The Times-Picayune 02-20-2026

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

Redevelopmentplans forthe Municipal Auditorium took astep forward Thursday after New Orleans leaderssaidtheywill spend$750,000 to bring long-held visions forthe historic site closer to reality.

Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration will use unassigned bond money to begin amaster planning processfor the shuttered 95-yearold building, the latestendeavor to thwart apotentialloss of nearly $39 millioninfederalfunding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency granted the city the cash on areimbursementbasis in 2018, after yearsofnegotiations over the extent of building damage caused by Hurricane Katrina’sfloodwaters.

But the city had an end-of-2025 deadline to spendthe moneyand be reimbursed. Though officials applied for an extension, FEMA has not yet approved that request, Mayor Helena Moreno said at anews conference Thursday

“What ultimately becomes of this amazing place hastobesomething that is for thepublic good, has to be somethingthatisabout preserving our culture, has to be something all of ushere in the city of New Orleans can be reallyproud of,” Moreno said Through apartnership with the Save OurSoulCoalition andthe Greater New Orleans Foundation, the city will spearhead acommunity engagementprocess andfind adevelopertodraft amaster plan that, once completed, could attract alter-

natefunding sources,such as state or philanthropic dollars, and new investment opportunities. Generations of families remember themassive auditorium, nestled within Armstrong Park in Treme, as aonce-popular site for Mardi Gras balls, concerts andgraduationsin New Orleans. It loomsbeside Congo Square,

Trump, Iran signal they areready forwar

Presidentwarns of ‘bad things’ if deal isn’treached on nuclearprogram

BY JON GAMBRELL

Associated Press

United Arab Emirates Iran held

military drills with Russiaon Thursday as asecond American aircraft carrier drew closer to the MiddleEast, with boththe United States andIran signaling theyare prepared for war if talks on Tehran’snuclear program fizzle out. PresidentDonald Trumpsaid Thursdayhebelieves 10 to 15 days is “enough time”for Iran to reach adeal. Butthe talks have been deadlocked for years, and Iran has refused to discuss wider U.S. and Israeli demands that it scale back its missile program and sever ties to armed groups. Indirect talks held in recentweeksmadelittlevisible progress, and one or both sides could be buying time for final war preparations. Iran’stheocracy is more vulnerable thanever following 12 days of Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites and militarylastyear,aswell as massprotests in January that were violently suppressed. In alettertothe U.N. Security Council on Thursday, Amir Saeid Iravani, the Iranianambassador to the U.N., said that while Irandoes notseek “tension or

Challengeto La.’s private pre-Krules dismissed

TwoChristian schoolssoughtto blocklaw regulating programs

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Afederal judge has dismissed twoChristian schools’ challenge of Louisiana’snew rules for private preschools, saying the rules protect children and do not discriminate against religious institutions.

U.S. DistrictCourt Judge Terry Doughty on Wednesday granted the state’smotion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in October and which sought to block astate law that requires private prekindergarten programstoget state licenses. Under Act409,passedunanimouslybythe state Legislature last year,the schools must meet dozens of child care regulations and pass mandatory inspections to be licensed. The lawsuit alleged that Act 409 unconstitutionally singled out religious schools, and that the expansive regulations would force schools to raise tuition or shut down their pre-K programsdue to compliance costs. But Doughty rejected that argument, noting that the law requires pre-K programsatall private schools, secularand religious, to obtain a state “early learning center” license. He also said thatMontessori schoolsmust meet “rigorous” certification standards andpublic schools are “dually regulated” by the state andlocal school

ä See CHALLENGE, page 14A

BY JOHN POPE Contributing writer

New Orleans will bid farewell to Norman C. Francis on March 2-3 in events at Xavier University,which he led for 46 years, and at St. Louis Cathedral.

His body will lie in repose from 9a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March2 in Xavier’sConvocation Center,on 7910 Stroelitz St. Francis’ family will be there from 4p.m. to 5p.m.

The Most Rev. Curtis Guillory, aformer bishop of Beaumont, Texas, will deliveropening and closing remarks, anda program will begin at 5p.m.

AMass will be said at 10 a.m. on March 3atSt. Louis Cathedral after visitation there from 8a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Cardinal Wilton Gregory,aformer archbishopofWashington, D.C., will be the principal celebrant. In the half-hour before the service, the rosary will be said, and people will offer remarks about Francis. Burial will be in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3, 3421 Esplanade Ave. D.W.Rhodes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Francis, who became aforce at city,state and national levels, died Wednesday.Hewas 94.

U.S. pays about $160M of $4B it owes the U.N. UNITED NATIONS The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly $4 billion it owes the United Nations, the U.N. said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization

The Trump administration’s payment last week is earmarked for the U.N.’s regular operating budget, U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told The Associated Press.

The U.N. has said the United States owes $2.196 billion to its regular budget, including $767 million for this year, as well as $1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung U.N. peacekeeping operations

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

U.N. officials have said 95% of the overdue payments to the U.N.’s regular budget is from the United States.

Banner featuring Trump placed on DOJ building

WASHINGTON A large banner featuring Donald Trump’s face was hung on the exterior of Justice Department headquarters on Thursday in a physical display of the Republican president’s efforts to exert power over the law enforcement agency that once investigated him. While Trump banners have been hung outside other agencies across Washington, the decision to place one on the storied Justice Department building amounted to a striking symbol of the erosion of the department’s tradition of independence from White House control The banner, hung between two columns on one corner of the building, says, “Make America Safe Again,” a slogan used by the administration to tout its efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration and violent crime.

Trump officials have rejected accusations that they have weaponized the Justice Department for political purposes, saying the Biden administration was the one that politicized law enforcement with two federal criminal cases against Trump that were abandoned after he won the 2024 election. Ky. Supreme Court rules against charter schools

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a measure establishing public funding for charter schools is unconstitutional, affirming that state funds “are for common schools and for nothing else.”

The 2022 measure was enacted by the state’s Republican-dominated legislature over Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto. It was struck down the next year by a lower court. The state’s high court ruled the “Constitution as it stands is clear that it does not permit funneling public education funds outside the common public school system,” Justice Michelle M. Keller wrote in a unanimous opinion. BRIEFS

Trump gets pledges for Gaza

Board of Peace has inaugural meeting

BY AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members have agreed to pledge $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package and five countries have agreed to deploy troops as part of an international stabilization force for the war-battered Palestinian territory

While lauding the pledges, Trump faces the unresolved challenge of disarming Hamas, a sticking point that threatens to delay or even derail the Gaza ceasefire plan that his administration notched as a major foreign policy win.

The dollars promised, while significant, represent a small fraction of the estimated $70 billion needed

to rebuild the territory decimated after two years of war between Israel and Hamas. While Trump praised allies for making the commitments of funding and troops, he offered no detail on when the pledges would be implemented.

“Every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region),”

Trump said. He added, “The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built right here in this room.”

Trump also announced the U.S. was pledging $10 billion for the board but didn’t specify what the money will be used for It also was not clear where the U.S. money would come from a sizable pledge that would need to be authorized by Congress.

The board was initiated as part of Trump’s 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza. But since the October ceasefire, Trump’s vision for the board has morphed and he wants it to have an even more am-

bitious remit — one that will not only complete the Herculean task of bringing lasting peace between Israel and Hamas but also help resolve conflicts around the globe.

But the Gaza ceasefire deal remains fragile, and Trump’s expanded vision for the board has triggered fears the U.S. president is looking to create a rival to the United Nations. Trump, pushing back against the criticism, said the creation of his board would help make the U.N. viable in the future.

“Someday I won’t be here. The United Nations will be,” Trump said. “I think it is going to be much stronger, and the Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly.”

Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania made pledges to send troops for a Gaza stabilization force, while Egypt and Jordan committed to train police. Troops will initially be deployed

to Rafah, a largely destroyed and mostly depopulated city under full Israeli control, where the U.S. administration hopes to first focus reconstruction efforts.

The countries making pledges to fund reconstruction are Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait, Trump said.

Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, leader of the newly created international stabilization force, said plans call for 12,000 police and 20,000 soldiers for Gaza.

“With these first steps, we help bring the security that Gaza needs for a future of prosperity and enduring peace,” Jeffers said.

Nearly 50 countries and the European Union sent officials to Thursday’s meeting. Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are among more than a dozen countries that have not joined the board but took part as observers.

Weather delays recovery after avalanche

Authorities say it will take time to reach bodies of eight people

BY JULIE WATSON and JOHN SEEWER Associated Press

SODA SPRINGS, Calif. — Six women killed in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada were among a group of eight close friends and experienced backcountry skiers on a trip together their families said in a statement Thursday “They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”

Tuesday’s avalanche, the deadliest in the U.S. in decades, killed eight people.

Six survived the disaster

It will be at least another day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies and continue the search for a ninth person still missing and presumed dead, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

The skiers and professional guides caught avalanche understood the dangers of trekking through the remote wilderness of the Sierra Nevada.

But what the guides and their tour company knew about the warnings and risks from a powerful winter storm that blasted the mountains during the trip and why they pressed on is now part of investigations.

It will be at least an-

other day before crews can attempt to recover the bodies and continue the search for a ninth person still missing and presumed dead, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

“We are on the mountain, but they are not going to be able to safely reach them,” she said Thursday “The weather conditions are really dangerous.”

Several more feet of snow could fall around Lake Tahoe on Thursday and continue to destabilize the fragile snowpack according to the Sierra Avalanche Center It said that wind gusts along the ridgetops could reach 60 mph and warned there’s a high risk of large avalanches through at least Friday morning. Tahoe National Forest lands in the Castle Peak area were also closed to the public until March 15.

Officials have not yet released the names of those who were killed.

‘Connected community’

The 15 skiers most of them women, began their three-day trip on Sunday just as warnings about the storm were intensifying.

They spent the weekend staying along Frog Lake in high country huts accessible only by challenging trails.

Some have ties with the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, which issued a statement late Wednesday mourning the loss of skiers with “strong connections to Sugar Bowl, Donner Summit and the backcountry community.”

Perched on Donner Summit, the academy is a private boarding and day school for competitive skiers and snowboarders. Its former students include multiple Olympians.

“We are an incredibly close and connected community,” Sugar Bowl Academy executive director Stephen McMahon said in the statement. “This tragedy has affected each and every one of us.”

Two sisters were among the dead, their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times.

Caroline Sekar, a mother of two, lived in San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh lived in Boise, Idaho. Their brother said they were on the trip with close friends from college.

“The idea that they are both gone is, I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Clabaugh said.

Mayor Max Perrey of Marin County’s Mill Valley, a city just north of San Francisco, confirmed that some in the group were mothers from his city

One of the victims was married to a member of a backcountry search and rescue team in the area, said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo.

Guides were experienced

The four guides were employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which offers mountaineering

NASA boss blasts Boeing for flight that stranded astronauts

Space agency managers also receive blame

BY MARCIA DUNN AP aerospace writer

NASA’s new boss blasted Boeing and the space agency Thursday for Starliner’s botched flight that left two astronauts stuck for months at the International Space Station. Administrator Jared

Isaacman said poor leadership and decision-making at Boeing led to Starliner’s troubles. He also blamed NASA managers for failing to intervene and get Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams

back more quickly

The two test pilots, now retired from NASA, spent more than nine months at the station before catching a lift back with SpaceX last March.

Isaacman said Starliner’s problems must be better understood and fixed before any more astronauts strap in.

Isaacman upgraded the seriousness of Starliner’s troubled astronaut debut, declaring it a “Type A mishap,” something that could endanger a crew Both the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters also involved cultural and leadership missteps. It is a mistake that Starliner was not designated a se-

rious mishap right from the start, Isaacman said, citing internal pressure to keep Boeing on board and flights on track.

“This is just about doing the right thing,” he said. “This is about getting the record straight.”

There is no timeline for when Boeing can launch Starliner on a supply run, essentially another test flight to prove its safety before astronaut flights. The grounding leaves SpaceX as the only U.S. taxi service for astronauts.

“Boeing has made substantial progress on corrective actions for technical challenges we encountered,” Boeing said in a statement.

and backcountry ski trips as well as safety courses. One of them was among the six survivors. The company said in a statement that it launched an investigation.

Blackbird’s website says the tour was intended for intermediate to expert skiers.

The guides with the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing, and were instructors with the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education. While in the field they “are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and rout-

Customer

ing based upon conditions,” founder Zeb Blais said in the statement.

“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may be some time before we do,” the company said, asking people to refrain from speculating while it reviews what happened.

Questions linger about trip

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities will investigate why the guides proceeded with the tour despite the forecast.

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is also investigating to determine if the company violated California law

The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch Sunday morning, the first day of the trip, indicating a high risk of large avalanches.

It’s not uncommon for backcountry skiers to go out when there is an avalanche watch or even a warning, avalanche safety experts say In avalanche terrain that covers many backcountry areas, slides occur regularly but often go unnoticed. Even if people have signals to keep up with the forecast and changing conditions, there is no single way to react.

HELP@THEADVOCATE.COMor504-529-0522 News Tips /Stories: NEWSTIPS@THEADVOCATE.COM

Former Prince Andrew arrested and held for hours

and Parliament.

BY DANICA KIRKA Associated Press

Sandringham Estate.

Police said he was released under investigation, meaning he has neither been charged nor exonerated.

The police force, which covers areas west of London, including Mountbatten-Windsor’s former home, said Thursday that a man in his 60s from Norfolk had been arrested and was in custody. Police did not identify the suspect, in line with standard procedures in Britain

LONDON The former Prince Andrew was arrested and held for hours by British police Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office related to his links to Jeffrey Epstein, an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment It was the first time in nearly four centuries that a senior British royal was placed under arrest, and it underscored how deference to the monarchy has eroded in recent years.

King Charles III, whose late mother lived by the motto “never complain, never explain,” took the unusual step of issuing a statement on the arrest of his brother, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said. “As this process continues, it would not be right for me to comment further on this matter.”

The Thames Valley Police force said Mountbatten-Windsor was released Thursday evening, about 11 hours after he was detained at his home in eastern England. He was photographed in a car leaving the station near the home on the royal

Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, moved to the king’s private estate in Norfolk after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle earlier this month.

Police previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was Britain’s special envoy for international trade. Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department late last month along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.

“Following a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation into this allegation of misconduct in public office,”

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright said in a statement.

Two homes searched

Police searched Andrew’s San-

dringham home, and his former residence at Royal Lodge in Windsor Earlier in the day pictures circulated online that appeared to show unmarked police cars at Wood Farm, Mountbatten-Windsor’s home on the Sandringham Estate, with plainclothes officers gathering outside.

Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing in his association with Epstein.

The allegations being investigated Thursday are separate from those made by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked to Britain to have sex with the prince in 2001, when she was just 17. Giuffre died by suicide last year

Still, Giuffre’s sister-in-law

Amanda Roberts said that she was overjoyed when she got a phone call at 3 a.m. telling her the news of the arrest. But those feelings of elation were quickly complicated by the realization that she couldn’t share the feelings of “vindication” with Giuffre.

“We can’t tell her how much we love her, and that everything that she was doing is not in vain,” Roberts added tearfully

Sky Roberts, Giuffre’s brother, added that he thinks his sister would be pushing for more accountability in both the United Kingdom and the United States based on the files.

“We need to unmask the co-conspirators and potential perpetra-

tors. And then we need to see indictments,” Amanda Roberts said.

A ‘spectacular fall from grace’

“This is the most spectacular fall from grace for a member of the royal family in modern times,” said Craig Prescott, a royal expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, who compared it in severity to the crisis sparked by Edward VIII’s abdication to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

“And it may not be over yet,” Prescott added.

Thursday’s arrest came a day after the National Police Chiefs’ Council said it had created a coordination group to assist forces across the U.K. that are assessing whether Epstein and his associates committed crimes in Britain.

In addition to the concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s correspondence, documents released by the U.S. suggest Epstein may have used his private jet to traffic women to and from Britain.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the arrest was “a shame” and “very sad.”

“I think it’s so bad for the royal family,” he told reporters in Washington.

Last royal arrest was in 1640s

The last time a senior British royal was arrested was almost 400 years ago during the reign of King Charles I that saw a growing power struggle between the crown

After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell. Charles I was arrested, tried, convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649.

Modern concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to Epstein have dogged the royal family for more than a decade.

The late Queen Elizabeth II forced her second son to give up royal duties and end his charitable work in 2019 after he tried to explain away his friendship with Epstein during a catastrophic interview with the BBC.

But as concern mounted about what the Epstein files might reveal, the king moved aggressively to insulate the royal family from the fallout.

Since October, Charles has stripped his younger brother of the right to be called prince, forced him to move out of the royal estate he occupied for more than 20 years and issued a public statement supporting the women and girls abused by Epstein.

Charles was forced to act after Mountbatten-Windsor’s correspondence with Epstein torpedoed the former prince’s claims that he severed ties with the financier after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

N.M. reopens investigation into Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch

BY SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE,N.M.— New Mexico’s attorney general has reopened an investigation into allegations of illegal activity at Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office made the announcement Thursday, saying the decision was made after reviewing information recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Although New Mexico’s initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in

New York state prosecutors say now that “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”

The New Mexico Department of Justice said special agents and prosecutors at the agency will be seeking immediate access to the complete, unredacted federal case file and intend to work with other law enforcement partners as well as a new truth commission established by state lawmakers to look into activities at the ranch.

While Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, state prosecutors confirmed in 2019 that

they had interviewed possible victims who visited the ranch south of Santa Fe. They never elaborated on how many accusers were interviewed or what they say took place at the ranch.

The New Mexico Department of Justice did not immediately respond to emailed questions about why state prosecutors were requested to close the investigation in 2019 or whether there were specific allegations detailed within the recent filings that were released that prompted reopening the investigation. On Tuesday, New Mexico’s truth

commission had its first meeting.

The bipartisan, four-member panel of state House representatives is charged with investigating allegations that the ranch may have facilitated sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

New Mexico lawmakers also said they want to know why Epstein was not registered as a sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl and whether there was corruption among public officials.

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in New Mexico in 1993 from former Democratic

Gov Bruce King and built a hilltop mansion. Nearby was a private airstrip with a hangar and helipad. The property also included a ranch office, a firehouse and a seven-bay heated garage.

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 — with proceeds going toward creditors to the family of Don Huffines, a Republican running for state comptroller in Texas. In a social media post on X, Huffines said the property has been renamed San Rafael Ranch after a saint associated with healing and that his family plans to operate a Christian retreat there.

4wrongly accusedofAustinmurders declared innocent

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas For more than three decades, the four menand their families had insisted they were innocent of one of Austin’smost gruesome and notorious crimes: the 1991 rapeand murder of four teenage girls at ayogurt shop that was set on fire.

No one listened. Not when Robert Springsteen was senttodeath row. Not when Michael Scott was sentenced to life in prison. Or when Forrest Welborn and Maurice Pierce, though never convicted, struggled through life under dark clouds of suspicionthat they were murderers.

Theirpleaswerefinally heard Thursday.Ajudge formally declaredthe men innocentafter an emotional court hearing where prosecutors apologized andadmitted they were wrongly accused of acrime that haunted thecity for decades. Investigatorsdetermined last year that the murders were committed by apreviously unknown culprit who died in 1999. Scott and Welborn sat inthe crowded courtroompacked with family members to hear stateDistrict Judge Dayna Blazey formally tell them “you are innocent.” She called her order “an obligation to the rule of law and the obligation to the dignity of the individual.” The hearing includedlengthy statements from the men and their families aboutthe struggles of incarceration, broken relationships, constant harassment by investigators and homelessness

Marisa Pierce, center right, the daughter of suspect Maurice Pierce, hugs Sharon Shipman, the mother of suspect Forrest Welborn, at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center in Austin as theyarrive Thursdayatthe exoneration hearing for four men wrongfully accused in the1991 Austin yogurt shop murders.

Springsteen did not attend. Through tears, Marisa Pierce addressed her father,who died in 2010 in aconfrontation with police after atrafficstop “Daddy,you have your name back,” shesaid.“The world knows what you were trying to say all along.”

Killings confounded investigators Amy Ayers, 13; ElizaThomas, 17; andsisters Jennifer andSarah Harbison, ages 17 and 15, were bound, gaggedand shotinthe head at the“ICan’t Believe It’sYogurt” store where twoofthem worked.

The building was set on fire. Investigators chased thousands of leadsand severalfalse confessionsbeforethe four men, who were teenagerswhenthe girlswere killed, were arrested in late 1999. Springsteen and Scott were convicted basedlargely on confessions theyinsisted were coerced by police. Both convictions were overturned in themid-2000s. Welbornwas charged butnever tried after two grand juries refused to indict him. Piercespent threeyears in jail before the charges were dismissedand he was released.

Prosecutors wanted to try Springsteen and Scott again, but ajudge ordered the charges dismissed in 2009 whennew DNA teststhat were unavailable in 1991 andthe previous trials revealed another male suspect.

“Letusnot forgotthat Robert Springsteen could be dead right now, executed at the hands of the stateofTexas,” Springsteen attorney Amber Farrelly said.

In astatement his attorney read in court, Welborn said he lost friends, struggledtokeep jobsand was at one timehomeless. Scott testified that his arrest, conviction and prisonsentence ultimately broke up his family

“I lost my family.I lost my youth. My daughter was 3years old when Iwas arrested. We had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary.Ilost the chance to build a family,” Scott said. “Every day I have carried theweight of acrime Idid not commit.”

Theformal declaration of innocence could also be akey step for the men andtheir families if they seek financialcompensationfor years they spentincarcerated or struggled to live under acloud of suspicion

“My son’snamehas finally been cleared after more than25years of being called the monster,the murderer and everything else,” saidPhil Scott, Michael Scott’sfather.“Son,beproud.”

Connection to anew suspect

AfterScott andSpringsteen were released, the case effectively went cold until 2025, when an HBO docu-

mentary series attracted new public attention to the unsolved crime.

Then investigators madea stunning announcement last September: New DNA science and reviews of old ballistics evidence pointed to Robert Eugene Brashers as the sole killer

Since2018, authoritieshad used advanced DNA evidence to link Brashers to the strangulation death of aSouth Carolina woman in 1990, the 1997 rape of a14-yearoldgirlinTennessee andthe shooting of amother and daughter in Missouri in 1998.

The link to the Austin case came when aDNA sample takenfrom under Ayers’ fingernail came back as amatch to Brashers from the 1990 killing.

Austin investigators also found that Brashers hadbeenarrestedat aborder checkpoint near El Paso twodaysafter theyogurt shopkillings. In his stolen car wasapistol that matched the caliber usedto kill one of the girls in Austin.

Police also noted similarities in the yogurt shop case to Brashers’ other crimes: The victims were tied up withtheir own clothing, sexually assaulted and some crime scenes were set on fire.

Brashers died in 1999 when he shothimself during an hourslong standoff with police at amotel in Kennett, Missouri.

“Over 25 years ago, thestate prosecuted four innocent men. (for) one of the worst crimes Austin has ever seen,” Travis County First Assistant District Attorney Trudy Strassburger said.“We could not have been morewrong.”

Slaveryexhibit returningtoIndependence Mall in Philadelphia

BY MARYCLAIRE DALE and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA An exhibit detailing the lives of nine people enslaved by President George Washington in Philadelphia is being reinstalled on Thursday,despite an ongoing legal fight. The stories and images that had been on display for two decadeswereabruptly removed last month following an executive order by President Donald Trump. The city subsequently sued for the exhibit to be rehung and afederal judge set a Friday deadline forits full restoration.

Mayor Cherelle Parker visited IndependenceMall —the site of the former President’sHouse —on

Thursdaymorning “I want you to know I’m grateful,”Parker said as she introduced herselftoseveral of the National Park Serviceworkers lifting large panelsback onto thedisplay area. Therestoration work was expected to continue throughFriday The U.S. Attorney’sOffice, which is appealingSenior U.S.DistrictJudge Cynthia Rufe’sruling, declinedto comment on the restoration work, aspokesperson said. Trump’sorder called for “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’smuseums, parks and landmarks. The administration argued that it alone can decide what storiesare told at ParkService properties aroundthe country “Althoughmany people

feel strongly about this (slavery exhibit)one way, other people may disagree or feel strongly another way,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory in den Berken argued during aJan. 30 court hearing. “Ultimately,” he said,“thegovernment gets to choose the message it wants to convey.”

Rufe cut him off, calling the comments “dangerous” and “horrifying.” As the fateofthe exhibit played out in court, educators brought studentstothe sitetoreflect on the missing history andsupportersof theexhibit posted messages such as “Washingtonowned slaves here” on the empty walls. Independence Mall is one of several historical sites where the administration

has quietly removed content about the history of enslaved people,the LGBTQ+communityand Native Americans, in what some call an erasure of the nation’shistory

In a40-page opinion, Rufe compared the Trump administration to thetotalitarian regime in the dystopian novel “1984.”

“Ifthe President’sHouse is left dismemberedthroughout this dispute, so too is the history it recounts,”Rufe,

an appointeeofRepublican President George W. Bush, wrote.

“Worse yet, the potential of having theexhibits replaced by an alternative script —a plausible assumption at this time —would be an even morepermanent rejectionofthe site’s historical integrity,and irreparable,” she wrote.

Rufe granted an injunction ordering the restoration of thematerialswhile thelaw-

suit proceedsand barring Trump officials from creating new interpretations of the site’shistory

Aspokesperson said Tuesday that the Interior Departmenthad planned an alternative display“providing a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall.” On Wednesday, government lawyers asked that the restoration order be put on hold while their appeal plays out.

By The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY The navies of El Salvadorand Mexico announced drug seizures in the Pacific Ocean this week of more than 10 tons of cocaine, in contrast to deadly strikes by the U.S. government that just this week left 11 people dead on three boats suspected of carrying drugs in Latin American waters.

The latest announcement came Thursday,when Mexico said it had seized nearly 4 tons of suspected drugs and detained three people from a semisubmersible craft, 250 nautical miles south of the

port ofManzanillo.

Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said via Xthatthe seizure from the sleek, low-riding boat with three visiblemotors brought theweekly totalto nearly 10 tons,but he didnot providedetail on the other seizures.

Mexican authorities said theseizure was made with intelligenceshared by U.S. Northern Command and the U.S. Joint Interagency Task Force South. On Sunday,El Salvador’s navy announced the largest drug seizure in thecountry’shistory of 6.6 tonsof

cocaine.The navy hadintercepteda180-foot boat registered to Tanzania,380 milessouthwestofthe coast. Navydivers found 330 packages of cocaine hiddeninthe boat’sballast tanks. Tenmen were arrested from Colombia, Nicaragua, Panamaand Ecuador

The U.S. strikes this week included twovesselscarrying four people each in the eastern PacificOcean and anotherboatinthe Caribbean carrying three people The administration provided images of the boats being destroyed, but notevidence they were carrying drugs.

Trumprails about2020electioninGa.

WhiteHouse insisted he was theretopromote economy

BY JEFF AMY and STEVE PEOPLES Associated Press

ROME, Ga. The White House insisted that President Donald Trump was visiting Georgia to promote the economy Butinthe openingminutes of his first stop at alocal restaurant before touringa steel company,the president raised debunked claims of voter fraud, talked up his plan to require voterstoshow identification before casting ballots, and discussed the recent FBI raid of election offices in the state’s most populous county “They came in, they took all those ballots; all those crooked ballots were taken,” Trump said. “And the Democrats are fighting like hell. They don’twant anyone to see those ballots. Let’ssee what happens.”

TheWhite House haslong saidTrump wouldfocus more on the economy,and he frequently complains that he doesn’tget enough credit for it.But recent months have beendominated by otherissues,including deadlyclashes during deportationeffortsinMinneapolis, potential military action in Iran, and his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen

Trump’sdestination in Georgia suggests he has something else on hismind, too. He was appearinginthe congressional district previously represented by MarjorieTaylor Greene, aformer supporter who resigned in Januaryafter feuding with Trump.

There’sa special election to replace her onMarch 10.

After his early focus on the state’svoting system, Trump refocused hiscomments on the economyashetoured a steel company whose owner said it had benefited from the president’stariffs.

The president, who was especially fiery at times duringhis public remarks, also railed against the Supreme Court, whichisweighing the legality of his novel use of an emergencypowerslaw to impose worldwide tariffs.

Wednesday that “it’sjust not something that we’re looking to do without having all of the information.”

At the same time,White House press secretary

Karoline Leavitt said that Trumpwas “exploring his options” when it comes to a potential executive order he teased on social media over the weekend designed to address voter fraud.

Later at Coosa Steel Corporation, the president chargedthatDemocrats “cheated like dogs” in the 2020 election.

“I’ve been waiting forever, forever,and the language is clear that Ihave the rightto do it as president,”Trump shouted. He added, “The tariffisthe greatest thing that has happened to this country.”

Trump also claimed that inflation is no longer aproblem in theU.S., blaming Democratsfor rising costs: “They caused the affordability problem. And we solvedit.”

New research tiedtoone of America’sleading banks showed on Thursday that tariffspaidbymidsize U.S. businessestripled over the course of the past year

Falseclaimsofvoter fraud

The Georgia visit comes less thana month after federal agentsseized voting records and ballots from Fulton County

Trump has long seen Georgiaascentraltohis false claim thatthe 2020 election was stolen by Democrats and President JoeBiden, a fabrication that he reiterated repeatedly thisweek, including during aWhite Housereception on Black History Month.

Trump praised theFBI raidduring hisspeechat thesteel company.“The FBI came in andraided. They found plenty of your stuff, and now theyhave the ballots,” Trump said. “And the Democratsare fighting like hell. …Now they’re trying to stopanybody from look-

ing. Youknow why? Because they cheated like dogs.” Audits, state officials, courts and Trump’sown formerattorney general have all rejected the idea of widespread problemsthat could have altered the election.

Some Republicans are now pushing for Georgia’sState Election Board, which has aTrump-aligned majority, to take control of elections in Fulton County—a step enabled by acontroversial state law passed in 2021.

Board memberand conservative commentator Janelle Kingsaid she wasaware of calls for atakeover,but said

Trumpdescribed Democrats as “horrible, disingenuous CHEATERS” in the post, whichispinnedtothe topof his social media account. He also said that Republicans should featuresuchclaims “at the top of every speech.” Greene hasnot gone quiet In asocial media post ahead of Trump’svisit, Greene noted that the White House and Republican leaders metearlier in the week to develop an effective midterm message. She suggested they were “on the struggle bus”and blamed them forhealth insurance costs that ballooned this year

“Approximately 75,000 households in my former districthad theirhealth insurance double or more on January 1st of this year because theACA tax credits expired and Republicans have absolutely failed to fix our health insurance system that was destroyed by Obamacare,” she said. “And you can call me all the petty names you want, Idon’tworship aman. I’m not in acult.”

Arts panelmadeupofTrump appointees approves hisballroomproposal

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. CommissionofFine Arts, apanel made up of President DonaldTrump’sappointees, on Thursday approved his proposal to builda ballroom larger than the White House itself where the East Wing once stood. The seven-member panelisone of two federal agencies that must approveTrump’splans for the ballroom. TheNational Capital Planning Commission, which has jurisdiction over construction and major renovationtogovernment buildings in the region,isalsor viewing theproject.

Members of the fine arts com mission originally had been sched uledtodiscuss and vote on thed sign concept after afollow-up pre sentation by the architect, and had planned to vote on final approval at next month’s meeting. Butafter the6-0 vote on thedesign, thepanel’schairman, Rodney MimsCook Jr unexpectedly made another

cause he wasthe initial architect on theproject before Trump replaced him. The ballroom will be built on the site of theformer EastWing, which

Congress had reviewed and approved theproject,and thepublic had achance to provide comment. The 90,000-square-foot ballroom would be nearly twice the size of

FESTIVAL PASSES FESTIVAL PASSES PERFECT YOURFEST PERFECT YOURFEST E ES

war and will not initiate awar,” any U.S.aggression will be responded to “decisively and proportionately.”

“In such circumstances,all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitutelegitimate targets in the context of Iran’sdefensive response,” Iravani said.

Earlier this week, Iran conducted adrill that involved live fire in the StraitofHormuz, the narrow opening of the Persian Gulf through which afifth of the world’s tradedoil passes.

Tensions are also rising inside Iran, as mourners hold ceremonieshonoring slain protesters 40 days after their killing by security forces. Some gatherings have seen anti-governmentchants despite threats from authorities

The movements of additional American warships and airplanes, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea, don’tguarantee aU.S. strike on Iran —but they bolster Trump’sability to carry out one should he choose to doso. He has so far held off on striking Iran after setting redlines over the killingofpeaceful protesters and mass executions, while reengaginginnuclear talks that were disrupted by the warinJune Iran has agreed to draw up a written proposal to addressU.S concerns raised during this week’s indirect nuclear talks in Geneva, accordingtoa seniorU.S. official who was not authorized to commentpubliclyand spoke on the condition of anonymity

The official saidtop national security officials gathered Wednesday to discuss Iran, and were briefed that the “full forces” needed to carry out potentialmilitary actionare expected to be in place by mid-March. The official did not provide atimeline for when Iran is expected to deliver itswritten response.

