.

BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, ERIC TUCKER and JACK BROOK Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS The Justice Department is investigating whether Minnesota Gov Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have impeded federal immigration enforcement through public statements they have made two people familiar with the matter said Friday

The investigation focused on potential violation of a conspiracy statute, the people said. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss a pending investigation by name. CBS News first reported the investigation. The investigation comes during a weekslong immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests.

The operation has become more confrontational since the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7, with agents pulling people from cars and homes and frequently being confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave. State and local officials have repeatedly told protesters to remain peaceful. In response to reports of the investigation, Walz said in a statement: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic.”

U.S. senators Kelly, from Arizona, and Slotkin, from Michigan, are under investigation from the President Donald Trump administration after appearing with other Democratic lawmakers in a video urging members of the military to resist “illegal orders.” The administration has also launched a criminal investigation of Powell, a first for a sitting Federal Reserve chair Walz’s office said it has not received any notice of an in-

vestigation.

Frey described the investigation as an attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”

In a post on the social media platform X following reports of the investigation, Attorney General Pam Bondi said: “A reminder to all those in Minnesota: No one is above the law.” She did not specifically mention the investigation.

Plea for peaceful protests

State authorities, meanwhile, had a message for any weekend protests against the Trump administration’s immigration sweep in the Twin Cities: avoid confrontation.

“While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety

His comments came after

Trump backed off a bit from his threat a day earlier to invoke an 1807 law, the Insurrection Act, to send troops to suppress demonstrations

“I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,”

Trump told reporters outside the White House.

Judge rules on lawsuit

Federal officers in the Minneapolis-area participating in the enforcement operation can’t detain or tear gas peaceful protesters,

including people observing the agents, a U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled Friday

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez ruled in the case filed in December on behalf of six Minnesota activists, which were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.

Government attorneys argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves. But the ACLU has said government officers

| Saturday, January 17, 2026 1Bn

N.O. attorney named to ICE leadership

Veteran official Charles Wall set for deputy director post

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

An attorney from New Orleans was named deputy director of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, deepening Louisiana’s ties to the agency President Donald Trump’s administration is using to drive its deportation agenda.

The veteran ICE official, Charles

Wall, previously worked as the agency’s principal legal adviser, a role in which he oversaw attorneys representing the federal government across the nation in immigration removal proceedings.

Wall attended Jesuit High School, received an undergraduate degree from the University of New Orleans and studied law at Loyola University

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced his appointment as ICE deputy director on Thursday, calling Wall a “forward leaning, strategic thinker” in a news release that said he has helped in “arresting and removing the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from American neighborhoods.”

Wall replaces former ICE

Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, a South Dakota politico and Noem ally who previously served as Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary Sheahan is leaving ICE to run for Congress in her native Ohio. Wall’s promotion adds to an al-

ready substantial roster of officials with Louisiana ties serving atop ICE at a time when the agency is in the national spotlight, as the Trump administration uses it as the fulcrum of its effort to aggressively ramp up deportations. Besides Sheahan’s stint as deputy director, Melissa Harper, the longtime head of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations for the New Orleans Field Office, was promoted

ä See WALL, page 2B

FAST AND FUR-IOUS

On a beautiful Friday afternoon, a dog rides along with the top down while cruising down River Road in the back of a convertible in Jefferson Parish

Inspector general reviews banner removal decision

Cantrell administration hired contractor amid budget woes

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

Investigators in St. Bernard Parish have arrested three people and are searching for two more suspects wanted in connection with stealing copper wiring from internet and cell service providers

With the city of New Orleans short on cash, Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration in December hired a contractor for $5,400 to remove and later reinstall Mayor Helena Moreno’s inauguration banners at Gallier Hall. At Cantrell’s direction, city officials sought out a quote from Uptown Graphics to remove the banners on Dec. 17 and reinstall them ahead of Moreno’s Jan. 12 inauguration, according to emails obtained by The TimesPicayune. The company told them it would cost $6,500. The city ultimately reached a

on Dec. 17, 2025.

verbal agreement with the company to do the work for $5,400, according to a source familiar with the situation. Moreno’s inauguration committee hung the five massive banners — which touted the need to be “all in” for New Orleans — outside Gallier Hall on Dec. 8 ahead of a news conference announcing the schedule of events leading up to the inauguration. The committee paid for the banners and their installation with private donations. At first, city officials had no problem with keeping them up.

In a Dec. 1 email provided by Moreno’s inauguration committee, the city’s Property Management director, Howard “Trey” Nobles III, told producers at the Solomon Group that he had no objection to keeping the banners up through Mardi Gras. On Dec. 17, however, a crane rolled up and a crew of workers took them down. After their removal, Cantrell’s spokesperson, Terry Davis, released a statement noting that Gallier Hall hosts a “full

ä See BANNERS, page 3B

2-year-old’s

He’ll spend 50 years in prison

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

A Slidell man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the drug-related death of his 2-yearold niece and will spend 50 years in prison, authorities said. Judge John Keller of the 22nd Judicial District Court handed down the 50-year sentence Thursday following Christopher Mikhail Baker’s guilty plea in the death of his niece, Ryah Young, 2, whose body tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. Baker also pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree cruelty to juveniles, possession of fentanyl and cocaine and illegally carrying a weapon while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance, northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said in a news release.

Hormonetherapy banlawsuit continues

Case setfor trialafter twoyears

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

of litigation

Alawsuit intent on gutting a statewide ban on hormone therapy and operations for transgender children in Louisiana is poised to proceed to trial soon after two years of litigation.

An East Baton Rouge judge dismissedabid by the Louisiana Attorney General’sOffice to get the challenge to Louisiana’slaw tossed out of court. Attorney General’sOffice attorneys relied on aU.S. Supreme Court ruling last June thatupheld a Tennessee ban on trans youthtreatments. In that case, known as U.S. v. Skrmetti, SCOTUS judges determined the Volunteer State’srestrictions on sex-transition therapy for minors addressed alegitimatepublic health concern, didn’tdiscriminate against transgenderyouth and the law wasn’tbased on sex.

But 19th Judicial District Judge Ron Johnson said the equal rights protections in Louisiana’s Constitution are broader than the U.S. Constitution’sprotections at play in Tennessee. He determinedthere

were too many material factsin questiontotossthe Baton Rouge case out and denied the state’s motion for asummary judgment after listening to about an hour’s worth of arguments from attorneys on both sides.

“The state’srelianceupon Skrmetti …ismisplaced,” Johnson said. “The court isnot of the opinion that Skrmetti resolves all of the issues associated withthe claims that are asserted under the Louisiana Constitution.”

At issue is abill statelawmakers passed into lawinJuly2023: The House and Senate overrodethenGov.JohnBel Edwards’vetotoenact theStop Harming Our Kids Act, which banned all gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender peopleyounger than 18. The restrictions went into effect Jan. 1, 2024,and apply onlytotrans youth, many of who grapple with gender dysphoria.

Doctorscan no longer perform voicesurgery, do facial reconstruction, insertimplantsordoany other trans-related procedures on minors.

Medical professionals are also prohibitedfrom prescribing synthetic drugs, hormone analogues or pubertyblockers to minors. Doctors who don’tfollow the mandates

face aminimum two-year suspensionifthey are caught treating underage transgender individuals.

The law also gives people up to theage of 30 to file malpractice lawsuits against doctors whoperform sterilizing sex-change surgeries— suchascastration,hysterectomy, penectomy or vasectomy —onthemwhentheyare underage.

It is notclear if the state intends to appeal Thursday’sruling, but Attorney General Liz Murrill defended lawmakers’ stance.

“Myjob is to enforce Louisiana lawand protect children from mutilation,” she said in astatement. “Members of the StateLegislature andI fully agree thatthese dangerous, irreversible medical procedures arebarbaric and should never be performed on children. This is common sense, which is why we arevigorously defending the law in court.”

Five transgender youth suedthe state in January2024, justdays afterthe law became enforceable in Louisiana. They allege it impacts hundreds of transgender youths acrossthe state.

“Entire families, nowbecause of this ban, are forced totravel out of stateand payexorbitantamounts

out-of-pocket to getthe kind of care that medical professionals allagree is safe, effective and necessary for these young people,” Nicholas Hite said outside the courthouse Thursday Hite is part of the legal team that is led by Lambda Legal, aNew York City law firm that is the nation’soldest and largest legaladvocacy group for LGBTQ andHIV/AIDS communities.

Theplaintiffs arevying foraninjunction that would stop the Louisiana State BoardofMedical Examiners from levying suspensions on health care professionals, essentially taking the teeth outofthe law

“What thejudge decidedtoday is that the case is not open and closed,” he said.“Thestoriesof our plaintiffs, the testimony of our experts, therecord from the Legislature are all really important and need to be heard. So whatthe judge decided today is that he wantsto hear from those experts. He wants to hear from ourplaintiffs and he wants to hear the legislative record to decide whether this law is actually appropriate or not.” In arguing for the case to be dismissed Thursday,Hunter Farrar

Former clerkcharged with school theft

Investigation reveals unauthorized purchasesmade

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Aformer accounts clerk at Patrick F. Taylor Science &Technology Academy has beencharged with theft, more than ayear after she was arrested and accused of using the school’s credit accounts to fund vacations and pay for thousands of dollars in personalpurchases, according to authorities.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’sOffice on Thursday formally filed achargeoftheft valuedover $25,000 against Nicole Bergeron, 51,ofKenner,according to Jefferson Parish court records. Bergeron’sattorney could not be immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Bergeron was arrested in August 2024 following an internal inves-

tigation by schoolofficialsand a criminal investigation by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Officials at theschool in Avondale alerted the Sheriff’s Officein May 2024 to the suspected thefts. They toldinvestigatorsthey became suspicious afew months earlier and began looking over the school’sfinances.They realized that Bergeron’sname was on some of the school’scredit accounts, and only shecould access them, authorities said.

While reviewingthe accounts, they uncovered thousands of dollars in unauthorized purchases allegedly made by Bergeron. For instance, in 2021,she is accused of using the school’sSam’sClub accounttobuy $4,168 worth of Disney gift cards, according to the Sheriff’s Office. In 2023, she allegedly used the school Sam’s Club account to buy $1,400 in Carnival Cruise gift cards. Bergeron went on acruise on Carnival in February 2024, according to authorities.

School officialsdeterminedabout $16,500 worth of unauthorizedpurchases had been madeonthe Sam’s Club card, including alcohol, medication,toysand groceries, authorities said. When senttoRouses Supermarket with the school’scheckbook anda detailed list of food to buy forPatrick Taylor’shomecoming andThanksgiving dances in 2023, school officials alleged that Bergerontacked on an additional $100-$200 worth of purchases, according to authorities Sheriff’s Office investigators planned to check the school’sAmazon andLowe’sHome Improvement credit accounts forany unauthorized spending, according to aSheriff’sOffice incident report from 2024. Information was not immediatelyavailable Friday about the totalamount thatauthorities allege Bergeron spent with theschool’s accounts between 2019 and2024. After her arrest on Aug. 14, 2024, Bergeron wasreleasedfrom jail

thesame day on a$10,000 bond, according to court records.

The theftwas mentioned in the JeffersonParishSchoolBoard’s annual financial report for the 2024 fiscal year Jefferson Parish Public Schools released thefollowing statement shortly after theaudit wasmade public in February 2025:

“A financial concern wasidentifiedatthe school level. In accordancewith district policy,the matter was immediatelyforwarded to the district’sFinance Department, which launched an internal investigation.The investigation revealed sufficientevidencetoconclude that an employee had engaged in fraudulent activity, whereupon, the district’sfindings were reported to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, lawenforcement and the district’s external auditor.The employee is no longer employedbythe district.”

Bergeron is scheduled to be arraignedMarch 6, according to court records.

Avondale womancharged with boyfriend’smurder

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

AJefferson Parish grand jury

handed up an indictmentcharging an Avondale woman withthe murder of her boyfriend at the Kenner Airbnb they had booked for her birthday Akailah Hicks, 19, pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the death of 21-year-old Keenan Dyas, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

Kenner police allege Hicks stabbed Dyasonceinthe chest in the backyard of arented home in the400 block of Holy Cross Place just before 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2025.Hewas pronounced dead at the scene.

The couple, who share achild, paid to stay at the residence and threw abirthdayparty for Hicks thenight before,authorities said.

Hickstoldinvestigators Dyas left theunitatsome point earlier in the morning. When he returned andknocked on the door,Hicks

said she opened it anddiscovered that he’d been stabbed, according to Kenner police.

The evidence, however,didn’t support herversion of events, according to investigators. Dyas’ fatal stab wasn’tsurvivablefor more than aminute, Kenner Police DeputyChief Mark McCormick said shortly after Hicks was arrested.

“Hewould have to have been stabbed right there. Therewas no blood located anywhere else, not in his vehicle, not out front,” McCormick said. The only blood was

located within the backyard. Hicks is charged with obstruction because authorities allege she took theknife usedtostab Dyas and washed hisblood from the weapon to hinder the investigation,according to court records.

Afterthe indictment, the court raised Hicks’bailto$1million. She was beingheld Friday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

THIEVES

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aprevious outstanding warrant from the New Orleans PoliceDepartment for possession of astolen vehicle. Arrestwarrants have been issued for Logan Neumeyer,25, of Arabi, and Keith McKinnis, 32, of Violet.

TheSheriff’sOffice didn’t identify the cell and internetcompa-

nies targeted by the suspects. But detectives had beeninvestigating complaints of copper thefts forthe past several months, according to theSheriff’s Office. Authorities identified thesuspectsusingvideo surveillance, the Sheriff’sOffice said.

St. Bernard is not alone. In Jefferson Parish, officials saidthere arecurrently about 300streetlights that are inoperable due to copper theft along severalmajor roadways. The cost of repair and replacementisestimated at $1.5

million AndinSt. Johnthe BaptistParish, the Sheriff’s Office in December arrested three men accused of stealing $75,000 worth of copper from aplant, authorities said. The department said theft of copper wiring belonging to AT&T impacted service for some customers last year Copper theft is surging nationally because of rising prices for the metal.Those prices aredriven by high demand from other countries that areupgradingelectrical and

technologyinfrastructure. Tariffs and trade policies have also contributed to copper’srising price tag,experts said. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Neumeyer or McKinnis, or with information about these or similar thefts, is asked to call the Sheriff’s Officeat(504) 271-2501, theCriminal Investigations Bureau’stip hotline, (504) 271-TIPS or 8477, or Crimestoppers GNO at (504) 822-1111. Staff writer Michelle Hunter contributed to this report.

GUILTY

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St. Tammany sheriff’s deputies responded to aSlidell area residence on Jan. 7, 2024, afterreceiving a911 call about an unresponsive child. Baker had been babysitting his nieceand 1-year-old nephew Baker told investigatorshefound thetoddler unresponsive shortly before 2p.m., yetemergencyresponse agencies were not alerted until 2:19 p.m., the DistrictAttorney’sOffice’s office said.Ryah Young was pronounced dead at the hospital and atoxicology report lat-

er confirmedthe cause of deathas drug toxicity after she tested positivefor fentanyl and cocaine.

Amedical examination of the 1-year-old nephew revealed he, too, tested positive for cocaine andwas also sufferingfrom aliver contusion, eye contusion and internal injuries, theDistrict Attorney’s Office’sofficesaid. Asearch of thehomeuncovered baggies and straws containing fentanyl and cocaine residue, along with a.45 calibergun.

At thetime of Baker’sarrest, the Sheriff’sOfficehad said thedrugs contributed to the child’sdeath. In recorded jail calls,Baker referred to it as a“freak accident,”

and suggested the children had “ate one,” theDistrictAttorney’sOffice’s office said. Prior to sentencing, the victims’ motheraddressed the court and Baker

“Mychildren loved you, Chris they lovedtheir Uncle Juice,” she said, adding Baker “took my daughter and almost took my son. He hasa son. At least he has ason to talk to.”

Keller asked Baker if he wanted to make astatement in court to the victims’ family.Hedeclined, the District Attorney’sOffice’soffice said. “The death of achild is an unimaginable tragedy, made even moreheinous by thefact that it was

cited last year’sruling in Skrmetti and told Judge Johnson that SCOTUS justices admonished lower courts to mind theSkrmetti decision when deciding how to handle challenges to state laws restricting sex-transitions for youth

“Thesestatutes were recentlyenacted by the Louisiana Legislature to achieve alegitimate, compelling statepurpose, whichisthe protectionofminors fromirrevocable harm,” he argued. “The Louisiana government needstoprotect minors. It has an interest in doingso and these laws are narrowly tailored to achieve that.”

But the plaintiffs argued the law amountsto“broad government overreach” and deprives parents of their right to decide their children’s medical care.

“(Judge Johnson) made it very clear that the federal ruling from Skrmetti doesn’tdetermine what happens here,” Hite said after Thursday’shearing. “This is acase in Louisiana,under Louisiana’s laws, and it needs to be determined by Louisiana courts.”

The judge set aFeb. 10 hearing where the attorneys are expected to agree on atrial date.

Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

WALL

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in May of last year to aposition with Enforcement and Removal Operations in the Washington, D.C., headquarters, according to anews release. Harper was later tapped to lead the federal OfficeofRefugee Resettlement, ProPublica reported. TwoRepublican Louisiana congressmen —U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, of Jefferson, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, of Benton —also hold senior legislative branch positions in which they shepherded amassive DHSfunding increase as part of Trump’s signaturefederal funding package. Wall enters ICE’ssecond-ranking leadership slot as the agency facesintense scrutiny over an agent’sfatal shooting last week of aMinneapolis resident and U.S. citizen, Renee Good. The agency is seekingtogrow its ranks anddetention capacity with the recent surge of funding. Wall will help oversee an agency whose operationsoften flow through Louisiana. There were more than 7,000 people in the agency’s custodyinLouisiana late last year,according to data compiled by researchers at Syracuse University. Only Texashas more people in ICE custody An ICE spokesperson did not respondtoarequest to make Wall available for an interview Wall previously supervised undercover teams in Louisiana probing worksite enforcement violations, according to an official biography.Heoften worked with Homeland Security Investigations, DHS’ criminalinvestigative arm,and prosecuted removal cases withnational security implications.

Wall was aprosecutor with the OrleansParish DistrictAttorney’sOffice from 2009 to 2012. Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY THURSDAY,JAN. 15, 2026

entirely preventable,”Simssaidin astatement. “Fentanyl is apoison that continuestodevastate families in our community.This defendant’s choice to keep lethal narcotics within reach of helpless children is alevel of negligence that demands thehighest level of accountability.”

“While no sentence can bring Ryah back, today’s50-year term ensures that Mr.Baker is heldfully responsiblefor the life he tookand the child he endangered,” Sims added.

AssistantDistrict Attorneys Iain Dover and Christina Fisher handled the prosecution. Sims notedthat Detective Winston Harbin of the St.Tammany Sheriff’sOffice was instrumental in building the case.

Runners flock to BR for Louisiana Marathon

Race may set participant record

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

On its 15th anniversary, the Louisiana Marathon is racing toward its largest event yet.

The annual marathon held on Martin Luther King Jr Day weekend draws visitors from around the globe to Baton Rouge to compete and celebrate south Louisiana culture. This year’s race weekend on Saturday and Sunday will include runners from all 50 states and 15 countries, and Visit Baton Rouge estimates the event to have a $5 million economic impact on the city

“Knowing that the event is putting heads in beds, putting people in restaurants in downtown Baton Rouge in a time that would normally be a very slow time, because it’s not football season, it gives me a lot of excitement,” said Mike Wattigny, marketing director of FreshJunkie Racing, which produces the marathon.

The high economic impact is driven by a spike in the number of runners participating in the event, which has a full marathon, half marathon, quarter marathon, 5K and a 1-mile kid’s marathon. Wattigny projects 9,500-9,700 runners will be at the starting lines, close to this year’s goal of 10,000 runners

As of Wednesday afternoon, 8,973 runners are registered for the event, and participants can sign up until race weekend if spots are still available. Current registration for the race surpasses last year’s numbers of about 6,900 participants and is nearing the marathon’s all-time high of 8,648 runners in 2018.

This year’s nearly $5 million economic impact estimate exceeds that of past marathons, which raked in $1.6 million-$3.5 million from each marathon in the past few years. It is more than the economic impact of the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade, which directly brings an

estimated $2.1 million to the city, Cating said.

Baton Rouge’s mild January weather, the unique south Louisiana culture and the quality of race organizing attract both runners and their supporters from outside the Pelican State said Laura Cating, senior vice president of marketing and communications for Visit Baton Rouge.

“It has really become a desirable destination for runners. We knock it out of the park each year and hopefully can do that again this year,” Cating said.

About 60% of runners hail from out of state, according to Wattigny Visit Baton Rouge works with FreshJunkie Racing as a sponsor of the event and helps compute its estimated economic impact from attendees’ spending on hotels, food and shopping and FreshJunkie’s expenses on race setup in Baton Rouge.

Lodging is the largest driver for the event’s economic impact, with most runners spending multiple

nights in Baton Rouge with family and friends. Many downtown hotels including the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Courtyard Marriott Downtown and Hampton Inn & Suites are fully booked for Saturday and Sunday Searches for Airbnb listings in Baton Rouge on the marathon weekend have increased by double digits compared with searches for other January weekends, according to the company The short-term rental company said most people booking Airbnbs for the marathon weekend are from out of state, particularly travelers from Houston, St. Louis and Richmond, Virginia. Bookings for last year’s marathon were up 13% from 2024.

For last year’s marathon, overall hotel occupancy was about 56%, which Cating said is much higher than a typical January weekend in Baton Rouge This period is referred to as a “shoulder season,” when football season is over and Mardi Gras celebrations are not yet in full swing, so tourism is low

“Any events that we can have in this season where it is a lighter visitation point, it’s of significant benefit to all of our local businesses,” Cating said.

The event has big appeal for serious runners: The full marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon and has a relatively flat course, making it easier for runners to achieve a personal best time.

Over the past 15 years,

FreshJunkie has refurbished its marketing approach, incorporating social media and TV news partners to promote the marathon. Three years ago, the company widened its social media presence with a network of ambassadors, microinfluencers equipped with coupon codes to encourage their followers to register for the race.

Wattigny attributes the rise in registration in part to the rising popularity of run clubs, which have encouraged people to get involved in the sport, as the groups have become more social, with runners grabbing a bite or drink after their runs.

Last-minute sign-ups dissipated during the pandemic, but have since reemerged, he said.

“It is as strong as it has ever been in the industry,” Wattigny said of the growing participation.

The Louisiana Marathon is not the only FreshJunkie race that is growing. Its sister race, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon, hit its 10th anniversary in December and surpassed its goal of 5,000 runners.

FreshJunkie also works with charity partners like Ainsley’s Angels, an organization that provides pink wheelchairs specially designed for runners to push individuals with disabilities in during the race so they can experience competing in a marathon. FreshJunkie races garner $15,000 to $20,000 in donations for the organization each year, enough to purchase three to four wheelchairs.

Donations for Ainsley’s Angels through the Louisiana Marathon

are open and have already raked in about $5,000, up from $2,800 last year

“It’s nice to know that we’re making an economic impact in the community, we’re making an impact on people’s lives, health wise, and we’re making an impact through donations and fundraising for our charity partners,” Wattigny said.

Promoting Baton Rouge

The full marathon course starts near the State Capitol, cruises past the Old State Capitol and heads toward the LSU campus, passing through the Garden District. Runners race around the LSU Lakes and continue the course through Mid City South, where it loops and directs runners back toward the finish line downtown.

Whitney Hoffman Sayal, executive director of the Downtown Development District, said the marathon can help drive Baton Rouge tourism. Most of the course’s path through downtown and Mid City has a grid pattern, making the route very navigable, she said.

“The environment that we’ve created here, in addition to the historic assets that we have that make us who we are, is what gets this event to continue to grow,” she said.

Last year’s marathon weekend drew 115,000 total visitors downtown, according to figures from Placer AI, software deployed by the DDD that uses cellphone data to measure downtown activity

The race culminates in a celebration at the end in the Visit Baton Rouge Finish Festival, an event open to runners and the public featuring local food and music. In honor of the race’s 15th anniversary, runners will receive a slice of king cake when they cross the finish line, giving them a taste of the upcoming Mardi Gras celebrations.

