The Times-Picayune 01-29-2026

NUSSMEIER RECOUNTSFRUSTRATING SEASON AT

AFESTIVE START

BY MARKBALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Despite icy streets and slippery sidewalks, Louisiana folks streamed into the Washington Hilton —the state’s65th parish for now —asthe 77thedition of the Washington Mardi Gras got underway Wednesday The traditional kickoff for the four days of festivities hit aweather-related snag as Carnival officials reacted to delayed flightsand continued cleanupfrom the winter storm that hit earlier in theweek But, at aslightly later time than planned, the traditional toast to this year’sWashington Mardi Gras

King Gray Streamand Queen Sarah Heebetook place at the home of France’sambassador to theUnited States, LaurentBili.

“It’sgood to see you,” saidU.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, referring to thetravelwoes. “It’sso cold. Trafficissuchadelight.It’s like we’re in Baton Rouge.” In lighthearted remarks in which he occasionally went into his wellknown imitation of President Donald Trump, Johnsonpaidtribute to thelong-standing friendship between France andthe U.S.— Louisiana in particular Johnson, whoisfromBenton,

ä See FESTIVE, page 9A

River District back on track

Convention Center makesnew deal with developers

BY STEPHANIERIEGEL Staff writer

The long-stalled River District project, aplanned mixed-use neighborhood on 47 acres of New Orleans riverfront controlled by the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, is back on track after the project’sdeveloperand the Convention Center board agreed to a revised deal.

The agreement, which was approved by board members on Wednesday, gives theConvention Center control over moreparcels of land while shifting more of the financialburdenfor the project to the state-controlled agency.It also clears apath forhundredsof new apartments, potentially on the property once slated foraTopgolf driving range. Only afew months ago, the entire projectwas thrown into question after the development group, River District Neighborhood Investors, known as RDNI, led by Louis Lauricella,backed outof talks with the ConventionCenter after missing performance and payment deadlines.

Now,both sides say that there’s apathforward for adevelopment that aims to fill abarren area along the Mississippi River with offices, apartments, retail and entertainment, and that civic leaders argue is vital for New Orleans’ hospitality sector Followingapprovalofthe new agreementatthe agency’smonthly meeting, ConventionCenterBoard Chair Russell Allen praised Convention Center CEO Jim Cook and those involved in the months of high-stakes negotiations for reaching an agreement.

“This is twoyears in the making, back and forth, and Ireally want

ä See RIVER, page 10A

NOPD fires veteranofficer, FBItaskforce member whofaced probe

BY JAMES FINN and MISSY WILKINSON Staff writers

Aveteran New Orleans Police Department officerwho served on an FBI task force and played acentral role in investigating drug and firearmcases in the city was fired Tuesday amid investigations by the Police Department andthe Of-

fice of Inspector General intohis conduct, hisattorney confirmed.

Records The Times-Picayune obtainedthrough apublic records requestshowNOPD internal affairs investigators began scrutinizing Chad Cockerham,asenior officer, based on a2024 complaint alleging public payroll fraud and “secondary employment” violations. Twooffour complaints against

Cockerham, who joined theforce in 2009, were sustained in August, therecords show Separately,anOffice of the Inspector General probe intoallegationsofbias in high-level NOPD promotions recentlyfound Cockerham had been uncooperative in that investigation, accordingto people familiar with thatcase. The Office of Inspector General de-

clined to comment andthe NOPD said it was looking into the matter

Brigid Collins, Cockerham’sattorney,confirmed on Wednesday thathewas fired for untruthfulness over allegations relatedto theinspector general’sinvestigation intopromotions. Thescandal involvedthen-MayorLaToya Cantrell, whocried foul in October 2024 after reviewing the final

scores of candidates to fill captain and major positions at the department. The top scorers for police major included twocaptains whohad conducted an internal probe into the time sheets of Cantrell’sformerbodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, her alleged paramour.Cantrell

ä See NOPD, page 10A

Small plane crashes in rural area of Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia

A small plane crashed Wednesday in a rural area of Norte de Santander province in northeast Colombia, killing all 15 people on board including a member of congress, authorities said.

Satena, the state-owned airline that operated the flight, said local officials in the community of Curasica notified authorities about where the plane had gone down and a rescue team was deployed to “assess the condition of the passengers.”

Colombia’s Transportation Ministry later released a statement saying that “once the aircraft was located on site, authorities regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors.”

The aircraft, which has a registration number of HK4709, took off at 11:42 a.m. from the airport in Cúcuta, the department’s capital, bound for Ocaña, a municipality surrounded by mountains, on a flight that typically lasts about 40 minutes

The aircraft’s final contact with air traffic control came minutes after takeoff, according to a statement released by Satena Officials did not provide a cause for the crash, but said there would be an investigation Winter weather impedes investigation into crash

PORTLAND, Maine The federal investigation into the crash of a private jet that killed six people at Bangor International Airport has been hampered by extreme weather, the airport’s director said Wednesday including deep snow that has blanketed the scene and covered the burned wreckage.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration joined state and local authorities at the scene, and recovered the cockpit voice and data recorders for analysis. The state medical examiner’s office also was there, to remove the bodies of the victims and formally identify them.

The Paris-bound luxury jet had stopped to refuel amid light snow, mild winds and near-zero temperatures as a massive storm began to reach Bangor, Maine, Sunday night. Another plane had just aborted takeoff, radioing to the tower that they chose not to fly because visibility wasn’t great and they would need more deicing.

The Bombardier Challenger 600 had gone through a standard deicing process before proceeding to the runway, airport director Jose Saavedra said. The airport hasn’t answered questions about exactly what time the plane was treated and how long the treatment was expected to be good for If the calculated holdover time on a de-icing treatment expires, a pilot is expected to go back for another treatment.

Bessent warns Carney against picking a fight

WASHINGTON Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday warned Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that his recent public comments against U.S. trade policy could backfire going into the formal review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal that protects Canada from the heaviest impacts of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Carney used a high-profile speech last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to condemn economic coercion by great powers on smaller countries and since then he has as since sparred with Trump and Bessent about related trade issues. Trump on Saturday threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada over a trade deal Carney is pursuing with Beijing.

“I would not pick a fight going into USMCA to score some cheap political points either you’re working for your own political career or you’re working for the Canadian people,” Bessent said during a CNBC interview

“I’ve seen what happens when a technocrat tries to pivot and become a politician,” Bessent added, in a reference to Carney’s background as a central banker “It never really works out well.”

Miss. mobilizes 135 snowplows

BY SOPHIE BATES, RUSS BYNUM and JEFF MARTIN Associated Press

Conditions were growing more dire in parts of the South still reeling from subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages as vehicles got stranded for hours on major highways and officials warned Wednesday that people stuck at home were running out of food, medicine and other essentials.

Mississippi dispatched 135 snowplows and National Guard troops equipped with wreckers to sections of Interstates 55 and 22 gridlocked by vehicles abandoned in the state’s ice-stricken northern region. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses remained without power as cold daytime temperatures sunk below freezing overnight in a region unaccustomed and ill-equipped for such weather Cars and semitrucks trying to navigate the frozen highways single-file began getting stuck Tuesday. No injuries were reported, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said. But one driver told The Associated Press she feared she might freeze to death on I-22 when her car sat idle for more than 14 hours

“I just thought that we were going to die there,” said Samantha Lewis, 78, who got stuck on a road trip with a friend.

“There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to save us.”

The growing misery and anxiety comes amid what Mississippi officials say is the state’s worst winter storm in more than 30 years.

Roughly 30,500 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday, the vast majority of them in Tennessee and Mississippi. At least 50 people have died across the U.S. in states afflicted by the dangerous cold.

In Hardin County, Tennessee, at the

Mississippi state line, many people remain trapped in homes without electricity because of roads made impassable by ice and fallen trees, said LaRae Sliger, the county’s emergency management director Sliger said people who were prepared to manage a couple of days without power can’t go much longer without help.

“They’re cold, they don’t have power they don’t have heat, they’re out of propane, they’re out of wood, they’re out of kerosene for their kerosene heaters,” she said. “They have no food, they have no additional fuel for their alternative heating sources, so they’re needing out.”

In northeast Mississippi, emergency managers in Alcorn County were also receiving “calls of desperation” from people running out of food, water, medication and other supplies, said Evan Gibens, the emergency agency’s director He said dispatchers who have been sleeping at work since Friday have fielded more than 2,000 calls.

“We are doing everything we possibly can,” said Gibens, noting 200 people were staying at a local arena being used as a warming shelter

More than 100,000 outages remained in Nashville, where downed trees and snapped power lines blocked access to some areas. Utility workers will need at least the weekend, if not longer, to finish restoring power, said Brent Baker, a Nashville Electric Service vice president.

Lewis said she and a friend, Catherine Muldoon, were driving through Mississippi on a trip from Florida to Oklahoma when they got stuck on I-22 at about noon Tuesday Cars and trucks were backed up in a single lane that was partly cleared. They spent more than half a day stranded, Lewis said, turning on the car for 15 minutes to warm up and then shutting it off for 45 minutes to conserve fuel. Finally at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, they followed a pickup truck on one of the icecovered, traffic-free lanes and reached a gas station.

U.S. in talks with Denmark, Greenland on Arctic security

BY AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Technical talks between the U.S., Denmark and Greenland over hatching an Arctic security deal are now underway, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland agreed to create a working group aimed at addressing differences with the U.S during a Washington meeting earlier this month with Vice President JD Vance and Rubio.

The group was created after President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, a Danish territory, in the name of countering threats from Russia and China — calls that Greenland, Denmark and European allies forcefully rejected.

“It begins today and it will be a regular process,” Rubio said of the working group, as he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “We’re going to try to do it in a way that isn’t like a media circus every time these conversations happen, because we think that creates more flexibility on both sides to arrive at a positive outcome.”

The Danish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday’s talks focused on “how we can address U.S. concerns about security in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom.” Red lines refers to the sovereignty of Greenland.

Trump’s renewed threats in recent weeks to annex Greenland, which is a semiautonomous territory of a NATO ally, has roiled U.S.-European relations.

Trump this month announced he would slap new tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries that opposed his takeover calls, only to abruptly drop his threats after a “framework” for a deal over access to the mineral-rich island was reached, with NATO SecretaryGeneral Mark Rutte’s help. Few details of the agreement have emerged.

Trump also announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week that he would take off the table the possibility of using American military force to acquire Greenland.

The president backed off his tariff threats and softened his language after Wall Street suffered its biggest losses in months over concerns that Trump’s Greenland ambitions could spur a trade war and fundamentally rupture NATO Rubio on Wednesday appeared eager to downplay Trump’s rift with Europe over Greenland. “We’ve got a little bit of work to do, but I think we’re going to wind up in a good place, and I think you’ll hear the same from our colleagues in Europe very shortly,” Rubio said.

Rubio during Wednesday’s hearing also had a pointed exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., about Trump repeatedly referring to Greenland as Iceland while at Davos. “Yeah, he meant to say Greenland, but I think we’re all familiar with presidents that have verbal stumbles,” Rubio said in responding to Kaine’s questions about Trump’s flub — taking a veiled dig at former President Joe Biden. “We’ve had presidents like that before. Some made a lot more than this one.”

Chance of shutdown grows as Democrats demand changes to ICE

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON As a partial government shutdown looms at week’s end, Senate Minorty Leader Chuck Schumer has laid out a list of demands for the Department of Homeland Security, including an enforceable code of conduct for federal agents conducting immigration arrests and a requirement that they identify themselves to the public.

Republicans will need Democratic votes to keep the government open when funding runs at midnight Friday But Democrats have pledged to block a spending bill for the department, hoping to pressure the GOP and President Donald Trump for major change at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies as the country reels from the deaths of two people at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.

Democratic senators met on Wednesday before a crucial Thursday vote on whether to move forward with the spending legislation that funds DHS and a swath of other government agencies. Schumer said Democrats are asking the White House to “end roving patrols” in cities, coordinate with local law enforcement on immigration arrests, spell out an enforceable code of conduct so agents are held accountable when they violate rules, and require that agents have “masks off, body cameras on” and carry proper identification, as is common practice in law enforcement.

The Democratic caucus is united in those “commonsense reforms” and that the burden is on Republicans to accept them, the New York Democrat said.

“This is not law and order,” Schumer said, referring to the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement surge across the country “This is chaos.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has

said he was waiting for Democrats to outline their what they want and he suggested that they need to be talking to the White House. It was unclear how seriously the White House was engaged and whether the two sides could agree on anything that would appease Democrats who are irate after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good this month. With no evident negotiations underway, a partial shutdown appeared increasingly likely starting Saturday

Sen. Chris Murphy, DConn., said Democrats have been looking at changes that will “unite the caucus, and I think unite the country,” including ending the “roving patrols” that Democrats say are terrorizing Americans around the country Republicans say any changes to the spending will need to be passed by the House to prevent a shutdown, and the House is not in legislative session this week. Despite some conversations among Democrats, Republicans and the White House, it was unclear whether there could be a resolution in time to avoid a partial shutdown. The House passed the six remaining funding bills last week and sent them to the Senate as a package, and that makes it difficult to strip out the homeland security portion as Democrats are demanding. Republicans could break the package apart with the consent of all 100 senators, which would be complicated, or through a series of votes that would extend past the Friday deadline. House Republicans have made clear they do not want any changes to the bill they have passed. In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, the House Freedom Caucus wrote that its members stand with the president and ICE. “The package will not come back through the House without funding for the Department of Homeland Security,” according to the letter

Trump signals interest in easing tensions

But little change seen on the streets

BY STEVE KARNOWSKI, JACK BROOK and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS President Donald Trump seemed to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minneapolis after a second deadly shooting by federal immigration agents, but there was little evidence Wednesday of any significant changes following weeks of harsh rhetoric and clashes with protesters.

The strain was evident when Trump made a leadership change by sending his top border adviser to Minnesota to take charge of the immigration crackdown That was followed by seemingly conciliatory remarks about the Democratic governor and mayor Trump said he and Gov Tim Walz, whom he criticized for weeks, were on “a similar wavelength” following a phone call. After a conversation with Mayor Jacob Frey, the president praised the discussion and declared that “lots of progress is being made.”

But on city streets, there were few signs of a shift. Immigration enforcement operations and confrontations with activists continued Wednesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

A group of protesters blew whistles and pointed out federal officers in a vehicle on a north Minneapolis street. When the officers’ vehicle moved, a small convoy of activists followed in their cars for a few blocks until the officers stopped again.

Associated Press journalists were in the neighborhood covering the enforcement actions. When the journalists got out of their car to document the encounter, officers with the federal Bureau of Prisons pushed one of them, threatened them with arrest and told them to get back in their car despite the reporters identifying themselves as media.

Officers from multiple federal agencies have been involved in the enforcement operations. From their car, the AP journalists saw at least one person being pepper

sprayed and one detained, though it was unclear if that person was the target of the operation or a protester Agents also broke car windows.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is visiting Minnesota, said 16 people were arrested Wednesday on charges of assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement in the state. She said more arrests were expected. “NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law,” Bondi said in a social media post. Messages seeking comment were left with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol.

Immigrants ‘still very worried’

Many immigrant families are still fearful of leaving their homes, and Latino businesses are still closed, said Daniel Hernandez, who owns the Minneapolis

grocery store Colonial Market. He also runs a popular Facebook page geared toward informing the Hispanic community in the Twin Cities.

While Colonial Market is open, all but one of the dozen immigrantrun businesses that rented space inside to sell clothes, jewelry and toys have closed since late December, and none has plans to reopen, Hernandez said. “The reality is the community is still very worried and afraid,” Hernandez said. Hernandez referenced Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who helped lead the administration’s crackdown in the Twin Cities and who has reportedly been assigned elsewhere.

Bovino “was removed, but the tactics so far are still the same,” Hernandez said. “Nobody now is trusting the government with those changes.” The federal enforcement extend-

ed to the city’s Ecuadorian consulate, where a federal law enforcement officer tried to enter before being blocked by employees.

Meanwhile, Trump said in a social media post that the mayor was “PLAYING WITH FIRE” by not participating in the enforcement efforts.

Veteran visits sidewalk memorial

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Donnie McMillan placed a cardboard sign reading “In remembrance of my angel” at the makeshift memorial where Alex Pretti was shot.

The Vietnam veteran, 71, knelt to pay his respects and saluted to honor the nurse whom he said he remembered seeing during his frequent visits to the Veterans Affairs hospital where Pretti worked.

“I feel like I’ve lost an angel right here,” McMillan said, pointing to the growing sidewalk memorial covered in flowers, candles and

signs. “This is not the way we should operate,” McMillan said. “I respect everybody, but I respect my angel more, and now he’s no longer with us.”

Also Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security said two federal agents involved in Pretti’s death have been on leave since Saturday, when the shooting happened. Omar sprayed with substance In other developments, a man confronted Democratic Rep Ilhan Omar during a town-hall meeting and sprayed her with a strong-smelling substance as she denounced the administration. He was tackled and identified by police as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, who has a criminal record and had made online posts supportive of Trump.

Minnesota court records show Kazmierczak was convicted of auto theft in 1989 and has multiple arrests for driving under the influence, along with a slew of traffic offenses. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney In social media posts, Kazmierczak described himself as a former network engineer who lives in Minneapolis and had made comments critical of former President Joe Biden, referring to Democrats as “angry and liars.”

He was jailed on a preliminary third-degree assault charge, police said.

After the attack, there was a strong, vinegarlike smell in the room, according to an AP journalist who was there. Authorities have not publicly identified the substance, which was squirted from a syringe containing a light-brown liquid. Omar continued speaking for about 25 minutes after the man was ushered out by security, saying she would not be intimidated. After the event, she said she was unharmed.

The administration was also being challenged in court. Federal courts were weighing a decision on a lawsuit seeking to pause the crackdown, as well as an order for the head of ICE to appear personally to address what a judge said were failures to grant due process for certain immigrants.

Report: Troop deployments to U.S. cities cost $496M so far

Estimate does not include New Orleans

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration’s high-profile deployment of federal troops to six U.S. cities has cost taxpayers roughly $496 million through the end of December, and continued deployment could cost over $1 billion for the rest of the year, according to new

data from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. President Donald Trump has justified sending National Guard troops into U.S. cities as part of an effort to combat crime and support local law enforcement. Critics of the move argue the deployments undermine state and local authority and exceed the president’s authority under the Constitution.

The CBO published the new data estimating the costs associated with the federal deployments of National Guard and active-duty

Marines after a request from Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who is the ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee.

“The American people deserve to know how many hundreds of millions of their hard-earned dollars have been and are being wasted on Trump’s reckless and haphazard deployment of National Guard troops to Portland and cities across the country,” Merkley said in a statement about the CBO report Factored into the estimates are troop deployments to Chicago,

Memphis, Portland, as well as Los Angeles in June, when protesters took to the streets in response to a blitz of immigration arrests. The CBO said continued deployments to those cities would cost about $93 million per month.

The estimate excludes the military’s December deployment to New Orleans.

For further possible deployments down the road, the CBO estimates deploying 1,000 National Guard personnel to a U.S. city in 2026 would cost $18 million to $21

million per month, depending on the local cost of living.

National Guard troops are expected to remain deployed in Washington throughout 2026, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press earlier this month. The troop deployments have provoked legal challenges from local leaders, and some have been successful. A California federal judge in January ruled that the Trump administration “willfully” broke federal law by sending National Guard units to the Los Angeles area.

BY ZOË JACKSON Minnesota Star Tribune

Gov Tim Walz is facing criticism from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum for comparing the experience of Minnesota children living through the state’s chaotic federal immigration enforcement surge with that of Anne Frank’s experience hiding from Nazi Germans. His comment came during a news conference Sunday following federal agents’ fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis nurse.

“We have got children in Minnesota hiding in their houses, afraid to go outside.

Trump

Many of us grew up reading that story of Anne Frank,” he said. “Somebody’s going to write that children’s story about Minnesota.” Walz taught high school social studies before he became a politician On Monday, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum rebuked Walz’s comment on social media.

“Anne Frank was targeted and murdered solely because she was Jewish Leaders making false equivalencies to her experience for political purposes is never acceptable,” the museum said in a post on X “Despite tensions in Minneapolis,

exploiting the Holocaust is deeply offensive, especially as antisemitism surges.”

The United States Holocaust Memorial Council is the board that oversees the museum. It consists of 55 members appointed by the president of the United States, as well as a handful of members from the Senate and the House of Representatives and three ex officio members from the departments of Education, Interior and State.

Observers, protesters and Minneapolis residents have compared the frequent sightings of caravans of masked federal agents on city streets

feels bad about Pretti, ‘worse’ about Good because her parents were ‘Trump fans’

BY JESSICA SCHLADEBECK

york Daily News (TNS)

New

to that of Nazi police forces during the Holocaust It’s a common refrain on signs at protests. Earlier this month, influential podcaster and President Donald Trump supporter Joe Rogan compared the federal agents to

the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany A spokesperson for Walz said the governor’s comment “came from a place of concern for what’s happening in Minnesota.”

“As a social studies teach-

er, the governor taught his students about the Holocaust. The governor knows learning about and teaching that history is an important part of ensuring it never happens again,” the statement said.

“Bottom line, it was terrible,” he said when asked about Pretti’s death

“Both of them were terrible; the other was terrible too,” Trump continued, referring to Good as well.

“And I’m not sure about his parents, but I know her parents were big Trump fans, makes me feel bad anyway But I guess you could say even worse, they were tremendous Trump people, Trump fans.” The president went on to

President Donald Trump admitted he feels “terrible” about the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, but said he’s was more upset about Good because her parents are “tremendous Trump people.” Trump made the comment Tuesday on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show” while addressing the unrest in Minneapolis, where both Good and Pretti were fatally shot by federal agents this month.

speculate that Good “was maybe radicalized, maybe not.”

“I don’t know, but I hate to see it,” he said.

Trump learned that Good’s father, Timothy Ganger, was a “big supporter” during an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil on Jan. 13. The sitdown came nearly a week after Good was fatally shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross in a residential neighborhood.

Groundswell grows for Noem to go

Bipartisan demand for secretary to resign or be impeached

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON A groundswell of voices have come to the same conclusion: Kristi Noem must go.

From Democratic Party leaders to the nation’s leading advocacy organizations to even the most centrist lawmakers in Congress, the calls are mounting for the Homeland Security secretary to step aside after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of two people who protested deportation policy At a defining moment in her tenure, few Republicans are rising to Noem’s defense.

“The country is disgusted by what the Department of Homeland Security has done,” top House Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California said in a joint statement.

“Kristi Noem should be fired immediately,” the Democrats said, “or we will commence impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.”

‘She should be out of a job’

What started as sharp criticism of the Homeland Security secretary, and a longshot move by Democratic lawmakers signing onto impeachment legislation in the Republican-controlled House, has morphed into an inflection point for Noem, who has been the highprofile face of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement regime.

Noem’s brash leadership style and remarks in the aftermath of the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — in which she suggested Pretti “attacked” officers and portrayed the events leading up to Good’s shooting an “act of domestic terrorism” have been seen as doing irreparable damage, as events on the ground disputed her account. Her alliance with Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino, who was recalled from the Minnesota operation Monday as border czar Tom Homan took the lead, has left her isolated on Capitol Hill.

A“What she’s done in Minnesota should be disqualifying. She should be out of a job,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

“I think the President needs to look at who he has in place as a secretary of Homeland Security,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. “It probably is time for her to step down.”

Trump stands by Noem

President Donald Trump defended Noem on Wednesday at multiple junctures, strongly indicating her job does not appear to be in immediate jeopardy.

Asked by reporters as he left the White House on Tuesday for a trip to Iowa whether Noem is going to step down, Trump had a one-word answer: “No.”

Pressed later during an interview on Fox News if he had confidence in Noem, the president said, “I do.”

“Who closed up the border? She did,” Trump said, “with Tom Homan, with the whole group. I mean, they’ve closed up the border The border is a tremendous success.”

As Democrats in Congress threaten to shut down the government as they demand restrictions on Trump’s mass deportation agenda, Noem’s future at the department faces serious questions and concerns.

The Republican leadership of the

House and Senate committees that oversee Homeland Security have demanded that department officials appear before their panels to answer for the operations that have stunned the nation with their sheer force — including images of children, including a 5-year-old, being plucked from families

“Obviously this is an inflection point and an opportunity to evaluate and to really assess the policies and procedures and how they are being implemented and put into practice,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, where Noem had been the state’s House representative and governor before joining the administration.

Asked about his own confidence in Noem’s leadership, Thune said, “That’s the president’s judgment call to make.”

The fight over funding

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that DHS enforces the laws from Congress, and if lawmakers don’t like those laws, they should change them.

“Too many politicians would rather defend criminals and attack the men and women who are enforcing our laws,” McLaughlin said. “It’s time they focus on protecting the American people, the work this Department is doing every day under Secretary Noem’s

leadership.”

The ability of Congress to restrict Homeland Security funding is limited, in large part because the GOP majority already essentially doubled department funding under Trump’s big tax breaks and spending cuts law

On the job for a year, Noem has clashed at times with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as Republicans and Democrats have sought greater oversight and accounting of the department’s spending and operations.

Noem has kept a low profile since the Saturday news conference following Pretti’s death though she appeared Sunday on Fox News. She doubled down in that interview on criticism of Minnesota officials, but also expressed compassion for Pretti’s family

“It grieves me to think about what his family is going through but it also grieves me what’s happening to these law enforcement officers every day out in the streets with the violence they face,” she said.

Impeachments more common

Impeachment, once a far-flung tool brandished against administration officials, has become increasingly commonplace.

Two years ago, the Republicanled House impeached another Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, in protest over the then-Biden administration’s border security and immigration policies that allowed millions of immigrants and asylum-seekers to enter the U.S. The Senate dismissed the charges.

On Tuesday, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said if the Republican chairman of the panel, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, does not launch an impeachment probe, he would.

Raskin said he would work with the top Democrats on the Homeland Security and Oversight committees to immediately launch an impeachment inquiry related to the Minnesota deaths and other “lawlessness and corruption that may involve treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

More than 160 House Democrats have signed on to an impeachment resolution from Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.

Officers confront protesters in Texas

BY VALERIE GONZALEZ, ERIC GAY and BILL BARROW Associated Press

DILLEY,Texas — Texas state police deployed chemical irritants toward protesters Wednesday outside a federal detention facility where a Democratic congressman met with a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas met with the family at the South Texas Family Residential Center, where outside a large group of protesters gathered in support of hundreds of detainees being held at the facility Protesters banged drums, chanted and carried signs that included “Children are not criminals!”

As protesters moved closer to the facility in the small town of Dilley, Texas state police officers arrived on a school bus and shouted instructions for the crowd to move back. Some of the officers then deployed pepper balls, dispersing the crowd. Castro later posted a picture on social media of his visit with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.

“I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him,” Castro posted on social media. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the boy and his father into custody Jan. 20 in Minneapolis. A federal judge on Monday issued a temporary order prohibiting the Trump administration from removing Ramos and Arias from the U.S. as their detention is challenged.

Castro accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a recent video of running a “lawless” immigration enforcement operation that is effectively a “bounty hunter organization.”

Growing together forover 115 years

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lothas changed since ExxonMobil’s BatonRougeRefinery wasfounded in 1909, with arefiningcapacity of ~1,800 barrels of oil per day. The Baton RougeComplexnow stands as oneofthe largest refining and petrochemical complexes in the world, processingchemical products and more than 500,000 barrels of oil perday.Through theeffortsoftheir 6,000 team membersinBatonRouge,the Complex supplies marketsacrossthe United Statesand beyond with products that make modern life possible.

Louisianahas changed too. Louisiana’s richnatural resources,strong, skilled workforce, robust transportation infrastructureand diverse manufacturingand industrial capacityhavelaunched the state intoaleague of its own.

Butone thing hasn’tchanged: ExxonMobil’s115+ year presence in Louisiana continues to create benefits forLouisiana’speopleand economy.

And there’smoretocome. ExxonMobil andLouisiana areatthe forefrontofinnovation,developing solutions to some of today’stoughest problems. Throughthe development of its LowCarbon Solutionsbusinessthatprioritizes emissions reductioninaddition to meetingenergydemand ExxonMobil lookstobuildevenmoreeconomicopportunitiesand communityrelationships acrossLouisiana

Powering life, reducing emissions

ExxonMobil’sLouisiana operations are akey supplier of the fuels and chemicalproducts thatmakemodern lifepossible, suchasdiesel, performance lubricants,lightweight carparts, diapersand syntheticrubber. Their pipelinecompanytransports theseproducts to the manufacturers and consumers that rely on them

Theseefforts support local jobs,U.S.energysupply, and continued economicgrowthfor Louisiana parishesand the state Through its LowCarbonSolutionsbusiness,ExxonMobil seekstoposition Louisiana as not onlyagloballeader in energy and heavy industry, butalsoasaleaderindecarbonization.The carbon-intensive facilities in Louisiana thatfuel modernlifeprovidethe statewithunparalleled opportunities to integrateemissions-reduction technologiessuch as carbon captureand storage (CCS) with traditional energy and heavy industry

Economic driver,workforceleader

ExxonMobil is proud to be amajor contributor helpingto driveLouisiana’seconomy forward. As the largest taxpayer in EastBatonRougeparish andone of thelargest taxpay-

ersinthe state, ExxonMobil contributed morethan $460 million across 2022-2024tolocal,parish andstate governmentsand supported morethan$16 billion in economic output in GreaterBaton Rougealone,according to an economicimpact study

Andasanemployerofmorethan 6,000 employees andcontractorswho call Louisiana home, ExxonMobilcontributes over$450 million inannual payrollandmakes substantial contributionsto workforce training initiatives

Generations of local familieshavebenefittedfrom ExxonMobil’sfocus on building lifelong careers and training the next generation forsuccessinthe field. Since 2012, ExxonMobil has collaboratedwith Baton RougeCommunityCollegetosponsor the North BatonRougeIndustrialTraining Initiative(NBRITI),providing free,fast-tracked crafttraining to ~600 nearby residents for jobs with local industry.

Thesebenefits arepoised to grow as ExxonMobil continues to invest in Louisiana’s critical energy infrastructure.Louisiana’sunique geologyand leadership in CCS investments have already helped the state attractbillions of dollarsinpotentialnew projects from data centers,steel manufacturers, LNG producers and othersthatrepresent nearly 17,000 newjobsand $76billion in newinvestmentas of 2025. Through its LowCarbon Solutions business, ExxonMobil is supportingthe growth andmodernization of Louisiana’s manufacturing and oiland gasindustries with technologies likeCCS —helping to ensurethosejobsand investmentdollarsstayinLouisiana

Leadership in safety

ExxonMobil demonstratesanunwaveringcommitment tosafety, prioritizing the wellbeing of its workforce and the communities where it operates. The companyhas earned

the American Chemistry Council’sResponsible Care Companyofthe Year award multiple times,aswell as the American Petroleum Institute’sDistinguished Pipeline SafetyAward forthe last three years. ExxonMobil regularly engages with first responderstokeep them informed about operations and to discussand train in emergency responseplans.Their pipeline companyoffersspecialized CO2 safety training forlocal firedepartments across the state and has trained morethan 134 Louisiana first responderstodate In 2025, theylaunched the Louisiana Emergency Training Program with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal and River Parishes CommunityCollege.The program is the nation’sonly program of its kind, which deliversclassroom instruction and free, hands-on emergency responseand field training focused on CO2 and liquid pipeline incidents,further strengthening the state’s emergency preparedness

Louisiana Loyal With morethan acentury of Louisiana loyalty, ExxonMobil has long operated with the commitmenttogivewhere theylive. ExxonMobil has ahistory of creating lasting relationships in the communities it calls homeand supporting whatmatters most to their neighbors.