“It’sproventobe, over the years, noteasytomakeameaningfuldeal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal. Otherwise, bad things happen,” Trump said Thursday With theU.S. military presence in the region mounting, one seniorregional government official said he has stressed to Iranian

officials in private conversations that Trump hasproven that his rhetoric should betaken at face value andthathe’sserious about his threat to carry out astrike if Iran doesn’toffer adequateconcessions

The official, who spoke on the conditionofanonymitytodiscuss delicate diplomatic conversations, said he has advised the Iranians to looktohow Trump has dealt with other international issues anddraw lessons on how it should moveforward.

The official added that he’smade to case to the Trump administration that it could draw concessions from Iran in thenear termifitfocuses on nuclear issues and leaves the push on Tehrantoscaleback itsballistic missile program and support for proxy groups for later

Theofficial also said that Trump ordering alimited strike aimed at pressuringIran could backfire andlead toSupreme Leader Ali Khamenei withdrawing Iran from the talks.

Polish Prime MinisterDonald Tusk urged his nation’scitizens to immediately leave Iran as “within

afew,adozen, or even afew dozen hours, the possibilityofevacuation will be out of the question.”Hedid not elaborate, and the Polish Embassy in Tehran did notappear to be drawing down itsstaff.

The German military said that it hadmoved “a mid-two digit numberofnon-mission critical personnel” out of abaseinnorthern Iraqbecauseofthe current situationinthe region and in linewith its partners’ actions. It said that some troopsremain to help keep themultinational camp running in Irbil, wheretheytrain Iraqi forces.

“This week, another 50 U.S. combataircraft —F-35s,F-22s,and F16s —were ordered to the region, supplementing the hundreds deployed to bases in theArabGulf states,” theNew York-based SoufanCenterthink tank wrote. “The deployments reinforce Trump’s threat— restated on anearlydaily basis —toproceed withamajor air andmissile campaignonthe regime if talksfail.”

Iranian forces and Russiansailorsconducted theannualdrillsin the Gulf of Oman and the Indian

Ocean aimed at “upgrading operational coordination as well as exchange of military experiences,” Iran’sstate-run IRNA news agency reported.

Footage released by Iran showed membersofthe paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’snaval special forces board avessel in the exercise. Those forces are believed to have been used in the past to seize vessels in key international waterways. Iran also issued arocket-fire warning to pilots in theregion, suggesting it plannedtolaunch anti-ship missiles in the exercise.

Meanwhile, tracking data showed the Ford offthe coast of Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean midday Wednesday, meaningthe carrier could transit through Gibraltar andpotentially station in theeasternMediterranean with its supportingguided-missile destroyers

It would likely take more than aweek for the Ford to be off the coast of Iran.

Israel is making its own preparationsfor possible Iranianmissile strikes in response to any U.S. ac-

tion.

“Weare preparedfor anyscenario,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, adding that if Iran attacks Israel, “they will experience aresponse they cannot even imagine.” Netanyahu, whomet withTrump last week, haslong pushed for tougher U.S. action against Iran and says any deal should notonly end its nuclear program but curb itsmissile arsenaland forceitto cut ties with militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iranhas said the current talks should only focus on its nuclear program, andthatithasn’tbeen enriching uranium sincethe U.S. andIsraeli strikes last summer Trump said at the timethat the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’snuclear sites, but the exact damage is unknown as Tehran hasbarred international inspectors.

Iran hasalways insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.The U.S. and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons. Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons but has neither confirmed nor denied that.

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Walmart has another impressive quarter

NEW YORK Walmart delivered another impressive quarter as the promise of lower prices and speedy deliveries attracted a broader spectrum of Americans from cash-strapped to wealthier households during the critical holiday shopping period

The subdued outlook, offered Thursday, from the Bentonville, Arkansas, company, however, hinted at a volatile economic environment ahead.

“Given that we are as large as we are and so tied to consumer health and the economy, we want to maintain maximum flexibility and not get out ahead of ourselves at this point in the year, ” Walmart’s chief financial officer John David Rainey told investors. He cited subdued consumer sentiment, a fragile job market and student loan delinquencies among other issues it’s monitoring.

For the first time, Walmart recorded annual sales that were lower than Amazon, dethroning the discounter from its status as the nation’s largest company by revenue, according to Fortune. For the full year, Walmart’s sales reached $713.2 billion, while Amazon earlier this month delivered net sales of $716.9 billion, helped by its surging cloud service unit, advertising and massive e-commerce business.

Walmart’s biggest gains in market share came from households with annual income over $100,000. That has happened as lower-income shoppers have become more restrained, reflecting what economists call a Kshaped economy phenomenon

Long-term mortgage rate dips to 6.01%

The average long-term U.S mortgage rate slipped this week to its lowest level in more than three years, but remains around 6% in the same narrow range it has been in this year

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.01% from 6.09% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday One year ago, the rate averaged 6.85%.

The modest pullback brings the average rate to its lowest level since Sept 8, 2022, when it was 5.89%.

Mortgage rates have been trending lower for months, helping drive a pickup in home sales the last four months of 2025, but not enough to lift the housing market out of its slump dating back to 2022.

A seasonally adjusted index of pending U.S. home sales fell 0.8% in January from the previous month, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday

Pending home sales fell 0.4% from January last year

A sharp run-up in home prices, especially in the early years of this decade, and a chronic shortage of homes nationally worsened by years of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market.

World of Warcraft to partner with Zillow

Scrolling through Zillow window shopping homes you can’t afford is a mixed bag. It’s nice to dream, but it can be a tough reminder of your pocketbook

Or you could just scroll Zillow on World of Warcraft.

The more than 20-year-old multiplayer online game has teamed up with Zillow to create a new “microsite” where players can browse and display their virtual homes Zillow style.

In “Zillow for Warcraft,” players can click through assorted designs for in-game housing

The homes are presented like virtual tours for real-life listings on Zillow

You can pick a neighborhood in the mythical land Azeroth and take a peek at 3D animated homes like the “Rugged and Rustic” or “Silvermoon Chic” via floor plans, real estate photos and virtual tours.

Player housing is a feature of World of Warcraft’s newest paid expansion, “Midnight,” which goes live March 2.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

U.S. trade deficit declined in 2025

But gap for goods hits record despite tariffs

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. trade

deficit slipped modestly in 2025,

a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. But the gap in the trade of goods such as machinery and aircraft the main focus of Trump’s protectionist policies hit a record last year despite sweeping import taxes.

Overall, the gap the between the goods and services the U.S. sells other countries and what it

buys from them narrowed to just over $901 billion, from $904 billion in 2024, but it was still the thirdhighest on record, the Commerce Department reported Thursday Exports rose 6% last year, and imports rose nearly 5%.

And the U.S. deficit in the trade of goods widened 2% to a record $1.24 trillion last year as American companies boosted imports of computer chips and other tech goods from Taiwan to support massive investments in artificial intelligence.

Amid continuing tensions with Beijing, the deficit in the goods trade with China plunged nearly 32% to $202 billion in 2025 on a sharp drop in both exports to and imports from the world’s second-

biggest economy But trade was diverted away from China. The goods gap with Taiwan doubled to $147 billion and shot up 44%, to $178 billion, with Vietnam.

Economist Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said the widening gaps with Taiwan and Vietnam might put a “bull’s-eye” on them this year if Trump focuses more on the lopsided trade numbers and less on the U.S. rivalry with China.

In 2025, U.S. goods imports from Mexico outpaced exports by nearly $197 billion, up from a 2024 gap of $172 billion But the goods deficit with Canada shrank by 26% to $46 billion. The United States this year is negotiating a renewal of a

pact Trump reached with those two countries in his first term.

The U.S. ran a bigger surplus in the trade of services such as banking and tourism last year — $339 billion, up from $312 billion in 2024. The trade gap surged from January-March as U.S. companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump’s taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year

Trump’s tariffs are a tax paid by U.S. importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices. But they haven’t had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect U.S. industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raise money for the U.S. Treasury

Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S. firms tripled

JPMorganChase Institute study examines new taxes on imports last year

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S. businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research tied to one of America’s leading banks showed on Thursday — more evidence that President Donald Trump‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption.

The additional taxes have meant that companies that employ a combined 48 million people in the U.S. — the kinds of businesses that Trump had promised to revive — have had to find ways to absorb the new expense, by passing it along to customers in the form of higher prices, employing fewer workers or accepting lower profits.

“That’s a big change in their cost of doing business,” said Chi Mac, business research director of the JPMorganChase Institute, which published the analysis Thursday “We also see some indications that they may be shifting away from transacting with China and maybe toward some other regions in Asia.”

The research does not say how the additional costs are flowing through the economy, but it indicates that tariffs are being paid by U.S. companies. The study is part of a growing body of economic analyses that counter the administration’s claims that foreigners pay the tariffs

The JPMorganChase Institute report used payments data to look at businesses that might lack the pricing power of large multinational companies to offset tariffs, but may be small enough to quickly change supply chains to minimize exposure to the tax increases. The companies tended to have revenues between $10 million and $1 billion with fewer than 500 employees, a category known as “middle market.”

The analysis suggests that the Trump administration’s goal of becoming less directly reliant on Chinese manufacturers has been occurring Payments to China by these companies were 20% below their October 2024 levels, but it’s unclear whether that means China is simply routing its goods through other countries or if supply chains have moved.

The authors of the analysis emphasized in an interview that companies are still adjusting to the tariffs and said they plan to continue studying the issue.

The White House did not respond to questions about the analysis, which showed that U.S. companies are paying tariffs that the

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By

A crane operator loads a container onto a ship on Oct. 15 at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, N.J. Tariffs paid by mid-size U.S businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research showed Thursday.

president had previously claimed would be paid by foreign entities.

But Trump defended his tariffs during a trip to Georgia on Thursday while touring Coosa Steel, a company involved in steel processing and distribution. The president said he couldn’t believe the Supreme Court would soon decide on the legality of some of his tariffs, given his belief that the taxes were helping U.S. manufacturers.

“The tariffs are the greatest thing to happen to this country,” Trump said.

The president imposed a series of tariffs last year for the ostensible goal of reducing the U.S. trade imbalance with other countries, so that America was not longer importing more than it exports. But trade data published Thursday by the Census Bureau showed that the trade deficit climbed last year by $25.5 billion to $1.24 trillion. The president on Wednesday posted on social media that he expected there would be a trade surplus “during this year.”

The Trump administration has been adamant that the tariffs are a boon for the economy, businesses, and workers. Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, lashed out on Wednesday at research by the New York Federal Reserve showing that nearly 90% of the burden for Trump’s tariffs fell on U.S. companies and consumers.

“The paper is an embarrassment,” Hassett told CNBC. “It’s, I think, the worst paper I’ve ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve system. The people associated with this paper should presumably be disciplined.”

Trump increased the average tariff rate to 13% from 2.6% last year, according to the New York Fed researchers. He declared that tariffs on some items such as steel, kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities were in the national security interest of the country He also declared an economic emergency to bypass Congress and impose a baseline tax on goods from much of the world in April 2025 at an event he called “Liberation Day.”

The high rates provoked a financial market panic, prompting Trump to walk back his rates and then engage in talks with multiple countries that led to a set of new trade frameworks. The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on whether Trump surpassed his legal authority by declaring an economic emergency

Trump was elected in 2024 on his promise to tame inflation, but his tariffs have contributed to voter frustration over affordability While inflation has not spiked during Trump’s term thus far, hiring slowed sharply and a team of academic economists estimate that consumer prices were roughly 0.8 percentage points higher than they would otherwise be.

Civil rights agency sues Coca-Cola distributor

EEOC claims sex discrimination over men being excluded from casino work trip

BY CLAIRE SAVAGE and ALEXANDRA OLSON AP business writers

The U.S. federal agency that enforces workplace civil rights is suing a regional Coca-Cola bottler for sex discrimination, alleging the company discriminated against male employees by only inviting women to a company-sponsored networking event. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit on behalf of a male employee of Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast who complained about a two-day networking trip for about 250 women in September 2024 at

the Mohegan Sun casino resort in Connecticut. The lawsuit alleged that the Bedford, New Hampshirebased company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding male employees from the event.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in New Hampshire district court, challenges the sort of diversity programming the EEOC has aggressively targeted since President Donald Trump overhauled the agency, which was created by Congress under the Civil Rights Act. It comes just two weeks after the EEOC revealed that it is investigating sportswear giant Nike for allegedly discriminating against White employees through its diversity policies.

“Excluding men from an employer-sponsored event is a Title VII violation that the EEOC will act to remedy through litigation when necessary,” acting EEOC general counsel Catherine L. Esch-

bach said in statement Wednesday announcing the lawsuit against Coca-Cola Northeast.

The EEOC said in court documents that it filed the lawsuit after failing to reach a conciliation agreement with Coca-Cola Beverage Northeast, an independent Coca-Cola bottler that serves New England and upstate New York.

But in a statement sent to The Associated Press, Cola-Cola Northeast said it “finds it disappointing that the EEOC did not conduct a full investigation and we look forward to having our day in open court when we can tell the full story and expect to be vindicated.” The company declined to comment on the details of the lawsuit.

In a LinkedIn post, Coca-Cola Northeast celebrated what it called its “first in-person Women’s Forum” attended by 250 female associates, describing it as a “networking reception and event.”

Speakers talked about navigating a male-dominated industry, balancing work and personal life, and other topics, according to the post. The EEOC’s lawsuit said the company paid for lodging, meals and other benefits for attendees and paid them their salaries while excusing them from regular work duties The agency is seeking monetary compensation for a class of men who were excluded, saying they suffered not only financial losses but “emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish.”

In its news release, the EEOC directed the public to its fact sheet on DEI-related discrimination, a document that takes aim at practices such as training employee resource groups and fellowship programs. It stops short of declaring any one practice illegal, but warns they could veer into discrimination depending on how they are constructed.

Trumpapprovesdisasteraid forLouisiana

Fundstopay for debris removal, repairs afterwinterstorm

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —President Donald Trump approved on Thursday Louisiana’srequestfor amajor disaster declaration, which opens access to federal money to recover from last month’swinterstorm

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will nowpick up some of the costs that state, local and tribal governments and some nonprofits incurredresponding to the storm, which killed ninepeo-

AUDITORIUM

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whichhistoricallyservedasone of the few public gatheringspaces for enslaved and free people of color ”We’re standing on hallowed, sacred ground righthere, Congo Square, Armstrong Park, aplace that serves as avitalsitefor our city’sculture, and we all know that our city’sculture is builton Black American culture as well,”said Greater New Orleans Foundation President andCEO AndyKopplin Heavy damageduring Hurricane Katrina closedits doors for good, and the building has fallen intofurther disarrayin the years since due to neglect and vandalism.

FEMA awarded the city $38.5 million in 2018, after years of arbitration over how much theagency should pay for any repairs.

Fights between community groups and City Hall later ensued, after formerMayor LaToya Cantrell announced plans torelocate City Hall operations there. Critics torpedoed thateffort, arguing that the auditorium’shistorical significance should be honored by whatever inhabits the site. The focus then shiftedto stabilizing the building from further damage. That included asbestos and mold removal, replacing the roof and repairing exterior damage, among other improvements City officials selectedlocal architecture firm VergesRome Architects to lead the restoration and repair work in 2023, butconstruction on the first phase of the $43.5 million project didn’tbeginuntil August last year.The city so far has spent just $3.4 million of the $38.5 million FEMA award, city records show

CHALLENGE

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boards As such, “Act 409 does not treat anycomparable secular school morefavorably” than religious schools, wrote Doughty,who is chief U.S. district judgefor the Western District of Louisianaand was nominated to the court by President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit was brought byThe Dunham SchoolinBaton Rouge and Providence Classical Academy in Bossier City,along with a couple whose child attends Providence’s pre-K program.

In court filings, the schools said they might have to increase tuition to pay for staffing,training and background checks associated with the new law,which the couple said would price them out of the school.

The plaintiffs had soughttostop enforcement of the law,which required private schoolpre-K programs to apply for state licenses

ple, closed Interstate 20, and cut power to more than 175,000 homes

The money will helppay for debris removal, emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm in Bienville, DeSoto, East Carroll, Franklin, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensasand West Carroll parishes

Gov.Jeff Landryrequested the declaration on Feb. 5for theeffects of the ice and snowstorm that hitLouisianafrom Jan. 23 to 27. In hisrequest, he said state agencies had already spent more than$11 millionrespondingtothe disaster

“Our communities in North Louisiana were hit hard by theice storm, and Iwant to thankPresident Trump for beingresponsive

to our needs andproviding muchneeded support forrecovery efforts,” said U.S. Rep.Julia Letlow, R-BatonRouge, whose district includes many of the hardest-hit areas,inastatement.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge,also said the declaration was sorely needed.

“This cannot bring back the lives of those whose lives were lost, but it can help with recovery,” Cassidy said in astatement. “This storm hit hard, but this declaration means the federal government can help cover more of therecoverycosts so we can rebuild faster.”

The IRS previously announced it wasextending the tax filing deadline for people affected by the storm

And 51,500 recipients on food stampsfrom Caldwell, DeSoto, East Carroll, Jackson, Ouachita, Red River,Richland and West Carroll parishes received an extra 20%intheirJanuary benefits.

Tonia Pence has been named as thefederal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

The declaration comes during a time of turmoil forFEMA.

Many of the agency’semployees are operating without paydue to apartial shutdown of its parent agency,the Department of Homeland Security.Democrats have refused to vote to fund the agency unless the Trump administration agrees to new limits on immigration enforcement operations, after

federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens during acrackdown in Minneapolis. The standoff means FEMA has not been able to replenish the Disaster Relief Fund, from which federal aid, like the moneyfor Louisiana,isdrawn. While that fund still has money in it, some fear aprotractedshutdowncould leave it empty Separately,Trump administrationofficials have called for amajor overhaul of FEMA that would require states to pick up agreater share of the tab fordisaster recovery.Acommittee Trumptasked with recommending changes to theagencymet severaltimeslast year,but DHS has not publishedits findings.

The restwas duetobespent by theend of2025. Cityleaders have applied for asix-month reimbursement extension, and thecitycan only be reimbursed for work it does beforethe spending deadline.

FEMA has agreed to grant extensions for other projects: In December,it agreed toanextension that will keep $1.7 billion in grants for road construction projectsfunded throughatleast midyear

But DeputyChief Administrative Officer of Infrastructure and Public WorksSteve Nelson said

by Jan. 1. In December, Doughty declined to issue apreliminary injunction, calling schools’ concerns aboutcompliance costs“speculative” andsayingthat schools could seek waivers from some of the new regulations.His latestruling dismissedthe entire lawsuit

“Weare disappointed in the decision but remain confident in the strengthofour arguments,”said SarahHarbison, general counsel at the Louisiana-based Pelican Institute for Public Policy,one of two conservativeadvocacy groups representing theplaintiffs. The other is theCenter for American Rights, anational nonprofit based in Chicago.

Harbison said the plaintiffs are considering theirnext steps.

It’spossible that the Legislature will address some of theconcerns that privateschools have raised about Act 409. State lawmakers, including Baton Rouge Republican Sen. Rick Edmonds, who chairs theSenate Education Committee, have spoken with Catholic and privateschool leaders about possible changes to thelaw in the legisla-

CASTRO Byvirtueofand inobedience to a Writ of SEIZURE AND SALEfromthe 24thJudicial DistrictCourt, ParishofJeffer‐son,State of Louisiana,inthe above num‐bered andenti‐tledcause dated January8, 2026, Ihave seizedand will proceed to sell tothe highest bidderatpublic auction, at the

JeffersonParish Sheriff's Office Complex,1233 WestbankEx‐pressway, Har‐vey,Louisiana, 70058, on April 1,2026 at 10 o'clock a.m. the following de‐scribed prop‐ertytowit: THAT PORTION OFGROUND, to‐getherwithall the buildings and improve‐ments thereonand allofthe rights, ways, privi‐leges,servi‐tudes, appurte‐d d

Thursday if FEMA doesn’tcome through for theauditorium, the city will have to look to bond funding, or they could appeal the agency’sdecision.

Moreno said Thursday the auditorium hasalreadyattracted widespread interest from museums, nonprofits and other entities interested in getting involved.

“Butthey need to see, what are we doing here exactly?” she said.

The $750,000 her administration announced Thursday, fromunassigned 2019 and 2024 bond funds,

tive sessionthat begins in March, according to people familiar with theconversations.

“Weare hopeful that the Legislature will revisit this law in theupcoming session in order to address the manyconcerns expressed by schools and the families they serve,” said PelicanInstitute spokesperson Sydney Petite in a statement Thursday Act 409 aimed to close agap in state law that allowed pre-K programstobeunlicensed if they operated within schools.

Thegap came to light after a Metairie couple said during alegislative hearing last year thattheir daughterwas assaulted by another studentata privatepreschool that at the time, did not need astate license. Theschooldeniesthe allegations and saysitcomplies with allstate laws

StateSen. Regina Barrow,DBaton Rouge, introduced the legislation,whichGov.Jeff Landry signedintolaw.Act 409establishedsome standards that apply to all preschools,suchasminimum staffing levels, and required pri-

pp nances andad‐vantages, thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise apper‐taining,situated inthe Stateof Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son,CityofKen‐ner,inUNIVER‐SITYCITYSUB‐DIVISION, and accordingto a planofresubdi‐visionbyJ.L Fontcuberta, Surveyor,dated March 30, 1971, approved bythe City of KenneronMay 10, 1971, under OrdinanceNo.

1302, saidLot is de‐scribed as fol‐lows: LOT"M", SQUARENO. 3, bounded by LOYOLADRIVE WEST,CANAL NO. 7, TRACTL and LANDWEST TEMPLEPLACE SaidLot mea‐sures 50 feet front on Loyola Drive West, same width in the rear, by adepth between equal and parallel linesof115 feet

will payfor adeveloper to create acommunity-driven master plan. That comes after Cantrell in 2024 signed afive-year,$240,000 agreement with the Save ourSoul Coalitiontoadvise redevelopment plans for the entirety of Armstrong Park and the auditorium. TheCoalition is ahostoforganizations focused on protecting the culturallegacyofCongo Square and Treme. The city separately wasdue to strikeadeal that year with a Greater NewOrleans Foundation

vate pre-K programs to become licensed. Barrowhas said thatpublic andMontessori schoolswere exempted from the licensingrule because they already are held to higherstandards in certain areas, such as staff-to-student ratios.

The law caused an uproar among theroughly 250 private schools with pre-Kprograms that now must comply with dozens of regulations previously reserved for standalonepreschools and day cares.

The schools must undergostate Fire Marshaland Health Department inspections, assignemployees to monitorall school visitors andkeep pre-Kstudentsseparate from older children at recess, among other rules.

In court filings, The Dunham School said it will cost$600,000 to comply with the law.Schools that fail to obtainlicensescan be fined $1,000 per day

“Classrooms will close, children will be forced out of school, and parents will be left stranded without child care during working hours,”the lawsuit said.

Lot"M" com‐mencesata dis‐tance of 550 feet fromWestTem‐ple Placeand Loy‐ola DriveWest. All as more fully shown on sur‐vey made by Guy J. Seghers, C.E. & S.dated July 19 1971, resur‐veyed October 27, 1971, and Square No.3 is presently shownas bounded by LoyolaDrive West, CanalNo. 7, West

LouisianaState Drive andWest TemplePlace; subject to re‐strictions, servi‐tudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights ofrecordaffect‐ing theproperty Thissaleissub‐jecttoall supe‐riorsecurityin‐terests,mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchaseprice isdue at the timeofthe sale

subsidiary,which wassupposed to help payfor thedevelopment of a master planfor theparkand its facilities. Under Moreno, the city is putting up morecash to get that work started.

“This investment represents acritical andlongoverdue step forward. Armstrong Parkissacred cultural ground, hometo Congo Square and acornerstone of our city’smusical and historical legacy,” saidSaveOur SoulCoalition President Jackie Harris, who joined Moreno Thursday

State officials say they’re trying to ease theburden on private preschools, most of which are religiously affiliated.

Thestate Department of Education granted someschools waivers giving them an extra year to meet the new staffing requirements, thestate DepartmentofHealth is waiting to conduct new inspections and schools could apply forpre-K licenses in January even if their programsweren’tyet up to code.

Roger Williams, the Metairie parent whowith his wife testified about their daughter’salleged assault at aprivate preschool, said Thursdaythatheisgrateful for the judge’sruling. He said the law is meant to help prevent the nearly170 instances of child-onchild abuse in school settings that have been reported since August, according to state data.

“Weare cautiouslyoptimistic that the Legislature will recognize the importance of these protections in the upcoming session,” he said in astatement, “and continue prioritizing the safety of our kids while they are at school.”

NOTE: Allfunds mustbe Cashier's Check, Certified Check, Money Order, or PersonalCheck withBankLetter ofCredit.

RADERJACKSON Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate:

February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

NOLA.COM | Friday, February 20, 2026 1bN

Coworking space to open second site

The Shop to be part of The Standard

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

The Shop at the CAC, a coworking space in the Contemporary Arts Center on Camp Street, is expanding to a second location in the nearby South Market district, a mixed-use neighborhood with apartments, condos, restaurants and service-oriented retailers on the edge of the Central Business District.

— The

‘We’re not in traditional times’

Southern University discusses expectations for next president

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

When the Southern University presidential search committee met Thursday to discuss key qualifications for the system’s next leader some members emphasized the need for flexibility to consider “nontraditional” candidates.

“Whether the next president is a traditional higher education leader or a nontraditional leader, it is very imperative that they have a strong understanding of HBCUs,” Chair Jason Hughes said. “HBCUs and the mission of HBCUs are very unique, and we have to remember that the Southern University System is the only HBCU system on earth.”

Members agreed in the presidential profile, a document providing the most up-to-date institutional data and expectations for the next president, to list a terminal degree as a preferred qualification, rather than mandatory A terminal degree is the highest degree that can be earned in a particular discipline a doctorate in most research fields.

“Obviously, we’re not in traditional times in our country or in higher education,” Hughes said. “Ideally, speaking

Smitty’s plant permitted to allow storm runoff

Advocates say decision is premature

BY DAVID J MITCHELL Staff writer

The Smitty’s Supply Inc. plant that exploded and burned down last year can resume allowing storm runoff from the devastated site to flow into the Tangipahoa River thanks to an elaborate filtration plan, though a local environmental group calls the decision premature.

State regulators recently granted Smitty’s an emergency permit to discharge as much as 1 million gallons per day of stormwater from the 20acre site into the Tangipahoa via local ditches That’s the equivalent of as much as 1.5 Olympic swimming pools of treated water and five times as much as the company had sought in an initial permit attempt denied in December

WINTER BLOOM

NOPD: LaBeouf shouted slur during bar fight

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Presidential search committee whittles down list

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

The search for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s next president has been whittled down to three candidates.

The 21-member Presidential Search Committee selected the candidates from a list of 12 candidates during its meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge. The selected semifinalists will be interviewed next week on UL’s campus. Search Committee Chair

Rick Gallot, who is the president of the University of Louisiana system, which oversees UL, said the committee received “a wide and diverse range of applications.”

“This group (of candidates) comprises individuals with proven leadership experience, innovative strategies for advancing higher education and a deep investment in advancing student outcomes,” Gallot said “The strong interest in this position underscores its significance and the caliber of leadership it demands. The varied expertise of these candidates demonstrates the high standards and expectations set for this critical role.”

The semifinalists are:

n Hitesh Rai Kathuria tenured professor and former provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Empire State University in Saratoga Springs, New York

n Ramesh Kolluru, interim president of UL and former vice president of research, innovation and economic development n Richard Ludwick, for-

LABEOUF

Continued from page 1B

mer president and current president emeritus of the University of St. Thomas in Houston.

How the search committee selected those semifinalists is a mystery because it met in executive session for an hour and 15 minutes to discuss the candidates. No board members made any comments about the candidates before voting to approve the semifinalists.

Gallot justified the executive session by claiming he had “additional information of a personal nature regarding the candidates.” Once the committee returned from executive session, Gallot said no votes were taken and that the committee had a “thorough and thoughtful discussion about the candidates.”

After the semifinalists are interviewed next week, the committee is expected to determine a list of finalists that will be presented to the full University of Louisiana system at a special meeting on Feb 27.

The university has been without a permanent president since July, when thenPresident Joseph Savoie abruptly stepped down. It has had two interim presidents, Jaimie Hebert, who has since returned to his position as provost, and Ramesh Kolluru, former vice president of research, innovation and economic development.

The other candidates who were considered but not selected as semifinalists are:

n Wenbin Deng, dean at Sun Yat-sen University (Guangdong, China), distinguished professor of pharmacology

n Robert Dodd, support team specialist of research compliance with the Biomedical Research Alliance of New York

n Pernell Goodwin, vice president of Copiah-Lincoln

people tried to hold him down until officers arrived, according to the report

One victim said LaBeouf then hit him again multiple times in the upper body, using the homophobic slur multiple times. The second victim told police he was standing outside the bar near its entrance when LaBeouf was escorted out. LaBeouf allegedly squared up to fight as a crowd of bystanders gathered around him.

Video footage shared with The Times-Picayune shows LaBeouf removing his shirt outside the bar and approaching several men, saying, “Let’s fight, let’s fight,” as bystanders attempt to defuse the situation.

LaBeouf then punched the second victim in the face, dislocating his nose, according to the documents. The man, who said he had to push his nose back into place, told police he would drive himself to a hospital for treatment.

The actor was arrested and transported to Touro Hospital before he was booked into the Orleans Parish jail on two counts of simple battery

A detective called to the scene collected video footage of LaBeouf hitting both victims with a closed fist, according to the report.

Community College’s Natchez Campus

n Chavonda Jacobs-Young, former undersecretary and chief scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture

n Kristian Magar, vice president of health, safety and environment of Cactus Wellhead in Houston

n Robert Nobles III, vice president for research administration for Emory University in Atlanta

n Evan Ortlieb, dean of the college of education and human sciences at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota

n Connie Veazey, clinical psychology program director and core faculty for the clinical psychology program at Fiedling Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California

n Cortlan Wickliff, associate vice provost of academic affairs and strategic initiatives at Rice University in Houston.

The decision to form a search committee was made last year during a Nov 13 meeting that addressed speculation the UL system board would forgo a search and install a president at the university without any input from faculty, staff or students Professors and the public pushed back against initial plans to install Kolluru into the job without a search.

The next president of UL will be tasked with tackling the school’s financial struggles. Financial concerns came to light last year after UL’s Vice President of Finance and Administration Jerry Luke LeBlanc resigned abruptly in May, and Savoie stepped down in July before his contract was up. After being named interim president, Hebert announced job eliminations and other cost-cutting measures to try to make up for a $25 million deficit.

LaBeouf was released on his own recognizance at around 9:45 a.m. that day and was spotted on Bourbon Street taking photos with fans and celebrating Fat Tuesday later that night.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey bubnash@theadvocate.com.

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1B

for myself, I would like to see us cast as wide a net as possible as we work to recruit the next president of the Southern University System.”

Committee Member Anthony Igiede, faculty senate president of the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge, expressed some hesitation about opening the candidate pool to individuals without academic backgrounds.

“At this critical time, Mr Chair, I would recommend, I would suggest to you that we can also find someone who is capable a business leader — with a Ph.D. that can actually navigate this system at this moment,” Igiede said. Hughes said the absence of a terminal degree from the list of required qualifications is intended to give the committee more “flexibility,” but a doctorate-level

certification is still strongly preferred

“That individual may have a Ph.D., may have a J.D., may have an LLM, may have all of the above, but there may be some high-level candidates that we may find in C-suites or boardrooms that may not necessarily possess a J.D. or a Ph.D.,” Hughes said.

Southern will begin advertising for the position in early March after a series of stakeholder engagement sessions. The committee held its first meeting Feb 5, following announcements in late 2025 that President Dennis Shields would step down from the role.

The committee stressed Thursday the importance of a president with a bigpicture vision and the ability to communicate effectively with government and business leaders.

“In my estimation, the president of a system is almost like the CEO of a company,” Committee Member Darrin Dixon said. “A lot of

SMITTY’S

Continued from page 1B

Major changes were, however, made to the plans in the new application.

