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T h u r s d ay, F e b r u a ry 12, 2026
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HEATING UP Wednesday parades roll as New Orleans prepares for all the action of the long Carnival weekend
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Checchio takes reins of archdiocese He replaces retiring Aymond, becoming 15th archbishop
BY BOB WARREN Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK
The Krewe of Alla rolls down Magazine Street on Wednesday. The krewe, founded in 1932, featured 18 floats in this year’s parade under the theme ‘Alla Shoots for the Stars!’
‘Deep Gras’ features a few firsts BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer
CARNIVAL
Carnival is always changing. Black masking Indians sew a new suit each year, bands learn new songs, parading organizations select new themes, new throws, new kings and new celebs. With Fat Tuesday approaching, New Orleans is in the midst of seven-straight days of parades, with the annual period of revelry reaching its fever pitch. And residents and visitors will have a few firsts to look forward to in 2026. Among the new features during the long upcoming weekend that some refer to as “Deep Gras” are star athletes and entertainers, NOLA-centric satire, charming signature floats and visiting dance troupes. Following Wednesday night’s parades,
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INSIDE, 1B, 3B NOLA.COM
The Krewe of Alla Grand Marshals Landon Bryant, left, and Kate Bryant toss beads to the crowd on ä See FIRSTS, page 4A Wednesday.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has a new leader. The Vatican announced Wednesday that the Most Rev. James F. Checchio, who has served as coadjutor archbishop of the local Roman Catholic Church since September, has formally taken the reins from New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who is retiring. Checchio, 59, arrived in New Orleans from Metuchen, New Jersey, last fall to begin the tran- Checchio sition and serve alongside Aymond until Aymond officially retired. Checchio had been bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen since 2016. Aymond, 76, has led the Catholic Church in New Orleans since 2009. The archdiocese said in a news release Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV had formally accepted Aymond’s resignation, elevating Checchio to become the 15th archbishop of New Orleans. Aymond had served one year past the mandatory retirement age for bishops as he sought to finalize a settlement of the archdiocese’s long-running
ä See CHECCHIO, page 5A
Raw sewage leaking into N.O. East canal BY BEN MYERS Staff writer
New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board infrastructure has repeatedly leaked raw sewage into Dwyer Canal in recent months, creating a rotten egg smell that has irritated residents and that some say has caused health problems. Residents and community activists say the smell has been in the air for years, sometimes fading during the day and growing stronger at night or when fog is present. But the odor in recent months has grown stronger, seeping into homes and causing headaches, watery eyes,
ä See SEWAGE, page 4A
Fleming blasts rivals for Senate seat as qualifying begins Candidates line up for significant races
BY TYLER BRIDGES and ALYSE PFEIL Staff writers
State Treasurer John Fleming had strong words for his two main Republican opponents in this year’s U.S. Senate race — Sen. Bill Cassidy and Rep. Julia Letlow — as he qualified Wednesday for the May 16 primary. Fleming said that Cassidy flip-flops on key issues, while Letlow got into the race only because she received President Donald Trump’s endorsement. “The endorsement I want is from the people of Louisiana,” Fleming told
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ELECTION 2026 reporters at the Secretary of State’s Office in Baton Rouge after qualifying for the Senate election. Fleming described the contest as being between “two liberal Republican candidates” in Cassidy and Letlow, both R-Baton Rouge, and himself, “the only true conservative in this race.” He went on to say that Trump’s endorsement of Letlow is a “scheme” of Gov. Jeff Landry aimed at eventually benefiting the governor’s future political aspirations. “Jeff Landry has been working on this, this endorsement for over a year. I’ve heard about it from a number of
people,” Fleming said. A spokesperson for Landry did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the campaigns for Letlow and Cassidy. Fleming was one of many candidates who qualified for races of statewide significance, including U.S. Senate, the six congressional races, two elections to the Public Service Commission, one election to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and three state Supreme Court races for the Democratic and Republican primaries on May 16. Fleming has been a bystander in recent days while Cassidy and Letlow have hogged attention in the Senate
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming addresses reporters as he ä See QUALIFYING, page 5A signs up to run for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................7B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................8D Deaths .........................4B Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-7D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
13TH yEAR, NO. 184