“People from everywhere, no matter what the climate is, can experience and can appreciate our south Louisiana culture,” Cating said.

Acadiana Renaissance Faire adds touch of La. heritage

Mascot Beausoleil is both alligator and dragon

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

If you’re looking for a Renaissance fair with Cajun and Creole sensibilities, look no further than Ville Platte.

Actually, stop at a 100-acre field near Ville Platte, in the village of Chataignier in Evangeline Parish. This site, an imagined crossroads of 17th- and 18th- century Acadiana where French, Spanish, Acadian, Creole and Indigenous people roamed, is home to the Acadiana Renaissance Faire — a place where culture and imagination collide.

Philip Frey, an interpretive ranger at the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site in St. Martinville, helped found the event in 2022. Knowing that no ren faire”

BANNERS

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calendar of events,” which “may or may not” require their own exterior signage. He wouldn’t say which events, if any, were on the calendar Cantrell’s administration hired contractors to remove the banners as New Orleans was grappling with a budget crisis that has required steep cuts to spending The move has sparked the interest of the Inspector General’s Office, which on Dec. 18 asked Cantrell’s administration for “a complete list of events” scheduled at Gallier Hall between Dec. 16 and Jan. 12. In a statement, Inspector General Ed Michel declined to comment on the request but said his office is focused on identifying and mitigating financial waste. Cantrell hosted her official portrait unveiling at Gallier Hall on Dec. 18.

‘Disrespect is why’ Cantrell first voiced her dissatisfaction with the banners in a Dec. 11 email to then-Chief Administrative Officer Joe Threat. She wrote that she did not approve of them at Gallier Hall prior to Jan. 12. The next day, Noble told Cantrell via email that it was his understanding the banners would come

Under the Black, a pirate band from Broussard and

pirate patrons at the Acadiana Renaissance Faire

on Jan. 13, 2024.

is complete without a pirate troupe — and that pirates are historically accurate for that period of Louisiana’s history he created his

own pirate band called “Under the Black” to help launch the festival.

“It’s a lot of fun. There’s something so heartwarming about a

down after the news conference, but that Gary Solomon, CEO of the Solomon Group, called him to say that Moreno, council members and Moreno’s inauguration committee chair, Gayle Benson, wanted the banners to stay up.

“I didn’t get a call. Why is this allowed to be a problem?” Cantrell wrote after Threat forwarded her the message Threat said he was surprised he didn’t receive any notification from Moreno or her incoming Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso. “I don’t know why Ms. Benson is

not calling you and why Gary Solomon is going directly to Trey on this issue,” he added. “Disrespect is why,” Cantrell responded. “I don’t know what Benson has to do with anything. I did not have a problem using them, but need them down after her show Period.”

The next day Threat relayed the message to his team and also Giarrusso: “The Mayor’s direction is to remove the banners now and reinstall them prior to Inauguration Day.” Giarrusso questioned whether it

bunch of nerds pulling together in the same direction,” said Frey.

The Renaissance Faire is small compared to Hammond’s Louisiana Renaissance Festival which maintains the classic ren faire focus on life in a 16th-century English village. The Acadiana festival has more local flair, according to Frey including a mascot named Beausoleil, who is both alligator and dragon.

Organizers have started building out infrastructure at the site, and they are now seeing around 200 people a day during the 5-weekend run, according to Frey, who said, “We want to maintain a community, grassroots-driven feel.”

“Most of us have been to the biggest ren faires. Texas is an awesome experience. But it’s better sometimes at the smaller ones the characters have time to interact with you; the event feels more personal.”

Food at this faire is mostly drawn from Cajun and Creole offerings, with the requisite turkey

leg on offer, and a creation called the “Beausoleil egg” that is a Cajun Scotch egg wrapped in boudin, then battered and fried.

The Acadiana Renaissance Faire opened this year on Jan. 10, and will continue from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays until Feb. 8. Upcoming themed weekends include a Celtic heritage celebration on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, and the final weekend will feature a Mardi Gras party General admission tickets are $13 for adults and $7 for ages 6 to 12 and kids 5 and under are free.

“We’re different from other faires. For one, some of the best food I’ve ever had at a ren fest is at this one,” said Frey “Every ren fest starts with tents and a field. Locals will come by since they remember this place as an old fish pond and come in to check it out. It’s been really fun to surprise people with this.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

would cost the city money

“Given the City’s precarious financial state, why would we do that?” he wrote.

Greg Bensel, spokesperson for the Saints and Pelicans, said Benson was not involved in the logistics of the Gallier Hall event. The Solomon Group directed questions to Moreno’s inauguration committee.

Rocky transition

The tiff over the banners was one of several clashes between Cantrell and Moreno over the course of the mayor-elect’s threemonth transition.

On the same day Cantrell ordered the banners come down, she also vetoed the 2026 budget crafted by Moreno alongside consultants hired by her transition. The council later overrode that veto.

On Thursday, Moreno’s administration revealed that it was locked out of the city’s social media accounts after the Cantrell administration refused to hand over “accurate passwords despite requests throughout the transition.”

Moreno’s administration regained access to those accounts on Friday after working with tech firms including Meta and X.

Banners are back Moreno’s banners were back up at Gallier Hall in time for her inauguration’s “All in for Our Culture: Free Community Festival” at Lafayette Square on Sunday Moreno took the oath of office as the city’s 63rd mayor on Monday Todd Ragusa, a spokesperson for Moreno’s transition and inauguration, said information on the private donors who paid for Moreno’s transition and inauguration will be released “mid-next week.” He added that Moreno’s inauguration featured 442 musician performers, all of whom were compensated, with the exception of Trombone Shorty, who donated his time, and the Marine Corps Reserve Band. Moreno’s inauguration is hosting a citywide day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday focused on cleaning up parks and playgrounds across the city The event was postponed from last weekend due to weather Volunteers can sign up online.

Staff writer Joni Hess contributed to this report. Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

A former staffer in Cantrell’s communications office shared screenshots on Friday of a Jan. 8 email sent to Moreno’s communications director Isis Casanova, with passwords to the city’s social media accounts. The Moreno administration said some passwords were incorrect and phones needed to authenticate others were difficult to locate.

Bankston, Lawrence

Mistich, Wanda

Siegel,Gloria

Smith,Samantha

NewOrleans

Greenwood

Bankston, Lawrence West Bank

Mothe

Mistich, Wanda

Robinson FH

Smith,Samantha

Obituaries

Bankston,Lawrence Andrew

Lawrence Andrew BankstondiedonFriday, December26, 2025. He was the life partnerof30years toTroySylvia. He waspre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐ents, LeonardJ.Bankston, Sr. andIrisLocantro Bankston. He wasthe brother of Lenny(Brenda), Louis,Lionel(Robin),and Linda.Lawrencewas the uncle to severalniecesand nephews,great nephews and agreat niece. He was a resident of Terrytown, LA and graduatedfromWest Jefferson High School and the University of NewOr‐leans.Inlieuof flowers, pleasemakea donation to yourfavoritecharity.A memorialMasswillbeheld onTuesday,January 20, 2026, at 12:30 pm at Christ the King Church,535 Deer‐fieldRoad, Terrytown, LA Visitationwillbeat10:30 until Mass time.Memories and condolencescan be sharedatgreen‐woodfh.com

Capri, Jaxx,Zoey, Nolen, Beverly,Callen, andOwen. Their achievements brought herunparalleled pride andjoy.June’sinter‐estswerevaried. Alover of giving, sheenjoyed sharing experiences with herfam‐ily andfriends,often tak‐ing cruisestocreatelast‐ing memories.She hada kindheart anda deep ap‐preciationfor life that touched everyone around her.She is survived by her siblings, Peggy,Nell, Butch, and Allen, who will remem‐ber herwithloveand re‐spect.Junewas preceded indeath by herformerhus‐band, William“Billy”Mist‐ich,and herparents,War‐ren Gilbert, Sr.and Mar‐garet Fountain Gilbert. She alsomourned thelossof her siblings,EdnaMae Barbara,and Ricky,who werecherished partsof her life.Visitationwillbe heldonJanuary 18,2026, from9:30a.m.until 11:30 a.m.atHarvey- MotheFu‐neral Homes, LLC, located at2100 Westbank Expy., Harvey, LA 70058. Afuneral service will follow at the samelocationstartingat 11:30 a.m. June will then be laidtorestina burial ser‐viceatGardens of Memory Cemetery, locatedat630 Central Ave.,Bay St.Louis MS39520, beginningat2:15 p.m.Wanda June Gilbert Mistich leaves behind a legacyoflove, warmth and dedication to herfam‐ily that will foreverbere‐memberedbyall who had the privilege of knowing her.Inlieuof flowers, pleaseconsiderdonating tothe Institutefor Demen‐tia Research &PreventionBaton Rouge(IDRP-BR) at https://pbrf.org/donate Visitmothefunerals.com to viewand sign theonline guestbook

Siegel,Gloria E.

GloriaElaine(nee Allocca) Siegel passed awayonJanuary9,2026 at age92. Please see full obituaryonLegacy.com. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be made to Team Luke HopeFor Minds, in memory of hergrandson Luke Siegel. Mistich, Wanda Gilbert'June'

Wanda“June”Gilbert Mistich,bornonMarch 13 1943, in Biloxi,Mississippi, passedawaypeacefullyon January 13, 2026.June was a devotedmother, grand‐mother, great-grand‐mother, andfriend. Sheis known forher commitment toher familyand hergen‐erous spirit.June truly lived aselflesslife, onefull ofloveand joy. Giving freelyofher time,her heart andher compassion she always putothersbe‐foreherself.June'slife re‐volvedaround herbeloved children: ChrisMistich (Bea),Glenn Mistich, Todd Mistich (Lana),and Ann Relle (Darryl).She took im‐mense joyinbeing in‐volvedinthe livesofher childrenand grandchil‐dren, travelingacrossthe country to supportthemin their endeavors. Herlove extendedtoall of her grandchildren:Linsey (Ché),CJ(Anna), Tabitha (David),Chazz (Andi),Bra‐cie,Tyler,Evan, Mackenzie (Dom),Chloe,Saverio,and Nico, as well as hergreatgrandchildren:Brekkan, Paxton,CeCe, Ocean,

Samantha JonesSmith departed this life on Sun‐day, January4,2026 at OchsnerMedical Center Main Campus.She was48 yearsold.She wasbornon November 23, 1977 in New Orleans, LA,and wasa res‐identofWestwegoLA. Rel‐atives andfriends of the family areinvited to attend Samantha’s memorial ser‐vice on Saturday,January 17, 2026 at ThirdEmanuel BaptistChurch,187 Third EmanuelSt.,BridgeCityLA 70094, at 10 a.m. Pastor J.C. Dysonwillofficiateand in‐termentwillbeprivate.For online condolences, please visitwww.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

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BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Supreme Court to hear appeal on Roundup

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear an appeal from global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer to block thousands of state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer

The justices will consider whether the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the Roundup weedkiller without a cancer warning should rule out the state court claims.

The Trump administration has weighed in on Bayer’s behalf reversing the Biden administration’s position.

Some studies associate Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, with cancer, although the EPA has said it is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed.

Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. At the same time, it has tried to persuade states to pass laws barring the lawsuits.

The high court will take up a case from Missouri, in which a jury awarded $1.25 million to a man who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis.

Bayer faces about 181,000 Roundup claims, mostly from residential users.

YouTube relaxes policy on controversial content

YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing content that advertisers define as controversial, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way

With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, selfharm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization

Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders.

The changes were outlined in a video posted to the Creator Insider YouTube channel on Tuesday, and the advertiser-friendly content guidelines were also updated with specific definitions and examples

The update also makes personal accounts of these sensitive issues, as well as preventative content and journalistic coverage on these subjects, eligible for full monetization.

The Google-owned company said the degree of graphic or descriptive detail in videos wasn’t previously considered when determining advertiser friendliness.

Some creators would attempt to bypass these policies on YouTube and other platforms by using workaround language or substituting symbols and numbers for letters in written text — the most prevalent example across social platforms has been the use of the term “unalive.

OpenAI plans for advertising on ChatGPT

SAN FRANCISCO OpenAI says it will soon start showing advertisements to ChatGPT users who aren’t paying for a premium version of the chatbot.

The artificial intelligence company said Friday it hasn’t yet rolled out ads but will start testing them in the coming weeks.

It’s the latest effort by the San Francisco-based company to make money from ChatGPT’s more than 800 million users.

Though valued at $500 billion, the startup loses more money than it makes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit.

“Most importantly: ads will not influence the answers ChatGPT gives you,” said Fidji Simo, the company’s CEO of applications, in a social media post Friday The ads “will be clearly labeled and separated from the organic answer,” the company said.

Officials aim to solve AI-driven problems

White House, governors hope to fix power shortages, price spikes

BY BEN FINLEY and MARC LEVY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration and a bipartisan group of governors on Friday tried to step up pressure on the operator of the nation’s largest electric grid to take urgent steps to boost power supplies and keep electricity bills from rising even higher.

Administration officials said doing so is essential to win the artificial intelligence race against

China, even as voters raise concerns about the enormous amount of power data centers use and analysts warn of the growing possibility of blackouts in the mid-Atlantic grid in the coming years.

“We know that with the demands of AI and the power and the productivity that comes with that, it’s going to transform every job and every company and every industry,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House. “But we need to be able to power that in the race that we are in against China.”

The White House and governors want the mid-Atlantic grid operator to hold a power auction for tech companies to bid on contracts to build new power plants,

so that data center operators, not regular consumers, pay for their power needs.

They also want the operator, PJM Interconnection, to contain consumer costs by extending a cap that it imposed last year under pressure from governors, that limited the increase of wholesale electricity payments to power plant owners. The cap applied to payments through mid-2028.

The White House and governors don’t have direct authority over PJM, but grid operators are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is chaired by an appointee of President Donald Trump.

Trump and governors are under pressure to insulate consumers and businesses alike from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s data centers. Meanwhile, more Americans are falling behind on their electricity bills as rates rise faster than inflation in many parts of the U.S.

PJM wasn’t invited to the event. However, PJM’s board is nearing the release of its own plan after months of work and will review recommendations from the White House and governors to assess how they align with its decision, a spokesperson said Friday PJM has searched for ways to meet rising electricity demand, including trying to fast-track new power plants and suggesting that utilities should bump data centers off the grid during power emergencies The tech industry opposed the idea.

Boost production

Lawmakers want to produce more rare earths and the other critical minerals

BY DIDI TANG and JOSH FUNK Associated Press

WASHINGTON A bipartisan group of lawmakers have proposed creating a new agency with $2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and the other critical minerals, while the Trump administration has already taken aggressive actions to break China’s grip on the market for these materials that are crucial to high-tech products, including cellphones, electric vehicles, jet fighters and missiles.

It’s too early to tell how the bill, if passed, could align with the White House’s policy, but whatever the approach, the U.S. is in a crunch to drastically reduce its reliance on China, after Beijing used its dominance of the critical minerals market to gain leverage in the trade war with Washington President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year truce in October, by which Beijing would continue to export critical minerals while the U.S. would ease its export controls of U.S. technology on China.

The Pentagon has shelled out nearly $5 billion over the past year to help ensure its access to the materials after the trade war laid bare just how beholden the U.S. is to China, which processes more than 90% of the world’s critical minerals. To break Beijing’s chokehold, the U.S. government is taking equity stakes in a handful of critical mineral companies and in some cases guaranteeing the price of some commodities using an approach that seems more likely to come out of China’s playbook instead of a Republican administration.

The bill that Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., introduced Thursday would favor a more market-based approach by setting up the independent body charged with building a stockpile of critical minerals and related products, stabilizing prices, and encouraging domestic and allied production to help ensure stable supply not only for the military but also the broader economy and manufacturers.

Shaheen called the legislation “a historic investment” to make the U.S. economy more resilient against China’s dominance that she said has left the U.S. vulnerable to economic coercion. Young said creating the new re-

serve is “a much-needed, aggressive step to protect our national and economic security.”

Rep. Rob Wittman, R.-Va., introduced the House version of the bill.

When Trump imposed widespread tariffs last spring, Beijing fought back not only with tit-for-tat tariffs but severe restrictions on the export of critical minerals, forcing Washington to back down and eventually agree to the truce when the leaders met in South Korea.

On Monday, in his speech at SpaceX, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that the Pentagon has in the past five months alone “deployed over $4.5 billion in capital commitments” to close six critical minerals deals that will “help free the United States from market manipulation.”

One of the deals involves $150 million of preferred equity by the Pentagon in Atlantic Alumina Co. to save the country’s last alumina refinery and build its first large-scale gallium production facility in Louisiana.

Last year, the Pentagon announced it would buy $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials, which owns the country’s only operational rare earths mine at Mountain Pass, California, and entered into a $1.4 billion joint partnership with ReElement Technologies Corp. to build up a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets.

The drastic move by the U.S. government to take equity stakes has prompted some analysts to observe that Washington is pivoting to some form of state capitalism to compete with Beijing.

“Despite the dangers of political interference, the strategic logic is compelling,” wrote Elly Rostoum, a senior fellow at the Washington-based research institute Center for European Policy Analysis. She suggested that the new model could be “a prudent way for the U.S. to ensure strategic autonomy and industrial sovereignty.”

In addition to trying to boost domestic production, the Trump administration has sought to secure some of these crucial elements through allies. In October, Trump signed an $8.5 billion agreement with Australia to invest in mining there, and the president is now aggressively trying to take over Greenland in the hope of being able to one day extract rare earths from there.

Congress in the past several years has pushed for legislation to protect the U.S. military and civilian industry from Beijing’s chokehold. The issue became a pressing concern every time China turned to its proven tactics of either restricting the supply or turned to dumping extra critical minerals on the market to depress prices and drive any potential competitors out of business.

Canada agrees to cut tariff on Chinese EVs

China to lower tariffs on Canadian farm products

BY KEN MORITSUGU and ROB GILLIES Associated Press

BEIJING Breaking with the United States, Canada has agreed to cut its 100% tariff on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on Canadian farm products, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday Carney made the announcement after two days of meetings with Chinese leaders. He said there would be an initial annual cap of 49,000 vehi-

cles on Chinese EV exports coming into Canada at a tariff rate of 6.1%, growing to about 70,000 over five years. China will reduce its total tariff on canola seeds, a major Canadian export, from 84% to about 15%, he told reporters.

“Our relationship has progressed in recent months with China It is more predictable and you see results coming from that,” Carney said. Carney hasn’t been able to reach a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce some tariffs that are punishing some key sectors of the Canadian economy and Trump has previously talked about making Canada the 51st state. Trump commended Carney for

making a deal with Beijing. “Well, it’s OK. That’s what he should be doing and it’s a good thing for him to sign a trade deal. If you can get a deal with China, you should do that,” Trump said.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer earlier told CNBC Canada’s decision to allow Chinese EV imports at a low tariff is “problematic” and said that Canada may regret that in the long term.

Earlier Friday, Carney and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pledged to improve relations between their two nations after years of acrimony Xi told Carney in a meeting at the Great Hall of the People that he is willing to continue working to improve ties, noting that talks have

been underway on restoring and restarting cooperation since the two held an initial meeting in October on the sidelines of a regional economic conference in South Korea. Carney, the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in eight years, told Xi that better relations would help improve a global governance system that he described as “under great strain.” The tariffs Trump has imposed have hit both the Canadian and Chinese economies. Carney who has met with several leading Chinese companies in Beijing, said ahead of his trip that his government is focused on building an economy less reliant on the U.S. at what he called “a time of global trade disruption.”

ANOTHERVIEW

Americansare waryofmilitary intervention

Ron Faucheux

Nobody likes Nicolás Maduro. Or betterput,nobody should.Beforethe U.S.effectively removed himfrom power on Jan. 3, he proved to be adisasterfor hisown country and adestabilizing force beyond its borders. Venezuela’sliving standardsplummeted under Maduro. Protestserupted. His authoritarian rule mixed corruption, censorship, humanrightsviolations and election fraud.Thousandsof Venezuelans were killedwithout due process, androughly sevenmillion fled as the economyimploded. And yet U.S.voters are skeptical of the efficiently executedmilitaryaction President Donald Trump took against Maduro. Why? WhenAmericans hear “military intervention,” they think “quagmire.” They view foreigninvolvement through the stained lens of Vietnam, Iraqand Afghanistan —brutal, costly wars withshiftingrationales and murky endings. Theywanttoknow if each situation poses adirect threat to them

Anationwide Economist/YouGov poll conducted Jan.2-5 foundthat only 6% of U.S. votersfavor using military force to advance foreign policygoals “often,” and another 31% favor usingitonly“sometimes.” The latest Economist/YouGovpolling,conducted Jan. 9-12, found thatAmericans —bya wide19-point margin believe U.S. military interventionsare more likelyto make situationsworse than better.

On Venezuela, the latest polling showsthatonly 37% of the electorate believes U.S.militaryintervention was justified. Worse, fewer than athird believe the military action will improveconditions inside Venezuela. Abig majorityalso believesTrump should have sought congressional authorizationfirst —a view shared by most independentsand asizable chunk of Republicans.

Anew Quinnipiac Universitypoll findsthat41% of U.S. voters approve and 52% disapproveofTrump’s handling of Venezuela policy.Partisandivisionis razor-sharp: 83% of Republicans approve,compared to 4% of Democrats and 38%of independents.

Akey reasonwhy Trump’snumbers have been so lackluster is because his messagingonVenezuela has been muddled. Is the action we took inVenezuela about drugs, terrorism, democracy or oil? Most Americans think it’saboutoil,since that’swhatthe president has communicated. But otherreasonsmay have been more persuasiveinjustifying what’sbeen done.

Like George W. Bush withIraq and Joe Bidenwith Afghanistan, Trump has failed to make clear his course of action. ArecentCBS News poll shows70% of Americans believe Trumphasn’t adequately explained his Venezuela policy.Thatmakes it harderfor voters, including Trump supporters, to embrace and defend it.

Economist/YouGov polling also findsthatvoters don’twant the U.S. to “run” Venezuela, as Trumphas suggested.Only 17% of voters think we should. Whilepresidents should not disclose everydetail of global wheeling and dealing,theydoneed to explain enoughtoearnpublic trust.Free advicefor theWhite House: Let Secretary of StateMarcoRubiodothe explaining; he’sbetter at it than therestofthe administration Venezuela isn’tthe only internationalflashpoint creating political trouble forthe president.There’s Greenland, too. Even after theadministrationhas floated threats,only 10% of U.S.votersinthe latest Economist/YouGov poll support using “military force to take control of that country.” Also,only15% support giving Greenland residentsindividualpayments to “encourage them to secede from Denmark and join the United States.” In other hot spots, U.S.voters disapprove of Trump’shandling of the Israeli-Palestinianconflict by 48%to37%, and disapproveofhis handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by 50% to 35%. Barely a third of the electorate says“America’sstanding in the world” has improved since Trumpbecame president last year,while 62% say ithas worsened. At presstime, it wasstill tooearly to know howthe situation in Iran will unfold.But theQuinnipiac poll showsthatonly18% of votersthink theU.S. should take militaryaction against Iran if protesters are killed while demonstratingagainst theirgovernment. Seven in 10 votersdon’twant theU.S. toget involved. Trump won two electionswithless than 50% of the vote.But warand diplomacydemand somethingbigger: adurable public majorityto back up hispolicies. Right now,hedoesn’thave it Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollster and writer basedinLouisiana.

Viewsonimmigration reveal much aboutaperson

How one feels about our country’s immigration crisis is in manyways alitmus testofthe human heart.For some, undocumented immigrants must forever be treated as inferior human beings because they entered our country without permission, oftendecades ago. No matter how hard they have worked, how loving and responsible they have been as parents, how much they have contributed totheir churches and paid in taxes, their “sin” of entering without permission meansthey deserve to be treated like their lives don’tmatter.For mostAmericans, however,itisnot such asimple equation, nor so cruel aone. We understand that most immigrantswho entered the U.S. without permission did so to escape poverty so pervasive they could never get ahead and live lives of dignity

Butwhy not comelegally?