From scholarships and jobtraining to emergency responsesupport,charitable contributions and volunteerism ExxonMobil is committedtosupporting Louisiana communities.In2024alone, the companyinvested$2.5million in education, workforce development, safety and coastal restoration in Louisiana

In addition to thesestatewideinvestments,ExxonMobil seekstoensurecommunityinvestments aretailoredtothe needsofindividual communities.Theycollaboratewith stakeholdersand residents to ensurepriorities align and investments create real and lasting value.

Generational impact

ExxonMobil has made generational investments in Louisiana,setting the foundation todaytocreate opportunities fortomorrow.ExxonMobil’sLow Carbon Solutions business–which focuses on carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and Mobil™ Lithium –isjust one example of howExxonMobil continues to invest in Louisiana with proventechnologies thatenhance the state’s energy infrastructure, prioritizeenergy securityand protect and grow industry jobs

ExxonMobil’scontinued investmentinLouisiana ensures our industrial sector will remain competitiveat a global scale, our state leads energy innovation, and our residents and communities thrivefor decades to come.

FBIsearchesGeorgia electionsoffice

Warrantseeks recordstiedto

2020 election

BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

ATLANTA— The FBI on Wednesday searched the election office of aGeorgia county that has been central to right-wing conspiracy theories over PresidentDonald Trump’s2020 election loss, acting just one week after the Republican leader predicted prosecutions over acontest he has baselessly insisted wastainted by widespread fraud. The search at Fulton County’smain election facility in Union City sought records related to the 2020 election, county spokesperson Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez said. It appeared to be themost public step by law enforcement to pursue Trump’s claims of astolen election, grievances rejectedtime and again by courts and state and federal officials, who found no evidenceof fraud that would have altered the outcome.

It also unfolds against the backdrop of FBI and Justice

Department efforts to investigateperceived political enemies of Trump, including former FBI DirectorJames Comey and New York AttorneyGeneral Letitia James. Trump hasfor years focused on Fulton, Georgia’s most populouscountyand aDemocratic stronghold, as akey exampleofwhat he claims wentwronginthe 2020 election.His pressure campaign thereculminated in asweepingstateindictment accusing him and 18 others of illegally tryingto overturn thevote. FBI agentssecured an

area around the large warehouse building that houses the county elections hub withyellow tape and could be seenloading boxesfrom thebuilding intotrucks. FBI spokesperson Jenna Sellitto confirmed that theboxes containedballots. Among the2020 election documents sought are ballots, tabulator tapes from the scanners usedtotally theballots, electronic ballot images and voter rolls.

An FBI spokesperson saidagentswere “executinga court authorized law enforcementaction” at the

county’smainelection office in Union City,just south of Atlanta. Thespokesperson declined to provide anyfurther information,citing an ongoing matter

Corbitt-Dominguez said a warrant“sought anumber of records related to 2020 elections,” but declined to comment further because the searchwas still underway

The Justice Department had no immediate comment.

Trump haslonginsisted that the2020 election was stoleneven though judges across thecountry and his own attorney general said theyfound no evidence of widespread fault that tipped thecontest in Democrat Joe Biden’sfavor

The presidenthas made Georgia, one of thebattleground states he lostin 2020, acentral target for his complaints aboutthe election andmemorably pushed its secretary of state to help find” enough votes to overturn thecontest.

Last week,inreference to the2020election, he asserted that “people will soon be prosecuted for what they did.” It wasnot clearwhat in particular he wasreferring to.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in August 2023 obtained an indictment againstTrump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in awide-ranging schemetoillegally try to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. That case wasdismissed in November after courts barred Willis and her office from pursuing it because of an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from aromantic relationship shehad with aprosecutor she had hired to lead the case.

The FBI last week moved to replace its topagent in Atlanta, Paul W. Brown, according to people familiar with thematterwho spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss anonpublic personneldecision. It wasnot immediatelyclear why the move, which was notpublicized by the FBI,was made.

The Department of Justice last month sued the clerk of the Fulton County superior and magistrate courts in federal court seeking access to documents fromthe 2020 electioninthe county.The lawsuit said the department sent aletter to the clerk, Che Alexander, but that she had failed to produce the re-

quested documents. Alexander has filed amotion to dismiss the suit. The Justice Department complaintsaysthatthe purpose of its request was “ascertaining Georgia’scompliance with various federal election laws.” It also says the attorneygeneral is tryingtohelpthe State Election Boardwithits “transparency efforts under Georgia law.”

Athree-person conservative majority on the State Election Board has repeatedly sought to reopen a case alleging wrongdoing by Fulton County during the 2020 election. It passed aresolution in July seeking assistance from theU.S.attorney general to access voting materials. The state board sent subpoenas to the county board forvarious election documents last year and again on Oct. 6. The October subpoenarequested“allused and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes, andcorresponding envelope digital files from the 2020 General Election in Fulton County.” A fight over the state board’sefforts to enforce the 2024 subpoena is currently tied up in court.

EPAwants to roll back ‘goodneighbor’ rule on smokestacks

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Wednesday took astep toward rolling back arule that limits smokestack emissions that burden downwind areas in neighboring states

The so-called “good neighbor” rule is one of dozens of regulations that Environmental Protection Agency Administrator LeeZeldin has targeted for reconsideration or repeal. TheSupreme Court ruled in 2024 that the EPAcould notenforce the rule, which is intended to blockcoal-fired power plants and other in-

dustrial sites from adding significantlytoair pollution across state lines.

The EPAsaid Wednesday it is proposing to approve plans by eightstatesto regulateozone air pollution as they see fit. If finalized, thestates “would no longer needtoworry about another ‘Good Neighbor Plan’”subject toapproval by thefederal government, the agency said. Theaffected states are Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky Minnesota,Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Tennessee.UnderPresident Joe Biden,the EPAdisapproved or proposed disapproval of ozoneplanssubmittedbyall

those states. The state-specificplans did not sufficiently control ozoneemissions that travel across state lines, theBiden-era agency said.

Zeldin said Wednesday that under President Donald Trump, theEPA is committed to advancing what Zeldin called “cooperative federalism” thatallows states to decide forthemselveshow to attain air pollution goals.

“Today,weare taking an important step to undo a Bidenadministration rule that treatedour statepartners unfairly,” Zeldin said in astatement. If finalized, the EPAplanwill ensure that “these states will be able to advance cleaner air now for

Brazilianaupairsaysher ex-lover plottedto kill hiswifeand another

BY OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press

RICHMOND,Va. ABrazilian

au pair testified on Wednesday that she turned against her former lover in asprawling double homicide scheme involving his wife because she “wanted thetruthto come out.” For more than ayear,Juliana Peres Magalhães did not speak with officials about the 2023 killings of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, or about Brendan Banfield’s allegedinvolvement. But days beforeher owncriminal trial, the formeraupair changed her mind.

Now,Brendan Banfield is facing atrial in the aggravated murder of his wife

and Ryan, and Magalhães’ testimonyhas become akey componentofofficials’ case. Banfield, who haspleaded notguilty,could face life in prisonif convicted. The way prosecutors tell it, Banfield andMagalhães lured Ryantotheir house. The two then shot him, staging the scene to look as though Ryan had beenpredatorstabbing Christine Banfield.

“I just couldn’tkeep it to myself,the feeling of shame andguilt and sadness,”she said in court of theruse Magalhães is central to that argument. In aFairfax, Virginia,court, the former au pair testified that sheand Banfieldhad created an account in ChristineBanfield’s nameon asocial media plat-

form for people interested in sexualfetishes. There, Ryan connected with the account, and the users made plans to meet for asexual encounter involving aknife.

In court this week, she described Banfield’s plan to kill his wife and spend the rest of his days with Magalhães,with whom he had an affair.She testified to the months he had spent plotting their scheme, and the stepshetook to manufacture their alibis.

Thedefense attorney repeatedly pressed her on specific messages senton the social media account in Christine Banfield’sname Magalhães,seemingly annoyed, repeatedly testified that she hadbeenunsure who had sent what.

their communities,instead of waiting for overly burdensomefederal requirements years from now,”he said.

Zeldincriticized whathe said was the Biden-era agency’s“heavy-handed, one-sizefits-all, federal mandate” to address air pollution from smog-forming ozone.

Under the proposal announced Wednesday, “EPA finds that the eight (state plans) have adequatedata demonstrating these states are notinterfering with ozone attainment” required by National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the agency said. The action also indicatesEPA’s intent to

withdraw proposederror corrections for state plans submitted by Iowa and Kansas. In thenearfuture, EPA intends to take aseparate action to address “interstate transport” obligations for the remaining states coveredinthe final, Biden-era “Good Neighbor Plan,” the agency said. Environmental groups said the EPAproposal would reward states forbeing bad neighbors. Air pollution from heavily industrialized Midwestern states such as Indiana and Ohio frequently reachesEastCoast states such as Connecticutand Delaware.

“Onceagain, Donald Trump and Lee Zeldin are choosing to protect aging, dirtyand expensive coal plants and other industrial polluters over strong federal clean air protections that address interstate pollution problems,” said Zachary Fabish, aSierra Club lawyer “Letting states off the hookwhile theirpollution continuesharming air quality in neighboring states is dangerous,”Fabish said, and will make “Americans sicker andpay morefor energy while doing so.” EPAwill accept public commentfor at least 30 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register

BY JUAN A. LOZANO and MICHAELGRACZYK Associated Press

HUNTSVILLE, Texas ATexas man who once escaped custody and spent three days on therun after being sentenced to death for fatally shootinghis ex-girlfriendand her new boyfriendwas put to death Wednesday,becoming the first person executed in theUnited States this year Charles Victor Thompson, 55, was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m.followinga lethal injection at thestate penitentiary in Huntsville. He was condemned forthe April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda DenniseHayslip,39, andher new boyfriend,DarrenKeith Cain,30, at the woman’ssuburban Houston apartment. Prosecutorssaid Thompson and Hayslip had been romantically involved forayear but split after Thompson “becameincreasingly possessive, jealous and abusive.” According to court records, Hayslip and Cain were dating when Thompson came to Hayslip’sapartmentand beganarguing with Cain around 3a.m. the night of thekillings. Police were calledand told

Thompson to leave the apartment complex. He returned three hours later and shot both Hayslip and Cain. Cain died at the scene, and Hayslip died in ahospital aweek later

Thompson had his original death sentence overturned and anew punishment trialwas held in November2005. Ajury againordered himtodie by lethalinjection Shortly after being resentenced, Thompsonescaped from the Harris County Jail in Houston by walking out the front door virtually unchallenged by deputies. He later toldThe Associated Press that after meeting with his attorney in asmallinterview cell, he slipped out of his handcuffs and orangejailjumpsuitand left the room, which wasunlocked. Thompson waved an ID badge fashioned out of hisprison ID card to get past several deputies.

“I got to smell thetrees, feel the wind in my hair,grass under my feet, see the stars at night.Ittook me straightback to childhood being outside on asummer night,” Thompson said of histimeonthe run, speaking with AP in a2005 interview He was arrested in Shreveport.

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks hold near high while dollar stabilizes NEWYORK Few ripples washed through Wall Street Wednesday after the Federal Reserve decided to hold its main interest rate steady, just like investors expected.

The U.S. stock and bond markets each remained at a virtual standstill, while the U.S. dollar stabilized following its sharp recent slide. Some of the strongest action remained in the gold market, where the metal’s price jumped to another record

Seagate Technology jumped 19.1% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the seller of hard drives and other data-storage products reported a bigger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Dave Mosley cited demand driven by artificial-intelligence applications, among other things. Nvidia, the stock that’s become the poster child of the AI boom, climbed 1.6% and was the strongest single force lifting the S&P 500. It also benefited from an encouraging report from ASML, whose machinery helps make chips.

CEO Christophe Fouquet said customers have been notably more encouraged about “the sustainability” of AI demand. That helped allay concerns that the AI frenzy has gone overboard and created a potential bubble that may burst.

Amazon cuts about 16,000 corporate jobs

Amazon is slashing about 16,000 corporate jobs in the second round of mass layoffs for the ecommerce company in three months.

The tech giant has said it plans to use generative artificial intelligence to replace corporate workers. It has also been reducing a workforce that swelled during the pandemic.

Beth Galetti, a senior vice president at Amazon, said in a blog post Wednesday that the company has been “reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy.”

The company did not say what business units would be impacted, or where the job cuts would occur

The latest reductions follow a round of job cuts in October, when Amazon said it was laying off 14,000 workers While some Amazon units completed those “organizational changes” in October, others did not finish until now, Galetti said.

Tesla plunges to lowest level since pandemic

NEW YORK Tesla’s annual profit plunged to its lowest level since the pandemic five years ago as it ceded the title of the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker to a Chinese rival and boycotts hammered sales.

The EV company run by Elon Musk reported Wednesday that net income last year dropped 46% to $3.8 billion. It was the second year in a row with a steep drop in profit. The decline came despite the introduction of cheaper models and Musk’s promise to remain laser-focused on the company after a foray into U.S politics.

Meta posts strong Q4 results as costs soar

Meta’s fourth-quarter results jumped past Wall Street’s expectations thanks to solid advertising revenue, sending shares higher in after-hours trading Wednesday

The company earned $22.77 billion, or $8.88 per share, in the October-December quarter That’s up 9% from $20.84 billion, or $8.02 per share, in the same period a year earlier Revenue grew 24% to $59.89 billion from $48.39 billion.

Meta’s expenses, which the company already warned will be significantly higher this year, grew 40% to $35.15 billion For the current quarter Meta is forecasting revenue in the range of $53.5 billion to $56.5 billion. Meta had 78,865 employees at the end of the year an increase of 6% from a year earlier.

Fed keeps interest rates unchanged

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve pushed the pause button on its interest rate cuts Wednesday, leaving its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% after lowering it three times last year

Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the economy’s outlook “has clearly improved since the last meeting” in December, a development that

should boost hiring over time. The central bank in a statement said there were signs the job market is stabilizing. With the economy growing at a healthy pace and the unemployment rate appearing to level off, Fed officials likely see little reason to rush any further rate cuts. While most policymakers do expect to reduce borrowing costs further this year, many want to see evidence that stubbornly-elevated inflation is moving closer to the central bank’s target of 2%. According to the Fed’s preferred measure, inflation was 2.8% in November, slightly higher than a year ago.

Two officials dissented from the decision, with Governors Stephen Miran and Christopher Waller preferring another quarter-point reduction. President Donald Trump appointed Miran in September, and he had dissented at the three previous meetings in favor of a half-point cut. Waller is under consideration by the White House to replace Powell, whose term ends in May The Fed’s decision to stand pat will likely fuel further criticism from Trump, who has relentlessly

assailed Powell for not sharply cutting short-term rates. A reduction in the Fed’s key rate tends to lower borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing, though those rates are also influenced by market forces. A key issue facing the Fed is how long it will remain on hold. The rate-setting committee remains split between those officials opposed to further cuts until inflation comes down, and those who want to lower rates to further support hiring. Trump continues to insist they be lowered

Rubio details how U.S. will control Venezuela’s oil money

U.S. will have oversight over account that disperses funds

BY DAVID KLEPPER and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration soon will allow Venezuela to sell oil now subject to U.S. sanctions, with the revenue initially dedicated to basic government services such as policing and health care and subject to Washington’s oversight, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday

The United States will retain control in the short term to ensure the oil revenue is used to stabilize Venezuela, Rubio said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing. He noted that the interim leaders of the South American country will submit “a budget” every month of what they need funded.

“The funds from that (oil sales) will be deposited into an account that we will have oversight over,” Rubio said, adding that the U.S. Treasury would control the process. Venezuela, he said, “will spend that money for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.” Rubio offered new insight into how the U.S. is planning to handle the sale of tens of millions of barrels of oil from Venezuela, which has the largest proven reserves of crude in the world, and oversee where the money flows. After the U.S. raid that captured thenPresident Nicolás Maduro this month, the U.S is working to influence the next steps in the South American country through its vast oil resources.

The U.S. will not subsidize oil industry investments in Venezuela, Rubio said, and is only overseeing the sale of sanctioned petroleum as an “interim step.”

“This is simply a way to divide revenue so that there isn’t systemic collapse while we work through this recovery and transition,” Rubio said.

Democrats and some Republicans on the committee pressed Rubio for more details about President Donald Trump’s plans for Venezuela’s oil. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked for assurances from Rubio that the sale of Venezuelan oil will be fair and open, not rigged to benefit oil companies allied with Trump.

“You are taking their oil at gunpoint, you are holding and selling that oil you’re deciding how and for what purposes that money is going to be used in a country of 30 million people,” Murphy said. “I think a lot of us believe that that is destined for failure.”

Under Maduro, Rubio said Venezuela’s oil industry benefited the country’s corrupt leaders and countries such as China, which

avoid having the proceeds seized by American creditors and because of other legal complications that stem from the U.S. not considering Maduro’s government legitimate, Rubio said.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have already been set aside and as much as $3 billion more is anticipated, he said.

“It’s an account that belongs to Venezuela, but it has U.S. sanctions as a blocking mechanism,” Rubio said. “We only control the dispersal of the money we don’t control the actual money.”

Earlier this month, acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez said cash from oil sales would flow into two sovereign wealth funds: one to support crisis-stricken health services and a second to bolster public infrastructure, including the electric grid.

The country’s hospitals are so poorly equipped that patients are asked to provide supplies needed for their care, from syringes to surgical screws. They also must pay for lab and imaging tests at private hospitals.

purchased Venezuelan oil at a discount. Now Venezuela’s interim leaders are assisting the U.S. in seizing illegal oil shipments, he said.

The U.S. will give Venezuela’s current leaders instructions on how the money can and cannot be spent and conduct audits to ensure it is used as intended, Rubio said. He said Venezuela could use the money to pay for policing or to buy medicine.

The fund was initially set up in Qatar to

On Tuesday during a televised event to announce the revamping of various health care facilities, Rodríguez said her government and the U.S. administration “have established respectful and courteous channels of communication” since Maduro was captured.

Neither Rodríguez nor her government’s press office commented on Rubio’s remarks Wednesday

Companies that supplied milk powder linked to formula botulism

BY JONEL ALECCIA Associated Press

Two suppliers provided dried milk powder that could be a culprit in the outbreak of botulism tied to ByHeart infant formula that has sickened dozens of babies, The Associated Press has learned. Organic whole milk powder that tested positive for the type of bacteria that causes botulism was made from milk provided by Organic West Milk Inc., a California company and processed at a Dairy Farmers of America plant in Fallon, Nevada, company officials said. The source of the contamination, however is not yet known. Both companies and the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration emphasized that the investigation into the unprecedented outbreak that has sickened 51 babies in 19 states is ongoing.

Bill Van Ryn, an owner of Organic West Milk, said he learned last week that a sample of his company’s milk powder collected by the FDA had tested positive for the germ that causes botulism.

But that doesn’t mean his product is the source of the outbreak, Van Ryn stressed.

“Nothing has been proven about our milk yet,” he said, adding: “Something happened in the process of converting the milk to powder and then in converting it to baby formula.” Organic West, which supplies

milk from 55 farmers, didn’t sell organic whole milk powder to any infant formula maker besides ByHeart, Van Ryn said. The milk company has halted sales of the powder used in any product intended for babies and children until more is known about the source of the outbreak, he added. Powdered milk is made by pasteurizing liquid milk, concentrating it through evaporation and spraying it into a hot chamber, which causes the water to evaporate and leave behind fine dry milk particles.

The Dairy Farmers of America is a global dairy cooperative Its plant in Nevada processes about 1.5 million pounds of raw milk daily into 250,000 pounds of whole

milk powder

The Dairy Farmers of America said in a statement that Organic West was the source of milk for the sample that FDA collected that tested positive for botulism bacteria.

The milk was processed into powder that met all required tests, the company said. Organic West subsequently sold the milk powder to ByHeart.

FDA officials said on Jan. 23 that a sample of organic whole milk powder collected from a supplier had tested positive for the botulism bacteria, though the agency didn’t identify the supplier Tests showed that sample was a genetic match to a sample taken from a finished can of ByHeart formula.

mentioned the portraitsof the Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington on the House floor, noting that when he accompanies Louisianastudents on tours there, they often point to Lafayette’sand remark that he’s“named after my city.”

The annual retreat attracts hundreds of Louisiana moversand shakers who attend every year to make connections and talkbusiness whileshowing offthe state’s culture.

Despite the travelwoes, only a handful of this year’sguestscanceled, Hiltonemployees said After checking in, many collected drinks, greeted friendsand traded tales of long and harrowing journeys.Muted background music was replaced by loud Louisiana tunes.

On Capitol Hill, Louisiana’scongressional delegation spent much of theday meeting with those who came for the event.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, talked about an array of issues with business leaders and elected officials while munching on king cake in his office.

“Washington Mardi Gras is a party with apurpose and achance to move projects along,” Carter said. “I was grateful to kick off the week withgood friends, good food andimportant conversations.”

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, said afterhis office’s open house that he spenttime talking about topics ranging from education to infrastructure needs to “ensuring that federalresources are brought back to thecommunities that need it most.”

“It is those conversations that shapehow Irepresent District 6,” he said.

Perhaps the most sought-after invitation for Wednesday night was for aparty put on by Cheniere Energy.The Houston-based producer of liquefied natural gas sent emails Wednesday morning to tell invitees to be carefulwhen they arrive at the National Portrait Gallery

“While some festive production elements may be limited due to weather and staffing conditions, the celebration will continue as scheduled,” the email read. “Please use caution when traveling, as streetsremainicy,and snowhas been pushed to thesides of many roadways.”

Areception hosted by the Baton Rouge-based Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady,which runs 10 hospitals in Louisiana and Mississippi, was also set to go on as scheduled in Waldorf-Astoria’s Lincoln Library,said RyanCross, FMOL’s government affairs di-

rector,ashewas changing planes Wednesdayonhis way toD.C. Several fundraisers have been scheduled for the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue. Gov

Jeff Landry,Attorney General Liz Murrill and U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, arethrowing cocktailparties and dinnersfor campaign contributors to write checks.

Washington Mardi Gras is organized and overseen by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians as away for local and state elected officials to visit casually with business exec-

utives, tradeassociation officials and public interestfunctionaries, alongwiththe congressionaldelegation and federal bureaucrats.

Theretreat is paid forbytickets, donations and dues. The Louisiana Ethics Board allows local and state elected officials to tap their campaign funds to cover airline flights, hotel rooms, Mardi Gras tickets and expenses. Getting to the event this year wasachallenge.

The 8to9inches of snow covered by sleet and frozen rainthat fell Sunday and Monday created a slippery,cement-like covering that has resisted cleanup. Schools and manyoffices in the Washington area remained closedWednesday andpublic transportationoperated on apartial schedule.

Many of the direct flights from Louisiana to oneofthe threeWashingtonairports were canceled Wednesday morning. That left travelers hurriedly rearranging flights.

Mardi Gras participants flying through Atlanta or Houston airports wereable to arrive,albeit a little later than originally planned. But travelers rerouted through Dallas-Fort Worth got caught up among the 502 delayed or 234 canceled flights on Wednesday Stephanie Gracecontributedto this report.

to commend you guys,” Allen said “This is the first time we have a really promising start to a new future.” RDNI and the Convention Center board issued a joint statement after the meeting, saying that the revised agreement represents an important step “to move our work forward in a way that is aligned with community priorities.”

The restructured agreement is similar in many ways to a revised deal that fell through in the fall. It terminates RDNI’s lease on all parcels, except for the one that will be occupied by a new local headquarters of Shell Oil, and converts them to purchase options.

An option will cost $250,000 and include a buy back provision the Convention Center can exercise after five years if RDNI has failed to develop an optioned parcel.

The deal is structured to make it easier for RDNI, which has missed multiple rent deadlines and failed to meet construction milestones since winning the “master developer” role in 2021, to get the proj-

NOPD

Continued from page 1A

and Vappie are now co-defendants in a federal fraud case, accused of using public money to fund romantic liaisons, then deleting evidence and lying to federal investigators.

After Cantrell weighed in on the promotions process, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said she requested a review by the Of-

fice of the Inspector General.

Inspector General Edward Michel later found no evidence of bias or cheating in the NOPD promotions process and recommended an overhaul of the complaint system, which he found ripe for weaponization, to influence or sabotage promotions.

Collins said Wednesday that the NOPD never presented any evidence that Cockerham was the complainant She pledged to appeal his firing, claiming Michel’s office violated the state Police Officer’s Bill of Rights and NOPD policy in its investigation

“They just fired this man without

ect going, Cook said.

“This new format gives them some running room to get partnerships and get things moving without trying to also meet these other obligations,” he said.

As part of the deal, the Convention Center has agreed to pay $4 million for road and sewer construction in the first phase of the

showing a single shred of evidence that he did anything wrong,” Collins said.

Cockerham’s firing is one of more than a dozen from the NOPD in the past year Questions have mounted over his status within the department and on the FBI task force after he was reassigned to “administrative desk duties,” in the words of an NOPD spokesperson, nearly two years ago.

Cockerham had been reassigned for three months before Cantrell’s complaint. Records show a lengthy history of discipline for the fired officer, who was the subject of both criminal and administrative investigations by the NOPD’s Public Integrity Bureau.

“I’m glad to see the NOPD is cleaning up the force. It is long needed,” said Skip Gallagher, a University of New Orleans chemistry instructor who has reported dozens of officers clocking excessive hours or double dipping with off-duty details.

“We don’t need these kind of officers in the department.”

Cockerham’s status within the department and on the federal task

project, and will also pick up the tab for future infrastructure work in subsequent phases.

“It’s a lot,” Cook said of the expenditures. “That’s capital we don’t have for something else. But it shows our commitment to this project. The development of the River District is a strategic priority.”

force have spurred questions for months inside New Orleans’ federal and state court buildings.

As a member of the FBI unit, his name appears on a slew of federal complaints and state arrest warrants out of New Orleans.

Cockerham policed remotely from a perch inside the city’s Real Time Crime Center, scoping out crime via hundreds of networked cameras. He often targeted crime hot spots and called in other officers to make arrests, he wrote in federal complaints.

The role made Cockerham the government’s lead witness in a slew of gun and drug cases.

Records show he faced scrutiny before from NOPD internal affairs investigators. In one particularly high-profile case, Cockerham worked a private security detail in which he protected NFL star Tyrann Mathieu as he proposed to his girlfriend and visited a local strip club.

That posed a “stunning” conflict of interest, defense lawyers for Mathieu’s cousin later argued in court, considering Cockerham had signed a warrant to have the

Key elements of the project remain unchanged, including Shell Oil’s new regional headquarters building, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2027. Plans for 900 new units of mixed-income housing, 450 of which will be set aside for renters who qualify for affordable housing, also are moving forward.

The first phase of that housing — the Rivana Apartments, which will have 220 units, including 165 “affordable” units — is “very close to closing,” Cook told the board

Wednesday

As part of the deal, the Convention Center will loan the developer $6.5 million to help finance construction of the Rivana.

As the project prepares to move forward, the Convention Center will hire a consultant through Corporate Realty to help with marketing the project to potential investors, and also revisit some of the assumptions that went into planning the River District five years ago.

“Five years in, we think it is wise to get a high-level assessment from folks who have expertise and have a sense of the marketplace,” Cook told the board. “This is not reimagining the vision. This is more

cousin, Geourvon Sears, arrested for allegedly blackmailing Mathieu.

FBI and NOPD spokespeople have repeatedly declined to say whether Cockerham remains attached to the FBI. He was first assigned to the FBI task force in 2018, records show In a statement last spring, an NOPD spokesperson, Reese Harper, said Cockerham “has been temporarily reassigned to administrative desk duties pending the outcome of an active internal investigation.”

The NOPD said late Tuesday it was looking into the matter In the latest probe that began in 2024, records show two complaints against Cockerham were sustained in August. They alleged he violated laws around paid details and secondary employment.

A second complaint about his conduct related to paid details, plus another stemming from alleged payroll fraud violations, were not sustained.

Cockerham was reassigned to desk duty before that latest internal NOPD investigation began —

a matter of validating the vision.”

The Convention Center has met with neighbors and is continuing to gather feedback about the types of businesses it wants to see in the neighborhood.

Part of its revised agreement calls for RDNI to work with the Convention Center to revive plans to bring a $165 million Louisiana Music and Heritage Experience to the River District.

A deal to locate the museum in the district fell apart last year and the lease has since been canceled, but the project is not dead, Cook said.

District B City Council member Lesli Harris, whose district includes the River District, celebrated the changes in the agreement and the project’s path forward.

“Today is a reset, but it’s more than that,” Harris said in a prepared statement. “We as partners are affirming our commitment to creating a transformational new neighborhood in District B, which serves residents first and foremost, with benefits to our city’s visitors.”

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

on July 22, 2024, the records show

An FBI spokesperson said in a statement last year that the agency “does not discuss personnel assignments” and directed further questions to the NOPD. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday

Cockerham’s absence from the federal witness box spurred an inquiry last spring to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office by a public defender in a case Cockerham investigated.

In an April filing, a federal public defender noted how Cockerham had come under internal investigation. The defender, Celia Rhoads, asked prosecutors to “come to an agreement about appropriate disclosures and to discuss potential remedial action in the cases in which the task force officer was involved, including this case.”

A spokesperson for the New Orleans-based U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to respond to questions about how Cockerham’s absence has affected its cases. Staff writer John Simerman contributed to this report.

N.O. police to receive retention bonuses

Money to come from grants, S&WB

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration will pay New Orleans police the bonuses they were promised four years ago and will avoid tapping an emergency payroll fund to do it.

Instead, the bonuses will be paid from $3.5 million in grants and $6 million the Sewerage

DEVO-TREES OF CONSERVANCY

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Morgan Wood can remember camping at FairviewRiverside State Park in Madisonville before Hurricane Ida in 2021 left its mark.

“It was like coming into a forest,” Wood recalled at a tree planting event on Wednesday, where four volunteers were digging holes and wrangling 10- or 15-foottall saplings into them. Back then, the sun “barely touched the ground,” said Wood, who is now FairviewRiverside’s manager

But then Hurricane Ida caused the park to lose over 200 trees, and droughts and pine beetles have damaged even more trees in subsequent years.

At the entrance to the state park is now a smattering of thin, stand-alone pine trees, which struggle to survive rough weather and provide little shade to park visitors.