Discharges into the river began Monday after a final round of testing to determine if the treated water can sustain aquatic life. Permit documents from the state Department of Environmental Quality say discharges are expected to continue for two months.

“All discharged water meets the strict limits, monitoring requirements and water quality standards established under LDEQ’s permit,” company officials said in a statement. Testing results are public.

Matthew Allen, director of the nonprofit Northshore Riverwatch, said his group is urging the state to reconsider

“This decision overlooks the extraordinary scale of the original incident at this site — where possibly millions of gallons were spilled — and disregards the fact that the area remains contaminated,” Allen said in a statement. “A location with this level of damage should have been isolated months ago with absolutely no discharges allowed.”

Allen added that the permit appears to signal that alleged past unpermitted discharges, over which he said residents have filed repeated reports, are forgiven.

“The people of this region — and the Tangipahoa River itself deserve far stronger protections than what this permit currently provides,” he said.

DEQ officials didn’t immediately respond to questions about the permit and Allen’s allegations of improper discharges, but Smitty’s says it “has worked closely with both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEQ to manage water at the site safely and responsibly.”

‘Industry-standard’

The 20-acre lubricants manufacturing complex near Roseland in Tangipahoa Parish exploded Aug. 22, sending up a towering black plume and oily droplets across the surrounding area. Combined with firefighting efforts, the incident and its aftermath released hydrocarbons and flame retardants into ditches and ponds that empty

into the river

Uncontrolled releases from the site oiled some animals in the river, soiled riverbanks for miles downstream and left swirls of pollutants in ponds that risked finding their way into the Tangipahoa until emergency responders were able to close off drainage outlets.

The blaze spurred intervention by the EPA and a rash of class-action lawsuits Smitty’s, a leading employer in the parish, has shut down.

As cleanup work has progressed, the company has been shipping waste to a variety of locations: scrap metal to EMR Metal Recycling, which has multiple south Louisiana locations, and removed soil and ash to River Birch Landfill in Waggaman.

Oily waste not processed onsite is going to Preston Environmental Solutions for recycling in Baton Rouge or being mixed with solids and dumped in Waste Management’s Woodside landfill in Livingston Parish. Some liquids are being injected underground in Mississippi.

Smitty’s plan to send runoff into the river will use a portable treatment system that the company says will remove pollutants.

The company will capture runoff in portable tanks that can hold 1.6 million gallons of water and send it through a Spectrum Water treatment system that uses “proven, industry-standard processes.”

“Protecting the community and the environment remains our priority, and we will continue working in coordination with state and federal agencies throughout the remediation process,” the company said.

Better cleanup numbers

Two months ago, DEQ rejected the company’s earlier request amid public opposition. Smitty’s had proposed discharging 200,000 gallons per day, a fifth as much as now authorized, but also sought to include “wash water” from site cleanup.

The company has been power washing the site’s concrete slab and is dismantling damaged buildings and equipment. Heather Sessa, a spokeswoman for Smitty’s, said water from pressure-washing won’t be sent into the river

“The pressure washing water is not currently go-

ing into the discharge and is being recovered as part of untreatable water and being disposed of,” she said. DEQ officials wouldn’t authorize the discharge permit in December because some post-treatment testing parameters weren’t good enough Since then, Smitty’s was able to supply new data showing the treatment system could meet the state’s standards, testing and permit documents show

Submitted results show treatment leaves the water without grease or volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds commonly associated with hydrocarbons. Some trace heavy metals, like aluminum, barium, antimony, iron and lead, were left behind at levels within water quality guidelines, as well as more typical contaminants like nitrogen, phosphorous and solids.

Testing data by a thirdparty firm, Pace Analytical, show the contaminants that DEQ officials wanted to see improved were reduced sharply, by 3 to nearly 50 times earlier results and fell within state water quality limits. Sessa said Spectrum adjusted equipment designed to separate dissolved contaminants from the water as well as a carbon filtration system. Under the permit, Smitty’s must do testing daily on the discharged water, but Allen, of Northshore Riverwatch, said that may not be good enough if results take days to obtain.

“Downstream waters have been affected, and additional discharges may have continued unchecked. After-the-fact data cannot prevent real-time harm,” he said.

Smitty’s permit applications don’t appear to address whether the system can handle PFAS contaminants, known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment.

More than 36,000 gallons of the AFFF fire retardant, which contains PFAS, were used to fight the fire in the first days of the blaze, billing records show Though Smitty’s is waiting on the latest round of testing, tests in October detected PFAS in the water before treatment but not afterward, Sessa said.

David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

times the CEO doesn’t know accounting, they don’t know everything, but they hire people that have those skillsets.”

Hughes said Southern is searching for a system president rather than a president-chancellor, meaning the future leader will focus less on daily happenings on campus and more on overall strategy and direction.

“I don’t think the next president needs to get deep in the weeds on various campuses when it comes to hiring academic deans, department chairs, et cetera,”

Hughes said “I think it needs to be a clearly defined understanding.”

The next full committee meeting is April 9 to select semifinalists A search firm will be announced in the coming days, Vice President for External Affairs and University Relations Robyn Merrick said.

Hughes said the committee is on track to have a new president in place by July 1.

Westlake Vinyls plantapprovedfor expansion

Geismar facility to burn hazardouswaste

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

Westlake Vinyls plansto start construction by August 2027 on twonew furnaces that will burn hazardous leftovers from the production of plastics in Geismar but also boost air pollution in Ascension Parish’s Mississippi River corridor

The company recently received key state permits and aconclusion from Louisiana environmental officials that the region doesn’thave an air pollution “crisis.”

The incineration units will recycle energy and hydrochloric acid as they destroy the hazardous leftovers of ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer production, known as “heavy ends,” with an efficiency Westlake says is better than 99.99% and also offer aredundant route to destroy other plant emissions

Ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer are used to make polyvinyl chloride, acommon commercial and consumer plastic used in plumbing, siding and manyother applications

Company officials saidthe planned addition will bring five new jobs and also keep the plant, which employs about 240 people, competitive.

Chip Swearngan, aWestlake spokesperson, said construction is expectedto take 18 to 24 months once remaining approvals are obtained.

“Westlake Corporationis committed to theresponsibleand compliant handling of all waste streams and will continue to work with state and federalagencies to obtain proper permits required under applicable environmental regulations,” he said.

COWORKING

Continued from page1B

Hotel; The Shop at the CAC, which is home to Domain’s localoffices; andthe South Market district.

Domain also is workingon the residential portion of the Tulane University-led effort to convert the abandoned, former Charity Hospital building on Tulane Avenue into acomplex of labs, offices, research space and apartments.

Domain’sexpansion of TheShopunderscores the growing demand for additional coworking space six years after the pandemic upended the traditional officemarketand opened the door to new,hybrid and flexible work models, said Ann Olsen, director of coworking at The Shop Workspace.

“COVID expanded the use of coworking space and demonstrated the need for more flexibility,” Olsen said “Flexibilityisnot just nice to have; it’sneed to have.”

Supply shortage

The Shop SOMA willbe located in a6,500-square-foot space vacated in February 2025when Eustis Mortgage movedUptown. It will have 11 privateoffices designed to accommodate one or two people each; 12 dedicated desks; and 50 “commons” memberships,which provide access to common areas, conference rooms, event space and amenities.

Membership costs will be akin to those at the nearby Shop at the CAC.Open office memberships will average around $300 amonth, dedicated desks will range from$475-$500and private offices will vary,startingat $900 amonth.

With its proximity to apartments and to the CAC, South Market was anatural site for the new Shop location, which is being built in response to demand for more coworking space, company officials said.

“Our occupancy runs, on average, 100%,” said Hugh Breckenridge, community

Drawingconcern from a handful of environmental groups butlittlepublicinterest in arequired state hearing last year,the new operation willincrease toxic and other kindsofair pollutants in an already heavily industrialized zone of eastern Ascension Parish that fell in the 99th percentile nationally for toxicemissions in 2024, accordingtothe EPA’s now-shuttered EJ Screen database.

The immediate site of Westlake on the southeast corner of La. 30 and La. 73 is part ofan area withadditional lifetime cancer risk from air pollution that is three times the minimum acceptable level, according to EPAair data.

South ofDutchtown and near Geismar,the plant is also surrounded by areas with additional cancer risks that range from just under the EPAminimum acceptable level to two times the level.

The EPAsayshitting or exceeding theriskthresholdisnot asignofimmediate harm but should warrant further scrutiny of air emissions.

Last fall, however,Johns Hopkins Universityresearchers concluded in a peer-reviewed study that cancer risk from air pollu-

tion in Ascension and three otherparishesinthe industrial corridor between Baton Rouge andNew Orleans is as much as 11 times higher than the EPAcancerrisk data.

Theresearchers tooktheir own measurementswith mobile air monitoring during onemonth in 2023 andcompared themwith EPArisk estimates, whichare rooted in annual pollution data selfreported by industry Industry advocates have criticizedthe mobile and short-term nature of that analysis.

‘Nopollution crisis’

Theregion is also aprime location for awave of new ammonia and other chemical production facilities that will rely on carbon capture and sequestration in abid to cut their climate change impact,but also addtothe area’sair pollution.

In adocumentexplaining why the state granted one of thenew Westlake permits and responding to public comments, officials with the state Department of EnvironmentalQuality rejected the idea thatGeismar area hasaproblem with airpollution.

Theenvironmental officialssaidthat, basedon their analysis, air pollutant

manager forthe Shop at CAC, whoalso willhelpmanage the new location. “We havea waitinglist. There’s more demand here than we can meet.”

TheShop at the CAC, whichopenedin2017, occupies 40,000 square feet on thethirdand fourth floor of thearts center and has 73 officesand 500 members.

“It’savery diverse group from avariety of professional services,”Breckenridge said.“Architects,financial services, nonprofits, real estate,it’snot onething. Anybody who needs aplace to work comes here.”

Proof of concept

TheShop SOMAwillbe thelatest of roughlya dozen coworkingspaces in the New Orleansoffice market. Since the pandemic,which sent office workers home for monthsor longerand normalized flexible and remote work habits, thedemand for coworking spaces has continued to grow.Since2022, the amount of coworking spaceacrossthe U.S. has increasedmorethan30%, according to CRE Daily, an industrytradepublication.

In 2023,Greenhouse Workspace opened on the Lafitte Greenway in Mid City. In 2024, The Rigs at theBattureopenedonthe bank of the Mississippi River near

AudubonPark on the site of aformer industrial shipyard.

Several downtown highrises are marketing vacant offices as coworking space.

DomainCos. is bullish on the model, Olsensaid. AfteropeningThe Shop at the CAC in 2017, it opened its Salt Lake City location in 2021 andits Brooklyn location in October 2025. Following the spring launch of the SOMA location, it plans at leasttwo more in new marketslater this year

“Wehave seen so much success in New Orleans,our goal in 2026 is to doubleour numberoflocations,” she said.

Email StephanieRiegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

concentrations are within state andfederal limits for lifetime background exposure, often known as “ambient” air quality, and would remainthat way after the company’sexpansion.

“Withrespect to existing ambient air quality, there is no ‘pollution crisis in the area,’” DEQ officials wrote, partially quoting and rejecting the claimofone commenter

DEQ approved the second of two Westlake permits lastmonth —for hazardous waste operation. The permit allows the complex to handle as much as 5million gallons per year of various kinds of hazardous waste anduse two nearly 520,000-gallon spherical tanks to store it

Among thewastes are ignitable materials, the known human carcinogens benzene and vinyl chloride, the probable human carcinogens hexachlorobenzeneand car-

Westlake’scurrent operationsinGeismar and avoid the need to continue shipping it by rail to other Westlake facilities in the state.

But those wastes could also be shipped in, at times, from other Westlake facilities for destruction, the company has said.

Underthe threshold

In addition to boosting several “criteria pollutants”like fine particulates and nitrogen oxides, the newfurnaceswillsharply increase the toxic air pollutants hydrochloric acid and chlorine, as well as release several heavy metals, permitpapers say Westlake hadinitially sought to boostits permit limitsfor hydrochloricacid emissions by more than nine times, to up to 47 tonsper year,but ended up seeking alimit of more than 3times thecurrent levelafternew calculations weresubmitted by the company

For the air permit, Westlake wasn’t required to assess the cumulative impact of theaddedtoxic andcriteriapollutant emissions, but DEQsays its review of the hydrochloricacidand chlorine emissions and other data shows the increaseswould not violate state standards for long-term air quality

With bothsetsofpollutants, Westlake estimated that they didn’tcross required thresholds that would have forced the cumulative assessments. For some criteria pollutants, whichcontributetorespiratory and cardiovascular problems but don’traise toxic risks,

Nitrogen oxides, which contributetoharmful ground-level ozone, also fell close to the threshold for deeper modeling, but Westlake saiditwould cap those emissions through additional air controls to avoid that added analysis. Thenitrogen oxidesincrease isn’texpected to be more than35.4 tons peryear

Thelevel that would have triggereda broader emissions review of nitrogen oxide is 40 tons per year

Company estimates say background concentrations of nitrogen oxides would be well under federal limits, but levelsofozone, which forms in theupper atmosphere as pollutants like nitrogenoxide mix with sunlight, would fall at 68 parts per billion, just under thefederal background air standard of 70 ppb. Apart per billion is roughly equivalent to onedrop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The project will also add new heavy metal, dioxin and furans emissions, common toxic byproducts of burning fossil fuels or of hazardous incineration, including arsenic, chromium andmercury DavidJ.Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Featherweight Scooter

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to be Celebrated at St Michael'sBaptist Church, 315 JamesStreet,Kenner, LA 70062, on Saturday,Feb‐ruary21, 2026, at 11:00am Visitation will beginat 10:00am.Interment will be private. Professional Arrangements Entrustedto Majestic Mortuary Service Inc.,(504) 523-5872.

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Patricia Austin,age 79, enteredeternal rest on February 2, 2026. Patricia wasborntothe late Vera andHenry Austin andwas lovingly guided in faithand life by hergodmother,the late Margie Corrine Warner.She wasthe de‐votedmotherofRobert Maldon III andMarvinMal‐don. Shewas also aloving godmother to Catina Lawrence,Greta PolkJasper (Bennie),TorrieLal‐lande, andBrandon Turner. Patricia wasa proudand cherishedgrandmother to Charles, Robert Maldon IV thelateKeyanna Shelby, Brianna,Catrina,Daniella, Asante’, Eric,Timielle(KJ), Jontue’(Darryl), Duane (Ty),Vincent,Marvin, Thaddeus,Shanta, and Toya,along with ahostof great-grandchildrenand onegreat-great-grand‐daughter.She is survived by herbeloved sibling Monticello Austin,and was preceded in deathbyher siblings HenryAustinand Sandra Austin.She also leaves to cherishher mem‐oryher nieces,Monet and Yvette,aswellasa host of closefamilymembers and dear friends. Patricia dedi‐catedover50years of ser‐vice as aCertified Nursing Assistant, caring forothers with compassion,dignity andlove. Herprofessional journeyincludedworkat Coliseum MedicalCenter, TheCarroll,Poydras Home, ChateaudeNotre Dame Community Care Center, LambethHouse,and Sun‐rise Senior Living,among others.She also served as apersonalcaretaker for severalfamilies, including theRice, Roddy,and So‐prah families,leaving a lastingimpactonall she touched. Thefamilywould like to extend theirheart‐felt gratitudeand special thanks to Mr.JohnRice and Gy Irvinfor faithfully carrying outour sweet angel’s finalwishes. Your kindness andsupport will always be remembered anddeeply appreciated. Patricia wasa longtime member of NewHomeMin‐istries, whereshe briefly served on theusher board. Afterreturning to NewOr‐leans, shebecamea de‐votedmemberofCrowder BoulevardChurch of Christ, whereshe rededicatedher life andwas baptized by Reverend Bennie Jasper Patricia Austin will be re‐membered forher ser‐vant’s heart, unwavering faith, andthe deep love shehad forher family and community.A Celebration of Life Servicewillbeheld on Saturday,February21, 2026 for1 p.m. at Garden of Memories FuneralHome, 4900 AirlineDr.,Metairie, LA 70001. Visitation begins for11a.m.Interment will be private

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Bullock,Lynnette

Daniel,Damion

Davis, Lori

HayesSr.,Robert Taylor,Alfred

Reverend Cleveland

Bethley,Jr. wasbornNo‐vember29,1948 to thelate Cleveland Bethleythe late Cleveland BethleySr. and Geraldine AlexceeBethley

bank Arcand Shalom HomeCare. Lynnette is survivedbya host of rela‐tives andfriends.Family and Friendsare invitedto attendthe funeralservice onSaturday, February 21 2026 at St.PaulBaptist Church locatedat1509 MonroeSt. Gretna LA.The visitationwillbegin at 8AM followedbya 10AMser‐vice. Pastor Orin GrantSr. willofficiateand interment willfollowinRestlawn CemeteryinAvondaleLA. Funeralplanningentrusted toRobinsonFamilyFuneral Home. (504) 208-2119. For onlinecondolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com.

HayesSr.,Robert Burgdahl,Lorraine Lagarde

Suzanne TheresaBatiste (age 76) transitioned to gloryonThursday,Febru‐ary5,2026, at 11:05 a.m. Shewas adevoted house‐wife of 25 yearstothe late LeonardBriggs.She hada bigheart andwas dearly lovedbyher family and friends. Sheisthe daugh‐terofthe late Rose Marie Duplessis-Batisteand Jules Batiste. Sheissurvivedby herthree daughters, Ros‐alind(Charlie),Tracy (Robert),and Patrice (Andre); twosisters,Gwen‐dolyn(Henry),and Nancy (the late Terry); twoaunts, Arnetta Jonesand Barbara Duplessis. Also survived by sevengrandchildren,Bran‐don(Derrione), Michael (Tamara),Dalevon (Nico‐lette), Whitney, Kelsey (Harry), Ronald,and Alaina;seven great-grand‐children,Denem,Milo, Zaiden,Mila,Amira,Blaze andMilan; threenieces, Jacqueline,Ashley(Mitch) andToyia (Darrick); and threenephews,Gerard, Terrence (Asia),and An‐thony. Also survivingare a host of family andfriends Relativesand Friendsof theFamilyare invitedto attend theFuneral Service

A lifelong resident of the lower 9thWardofNew Or‐leans,ReverendBethley graduated from George WashingtonCarverSenior HighSchool in 1967. He later joined theU.S.Navy. Uponreturning home,Rev‐erend Bethleymarried MyrtisBethley andbecame a father to Yvette Navarre, Shawn Fisher,Nedra Fisher and Lona Walker.Reverend Bethley beganhis ministry journey at PilgrimRest Baptist Church as an or‐daineddeacon, andSun‐day School teacherunder the leadership of Reverend M.H.Littleton.After years offaithfulservice,Rev‐erend Bethleywas or‐dainedtopreachand servedasanassociate minister. He attended Union BaptistTheological Seminarywhere Reverend WarrenJones Jr.was one ofhis favorite instructors. Heloved preachingand teachingthe Gospel.He would standonstreet cor‐nersaround thecity preaching andteaching. He later joined NewSt. Matthew Baptistchurch where he served hismen‐tor Reverend JamesJohn‐son as AssistantPastor. After Reverend Johnson passedaway, Reverend Bethley wasinstalled as Pastor. In addition to work‐ing in ministry full time ReverendBethley wasa school busdriver, abus driveratPublicService (RTA) anda Firefighter withthe NewOrleans Fire Department. On February 3, 2026, Reverend Bethleyen‐tered hiseternal rest at New OrleansVeteransAf‐fairs MedicalCenter. He leavestocherish hismem‐ories,his wife Myrtis,his children, Yvette,Shawn and Lona;a godchild, Brit‐tinyMcNeil; grandchildren Latoyaand Ashley Fisher; great grandchildren, Javon and Jajuan Fisher,A’njah, MiguelGerrell West;his siblingsAnn andTobie Bethley;a sister-in-lawVic‐toria Fisher;his auntsFran‐cis,Roseand SarahAlex‐cee anda host of cousins, nieces, nephewsand neighbors.A Celebrationof LifewillbeheldatNew Salem BaptistChurch,1530 Alvar St NewOrleans,LA 70117, on Saturday,Febru‐ary 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM; ReverendWarrenJones, Pastor. Professional Fu‐neral Services provided by LittlejohnFuneralHome, 2163 AubrySt, NewOr‐leans, LA 70119.

Bishop,Phillipina Flowers'Kandi'

Phillipina “Kandi”Flow‐ers Bishop,age 72, passed awaypeacefully on Janu‐ary 12, 2026, after acoura‐geous battlewithpancre‐aticcancer. Born on March 11, 1953 in Buffalo, New York, Phillipina latermade New Orleansher beloved home, where shelived for morethan30years andbe‐camea cherished, unfor‐gettablepresenceinthe community shedeeply loved.A former studentof HowardUniversity, she studied Communications and Theater, aperfect re‐flection of herexpressive, artistic, andjoyousnature. Phillipinaloved to dance and sing, fillingevery space with music, move‐ment, andlaughter. Herra‐diant personalityand pas‐sionfor entertainment evenled to herbeing rec‐ognized as an honorary memberofParliamentwith GeorgeClinton-a fitting tribute to hervibrant and unforgettablespirit. Pro‐

fessionally, Phillipina de‐voted over 50 yearstoher callingasa LegalAssis‐tant, servingwithdedica‐tion, grace, andremark‐ableexpertise.She wasa valuedand respected memberofThe King Firm, where herprofessionalism kindness, andunwavering commitmentleftanindeli‐ble mark on colleagues, clients,and thelegal com‐munity.She waspreceded indeath by herbeloved husband,Bob Bishop-her partner,bestfriend, and confidante. Phillipina and Bob shared adeep andex‐traordinary bond,one built onlaughter, faith,and un‐waveringloyalty.When Bob passedaway, Phillip‐ina wasleftwithbeautiful memoriesoftheir life to‐gether, butalsoa hole in her heartthatnever fully healed. Shecarried hislove withher always finding strengthinthe legacy of devotiontheyshared. At the center of Phillipina’s lifewas herbeloved son, SeanSalley. Sheadored Seanwitha deep,uncondi‐tionallove. He washer pride andjoy-her greatest blessing-andthe bond they sharedwas oneofpro‐found closenessand devo‐tion. Phillipina celebrated her soninevery chapterof her life,guiding himwith wisdom, supporting him withtenderness, andlov‐ing himwithher whole heart.Her love extended proudly to herbonus chil‐dren, BobBishopJr.,An‐thony Bishop,Richelle Bishopand Robert Bishop (deceased); five grandchil‐dren, who broughther im‐mense joy, as well as to her honorary children JustinReese, Stephanie Bonilla,and ToshaMills whomshe embraced with the same warmth,gen‐erosity,and motherly af‐fection that definedher life. Shealsoleavesto cherish ahostofgrand‐children, greatgrandchil‐dren, nieces,nephews,inlawsand friends. Phillipina loved theLorddeeply,and her faith carriedher through everyseason-es‐peciallyduringher illness. Her grace, courage, and steadfastbeliefwereanin‐spiration to allwho knew her.Phillipinawillbere‐memberedfor herhumor compassion, creativity, and thejoy shesharedso freely. Herlegacyshines oninthe musicshe loved, the people sheuplifted, the faith that sustainedher and thefamilyshe cher‐ished beyond measure. MemorialService:Rela‐tives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend a Memorial Servicehonor‐ing thelifeofPhillipina Flowers Bishop on Friday, February20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.atGertrudeGeddes Willis FuneralHome, 2120 Jackson Ave.,New Orleans, LA70113. Youmay sign the guest book on www.ger trudegeddeswillis.com Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neral Home,Inc., in charge (504) 522-2525.

Bolden,Florida Mae 'Floria'

On Thursday, February 5, 2026, FloridaMae Bolden departed this life. Daughter of theLate Ionia Jones and Henry Bolden. Floridaleavestocherish her precious memories,a host of relativesand friends. CelebrationService will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 11:00a.m. at Community Church 116 FloridaSt. River Ridge, La 70123. Rev. Robert D. Tanner, Jr. Visitation on Saturdayat thechurch 9:00am until servicetime.Interment: Love and Charity Cemetery Kenner, La Professional Service entrusted to caring staff of Hobson Brown Funeral Home 134 Daisy Street Garyville, La 70051

Lorraine LagardeBurgdahlpassedawaypeace‐fully on Friday,February13, 2026, at theage of 75. She was born in NewOrleans Louisiana,onJuly3,1950 She wasthe sister of Gregg Lagarde;the aunt of Brittni and Michelle Lagarde; and the great-aunt of Iris Malaki-Lagarde. Shewas borntothe late Lorraine and CharlesLagarde,Jr. She is also survived by her siblingsCharlie,Bernadette,Adele,Carmelette and Jude,aswellasmany wonderful lifelong friends. A native of NewOrleans, Louisiana,and aproud res‐ident of Gretna,Louisiana for over 50 years, Lorraine graduated from Nicholls HighSchool in 1968. After highschool, sheworkedin the JeffersonParishschool systemfor many years. She laterworkedproudly asa Judicial Secretaryin the 5thDistrictCourt of Appeals. Lorraine prided herself on beinga great friend, adevoted god‐mother, anda loving sister She enjoyedspendingtime gardening andcrafting; however,her true passion was spending time with her loving familyand friends.She lovedtogo shopping, plan holiday events, andgivetothe peopleshe loved. She madefriends everywhere she went andloved shar‐ing herstories andmemo‐rieswiththose around her. Being from NewOrleans and keepingtraditions weresources of great pride forher.She always wantedtoput asmile on the faces of thosearound her.Her spirit andtender naturewillliveoninthe manymemoriescherished byher familyand friends until they meet heragain Pleaseconsidersharing a kindmemoryofLorraine withher familyand friends.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe FuneralMassin the chapel at MotheFu‐neral Home,2100 Westbank Expressway, Gretna Louisiana 70058, on Mon‐day,February23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.,withvisitation from9:00a.m.to11:00 a.m. Intermentwillfollowat WestlawnMemorialPark Cemetery, 1225 Whitney Avenue, Gretna,Louisiana 70056. MotheFuneral Home has been entrustedwith the funeralarrangements. The familykindlyinvites you to shareyour thoughts, fond memories, and condolencesonlineat www.MotheFunerals.com

father,Bernard Thomas; grandmother,BessieSec‐tion; GrandfatherJ.C Daniel; greatgrandmother, IdaMoore andgreat grand‐father, Daniel Webb, uncle, GlenSection;nephewJalen Daniel. He leaves to cher‐ish hismemories: his beloved siblings;Minister Furnell Daniel,Katrena Daniel, TiffanyDaniel, Chauard Daniel,Dorrette Bickham,Bernard Thomas, Delores Thomas,Rose Thomas, SybilThomas, Vincent Thomas,Anthony Thomas, Jeremiah Thomas Gregory Thomas,Jacquline Popularsand FeliciaBoss; lifelongfriend, Herbert Banks;aunts,Irene Green TheaGreen (Arthur);un‐cles, Ricky, Gusand An‐drewSection,and J.C. Daniel; nieces,Claudia Ricketts,Savaria Kelly,Ju‐resia Daniel,Ryjiane Jones, Gabriella Daniel;great nieces, CiaraLyons,Dane and Mila Kelly;nephews ShamarGreen,Ryjohn Jones,Furnell Daniel Jr Travon, Davonand Danny Francois, Jasiah Simmons, and Elijah Daniel;and a hostofother familyand friends.Relatives and friends areinvited to at‐tendthe funeralservice in Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Robinson Family FuneralHome9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.The visita‐tionwillbegin at 9AMfol‐lowed by a10AMservice Intermentwillbeprivate For online condolences pleasevisit www.robinso nfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Lori AnnDavis,age 60 entered eternalreston Thursday,January 29, 2026 BornonDecember18, 1965, Lorilived alife filledwith kindness, compassion,and deep love forher family. She wasprecededindeath byher parents, Robert Tay‐lor andHilda Davis, and her siblings,Bobby and Peggy Haynes,and Robert Hobbs.Lorileavestocher‐ish herlovingmemorywith her devotedsiblings: RobertJohnson,Beverly Johnson,Nancy Thomas, Ava Dix, Camellia Earls (Willie), Mark Davis, and Michael Davis; alongwitha hostofnieces, nephews, cousins,aunts,and ex‐tendedfamilymembers She also leaves behind three devotedfriends who willmissher dearly: Valarie Knight,Terri Hicks, and CarolWilliams. Ann, you meanteverythingto Lori, andweknowthe bondyou shared was something trulyspecial Thoughour hearts are heavy,we find comfortin the love Lori shared and the memories we will for‐everholdclose.Relatives and friendsofthe family are invitedtoattenda cel‐ebrationofLori'slifeon Friday, February 20, 2026 at RobinsonFamilyFuneral Home9611 LA-23, Belle Chasse LA.70037. Thevisi‐tationwillbegin at 9AM followedbya 10AMser‐vice. Pastor EthelMurray ofHomeMission Family Church officiating. Foron‐linecondolences please visit www.robinsonfamilyf uneralhome.com

McNamara Groetsch, 94, passed away peacefully on February 17, 2026, surrounded by the love of herfamily. Born on October 4, 1931, in New Orleans, Patricia lived a longand meaningful life marked by kindness, resilience, and adeep devotion to God, theCatholic church,her family, andher prayer group. Aproud New Orleanian,Patricia

they would each produce; she came in last with only seven children. Upon graduation, she went on to share her love of learning as amiddle school mathematics teacher, touching the lives of countless students with her patience, clarity, and steady encouragement. As avolunteer, she spent years as an ambassador with the Preservation Resource Center in their Stained Glass in Sacred Places Tours throughout the diocese. She then returnedto Loyola at the age of 60 to earn her Master's in Mathematics Education

Patricia was known for her gentle strength and the quiet grace with which she moved through the world. She had agift for making others feel welcomedand cared for, whether through awarm conversation, athoughtful gesture, or simply her steady presence. Her life was rooted in God with love for her family, her community, and the traditions that connected her to her New Orleans heritage She was the heart of her family, offering guidance, humor, and unwavering support across generations.Her childrenwill remember her as asourceof comfort, wisdom, and unconditional love. The faith, compassion, and the importance of family she instilled remain her enduring legacy. Patricia is survived by her children: Marie Delaune (late Johnny) Michel of Lockport Louisiana; Catherine (Ardyn Smith) Delaune of New Orleans; Alfred "Freddie" (Terri Dugas) Delaune Jr. of Lockport and NewOrleans; Michelle Delaune of Dallas; and Michael (Stephanie) Delaune of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She also leaves behind seven grandchildren and six great_grandchildren, along with countless familymembers and friends, all of whom brought her immense joy throughout her life. She is preceded in death by her parents, James K. and Elise KellyMcNamara; her brother, James S. McNamara; her daughters, Joanne (William Walker) Delaune and Elizabeth Delaune; and her husband, Joseph Groetsch. Visitation will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church, on Transcontinental Drive in Metairie, beginning at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, February 20, followed by a funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m. The family welcomes all who knew and loved herto join in honoring her remarkable life. Aprivate burial will take place at a later date.

George HanktonJr. passedawayonFebruary 8,2026, at theage of 87 GeorgeHankton Jr.issur‐vived by hisspouseAndrea Ellis Hankton, daughter Ca‐pucineHankton,sons: Gre‐goryHankton Sr.(Tina), Andre Hankton, 20 grand‐children, 7great-grandchil‐dren, sisters: DeloresPay‐ton,Lillian Jackson, Claudette HanktonBertha Hankton,Doris Simpson (Earl), andCarolyn Buck‐les.Alsosurvivedbyhis sisters-in-law: Rose Reese, Stella Reese, Patricia Ellis and Vanessa Reese, broth‐ers-in-law: Johnny Grayson,and Jerry Reese. Precededindeath by his motherLillian JonesHank‐ton,fatherGeorgeHankton Sr.,son George HanktonIII, mother-in-law Florida WoodardReese,father-inlaw Alfred ReeseSr.,sis‐ters: DorethaShaw, Dianne Hankton andJoyce Gordon, sisters-in-lawFlorida Wyatt, ValerieGrayson and brothers-in-law Gerald Buckles Sr Alfred Reese Sr.,EmmanuelReeseSr., and WayneReeseSr. Fam‐ily andfriends areinvited toattendthe Celebration ofLifeService on Saturday, February21, 2026, for10:00 a.m.atNew Home Baptist Church,1616 Carondelet Street,New Orleans, LA 70130. Visitation will begin at8:00a.m.BishopSamuel Blake,officiating. Inter‐mentwillfollowatProvi‐dence Memorial Park & Mausoleum,8200Airline Drive,Metairie, LA 70003 Guestbook Online:www anewtraditionbegins.com (504) 282-0600. Linear BrooksBoydand Donavin

D. Boyd Owners/FuneralDi‐

rectors

HayesSr.,RobertE.