Aquick Google search sheds light: It’salmost impossible to obtain an immigrant visa unless one has aparent, spouse or adult child who is a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Res-

ident who can sponsor the applicant, or one is ahighly skilled professional with acollege degree and has identified aU.S. employer sponsor About 80% of immigrant visas a year are granted in these twocategories.

Historically,the remainder of immigrant visas allocated yearly are reserved largely forpeople granted asylum based on persecution by one’sgovernment. After entering the U.S. without permission, thesame limited categories apply to gain legal status. Clearly,our country’s immigration system needs major reform, which becamepainfully evident during the terror campaign waged recently by Customs and Border Protection on manyofthe same immigrants who rebuilt our region after Katrina. Until reform happens, can we remember theteachings of afamous immigrant whose birth we just celebrated, including: “Blessed are themerciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

SUE WEISHAR NewOrleans

Immigrants face hardshipswedon’t recognize

Jessie LeBlanc, in aletter complaining about illegal immigrants, says they are not paying FICA taxes, resulting in them not contributing to Social Security. They may not be contributing, but they also aren’t receiving Social Security, Medicaid or Medicare.

He also states they don’tpay income tax. While that’spossible, they do pay taxes. Let’snot forget sales tax,propertytax and all the other taxes built into cellphone, cable bills, etc.

Lastly,LeBlanc states “a large part”oftheir incomereturns to

their country of origin. It’s their money;they can use it as they see fit. Yes, illegal immigration is aproblem. The solutionisnot to arrest and deport everyone because they may not have proper documentation. They left their families, their home countries, to come to the United States for abetter life. They aren’tafraid of hard work and do jobsmost Americans don’tor won’tdo. We,asAmericans, should welcome them rather than condemn them.

SHELBY ROTOLO Metairie

Handelsman kept news from beingdepressing

It is all Ican do, mostdays, to makeitpast the first section of the paper withmysanity intact. Thank you, so very much,Walt Handelsman, for giving me theprize for doing so in theMetro section for these many years. Enjoy your retirement. Youhave so earned it,and we are very grateful to you.

DARLENE GUICHARD LaPlace

Trumpvoters can’tfeelgood aboutGreenland

The mostrecent example of the folly of electing achief executive so totally ignorant of history and international law is his suggestion that he will either purchase, or seize by force, Denmark’sisland of Greenland. Sadly,such is the result when voters fail to appreciate the folly of turning government over to areal estate developer and reality show blowhard.

But it will be interesting to see how long it now takes France to reclaim the vast interior portion of the continental United States, arguing that in 1803 Thomas Jefferson had acted unlawfully,or exerted too much pressure on their country,torealize the Louisiana Purchase. Thanks to CODOFIL, manyhere will be well prepared forthe language change. President Donald Trump’srecently named “envoy” to Greenland also may be advised to save the airfare and avoid awell-earned frosty visit.

JACK BELSOM NewOrleans

We arethe villains in Venezuela

More than 50 years ago, as a Latin American Studies major at Tulane, Ilearned about the history of our interventions into Latin American politics —from Cuba (Remember the Maine!), to Haiti, to Nicaragua, to all the Central American republics, to Grenada, to CIAsupport of murderers like Chile’sAugusto Pinochet. Our attempts to shape the history of Latin America forthe benefit of American business interests is almost uniformly shameful. (Yes, capitalism was the engine driving our Latin American policies.) We intervened to protect or generate profits forU.S. corporations. That’s it. We are not democratizing; we are not reforming. We are the bullies of the region and capitalism, not idealism,propels us. We are, in short, the bad guys. Our invasion of Venezuela fits neatly with that history.I find that sickening. LEROY CLOSE NewOrleans

P T PAYTON’S

Pelicans succumbin battle of NBA’sworst teams

Zion’s bignight notenough foraconsecutive win

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers entered Friday night’sgameasthe worst twoteams in the NBA. The Pelicans sit at the bottom of the WesternConference standings while the Pacers are doing thesame thing in theEastern Conference. But somebody had to winFriday,and it wasthe Pacers who came away with a127119 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Not even asplendid night from Zion Williamson andabalancedattack wasenough forthe Pelicans(10-34) to carry over momentum from Wednesday’swin against the Brooklyn Nets. Indiana cameinto the game as the thirdworst scoring team in the league, averaging 110.6 points per game. It washard to tell after watching the Pacers torchthe Pelicans for73points in the first half.The 127 points werethe third-most points the Pacers have scored all season. “The biggest thing is theyhad 20 more shots on goal,” Pelicansinterimcoach James Borrego said. “Wedid enough offensively,even though Idon’tthink the second

ä See PELICANS, page 6C

5inPhiladelphia.Paytonand

are playinga divisional round playoff game Saturday.

Former Saints coachchasesone-of-a-kind NFLfeat

Sean Payton begins hisquestfor historythis weekend.

TheDenverBroncos head coach is trying to become the first coach in NFL history to leadtwo different teams to Super Bowl championships. He needs three wins to get it done,starting with Saturday’sAFC divisional playoff game against theBuffalo Bills in Denver.

History tells us the task ahead is daunting.

Onlyseven coaches have managedtolead twodifferentteamstothe SuperBowl: John Fox(Panthers, Broncos); Mike Holmgren (Packers, Seahawks);Bill Parcells (Giants, Patriots);Dan Reeves (Broncos, Falcons);Andy Reid (Eagles, Chiefs); DonShula (Colts, Dolphins); and Dick Vermeil (Eagles, Rams). None hasmanaged to pull offthe Super Bowl daily double, underscoring the difficulty of Payton’schallenge

come to an end

Miamihas made remarkable turnaround in collegefootball

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter

CORAL GABLES,Fla. Miami safety Jakobe Thomas enjoyed seeing the Hurricanes at their worst. He was with Middle Tennessee State in 2022 when the Blue Raiders—fourtouchdown underdogs that day —came into Hard Rock Stadiumand usedbig play after big play to beat Miami 45-31, part of the Hurricanes’ spiraltoa5-7 season in Mario Cristobal’sfirstyear back at his alma mater And it wasn’tlike that MTSU team was some juggernaut, either.It went 0-3inits next three games, losing by acombined 60 points. But it had no trouble withMiami.

ä See HURRICANES,

LSUlands anotherhauloftransfers

BY REED DARCEY and WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writers

LSU added potential starters to its offensive line and apromising young defensive back Friday through thetransfer portal. Former Bayloroffensive lineman Sean Thompkins, aredshirt sophomore,kicked off the flurry of activitywhen he committed to theTigers. LSU later picked up pledges from OleMissfreshman offensive lineman Devin Harper, OhioState freshman safety Faheem Delane and Marylandredshirt junioroffensive lineman Aliou Bah. Coach Lane Kiffin andhis staffnow have added 36 transfers, twice as many as LSU signed last offseason. Delane is aformer top-100 recruit, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, and the younger brother of Mansoor Delane, an All-America cornerback for LSUthis past season Thompkins played in 10 games and made fivestartsfor Baylor this past season. He initially committed to North Carolina after he entered the transfer portal, but he did not sign paperwork. Harper also was atop-100 national recruit, andnow he’s ranked as the third-best interior lineman in the portal by 247Sports.Harper,aShreveport

native, was once committed to LSUbefore he signed with the Rebels in 2025. He played six games as afreshman this past season. Bah is the most experienced offensive linemanthatthe Tigers have added fromthe transfer portal so far.Hestarted 23 straight games at Maryland over the past two seasons at right guard. Afifth-year senior next season, he has one moreyear of eligibility LSU’stransferclass last year wasthe largest that the program hadsigned in the portal era, but Kiffin and his staff have far exceeded that number as they overhaul the offense andadd potentially more starters on defense. The Tigers needed to find several startersontheir offensive line.Theybrought back center Braelin Moore and right tackle Weston Davis, whoboth started double-digit gamesthis past season,but most of the unit transferred to other schools during the coaching change. Including Thompkins, Harper and Bah, LSU has landed eight offensive linemen through the transfer portal. That group also includes Ja’Mard Jones, aNicholls State freshman whocommitted to the Tigers late Thursday night.

Thompkins is aformer three-starrecruit with two more yearsofeligibility.Bah, ä See LSU, page 4C

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Bichette, Mets agree to $126M deal

By The Associated Press

Bichette and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

A two-time All-Star shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner

Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said. The deal does not contain any deferred money and Bichette gets a full no-trade provision His $42 million average annual value ties for the sixth-highest in baseball history It was the latest big development in an eventful offseason for the Mets, who angered fans by letting popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz leave in free agency President of baseball operations David Stearns also traded two other stalwarts, outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown players.

Bichette batted .311 with 18 home runs, 94 RBIs and an .840 OPS in 139 games for the Blue Jays last year He homered off Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Late last season, Bichette sprained his left knee in a Sept. 6 collision with New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, keeping the infielder out of the lineup until the World Series. He returned for Game 1 against the Dodgers and played second base for the first time in six years.

Tucker, Dodgers agree to deal

Kyle Tucker has agreed to a $240 million, four-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a person familiar with the deal, bolstering the team’s

time Gold Glove winner, Realmuto made his decision a month after designated hitter Kyle Schwarber also chose to remain with the Phillies, agreeing to a $150 million, five-year deal.

Realmuto, who turns 35 in March, hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 134 games last year, when he tied for the major league lead with 132 games at catcher He was in the final season of a $115.5 million, five-year contract.

Angels, Rays, Reds make trade

The Tampa Bay Rays sent outfielder Josh Lowe to the Angels on Friday as part of a three-team trade in which left-handed reliever Brock Burke went from Los Angeles to Cincinnati.

Infielder Gavin Lux moved from the Reds to Tampa Bay and minor league right-hander Chris Clark from the Angels to the Rays.

Chambliss sues NCAA for extra year of eligibility

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss sued the NCAA in state court on Friday for an additional year of eligibility so he can play for the Rebels next season.

The suit filed in Lafayette County came a week after the NCAA denied Ole Miss’ request for an extra year, saying the university and Chambliss’ previous school Ferris State failed to provide adequate medical documentation to back up the request.

The lawsuit filed Friday called the NCAA’s denial in “bad-faith, unreasonable and arbitrary,” and detailed his history of illness and included letters from physicians.

Ole Miss’ arguments revolve around the fact that although he has been in college for five years, he has only played three years of football because of that history

Lavelle, Reale honored as best soccer players of year

National team midfielder Rose Lavelle has been named the 2025 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

Lavelle, who also plays for Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League, returned to the national team in June after recovering from ankle surgery and appeared in six matches with three goals and three assists.

Lavelle, 30, also scored six goals with two assists during the regular season with Gotham. She scored in a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit for the NWSL championship, winning the game’s Most Valuable Player award.

U.S. Soccer also announced Friday that Gotham defender Lilly Reale was named the Young Female Player of the Year

chance for a third consecutive World Series championship.

Tucker can opt out of the deal after years two and three, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday night.

Tucker’s $60 million average annual value would be the secondhighest in baseball history without factoring in deferred money, behind Shohei Ohtani’s $70 million in his 10-year deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2033.

Tucker becomes the latest accomplished veteran scooped up by the deep-pocketed Dodgers, who will have seven of the majors’ 29 biggest contracts by average annual value in 2026.

Los Angeles’ previous big move of the offseason was signing former New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz, widely considered to be the best reliever on the free agent market, to bolster their subpar bullpen.

When healthy Tucker is among the best all-around players in the majors. But he played in just 214 regular-season games over the past two years. He batted 266 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs with the Chicago Cubs last season. He was acquired in a blockbuster trade with Hous-

ton in December 2024 that moved prospect Cam Smith to the Astros. Caratini heading to Minnesota Catcher Victor Caratini and the Minnesota Twins agreed Friday to a $14 million, two-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. Caratini, 32, hit .259 last year in his second season with the Houston Astros and set career bests with 12 homers, 46 RBIs and 386 plate appearances. He caught in 49 games, played first base in 15 and was a designated hitter for 30.

A switch-hitter, Caratini batted .268 versus right-handers and .208 against lefties. He could wind up in a platoon with Ryan Jeffers, a right-handed hitter who batted .313 versus left-handers and 248 against righties.

Realmuto to stay with Phillies

Veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto agreed to a $45 million, three-year contract to stay with the Philadelphia Phillies, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday Realmuto can earn an additional $5 million annually in bonuses, the person said.

A three-time All-Star and two-

Lowe, who turns 28 on Feb. 2, batted a career-worst .220 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs last year He injured his right oblique for the third time in 13 months and didn’t play between the March 28 opener and May 15

Lowe has a $2.6 million, oneyear contract and is on track to be eligible for free agency after the 2028 World Series. He has a .250 average with 43 homers and 170 RBIs in five big league seasons, all with the Rays.

Lux, 28, hit .269 with five homers and 53 RBIs in his only season with the Reds. He agreed last week to a $5,525,000, one-year contract and can become a free agent after this year’s World Series.

He has a .256 average with 33 homers and 208 RBIs in six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2019-24) and the Reds, who acquired him last January for minor league outfielder Mike Sirota and a draft pick. Lux missed the 2023 season after tearing his right ACL in a spring training game. Burke, 29, was 7-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 68 relief appearances and one start for the Angels. He has a $2,325,000 salary and can become a free agent after this year’s World Series.

Keys returns to Australian Open as champion

BY JOHN PYE Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia Madison

Keys planned to walk into the player tunnel at Rod Laver Arena in a quiet moment when nobody was watching, and take a photo of her name listed with the other champions at the Australian Open.

After beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s final at Melbourne Park to win her first Grand Slam title, Keys pictured the moment she’d return to the stadium for the first time as reigning champion.

“I’ve always kind of remembered walking through that tunnel and seeing all the names,” she said Friday, two days before the first major of the year starts. “It was a little bit of a pinch-me moment where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m

going to be up there.’

“I have not seen my name in the tunnel yet. I hope I can go in there when there’s no one else so I can take a picture and send it to my mom.”

Before facing the media in Melbourne, she couldn’t help but notice other evidence at the venue of her breakthrough triumph.

“There’s a really cool photo of me holding the trophy,” Keys said. “Getting to see those, it’s something you dream of in your career.”

The 30-year-old American said it was easy to look back almost 12 months and think everything worked to perfection, but “also you think about, ‘Wow, I almost lost.’

“I was match point down. So many three-set matches. There were some ugly matches. I think it kind of just makes everything a little bit better just because it wasn’t issue-free.”

Keys won a tune-up tournament in Adelaide in 2025 before ending Sabalenka’s 20-match winning

streak at the Australian Open. At 29, she was the tournament’s oldest first-time women’s champion. She also set a record as the player with the longest gap between their first two Grand Slam finals — her first was the 2017 U.S. Open. The Australian Open victory launched her into a Top 5 ranking the following month. After the breakthrough, though, she was ousted in the French Open quarterfinals, the third round at Wimbledon and had a nervy firstround exit at the U.S Open. At the season-ending WTA Finals, she lost two group-stage matches. Sabalenka, meanwhile, admitted Friday that the loss here to Keys last year was tough.

“She played incredible and overplayed me. Took me a little time to recover,” she said. “We had matches after that. I worked on my mistakes on those matches.

“Going to this AO, I’m not really focusing on that last year result, but of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did

last year.”

Sabalenka, who beat Keys in the quarterfinals last week en route to the Brisbane International title, plays her first-round match Sunday night against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, a wild-card entry from France.

Keys also lost in the quarterfinals in her title defense in Adelaide earlier this week. But she’s taking it in her stride as she prepares for another career first: defending a major title.

“Even though I’ve been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as that,” she said.

“I’m really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts.”

Seeded ninth and on the other side of the draw from Sabalenka, Keys is scheduled to open against Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine.

“Yes, I’m sure going on court

I’m going to be very nervous,” she said, “but I don’t think I’ve ever walked on court first round of a Grand Slam and not been nervous.

Schonbaum in lead at Latin American Amateur LIMA, Peru Andy Schonbaum of Argentina steadied himself for a 2-under 68 on Friday to build a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Latin America Amateur Championship. Schonbaum, 34, has played in all but one of the 11 editions of the championship. He has yet to finish in the top 10 — his best was a tie for 11th in 2020 at Mayakoba in Mexico.

He was at 6-under 134, two shots clear of Andres Martinez Benedetti of Venezuela, who had to settle for a 70 at Lima Golf Club. Eric Fortlage of Paraguay (66) and Mateo Pulcini of Argentina (68) were three shots behind.

The winner earns a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open this year

Franzoni’s super-G win makes him a contender

WENGEN, Switzerland Host Italy has a new contender in Alpine skiing with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics three weeks away Giovanni Franzoni claimed his first World Cup victory on the famed Lauberhorn course in a super-G Friday, four months after his close friend and former roommate, Matteo Franzoso, died in a crash during preseason training in Chile.

The 24-year-old Franzoni — a former world junior champion in super-G, downhill and Alpine combined — took advantage of the No.1 bib to deliver a near-perfect run. Reaching a top speed of 87 mph, Franzoni finished 0.35 seconds ahead of Stefan Babinsky of Austria and 0.37 ahead of downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland.

Petrokina wins European skating title in stunner

SHEFFIELD England Niina Petrokina completed one of figure skating’s great comeback performances to retain her European championship title on Friday, three months after Achilles tendon surgery Petrokina landed seven triple jumps in a clean, personal-best free skate to music from “Dune” to score 216.14 points, a score which ranks the Estonian among some of the world’s best ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics.

“I don’t know how I do it,” Petrokina said when asked about her recovery “I needed everything that happened for this moment.” Petrokina had competed only in second-tier events and her national championships since surgery in

She’d struggled with

for much of

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE

Coach JayUhlman has ledTulane to twoAmericanConference Tournamenttitlestwo in the pastthree seasons,earning two automatic bids to the NCAA regionals. The GreenWavecame up just shortlast year, finishingasthe tourneyrunner-up.

Readyfor thenextstep?

Tulane

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

No baseball team in American Conferencehistory has enjoyed abetter three-year run in the league tournament than Tulane under coach Jay Uhlman, with two championships in Clearwater,Florida, preceding arunner-up finish there in 2025.

The next step is playing well enough in theregular season that an automatic tournament bid is not the onlypath to an NCAA regional bid.

Aroster featuring 17 returning players and 23 newcomers began preseason practicethis week with that goal in mind as Uhlman approaches Year 4.

“Clearwater’sour second home,” Uhlmansaid.

“Wefeel good there, butwe want to win aregular-season championship and get in our merits as an at-large. That’s always themission. You don’twant to rely on an (automatic qualifierthat comes with atournament title).”

Tulane’s strength is an experienced batting order

Right fielder Jason Wachs, who hit ateam-best .335 as a freshman, is back along with sophomorecenterfielder Tanner Chun (.259 average, team-high eight home runs), shortstop Kaikea Harrison (.283), first baseman MatthiasHaas (.303,21doubles), catcher Hugh Pinkney (.271) and third baseman James Agabedis (.260). That sextet combined for274 startsa year ago, with only firstsecond baseman Connor Rasmussen,designated hitter

ä Tulane at Loyola Marymount. 8P.M. FEB 13 STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETTDUKE Tulane pitcherTreyCehajic looks back arunner on first base beforethrowing apitchagainst UTSA on March 29, 2024, at Turchin Stadium. Cehajic is expected to be one of the Green Wave’s top pitchers thisseason.

GavinSchulz and outfielder MichaelLombardi gone amongregulars. The additionofcatcher Johnny Elliott, who exhibited promise infallballafter starting 24 games for USC as afreshman,and powerhitting first baseman Trent Liolios, agraduatetransfer who hit16home runs for Northwestern lastseason, shoulder bolster thelineup. SophomoreNate Johnson, who started17games early last seasonbut struggledat theplate (.188), is looking fora bounce-back year and couldplay at either corner of the infield. Uhlman also likes the mindset of Johnson’s older brother,Jack,agraduate transfer who started 18 games over four injuryplagued years at Baylor Pitchingisaconcern. Trey Cehajic had some good mo-

ments lastyear,but of Tulane’sseven returnerson the mound, his 4.89 ERA in 57 innings was thebest. Lombardi (2.14 ERA, 73 strikeouts in 42 innings), dominant as acloser and spot starter,departed for professional baseball along withleft-handed reliever TaylerMontiel (3.53 ERA, 29 hitsallowed in 431/3 innings).

The Wave’s third-mostproductive pitcher,Carter Benbrook (3.55 ERA), used up his eligibility.

“Trey had afall that was similar along the lines to what (former ace) Chandler Welch and Montiel and Lombardi had just in terms of what they broughtdayto-day consistency-wise,” Uhlman said. “Thatrecipe always seems to lend itself to positive results.”

Thepressure will be on a crop of transfers to produce behind Cehajic. Uhlman said he likedwhathesaw from 6-foot-6 leftyOklahoma transfer Beau Sampson

in ascrimmageatOle Miss, but consistency eluded most of the eight newcomersin thefall. The same was true forholdovers JacobMoore, J.D.Rodriguez, Will Clements, Blaise Wilcenski and Julius Ejike-Charles last season.All struggled to varyingdegrees andwill have to be bettertohelpthe Wave win.

The most encouraging part of thefall to Uhlman was Tulane’sperformance at Ole Miss. He said the pitchers exhibitedgood control and the hitting wassolid against a2025 regional host.

“Wewalked into Ole Miss and we belonged,”hesaid. “I was encouraged by that a lot.(Rebels coach Mike) Bianco hadnicethingstosay after the game.”

Ratcheting up the regularseason performance will be doubly important if the American adopts the tournament format Uhlman said it would this week. Instead of double elimination with no advantage forthe higher seeds other than being the designated hometeam, the league is leaning toward having seeds five through eight play elimination games on the first day,withthe winners advancing to the double-elimination bracket

Thetop two seeds would notplay until Day 3, with their aces facing their opponents’ No. 2or3 starters.

“The impetus is going to be on being oneofthe top twoseeds,” Uhlman said “You arerewarding the teamsthat have agood season from start to finish in the conference.”

BYCHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Marilyn Voitier received what appeared to be an automated text message that said she had beenselected as the GatoradeLouisiana volleyball player of the year

Initially,the Haynes Academy standoutdidn’tknowifthe messagewas true

“It looked fake at first,”she said. Only after she conferred with coach Ashley Miller did Voitier realizethat, yes, she had been selectedasthe state’s best playerwith 620 kills and271 digs during her remarkable senior season. Voitier won the award one year after the six-rotation standout played ona state championship-winning volleyball team alongside her oldersister,Virginia, one of the team’sstandout players.

This season, with Virginia gone to play beach volleyball in college, the younger Voitier sister hadbestfriend Ella Feehan, alibero, on aHaynes team that reachedthe statesemifinals. Although disappointed herteam did notget back to the final, the 5-foot-8 middleblocker cherished the experience.

“It was great,” Voitiersaid. “I love my team.” The season also marked theend of

her volleyball career While most otherrecentGatorade player of the year winners go on to play in college— Dominican’sCamryn Chatellierand Kate Baker among them with the LSU beach program —Voitier has chosen nottopursue that path. She plans to attend theUniversity of Arkansas as aregular student.

“I’ve gone back and forth about it,” Voitier said about the decision to not playvolleyball in college. “I am going to miss playing volleyball, but that’s what Idecided to do.”

Playing college sports, she said, is acommitment she was notwilling to make unless she knew she could be all in.Her sister,Virginia,now plays forUAB’s beachvolleyballprogram and“sheloves it,” Voitier said. But the 5:30 a.m. daily wake-ups followed by five hours of workouts and meetings are not for Marilyn, she said. Before volleyball, Voitierput most of herattention on softball with hopes of

LSUaimsto endSEC slide vs.Missouri

BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer

LSUbasketballunderstands the unforgiving nature of the Southeastern Conference.

LSU is the only team without aconference win, and coach Matt McMahon andhis players admitted that an “emotional toll” wasunavoidable after Kentucky’sgame-winning, buzzer-beating shot

Wednesday LSU (12-5, 0-4 SEC) dropped itsfirst four games in league play forthe first time sincethe 2012-13 season. After the 75-74 loss to Kentucky,players and coaches said that moving on quickly will help their chances of winning an SEC game againstMissouri (13-4, 3-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

“We’vegot to startour preparation here for Missouri andbuild on allthe good things that we did (against Kentucky),” McMahon said.