BY ALEX LUBBEN

NOPD recruit taken into ICE custody

Officer faces removal despite clean background

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

A New Orleans Police Department recruit was taken into custody on Wednesday morning by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. The officer, who Kirkpatrick did not identify had lived in the U.S for 10 years and had no criminal background. Kirkpatrick pointed reporters to ICE for comment.

“I have been told that he will not be given a bond here and that he will be in the process of removal,” Kirkpatrick said. The recruit successfully cleared an NOPD background check, officials said, when he began the hiring process in June. He appeared to be a lawful resident with a driver’s license and Social Security number and passed an employment screening through E-Verify, a system authorized by the Social

BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer

Man injured escaping Broadmoor house fire

Officials: Space heater likely cause of Wednesday blaze

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

A 37-year-old man was injured Wednesday when he jumped from the second floor of a Broadmoor house to escape a two-alarm fire that was likely started by a space heater, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.

New Orleans firefighters were called just after noon to the 3400 block of Milan Street, where they found the two-story home on fire. Firefighters called for backup a few minutes later in an effort to prevent the flames from spreading to neighboring homes.

Fifty-two firefighters and 19 units had the blaze under control by

People of interest identified in Dooky Chase’s shooting

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

Authorities now have two people of interest in the deadly Dooky Chase’s shooting that left one man dead and injured three patrons, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Wednesday Though the two individuals are not wanted for the crime, officials said they believe they could help with the investigation.

“We believe they have critical information about what happened,” said Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon. “We think this will help us bring justice and closure to the victims and family members.”

The brazen nature of the shooting shocked the community at the time, and Mayor Helena Moreno and Kirkpatrick rushed to the scene to address the public immediately following the crime.

The deadly gunfire left 19-yearold Kareem Harris dead and injured three other women. Police previously said Harris was running from an attacker near his home in Treme around 8 p.m. when he entered the historic restaurant. The shooter began firing outside of the restaurant and bullet casings were found on the ground.

The shooting of Harris is believed to be retaliatory

Endymion cancels annual open house

BY MARCO CARTOLANO

Staff writer

The Krewe of Endymion canceled its annual open house scheduled for Saturday ahead of a likely hard freeze in New Orleans, Captain Dan Kelly said. An arctic blast is expected to descend on the metro area and the rest of Louisiana on Friday night, bringing temperatures down to the mid-20s Saturday into Sunday morning, according to forecast-

CONSERVANCY

Continued from page 1B

It’s quite different from when Samuel L. Jackson’s Southern gothic movie, “Eve’s Bayou,” was filmed on the park grounds in the 1990s, Wood said. “I need to get this place looking like that again.”

The Nature Conservancy is trying to achieve that by planting resilient species that will be able to last at the park long into the future. On Wednesday four members of the Louisiana Conservation Corps, a volunteer organization that is part of the Nature Conservancy’s GulfCorps program, planted 25 native trees, including American elm, sweetbay magnolia and live oak.

In total, the Nature Conservancy is planting 111 trees at FairviewRiverside State Park — they already planted 86 in November 2024, according to Amanda Takacs, a community forest conservation coordinator for the Treesilience program.

The program aims to reforest areas damaged by hurricanes in 2020 and 2021 across a 22-parish region in southeast Louisiana. Last year, the Nature Conservancy removed and planted trees in Slidell as part of the program, which is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Takacs said Wednesday they were planting hardwood trees at Riverside that could survive future climate conditions, such as

RECRUIT

Continued from page 1B

Security

“We did the due diligence,”

ers with the National Weather Service in New Orleans.

The temperature drop could be dangerous for people and animals who are exposed to the elements, the weather service said, and those concerns prompted Endymion officials to cancel the event without rescheduling.

“The weather is supposed to be very cold, and with kids, bands and members being out in that weather, it would not be good with (Mardi Gras) only two weeks

away,” Kelly said.

The open house, held at the krewe’s den in Mid-City, is a chance for revelers to get a sneak peek at the parade’s floats. Endymion, one of the largest Mardi Gras krewes, was founded by Ed Muniz in 1967. The krewe announced Sunday that newly hired LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin and New Orleans historian Arthur Hardy will serve as co-grand marshals of this year’s parade.

more frequent storms, freezes, droughts and colder temperatures. A live oak’s low center of gravity, compared to a tall pine, for instance, makes it better suited to survive storms, Takacs said.

Most of the saplings the Louisiana Conservation Corps volunteers planted on Wednesday had 2-inch diameters, were 10 to 12 feet tall and came in 30-gallon buckets, Takacs said.

The Corps aims to teach young people the technical skills of conservation, and the soft skills needed to be part of the workforce, said Brook Mize, a Louisiana Conservation Corps program and field coordinator

Chase Trelles, 25, one of the vol-

Kirkpatrick said. “We were not lax on all the things we would do.”

The NOPD learned of the recruit’s apprehension Wednesday morning and shared his file with ICE, which advised the department on what to review regarding immigration-related issues.

12:49 p.m. They were able to keep it contained throughout the battle, leaving neighboring homes largely unscathed.

NOFD officials said the man who jumped from a second-story window hurt his feet in the fall and was taken to a local hospital by paramedics. His parents, the homeowners, told NOFD officials that the fire was started by a space heater their son was using to keep warm.

Officials are conducting a formal investigation to confirm the cause. The home’s occupants escaped before firefighters arrived and no other injuries were reported, according to NOFD. The house was severely damaged and fire officials said the American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the displaced family Louisiana officials have made a point of urging fire safety this week amid a massive winter storm

that battered the state with snow, ice and the coldest temperatures of the season. More frigid temperatures are expected to arrive this weekend.

At a news conference at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness on Monday, officials said they typically see an increase in fire-related deaths during extremely cold weather They urged residents to take care when using space heaters and fireplaces.

Louisiana State Fire Marshal Bryan Adams said the state is investigating an unprecedented number of fire deaths already this year He reminded Louisianans to plug space heaters directly into power outlets and keep them 3 to 5 feet away from flammable items such as blankets and curtains.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.

Ochsner IT staffer arrested in $73K equipment theft

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

Authorities say an information technology staffer at Ochsner Medical Center helped himself to tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of the company’s computer equipment.

Robert Vance, 38, was arrested Monday and booked with one count of felony theft valued over $25,000, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, a spokesperson for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. In early January, workers at an Ochsner Clinic located in the 1200 block of Dickory Avenue in Elmwood began noticing that computer docking stations were missing, according to authorities. Staffers reviewed video surveillance cameras and spotted a man pulling into the parking lot just after 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, according to the

BONUSES

Continued from page 1B

used to balance the $800 million general fund budget. He cautioned that more will be needed for pension and payroll tax costs associated with the bonuses.

“My administration promised to pay these bonuses which were dedicated to retaining our NOPD officers,” Moreno said in a statement on Tuesday “Thanks to the diligent work of my team and in collaboration with the State Legislative Auditor and our City Council, we’ve been able to uphold our end of the bargain and deliver these incentives as promised.”

While the bonuses haven’t resulted in significant increases in the force, the officers who joined or stayed on because of the pay-

FUNDS

Continued from page 1B

unteers, said he thinks the experience of being a member of the nine-month volunteer corps program will help prepare him for a future career in disaster relief. A Baton Rouge native, he said he also learned to love conservation along the way At 99 acres, Fairview-Riverside is one of the smaller state parks, Wood said, but it is very popular place for RVs and offers a boat launch on the Tchefuncte River, as well as a quarter-mile trail through a swamp. Wood hopes to make sure the park is an affordable and attractive place for people to visit, even in the summer — something the new trees’ shade might help with.

According to the NOPD’s recruiting website, joinnopd.org, applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States may apply to the department and are not required to be U.S. citizens. A judge in the immigration court of Atlanta signed the order on Dec 5 for removal of the recruit, who had lived in Georgia before joining the NOPD. The recruit was taken into ICE custody without incident Wednesday morning. A spokesperson for ICE did not immediately return a request for comment.

performers. City officials said any of the pledged funding not used for Mardi Gras DJs will be used to fund musicians for other city events.

“Music and creatives are at the heart of New Orleans’ identity,” Moreno said in a statement “I’m grateful for the partnership and community support that allow us to uplift our DJs and culture bearers through this collaboration, and to celebrate the 2026 Mardi Gras season together in a way that honors who we are as a city.”

The debate over pay for Gallier Hall DJs came after Chief Administrative Officer Joe Giarrusso singled out city spending on DJs for last year’s parades. Giarrusso asked council members during a meeting to start curating Spotify playlists. Michael Hecht, the CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc., agreed to DJ for free under his stage name, DJ El Camino. Giarrusso said LaToya Cantrell’s administration spent $240,000 on Carnival celebrations in 2025, including $15,000 on DJs.

The suggestion of free performances brought criticism from musicians and residents. Melissa Weber, who performs under the name DJ Soul Sister and who condemned the mayor’s original plan, said on social media after Moreno backtracked that despite the push to make things right, she would

Sheriff’s Office.

The man used an Ochsner key card belonging to Vance to enter the facility, authorities said. Vance used to work at the Dickory Avenue office but was no longer assigned there, according to authorities. The man took seven docking stations with him that night. Staffers noticed the suspect on video stealing equipment on four other occasions between Oct. 26 and Dec. 14, according to authorities.

Each docking station costs about $215. Vance is accused of stealing $73,745 worth of equipment, according to the Sheriff’s Office. An investigator obtained a warrant in the case, and Vance turned himself in at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

ments ranging from $1,000 to $30,000 were counting on them, said Claude Schlesinger, an attorney and member of the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge.

The FOP lodge is a membership organization representing the interests of active and retired officers.

“It’s very gratifying that they’re honoring their commitment to pay the retention bonuses,” Schlesinger said. “Officers naturally are concerned when they see issues like that, about where we would get paid.”

The payroll fund, meanwhile, is nearly spent: There is about $13 million remaining after a draw the council approved on Wednesday

The S&WB money is primarily reimbursements for roadwork projects City Hall paid for upfront.

still like to see accountability from other officials.

“I appreciate our mayor’s apology, which she shared on a social media post this afternoon,” she wrote on Jan. 21, “but hoping for a statement from the administration member who made the (original) statement, and maybe an acknowledgment from the executive who offered to ‘DJ’ in exchange for a free drink that skilled and professional DJs are worth more than that.”

City officials said they are looking for DJs that can “curate and perform music that reflects the spirit of Mardi Gras and is appropriate to the event, audience, and cultural setting.”

Interested parties can submit their information through the Office of Cultural Economy and all responses are due by Friday Applicants who meet requirements will be ranked and entered into a lottery Staff writer Blake Paterson contributed to this report.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 2026

PICK 3: 2-0-7

PICK 4: 8-2-1-1

of U.S. highereducation’sbiggest research

driving major organizational and cultural changes.

LSUintensifies research rankings

Reorganization seekstop 50 distinction

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

In aplay to climb over 30 places in anational ranking of higher education’stop researchspenders, major organizational change is sweeping through LSU.

In December,the Board of Supervisorsapproved a reorganization at the highest levels. It reinstated the position of chancellor at the Baton Rouge campus and brought the LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical Research Center,LSU Health New Orleans and LSU Health Shreveport under his authority LSU System Executive Vice President and Chancellor James Dalton called the unfolding transitiona “merger.”

“How do we start viewing ourselves as one and start acting more in concert?” Dalton said. “I think it’sa whole gamut of things that we’ve got to consider,starting with titles and then down into the weeds and into the details.”

The need for the university system, which maintains eight campuses across Louisiana, to start actingas one derives not only from the philosophical promise of the “statewide university” but also from astrategy to enter thecoveted top50ranks of the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey,officials say The informal distinction hasbeen achieved by research powerhouses like Harvard,the University of Michigan and UCLA —and LSU officials say it is keyto unlocking greater federal funding and prestige for the university system.

The flagship campus in Baton Rouge ranks 83rd, with the health sciences centers in New Orleans and Shreveport at 195th and 269th.

“Part of the goal of restructuring was related to being able to report our combined research dollars, but it’s also about ensuring that we operate collaboratively,cohesively,and efficiently,”Ashley Arceneaux, the chief of staff to the chancellor,said in astatement.

“Weare protecting each institution’smission throughoutthe process, butweanticipatethere will be cost savings and shared services that could be discoveredthrough the transformative process of knitting our campuses into an even greater Flagship.”

Faculty Senate President Daniel Tirone said top 50 status is anotable achievement in the sense that “you’re judged by the company you keep.” The ranking would signify LSU’sacademic excellence to its peers, grant funders and the public, he said.

“It would be away for us to say we are producing scholarshipand engaging in research at the same level as these highly regarded institutions,” Tirone said. “It

wouldbeaway to elevate ourselves into thattype of conversation.”

Theroadtotop 50

Thepushtoreach top 50 has beeninthe works for years.

In February 2024, LSU Vice President of Strategyand Public PolicyJason Droddy pitched the plan to pool researchdollars to improve its ranking.

“What we plan to do is combine the data,” Droddy said to the Board of Supervisors. “The reason we can do that is it reflectsthe enterprise similar to other universities.”

In 2026, with new system President Wade Rousse at the helm, the goal remains an institutional priority.According to their contracts, Rousse and Daltonwill each receiveaone-time payment of $100,000 in the year that LSUenters the top50of research spending in the HERDSurvey.

The university established eightto10committeesto manage differentaspects of the merger, Daltonsaid. One consideration will be how to receiveaccreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges as aunified system.

“As you start to peel back those layers, there’s alot of other things you have to think about,” Dalton said.

“Not only is it accreditation, but you have to think about ourresearch programs, our academicpolicies, how we handlepromotion andtenure and hiring.”

Daltonsaidhebelieves the recent administrative actions to centralize theuniversity system will benefitLSU in opportunitiesfor research collaboration in addition to finances.

“Bringing those together, we gain the strengthofbeing considered as one, but more importantly,wecan bring togetherdifferentgroups, collaborate better,incentivize collaboration,” Daltonsaid.

“I think it’ll allow us to get cross-disciplinaryresearch, cross-disciplinary academic programs going muchmore quicklyand muchmore efficiently.”

Impact unclear

Just how much closer the organizational overhaul will get LSU to the top50isan open question.

National Science Foundationspokesperson Michelle Negrónsaid theHERD Survey willbegin data collection soon. Individual campuses in auniversity system mustrespondseparately, according to Negrón.

“An individual reporting unit in the survey is defined as ageographically separate campus headed by apresident, chancellor,orequivalent,” Negrón wrote in an email.

Negrón said there are “ongoing discussions”with LSU followingthe reorganization,whichattempts to add research dollars from the health sciences centers in Shreveport and New Orleans to the flagshiptotal “No further information on how itwill affect report-

Moreno administration planspublicinput meetings

Residentsinvited to sharetheir visions, priorities

BY CHAD CALDER Staff writer

Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration is hosting a series of public meetings whereresidents can“share their visions, priorities and plans” for their council districts, the city said Wednesday Billed as a“Conversation with the Administration,” the meetings will be attendedbyMoreno’sdeputy mayors and will provide residents“an opportunity to

better understand how decisions are being madeand howtheir voices fitinto the newadministration’swork.”

The meetings are free and open to the public, but people are asked to register to secure aspot because space is limited Register at https://form. jotform.com/cnoneo/ConversationWithTheAdministration

The meeting locationsand timesfor each council district are: n District B: 6p.m. Thursday, Office of Workforce Development/Job 1, 1307 Oretha Castle HaleyBlvd.,Suite 3000 n District C–Eastbank: 6p.m Monday,TremeRec Community Center 900 N. Villere St n District D: 6p.m.Thursday,New Orleans Mosquito, Termite &Rodent Control Board, 2100 Leon C. Simon Drive n District E–New Orleans East: 6p.m. Feb.9,New Orleans East Hospital (Main Conference Room), 5620 Read Blvd. n DistrictA: 6p.m. Feb.10, CommunityCommitment Education Center,8540 SpruceSt. n District C– Westbank: 5:30 p.m. Feb.19, Algiers RegionalLibrary,3014 Holiday Drive n District E–Lower 9th Ward: 6 p.m.Feb. 24, Sanchez MultiService Center,1616 Fats DominoAve

ing is available at this time,” Negrón wrote.

The grand strategy is not withoutskeptics. Some advocates for institutionsoutside of Baton Rouge question what the increasedcentralization will mean for their research funding —and autonomy overall.

“I’m certainly not opposed to astronger LSUand stronger research at the institution,” state Sen. Thomas Pressly,R-Shreveport, said.

“What Iamopposedtoisputting us underthe same umbrellafor thebenefitofone campus andnot the benefitof all the campuses.”

He said state law requires chancellor positions at the twomedical schools, the headsofwhich were renamedto“senior vice chancellors” underthe new organizational chart

“I would expect legislation to be broughtforth to this legislative session to clarify those changes, and we’llsee whatthe Legislaturehas to sayabout the proposed changes,” Presslysaid. “In my eyes,they’restill proposedchanges, because the law trumps theboardrules.”

Regarding howresearch funding could change under thenew system, Arceneaux saidthe bulkofresearch at LSU is fundedthrough individual grantstospecific researchers andresearch projects. In most cases, the dollars are nottransferable, she said.

“Whatisnew in this configuration is the goal of building aculture that focuses on leveraging research talent across the state and using it collectively to pursue larger, higher-dollar grantsthat will notonly help ourportfolio butwillalsobring greater impact to the people of our state and nation,” Arceneaux said.

The effects of LSU’spursuit of top 50 have nottrickled down to thecampus level yet, Tirone said.

“Thus far, it’s really been an administrative matter,” Tirone said. “They are, I think, still conceptualizing how this is going to work in practice.”

He anticipated the top50 ranking could influence facultyrecruitment, as well as systemwide focusonthe areasthatreceivethe most federal funding.

He notedbiomedical and engineeringresearchspecifically

“Certainly,wewouldn’t want that to be done to the exclusion of the other disciplines,”Tirone, apoliticalscienceprofessor,said. “But Idothink it is something thatasweset this as an institutional goal, we would have to structure to some extent ourinternalprioritization to make sure that we are settingourselves up to be able to pursue that.”

Dalton said to expect culturalshiftsahead as the systemtransformsintoa more unified entity “I think you’ve gottoget alarge, diversegroup of people in thesame room and think out loud about what are the challenges, what are the opportunities to become better,”Dalton said.

now determining whether plaintiffs’ allegations are sufficienttosurvivethe parish’smotion to dismiss, which would allow the case to proceed.

The parishsought review by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case, allowing the 5th Circuit’sruling to stand.

Brought by Mt. Triumph Baptist Churchand two environmental groups, RISE St. James andInclusive Louisiana, thelawsuit allegesthatthe sitingof petrochemical and other industrial facilities over decadesinfringed on residents’ constitutional rights andviolated Reconstruction-era civil rightslaws. Those practices also contributed to elevated cancer risks in the community, they allege.

The lawsuit seeks to halt new industrial development in majority-Black areas of the parish, and to require changes tothe parish’sland-use system to prevent discrimination.

Attorneysfrom theNew York-based Center for ConstitutionalRights and theEnvironmental Law Clinic at Tulane University are representing the plaintiffs.

The parish arguesthe case should be dismissed becausethe plaintiffs have notallegedfacts showing unlawfuldiscrimination or other legal violations under theconstitutional and federal statutes they cite.

There are 28 industrial facilities in two majorityBlack council districts in St. James Parish,the plaintiffs said, whilethere are only four facilities in the other five districts.

‘Nobody’sthatstupid’

Much of thediscussion on Wednesdaycentered on whether the plaintiffs could prove discriminatoryintent in the parish’s zoning plan.

The parish’sattorney,

Dani Borel, argued that industrialfacilitiesare concentratedincertain parts of St. James Parish because those areas are zoned for industrial use andoffer infrastructure thatindustry seeks, including proximity to the Mississippi River Zoning decisions, the parish argued, weredriven by land-use planningand economic considerations, notrace, andemphasized thatparishofficials have an interest in balancing industrial developmentwith residential growth.

Barbier questionedwhat it would take forthe plaintiffstoprovethat theparishwas discriminating basedonrace in its zoning decisions.

“Would it have to be an overtstatement by council members, ‘Look, we’re going to discriminate against these Black people by putting these facilitiesonly in their district?’ ”heasked.

“You’re not going to get that, right. Nobody’sthat stupid.”

“It could entail alot of things thatare notpresent here,” Borel responded. “It could be overt statements. It could be other actions by those council members.”

She stressedthatthe industrial facilities bring jobs to the parish, andthat the parish has an interest in promoting economic development.“Theycouldn’t protect everyone or there would be no industry,” she said.

‘Badge of slavery’

The plaintiffs argued that the siting of the industrialplantsrepresented a pattern of discrimination, even if no representative of the parish government explicitly stated any intent to discriminate.

“The badge of slavery that we challengeinthis case is aracially discriminatoryland-use system, implemented by thegovernment that mistreats the graves of those who were once enslavedinthe parish and harms the lives and properties of their descendants,”arguedAstha Sharma Pokharel, astaff

attorney forthe Center for Constitutional Rights.

“The system is so geographically tethered to the very site of slavery Youcan clearly see former plantations where people were enslavedthathave now been transformed into these toxic plants.” The parish argued that it does not control access to burial sites cited in the lawsuit, many of which are located on privately owned land. Borel said Louisiana law governs unmarkedburialgrounds through aseparateregulatory framework and maintained that an injunction against the parish would notnecessarily affect access to or protection of those sites.

Boreldeclinedtoprovide furthercomment about the hearing on Wednesday

After the hearing, residents from St. James Parishgathered on the courthouse steps.

“Weare being sacrificed forthese polluterstomake money,” said SharonLavigne, aSt. James resident and the founder of RISE St. James, afaith-based environmental justice organization. “My community is dying.”

Butafter Wednesday’s court hearing, she felt optimistic.

“I woke up this morning with Godonmyside, and he spoketomeand told me we are going to be victorious,” she said. “Weare going to be victorious. We’re going to win this case.”

Email AlexLubben at alex.lubben@ theadvocate.com

Arguelles, Eddie Bannon,Bruce Binder,Annie Bingham, Gloria Brown, Rosalie

Burguieres,Elodie

Eweni, Samuel

Gurtner, Mary Harris Sr., Kenneth Herring, Shalonda

Howard,Mildred

January 30, 2026 at Lake Lawn MetairieFuneral Home,5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. NewOrleans, LA Visitation willbefrom9 AM to 11 AM with aservice to begin at 11 AM. Private Inurnment willfollow.

Binder,AnnieRuth

AnnieRuthBinderen‐tered into rest on Friday, January 16, 2026. AFuneral Service will be held on Sat‐urday,January 31, 2026 at 11:00am at CalvaryTaber‐nacle C.M.E. Church 3629 Dryades St,New Orleans, LA70115. Visitation will begin at 10:00am.Inter‐mentwillbePrivate.Pro‐fessional Arrangements Entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504)5235872. Crawford,Seneria

Laroche, Victor

Lovecchio Sr., George

Lundy,Betty

Lyons,Dorothy

Marchese,Antoinette

McMillan, Esther

Polk,Valerie

Populis,Wayne

Rayes, Kevin

Roberts, Faullon

Rohbock, Kennon

Sarradet,Marilyn

Sarrio III, Rigoberto

Stampley,Leona EJefferson

Garden of Memories

Marchese,Antoinette

Rayes, Kevin

Rohbock, Kennon

Neptune Society

Sarradet,Marilyn

NewOrleans

Boyd Family

Herring, Shalonda

Charbonnet

Lewis, Jocelyn

Lundy,Betty

Lyons,Dorothy

McMillan, Esther

Polk,Valerie

DW Rhodes

Eweni, Samuel

Harris Sr., Kenneth

Howard,Mildred

Populis,Wayne

Roberts, Faullon

Stampley,Leona

JacobSchoen

Gurtner, Mary Laroche, Victor Lake Lawn Metairie

Bannon,Bruce

Littlejohn FH

Brown, Rosalie

Crawford,Seneria

Majestic Mortuary

Binder,Annie

Bingham, Gloria River Parish

HC Alexander

Burguieres,Elodie St Tammany

Honaker

Lovecchio Sr., George West Bank

Mothe

Sarrio III, Rigoberto

Robinson FH

Arguelles, Eddie

With deep love andsor‐row,weannounce the passing of EddieArguelles Hewas abeloved Father Brother, Grandfather, Uncle,Cousinand Friend who departed this life peacefullyonFriday, janu‐ary 23,2026 at West Jeffer‐son Hospital surrounded byfamilyand love.Hewas a hard worker,alwaysopti‐mistic, enjoyedspending timewithfamilyand loved his Cubancoffee. Eddie was born on August,15, 1956 in Camaguey,Cubato parents;Enrique Arguelles and Olga Pellerano.Heem‐igrated to New Orleansat the ageof15, in December 1971. He didsowithhis uncle andaunt,Francisco and Trinidad Pellerano and their children,his cousins. Eddiewas father to four children, Arleen Arguelles Jones,(HusbandBarrett Jones), EddieMeyers, Lon‐don Meyers andElegua Ragan.Hewas agrandfa‐therto5 grandsonsand 3 great grandchildren. Ser‐vices will be held on Thurs‐day,January 29, 2026 at One Accord Ministries 713 S.Jamie Blvd Avondale LA 70094. Thevisitationwill begin at 10AMfollowedby an11AMservice officiated byPastorAndyPellerano Intermentwillfollowin Woodland Park Memorial Cemetery9820 Nine Mile Point Rd.W.Westwego, Louisiana 70094. Foronline condolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyfuner alhome.com

Bannon, Bruce Atchley

BruceAtchley Bannon, age69, ended his earthly journeyMonday,January 26, 2026,following along illness. Brucewas aloving father and grandfather, a devoted son, afaithful friend, and acherished brother Bruceattended Holy Name, graduated Magna CumLaude from Jesuit High School, attended the University of Tennessee, finishedhis BS degree at Louisiana State University, where he minored in DKE, and obtaineda lawdegree from Loyola Law School.

When he retiredfrom law,hefollowed hisfather'sfootsteps in steadfastly volunteeringatthe National WorldWar II Museum, eventually giving them over10,000 hours of his time and dedication. Bruceattended Trinity Episcopal Church where he faithfully attendedthe 12 Steps forEveryone Sunday classand was Crucifer and Chalice Bearer at primarily the8:00 AM service.

Brucewas ahistory buff with an incredible memory.Hecouldhave easily beena successful participant on Jeopardy. He loved allthingsBeatles, dressed foryearsasa Pirate forMardiGras, and coordinated monthlyfamilygatherings on Taco Tuesdays, which is still a treasuredtradition. Hewill be missed by familyand friends for his"Bruce" smile, his kind nature, his "quote of the day", his bad driving, his love of travel, and his fondness forthe colorblue. He is survived by his daughters, Payton Olson (Corey) and Erin Raines (Chase), his five grandchildren, Copper,Colette and Penny Olson, and Evelyn andCharlotte Raines, his sisters, Kathy Eastman (John), Nancy Beck, and Erin Heaton, hisbrother, Bobby BaileOakes,and his many niecesand nephews. The family is grateful for the caregiversatAvanti AssistedLivingand Forest Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Should anyone wish to make adonation in Bruce's honor, please consider the National WorldWar II Museum or Trinity Episcopal Church. AcelebrationofBruce's life willbeheldFriday,

Bingham, Gloria J.

Gloria J. Binghamen‐tered into rest on Saturday January 17, 2026. AFuneral Service will be held on Sat‐urday,January 31, 2026 at 10:00 am at Zion Hill Mis‐sionary BaptistChurch, 1126 N. RobertsonSt.,New Orleans,Louisiana 70116 Visitationwillbegin at 9:00 am. Intermentwillbein HoltCemeteryinNOLA. Professionalarrangements entrusted to Majestic Mor‐tuary Service, Inc. (504) 523-5872.

Brown, Rosalie Richardson

Rosalie Richardson Brown, aretired privatesit‐ter,diedMonday, January 19, 2026 of naturalcauses atPassagesHospice Sanc‐tuary.She was99years old.Ms. Brownwas born in New Orleans, livedinGen‐tilly andwas aresidentof St. John’sBerchmans’ Manor.Rosalie wasa memberofSt. James Methodist Church andan Usher Boardmemberfor morethan40years.Sur‐vivorsinclude adaughter, JeanBrown Hood of New Orleans;six grandchildren; eight greatgrandchildren; and twogreat-great grandchildren.Services willbeheldonFriday, Jan‐uary30, 2026 at St James Methodist Church,1925 Ur‐sulines Avenue.Visitation is9:00AMwitha 10:00 AM service to follow.Rev JosephTilly,pastoroffici‐ating.Burialwilltakeplace atMount Olivet Cemetery LittlejohnFuneralHomeis in chargeofarrangements

Burguieres, Elodie Marie 'Dee'

Elodie,one of seven sisters, grew up in Destrehan, Louisiana. Elodie was proudly the great-great granddaughterofJules M. Burguieres,founder of the "J.M. Burguieres Company Limited,"foundedin1877. She had aspecial relationship withher father and lovedtohunt with him from an early age. She graduated from Destrehan High School and went on to workatthe LoyolaLibrary in NewOrleans and later theMonsantochemical operationinLuling, LA as a laboratorytechnician. Upon retirement,ElodieretreatedtoChatawa, Mississippiand spent 43 years enjoying theserenity of thepineywoods with her beloveddogs. During thisperiod, she volunteered at Sisters of the Pines.She willberemembered forher steady laugh and abilitytofind humor in allsituations. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattenda visitation at St.Charles Borromeo Church, 13396 RiverRd. Destrehan, LA,at 10AM on Saturday,January 31, 2026, followedbya Mass of ChristianBurial at 12PM. Burial to follow in theSt. Charles Borromeo Cemetery, where she will join her parentsand five sisters on theproperty adjacent to thehomesite on which she grew up

Meiya, Alyssa,Reid, Renee’,McKenzie, and Blaze.The familywillre‐ceive friendsSaturday, January 31st from 10:30 AM until 12:30 PM at Jacob Schoenand Sonfuneral home. Thefuneral service willbecelebratedat12:30 PMinthe JacobSchoen chapelwithinternmentto followatLakelawnPark Cemetery.

HarrisSr.,Kenneth A.

while we’relefttodeal withthe devastatingloss, wetakecomfort in know‐ing he canbeatpeace and we’re left with an abun‐dance of memories to cherish.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend hisFuneral Service at D.W. Rhodes Fu‐neral Home,3933 Washing‐ton Avenue,onSaturday, January 31, 2026 at 9:00 am Visitationwillbegin at 8:00 am. Thefuneral canbe live-streamed by visiting www.facebook.com/D.W RhodesFuneralHome/live Interment: Providence MemorialParkCemetery. Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtoshare con‐dolences, memories and signthe guestbook.

Lewis, Jocelyn Herring,ShalondaM.