Robert E. HayesSr.,78 years of Westwego,LA, passedawaypeacefullyat homeonSunday, January 25, 2026 surrounded by his family. Robert wasbornon November7th ,1947 to the lateLinzy andEhelHayes Robertmarried at ayoung age,his wife of 57 years Dorothy Lowe Hayesand togethertheywereresi‐dents of Westwego,LA. Fromtheir union 2children wereborn. Robert retired fromOchsner Main Cam‐pus after45years of being a PatientTransporter Robertissurvivedbyhis wifeDorothy,children Christal(Shidana) Hayes and Robert HayesJr. Bonus daughter Antoinette Hawkins andgodmother OliviaKeller. He is also sur‐vived by 8grandchildren,14 great grandchildren, ahost ofnieces, nephews, cousins otherrelatives and devoted friends. Relatives and friendsare invitedto attendthe visitation on Fri‐day February 20, 2026, from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Robin‐son Family FuneralHome, 9611 LA -23, BelleChasse LA, 70037. Gravesideser‐vicewillfollow on Satur‐day February 21, 2026, at RestlawnCemetery3540 US -90, Avondale,LA. 70094.,from12:00 p.m. -1:00 p.m. Foronlinecondolences pleasevisit www.robinso nfamilyfunealhome.com

LonnieEugeneHoward passedawayon02/12/2026 atthe ageof53atWest Jefferson MedicalCenter. Lonniewas born on Febru‐ary 17,1972. Lonniewas a lovingson,fatherand brother.Lonnieissurvived byhis twodaughters Lon‐niedraand Lonidra Howard. Twostepsons Frankie and Reginald Den‐nis.Foursisters Shawanda Howard, Lori Howard, CharlinaHowardand Shawntell Shamburg Three brothers Daniel Howard, Lionel Howard PaulDeRogers Jr., anda devoted bonus father Paul DeRogers Sr.Alsosurvived bya host of familyand friends.Heisprecededin death by hismotherDi‐anne Shamburg Howard and father Lionel Armour Familyand friendsare in‐vited to attend theCele‐bration of Life Serviceon Saturday, February 21, 2026, for10:00 a.m. at Car‐rollton Avenue Baptist Church locatedat2528 South Carrollton,New Or‐leans,LA70118. Visitation willbegin at 9:00 a.m. Pas‐tor Bennie Scott, officiat‐ing.Interment is private. Arrangementsare being handled by TheBoydFam‐ily FuneralHome. Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com(504) 2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd and DonavinD.BoydOwn‐ers/FuneralDirectors

GregoryJackson,affec‐

Orleans, Gregorywas born on April4,1956. He grew up Uptown, where he built deep roots, lastingfriend‐ships, anda reputation for quietstrength, humility, andaneasysense of humor.His community held himinhighregard, andhis presence left a gentle mark on everyone he met. Gregorywas a proud1975 graduate of Walter L. CohenHigh School,where he played on thebasketballteam. He laterdedicated many years as alaborer before retiring He wasprecededindeath by hisparents,Danieland OpheliaA.Jackson;his brothers,DanielSeaberry andBriscoJackson;and hissister, YollandJackson He leaves to cherish his memories,his brothers Emmett Jackson, JarenW JacksonSr.,and Frank JacksonSr.;his sister Bev‐erly AnnPayne;his nieces, LatriceR.Foster, Jaune'M Jackson, Jennifer M. Jack‐son, Jeannine M. Jackson, andTrinity Y. Jackson; his nephews, Brisco Palmer JarenW.Jackson Jr., and FrankJackson Jr greatnephew,Kevin Route; alongwitha host of un‐cles,aunts, cousins, and friends. Relativesand friendsare invitedtoat‐tend theCelebration of Life serviceatSecondBaptist Church,6th District,4218 Laurel Street,New Orleans, La.70115 on Saturday,Feb‐ruary21, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. service time.Rev.Dr. Samuel Gibbs,Jr. Pastor.Bishop VanC.Rousell officiating. Interment: Providence Memorial Park Cemetery 8200 Airline Dr.Metairie, La.70003. Arrangements entrustedtoEstelle J. Wil‐sonFuneral Home,Inc 2715 Danneel Street,NOLA 70113. Information: (504) 895-4903. To sign online guestbook,pleasevisit www.estellejwilsonfh.com.

Keller Sr., Billy Joseph IBEW LU 130 The Members of this local unionare hereby requested to attend theMemorial Service of Billy J. Keller,Sr., on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at Millet-Guidry FuneralHome2806 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace, LA Visitation willbegin at 10:00 am followedbya Memorial Service at 12:00 pm

Lewis, Kenyatta Deshawn'Yatta'

February 21, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. Visitation will beginat 10;30 a.m. until service time.MinisterArthur Rhodes will be officiating. Interment: Providence Memorial Park Cemetery Arrangements by D. W. Rhodes FuneralHome. Please visitwww.rhodesf uneral.comtoshare online condolences

KimDay Lewisentered peacefully into eternalrest at herresidence on Tues‐day, February 10, 2026, at theage of 67. Shewas a native of NewOrleans,LA anda resident of Harvey LA.She wasa graduate of John EhretHighSchool and Meadows-Draughon Busi‐ness College. Kimretired from Avondale Shipyard afterover30years as an ExecutiveAssistant. She wasa member of St.Paul MissionaryBaptist Church for15years,beforejoining RegularBaptist Church Belovedwifeofthe late Forest Lewis, Jr.Devoted mother Nekedrea Lewis, EricaLews(Corey) Lemieux, andShannon Lewis(Calvin)Williams. Daughter of thelateHer‐manDay,Sr. andBeulahJ Day. Loving sister of Lionel Day, JamesDay,Roosevelt Day, JoAnnDay,ElaineDay Williams,and thelateHer‐manDay,Jr. andJohn Day. Also cherishing hermemo‐ries are8 grandchildren anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relativesand friends. Rela‐tivesand friendsofthe family,alsopastors,offi‐cers,and membersofReg‐ular BaptistChurch,St. Paul MissionaryChurch andall neighboring churches areinvited to at‐tend theCelebration of Life at RegularBaptist Church, 901 5thStreet,Gretna, LA on Friday,February20, 2026, at 10:00a.m. Pastor T. A. Hodge, officiating. Inter‐ment:Woodlawn Park Memorial Cemetery-West‐wego, LA Arrangements by DavisMortuaryService 230 Monroe St.Gretna, LA To view andsignthe guest‐book,pleasegotowww davismortuaryservice.com

and AmélieGowland. He is survived by siblings Sandie Lozes White(Nick), Robin Lozes Pulford (David), William Lozes(Christine) andEdward Lozes(Jo Ann.)

Amemorial service will be held on Friday, February 27th at 10 AM in the Powder Room at the Jackson Barracks, located at 6400 St.ClaudeAvenue, NewOrleans,Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to NunezCommunity CollegeCoastal Studies Scholarship Program, https://givebutter.com/En 7Ti9

Mr.Lozeswillberememberedfor his courage, leadership,and lifelong dedication to his family, hiscommunity, andhis country.

Marshall, Garnet Devon

Garnet Devon Marshall, Sr.departed this life on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. SonofElizabeth Marshall Sampsonand the lateGeorge "Bobby" Marshall, Sr., Stepson of Yusuf Munir. Loving Father of Garnet D. Marshall,Jr., Lamar Marshall, Shonette Sam, Todd Celestine and Michael Clay. Brother of George "Coochie Marshall, Jr.Stepbrother of Brenda Sampson-Morzett (Paul), Saidah MunirBarrow (Ali) and Jerald Sampson (Madge). Former Husband of Barbara Marshall. Also survived by 20 grandchildren, 1godchildLaShalle S. Johnson anda host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relativesand friends. Age 61 years. Anative of Hahnville, LA and resident of Ama, LA. Relatives and friends of thefamily, also pastors, officers andmembers of Philadelphia Baptist Church andall neighboringchurches are invited to attendthe funeral service at Philadelphia Baptist Church,217 Smith Street,Hahnville, LA on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM.Pastor Carvin R. Smith, Sr Pastor Officiating.Interment MountZionBaptist Church Garden of Memories Cemetery,Boutte, LA. Visitation at theabove namedchurchfrom9:00 AM untilservice time ServicedbyRobottom Mortuary

neralHome, Inc. in charge (504) 522-2525.

Parker,Carolyn Ann

CarolynAnn Parker,age 72, anativeNew Orleanian, peacefully enteredeternal restonSaturday, January 31, 2026. Beloveddaughter ofthe late Earl andLeDora Parker. Devotedmotherof DwayneA.Robinson; proud grandmother of Dawnsha Frazier,Dynasty Robinson Teira Young andDemi Robinson; loving greatgrandmother of Cayden Hawkins andDelaniCarter; beloved sister of Dr.Debo‐rah P. Cains, Pastor Donnie (Nona)Brown, Kenneth, Reginald, Kevinand Eric Parker, Lisa (Ronald) Shep‐herd, as well as ahostof nieces, nephews, otherrel‐ativesand friends. Agrad‐uateofJohnMcDonough SeniorHighSchool,Class of1971, Carolynearneda BachelorofScience in BusinessAdministration and dedicated26years of service to Hibernia Bank followedby12years with the OrleansParishSchool Board.A Celebrationser‐vicehonoringthe life and legacyofthe late Carolyn Ann Parker will be held at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church,2100 SaintRoch Ave NewOrleans,LA 70117 on Saturday,Febru‐ary 21, 2026 at 10 am.Inter‐mentprivate.Visitation9 aminthe church.Please signonlineguestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Charbonnet Labat Glapion,Directors (504)581 4411.

Kenyatta Deshawn Lewis, affectionately knownasYatta,entered eternalrestonSunday, February 8, 2026, at age36. Sheleavestocherish her memory herbeloved daughter Ya’maine Bless Lewis; hercompanion Jer‐maineElliot, thefatherof herchild;her Grand‐mother,OreliaSmith;her parents, Andrea Lewisand Gerald Smith; herGod‐mother,affectionately knownasNanny,Tanya Lewis; herGodfather Eric Gresham; hersiblingsGer‐ald(Chonda), Geneva and AnthonyLewis (Shelly), Jonathan,Kenya andAu‐thur Johnson, JovanJohn‐son-Shaw (Zarkia) Danielle Horton (Kelvin), ArtrellLundy, Jerald Smith (Kenosha), Orelia Spencer (William), Geraldlyn Howard (Charles), Colette Wilkins(De’mon)and Donna Pearson(JerMar); heruncles, Gregoryand KeithLewis (Marie), Tory James(Rebeca), Mario Miller (Lori),Edward(Aun‐dra),Steve (Ethel), Arnold, Ronell,Don,and Larry Smith(Susan);auntsTanya Lewis, HazelMetcalf (Der‐rick), Debera Smith, El‐metta Ward andLaverne Broussard; herbeloved godchildDemariHills;her firstcousin, TynishaWal‐lace;her lifelong friends Ke’Angel Moore, ShanaAn‐dres andher best friend PassionHarris. Shealso leaves ahostofnieces, nephews, cousins, and otherrelatives andfriends Preceded in deathbyher Grandparents,Carol and Theodore Lewis, andJohn SmithSr.,her brother, Damian Lewis; heruncles, John SmithJr.,and Tyrone Wallace; andher aunt, Marjorie ReneeWallace Relativesand friendsofthe family,aswellaspastors, officers,and membersof Franklin Avenue Baptist Church andall neighboring churches,are invitedtoat‐tend aCelebration of Life at Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA,onSaturday,

Clarke "Lucky" Louis Lozespassed away on January31, 2026, at theage of 80. Born on March 5, 1945, in BocaRaton, Florida, Clarke livedin many citiesthroughout his childhoodaspart of amilitary family.Heultimately made his home in St. Bernard Parish, where he spent themajority of his life.Mr. Lozes liveda life defined by service,dedication, and adeeplove of his family,aviationand the Louisianaoutdoors.

Mr. Lozesproudly served as an aviator in the UnitedStatesArmy achieving therank of Captain. He completedtwo tours of combat duty in Vietnam, where he was woundedinactionand awarded twoPurple Hearts for his bravery and sacrifice Following his military service, Mr. Lozescontinued his aviation careerin thecivilian sector.He workedasa commercial pilotand later servedas Chief Pilotfor Plaquemines Parish. Hiscommitment to public servicealso included servingasa board member for thePort of St. Bernard.

Mr. Lozesispreceded in death by parentsMaj Louis Clarke Lozes(Myrle) and AdeleFarrellLozes, and his sisterLilyian Lozes. Clarke is survivedbyhis devoted wife of 59 years, Kay Mary Fortier Lozes; his son, Clarke JamesLozes; his daughter in lawChelly Lozeshis daughter, Aimée LozesGowland;His son-inlaw KennethGowland and hisfour beloved grandchildren,LilyLozes, Clarke Lozes, Lisette Gowland,

Judy MarieMartin, age 68, born on August 25, 1957, inNew Orleans, LA,de‐partedthisearthly home onFriday, February 13 2026. SheattendedJohn McDonoghSeniorHigh School.Judywas theloving motherofWanda Steele Payne (Richard), Wallace SteeleIII (Ahl-Trexie),Dar‐rionSteele, andDameka Steele. Devotedsisterof Cynthia Brown(Marcellus) Hayward Martin,Jr. (Kathy),DebbieMartinand Kevin Martin (Debra). Judy was also survived by 13 grandchildren,6 greatgrandchildren anda host ofnieces, nephews, cousins,relatives and friends.She waspreceded indeath by herformerhus‐bandWallace Steele, Jr.; her parentsHayward JosephMartin, Sr.and Mar‐ion Martin;and hersister GailWilliams (Robert).Rel‐ativesand friendsofthe family, also Pastor,officers and membersofGreater AsiaB.C.are invitedtoat‐tendthe CelebrationofLife Service on Saturday,Febru‐ary 21, 2026 at GreaterAsia Baptist Church,3708 St Bernard Avenue,New Or‐leans,LA70122 at 11:00 a.m.Visitationfrom10:00 a.m.until 11:00 a.m. Inter‐mentProvidenceMemorial Park& Mausoleum, 8200 Airline Drive, Metairie,LA 70003. Youmay sign the guest book on http://www gertrudegeddeswillis.com. Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐

MagdaG.Pelias, beloved wife,mother, grandmother,great-grand‐mother, andcherished ma‐triarch andfriend, passed awaypeacefully on Febru‐ary 13, 2026, in NewOr‐leans,Louisiana.Itfeelsno coincidence that sheleft thisworld on aFridaynight asthe KreweofMorpheus paraded throughthe city Morpheus, theGreek god ofsleep anddreams—gen‐tly ushering herintoeter‐nal rest.Bornonthe island ofSkopelos, Greece, in the Western Aegean Sea, Magda immigrated to the UnitedStateswithher familyin1947, following World WarII. From thevery beginning,her life wasde‐finedbypositivity, faith, and pure strength of will in the faceofimmensehard‐ship. Magdapursued her education at Louisiana TechUniversityinRuston and,despite thechal‐lengesshe faced as a Greek immigrantinthe rural South, embraced every opportunitywithde‐termination anda coura‐geous spirit.She earned her Bachelor of Sciencede‐greeand went on to work asa research assistantat Johns HopkinsUniversity and laterinthe hematol‐ogy clinic at OchsnerHos‐pital.In1958, Magdamar‐riedthe love of herlife, Harry MichaelPelias. He adoredher blue eyes,and together they builta beau‐tiful life in Uptown NewOr‐leans,where Magdalived for more than seventy-five years.Their lively,cacoph‐onous home with four chil‐drenbecamea gathering place filledwithmusic, laughter, andextraordi‐naryfood. Adevoted mem‐ber of theGreek Orthodox Church,Magda livedher faith to thefullest extent She wasa keymemberof the church choir, offering her angelic sopranovoice injoy,reverence,and prayer. To thosewho sang besideher,she wasanes‐sential anddynamic pres‐ence. Magdawas an ex‐ceptional Greek andCreole cook andanaccomplished baker of traditionalGreek pastries. An invitation to her tablewas considered a privilege.In1984, shecoauthoredthe cookbook New OrleansNeighbor‐hood Cookingwithher

tionatelyknown as "Jack", passedawaypeacefullyat home on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, atthe ageof69. A lifelong resident of New See more DEATHS page

OPINION

La., Brazil have long ties worthstrengthening

istration

In 1962, Walt Disney’sWonderful World of Color introduced children acrossthe United States to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the episode, Donald Duck and the Brazilian parrot José Carioca workasnews correspondents to highlight the parallels between the two celebrations. The linkages between Brazil and New Orleans run much deeper than simply both celebrating the preLenten festivities. In 2022, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro renewedtheir over 30-year-old sister city partnership. From trade to immigration, Louisiana and Brazil are tied together.Leaning into the linkages between Louisiana and Brazil would benefit the state. Brazil’sand Louisiana’seconomiesshare many parallels and

are deeply connected. Both Braziland Louisiana are important oiland sugarproducers.

Adam Ratzlaff GUEST COLUMNIST

However,rather than this sparking fierce competition, trade between Louisiana and Brazilremains important. According to the World Trade Center, Brazilis Louisiana’sthirdlargest import partner and ninth-largest export partner.This compares to Brazilas the 16th-largest trading partner for the United States as awhole. These economicties have been strengthened by educational ties between the state andBrazil. Tulane University launched its Portuguese language program in 1947 —amove that offered the necessary language skills to engage withthe South American nation —and continues to offer multiple courses on Brazilian politics and culture.

Louisiana’sconnections to Brazilgobeyond just trade. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, alarge number of Brazilians flowed intoNew Orleans to supportthe city’sreconstruction efforts.

Buoyed by thesuspension of work visa requirements, Brazilian construction workers made theirway to New Orleans, with many staying to form partofthe city’scultural fabric. According to theMigration Policy Institute, approximately 5,404 Brazilians resided in Louisiana in 2023.

Traditionally,ties between the United States and Brazil have been close. While the two countries have had theirdifferences in thepast, Brazilhas often been an ally to the United States. In fact, Brazil even senttroopsto fight in theEuropean Theatre during WorldWar II and was named aMajor non-NATO Ally in 2019 —bythe first Trump admin-

Residents, Congress must remain vigilant when it comestoEPA cuts

Americans were rightlyalarmed about the effects of last year’sfederal governmentshutdown. Homeowners couldn’taccess thefederal Flood Insurance Program, federal disaster assistance was slowed and some families went without SNAP payments. But failing to pass abudget isn’tthe only way to shut down afederal agency.There are still people in Washingtonwho want to shut down parts of the governmentthat protect us —this time permanently

The threat is especially severe at the Environmental Protection Agency,where political appointees are working to erase the protections that keep ourfamilies safe from toxic chemicals like lead, arsenic and mercury.They are systematically dismantling EPAfrom the inside out, program by program, week after week.

dressing threats to humanhealth

The good news is that Congressdidn’tgoalong. The EPAbudgetCongress approvedinJanuary includessome difficultcuts, but it rejected the massive, damaging reductionsEPA’s leaderstried to impose Normally,you would expect an administration to learn from such overreaching and start protecting Americans’ health. But this administration may need arefresher.

Despite these ties, tensions between the two countries have flared at various times. Last year,President Donald Trump levied high tariffs on Brazil over thetrial of former Brazilian President JairBolsonaro —who earned the nickname the “Trump of the Tropics” —for his role in supporting an insurrection in 2023.

Additionally,concerns over Brazil’sinvolvement in BRICS and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva’smuted response regarding the situation in Venezuela have been thorns in thebilateral relationship.

The impactsofthese tensions have impacted Louisiana directly.

High tariffs on the South American nation challengedthe local economy,particularly coffee importers, an important and historicimport forNew Orleans.

Given the political, diasporic andeconomictiesbetween Louisiana andBrazil, there are important opportunitiestoexpand trade,educational exchanges and people-to-people connections. These tiescould strengthen the state andpositionLouisiana to excel at atime of growing interestinnearshoring.

However,asTrump’stariffs highlighted this past year,navigating the complex relationship between these two American giants hasalways been challenging andwill require local leaders from civil society, companies and government —tounderstand the importanceofthis relationship andits geopolitical role in order to crafta path together

AdamRatzlaff is the founder and CEO of Pan-American StrategicAdvisors and a member of DiplomaticCourier’s Worldin2050 Brain Trust

As many have said of NewOrleans, the city doesn’tjust recover It reinvents. That’sbeen true after every flood,fire and setback over the centuries. NewOrleanians have always found away to rebuild with imagination andfaith in the future, proving that resilience is the city’soldest tradition. That same spirit was alive recently at the Preservation Resource Center of NewOrleans, where preservationists, civic leaders, insurers and neighbors gathered for the launch of Travelers Across America— a new national initiative from Travelers Insurance and the National Trust for Historic Preservationtorestore cherished historic landmarks across the country in celebration of America’s250th anniversary.Together,we’re investing in the idea thatthe best way to strengthen communitiesisthrough partnerships that cross traditional boundaries of background, community and sector As part of this effort, the PRC will receive agrant to support its Revival Grants program, funding critical exterior repairs for several historic homesowned by low- to moderate-income residents —stronger roofs, upgraded drainage, storm-resistant windows and doors. Each improvement helps fortify the fabric of neighborhoods that have weathered generations of storms, playing asmall but vital role in keeping families rooted and communitieswhole.

Rob Verchick GUEST COLUMNIST

Thankfully,these planshave met resistance. But AdministratorLee Zeldin and his political appointees at EPAshow no signs of slowing down, even after Congress has rejected manyoftheirproposals on aresounding and bipartisan basis. For us here in Louisiana, whereclean water andair are urgent priorities,it’stime to be vigilant, because our health and safety are at stake.

How is the current EPAleadership working to unravel protections for human health? To citejust one example of thestakes: Thousands of Louisianans in the last few months have received letters notifying them they may receive their drinking water through lead pipes, which create risks of lead exposure, causing learning disabilities andother health harms. There is no waytoreplace these pipes, inLouisianaoracross thenation, without federal funding. But last year,the EPAproposed abudgetthateliminated all funding from aprogram to helpcommunities and familiesreplacelead pipes. This was part of an overall budget plan that slashed EPAfunding by more than half, including huge reductions for funding that helps Louisiana and other states provide safe drinking water and the eliminationofEPA’s Office of Research and Development, which is critical to understanding andad-

Already,EPA’s political leadersare rushing to roll back limits on so-called “forever chemicals,” whichhavebeen linkedtoreproductive problems and cancer,and whichare of particularconcerninLouisiana. EPAis also planning to rollback rules that require industrial facilitiestoplan for the preventionand response of accidents likethe August explosionofa plantinRoseland.

So,Congress’ rejection of massiveEPA budget cuts is only part of thestory.Congress andthe American people need to keep sending the message to EPA’spolitical leadership that we want to keep ourclean airand clean water watchdogonguard to prevent toxic pollution andtohold polluters accountable This isn’tabout partisanpolitics —Republicans andDemocrats alikeneed clean air to breatheand clean water to drink. Therecan be reasonable disagreement abouthow strict environmentalregulations should be, but surelywecan agree that when laws are on thebooks, there shouldbeacop on the beat to enforce them. It is important that Congressputs ourhealth and safety first, continuestoreject massive cuts to the EPAbudgetand rejects EPA’sother attempts to roll back protections for ourhealth andsafety.If they don’tstep up, then the EPAwillstep back,and Americanswill be on their own when facing toxic pollution.

Rob Verchick holds the Gauthier-St. Martin Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola UniversityNew Orleans.

New Orleans is the ideal place to begin this national journey because it has long embodied this principle —that real progress happens whendifferent skill sets cometogether.The process begins with the simple act of engaging people whose outlookand areas of expertise differ from your own. Whenyou build those connections, you discoverfresh ideas, new approaches to shared problems andwaystoturn purpose into tangible progress for your community That idea is at the heart of Travelers Across America. We know from history that while levees andsandbags are essential to preparedness, trust, relationships and shared purpose also matter.When these connections exist before disaster strikes —when neighbors know one another, when nonprofits, businesses and public agencies work hand in hand —recovery happens more quickly,effectively and fairly

New Orleans has shown this to the nationtime and again. That same civic muscle is still at work todayinthe PRC’srestoration programs, in neighborhood associations and in residents who look out for one another before the next storm. So, what does this sort of unexpectedalliance look like in practice? Preservationists and insurers are pooling their expertise blending deep cultural knowledge with lessons learned about risk and protection. Local leaders and national institutions are aligning around shared goals and complementary strengths, recognizing thatpreserving ahistoric facade and securing afamily’sfuture aren’t separate missions, but two sidesofthe same coin.

As the world’soldest continuous democracy, the UnitedStates may be the best demonstration of what these alliancescan achieve. As America approaches its 250th anniversary,wehaveanopportunity —and aresponsibility —tocarry forward that tradition. History demonstrates that resilience depends on unlikely partners coming together across boundariesofall kinds to protectwhat matters most. That’sthe spirit that will keep this city andour country thriving for the next 250 years.

Janice Brunner is head of civic engagement at TravelersInsurance. Kristin Gisleson Palmer is executive director of the Preservation Resource Center.Carol Quillen is president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK JESSE JACKSON

Tributes poured in this week for civilrights leader Jesse Jackson, whodied at age84. His long career spanned some of the movement’sbiggest milestones. He worked alongside MartinLutherKingJr. and wasatwo-time Democratic presidential candidate.His work to uplift Blackpeople and promote policies that improve economic opportunitiesfor thepoor through organizations likehis RainbowPUSH Coalition is among the things he will most be remembered for.A skilled orator,Jackson also wasalso known forhis words, and manyrecalled what he taught them personally.Hereare twoperspectives.

Speeches helped keep hope alivefor so many

Iamwho Iamtoday in part because of a speech Iheard in fifth grade at MatthewA Henson Elementary School in Baltimore It was 1970, and the auditoriumwas full of little Black boys and girls, fidgeting, waiting for the speaker to begin.

“I am somebody,” avoice boomed from the stage, shaking us to attention Ihavenever forgotten that day when the Rev.Jesse Jackson spoke life into me, eventuallyinspiring me to go to college. His words pushed me to overcome the feeling of beingunwanted.At4,Ihad to go live withmy grandmother,Big Mama. My four siblings and I—one older,three younger —arrivedatmygrandmother’sWest Baltimore home, disheveled, hungry and sick.Weonly had the clothes on our backs. Had it not been for my grandmother,wewould have been placed in foster care.

“I may be on welfare, but Iamsomebody,” Iyelled along with my classmates.

Ididn’tneed to be ashamed of my situation, because Iwas somebody Jackson had us repeatedly chant, “I am somebody.”

Igoback to that day and that speech when Iget discouraged, when someone questionsmycredentials,insinuating that Igot into college or ajob simply because of the color of my skin. It’shappened throughout my career,even when I arrived at The Washington Post Ireplace their voices with Jackson’swords, “I am somebody.”

Civilrightsiconwas an

agentfor

chaosand change

The Rev.Jesse Jackson’sdeath surprised me with sadness.Though we didn’treally know each other,heand I intersected enough through decades of American history that Ifelt like I’dlost yet another friend in atime of shortening days.

arecipe. Ijust throw in ahandful of this and ahandful of that.”

My grandmother provided asecure home, but didn’twant me to dreamtoo big andbedisappointed. She wantedthe best for me, but the granddaughter of enslaved individuals knew all too well theobstacles Iwould face. But then came the “I Am Somebody” speechfrom Jackson, who died Tuesday at 84. My aspirations to be awriter were motivated by Jackson’scall-and-response keynote.

“Say it after me,” Jackson coaxed us.

“I am somebody!” The hundreds of little voices shouting those words still stick with me.Iyelled it at the top of my voice.

“I may be poor,but Iam somebody,” Jacksonsaid.“Imust be respected, protected, never rejected.” That hit home.

Iwas aweepy child, cravingthe love of parents who abandoned me. Igrewup watching my grandmother drive fromone bar to another on Fridays, searchingfor my grandfather before he drank awayhis paycheck. My mother drifted in andout of my life, breaking one promise after another.The first time Irecall seeingmyfather wasinaprison visiting room.

“I may be on welfare, butIamsomebody,” Jackson said during the assembly Ireceived free lunch, andmygrandmother would get boxes of powderedmilk and large blocks of government-issued cheese. Iwas embarrassed that we needed the assistance.

Jackson’sdeath makes me even sadder,given the current attack on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programsbythe Trumpadministration. President Donald Trumpposted on his TruthSocial profile avideo clip depicting former President Barack Obama andformer first lady Michelle Obama as apes. Trump deleted the video, but refused to apologize for sharing it.

TheNational Urban League’sState of Black America 2025 report highlightsthe dismantling of civil and voting rights and theelimination of diversity initiatives: “We are watching an attempt to turn back the clock to an era when the full humanityof all Americans was not recognized —when the idea of true equalitywas treated as a threat to the social order.”

Jackson’sdeath comes as we are enteringa difficult winter for Black America, one marked by economic regression and theerasure of hard-won protections.

But he wouldn’twant us to have aspirit of surrender In a1988 speech at the Democratic National Convention, Jackson, as he always did, offeredhopefor the poor who work every day but still can’tafford healthcare or ahome. “Hold on,” he told thecrowd. “And hold out.”

Ican still hear Jackson’scall to tune out those whowould tell me I’m less than. I foundmyvoice because of Jackson, and I have used it to help people understand personal finance and build legacy wealth for their family

Iamsomebody because Jackson told me Iwas. AndI believed him

Michelle Singletary is on X, @SingletaryM.

Ibecame aware of Jackson, ason of my homestate of South Carolina, in 1968 when Martin Luther King Jr.was assassinated in Memphis.Jackson, then 26, was at his side and has been acultural and political constant ever since.

Throughout the1970s, adecade Ispent largely in university libraries, Jackson earned headlines pushing for social justice in poor, Black neighborhoods and organized boycotts to pressure corporations tohire African Americans. He flourished in amelee of youthfuldiscontent. The women’sliberation movement and protests against theVietnam Warcoalesced with civil rights into ajuggernaut of radical change. No one was immune to the chaos that Jackson helped create.

In 1984, Isat up straight when Jackson delivered his historic Rainbow Coalition speech at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.Watching from home, where Iwas confined to bed rest for thefinal three monthsofmypregnancy,Iwas mesmerized when Jackson declared, “Our flag is red, white and blue, butour nation is arainbow —red, yellow, Brown, Black and White —and we’re all precious in God’ssight.”

Amen,brother Beforethe 1984 convention, disappointed that Iwouldn’tbeable to attend and further sidelined by my beat as food and wine writer for the Mercury Newsin San Jose, Iwas determined to produce a timely byline. Buthow could Isqueeze a political story out of afood beat? Ilanded on asilly but salable idea: If we are what we eat, shouldn’tweknow what aspiring presidents consume?

My first call was to Jackson’shome in Chicago. Inearly fell off the sofawhen Jackson’swife, Jacqueline Jackson, picked up. When Iexplained my idea, she wasall in. Jackson’sfavorite food was fried chicken, she told me. His favorite snack was raisins. Andhis favorite dessert was chocolatecake. When Iasked for her cake recipe, she said, “I don’tuse

Isaw Jackson afew moretimes through the years, attending his speeches the way others attended rock concerts. In June 1999, Iwas in France when I learned that Jackson would be speaking at the American University of Paris. By then, he had becomeaglobal figure, chatting up dictators, securing hostage releases and leapfrogging from crisis to crisis. Just the month before, he had secured the release of three American soldiers from captivity by Yugoslav forces. At the top of his game, surrounded by media and protesters, Jackson arrived 30 minutes late to the university venue where 150 people were futilely fanning themselves in the stifling heat of abuilding without AC. He swept into the room like adeity searching forapedestal. Ishouldn’thave been surprised that the once-humble civil rights organizer would embrace his own myth. Most politicians do. Moreover, Jackson had telegraphed his elevated self-image in a1983 Associated Press profile in which Sharon Cohen wrote that he saw himself walking “the lonely,dusty road of the prophets” sent forth like Jesus, Gandhi and King “to show others the wayout of the wilderness.”