LSU needs to rekindle its defensive effort from the first half againstKentucky The Tigers didn’tallow the Wildcats to make its first field goal until the15:32 mark,and Kentucky opened the game1 of 12 from the field. The Tigers brought an intensity earlythathad been lacking in conference matchups.

RobertMiller’s presence was the most pronounced as he hadseven rebounds, two stealsand two blocks. The 6-foot-10 centeralsohad six points andtwo assists.

“Rob Millercontinues to come along,”McMahon said. “He’sour best defender.He’sfantastic on that endofthe floor.We saw (Wednesday) he’sreally good in those little short rolls in the middle of the floor as not only ascorer but apasser.”

McMahon will demand similarattentiontodetail

from Millerand the defense against Missouri, which leads the SEC in field goal percentage (51.6%). LSU’stop rim protector will be taskedwith deterring Mark Mitchell, a6-8 forwardwho is averaging17.5 points andhas the third-most free-throw attempts (127) in the SEC. Sound point guard play will remain atop priority forLSU with top playmaker Dedan Thomas nursing alower-leg injury he sufferedonJan.2.McMahon said he doesn’thave atimeline forThomas’ return.

“He’sgone from clearly being out to doubtful, making great progress (but) still day-to-day,” McMahon said. “Started back running and jumping. He’d give anything to be on the floor Just can’tcut andjumpand do everything at full speed that would allow him to get back out there.”

LSU made achange in the starting lineup against Kentucky forthe first time since Thomas’ injury.Instead of freshmanJalen Reece,the coaching staff placed senior Rashad King in the starting lineup. The moveworked early as both played confidently and each had his second-highest point total of the season. King, a6-6 transfer from Northeastern, used his size to block two shots and grab asteal. He also had 12 points, witheight coming in the second half as LSU tried to fend off Kentucky Reece hesitated less on his 3-point shot, attacked moreoften and was active as arebounder. He scored 11 points while making 2of 5from beyond the arc. He also had fiverebounds,four assists and one turnover “Jalen Reece and Rashad King were fantastic at the point position,” McMahon said. “I thought theydid a lot of good things.”

LSUfalls to Georgia in SEC gymopener

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

playing through high school and into college.

She played for ateam based in Mississippi and spent countlesshours traveling for practices, games and tournamentsuntil age 14,when shefelt “burnt out from softball.”

She then shifted her focus to volleyball, asportshe played primarily at Lakeshore Playground as achild before joining the Haynes middle school program in sixth grade. She played junior varsity in seventh grade andvarsity in eighth, quickly becoming akey contributorfor aHaynes programthatreached the state tournament five years in arow

“She grew and matured and became so much stronger as shedeveloped all-around skills where she can pass, set and hit phenomenally ”said Miller whocoached Haynes forseven seasons and recently took over the Mount Carmel program.

Voitier’sbiggest jumps in developmentcame with agrowthspurt before herfreshman season spent playing beach volleyball. The two-on-two format of thebeach game forced herto do everything —bump, set and spike.

Voitier also played through an injury during her senior season.She rolled an ankle during theweek of the team’s first match, and that led to acalf injury that lingered throughout the year

“Not many people knew she was injured,”Miller said. At state, Voitier powered through her two matches and recorded 66 kills across four-set contests in thequarterfinals and semifinals,afinalreflec-

After soaringtoafirstplace tie in ameet with three other top five-ranked teams in last week’sSprouts CollegiateQuad, the No. 2 LSUgymnastics team came back to earth Friday in its Southeastern Conference opener at Georgia. LSU gymnasts returned fromtheir trip to Athens, Georgia, with four individual wins,including twofor 2025 SEC freshman of theyear Kailin Chio, but LSUhad five scores of 9.65 or lowerand counted two of them. Those were big factors in the Tigers’ 197.200-196.850 loss to the No. 8Bulldogs It’s the Tigers’ fourth straight loss in an SEC road opener.The last time LSU won in itsfirst SECroad meet of the season was 2022 at Georgia. Theprevious three years, the Tigers were able to recover from their early SEC road stumbles andgoon to have stellar seasons. In 2023, LSU lostatKentucky and reached theNCAAfinal. In 2024, LSU lostatMissouri and won the SEC and NCAA championships. Lastyear, the Tigers started with a 196.875-196.600 loss at Arkansasand went on to win theSEC regular-season and championship meet titles and were the No. 1seed in the NCAAs for the first time. LSU opened the meet on uneven bars with astringof solid performances, starting with aseason-high 9.90 from Lexi Zeiss. Then Chio, who won the all-around and beam titles in the Sprouts meet,

couldn’tcomplete apass on the lowbar and got onlya 9.30. But Courtney Blackson and Konnor McClain saved the team scorewithmarks of 9.85 and9.95, respectively Afterone rotation,LSU led 49.375-49.250 over the Bulldogs,who started on vault. TheTigersnextwentto vault, but otherthana 9.925 from Chio in the anchor spot,faired poorly With former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin in thestands watching his daughter Harley andthe other Georgia gymnasts, LSU managed only a49.075 on vault while UGA surged to the lead with a49.250 on bars. The Tigers had to count a9.65from Victoria Robertsinthe third spot when senior Kathryn Weilbacher,makingher first appearance of theseason, landed longand scored a9.525. Midway throughthe meet LSU trailed 98.525-98.450. It gotworse for the Tigers on what traditionally is one of their best events: floor exercise. McClain, making her season debut in the event, seated her secondpass and got an 8.975. After a9.85 from Chio, Amari Drayton stumbled on her final pass andgot a9.575 thatLSU had to count. Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln anchored the Tigers with astrong 9.925, but LSU managed only a48.950. Trailing 147.725-147.400 going to thefinal routine, LSU needed abig score on balance beam andfor Georgia to collapse to have achance. TheTigersdid theirpart witha49.450, but Georgia was rock solid and did even better on floor with a49.475.

Indianaamong transfer portal winners

Hoosiers land star-studded groupthatincludesQBHoover

BY STEVE MEGARGEE

Associated Press

Indiana and Ole Misshad rather busy schedules the past couple of weeks as they competedinthe College Football Playoff whilethe transfer portal window was open But it apparently didn’t bother their 2026 roster construction efforts too much.

As the programgets ready to face Miami in the national championship game, Indiana hasput together arguably the nation’sbest collection of transfers for its2026 roster.Ole Miss’ transfer class isn’tthat far behind heading into Friday’sclosing of the portal window Texas Tech andTexasA&M also put together impressive transfer classes, though their playoffruns ended before the portal window opened.

Alook at the AP’stop 10 transfer classes in order:

Indiana

Josh Hoover,who threw for71 touchdowns and more than 9,600 yards at TCU from 2022-25, is the heir apparent to Heisman Trophywinner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback. He will pass to Nick Marsh (59 catches,662 yards, 6 TDs at Michigan State last season) and Shazz Preston (43-723-4atTulane). Turbo Richard rushed for 749yardsand nine touchdownsat Boston College. Indiana also added offensive lineman Joe Brunner (formerlyatWisconsin)and defensive linemen Tobi Osunsanmi (Kansas State), Chiddi Obiazor (Kansas State) andJosh Burnham (Notre Dame). PrestonZachman (Wisconsin) and A.J. Harris (Penn State) boost thesecondary

Texas

Arch Manning has aprime new target now that Texas has added CamColeman, aformerfive-star recruit whohad 1,306yards receiv-

ing and 13 touchdowns at Auburn over the last two seasons. Raleek Brown (Arizona State) rushed for 1,141 yardsand Hollywood Smothers(N.C. State) ran for 939 yards this season. Rasheem Bilesproduced101 tackles —17for loss at Pittsburghthis season. Smotherswas afirst-team pick and Biles was asecond-team selection on the Associated Press all-Atlantic Coast Conferenceteam. The Longhorns also brought in Melvin Siani, who was Wake Forest’sstarting left tackle this season.The secondary adds cornerback Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), an honorable mentionallBigTen selection from the league’s coaches and media.

TexasTech

TexasTech’snew quarterback is Brendan Sorsby,who threw for at least 2,800 yards each of the last two seasonsatCincinnati. Texas Tech stockpiled its defensive front seven by adding lineman Mateen Ibirogba from Wake Forest, edge rusher AdamTrick from Miami (Ohio) and linebacker Austin Romaine from Kansas State. Romaine had more than 160 tackles over the last two seasons. Trick delivered 81/2 sacks and forced three fumblesthisseason.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is hoping it can bounce back froma 1-11 season by bringing in plenty of guys from a North Texas team that went 12-2. Morethan adozen players followed new Cowboyscoach Eric Morris fromNorth Texas. Drew Mestemaker threw for an FBSleading 4,379 yards this season. Otherarrivals from North Texas include Caleb Hawkinsand Wyatt Young.Hawkins rushed for1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. Young had 70 catches for 1,264 yardsand 10 scores.

Louisville

Offensivelinemen Cason Henry

(South Carolina), Johnnie Brown (GeorgiaSouthern),Anwar O’Neal (Delaware) andEryxDaugherty (Boston College) wereall starters at their former schools. Edge rusher Tyler Thompson (North Carolina)had seven sacks and safetyKoen Entringer (Iowa) recorded 73 tacklesthis season Wide receiverTre Richardson (Vanderbilt) and tight end Brody Foley (Tulsa)each caught seven touchdown passes.The Cardinals also added two quarterbacksin former Ohio State backup Lincoln Kienholz and West Georgia starter Davin Wydner

TexasA&M

The Aggiesrebuilt an offensive line that loses four starters by landing Tyree Adams (LSU), TrovonBaugh (South Carolina), Coen Echols (LSU) andWilkinFormby (Alabama). All werestarters at their former schools. C.J. Mims (North Carolina), BrandonDavisSwain (Colorado) andAnto Saka (Northwestern) should help the defensive front.IsaiahHorton (Alabama)caught eight touchdown passes this season. The Aggies boosted oneoftheirmajor weaknesses by adding David Olano,who went 37 of 43 on field-goal attempts at Illinois the last two seasons.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin found itsnew quarterback in Sun Belt offensive player of theyear Colton Joseph, who threwfor 2,624 yards and rushed for 1,007 at Old Dominion. Abu Samarushed for 1,933 yards the lastthree seasons at Iowa State. Safety Marvin Burks (Missouri) andcornerbacksJavan Robinson (Arizona State) and Bryce West (OhioState) shouldprovide immediate help. Burks and Robinson both started multipleseasonsat their former schools.

OleMiss

Linebacker Keaton Thomas

Duke QB Mensah says he’llenter portal,reversing plan to return

BY AARON BEARD

Associated Press

Duke quarterbackDarianMensah says he’sentering his name into thetransfer portal,reversing an original announcementthat he would return after leading the Blue Devils to the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

Mensah announcedhis plan in asocial media post Fridayafternoon, hours before the transfer portal window was set to close.

“I’m forevergratefulfor Duke and the coachingstaff,”Mensah said. “Thank you Duke family for everything. This wasn’t an easy decision, but after talking withmy family,Ibelieve it’sinmybest interest to enter the transfer portal.” Mensah and Duke announced his return in December,coming between the Blue Devils’ overtime win against Virginia for the ACC title and their SunBowl win against Arizona State.

Mensah, who transferred from Tulane, is second in the Bowl Subdivision ranks with 3,937yards

HURRICANES

Continued from page 1C

That was then. Miami’sresurrection from that bad day and alot of others over the last 20 years —a period duringwhich theHurricaneshavehad six coaches, threeotherinterim coaches, 17 seasons that didn’t includea bowl win, countless headaches and zero ACC championships —isjust about complete The Hurricanes (13-2, No. 10 College Football Playoff)playfor the nationalchampionshiponMonday night against Indiana (15-0, No. 1 CFP) at that same Hard Rock Stadium that was practically empty at theend of MTSU’s winfouryears ago.

“It’scompletely different,” said Thomas, who transferred to Tennessee for 2024before coming to Miami for his final college season

“The Miamiteamweplayedback in ’22 was not this team now.I think coach Cristobal changed the culture around this place.” Make no mistake, swagger is still athing at Miami. These Hurricanes are brashand aggressive and tackle hard and playharder.

JACOB KUPFERMAN

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

Duke quarterbackDarian Mensah looks to pass the ball against Virginia in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec.6.Mensah said Fridayheisgoing to enter the transfer portal.

passing and tied for second with 34 touchdown passes againstsix interceptions.

College football changedits calendarthis yeartohave only one transferportal window,with the

15-day period running from Jan. 2 through Friday as thefinal day for mostplayers to enter their names. In previous years, there wasone transfer portal window in December and asecond one in April.

(Baylor) had more than 100 tackles each of the last two seasons. Thomas was asecond-team AP allBig 12 pick this season. Defensive lineman Michai Boireau (Florida)and defensive backs Joenel Aguero (Georgia), JayCrawford (Auburn),Sharif Denson (Florida) and Edwin Joseph (Florida State) all were starters at their former schools. Darrell Gill (Syracuse) hadfivetouchdowncatches and Jonathan Maldonado (Nevada) had five sacks this season. Offensive linemenCarius Curne (LSU) andTroy Everett (Oklahoma) bringmorePower Four experience. Quarterback Deuce Knight (Auburn) is unproven, but he’sa former five-star recruit.

LSU

Incoming LSU coach Lane Kiffin rebuilt the Tigers’ quarterbackroom by signing SamLeavitt (Arizona State) for the present and Husan Longstreet (Southern California) forthe future. Leavitt got Arizona StatetoaCFP berth last season.Longstreetwas a five-star prospect coming out of high school.Kiffin also upgraded LSU’s passing game by bringing WinstonWatkins with him from

LSU

Continued from page1C

who’slisted at 6-foot-6 and 327 pounds, began his career at Georgia. Harper is the second former Ole Miss player to follow Kiffin to LSU. The first, wide receiver Winston Watkins, committed to the Tigers on Sunday On theother side of theball, LSUhas added eight transfers five linemen andthree defensive backs. LSU also is in the market for alinebacker,and sources said the Tigersare ateam to watchfor in the recruitmentofOle Miss transfer TJ Dottery

While the Tigers didnot have as many needs on defense as offense, they still wanted to sign several players. TheTigers recruited Delane, aMaryland native, when he was afour-star recruit andthe No. 55 overallplayer in the 2025 class, accordingtothe 247Sports composite. He finishedhis lone season as aBuckeye with 12 tacklesand one tackle for loss while playing in 13 games. He has three more years of eligibility Delane visited LSU on Thursday after athree-day NCAA recruiting dead period ended. He became the second safety to

Ole Miss and signing several otherwideouts, including Eugene Wilson (Florida), Jayce Brown (Kansas State), TreBrown(Old Dominion) and Jackson Harris (Hawaii). Harris had 49 catches for963 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. TreBrown had762 receiving yards andJayce Brown had712.

Virginia Tech/PennState

These twoschools are apackage deal because of their coaching connection. New Virginia Tech coach James Franklin has added about adozen of his former Penn State players. Thatlistincludes quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer,who took over for the injured Drew AllarasPennState’sstarter the second half of this season. Wide receiver Que’Sean Brown caught 10 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns in Duke’sSun Bowl win over Arizona State. New Penn State coach Matt Campbell brought nearlytwo dozenplayers withhim fromIowa State. Rocco Becht headed to Penn State after throwing for 64 touchdowns and more than 9,200 yards forCampbell’sIowa State teams over the last three seasons.

Jan. 1.

transfertoLSU this offseason, joining former Boise State safety Ty Benefield. Delane wasranked as the No. 10 safety in the transferportal by 247Sports. At safety,LSU alreadyhas brought back redshirt sophomore starter Tamarcus Cooley and sophomore DashawnSpears, atop backup who could become afull-timestarter next season. It persuaded Spears to return after he said he would enter the transfer portal. The Tigers need new starters at onesafety spot and Star,a hybrid linebacker/safety position usually played by adefensive back.

Cristobal’sintensity is constant. Same goes for hisstaff. But there’s abalance nowas well, ademand for accountability and carrying yourself theright way at all times.

Some examplesincludewide receiverMalachiToney,the best freshmaninAmerica this season, giving away turkeys at Thanksgiving; star defensive lineman Rueben Bain organizing atoy drive at Christmas and making a $5,000 donation tothe elementary school he attendedyears ago; and receiver CJ Daniels hosting an event to raise awareness of epilepsy,somethingthat has touched his family

Ever sinceCristobal cameback to Miami, the teamhas broken two records each year: onefor fallsemester GPA, then one for spring semesterGPA

“Wehave good people,” Cristobal said.“No,wehavegreat people. It starts there.Surround yourself with great people, like-minded people and see what happens.”

Cristobal didn’tuse someunheard-of,wacky formula to bring Miami back to the national title picture. It was really quitesimple: outwork everyone, make honesty and transparency fundamental

threw his phone acrossthe plane when he heard the words. Luckily, it was aprivate plane. The phone didn’thit anyone.

“We’re used to winning and that’s what we’re going to bring back to Miami,” Bain said in 2022 when he announced his college choice. “Theyneed help bad, they need help right now, andI’m willing to come in right now and make a change.” Changes weremade.

After that 5-7 first season, Miami went 7-6 in 2023. Better,but nowhere near good enough. In 2024, theHurricanes started9-0 before losing three of their last fourgames. Better again, but still not good enough.

principles of theprogram,hire thebest people and fight like hell to win recruiting battles. Landing Bain —aMiami guy whostayed home for college and should be afirst-round NFL draft pick—in2022was ahugeget Cristobal was on aplane when Bain calledhim to commit.He

So,Cristobal hired defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman away from Minnesota to shore up that side of the ball. Carson Beck signedand took over for No.1 draft pickCam Ward at quarterback. Miami kept landing keypieces in the transfer portal—Thomas, Keionte Scott and Mohamed Toure aresome who’ll play big roles on defense Monday night, while Keelan Marion, James Brockermeyer, Marty Brown, Daniels andBeck are just afew of the names who’ll be on the offensive side.

“Itwas just getting the brotherhood right,”saidlinebacker Wesley Bissainthe, whoplayed for Miami in that loss to MTSU. “I feel like we’re allinthere. Every person in that locker room is playing foreach other.That’swhat it looks like when we’re out there. No one is just playing forthemselves. The brotherhood,Ifeel like it’s one of the most important things in a team’sculture. You’ve got to play forthe person beside of you.” Miami hasput togetherback-toback seasons of double-digit wins —ithad four consecutive 10-ormore-win seasonsfrom 2000-03, then exactly one such season from 2004-23.Itwill have back-to-back, season-ending appearancesinthe AP Top25for just the second time since 2005. Winorlose on Monday, Cristobalinevitably will say more workneeds to be done. But the dark days at Miami seem to be over “A care factor that’sthrough the roof and adie-hard belief in the University of Miami, bleeding orange and green through all of us, I think that’swhat has really forged our progress forward as we continue to try to get better,” Cristobal said. “And we certainly have along waystogo.”

Seahawks don’texpect surprisesagainst 49ers

BY ANDREW DESTIN AP sportswriter

RENTON, Wash. For the Seattle Seahawks to host another playoff game and move closer to the fourth Super Bowl appearancein franchise history,they will have to dispose of afamiliarfoe.

Very familiar

The top-seeded Seahawks (14-3) host the San Francisco 49ers (13-5) in the NFC’sdivisional round on Saturday night. It’ll be the second meeting in three weeks betweenthe NFC West rivals and the third time they have squared off in the playoffs.

Seattle won the division and secured the No. 1seed with adominant 13-3 win overBrock Purdy andthe host49ersonJan.3.That was the lowest-scoring output for the Niners since they lost23-3 to Carolina in coach Kyle Shanahan’s debut in 2017.

Purdysaid San Franciscowill have to make adjustments againstthe NFL’s top-ranked scoringdefense.

“Wejust played them two weeks ago, so looking back at the other game plan as well and having it sort of fresh in your mind,”Purdy said, “picking it up where you left off and obviously making some changeswhere you need to. But yeah, it feels like we just played them.”

DUNCAN

Continued from page1C

Before the season, Payton told me and others he had ateam talented enough to reach the Super Bowl and win it. Itook his words with agrain of salt, assigning his enthusiasm to the normal preseason optimism. Turns out, he wasn’tjust talking out the side of his neck. The Broncos went 14-3 and wrested AFC West supremacy away from the Kansas City Chiefs, the division’s longtime kingpin.

Ayear ago, Payton surprised the league by steering hissecond Broncos team to the playoffs. That bunch was not ready for prime time, and it showed ina 31-7 blowout loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York. This year is different. The Broncos are the top seed in the AFC. Expectations are high in Denver, where the Broncos will play their first home playoff game in adecade. If you’ve ever been to Invesco Field, you know the atmosphere will be electric for four quarters.

Broncos fans have endured years of frustration, embarrassment and heartache before reachingthis point. They’ll be ready

“After last season, the expectations rose internally as well as externally,” Payton said.“After free agency, Itold some (reporters) that Ithought this team had a chance to be unique, and Ifeel the same way now.” Rest assured, Payton knows what’satstake. He’sastudentof history and aware of what asecondSuper Bowl title would mean for his legacy

He also understands theimpor-

ä 49ers at Seahawks

7P.M. SATURDAy,FOX

Seahawks defensive lineman

LeonardWilliams recognizes it will be achallengetoslow down San Francisco’s10th-ranked scoring offense,evenwith Seattle’s recent success against theNiners.

“They’ve clearlyshown that they have agoodoffense,” Williams said. “But at the same time, Itrust our team.”

Seattle finishedthe seasonwith seven straight wins to finishwith afranchise-record 14victories, but one ofits losses came at home against San Francisco in Week 1.

The Seahawks had some fresh concerns Thursdaywhenquarterback

Sam Darnold injured his left oblique in practice. He was listed as questionable but said he’sconfident he’ll play Seahawkscoach Mike Macdonalddoesn’t expect to seemuch that’sdifferent about the49ers, giventhat they’veplayedonly once since thelast meeting.

“You’re really going off how you felt like you played the game, things youdid well, maybe where youthink they might takethings,” Macdonald said.

The 49ers played theirfinal two games ofthe regular season with onefewer day of rest than normal,

DenverBroncoshead

tance of opportunity.The Broncos are rested,relatively healthy andblessed with the home-field advantage in the AFC thanks to their No. 1seed,a luxury Payton enjoyed just twice in 16 seasons with the Saints. He knows how rare these opportunities can be andthe importance of taking advantage of them.

“No. 1seedsare not like carwash coupons; they’re hard to get,” Paytonsaidthis week. “I told the team (this week),weonly have four weeks left together as a team.Let’smake themostofit.”

His team is good enough to garnerafourth Lombardi Trophy for theMile High City. TheBroncos are talented alongboth lines and boast themorefearsomepass rush in the league. But they are farfrom dominant.While they posted aleague-best 14-3 mark, they outscored opponents by only 5.3 points agame, seventh-best in the league. Eleven of their wins camebyeight points or fewer TheBills gamehas all of the ingredients forcompelling theater

Rams hope to wrap arms around Bears quarterback Williams

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES When Jared

Verse begins to elaborate on the methodology of sacking Caleb Williams, it’s quickly obvious the Los Angeles Rams star edge rusherhas been thinking about this monumental task quite abit

“You just have to keep rushing,” Verse said. “You have to keep running. Honestly,once you get your hands around him, if you can’tfully grab him, aim for his arm. He’sathrowing quarterback. Obviously,that’s all quarterbacks, but you have to aim for his arm. Justtry to mess his throw up alittle bit.

“It can’tjust be like you’re getting him off the spot. He’sone of those quarterbacks even if they’re off thespot, they’re still liable to make any type of play.”

ä Rams at Bears. 5:30 P.M. SUNDAy,NBC

pursuing it and be able to make that tackle.”

Verse still remembers his frustrationwhenthe Rams visited the BearsinWeek 4oflast season. Verse managed to sack Williams twice in athree-play span of the second quarter,only for both to be nullified by defensive penalties

TheRams sacked Williams threetimes thatday,but he still led the Bears to avictory.Williams wassacked 68 times as a rookie, but that number plummeted to just 24 this season, and the Packers got him down only once lastweek while he led Chicago’sdramaticcomeback victory in the wild-card round.

including the Week 18 loss to Seattle. They’reinthe same situation this week against well-rested Seattleafter playing their wild-card gameSunday

Coach Kyle Shanahanhad lobbied fora Sunday game this week to no avail, leading to the team limiting practices and changing meeting times to give players as much rest as possible.