SeneriaRobinsonCraw‐fordentered eternalrest onMonday, January12, 2026. Sheissurvivedbyher motherBeatriceRobinson, two sons Roland Robinson (Autina)and Ashton Camp‐belland adaughter. 6sib‐lings Sergio,Arthur Jr Eferm,Rinaldo,Ronald, and KemoCharles Robinson and ahostofgrandchil‐dren, nieces,nephews, other relativesand friends. Seneria wasprecededin death by herhusband Dar‐ryl Crawford,Sr. Father Arthur “Mr. Okra”Robin‐son,son DerrickRobinson, siblingsTheronand She‐wanna,her grandmother Elise A. Boss andher niece Rinalda.Relatives and friends,alsopriestand parishionersofSt. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church areinvited to at‐tendthe Mass of Christian BurialonFriday, January 30, 2026, at St.Katherine DrexelCatholicChurch 2015 LouisianaAvenue,be‐ginning 10:30 am,Father Lambert A. Lein,SVD,pas‐tor celebrant. Church visi‐tation9 am until time of the Mass. Entombment ProvidenceMemorialPark and Mausoleum, 8200 Air‐lineDrive,Metairie, La 70003. Professional ser‐vices entrustedto: Little‐johnFuneralHome, 2163 Aubry Street,Cal K. John‐son,Manager-FuneralDi‐rector.Info: 504-940-0045.

Eweni, Samuel O. With sadnessweshare the passingofSamuelO Eweni,onNovember11, 2025. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Gurtner, Mary CatherineJohn

Elodie Marie (Dee) Burguieres passed away peacefully on January20, 2026, at Our Ladyofthe Lake Hospital, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was born in NewOrleans on February 11, 1943. She was preceded in death by her parents, Jules M. Burguieres and Elodie BergeronBurguieres. She was also preceded in death by her five sisters, Barbara Mire (Edward), Dolores McCurley LeBlanc (C.J.), Patricia Fernandez (Arthur), Josie Moreau (John), PeggyBaudoin (Waldo), and her dear friend,Nancy Trenor.She is survivedbyher sister, GailCambre (Ronald)and many nieces and nephews who lovedher.

Mary CatherineJohn Gurtner,90, died Friday, January 23, 2026. Mary Catherine wasa native of New Orleansand livedin Albany, Louisianafor the last20years of herlife. She loved spending time with her family, going on cruises with herhusband and making tripstothe casino. Sheisproceeded in death by herhusband of 47 years Ronald Gurtner, par‐ents, Mary Arrigo, and Charles John, sister Patri‐cia John, daughter-in-law, Jaime,Hadley, andgrand‐son,AdamHall. Sheissur‐vived by hertwo children, MelvinHadleyJr. and DeniseHall, grandkids Larry Hall,AmandaDaigle (Randy) CatherineDucote (Justin)and greatgrand‐kids Logan, Kylie, Khloe,

KennethA.HarrisSr. was born in NewOrleans, Louisiana on May15, 1958 toGertrudeGlodd Harris and NolanHarrisJr. At an early ageKenneth was baptizedatTrueLoveBap‐tistChurch.Hespent his highschoolyears at War‐ren Easton as astarfoot‐ballplayerand amember ofthe band,going on to graduatein1977. Post graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army where he served hiscoun‐try untilbeing honorably discharged. He wouldgo ontoenrollatMoler BeautyCollege andre‐ceiveda certification as a Barberand Cosmetologist. HeworkedatLakeForest Plaza in security andlater atRegionalTransit Author‐ity as abus driver.One of Kenneth's greatest pas‐sions wasmusic,withJazz being hisfavoritegenre.He moved to Pass Christian, Mississippi to live on his grandmother,Sadie’s, propertywhere he enjoyed fishing, cookingand mas‐teringthe grill. Despite life’schallenges, he held a strongwilland desire to overcomewhich kept him until he passedpeacefully inhis home on January15, 2026. Kennethispreceded indeath by hisfather Nolan Harris Jr., hisgrand‐fatherNolan Harris Sr his grandmother SadieWash‐ingtonHarris, hisnephew NicholasGoodenand his beloved daughter Kendra M.Harris. He leaves to cherish hismemories: his devoted mother Gertrude Glodd Harris,his threechil‐dren- KennethHarrisJr, Kirstie andErinHarris. Five grandchildren Kennisha Kennietta,Roshon, Taniyah Harris& Jace Perkins. One great-grandsonKayden Harris. He wasalsoa fa‐ther figure to many.Two sisters Cynthia(&John) LeCour, Antoinette (& Wayne)Gooden. One brother NolanHarris(&Al‐isha) Harris.Fivenephews Jude, NolanIV, Lawrence Ashtonand Chad.Three niecesShondreka Chrishelle,and Enjoli Manygreat nieces and nephews,a host of cousins hehad adeep connection withand many life-long friends.His love andcom‐passion spanneddecades and spread to allheknew. Hehad anicknamefor everyoneand hispersonal‐ity wascontagious. Ken would always say"It ain't easybeing me”… but whathedidn’tknowwas thatitwas easy to love him just theway he was. He fought agood fightand

Shalonda M. Herring was born on January31, 1972, andtransitionedon January 15, 2026, at theage of53. Shewas preceded in death by herfather, Harold J.MitchellSr.,and herhus‐band, AnthonyCharles Herring Sr.She leaves to cherish herlovingmemo‐riesher mother,Cheryl Marchand; herchildren, Anthony,Alexise,Autumn, and Austin Herring; grand‐children: Jhamier, Amarie, and Jayden Brown, Kallie Genola; siblings:Harold, Rachel(Jason),and Shan‐non (the late Jerry).She is alsosurvivedbyher grand‐mother, Florence Mer‐cadel;uncles: Lionel, Kevin,Michael,and Keith, aunts: Sheila,Dionne,and Terrell; as well as ahostof other aunts, uncles,nieces, nephews,cousins,other relatives,and friends. Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend the CelebrationofLifeSer‐viceonFriday, January30, 2026, for10:00 a.m. at The BoydFamilyFuneral Home 5001 Chef MenteurHwy., New Orleans, LA 70126. Vis‐itation will beginat9:00 a.m.PastorBennieScott officiating. Intermentwill followatStLouis Cemetery #3, 3421 EsplanadeAve New Orleans, LA 70119 Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin D.BoydOwners/FuneralDi‐rectors

Howard,Mildred L. With sadnessweshare the passingofMildredL Howard, on January15, 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences.

to your inbox.

Fr.VictorEmmanuel Laroche,O.P., abeloved priest, brother, andfriend, diedsuddenlyonFriday, January 23, 2026.His pass‐ing leaves aprofound void inthe hearts of allwho knewand lovedhim,and in the many communities he faithfullyservedthrough‐out hislife. Fr.Victorwas bornonMarch 30, 1959,in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Mrs.Anne-Marie Alise Dorsinville Larocheand Dr PanestekerLaroche.From anearly age, hislifere‐flecteda deep love for learning, service, andfaith Hepursued hiseducation withpassion andpurpose, earning aBachelorofSci‐enceinAgronomyfromthe State University of Haiti; a DEAEinEpidemiology from the ÉcoleNationale Vétéri‐naire d’Alfort in Paris, France; aMasterofArtsin ComputerEducation and Human Resourcesfrom Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida; anda Mas‐ter of Divinity from Aquinas Institutein St Louis,Missouri. Answering God’s call to religiouslife, Fr. Victor wasordaineda priestinthe Orderof Preachers (Dominicans) on May 30,2002. From themo‐mentofhis ordination,his priesthood wasmarkedby humility, generosity,and unwavering dedication to the People of God. Fr Vic‐tor served in awiderange ofministries, including hospitalchaplaincyinSt. Louis,Missouri, andMem‐phis, Tennessee, where his gentlepresencebrought comfort to thesick, the suffering,and theirfami‐lies. Upon hisarrival in the Archdiocese of NewOr‐leans,heservedassocius tothe provincial and as chaplainatXavierUniver‐sityofLouisiana.Healso ministeredpart-time with Food forthe Poor,reflect‐ing hislifelongcommit‐menttothose most in need.Hewillberemem‐bered as aman of greatin‐tegrity,deep compassion and quietstrength. Fr.Vic‐tor’s kindness extended far beyondhis assigned min‐istries.Hewas always ready to assist fellow priests,celebrate Mass whereverneeded,and care for parishioners with pa‐tienceand love.Withinhis Dominican community,his lifewas oneoffaithfulser‐vicetohis brothers andall those around him. Hisded‐ication to theChurch, to the poor,tohis Dominican family, andtothe People of God neverwavered.Fr. Vic‐tor is survived by his brothers, Paul Larocheand Dr. Vladimir Laroche of Miami,Florida;his loving sisters,ClaireLucienne Michaud of Miami, Florida, and Panell CharlotofHous‐ton,Texas;along with manynieces, nephews, cousins,extendedfamily members,and countless friends from everychapter ofhis life wholoved him dearlyand will forever cherish hismemory. Ser‐vices in celebrationofFr. Victor’slifeand faith are scheduled as follows: Wednesday,January 28 –Vigil Service, 1:00–3:00 p.m at Xavier University; Thursday, January29–Rosary, 7:00 p.m.,atSt. An‐thony of PaduaCatholic Church, NewOrleans;Fri‐day,January 30 –Massof Christian Burial,10:00 a.m. atSt. AnthonyofPadua Catholic Church.Burialwill followatRosaryville Do‐minican Cemetery in Pon‐chatoula, Louisiana. Fr.Vic‐tor EmmanuelLaroche lived alifepouredout in loveand service. Though hehas been called home his legacy of faith,com‐passion,and selflessdevo‐tionwillcontinuetoinspire all who were blessed to knowhim.Arrangements byJacob Schoen &Son Fu‐neral Home.Condolences may be left at www. schoenfh.com.

Lewis, JocelynMetoyer

JocelynMetoyer Lewis, age 91, enteredeternal rest onThursday,January 15, 2026. Born November 8, 1934 in NewOrleans,LA,

shewas thedaughterof the late John Lucien Metoyer Sr.and Catherine Clay. Jocelynattended Booker T. Washington High School.Throughouther life, shewas employed by Claiborne Towers,the Mar‐ianites of Holy Cross, the 1984 World’sFairand the Louisiana Superdome. In addition to herparents,Jo‐celyn is also preceded in death by herbeloved hus‐band, Theodore O’Connor, ex-husband,Peter Lewis, Sr; children,Peter Lewis, Jr.,Deborah Parks, Gayle Lewis andPaulette Ross, aswellas five siblings.She leavestocherish hermem‐ory,children, Cynthia Goodmon, Ronald,Carl, Terry,Cheryl, Dwayne and GeraldLewis (Givanni); sis‐ter,Priscilla Metoyer; twentytwo grandchildren, twentyseven great-grand‐children, sevengreat-great grandchildren,a God‐daughter, ahost of nieces nephews,other relatives and friends. ACelebration service honoring thelife and legacy of thelateJoce‐lyn MetoyerLewis,willbe heldatNew Home Family Worship Center,13800 Hayne Blvd New Orleans, LA70128 on Friday,January 30, 2026 at 10 am Inter‐mentProvidenceMemorial Park, 8200 AirlineDrive, Metairie, LA 70003. Visita‐tion9 am in thechurch Repasttofollowat Chateau Menteur, 8726 ChefMenteur Highway, New Orleans, LA 70127 Pleasesignonlineguest‐book at www.charbonnetf uneralhome.com. Charbon‐net Labat Glapion, Direc‐tors(504)581 4411.

George Sclafani Lovec‐chioSr.,passedawayon Friday, January23, 2026, surrounded by hisfamily. Hewas adevoted hus‐band, alovingand steady father, aproud grandfather and great-grandfather, and a cherishedbrother,uncle and friend.Georgewas borninNew Orleansand retired to Covingtoninhis later years. As agraduate ofSt. Aloysius anda for‐mer seminarian,George was afamilyman through and through. He cared deeply forhis people,his neighborhood,and doing right by both.Healsobe‐lievedinbeing practical and saving everypenny sometimes twice. If there was asensibleway to fix something or make it last longer, George alreadyhad a waythatdidn’tneed muchexplaining. Along‐sidehis father andbroth‐ers,Georgehelpedbuild and operatethe family’s grocery stores in New Or‐leans andKennerand later his well-knowndeliinJef‐fersonParish. He took pride in hisworkasa butcher andgrocer. What began as afamilybusiness becameneighborhood sta‐plesthatservedgenera‐tions of families.Through longhours,familiarfaces and genuinecarefor cus‐tomers, theLovecchio fam‐ily businessesweremore thanplacestoshoporeat; theyweregathering spots built on trust, consistency, and treating people like family. George wasprede‐ceasedbyhis wife,Carolyn SingletaryLovecchio and his parents, Salvatore Lovecchio andAngelina SclafaniLovecchio andsur‐vived by hisbrothers, Frank andSalvatore.Heis survivedbyhis children, Salvatore G. (Karen), GeorgeS.(Cindy),and Michelle “Missy” Montal‐bano; hisgrandchildren, George, Anthony, Ryan, Mia,Brittany, Lauren,and Amber;and hisgreatgrandchildren.Heisalso survivedbymanynieces, nephews,and extended familywho lovedhim dearly. Aman of faith Georgecarried hisCatholic beliefs quietlyand steadily throughouthis life,guided byprayer, humility,and de‐votiontofamily. He leaves behinda legacy of love, tradition,and persever‐ance, andhis family takes comfort in knowinghehas been welcomed home in peace.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend theCatholic FuneralMassatSt. Rita Catholic Church,2729 Low‐erlineStreet,New Orleans, LA. 70125 on Monday,Feb‐ruary 2, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Visitationat thechurch on Mondayafter 11:00a.m until funeraltime. Inter‐mentwillfollowin LakelawnMetairieCeme‐tery. Please visitwww.hon akerforestlawn.comtosign

Lundy, BettyJean Thomas 'Sister'

Betty "Sister" Jean ThomasLundy, abeloved memberofour family, peacefullypassedawayat her home on Saturday,Jan‐uary17, 2026, after are‐markable86years of life BornonAugust15, 1939 in Simmesport, LA,she was the cherisheddaughterof the late Williamand OllieS Thomas. From ayoung age, Betty embraced herfaith and wasbaptizedatPil‐grimRestBaptist Church later becoming adevoted memberofSt. PeterClaver Catholic Church in NewOr‐leans,LA. Herearly life was spentinSimmesport, LA, where sheattended PaulLawrenceDunbar HighSchool,excelling in both, academicsand bas‐ketball.In1959, sheem‐barkedona newchapter in her life by moving to New Orleans to pursue herpas‐sionfor nursing at Charity School of Nursing. Herded‐ication andhardworkled her to become aLicensed Practical Nurseand she dedicated hercareer to caringfor patients at Sara Mayoand Tulane De Paul Hospitals.After afulfilling career,Betty retiredwith pride.Mrs.Lundywas a compassionate foster par‐ent,providing aloving hometochildreninneed through theDepartmentof Childrenand Family Ser‐vices of GreaterNew Or‐leans.In1958 shewas joinedinHolyMatrimony toJames CharlesLundy and together they blessed the worldwiththree beau‐tiful daughters, Angela (Robert)Romance,Donna Lundyand JanetLundy.In addition to herdaughters Betty is also survived by her siblings,Debra K. Wright(Ronald)and Major Thomas(Lona); grandchil‐dren, ShawnLundy(Gwen), RobertRomance,III (LaKeisha)and JaredRo‐mance;great-grandchil‐dren, AshantiLundy, Tyler Romance andTyrellGreen; Betty’s legacy extendsbe‐yondher immediatefamily, asshe leaves behind a hostofnieces, nephews, a lifelongand devoted friend, Miriam Lytle, who willforever miss her, along withother relativesand friends.Wewillall cherish her memory andthe im‐pactshe hadonour lives. In addition to herparents Betty is also preceded in death by five othersib‐lings,Doris Dean Thomas, AudreyJuanita West, WilliamDouglas,Harold Nelsonand CharlieRay Thomas. AMassofChrist‐ian burial honoring thelife and legacy of thelate Betty "Sister" Jean Thomas LundywillbeheldatSt. Peter Claver Catholic Church,1923 St.Philip Street,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Saturday,January 31, 2026 at 10 am.Inter‐mentMount Olivet Ceme‐tery, 2050 CatonStreet New Orleans, LA 70122. Vis‐itation 9aminthe church Repastwillfollowinter‐mentatSt. PeterClaver Cafeteria, 1020 N. Prieur Street,New Orleans, LA 70116. Please sign online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504) 581-4411

DorothyMae Broomfield Lyons wascalledhometo her Heavenly Father on Sunday, January18, 2026, atthe blessedage of 89 She wasborninNew Or‐leans,LAonSeptember 19 1936 to EmilyThompson and LouisBroomfield. She was thebeloved wife of RooseveltLyons Jr.; loving motherofMarlene Marie Lyons Perrault (David)and CarlJosephLyons (Joyce); and cherishedgrand‐mother, “Maw-Maw", to Dr AmandaPerraultCarter (Christopher),Kristy, Kia, AlexisLyons,and heronly grandson, DavidMichael PerraultII, whomshe af‐fectionatelycalled“the King”.Adoredgreat-grand‐mothertoBrooklynn Nicole, Gage Michaeland Rowan Renell Carter, Kaden TerrellRelaford,Levi Michael Lyons, KoaMarie Porter. Sheisalsosurvived byher last living sibling, Emily Nedd Franklin,whom Dorothy lovingly called “Sister". Dorothyworkedat D.H.Holmesand laterat Dillard’s in Lakeside Mall for more than 50 years, where everyone knew her name. Independent, wellknown, andwell-loved, she was ano-nonsense hard workerwho didnot take anyfoolishness".A gifted homemaker,Dorothy kept a pristine home with an eye fordesignthatfelt worthyofamagazine spread. Shewas aloving wife, mother,sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor,and church member.She en‐joyed home decorating creatingceramics, garden‐ing,and putting herselfto‐getherwitha fashionable style andsharp attention todetail. Dorothywas also anexcellent cook anda talentedbaker,known es‐peciallyfor herdecadent cheesecakes that became a favorite throughout Bap‐tistchurchcircles.Dorothy was afaithfulmemberof St. Mark’s Fourth Baptist Church of NewOrleans,LA, for 46 years, servingasan usher with Hospitality Usher Board#2. She warmlygreeted members and visiting friendswith careand kindness. Rela‐tives andfriends arein‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life honoring Dorothy MaeBroomfield Lyons at St.Mark’sFourth Baptist Church,2130 Per‐didoSt.,New Orleans, LA 70112 on Saturday,January 31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visi‐tationwillat9:00a.m.Offi‐ciating Pastor:Rev.Dr. RobertTurnerSr. Inter‐ment: Mount Olivet Ceme‐tery, 4000 Norman Mayer Ave NewOrleans,LA. Pleasesignthe online guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com. Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.

Antoinette Marchese passedawayonJanuary 20, 2026, at theage of 59. Antoinette wasbornin NewOrleans andresided in Destrehan, Louisiana, for thepast20years.Sur‐

del, KayneMayers, and KendallMayers. Sheisalso survived by hermother Evelyn Sciambra,and sib‐lings, Jodi Balestra andGia Dermodyaswellasa host of nieces andnephews Shewas preceded in death by herfather, Andrew Sci‐ambra, herbrother,Dino Sciambra,and hersister LisaCoulonge. Relatives andfriends areinvited to attend aFuneral Mass on Friday,January 30th, 2026. Theservice will be held at Garden of Memories Fu‐neralHomeand Cemetery4900 AirlineDrive,Metairie, LA 70001. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 2p.m Proceedingmassat2 p.m. please visit: www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.comTo offercondolences to the family,send flowersor planta tree in memory of Antoinette

Esther MaeMcMillan, transitioned to herheav‐enly home on January19, 2026. Aproud daughter of NewOrleans,Estherwas born to DavidMixon and OraMorad.Froma young age, shewas adedicated and"honest student, eventually servingasher classValedictorian.She carriedthispassion fored‐ucationtoDillard Univer‐sity,where shegraduated andbecamea proudmem‐berofAlphaKappa Alpha Sorority,Incorporated. Es‐ther dedicatedher career to thewell-beingofher community.Startingasa fieldsocialworkerand ris‐ingtothe rank of Supervi‐sorfor theLouisiana State WelfareDepartment, she wasknown as awell-spo‐ken, even-tempered, and deeply compassionate leader.Her colleagues and "Arlene, ParisState work‐ers" remember herasa gentle soul whotruly lived by theGoldenRule: "Do untoothersasyou would have them do untoyou." At age28, Esther marriedthe late Calvin McMillan.To‐gether,theyshareda beautiful life andone son, BrianDavid McMillan.Af‐fectionately knownas "Mae"or"GranMae,"she wasthe supportive heart of herfamily. Sheissur‐vivedbyher devotedson Brian; herbeloved sister, Ruby MixonGarrison; and a host of cherishedgrand‐children,nieces, nephews, andfriends.She waspre‐cededindeath by herpar‐ents andher threebroth‐ers. Allrelatives,friends andstate workersare in‐vitedtothe Homegoing Servicehonoringthe full andpeaceful life of Mrs. Esther MaeMcMillaninthe Chapel of RosesatChar‐bonnet FuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipSt.,New Orleans, LA 70116 on Friday,January 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Visi‐tation at 9:00 a.m. Inter‐ment:ProvidenceMemor‐ialParkCemetery, 8200 Air‐line Dr Metairie,LA70003. Please sign theonline guestbook at www.cha rbonnetfuneralhome.com.

Charbonnet LabatGlapion Directors(504) 581-4411.

Polk,Valerie Butler

ValerieButlerPolktran‐sitionedpeacefully sur‐rounded by herhusband and lovedonesonSatur‐day,January 17, 2026, at the ageof64. Shewas raisedinthe historic Treme neighborhood andat‐tendedJosephS.Clark Se‐niorHighSchool,where she developeda love for her community andlife‐longfriendships.She was the daughter of thelate Geraldine Morris andthe beloved stepdaughter of the late Herman Morris Beloved wife of John “June Polk. Jr.Lovingmotherof JonellM.Cheri Singletonof San Diego, California and the late Gregory“Rico”A Butler. Proudgrandmother of5,ToreyeneCheri,Tierra Jackson,KingBalentine, EnvyMatherand Ke’Juan Butler. Cherishedsisterof Ventrissand Terry Butler Cecile Morris, thelate Avonie, thelateBrian and the late Hermalee Morris. Aunt of Lucretia and ChantellButler, Anthony Bassett, Jr., Keyanna, Shawn andCoreyyion Mor‐ris.Daughter-in-Law of Au‐dreyPolkand sister-in-law ofLynette (Willie) Aper‐white.Devoted friend of EvangelistSherleen Cooper, StephanieCarey and WandaRivers. Devoted cousinofCourtney(David) Polk. Also survived by a hostofother cousins, rela‐tives andfriends.Family and friends, thestaff of First StudentBus Com‐pany, Regional TransitAu‐thority andCompassus are invited to attend the Homegoing Celebrationin the Chapel of Rosesat CharbonnetFuneralHome, 1615 St.PhilipSt, NewOr‐leans,LA70116 on Satur‐day,January 31, 2026 at 1:00p.m.Visitation: 12:00 p.m.Interment Private. Pleasesignthe online guestbook at wwwchar‐bonnetfuneralhome.com Charbonnet LabatGlapion, Directors (504) 581-4411.

OUR VIEWS

As mercury drops, take necessary precautionsto protectyourself

Frigid temperatures and WinterStorm Fern have wrought havoc across ourstate in thepast several days, forcing power outages and road closures andleading to severaldeaths. North and central Louisianagot hit hardover the weekend and into Monday,withtemperaturesand wind chills reaching as lowas15degrees in some areas. And with temperatures this weekend predicted to dip even lower, we join with Gov. Jeff Landry and other state leaders in urging our fellow Louisianans to takethe cold weather seriously and take everynecessary precaution. Much like the familiar hurricane prep, cold weather measures can help minimize discomfort and even save alife. Many of thosetipsare listed at getagameplan.org, thestate’shelpful site for weatherpreparedness.

At the top of the lististoensure you arewell suppliedwithfood, waterand medicines.And if you have medical equipment or other critical devices that requires power,makesure you have abackup source of electricity. And if there’ssnow or ice, please stayoff the roads if at all possible.

In the case of aloss of power,take carewhen operating agenerator.Portable generators should only be powered on when theyare more than 20 feet from an inhabited building.The generators can be lifesavers, but theyalso release carbon monoxide, acolorless, odorless gas that, if it reaches sufficientconcentration, cankill, as happened thispast week to aDeSoto Parish manwho died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Similar adviceholds for space heaters, which can be fire hazards if placed too close to walls or other combustible materials. If youare using aspace heater,please make sure it has3 feet of space on every side andalso has atip-switch that shuts it off if it fallsover.

And once you have made all your preparations for the cold, we urge everyonetocheck on your relatives and neighbors,especially theelderly or infirm. Cold weather may not seem as threatening as hurricanes, torrential rainsortornadoes,all weather phenomena with which we areall too familiar.But it stillmust betaken seriously The pastweek’sweather has beenblamedfor deaths in Louisiana from hypothermia,acar crashand othercauses

That’swhy we hope that Louisianans will heed these warnings and reachout if help is needed State and local officialshaveopened dozens of warming shelters aroundthe state.These are essential resources in place for residents if needed.

Cold weather,ice and snow giveusopportunities to do things we normally do not do:Build snowmen, walkthrough winter-wonderland landscapes or gazeatice-covered ponds.But when it comes to safety,weknowweinthe Bayou State candowhat we do best —carefor eachother

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

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OPINION

YOUR VIEWS

InLa.,medical care forelderly focusesonprofit,not patients

Imoved to Louisiana several months ago withamedical condition thatwas managed very well in Washington state. Aftermoving to Louisiana, Ihave had nothing but problemsreceiving proper treatment.

In Seattle,about 10 doctors managed my care (majorback issues) and determinedmedication was best solution for my age (74) not procedures. The quality of life was priority,not procedures (surgery).

To me,the doctors here know that prescribing medication makes themno money while procedures do. Anyone can research pain management for the elderly,sometimes medication is the best option and monitored properly.Speaking to other elderly patients, it appears in this state thatdoctors are OKwiththe elderly suffering for the remaining time

theyhave on Earthratherthan prescribing pain medication.

“God forbid the elderlyget addicted for their last days, weeks, months or ayear or two. They suffered like hell every day and night,but they werenot addicted. We (doctors) did good.Additionally we don’thave thestate government on our behinds goingafter our license. Patientssuffer,but we (doctors) are OK.”

The state law getting between doctors and patientsneeds clarification. The quality of life remainingshould be priority. One additional note: Procedures cost patientsmore money compared to medication. Iknow other peopleare dealing with this issue —parents and grandparents across thestate.

MICHAEL DUFF NewOrleans

refineries seemscraven

The jury is not still out on Venezuelan oil. The U.S. attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of its president and his wife were ablatant violation of international law.Assuch, it is also aviolation of the U.S.Constitution, which commits us to adhere to international law.Itisshocking to see the newspaper celebrating what is, in reality, stealing.You arepraising the possibilityofLouisiana oil refineries benefiting from stolen oil! Have we really gotten so low?

Your newspaper needs to denounce theTrumpadministration for violat-

ing the Constitution’swar powers clause that gives Congress, and only Congress, theabilitytodeclare war. It should be announced as aviolation of theUnited Nations charter,ofwhich we were aprominent author and promoter,which declares aggression a violation of international law.Have we really becomeatotally lawless nation? Oh,right. That’sexactly what we did in Iraq. Didn’tPresident Donald Trumpdenounce that war?

JEANNE M. WOODS professor emerita. Loyola University CollegeofLaw

Ijust had to finally let you know: Ilove me some comics. “Frank and Ernest,” “For Better or Worse,” “Doonesbury,” “Curtis,” “Baby Blues” and all the rest you enrich me with.Every morning, you bring my dearest friends to regale me withtheir musings of the day.I am so pleased to join my funniest and so insightful, comical buddies for breakfast Iread themall. If Ihave learned anything about humans, Ihave learned it from them.

Good times, small triumphs and life’s constant small obstacles are there to ponder,smile or just nod my head in recognition. There is beauty,truth anda loving acceptance of allthatlife brings us captured in the comics. So again, Isay thank youfor bringing me the absolutely best friends any man (atany age) could ask for. HUBERT SMITH Kenner

GreenlandgrabhighlightsJeffLandry’shypocrisy

Perhaps Gov.Jeff Landryshould hang acopy of Louisiana’sTen Commandmentsposter in his office. He could thenponder the Eighth Commandment,inparticular,which speaks

to his role in Donald Trump’sschemeto seize Greenland. Thou shalt not steal.

DAVID HAUG St. Rose

Acadian immigrants knew sting of discrimination

My maternal grandparents were Cajun.

Letter writer Morgan Landry’s argument is not clarification. It is sentimentality masquerading as judgment. Landry celebrates Cajuns as having been “welcomed with open arms,” then weaponizes that romance to imply today’simmigrants are less lawful, less deserving, less human. That movecollapses under law and history Start with the law Landry sidesteps. Congress could not be clearer: Anoncitizen whoisphysically present or whoarrives may apply for asylum whether or not at adesignated port of entry and regardless of status. That is black-letter law,not avibe.

Nowtothe history Landry airbrushes. Spanish Louisiana did not “welcome” Acadians out of benevolence. The Crownneeded settlers to secure territory and blunt British power,soitrelocated Acadians and subsidized them with land, tools, livestock and rations. That wasutility,not virtue. The irony is rich. Landry praises open arms in the past while demanding aclenched fist today,asifsuffering becomes respectable only after centuries of genealogy Louisiana’srecord of “welcome” is anything but tender.After NewOrleans Police Chief David Hennessy’s killing, Mayor Joseph A. Shakspeare publicly vilified Italians as criminal and filthy,stoking hysteria that culminated in 1891 when amob lynched 11 Italian immigrants at the Orleans Parish Prison, the largest mass lynching in American history Cajuns themselves weretargets of American nativism.InRoach v. Dresser Industries, the plaintiff sued because he was Cajun, and the federal court held that Cajuns constitute aprotected class based on ethnic and national origin. And here’sthe part that does not fither narrative: The suit wasbrought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. History is not apermission slip for cruelty.Itisawarning.

BARRYRANSHI NewOrleans

Scaliseshouldshowhis grace, cool rhetoric on Minn.killing

Some news events are so tragic that they require avery humane response rather than partisan talking points.

TwoofLouisiana’smostprominent delegates to Congress had markedly different reactions last weekend to federal agents’ inexcusable killing of video protester Alex Prettiin Minnesota. Sen.Bill Cassidy’s humane response was much, much better than the ultra-partisan rhetoric of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Scalise is awonderful congressman, deservedly popular withhis constituents —but in this circumstance, requiring balancedand unifying leadership, he whiffed.

mode against Democratic officials in the state, and then againstlocal protesters. Then he made aclaim, which he repeated four more times, that ICE has arrested 416,000 criminals in the last year,with him insisting thelast three times that these were 416,000 “violent,criminal” immigrants.

On CBS’ “Face the Nation,”host Margaret Brennan began an interview with Scalise by putting on screenCassidy’sstatement about the Minnesota situation: “The eventsin Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing. The credibility of ICEand DHS are at stake. There must be afull joint federal and state investigation. We can trust the American people with the truth.” Every word of Cassidy’sstatement (except for conflating Border Patrol with ICE) was on target.And with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleging, 100% dishonestly,that Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” and withBorder Patrol commander Gregory Bovino mendaciously saying Pretti wanted to “massacre law enforcement,” the department’scredibility is indisputably in free fall.