Our last intersection wasadecade later in New York, where we were guests at a dinner hosted by United Nations ambassador Susan Rice. Jackson stood apart, watching the swarm of younger notables. Sensing our mutual invisibility,I wandered over,introduced myselfand shared memories of ouraccidental encounters. He was gracious, humble and seemed grateful. He asked if Iwould pose fora picture with him.I said it would be an honor My sadness isn’tonly forJackson but also forthe end of an era that, forall its fraught moments, aimed foramore just society and an elevated purpose that called upon our better angels. I’mafraid those angels may have been Jackson’s advance team and have taken flight with him.Rest in peace, Rev.Jackson. You’re in the best company now

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Thepatchydense fog that developed late last night is still with us this morning.Visibility maybeanissue in manyparts of southeast Louisiana, so youmay want to getanearly start. Otherwise, expect averywarmand humid daywithalight breeze. Theabove-average temperatures we’reexpecting todaymay tie or break arecord this afternoon. So, expect your temperatures to rise to the low80s and with southerly winds, the humiditywillbehigh. Rain chances are at 20 to 30%, so expect somescattered rain.

best friend andneighbor, Gayle Wurzlow, M.D. Her generosityextendedfar beyondher kitchen. Magda devoted countless hoursto philanthropic service, in‐cluding leadership rolesin the VolunteersofAmerica, the Greek Orthodox Philop‐tochosLadiesSociety,and the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Sisterhood of Women. She supported theLouisiana PhilharmonicOrchestra and enjoyedattending re‐hearsalsaswellastheir performanceswithher group of girlfriends. Magda had adeep passionfor flowersand wasanactive memberofThe NewOr‐leans Garden Society. She mentoredand befriended studentsatSophieB WrightSchool,sharing her loveofreading andoffer‐ing encouragementtothe young students shetu‐tored.Throughouther life, Magda wasa supporterof numerousorganizations focused on caring forchil‐dren—especially young girls in need.Magda’s life was atestament to perse‐verance,grace,and devo‐tion. Shenurturedtradi‐tions,strengthenedcom‐munity, andcarried her Greek heritage forward withpride.Her familywas her greatest joy, andher lovefor them is infinite Magda is survived by her three daughters: Natalia Gonzalez(Guy),Anastasia Pelias, andGeorgia Pelias (Andy Wadman); eleven grandchildren:G.Brendan Gonzalez, AlexanderGon‐zalez,Christina Nakamoto (Andrew), Athena Antippas (BenWalton),Artemis An‐tippas, Travis Wadman (Lauren), JimmyWadman, Jenna Wadman,Sandro Pelias, CircePelias, and ZenoPelias; andeight great-grandchildren:Miles Nakamoto, MaxNakamoto, Mia Nakamoto,Maisie Nakamoto, Gigi Gonzalez, GriffinGonzalez, Lily Wad‐man,and TheodorosAntip‐pas.She waspreceded in death by herlovinghus‐band, Harry MichaelPelias, and herbeloved son, Michael HarryPelias. Magda wasthe treasured Aunt Magda” to hermany niecesand nephews, and was “Yiayia” to all, blood relatives andotherwise MuchlovetoDr. John McGee,Magda’s personal familyphysician andconfi‐dantwho wasalwaysthere for her, dayornight.Much gratitude to allofMagda’s caregiverswho provided excellent care andcom‐panionship, singing, prayer andlaughter. Though she

DEATHS continued from hasleftthisdimension Magda’s spirit livesonin the voices,traditions, and heartsofthe family and community shenurtured sodeeply. Magdawillbe forever remembered and forever missed. Mayher memorybeeternal.Inlieu of flowers, donationsmay bemadeinher memory to HolyTrinity GreekOrtho‐dox CathedralinNew Or‐leans,The Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Austin, Texas, or thelocal chapter of Habitatfor Hu‐manity. Visitation will be heldFriday, February 20 from5:30–7:30 p.m. at SchoenFuneralHome, 3827 Canal Street.Funeralser‐vices will be held Saturday February21, at 12:30 p.m. atHolyTrinity Greek Ortho‐dox Cathedral, 1200 Allen ToussaintBoulevard.Burial willfollowatLakeLawn MetairieCemetery.

be heldfrom 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on 2026-02-21 at CharbonnetFamily Services, 1615 St.Phillip St Arepast will be held at Pete's Bar, 1801 N. Roman St.

Bessie Butler Poplusentered eternal rest on Friday, February 13, 2026. She wasborn on September 14, 1940. She leavestocherish her memoriessix children, along with ahost of otherrelatives and friends. Relatives and friends of thefamily are invitedtoattend thefuneralservice on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Second NewGuide Baptist Church, 1424 S. DiltonSt., Metairie,LA70003. Visitation willbegins at 9:00 a.m. until thehourof service.

Pete, Elaine Elaine Navarre Pete wifeofOakland Pete,receivedher wings on November17, 2025.She was preceded in death by her husband Oakland Pete and grandson Justin Michael Pete. Herson NathanJ.Pete,Sr. has also received his wings, January 19, 2026. Sheis survived by her daughter Lona and son Oakland, daughter-in-law Julie Pete, grandchildrenDaphane Carl, Nathan Jr.,Jarrad, Oaklynne, Timothy,and Ryan. Sheisalsosurvived by ahost of familyand friends. Amemorial service willbeheldfrom1:00 PM to 2:30 PM on 2026-0221 at CharbonnetFamily Services,1615St. Phillip St Skinkus, Michael

Privateburial willfollow.

Arrangementshave been entrusted to Richardson FuneralHome of Jefferson, RiverRidge LA.www.richardsonfunera lhomeofjefferson.com.

MichaelSkinkus was bornoutside of Philadel‐phia, Pennsylvania in 1969 and hadanearly desire for syncopatedmusic sincehe was very young.Hewas an educator, master percus‐sionist, teacher, son, Pete, NathanJoseph Nathan JosephPete, Sr was born March 9, 1958 to Elaineand Oakland Pete in New Orleans,LA. On June 11th, 1978hemarriedthe love of his life, Julie Barthelemy Pete. They had threesons NathanJ., Justin M. and Jarrad N. Pete. He ispreceded in death by his parents, Elaineand Oakland and his son Justin Michael Nathan is survived by his wifeJulie, sonsNathan and Jarrad, grandchildren Nyron and Nyla, and great grandchildrenRomanand Nami Pete. He is also survived by ahost of family and friends who willimmensely miss him. Amemorialservicewill

brotherand friend to many. Hisearly musical endeavors includeprivate guitarlessons until 6th grade.Althoughhestarted onguitar, Michaelfound his true love in theworld of percussion. In 1987 Michael movedtoNew Or‐leans to attend Tulane Uni‐versity andtoengross him‐selfinthe city’s music. In 1999, he begantraveling to Cubatostudy theBata drums andCongaswith the late master percus‐sionist Regino Jimenez. In addition to Cuba,Michael alsovisited Haiti, Brazil and Puerto Rico on what hecalled“studytrips.” He studied with thegreat Aliou DiouffromSenegal and learnedthe drum pat‐terns specifictothatre‐gionofAfrica. In 2003, Michael earned aMaster’s DegreeinLatin American Studies andEthnomusicol‐ogy at Tulane University His skills as amusician and educator made hima diversified andmuch calleduponartistonthe New Orleansmusic scene. Hehad an arsenalof drums in hisbag,including Batadrums,Congas, Tim‐bales,Shekere,Bells,and muchmore. More than twentyyears ago, Michael started thebandMoyuba withSulaSpiritand Margie Perez on vocals which cen‐tered on traditionalYoruba Orishachants, Bata drums and hisown musical arrangements. Moyuba has proudly opened theJazz Festfor thepast20years and will have atribute showtoMichael at this year'sJazzFest2026 Michael hasalsoplayed withgreat bandslikeThe Radiators,Dr. John, Irma Thomas, JohnnyAdams, ChuckDavis,Michael Ray and theCosmicCrew, Tom McDermott, FreddieOmar con su Banda, GabrielVe‐lazquez,BillSummers Kumbuka DanceTroupe, Kenyatta Simon, Curtis Pierre, Otra,Vivaz,Helen Gillet, Iris MayTango, Los Vecinos,Mas Mamones, MargiePerez,Muevelo, HartMcNee, DavidSobel Sam Price, ScottMesser‐smith,Brent Rose,Smilin’ Myron,Tom Worrell, Alexey Marti,SeguenonKoneand EnsembleFatien, Steve Masakowski, andsomany other musicianstoo many tolist. In addition to his musical genius,Michael was also abeloved teacher and educator.Hetaught 5th gradeatthe Country Day School andYoung Au‐diences where he influ‐enced many students to be their greatest selves Teaching washis passion.

He wasalsoanadjunct professor at DelgadoUni‐versity.Since moving to New Orleansin1987, Michael Skinkushas been anintegralpartofthe local Latin,African,Jazz, AfroCuban andPopular music scenes. Michaelisjoined now in theancestral realm withhis parentsDiane Sel‐wood andJohnSkinkus.He issurvivedbyhis stepmom Dorie Skinkusand herhus‐bandMikeAnderson, sister Valerie Skinkus, sister Dani Jupina, herhusband Mike Jupina, theirchildren Madelineand Benjamin Jupina, hisformerpartner JimenaUrrutiawithwhom heremainedclose,plusa hostoflovingfriends,rela‐tives,musicians andcom‐munitymembers.Hewill bedeeply missedbyall Michael lovedhis family, playing musicwithhis friends,and thecityof New Orleans. Maywe speak hisnamewithlove daily so he will neverbe forgotten. MichaelSkinkus may your soul ascend to the highestpoint of heaven and mayyou be playing music with thegreatson thatside. We sayfarewell for now…untilwemeet again.Relatives and friends of thefamilyare in‐vited to attend aMemorial Service honoring thelifeof Mr. MichaelSkinkus at D.W. RhodesFuneralHome, 3933 WashingtonAve., NewOr‐leans,LA70125 on Satur‐day,February21, 2026 at 2:00pm. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm. Please join us by live streambyvisitingwww.D W.RhodesFuneralHome com/live.Arrangements entrusted to D.W. Rhodes FuneralHome, 3933 Wash‐ingtonAve., NewOrleans, LA. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtosignthe onlineguestbook,share memoriesand condo‐lencestothe family.

Alfred Taylor,age 81, a native of Gretna,Louisiana passedawayonFriday, February 6, 2026, in Baker, Louisianasurrounded by hislovingfamily. Alfred wasbornOctober 28, 1944 in Gretna,LA. He is theson of Joseph Taylor and EleanorVictor. He was marriedtothe late Barbara AnnPierreTaylorand to theirunion,KendalTaylor (Algh) of Harvey,LA, Nigel Taylor (Nyga) of Baker, LA ShannonHoward (Clarence) of Port Allen, LA,and thelateAlfredTay‐lorJr. BrotherofCharles Taylor &SidneyTaylor. He is survived by 10 grandchil‐dren,3 great- grandchil‐dren,a host of nieces nephews, cousins, other relativesand devoted friends. Relativesand friendsofthe family,offi‐cers andmembers of EveningStarBaptist Church andall neighboring churches,L.B.LandryClass of1964, employees of Hunt Wesson OilCompany,Jef‐ferson Parish Street's De‐partment,Jefferson Parish School Board, as well as all Public School BusTrans‐portationSystem, areall invitedtoattendthe cele‐brationoflifeservice whichwillbeheldonSat‐urday, February 21, 2026, at EveningStarBaptist Church locatedat817 Gre‐ferStreet Harvey,LA70058. Thevisitationwillbegin at 8a.m., andthe servicewill beginat10a.m.Pastor KeithPaulStewman offici‐atingand intermentwill follow at NewHopeCeme‐tery in Gretna,LA. Funeral planning entrustedto Robinson Family Funeral Home 9611 LA -23, Belle Chasse,LA70037.,(504) 208 -2119. Foronlinecondo‐lences please visitwww robinsonfamilyfuneralho me.com

GOLDEN COMEBACK

AlysaLiu completesincredible comeback to wingold in figure skating, Page 4C

SPORTS

The finish line for the New OrleansPelicans is just 26 games away

And truth be told, there isn’tawhole lot waitingfor them when they get there

There’sreallynochance for the playoffs, considering the Pelicans are12games behind the 10th-place Los Angeles Clippers in theloss column for thefinal play-in spot.

And of course, no draft picks are awaiting them, so there’snoreason to tank either.

Bucks at Pelicans

The Pelicans went 5-5 in their 10 games beforethe break. That easily could have been 7-3 except the Pelicanslet winnable Rod Walker

So just what is interim coach James Borrego’smessage to his team as theyexit the All-Star breakand into no man’sland?

“Wewant to play ourbest basketball right now,” Borrego said Thursday.“The goal is for this to be our best twomonths of basketball. Whereverthatlands us,that lands us. Focus on finishing strong and getting better.”

ä See WALKER, page 5C

STAFFPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Pelicans guard Saddiq Beydribbles the ball against the Miami Heat on Feb. 11 at the Smoothie King Center

Murray expected to return assoon as next

NewOrleans po practicedwithtea

NBA’sAll-Sta

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

The wait for Dejounte Murray’s return is almost over The New Orleans Pelicans point guard, whotore his Achilles tendon on Jan. 31, 2025, was afull participant in the team’s first two practices (Wednesdayand Thursday) after the All-Star break.

“He’sclose,” Pelicansinterimcoach James Borrego said afterThursday’s practice. “I’d say in the nextweek, he’s back on the floor playing NBA games, which is amazing.” Murray played in 31 games forthe Pelicans last season, his firstwith the team afterbeing acquiredina tradewith theAtlanta Hawks. He fracturedhis left hand in the season opener and missed the next 17 games. He played in 30 more games before the season-ending injury against theBoston Celticsinthe Smoothie King Center. Borrego likes what Murray can bringtoa team that is 15-41 at the All-Star break.

ä See MURRAY, page 5C

‘Henever wavered’

GavinGuidry nowsees thegamedifferently

The last year haschangedhim. How coulditnot? Aback injury tookaway thesport he dedicated his life to for 12 months.

Guidry has returned to the field as thesame fiery right-handed reliever who closed outLSU baseball’s seventh national championship as afreshman. But theredshirt junior now sees his career in anew light sincethe injury He’s content with whatever happens on the field.

“If Ithrow good, cool,” Guidry said. “IfIdon’tthrow good, it is what it is, because Idid everything that Ipossibly could have done over thelast 12 months to put myself in a situation tosucceed.”

Guidry’srefreshed perspective on the game has produced sterling results. He tossedtwo scorelessinnings and recorded five strikeouts

MICHAEL JOHNSON

against Milwaukee on opening day his first appearance in agame since the Chapel Hill Regional in 2024. His secondouting was even better, throwing 21/3 innings with five strikeouts andnohits allowed against a frisky Kent State offense. It washis first save since May 11, 2024. Despite undergoing surgery and missing all of last season, Guidry is once againa critical arminLSU’s bullpen. TheTigerswillneedhim at his best again this weekend when they travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to participate in the Jax College Baseball Classic beginning on Friday against Indiana(1p.m., D1Baseball). “He neverwavered,” LSUcoach

ä See LSU, page 3C

LSU right-handed pitcher Gavin Guidrywalks to the dugout before agame against North Alabama on March9atAlex Box Stadium.Guidry is back in LSU’slineup followingaseason of recovery from aherniated disc. STAFFFILE PHOTOBy

No. 1versus No. 2.

No other pair of numbers stir the imagination quite so much. Knowing that what’sabout to happen whatever the sport —isgoing to be the best against thebest

“You don’tget to see 1versus 2on thefloor very often,” LSU gymnast Kylie Coen said.

Typically,that’s true. Butwhen it comes to women’scollege gymnastics,LSU and Oklahoma have made No.1versus No. 2matchups almost commonplace. When they square off Friday in Norman, Oklahoma, for their Southeastern Conference dual meet (8 p.m., ESPN2), it will be theseventh straight time dating back to 2024 that the Tigers and Sooners will compete in the samemeet as thenation’stop two teams.

They’ve won thepast two NCAA championships, though not exactly against each other (more on that later). They shared the SEC regular-season title last year.They

tied forthe best score in the seasonopening Sprouts Collegiate Quad, with OU getting the first-place trophy based on the rarely used sixthplace tiebreaker

There is no trophy forthis meet; this will be twohours of tumbling and soaring and gymnasts trying to stick two-footed landings like they’re doing somersaults in the backyard. LSU coach Jay Clark likes to think of it as simply another step along the waytothe really big meets—the SEC Championships in March in Sooner country in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the NCAA Championships in April in Fort Worth, Texas. In the sometimes up-is-down, black-iswhite world of gymnastics, whowins a meet like this doesn’tmatter all that much.

“It’sone of the nuances of our sport,” Clark said. “You could theoretically lose every competition all year long, still ä See RABALAIS, page 6C

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

6

Dodgers executive chosen as new Lakers president

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers executive Lon Rosen is moving into the Los Angeles Lakers ‘ front office in the latest significant change for the 17-time NBA champion organization following its sale last year Rosen will be the Lakers’ president of business operations, the team announced Thursday He replaces Tim Harris, who is planning to step down after 35 years with the Lakers.

Can Busch find success again?

Slumping star was once the most dominant driver in NASCAR

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Kyle

Busch’s feisty spirit surfaced late at the end of another empty Daytona 500 for the perennial race loser The Daytona pole sitter, Busch was running outside the top 20 in the final laps when he let off the gas and faded to the back of the pack as wrecks up front started to muddle the running order His crew chief radioed Busch and asked if he slowed because the Toyota was out of fuel.

Busch’s retort was blunter

“What the (heck) am I going to rush into the wreck for,” Busch said. “We’re running (expletive) 30th.”

Busch finished 15th, another middling result as he ran the longest active Daytona 500 losing streak to 21 straight races Whatever spark winning the pole may have provided never materialized with only 19 laps led. The optimism of racing for the first time in a points race with a new crew chief faded early, and Busch was left to chew on the fact that a Daytona 500 win remained the lone void in a career that will eventually see him join big brother Kurt in the Hall of Fame.

“If I don’t ever win it, I’m going to have to be happy with not ever winning it,” Busch said “I’ve pretty much fulfilled my career If it were to end yesterday, I would be happy with everything.”

Just not much of late.

At 40, Busch is reeling on a once-inconceivable 94-race Cup Series losing streak, and he has turned in a contract year to a new crew chief at Richard Childress Racing to resuscitate his career all while embroiled in an $8.5 million lawsuit against an insurance company — to remind everyone that he can still hang on as a championship contender.

“It’s something I never would have thought would happen,” Busch said.

How did Kyle Busch fall off?

Through the first two decades of his career, one detail showed no signs of changing: Busch was a winner Take 2008, Busch’s first season with Joe Gibbs Racing He won eight races in the Cup Series, 10 more in NASCAR’s second-tier series and, for good measure, three in the Truck Series.

“Literally, these words came out of my mouth: ‘See, it can be

easy,’” Busch said with a laugh.

Busch made it look easy He won Cup titles with Gibbs in 2015 and 2019 and romped through NASCAR’s lower two series with so much ease that rules were put in place to choke off his number of races each season.

“We were just laughing,” Busch said. “It can be easy It’s just a matter of how wellprepared you are and how good your stuff is.”

Busch’s stuff was good enough to win 232 times — a NASCAR record — across the three national series. Busch moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2023, and he showed flashes he was the same elite racer as he was at JGR with three wins in the first 15 races of the season.

The checkered flags dried up.

Busch’s career tapered off, both inexplicably because of his Hall of Fame talent yet understandably because RCR had long receded from its spot as a championship contender in the Cup Series.

He had the best of everything in the No. 18 Toyota, fueled in large part by the financial support of longtime sponsor Mars.

Even as recently as 2020, Busch believed there was a shot he could finish his career with the same seven career titles as record-holders Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty

Once Mars pulled out of the sport after 2022, Busch and JGR failed to land the timely sponsor-

ship deal that infuses teams with the big payday largely needed to operate.

Busch was unceremoniously out as JGR made room for Joe Gibbs’ grandson, Ty Childress, who tussled with Busch in 2011 after a Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway, offered the professional lifeline needed in the No. 8 Chevrolet.

The pairing initially seemed perfect Busch won the second race of the 2023 season at Fontana, eight races later at Talladega and five races after that at Gateway. He followed that with four straight top-10 finishes and seemingly had brought that taste of the good life with him from JGR to RCR.

Busch said in retrospect he realized wins came in large part because RCR had been ahead of the curve when NASCAR launched its Next Gen car in 2022. “RCR was actually involved in a lot of the car’s development in the early stages with NASCAR,” Busch said. “They were one of the first teams to work on things and get ahead of it. (At JGR), we didn’t do anything. We were like, ‘Nah, we’re not going to do anything. We’ll deal with it when we get there.’” Gibbs and Hendrick and Team Penske soon caught up and surpassed — Busch and RCR. Even 23XI Racing sped ahead after winning the Daytona 500 with Tyler Reddick.

Busch posted just 10 top 10s

each of the last two seasons. He is not even a playoff driver, much less racing for a third championship.

Can Bush recover in 2026?

Busch hasn’t set a timetable on his career and said he won’t continue to race for purely financial reasons, even as he claimed he is out $10.4 million and filed suit in October alleging Pacific Life Insurance Company failed to reveal the true risks of the policies, along with providing false and negligent representations of what was supposed to be taxfree income for retirement.

“It’s only driven by my passion for it,” Busch said. “The monetary value of my career is irrelevant right now.”

Busch’s son, Brexton, turns 11 this year and has followed his father’s path into racing. He’ll race Legends cars and in the junior late model series this year, and dad still has hopes father and son can race against each other in Trucks once Brexton turns 17.

Busch can’t stomach limping to the NASCAR career finish line without celebrating more wins, more championships. Careers rarely end on high notes for NASCAR’s greats: Petty won his 200th career race in 1984 and never again when he retired in 1992. Johnson was still in championship form when he won his third race of 2017 in June — and never again over the final 3 ½ years of his full-time career

McIlroy handles weather to share lead at Riviera

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

LOS ANGELES Rory McIlroy would have preferred playing in the rain compared with the wind that followed Thursday at Riviera. He handled both well enough for a 5-under 66 to share the clubhouse lead with Jacob Bridgeman in the Genesis Invitational. Scottie Scheffler couldn’t get off the course fast enough. He was tied for last in the 72-man field, without a birdie through 10 holes when play was suspended by darkness. The rain that formed puddles on the already soft greens led to a three-hour stoppage. Players returned to far more difficult conditions with a wind that was strong and cold, and putting surfaces with a rare combination of

being super soft and super quick. McIlroy opened with three birdies in four holes He saved par on the par-3 sixth by chipping over the bunker in the middle of the green. He dropped only one shot to join Bridgeman, who contended last week at Pebble Beach and played his best in the strongest conditions.

“I’ve started to just really enjoy this style of golf,” said McIlroy, who grew up in Northern Ireland but spoke early in his career of his fondness for warmth and sunshine.

“If you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn’t enjoy these conditions, but it’s been a shift in a mindset and maybe just a continuation of trying to build upon the skill set that I have,” he said.

“Then when it does get to conditions like this I’m a lot more prepared. I wouldn’t say I enjoy

them, but I can certainly handle them better.”

Aaron Rai was at 6 under with two holes remaining when it was too dark to continue The round was to resume Friday morning, and the forecast was dry for the rest of the week.

Ryan Fox had a 67, and Pebble Beach winner Collin Morikawa was in the group at 68.

But it was an odd combination of conditions, particularly the greens. Most amazing was Adam Scott’s tee shot on the par-3 sixth that landed inches from the cup and plugged into the turf.

McIlroy was poised to make one last birdie when he ripped a 9-iron downwind from 181 yards near the pin, only to see it spin back off the front of the green.

Another shot rarely seen came on the short 10th when he was well left of the green in the rough, 60

yards away to a pin all the way to the right. He flew it all the way to pin and it stopped inches from where it landed.

“I honestly don’t know how they got it to this. Like, I’ve never seen greens like this,” said Morikawa, who grew up 30 miles away. “You could stop any club from anyplace — from the rough, flyer lies I think I had two or three shots today, flyers out of the first cut and rough and I’m not worried about missing the green at all.”

The biggest surprise was Scheffler, who was headed toward a third straight tournament where he failed to break par in the opening round. He hasn’t done that since his rookie season in 2020, and this was more frustrating based on how hard he slammed a bathroom door on No. 9.

Rosen has been the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief marketing officer since 2012, the same year Mark Walter purchased the baseball team. The Dodgers have become a powerhouse under Walter’s ownership on and off the field, amassing star-studded rosters that have won three of the last six World Series.

Former manager Melvin returning as A’s assistant MESA, Ariz. — Former big league manager Bob Melvin is returning to the Athletics as a special assistant in baseball operations

The Athletics said Thursday that Melvin will advise the front office. The 64-year-old managed the A’s to three AL West titles from 2011-21, then left for San Diego and later San Francisco. The 64-year-old previously managed Seattle and Arizona.

Melvin was voted American League Manager of the Year in 2012 and 2018 with the A’s and led them to the playoffs six times while compiling an 853-764 record. The only manager in franchise history with more wins was Connie Mack with 3,582 for the Philadelphia Athletics from 190150.

Lakers’ Doncic to return; Reaves off restriction

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers expect to be fully healthy for the first time in recent memory when they return from the All-Star break.

NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic said Thursday that he will “probably” return to the court after missing the Lakers’ final four games before the break with a mild hamstring strain.

Austin Reaves also will no longer be on his minutes restriction stemming from a five-week absence with a calf injury, coach JJ Redick said after practice at the Lakers’ training complex.

LeBron James, who went into the break by becoming the oldest play to record a triple-double, is also expected to be uniform when the Lakers host the Clippers.

Hataoka, Wannasaen tied after first round of LPGA

CHONBURI,Thailand Nasa Hataoka shot a 7-under 65 Thursday on the Siam Country Club Old Course and was tied for the lead after the opening round at the LPGA Thailand, the first of three tournaments in Asia in consecutive weeks.

Hataoka, who was runner-up at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, has won five individual LPGA tournaments and two in the International Crown team event.

She was tied Thursday with Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen. Gemma Dryburgh, who opened her round with an eagle and three birdies, was a stroke behind with a 66 and level with Somi Lee and Hye-Jin Choi.

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Ko shot 67s and were in a group of 10 tied for sixth.

Cardinals break ground on performance center

PHOENIX The Arizona Cardinals broke ground on a new performance center and team headquarters Thursday moving forward in an attempt to improve practice facilities that NFL players deemed among the league’s worst in 2025. The north Phoenix development which is expected to be ready in time for preseason training camp in 2028 — is located on a 217-acre property that was purchased at auction for $136 million.

The current headquarters is about 25 miles away in Tempe.

in Tempe has continued to work great, but we’ve outgrown it. This is going to be awesome for us.”

The Cardinals finished last among the 32 NFL teams in 2025.

Franklin’s speed, power ahighlight forLSU

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

LSU’sAlix Franklinplayed third base her entire career until moving to right field this season, but opponentsare having trouble keeping her off the hot corner Franklin has been one of the highlights for the No. 19 Tigers offensively with a.333 average and four triples, aresult of her combination of speed and power.With a homer and adouble, her six extra base hits lead the team. Franklin, asophomore from St Amant, is one of the team leaders going into this weekend’s Purple and Gold Challenge. LSU plays Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by adoubleheader Saturday against UL (4 p.m.) and Michigan State (6:30 p.m.) and aSunday game against Howard(1:30 p.m.)

“It’simpressive; I’d like to say I’m surprised, but I’m not,”LSU coach Beth Torina said. “She’sa gamer.I’ve known that about her from recruitingand watching her play travel ball. She gets hits in big situations and thrives underpressure.” Franklin cameupbig in Tuesday’sgame, liningabases-loaded triple to the right field corner against South Alabama to key a 7-run inning.Her eight runs batted in are fourth on the team and

LSU

Continued from page1C

Jay Johnson said. “He was standing right next to me for the entire season lastyear.Heshouldtakea lot of pride in last year’schampionship, but he’sacompetitor.Idon’t want him in the dugout. Iwanthim on the pitcher’smound.”

Theinjury

Guidry’spath back to thefield was many things, but it certainly wasn’tstraightforward. There were setbacks. There were sleepless nights and days when his appetite was affected. There were even times when he wondered if he’d ever return to the field. The officialdiagnosis for Guidry’sinjury was aherniated disk in his L4-L5 vertebrae. But Guidry has no clue what caused the injury or when it happened. He only suspects that it may have been around since high school, when he dealt with back issues as asenior

“Bending over,rotating, lifting, throwing,”Guidry said,“really everything gave me ahard time before Ihad surgery (last year).”

Guidry’sinjury sounds severe on the surface, but his spine specialist and LSU athletic trainer Isaac Trujillo downplayedthe ailment at first. He wastoldthata fewinjections and some medicinewould make him better,atactic that would reduce inflammation and worked “85% of the time.” But that’snot whathappened. Guidry attempted to return from his injury on multiple occasions throughout the firsthalf of last season. But after each throwing session, his pain would return Recoveringfrom those workouts was the biggest issue.

ä MichiganState at LSU 6:30 P.M. FRIDAy,SECN+

her production has persuaded Torina to move her from No. 8inthe battingorder to No. 5tostart the season.

“I’msograteful and blessed to be outhere, so thankful,” Franklin said.

She played in two games with one start and batted three times in 2025. Her first triptothe plate this season was auspicious as she slammed atriple intothe rightcenterfield gap.It’searly,but she’s on pace to break the school record forthree-baggersina season(14) set by Treen Peel in 2002. After her firstone,she looked into the stands to find her father and youthcoach, DerrickFranklin, who playedbasketball at Southeastern Louisiana. As the season has gone on, she’sestablished agrowing cheering section of around 15 from the St.Amant community.Franklin is one of two Louisiana playersonthe team.

“Theyare the reason Iplay here,” Franklinsaid. “Lastyear was one of the hardest seasons of my life. Knowing I’mgoing to look up and see my old high school, coaches, my family,that’s what kept me goingthrough last year. That’s what drivesmetowork hard, seeing my dad happy,it’severything to me.

ON DECK

WHO: Indiana (1-3) vs.LSU (5-0) WHEN: 1p.m. Friday WHERE: VyStar Ballpark ONLINE/TV: D1Baseball.com

RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM,870 (New Orleans); KLWB-FM,103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSUisNo. 2by

D1Baseball; Indiana is not ranked

PROBABLESTARTERS: LSU —RHP

CasanEvans (0-0,10.80 ERA, 3.1 IP , 2BB, 7SO)

Indiana —LHP Tony Neubeck (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP,3 BB,2 SO) PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate. com/lsu

WHATTOWATCH FOR: LSU turned to sophomoreright-hander Casan Evansasits openingday starter last Fridayand will likely turntohim again in Jacksonville. Evansallowed four earned runs in 31/3 innings against Milwaukee. Indiana gotswept by No.10NorthCarolina on the road to openthe year,but demolished Bradleyathome onTuesday. —Koki Riley

“There’d be somedays where Iwould wake up,and Iwas like, ‘Okay, we’re starting to kind of get some things going. We’re starting to figure it out. I’mgoing to pitch this year,’ ”Guidry said. “And then three days later, it would be just like, ‘I can’t sleep because I’min so much pain.’ ” Johnson eventually announced on April16thatGuidry would undergo back surgery andbeout for theremainder of the 2025 season. It meant that Guidry had to watch from thedugout as his teammates deliveredLSU’seighth national

Tulane miracle man back on moundseven months aftertornUCL

BY GUERRYSMITH Contributingwriter

Aftermaking16appearances on the moundinhis freshman year,Tulane’sJulius EjikeCharles was sure he would not pitch at all as asophomore when fall practice began.

Neitherdid anyone around him. He had undergone full reconstructiveTommy John surgery on July 2—the result of aulnar collateral ligament tear in summer ball —and the standard prognosis for recovery is at least 12 months.

Clearly,Ejike-Charles’ standards are different. Given a clean bill of health in January,he pitchedagainst top-ranked UCLA on Tuesday,retiring the only batter he faced to endthe eighth inning of a13-5 loss in Los Angeles. He likely will not throw when Tulane (2-2) plays its home-openingseries against Harvard (0-0) this weekend, but his story already is astounding.

“He’safreak of nature,” Tulane coach Jay Uhlman said. “It’sunbelievable. The fact he’sout there is really amiracle, but if you look at him, he’sabeautiful athlete.”

Tulane pitcher JuliusEjike

successfully returned to the mound on Tuesdayfollowing a full reconstructive Tommy John surgeryonJuly2

ä Harvard at Tulane. 6:30 P.M. FRIDAy,ESPN+

January,enduring theexpected ups and downs at the start.

“It wasalittle rocky,” he said. “Getting full extension wasabig troubleatfirst, andonceIgot past that, Iwas having these little flashes. ButI wasveryclosely monitored Dr.V(Elia)and coach Fellowsdid agreat jobcreating agood plan for me, andI executed that plan.”

“I go back every off day to help themand hang out withthe team. Ihave given some of them softball lessons. I’m always giving back. That meant everything to me.” Franklin hasn’tbeen hampered by learning anew position. With moredepthatthird base and wanting to get herbat into the lineup, Torina decided in fall practice that her throwing arm was aplus.