“Wecan’tcontrol that kind of stuff,” linebacker Eric Kendricks said.“At the endofthe day, we’re playing meaningfulfootball. We want to play meaningful football. These games mean alot.Weknow what’sat stake, so we betterget ready forit.”

Ninerswide receiver Ricky Pearsall has not played since Dec. 28 becauseofaknee injury,but he returned to practice this week in alimitedcapacity.Areturn by Pearsalll would be aboostfor San Francisco, especially after All-Pro tightend George Kittle tore his right Achillestendon in the 49ers’ 23-19 win at Philadelphia last week.

Macdonald andthe Seahawks expect to see Pearsall in thelineup.

“Theyhavealot of talented receivers, buthe’sdefinitely oneof them,” Macdonald said. “He definitely complements the rest of the guys well in termsofwhat he does in his skill set and how they use him.”

Reigning MVPJosh Allen is trying to lead the Bills to their first Super Bowl in morethan three decades. The Bills began theyear as favorites to represent theAFC in Super Bowl LX. In beating Jacksonville last week, Allen ended afour-game losing streak in playoff road games. He won’tbe intimidated by the environment and will be at home in thefrigid conditions Saturday The game features another interesting subplot. The Buffalo coaching staff is filled with former members of Payton’sold Saintsstaffs,including offensive coordinator Joe Brady,offensive line coach Aaron Kromer,quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry and defensive assistant Ryan Nielsen. Combine that with aBroncos staff featuring seven coaches with Saints ties and you have two teams that are intimately familiar with each other

As Saintsfans know,Payton’s closing run in New Orleanswas hugely disappointing. For all the success he had, thesecond run of theDrew Brees era left fans feeling empty and unfulfilled. His teams lost homeplayoff games theywere favored to win in each of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. The infamous NOLANo-Call derailed the 2018 team, but there was no officiating gaffe to blame in 2019 and 2020. The Saintswere just outplayed and out-coached by the Vikings and Buccaneers.

Now,Payton gets achanceat asecondrun at coaching immortality Winitall, and he books his ticket to Canton. Fall short,and he’ll provide morefodder for his critics, who cite his 9-9 playoff record among theshortcomings on his résumé. History awaits.

Williams’ clutch playmaking has driven the Bears (12-6) to the NFCNorth titleand home-field advantage in their divisional round visit from the Rams (135) on Sunday night.The Rams’ success in containing theformer Southern California star will be adetermining factor in this matchup —particularly in the fourth quarter,when two quarterbacks knownfor late comebacks seem likely to be trading big plays in the Chicago cold. Limiting Williams is an 11-man job,but abig chunkofthatresponsibility falls on Verse andhis fellowPro Bowl edge rusherByron Young. Theduo combinedfor 191/2 of theRams’ 47 sacksduring the regular season, but both will be challengedatSoldier Field by aprofoundlyelusive quarterback andhis much-improved offensive line.

Verse has plentyofideas about howtodoit, but he also knows the smartest plansagainst Williamssometimes don’twork.

“When youget to him, youhave to wrap him up,”Verse said.“It’s notlike(youcan)lunge or jump at him. He’svery athletic and he’svery nimble. He’s able to get away from anythingyou bring to him. Youhave to keep (moving) your feet under you when you wraphim up.You can’tlunge at him.

“We’ve watched all thetape, watched games from their last playoff game to thefirst game of theirseason. He’sbeen doing it all season long. It’simpossible to say he won’tget away from oneofus, butweall have to keep

Rams coach Sean McVay has been struck by Williams’ growth while watching film this week.

“It’sone thing where you see him play in time and in rhythm with good accuracy and anticipation,” McVay said. “Butthen some of those second-reaction plays wherehe’sgetting flushed to his right or getting flushed to his left and guys understand how to work with him,thoseare the ones that arereally scary. He’s playing at ahigh clip.”

This challenge is particularly significant forthe Rams becausetheir passrushisthe main strength of their defense, which hasfaded down thestretch this season. Los Angeles has allowed at least 27 pointstoevery opponent other than the woebegone Arizona Cardinals since Thanksgiving, with theunit’seffectivenessdeclininginmostdefensive metrics.

The Rams blitz lessthan nearly everyteam in the NFL, just 18.1% of the time in the regular season. They rely on their edge rushers and interior rushers to get homeoften enough to help their secondary, which has been largely unimpressive all season long. Williams’ skill setisapotential nightmare forthe Rams, and they know it. Verse and histeammates arestill confident they can contain him enough to keep the Rams competitive.

“He’saHeisman winner for areason,” said Verse,who was drafted 18 picks after Williams in 2024. “Hewas the No. 1pick, and Ihave alot of respect for him.”

BY KRISTIERIEKEN AP sportswriter

HOUSTON— Asked how he’d describe Houston’spass rush to someone who hasn’tseen theTexansplaybefore, coach DeMeco Ryans took afew seconds before landing on an answer

“It’slikefourTasmanian devils just wrecking everything that’sin front of them. That’show Ilook at our guys,” Ryans said. “They are fast. They arephysical. The way they get off the ball, the way they collapse the pocket, they’re aterror.”

After astellar performance in a winover the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round, theTexans are looking forthis fearsome foursometoleadthemagain when they visit the NewEngland Patriots on Sunday, when awin will put them in the AFC championship game for the first time in franchise history

The starting defensive line consists of first-team AP All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson, and second-teamer and fellow endand LSU star Danielle Hunter along with tackles Sheldon Rankins andTommy Togiai.

The Texans led the NFL in yards allowed in the regular season and were second to the Seahawks in points. Theycontinued that successintheir firstplayoff game, allowing just 175 yardsin the30-6 winover Pittsburgh. Houston sacked Aaron Rodgers four timesand hithim 12 other times on Monday nightwhile forcinghim to fumble twice. They scored two defensive touchdowns against the Steelers, with one comingonAnderson’sstrip-sack of Rodgers thatRankins scooped

ä Texans at Patriots. 2P.M. SUNDAy,ABC

up and returned33yards for the score. It was the fourthtouchdown this season for theHouston defensive line, another example of just how good thisgroup has been. Andersonand Hunterare the undisputed stars of the group after combining for27sacks in the regular season. But defensive line coach Rod Wright said what the Texans do doesn’tworkunless everyone does their job. “Wesay four equals one,” Wright said.“Everything we do,wedotogether.That’satribute to our guys. We knowwe’ll sack aquarterback if we rush as one. But if one guy wins, but the other guy doesn’tcomplement him, the quarterback’sgonna get out, especially aquarterback like we’re playing on Sunday.” Hunter said playing with that mindset makes the game alot of fun.

“The guys go out there and the biggest thing is just feeling free,” he said. “You don’thave to worry about somebody else’sjob, just doing your part. When you’re outthere,there’s no feelingthat’sbetterthanyou doing your part and everybody else is doing their part. It just flows.” Houston’spass rush hurried and harassed the 42-year-old Rodgers throughout Monday’swin. The Texans knowthey’llhave a different challenge against the Patriots with the much moremobile 23-year-old Drake Maye,who has 450 yards rushing this season. But regardless of who they’re facing, Wright’smessage this week is that you don’twin at this level by changing things up, but rather by continuingtodowhat got you here.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Share your intentions, see who's on boardand be willing to proceed alone. Take the initiative and show everyone what youcan do.Set astrictbudget and find ways to include what'smost important to you.

AQuARIus (Jan.20-Feb. 19) An energetic daywill pump youupand getyou moving in apositive direction. Start by taking care of allyourunfinished projects Romance is favored.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Don't secondguess yourself; you're on target,and if youare willingtoput in thetimeand work,you'llmakeheadway. Initiate positivechangeandstartatrendthatencourages others to follow your lead.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Consider every possibility. Research, think matters throughfrom beginning to end and do as muchasyou canyourself. Relying on others or expecting something from themwill leaveyou at aloss.

TAuRus (April 20-May20) Invitechange into your life. Keep an open mind. Look for opportunities that offergreater freedom. Making home improvements or hosting an eventare favored.

GEMInI(May21-June 20) Spend time working outormaking lifestyle changes to improve your health and well-being. Updating your appearance, attending a social event or spending time with someoneinteresting is encouraged.

CAnCER (June 21-July22) Join forces with like-minded individuals and you'll find away to bring about positive change. Discipline andhard work will lead to

unexpectedprospectsthatcanalteryour direction and give you hope for abetter future.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Participationwill lead to opportunities, newfound friends and the chance to use your skills, knowledge and experience in unique ways. Listen,engageinbringingaboutchanges and lend ahelping hand.

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) Visit aplace you love to frequent or go somewhereyou've never been beforebut feel drawn to. Timespent doing something fulfilling will lead to greater purpose and meaning.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Patience will be necessary when dealing with domestic issues. Bide your time.Considerwhat's best for you and makepositive changes within your budget that help you grow stronger mentally and physically.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Talk to the people you encounter, and see who shares your likes, dislikes and concerns. An opportunity to explore newplaces, people and possibilities will give you new insight.Now'sa good time for romance.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Ifsomething doesn't feel right,itprobably isn't.Move forward carefully and be mindful of how much personal information youshare. Focus on howyou earn and spend your money.

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

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

ToDAy's CLuE: TEQuALs F

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIPALDER Bridge

George Bernard Shaw said, “A life spentmaking mistakesisnot only more honorable but more useful than alife spentdoingnothing.”

At the bridge table, we makealot of mistakes. But with luck, as we gainexperience, we makefewer of them.This week, we have been handling the trump suit. Hereisone lastexample —let’s get it right!

West leads the diamond king against six spades. How should declarer plan theplay?

The South hand is very honorable, with, in Chicago andrubber-bridge scoring, 150 in aces and150 in spades. It also has11winners. Can partner produce an extratrick or two?

In this auction, South’s jumptothree spades showed asolid suit, set that suit as trumps, and asked partner if he had anything. North’s raise to four spades denied an ace or aking. South’sleap to sixspadeswasunderstandable,although riskywith those two losing diamonds. Southmust discard one diamond from thedummyonhisthirdtopheartandruff hislast diamondinthe dummy. He wins with hisdiamondace, cashes the three top hearts, andexits withadiamond. He takes the next trick andruffs his last diamondwithdummy’s spadeeight,so

there’s no risk of an overruff. Then he draws trumps and claims

Finally, notethat thisisone deal in which the very bad trump split was lucky. If Westhad been able to lead a trump,and thedefenderwho took the diamond trick could have led another trump, the slamwouldhave failed. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

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

Previousanswers:

word game

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

ToDAy’s WoRD ARTIFACTs: AHR-tih-fakts: Objects remaining from a particular period.

Average mark 31 words

Time limit 55 minutes

Can you find 49 or morewords in ARTIFACTS?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —XyLoPHonE

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the lettersineach 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. For moreinformation on tournamentsand clubs, email naspa –north

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

sCraBBlE playersassociation:info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visitour website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 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.

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanTliTTlE

ESPLANADERIDGE TheCarsonCompany,Inc 5900 HayneBlvd.,1Bd/1Ba...........$695 616S.Alexander St 2Bds/1Ba....$795 5301 BurgundySt.,2Bds/1Ba.......$895 4425 Woodland (Up) 2Bds/2Bas..$995 2503 S. Dorgenois, 2Bds/1Ba......$1100 641S.Rocheblave, 3Bds/2Bas...$1195 2731

ON TREND

From bold wallpaper to shades of green andcleverstorage, you’ll love what’s in store

INSIDE HOME

WORK WITH LOUIS: Purple, green and gold additions Page 4

ONE IN A MILLION: An Italian-style mansion on the Tchefuncte Page 16

HOME | DESIGN | GARDEN | REAL ESTATE

Somethingnew and somethingtraditional

Four local designers —Penny Francis, Curtis Herring, Grace Kaynor and Tanga Winstead —talk about the trends they expect to seeinfor 2026. Be in the know as Jyl Bensonshares thestoryon Page 12.

There’sone trend we follow every year at this time, no matter theweather,nomatter what color Pantone says is thehot new thing. Louis Aubert has somesuggestions on how to work alittle purple,green and gold into your spaces. See Page 4.

AluxuriousMandevillemansion sits along theTchefuncte River, offering lovely views and ataste of Italian style. It could be yours for $3.2 million. Victor Andrews offersa peek inside on Page 16.

The InsideOut home and gardensection is published every Saturday by TheTimes-Picayune. Questions about InsideOut should be directed to the editor.

INSIDEOUT EDITOR: Karen Taylor Gist, kataylor@theadvocate.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Louis J.Aubert, Jyl Benson, MarniJameson, Dan Gill

COVER DESIGN: AndreaDaniel

TO BE FEATURED: Send information and photos to insideout@theadvocate.com

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

Start the partywith some Carnivaldecor. PAGE 4

INSIDE INFO

Home &garden happenings. PAGE 6

AT HOMEWITHMARNI

Awhirlwind move ends with aparty. PAGE 7

GREENTHUMB

It’s prime tree-planting time. PAGE 8

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

COVERSTORY

Home decor trends in storefor 2026. PAGE 12

ONEINAMILLION

Luxe living on the Tchefuncte for$3.2M.PAGE 16

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS

Recent transactions in the metroarea. PAGE 20

811OrleansAvenue•FrenchQuarter$1,200,000

Stunning restoredmid-19th-centuryconverted Double in theheart of theFrQtr,steps from JacksonSquare. This iconic N.O. residence blends historicelegance w/ modern luxury,w/lavishprimary suite, dual enchanting courtyards,gleaminghdwd flrs,Frenchdoors,grand windows, &sophisticatedinteriors offeringanunparalleledFrQtr lifestyle

DavidAbner Smith 504-495-2387

Crescent Sotheby’sInternational Realty504-944-3605

2713 Dublin Street •Carrollton$385,000

Charming Uptown cottage1 blockfromCarrollton Ave. Beautifuloak floors throughout, 9footceilings, 3bedrooms, 2baths,spacious, light-filled rooms, largebackyard, driveway andsturdy garage forstorage.Fantastic location –the utmost in convenience andquiet, attractivearea.

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Compass•UptownOffice 504-866-2785

129BrockenbraughCourt •Old Metairie $978,000

Charminghomeona wide lotwitha pool,tuckedoff Metairie Road This multi-levelresidence offers5 bedrooms,3baths,providing incredible flexibilitywithmultiple living areas- idealfor entertaining or working from home.Pool, tons of storage&parking.Prime location near shops,restaurants &MunhollandPlayground. Don’tmissthis one! Ashley Nesser •504-458-3536EvelynRandle• 504-813-1225 Compass•UptownOffice 504-866-2785

1005 MinnesotaAvenue•Kenner$349,000

Beautifullyrenovated3Bed,2 Bath,1,774 SqFt Living area on spacious corner lot. Open floorplan. Gorgeous kitchen withlarge island.Vinyl plank floors,recessedlighting& fireplace. Large coveredpatio and2-car garage.Nicelylandscapedfront &back yards. Rearyardaccess.Great foreverydaylivingand entertaining! SandyWard504-259-2616

RE/MAX Living 504-475-1011

417--28thStreet•WestEnd

$669,000

Contemporarydouble-gallery home on aspaciouslot in primelocation, stepsfromFleur De LisPark&HarrisonAve dining, shops&schools.Quietstr, family-friendlylayoutw/primary ste&2bdrms +laundry up.Downstairs guestste openstosunlitliving, screenedporch &expansive bkyd w/ pool potential. Rare side-by-side-by-side prkg.Video walkthrough on YouTube.

Chris Aguglia 504-250-0335 Reve |Realtors504-300-0700

Float-style flowerscan add color to ahome’s interior walls

Punchupdecor with alittle

purple, greenand gold

Carnivalcolor

Louis Aubert

If you subscribe to the“more is moreand less is abore” approach to seasonal decorations, your home may look alittlebarenow that Christmas has been boxed away (You know you fall into that categoryifyour holiday decor looks as though joyhas exploded in your living room.)

So it’stime for aseasonal decor transition. In other partsofthe country, thearrivalofspring in theform of crocus and tulips heralds thedesire to spiff up theplace. But here, Mardi Gras is thedriving force, and hues of purple, green and gold take center stage.Yes,all who love New Orleans really believe that thosecolorslook good together

Violas in purple and yellow and their accompanying greenerymake aCarnival statement in your flower beds.

beads on afence for an easy and effectiveway to embrace the season. Trythe newer, oversize ones for a contemporary touch.

Here are some ways to bring these hues, which represent justice, faith and power, respectively, into your home:

Let’s start outside with oversized beads draped on the fence or porch rail. It’s a simple, easy and effective way to express and embrace the season.

Seasonal bedding plants in the tricolors, such as pansies and violas, add a fresh touch in the landscape or in pots near the front door.

We’ve all seen Christmas trees morph into Carnival trees, so why not also drag out that Christmas wreath and replace red ornaments with purple, green and gold and perhaps add a glittered or sequined mask or two?

HOMEWORKWITHLOUIS

Add cut flowers to greenery gathered from your garden. A few golden yellow button mums combined with purple daisies with chartreuse-colored centers positively scream “MARDI GRAS!”

Fill a bowl to overflowing with beads and doubloons, or scatter them across the fireplace mantle with a few king cake babies or other trinkets thrown in for good measure. Have some crazy fun for a few weeks with a chandelier heavily embellished with beads.

Consider collecting Carnivalinspired local art. For instance, Louisiana folk artist Lorraine Gendron has created painted

parade figures and floats that speak of this special celebration. How about a parade down the center of the dining table floating on a bed of purple, green and gold Easter basket grass?

Dress your table in the colors of the season by mixing Depression glass, Fiestaware or any colorful dishware with the basics.

Colorful glassware is also a great addition to the table; dig out the odds and ends and put them to use.

Embellish green or white table linens with elaborate and colorful ribbons: Place

Luxe velvet ribbon with gold and crystal beading adds elegance to any table.

PROVIDED

By JOHN MARK ENTERPRISES

LEFT: From flambeaux to floats and Indians, local folk artist Lorraine Gendron crafts an array of Carnival themed painted wooden pieces that are perfect for tabletops. FILE PHOTO

lengths of ribbon as a table runner or simply use ribbon as napkin rings. Look online for John Marks Enterprises, which has the most incredible selection of wired ribbon. So outstanding are its ribbons that owner John Marks was featured speaker at the January Dallas Design Market.

Bibliophiles can display some of the many wonderful books that document Carnival. They range from Henri Schindler’s scholarly series that details historic jewelry, invitations, float and costume design to “The Big Book of King Cake.”

However you choose to decorate and celebrate Mardi Gras

within your home, remember to have fun.

After all, that is what it’s all about!

Louis J. Aubert is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an avid preservationist. Some of his most visible New Orleans projects include making interior color selections for Gallier Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Louisiana Supreme Court Royal Street Courthouse, and both interior and exterior selections for St. Stephen’s Basilica. Contact him at mrcolour@aol.com.

City Park plans Day of Service

City Park’s annual Day of Service will coincide with the National Day of Service on Monday, and Couturie Forest will be the focus of projects.

The National Day of Service, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., was designated by Congress in 1994.

Volunteers will work on two-hour projects that include mulching and invasive plant removal as part of efforts to improve nature trails and habitat restoration.

For information, visit neworleanscitypark.org.

Longue Vue plans ‘fascinating’ workshop

Using natural materials and more, workshop attendees of all ages can fashion a fascinator in time for spring at Longue Vue House and Gardens.

Head gardener Leigh Gradiz will lead the workshop at 1 p.m. Jan. 31 at 7 Bamboo Road.

Cost of the workshop, which includes materials, is $85. Visit longuevue.com for information.

and Gardens in

headpiece-making workshop using a variety of natural materials from the gardens on Jan. 31.

Volunteer projects abound at City Park

A variety of cleanup days and initiatives are on tap at City Park to improve and maintain the extensive urban green space. Those coming up include:

n Graffiti Cleanup Krewe: 9 a.m. Thursday Volunteer Center, 1031 Harrison Ave.

n Big Lake Native PlantTrail Restoration Project: 9 a.m. Friday. Big

Lake Native Trail near 7 Friedrichs Ave.

n Urban Forest Support Initiative: 9 a.m. Jan. 24. Volunteer Center, 1031 Harrison Ave. Register for the programs and find out more about what to bring at friendsofcitypark. volunteerhub.com.

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

Staff report

Carnival is cranking up quickly this year, extending the 2025 holiday season with hardly a break in the festive stride. After such a long period of parties, Lent’s arrival could bring about a major mood crash.

Don’t worry: The City Park Conservancy has a plan to help avoid that.

On Jan. 12, its horticulture team began planting 10,000 tulip bulbs. Peak bloom for the flowers is expected to be late February, just the time that

likely to need a

FAST FORWARD

Marnibuysahouse,renovates,moves in andhosts aparty in 90 days.Whew!

Editor’snote: Remember Marni? Of course you do. She recentlyretired from writing the weeklycolumnthat raninthese pages but stillcontributes the occasional missive. This is oneof them.

The date had been etched on thecalendar for ayear: DC’slast day of work, the day he would retire after 40 years of practicing law.Hetalked aboutthis nonstop, sometimes with exhilaration (Oh, the places we’ll go!), sometimes with ambivalence (Who will handle my cases?), sometimes with anxiety(Only seven more paychecks).

I, his patient and tolerant wife, ignoredall his mental machinationsand focused instead on, what else? Marking the milestone with aparty at ourplace! While he wrestledwithhis riteofpassage, Iparty planned.Even though the event was in October,I chose an Independence Day theme. Iwould round up Fourth of July decorations and ask gueststowear red, white and blue. I would get sparklers, andred andblue party napkins thatsaid “Sip Sip Hooray! It’sDC’sIndependence Day” and “Out Of Office Forever!”

Ihad it all pictured. What Ihadn’t pictured was that just 90 days before thebig day,wewould acceptanallcash offer on our house, which wasn’t evenlisted, detonatingseismic upheaval.

Between now and then, we would have to pack and move out of the Happier Yellow House, find anew house, renovate it, move in andbe show-ready.Ipictured thatcartoon of awaiter wearing blacktie and aconfident smile perfectly balancing asilver serving trayofdrinks while below he is skidding on banana peels and ice. Of course, it never occurred to me to postpone the party or have it anywhere but at my house, wherever that was. Andso, the countdown began T-minus 90 days. We acceptthe offer with no new house in sight. Go ahead andjudge, but if you were on theverge of retirement and wanted to move into your next chapter withno mortgage andextra cash, you, too, would accept. T-minus85days. In astate of denial (we are not about to be homeless in six weeks), we take off on along-planned

noncancellable two-week vacation overseas. Although we have looked at over adozen homes for sale, we haven’tfound The House. Onehas potential but needs work. We plan to revisit it after our trip and see what else comes on the market.

T-minus 78 days. The house with potential has an offer coming in. Maybe now, because someoneelse wants it, Ilike it more. It does have charming curb appeal, agreat neighborhood near friends, good size, better floor plan, nice light, good bones and is two-thirds the price of thehome we’re selling, so no mortgage. Plus, the house is yellow— asign. Ialso have awork list: replace the flooring withhardwood throughout, paint over “decorative” designs andpersonal-choice colors (petuniapinkand prison gray),gut and update two bathrooms, replace dated light fixtures and ceiling fans and add built-in bookshelves. Irun all this by DC. His eyeballs roll back in his head like dollar signs in aslot machine. We make an offer from Germany. It’saccepted

T-minus 70 days. The rest of our socalledvacation is aflurry of textsand Zoom calls to negotiatehome inspectionsand related repairs.

T-minus 46 days. After weeks of nonstop packing,purging, donating and gatheringbidsfor workatthe new house, we moveout of theHappier Yellow House andput our furniture in storage.

T-minus 42 days. We close on theHappiestYellow House.

T-minus 39 days. Acrew descends on the housewith jackhammers. They tear out thefloors and gut two of the home’s three bathrooms.The recently updated bathroominthe primary bedroom is spared. The house is literally ashell of its former self. Iwant to cry.