YetScalise immediately began his answer by defending ICE’scredibility and then, after an anodyne expression of “feel[ing] sorry about what happened in Minneapolis,” he immediately went into partisan attack

(As an aside, Scaliseseems to be making acommon misstatement, conflating “violent”detainees with the number with any criminal record at all.

TheNew York Times reports that only 7% of ICE’sdetainees, or less than 40,000, have violent convictions on their record.It’salso worthnoting that about half of all ICE“arrests” involve people already in jails,but who ICE just moves into the deportation queue —soit’snot like ICE is emptying them from terrorized city streets.

Most importantly,Scalise again and again blamed all therecent conflagrations on the “failed leaders” in Minnesota, yet could find only three short phrases to “lament what happened” with the killings. Still, it was all the local leaders’ faults for “ratcheting up the rhetoric.”

Scalise is right about the locals’ bad rhetoric, but he offered not aword of heartfelt sympathy for Pretti. Not a single suggestion that Noem, Bovino, President Donald Trump and top aide Stephen Miller tone down their rhetoric falsely accusing dead people of being “domestic terrorists” and “assassins.”

Not asingle suggestion that anything the federal agents have done is wrong, notwithstanding thedozens of videos showing agents acting abusively We’ve all seen them: The young woman with arms at her side offering

zero physical threat to oneICE agent, pepper-sprayed directly in her face by another.The man already pinned helplessonthe ground by two agents, gratuitously sprayed by another.The nonviolent preacher shot from above with apepper ball. The disabled U.S. citizen dragged viciously from her car,then mistreated for hours, despiteexplaining shewas on the way to her doctor Andsosickeningly on, and on, and on. It is not just possible but quiteeasy to supportthe mission of removing illegal immigrants, strongly oppose sanctuary cities and vociferously urge harsh penalties for “protesters” who endanger innocents, yet still recognizethat DHStactics and the actual practices by many agents are procedurally improper,needlessly aggressive bordering on brutal, illegal or actually unconstitutional and, often, outlandishly dangerous. Meanwhile, not asingle agent last Saturday had reason to believe Pretti posed any threat at allbefore at least sixofthem pepper sprayed him (for running to aidawoman the agents had assaulted), pushed him roughly to theground, and literally began pummeling his head withametal canister, all before they even had aclue he had aholstered gun on his back hip. Surely anational leader should be able to spare afew words of sympathyand acall for ICE to deescalate and for Noem to stop lying. With the nation on edge, it’stime for restraint and human feeling, not for partisan talking points. Scalisehas shown in the past he can act with grace and dignity.This time, he didn’t. Congressand thenation need him to rediscover his better angels.

Why Donald Trump is failing

Donald Trumphas called 2025 “the greatest first year” of any president, but amajority of Americans strongly disagree: In the latest CNNpoll, 58% describe that year as a“failure.”

To hardcore MAGAloyalists, the president can do no wrong. But rabid Red Hats account foronly about 35% of Americans. And since Trumpreceived almost 50% of the popular vote, that meansabout 15% of his backers were not true believers, and they are the ones whoare slipping away

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Does Americahavethe resolve to deport illegalbordercrossers?

The United States experienced amass incursion of illegal border crossersinthe years 2021 to 2025. Estimates vary,but in that period at least 9million people entered the U.S. illegally.Rather than turn them back, former President Joe Biden allowed most to stay,with little or no vetting. Administration officials denied that there was aproblem, periodically declaring the border “closed” when in fact 200,000 to 300,000were crossing illegally each month. When officials conceded that there was aproblem, Democrats argued that only sweeping immigration legislation would solve it.

Of course,all that changed with the election of President Donald Trump. Without any new legislation, the new administration cut border incursions to nearly zero. But the question remained: What about the 9million or more who had recently entered the U.S. illegally? Would the Trump administration allowthem to remain in the country?

are here illegally and have committed crimes,” while 54% support“deporting allimmigrants whoare hereillegally.” Going back to January2025, an Ipsos/Axios poll found that 66% supported “deporting immigrants who are in the country illegally.”

federal immigration enforcement, for alot of the problems in Minneapolis. “What we see all over the country saveafew sanctuary cities like Minneapolis,iswesee cooperation and support,” Blanchesaid.

Byron York Quin Hillyer

That is the question at the heart of the current rebellion against federal authority in Minneapolis. Yes, some Trump administration officials have explained that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents are simply goingafter “the worst of the worst.”

But what about the illegal border crosserswho have notcommitted any additional crimes since entering the United States? Many polls have shown that majorities support deportingthem, too.

ANew York Times/Siena poll in September 2025 found that 54% strongly or somewhat support “deporting immigrants living in the United States illegally back to their home countries.” AHarvard-Harris poll in December 2025 asked the question two ways. It found that 80% support “deporting immigrantswho

The questionwas made urgent by the madinflux of the Biden years. Illegalborder crossers moved into U.S. cities, straining resources, budgets andcommunities’ ability to deal with them, both financially and socially.The flood of migrants also raised afundamentalquestions of justice: Should people who enter the United States illegally be given legal status? All of them? Andwhat about people who went through the time-consuming processto come tothe United States legally?

Thereare immigration activists in this country whowould answer those questions: Yes, yes and too bad. They are tirelessly working to liberalize every immigration law they can. Any administrationthatseekstodeport large numbers of illegal immigrants must contend with them.

Speaking about Minneapolis, the writer Mickey Kaus said, “The local protesters do not want the illegals deported, period. Even if theICE force was incredibly well trained, wore white gloves, and followed WaldorfAstoriarules of etiquette, if they are effective, local dissenterswill press forward with resistance until it produces confrontations and some violence. That’s the way it worked in the antiwar movement Iwas apart of ...”

Thatiscertainly theway it is working in Minneapolis. The question for immigrationactivists is whether they can set off similar struggles around the country.On“Meet the Press” Sunday,deputyattorney general Todd Blanche blamed sanctuary jurisdictions,inwhich Democratic local and state governments forbid local law enforcement from cooperating with

“Wedeport 10 times the number of illegal aliens out of Texas than we do out of Minneapolis. Why do we hear nothing out of Texas about any of the same problems that we have in Minneapolis?I’ll tell you why.Because in Texas,wehave thecooperation and supportoflocal law enforcement so that we can do these operationssafely,keeping U.S. citizens and others protected and safe. That is not what we have in Minneapolis.”

Onekey question now is: Can the forces resisting federal law enforcement in Minneapolis nationalizethe struggle? Boosted by thefuror over immigration enforcement personnel’skillings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, plus theagency’sgeneral reputation for heavy-handedness,the resistance has made huge progress. President Trumphas expressed unhappinesswitheventsand is acting in response to the voices from his own side telling him to toneICE down. Still, keep in mind the activists’ goal. They don’twant ICE to deport illegal immigrantsinasafe, smooth and efficient way.They want to stop the deportations. Andafter themass illegal crossings of the Biden years, that is the compelling issue: Will theU.S. end up allowing the illegal crossers to stay?Doing so will create an enormous incentive for future illegal crossers.

Andthen, what is to stop another mass incursion thenext time aDemocratic president, under pressure from his party’s activist groups, opens the border again?

Email Byron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

The single biggest reason Trump wonasecond term was economic discontent with the Biden administration, and it’sthe single biggest reason so manyvoters are now disillusioned. In the CNNsurvey,55% say Trump’spolicies have actually madethings worse and almost two-thirds say he has not done enough to reduce their cost of living. Even among Republicans, reports the AP only 16% say Trumphas helped “a lot” in making things moreaffordable.

That’sanold story.Two new developments are also eroding Trump’ssupport, and the first is immigration —traditionally one of his strongest issues. Since he first entered politics, Trumphas madefear of foreigners amajor rallying cry “Build the wall!” “Send them home!” —and in the last campaign, his ads were filled with scary images of unknown, undocumented migrants swarming across the southern border

They were“others”: easy to demonize and dehumanize. They had no voice and no identity,and Trumpand his media managers could control what voters knew and felt about them.

Once in office, Trumpdoubled down, promoting and publicizing ICEraids around the country, sure they could help him politically.“It wasa show,atheatrical operation,” writes columnist Kate Andrewsinthe Washington Post, “almost certainly designed to attract as much attention as possible.”

But Trumpmiscalculated, and his show backfired. The ICEagents were not patrolling the border anymore, but the streets of American cities. In theirmilitary gear,wearing masks andbrandishingweapons, they looked menacing, not reassuring. Their targets were not faceless hordes but real people with jobs and families, friends and neighbors.

“We’veseen aslow dripping downwardofconfidenceinICE [and] the person running it, and then Minneapolis happens,” said TimMalloy,apolling analyst with Quinnipiac.

What happened wasthe shooting, on aresidential Minneapolis street, of Renee Nicole Good, a White 37-year-old mother of three. Just seconds before her death, cellphone videos captured her smiling at an ICEagent approaching her car and saying, “I’m not mad at you.”

The administration tried to brand her as adomestic terrorist whohad caused her own demise by driving at the agent. But the videos —seen by morethan 80% of Americans —told adifferent story

Good simply did not look like aterrorist. Plus, independent newsorganizations analyzed the cellphone footage and concluded that it “contradicted” the official line. Even Joe Rogan, the popular conservative podcaster whoendorsed Trump, denounced ICE’s“Gestapo” tactics and said, “It’s very ugly to watch someone shoot aU.S. citizen, especially awoman, in the face.” Trumphad lost control of the narrative, and public opinion turned against him.InaCBS poll, 61% called ICE’sactions “too tough.” Regarding immigration roundups, 52% said they madethem feel “less safe,” while only 31% felt “more safe.” To 54%, Good’sshooting was“not justified,” while 28% approved.

Trumphas madeasecond, larger miscalculation as well. He barely mentions affordability,discounting it as a“hoax” while kidnapping the Venezuelan president, lusting after the Nobel Peace Prize and demolishing the White House. He seems farmore interested in Greenland —about 1,800 miles north of Maine —than Greenville, North Carolina, or Greenville, Texas, or any of the other 30 or so Greenvilles scattered around the country

As aresult, reports CNN, just 36% —the loyal MAGAbase —now say he has the right priorities, downfrom 45% ayear ago. Only one-third of Americans agree that Trump“cares about people like them,” which is “the worst rating of his political career.”

Things could change before the midterm elections. The economy could improve and the mood could brighten. Democrats could blow their current advantage on immigration and resurrect someform of “defund the police,” one of the most disastrous political slogans ever.But if so many Americans still think of Trumpasa“failure” next November,they will take it out on his party Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail.com

Orleans, LA.entered into his Master’s hand on Sat‐urday,January 24,2026, at the ageof70. He leaves to cherish hismemories, his childrenDeonne Mercadel (Allan),Wayne Boston,and Carlton Coleman. Three grandchildren,Allan Mer‐cadel,Jr.,Ny’LahMercadel, and Nevaeh Mercadel.His siblings, Walter Populis, Jr (AnnieMae), MichaelPop‐ulis(Dianna), and Jill Darensbourg (Carey). One stepbrother,Orlando Pop‐ulist andtwo stepsisters, StaciaPopulistLewis (Wilbert) andShemica Populist(Terrence). His stepmother, SelmaPop‐ulist.Seven aunts, three uncles, andone great uncle.Wayne is also sur‐vived by ahostofnieces, nephews,and otherrela‐tives andfriends.Heispre‐ceded in deathbyhis par‐entsLuverda Favorite Perkins andWalterPopulis, Sr. Andstepfather, Delma Perkins.One sister,Julie Perkins andtwo brothers Calvinand Darren Populis Relatives,friends of the family, also pastors, offi‐cers, andmembers of Greater Mount Carmel Bap‐tistChurch areinvited to attend hisFuneral Service atGreater Mt.CarmelBap‐tistChurch,3721 N. Clai‐borne Ave.,New Orleans, LA. 70117 on Saturday,Jan‐uary31, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Visitationbeginsat8:00 a.m.Interment:Mount OliverMausoleum,4000 NormanMayer Avenue New Orleans, LA.Rev JonathanSmith,Pastor, of‐ficiating. Arrangements by D.W.RhodesFuneral Home 3933 Washington Avenue Pleasevisit www.rhodesf uneral.comtosignthe guestbook

DEATHS continued from Kenner,Louisiana,and was a longtime resident of Chalmette,Louisiana Kevin attended St.Mary Magdalenand OurLadyof DivineProvidence, and graduated from Arch‐bishopRummelHigh School,Class of 2000. He later trainedatthe Chef JohnFolse Culinary Insti‐tuteatNichollsState Uni‐versity.Kevin dedicated over20years of serviceto SouthernRecycling/ EMR, where he wasknownfor his strong work ethicand dedication. He wasa proud memberofthe Bear Creek HuntingCluband Tau Kappa Epsilon(TKE) frater‐nity. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, cooking, traveling, watchingmovies, and most of allentertaining familyand friends. He will berememberedfor his generosity, loyalty, and lovefor thoseclosest to him.Kevin is survived by his devotedwife of six years,Jill Lotz Rayes; his beloved daughter,Joelle Zengarling; hisparents, Clarence“Rance” Rayes and KarenBertoniere Rayes;his brother, Steven Rayes (Rachael); andhis sister-in-law,Julie Bell (Jeff).Hewas aloving uncle to Wyattand Sawyer Rayes,aswellasJeffrey and JacobBell. Kevinalso leavesbehindnumerous aunts, uncles,and cousins including BobbyBertoniere (Susan),MikeBertoniere, Donna Engolia(Stan), Jerry Rayes (Jerri Lynn), M.J. Fontenot(Marsha), Valerie Randazzo(Santoand Jean‐nette), KennyFontenot (Pam),Jeffrey Bertoniere BrittanyBertoniere, Kelly Engolia Hartdegen, Katie Engolia,Ian Rayes, Brienne Rayes DeHarde, Monty Fontenot, Nicole Fontenot, PaulFontenot, Tara Ran‐dazzo,Janel Randazzo,Tia Randazzo, Stephanie Fontenot, Joey Fontenot and ChristinaBurleigh. He was preceded in deathby his grandparents,Clarence Rayes,AltheaRayes,and WarrenBertoniere. Kevinis alsosurvivedbyhis grand‐mother, Louise Cain (Richard),and hisgreat un‐cles, Jeremy Powers and DanielPowers. Relatives and friendsare invitedto attend Kevin’smemorial servicesonSaturday, Janu‐ary 31,2026, at St.Mary MagdalenCatholicChurch located at 6425 West MetairieAvenue,Metairie, Louisiana 70003. Visitation willbeheldfrom10:00 a.m. until 12:00p.m., followed byMassat12:00 p.m. Inter‐mentwillfollowmassat GardenofMemoriesCeme‐tery,4900 AirlineDrive

Metairie,Louisiana 70001. A receptionwillbeheld after services at theKen‐ner LionsClub, locatedat 2001 18thStreet,Kenner, Louisiana 70062. In lieu of flowers, donationsmay be madeinKevin’s memory to https://pages.lls.org/ltn/ msla/NOrleans26/inmemor yofkevinrayes To offerthe familyonlinecondolences, send flowers, or planta treeinKevin’s memory pleasevisit www.gardeno fmemoriesmetairie.com

Roberts, Faullon

With sadnessweshare the passingofFaullon Roberts,onJanuary 5, 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Kennon RichardRo‐hbock,a devotedhusband fatherand grandfather passedawayonFriday, January 23, 2026. Sonofthe lateJohnRogerRohbock and GenevieveShoup Ro‐hbock.Hewas alifelong residentofLakeview neighborhood in NewOr‐leans until HurricaneKat‐rinain2005 whenherelo‐cated to Diamondhead, Mississippi.Kennonwas a graduateofTulaneUniver‐sity, where he earned de‐grees in geology andmath‐ematics.Hecontinued his education at Tulane Gradu‐ate School in thePsychol‐ogy Department,focusing onexperimentaldesign. His career included em‐ploymentwithTacaAir‐lines,Shell OilCompany, the Chrysler SpacePro‐gram, Tulane University ComputerCenter, and Mobil OilCorporation.In hisfreetime, he lovedsalt‐

After anotherverycoldmorning,your temperatures thisafternoon will be slightly higher than theywere yesterday. Expect amostly clear,sunnyand chilly daywithalightbreeze. Temperatures thisafternoon willrisetothe midto upper 50s.Winds for most of the dayare light and variableand rain chances remainat zero. Unlikethe last several days, temperatures tomorrowmorning will be in the upper 30s to mid-40s with highs in the mid-50s.AnArctic coldfront rolls through on Fridaydropping weekend temperature dramatically.

water fishingaboardhis sailboats,Rohboat and Rainbow,enjoyed playing golf, andmaintaineda life‐longpassion forcultivating his piano-playingskills. He was preceded in deathby his belovedeldestson David RichardRohbock Kennonissurvivedbyhis beloved wife of 72 years, ThelmaSchwehm Ro‐hbock;his belovedchildren StevenRobertRohbock and JanRohbocks Clements; five cherished grandsons,Matthew James Polopolus,AustinDavid Clements, TylerCranston Clements, ZacharyJames Rohbock,and Shouki YonekuraRohbock;and one greatgrandson, Kahlo Lewis MolinarioClements. Toofferthe familyonline condolences,pleasevisit www.gardenofmemorie smetairie.com.

Marilyn Urbeso Sarradet peacefully left us on Tuesday, January 20that theage of 75. She was born in NewOrleans and was a resident of Metairie, LA She was also known as Gayletomany and was a proud graduateofSt. JamesMajorHighSchool. For most of heradult life, Marilyn was alovingand devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. When not readingor doing crosswordpuzzles youcouldfind her at her easelworking on her latest paint-by-number masterpiece while she watched her sparrows at thefeeder She wasaffectionately known as GiGi to her grandkids, and even their friendsand parents. Marilyn was survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Gerard "Jerry" Sarradet and by her two loving brothers, Elmer Bucky" Urbeso (Christine), and Rudolph Urbeso (Paul German). She was also survivedbyher

threechildren; Bryan GerardSarradet (Bekki), Jennifer Sarradet Liggio (Robert), and Stephanie Sarradet Moran(Jason), and hersix grandchildren; Alexis Sarradet, Samuel Liggio, Cecilia Liggio, BenjaminLiggio, Lainey Moran,and DylanMoran. Shewas preceded in death by herfather,Elmer Urbeso, andher mother, Rose Hickey Urbeso. Amemorial service will take place on Saturday, January31, 2026, at St Louis King of France Church locatedat1609 Carrollton Avenue, Metairie, LA 70005. Avisitation will be held from9:30 AM-11:30 AM anda prayer service will take place from11:30 AM-Noon.

In lieu of flowers, please considermaking a donation to St.Jude Children'sResearch Hospital in Marilyn's name

SarrioIII, Rigoberto 'Rigo'

"Rigo" RigobertoSarrio III enteredintoeternal rest onJanuary 24, 2026. He will berememberedfor hisnat‐uralleadership, hisinfec‐tious laughter,and hisabil‐ity to make friendswith anyonethathecrossed paths with.Heissurvived byhis loving mother,Cort‐ney MayetSarrio; father Rigoberto M. Sarrio,Jr. ; brother,Lorenzo Sarrio; and half-brother,CruzSar‐rio.Rigoleavesbehindhis grandmother,Alyson Lorenzo Mayetand is re‐unitedinheavenwithhis lategrandfather,John Mayet.Heislovinglyre‐memberedbyhis Aunt/Nanny Cori Navarre (Carl Jr.);Uncle Cody Mayet (AlishaThompson); and cousinsCain, Cruz, and Cali Navarre. Also left tocherish hismemoryisa large,lovingfamilyof great-aunts, great-uncles and extended relatives. The familywishestoex‐press sinceregratitude to Rigo’scaretakersMaddie, Gabby,and CeCi Sarrio for their compassionatecare and kindness during his finaldays. Relativesand Friendsofthe Family are

invitedtoattend theFu‐neral ServiceatMothe Fu‐neral Home,7040 Lapalco Blvd.,Marrero,LAonFri‐day,January 30, 2026 at 11 AM. Visitation will be held from9:00until 11:00 am.In‐terment followingatWest‐lawnMemorialParkCeme‐tery, Gretna,LA. Please visit mothefunerals.comto viewand sign theonline guestbook

Stampley,Leona F. With sadnessweshare the passingofLeona F. StampleyonJanuary 14, 2026. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview service information, sign onlineguestbook,send flowersand sharecondo‐lences.

Loomis says Saints want LB Davis back in 2026

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

MOBILE, Ala. — After Demario Davis teased he could test the market in free agency this spring, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday that he wants the linebacker to return to the team next season. Davis’ contract doesn’t expire until March, but the 37-year-old indicated that he was leaving his options open during a conversation with FanDuel’s Kay Adams. Loomis said he hadn’t watched the interview, but he had heard about the remarks.

“Yeah, we love Demario,” Loomis said Wednesday “I want him back I hope he’s back, but we’ll get through that.”

Davis carried a $6.5 million base salary in 2025 and is coming off a season in which he recorded a career high in tackles. Davis, who has been with the franchise since 2018, told reporters late last season that he wanted to play next season and wasn’t worried about his contract, noting the issue “always worked itself out.” Davis’ contract is set to void this offseason, though he’ll carry a $14 million cap hit on the Saints’ books because of various restructures over the years if he doesn’t agree to a new deal.

A day earlier, Davis told Adams that he was “coming back to the NFL,” but was far from definitive that he’d be back with the Saints.

“How that plays out, we shall see,” Davis said. “I’m just trying to ride it out. I’m good

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

PA EN NG

Ex-QB Nussmeier details what led to his shutdown at LSU

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

MOBILE, Ala. — Garrett Nussmeier had no plans of shutting down his season after he was benched last November against Alabama. The LSU quarterback said he understood the decision and expected things to “go back to normal” the next week.

But that Tuesday, as Nussmeier went to throw a frontside shallow a simple 8-yard route the 23-year-old bent over in pain.

He had reinjured the abdominal injury that had plagued him throughout the season. And though he spent the rest of the week rehabbing to get ready for the next game, Nussmeier came to a realization: I can’t do this.

“At that point, I knew if I can’t throw a frontside shallow, I’m not effective,” Nussmeier said Wednesday, re-

LSU women’s basketball playing beyond its stars

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Last season, the LSU women’s basketball team could go only as far as its three stars could take it. If one had an injury or a rough shooting night, then it was hard for the Tigers to win — especially in the postseason.

That’s less true now In recent games, LSU has received more offensive production from the one returner, three transfers and three freshmen who comprise the cast of contributors around stars Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, which has given coach Kim Mulkey a chance to dust off the refrain she repeated throughout November and December

“We have the depth now ” Mulkey said last Thursday And the No. 6 Tigers (19-2, 5-2 SEC) likely will get the chance to use it again when they host Arkansas at 7 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+). The Razorbacks are winless in league play The SEC is tough, but the last two games have shown that LSU should win its sixth straight contest with relative ease, whether Johnson and Williams have big nights or not. “I’ve enjoyed watching, especially

ä Arkansas at LSU 7 P.M.THURSDAy SECN+

(Johnson) and (Williams),” Mulkey said, “make their teammates better Because they could shoot it 20 or 25 times every game, but that doesn’t make us better, and they enjoy it now because they see production.” Johnson and Williams are both shooting and scoring far less often than they did in SEC play last season, yet the Tigers have managed to put up points at a higher clip than they did a year ago. Through seven games, LSU has the league’s second-best scoring average (81 points per game) in SEC games. Johnson and Williams aren’t the only offensive threats. The Tigers now have a point guard who can hit outside shots consistently, a reserve guard who can finish difficult layups at the end of her own fastbreak chances, and a few frontcourt players who’ve shown they can score around the rim.

As a result, LSU is starting to share the scoring responsibilities more than it did in previous seasons.

ä See LSU, page 3C

calling the moment publicly for the first time “I can’t help my team win. From there, it wasn’t really a decision I was able to make to not play

“It was forced upon me.”

Months later, Nussmeier admitted he’s still not 100% healthy He said surgery for the ailment was considered, but as of now, Nussmeier doesn’t believe it is needed.

Instead, he has focused on retraining “from the ground up.” After playing most of the year hurt, Nussmeier said he picked up “so many” bad habits when adjusting to the injury His play suffered as a result, creating a fascinating dynamic as he participates in the Senior Bowl this week.

Last fall, Nussmeier entered the college season viewed as one of the nation’s top prospects, with the potential

ä See NUSSMEIER, page 4C

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

On TV

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

4p.m. Samford at Furman CBSSN

6p.m. Liberty at Middle TennesseeCBSSN

6p.m. Colorado at Iowa State FS1

7p.m. FAUatMemphis ESPN2

7p.m. Penn St. at NorthwesternPEACOCK

8p.m. UNC-WilmingtonatTowson CBSSN

8p.m. Presbyterian at High PointESPNU

8p.m.Washington at Illinois FS1

10 p.m. Hawaii at UC Irvine ESPNU

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

4p.m. Stonehill at Fairleigh Dickinson ESPNU

5p.m. N.C. State at BostonCollege ACC

5p.m. Michigan State at Purdue BTN

5p.m. Kansas at TCU ESPN

5:30 p.m. Alabama at Georgia SEC

6p.m. Michigan at Indiana PEACOCK

6p.m. QuinnipiacatFairfield ESPNU

7p.m. DukeatMiami ACC

7p.m. WisconsinatOhioState BTN

7p.m. Louisville at Stanford ESPN

8p.m. Iowa at SouthernCal PEACOCK

8p.m. South Carolina at AuburnSEC

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

1:30 p.m. Senior Bowl practice ESPNU/NFLN

4p.m. Senior Bowl practice ESPNews/NFLN MEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

9p.m. Ohio State at UCLA BTN GOLF

10:30 a.m.LPGA: TourneyofChampions Golf

11 a.m.PGA: Farmers Insurance Open ESPN

2p.m. PGA: Farmers Insurance Golf

2:30 a.m. DP World: BahrainChamp. ^Golf

NBA

6p.m.Milwaukee at Washington PRIME

8:30 p.m.Oklahoma City at MinnesotaPRIME MEN’S SOCCER

11:15 a.m. Al Hilal at Al Qadsiah FS2

1:55 p.m. Red Bull Salzburg at Aston Villa CBSSN WOMEN’S SOCCER

1:50 p.m.Guatemala vs. St.Lucia FS2

3:50 p.m.Cuba vs.Anguilla FS2

5:50 p.m.Aruba vs.Guyana FS2 TENNIS

7a.m.WTA:Australian Open semis *Tennis

2p.m.WTA:Australian Open semis *ESPN2

9:30 p.m.ATP: AustralianOpen semis ESPN

2:30 a.m. ATP: AustralianOpen semis ^ESPN *taped; ^Friday

LSU softball focusedonchange

Torina,Tigerslooking to endWCWSdrought,put last year’s disappointment behind

LSU softball playersand coaches can’tmiss them. The six banners that hanginside the massive Mike Moore PerformanceCenter thatlooms behind the right-field wall of Tiger Park. The banners chronicle LSU’s trips to the Women’sCollege World Series. The most recent one in 2017.

It’sall everyone outside the LSU softball program focuses on —the fact that theTigers haven’tbeen to theWCWS for closing in on adecadenow Inside the program, inside thewalls of the performancecenterorthe clubhouse or the ball field, the concentration is much more granular

Mostly

“Wedotry to focus on one pitch, onehitteratatime,” junior second basemanSierra Daniel said Tuesday at LSU’ssoftballmedia day. “But we do look at the World Seriesbanners every day.”

The last look anyone had of LSUsoftball was apicture of utter disappointment. The No. 10 national seed, hostinganNCAA regional on their home field,the Tigers were done in three games after apair of one-run losses to regional No. 4seed Southeastern Louisiana sandwiched around awin over UConn. Even if LSU had gotten past theLions, regionalNo. 2seed Nebraska was waitingwith oneofthe nation’sbest pitchers in Jordyn Frahm.

TheTigers would like to forget theway theirotherwise successful2025 season ended, aseason in which LSUstarted amega-impressive 31-2 and still finished 42-16overall. Of course, no one will letthe Tigers forget.

“Honestlyitdid sting,” Daniel said, “but we’ve left that in the past.We’re starting fresh.” Fresh has meant alot of turnover on the roster,for better or worse. Goneisstaff pitching ace Sydney Berzon, her 18 wins and

ball coaching legend Yvette Girouard, lefton this program is undeniable. But after all this time, this is definitely Torina’sprogram now She alone owns the program’ssuccesses and disappointments

After thedisappointment of last year’spremature ending, Torina made avow

“I’m not going to be sitting here on aSaturday night anymore,”she said, meaning LSU wouldn’tget bounced early from an NCAA regional. “We’re going to be in the places this program deserves to be.”

SomeofTorina’scritics have suggested LSUsoftball needs to move on from Torina.

While it’s true that softball and men’s basketball are theonly two of LSU’sseven major programs (football, men’sand women’s basketball, baseball, gymnastics, softball, track and field) not to win anational title since 2019 (a tough standard tomatch), it’shardly aprogram in crisis.

LSUisranked in the top 20 —anywhere from 12th to 16th in the preseason polls —going into its opener next Thursday at Tiger Parkagainst N.C. State. Additionally,LSU landed the nation’sNo. 1recruiting class for 2026 according to Softball America.

what is perhaps thebest drop-ball pitch in collegiate softball, to perennial power Oklahoma.Soisinfield stalwart Danieca Coffey, whohit ateam-leading .388 as asenior and finished her career in the top 10 in LSU history in six major offensive categories.

Likea company looking to increase profitability,the Tigers have one of their leaner rosters in years, just 23 players. Seven starters do return, but there are 11 newcomerswhich inclues five transfers. That may seem like asmall number by LaneKiffin standards, but theimpact is expected —and needs to be —immediate.

One of those transfers, shortstop Kylee Edwardsfrom Mississippi State, spoke glowingly about the bond and grit of her new team.

“They’ve becomemybest friends,” Edwards said of her LSUteammates. “They’re going to be in my wedding one day

“Our practices are so competitive. I’m the most competitive person you will ever meet, andeveryonehere matches my energy.”

It maybehard to believe, but this will be LSU’s15th softball season under BethTorina.

Thestamp her predecessor,Louisiana soft-

“This roster has been very intentionally built,” Torina said Tuesday.“We’ve added right-handed power toour offense, which has morecompetition and is moreexperienced. Youcan’treplace aDanieca Coffey, but we have aton of experience on our leftside.” Torina also indicated she’schallenged herself and her staff tochange things up, including the fact that she’sgiving up coaching from the third-base box and will instead work from thedugout this season.

“Wedothings differentlyall the time,” Torina said. “If players from 10 years ago came to watch practice, they would see avery different look.

“We’ve done alot this offseason to prepare ourselves for any situation we get into. We’ll be prepared for whatever comes ourway.”

That starts with small, intentional steps theTigers hope will take them all the way to Oklahoma City and theWCWS.