“I thought Alix had ashot to make this lineup offensively,soI needed to find aspace for her,” Torina said. “She was the most suited to go out there. (Her arm is) one of the best,a 75 miles-per-hour arm.”

It was different, Franklin said.

“Knowing Ihave time in the outfield, Ihave to be calculated with my first step and where I’m throwing the ball. At third, everything is right at you. Ithrew sidearma lotand nowI’m having to learn to throw over thetop.Thatwas difficult at first, but I’m getting better every single day.Iwould love to (gobacktoplaying third). This is what the team needs, but I’m happy to be playing softball in my homestate.”

Michigan State is 6-3with avictoryover No. 13 Clemson. Fourthyear Spartans coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley was astar player at Texas A&M and coached at LSU as avolunteer assistant among multiple coaching stops.

championship in June.

Buthis decision to have theprocedure was ultimately about more than just baseball.

“Wejust hadtoget my body back right to kind of just make sure that Ididn’tmess something up for,not even just baseball, just my life,” Guidry said. “Back pain isn’treally something thatyou want to deal with and mess with. So Ijust kind of got to the point where I had to makea decision for myself to make sure Igot to liveanormal life, even if the baseball thing didn’twork out.”

Post surgery

Guidry began to feel better after surgery,but it didn’ttake long for thestiffnessand pain to return.

Guidry’ssurgeon had warned him andJohnsonthatitwould take time after the procedure for the Louisiana native to feel like himself again, adding that one day everything would click into place for him and he’d quickly start to

Tulane’smedical staffdeserves plentyofcredit for his rapid recovery,fromorthopaedicsspecialist Dr.Felix Savoie to athletic trainer Dr.VictoriaElia to strength andconditioning coach Josh Fellows. Ultimately,though, this was aboutsomething unique in Ejike-Charles. He says he made several life improvements after thesurgery, gettingmoresleep, eating better and gaining15pounds on his former 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame. Noneofthatexplains why his elbow is healthy so muchsooner than almost anyone else who damaged his UCL.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Ittook alot of collagen and alot of luck.”

Ejike-Charles felt apop on apitch in Danville, Illinois, on June 29 —six weeks after his last mound appearance forTulane He thought it wasweird, then threw anotherpitch thatdid not feel good beforeremovinghimself from thegame andcalling Elia to tell her what happened.

Following the diagnosis and surgery,hesteeled himself for along, grueling recovery that progressed faster than anyone had seen.The first bit of good news cameinOctober

“I went in forimaging on my elbow,and thesurgeon took a look at it and was kind of like, wow,normally,the UCLisn’tsupposed to be this thick by now,” he said. “It was about three or four monthsfrom the surgery.” He returned to the mound in

feel better

However,asthose setbacksbegantotake shape, doubt crept in. It took atoll on the pitcher’smental health.

“That reallymessed me up mentally too, because Istarted feeling better and then Istarted feeling badagain,” Guidry said. “I thought something wentwrong with the surgery or something happened.”

ButLSU strength and conditioning coach Chris Martinwasn’t surprised. During his time in the HoustonAstrosorganization, he saw players return from similar procedures.

Backs, he said, are finicky

“It’snot this linear,you start at onespot, andyou just trend up indefinitely,” Martin said. “There are days where it feels great, days where it doesn’tfeel so good. But once we turned that corner,things really smoothed out, and at that point,itwas just kind of afull go.”

Therampup

Towardthe endofthe summer, Guidry had finally turned that corner.Hefelt well enough to return to theweight room and start building up his arm strength. Fortunately for Martin, he could take his timewith Guidry’s ramp-up. Fall practice hadn’teven started yet, so there was no point in rushing Guidry into pitching shape.

“Whenyou take that much time offfrom throwing, that’sa break that most of these guys have not hadintheir careersever,”Martin said. “And so we just had to make sure we were responsible and had appropriately thought out throwing buildup.(We)probably went alittle bit slower than we had to.”

Guidry returned to the mound by theend of fall practice, coming back as astrongerand more agile pitcher.Not having to worry about

His first pitch against UCLA registered at 90 milesper hour, which was his norm before the injury.His fourthpitchcoaxed a fly-out to center field.

Uhlman is still shaking his head at the rapid return.

“It was probably October-ish when thelight started to come on alittle bit,” Uhlman said. “We were all skeptical because that doesn’thappen. What acool situation. Those are rare genetics.”

Ejike-Charles, from Oklahoma City,Oklahoma, struggled in his first year with theWave. After not allowing arun in hisinitial five appearances, he finished with an 8.59 ERA in 142/3 innings while struggling with command on his offspeed pitches

Uhlman, who questioned his mental readiness ayear ago, has seena different mindsetsince the Tommy Johnsurgery thatwill pay off downthe road.

“Whenyou have thegame taken from you, and you love the game, it puts things in adifferent perspective,” Uhlman said. “Your gratitude level changes. He’s really comealong way since his first day on campus from a growthand maturitystandpoint.”

Ejike-Charles arrived as atwoway player, even bombing ahome runoverthe batter’s eyeincenter fieldoff of Michael Lombard in thefallof2024, but he hasnot swung abat since theinjury. He will be ashort-relief specialist until furthernotice, limitedto amaximum of one inning and 20 pitches, but he also scored as apinch runner last Saturday against Loyola Marymount.

playing in agameuntil February allowedhim to spend more time improving his body

That extra work is already starting to pay off. His fastball velocity has been up to 93 mph this year, andhe’sgainedback theweight he lost whilehewas sidelined. He nowchecksinatabout 188pounds.

“He’sstronger.He’smoving more athletically,” Martin said “He’smoving fasterdown the mound. His center of massismoving faster downthe mound.

“All of that has lent itself to the increase in velocity.And with aguy like that, whoreally knowshow to pitch, can throw 4or5pitches for strikes whenever he wants, that uptick in velocity makes everything else just play up in the arsenal alittle bit better.”

But arguably the most important aspect of Guidry’searly success has been his new perspective on the game. The work he’sdone over the past 12 months didn’tjust change his body

It also freed his mind.

“Ifsomebody gets me andI don’t throw well, Ican live with it just because Idid everything that I possibly could,” Guidry said. “I can look myselfinthe mirrorand knowthatthere wasn’tanything else that Icould do.

“And Ithink forany youngkids outthere thatwanttoknow what competing is, like that’swhatultimate freedom is on the mound or in thebox or in any sport. If you feel like you are fully prepared and there’snothing else that you could have done to prepare yourself,then you can just go out there and compete. That’sthe funpart.”

Email Koki Rileyatkoki.riley@ theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates,signupfor our newsletter at theadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter

MI LA N CO RT IN A

U.S. women strike gold

American hockey team tops Canada on Keller’s OT goal

BY JOHN WAWROW AP hockey writer

STOLZ STUNNED IN 1,500 METERS: U.S speedskater Jordan Stolz’s late push wasn’t enough.

The American star settled for silver in the 1,500 meters, missing a chance to secure a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Games.

China’s Ning Zhongyan won Thursday’s race in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds.

The 21-year-old Stolz, who won gold medals in the 500 and 1,000 at these Games, crossed 0.77 seconds later As Stolz glided by, hands on his knees, Ning raised his country’s flag aloft with both hands and started a victory lap.

Stolz, a Wisconsin native, will participate in the mass start on Saturday.

Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis, who won the 1,500 at the past two Olympics, took bronze.

U.S., CANADA MEN ADVANCE TO HOCKEY SEMIFINALS: In Milan, when the U.S. gave up a tying goal to Sweden with 91 seconds left in the quarterfinals at the Olympics, even the most seasoned players were on edge.

“That’s as nervous as I’ve been ever in a hockey game,” Dylan Larkin said. When Canada was trailing Czechia with under four minutes left, guys with gold medals and Stanley Cup rings started to feel butterflies.

After plenty of nerves, the U.S and Canada are moving on to the semifinals, though it took a roller coaster of emotions to get there Quinn Hughes scored in overtime to put the U.S. past Sweden 2-1 after Mika Zibanejad scored to tie it late “Just relief,” Hughes said.

Earlier Wednesday, Nick Suzuki tied it for Canada late in regulation against Czechia, and Mitch Marner won it 4-3 in overtime to avoid what would have been a stunning early exit.

GU ADVANCES TO HALFPIPE FINAL

DESPITE FALL: Reigning Olympic champion Eileen Gu shook off a fall during her opening run to advance to Saturday’s final in freeski halfpipe The 22-year-old Gu was born in the United States and competes for China. She clipped the lip of the halfpipe on the third trick of her first run, knocking her left ski off and sending her skittering to the bottom of the course. That set up a pressure-packed second attempt that run earned 86.50 points, good enough to place fifth among the 12 skiers who advanced to the final.

U.S., CANADA REACH WOMEN’S

CURLING SEMIFINALS: The United States and Canada advanced to the women’s curling semifinals

The U.S., skipped by Tabitha Peterson, beat Switzerland 7-6 in a match that went to an extra end.The teams will play again in Friday’s semifinals. Peterson threw the decisive rock and her teammates swept it into position, just a hair closer to the button than the Swiss’ nearest stone. Canada beat

and

MILAN Megan Keller back-

handed in a shot 4:07 into overtime and the United States won its third Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey, beating Canada 2-1 at the Milan Cortina Games on Thursday night to close another thrilling chapter of one of sports’ most heated rivalries.

American captain Hilary Knight, in her fifth and final Olympics, forced overtime by tipping in Laila Edwards’ shot from the blue line with 2:04 remaining. The goal was the 15th of her Olympic career and 33rd point to break the U.S record in both categories. With the sides playing 3-on-3, Keller broke up the left wing and pushed past Claire Thompson. Driving to the net, the U.S. assistant captain got off a backhander that beat Ann-Renee Desbiens over her right pad.

“I’m lost for words,” Keller said. “This is an incredible feeling I love these girls so much. This group deserves it. Just the effort and the faith that we kept through this four-year journey is something very special.”

The U.S. previously won gold at the 1998 Nagano Games, the first to feature women’s hockey and in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Canada, which won the other five gold medals, settled for its third silver Aerin Frankel stopped 30 shots for the U.S. Kristen O’Neill scored a shorthanded goal for Canada and Desbiens finished with 31 saves.

This was the seventh of 12 Olympic meetings between the rivals to be decided by one goal and the third to go past regulation. Canada overcame a late 2-1 deficit to beat the U.S. 3-2 on Marie-Philip Poulin’s overtime goal

gold medal game on Thursday in Milan, Italy.

at the 2014 Sochi Games. The U.S. won 3-2 in 2018 when Jocelyne Lamoureux scored in a shootout.

Although the final couldn’t have been closer, the Americans were dominant in Milan, going 7-0 and outscoring their opponents by a combined 33-2.

Canada pushed the U.S. to the brink just nine days after it was beaten 5-0 by the Americans in the preliminary round.

O’Neill’s goal 54 seconds into the second period ended the Americans’ shutout streak of 5 hours, 52 minutes and 17 seconds, dating to the second period of a 5-1 opening win over Czechia. The U.S. had not trailed in the tournament.

As fans alternated chants of “USA! and “Ca-na-da,” Canada was within grasp of its sixth gold medal. The U.S. pulled Frankel

Liu gives U.S. 1st gold in women’s figure skating since ’02 Games

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

MILAN Alysa Liu delivered the U.S. its first women’s figure skating Olympic gold medal in 24 years, performing a near-flawless free skate Thursday night in a glittering golden dress to upstage Japanese rivals Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai at the Milan Cortina Games.

The 20-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, who had walked away from the sport after the Beijing Games four years ago only to launch a remarkable comeback, finished with a career-best 226.79 points Nakai and Sakamoto, skating right behind her, each made a mistake on a combination sequence, and that made the difference in the medals. Sakamoto had 224.90 points to earn a silver to go with her bronze from Beijing. Nakai finished third with 219.16 points.

The moment Nakai’s score was read after the final program of the night, teammate Amber Glenn jumped onto the kiss-and-cry stand and raised Liu’s hand in triumph. Liu sheepishly turned and applauded the 17-year-old Nakai, who raced over and hugged her It’s the first gold medal for an American woman since 2002, when Sarah Hughes stood atop the podium in Salt Lake City Glenn finished in fifth behind Mone Chiba of Japan, a stunning rebound from a disastrous short program Tuesday night. Her season-best free skate gave a score of 214.91 points, and just about landed her on the podium as well. Glenn pumped her first and fought back tears when her score was read, then she took a seat in the new “leader’s chair.” She wound up sitting there for quite a while.

for an extra attacker with 2:23 left, and Knight converted 19 seconds later Edwards slapped a low shot at the net that Knight tipped in through her legs and past Desbiens.

This was the first Olympics for Edwards, the first Black woman to represent the U.S in hockey

“We knew we had it in us, and Hil came up big with that tying goal,” Keller said. “I think just a lot of belief in our group. We wanted to play to win.” For defending Olympic champion Canadians, this was considered a last hurrah for their aging core led by Marie-Philip Poulin.

“Captain Clutch” and her teammates showed resolve by pushing the Americans to the brink.

Canada hardly looked overmatched in the first period, and O’Neill opened the scoring by

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANCISCO SECO

Alysa Liu of the United States competes during the figure skating free program on Thursday in Milan.

Through an ice resurfacing. And through eight programs by other skaters, including American teammate Isabeau Levito, whose fall on her opening triple flip in an otherwise elegant performance kept her from taking over the top spot herself.

Adeliia Petrosian, the 18-year-old Russian competing as a neutral athlete at the Milan Cortina Games, tried the only quadruple jump during the women’s competition but fell on the quad toe loop. She was clean the rest of the way, but the points Petrosian lost on that fall ended up leaving her less than a half-point behind the leader

It was Chiba the ninth skater to follow Glenn that finally took over first place.

That didn’t last long with Liu next on the ice.

capping a 2-on-1 short-handed break early in the second. Canada kept pressing its attack and had several chances in overtime. A minute before Keller’s goal, Sarah Fillier moved up the right wing only to have her shot stopped by Frankel, with the puck landing in the crease.

The Americans extended their winning streak against Canada to eight. It began with two wins at the world championships in April, including the gold medal game.

The U.S. then swept a four-game exhibition series by a combined margin of 26-7.

The U.S., under coach John Wroblewski, revamped much of its roster from the team that lost 3-2 to Canada at the 2022 Beijing Games. This team featured just 11 returning players and seven who are still in college.

Crosby’s status unclear for semifinals

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP hockey writer

MILAN Canada is not closing the door on the possibility of Sidney Crosby playing Friday against Finland in the semifinals at the Olympics after leaving the team’s quarterfinal game with an apparent right-leg injury that is still being evaluated. Crosby, Canada’s 38-yearold captain, did not take part in an optional practice Thursday

“Sid is by no means ruled out of the tournament,” coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re taking this day by day. And we’re not going to put anyone in harm’s way But if he can play, he’s definitely going to.

“We’ll know more in 24 hours.’’ Crosby’s right knee buckled bracing for a hit from Czechia’s Radko Gudas five minutes into the second period Wednesday night, he left the game and did not return.

“He had six points in three preliminary round games, and his absence would create a void in even a lineup as deep and talented as Canada’s.

“It’s almost impossible to fill the player void, but we’ll do our best,” defenseman Drew Doughty said. “Guys got to step up.”

Tulane womencomplete theirsweep of Memphis

son stepped up with 12 points, 10 assists andsix rebounds while only committing three turnovers while playing morethan 34 minutes

who scored 34 pointsinTulane’s last home game against East Carolina, made two free throws and adriving scoop layup around ajumper by guard/forward CC Mays, tying the score.

BY DARRELL WILLIAMS Contributing writer

Memphis proved to be atimely dose of medicine for aTulane team that had been struggling, particularly of late.

After beating the Tigers on Tuesday in Memphis to end asixgame losing streak,the Green Wave smothered them again, this time 69-54 Thursday night at Devlin Fieldhouse.

It marked the first two-game sweep of an opponent this season in the American Conference andthe first back-to-back victories by Green Wave (10-16, 5-9) since winning at Temple onJan 13 and home against AlabamaBirmingham on Jan. 19, more than amonth ago.

“Obviously, it was agood win for us,” coach Ashley Langford said. “I thoughtwegave up too many points in thepaint in the first game against them. We did abetterjob of staying in front of them (defensively) in this game, which was something we emphasized.”

The win also keptTulane in the 10th place, the final spot for aberth in the AAC tournament. Memphis (8-18,2-11)lost its fifth in arow and eighthinnine games.

Tulane’sdefense was the key However,with four players out with injuries,including starting point guard Kendall Sneed, freshman backup Shiloh Kimp-

Langford saidKimpson,who hasimproved noticeablysince theseason began,was prepared forthe moment.Kimpsonsaid shewas nervous before the game but settled down once it started

“I watch alot of film, and I’ve watched Kendall this season,” Kimpson said. “My teammates put themselves in goodpositions forme to get into the laneand get the ball to them.”

FellowfreshmanMecailin

Marshallscored 15 points to lead Tulane,and forward Amira Mabryand guard/forward CC Mays each had 11. CenterDyllan Hanna had seven points and pulled down agame-high 12 rebounds, five offensive.

The Green Wave heldthe Tigers to 37.9% shooting, including 4of 16 in thefirst quarter when it seizedcontrol, and 8of29in thefirsthalfasitgained an insurmountable lead.

Kimpson’s performance was big, also. Her ball handling, speed and poise enabled Tulane to have seven players in the scoring column.Perhaps more importantly,Tulanecommitted 17 turnovers, alow number for Tulane.

Buoyed by a19-1run to end the first quarter,Tulane led3920 at halftime, showing more aggression than in its most recent games

TheGreen Wave trailed8-2 at 6:45 of the firstbefore Marshall,

Jayda Brownfollowedwith a 3-pointer,and Tulane wasoff an running. Guard Kanija Daniel sank a3-pointer with 0.5 seconds lefttostretch the run to 19-1and the score to 21-9.

Therun continued in the second quarter,asthe Wave clamped down on defense, unbothered by the Tigers uptempo attach as it had ahigh-energyapproach, also. It reached 26-3by the 8:23 of the second quarter, withthe score 28-11.

However,Memphis’Tamya Smithhad aputback and adrive to cut the lead to 13 points. Then, Mabry scored seven consecutive points on a14-footer,acorner 3 and alayup on the break to boost the margin back to 20 at 35-15.

Tulane took a22-point lead at the 3:09 mark when Mays sank twofree throws after stealing the balland being fouled.

Marshall led Tulane with 10 first-half points, but seven Wave players scored in thehalf. Most important, Tulane held the Tigers to 8-of-29 (27.6 percent) shooting in the half. Memphis, which is in thebottom twointhe nationinfree-throw percentage at 58.6 percent, shot just 4-of-11 in the half.

Tulane next will play at Tulsa on Tuesday,then return home to meet WichitaState on Feb. 28. Memphis came to 13 points of the lead in the final twominutes, but could get no closer

Patriots win Division Iselect first-roundmatchup

BY SPENCERURQUHART Staff writer

Dominican trailedLiberty by just one point at halftime but saw thegap widen as the night wenton in aDivision Iselect first-round girls basketballplayoffmatchup. Liberty went on an 11-0run to begin thethird quarter and scored thelast six points of the gameina 39-24 winonThursdayatDominican. No. 18-seeded Libertylimited theNo. 15 Dominican to twopoints in the fourth.

Liberty’spresses in the second half creating several turnovers, resulting in Dominican falling behind and being unable to close the gap. “In the first half, it was how we wanted it to go,” Dominican coach Ryan Reuter said. “Wecontrolled the pace and didn’thave too many badturnovers. Second half, we turned the ball over afew times on theirpress,and when we broke the press we failed to convert.”

TheMarch Madnessexpansion discussion hasbeenput

on hold

NCAA won’ttalkabout expandinguntil this year’s competitionends

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

The NCAA won’tdiscuss expanding themen’sand women’s basketball tournaments until after this year’sversion of March Madness finishes, seniorvice president of basketball Dan Gavitt saidThursday Gavitt told that to agroupof reporters who were attending an NCAA event in Indianapolis. There has been talk for the past few months that the NCAA could expand the tournament fieldto72or76starting in 2027. NCAA President Charlie Baker said last year that adding teams could add value to the tournament, and he saidthe NCAA alreadyhas had“good conversations” with TV partners CBS and Warner Bros., whose deal runs through 2032 at thecostofaround $1.1 billion a year The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 to 68 teams in

Continued from page1C

games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets slip away The Pelicans are just 15-41 heading into Fridaynight’sgame in the Smoothie King Center against the Bucks. That’sjust slightly better than the 13-43 recordthey had after 56 games last season. That team ayear ago won just eight more games the rest of the way to finish with the second-fewest wins (21) in an 82-game season in franchise history. Thisteam shouldbe able to eclipse 21 wins. Trey Murphy made it clear the team isn’tquitting on the season, despite the circumstances. The team’sgoals?

“Tocontinue to get better,continue to make strides in the right direction,” Murphy said. “That’s really all you can control, is how well you can play.Idon’tbelieve in wasting time or wastingdays. So, going out there trying to win games and get better is my goal eitherway.Ithink that’sjustthe goal for everybody and theorganization as awhole.”

Despite how rough things have beenthis season, there’splenty to pay attentionto. Questionsabout the franchise’sfuture could be answered basedonwhat happens

2011. The change introduced theFirst Four round, aset of pre-tournament games in which the four lowest-seeded at-large teams andfourlowest-seeded conference champions compete forspots in the traditional 64team bracket. Baker said in November that he supported expandingthe tournament,but that thedecisionwas up to the basketball committees “I don’twanttoget ahead of thebasketballcommittees on this one, but Iwould hope we could find away to get there,” he said. Baker admitted that expansion to potentially 76 teams would cause somelogistical headaches such as moving teams playing in that openingroundaround the country onshort notice. That doesn’toutweighthe positives —ifthey can get more money from their television partners to pay forthe expanded tournament.

“One of thethings comes with the benefit of having (units) on bothsidesisthatyou give schools and conferences reasons to invest in thesport,” he said. “I think this will makeit more likely that schools will put additional resources into the game which is good.”

Last season for the first time, women’sbasketball teams earned financial incentives, known as units, for playing in the NCAA Tournament. The formula can be complicated, but the bottom line is conferences received $113,000 for each game awomen’s team played in the NCAA Tournamentupuntil the FinalFour.

The NCAA decided at its conventioninJanuary to award additionalunits to women’steams that made the championship game andthe overall winner The money for the additional units will be added to thetotal pool andnot cause thevalueof each unit to drop at all.

his torn Achilles suffered last season? Murray is expected to return within aweek

n CanrookiesJeremiah Fears andDerikQueen continue to growand develop?

n Will Jordan Poole, thesecondhighest-paid playeronthe roster, continue to stack DNPs beside his name? He hasn’tplayed in the past nine games.

n Will Zion Williamson, who hasplayedina career-high30 straight games, continue to be as available as he hasbeen?

These next 26 games will tell us.

What’sarealistic goal?

downthe stretch.And yes, there are plentyofquestions.

n In what could be hisfinalaudition,can Borrego do enough to getthe interim tag removed from his jobtitle? Borrego, who replacedWillie Green after Green was fired 12 games into the season, is 13-29 since taking over Borrego is 5-5 with the lineupof Murphy,Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey and Derik Queen. Borrego is 10-11 in games Jones has played.

n What typeofimpact will Dejounte Murray have after spending the past year rehabbing

“I’m adelusionalguy when it comes to stuff like that,” Bey said. “I would neversit here and say we’vegot to go 13-13. We play Milwaukee(Friday). Let’stry to beat Milwaukee. We playPhilly the next day. Let’stry to beat Philly.And just see what happens. After the team’sloss to the Miami Heat before theAll-Star break,Borrego encouraged his players to enjoy thetime off and come back ready to work

“This group has been through a lotthis season to this point,” Borrego said. “I love the battlethey are showing; the growth they are showing. We have to come back andbereadytogo.” Yes, even in aseason that’s going nowhere

Ayoung team,Liberty hadjust onesenior starter in Taylor Perry but had several underclassmen step up. Freshman Allyah Aubert scored ateam-high 11 points in the first round win.

“Our press defenseworked for us alot,” Liberty coach Valencia Wilson said. “Wewere very disciplined and poised, took ourtime andran our offense. Taylor has come along way.She carried us not only in scoring, but in defense and rebounding.”

Perry finished with eight points andadded five rebounds and two assists. She helpedlimit Dominican’stop scorer Gabby Davis to 11 points.

“Throughout the gamewestayed humble andhungry,” Perry said. “It was agood challenge for me andmyteammates.Wecommunicated through each pass andjust ran theplays effectively.”

MURRAY

Continuedfrom page1C

“Leadership,poise, justhis voice, his mentality,” Borrego said. “The competitive spirit. He’satwo-way player. Aguy thatcan defend at ahigh level. We’ve seen that in the past. He knows how to run the club as a point guardand can generate offense.”

Murrayaveraged17.5 points and7.4 assists in his 31 games last season. His best game came against theUtah Jazz whenhe

Liberty’s11-0second-half run beganwhenAubert made 1of2 freethrows, and she madethe last shot during the run to put Liberty up by 12 points. Perry madea 3-pointer that gave Liberty its first double-digit lead of the night. Sophomore Jamia Raby scored the last three points of the game, finishing with seven points, four rebounds and twoassists. Junior Shayla Sanders had ateam-high six rebounds and addedtwo assists.

“Our younger girls just have beliefinour philosophy,” Wilsonsaid. “Wehave avery ayoung team. At the beginning of the season, we just weren’tquite there yet, and now we’re coming along.” Ajunior, Davis finished witha team-high 13 rebounds forDominican. Sophomore Addison Shannon scored ninepoints,and seniorMolly Bakerpulleddown six rebounds. Dominican finished the season with a19-12 record. Liberty (18-13) advances to thesecondround and will travel to face No. 2Riverdale (21-1).

Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@theadvocate.com.

scored 26 points to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds. The Pelicansreturn to action with back-to-back home games. They host the Milwaukee Bucks on Fridayand the Philadelphia 76ersonSaturday. Trey Murphy, who is dealing with ashoulderinjury fromthe gamebefore the All-Star break, will be listed as “doubtful” for Friday’sgame, Borrego said. Theyreturn to playTuesdayat home against the Golden State Warriors.

It’s unclear exactlywhichgame Murraywill be back for,but Borrego welcomes his return.

Rising star

Pene Pati risesfrom doubted Samoan singer to oneof opera’smost-watched newcomers

BY RONALD BLUM Associated Press

NEW YORK Pene Pati was cautioned as a20-year-oldnot to pursue asinging career,anunusual occupation for aSamoan who grew up in New Zealand

“Lots of people want to become a singer because theywantthe lifestyle,” the tenor recalled. “Whereas for me, Idid it out of spite, to be honest. It was somebody who said: ‘Don’t be angry if you don’t cut it as an opera singer becauseas aPolynesian, there are not many opera singers.’ And that part of me thought: How do Iprove him wrong?”

Now 38 and booked by top houses into 2030, Pati laughed as he recalled vocal coach Robert Wiremu’swariness.

“He didn’tsay Iwasn’t agood singer,” Pati explained.“He just said: ‘Don’tbeafraid if you don’t make it.’”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Samoan tenorPenePati stands outside the Park AvenueArmoryin Newyork.

Pati is among the emergingtenors in agroup with Xabier Anduaga, SeokJongBaek, FreddieDe Tommaso, Ismael Jordi andJonathan Tetelman.

He impressed last month in his first staged performances of Massenet’s“Werther” at Paris’ Opéra Comique, a1,200-capacityjewel boxthatturned down thecomposer’s 1887 offer to stagethe premiere.

“I wanted people who had never sung it before,” conductorRaphaël Pichon said.

Pati’sbiggest break was at the Comique on Dec. 13,2021, when he replaced Jean-François Borras for the opening of Gounod’s“Roméo et Juliette” with justa fewhours notice.

ä See RISING, page 3D

NewOrleans jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard’ssecond

wasbased on journalist Charles

CATCHING ‘FIRE’

TerenceBlanchard’s operaempowersBlack operasingers to be themselves,hesays

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Over the course of adistinguished and prolific career as amusician,composer and educator,New Orleans native Terence Blanchard has produced amassive body of work. It ranges from Oscar-nominated scores for Spike Lee movies to theGrammy-winning album “A Tale of God’sWill (A Requiem for Katrina).”

Thefirst opera he composed,2013’s“Champion,” was inspired by the life of boxer Emile Griffith. His second contemporary,English-language opera, “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,”was based on journalist Charles M. Blow’smemoir of the same name. “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” debuted in St.Louis in 2019,and arevisedversion opened the2021 season of theprestigious Metropolitan OperainNew York Five yearslater,Blanchard will preside over hisfirst hometownperformanceofthe “Fire”score on Sunday Though not afull theatrical production of “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” the concert will feature the major arias and other material from the opera.

ä See ‘FIRE’, page 2D

AfterDry Januaryand Lent,alcohol

BY MEGAN ULU-LANI BOYANTON

The SeattleTimes (TNS)

Amanda Lybeck, 37, is givingup alcohol for all 12 monthsof2026. A yearago, the Maple Valley,Washington, resident completed Dry January —the trend of going soberfor onemonth —for the first time as away to support her fitness journey It’ssince gotteneasier,she said, as her co-workers participate and an increasing number of businesses list nonalcoholic alternatives on their menus. It has definitely becomea lot more normalized,” Lybeck said. Fewer people across the country are choosing to imbibe booze. They’re not only motivated by health and wellness goals but also by the ongoing economic crunch squeezing their wallets. That spells

badnews for thealcohol industry: asaturated marketcompeting for ashrinking poolofconsumers.

“The alcoholic beverage industryright nowisinastate of panic,” said Frank Marcus,president of theMontreuxGroup,aconsulting firm for the sector

Amongthe drinking population, someare growing choosier about where they spend their dollars.

They’re pitting the desire to save their coins against amoral obligation to pick producers who share their values,lift up theircommunities and proudly embrace their identity or heritage.

It’s proving to be an opportunity for smallbusinesses —and consumers are responding.

When Lybeck drinks, she aims to support local brands or companies with ethicsthat align with herown “Flavor profilesand that kind of

thingare important,” Lybeck said, “but I’dbemuchmore inclinedto support abusiness that didhavean interesting or diverse story behind them, for sure.”

Generational changes

Amid challenges, somebusiness ownersare trying to stand outwith uncommon products.

Rainbrew in Woodinville, Washington, is one of the country’sfew rice wine breweries, alongside Hana Makgeolli in New York and JS Brewery in Maryland.

“I don’tthink we have alot of trouble setting ourselves apart” from other beverages, said Sophia Jung, 27, co-owner of Rainbrew

The idea for thebusiness was sparkedbyher mother, Jooyun Jung, 59.

ä See ALCOHOL, page 3D

Balancingindependence with newfound curiosity

Dear Annie: Ineed advice abouta situation Inever expected. I’m 37, single and mostly happy with my life. Then my new neighbor moved in. He’scharming and easy to talk to, and Irealized I’m suddenly aware of every interaction, overthinkingevery glance or comment

He’sfriendly and sociable, nothing overt, butIcatch myselfreading too much into casual gestures. I find myself planning my errands around seeing him, replaying conversations in my head,and feeling astrange mix of excitement and anxiety Ihaven’t felt in along time.

‘FIRE’

Continued from page1D

Jumping back in Blanchard thought he was finishedwith“Fire”after it debuted in St. Louis. Usually whenhefinishesanalbum, he immediately moves on to the next project.

Butwhen “Fire” graduated to New York’sprestigious Metropolitan Opera two years later,Blanchard was asked to make revisions.

“When Ihad to jump back into it, it was pretty rough,” he recalledinarecentFaceTime interviewfromJapan, where he was producing an album with another artist.

“Emotionally and in terms of my energy,mymind was on to the next thing. Ihad to go back and deal with my original intent of what Iwas trying to do.”

Ultimately,the process was “a great experience. We added agood bit of music to help the development of characters. We shaved down some things we felt were alittle too wordy.It really helpedflesh out the story.”

He has adapted the material onceagain foranafternoon concert presentedby the New Orleans Opera Association at 2:30p.m. Sunday at the Civic Theatre. He’ll be joined by his ECollective combo, the Turtle Island String Quartet, baritone Justin Austin and soprano Adrienne Danrich. Tickets start at $55.

“It’s notthe full production, but people still get asense of the story and what the music is like,” Blanchard said. “Wedoalot of the main arias. It’snot a jazz concert, not at all, but I do play afair amount.