T-minus 20 days. With new wood floors installed and painting done, the movers

arrive with our furniture. We spend our first night in our new home. We optimistically send e-vites for DC’sretirementparty.

T-minus 16 days. Installersstarttiling the two bathrooms. We hang art. Construction begins on the built-ins shelves and cabinets in the office and family room. We have boxes of books and accessories on thefloor that I’m itching to put away but need shelves.

T-minus 14 days. An electrician replaces four ceiling fans and installs 12 can lights in previously underlit rooms. Iamgetting nervous that the party is two weeks away and Idon’thave a working bathroom for guests. Idon’t want 50 people traipsing through my bedroom to get to theone working bathroom.

T-minus 7days. We install drapery rods anddrapes. Vanitycabinets go in the two guest baths. We still need counters, sinks and faucets.

T-minus 4days. With thepaint (barely) dryonthe built-ins, Igleefully empty theboxes of books and accessories.

T-minus 2days. Stone counters, sinks and faucets go in guest baths. The finish line is in sight.

T-minus 1day. Mirrors and light fixtures go up in thebathrooms. Dust is everywhere. We clean like mad.

T-minus 0. Fifty guestsarrive to the Happiest Yellow House to celebrate DC’sretirement. Many say,“Ican’t believe you just moved in! It doesn’t look like it.” Iwave my hand, while balancing atray of bubbling Champagne

glasses, and say lightly,“Oh, it was nothing!”

Ihave asaying: Atask will expand to fill the amount of time you have. And while Idid break asweatmore than once getting my new homedecorated and party-ready in the 40 days between getting keys and hosting, here’swhat helped:

1. Adeadline. As aveteran journalist, Iknow deadlines work. If you want something done, set one.

2. Being organized. In the days before we closed on the new house, I solicited workers and bids. Afterward, Iwas like air traffic control, lining up crews and supplies on the runway helping projects take off and land.

3. Ordering what Icould early.The goal was to not have acontractor waiting on materials. Ihad agarage full of wood flooring, tile, sinks, faucets, paint, light fixtures and ceiling fans ready.

4. Getting good people. Icould not have pulled this off without excellent contractors including painters, flooring installers, electricians, handymen, cabinet makers and more. Treat them well.

MarniJameson is aspeaker and award-winningauthor of seven home andlifestylebooks,including “Downsizing theFamily Home” and “Rightsize Today forYour Best Life Tomorrow.” If you have questions about home improvement, better living,downsizing or rightsizing,send them to marni@marnijameson.com.

GREENTHUMB

GARDEN TIPS

PRUNE ROSES: Plan to pruneyour repeat-flowering roses at the end of Januarythrough mid-February. Pruning roses encourages vigorousnew growth that will produce lots of flowers. Pruning is also done to shapethe shrubs, remove dead wood and to control their size. Pruning roses at this time gets themreadyfor the blooming season that occurs in the mild weather of April to earlyJune. Roses are prunedagain in late August or early Septembertoget them in good shape for the fall blooming season from October to December WON’T MIND THE COLD: The foliage of spring-flowering bulbs has been up and growing for anumber of weeksnow. The foliageiscold-hardy and willnot be bothered by freezes.The flowers are more susceptible to freeze damage, and open flowers should becut if temperatures belowthe upper20s are predicted. Place the cut flowersinvases and enjoythem indoors.

SEED CARE: Seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should be started nowthrough early February under lights or in agreenhouse for transplanting into the gardeninMarch and early April. Manygardenersdo not have the facilities to properlygrow transplants from seed.Providing enough light is the most common limiting factor Agreenhouse or indoorplant lights canprovide enough light.Windowsills generally don’t.

SPRING FLOWERS: Foxglove, delphinium andhollyhock are large, tall-growing,cool-season bedding plants that need to be planted early to put on a great displayinspring. Plant transplants this month or by Februaryatthe latest forbloom in March.

When selecting atree for your landscape, makealist of the characteristics the tree should have and the growing conditions where it will be planted.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By

SOPHIA GERMER

Rootsmatter

of the Shadytrees come in allshapesand sizes. Here’s howtochoosethe rightone.

Gill

GREEN THUMB

This week we celebrate LouisianaArbor Day (thethird Friday in January), the traditional timewe celebrate trees by planting them. And plant them we should—trees provide awidevariety of benefits to ouroutdoor environment. Before you head outtothe nurserytopurchase atree for your landscape, thereare some important things to consider.Selecting the right trees requires careful deliberation. Acommon mistakepeople make when selectinga tree is failing to

considerthe purpose it will serve andthe characteristicsitneeds to have.Inall earnestness, someonewill askmetorecommend“a good shade tree.” Recommending atree, however, cannotbedone properly without considerably more information

Asking ahorticulturist to recommenda good shade treeis

ä See TREES, page 10

GREENTHUMB

Cannabulbs cansurvive thecoldin southLouisiana

BY DANGILL Contributing writer

Garden advice

Iwas digging up my cannabulbs for winter storageand noticed awhite substance around the roots of some of them. Iwas wonderingifthis is mold or fungus of some sort. If so, do Ineed to get rid of the affected bulbs or just wash them off well? Do Ineed to treat the area where they were planted and, ifso, with what? —Glen

The white substanceyou are seeingislikely justharmless saprophyticfungi decaying organic matter in the bed.Cannas grow well in soggy,even saturated soil, so fungal root rots and soil fungus problems are not generally an issuefor them. So, there is no need for concern. I’d just wash it off and leave it at that.

However,wedonot need to dig and store canna rhizomes over the winter down here, so this is needless work. Up North, winters are cold enough to freeze the soil. This would kill the canna rhizomes. So, Northern gardenersdig cannas in fall or early winter before the ground freezes and store them in frost-free locations until spring.

Our winters are mild,and soil does not freezehere the way it does in Northern climates. We can justleave the cannas in the ground andsave the trouble of digging and storing the rhizomes. Cannas are healthier and happier left in the ground over the winter If you need to, you can dig, divide or transplant them inthe spring, around March.

Iimagine you saw information on the need to dig and store canna rhizomes over the winter on the internet.But now you know that this advice is the wrong information for

south Louisiana. When seeking gardening adviceonthe internet,make sure thegardening information is written for Louisiana,the Coastal South or DeepSouth in hardiness zones 8and 9

Ihaveacoupleof75-year-old live oaks. Iwas recently told that they need to be cleanedout of dead wood andcrossed branches.These trees arehealthy and beautiful,and to my knowledge, have never had this type of maintenance. In your opinion,isthis

expensive maintenance necessary?

Thanks. —Judy

To put thingsinto perspective, pruning dead wood and crossed branches is certainly not amatter of life and death. Youshould not feel pressured. Pruning out dead wood is always recommended. This helps protect the healthofthe tree. Dead branches may begin to decay,and that rot can

TREES

Continued from page 8

like walking into a shoe store and asking the salesperson to recommend a good pair of shoes. What kind of shoes do you think they would sell you? Without knowing your shoe size, what you will be doing in them, your taste, your budget and a variety of other factors, the salesperson won’t be able to help you select the right shoes.

The situation is the same when selecting a tree. You must first decide what characteristics the tree needs to possess. Think about the purpose of the tree and why you feel it is needed This will help you determine what characteristics are desired, such as its shape, size, ornamental features and so forth.

Deciding the desired mature size of the tree is critical to the selection process. A tree to shade a patio, for instance, should be 15 to 25 feet tall, while a tree to shade a one-story house needs to be 30 to 40 feet tall and a tree to shade a large building may need to be 60 feet tall.

Choosing a tree that will mature at the proper size based on its purpose and available space is critical to the desired outcome. We commonly plant

GREENTHUMB

trees that grow way too large for their sites.

What about the growing conditions?

The tree must be well-adapted to our climate and the growing conditions where you intend to plant it, including the amount of available light, drainage and soil pH. Trees offered at local nurseries are almost always suitable for planting here, but be cautious ordering from mail-order nurseries.

Other characteristics that

need to be determined before deciding the best tree for your landscape include:

n Should the tree be evergreen or deciduous?

n Should it grow more upright or is a spreading habit more desirable?

n Are you interested in any special characteristics such as flowers or colorful fall foliage? How about fragrance or the production of food for wildlife?

Now through the end of February is an excellent time to plant trees. Water a newly planted tree whenever the weather is dry. This is the single most important thing you can do to ensure its survival the first summer after planting

n Are there nearby power lines or concrete surfaces (sidewalk, driveway) that need to be considered? This will affect where the tree is planted and its appropriate mature size.

So, when selecting a tree (or any other plant, for that mat-

ter), make a list of the characteristics the tree should have and the growing conditions where it will be planted. Then consult an appropriate plant materials reference book, go to the nursery and talk to the staff or contact a horticulturist at your parish LSU AgCenter Extension office, and ask them for help in selecting the trees that best fit your list of desired characteristics. There is likely to be just one tree, or at most a few, that closely match your list of desired characteristics. Your choice is made from just those trees that most closely fit your desired characteristics and the growing conditions. Doing this, you will end up with the best tree for the situation.

Planting your tree

Now through the end of February is an excellent time to plant trees. To get started, dig the hole at least twice the

GREENTHUMB

ADVICE

Continued from page9

move into major branches or thetrunk (however,liveoaks are fairly resistant to rot, amajor reason theylive so long). Removing dead branches, particularly larger ones, also preventsthemfrom falling out of the tree, possibly causing damage ifthey fall on astructure, car, etc. So, if you see significant amounts of dead wood in the tree (especially branches several inches in diameter), removing the dead wood is agood idea Removing crossed branches is more optional. If an arboristconvinces you of the benefits it would providetoyour particular tree (pointing outexamples of crossed branches andexplaining

TREES

Continued from page10

diameter of the root ball and no deeper than the height of the root ball.

Remove container-grown trees from the container, and place the tree gently onto the firm, undisturbed soilinthe bottom of the hole. The topof the root ball should be level with or slightly abovethe surrounding soil. It is criticalthat you do not plant thetree too deep.

Thoroughly pulverize the soil dug out from the hole and use this soil, without any additions, to backfill around the tree. Since the roots will spend most of the tree’slife growing in native soil outside of the planting hole, they might as well get used to it from the beginning.

Add the pulverized soil around the root ball, gently firming the soil as you go to eliminate air pockets. Donot pack it tightly.Finish filling the hole, and then waterthe tree thoroughly to settle it in. It is not necessary to fertilize the newly planted tree. The use of aroot stimulator solution is optional.

Stake the tree properly if it is tall enough to be unstable.

what issues they may create for your tree), then it’sfine to have thework done. There is no hurry to decide to deal with thecrossed branches. But do consider having the dead growthremoved. Is it too late to plant radish and carrot seeds in pots? —Alan

It’snot too late to plant radish and carrot seeds. Choose carrot varieties that produce short rootsfor container growing. To keep you on track on when to plant vegetables, look up theLSU AgCenter LouisianaVegetable Planting Guide online for agreat reference.

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

Leavethe support in place no more thannine to 12 months. It is beneficial to keep the area 1to2 feet outfrom the trunk mulched and free from weedsand grass. This encouragesthe tree to grow faster by eliminating competition from grassrootsand prevents lawn mowers and string trimmers fromdamaging the base of the tree.

Watera newly planted tree whenever the weather is dry. This is the single most important thing you can do to ensure itssurvival the first summer after planting.

To properlywater atree in

its first year,turn ahoseon trickle andlay theend on top of theground within 6inches of thetrunk. Let the water trickle for about20to30minutes. This shouldbedoneonce or twice aweek during hot, dry weather Trees areindispensable to oururban environment and provide beauty,coolingshade, habitat andfood for wildlife andincrease property values Celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees but think carefully aboutwhattrees you choose to plant. It’sadecision you and future generations willlive with for alongtime.

Removing dead branches, which may begin to decay and spread rot throughout the tree, helps protectthe health of the tree.

THE LATEST LO

FOUR INTERIOR DESIGNERSTRACK 2026 TRENDS

BY JYL BENSON

Contributing writer

Few would argue that while trends come and trends go, style remains eternal

COVER

STORy

Equally inarguable is thereality that trends can be fun! Just think of last year’sLabubumonster toyand Dubai chocolates, andespecially thecombination of the two trends, the Dubai Chocolate Labubu, an amalgamation for which people were inexplicably willingtoplunk down upward of $30 for achocolate bonbon in the shape of the friendly little creature soaked in acloyingly syrup thatwas supposed to taste like pistachio but didn’t.

As trends tend to do —atleast in the20th and 21st centuries —they reemerge after ahiatus of 20 or more years. We are seeing this now with areembrace of “brown”furniture; the plaids, jewel tones and chintz Ralph Lauren andLauraAshley ushered into Americana in the 1980s; and the built-ins that were de rigueur of high midcentury modern architecture.

Returning are “art deco silhouettes in furniture, lighting andfabrics,” said New Orleans-based interior designer Penny Francis, of Eclectic Home. “Wesee areturn to maximalism, rooms that are nostalgic and layered interiors.”

At the same time, nonsensically cluttering our beds with heapsofpillows and whatnot is agoner.

“The biggest trend Iamseeingin bedding is less clutter,” said interior designer Grace Kaynor,ofSotre, a Magazine Streetstudio specializing in fine textiles. Kaynor said thetrend

ä See TRENDS, page 14

Interior designer Grace Kaynor says having an abundance of plants indoors is adefinite trend.‘They clean the air and add color without beingtoo much.’

FILEPHOTO By JEFFSTROUT

OOKS

Interior designer Curtis Herring says ‘introducing color makes the kitchen cozy,gives it more character and makes it more connected to the rest of the home.’

PROVIDED PHOTO

An antique chest anchors a piece of modernart

PROVIDED PHOTOByJSTEPHEN

Interior designer Curtis Herring favors bold patterns and florals on walls to ‘create avisually dynamic space with depth and personality that paint cannot provide.’

PROVIDED PHOTOS

TRENDS

Continued frompage12

is toward “fewer monograms and fewer extra-large European pillows. So, one extralarge Euro instead of three on akingbed, maybe apattern for alumbar pillow and cooling,temperature-regulating sheets. It’sabout qualityand comfort.People wantlasting investment pieces that will help them get agood night’s rest.”

Also, Kaynor said having

plantsinabundance is ahuge trend.“They clean the air and addcolor withoutbeing too much,” shesaid

Their color is trendy as well.

“Green is the new neutral,” addedTanga Winstead,of Tanga WinsteadDesigns.

We also are eschewing white andneutrals (whatever were the brains at Pantone thinking in naming thewhite “Cloud Dancer” as thecolor of the year?) in favor of colors that express us, moving from cool tones to warm (even with white when we must), and embracing personality and

maximalism over sterility and minimalism. We want natural materials that will age well (hello, unlacquered brass, unpainted wood) and bedrooms that swaddle us in aplush

‘Moodycolors, high-gloss/ high-shine finishes in paint canbedone on aceiling, door trimorinterior doors if not the entire room,’ says NewOrleans-based interior designer Penny Francis

cocoon so we canshut out the clamoring bang of society’s drum

Endofthe all-whitekitchen

“Weare moving away from

the all-white kitchen and embracing color in cabinetry, finishes and fabrics,” said New Orleans-based interior designer Curtis Herring. “Introducing color makes the kitchen cozy,gives it morecharacter and makes it moreconnected to the rest of the home. At the sametime, choosing proven, timeless colors will eliminate any short-lived trends.”

Elsewhere, color gets more leeway

“Moody colors, high-gloss/ high-shine finishes in paint can be done on aceiling, door trim or interior doors if not the entire room,” Francis added. Also, Francis said, think of the unexpected and playful, such as whimsical accents in architectural details like ironworkand millwork.

Reembracingnatural wood

Areturn to the sensibility

Animal print in interior decor has never really gone away An African-themed room includes an animal print pillow, animal artwork, a silver wildebeest hide centered on the floor and a collection of mounted vintage hunting trophies.

that natural wood bespeaks character and beauty means that Granny’s armoire can decamp from the attic. Antiques are a thing again.

“Brown wood furniture — burl, walnut and oak finishes in cabinets, floors and furnishings add warmth and depth,” Francis said.

But they don’t have to dominate.

“Mixing antiques and heirloom pieces with contemporary pieces creates a layered look that feels curated and timeless,” Winstead said. “We want quality, warmth and texture.”

A thing for prints and hides

“Using bold patterns and florals on walls can create a visually dynamic space with depth and personality that paint cannot provide,” Herring said. “By incorporating the same pattern in fabrics, the design feels more layered and unified.”

One pattern has never really gone away. “The animal print, which came into fashion during the reign of Marie Antoinette, is still going strong as

an accent,” Winstead said. Francis anticipates the animal print trend to intensify as the year progresses. “The use of animal prints in upholstery, animal furs in throws, cowhide rugs and bold animal prints in wallpaper — you will see this throughout the year in design.”

Stash your

stuff

While maximalism is feeling the love, it’s a curated version

of the style, not a cluttered one.

“Custom banquettes maximize seating space and provide hidden storage,” said Winstead, whose firm specializes in getting the most out of small spaces. “We also want pieces that are highly functional.”

Think performance fabrics and swivel or motion chairs that can be used in different spaces, from dining to living and home office spaces.

LEFT: Art deco silhouettes are returning, says designer Penny Francis, along with a return to maximalism. BELOW: ‘Custom banquettes maximize seating space and provide hidden storage,’ says Tanga Winstead, of Tanga Winstead Designs, which specializes in getting the most out of small spaces.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

ONEINAMILLION

Italian-style villa in Mandeville

offers views of the Tchefuncte

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

The traffic on the pastoral Tchefuncte River is nothing compared with the hectic flow on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy

But there is a slice of Italy waiting on the banks of the St. Tammany Parish waterway

The Mandeville manse that recalls dwellings in the European city is located in one of the northshore’s gated communities — Beau Chene — with ready access to roadways leading to the Causeway or the east-west Interstate 10.

Villa Bellavista stands proudly on almost a half-acre lot at 432 Magnolia Lane. It offers more than 9,200 square feet (more than 5,200 square feet of living space) with three bedrooms, three full baths, imported fixtures and an immense amount of style. The home lives up to its name (Bella vista is Italian for beautiful views) with three stories of vantage points to see the graceful bend in the Tchefuncte. The asking price is $3.25 million.

A broad front staircase leads to the porch and front door, with its detailed facade of multiple elements.

The double front doors with a fan transom lead into the home’s dramatic living room, which spans the length of the house and soars to the second floor A custom mural of the Battle of Jericho blankets the ceiling, while Thassos marble tiles anchor the floor. A black marble fireplace balances the side opposite the stairs leading to the upper floor Twin powder rooms flank the front door

To the right, an office is on the corner of the house and is brightly lit by large windows. Walnut and oak parquet floors warm the space and create a stylish spot for work.

Double doors from the office lead

A La Cornue range is the culinary focal point of the kitchen, which also features a central island with seating, abundant counter space and a library ladder for access to the plentiful storage above

into the home’s den, which is open to the central living room through a column-flanked broad opening. The parquet floors create a tie with the wooden casements on the large windows, which allow natural light into the

space.

Across the living room, the formal dining room repeats the flooring and windows, making the space a welcome spot for elegant meals and entertaining. It features a similar columned

Italian style is evident at this home on Magnolia Lane in Mandeville, a stellar threebedroom dwelling on the banks of the Tchefuncte River.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

The central living room has a view of the ceiling mural and the wraparound gallery that provides access to the bedrooms on the upper floor

opening into the main floor’s central space.

A short hallway from the dining

The upper-floor balcony provides majestic views of the home’s setting along the banks of the pastoral Tchefuncte River

room features wine and glassware storage and leads into the sizable kitchen. Gleaming white cabinets and marble counters are studded with golden accents and paired with stainless appliances, with a white and gold La Cornue Range. A central island with a waterfall counter is a prime spot for culinary pursuits and entertaining or casual dining. A library ladder makes access to the upper cabinets easy A separate prep area has an additional sink, refrigerator and microwave.

The top floor features a hallway to with the sleeping quarters of the villa, headlined by the primary suite The sleeping chamber includes a seating area with large windows and built-in cabinetry

Through double doors, the primary bath is a spa-inspired experience. Twin water closets with bidets are located next to twin vanities that hold Italian fixtures. A gilded soaking tub holds a place of prominence in front of the walkthrough shower. One walk-in closet opens onto the room while a hallway leads to the larger of the two closets, which has a dressing table along one wall and boutique-style storage and cabinets.

The two additional bedrooms are en suite, both with tubs and standing showers. A large laundry facility is conveniently placed on the floor, and a

Italian fixtures are featured throughout the home, including the marble and sinks in the primary bath.

balcony provides a view of the rear of the home.

Stairs from the main floor lead down to the Europeanstyle pool, complete with water features and a curved apron around the swimming area.

On the river, a dock facility is primed for aquatic endeavors.

The ground floor of the home features a large space that is climate-controlled and does not factor in the living square footage. There is also parking for four cars and an elevator to all floors.

The home is listed by Vince Liuzza III, of Liuzza Realty Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, (504) 237-9634.

One in a Million is an occasional series featuring upscale homes for sale in the metro area.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

NEW ORLEANS

n TRANSFERS ISSUE JAN. 5-9

DISTRICT 1

BANKS ST. 2745: $128,000, Gulf Coast Bank to Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative Inc.

BANKS ST. 2755: $285,000, Smith Revocable Declaration of Trust to Colin Kussman.

BANKS ST. 4740: $133,328, Donna Gail McNabb Garnett and Terri McNabb Scharhag to Tri Meg Properties LLC.

BARONNE ST. 349, 353: $3,460,000, CBS Interests LLC to Scott Equipment Properties LLC.

BARONNE ST. 616: $100, 610 Baronne St. Development LLC and 616 Baronne St. Development LLC to Andrew F. Swoger and Renee Swoger.

BAUDIN ST. 3514-16: $520,000, EHBB Solomon LLC to Allison Gross Brown and Hasira Ashemu.

CANAL ST. 1201, UNIT 303: $312,000, 1201 Canal Apart-

ments LLC to Otis Daniel Ford Jr.

MAGAZINE ST. 700: $499,000, Kalorama of New Orleans LLC to Frank W. Stuart Jr. and Vincent J. Liuzza III.

MELPOMENE ST. 1019: $100, Jessica Neal Strain and Matthew Donald Strain to Kathleen S Minniti.

PORT OF NEW ORLEANS PLACE

NOTRE DAME ST. 404: $100, Frank W. Stuart Jr. and Vincent J. Liuzza III to Shelby Eugene Russ Jr. and Susan Chaytor Russ.

600: $10, Jere Reinauer Glaser Qualified Personal Residence Trust and Peter L. Glaser Qualified Personal Residence Trust to Kelly L. Parenton and Juanita K ä See ORLEANS, page 18

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued from page 17

Parenton.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 1735-37, 1739: $100 and other valuable consideration, HBW Properties LLC to New Orleans Saint Charles Avenue LLC and Spi One LLC.

ST. CHARLES AVE. 1750: $680,000, Charles S. Williams and Nancy Nunez Stern to Hugh J. Stiel.

S. DUPRE ST. 735: $120,000, Owen Ganguy Trust No. 1 to Dupree St. LLC.

S. LOPEZ ST. 732: $235,000, Warren J. Ray Jr. to Deborah Ann Gleason.

THALIA ST. 1118: $205,000, JM Fitness Holdings LLC to Sara Kristen Capps.

DISTRICT 2

CHARTRES ST. 1229: $1,925,000, Rim Road LLC to George Young Banks III and Michelle Hobbs Banks.

CHARTRES ST. 931, UNIT 13: $468,750, Bernard A. Paul and Rebecca Baker Paul to Matina Bazil Drenner and Stephen O. Drenner.

CHARTRES ST. 931, UNIT 14: $393,750, Bernard A. Paul and Rebecca Baker Paul to Greta Elizabeth Goldsby Dunlap and Justin Edward Dunlap.

DECATUR ST. 1120-1122: $1,725,000, El Jaouhari LLC to Jeff & Buz Investment LLC.

IBERVILLE ST. 720, 722: $4,000,000, Three Girls LLC to Exuma LLC.