“Every day we’reworking toward one small goal in order tobeour best in June,” said sophomoreleft-hander Jayden Heavener,who inheritsthe Tigers’ pitching ace role from Berzon. “Wedon’thave to be our best on Feb. 5.

Djokovic ‘lucky’after opponent retires

Serbiangreat back in semifinals after Musettiforcedtoexit matchwithleg injury

BY JOHN PYE AP sportswriter

MELBOURNE, Australia After a walkover and an in-matchretirement, 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic will meet two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. Djokovic dropped the first two sets of his quarterfinal 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday to fifth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti but was up abreak in the third when the 23-year-old Italian retired with an injured right leg. The 38-year-old Djokovic admitted he was “lucky this time.” It wasn’treallythe way Djokovic wanted to cap yet another record—his 103rdwin at Melbourne Park, one better than Roger Federer’spreviousall-time mark—but he accepted anyroute through. Sinner was all business in a6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over eighth-seeded Ben Shelton in anightmatch to extend his streak to 19 at Melbourne Park. Sinner conceded he waslucky to still be in the tournament, too, after struggling with cramps and staggering in his third-round match until the roof was closed and he went back on court reinvigorated. The top four seeds havereached

the finalfour in the men’sdraw, with No. 1Carlos Alcaraz and No. 3Alexander Zverev set to meet in theother semifinal.

Pegula,Rybakinaadvance

After three previouslosses in Australian Open quarterfinals, Jessica Peguladefeated Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 7-6 (1) on Wednesdaytoadvance tothe final four at Melbourne Park for the first time. It marked Pegula’s14th winin her past 15 matches against fellow Americans, continuing her strong runofdomestic dominance.

In the earlier quarterfinal at RodLaver Arena, ElenaRybakina defeated IgaSwiatek 7-5, 6-1 to preventthe Polish player from completing acareer GrandSlam of singles titles.

Pegula meets Rybakina in one semifinal on Thursday, while topranked Aryna Sabalenka will play Elina Svitolina in theother

The 31-year-old Pegula alsobeat Madison Keys, another American and the reigning champion, in her previousmatch to advancetothe quarterfinals.

Djokovic’s dramatic win Djokovic was twosetsdown, slowed by aserious blister on his foot andalreadythinking about his flight home when fifth-seeded Musetti called it quits. Musetti needed amedical timeout fortreatment on hisupper right leg after beingbroken in thethird gameofthe thirdset. He played on for almost twogames but couldn’tcontinue.

After serving adouble-fault in the fifth game to give Djokovic a breakpoint chance, Musetti wiped ahandacross hisface, walked towardthe net and removed his headband before exchanging a handshake andquick hug.

“I honestlyhave no words to describe how I’m feeling right now and how tough it is formewith this injury in this moment,” Musetti said.

“I continued to play because I was playingreally,really,really well, but Iwas feeling that the pain was increasing and the problem was not going away.”

Djokovicsaidhefeltfor Musetti.

“It happened to me afew times. But being in the quarters of a Grand Slam, two sets to love up and being in full control —Imean, so unfortunate,”Djokovicsaid “He should have been awinner today.”

Musetti was also forced to retire from the French Open semifinals last year with asimilarinjury against eventual champion Alcaraz.

“I feel really sorryfor him,” Djokovic said. “Hewas afar better player.I wasonmyway home tonight.”

Late in the second set, Djokovic conceded apoint after telling the chair umpirehis racket frame had touched— barely andinaudibly —the ball beforeitwentout.He soon lost that gameand the set.

Thesituationappearedtoget more dire forDjokovicwhenhe needed amedical timeoutafter the second set forthe blister on theball of his right foot.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. The judge in Alabama center CharlesBediako’s eligibilitylawsuit against the NCAA hasrecused himself from the case.

TuscaloosaCircuit Court Judge James Roberts filed the order Wednesday,according to court documents.

The case was reassigned to Judge Daniel Pruet, an Alabama graduate who is overseeing the murder case involving former Crimson Tide playerDarius Miles. The NCAAfileda motion for recusal Tuesday,noting Roberts’ donations to the university as well as public perception that his relationship with Alabama athletics could alter his judgment in the case. Roberts was listed as adonor on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website.

Ex-champ Fury coming out of retirement to fight

LONDON Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will comeout of retirement to face Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.

The highly anticipated fight was confirmedonWednesday. No venue has yet been announced. Fury retiredlastyear,after losing forasecond time to Oleksandr Usyk in December 2024. Before histwo boutswith Usyk, theBritish boxer was unbeaten in 35 fights, winning 34 and drawing one. Fury had announced on Jan. 4 that he would be coming out of retirement.

Two-timeworld champion Fury ended the reign of Wladimir Klitschkowitha pointswin in 2015 that saw him crowned Super WBA, IBFand WBO title-holder Ala. judgerecuses himself in Bediako’seligibility suit

Jets hire former Dolphins assistant Duker as DC

The NewYork Jets hired former Miami Dolphins assistant coach BrianDukerastheir defensive coordinator on Wednesday

Duker spent the past two seasons as theDolphins’ passing game coordinator andsecondary coach. He was the ninth and last knowncandidate to interviewfor the Jets’ vacancy,and had avideo meeting with coach Aaron Glenn on Tuesday

The 36-year-old Duker has never been aplay-caller and it’sexpected that Glenn could take alarger role in leading the defense. Glenn was Detroit’sdefensive coordinator for four seasons before being hired as head coach by New York last year and has familiarity with Duker

Rockets’Adams out for year after anklesurgery

HOUSTON— Houston’sSteven Adams will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle,the Rockets announced Wednesday Adamshad been outsince suffering what coachIme Udoka called a“severely sprained ankle” on Jan. 18 against the Pelicans.

The6-foot-11, 265-pound center from NewZealand appeared in 32 games with 11 startsthisseasonfor the Rockets. He ranked second on theteam by averaging8.6 rebounds andwas scoring5.8 pointsper game.

The Rockets acquired the 32-year-old Adamsfrom Memphis in February 2024. He didn’tplay that season while recovering from knee surgery. Last season,heaveraged 3.9 points and 5.6 reboundsin 58 games. He played for the Pelicans in the 2020-221 season.

North Texas has 52 incoming transfers for newcoach Brown DENTON, Texas North Texashas 52 transfers on itsspring roster for newcoach Neal Brown, asignificantturnover for the Mean Green after they won aschool-record 12 games and finished the season in the AP Top25for the first time. The96-player roster released Wednesday included 44 returning players, but national passingleader Drew Mestemakerwas among about adozen playerswho followed former UNT coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. North Texas’ top rusher and receiver also went with Morris to the Big12Conference. Mestemaker threw for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns as a freshman in hisonlyseason starting for No.24North Texas, while Caleb Hawkins rushed for 1,434 yards and 25 touchdowns as a freshman.

Oklahoma City ThunderguardShai Gilgeous-Alexander looks to pass against Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears, center,and Pelicanscenter Derik Queen during agameonTuesdayinOklahoma City.

Pels guardFears,OKC forward

Dort scuffleat endofgame

BY RODWALKER

Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans’ three-game road trip endedwith aloss and then ascuffle.

Pelicans rookie guard Jeremiah Fears and Oklahoma Cityforward

Lu Dort got into an altercation rightasthe final buzzer sounded Tuesday night in the Pelicans’ 10495 loss at Paycom Center

The incident started moments after Fears rebounded a3-point shot by Herb Jones with 0.2seconds left. Fears put up ashotas time expired and appeared to be fouled by Dort. No call was made, ending thegame.

Dort then shoved Fears. Then Dort shoved Fears asecond time. The two grabbed each other’sjerseys while shoving. Players and coaches from both teams rushed

LSU

Continued from page1C

In 2025leagueplay, Johnson, Williams and Aneesah Morrow were responsible for 63% of LSU’sfield-goal attemptsand 66%ofits points. They each scored more than 17 ppg. Kailyn Gilbert —then ajunior guard whowas playing the role MiLaysiaFulwileyhas assumed this season —was the only other contributor who took more than five shots per game. Now the Tigers haveseven players who are attempting more than five field goals per contest LSU’sthree leading shot-takers —Johnson, Williams and Fulwiley —are responsible for only half of its field-goal tries

Just seven league matchups have come and gone,and seven different Tigers have at least one 10 point game Six have at least

10-point leas one 15-point game. Four have at least one 20-point game. Last season, Gilbert wasthe only contributor not named Johnson, Williams or Morrow toscore more than 20 points.She hit that mark in two of the 16 regularseasonleague contests.

Jada Richard already has matched that feat during her breakoutsophomore season She’sscored 20 points in two of theTigers’ last three games

Mulkey seems to have settled on a nine-player rotation the same sizeasthe one she used last season The difference is that seven of the players who cracked that group this season are chipping in more than five points per game Last year, only four contributors had that scoring average Johnson, Williams, Morrow and Gilbert

“I would think that s part of our identity,” Mulkey said “Who are you going to stop?

ä Grizzlies at Pelicans, 6:30P.M. FRIDAy,GCSEN

to the floortobreak up thealtercation. No punches were thrown.

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said the situation could have been avoided. “I think that’s afoul on Dort,” Daigneault said.“If it was, they should put awhistleonthatplay regardless of the scoreand the time. Because if they do that, everybody stops playing and you legislate the situation as you normally would. But because they didn’tput awhistle on it, it’sthe end of the game and they can do nothing about it andyou end up with that situation.”

Fears had to be restrained.He eventually was escorted off the court andtothe locker room by

“So manykids arecaughtupinto scoring averages and scoring the ball. Our team is reallygood when nobody cares about that. Because you’re gonna all play. You’re gonna all be recognized.”

KIM

MULKEy LSU coach

good when nobody cares about that.Because you’re gonnaall play.You’re gonna all be recognized ” Not just the two or three stars most responsiblefor LSU’snational title chase.

Email ReedDarcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate com

Pelicans securityofficer Sherman Mushatt and Jordan Dumars, son of executive vicepresident of basketball operationsJoe Dumars. It wasthe second altercation in thegame. The first oneinvolvedPelicans forwardSaddiqBey andOklahoma City forwardJaylin Williams with 1:18 left. Thatone didn’t quiteescalate like the one between Fears andDort.

“Good guys, good (officiating) crew,” Daigneault said. “But Ithought they lostcontrol of the game in the finalminutes. I thoughtthataltercationatthe endstarted well before that with the Beyand Jay Will situation. I thought they could have managed thatcleaner.”

EmailRod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

TIGERS

Continuedfrom page1C

McMahonsaidhethought his group’spreparation was good.He said theteam had “great spirit” at shootaround, but for “whatever reason” it wasn’table to translate that in the game.

The fourth-year coach was forced to callhis first timeout when his team went down 17-5 with 14:46 left in the first half. At halftime, the Tigerswere down 44-21, scoring aseason low in the first half.

Reed eyes September PGAreturnafter leavingLIV Golf

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SAN DIEGO Patrick Reed is the secondmajor champion to leave Saudi-funded LIV Golf,announcing Wednesday he will spend the rest of theyearonthe European tour with an eye on returning to the PGA Tour as early as September His decision, just three days afterhewon the DubaiDesert Classic, comes the same week that five-time major champion Brooks Koepka returnstothe PGATour at Torrey Pines.

“I’m atraditionalistatheart, and Iwas born to play on the PGA Tour,which is where my story beganwith my wife,Justine,” Reed saidonsocial media. “I am very fortunate for the opportunities that have comemyway and gratefulfor the life we have created. I am moving forward in my career, andIlook forward to competing on thePGA Tour and DP World Tour.Ican’twait to get back out there and revisit some of the best places on earth.”

The PGA Tour sentamemo to playersoutlining the path back for players like Reed, who did not fit into the“Returning Member Program” that was offered only to those who had won amajor or The Players Championship since 2022. Reed, who attended U-High, won the Masters in 2018. The tour said he would be eligible to return ayearfromhis last LIVGolfappearanceonAug. 24. He would not face additional discipline from the PGA Tour because Reed resigned his membership when he left for LIV,and he was not part of the antitrust lawsuit fi led against the PGA Tour in 2022.

“I’mnot surprised guys are wanting to come back,” Xander Schauffele said. “Thanks to the wholesplit,I think we’vetriedto makeour product as good as possible. If they didn’tlike it then,I’m sure they’ll like it the second time around.”

Reed can play in the FedEx Cup Fall— the first eventisthe BiltmoreChampionship Asheville in North Carolina on Sept. 17-20 —if he receivesasponsor exemption. He cannot use hislimited statusas apastchampion until 2027.

Reed also couldearna full card by finishing among the top-

10 players in the Race to Dubai who don’talready have PGA Tour membership.His victoryinDubai moved him to No.2inthe standings, and now he has afull schedule in Europe— commercially known as the DP World Tour ahead of him. He also is setfor the fourmajors, having risen to No. 29 in the world.

LIV Golf begins its fifth season in one week in Saudi Arabia. Reed is playing in Bahrain this weekas part of the European tour schedule, his third straight week. Uponhis return to the PGA Tour,Reed would not be eligible to receive shares in the Player Equity Program through 2030. That waspart of the agreement for Koepka’sreturn —noequity for five years, and no access to FedEx Cup bonus money this year

Reed doesn’thave the achievementsofKoepka,thoughhehas long been apolarizing figurethat oftenoverlookshis status as one of themost globalplayers in golf and fiercest competitors. He has won12times on four tours —frequently playing in Europe or Asia without bigappearance fees and began his PGA Tour career by going through Monday qualifiers. He is best known for taking down Rory McIlroy in aspirited Ryder Cup match at Hazeltine in 2016, and engaging the Scottish crowd when he made his Ryder Cup debut in 2014. But he came under scrutiny in the Bahamas in 2019 at the Hero WorldChallenge forbeing penalizedtwo shots fortwice swiping sand behind his golf ball in awaste area, improving his lie.

The flat opening was instigated by poor defensiverebounding.In the first threeminutes, Mississippi Stategrabbed four offensive rebounds. At halftime, theBulldogs had outrebounded LSU 26-14. Hubbard, a6-foot junior who leads theSEC at 21 points per game, exploded against LSU in two games last year,averaging 28 points, shooting 48.6% from the field and 38% on 3-pointers.

LSU forward PabloTamba drivesthe ball around MississippiState guard Josh Hubbard on Wednesdayatthe Pete Maravich AssemblyCenter.LSU lost 80-66.

“So many kids are caught up into scoring averages and scorthe ball Our team is

WhenLSU’srebounding issues were toomuchtobear,McMahon put the 6-9 Marquel Sutton on the electric scorer.Regardless, everyonebut Hubbard moved faster to theballthanLSU’s playersand comfortably scoredatall distances.

Six players on Mississippi State buried at leastone 3-pointer in the first half, as it finished the half 7of 14 from beyond thearc.Hubbard was the last player to get a3-pointer,making acontested step-back jumper Bulldogs center Quincy Ballard led theteam in scoring with nine pointson4-of-4 shooting at halftime. Fiveother players scored at least four points.

McMahonsaidMississippi State’s3-point shooting and physicality led to the huge deficit

“If you’re going to get down like that, you got to convert offensively, getout in transition, knock down some 3s,” McMahonsaid.

“Actually, to finish the first half, we had seven consecutive stops, andduringthat(span) we cut into the lead by two pointsbecause we couldn’tscore. We couldn’tscore there. And on anight where we actually had 12 steals for 16 turn-

overs, we just weren’table to convert those into enough points.” There seemedtobealid on the basketasthe Tigers missednumerousopen jump shots. They were 9of28from the fieldand 1 of 10 from the 3-point line before the second half. They were also 2 of 8from the free-throw line. LSU finishedthe game 12 of 23 on free throws. Thomas triedtocreate off the dribble,but he was forced to pass early because aseconddefender was put on himwhen he used a screen. He was3of7for seven points in the first half Outside of Thomas,the offense was barreling into the paint for difficult layups and some missedopen jumpers. Mike Nwoko, whowas playing against his former team, had acouple of interiorscores early but didn’tleave an imprint as a rebounder. He had four points and one rebound in 17 minutes. Sutton was 0of5 from the field. The Omaha transfer finished with four points on 1-of-7shooting andtwo rebounds. Mackinnonwas 1of3 for two points at halftime. LSU received asmattering of

boos at the 3:25 mark after apair of missed free throws by Pablo Tambaasthe team wasdown 44-17. When it enteredthe lockerroomat halftime,fansgavea loudercollection of jeers.

Guard Jalen Reece and center Robert Miller replaced Sutton and Nwoko to start the second half. A 6-0 run developed after Thomas and Mackinnon drilled 3-pointers to makethe score 50-32 with 16:08 left. After the mini run, Miller was given aFlagrant 1foul once the referees saw what happened on defense before a3-pointer earlier After Hubbard fell to the ground after amissed layup, Miller hit him in the face. That gave Hubbard two free throws and Mississippi State possession.

LSU’ssecond half saw improved effort andshot-making, but not nearly enough to have acomeback. Mackinnon scored 13 points in the second half

The Tigers outscored Mississippi State 45-36 in the final 20 minutes.

LSU’snextgame is against South Carolina at 5p.m.Saturday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

TERRANCE WILLIAMS

ASSOCIATED

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken looks on during warm-ups before a game against the New England Patriots on Dec 21 in Baltimore. Monken was named the Cleveland Browns head coach on Wednesday

Browns tap Monken as next head coach

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

CLEVELAND

The Cleveland

Browns have hired one of their former coordinators to be the team’s head coach. However, it is not the one some people expected.

The Browns hired Todd Monken on Wednesday as the franchise’s 19th full-time head coach, wrapping up a three-week search. He replaces Kevin Stefanski, who was fired on Jan. 5, the day after Cleveland finished a 5-12 season

This is Monken’s first NFL head coaching job after 11 years as an assistant. He spent the previous three seasons as offensive coordinator for Baltimore.

Monken was the offensive coordinator for the Browns on Freddie Kitchens’ staff in 2019. There was growing sentiment, though, that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz had emerged as the favorite, especially as the list of candidates thinned out.

Schwartz has been the architect of one of the league’s top defenses the past three seasons. Cleveland led the league in total defense in 2023 and ranked fourth this season as Myles Garrett had 23 sacks to break the NFL singleseason record.

Schwartz is under contract for one more season, but he is expected to look elsewhere after being passed over

Losing Schwartz would be another blow to owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, whose tenure since buying the Browns in 2012 has

NUSSMEIER

Continued from page 1C

to be the first overall pick in the draft. This week, he has to show that he’s worthy of being drafted at all. “Not the best,” Nussmeier said when asked how he evaluated his play last season “There were things, obviously, that I take full ownership in and the areas that I needed to be better at. Unfortunately, some new things happened because of what I went through with the injury (It was) frustrating, for sure.

“I don’t blame anybody for the frustrations. I wanted to be the best. I wanted to lead us to a national championship. I wanted to win the Heisman. And those were all the things I dreamed about doing. So not being able to do them, I understand why people were frustrated because I was frustrated myself.” Despite the lackluster campaign, Nussmeier didn’t sound like someone who regretted passing up the NFL draft last year when his stock was much higher He said returning to LSU last year was an “easy choice” and that he took the responsibility of wearing No. 18 seriously. He said even with the injury, he “wouldn’t take any of it back” because he was willing to do whatever it took to play every Saturday He said he believes the adversity will make him a better player in the long run. Even now, there are parts of Nussmeier’s injury that remain a mystery He declined to get into specifics about it, though he indicated that he and LSU officials went from believing the ailment was a core injury to an abdomen. He said the injury, which he called “weird” and rare, wasn’t LSU’s fault and praised his medical team for taking great care of him.

As part of his rehab work, Nussmeier said he has focused on using his body to rotate through his passes — something he couldn’t

Belichick’s HOF snub creates storm of criticism around NFL

BY ROB MAADDI

AP pro football writer

Bill Belichick won six Lombardi Trophies as a head coach with the Patriots, two as an assistant with the Giants and has more Super Bowl rings than anyone in NFL history

Yet somehow he’s not a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer

Belichick didn’t get the required votes in his first year of eligibility, according to a report from ESPN on Tuesday that cited four unidentified sources. Belichick needed 40 votes from the 50-person panel of media members and other Hall of Famers. News of the snub stunned players, coaches, fans and anyone who has watched football.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes called it “insane.”

been known more for dysfunction than building a winning organization.

Monken is the seventh coach hired by the Haslams. The previous six compiled a 73-139-1 regular-season record, the secondworst mark in the NFL.

The Browns were 5-12 this season and 8-26 the past two years. Stefanski — who was hired as the Atlanta head coach had a 46-58 record. He was a two-time NFL Coach of the Year and led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 and 2023.

After announcing Stefanski’s firing, Jimmy Haslam bristled over the narrative that the Browns are a dysfunctional organization. However, the coaching search ended up having more people withdraw their names from consideration than finalists Cleveland interviewed 10 people for the opening, with four — Monken, Schwartz, Grant Udinski and Los Angeles Rams pass coordinator Nate Scheelhaase — getting second interviews. Udinski withdrew Monday after a second interview to remain in Jacksonville as offensive coordinator

The Browns had second interviews scheduled with Mike McDaniel and Jesse Minter before both canceled McDaniel, who was the Miami coach for four seasons, will be the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator while Minter was hired as the new coach at Baltimore after two seasons directing the Chargers defense.

Tigers in the Senior Bowl The 77th Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium on the campus of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama.

Name

always do last season. The rust has been evident at times Nussmeier didn’t particularly appear sharp in Tuesday’s practice, his first of the week. His first drop back in team drills, for instance, led to the ball being knocked out of his hand after Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas won quickly off the edge.

But Nussmeier has entered the week with an open mind. His father, Doug — the offensive coordinator for the Saints — has given him advice on how to navigate this process.

Nussmeier, though, said he’s not out to “prove” anything at the Senior Bowl. He said he just wants to show that he belongs at the next level and show that “Garrett Nussmeier is enough.”

He’ll get an opportunity this week as a quarterback for the American Team coached by Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas and other Saints assistants

“A healthy, confident Garrett Nussmeier is a good player,” he said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

NBA superstar LeBron James said it’s “impossible, egregious, and quite frankly disrespectful.”

If Belichick’s resume isn’t worthy of a gold jacket and bronze statue, what constitutes a Hall of Fame career?

“Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday Kraft and Belichick are two of five finalists among coaches, contributors and senior players who last appeared in a game in 2000 or earlier Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood are the players.

Between one and three of those finalists will be inducted into the Hall along with between three and five modern-era players from a group of 15 finalists.

The Hall of Fame declined to comment before its Class of 2026 is announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5. Several voters immediately revealed they voted for Belichick and some called for those who didn’t to publicly say it.

Armando Salguero, OutKick’s senior NFL writer and Hall of Fame voter, was the one who presented Belichick in the Hall’s subcommittee meeting that selected him to advance to the full 50-member selection body Salguero then presented Belichick to the full selector’s committee in a meeting Jan. 13. He is among the voters who selected Belichick and are urging the others to reveal themselves.

“They should identify themselves as the people who kept Belichick out of the Pro Football

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

with whatever happens.”

Davis has often said that he wants to finish his career with New Orleans, the team that helped him take off after stints with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

Davis and the Saints last agreed on a new contract on March 11, 2024, when they struck a twoyear, $17.25 million extension that tacked on an extra year to Davis’ existing contract and increased his guaranteed money Hill space

The New Orleans Saints are giving Taysom Hill space to determine whether to retire, Loomis said.

Hill has not said whether he wants to continue his career, but he was emotional after what could have been his final home game in December The 35-year-old had a down season coming off a serious knee injury, but he had a memorable finale in the Caesars Superdome as he threw a touchdown and set an NFL record by becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era with at least 1,000 receiving, passing and rushing yards.

“I’m giving him some space, but we’ll touch base with him soon,” Loomis said. “But it’s hard to have these conversations right after the season. You want that emotion to go out of it, and give guys time and space to not feel like they’re pressured to make decisions.

“And we’ve got time.”

Hill also suffered a shoulder injury in New Orleans’ seasonending loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but Loomis said Wednesday that it wasn’t “real significant.”

Hill played in 13 games, rushing for only 114 yards and a touchdown on 52 carries. He also caught 11 passes for 91 yards.

Double Nussmeiers

Garrett Nussmeier knows his father Doug, is at the Senior Bowl this week, but he wasn’t sure

Hall of Fame this year,” Salguero wrote in his column. “I am saying that here, and would say as much to their face. Their votes sunk Belichick’s chances and embarrassed the Hall of Fame in the process.

“They make all selectors look bad, and they shouldn’t hide behind their minority vote to protect themselves at the expense of the wider group. I know it’s a wider group because I’ve spoken with a lot of selectors since our meeting, and they agreed with my vote for Belichick.” Salguero, who is a longtime voter for the AP All-Pro team and the AP NFL awards, said the “Spygate” scandal kept Belichick out of the Hall. There is no morality or character criteria for voters to consider Belichick was implicated in a sign-stealing scheme during the 2007 season and was fined $500,000 after New England was caught filming defensive signals from the New York Jets during a game.

“Spygate was the reason several selectors could not bring themselves to vote for Belichick, because they felt it sullied his records,” Salguero wrote.

In his presentation, Salguero said he pointed out that Belichick had a higher winning percentage (.693 to .580) after “Spygate” and won three Super Bowls and six conference titles. He had 14 double-digit win sea-

sons and won more regular-season games after “Spygate” than 22 of the 28 coaches in the Hall of Fame.

The process for selection changed in 2025. The 50 voters now each pick three of the five and between one to three make it if they get at least 40 votes. A new rule also made coaches eligible one year after retiring instead of five. Belichick sat out one season after his 24-year tenure with the Patriots ended in 2023. He just finished his first year coaching in college at North Carolina, where he went 4-8.

Mike Sando, an NFL writer for The Athletic, said he voted for Belichick and explained the process that could’ve led to the snub.

“Whatever the case, I would see this as a repudiation of the new voting rules implemented for 2025, not of Belichick or any candidate not making it,” Sando wrote on X. The 73-year-old Belichick was a top defensive assistant coach with the Giants under Bill Parcells. He left New York to coach Cleveland from 1991-95, joined the Patriots as an assistant in 1996, spent three seasons with the Jets and was hired by New England in 2000. He led the Patriots with Tom Brady to six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances. Belichick’s 333 wins in the regular season and playoffs with New England and Cleveland are the second most to Don Shula’s 347.

whether he was there in his capacity as a father or his role as the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.

“I guess technically a little bit of both,” Garrett said with a laugh.

The LSU quarterback, auditioning in front of NFL teams to be drafted later this spring, said he doesn’t know how he and his father will approach the possibility of Garrett getting interviewed by the Saints.

And neither does the black and gold.

Loomis said Wednesday that this is the first time in his lengthy executive career that he’s had a coach on staff with a son in the NFL draft It has happened previously in the NFL — famously with the Dallas Cowboys taking running back Deuce Vaughn in 2023, with his dad serving as a scout — but this is new territory for the Saints.

“Yeah, I don’t know — we’ll see,” Loomis said with a chuckle. “But look, Garrett’s a really good player and thought of really well Obvi-

ously, we think a lot of Doug. So yeah, that’ll be interesting.” Loomis said it won’t be as dramatic as asking Doug Nussmeier to leave the room when discussing Garrett, but he acknowledged the unique situation.

“We want to help the Nussmeier family, period,” Loomis said. The Saints may not be in the market for a starting quarterback after drafting Tyler Shough last spring, but it remains to be seen whether they dip into the market for a new backup. Loomis has said the team has not discussed trading Spencer Rattler, but teammate Chris Olave strongly said after the season that Rattler deserved another opportunity to be a starter in the NFL. The team also did not agree to a futures contract with Jake Haener and saw fourthstringer Hunter Dekkers sign with the UFL. Garrett Nussmeier is trying to restore his stock after a down season at LSU, which was mightily affected by an abdominal injury

No. 1 Curtis fends off resilient Brother Martin

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Late Tuesday

John Curtis has won most of its games by double figures, and the top-ranked Patriots were on the way to winning another one by a sizable margin Tuesday against Brother Martin. But the visiting Crusaders trimmed the deficit from 11 points to three by making two quick 3-pointers and a pair of free throws with 47.3 seconds left after the steal of an inbounds pass. When it ended, Curtis could let out a sigh of relief. Curtis sophomore Jonnie Walker scored a team-high 15 points and blocked a key shot in the final minute as senior Autrail Manning made three 3-pointers and finished with 14 points in a 68-60 victory The block by Walker helped keep Brother Martin from scoring again as Curtis, No. 1 in the latest LHSAA Division I select power ratings, made five of its final six free throws to seal the victory “We knew they wouldn’t let up,” Curtis coach Biko Paris said. “They wouldn’t stop fighting. Coach Wes (Laurendine) does a good job with those guys.”

Curtis junior Zaveon Shepherd scored 11 points with one 3-pointer and had a steal in the final minute to help close out the win. Junior Marlin Johnson had nine points and six rebounds. Walker, a first-year starter after he missed last season to injury, had five rebounds and three blocked shots to go along with his doublefigure scoring output. He twice scored while getting fouled and completed the

“We knew they wouldn’t let up. They wouldn’t stop fighting. Coach Wes (Laurendine) does a good job with those guys.”

BIKO PARIS, John Curtis coach

three-point play by making a free throw Curtis (19-2, 2-0 District 9-5A) twice built sizable leads by making 3-pointers. The Patriots made eight 3s total, the first four on the way to building a 21-12 lead early in the second quarter

The next large lead came when senior Midnight Martin hit a 3 during a run that stretched the lead to 52-39 early in the fourth quarter

Curtis maintained its double-figure lead until the late surge by Brother Martin (16-9, 0-2).

Senior Will McChesky (13 points) and junior Noah McDaniel (14 points) made the two 3-pointers and junior Blake McCrary (nine points, five rebounds) sank the free throws that trimmed the Curits lead to 63-60 with 47.3 seconds remaining Manning made one of two shots at the line and Walker blocked a shot at the other

end before Manning went back to the line and sank both free throws. Johnson made the final two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining.

Walker said the team did a good job of sticking together

“I don’t think we separated when times got hard,” Walker said. “I think we talked it out and made the adjustments.”

For Brother Martin, the game could be viewed a sign of progress. Two players recently returned from extensive injury absences.

“I’d love to see them again in the playoffs,” Laurendine said. “Let us get healthy We’re getting better, playing a lot of sophomores and juniors. We’re getting better. We just need time. We don’t have a lot of time left.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate.com

FADING AWAY

Even in Clark’s home state, girls basketball in decline — but it thrives in one Iowa town

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

NEWELL, Iowa The streets of Newell and Fonda are quiet. Rural decline has taken a toll on these northwest Iowa towns with main street storefronts shuttered and vacant houses scattered here and there. Yet the heart of these communities separated by 9 miles isn’t hard to find. It still beats at the NewellFonda High School gym, where many of Newell’s 850 residents, Fonda’s 600 and folks from surrounding farms dress in blue and fill it up to cheer on their beloved girls basketball team that is known across Iowa.