“I didn’tthink (the arias) wouldtranslate (with a string quartet) the way they would with afull orchestra. Butthey reallydo. It’sturned into apretty cool thing.”

Bitbyopera bug

His father was an amateur opera singer,soBlanchard was exposed to the genre early on. He based his first opera, 2013’s “Champion,” on the life of boxer Emile

I’ve always beenindependent and cautiousabout letting someoneinto my life. Now I’m unsure howtomaintain my boundaries while navigating this new connection. Idon’t want to misread signals or makea move I’ll regret,but Ialso don’twant to shut myself offentirely How do Istay grounded and preserve my independence while figuring out whether this connection is worth pursuing? —Cautiously Curious Dear Cautiously Curious: Youcan see where thingsgowithoutrearranging your life fora potential connection.Ifhe’sworth your attention,it will become obvious —and mutual —withoutyou orchestratinga dailyperformance. Butremember,opening your

heart alittle doesn’tmean losing yourself. Curiosityand caution can coexist, and letting yourself feel something new might just makelife alittle richer

Dear Annie: My mother-in-law of 17 years has always had too much stuff in her house, but as the years go by,it’sgetting worse. Her basement is amemorial of her children’sold belongings, tools andcanning jars. Every closet is crammed with jackets and clothes. Her house isn’tdirty, per se, but every space —every windowsill —iscrowded with dried flowers, dust,glass knickknacks and photos.

She’salways been this way.Her children are now 50 and 46, both with families of their own. She also lost her husband of 50 years

last year

I’ve triedtalking to my husband, explaining that this will eventually becomehis and his sibling’sresponsibility,and that it’sdangerous forhis 75-year-old mother to be living like this. But neither childwants to address it with her How can we lovingly relay to this woman that she needs to start getting rid of the clutter? We need guidance, and she is a regular reader of your column. Hoarding Horrors Dear Hoarding Horrors: What you’re describingisn’treally about clutter;it’sabout comfort, control and grief. Your MILmay have always been this way,but after losing her spouse, familiar objects can feel like anchors. Asking her to simply

Griffith. The experience whet hisappetite to write a second opera.

“Withthe firstone,you don’tknow,” Blanchard said.

“You’re sittingina room for twoyears puttingmelodiesand words onpaper, writing harmony and counter-lines.Thenyou get to the first rehearsal and people start to sing your stuff. Then they blockitout and they’re moving around the stage singing your lines. They start to light it, and you see drawings of the wardrobe. Each step along theway,itgetsdeeperand deeper.Atthe end, when you see how it all comes together, youget bit by the bug, for sure.”

When “Champion” was performed in New Orleans, Blanchard hosted vocalists Karen Slack and the late Arthur Woodley at his house.

“They were telling me abouthow being an opera singer and being Black, they had to turn off who theywere,” Blanchardsaid.

“A lot of them grewupsinginginthe church. Some of themgrew up singing R&B, somegrewupsinging jazz. When they got to opera, they couldn’tuse that type of vibrato,that type of phrasing, because they were singing Puccini or Verdi.”

That was arevelation to Blanchard.

“Here’sthe thing about opera. Everybody thinks it’sastylistic thing. ‘Opera’ really means ‘unamplified voice.’ Giventhatfact, that

meansthateverything’sup for grabs. That was ahuge learning experience.”

When he met with thecast and crew for the first“Fire Shut Up In My Bones” rehearsal at the Met, he told thesingers, “If you grew up in thechurch, if you grew up singing R&B, Iwant you to bring allthose flavors and phrasings to this project.”

So when vocalist Angel Blue sang the aria “Peculiar Grace,” she combinedher operatic voice with churchstyle phrasing.

“People were in tearsnot just because of how she sounded, but what it meant to them,” Blanchard said. “Some of these people have had 30-year careersinopera avoiding this stuff. Latonia Mooretold me this was oneofthe first roles she could really relate to, andshe’s been amajor opera singer at the Met for 30 years.

“There’sathing in this opera that has allowed so many singers to be who they truly,truly areand not just adhere to astandard from the historical point of being an opera singer. (Libretto) Kasi Lemmons and myself, we feltvery proud andhonored to give them a vehicle to be able to do that. It wasareally powerful thing for them.”

An ‘opera in jazz’

“Fire Shut Up In My Bones” opened theMetropolitanOpera’s post-pandemic2021 season andis the first opera by aBlack

composer to be performed in theMet’s138-year history

“Wheneverpeople say that, Ialways tell themthere needs to be abig asteriskby my name,” Blanchard said.

“Because Iwas the first, but Iwasn’tthe first qualified.”

The celebrated composer WilliamGrant Still Jr., who was born in 1895, had three operas rejected by theMet. According to Blanchard, notes in the Met’sarchive

“get rid of things” is unlikely to land. That’swhy this conversation needs to come from her children, not you, and it needs to start with safety,not sentiment. Frame it around clear walkways, fall risks and emergency exits, not what she owns. Start small and concrete —one item, one windowsill, one room at atime—rather than making sweeping demands. This won’t be aquick fix, but avoiding it now will only make things harder later.Caring foran aging parent often meanspressing gently,even when it’suncomfortable.

Send yourquestions forAnnie Lane to dearannie@creators com.

indicated thatone of the organization’sleaders wrote that Still “doesn’tunderstandwhatittakes to write real opera.”

“I’ll neverforgetthat line as long as Ilive,” Blanchard said. “Itwas amotivating forcefor me to make sure ourproduction was the best thatitcould be.”

He refers to “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” as “anopera in jazz.They’re not ‘jazz operas.’ It’snot like we’re swinging from beginning to end. But we’re trying to use allofthe elementsatour disposal to help tell acurrent story.”

Davis, Coltrane tribute

For allhis serious artistic endeavors, Blanchard is not above having alittle fun. During Judith Owen andHarry Shearer’s annual “Christmas Without Tears” variety show at the OrpheumTheatre in December,Blanchard strolled onstage with his trumpet to accompany actor John Goodman’s madcapreading of “ZatYou,Santa Claus?”

This spring, Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane will perform aseriesofconcerts together commemorating the 100th anniversary of the

births of jazz iconsMiles Davis and JohnColtrane, Ravi’sfather.OnMay 1, they’ll perform thatshow at theNew Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

“We’re not trying to be them or do the arrangements like them,” Blanchard said of Davis and the senior Coltrane. “We’re creating new arrangements to trytohonor them.Wefelt the best waytohonor those people is to nottry to mimic them, but to showhow they influenced what it is we’ve turnedinto.”

If that’snot enough, on April 17 Blanchard will perform “A Requiem forKatrina”atRoyal FestivalHall in Londonwiththe London Philharmonic Orchestra. He’s worked with members of the orchestra on film scores, but thiswill be his first performance withthe full LondonPhilharmonic.

“That’salong way, Blanchard said, laughing, “from playing in thepark outside Carter G. Woodson Middle School with(jazz pianist) Willie Metcalfduring my summersinhigh school.”

Email KeithSpera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

Continued from page1D

He had sung Alfredo in Verdi’s“La Traviata” the previous day in Amsterdam and quickly took atrain.

“It was the springboard for Europe andfor America, Pati said.

His Paris castmates timed his held high Cat19seconds, according to mezzo-soprano Adèle Charvet.

“The moment he set afoot on stage, it became electric,” said Charvet, who sang her firststagedCharlotte with Pati last month. “When he’s around, it’slike the sun is here suddenly.”

TedHuffman,the director,took advantage of the intimate house and placed Pati near the lip of the stage, where viewers could focus on his facial expressions.

“He’ssuch awarm person in real life and that openness, it translates to something very honest with the audience,” Huffman said. “Withoutplanning this we went down aquite extreme path with the character in the way he went towards these inward explosions rather than the outward ones.”

Left Samoaasachild

Born in Samoa to parents who are both registered nurses, Pati moved to New Zealand with his familywhen he was between1 and 2.

“That also gave me the motivationtoleave New Zealandbecause Ithought if they could do it, then now Ihave to

ALCOHOL

Continued from page1D

Shespendshalf of each year in Korea. There, she first tried the Asian nation’s traditional alcohol in 2017 Back in the U.S., Jooyun couldn’tfind it. So her son, Peter Jung, 31,traveledto Korea to learn how to make it himself in 2021.

He and Sophia, who are third-generation Korean Americans from the Seattle suburb Bellevue, opened their productionfacility with their mom in 2023. Their products include various types of takju, or rice alcohol, and low-alcohol rice wine, makgeolli.

The Jungs hopetointroduce the public to the rice alcohol at their Woodinville tasting room, which opened last year

Many customers are already familiar with soju, another Korean spirit. Sophia saidRainbrew is also benefiting from the American hype around Korean culture, including K-pop music and K-beauty skin care products.

Peter said that his family makes theirbeverages traditionally and in very small batches. They use wild fermentation, which yields probiotic qualities in the alcohol. No sulfites are added.

“Our product checksalot of boxes for this new generationofdrinkers,” Peter said.

According to Montreux Group’sMarcus, that appeal to younger demographics is crucial for success inthe in-

do it,” he said. Pati sanginanAuckland choir andplanned on acomputer science career. He was encouragedtopursue piano and singing by Terence Maskell, his choir and high school music director

Pati continued studies at The University of Auckland, wonamusic competition in Australia andatthe behest of tenorDennisO’Neill moved to Cardiffin2011 tostudy at the Wales International Academy of Voice. Around thesame time, Pati formed the trio Sol3 Mio with his brother, tenor AmitaiPati, andcousin,baritone Moses Mackay

Pati entered the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program in 2013. Duringauditions for the program in New Zealand, he met soprano AminaEdris,his future wife and occasional recital partner His first words to her were: “You’re the only one that’s better than me.”

He placed second among meninthe 2015 Operalia competition and after at first turning down the opportunity, advanced to the San Francisco Opera’sAdlerFellows program in 2016 along Edris. Thefollowing year he made his San Francisco Opera debutasthe Duke in Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

He sang his first European opera performance at Bordeaux, France, in 2018, and hisprofile rose when he replacedBrian Hymel for San Francisco’sopening-night performance of “Roméo” in September 2019. He’ssince debuted at theParis Opera

dustry

“Different generations are drinkingdifferently,” he said.

Marcus,who teaches an alcoholic beverage distribution course at Western Washington University pinpointed how consumer behaviors arechanging: Baby boomers and GenX are more concernedabout health as they age. Though theymake up the highest per capita spending onalcohol, they’redrinking less

That means millennials andGen Zare thenew focus. Millennials,who holdthe largest spending power, choose theirproductsselectively,Marcus said.Gen Zmay lack discretionary income, but they drive the trends.

Washington’salcohol sector is competing against the cannabis market and even coffeeculture forconsumers’ extra cash, Marcus said. The state’shigh costoflivingalso affects spending.

‘A downturn’

With drinking habits in flux, some businessowners areattempting to adapt. And nationwide, 54% of adults say they drink alcohol —analmost 90-year low,analytics and advisory companyGallupreported in August.

Thedowntrend islargely drivenbyhealth concerns. More thanhalf of Americans, 53%, now believe moderate drinking hurts their health, per Gallup, and youngadultsare particularly averse to it. Recent studies have found

(2021), the Vienna StateOpera (2022), London’sRoyal Opera (2024) and New York’s Metropolitan Opera andMunich’s Bavarian State Opera (both 2025)

Pati, who now lives in Paris, returns to the Met for Puccini’s“La Bohème” next season.

“He’satenor with enormous potential,” Met general manager PeterGelb said.

Cautious in role decisions

Pati sings Edgardo in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Toulouse, France, starting Feb. 20, arole he repeats for his debut at Milan’s Teatro alla Scalathissummer. He performsthe title role in Mozart’s“La Clemenza di Tito”for his ZurichOpera debut in lateApril and returns hometoNew Zealand in August forChevalier des Grieux in Massenet’s“Manon.”

“I don’twanttojump the gun,” he said. “Once you go to all the heavierstuff it’shard to comeback.”

After the final “Werther” performance, Pati invited the children’schorustohis dressing room and gave them cake. Between performances at the New York’sPark Avenue Armory last September,heheld aworkshop, singing andanswering questions for 14-to18-year-old vocal students from Talent Unlimited High School.

“The most important thing about Pene for me is just humanity,”Pichon said. “It’s aman who wantstoshare, wants to communicate his passion, his music.It’sproperly unique,how solar, how luminous is this man.”

that anyamount of alcohol consumption exacerbates therisk of cancer

To drink or not to drink is apersonal decision. But for businesses, Dry January can be tough, according to Caitlin Braam, founder and CEO of Yonder Cider. Thecompany hastwo taprooms in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood andCashmere, Washington, alongwith aproduction facility in Wenatchee.

“Wedefinitely see adownturn in January,” she said. Wavering demand compounds with other pressures, including rising costs for labor,ingredients and supply chain needs.

She raisedthe shelf price on four packs of 16-ounce cans to $13.99 from $11.99 in 2022. Since then, Braam has refused to hike thecost becauseshe doesn’twantto makeher product unaffordable for price-conscious consumers.

Issaquah, Washington, resident Aaron Pinto, 47, is someone who’skeepingan eye on dollar signs.

“Everything’sabout $3, $4 more expensive overthe past four, fiveyears,” he said.“It does have an impact.”

While he appreciates Pacific Northwest breweries, such as Mac&Jack’s, Pinto sometimes considers buying Coors Light over amore expensive six-pack of local beer

He plans to spend next month sober.Ithelpshim “saveafew more dollars from not going out Friday night,” Pintosaid, and it serves as areset.

between

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,Feb. 20, the51st day of 2026. There are 314 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Feb.20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn became thefirst American to orbit theEarth, circling the globe three times aboard Project Mercury’sFriendship 7spacecraft in aflight lasting 4hours and 55 minutes before splashing down safely in theAtlantic Ocean

Also on this date: In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department, thepredecessor of theU.S. Postal Service.

In 1905, theU.S. SupremeCourt, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts,upheld, 7-2, compulsory vaccination laws intended to protect thepublic’shealth.

In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded persons, epileptics, insane persons,” among others, from being admitted to the United States.

In 1998, American Tara Lipinski, age 15, became the youngest-ever Olympic figure skating gold medalist when she won the ladies’ title at the Nagano Olympic Winter Games; American teammate Michelle Kwan took silver

In 2003, afire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out during aconcert by the rock group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring over 200 others.

In 2016, aMichigan man shot and killed six strangers and wounded two others over several hours in the Kalamazoo area in

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Choose the path that captures your attention and warmsyour heart. Participateinevents thatdotheir best to help those less fortunate or acause that concerns you.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Put everything in context before you choosetospeak or make amove. Overreactingwill cost you if you aren't careful. Instead, put your skills to work foryou and concentrateoncleaning up unfinished business.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Hidden matters will rise to the surface, and information revealed will require attention. Use your charisma to reach out to the powers that be,and an opportunity will present itself.

GEMInI(May 21-June 20) Live, learn and adjust. Yourability to shiftfrom one thing to another is your strength. Refuse to letanyoneweakenyou with theirrhetoricormanipulative charm.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Set high standards and goals, and dodge those pushingnegativity and fake information. What youportrayand offerothers is what you will attract in return. Protect your space and your well-being.

LEo (July23-Aug. 22) Listen to suggestions, live,learn, and love who you are and whatyou can do.Life choices will make adifference. Educate yourself to be the person you want to be.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Choosewhat pulls at your heartstrings, and discover

something new about who you areand what you can do. Trust your instincts, share your intentions and make things happen.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Simplicity is the keytotaking care of personalbusiness and mapping out aplan thathelps you meet your responsibilities.Learn from experience, and initiate change.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Anger is a waste of time. If you want to make a difference, do so with grace, charm andtruth. Nurture relationships, make promises andfollowthrough with your plans.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Focus on what you can change instead of wasting timeonpeople, situations and things youhavenocontrol over. Walk away from drama and manipulative people.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Payattention to what's happening in the workforce. Prepare to makeashift, if necessary, to secure and pursue alucrative future. Disregard questionable information.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put your energy whereitcounts, andpay attention to your money, healthand emotional wellbeing. Buying and selling look promisingand can promote newopportunities to simplify and enjoy your life.

Thehoroscope, an entertainmentfeature, 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. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row,each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

AustralianBridge is publishedsix times ayear in alarge-page format.As with all of these magazines, it aims primarilyatduplicateplayersbuthasmaterial for less-capable players. Thisopening-lead quizcomes from RonKlinger. Look at onlythe West hand. South opensone heart,you pass, and North responds four diamonds,showing four-plus hearts, at least game-going values,and at most one diamond. East surprises you by interveningwith five diamonds, but South rebids five hearts, and everyonepasses. Whatwould you lead?

Klingerisaleadingplayer,teacherand writerwhohasagreateyeforaninstructive deal.This oneoccurredduringan Australian trial. At the table, Barbara Travis found the best lead: the diamond king. Her side was getting at most one diamond trick. And it might have been important for her to shift through the dummy at trick two. Also, if partner knew no switchwould be helpful, she could have overtaken with the diamond ace andtried alead from herside of the table.

Here, East playedthe diamond three at trick one, asuit-preference signalfor clubs.West led that suit at trick two, and declarer hadtolose three tricks: one heart, onediamond andone club.

If West’s opening lead had been alow diamond and East had shifted to alow club, South probably would have put up her queen, based on East’sfive-diamond bid. And declarer might well have guessed spades also. It was muchbetter nottogive South achance. Details are at australianbridge.com. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrewsmcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. additional

by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang

or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’sWoRD oBEDIEnt: oh-BEE-dee-ent: Submissive; willing to obey.

Average mark32words

Time

Can you find 40 or more words in OBEDIENT?

ScrabbleGramS

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.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

Formoreinformationontournaments and clubs,email naspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated logo,the design of thedistinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive lettertile designs are trademarksofHasbrointhe Unitedstatesand Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved.Distributed by

ken ken

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

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE gamEthat will give

the number of letters is

is

bers, left to right. Then read the

PINA

By virtue of and in obedienceto

aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber28, 2022,I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐h i h ll

g gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in Town‐ship 14 South, Ranges23and 24 East,South‐easternLand District of Louisiana, West of theMissis‐sippi River, knownasHar‐veyCanal Prop‐erty, designated as Parcel P-2-A-2-A, allasper plan of resubdivision made by J. J. Krebs& Sons,Inc C. E. &S., dated March15, 1973

revisedFebru‐ary26, 1973, April11, 1974, May5,1975,De‐cember 29, 1975, andOctober19, 1976,and ap‐proved by the JeffersonParish CouncilbyOrdi‐nanceNo. 12617, adoptedNo‐vember 18, 1976, recorded in COB 879, folio 409, andwhich said portionof ground was subdivided into Woodmere Sub‐division,Section 5, allinasper plan of resubdi‐vision by J. J. Krebs& Sons,Inc., C. E. &S datedOc‐tober19, 1976 andOctober 21, 1976, approved by the JeffersonParish CouncilbyOrdi‐nanceNo. 12617, recorded in COB 879, folio 408, and as per Actof di i b

p Dedication be‐fore Odom B. Heebe, Notary Public,dated December 21, 1976 and recorded in COB 880, folio 822, same beingdes‐ignatedasfol‐lows:

shownonsur‐veybyJ.J Krebs& Sons, Inc.,C.E.&S., datedJune30, 1978, staked Au‐gust 17, 1978, resurveyed No‐vember 1, 1978 to show improvements

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:860-378

Lot1456, Square NN, which square is bounded by Ac‐caciaLane, Woodmere Blvd (side),Eastview (lateOakmere Dr.) Drive(side) andAlexKorn‐manBlvd. and said lot commences 425 feet from the corner of Acca‐ciaLaneand Alex Kornman Blvd., with a 60 feet fronton AccaciaLane, same in width in rear,bya depth of 100 feet be‐tween equaland paral‐lellines;all as

Andinaccor‐dancewithsur‐veyofGilbert, Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc. dated March6,1993, a printofwhich is annexed hereto andmadea part hereof,saidlot is situated in thesame square,subdivi‐sion andhas the same measure‐mentsashere‐inaboveset forth.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with BankLetter of Credit COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

FAIRPORT ASSET MANAGEMENT II REO, LLC VS MINH DAOAND NGOC LANLLC; MINH QUANG DAO; ANDNGOC LANTHI By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber19, 2024, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐bidd

g estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allofthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servitudes,ad‐vantages and appurtenances thereuntobe‐longingorin anywise appertaining, situated,lying andbeing in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as BARKLEYES‐TATES, in accor‐

dancewiththe plan of resubdivisionby DufreneSurvey‐ing& Engineer‐ing, Inc. dated at Harvey Louisiana, October15, 1999, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 20852, adopted January12, 2000, registered under EntryNo. 10003981, in COB 3023, folio 915, of theCon‐veyance Recordsofthe Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana; and also in accor‐dancewiththe plan of survey by DufreneSur‐veying & Engineering, Inc. datedat Harvey, Louisiana, April 5, 2002; andac‐cordingtosaid plans,saidlot is d i d

p designated as LOTTWENTYFOUR (24) of SQUARE

SEVENTEEN (17)

which said square is bounded by Ab‐botswood Drive, Wedgewood Court, Wedge‐wood Drive, Heatherwood Driveand Sher‐brookeLane; andaccording to said plans, said Lot24mea‐suresEIGHTYSIXAND 03/100 (86.03’)FEET fronton Sherbrooke Lane,with a width in the rear of NINETYEIGHTAND 72/100 (98.72’)

FEET,bya depth on thesidline adjoiningLot 23 of ONEHUN‐DRED TWENTY AND N0/100 (120.00’)

FEET,and a depth on the sideline adjoin‐ingLot 25 of ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN AND93/100 (127.93’)FEET

Forinforma‐tional purposes only:

Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.3317 Sher‐brookeLane, Harvey,LA 70058

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- 10% down balancein 30 days

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

WAYNEA.MAIO‐RANA,JR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

SERVITUDES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGINGORIN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING, SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, SQUARE.NO. 11, NORTHRIO VISTAADDI‐TION,BOUNDED BY SANTA ANA AVENUE,SAN JOSE AVENUE, LOT 13 OF LOT19OF LABARRE PLAN‐TATION ANDLOT 18, DESIGNATED BY THE NUMBER 1ONA BLUE PRINTOF SURVEY J. J. KREBS, C.E., DATEDJUNE11, 1946, REGIS‐TEREDINCOB 227, FOLIO421, ANDACCORD‐INGTHERETO SAID LOTNO. 1 FORMSTHE CORNER OF SAN JOSE AND SANTAANA AV‐ENUES, MEASURES FIFTY- FIVE FEET (55`)FRONT ON SANTAANA AV‐ENUE,SAMEIN WIDTHINTHE REAR,BYA DEPTHAND FRONTONSAN JOSE AVENUE OF ONE HUNDREDTEN FEET (110`)BE‐TWEEN EQUAL ANDPARALLEL LINES,ASMORE FULLYSHOWN ON APRINT CF SURVEY BY J. J. KREBS& SONS INC.,C.E., DATEDMARCH 4, 1965. ANDAC‐CORDINGTOA SURVEY MADE BY GILBERT, KELLY& COU‐TURIE, INC., SURVEYING& ENGINEERING, DATEDJUNE13, 2005, SAID PIECE OR PORTIONOF GROUND HAS THESAMEDES‐IGNATION, LOCATION AND MEASURE‐MENTSASSET FORTHABOVE EXCEPT THAT SAID SQUARE NO.11, NORTH RIO VISTAADDITION SUBDIVISION, IS BOUNDEDBY SANTAANA AV‐ENUE,DAVIS BOULEVARD, THEEASTERN LINEOFNORTH RIO VISTAADDITION ANDSAN JOSE AVENUE

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit.

ELIZABETHC PRICE Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

HYMEL A/K/APATRICIA HYMELA/K/A PATRICIA ANN BRADLEYA/K/A PATRICIA A. BRADLEYA/K/A PATRICIA BRADLEYAND LEROYJ.HYMEL A/K/ALEROY HYMEL

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 19, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ment thereon, and allthe rights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Beverly Hills Subdivision,ac‐cordingtoa plat of subdivision, thereofmadeby J. L. Fontcu‐berta, Surveyor datedJuly15, 1959, revisedSeptem‐ber15, 1959, copy of which is on file in plan book 37, folio 32, in the office of the clerkofcourt, Parish of Jeffer‐son, andwas approved by the Jefferson Parish Council under ordinance no.4999 said portionof ground is desig‐natedand measures as follows:

Lot4 of Square 6, bounded by AcademyDrive, 39thStreet,Tar‐tanDrive and 37th Street.Saidlot measures 55 feet fronton AcademyDrive same width in therear, by adepth on the side nearest 37thStreet of 99.57 feet,and a depth on the opposite side of 99.10 feet

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:862-118

WELLSFARGO BANK,N.A vs GUYSTEPHEN FOLSE, JR. A/K/A GUYS.FOLSE JR. A/K/AGUY FOLSE, JR.

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 7, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

Onecertain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Willowdale Sub‐division,Section 1, in Square 13, bounded by Elizabethand Boutall Streets, Rosalie Court, EliseAv‐enue andYork Street,desig‐natedasLot 106 on the survey made by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc Surveying, &I Engineering, dated November 15, 1979, redated October15, 1980 andSeptember 10, 1983, accord‐ing to which said lotforms the corner of Eliza‐beth andBoutall Streetsand measures 45.38 feet front on Elizabeth Street,thence a furtherfront on acurve having radius of 25 feet,a dis‐tanceof48.87 feet,thence a depth andfront on Boutall Street of 76. 19 feet,a width in therearof40 feet,bya depth on theopposite sideline of 105 feet.All as more fully shownonsur‐veymadeby Gilbert, Kelly,& Couturie,Inc., dated December 12, 1996.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNISWIG‐GINS,JR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:864-827

PLAINS COM‐MERCEBANK VERSUS JAREDWILFRED HYDELL

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMay 16, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

THAT CERTAIN LOTORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,situ‐ated in the Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that subdivision knownas, WOODMERE SUBDIVISION, SECTION5,and beingdesig‐natedonthe of‐ficial plan of said subdivision, on file andof record in theof‐fice of theClerk andRecorder forthe Parish of Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, as LOTNUMBER ONETHOUSAND THREE HUNDRED NINETY FIVE-A (1395-A) of SQUARE LL, said subdivision, said lot having such measurements anddimensions andbeing sub‐ject to such re‐strictions andservitudes as shownonthe official subdivi‐sion mapand/or of record

Furtherinac‐cordance with a survey,pre‐paredbyJ.J Krebs& Sons, Inc.,dated April 24, 1978, resur‐veyedJuly22, 1978,a copy of which is at‐tached to and made apart of that certain actrecordedat COB939 Page 545, of theoffi‐cial recordsof Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, ex‐cept said lotis showntohave a depth of 98.60 feet between equaland paral‐lellines

This sale is sub‐jecttoall supe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of the sale

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-176 FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOF ANNABELL JOHNSON ROBINSON A/K/A ANNABELL JOHNSON ROBINSON A/K/A ANNABELL J. ROBINSON A/K/A ANNABELL ROBINSON By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedAugust 13, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Onecertain lot of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Beechgrove Subdivision, designated as Lot41, Square "B", in accordance with plan of re‐subdivisionplat by Dading Marques& As‐sociates,Inc approved by the Parish of Jeffer‐sononAugust7, 2002, by ordinance no.21627, and recorded with said ordinance at COB3082, folio 479, andaccording to which said lothas such di‐mensions as shownonsaid survey This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-243

SELENE FI‐NANCE, LP VS JUAN ROJAS ANDNORMA ROJAS(A/K/A NORMAAN‐DRADEROJAS)

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber3,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

Onecertain lot or parcel of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part known as Lake Timber‐lane Estates Subdivision, Section2 Exten‐sion,inSquare "D"thereof whichsquareis bounded by Timberlane Es‐tatesDrive, ChimneyLane, Cottage Lane andTimberlane Way. Designated as Lot77a plan of resubdivision made by J.J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,dated May3,1983, ap‐proved by the JeffersonParish CouncilonJuly 27, 1983, under OrdinanceNo. 15638, regis‐teredinthe ParishofJeffer‐soninCOB 1055, Folio822 on August 25, 1983, andac‐cordingthereto Lot77forms the corner of Tim‐berlane EstatesDrive andChimney Lane andmea‐sures30feet frontonTimber‐lane Estates Drive, afurther frontof31.42 feet alongthe curvatureform‐ingthe intersec‐tion of Timberlane Es‐tatesDrive and ChimneyLane, a width in the rear of 50 feet, by a depth andfront on Chimney Lane of 82 feet anda depth on theopposite side lineof 102 feet

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-569

MORTGAGE SO‐LUTIONSOF COLORADO,LLC VERSUS GAGE E. LOPEZ By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber16, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN LOT OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILD‐INGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND ALLOFTHE RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, ANDADVAN‐TAGESTHERE‐UNTO BELONG‐INGORINANY‐WISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN THEPARISHOF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, FORMINGA PART OF FARM LOTNO. 14 OF MARVIS GROVE SUBDIVISIONOF BERTHOUD PLANTATION ANDBEING A PORTIONOF THAT PARCEL OF GROUND 64 FEET IN WIDTHPUR‐CHASED BY VIN‐CENT DUFRENE FROM JOSEPH FRICKEYBYACT BEFORE FRANK J. TILLOTSON, LATE NOTARY PUBLIC DATEDMARCH 17, 1931, AND EXTENDED FROM BAYOU BARATARIA TWENTY AR‐PENTSTOTHE REAR OF SAID LOT.