JEWEL ST. 301: donation, no value stated, Scott Matthew Loup to Jennifer Lizzeth Rivera Hernandez Loup.

SHERRYL.OWEN CRS, GRI, SFR, ABR

228-760-2815 •228-822-9870

OWENSHERRYL@AOL.COM

2208 18TH ST,SUITE B, GULFPORT,MS39501 WWW.OWENANDCO.COM

HOME OCEANSPRINGS

104SPANISH POINTCIR.

$2,800,000

4Beds/5.5 Baths 6,118sqft. /2.1 acres Gorgeousviews,saltwater pool andspa,doublegarage anddoublecarport, andboathouse

WATERFRONT GAUTIER

308ITALIAN ISLE ROAD

$2,850,000

5Beds/ 5.5Baths /6,600 Sq.Ft. This stunningpropertyisnestled on 2.1acres on theGulf. Completely renovated. Bulkheadedwithaboathouse, lifts, airconditioned fishcleaningstation, waterviews from almost everyroom, and outdoorspace forentertaining. Fullyfurnished. Atruemustsee!

WATERFRONT BILOXI

440GREEN TEAL COURT

$3,780,000

5Beds/5.2 Baths/5,856 Sq.Ft. Aone-of-a-kind estate on 1.7acres in GoosePointeSubdivision.Remodeled 3years ago. Beautifulcabinetry, countertops andlight fixtures. In-law suite, apoolareawithanoutdoor kitchen andfireplace. Sixcar garage,dock, and boathouse.Fully furnished.

MILNE BLVD. 5925: $390,000, Guenevere Rae to Hein Zaw.

N. DUPRE ST. 123: $915,000, King Desire LLC to Onzaga Properties LLC.

N. MURAT ST. 341: $220,000, Jeffrey L. Okun and Nancy T. Okun to Cheryl Regenstein and Fredric G. Regenstein.

N. RENDON ST. 124: $308,000, Robert T. Kenny to Jonathan Wiley Downing and Tiffany Dawn Sewell Downing.

N. VILLERE ST. 1028, URSULINES 1432-34: $228,000, M.J. Falgoust Inc. to Crisp Partners LLC.

ORLEANS AVE. 5930: $800,000, John Paul Nawara and Marika Foteni Antimisiaris Nawara to Preston F. Rockhold Jr.

ST. ANN ST. 2615-2617: $125,000, Lucille Marie Patricia Batiste to Brandon James Harper Sr.

DISTRICT 3

ALFRED ST. 5901: $1,495,000, Lionel Nelson to Kyreian Lionesha Short. ALLEN ST. 2719: $145,000, Rhina Vasquez Ortiz to Glenda Dinora Gonzalez Peralta.

ANDOVER DRIVE 9740: $190,000, Michael T. Joseph Jr. to Kawanda Warren.

ARTS ST. 6300; MEXICO ST. 2469: $183,740, Billy and Cindy LLC to Garnet L. Edward.

BARTHOLOMEW ST. 1738: $75,000, Next Step Rental 2 LLC to Peter Ross Landau.

BERG ROAD 7649: $90,000, Charlene Denise Brown Williams, Cleavon Brown Jr. and Jesonia Nicole Williams Foley to Jvesco Construction LLC.

BRUXELLES ST. 2649-2651: $142,000, Succession of Raginald Parker to New Beginning Residential and Commercial Property Renters LLC.

BULLARD AVE. 5320: $470,000, Dubois Winford and Loretha Ann McGuffey Winford to Jerome Felix Thompson.

CERISE AVE. 4897: $170,000, Jeannine A. Taylor to Bernel P. Robin Jr.

DAUPHINE ST. 1820, 1822: $725,000, Succession of Angela Mequet Carll to Kyle Paulk.

EDGELAKE COURT 7984: $193,000, Arthur Busby Jr. to Demonde Bennett.

FIELDSTON ROAD 7540: $230,000, Benjamin Tran to Constance Washington and Najah Danner.

FORSTALL ST. 2225-27: $11,000, Real Investment Firm LLC to Next King Builders LLC.

FRANKLIN AVE. 2200-02: $225,000, Good Funds LLC to Skyline Land Solutions LLC.

FRENCHMEN ST. 2008-10: $380,000, 2008 Frenchmen St. LLC to Victoria Sawyer.

FRENCHMEN ST. 4804: $139,000, Damita Williams Swanson to Living Legacy Development LLC.

GORDON ST. 1328: $12,500, Dotson Investment Group LLC to Clayton Logistics LLC.

HORSESHOE BEND 141: $43,000, Avione Brown Pichon and Joshua Gatlin Pichon to Shakkie Mary Shannon.

LAPAYROUSE ST. 2625-2627: $425,000, Felix Rogers Barthelemy to Dana Marie Delpit.

LOUISA ST. 1537-39: $329,000, Cada Services M&K LLC to Andrea Smith.

LOUISA ST. 2012-2014: $26,000, Alphonse Batiste Jr. and Cassandra Ross Pye Batiste to 1800 Desire LLC.

MARAIS ST. 6316: $20,000, Catalina Reyna Oregon to Betty Ann Porche Stewart and Stanley Stewart.

MILLAUDON ST. 311-313: $440,000,

Kenneth J. Broadwell to Silver Linings LLC.

NEW ORLEANS ST. 2720: $250,000, YMA LLC to Jonathan D. Whipple. N. DORGENOIS ST. 1743: $420,000, Anna Gentry Thompson and Christopher Thompson to Andrea Lapointe Barden and Michael Thomas Barden.

N. GALVEZ ST. 1922: $50,000, Piedmont Properties LLC to Nola Community Chest LLC.

N. ROCHEBLAVE ST. 2901-03: $40,000, Rose Gilbert Bienvenu to Lawrence Edward Dillon.

ONZAGA ST. 2807: $210,000, Rebecca Owens to Berton Lynn Breaux.

PAULINE DRIVE 5901: $105,000, Emile H. Clay Jr. to Keyana N. Esteen.

PAULINE ST. 1812: $15,000, Scotty J. Evert to Zalia Elaine Bevill Wheat. PRESS DRIVE 4711: $50,000, Allison Mary Story, Bernell Raymond Story Jr., Gay Marie Story Walker and Kirk Charles Story to Kenric E. Haynes and Shari D. Stewman Haynes.

PROVIDENCE PLACE 5817: $235,900, Latiaya Henderson Morris to Melita Kellette Payne Spencer.

ROBERT E. LEE BLVD. 1656: $600,000, Carrevert LLC to ALVJ LLC.

ST. FERDINAND ST. 3538: donation, no value stated, Next Generation of Original Morning Star Full Gospel Baptist Church Inc. to Tyrone Smith.

ST. ROCH AVE. 3025-27: $126,000, Hazel Anderson Sorina to Jerzei Estates Property Management LLC.

TRAPIER AVE. 7550: $205,000, Christopher James Giveans and Kimberly Potter Giveans to Zwila Burks Martinez.

WARRINGTON DRIVE 302: donation, no value stated, Alice Willette Smith to Charles Williams.

WAVE DRIVE 7710: $145,950, CWABS Inc. Asset Backed Certificates Series 2007-10 to Joseph Ferrand.

WILDAIR DRIVE 5745: $355,000, J&W Builders Group LLC to Rainnier Dwight Buenaseda Mira.

DISTRICT

4

CONSTANCE ST. 3209: $100,500, Galilee Housing Initiative Community Development Corp. to Richard Wayne Jernigan and Stewart Andrew Ramsay.

EIGHTH ST. 617-19: $300,000, Catherine Alexandria Hafner to Gerald D. Denton II.

LAUREL ST. 3008-3010: $130,000, Galilee Housing Initiative and

REALESTATETRANSFERS

ORLEANS

Continued from page18

Community Development to Koi Fish LLC.

PRYTANIA ST.2211: $100, Caroline Toth Reilyand William Boatner Reily IV to Heidi G. Morse.

ST.ANDREWST. 2013-15: $252,000, Gwendolyn RosemoreAbair and Patrick R. Abair Sr. to Rashied Cormier and ShanikaLatrice Williams.

ST.MARYST. 1433: $1,005,000, Hammond NorrisGarrison to Julie Edmonds.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 2100: $605,000, Patricia L. Barnett to Gail Chauvin Zeringue andRene P. ZeringueJr.

ST.CHARLES AVE. 2111: donation, no value stated, Madelyn Smith Garrity to Vikki Espinosa

S. CLAIBORNE AVE. 2306-08, 231012: $100 and other goodsand valuable, Ely Edwards Enterprises Inc.toWagner Residential LLC.

S. MIRO ST.2618: $70,000, Vanessa Bolton DavistoBoran Firat.

S. SARATOGA ST.2914: $15,300, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans Inc.toCanaan Properties LLC.

EAST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FORDEC.30TO JAN. 9

HARAHAN

CRIS-LAUR AVE. 165: KeithHaas to Lisa Mcardle, $185,000.

DEALERS AVE. 1309: Nims P. Knobloch to Lebrun Properties LLC, $875,000.

GORDON AVE. 700: Barbara W. Banner to Hillary Burridge, $275,000.

PENFOLD PLACE 233: RoyHerbert Jr. to Allison M.D.Leach,$372,000 W. IMPERIAL DRIVE 29: Rachel Demac to Vivian C.S. Cahill, $125,988.

KENNER

COMPROMISE ST.900: Abigail Land Holdings33LLC to Emma M. Buckner, $11,397.

CONTINENTALDRIVE 3333: Audrey M. BarretoVincentGlover Jr., $196,000.

CURTIS AVE. 907: CarlosLois to Renton Properties LLC, $75,000. FLORIDAAVE. 2118: B&I Holding LLCtoJswami Kenner LLC, $325,240.

S. WHITE ST.1509-11: $115,000, Salon Candies LLCtoKeysha Isaac Temple.

THIRD ST.916: $1,325,000, BD & TT Real Estate LLC, Christopher Bailey,RyanTyler Dunagan and Samuel Grant Tate to James Franklin Gruden.

DISTRICT 5

ABBEY DRIVE 5721: $315,000, JenniferBrady Alvarado and Ralph Alvarado Jr. to Benjamin L. Levy IV and Vi Tang Hoisington.

HUNTLEEDRIVE 537: $255,000, Oscar RiveraWilson to Dana Williams andDomonique Nichelle Williams

DISTRICT 6

AMELIA ST.2537-39: $475,000, Marclan Enterprises LLCtoIan A. Neville.

AUDUBON ST.2126: donation, no value stated, Ben J. Haney and Elaine SeamanHaney to Ryan JacobHaney.

CARONDELETST. 3705: $582,500, DukeBennett Morgan to Dino J. Radosta.

CHESTNUT ST.7008: $837,500, 7008 Chestnut LLCtoJoseph F. RizzoIII and SarahIonta Rizzo.

KENTUCKY AVE. 2409: DajaRealty LLCtoDuanyG.Acosta, $290,000.

LOYOLA DRIVE WEST 3713: Dennis Ayala to Ze H. Liu, $193,500. MINDEN AVE. 1023: Crystal Jones to LakeviewLoan Servicing LLC, $115,500

MISSOURI AVE. 1701: Adriana Soimu to JoseA.Serrano Jr., $240,000.

COLISEUM ST.7108: $1,300,000, AllisonMichelle Schipp Brouk and Jonathan BrouktoAddison Banerjee WinstonMeth and Daniel Meth.

CONSTANTINOPLE715: $515,000, SherylWilson Hackett and Thomas Steven Hackett to Harrison Kane and Madelyn Healy Kane.

ELEONORE ST.321: $735,000, James Yates and SheilaYates to MorganLee and Tanner Lee.

KRAFT PLACE 2238-40: $199,000, Vl &Associates LLCtoPrincess Johnson.

LOUISIANA AVE. 1215: donation, no value stated, Stuart A. Tullis to Houston RichardTullis and Kathleen VictoriaTullis.

MAGNOLIA ST.3429-31: $140,000, Yorsch DevelopmentGroup LLC to GosavHoldingsLLC

PATTON ST.5818: $1,045,000, KevinMurphyand Michele F. MurphytoRMPatton LLC.

PINE ST.470: $920,000, Catherine Trammell Johnson and William H. Johnson to Heidi Gurtner Haynes and Trevor J. Haynes.

ROBERTST. 919: $1,300,000, John Quinn Norwood to Esther Beeson Dupepe and Frank Dupepe Jr.

STATEST. DRIVE 3924: $465,000, Rebecca Ann Malpass Lindauer and Ryan Adam Lindauer to

N. LAFOURCHE COURT5: Harold F. Adams to Bank of America N.A., $40,000.

NORMANDYDRIVE 33: Andrew C. Kessler Jr. to ChoctawAmerican Insurance Inc., $350,000.

ST.ANN DRIVE 4200: PamelaB HarotoRon M. Kuchler, $439,995.

UTAH ST.3124: Juan D. Thibodeaux to Carmen Godoy,

DavidRussell Gallo II andEmma Jayne Coen.

TCHOUPITOULAS ST.5945: donation, no value stated, Joann LocantroBranigan to Branigan Properties LLC.

UPPERLINEST. 2400: $100, Edward Joiner Pointer and Marilyn Bishop Pointer to Elizabeth Logan and John Logan.

VALENCE ST.927: $1,375,000, Carli Beckett Simpsonand Kevin Charles Simpson to Wells revocable living trust.

DISTRICT 7

14THST. 405: $549,000, Kelley Morgan Hebert andTroy J. Hebert to Edward F. Butler III.

18THST. 214: $885,000, Katherine LouLambert Womac andVictoria Lynn WomacResidence Trust to Tara CookeWright andWilliam KirbyWright IV.

26THST. 422: $398,500, Kimberly Flett and MichaelC.Townsend to Taylor JamesDanos.

28THST. 212: $560,000, Brenda Leah Mathas Carson to Jose Luis Flores and Michelle Molina Cianchini Flores.

AIRLINE HIGHWAY 9119-9127, 9129: no value stated, Melvin John Faber to Zion Commercial Properties LLC.

$305,000.

VOURAYDRIVE 724: Hollie A. Bruno to Kenneth Trinh, $445,000.

WALL ST.9013: Kimberly Washington to Alberta Harris,donation, no value stated.

WILLIAMS BLVD.2600: R&E Realty II LLCtoR&E Realty II LLC, $1,600,000.

APPLE ST.8324: $70,000, Eugene Jermaine Porter,Janiene Porter Jessie, Rosia Mary ChambersPorter andTiffanyCloudie Wallace to ClaibornePort LLC.

APPLE ST.8628-30: $205,000, ABC Nola LLCtoHenrietta Hunter.

BIRCH ST.8118: $325,000, MarcG. Dobriner to Bouleau LLC.

CHEROKEEST. 919-921: $620,000, Beth Anne Aguillard to Karen Sommer Shalett andScott Adam Shalett.

DRIFTER LANE 13: $305,000, Angeles Duron Enamorado and Carlos AliEnamorado Jr. to Janet Spansel Boudreaux andRonald LeeBoudreaux.

HAMILTONST. 4319: $430,000, B1 Bank to Nadia Gray Surin and Raphael Surin Jr.

HICKORYST. 7718-7720: $499,000, SaundraJ.Elsky Trust to Christine Federroll andDonaldC.Federroll.

LAKE MARINA DRIVE 318: $165,000, JFM OneLLC to JakeDeclan Leo Raynorand Marina J. Quave Raynor.

PONTCHARTRAIN BLVD.6234: $588,000, JSE Investments LLCto Katherine CarmonaHernandez. S. CLAIBORNE AVE. 7833-35: $260,000, DavidR.Engles and WilliamR.Engles Jr. to Kingdom Ventures LLC.

METAIRIE

44TH ST.3004: Connie S. Lanasa to Miranda Darr, $280,000. 45TH ST.3231: DelmaCupit III to Planet Home Lending LLC, $211,700.

APOLLODRIVE 4401: Ryan R.

ä See EAST, page 20

Exceptionalall-brick home situated on an oversizedcornerlot in theVillas of English Turn,New Orleans’ premier gatedgolfcoursecommunity.Open floorplanfeaturessoaring ceilingsinthe entryand living room,creatingabright andinvitingatmosphere. Spacious eatin kitchenoffersample counterspace andstorage.Wood flooring throughout main living areasadds warmth and elegance.Generousfirst-floor primary suiteincludesen-suite bath andwalk-in closet.Additionalbedroomsand flexible living spaces providecomfort forfamily andguests. Primelocationwithinthe Villas,offeringeasy walkingdistance to theClubhouse, tennis courts,fitness center,and communitypool.

Continued from page 19

Seapy to Thomas S. Hackett, $280,000.

AUGUSTA ST. 3941: Christopher J. Russo III to Ashley M. L. Hoselle, $287,000.

AZTEC AVE. 1516 UNIT 208: Maria G. Fleming to Zoe C. Zollinger, $97,000.

BERON DRIVE 1313: Alison M. E. Syzpula to Lucas Weston, $279,000.

BEVERLY GARDEN DRIVE 57: Bertucci Investment Group LLC to Gen II Residential LLC, $512,000.

BEVERLY GARDEN DRIVE 57: Thomas S. Bruno to Bertucci Investment Group LLC, $426,000.

BONNIE ST. 1916: Ronald C. Watson to Bonnie Street LLC, $75,000.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

BROCKENBRAUGH COURT 630:

Hilda M. Barrett to Robert C. Borrello Sr., $275,000.

BURKE DRIVE 4405: Brittany G. Townsend to Zachary Parker, $525,000.

CLEARY AVE. 4321: Colette R. Flores to Xueying Wang, $435,000.

CLEVELAND PLACE 4700: Byron J. Bagley to Brittany A. Schoen, $567,500.

ELIZABETH AVE. 1801: Marie T.B. Junca to Rachel M. Delaune, $367,000.

ELLIS PARKWAY 1508: Arthur G. Buuck Jr. to Monika Korsnes, $602,050.

GIUFFRIAS AVE. 2509: Beit Anan Remodeling LLC to Allen M. Watson, $52,000.

GREEN ACRES ROAD 2412:

Ritzmann Family Living Trust to Laurel E.N. Money, $290,000.

HEARST ST. 5224: Alejandro Ar-

menta to Carmen E. P. Armenta, $303,000.

HEIGHTS 289: William N. Fallis to Caroline Livingston, $411,000.

HESPER AVE. 1009: Laurie A.C. Frens to Wingate Investment Group LLC, $287,500.

HESPER AVE. 401: David Gueho to Monica A. Little, $470,000.

IVY ST. 7401: Jefferson Parish Council to Robbie T. Felder, $6,750.

JADE AVE. 601: Leslie Scharfenstein to Ugne G. B. Medina, $170,000.

KENT AVE. 4504: Jean P. Pigeon to Ayse M. Sibel, $377,000.

LAKE AVE. 1128: Bradley Keller to Ellen M. Carroll, $115,000.

LAKE VILLA DRIVE 3408: Brandi P. Hanner to Julianti H. Tjhong, $301,500.

LAWN DRIVE 301: Patrick M. Maloney to Nalleli Cisnero, $350,000.

MARCIE ST. 5800: Emily M. Simon to Haley Gonzales, $297,500.

MARTIN BEHRMAN WALK 932: Michael B. Mcadam to Andrew J. Bagert, $335,000.

MERCURY AVE. 1201: Eugenie B. Loustaunau to Quinlivan Homes LLC, $130,000.

$390,000.

N. WOODLAWN AVE. 109: Sharon T. Nall to One Hundred Nine N. Woodlawn LLC, $395,000.

NORTON ST. 4313: Jacob Macarthur to Susan L. Nguyen, $220,000.

NURSERY AVE. 1029: Bonnie M. Muro to Amber F. Cancienne, $381,000.

NURSERY AVE. 431-433: Ashley C.L. Hunter to Steven J. Foret, $325,000.

OLD METAIRIE DRIVE 961: Perrin C. Butler Sr. to Southshore Family Homes LLC, $118,000.

PAGE DRIVE 4613: Crozet J. Duplantier to Harvey S. Bartlett III, $300,000.

PERKINS ST. 4445 UNIT 102: Jason

M. Bergeron to Claudia C.B. Delapena, $185,000.

PHILLIP ST. 6704: Felix Hernandez to Maria D. Mendoza, donation, no value stated.

REBECCA AVE. 4601: Jeannine H. Kenney to Julie B. Leto, $830,000.

ROSA AVE. 927: Joshua Stoltz to Kathryn Murphy, $384,000.

ROSEDALE DRIVE 4618: Paul Park to Paul A. Vonderhaar III, $85,000.

SADIE AVE. 817: Mt Laurel Properties LLC to Cameron Marcantel, $234,000.

TRANSCONTINENTAL DRIVE 1300: Estingoy Ann Trust to Carrie D Lopez, $530,000.

UTICA ST. 4827: Shawn D. Murphy Jr. to Tinievangeline B. Petty, $350,000.

UTOPIA DRIVE 4526: Melissa P. Guzman to Robert Stoltz Jr., $360,000.

W. ESPLANADE AVE. NORTH 3212: Double M. Feed LLC to Three Thousand Two Hundred Twelve W. Esplanade LLC, $1,275,000.

WHITNEY PLACE 2700: Graham Joseph Mcdougall Revocable Trust Jr. to Marguerite T. Doeve, $113,000.

WILTY ST. 6809: Lorraine T. Filibert to Tyreauna S. Vaumoron, $290,000.

RIVER RIDGE

CAMILLE DRIVE 9025: Mark W. Mccormick to John M. Bumgardner, $240,000.

TUDOR AVE. 200: Ruth G. Dodson to Paige Dublin, $254,000.

MISSISSIPPI AVE. 2412: Chad Melancon to Amber M. Townsend,

WEST JEFFERSON

n TRANSFERS FOR DEC. 30 TO JAN. 9

AVONDALE

EDGEWOOD COURT 3720: Curtis Jones to Pamela G.B. Jones, donation, no value stated.

RETREAT DRIVE 3817: Dsld LLC to Yaricely Sanlucas, $294,453.

BARATARIA

FRAN LANE 4886: John J. Barranco to Evelyn F. Hebert, donation, no value stated.

PRIVATEER BLVD. 2886: Brian Johnson to Loandepot.com LLC, $149,650.

BRIDGE CITY

HOOTER ROAD 1008: Henry Poole to Mortgage Loan Asset Backed Certificates Series 2005 4, $63,334.

GRAND ISLE

CHALMETTE LANE 141: Guy P. Holdridge to Sarah C. Nobile, $85,000.

HEBERT LANE 132: Matthew R. Fuertes to R.A. Gafford, donation, no value stated.

RUE BURGUNDY 00 UNIT 325: Lower Pontalba 325 LLC to Eugene E. Rackle Jr., $585,000.

GRETNA

23RD ST. 805-807: Willie J. Mccorkle to Demetris E. Taylor, $130,000.

ALISON DRIVE 1491: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Elegant Houses LLC, $160,500.

CLAIRE AVE. 3613: Wende B. J. Pellecchia to Carolyn F. Daneel, $230,000.

FAIRFAX DRIVE 1036: Joann Mimmitt to Asset Backed Pass Through Certificates Series 2005 Whq2, $170,000.

FAIRFIELD AVE. 776: Seven Thousand Two Hundred Downman Rd LLC to Mohammed Hammad, $405,000.

FIRST ST. 504: Peggy Wallace to Judy Sullivan, $725,000.

GLENBROOK DRIVE 2982: Tyler Wilcox to Margaret B. Gassen, $120,000.

GLENBROOK DRIVE 2994: Shadia Y. M. Reslan to Amal M. Sudki, donation, no value stated.

GULF DRIVE 612-614: Wendi M. Sancho to A. Delafosse, $243,000.

GULF DRIVE 616-618: Wendi M. Sancho to Dao T. Duong, $215,000.

HERO DRIVE 3229: Betsey L. O. Mcelheny to Willette W. Jones Jr., $165,000.

LAMAR AVE. 865: Carl L. Little to

UPSTREAM ST. 507: FDL 507 Upstream LLC to Gator 25 LLC, $1,757,483.

Salvadore J. Miceli, donation, no value stated.

MICHELLE COURT 712: Lisa A. W. Shaw to Katherine R. Works, $165,000.