With 21 of the school’s 71 girls in grades 9-12 playing on the varsity or junior varsity teams, the Mustangs are an outlier Participation in girls basketball across the country has declined even as the popularity of the college and pro games has never been higher Iowa’s own Caitlin Clark has been credited with a lot of that of late, but participation numbers in her home state and many others are down.

“When I first started coaching girls basketball, every team you played had a good point guard, a good shooter and a solid post player and then they could build from there,” Newell-Fonda coach Dick Jungers said. “Now some of the teams we play are struggling to have maybe even one or two good players in the whole program. It’s kind of concerning, but kids are putting their time elsewhere.”

The drop in Iowa has been bigger than in most states and almost unimaginable given its long history in the girls and women’s game. Iowa was first to hold a state tournament for girls, back in 1920 when they played six-on-six, and Clark is one of the most famous players in the women’s game.

A handful of Iowa high schools have disbanded their programs because of lack of interest, many have only enough players for a varsity team, and it’s not uncommon for junior varsity games to be two quarters because JV players also must suit up for the varsity games that follow Basketball is still queen in Newell and Fonda, and has been since Jody Maske took four teams to the state tournament from 19952002. He turned the program over to Jungers, who is 527-83 with four championships and 16 state tournaments in 24 years. The Mustangs have played in the state final seven of the past eight seasons. Everyone who cares about girls basketball in Iowa knows they are a powerhouse.

The Mustangs opened this season 14-1 with an average winning margin of 34 points — they led a re-

STATES WITH BIGGEST DECLINES

The biggest declines according to the NFSHSA surveys:

n Kansas (43%): 5,788 players at 337 schools in 202425; 10,120 at 350 schools in 1999-2000.

n Louisiana (42%): 5,486 players at 391 schools in 2024-25; 9,400 at 376 schools in 1999-2000.

n North Dakota (40%): 1,992 players at 160 players in 2024-25; 3,354 at 157 schools in 1999-2000.

n Indiana (39%): 7,017 players at 394 schools in 202425; 11,499 at 381 schools in 1999-2000.

n Iowa: (38%): 5,856 players at 340 schools in 202425; 9,401 at 397 schools in 1999-2000.

n Texas (36%): 44,953 players at 1,373 schools in 2024-25; 70,427 at 1,175 schools in 1999-2000.

n Michigan (34%): 13,068 players at 689 schools in 2024-25; 19,760 at 705 schools in 1999-2000.

n Missouri (34%): 8,321 players at 568 schools in 2024-25; 12,646 players at 534 schools in 1999-2000.

n Montana (33%): 2,655 players at 164 schools in 2024-25; 3,984 players at 180 schools in 1999-2000.

n Nebraska (32%): 4,878 players at 305 schools in 2024-25; 7,223 players at 328 schools in 1999-2000.

The Associated Press

cent opponent 56-2 at half and have been ranked No. 1 since knocking off the team that beat them in the state final in March, Council Bluffs St. Albert.

Senior center Jocee Walsh said, “If you know Newell-Fonda, you know we play basketball.”

Who’s got next?

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, participation in girls basketball across the country dropped from 451,600 in 2000 to 356,240 in 2025. Volleyball surpassed basketball as the most popular girls team sport a decade ago and has grown from 380,994 participants to 492,799 since 2000. That’s a 21% drop for basketball and 29% increase for volleyball.

Using raw data — the number of schools reporting their participation numbers varies year to year Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Indiana and Iowa have seen the biggest declines. Fewer than 10 saw increases.

In Iowa, girls basketball participation has fallen 38% since 2000 from 9,401 to 5,856.

Other pipelines for the college and pro game are still relatively robust, including the elite clubs.

Greg Turner, director of basketball for the Amateur Athletic Union, said he has noticed a decline to a lesser degree in programs his organization sanctions.

The AAU season runs opposite the traditional winter basketball season and draws girls who are serious about improving their games or playing in college. AAU media officials did not respond to requests for participation numbers and Turner said he wasn’t authorized to release them.

Clark’s prodigious numbers and style of play over the past several years are credited with creating a surge of interest in women’s basketball. While the

sport has enjoyed unprecedented viewership and attendance, participation at the high school level has yet to get a bump.

Even Clark’s alma mater, Class 5A Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, has seen a decline. Coach Kristin Meyer said she would have about 40 girls go out for basketball when she arrived 10 years ago. That number was 28 this season. Meyer and Jungers are on an Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union task force formed last year to explore possible solutions.

Coaches say club volleyball programs and girls wrestling have siphoned players from basketball. Club volleyball season conflicts with basketball and fewer girls want to play multiple sports. Girls wrestling became a sanctioned sport in Iowa in 2022-23, and more than 2,000 have taken it up. Coaches also say basketball skills, more than in other sports, are hard to develop and that the disparity between serious and casual players has never been greater They said girls tend to get discouraged and quit by middle school if they struggle. The physical aspects of the game — the running and bumping also turn off some players.

Youth programs are key

Dowling’s Meyer suggested doing things a new way on the grade-school teams that feed the high schools. She said playing three-on-three games until fifth grade would give everyone more opportunities to shoot, develop skills and stay interested. Meyer also said more women in their 20s and 30s with a basketball background are needed to coach at the grade-school level because they typically are more relatable to a young girl than a dad coach.

“I mean, who would you rather hang out with if you’re that age?” Meyer said.

BY LARRY FLEISHER Associated Press

NEW YORK Cody Bellinger listened to pitches from other teams during his second foray into free agency, but he made it clear to his agent, Scott Boras, that calls from the New York Yankees come first. It took more than two months, but Bellinger is returning to the Yankees.

The versatile outfielder spoke with the media on Wednesday two days after becoming the last of the free-agent hitters to reach a new agreement by signing a five-year, $162.5 million contract.

“I spoke my mind to Scott all the time whether it was on any different occasion,” Bellinger said. “I definitely really enjoyed my time. I love playing in New York and I love the stadium. I made that very

million salary in each of the first two seasons, $25.8 million in the next two and $25.9 million in 2030. He can opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent for the third time. If a work stoppage leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt-outs will shift to after the 2028 and 2029 seasons.

thrown at you.

“So it’s a combination of wanting to enjoy the process and hear what everyone’s got to say and ultimately expressing what you really want and where you want to see your future at.”

He also hit .353 against left-handed pitching, .348 with runners in scoring position and .304 with runners on base.

“Badly Badly,” manager Aaron Boone said when asked how much he was hoping Bellinger would return.

clear to Scott there as well.” Bellinger’s new deal with the club includes a $20 million signing bonus, half payable April 1 and the remainder Aug 1. The contract also includes a full no-trade provision

The 30-year-old receives a $32.5

Bellinger’s second free agency was a much wider process than his first. After getting non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2022, he agreed to a oneyear, $17.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

“You work your whole life pretty much in order to get into this type of position,” Bellinger said. “So, you want to enjoy the ride and, you want to understand (everything). You want to take in all these many different things that are being

A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024 after Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium.

A left-handed hitter, he played 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.

Bellinger appeared in 152 games, last season his most since winning the MVP a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award with the Dodgers.

A Gold Glover in 2019, Bellinger also made standout defensive plays in right and left field. On July 6, Bellinger also made an 89.8 mph throw from left field after making a shoestring catch on Soto to start a double play in a 6-4 win over the Mets. Three months later, he made a 95.3 mph throw from right field to get Bo Bichette at the plate in the sixth inning of a 3-1 win over Toronto.

“He can win a game in a lot of different ways and that became very apparent to us,” Boone said.

Naumov heading to Olympics in parents’ honor

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

ST LOUIS Maxim Naumov sat silently on a chair deep inside the Enterprise Center, away from the packed crowd in the arena, the prying eyes of the TV cameras, the friends, family and strangers who had been showering him wellwishes for the better part of a year Naumov stared at a photograph of him standing alongside his parents, former pairs world champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov It was taken when Naumov was about 3, a little tyke trying to find his footing on the ice for the first time. It had been stuck inside a photo album tucked away above the refrigerator in his Connecticut home.

Naumov’s parents, who had been coaches at the renowned Skating Club of Boston, were among 67 people killed more than two dozen of them members of the figure skating community — when American Airlines Flight 5342 crashed into a military helicopter on approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport and fell into the icy Potomac River on Jan. 29, 2025.

Eleven skaters, four coaches and several of their family members had been returning from a development camp in Wichita, Kansas, after the national championships.

The younger Naumov had flown out earlier, shortly after finishing in fourth place.

“Once a week I try to have that space with them, in whatever ca-

pacity that might be,” Naumov said, after finishing third at this year’s U.S. championships, a placement that earned him a spot on the American team for the Milan Cortina Olympics.

“It could be a photo, talking to someone about them It could be anything,” Naumov said. “It’s been therapeutic in a way.”

One year later, Naumov carries the hopes and dreams of those affected by the crash with him to the Olympics, while the skating world continues to reflect on a tragedy that rocked a sport so tightly knit that everyone from 1956 Olympic champion Tenley Albright to kids just starting out seems to remember where they were when they heard the news.

“It was devastating. I’ve never

been that sad,” said Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion. “So many promising young skaters were just gone.”

Those that lost their lives had competed for clubs scattered across the eastern seaboard, from the historic Boston club that produced such stars as Olympic champion Dick Button and Nancy Kerrigan, to the revered Washington Figure Skating Club, whose home rink in Rockville, Maryland, is about a 25-minute drive from the site of the crash.

The skaters ranged in ages from 11-16. Some were just starting on journeys they hoped would one day lead to the Olympics; others were late bloomers whose passion for the sport was evident in every axel and lutz

they landed.

Time seemed to freeze for those whose family members were aboard the plane. Those that didn’t live in the area tried to get there as quickly as possible, awaiting whatever answers the National Transportation Safety Board could provide.

It soon became clear that there would be no survivors.

Naumov remembers the emotional toll of the first 24 hours.

Several of his close friends were by his side, including Spencer Howe, who along with pairs teammate Emily Chan will be joining Naumov at their first Winter Games next week in Italy

“When all that stuff was going down,” Howe recalled, “I was right there with him in Washington. We were getting updates and just trying to figure out what was going on, and the state of the situation. We just tried to do whatever we could.”

Naumov remembers those first weeks after the accident, when little things like getting out of bed or putting on his skates seemed impossible

“I just wanted to rot, basically,” he said.

The benefit raised well over $1 million for the families of those affected.

“I was proud to see the way people came together as a family,” said three-time world champion Ilia Malinin, the favorite to win Olympic gold who often trains out of SkateQuest in Northern Virginia with other members of the Washington Figure Skating Club.

One of the last conversations that Naumov had with his parents came after his fourth-place finish at last year’s nationals, just hours before they boarded American Airlines Flight 5342 to begin their trip home. It focused on what their son would need to do to follow in his parents footsteps and compete in the Olympics.

One year later, Naumov put their plan into action at the U.S. championships. He stood up from that chair inside Enterprise Center tucked away that photo of his parents — it would reappear about 4 minutes later in the kissand-cry area — and proceeded to deliver the performance of his life, earning himself a place alongside Malinin and Andrew Torgashev on the podium. All three would be chosen for the powerhouse U.S. Olympic team.

“I just thought, ‘Look at what we’ve done. All the sacrifices we made. Everything we’ve been through,’” Naumov said.

The 24-year-old Naumov joined in the organization of a benefit in Washington to honor not only those who were killed in the collision but also the firefighters and emergency personnel who responded to it. The star-studded “Legacy on Ice” featured emotional performances by the likes of 13-year-old Isabella Aparicio, whose brother, Franco, and father, Luciano, were killed. Naumov, like many in the stands that day, wiped tears from his eyes following the performance.

SCOREBOARD

(4), United States, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 13-11. Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard, France, def.

Arevalo,

Salvador, and Luisa Stefani (2), Brazil, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.

8-14 3-3 20, Dort 4-12 0-0 12, Gilgeous-Alexander 8-22 13-14 29, Dieng 2-5 0-0 4, K.Williams 1-2 0-0 3, Carlson 1-2 0-0 2 Barnhizer 0-0 0-0 0, Joe 6-11 0-0 17. Totals 35-87 21-23 104. New Orleans 14 32 23 26 — 95 Oklahoma City 17 31 31 25 104 3-Point Goals—New Orleans 10-40 (Bey 3-6, Matkovic 2-2, Alvarado 2-6, Fears 1-3, Jones 1-9, Murphy III 1-11, Peavy 0-3), Oklahoma City 13-38 (Joe 5-10, Dort 4-9, Wiggins 2-6, K.Williams 1-1, Holmgren 1-3, Carlson 0-1, Dieng 0-2, Gilgeous-Alexander 0-3, Jay.Williams 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds— New Orleans 54 (Bey 13), Oklahoma City 53 (Holmgren 14). Assists—New Orleans 25 (Bey, Jones, Murphy III 5), Oklahoma City 25 (Jay.Williams 5). Total Fouls—New Orleans 21, Oklahoma City 15. A—18,203 (18,203)

Pro tennis

Australian Open results

Wednesday At Melbourne Park

Melbourne, Australia Purse: AUD111,500,000 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Novak Djokovic (4), Serbia, def. Lorenzo Musetti (5), Italy, 4-6, 3-6, 3-1, ret. Jannik Sinner (2), Italy, def. Ben Shelton (8), United States, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Women’s Singles

Quarterfinals

Elena Rybakina (5), Kazakhstan, def. Iga Swiatek (2), Poland, 7-5, 6-1. Jessica Pegula (6), United States, def. Amanda Anisimova (4), United States, 6-2 7-6 (1). Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals Christian Harrison, United States, and Neal Skupski (6), Britain, def. Patrik Rikl and Petr Nouza, Czechia, 6-2, 6-3. Luke Johnson, Britain, and Jan Zielinski, Poland, def. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Marcelo Arevalo (4), El Salvador, 7-6 (5), 6-2. Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (3), Argentina, def. Rafael Matos and Orlando Luz, Brazil, 6-3, 6-4.

Women’s Doubles

Quarterfinals Zhang Shuai, China, and Elise Mertens (4) Belgium, def. Eri Hozumi, Japan, and FangHsien Wu, Taiwan, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Aleksandra Krunic, Serbia, and Anna Danilina (7), Kazakhstan, def. Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, 6-2, 3-6, 6-0. Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Stefani (5), Brazil, def. Hsieh Su-wei, Taiwan, and Jelena Ostapenko (3), Latvia, 6-1, 7-6 (5). Vera Zvonareva, Russia, and Ena Shibahara, Japan, def. Kimberly Birrell and Talia Gibson, Australia, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5.

Mixed Doubles

Semifinals

John Peers and Olivia Gadecki, Australia, def. Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Taylor Townsend

68.533. 6 (tie), Corey Conners, Maverick McNealy and Jordan Spieth, 69.033. 9, 2 tied with 69.044. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 331.8. 2, Gary Woodland, 327.1 3, Min Woo Lee, 326. 4, Michael Brennan, 324.8. 5, Corey Conners, 324.3. 6, Scottie Scheffler, 323.9. 7, Taylor Pendrith, 322.6. 8, Alex Smalley, 322.3. 9, Wyndham Clark, 321.8. 10, Isaiah Salinda, 321.4. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Chan Kim, 83.33%. 2, Joel Dahmen, 80.36%. 3 (tie), Michael Block and Andrew Putnam, 78.57%. 5, Si Woo Kim, 77.68%. 6 (tie), Blades Brown and Adam Scott, 76.79%. 8, Kensei Hirata, 76.53%. 9, 5 tied with 76.19%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 10. 2, Blades Brown, 27. 3, David Ford, 38. 4, Corey Conners, 40. 5, Jesper Svensson, 45. 6, Taylor Moore, 46. 7, Collin Morikawa, 47. 8, Min Woo Lee, 52. 9, Karl Vilips, 54. 10, Adam Scott, 60. SG-Putting 1, Jason Day, 2.914. 2, Sami Valimaki, 2.637. 3, Alex Noren, 2.369. 4, Davis Riley, 2.337. 5, Kevin Roy, 1.738. 6, Matt Kuchar, 1.732. 7, Stephan Jaeger, 1.695. 8, Sam Ryder, 1.651. 9, Lee Hodges, 1.633. 10, Michael Kim, 1.573. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 8. 2 (tie), Jason Day and Andrew Putnam, 6.75. 4 (tie), Wyndham Clark, David Lipsky and Will Zalatoris, 6.5. 7, Frankie Capan III, 6.33. 8, 3 tied with 6. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 18. 2 (tie), Michael Brennan and Max McGreevy, 36. 4 (tie), Michael Kim and Adam Svensson, 42. 6 (tie), Tony Finau,

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER

CRANK UP THE HEAT

Staff report

When cold weather arrives in Louisiana, it seems like everyone in the state pulls out their gumbo pots and starts stirring the roux. Aside from gumbo, the warmest and coziest dishes always do the trick to combat the winter blues. Here are some favorites to try at home.

ä See RECIPES, page 2D

Oneword: Headphones

Dear Miss Manners: Strangers want to make small talk with me while waiting in grocery checkout lines, at bus stops, at the bank during flights, etc. Idonot want to make friends with strangers every time Istep outside my house.

When this happens, Ican’tbring myself to tell these people, “I’m sorry, but Idon’treally want to talk,” because it is considered rude. Iattempt to drop gentle hints that Iwant to be left alone, through body language and short answers to their questions, but most of these people seem to be immune to hints.

Once on anine-hour flight, I was seated next to atalker, andIcraned my neck the other way for theentire nine hoursinorder toavoid catchingtheir eye, which would have led to along conversation First, theobvious question:How can I let these well-meaningfolksknow,without beingrude, that I do not wish to have a conversation?

Easy RotisserieChicken Broth

3cloves of garlic Salt

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

So, Iamforced to think up innovative ways to avoid talking while being careful not to hurt their feelings For instance, in order to avoid achatty lady who wants to become my friend at my regular bus stop, Igotoanother stop that is slightly out of my way

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday

Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2026. There are 336 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Jan. 29, 2002, in his first State of the Union address,President George W. Bush said terrorists were still threatening America —and warned of “an axis of evil” consisting of North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Also on this date: In 1891, following the death of her brother Kalakaua, Lili‘uokalani was sworn in as the firstand only queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. (Her reign would end two years later when the Hawaiian monarchy was abolished following aU.S. military-supported coup d’état.)

In 1936, the first five inductees of baseball’sHall of Fame —TyCobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner,Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson —were elected in Cooperstown, New York In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed

Thesecondpart of my question is more philosophical than practical. Why is it not considered rude to engagemeinconversation against my will, butitIS consideredrude totellpeopleyou don’t wanttotalk? Whyistheir desire to talk to me morevalidthanmy wishnot to talk to them?Is there an etiquette rule that says Imust suffer instead of them?

Gentle reader: Ourideas about rules and laws are inevitably shaped by major ones likethe TenCommandmentsand the Bill of

TODAYINHISTORY

Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaopingtothe White House, following theestablishment of full diplomatic relations.

In 1995, theSan Francisco 49ers became the first team in NFL history to win five Super Bowl titles, beating the San DiegoChargers,4926, in Super Bowl XXIX. In 1998, abomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham,Alabama, killing asecurity guard and critically injuringanurse. (The bomber,Eric Rudolph, also admitted to carryingout the deadly bombingatthe 1996 Atlanta Olympics and other attacksand is serving multiple lifesentences.)

In 2013, the Justice Departmentended its criminal probe of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disasterand Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with aU.S. judge agreeing to let London-based oil giantBPPLC plead guilty to manslaughter charges for thedeathsof11rig workers and pay arecord $4 billion in penalties. In 2017, six people were killed in ashootingata

Rights, which are short and pithy.But as aspecies, we don’tlike to read (or take) instructions. Even the big rules are understood to include fine print,like killing in self-defense or not shouting “fire” in acrowded theater Yes, it is impolitenot to respond when spoken to. Butitisalso impolite to engage someone in conversation against that person’s inclination.

Miss Manners assures you that you are not being impolite if, after one or two short responses, you find somethingtodothat won’t give you astiff neck and instead say,“Excuse me, I’m going to return to my book now.” Or “mythoughts.”

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick,1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Quebec City mosque during evening prayers. (Alexandre Bissonnette, whowas arrested nearby,pleaded guiltytomurder and attempted murder charges and drew alife prison sentence.)

In 2025, amidair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft as the jet was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C. At least28bodies were pulled from theicy Potomac River Today’sbirthdays: Feminist author Germaine Greer is 87. Actor Katharine Rossis 86. Actor TomSelleck is 81. R&B singer Charlie Wilson is 73. TV host and media mogul Oprah Winfrey is 72. Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis is 66. Football Hall of Famer Andre Reed is 62. Hockey Hall of Famer Dominik Hašek is 61. Actor-director Edward Burns is 58. Actor Sara Gilbert is 51. Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert is 44. Actor Jakob Davies is 23.

Cauliflower ‘Steaks’ With White Bean Pureeand Chimichurri

Serves 3-4. Recipe is by GretchenMcKay

FORSTEAKS:

1largecauliflower Salt and pepper

1tablespoon smoked paprika

2tablespoons butter

3garlic cloves, coarsely chopped FOR CHIMICHURRI:

1cup packed fresh parsley leaves,including thin stems

1cup packed cilantro leaves, including thin stems

1shallot, chopped

2or3garlic cloves, peeled and smashed ½cup to 1cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided ¼cup red wine vinegar

1teaspoon dried oregano

1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

½teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste FOR BEAN PUREE:

2(14-ounce) cansgreat northern or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained Juice of 1½ lemons

1largegarlicclove, minced

2tablespoons nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the chimichurri. In blender or foodproces-

CAULIFLOWER

Continued from page1D

plant-forward recipe is another winner for brassica lovers. Instead of breaking the white head into florets or boiling and mashing it like you would potatoes, I slicedthe cauliflower into thick “steaks.” Then, after seasoning the slabs with salt, pepper and smoked paprika, Ifried it in butter with minced garlic until it

sor,combine parsley, cilantro, shallots,garlic, ¼cup oliveoil, vinegar,oregano, black pepper,red pepper flakes and salt. Process until the ingredients are minced andcombined, adding more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.Season to taste with moresalt or pepper,asdesired, then transfer to asmall bowl (Sauce should be more like salad dressing than pesto.)

2. Prepare beans. Place beans into ablender with the juice of1½ lemons, 1 minced garlic clove, nutritional yeast and agenerous pinch ofsaltand pepper. Blend,addingalittle bitof water at atime, untilyou get acreamyconsistency.Ifyou like, add alittle garlic powder or whitemisofor extra oomph

3. Chop2 or 3thick flat steaks out of themiddleof thecauliflower by slicing from the stalkuptothe top. Save the floretsthatfalloff for another recipe or addto apan with alittle salt, pepper,paprika and olive oil andstir-fry until brownand

was crispyonbothsides. The steaks then went into ahot oven and were slowroasteduntil they were tenderenough to be pierced with afork. The coup de maître? After plating the cauliflower on aswoosh of lemony white beanpuree, Itopped it with abright and herbaceous (and garlicky) chimichurri made with fresh parsley and cilantro If eatingmoreveggies is a newyear’sgoal, Isucceeded brilliantly with this dish

1plain rotisserie chicken (meat removed and saved for another meal)

1onion, quartered 3carrots, sliced 2celeryribs, sliced

crispy to serve on top of the finished dish.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F.

5. Season steaks withsalt pepper and paprika on both sides.

6. Add buttertoalarge cast-ironorotherovenproof pan(mine measured 12 inches)and heat over medium-high heat.

7. When butter is sizzling, add cauliflower slices and garlic and allow tocook for about5minutesuntil you getagood sear on oneside of the steaks. (You will want to press it down withaspatula.) Then flip andcook the othersideuntil seared and golden brown.

8. Place pan in preheated oven and roast until thecauliflower is tender and deeply golden brown, about 20 minutes. (You will be able to easily pierce it with afork.)

9. To serve, spoon ½cup bean pureeinto the middle of aplateand spread it in acircle withaspatula. Place cauliflower steakontop,drizzle withchimichurri and scatter over thefried reserved cauliflower bits,ifusing.

and you can, too! When choosing cauliflower,look for creamy white heads thatfeel heavy,with tightly packed florets.There shouldn’tbeany black spots on the curds —that’s asign the veggie is getting old and on aroad to being tossed (though you can still eat it if you cut the spots off)

Youcan useany mix of fresh herbs for the chimichurri. Justbesure to add some vinegar along with the garlic and crushed red pepper to brighten the flavor

1teaspoon black peppercorns 2bay leaves 4quarts of water

1. In alarge stock pot, combine all of the ingredients and cover with water

2. Bring thepot to aboil, then reduceheat and let the stock simmer on low for about 2hours.

3. Turn off the heat, and let the stock cool. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain stock and set aside to use forsoup.

Albondigas

My mother-in-law’salbondigas recipe is, like her,very flexible and forgiving. It is also theperfect cold-weather treat. When Imake it, rarely do Imeasureanything, but for those who need exactness, Iwill do my best to get the albondigas recipe downprecisely —though it is important to note that it’sadish that you can easily adjust to suit your family’stastes. Recipe by Jan Risher,astaught to her by Maria Luisa Saldano Arrendondo de Naudin.

8-10 cups of chicken broth

1wholeonion

1.5 pounds good hamburger meat

¾cup to 1cup uncooked shortgrain rice

Jalapeños to taste (I sometimes use one, as the Rotel provides enough heat for me,but my husband prefers more.)

1bunch cilantro

1can Rotel or 2cups chopped tomatoes

1. Startwith alarge pot. Add8to10cups of chicken broth (make your own, buy or use bouillon) and awhole onion.

2. Mix 1.5 pounds of good hamburger meat (or ground chuck) in abowl withuncooked rice. Mix together with your hands.

Albondigasisatraditional Mexicanmeatball soup.

3. Once the meat and rice are mixed, turn on thepot of broth on medium heat.

Immediately start making meatballs with the beef/rice mixture(aboutthe size of

Cassoulet

Serves 6-8. RecipeisbyConnyHibbeler

125-ounce bottlewine —rosé or drywhite, divided 8ounces pancetta or thick bacon, chopped 1small onion, chopped ½stalk celery, chopped 1clove garlic, chopped 10 ounces cherry tomatoes (optionally chopped, see step No. 7)

¼cup fresh parsley,chopped 1tablespoon (approximately 7leaves) fresh basil, torn, or 1 teaspoon dried basil 1carrot, chopped 1 8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 8 teaspoon nutmeg 1teaspoon liquid aminos or soy sauce 1sprig fresh thyme or 1 8 teaspoon dried thyme 315-ounce cans cannellini beans (or other white bean such as great northern), rinsed and drained 12.8-ounce jar duck rillettes or duck confit, divided (optional) 1tablespoon canned mutton,or other chopped braised meatlike pork or beef ¼to1cup chicken stock ½to1cup breadcrumbs 1to3teaspoons olive oil Coarse kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour yourself aglass of wine or other beverage of your choice to enjoy while cooking.

2. Renderthe pancetta in asaute pan over low heat.

3. Add¼cup wine topancetta andlet braiseonlow heat for 5minutes.

4. Removepancetta with a slotted spoon; set aside.

5. Saute onions in thepancetta grease over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

6. Add celery,garlic, tomatoes, carrot, parsley,basil, thyme, cloves, nutmeg, liquidaminos and asplash of wine to the pan. Cover, turn heat to low, andlet cook 5-10 minutes.

golf balls or slightly smaller). Place each meatball in the broth.

4. Cook as slowlyaspossible. If broth comes to a boil, turn down to low,cover and cook on low for 10 more minutes.

5. The meatballs will start floating as they’re cooked.(If youcook it too fast, themeatballs and rice will break up andcome apart. It’s still delicious, just not as pretty.)

6. Then, Iprefer to add one can of roasted tomato mild Rotel(though youcan chop tomatoes and add jalapeños to your taste).

7. Cook about 10-15 more minutes. Then add abunch of fresh cilantro, chopped. Turn off theburner.Serve and enjoy

ConnyHibbeler stirringcassoulet, awhite bean

originating in Southwest France.

7. Remove pan from heat and use an immersion blender or potato masher to puree the tomatoes. To reduce the potential messiness of this step,tomatoes can be chopped before adding them to the pan in step

6. Let the mixture rest.

8. Divide beans into three bowls. In first bowl, mixin half the pancetta. In second bowl,mix in 1tablespoon duck, if using. In third bowl, mix in muttonorother chopped braised meat

9. Stir remaining pancetta and duck into the vegetable mixresting in the pan.

10. Add one bowlofbean-

meat mixture to the pan at atime, stirring between additions.

11. Cover and let simmer on medium-high foratleast 15 to 20 minutes.Consistency should be somewhere between asoupand astew Adjust consistency with chicken stock if necessary 12. Remove from heat and let rest at least 5minutes. Before serving, top withbreadcrumbs anda generous drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper fortexture and taste. 13. Serve with abaguette and asimple green salad.

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AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Let your emotions take over;follow your heart. Embrace life and love, and strive to make happiness your objective. Someone you encounter will capture your attention.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be reasonable; if youlet your emotions or ego get in the way common sense or reason, you will end up in anegative situation. Take time to focus on personalgrowth and happiness.

ARIES (March21-April 19) Be honest with yourself. Assess situations from every angle and consider your part in whatever transpires. Do your part; afriendly demeanor, gesture or kind word will help keep the peace.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Keep your thoughts and plans to yourself. Offering too much information will leave you vulnerable. Consider shifting your priorities andusing your skills more aggressively.

GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Revisit your plans before you initiate achange. The legwork you do beforehand will determine how well things turn out.Use your strengths and talk your way forward.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Expansive ideas will spark opportunities if you talk to someone in aposition of authority. Invest in your physicalwell-being and sharpen your skills to maintain your edge.

LEO(July 23-Aug. 22) Don't let ego step in and take the reins.Ifyou think you know everything, you'll get ataste of

what it's like to find out you don't. It's best to keep an open mind, ask questions and listen carefully.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.22) Stop worrying about what others think or do and pay more attentiontohow you can achieve personal gratification. Take control and head down the path that helps you find aniche and enjoy your life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Distanceyourself from moody individuals who tend to exaggerateand manipulate situations. Attend eventsthat areconducive to hooking up with people who inspire you and spark your imagination.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Go overevery detail with care, and you'll save yourself money, time and effort in establishing new goals. Don't count on others to honorpromisesortowork for little return.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take advantage of an opportunity to share your thoughts and intentions and to display some of your finer qualities. Removebarriers swiftly and carry on with your business.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Look for opportunitiesand go after what you want. Change beginswithyou and the moves you make. Communicate, eliminate and move forward with afinetunedagenda.

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

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BY PHILLIPALDER

Inyesterday’scolumn,Idescribedhow Peter Fredin from Sweden analyzedan auction to deduce thelook of theother three hands, then drove intoalaydown slam that wasmissed by his opponents in ateam match. Today, hereismyfavoritecallof2013. It happened too late for the International Bridge Press Association awards, but Istill wanttogive it the recognition it deserves.