THELINEOFDI‐VISION BE‐TWEEN THE PROPERTY HEREIN CON‐VEYED ANDTHE PROPERTY NOW OF FORMERLY BELONGINGTO JOHN DUFRENE, TO APOINT; THENCE IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION ALONGA LINE PARALLEL WITH THEPUBLIC HIGHWAY, A DISTANCE OF FIFTY(50')FEET TO APOINT; THENCE IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION, ALONGA LINE PARALLEL WITH THELINEOFDI‐VISION BE‐TWEEN THEPROPERTY HEREIN CON‐VEYEDAND THE PROPERTY NOW OR FORMERLY BE‐LONGINGTO JOHN DUFRENE, ADISTANCEOF ONEHUNDRED (100')FEET TO A POINT; THENCE IN ANORTHERLY DIRECTION, ALONGTHE LINEOFDIVI‐SION BETWEEN THEPROPERTY HEREIN CON‐VEYEDAND THE PROPERTY CON‐VEYEDBYVIN‐CENT DUFRENE TO FREDRICK GROS ON JANUARY14, 1955, BY ACTBE‐FORE WILLIAMJ WHITE, NOTARY PUBLIC, WHICHLINEIS PARALLEL WITH THEPUBLIC HIGHWAY, ADIS‐TANCEOFFIFTY (50')FEET TO A POINT, WHICHIS THEPOINT OF BEGINNING. SAID PIECEOR PORTIONOF GROUND IS BOUNDEDIN FRONTORON THESOUTH OF MATHERNE STREET;INTHE REAR OR ON THENORTH BY THEPROPERTY NOWORFOR‐MERLYTOJOHN DUFRENE;ON THEWESTBY PROPERTY NOW OR FORMERLY BELONGINGTO FREDRICK GROS, AN ON THEEAST BY PROPERTY NOW OR FORMERLY BELONGINGTO VINCENT DUFRENE

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate:

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

ANDACCORD‐INGTOSKETCH ATTACHED TO ACTDATED MARCH12, 1956 AND RECORDED AT COB397, FOLIO 332 OF THE RECORDSOF JEFFERSON PARISH,SAID PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND IS SIT‐UATEDONTHE EAST SIDE OF THE PUBLIC HIGH‐WAYAND COM‐MENCES AT A POINT100 FEET FROM THEPUB‐LIC HIGHWAY, MEASURED ALONGTHE LINE OF DIVISION BETWEENTHE PROPERTY NOW OR FORMERLY BELONGINGTO FREDERICK GROS ANDTHE PROPERTY NOW OR FORMERLY BELONGINGTO JOHN DUFRENE,AND MEASURING THENCE IN AN EASTERLY DI‐RECTIONONE HUNDRED(100') FEET ALONG

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedMarch 19, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1,2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ACERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, all rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in that part thereofknown as TERRYTOWN SUBDIVISION, SECTION3-A beinga part of OakdaleSubdi‐vison, Section "B", First Ward,all in ac‐cordance with survey thereof by AdloeOrr, Jr., andAssociates dated October9,1959, revisedJuly15, 1960, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 4707, adoptedAugust 25, 1960, regis‐teredinCOB 514, folio 345, andinPlan Book 40, folio 37; andaccord‐ingthereto,said lotisdesig‐natedand measures as follows:

LOTNO. 30, SQUARE NO.65., which said square is bounded by FIELDING AVENUE, COOPER ROAD FAIRLAWN DRIVEand CON‐CORD ROAD; said LOT NO.30com‐mences at adis‐tanceof556.13 feet from the corner of FAIR‐LAWN DRIVEand CON‐CORD ROAD, andmeasures thence 60 feet frontonFAIR‐LAWN DRIVE, same width across therearby a depth of 110 feet between equaland paral‐lel lines. Allinac‐cordancewith survey of Gilbert, Kelly andCouturie, Inc.,dated May 25, 1988.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

FOERSTNERG MEYER Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO,III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-598 PHHMORTGAGE CORPORATION VERSUS DANIEL G. GUTIERREZ A/K/ADANIEL GUITERREZ

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedOctober 30, 2025,I have seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

Two certainlots of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes and advantages thereuntobe‐longing or in anywise appertaining situated in the City of Kenner Parish of Jeffer‐son, State of Louisiana, in that part known as Highway Park Subdivi‐sion,inSquare 211 thereof, boundedby Maryland Av‐enue,15th Street,Massa‐chusetts Av‐enue and14th Street, which said lots aredesignated as lotnumbers 16 and17on a survey by W.F. Calogne, C.E., datedNovem‐ber5,1955, a printwhereof is annexedtoan actbefore KalfordK.Mi‐azza,Notary Public,onDe‐cember 12, 1955; andaccording to individual surveysmade by S. K.Landry, Land Surveyor, datedMay 24 1973, Square Number 211 is now boundedby Tennessee(for‐merlyMary‐land)Avenue, 33rd(formerly 15th) Street,Maine (formerlyMass‐achusetts)Av‐enue and32nd (formerly14th) Street and said lots mea‐sure as follows: Lots 16 and17 measureeach 25 feet fronton Tennessee(for‐merlyMary‐land) Avenue,same width in the rear,abutting a 15 foot alley, by adepth be‐tween equal andparallel lines of 120feet Lot17lies nearer to and commences at a distance of 175 feet from thecorner of Tennessee(for‐merlyMary‐land)Avenue and32nd (formerly14th) Street

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-793

WELLSFARGO BANK,N.A VS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOF DANIEL LEO DUNHAMA/K/A DANIEL LEO DUNHAMA/K/A DANIEL L. DUN‐HAMA/K/A DANIEL DUNHAM

666 in Jefferson Parish

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior securityin‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:866-152

p ration, datedJuly31, 1990, redated July 18, 1991, said portionof ground is desig‐natedas Lot4 andmea‐suresasfol‐lows,to-wit:

Lot4 measures 21 feetfront on Martin Berhman Avenue,same width in the rear,bya depth of 121 feet between equaland paral‐lellines

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNISWIG‐GINS,JR. Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

g and outstanding mineralrights of record affecting the property

Improvements thereonbear theMunicipal No.5854 Ander‐sonPlace,Mar‐rero,LA 70072

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or PersonalCheck with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

Parish Police Jury under ordi‐nanceno. 7161, said property is more particularly de‐scribedasfol‐lows,to-wit: Lot2-A,square 44, is bounded by Transconti‐nental Drive, Antonini Drive, Chastant Street andBelle Drive, andsaid Lot2-A mea‐sures54.79 feet frontonAn‐tonini Drive, awidth in the rear of 50 feet, by adepth on thesideline nearer Transcontinen‐tal Driveof95feet, by adepth on theopposite side line of 122.59 feet,and commences at adistanceof 95.51 feet from the corner of Antonini Drive andTransconti‐nental Drive.

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC VERSUS KELLYC.CHAP‐LAIN A/K/A KELLYCHAP‐LAIN

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune27, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:772-838

CAPTIALONE N.A. VERSUS PATRICIA WILLIAMS COLE‐MAN

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber3,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the following de‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, and allthe rights ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐unto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theEighth Ward of the Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as AirlinePark, accordingto aplanbyH.E Landry,C.E datedOctober 26,1950,revised September13, 1951 andrevised plan by H. E. Landry,C.E., datedJanuary 9, 1951,revised September 13, 1951,bothon file andof record in plan book 16,Parish of Jefferson, Louisiana, accordingto which,saidpor‐tion of ground is describedas follows: Lot17, Square "G", bounded by Montgomery andMitchellAv‐enue,Airline Park Boulevardand HodgsonAv‐enue,measures 50 feet fronton Montgomery Avenue, same width in therearby a depth of 109 feet between equal andparal‐lellines;all as more fully shownon sketch by H.E. Landry,C.E datedOctober 26,1951, revised May15, 1952, annexedtoan actrecordedat COB320 folio

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all of thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Wilshire Heights Subdivision, Section"B" in Square 8-A thereof; as de‐lineated on plan of J. J. Krebs& Sons, Inc.,Civil Engi‐neersand Sur‐veyors,dated June 5, 1967, approved by the Police Jury for theParishof Jeffersonunder ordinanceno. 8330, datedJune29, 1967, on file in theoffice of the clerkofcourt forthe Parish of Jefferson, in COB661, folio 210, entryno. 399-366, which said square is bounded by Martin Berhman Avenue,Harri‐sonAvenue,the line dividing it from Square 8-B (Dumaine Street side)and the easternbound‐arylineof Wilshire Heights Subdivision (WilshireBoule‐vard side)and accordingto a plan of survey by BFMCorpo‐i

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJune16, 2021, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that subdivision known as AN‐DERSON PLACE. And, accordingto plan of resubdi‐vision by DufreneSurvey‐ing& Engineer‐ing, Inc.,dated February 25, 2005, and adoptedbythe JeffersonParish Councilunder Docket No WS-80-05, recorded in the office of the ClerkofCourt forthe Parish of Jeffersonat COB3150, folio 69, andaccord‐ingthereto said lotisdesig‐natedasLOT 11; subject to restrictions, servitudes rights-of-way d di

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:854-193 THEBANKOF NEWYORKMEL‐LONFKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK AS TRUSTEEFOR THECERTIFI‐CATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2004-24CB, MORTGAGE PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 200424CB VS ANGELO MICHA‐LATOS By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber23, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Acertain piece or portionof ground,to‐gether with all of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances, prescriptions andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereof knownas Pontchartrain Shores Subdivi‐sion,designated as lotno. 2-A, square no.44, andinaccor‐dancewiththe resubdivision plan made by J. J. Krebs& Sons,Inc Sur‐veyors,dated April13, 1965, copy of which is on file in COB 616, folio 442 of the recordsofthe clerkofcourt forthe Parish of Jefferson, and approved by theJefferson

Accordingto a survey made by J. J. Krebs& Sons,Inc Civil Engineersand Surveyors, datedOctober 1, 1968, and resurveyed to show improve‐mentsJanuary 16, 1969, acopy of which is an‐nexedtoact passedbefore PatrickC Hardie,N.P.on February 3, 1969, theprop‐erty is shownas abovede‐scribed, except thedepth on the side line nearer Transcontinen‐talDrive is shownas95 feet (title)and 100.21 feet (actual)

Said lotisalso designated by theno. 2-Aon survey of Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc Surveyingand Engineering, datedOctober 27, 1973, blue printcopyof which is annexedtoven‐dor’sacquisi‐tion passedbe‐fore theunder‐signed notary public ,this date,and ac‐cordingthereto, said lotissitu‐ated in the samesubdivi‐sion andsquare andhas the same location dimensions and municipalnum‐berasshown above.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:856-750

aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedAugust7, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in WILLOWDALE PARK SUBDIVI‐SION,SECTION I, said portion beingdesig‐natedasLOT 210 of SQUARE 16, ac‐cordingto a plan by Adloe Orr, Jr.&Associ‐ates,C.E., dated September10, 1968, Square 16, is bounded by Bennington Drive, Oberlin Street,the Easternlineof Willowdale Park Subdivision, Section1 and theSouthern line of Willowdale Park Subdivision, Section1.Lot 210 commences at adistanceof 600.00 feet from the corner of Ober‐linStreet and Bennington Driveand mea‐suresthence 60.00 feet front on Bennington Drive, same widthinthe rear,bya depth of 90.00 feet between equal andparallel lines.

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 5037 Bennington Drive, Marrero, LA 70072.

Beingthe same property ac‐quired by LeonardReal Estate,LLC,by actdated November 7, 2019, recorded at COB3430, folio 120, further acquired by Deanna Plaisancewife of/and Don EdwinPatecek by actdated September30, 1997, recorded at COB 2970, folio 276, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Louisiana.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or PersonalCheck with Bank Letter of Credit

JPATRICK GAFFNEY

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:856-852

U.S. BANK TRUSTNA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, NOTIN ITSINDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUTSOLELYAS OWNER TRUSTEEFOR LEGACY MORT‐GAGE ASSET TRUST 2021-GS3 VS KARLASAAVE‐DRAHERRERA By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedAugust 12, 2024, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

ALLTHATCER‐TAIN LOTOR PARCEL OF GROUND,to‐gether with all of the buildingsand improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,means, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances, advantages and component partsthereunto belongingor in anywiseap‐pertaining thereto, lying andbeing situ‐ated in the PARISHOF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, in that part thereofknown as CHATEAU ESTATESNORTH, SECTIONONE, andaccording to aplatofsur‐veybyGeraldB Dunn, Land Sur‐veyor, datedOc‐tober12, 1993, a copy of which is annexedtoan act registered in COB2884, folio 841, said portion of ground is designated as LOT29, SQUARE 4, which square is bounded by Bordeaux Drive, St.JulienDrive, Rhone Driveand ChablisDrive andwhich lot commences at a distance of 494.41 feet from theintersection of Bordeaux Driveand St Julien Driveand measures thence 60 feet frontonBor‐deauxDrive, same widthin therear, by a depthof110 feet between equaland paral‐lellines

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

INVESTAR BANK, N.A. VS ANTHONY MILOUS JOHNS ENIKKA C. JOHNS By virtue of and in obedienceto

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16,

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit CRIS R. JACKSON Attorney for

Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

depth of 95 feet between equal andparallel lines. Allaslo‐catedand measures on that survey by Surveys, Incor‐porateddated July 3, 1986; subjectto restrictions, servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affectingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear themunici‐paladdress253 JamesDrive Waggaman, Louisiana

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

CANDACEA COURTEAU

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedAugust 15, 2025, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

That Certain PieceOrPortion Of Ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings constructions, component parts, fixtures andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall of the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereunto belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson,State of Louisiana, in the part thereof knownasLive OakManor Sub‐division,all as perplan of subdivision datedJune 9, 1959, approved under Ordi‐nanceNo. 4152, adoptedby theJefferson Parish Council, filedofrecord under EntryNo. 159352 in COB 486, folio 469, andas perAct of Dedi‐cation before Harold J. Zeringer,Jr.,No‐tary Public datedSeptem‐ber16, 1959, filedofrecord under EntryNo. 160982 in COB 488, folio 343, said lot beingmorepar‐ticularlyde‐scribedasfol‐lows,to-wit:

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026

February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

p vision pursuant to Ord. No 16487, Summary No 13636, of the Parish of Jeffer‐son, datedMay 23, 1984,Reg.in COB1077, folio 550, and filedfor record in theof‐fice of theclerk of courtfor the Parish of Jeffer‐sonon June 1, 1984,all as persurveyof J. J. Krebs& Sons,dated May14, 1984, andall as persurveyofJ J. Krebs& Sons, datedMay 14, 1985,and ac‐cordingto which said Lot7 is desig‐natedand mea‐suresasfol‐lows,to-wit:

Lotno. 7, Square D, measures 40.00 feet front on NorthOak Drive, same width in therear, by a depth of 116.36 feet on theline adjoiningLot No.6 andby a further depth of 116.01 feet on theline adjoiningLot No.8.SquareD is bounded by North Oak Drive, StebbenSt., Becker Street andAmesBlvd.

Allinaccor‐dancewithsur‐veyofDufrene Surveying& En‐gineering, Inc. datedAugust 14, 1998, resur‐veyedtoshow improvement 12/22/98 acopy of which is at‐tached to actregisteredin COB3002,page 568.

p p erty to wit:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, being situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, West Bank of theMis‐sissippi River, in the Harvey Canal Subdivision, all as more fully shownona map of said subdivi‐sion made by Elbert G. San‐dos, C. E.,dated September19, 1927, revisedby J. H. Payne, Parish Engineer on April24, 1993, on file in theclerk’s of‐fice,and in Square No.2 bounded by PailetAvenue Fourth Street Highway, Gold Street and BrownAvenue, designated as thenos.32and 33 whichadjoin andmeasure each 25 feet fronton Pailet Avenue by adepth of 110 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Lotno. 32 lies nearer andat a distance of 150 feet from Gold Street,all as more fully shownon survey by J. Perry Hotard,C E.,dated August 14, 1975.

public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

Allthatcertain parcel of land situateinthe Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, beingknown anddesignated as LotNo. 7, Square D, Cy‐pressGrove Subdivision.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is due at the time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNISWIG‐GINS,JR. Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

son, according to which plan said Lot46be‐gins at adis‐tanceof50 feet from the corner of Kansas and Fourth Streets andsaidportion measures thence 50 feet fronton Kansas Street, same width in therear, by a depth of 120 feet between equal andparallel lines: allas more fully shownonplat of survey by A. W. J. Bisso,C.E.& S. datedMay 15, 1955, annexed to actofHarold R. Ainsworth, Notary Public,dated June 17, 1955 registered in COB382, folio 244; subjectto restrictions servitudes, rights-of-way andoutstanding mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe property

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear Municipal No.2141 Kansas Avenue,Kenner, Louisiana70062.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-QS1 VERSUS THESUCCES‐SION OF SHARON G. LONG A/K/A SHARON G. LONG A/K/A SHARON LONG

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber9,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

Lot17, Square 12,which square is bounded by JamesDrive (formerlyJames Street), Judith Street JayPlace (side), Helis Drive (side),and Richelle Street (side),and said lotcommences at adistanceof 111 feet from theintersection of Judith Street and JamesDrive, andmeasures thence 56 feet frontonJames Drive, same width across therear, by a

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:860-901 PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC VS DEREMY D. MC‐GOWANA/K/A DEREMY MC‐GOWANAND LYNETRISSD CELESTINE A/K/A LYNETRISSCE‐LESTINE By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 29, 2025,I have seized andwill proceedto sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That certain portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildingand improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereof known as SieversSub‐division, Extension No.2 beinga part of Original Parcels H-117,H-129 and aten foot strip reserved for drainage in Es‐telle Plantation andParcels X, Y andZ of Sievers Subdivisionall as per resubdi‐i i

This sale is sub‐ject to all supe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter ofCredit.

COREYJ.GIROIR

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:861-067

GMFS LLC VS DAWN BEALER MALCOLM A/K/ADAWNB MALCOLM A/K/ADAWN MALCOLM

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is due at the time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026

jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:869-851

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL

DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:870-320

NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC VERSUS DAVIDW.LOVE‐LESS,ROBERTJ LOVELESS

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit ASHLEY E. MORRIS Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: January16, 2026, February 20, 2026 jan16-feb20-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:867-622

U.S. BANK TRUSTCOM‐PANY,NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOTINITS INDIVIDUAL CA‐PACITY BUT SOLELY IN ITS CAPACITY AS IN‐DENTURE TRUSTEEOFCIM TRUST2025-NR1 VERSUS MARY LOUISE COSTANZA GIOIELLO AND PHILIP A. GIOIELLO

ALLTHE RIGHTS, WAYS,PRIVI‐LEGES, APPURTE‐NANCES AND ADVANTAGES THEREUNTOBE‐LONGINGORIN ANYWISEAP‐PERTAINING, SITUATED IN THECITYOF KENNER,PARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, IN THAT PART THEREOF KNOWNAS UNIVERSITY CITY SUBDIVI‐SION,ACCORD‐INGTOA PLAN THEREOFBY FRANK S. FOSTER,JR. C.E. &S,DATED SEPTEMBER30, 1971, ACOPYOF WHICHIS ON FILE IN THE RECORDSOF THEPARISHOF JEFFERSON, ENTRYNO. 537835, COB747, FOLIO974. LOT 18, SQUARE 94E, BOUNDEDBY DARTMOUTH PLACE, EMER‐SONDRIVE,FUR‐MANCIRCLE, NORTHWEST‐ERN DRIVEAND GEORGETOWN DRIVE, SAID LOT COMMENCES AT ADISTANCEOF 483.26 FEET FROM THECOR‐NEROFNORTH‐WESTERN DRIVE, AND GEORGETOWN DRIVEAND MEASURE THENCE 50 FEET FRONTON GEORGETOWN DRIVE, SAME WIDTHINTHE REAR,BYA DEPTHOF100 FEET BETWEEN EQUALAND PARALLEL LINES, AS PERSURVEY OF FRANKS FOSTER,JR.,C.E &S DATED 2/1/72, ANDAC‐CORDINGTOA SURVEY MADE BY GILBERT, KELLY& COUR‐TURIE, INC., SURVEYING& ENGINEERING, DATED MAY28, 1988; subjecttore‐strictions,servi‐tudes, rights-ofwayand out‐standing mineralrights of record affect‐ingthe prop‐erty THEIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREONBEAR THEMUNICIPAL NO.137 GEORGETOWN DRIE,KENNER, LOUISIANA 70065.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 28, 2025,I have seized andwill proceedtosell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058,on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the following de‐scribed prop‐i

WELLSFARGO BANK,N.A VS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOFED‐WARD C. STILLA/K/A ED‐WARD C. STILL A/K/AEDWARD STILLAND

CLARENCE RAY FLYNT, III A/K/A

CLARENCE R. FLYNT, III A/K/A

CLARENCE FLYNT, III, HEIR OF GLORIA DE‐LAUNEGIEGER STILL

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber5,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat

JOSHUA S. LOVE‐LESS AND JORDAN S. LOVELESS By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber14, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That portionof ground together with allthe buildingsand improvements thereon belongingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that Part thereofknown as Highway Park,inPlot474, bounded by Kansas,lowa, Thirdand Fourth Streets. Said portionof ground is com‐posedofLot Nos. 45 and46, accordingto plan of subdivi‐sion of Highway Park by A. D. Dusenbury, C. E., datedDecem‐ber5,1925, filed forrecordin Plan Book 9, folio 11, Parish of Jeffer‐

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber19, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,TO‐GETHER WITH ALLTHE IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, AND

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit BRIGHAMJ LUNDBERG Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

Acertain piece or portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereonand all of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, City of Ken‐ner, in thatpart thereofknown as Highway Park Subdivi‐sion,saidpor‐tion of ground is designated by thelot numbers 13 and14 of Square 13, which square is bounded by Illi‐nois Avenue,In‐dianaAvenue, 44th Street (formerly 26thStreet), and43rdStreet (formerly25th Street), and measures in accordance with aplanofR B. Rordam,C.E datedNovem‐ber9,1950, a copy of which is an‐nexedtoanact before Edward J. Stoulig, Notary Public,dated February 16, 1951, and registered in COB299, folio 151, as follows, to wit: Lots numbers 13 and14of Square 13 adjoin each otherand measureeach 25 feet frontonIllinois Avenue,same widthinthe rear,bya depth of 127.5feet be‐tween equaland paral‐lellines.All as more fully shownonsur‐veybyEugeneI Estopinal andAssociates, datedSeptem‐ber27, 1977, re‐datedDecem‐ber8,1977, copy of which is an‐nexedtoAct No 847638.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-383

WELLSFARGO BANK,N.A VS GARY GROS By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedSeptem‐ber23, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:868-381

DEUTSCHE BANK TRUSTCOM‐PANY AMERI‐CAS, AS TRUSTEEFOR RESIDENTIAL ACCREDIT LOANS, INC. MORTGAGE ASSET-BACKED PASS-THROUGH

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

DENNIS WIG‐GINS,JR. Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate:

That certain pieceorportion of ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereonand all rights,ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in Live Oak ManorSubdivi‐sion,all as per plan of subdivi‐sion by Subdivi‐sion Planning Ordinance No.4152, adoptedbyJef‐ferson Parish Council, filedfor record under entry#159352, in COB786, folio 469, andasper ActofDedica‐tion before Harold J. Zeringer,Jr., Notary Public datedSeptem‐ber16, 1959, filedfor record under entryno. 160982, in COB48, folio 343, more par‐ticularlyde‐scribedasfol‐lows,to-wit: Lot14, Square 22, bounded by ImogeneStreet, LiskaStreet,Jef‐ferDrive (side), WillardPlace (side) andHelis Drive, said Lot 14 commences at adistanceof 399 feet from thein‐tersection of ImogeneStreet andHelis Drive, measures thence 59 feet fronton ImogeneStreet, 55.59 feet in the rear,and mea‐sures95feet on each side line.All as more fully shownbysur‐veyofGilbert Kelly &Cou‐turie, Inc.,dated September2, 1992.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges. TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit COREYJ.GIROIR Attorney for Plaintiff JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of

Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA

NO:870-215

HOME BANK, N.A. VS GERARD B. HAN‐FORD AND NICOLE LEMOINEHAN‐FORD

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND

SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber6,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit:

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, situated in the PARISH of JEF‐FERSON,STATE of LOUISIANA, in that portion thereofknown as LAKESHORE SUBDIVISIONin SQUARE NUM‐BER8,bounded by Huronand ChickasawAv‐enuesand Live Oakand Poplar Streets, andwhich said lotofgroundis designated as LOT28-Ain accordance with amap of re-subdivision of Richmond W. Krebs, Land Sur‐veyor, datedFebru‐ary13, 2013 and attached to act registered in COB3318, folio 34, and bearingInstru‐ment No 11335391 in the official records of theParishof Jefferson, Stateof Louisiana, and in accordance with said plan of re-subdivi‐sion,saidLot 28-A commences 80 feet from the corner of Huron Avenue andLive OakStreetand measures thence 70 feet frontonLive Oak, same width in the rear,bya depth of 150 feet between equaland paral‐lellines

Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO: 868-648

FIDELITYBANK VERSUS DENISEM.BAR‐RIOS

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritofFIERI FACIAS from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber29, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat publicauction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribed prop‐erty to wit:

FOERSTNERG MEYER

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:870-089

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION VS MIGNON JOHN‐SON

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ELIZABETHC PRICE

Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

y andClift Street Theimprove‐mentsthereon beingcom‐monlyknown as 436 CliftStreet, Jefferson, LA 70121.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

PENNY M. DAIGREPONT Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

q andparallel lines

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

ELIZABETHC PRICE Attorney for Plaintiff

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III

Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

passedbefore LeonardH Rosenson, NP,dated July 13, 1962, regis‐teredinCOB 556/226, Jeffer‐sonParish, Louisiana, said Lot39, commencesat a distance of 60 feet from the corner of Anne Driveand JamieBoulevard andmeasures thence,inthe directionof West Tish Drive, a distance of 54 feet fronton Anne Drive, same in width in therear, by a depth of 100 feet

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

as follows: LOT25is bounded by Cre‐stridgeCircle, BaratariaBlvd., EhretRoad, Weatherly Placeand La Highway45. Said lotcom‐mences at adis‐tanceof439.01 feet from the corner of Cre‐stridgeCircle andEhret Road andmeasures 61.50 feet front on Crestridge Cir‐cle, same width in therear, by a depth of 155.00 feet between equal andparallel lines. Allinac‐cordance with a survey by BFM Corporation datedon August 11, 1998.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

Theimprove‐mentsthereon bear theMunici‐palNo. 510 LIVE OAKSTREET, METAIRIE, LOUISIANA 70005.

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

TERMS- 10% down balancein 30 days

NOTE:All funds mustbe Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND, to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐mentsthereon, andall the rights,ways, privileges, servitudes, appurtenances andadvantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in the PARISH OF JEF‐FERSON,STATE OF LOUISIANA, in SQUARE 518 POPE PARK SUB‐DIVISION (for‐merlyHighway Park Subdivi‐sion)bounded by Iowa Avenue (for‐merlyFig Street), 20th Street (formerly 2ndStreet and formerly Carona Avenue), Kansas Avenue (for‐merlyBell Street)and West Metairie Avenue (for‐merly Kopfler Av‐enue), desig‐natedasLOT E on ablueprint of survey made by W. J. Bisso, C.E.,dated July 1950, according to whichsaid LotE com‐mences at adis‐tanceof 200 feet from thecornerof Iowa Avenue and20thStreet andmeasures thence 50 feet fronton Iowa Avenue same width in therear, by a depth of 120 feet between equaland paral‐lellines,all in accordance with survey of J. L. Fontcuberta, Surveyor, dated12/5/66. Allinaccor‐dancewithsur‐veyofGilbert Kelly &Cou‐turie, dated April2006

This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages,liens and privileges.

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:871-377 NATIONSTAR MORTGAGE LLC VERSUS ROBERT G. MULLER,(A/K/A ROBERT G. MULLER,JR)

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026

feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA

feb20-mar27-2t

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

DENNISWIG‐GINS,JR. Attorney for Plaintiff

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

NO:871-221 NEWREZ LLC D/B/ASHELL‐POINTMORT‐GAGE SERVIC‐ING VERSUS LENETTE BRINK‐LEY

W. A. MAIORANA,JR Attorney for

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck, Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana,inthe abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedNovem‐ber4,2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribed prop‐erty to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOFGROUND, together with allthe buildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana,on theWestBank of theMissis‐sippi Riverin thesubdivision known as COLLURA PLACEEXTEN‐SION,which is a resubdivisionof therearportion of Farm Site No.14, SectionB of Ames Farms Subdivisionin accordance with aplanof J.J. Krebsand Sons,C.E., dated September22, 1959, acopyof which is on file in theoffice of the ClerkofCourt of theParishof Jefferson, andin accordance with said plan,saidlot is designated as LOT4 of SQUARE 11 andmea‐sures50feet fronton Garden Road same width in therear, by a depthof105 feet between equaland parallel lines. Accordingto a survey made by F.G. Stewart, Surveyor,dated August 25, 1965, acopy of which is an‐nexedtoanact passedbefore PatrickC Hardie, N.P datedSep‐tember 8, 1965, thepropertyis shownasabove described, and Square 11 is bounded by Garden Road Chenault and 16th, Streets, and theWest Line of Collura PlaceExtension Subdivision, and Lot4 com‐mences 150feet from the corner of Gar‐denRoadand 16thStreet

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 12, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: Allthatcertain lotorparcelof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings and improvements thereon, andall of therights, ways,means, privileges, servitudes, prescriptions, appurtenances, advantages and component partsthereunto belonging or in anywise appertaining, lyingand being situated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as Labarre HeightsSubdivi‐sion,and accordingto a plat or survey by Gilbert, Kelly andCouturie, Inc.,Surveying and Engineering, datedMay 5, 1994, acopyof which is an‐nexedtoanact registered in COB2894, folio 377, said portion of ground is designated as Lots 17 and18 Plot Number 2, which plot is bounded by Clift Street,Neely Street,Labarre Road and NorthRio Vista Addition,and which lots mea‐sure together 50 feet fronton Clift Street,same width in the rear,bya depth of 120 feet be‐tween equal andparallel lines. Lot18lies nearer to and commences at a distance of 360 feet from the intersection of NeelyStreet

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:871-544 WILMINGTON SAVINGSFUND SOCIETY, FSBAS OWNER TRUSTEEOF CFS15 GRANTOR TRUST VERSUS THEUNOPENED SUCCESSION OF ANDUNKNOWN HEIRSOFMARIE GILBERT HICKSA/K/A MARIEGILBERT HICKSA/K/A MARIEG.HICKS A/K/AMARIE HICKS

TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t

g of therights, ways,privi‐leges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances andad‐vantages there‐untobelonging or in anywiseap‐pertaining,situ‐ated in the Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in that part thereof knownas Maplewood Park SectionA, designated as Lot16, Square 5, bounded by Maplewood Drive, Third Street (side) easternLineof Subdivision, Redwood Drive (side),and Fourth Street, said lotcom‐mences at adis‐tanceof85.67 feet from the corner of Maplewood Driveand Fourth Street,and measures thence 65 feet fronton Maplewood Drive, awidth in therearof40 feet,bya depth of 96.01 feet on thesideline nearer Third Street,and a depth on the opposite side‐line of 98.83 feet.All as more fully shownon survey by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie,Inc., dated November 2, 1995, acopyof which is at‐tached to act registered in COB2927, folio 320. This sale is sub‐ject to allsupe‐rior security in‐terests, mort‐gages, liensand privileges.

24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:871-686

TOWD POINT MORTGAGE TRUST2017-1, U.S. BANK NA‐TIONAL ASSOCI‐ATION, AS INDENTURE TRUSTEE VERSUS ANDREA L. ROSER

JUDICIAL ADVERTISE‐MENT 24THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF JEFFERSON STATEOF LOUISIANA NO:871-984

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedDecem‐ber15, 2025, I have seized and will proceed to sell to thehigh‐estbidderat public auction, at theJefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Complex, 1233 Westbank Expressway, Harvey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT PORTION OF GROUND,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in thePARISH OF JEFFERSON, STATEOF LOUISIANA, in that part thereofknown as AVONDALE HOMESSUBDI‐VISION,accord‐ingtoa plan of WilliamMaier, C.E.,dated July 15, 1962, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under Ordi‐nanceNo. 5676, and filed forrecordas EntryNo. 237294, registered in COB557, folio 124, in Plan Book 46 Plan 10 of the Recordsofthe ClerkofCourt forthe Parish of Jefferson, ac‐cordingto which thesaid lotisdesignate andmeasures as follows: LOT 43-A, SQUARE G, Lot 43-Aforms the corner of Car‐menDrive,the same in width in therear, by a depth of 100 feet be‐tween equal d ll l

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 9, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: That certain portionof ground,to‐gether with all thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways, privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theParishof Jefferson, in Parcel No.3 of a portionoffor‐merAvondale Plantation and knownas Avondale Homes, Section No.2,ona plan of survey and subdivisionby William Maier, C.E., datedJuly20, 1960, acopyof which said plan is on file with theclerk of courtfor the Parish of Jeffer‐son, attached to EntryNo. 189498, registered in COB 516/234, plan book 40, plan no.40, accord‐ingtowhich plan said lotis designated as Lot39, in Square D, andaccord‐ingtoa survey by William Maier, C.E., datedAugust 14, 1961, acopy of which is an‐nexedtoanact

By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 12, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: ACERTAIN LOT OF GROUND,to‐gether with al thebuildings andimprove‐ments thereon, andall therights, ways privileges, servitudes,ap‐purtenances and advantages thereuntobe‐longingorin anywiseapper‐taining, situated in theState of Louisiana, Parish of Jeffer‐son, in that part thereofknown as ownas RIDGECREST II SUBDIVISION, accordingto a plan by BFM Corporation, datedMarch 7, 1996, last revisedMay 8, 1996, approved by theJefferson Parish Council under OrderNO. 19778, filedat COB2946, folio 9, designated as LOT25and said lotisdescribed

DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUSTCOM‐PANY,AS TRUSTEEFOR MERITAGE MORTGAGE LOAN TRUST 2005-2ASSET BACKED CER‐TIFICATES, SE‐RIES 2005-2 VERSUS LESTER ROY PERKINS(A/K/A LESTER R. PERKINS, LESTER PERKINS) AND CHANTELL L. ANDERSON PERKINS(A/K/A CHANTELL L.A. PERKINS, CHANTELL AN‐DERSON PERKINS, CHANTELL A. PERKINS, CHANTELL L. ANDERSON, CHANTELL L. PERKINS, CHANTELL AN‐DERSON, CHANTELL PERKINS) By virtue of and in obedienceto aWritof SEIZUREAND SALE from the 24thJudicial District Court, Parish of Jeffer‐son, Stateof Louisiana, in the abovenum‐beredand enti‐tled cause, datedJanuary 14, 2026, Ihave seized andwill proceed to sell to thehighest bidder at public auction, at the JeffersonParish Sheriff'sOffice Complex, 1233 Westbank Ex‐pressway,Har‐vey, Louisiana, 70058, on April 1, 2026 at 10 o'clocka.m.the followingde‐scribedprop‐erty to wit: THAT CERTAIN PIECEORPOR‐TION OF GROUND,to‐getherwithall f h i h

EMILYA MUELLER Attorney for Plaintiff

TERMS- Thefull purchase price is dueatthe time of thesale.

NOTE:All funds must be Cashier'sCheck Certified Check, MoneyOrder,or Personal Check with Bank Letter of Credit

JOSEPH P. LOPINTO, III Sheriff Parish of Jefferson TheNew Orleans Advocate: February 20, 2026, March27, 2026 feb20-mar27-2t JUDICIAL

LOUISIANA OWNED