NEWTON ST. 901: Buras LLC Bonnie to Felix J. Hoskin III, donation, no value stated.

PARK PLACE DRIVE 2468: Catherine R. B. Francis to Derek J. Beloney, donation, no value stated. RUE ST. MICHAEL 725: Hcld LLC to Ying H. Wang, $330,900.

STAFFORD ST. 2118: Freedom Mortgage Corp. to Alfred Norris, $93,200.

WILLOWBROOK DRIVE 216: Cheun L. Ngo to Dinh N. T. Trinh, $172,000.

HARVEY

ACCACIA LANE 3824: Roy T. Flory to Jts Investments LLC, $130,000.

CHADWOOD DRIVE 3828: Allied Real Estate Holdings LLC to Hdm Real Estate Holdings LLC, $110,000.

CHADWOOD DRIVE 3828: Consolidated Investment Properties LLC to Allied Real Estate Holdings LLC, $120,000.

DEERRUN LANE 3805: Hung T. Ho to Thao N.T.T. Ho, donation, no value stated.

REALESTATETRANSFERS

WEST

Continued from page 20

FIFTH AVE. 705: Elegant Houses LLC to Mousa A. Ayyad, $110,000.

FIRST AVE. 509: Black Hammer Holdings LLC to Residential Capital Partners Secured Loan Fund XII LLC, $100,000.

GREFER AVE. 904: Geneen Jefferson to Alesha M. Davis, donation, no value stated.

JUPITER ST. 2749: Jacquelyn F. Boreros to Highland Property Group LLC, $100,000.

KEITH WAY DRIVE 3028: Janice R. Black to James E. Rabb Jr., $121,000.

KINGS ROAD 1511 UNIT B: Lila Khantamr to Mohamed Khantamr, donation, no value stated.

MACARTHUR AVE. 538: Five Hundred Thirty Eight Macarthur Ave Investments LLC to Espn Jolly LLC, $67,000.

MATHIS AVE. 2316: Robert Moore to Shahannah M. Green, $40,000.

MELISSA DRIVE 3717: Bernadine D. Leblanc to Roland J. Darby Jr., donation, no value stated.

PAILET AVE. 1809: Cleveland R. Gordon to Anthony Stewart, $80,000.

PAILET AVE. 525: Becky Boudreaux to Russell B. Autry, $130,000.

SHANNON DRIVE 3825: Lynnette J. Bazley to Damian L. Dent, donation, no value stated.

S. VILLAGE GREEN ST. 2007: Tuyet L. Nguyen to Tuyen D. Vu, $259,000.

TURNBERRY LANE 1901: Christopher A. Hoo to Joel Watts Jr., $440,000.

MARRERO

15 ST. 4009: Gregg M. Vegas to Rhonda V Hart, donation, no value stated.

BARATARIA BLVD. 1512: Ralph J. Pennino to Leforts Seafood Restaurant Inc., $565,000.

BLANCHE DRIVE 2749: Kevin P. Ghivizzani to De Plus LLC, $80,000.

CANDLELIGHT DRIVE 1164: Kim H. Delcuze to Josie B. Cryer, $189,900.

CHRISTY COURT 2617: Cory Rodivich to Glen S. White, $367,500.

EISEMAN AVE. 452: Carlos J.R. Umana to Gx3 Property LLC, $54,800.

FOURTH ST. 6549: Bishmoo LLC to Armands Food LLC, $660,000.

GLASCO DRIVE 5816: Huda N. Masri to Melissa G. Rush, $183,000.

HOPE DRIVE 1625: Kurt J. Theriot to Patricia S. Hartman, $230,000.

KAREN DRIVE 5024: Wayne L. Pittman Sr. to Angela D. Belsome, donation, no value stated.

KATHLEEN DRIVE 2200: Michael C. Poe to Chucky R. Gomez, $315,500.

MELROSE DRIVE 34: Carmelitte N. Wallace to Joanna H. Curtis, $515,000.

OAK DRIVE 5225: Celeste Choquette to Sky J. Dewey, donation, no value stated.

PARK SHORE DRIVE 4416: Horizon One Services LLC to Alexis Petrolia, $343,000.

SAUVAGE AVE. 2205: Latasha H. Bailey to Tyeisha K. U. Perique, $195,000.

SINGLETON DRIVE 6132: Nancy C. Jones to Ag Investment LLC, $115,000.

TUSA DRIVE 5416: Vrmtg Asset Trust to Phan LLC Chau, $145,000.

VICTORIAN DRIVE 6125: Elaine J. Sims to Ag Nola Investments LLC, $65,000.

WESTMINSTER BLVD. 1625: Chante R.L. Jones to Willie C. Jones, $160,000.

WESTWOOD DRIVE 931: Saputo Bros Inc. to H&M Collection LLC, $850,000.

TERRYTOWN

AMAPOLA CIRCLE 208: Vera N. Nelson to Austin Bourg, $125,000.

E. MARLIN COURT 633: Gitsit Mortgage Loan Trust Bbplc1 to Delsy Amador, $75,000.

FAIRLAWN DRIVE 632: Freedom Mortgage Corp. to Diane Otillio, $178,000.

HOLMES BLVD. 411: Horton Inc. Gulf Coast D.R. to Ahoua A. Ouattara, $284,900.

HOLMES BLVD. 423: Horton Inc. Gulf Coast D.R. to Joanny A.H. Feliz, $287,900.

TERRY PARKWAY APT E 306: Johnell Kieff to Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, $83,334.

WAGGAMAN

HALLE PLACE 11: Cory Creppel to Troy Johnson, $155,000.

WESTWEGO

COLUMBUS ST. 355: Zachery Young to Dena L. Underwood, $238,000.

ELVIE COURT 133: David C. Carter Sr. to Burtis D. Carter III, $85,000.

HELIS DRIVE 500: Reve Inc. to Christopher Bovie, $254,900.

VICTORY DRIVE 907: Betty Forrest to Jonah Kropff, $93,000.

WIEGAND DRIVE 929: Beverly Lopez to I&U Investment LLC, $53,721.

ST. TAMMANy

n TRANSFERS FOR DEC. 19-23

ABITA SPRINGS

ABITA SPRINGS ESTATES, LOTS 16A, 18, SQUARE G: Michelle R. Panicola and Susan Heggeland to Clifford E. Cunningham and Cynthia B. Cunningham, $330,000.

BOSSIER CITY SUBDIVISION, LOT 6A, SQUARE 61: Patrick E. Sipos and Bessie M. Miller Sipos to Ryan A. O’Regan and Christy L. Becnel, $410,000.

BRYAN ST. 71187: Patricia S. Spicuzza to Angela Frisk, $246,000.

NEAR ABITA SPRINGS, PORTION OF GROUND: Wayne J. Cangelosi and Joanne N. Cangelosi to Rosalie M. Tohme and Elia G. Tohme, $475,000.

NEAR ABITA SPRINGS, PORTION OF GROUND: Mark H. Strauss, Lynn E. Elster and Andrea E. Rubin to Sean Ortiz and Michelle Ortiz, $98,000.

NORTHWOODS DRIVE 580: Nina B. Newlin Mackie revocable living trust to Clay Harvin and Gabrielle D. Harvin, $825,000.

COVINGTON

BARRINGTON DRIVE 1232: DSLD Homes LLC to Tracia M. Nelson, $335,245.

CARROL DRIVE 76020: Brenda W Dillon to 2941 Ethel LLC, $90,000. COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE 147: Patsie M. Dehuff to Martin Leahy, $490,000.

DEL SOL COURT 408: Nicholas Toliver to Rachel A. Crittle, $350,000.

DEL SOL PASS 609: James W. Mancuso Jr. and Denise Sue Morris Mancuso to Rolando Duran, $299,000.

DOGWOOD DRIVE 72: Allen N. Sawyer and Amy S. Sawyer to John W. Ragan and Leslie B. Ragan, $1,850,000.

E. U.S. 190 SERVICE ROAD 5001: Succession of Henryetta R. Waguespack, Richard S. Waguespack Jr., Anne W. Berteau, Susan Waguespack Knowlton and David F. Waguespack to Cherished Properties LLC, $210,000.

GABRIEL DRIVE 2110: DSLD Homes LLC to Peter J. Ward and Gina R. Ward, $397,835.

GARLAND’S COVINGTON SUBDIVISION, LOTS 4, 5, SQUARE 8: Angela B. Garza to Cala Investment Properties LLC, $355,000.

HOLIDAY BLVD. 140: Epic Regency Hospitality Partners LLC to 140 Holiday Owner LLC, $10 and other good and valuable consideration.

JUDY AVE. 20411: Jason B. Doss and Amy S. Doss to Richard Franzo Jr. and Candace Franzo, $765,000.

LAKE PLACID DRIVE 71152: Frank Fabacher and Jean Fabacher

Exemption Trust to William Sauerwin, $222,900.

LAKE RAMSEY SUBDIVISION, PHASE 4, LOT 108A: David A. Sabido and Laura W. Sabido to James T. Serio and Kelly B. Serio, $170,000.

MANOR ST. 72343: Jamie L. Logmann to Kyle Thezan, $195,000.

MP PLANCHE ROAD 16518: Robert Lyons III, Joann Lyons and Robert A. Lyons Jr. to Peter D. Baker, $315,000.

N. 10TH ST. 19522: Suzanne M. Richoux to Deborah B. Coleman, $257,500.

NEAR COVINGTON, PORTION OF GROUND: T&T Real Estate and Construction LLC to Rhett C. Hickman and Karley H. Hickman, $42,000.

NINTH AVE. 208: Ashley A. Wolf to Shane Guillot and Michelle Guillot, $233,000.

OAKLAWN DRIVE 34: Suzanne B.

Graham to Anthony T. Minhinnett and Christine M. Minhinnett, $650,000.

PALM PLAZA SUBDIVISION, LOTS 9-14, SQUARE 10: David Rivera and Tracy W. Rivera to Randell J. Porche, $179,000.

PARMA CIRCLE 12421: Tawatchai Petchsingto to Timmy J. Bergeron Jr., $265,000.

PLACE ST. JEAN 204: Thomas J. Favalora Jr. and Pamela B. Favalora to Jerry F. Pepper, $385,500. S. MAGNOLIA DRIVE 71241: S/F Enterprise LLC to Blake A. Gill, $130,000.

SAGE ALLEY 111: Bardwell Construction Co. LLC to Nelson P. Roth Jr. and Frances C. Roth, $567,000. SAW GRASS LOOP 318: Daryl Bourgeois and Melissa Bourgeois to Michael Hefner and Kaitlyn ä See TAMMANY, page 22

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Continued from page 21

Hefner, $415,000.

SOLOMON DRIVE 751: Robert B. Frady to Amanda Clontz, $335,000.

SUMNER ST. 122: Joseph Cosentino Sr. to Maygen E. Bonner, $270,000.

TAMMANY AVE. 20110: Andrea C. Mitchell to Dylan W. Nash, $309,500.

TIGER AVE. 461: Eileen H. Engelhardt to John P. Furman and Shannon Roussell, $354,999.

TWIN RIVER PLACE 5100: Rockwell Builders LLC to Mario Flores and Tammie Flores, $135,000.

W. 14TH AVE. 219: Benjamin S. Morrison and Emily Morrison to Gwendolyn K. Tappin, $366,000.

WALDEN ST. 20091: Morgan E. Harper to Laura Pritchett, $333,000.

WOODVINE COURT 25: Bayou Warehouse LLC to Anne Ogden, $395,000.

FOLSOM

DEERFIELD ROAD 297: Delbert G. Talley to Hunter L. Lanclos, $245,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Kathleen V Miller to David L. Markey, $49,000.

NEAR FOLSOM, PORTION OF GROUND: Gerald R. Tisdale and Dolores C. Tisdale to Recreation District No.12 of the Parish of St Tammany, $243,675.

THOMPSON ROAD 14203: Evano J. Chaisson Jr. to Ryan J. Croom and Amanda A. Adams Croom, donation, no value stated.

LACOMBE

FAIRFAX DRIVE 60812: DSLD

REALESTATETRANSFERS

Homes LLC to Damon G. Anderson, $245,990.

JACKSON ST. 27095: Carsten H. Menn to Brandi Page and Cynthia S. Page, $225,000.

NEAR LACOMBE, LOT 5A2: Craig J. Pierre to Wright Choice Construction LLC, $43,000.

ROUQUETTE DRIVE 65732: D. R.

Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Angela M. Garza, $290,000.

ROUQUETTE DRIVE 65748: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Jeremy Burd and Rebecca Jo Burd, $274,900.

SUNRISE LAKE DRIVE 26295: Ashley Tyler to Louisiana Land Trust, $165,000.

TOWN OF ST. TAMMANY, LOTS 23, 24, SQUARE 56: Donald A. Ruffo to Joseph D. Carter, $2,000.

W. WOODLAND DRIVE 30355: Glenda M. Lee and succession of David C. Lee to Sean Bonner and Rhonda Bonner, $425,000.

MADISONVILLE

BAYOU PEREZ DRIVE 112: Bulldog Trust to Justin L. Ajubita and Courtney S. Ajubita, $1,100,000.

BREWSTER ROAD 717: Derek Varnado and Megan Varnado to Trent Hernandez and Megan Farrell, $275,000.

HANO ROAD 129: The Two Pray Trust to Robert Franzo and Stephanie Franzo, $550,000.

NEAR MADISONVILLE, PORTION OF GROUND: Philip Family Trust, Michael L. Chalaron and others to Clinton R. Stephens III and Natasha R. Stephens, $240,000.

PETERS ROAD, PORTION OF GROUND: Lizbeth S. Peter, Michael L. Chalaron and others to Allan Baudoin Jr., $240,000.

PINE CREEK DRIVE 154: Marie D. Fitzgerald Hughes to Brooke Buras, $390,000.

S. FAIRWAY DRIVE 436: Brian C.

Mosbey and Christina L. Mosbey to Willie J. Wallace Jr. and Mishalay Wallace, $1,070,000.

SAFFLOWER COURT 1128: Jonathan D. Lagarde and Catherine L. Lagarde to Seana L. Hester, $439,000.

SAFFLOWER COURT 1133: Integrity Builders Inc. to Elise Benezech, $480,000.

MANDEVILLE

CARROLL ST. 1246: Thanh D. Tran and Tuyen L. Tran to Luke M. Cooley and Margaret W. Cooley, $455,900.

CAUSEWAY BLVD. 1802: Valuvest LLC to 4Jets Properties LLC, $1,500,000.

CLAIBORNE ST. 2527: Steven J. Decker, Rachel E. Scogin Holloway and others to Jordan Dinser and Pacifico Gouge, $460,000.

DESTIN ST. 2031: Long Winded Investments LLC to Jason D. Richoux, $199,000.

DUPARD ST. 1617: 2316 Cours Carson LLC to Patrick E. Sipos and Bessie M. Miller Sipos, $480,000.

JASMINE ST. 1457: Donna D. Rauch to Alexander P. Troncoso, $159,500.

LA. 59 3210: Charles S. Hunt Jr. and Heather Hunt to Yair C. Iglesias Morales and Tkeyha Herrien, $415,000.

LA. 59 4004: Campbell Venture No. 2 LLC to Bedford & Thompson Holdings Co., $1,200,000.

MAGNOLIA ALLEY 1201, UNIT 32: Hallmark Homes Inc. to KP Rentals LLC, $155,000.

MANDEVILLE ANNEX SUBDIVISION, PLOTS 1- 9: Alan P. Miller, Tammy N. Miller, William E. Langenhennig, succession of Joan E. Davis King Smith and Louise D. Hampton to Luna Equities LLC, $1,277,000.

MARINA BLVD. 129: Keith Luper and Haley Luper to Jared Robichaux and Allison M. Robichaux,

$795,000.

SANCTUARY SUBDIVISION, PHASE 4A, LOT 359: Thomas R. Sumner and Cheryl L. Andrus to Nick H. Sandlin and Jacie M. Sandlin, $285,000.

SANDRA DEL MAR DRIVE 164: Katharina Jahnke to 2316 Cours Carson LLC, $103,000.

TEMPLAR LOOP 4441: GMI Construction Inc. to Ronald J. Stewart and Tiffiny Stewart, $571,259.

TENNYSON LANE 302: Darrell L. Cooper and Almie R. Cooper to Charles Widerhold and Carley Anne Wiederhold-Young, $395,000.

PEARL RIVER

HERMITAGE COURT 510: Emanuel Beer and Megan Beer to Christopher R. Archer and Samantha Archer, $385,000.

LA. 41 66201: Louis J. Mendel Jr. to Charlene B. Lemon, $145,000.

LA. 41 70204: Succession of Ruth M. Gettle and Gerald A. Gettle to Jeffrey D. Cooksley and Nancy M. Cooksley, $259,900.

SLIDELL

BROOKTER ROAD 57343: Velocity Commercial Capital Loan Trust 2017-2 to Ninau LLC, $118,000.

CAREY ST. 3175: Daniel A. McGee and Julie Anne V. McGee to Norman W. Tisdale, $130,000.

CLIPPER DRIVE 1185: Pamela L. Cannon to Robert L. Douglas and Jennifer Douglas, $440,000.

CROSS CREEK DRIVE 144: Pebble LLC to Robert A. Boisvert and Kari G. Jensen Boisvert, $330,000.

CULPER DRIVE 60462: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Dinerra C. White, $289,900.

CYPRESS MEADOW LOOP 49: Alvin P. Chartier and Jennifer G. Chartier to Lechen Coleman, $214,900.

DELTA RIDGE AVE. 6650: D. R.

Horton Inc. to Kerri D. Espadron, $339,900.

DEVON DRIVE 35548: Succession of Daniel P. Schlumbrecht Jr. to ZCE Three LLC, $36,527. E. LAKE DRIVE 268: Wesley G. Rogers and Sara M. T. Rogers to Antoine Deal and Angie Knightshed, $236,000.

FAIRFIELD LOOP 636: Talitha L. Harding to Christopher J. Mitchell and Michael S. Mitchell, $310,000.

FORNEA GLEN WAY 5461: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Christopher A. Hawkins, $224,900.

GRAND SPRINGS ROAD 5575: Miguel A. Avilez and Susana Garcia Avilez to Osaria A. Sanders, $260,000.

JAY SQUARE 2202: Salvadore Gendusa III and Christy B. Gendusa to Joseph Anderson and Ericka Anderson, $185,000.

LAKESHORE VILLAGE POINT 908: Jeffrey W. Johnston and Joy K. Johnston to Ancilla H. Ferdinand and Nadia O. Ferdinand, $234,900.

MARLIN DRIVE 122: Joseph C. Barcelona Jr. and Rebecca B. Barcelona to Lester J. Bernadas, $410,000.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: Gary W. Schumacker to Dawn’s Rising LLC, $15,000.

NEAR SLIDELL, PORTION OF GROUND: Sizeler North Shore General Partnership to NS4000 LLC, $10 and other and valuable consideration.

NORTH SHORE BLVD. 150: Revenue Properties NS SQ Mervyn Site General Partnership to NS5000 LLC, $10 and other good and valuable consideration.

OXFORD ST. 3852: HPA III Accquisitions 1 LLC to Marquita B. Fuller, $167,000.

S. QUEENS DRIVE 101: Succession of Karen L. Seidel and Marvin T. Seidel to Gerard Frommeyer, $170,000.

SILVERWOOD DRIVE 153: Cameron Rude and Rebecca Rude to Solomon Carey and Marissa C. Skipwith, $333,000.

SPILLWAY MANOR DRIVE 5109: D. R. Horton Inc. to Rodney Brown Sr., $232,900.

SPILLWAY MANOR DRIVE 5113: D. R. Horton Inc.-Gulf Coast to Monica Patterson, $250,900.

SUNSET DRIVE 1334: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to Warren E. Gambino, $90,000.

VALIANT LANE 111: Succession of John J. Schluter Jr. to Gary C. Loyd Jr., $270,000.

WAKE RESERVE ROAD 5436: D. R. Horton Inc. to Shelitta M. BrelandRay, $369,900.

WATTS THOMAS ROAD 80022: David J. Bertucci and Julie M. Bertucci to Mary A. Thigpen, $200,000.

She’sconfusedafter landinginthe friend zone

by surprise, but Iagreed to it.

DearAnnie: I’m a32-year-old single woman facing apredicament. I’ve been friends with aguy named “Stan” for afew months,though we haven’tactually talked in over amonth now

We were acquaintedinhigh school, but we lost touch after ashort while. Stan and Iwent on acouple of dates, and Ithought things were going well,but then he asked if we could just be friends.

If we hadn’tALMOST hooked up, Iwould’ve been fine with this, but because Ithought he was stillinterested in me as morethan afriend, it took me

We continued to talk and hung out once more; however,I had expressed my feelings for him atotal of three times, and the thirdtime,hecame close to blocking me.

Stan had made it very clear to me that he doesn’treciprocate my feelings,though when we first started talking as friends, I hadbeen optimistic that eventually wecould be more than that.

Thetwo times that I’ve messaged him since,he’sleft me on read, though he sporadically watches my Instagram stories. He’sexplained that he’s not ready for arelationship, yet I’ve noticed that he follows numerous women and he’sonadating app.

He’salsomentioned that he’s experiencing family issues, but

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday,Jan. 17, the 17th day of 2026. There are 348 days left in the year.

Todayinhistory:

On Jan. 17, 1920, prohibition of alcohol began in the United States as the Volstead Act went into effect in support of the 18th Amendment.

Also on this date:

In 1950, the Great Brink’s Robbery took place as seven masked men held up the Brink’s Building in Boston, stealing $1.2 million in cash and $1.5 million in checks and money orders.

In 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his farewell address in which he warned against “the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.”

In 1990, The Four Seasons, The Four Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, Simon and Garfunkel and The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2017, President Barack Obama granted clemency to Chelsea Manning, allowing the transgenderArmy intelligence officer convicted of leaking more than 700,000 U.S.documents to go free nearly three

because we’ve only known each other for afew months, Ifelt thatwas toopersonal of asubject for me to provide input on.

I’mafraid to initiate aconversation with him because I don’twant to risk arguing and (possibly) consequently losing afriend, but at the same time, I feel like he’shiding some things from me

I’dlike to let him know that he can trust me,but it remains unclear to me as to whether I can trust him or not. The last time Stan and Italked, he asked me to give him space because Iwas making him uncomfortable, but now I’mwondering if he is just trying to phase me out of his life.

That was almost amonthand ahalf ago. Please help. Ihave no idea what to do about this.

Crushed Overthinker

Dear Overthinker: First things first, respect Stan’s boundaries. He’sexplicitly asked youfor space and expressed discomfort by your behavior

Youcan speculate untilthe cows comehome, but I’dtake what he’stelling you at face value: thatheonly sees you as a friend and he’snot ready to be in any relationship.

Youshould also reconsider what you want.You have feelings for Stan, sure, but youcan’t ignore the signs he’s given you. Would you want to start arelationship with aman whohas admittedseveral times he doesn’t feel romantically toward you anyway? Someoneyou admit you’re not sure youcan even trust?

Sometimesthe best gift we can give others andourselves is thetime anddistance to gain clarity andcool off. Whether the space he needsisintendedtobe afull breakup of your friendship or simply an intermission, only Stan can know and time will tell.

Let him come to youand see if salvaging thefriendshipis possible.Inthe meanwhile, look elsewhere —there are plenty of other men who might be interested in youromantically, as long as you’re notobsessed withStan.

Send your questions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators. com.

decades early.Manning was one of 209 people whose sentences were commuted by Obamadays before leaving office.

In 2022, as Russian troops stationed near Ukraine’sborder launcheddrills, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov angrily rejected U.S. allegations that Moscow was preparing apretext to invade Ukraine. (Russia would launch afull-scale invasion of the neighboring country on Feb. 24.)

Today’sbirthdays: Rock musician

Mick Taylor is 77. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.is72. TV host-comedian Steve Harvey is 69. Singer Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) is 67. Actor-comedian Jim Carrey is 64. Formerfirst lady Michelle Obama is 62. Musician Kid Rock is 55. RapperLil Jon is 54. Actor-singer Zooey Deschanel is 46. Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade is 44. DJ-musician Calvin Harris is 42. Boxer Oleksandr Usyk is 39. Actor Kelly Marie Tran is 37.