It was originally described by Marek Wojcicki,formanyyearsthecoachofthe Polish open team. The deal arose during October’s CavendishInvitational Pairs in Monaco Look at only the Westhand, which was held by Bartosz Chmurski. With neither side vulnerable, your partner opens three clubs (some 5-9 high-cardpoints with six strong or seven respectable clubs) and South overcalls three hearts. What would youhave done? What do you think Chmurski did?

At twotables at least, Westpsyched with three spades. However, one East could not take ajoke. After North-South reached seven hearts, East sacrificed in seven spades. This wasdoubled and down 12 for minus 3,200!

Most players bid some numberof clubs, but 17 of the 29 pairs reached agrand slam. (Seven no-trump was reached twice, seven hearts 13 times, andseven diamonds twice.)Chmurski did best of all. He doubledthreehearts forpenalty!Heplanned to runtoclubs if Northredoubled, but North thoughtlesslypassed. Threehearts doubled and madewith fourovertrickswas worth only930,notevenasgoodasasmallslam withanovertrick

©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,”

toDAY’sWoRD MARGIns: MAR-jins: Theoutside limitsoredges of something.

Average mark 18 words Time

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —ALREADY

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Puzzle Answer ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Eachrow and each columnmust contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, calledcages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to producethe target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the numberinthe top-left corner.

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SENSORY-FRIENDLY STORYTIME

Main Library

219 Loyola Avenue (504) 596-2570

Algiers Regional Library

3014 Holiday Drive (504) 596-2641

Alvar Library 913 AlvarStreet (504) 596-2667

Central City Library

2020 Jackson Avenue,Suite139 (504) 596-3110

Children’s ResourceCenterLibrary 913 Napoleon Avenue (504) 596-2628

Desire /Florida Satellite Location 3250 Industry Street

East New Orleans Regional Library 5641 Read Boulevard (504) 596-0200

Cita Dennis Hubbell Library 725 Pelican Avenue (504) 596-3113

Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center

4300 South Broad Avenue (504) 596-2660

Dr.Martin Luther King,Jr. Library 1611 Fats Domino Avenue (504) 596-2695

Milton H. Latter Memorial Library 5120 Saint Charles Avenue (504) 596-2625

Norman MayerLibrary 3001 GentillyBoulevard (504) 596-3100

Mid-City Library 4140 CanalStreet (504) 596-2654

Nora Navra Library 1902 Saint Bernard Avenue (504) 596-3118

Nix Library 1401 SouthCarrollton Avenue (504) 596-2630

REACH Center

2022 St.Bernard Avenue,Building C (504) 256-6983

Robert E. Smith Library 6301 Canal Boulevard (504) 596-2638 /nolalibrary @nolalibrary

EARLY LITERACY EVENTS CHILDREN’S

The New Orleans Public Library offers storytimes for children from birth to age5atall of our locations. Visit nolalibrary.org/early-literacy for more information.

THINKIT! CREATE IT!BUILD IT!

Creative and interactive playtime featuring giant-sized building materials Spark creativity and promote imaginative play.

Mondays in February from 5pm –6pm Mid-City Library

ARTSYBABY: HANDS-ON FUN

Stimulateyourbaby’splaytimewith hands-on, sensory activities and crafts during this early learning program geared for ages 0–2.

Wednesdays in February from 10:30am– 11:30am

Algiers Regional Library

LPO’S MUSICAL STORYHOUR

THELITTLEENGINE THAT COULD

Each month during this winter series, an LPOmusician and reader will provide aunique storytimeexperience at the Library forearly learners and their families. In February,percussionist Michael Metz will accompany areading of Watty Piper’s TheLittle Engine That Could

Saturday,February 21 from 10:30am –11am Milton H. Latter Memorial Library

LITTLE STEAMERS

Aseries designed for children ages 3–5years old to explore Science, Technology,Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) at the Library

Register at nolalibrary.co/little-steamers

Saturday,February 21

from 10:30am –11:30am

Norman Mayer Library

Families looking for awelcoming and comfortable spa vergent children can inclusive and interactive Space is limited.

Register at nolalibrary.co/sensory-s

Saturday,February from 10:30am–11:30am

Location TBD

SENSORYPLAY

Families looking for comfortable space children can join us interactive sensory tion activities.

Register at nolalibrary

Saturday,February from 2pm–3:30pm

Location TBD

BLUE HOUSE MU CONNECTING MU EARLYLITERAC

Explore natural connectio language and music and storytelling during early literacy worksho

Saturday,February from 10:30am–11a Algiers Regional Li

Create &P King Cake

Practice developing literacy skills with hands-on activities, snacks. Afun Mar themed program ages 2–5and

Friday,February from 10:30am –1

Milton H. Latter Memorial Library

EVENTS

BLACKHISTORY MON CONTESTART HOU

Participating in this year’ Work on your piece at with art supplies and inspirational materials provided.

Register at nolalibrar

Tuesday,February 3 from 4pm –5pm Milton H. Latter Memor

Saturday,February 7 from 2pm –4pm Main Library

Tuesday,February 10 from 4pm– 5pm Norman Mayer Library

Wednesday, February from 4pm– 5pm AlvarLibrary

Thursday,February1 from 3:30 –4:30pm Dr.Martin Luther King,

Thursday,February 19 from 4pm– 5pm Mid-City Library

Tuesday,February 24 from 4pm –5pm Nora Navra Library

EEN TECH

nter enue) is environment xperiment and help from They other ough The chnology be used ion, interacdesign, bus passes Library passes. dies

ADULT EVENTS

LATTER LIBRARY YARN ARTS CIRCLE

Work on your own personal yarn artsprojects while enjoying teaand cookies with other localknitters, crocheters, tatters, etc.

Monday,February 2

from 12pm –1pm Milton H. Latter Memorial Library

LAWTALK: ADIVORCE LAWYER’S GUIDE TO GETTING MARRIED SMART

Learn what youshould consider before getting married at this viewing of avirtual law talk by Camille Patti.After the presentation, ask questions as time allows.

Wednesday,February 4

from 5:30pm –6:30pm Algiers Regional Library

FAMILYPICTURESAND STORIES

BLACKHISTORY MONTH PHOTOSESSIONS

Celebrate your family story. Free portraits and oral history interviews celebrating Black history in families of all forms—chosen, multi-generational, queer,migrant.

Limited to 6families each day.Reserve your spotbytexting TheREACH Center at 504-256-6983.

Saturday, February 7 from 11am –2pm REACH Center

Saturday,February 21 from 11am –2pm REACH Center

POP-UP VALENTINE’S DAYCARDS

Learn cutting and folding techniques, then get creative to makeafestivecard for your Valentine or Palentine

Monday,February 9

from 11:00am –12:30pm Milton H. Latter Memorial Library

Tuesday,February 10 from5pm –6:30pm Alvar Library

RecycleY

The Arc of Greater all open Library your throws to

LOWNDESCOUNT ROAD TO BLACKP

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

This documentary chronicles the citizens’movement and young Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee organizersled by Stokely Carmichael who riskedtheirlives for Black voting rights.

Friday,February 20 from 2pm –4pm Main Library

FIGTREECARE AND PROPAGATION WITH BARCELOGARDENS

Learn how to start your own fig from an existing tree,and howtoproperly care for your tree once it’s established. Register to reserve afigtree cutting to takehome with you.

Saturday,February 21

from 10:30am –11:30am Mid-City Library

STORMING CAESARSPALACE

DOCUMENTARY SCREENING

Watch the extraordinary life of Ruby Duncan, an activist who fights the welfare system and becomesaWhite House advisor

Tuesday,February 24 from 4pm –6pm Nora Navra Library

AUTHOR NIGHT AT NORMAN

MAYERLIBRARY:

BLACKLITERARYVOICES

Celebrate Black History Month and New Orleansculture with readingsfrom local authors, featuring Maurice Carlos Ruffin, SkyeJackson, and more

Thursday,February 26

from 5:30pm –6:30pm Norman MayerLibrary

NEWORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY

don’t miss don’t miss don’t miss

exotic animal races

A zonkey? That’s a cross be a zebra and a donkey. Now add in a camel and an ostrich (or two). The unique animals take to the Fair Grounds Race Track, 1751 Gent Blvd., for races starting at 12: Saturday. Tickets start at $19.

piety mardi gras market

Those looking to complete their Carnival costume couture can find a bounty of ideas, as well as food and music, from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Hotel Peter & Paul. Vendors and artisans will have jewelry, health and beauty items, and decor. facebook.com.

black carnival society exhibit brahms symphony no. 1

Shaquille Southwell, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal clarinetist, will take on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto” at 7:30 p.m Thursday at the Orpheum Theater, 129 Roosevelt Way. The LPO show also features Valerie Coleman’s “Umoja, Anthem of Unity,” a journey through the heart of the African diaspora, and the Brahms. Tickets start at $35. lpomusic. com.

The Presbytère on Jackson Square will open an exhibit Thursday on the two Illinois clubs that are mainstays of the social aspect of Carnival celebrations: the Original Illinois Club and the Young Men Illinois Club, which is marking its centennial. The exhibit, which will be open through March 15 will feature photographs, heirloom gowns and set pieces from balls. louisiana statemuseum.org.

horses, hops & cops

Meet the Budweiser Clydesdales and the New Orleans Police Department Mounted Unit beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the stables on Harrison Avenue in City Park near Marconi Drive. The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation’s free event will include food, an equine soccer game along with other entertainment and a VIP experience. louisiana hospitalityfoundation.org.

‘battle of manila’

Nicholas Evan Sarantakes’ book details one of bloodiest battles of World War II in the Asian city with in-depth accounts from American, Japanese and Filipino forces. The author will sign the book starting at 4:30 p.m. and host a discussion at at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The National WWII Museum in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion. nationalww2museum.org.

BALL BA HAVING A

BALL stages stages stages

Kick off Carnival at the theater

Local stages get in on the Carnival (and carnival) aspects of the seasonwitha pair of showsopening that bringthe circus to town andMardi Gras to amomentous moment.

comedy‘...

Victor Andrews

The ladies of theKrewe of Terpsichore are at it again.They havea ball andaparadetoplan,and timeis fleeting

That’sthe premise of “... And the Ball and All!” at Rivertown Theaters forthe Performing ArtsinKenner Ricky Graham’sstalwartshow about Carnival in New Orleansistold through the perspective of the lovable Yats of thekrewe of “Terp-suhKore.”

The show,which takes place in 1995,is“suspended in time” as the song from another muse musical says and Graham notes “all thejokes still land.Amazing.”

And while Terpsichore is themuse andgoddess of music and dance, the ladies seem more at odds and endswhen it comes to planning the celebration and picking floatthemes. But between the gossipingand give-and-take, everything works outinthe end.

Familiar faces and CrescentCityclassic bringthe characters to life, includingYvetteHargis,Mandy Zirkenbach, Renée Terrebone Thompson, Ashley Lemmler and Tracey Collins. Andputting in aspecial appearance is Becky Allen, “MissMuddy Graw Herself,” notes Graham.

The show is at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2p.m.Sunday at 325 Minor St. Tickets start at $35. Visit rivertowntheaters.com.

‘I choose thecircus’

Before the floats roll on Canal Street, thecircus

ABOUTLAGNIAPPE

ZacharyKeller

will indeed come to town at the Saenger Theatre when the national touring company of the Tony-nominated “Water for Elephants” opens Tuesday

Based on Sara Gruen’snovel, the story is told by a man looking back on his adventure of working with a circus during theDepression. Desperatetoleave his hometown after adevastating loss, his younger self jumpsa train that ends up being acircus train.

The Lagniappe sectionispublishedeach ThursdaybyThe Times-Picayune |The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries aboutLagniappe should be directed to the editor. LAGNIAPPE EDITOR: Lauren Walck,lauren.walck@theadvocate.com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTINGWRITERS: Victor Andrews, Marco Cartolano, Doug MacCash, Keith Spera, Poet Wolfe

The story has acarnival full of emotions, from tender romance to someharrowing adventures with the animals and lifeunder the big top and on the rails. The story comes full circle and drives homethe pointthat lifecan begin whenever people decide. The show is at 7:30 p.m.Tuesday through Feb. 7, plus 2p.m. Feb. 7, and 1p.m. and 6:30 p.m.Feb. 8at 1111 Canal St. Tickets start at $39. Visit saengernola. com.

In production

“SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET”: 7:30 p.m.Feb. 6-7 and 2p.m. Feb. 8; Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Drive, Slidell. One of Sondheim’s blockbusters, “Sweeney Todd” is the story of a19thcentury London barber whodelves into aworld of revenge against acrooked judge who destroyed his life and stole his family.Meanwhile, his landlord Mrs. Lovett owns apie shop that needs customers and meat. Tickets start at $35. slidelllittletheatre.org.

“FAT HAM”: 7:30 p.m.Sunday and Feb. 6; Dillard University’sCook Theater,2601 Gentilly Blvd. The NOLA Project’spresents atakeoff on Shakespeare’s class “Hamlet,” the story revolves around Juicy, whose paternal specter appears at abarbecue and demandshis son avenge his murder.But Juicy knows the story and hopes to makeafew changes. Tickets start at $25. nolaproject.com

Email Victor Andrewsatvandrews@theadvocate. com.

GETLISTEDINLAGNIAPPE

Submitevents to Lagniappe at leasttwo weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THECOVER

KreweBohème marches through the Marignyin2025. PhotobyBrett Duke.The dreamyparade devoted to absynthe leads astring of processions in themetroarea threeweeksbefore Mardi Gras. Story by DougMacCash on Page 6.

music music music

Tori Amos adds NewOrleans stop to newtour

aheadofalbum

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

Singer-songwriter Tori Amos will perform July 12 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans as part of herrecently announced tourfor her upcoming album, “In Times of Dragons.”

Artistpre-sale ticketsbecame available Wednesday on Amos’ website and venue pre-sale tickets will be available at 10 a.m.Thursday on the Saenger’s website. Public sales begin at 10 a.m. Friday.

Amos will be joined by EnglishAmerican rock musician Bartees Strange, formerlyofthe band Stay Inside.

Amos’ latest album will bereleased May 1. In anews release, Amos said the album was “a metaphorical story” about democracy and tyranny inspired by current events in theUnited States, Pitchfork reported.

Amusical prodigy,Amoscame to fame in the ’90s for herpiano-driven songs that tackled themes such as feminism, sexuality and religion. She is known for changing her touring setlist nightly.

Amos previously played at theMahalia Jackson Theater in 2023 and 2017.

Live musichighlightsinNew Orleansfor theweekofJan. 29 to Feb. 4include abig show at theCaesars Superdomeand atribute to alegendary NewOrleans jazz andfunkdrummer at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro.

Email KeithSpera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

SATURDAY,CAESARS SUPERDOME

Over the past decade, Rockin’1000 has brought itsmass of musicians to stadiums in Italy,France, Germany,Spain, Brazil and SouthKorea, always generating widely viewed social media content. On Saturday,Rockin’1000 finally makes its American debut at the Superdome. Arranged in sections by instruments, hundreds of drummers, guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, singers and, for the first time, horn players, will raise amighty racket on aroster of rock songs. The amateurs will be augmented by New Orleans native Harry Connick Jr., who will direct a “New Orleanswelcome” featuring

REVEREND HORTON HEAT

FRIDAY,TIPITINA’S

Reverend Horton Heat is the rockabilly trio alter ego of Jim Heath.

With his slicked-back hair and hollow-body guitar,Heath/Heat is the very personification of throwback rockabilly with apunk rock edge. Thetitle of the band’s1990 debut album on SubPop Records, “Smoke ’EmIfYou Got ’Em,” neatly sums up their mindset,asdoes the song “Psychobilly Freakout.”

Reverend Horton Heat, the band, formed in Dallas in 1986.

Forty years later,Heath, backed by longtime bassist Jimbo Wallace and more recent addition Jonathan Jeter on drums, continues to barnstorm America with long, intense tours of music clubs and barrooms. The good Reverend and his Heat

Dumpstaphunk, Bonerama, the Rebirth Brass Band, The Rumble (with Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux), Joyful and the Spirit of New Orleans Gospel Choir,students from the Ellis Marsalis Center forMusic, Derrick Tabb and the Roots of Music and more. And veteran NewOrleans rock ’n’ roll band Cowboy Mouth will take part in preshow festivities. Having ahorn section in New Orleans opens up the setlist to include Bruce Springsteen, Mark Ronson, Otis Redding and other artists Rockin’1000 doesn’tusually cover But the show will also likely encompass such Rockin’1000 standards as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Nirvana’s“Smells Like Teen Spirit” and, of course, the Foo Fighters’ “Learn To Fly.”

New Orleans &Co. is promoting the Rockin’1000 concert. Tickets start at $25.

are in the midst of their $10 Ticket Tour of NorthAmerica. It stops at Tipitina’sonFriday,with opening act The Bills kicking thingsoff at 9p.m. As the tour’s namesuggests, tickets are $10 (plus fees).

Also at Tipitina’sthis weekend: Cajun accordionist, singer and songwriter Bruce Daigrepont hosts aCarnivalthemed fais do-do on Sunday evening starting at 5:15 p.m.Tickets are $15.

music music music

SILVERADA

SUNDAY,CHICKIE WAH WAH

The vibrant music scene in Austin, Texas, continues to renew itself —sometimes even within what is essentially the same band.

The rockin’ honky-tonk band Silverada was originally known as Mike andthe Moonies. That’sthe name under which founder Mike Harmeier and his bandmates built their reputation with epic Texas dancehall gigs that kept the dancefloor full.

The band’stravels took its members to the GrandOle OpryinNashville, Tennessee, and Abbey Road Studios in London. In early 2024, Harmeier and company changed the band’sname to Silverada.

Also that year,they released astudio album

On it, they explore psychedelic country jamming in “Eagle Rare” andstick to more standardroots rock in ve.”

ACROSS THEPONDGUITARFESTIVAL

THURSDAY,SNUG HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO

Formany years, NewOrleans guitar master Jimmy Robinson —afounder of long-running fusion band Woodenhead —has fostered cross-continental and cross-border,mostlyacoustic, collaborations with fellowsixstringers in Eu

them overseas, then typically brings twoorthree back to New Orleansfor his annualAcross thePondGuitar Festival.

This year’seditionisThursdayatSnug Harbor Jazz Bistro.

TRIBUTE

HARBOR JAZZ BISTRO

Silverada stops at Chickie WahWah on Sunday.Rod Melancon opens theshow at 8p.m. Tickets are $25 plus fees.

known for itsaccomplished drummers, was one of the mosttalented. He was modern jazz and bebop Orleans andNew Tork compositions included Puzzle,” from his 1963 album Marsalis Quartet. As on the Tipitina’sRe’s recent vinyl release Funky Sides of James the drummer was also ent infunk. Examples of backingChuck Carbo, Walter “Wolf”Washington, Mary Jane Hooper and eBo(“Hook and Sling, Pt. 1”)are docued on the firstside of the album. Four from Black’sown, unfinished album, ich hestarted recording in theearly 1980s buthadn’t finished by thetime of sdeath in 1988, make up Side 2.

Black

On Tuesday, drummerStanton Moore, of Galactic; keyboardist Lawrence Sieberth; guitarist Steve Masakowski; and bassist James Singleton —who performed on Black’s unfinished album —will showcase his musicatSnug Harbor withshows at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35.

In addition to Robinson,the lineup features fellowNew Orleansmaster Phil DeGruy is signature “guit-harp”; diangypsyjazz virtuoso Adrian Raso, who is best known for his work with Romanibrass legends Fanfare Ciocarlia;and Italngerstyleguitar master vino Loche, whoseplaying es on jazz, blues, rock and inianfolktraditions. y’ll be backed by arhythm on consisting of Mike Rao ss and Lorenzo Buda on ums wtimesare at 7:30 p.m. :30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

carnival carnival carnival

HAZE THE THROUGH

Absinthe-lovingKrewe Bohème settodrift throughthe Marigny, French QuarteronFriday

New Orleans’ officialMardi Gras season doesn’t begin until Feb. 6, when the first float parades rumble down St. Charles Avenue. But for some, Carnival starts considerably sooner, with fabulousfoot processions that weave through downtown neighborhoods.

Doug MacCash

The dreamiestofthese is the Krewe Bohème parade,which is devoted to absinthe,anill-reputed liqueur that inspired legendary bohemians suchasPabloPicasso, JosephineBaker and OscarWilde with its supposed hallucinogeniceffects.

Bohème, whichmaterialized in 2018,does not crown aconventional king or queen. Instead, the group anoints an annualSupreme Green Fairy, the personification of theintoxicatingbeverage. This year, New Orleans’ favorite popcellist Helen Gillet will assume the role

This year’stheme is “Midnightinthe Gardenof Absinthe.”

The 1,000-marcher parade is composed of several eclectic subkrewes, each morecharmingly peculiar than theone before. Appearing forthe firsttime in Bohème will be The KreweofBritney (Spears), atribute to Kentwood’sstarofstars. Kreweleidoscope—knownfromappearancesin the defunct krewedelusionparade —will return with musical contraptions.And the Krewe de Vélorévolte bicycle squadwill make itsBohème debut, costumed as newsises— the kids who once sold newspapers on streetcorners. In whatisprobably a firstfor aMardi Gras parade,Vélorévolte plans to give away 20 children’sbicycles along the route. According to MichaelBackes,who is part of the krewe’sbuildteam,the smallbikeswill be carried on aspecial mini float and presented to kids alongthe route, chosenbykrewe members.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@ theadvocate.com.

ABOVEand RIGHT:

Dressed as representations of nature, membersof Krewe Bohème march through the Marigny in 2025.

STAFF FILE PHOTOS BY BRETTDUKE

40-year-oldKrewe du Vieux is

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

It is impossible, in good conscience, to recommend the Krewe du Vieux Mardi Gras parade that will brazenly rove thestreets of the French Quarter on Saturday

The procession of muledrawn mini-floats, costumed marchersand abundant brass bands is aprurient,politically parochial affair that should be avoided by thesensitive and sensible population of New Orleans.

Those whohave the misjudgmenttoattend can expect to endure criticism of our political leaders —the Supreme Court, forexample, is referred to as “The Pillagers of Justice.” The parade will also include the crass lampooning of current affairs —such as the “ICE Capades.”

And finally,the krewemembers will celebrate various anatomical preoccupations. The 2026 theme, “KreweduVieux Saves the WetGlands,” pretty

ä See DU VIEUX, page 10 ä Glass beads of thepast planned for 2026 KdV parade.

9

carnival carnival carnival

Weekend paradesspread outacrossmetro

BY VICTOR ANDREWS Staff writer

Parades head out from the French Quarter and the Marigny throughout the metro area this weekend, as floats roll in Slidell, Metairie, New Orleans East and other parts of the state.

Friday

KREWEOFTITANS

6:30 p.m. ● Slidell

Carnival season gets rolling when Titans takes to the streets of this St. TammanyParish city with the theme “Magic, Myths &Miracles” along the traditional route through the Camellia City.The 600 women and men will ride 21 floats with titles such as “The Wizard of Oz,” “Jumanji” and “Mary Poppins.” Reigning over the festivities will be Thomas Lagreco and Victoria Sharp. Watch foravariety of plush collectibles, socks and lighted beads.

Saturday

KREWEOFPOSEIDON

6p.m. ● Slidell

“The World is Your Oyster” will be the theme, and the 24 floats will have titles such as “Rio,” “Under the Sea” and “France.” CliffLaigast and Jammie Laigast will rule. The parade will feature the 610 Stompers, Mande Milkshakers, Buffalo Soldiers and Golden Sioux Mardi Gras Indians plus bands and marching units. Specialty itemsinclude SNAPO tridents, trident beads, bucket hats, koozies, signature cups and an animated mermaidchunky chain necklace. LED itemswill also be thrown, including footballs, signature beads, frisbees and lanyard character necklaces.

Sunday

KREWEOFLITTLERASCALS

Noon ● Metairie

The youthful krewe’smotto is “Today’s children are tomorrow’sleaders and our

carnival carnival carnival

KdVmonarch plansrare, handmade

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

We’ve loved our plastic MardiGras beads for along time. We’ve been catching them since we were kids. But adult problems have cropped up

Between cloggedstorm drains and ecological concerns, some of thefun has gone out of catchinga fistful ofcolored bead necklaces.

But what if there were alot fewer Mardi Gras beads, but they were really,reallyprecious? What if they were so beautiful thatwemight even wear them year-round?

At this very minute, FranziskaTrautmann, CEO of the Glass Half Full glass recycling service, is producing a small batch of just such beads.Who knows, in the longrun, theexperiment could be another step in the citywide move toward more sustainable throws.

Trautmann was chosen to reign as monarch of the 2026 Krewe duVieux parade, which rolls through the French Quarter on Saturday.Asshe rumbles along on herroyal, mule-drawn float, Trautmann plans to toss between 50 and 100 bead necklaces madefrom what else? —recycled glass.

In away,the projectisathrowback to the mid-20th century when catching Czechoslovakian glass beads was the norm.

Trautmann hired Andrew Barrows, a skilled glass artist,toturnout asmany beads as he can by paradetime. To begin the project, she provided him with blue bottles that once containedSkyy vodka and Bombay Sapphire gin.She likes the aqua color and also the idea that the bottles once contained booze It’seven possible they camefrom Bourbon Street, she said.

Working at the New OrleansGlassworks facility and his own NOLA Alchemy studio, Barrows is making the beads the old-fashioned way, by melting down the blue bottles, stretching the glass into rods and laboriously forming the individual orbs with atorch flame. Each bead takes30

PROVIDED PHOTOS

ABOVE: Glass artist Andrew Barrows is using recycled blue beads to makestrands for Glass HalfFullCEO Franziska Trautmann’s ride as monarch of the 2026 Krewe du Vieux parade. LEFT: Aglass strand is madeatNew Orleans Glassworks &Printmaking Studio.

nival nival ni l

THROWS

Continued from page9

hope tra morial ri fl tion ho Me wooden KR 1p

Nefertiti” with

DU VIEUX

Continued frompage7

much says it all.

The only redeeming aspect of the 2026 parade is that it will be reigned over by ecologist Franziska Trautmann, CEOof the Glass Half Full glass recycling service, who will tosslocally made glass beads.

Founded by artists in 1987, Krewe du Vieux is avenerable institution.

“The truth is,” publicitypoohbah KeithTwitchell said, “at

seconds to produce.

this point,after 40 years, we’re set in our ways. Whatever you maythink ofthose ways, we’re prettymuchset in them.”

Despite that, Twitchell said there will be some differences this year.The route has changed because of“theinsanity of constructioninthe French Quarter,” and thereisa new stopping point. TheKrewe du Vieux parade alwaysconcludes at the location of its ball, which this yearisbeing heldunder tents in aparking lot at the corner of Frenchmen and Decatur streets.

If it’scold,Twitchell said, the outdoor venue might be a

“I’ve got my workcut out forme,” Barrowssaid. “I’m making beads no different from how beads were made thousands of years ago.”

problem,though he expectsthe parade participantswill have taken “external and internal warming measures.”

The parade begins on Royal Street at the corner of Franklin Avenue, traveling from theMarigny into the French Quarter.Itturns right on St. AnnStreet, right on Burgundy Street,right on Gov.Nicholls Street,left on Dauphine and right on Frenchmen toDecatur

All hail Krewe du Vieux! Long may it rave.

Email DougMacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Trautmann has the tedious task of stringing the beads. For the recycled glass beads concept to go any further than Krewe du Vieux 2026, Trautmann and Barrowshave to figure out how to increase production and drop the cost.

Currently,Trautmann said, the necklaces cost about $10 each to make, which is probably too high for the throw market.

“We’d like to get them downtolike $1 per strand, but we don’thave that pathway yet,” she said. While he’s making bead after bead, Barrowsis trying to figure out how to scale up.

He doesn’twant to automate; he’d rather enlist moreglass artists. He said he has ideas to speed up the process, but he’skeeping them to himself fornow

The goal, Barrowssaid, is desirability.“If people see our beads on the ground, they’ll say,‘Iwanttopick that up.’”

No matter what happens downthe line, during the upcoming Krewe du Vieux parade, somelucky audience members are going to catch what is probably the rarest, mostcollectible keepsake of Carnival 2026.

food food food

‘It’s stuck in the ’70s’

Gulf Coast bar doesn’t know change, boasts best burgers

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Hot sunlight slipped through the haze of cigarette smoke — a brief visit from the outside before the door shut and the Project Lounge fell back into darkness.

Quiet conversations, hip-hop beats and the crackle of oil filled the room of one of the oldest and most storied bars on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Raw burger patties sizzled on the stove. At the bar table, among half-empty beer bottles and open packs of Camel Lights, regulars glanced up at the television then back at the wall during commercials, where wrinkled dollar bills, their presidents speckled in Sharpie, cling to the air vent and ceiling, and framed film posters of James Dean hang in a corner across from a disco ball.

The back wall is covered in license plates, from nearby Texas to as far as California, next to a popcorn machine glowing with butteryellow light and red neon. Another corner, lit by a dangling Tiffany pendant, is filled with vintage Kentucky bourbon advertising prints.

The crowd — a mix of retirees and blue-collar workers on a lunch break — gave the Biloxi bar the illusion of an early Friday night before rush hour, rather than a Tuesday afternoon

Within its cinder-block walls is a history of Biloxi, told through decades of people who passed through for a steak sandwich and an ice-cold Bud Light. The Project Lounge doesn’t know change in a constantly evolving, tourism-driven casino town.

“The clientele is all walks of life,” owner Steve Peterson said. “Anybody and everybody comes in there.”

Like the hanging portraits, stale smoke and darkness, something else, Peterson said, has yet to change: The bar makes the best burgers on the coast. Well, almost.

The menu once called them the best damn burgers on the coast, but the expletive has since been dropped.

Like its name, the $9 burger gets straight to the point: a patty with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. It comes with chips and a pickle or a mayonnaise-based potato salad. Whether it’s the best on the coast is up for you to decide, but the number of patrons ordering it that Tuesday afternoon suggests it might live up to its name.

The constant rotation of burgers, smokes and drinks makes it feel as if time doesn’t move there. But after hours spent in a bar that knows no light other than neon signs and flickering flames, leaving is like stepping out of a movie theater — a return to the inevitable reality that waits outside.

The walls, however, tell a differ-

ent story about time.

The Project Lounge wears its years of tobacco and grease, laughter and banter, heavy pours and drunken spills. It was opened in 1975 by Johnnie Parkinson, a paving company owner who, as the name suggests, wanted a new project to keep her busy

The business first sat behind a motel off U.S. 90, selling burgers and steak sandwiches. Thirtythree years later, when the motel expanded, it moved to its current location — behind a railroad track on Iberville Street, a winding road lined with auto shops, a restaurant and an adult store.

Other than its pin on a map, little changed.

“It’s stuck in the ’70s,” Peterson said, chewing a wad of gum. “That’s for sure.”

LEFT: A dimly lit corner is evidence of the long life of the Project Lounge, a smoky Biloxi, Miss., bar where little has changed since the 1970s.

STAFF PHOTO By POET WOLFE

BELOW: Like its name, the burger from The Project Lounge gets straight to the point, and the owner guarantees it’s the best on the Gulf Coast.